* * *
Wind slammed against his side as the dragon flew passed him once more. His long grey cloak tangled around his legs and Hemlock took a cautious step back. His eyes lingered on Kaverax as he turned in the air for another sweep by the palace. Nerath had been big. Wilameir was huge when she shifted. But Kaverax made them both look like hatchlings. The idea that the creature before him once ruled the skies in his world amazed him. He had, of course, lived while Kaverax still ruled, but never once had he seen the dragon in his scaled form. The few occasions he had met the creature while it was living had been inside the Justicars hall in Sanctuary and Kaverax had seemed no more threatening than any other man in the building.
“What are you doing up here?” Yasny’s voice demanded behind him and Hemlock slowly turned on his perch to smile at her. His feet shifted on the loose tiles of the tower roof and he paused, but his smile never faltered.
“Looking for a nice private place to talk to you, Yasny,” Hemlock replied easily. She was crouched above him close to the window and the expression on her face suggested that if he didn’t slip and fall she was going to push him. “I have a proposal for you, Yasny; just hear me out,” Hemlock pressed in his most charming voice. He didn’t have Seth’s natural talent with charm magic, but he did know how to tempt the Elder Blood easily enough.
“Why would I want anything you have?” Yasny hissed, but her expression had softened and he could see the glint of curiosity in her eyes.
“Because Finn will never give you what I’m offering and we both know it,” Hemlock replied with a smile.
Yasny’s eyes narrowed as she watched him, but as he had suspected, the hint was too much for her. She wanted to know exactly what he was talking about and it was obvious. She stood after a long moment and waved a slender hand for him to move closer. “Too much noise up here and I don’t like having to yell. Come inside the tower, Hemlock,” she said as she ducked back through the tower window.
Hemlock nodded and followed her silently into the palace. He gazed around at the room noting the cobwebs and dust that lined the corners then let his eyes settle on her. “I have a problem, Yasny, and after much consideration I’ve decided that we could help each other.”
“Do you have any idea what kind of bloody fit Seth would throw if he knew you were in the palace?” Yasny asked, ignoring his words completely. She shook her head at him in annoyance and leaned against the dusty wall. “I have no idea how soon he will be back, either, so you might want to spit out whatever you came here for before he returns.”
“You never were the sort for flattery,” Hemlock lied with a smile. In truth, Yasny had been one of the most vain and arrogant women he had ever known. She had reason to be, though. While she lived, Yasny was considered the most beautiful of the Elder Blood women, and she had known it. “Seth is why I’m here. You, of course, understand that Seth and I don’t get along, and, well, it has gotten to a point that I can no longer ignore.”
Yasny chuckled coldly. “Oh, you poor thing. And I should care about this, why?”
“You are correct, of course. After the countless years that Seth has spent weaving his charm magic over you, you shouldn’t care. I knew you when you lived, though, Yasny. I know you are no one’s lap dog and he has taken advantage of you.” Hemlock paused and smiled at her obvious anger. “Please allow me to finish before you speak. Her lips had tightened and he could tell she wanted to speak, but she nodded for him to continue. “Seth has been too active in the Sunlit world recently. Finn allows him more freedom than he does any other soul in his domain. I’m sure you have noticed the favoritism. His activity has got to stop.”
“It won’t. Finn has given him full leave to do whatever he must to help the girl,” Yasny broke in with annoyance clear in her voice.
Hemlock frowned and forced a look of confusion onto his face. He, of course, knew about Zoelyn, but this would go easier if Yasny thought she had the upper hand. “Is that what it is? He is helping a girl?”
Yasny smirked and nodded. “An Undrae, actually. Her name is Zoelyn,” she informed him with a grin.
He no longer had to force the look of confusion. According to the information he had, Zoelyn was a siphon. There had been whispers about Undrae in Glis, of course, but the word Undrae had become so bastardized there that they used it for anything they didn’t like. A true Undrae was a much larger problem than a siphon could ever be. “Whatever the case is, I need him to fade away like a good little dead thing, and I think you can help me with that. In return I, of course, would help you. I know the name, Zoelyn, but I had no idea she was the reason Seth was so active lately.”
