"What about the other two Brothers in the report?" Navi asked.
"Plebb and Foskett, who are actual brothers, by the way. Plebb will be released today. Foskett will be held until a determination can be made regarding how much he really knew about Aksilacarn's capture and torture."
"So, you 'ave no intention of 'olding any of them for their association to the Brother'ood?"
"As I said before, that particular claim has only come from the Death Gods. If Candelux would like to formally accuse anyone, I'm all ears."
Millan hopped to his feet. "Yes, I would."
"Of course," Gannan said, maintaining eye contact with Navi, "if you did decide to formally accuse someone, we would need some proof beyond the word of the Death Gods."
"Ambassador Millan, please, sit down," Navi said.
The Nesinu priest scowled. "But we can't just let them get away with this."
"I agree, but Sir Gannan is right. We 'ave to do this properly."
Millan lowered himself back into his chair and folded his arms across his chest. The whole meeting was a sham. Gannan was probably a Brother, protecting Hable. Maybe Gannan was the one responsible for deathroot. Maybe he was Kolokajja. Millan's mind wandered, grasping at any possibility, no matter how remote or unfounded.
Don Dorman sheepishly raised his hand. "What about Don Pike? Any sign of him?"
"Not yet," Gannan answered. "Just like the bull, no one has seen Don Pike since last night. Are there any other questions or statements you'd like to make before I conclude this meeting?"
Millan bit his tongue. He wanted to continue expressing his outrage over the resolution, but he took his cue from Navi, who shook her head.
"Very well. If you'll follow me back to the main area, I'll see to it that Dolore and Eriph are released to you and arrange for Aksilacarn to be brought over to the rectory later today."
✽✽✽
Erynion knelt beside Alejjir, unconscious on his back. The Marksman's breaths were shallow, and he twitched every so often.
"What's wrong with him?" the demon lord asked.
Ezmirelda leaned against a tree. "We just moved everything into him. That's not only my energy, but also Sonojj's and Maligus's, and even some of yours wrapped up in there too. It's going to take him quite some time to align all of that with his own power. When he does, he'll be as strong as ever."
"How long is that supposed to take?"
"It depends on him. But without help? Probably a couple of months. If you want my suggestion, though, take him to Nua'dem and find Lunargrace. He's a master sen'dya with an amazing talent for anything related to the mind and energy. He even tried to help Agalia reconcile with me a number of times. He should be able to guide Alejjir through the alignment process."
"What about the girl?" Eyzora lowered her head so her left eye was inches from the demon lord's face. "Was she not the reason you put the entire kingdom at risk?"
"I'm not sure I like your tone," the demon lord snapped back.
"Then, you must forgive me because I'm at a loss. I've been more than patient with you and your demands. I've tried to guide you within the confines of your self-imposed obstacles, like those chains. I've supported all your decisions, all the while, defending them to Ojjuk. But last night, your actions were reckless. I was not exaggerating when I said you put the entire kingdom at risk to save one girl."
Erynion clenched his teeth. He was merely following along with Altheus's plan. "This wasn't even my idea."
The red wolf scoffed. "What? How can you say that? Was it not your decision to let Agalia enter your mind?"
Before the demon lord could answer, the queen intervened. "That's not what he meant."
"Oh?"
"Letting Agalia into his mind was part of the trap. Erynion was never going to surrender to her."
"Is that true?"
The demon lord growled. The queen was bending the truth a bit, but he preferred the Denhauli not know about Altheus's involvement or that he was controlling their shared body for the past few days. "She's right. I was never going to kneel to the Seductress."
"Then what did you mean when you said, 'This wasn't even my idea.'"
The queen chimed in again, "He meant it was mine. Look, I realize everything last night happened so quickly for all of you out here, but days passed inside our minds as we pored over strategies. There was no time to jump out and explain what we were going to do. But last night was not just about saving Sereyna. It was about stopping Agalia, once and for all. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the last time she died, you didn't catch her in the Depths. She escaped."
