The Crow King's Wife(77)

“By the Divine, Fiona was right. You are mad.” Seth sighed heavily and shook his head slowly. “Finn you can’t spend your power like this. I meant add a few bloody lamps and some new curtains not rebuild a world and leave yourself in a defenseless position. You have to change the palace back. This isn’t safe.”

“I can’t?” Finn asked loudly. He rose from his chair once more and waved a hand to the storyteller behind him. The young man abruptly fell silent as Finn moved around the table to stand before Seth. They were nearly equal in height and frame, Finn was slightly taller than him, but he had him on muscle. “Look Seth.” He ordered.

With a gasp Seth stepped back as Finn loosened the grip on his power and allowed it to show. The Divine radiated strength like the Barrier itself. Seth could hear cries of dismay from the spirits in the room and had to turn his gaze from the raw magic. He wouldn’t cringe as the spirits were doing, but he couldn’t look directly at Finn either.

“You have been cleansing my enemies and so have I.” Finn informed him casually. The aura of magic faded around him as the Divine once more reined his power back in. “I absorbed them. The ones I knew would never find redemption.” He explained as if he were describing the weather. “With the fighting still raging above and the energy I took from the fallen I am holding more power than I can hope to contain.”

“Finn you are supposed to judge the souls and give them penance. You can’t simply decide they can’t be redeemed and devour them.” Seth objected and to his dismay his voice cracked on the words. He knew the expression on his face was one of horror, but surely Finn could realize why. For centuries he had been considered unredeemable, and now Finn was feasting on his kind.

Laughter rose in the Divine as Finn moved back to his chair once more and settled comfortably. “Who made the laws for the Divine?” he asked quietly.

“The holy circle of Divine gathered together and formed the binding laws.” Seth answered without hesitation. Everyone knew that answer and he wasn’t sure why Finn had bothered asking the question.

“The holy circle of the Divine.” Finn repeated with a chuckle and nodded. “The holy circle that is currently outside the Barrier and can’t get to me to enforce its laws.”

Seth stared at him in disbelief and shook his head slowly. “But the Aspects Finn…” he began but Finn simply laughed.

“Are a cheap facsimile just like everything else you pointed out to me. There are only two other Divine here aside from myself, Lutheron and War. Beyond them the Aspects are nothing more than Elder Blood with a very specific focus for their magic. War won’t move against me for the same reason he wouldn’t put you in power. If he attacks me I will gather strength from the souls here. My actions today have proven I will cross that line if I have to.” Finn grinned like a child that had just mastered his letters. “You gave me the freedom I needed Seth. Thank you. I’m not restrained by their laws any longer, because I have what they don’t. I am seated on a font of strength and if they force me to use it they destroy themselves in the process. They were forming me into their tool. War set Fiona to watch me like a hawk and chastise me when I don’t do as they wish. Now she will report what I’ve done and when they question me I will explain it all. I’m not corrupt, I’m not a tool, and I finally have the freedom to control things here as I wish. I will build what I want, govern as I want, and I will be involved in the politics above just as I had planned.”

“They have you outnumbered.” Seth warned cautiously.

“No they don’t. I have thousands in my domain and once I am done they will fight to the bloody end for me. My predecessor believed sins should be paid for in pain and misery. I don’t think that is the way to redemption for most, and as I see it that is my purpose here. I judge them so that they can return to the Lifestream cleansed. I believe I should teach them rather than torment them. I was redeemed through kindness and it worked, had someone tried to teach me with misery I would have been defiant and bitter, just like you.” He paused and let out a long sigh before waving a hand at the room around him. “Look at these spirits Seth. They were all serving penance and yet their sins are pathetic. I am not simply changing the landscape. I’m changing everything. I am rewriting the laws of judgment. I am not going to torture someone for Adultery if it was done in love. That is a law for a country not for the afterlife. I will not penalize for theft if the thief was stealing food to survive. I am not a High Lord, I am the Divine of Death and my laws will reflect that. I will not redeem them through pain. I will show them what life could be if they walk a different path.” Finn’s words were filled with such emotion that Seth found himself smiling. With a start he let the grin fade and let out a long slow breath.