The Blessed Curse (The Elder Blood Chronicles, #4)(122)

“Why did you allow it, then, if you knew what I was doing the entire time?” Seth demanded. It made no sense to him that Finn would simply sit by and do nothing when he obviously knew that Seth had planned to betray him.

“Because Zoey needed your help and I thought perhaps she could help you,” Finn answered with a heavy sigh and gazed around the room sadly. “I was apparently wrong, though.”

“Help me?” Seth stammered and backed away from Finn shaking his head. “There is no help for me,” he added in a harsh voice.

“Do you know why I don’t feed you souls, Seth?” Finn asked quietly. He glanced at Seth as he spoke and smirked again. “I have been forcing you to face this room and hoping that one day you might come out of here saying look what I did, rather than look what they did to me.” Finn finished and rubbed his face.

“You are saying all of this was my doing?” Seth snarled as his anger flared once more. “You think I wanted to warm a pedophiles bed?

You think I chose to serve the Avanti? I was a slave, Finn!”

“Life offered you shit, but look what you made of it, Seth. Your mother handed you over to that monster so you would live and you slit her throat in thanks,” Finn growled back and whirled on Seth.

“She let him abuse me. She deserved to die!” Seth’s voice rose with his anger and he glared at Finn with pure hatred.

“She wanted you to live,” Finn repeated coldly. “Do you think my own mother wanted to be raised by the Avanti? I highly doubt it, but you allowed her to be taken as a child because you knew even though it would be a harsh life, she would live. Do you think she could slit your throat, knowing you were her father, and not shed a tear for it?” Finn moved closer and shook his head slowly. “She couldn’t. I promise you that.”

Seth stared at him and his anger faltered. He had never compared his own actions with that of his mother. All he had been able to focus on was how she had allowed him to be abused and he had never considered why she had allowed it. Finn’s words hit too close to home, though. He had known the same pain with Davahni and had no choice other than to allow her to be taken.

“Do you think Dashara would have suffered as much as she did if you hadn’t forced Donrey’s hand with your actions?” Finn continued and the illusion of Dashara shimmered back into view. “She was freeing slaves, Seth. Do you think this is the death one earns for freeing slaves? I don’t. It was your actions that led to this. Your nightly hunts on the Avanti that brought Donrey to this point. He might have forgiven Dashara, if not for your vengeance. How many did you kill in her name without uttering a word about it to her?” Finn paused, waiting for an answer, but Seth could only shake his head in response. “It was never about making a better world to you. It has always been about vengeance,” Finn sighed and shook his head with disgust.

“Why does it even matter to you?” Seth whispered hoarsely. Guilt was settling firmly on his shoulders and it wasn’t an emotion that he was familiar with. He had never wasted the effort on remorse and had always believed what he did was justified no matter how brutal it was.

“Because I echo Zoelyn’s sentiments about you, Seth. I want to see you redeemed and I have been doing everything I can to push you down that road. I’m not your former master. I don’t want you to serve for eternity,” Finn answered sadly.

“Why?” Seth asked softly.

“Because when I look at you, I see what I would have become had Jala not appeared in my life. I was well on the way to being you, and I know you can change, Seth. I did.” Finn smiled and shook his head as he sighed heavily. “Besides, Fate has something in store for you. You might be blind to it, but I’m not. Everything is circling around you, Seth. It can’t be a coincidence that all of these things are happening. I mean, what are the odds of your son raising the only Undrae that has existed in centuries. Something is coming, Seth, and you will have a role in it. I’m certain of that.”

“I truly hope you are wrong,” Seth murmured. The way he felt right now, he didn’t think he could face anything else. Finn’s words rang with too much truth and he had a lot to consider. His mind circled back to Zoelyn and his guilt increased. With shoulders slumped he leaned heavily back against the wall and shook his head at Finn. “I don’t think I could face more right now,” he admitted quietly.

“Good. Then you are finally on the right path,” Finn nodded with approval and stepped closer to Seth. “You know, in time, she might forgive you. With Zoey, it probably wouldn’t even be that much time. She is a sweet girl. However…” Finn paused and pressed his hand firmly against Seth’s chest. White fire coursed through Seth’s veins at the touch and when the Lord of Death pulled his hand back, Seth could feel his magic weaken. “You can do it without this. I think you have done enough damage with your Charm magic. If you want her trust back, Seth, earn it,” Finn finished as he stepped away from Seth.

Seth gaped at him and slid down the wall to sit. He shook his head at Finn slowly and swallowed heavily at the thought. “I don’t even know how to talk to someone without using the Charm.”

“I suggest you learn, then,” Finn began as he headed for the door. “Consider what I’ve said, Seth. I have to serve my own penance now so you should have plenty of peace and quiet to think.” “What?” Seth asked in confusion.