The Denhauli were silent.
"If you had killed her last night, the same thing would've happened. She knows all the tricks. She would've made it back to the Surface, gone to the Coast, eventually regained her strength, and gone after Erynion, again and again until she succeeded. Or, until she was stopped. Permanently. And that's exactly what I plan to do with her."
The red wolf cocked her head. "Permanently? You intend to get yourself cleansed?"
"And save the girl at the same time. This is why we needed to transfer my energy to Alejjir as quickly as possible. We couldn't risk Agalia clawing back control from me. Now I'm no stronger than a fray. The people in the city won't see me as a threat and my cleansing will be quick."
"You would sacrifice your soul to the Vault? Be trapped for eternity with all the rest who were cleansed before you?"
Ezmirelda locked eyes with the red wolf. "You better believe it. That's much better than watching my psychotic other half murder innocents. Well, I'm not going to let her add any more to her list, starting with this child."
"So, what's next?" Erynion asked.
"Now, I'm going to send Sereyna back to her body. And after that, open the door of my mind and let all of Agalia's victims free."
"To transcend?"
"To transcend if they're free of any regrets. To become wanderers if they're not."
"And the girl? You can remove the tail without killing her?" Eyzora asked.
The queen stroked Sereyna's hair as the child blankly stared into space. "No. She needs a healer, which is why I'm going to take her into North Refuge. I believe the priest there is a miracle healer."
Erynion furrowed his brow. "How could you possibly know that?"
"When you roam the Surface for as long as I have, you remember the important people. Archdon Maxiteer is the current head archdon of North Refuge. He was Primus before Ayristark, and his specialty is healing. There's no guarantee he'll be successful, but if anyone on the Surface is capable of saving Sereyna, it's him."
"That's all well and good," the red wolf said, "but how do you expect to get into the city? The watchers won't understand Kisejjad, so your explanation will be pointless. They'll likely murder you the first chance they get in order to save the girl."
Erynion grunted. "It would be a shame to falter in our plan for such a silly reason."
"What if I don't put her mind back just yet," Ezmirelda suggested. "What if I use her to explain the situation to the guards."
"Even if they were inclined to listen, who would believe such a story from a little girl? And how long before they notice the tail in her neck? They'll know you're manipulating her and be suspicious of anything you say."
"Well, the whole point of our plan last night was to save Sereyna, and to make sure my soul is cleansed. We need a way to ensure the guards won't kill me."
"You need someone to warn them." Eleza stepped away from Dulo's spirit. "If they know the Seductress is going to approach the city in broad daylight, and the life of Prince Altheus's daughter hangs in the balance, it won't be difficult to get some archdons to the main gate. They'll be able to confirm the Seductress has no energy and poses no threat."
Erynion raised an eyebrow. "Are you volunteering?"
"Yes."
"No!" Dulo shouted. "No, what are doing? They'll figure out who you are. You'll be arrested."
Eleza smiled kindly at the wa
nderer. "I know. Look, I've cherished these past few days with you, but we're Brothers. Our mission is to help Verago. And in this case, that means helping Erynion get his daughter to safety. She's an innocent girl. If my spending some time in jail means she gets to live, I'm all right with that."
"There's no need to be hasty. I'm sure we can think of another plan."
"It's all right. I've made my decision."
"But, you didn't do this to her. You shouldn't be locked up."
Eleza hung her head. "You're wrong."
Dulo floated closer to her. "What?"
"You're wrong. I am responsible for what's happened to her."
"How?"
Eleza took an extended breath. "I told Agalia where she could find Erynion."
The demon lord glared at her. "You what?"
"I'm sorry, I didn't know." Eleza's voice trembled. "I didn't know what she was going to do. She said she needed to find you because it was urgent. She made it sound like you were in trouble, like something really bad was going to happen if she didn't find you."
"Something bad? Like what?"