“How would you help me?” Yasny demanded. He could tell she was growing tired of the game, but he still had enough of her curiosity to keep her talking.
“I could help you live again, Yasny. As far as I’m concerned you have served your penance here and I don’t think Finn is going to give you the chance that I am willing to. If he does send you on, it will be into the life stream where you will forget everything. I, however, will bring you back as you are now with all of your memories and powers.” Hemlock spoke softly, as if he was afraid the words would carry beyond their small room. He had her now and he knew it. No creature in the Darklands would sacrifice the chance to live again. It was the guaranteed way to achieve exactly what he wanted.
“How?” Yasny whispered. There was a hunger in her eyes that couldn’t be faked. For the chance to live again, she would do whatever he asked.
“Kali,” Hemlock said with a shrug. “She can create a body for you that would be a perfect duplicate of what you had in life, or she could make you different in appearance if you prefer to remain unknown. Then it would be as simple as my taking your soul from here. Once we have performed the spells in the Sunlit world to bond your soul with your new body, there is nothing Finn can do about it. Unless, of course, Seth still has his full freedom. Finn could send the Crow King to retrieve you, I suppose…” He let the words trail off and remained silent as she considered his offer.
“I won’t attempt to destroy Seth. He is more powerful than I am here,” Yasny said with obvious hesitation. It wasn’t easy for a creature such as Yasny to admit something was more powerful.
“I wouldn’t ask you to. It is no secret that Seth is often in Merro and it is also widely known that Zoelyn is Jala’s ward and that Jala thinks highly of her. So, if what you say is true about Seth helping the girl, it should be an easy matter to resolve. We separate him from the girl and he no longer has a purpose in the world above.” Hemlock paused and tapped his chin as he seemed to consider the matter. It wouldn’t do if he appeared to have this all planned out. Yasny would grow suspicious.
“The girl adores him and he is so disgustingly sweet when dealing with her that I can’t blame her. Seth can be so charming when he wants to be,” Yasny grumbled and there was a hint of jealousy in her tone.
“Ahh, but you and I both know the real Seth. So all you have to do is show her a glimpse of what he really is. If she could see the evil he hides behind his smiles, she would run. Who wouldn’t run from that?” Hemlock said softly.
Yasny frowned and her expression grew thoughtful. “If he has any idea I’m involved, he will be furious,” she mused. Her lips pursed as she considered the matter and she nodded slowly. “I believe I know how to go about this, but it will take time. The girl is here now, but I need time to cozy up to her before I act. I have to hold a fraction of her trust for this to work. It shouldn’t be hard, though. She is rather naïve.”
“Excellent, Yasny. That gives me time to make preparations with Kali.” Hemlock smiled at her and bowed his head. “I will leave this matter to you, then. Just please don’t take too long to act. Seth has already killed one of my trusted men and I don’t want to lose more to his petty vengeance.”
“How do I know you will keep your word and return me to life once I have done what you asked?” Yasny snapped before he could move an inch.
Hemlock
smiled and bowed his head to her once more. “Of course. It’s only natural that you would want reassurance after dealing with
Seth for so long. I am a man that keeps his word, but I won’t expect you to act on that alone. I brought a contract with me, of course, in the event that we did reach an agreement,” he always carried contracts. They were the simplest way to get an Elder Blood’s trust quickly, and for some reason the simple piece of paper could build more trust than any words he could utter. Straightening he pulled the scroll from his cloak and unrolled it slowly against the wall. He motioned to her with a gloved hand to move closer and stepped back so she could read the print. It was hard to keep from smiling like a child as he watched her scan the words. She would sign and she would do everything he asked.
