The Blessed Curse (The Elder Blood Chronicles, #4)(121)

“I don’t want to see this, Seth,” Zoelyn cried and tried to pull away from him.

“How about how I killed them all for that?” he whispered in her ear as the illusion skipped ahead to show the mangled bodies of everyone he had killed that night. Even the servant’s children had died under his blade. He had spared no one. “Perhaps you would prefer to see how I killed my mother?” He forced the memories ahead to show her the arena where he had fought and his mother’s pathetic corpse lying below him. He hadn’t shed a tear for her when he killed her, but his eyes were growing glassy now. It was taking more effort than he had thought it would to force the room to show what he wanted. It was designed to play all of the memories fully, but he couldn’t handle that now and he knew it. He was already too close to breaking.

“Seth, why are you doing this?” Zoelyn whimpered, as she pulled on his arm again, desperate to escape his vice-like grip on her jaw.

“Because you say you know me, Zoey,” he whispered. He called on the memories again flashing it forward to the cities he had leveled beyond the barrier. She grew silent in his arms as she watched him slaughter countless people with a savage smile on his face. Then seemed to wilt in his arms as images of disemboweled women and children washed through the room and he pushed the images past to the most painful. “Maybe you would rather watch how I let Dashara die?” His voice was softer now and he could feel her tears coursing over his hand as he held her in place to watch Dashara being tortured. “I didn’t move a muscle when they skinned her,” he hissed with as much ice as he could summon to his voice.

“Enough!” Finn’s voice rang out through the room and the illusions faded at once.

Seth turned slowly to face the Lord of Death and wasn’t sure which fact amazed him more. Finn’s presence in the room, or the sheer power that had echoed in his voice.

Finn glowered at him for a long moment before motioning to Zoelyn. “Release her, Seth,” he commanded with enough power in his voice to send most denizens of the Darklands scurrying for shelter.

Seth’s fingers relaxed and he stepped back from Zoelyn wordlessly, still staring at Finn in mute fascination. He had never seen this side of Finn and he wasn’t sure what to make of it.

“Come here, Zoey,” Finn ordered in a softer voice.

She rushed to his side at once and Seth felt his stomach coil at the fear on her face. It was what he had wanted, but it still hurt to see. He swallowed heavily as Finn pulled her close to him and wrapped an arm protectively around her. A flicker of jealousy rose in Seth and he knew he had no right, but emotions never acted with logic.

“I’m sorry I let this go so far, Zoey. Are you 0K?” Finn asked softly as he gently pressed a hand under her chin and forced her to meet his eyes.

Zoelyn sniffled and nodded slightly, but the hurt on her face was evident.

“She is fine, Finn. I didn’t hurt her,” Seth snapped before he could stop himself. He didn’t want her comforted by Finn. He could barely stomach seeing her wrapped in his arms.

Finn glanced up at him and back down to Zoelyn and smiled warmly at her. “She will be OK now. She is too strong to break from something like this.” He spoke in a soothing voice and Seth bristled further.

Seth knew that voice and that smile. It was one of his own tricks, and to watch Finn using it on Zoey was too much. “I said s he was fine, Finn. Leave it at that,” he snarled as he took another step closer.

Finn glanced back up at him and smiled coldly. Leaning down he kissed Zoelyn gently on the forehead and Seth’s anger broke at the sight. He was moving before he even realized what he was doing with his dagger in his hand. Raising the blade, Seth drove hard for Finn’s side and nearly fell as Finn caught his arm in a vice-like grip and stared hard at him. The Lord of Death had barely moved a muscle to block him and Seth realized with growing dismay that Finn had baited him and had been waiting for the attack.

Finn held his gaze as firmly as he held this arm and smirked. “When you have calmed down, Zoey I want you to remember this moment. Replay all of this in your mind and ask yourself who was being the child today,” Finn said coolly as he slowly twisted Seth’s arm forcing him to drop his dagger. “Jala will welcome you back with no questions, Zoey, and you will be safe there,” Finn promised as he summoned the magic to send her from the Darklands.

Seth watched in silence as she faded from the room and tried to forget the look of betrayal that was on her face. She had trusted him, and it had been so long since anyone had trusted him.

“She didn’t deserve that, Seth, no matter how disappointed and scared you are,” Finn said quietly once she was gone. Slowly he released his grip on Seth’s arm and shook his head at Seth’s confusion. “It must have been difficult to keep your temper in check once you realized it was Neph that raised her. I know that had to be devastating to your plans.”

“What?” Seth stammered, eyeing Finn with suspicion. He had believed Finn was oblivious to everything, but he was quickly realizing how wrong he was. “Why would that disappoint me?” he pressed, wondering exactly how much Finn had figured out.

Finn smirked in response and shook his head slowly. “Because Neph was my friend in life and he wouldn’t move against me now. I’m not stupid, Seth. You were searching for a way out of hell and there are very few sacrifices that would be worthy of a creature as powerful as you. I dare to say, it likely would have taken a Divine for you to retain your memories and not become an Undrae yourself,” Finn explained in a calm voice.