The Crow King's Wife(166)

Sighing heavily Myth stepped back and regarded his son with distaste. “Really? That was it? Had I known you were going to provide such little entertainment I wouldn’t have bothered stopping time for this.” He said with disappointment clear in his voice. Giving Shade a bored glance he rolled his eyes before stepping nimbly around him to head straight toward Grim’s stasis held form.

“Stay away from him!” Shade tried to yell the words, but the electricity coursing through his muscles made speaking nearly impossible and the words were barely coherent through his clenched teeth.

“Him?” Myth enquired innocently as he stepped closer to Grim and stared up at the Priest’s face. “Pretty, I can see why you chose him.” Myth observed calmly then paced a small circle around Grim as if inspecting a horse at a fair. “Too pretty actually, he is far beyond what a Shifter should be.” Myth added thoughtfully and glanced back at Shade with a raised eyebrow.

“Do not touch him.” Shade growled as he struggled to his feet. The shock of seeing Myth was wearing off and his anger was returning brighter than ever. Teeth still clenched he forced his broken fingers wide to keep his regeneration from healing his hand into a disfigured claw and nearly fainted from the renewed agony. All but the little finger of his hand straightened and he didn’t spare a thought for the twisted little finger. The bones of the joint had been crushed and he didn’t have time to spare for it now. He would have to break it again later to straighten it. There was no help for it at the present.

“You never were much for pain. I can still remember you squalling like a dying cat when you scraped a knee as a child. That was around the point when I realized you would likely grow up to be the disappointment you are today.” Myth said with disgust as he purposefully leaned toward Grim and prodded him in the chest. “Have you even bothered to ask this one who he truly serves, Christian?” Myth asked calmly as he examined Grim more closely. “He is obviously more than a Shifter, and you should feel the way he is fighting against my magic as I speak. It’s impressive really. I’d say given time he would break free of my spell which is more credit than I would ever give you.”

With a deep breath Shade gathered all of his power and focused himself directly on his father. “Step away from him.” He warned and to his amazement his voice was steady and held a note of command that he had never realized he possessed.

Cocking his head Myth turned to regard him with a hint of interest. “Protective aren’t you. How quaint. You do realize if you try to keep him I will have to kill him. You don’t have much longer to live, but you could learn too much from this one even in the short time you have remaining. I can’t have that. You might actually become a threat…but I doubt it.” Myth’s voice was thoughtful as glanced once more at Grim then turned his full attention back to Shade. “Impressive amount of power you’ve gathered. Before you are foolish enough to use it though let me present the very obvious point you seem to be missing. I’ve already won, Christian. Even if you kill me now I have succeeded in my plans.” Myth continued then motioned toward the sky to the north of the city. “Your friends will not be prepared by the time their enemies arrive. Lady Merrodin is wasting her resources and strengths trying to get the commons to safety.” Myth informed him and laughed at his own words. Rolling his eyes once more he shook his head and smiled brightly at Shade. “The Empress is considered an incompetent fool. Over half of the nations are crippled. Most of the High Lords will die here today, and the rest of the destruction is eminent. I have kept most of my forces in reserves for that very reason. What Rivasa fails to destroy today I will eliminate tomorrow. You lose, I win, your precious world will crumble, the Barrier will fall, and I will be free of this damn prison at last.”

“You have such a habit of underestimating others.” Shade snarled and allowed some of his gathered power to flow from his body. A nimbus of light gathered around him, and he hoped it would be enough of a distraction to keep Myth’s attention focused on him. He didn’t want his father to notice the slow trickle of shadows that was gathering around Grim’s fingers. Shade wasn’t sure exactly what the display of power meant, but he knew Myth hadn’t realized that Grim wasn’t held in stasis anymore.

“That actually works better when you form it into a spell before you release it.” Myth informed him dryly. His form slowly shifted back to the image of Faramir as he walked casually toward Shade and he smiled honey sweet stopping just inches from his son. “This is how it is Shade. You have three options. You can waste your energy fighting me and I can have the amusement of killing you. You can use the power you have gathered to flee this city before it’s destroyed and I can have the entertainment of hunting you down later. Or last but not least, you can go join your friends in their pathetic last stand and I can enjoy watching you all die horribly in your vain attempts to be heroes. Whatever option you choose, you lose.”