Once Seth was out of the picture, killing Zoelyn would be a simple matter, and then he could know a fraction of peace. She had to be the fog that was disrupting his visions of the future. The fact that she was truly an Undrae just enforced that belief in his mind. Once she was dead, the images of the Veyetta returning would fade from his dreams and he would no longer have to fear his own death. He felt himself relax as Yasny smiled and he quickly signed his name to the contract.
“You have no idea how I appreciate your help, Yasny. I assure you that when you return to life again, I will do everything I can to assure you have a place of power in the Sunlit world,” Hemlock murmured as he rolled the contract once more.
“Give me two weeks by your time, and I should be ready to act here. Make sure I have a body waiting, Hemlock. I don’t want to be trapped here with Seth after I do this. He will not be pleasant, and he is not stupid. It will only be a matter of time before he knows I helped you.” Yasny spoke quietly and her gaze flicked to the door. “You should go. He will be back before the girl wakes and that won’t be long.”
“Thank you, Yasny. I will have the body waiting. I promise.” Hemlock bowed to her and stepped back through the window. “I don’t want him to sense my magic and make your job more difficult,” he whispered as Yasny watched him go. He took several steps away from the window and gazed off into the Darklands. “Ahh, Seth you will never change. It’s always a girl with you,” he murmured as he began the spell to return him to his home.
* * *
Zoelyn sat up slowly in her bed and gazed around the room. Blinking, she wiped the last of the sleep from her eyes and slipped from the quilts. At first, the room had seemed so out of place. It was too feminine to belong to Seth, but after the countless nights she had spent in the Darklands it was more like home to her than her room in Merro.
Jala had given her a beautiful room with wide windows overlooking the gardens and more space than she would ever use, but the room Seth had given her was different. It was smaller with a cozy feel to it that reminded her of Dominic’s house. The bed and the dresser were both carved with delicate patterns of flowers and the blue and white quilts were worn and soft. The room in Merro was perfect and pristine, but the room Seth had given her was filled with love and warmth.
Her eyes lingered on the chair in the center of the room and she frowned. It didn’t matter how many times she moved it over by the table it was always in the center of the room when she woke. It was the only thing that annoyed her about the room. With a yawn she stretched and pushed the chair over by the table once more. Her eyes lingered on the floor where it had been. The wood was stained badly in the center of the room and every time she noticed it, she made a mental note to clean it, but then the day would unfold and she would be so distracted with Seth’s lessons that she forgot entirely. With a sigh, she once again made a mental note to clean the stain, and turned toward the door to find Seth. She could usually hear him moving about when she awoke. It was strange for the rooms beyond to be so silent.
Eyes still on the door, she dressed as quickly and quietly as she could before creeping into the next room. The entry hall was dark aside from a faint flicker of lamplight shining beneath the door from the hall sconces. She paused in the doorway, giving her eyes a moment to adjust, and then scanned the room. A dark shape was barely visible by the far wall.
“I didn’t expect you to wake so early.” Seth’s voice was barely a whisper in the darkness and she almost jumped at the sound of it. She had never actually seen him sleep and until he spoke she had thought the dark form was simply something he had discarded by the wall.
“I thought you had your own rooms to sleep in. Why are you in here?” Zoelyn mumbled as she moved closer to where he rested.
He inhaled deeply as he sat up and stretched and she paused once more. Every time she had seen Seth he was wearing his black armor and feathered cloak. She had never caught him resting before, though, and he was bare to the waist. With a yawn, Seth rose from his pallet and shrugged at her.
“Even when you aren’t here, I don’t sleep in that room, so don’t feel bad about it,” he said in the same low voice and rubbed his face. “I didn’t mean to wake you, Seth. You can go back to sleep,” Zoelyn began hesitantly but Seth cut her off with a dismissive wave.
“I don’t like sleep any more than I like that room, so don’t worry about that either,” he explained with a grin. “To sleep is to dream and it’s been quite some time since I had a dream that was worth remembering.” His eyes lingered on her for a moment and he shook his head as if clearing an unpleasant thought. “Breakfast or training? How would you prefer to start the day?” he asked in a more cheerful voice.
