The Crow King's Wife(72)

With a heavy frown Seth kicked the table leg harshly sending the carved pieces scattering in all directions. Finn sat abruptly back in his chair and watched one of the pieces roll to the floor before turning his annoyed glare to Seth.

“Why don’t you just tell me what is eating you and we can both drop the pretense of having any interest in this?” Seth grumbled as he waved a gloved hand over the table top.

Finn’s eyes narrowed and his finger resumed its infuriating tapping. He remained silent for another long moment then met Seth’s eyes squarely once more. “Why didn’t they just put you in charge here if they needed to replace a corrupted Divine? Why did they steal my life for this duty?” he asked in a voice so low it was barely audible. “You have mastery of magic and know how the Darklands work. It just seems as though it would have been more practical than wasting so much time training me.”

With a bitter chuckle Seth smiled at Finn and raised an eyebrow. “Do you want the blunt truth Milord or do you require sweet words today? You have been sulking like a little girl so I’m not sure how to respond here.”

Finn’s glare intensified and sparks of anger rose in his eyes, but it was far better than the depression he had been wallowing in as far as Seth was concerned. “You are a fine one to speak of sulking. A few weeks ago you were talking suicide as I recall.”

Seth shrugged his smile still firmly in place, but remained silent.

“The blunt truth you ass.” Finn snapped finally and Seth had to resist the urge to chuckle again. There were so few people left that were brave enough to insult him.

“I would have devoured most of the souls and War knew it. I’m not sure how fully you understand our delicate little balance here so I will explain fully. Our Lifestream is a cheap facsimile of the one beyond the barrier. It cannot produce souls as the true Lifestream can. Beyond the barrier if a soul were destroyed it would be replaced in a manner of hours. In here it takes years for a new soul to form. We are dependent on the reincarnation of our dead, and with me in control, well…” Seth’s voice trailed off and he raised both hands in a helpless gesture. “Let’s just say I hate too many in the sunlit world to allow them to have what I cannot. Why should I give them a second chance when I won’t get one?”

“Maybe if you showed one shred of redemption you would get a second chance.” Finn muttered sourly. He leaned forward on the table and to Seth’s vast relief finally stopped the constant tapping of his finger. With an idle flick of his finger he set one of the game pieces to spinning and stared at it dismally.

“With you, yes that is possible, but we were speaking of me coming to power without you in the equation.” Seth said quietly. “After dealing with the Lady bitch for as long as I did I promise you fair judgment would have been the last thing on my mind.”

“Even if I gave it to you now I have nothing to go back to.” Finn whispered and there was a glint to his eyes that almost looked like unshed tears. “I had so much and I never truly realized how precious it was until it was gone.”

Seth stared hard at him and shook his head slowly. “What happened to your belief in destiny? Haven’t you been spouting that crap at me for months?” he demanded. He had thought the harshness of his tone would snap Finn back to anger, but the Lord of Death showed no reaction at all beyond a faint smile.

“I held that which I most desire for a few breaths and pushed it away from me again.” Finn whispered. “If this is destiny I’m going to kill the Aspect of Fate.”

Despair hung about Finn like a shroud and Seth fell silent once more as he considered his lord. He wasn’t the right man for this sort of situation. Finn needed someone with a gift of words, and without his charm magic Seth knew words were woefully inadequate. “I suppose I could kill Valor for you.” He offered at last, when no other suggestion came to mind.

“I fail to see how your offer to kill my best friend is supposed to lighten my spirits.” Finn grumbled. He flicked the game piece once more and sent it spinning from the table before collapsing back into his chair to glare at Seth once more.

“Well on one hand it would free Jala for you, and if that fails well then it will piss you off and pull you from your mewling depression.” Seth explained with a weak shrug.

“Mewling depression.” Finn repeated dully and seemed to contemplate the words. After a long moment he gave a grudging nod. “I suppose that is the best description for me at the present.”