Dreadgod (Cradle Book 11) (55)

[She’s hesitating,] Dross whispered into Lindon’s mind. [Convince her!]

I don’t feel like your motives are pure, Lindon thought back.

[I have a bet with myself that she will turn inside-out. But I have grown fond of Mercy, so if she lives, I am pleased. And if she dies, I am entertained. My plan has no flaws.]

Lindon tried not to scowl at Dross while Mercy wrestled with herself.

Finally, she looked him in the eye and asked, “Why?”

“I promised that I wouldn’t let you stay behind me,” he said. "I won’t fight alone again.” Belatedly, he added, “If you’re willing, of course.”

She relaxed, but she kept searching his eyes. “Lindon, can you…you don’t have to swear a real oath or anything, but…you’re not trying to bring down my family, are you?”

Lindon hesitated.

She had phrased that question in a way he could answer honestly, but if he did, it would be incomplete. He could tell her with one hundred percent sincerity that he had no intention of destroying the Akura clan, but leave out that he thought he might have to work against Malice.

Intentionally or not, she’d left him a way out.

“I don’t want to,” he said. “But I might have to fight…”

He tried to add “your mother” onto the end of that sentence, but his oath stopped him. He wanted too badly for her to pick up the clues and follow them to the truth.

“…your family,” he finished.

She didn’t step back in disgust, as he’d feared. She laid one black-gloved hand on him with hurt and regret in her eyes. “I’m so sorry about the way we’ve treated you, Lindon. Believe me, I know how my family can be. But we’ve fought together so much, and I know we’re on the same side. Can you give me the chance to prove it to you?”

With a frustrated sigh, he sank into the chair behind him…then he sprang up. “Pardon, that’s your chair.”

“I don’t mind!”

“No, it’s…” He ran a hand through his hair, then settled on the easiest track. “I swore an oath.”

She looked at him blankly. “Not to sit in my chair?”

“…no.”

If the oath had a list of things he couldn’t say, then he would have figured out a way around it immediately. But it triggered based on his intentions, meaning he could only stretch it so far.

And, as he learned long ago, oaths were stronger when made between more powerful souls. His oath was like a living thing, a spirit wrapped around his throat.

[Oh sorry, that was me,] Dross said, taking his tentacle from around Lindon’s neck.

Lindon didn’t explain anything more to Mercy, letting her come to her own conclusions. A moment later, she did.

“I trust you,” she said, and smiled brightly.

Lindon felt a weight leave his chest, and he bowed to her. “Gratitude.”

“So, robbing my mother…” She blew out her cheeks with a heavy breath. “I don’t know if she’d be angry enough to kill me or if she’d be impressed. She wants me to be more ruthless.”

“Pardon, but is this something you want to do? This is about you more than anything.”

“Of course! How embarrassing would it be if I kept letting you and Yerin show me up?”

[Too late,] Dross said, but fortunately only to Lindon.

“I could only make limited plans without knowing where she hides the schematics of your Books. If she always keeps them on her, then our only chance is to convince her to give them to you.”

[Please tell me she won’t! If she just gives them to you, there would be no danger at all.]

Mercy let out a breath. “Just an hour ago, she gave me a lecture on how I need to slow my advancement down. I guess you’re going too fast.”

Lindon had heard those warnings, and he planned to respond by speeding up.

“Then let’s assume she’ll be impressed by your resourcefulness in robbing her,” Lindon said. “Unless the Book is in her personal void space, in which case we’ll have to revert to a backup plan.”

“You have a backup plan?”

Dross projected Plans Two through Seven into the air. Lindon pointed to Plan Two.

“Removing the Book. I’m certain we could keep your level of advancement, though not all your techniques. And that’s easier than modifying a Divine Treasure.”

He moved his finger to the next plan. “Northstrider.” Inside the Hollow Domain, fortified by void authority, Lindon could speak the Monarch’s name without worry. “He has the resources to reverse-engineer the Book, and I’m sure he would love to get his hands on one of your mother’s creations. I don’t know if we can trust him, though, and of course he’s busy with the Dreadgods.”

He started to move on to the next plan, but Mercy looked at them in awe. “When did you have the chance to make these?”

[You’d be surprised how little of their time humans really use,] Dross responded. [You waste so much of it eating. Bathing. Sleeping. Lindon’s dreams are much more productive with me lurking in the depths of his mind.]

Since the rise of Dross’ current personality, Lindon’s nightmares had been much more vivid.

“I’m sorry all that effort will go to waste, Dross,” Mercy said. “I know where the plans are. All the Books are kept in a library here in the city, as part of a trial we have to go through when we advance to Gold.”