“Training, I suppose, though I still don’t like the fact that I woke you up,” Zoelyn replied softly. It was hard not to wonder what had crossed his mind while he watched her, but she knew Seth well enough to not ask. He would answer her of course, but it would likely be an answer that only held partial truth. He tended to be vague on topics that he didn’t choose himself.
“In that case, if we make progress this morning, I have a surprise for you this afternoon,” Seth agreed with a smile and moved to the small table beside the door. “Fresh mage stones,” he informed her as he tossed her the bag. “A surprise?” Zoelyn asked slowly and raised an eyebrow.
“Which will stay a surprise for now,” he replied with a smile and waved a hand at the bag she held. “Impress me, Zoey,” he added as he stretched once more and picked his leather tunic up from the floor.
She watched him in silence as he pulled the armor on. His back and sides were lined with faint white scars and she had been silently trying to count them. The tally had reached thirty before he picked up the armor, then thirty-five as he pulled the shirt on, and there had been countless more that she had missed.
All warriors had scars. She knew that well enough, but not all of Seth’s looked to be battle wounds. He never spoke about his past and now she knew why. His scars spoke of a very brutal life, and by the number of marks she didn’t have to ask why he avoided dreams. Dominic told her once that dreams were often figments of memories or aspirations for the future. For Seth, neither could be pleasant. His past was written in pain across his body, and what future could he possibly have to hope for. He was trapped in hell with no end of his penance in sight.
“Seth, if you could have one thing, what would it be?” Zoelyn asked quietly as she untied the laces of the leather bag he had thrown to her. The silence stretched between them for several breaths and she glanced up to see him watching her with an enigmatic expression on his handsome face.
A flicker of doubt crossed his face and was quickly replaced by one of his devilish grins. “For you to do well with your less ons today,” he answered and waved once more to the bag.
“Then I will do my best,” Zoelyn said softly and shook her head as she sat down cross-legged in the floor. “You know what would be better than whatever surprise you have waiting for me, Seth?” she asked.
“Hmm?” Seth mumbled. His attention was focused on his countless knives as he fastened them back onto belt carefully.
“An honest answer to my question. I know you want me to do well with my lessons, but that can�
�t be the one thing you would as k for if wishes were granted.” Zoelyn watched him as she spoke. He paused at her words and glanced at her with a neutral expression.
“Never wish for something, Zoey. If you want it, work for it. From what I’ve seen in life, when you try to take the easy road it blows up in your face.” His voice was level, without anger or sadness, as if the words were cold hard facts in his mind.
Zoelyn nodded wordlessly and lifted the first gem. Closing her eyes she focused on the magic inside and felt her curse draining the power. As always there was no hint of the flavor that Seth spoke of so often. It felt like raw power in her veins with no hint of what it had been intended to be. With a faint sigh she dropped the stone and picked up the next. Within moments warmth rose in her hand and she stared down at the gem in wonder. It was different from what the first had been. Elation rose in her chest as her eyes snapped up to Seth once more.
“It feels different. I have no idea what it is, but it’s different!” she exclaimed excitedly.
Seth smiled at her and nodded faintly. “I had an idea last night, but I wasn’t sure it would work. It seems it has, and now we can truly make progress.”
“What?” she asked in confusion. Her smile faltered for a moment as she tried to understand him.
“I can’t heal so the mage stones I gave you were all arcane or offensive magic. Jala has a very difficult time healing, so it stands to reason that she wouldn’t waste the extra effort to craft stones with healing magic in them either. Neph can’t heal, so his stones are all arcane. Your words, after my poor choice of lessons with Legacy, made me think of it. Violence begets violence…” his voice trailed off and he shrugged at her then smiled again. “So I went to Sanctuary and attained healing stones from a friend of mine and you just had your first breakthrough. Well done, Zoey.”
The Elder Blood Chronicles Book 4 The Blessed Curse Page 33