"She didn't say. Only that you weren't going to like it and I shouldn't tell you so you could enjoy the time with your family."
"It didn't occur to you at all that she was tricking you? That she wanted revenge for being killed?"
"No, I didn't know you killed her. I was stuck in the woods until you came along. And then, I spent most of my time with Dulo, and he didn't know about it either."
Erynion growled. "I suppose that answers the question of how she found us and who betrayed me."
"I didn't betray you. It was an honest mistake." Wiping the tears away, Eleza edged closer. "I'm truly sorry for everything that's happened, and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make things right. I will escort Ezmirelda and Sereyna to North Refuge and ensure they get to see Maxiteer, even if it means sitting in a jail for the rest of my life."
The demon lord felt an unexpected hint of compassion. "If Sereyna lives, your mistake will be forgiven."
"Thank you."
"It's time." Ezmirelda closed her eyes. "I'll send Sereyna back to her body and release all of the other minds. You can say goodbye to her before we leave."
In the silence that followed, Erynion reflected on what he and Altheus had accomplished together. Verago locked away the human sides of his demons because he thought they were a hindrance. But maybe he was wrong. Maybe there were advantages. The cooperation between Altheus and Erynion had proved beneficial in the end. Sereyna was getting a chance to live if she survived the healing, and the Seductress was defeated again. It was odd to see how much Ezmirelda opposed Agalia. She was even willing to get them cleansed to put a stop to her demon side. Erynion wondered if he and Altheus would eventually grow apart. Would there come a day when someone enlisted Altheus to break free and lock Erynion away? Time did not appear to be on his side. Perhaps, while Erynion built his army, it was worth pursuing Altheus's plan as well. Batar's surrender would save him a lot of hassle.
Ezmirelda opened her eyes. "It's done."
The demon lord surveyed the area. "I don't see any wanderers, aside from Dulo."
"They're not going to appear right away. Their minds need to reunite with their souls."
"How long will that take?"
"I don't know. Why?"
"Maybe some of them want to join us."
"I don't believe it. He wishes to turn the wanderers into demons." Ojjuk's grin showed off his massive fangs. "Finally, something we agree on."
"I doubt you can wait around for them," the queen said. "The priests will likely send out hunting parties as soon as we show up in North Refuge. You do want Sereyna to be healed as soon as possible, right?"
"Of course," Erynion said with little emotion. He crouched so he was at his daughter's eye level. "Why isn't she awake?"
"I'm not sure. I sent her back just like I said. Maybe her mind needs some time to adjust. Do you want to wait a bit to see if she wakes up?"
The demon lord stood. "No, it's more important that you and Eleza take her to the city. We'll head to the Coast with Alejjir and find your master sen'dya."
"Lunargrace," Ezmirelda reminded him.
"It's in our best interest to be as far away from here as possible," Eyzora said. "Ojjuk will carry Erynion"—though the black wolf groaned, Eyzora ignored him—"and I'll take Alejjir. That way we'll be well past Rivis before Candelux is aware of what's happening."
Dulo stared sadly at Eleza. "I'll stay here."
Eleza forced a smile. "You should go with them. You need to become the demon you've always dreamed of being. Trust me, I'll be fine."
"The demon lord needs someone to make contact with the wanderers who show up here."
Erynion nodded. "That's perfect. When you're done, join us on the Coast. There will be no more distractions, and I will fulfill my promise to you."
Chapter 42
With his hands clasped behind his back, Mortis took his time walking through the halls of Moultia Palace. Dinner had come and gone, and the Wall of Light's brilliance lit up the city. He was on his way to a meeting with Shinigami, Drevarius, and Sanarius, but there was no rush. Given the time of night, Sanarius would likely be late due to his bizarre sleeping schedule. Mortis paused at one of the windows and surveyed the city below. For fifteen years, the Death Gods had kept Alovajj safe, even though the kingdom deemed their methods unorthodox. But Mortis wondered how well their defenses would hold up against the demon lord's purge.
