From the Ashes (The Elder Blood Chronicles, #3)(109)

Fiona started to interrupt him, but he raised his voice and continued, his eyes still holding hers. “Third, you work for me, Fiona and I don’t care what you believe the rules are. I make the rules now. I am Death. You are dead. Do you see the difference? I will do this job, but I will do it the way I see fit. You have taught me and for that I put up with your complaints, but I will not be your puppet. Are we clear?”

“You are forbidden to use your power to alter the Sunlit world directly. The most you may do is spare a life. I didn’t make those rules, Finn. They are part of the Immortal pact. If you break that pact you jeopardize all of the Divine as well as the Aspects. Do you think they will allow that? They will kill you Finn,” Fiona leaned down closer until their noses nearly touched as she spoke and slowly shook her head at him. “You solved everything in life by fighting, Finn, but this isn’t something you can fight. If you break the pact, you die. It is as simple as that.”

“This is still my son. I will never let go of my former life, and you work for me,” Finn repeated firmly without flinching from her words or the glare she cast him. “Leave me for now Fiona. I’m going to spend what time I have with Legacy. When Seth returns to take him back to the Sunlit world, we will continue the judging of souls. Until then, see that no one disturbs me.”

“You cannot ignore the dead in favor of the living,” Fiona objected, her voice nearly a snarl. “Would you have the Forgotten swell in numbers because you failed to do your duty for the dead?” she demanded.

“I would send every last soul waiting straight to Oblivion for just a taste of my former life. Do not push me, Fiona!” Finn snarled back, his voice taking on the coldness it always did before he killed. A soft whimper from his lap drew his attention back from the fight and his gaze softened as he saw the fear written on his son’s face. “Go, Fiona. I will not tell you again,” he said in a softer voice without bothering to look up at her again.

Smiling, he took the child’s hand carefully and made gentle hushing sounds. He could remember his mother using those noises with Sovann when they were small, and somehow just those simple noises seemed to always work like magic. “You look so much like your mother,” Finn whispered in a soothing voice as he listened to the angry footsteps of the knight as she left the room.

Legacy turned his small head and watched the retreat before turning once more to stare up at his father. Raising his hand up and down, he murmured and slapped lightly at the chair, his violet eyes fixating once more on the carved figures in the wood.

“I meant what I said, Legacy. I don’t know if you can understand fully what I say yet, but I meant it. I will always put you and your mother before all. The laws of the Divine be damned.” Finn spoke softly and smiled again as the child looked up at him with bright eyes and smiled back. He wasn’t sure if his son had truly understood or it was simply a coincidence, but it truly seemed as though the tiny fingers had tightened on his hand at the words.





Chapter 22





Kithvaryn





The journey through the fortress of Kithvaryn seemed more like a death march than a trip to a parlor. Their escort marched them through winding halls and upstairs in complete silence with weapons bared. Jala glanced back toward Sovann once more and frowned. The mage had finally awoken after being drug between two of the guards for most of the way, but he was still too pale. She had tried to heal him but Kithkara wouldn’t allow them to stop for anything.

“Where does he keep his bloody parlor, on the roof?” Valor grumbled as they turned down yet another hallway, their path heading directly for another set of stairs.

“Silence,” Kithkara snapped, her tone as irritable as her expression implied. Jala had no doubts whatsoever that had the woman been given a choice they would have been heading to the gallows instead of the parlor.

“Was he your lover or husband?” Jala asked softly and had to fight back a smile as the woman nearly tripped.

“I said silence,” Kithkara hissed, her grip on Jala’s arm tightening.

“Either way if you want him back then you had better pray for my success with your general,” Jala continued, ignoring the woman’s growing fury completely. With a sigh she began to climb the stairs and wondered if the night would ever be over. Her body ached, her head throbbed and she was more exhausted than she could ever remember being. Even with the rest on the ship and nearly a full day without using any true magic she still hadn’t recovered from her efforts in Goswin.

“He was my son and I do not forgive as easily as his father does,” Kithkara said in a low dangerous voice.

“Not really meaning to insult you by pointing out the obvious, lady, but you do realize Kithkanon died in a duel against Finn, right? Jala had nothing to do with it and your son was the one stupid enough to fight Finn in the first place,” Valor said loudly from behind them on the stairs.

“My son was twice the warrior of that gutter rat exile. Finn cheated in the duel and drew upon magic. That is the only way he could have survived the wounds Kanon dealt him,” Kithkara returned, her voice outraged. Her dark eyes sparkled with malice and Jala could see the faint hint of glassiness that spoke of unshed tears. Slowly she began to realize just how offensive their company must be to everyone on this island. They didn’t just blame Finn for Kithkanon’s death. They blamed everyone he was friends with as well.