“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.