A friend joined him. "Hoo-hoo, hey-hey, what do you say?"
"Evening, Marco," Mortis said.
The jester turned his back to the window and rested his elbows on the sill. "Is it true?"
"What's that?"
"About the Seductress. Did the kingdom really capture her?"
"North Refuge. That's what they say."
Marco tittered. "I suppose our little blind friend was unsuccessful then."
Mortis pictured Sonojj with his eyes and ears wrapped in cloth. "I suppose so. Jin made sure he got to Nua'dem. But from there, I guess things didn't go exactly as he planned."
"Eh, no harm, no foul."
The founder groaned. If he hadn't released Sonojj from prison, the Seductress never would have had the strength to challenge Erynion. And he didn't consider the existing threat to Sereyna's life as "no harm."
"So, they're going to cleanse her, right?" Marco continued.
"If Mashira rode as furiously as her letter indicated, she should be in North Refuge by now. And if the Seductress is truly as weak as a fray demon, the cleansing won't take long."
"Your sister is the only person in history to have cleansed a greater iymed. And by tomorrow morning, that count will be two." The jester nudged Mortis with his elbow. "That's pretty impressive. You must be proud."
The founder stared at the city below. Classifying his feelings toward Mashira as complicated was an understatement. For more than a decade, following the death of their parents, he had watched over her, protected her, and guided her. The two were inseparable, trusting no one else but each other. Mashira even told Mortis she couldn't imagine taking the mantle of Prima without having him on the Council. And despite all the bickering that would follow between the Death Gods and Candelux, Mortis still cared for his sister within the recesses of his heart.
But that love was buried very deep, obscured by anger and frustration. In his mind, Mashira's misguided view of the world was too simple and rigid. Light energy, good. Dark energy, bad. Why couldn't she open her eyes and see things for what they were? Why hadn't she trusted him as she had so many times before?
"So," Marco said, "do you think this is the final chapter for Queen Ezmirelda?"
Mortis grunted. "It certainly seems that way. Seven hundred years make quite a story."
"Just think of all the things she'll take with her to the Vault. No one will ever know but her."
"I suppose so."
Marco pushed off from the sill. "Well, I'
m glad the mystery of her broken statues won't be one of them."
Mortis faced the jester and lifted his eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"
"Let's just say that a certain someone went back through some very old records, and that same someone can confidently claim that he knows who broke the queen's statues and why."
"Really? And what compelled you to do that?"
"My undying thirst for truth and knowledge. And also something your new recruit pointed out."
"Eriph?"
"Yes." Marco paced back and forth, waving his finger in the air as he explained. "You see, I had originally dismissed the damage to the statues as random demon violence. We know in the original statues, the queen held a glaive, the symbol of her family. I had assumed that in the centuries between when this city fell and when we reclaimed it, some demon had come along and wanted the stone weapon for himself. And when the glaive was torn from the statue, the arm was broken."
"Makes sense."
"But four times? So, I thoroughly examined each statue again, and the break is almost exactly the same in all cases. You know what that means, right?"
"No," Mortis responded flatly.
"It means it's highly likely the same demon was responsible for what happened to all four statues. So then I thought, maybe this demon didn't like the queen. But then, why just remove the right hand? Why not damage her face? So, I dug deeper into the palace records and found something very interesting. Are you ready for this? I don't think you're ready for this."
"I think it's safe to say I've been ready for some time now."
Marco chuckled. "All right. Five years after Queen Ezmirelda died, her cousins commissioned a stonemason to alter the statues. The glaive was changed to…a shepherd's crook."
"A shepherd's crook? As in the symbol of Thoris."
"Mm-hmm. It would appear the Alova nobles modified the statue as a show of solidarity during their bid to join the kingdom under King Valren."
"So, you think when Ezmirelda finally returned home as Agalia…" Mortis left the sentence open for Marco to finish.
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