“But you shortly will.” The man repeated with a smile. He drew a heavy book down from the shelf and blew the dust from its cover. “Neph why don’t you fetch us some drinks? Cora would you be kind enough to roll a cigarette for me?” When both nodded to his requests he smiled at Zoelyn once more and raised an eyebrow. “Do you enjoy stories my dear? What am I saying? Of course you do. You are living one right now aren’t you?” He winked at her look of shock and dropped the book down on the table as he took his own chair. Leaning toward her he grinned conspiratorially. “Don’t worry I won’t let them know how that particular story ends. Neph would get bitchy and no one likes to deal with him when he is bitchy.” He whispered in a voice that was so low Zoelyn was certain only she had heard him speak.
“I don’t know what you are talking about.” Zoelyn lied then she glanced between the strange man beside her to her Brother and Mother.
“Of course not.” The man agreed as he flipped the cover of the book open to a family tree and turned it toward her. “Get comfortable. While I expect you will accept what I say far easier than your brother did, it will still take a while to explain.”
“Trust me Zoey. It is easier this way.” Neph grumbled as he placed several glasses down on the table and poured her a generous helping of Delvay dark whiskey. “And you will need every drop of that by the time he shuts his mouth.” He added ominously as he took a seat near Cora and glowered at the handsome blond man beside her. “Please Fortune, feel free to shatter my sister’s childhood memories as thoroughly as you did my own.”
“Ah, but the memories she has can only be improved by what I’m about to tell her.” Fortune returned lightly, but Zoelyn could only stare at her brother in shock.
If he was telling the truth then one of the Aspects was seated with them at the table sharing a shot of whiskey. Wide eyed she turned slowly back to the man feeling more than a little lightheaded.
“Steady yourself girl. If you faint now this will take even longer, and we are already running low on time. Better to be done with this quickly so you understand everything that lies before you.” Fortune said calmly as he pushed the glass of whiskey toward her.
“I promise you love it will all make sense soon. Even what you are will make sense.” Cora assured her in a voice that was far too calm for anything Zoelyn was feeling. With a shaking hand she lifted the glass to her lips and took a small sip of the whiskey before nodding for Fortune to begin.
Chapter 16
Delvay
Moonlight covered the city in a blanket of silvery white that made everything beyond her window seem pristine. With a heavy sigh Zoelyn crossed her arms on the sill and rested her chin lightly on them. She wanted to be outside herself, but knew better than attempt to leave the city now. After everything that had happened in the last week Neph would think she was running away and in all honesty that didn’t sound like a bad plan to her at the present.
“I am a god’s bastard.” She whispered to herself and even now hours after Fortune had explained everything it still seemed unreal. Cora had tried to convince her that she was the salvation of Delvay and that becoming Undrae had been a blessing rather than a curse. A blessed curse as Fortune put it. Supposedly she could use her powers to reawaken lost heroes of Delvay, and even Neph had seemed to believe the rubbish.
Closing her eyes she tried to fight back the hunger and wondered if any of them realized how difficult it was to control her ‘blessed curse’. If just one of them knew how hard she had to fight to keep from draining everything around her then maybe they would realize how stupid their plan was.
There was no way she could manage something as delicate as draining certain weaves of magic right now. She was too ravenous, and she didn’t even know why. The only thing that had changed about her feeding habits was who created the mage stones. When she had used the stones created by Seth her curse had faded to a point that she could almost forget it existed. The stones Neph created did nothing but stem her cravings for a breath and her body was failing as well though she had taken pains to hide it. If anyone could see how her ribs were jutting or how the armor Seth had crafted for her hung from her wasting frame they might understand, but she was too ashamed to let them see that. The fleeting gift of humanity that Seth had granted her was fading, and in another few weeks she would be a monster again in appetite as well as appearance.
A soft scuff from the hall drew her from her musings and Zoelyn glanced toward the door with dread. Neph had retired hours ago, and aside from Grim and Syrah the house was empty. The only explanation for the sound was that Grim had awoken and Syrah had come to tell her. With a sigh Zoelyn walked slowly toward the door. In her current frame of mind she couldn’t think of a single thing she dreaded more than speaking with Grim. Explaining what had happened with Shade was going to be painful for them both, and she still hadn’t determined how to lie to him about it. In truth she didn’t want to lie to Grim. The secret Shade had given her was like a suffocating cloud and she knew if she could just share the burden with someone else the guilt might fade a bit, but Shade had practically begged her to keep silent, and so she had no choice but to lie for now at least.
Silently she pulled the door open and her eyes settled on the tiny form standing in the shadows of the hall. Apparently Syrah had decided she was asleep and had been leaving when the door opened. “Is he awake then?” Zoelyn asked as she stepped into the hall and started toward the girl. Her steps slowed as she grew closer and the shadows faded enough for her to actually see the girl. This child’s hair was blond, not dark like Syrah’s. “Are you lost?” Zoelyn asked hesitantly and silently prayed this actually was a Delvay child that had wandered into the wrong house, even though in her heart she knew it wasn’t.
The child turned slowly to face her and its movements were too fluid for a living creature. She wasn’t moving her feet to turn Zoelyn realized with growing alarm. The child wasn’t even touching the floor. Swallowing hard Zoelyn stared at the too pale flesh and bright blue eyes and felt a cold chill wash over her entire body.