Zoelyn smiled in response and shrugged her shoulders at her brother. “I will be far safer than you give me credit for.” She assured him quietly. The entire idea of venturing into Rivasa made her stomach clench with nerves, but the knowledge that if things went too horribly bad Seth might appear was enough to keep her from trembling. She wasn’t at all certain he would show up, especially after the trouble his appearance in Delvay had caused, but just the possibility gave her the extra boost of strength she needed.
“I will guard her with my life.” Dray promised solemnly and bowed to Neph. From anyone else the words might have seemed noble tripe, but Zoelyn could see the sincerity written in every line of Dray’s face. He meant what he said, and the thought unnerved her even more.
“You better.” Neph grumbled through clenched teeth.
“Better yet I will guard myself and then you can focus on helping me gather the prisoners and keeping yourself alive.” Zoelyn suggested hopefully.
“Argue about it on the way. The more time we waste the longer my daughter is in Rivasan hands.” Grim snapped as he turned for the door without a second glance back.
“Light a candle to Fortune for us.” Shade said with a nod to Neph before turning to follow Grim.
Neph stared at Shade’s back for a long moment then glanced to Zoelyn as she began to ease toward the door. “Make sure you make it back in one piece Zyi.” He whispered just loud enough for her to hear him.
“I promise I will Neph.” Zoelyn smiled at him and considered crossing to give him a hug, but as reluctant as he had been over her leaving she was half afraid he wouldn’t let go of her and Grim would force Shade to depart without her. “With every Delvay child that still lives.” She added as she stepped through the door and headed toward the Spell Hawk with Dray at her side.
“Perhaps by the end of this mission you won’t need to find strength in thoughts of a treacherous demon. Maybe once we are safely back within these walls you will realize that strength lies closer at hand and Seth isn’t worthy of your devotion.” Dray spoke the words so softly that she almost missed them.
Silently she glanced over to him and wondered just how often he scanned her mind. “Does it matter what I use to bolster myself?” she asked quietly.
Dray met her eyes for a moment and shrugged his shoulder in response. His face was free of all emotion and there had been no hint of what he was thinking when he looked at her, but she had the unsettling feeling that somehow her answer had disappointed him deeply.
Chapter 11
The Darklands
Wind whistled through the limbs above him, but beyond the soft whisper of the leaves the grove was silent. She didn’t make a sound as she approached, but he knew she was there. He had known the moment she had entered his domain despite her stealth. Since the day Seth had pulled him from the mire of depression and been forced to kill to preserve his seat of power Finn hadn’t let his guard down once. He knew every whisper, every move, and every soul within his domain with an unwavering certainty. No one could sneak in or out of the Darklands without him knowing, not even Exodus the Mistress of thieves.
With a long silent breath Finn stared up at the black barked trees and watched the oak leaves dance. He didn’t know if she realized he could sense her, but didn’t turn to face her. Let her wonder a bit longer and keep her silence as long as she would. He had very little doubt as to what had brought her to visit him. She had heard the rumors of his insanity and had come to judge for herself if he had indeed gone mad. It was a topic he would broach once she spoke, but until the silence was broken his mind would remain with the grove and his current project.
His cloak shifted slightly as he stepped forward and pressed a hand against his newest creation. The bark was cool beneath his touch and he felt a pang of disappointment. There was no pulse of life beneath his hand, and there never would be. He could create the image of a tree and give it leaves to flutter in the wind, but it would never grow and it would never bloom or change with the seasons. It was the image of a tree and nothing more. A true tree required sunlight and water and most importantly the spark of life, none of which he had to give. The water of course could be managed, but the other two requirements were quite beyond his talents.
“Has the Lord of Death taken to gardening?” Exodus asked softly. She had ensconced herself in one of the trees, tucked neatly against the trunk with her legs propped daintily on a thick branch in front of her. Her short dark hair fluttered in mimicry of the leaves and an impish smile curved her lips.
Finn stared at her in silence for a long moment his gaze locked on the bright blue of her silk shirt against the constant twilight of the sky behind her. The color she wore was the blue of a cloudless summer day, another aspect of his domain that he couldn’t master. He had tried to lighten the sky, but the effect had been both unnerving to his subjects and too draining on his power to maintain. So it was twilight again, and always would be. He let his hand fall from the tree as he straightened. His cloak settled straight across his shoulders once more as he pulled his gaze from her and studied each of the trees in turn before looking back up at her. Her smile had faded and he could read concern in her face as she watched him. He felt the corners of his own mouth tug into the fraction of a smile in response. It amused him to no end that everyone seemed to think he had gone mad when he was finally thinking clearly for the first time in his life. He knew exactly what needed to be done, and this little project of his was just the first step. The changes to the Darklands unsettled his servants, and when they were unsettled they were not plotting. He needed them complacent while he sorted out the rest of his plans and started taking the steps needed for his true goals.