“Ahh. Yasny, you are so wrong there,” Seth replied with a grin as he quickened his pace down the stairs. “There is so much more that can make me smile,” he added in a sweet voice. She had stopped following him, as he knew she would. Yasny never went to the lower parts of the Palace.
Carefully he wiped the smile from his face as he neared the double doors to Finn’s throne room. It wouldn’t do for Finn to see him in good humor. That would lessen the guilt the Divine felt and give him less to work with. With a look of subdued misery carefully painted on his face he silently pushed the doors open, taking care to keep his eyes downcast. “Your son, Milord,” he announced quietly.
“Bring him here and leave, Seth. I have no desire for your company at all,” Finn replied coolly.
Seth resisted the urge to look up. That wasn’t the reaction he had been expecting, but he did his best to hide his confusion. Perhaps there was still a bit of the anger left. It might have served him better to leave the bruises on his face until after this meeting. “As you say, Milord,” Seth murmured in his most humble voice. He crossed the room quickly and placed Legacy in his father’s arms without once looking up. Head still bowed, Seth backed away from the throne and left as silently as he had entered.
He glanced over his shoulder once as the doors sealed behind him and frowned. Finn should have been apologetic, not cold. It was something he would have to work on when he returned. For now he had work to do and he was looking forward to it more than he would ever admit.
The frown faded as he wrapped his cloak tightly around himself and called on his crow form. The shadows blurred around him as he took wing toward one of the many windows, and the Darklands faded away as his magic carried him to the sunlit world.
Fading sunlight shone across the streets of Sanctuary as he settled himself on the edge of a roof. The streets were bustling below him and he watched in silence as the citizens of the city finished the last of their day’s business. Vendors were packing up their wares as customers frantically haggled for end-day bargains.
A faint hum of excitement built in his chest as he realized very soon he could be doing something just as mundane as purchasing bread for his night’s dinner. It was amazing how you never noticed little things such as that until after you no longer had them. The taste of a well prepared dinner. The smell of flowers in the spring. The feel of warm sunlight on your skin. It had all seemed trivial when he lived, and now he would kill to have those moments back.
The sound of laughter from one of the nearby taverns drew his attention and he watched in silence as two men stepped from the door and down to the street. They parted ways with a nod and Seth’s eyes followed one as he strolled down the crowded street. The half-blood was average height and build and dressed as common as anyone else on the street. He would have faded into the crowd if not for his long pale blond hair and the large dagger on his hip.
Seth took wing behind him, flying slowly until the man turned into a narrow street. Landing silently, Seth returned to his human form and stared at the young man’s back. He couldn’t decide exactly how he wanted to kill the boy. He could use stealth and the half-blood wouldn’t even know what had killed him, or he could speak and watch as terror washed over him. With a smile he settled on the latter. He knew the boy would recognize him as easily as Seth had spotted him tonight. He had viewed him through Wisp’s eyes the day he had gathered Zoelyn and Legacy. It was doubtful that the half-blood knew he had been spotted at that meeting, and seeing Seth now was bound to be a shock. It had only been a sliver of spirit within Wisp, but it had been enough for Seth to notice, and it had been a simple matter to track him by it. He might have let the boy live for simply spying, but he was spying for Hemlock, and for that he had to die.
With a smile, Seth cleared his throat and the boy slowed to look over his shoulder. The Half-blood froze as his eyes found Seth, with an expression of pure shock on his pale face. “I bet you didn’t think anyone spotted you in Merro,” Seth began softly as he moved forward with slow purposeful steps. “You may not have realized who I was at the time, though,” he continued calmly and smiled at the boy. “Do you know me now, Ander?” he asked, tilting his head to the side as he watched the boy.
“The Crow King,” Ander gasped as his hands dropped to his daggers and he back-stepped quickly.
“Good,” Seth murmured with a nod of approval. “Then you know exactly how much shit you are in right now. No one spies on me, especially not Hemlock’s lap dog.” His voice grew as cold as ice and his expression hardened.
“I didn’t even know you were going to be there! I was there to watch Jala. It was a mistake,” Ander stammered as he clumsily drew his daggers. The boy’s fear was crippling him as Seth had guessed it would. Even the best warrior could be unmanned by fear, and this boy was no exception. It was doubtful that Ander would manage to land a single blow before he died.
“You are right, Ander. It was a very big mistake,” Seth agreed. His hands dropped to his dagger and he smiled again. “I have a message for your master, Ander.”
“Whatever you want to tell him, I will relay the message.” Hope rose in the boy’s eyes as Seth’s words sank into his fear sodden mind. Licking his lips nervously he took another step away from Seth and let out a harsh breath. “What do you want me to tell him?” he asked after a long silence between them.
Seth remained silent for another long moment letting the hope build in the boy. The fool actually thought he was going to live. “You haven’t been an Assassin long have you boy?” Seth asked. Confusion flickered in the boy’s eyes and he opened his mouth to answer, but Seth continued before he could utter a word. “I don’t need you to relay words to your Master. When he finds your body he will get the message clearly. You are going to be my calling card, Ander, and Hemlock will understand exactly what I want him to know without a single word being spoken.”
Chapter 16
Merro