One look into her blazing gray eyes and I know she means it. I nod, praying Serus won’t do anything to set the Fae soldiers on edge. The soldiers pass by me with nothing more than a cursory glance. I struggle to my feet while they hoist light packs onto their backs. One of the men takes a swig of water from a bladder and suddenly my throat is burning with thirst. He catches my eye and tosses it to me.
I catch it clumsily with my free hand and take long, full swallows. The water is like liquid gold to me and I feel my limbs lighten immensely. I take a deep breath when I’ve finished and shiver when my arm flares in pain. The soldiers eye the poorly bandaged wounds on my arm and leg. Without a word, they turn their backs on me and start tromping towards the setting sun. I glance up at the dying light before following them.
Chapter 18
Altair
“I first met Sadal when I had barely turned six hundred,” the first Bloodbane says, drinking yet another full goblet of spirits. “He was young and a touch kinder then. He was nothing like I thought he would be.”
I wait, listening impatiently while she describes their long love affair. For two days I’ve waited for her to tell me how to kill Sadal. She spoke very little, instead visiting for long hours with Cleo in the dungeon and then sleeping for the rest of the day. But we’re losing time. Most have my scouting parties have returned with news that the demon army stretches from the cliffs to the fields and is only days away.
I draw Verity’s dagger from my belt and lay it on the table in front of the witch. Her eyes drop to it and she sniffs curiously. “What can you tell me about this?” I ask, interrupting.
Her eyes narrow and she purses her lips. “Such poor manners,” she mutters.
“I don’t have much time,” I say sharply.
She picks up the blade and studies it lazily. “Who does this belong to?”
“Verity,” I say softly. “The woman who broke my curse.”
“Ah, the Bloodbane.” She smiles softly.
My lips twist into a scowl at her words but I school my face. “She tried to use this to stab Sadal, why would she have done that?”
“Because this blade can make him mortal,” the witch says. “A poorly constructed spell, but a complicated one, so I suppose her work was adequate.”
I narrow my eyes at her critique of Verity’s spellwork when the most significant information is what the blade is capable of. “Turn him mortal?”
“Yes. It appears your Verity had her own plans for Sadal. The blade won’t kill him, that comes next.” She sets the blade down and pushes it towards me. “Hold onto that. You won’t find another.”
I feel a hint of pride in my chest at Verity’s decision. She was never a victim; she always finds some way to claw out of whatever trap she’s in. “Finally.” I smile. “Some good news.”
“When he’s mortal, cut his heart out with that blade and burn it,” she says fiercely. “It’s the only way.”
I nod. “I will. Thank you.”
“Listen, boy.” She leans forward. “There’s more to know. You need to see the entire picture.”
I don’t make a retort to her calling me boy; she’s eons older than I am. “More than how to kill him?” I ask, cocking a brow.
“Sadal was a new god, a young god when we met. He had almost unlimited power and he wielded it like a child. It was simple convincing him to give me and my sisters power we so craved,” she says, a shadow behind her eyes. “But slowly, he grew more and more terrible. He fell into his role as the dark god easily after a time and then nothing I or my sisters could do would satisfy him.” She shudders.
I narrow my eyes, thoughts flitting to the evil I know Sadal is capable of. Judging by the bruises I’d found on Verity’s body when we made love, I fear he may have done the same to Verity.
“I left before he was too powerful for us. I saved as many of my sisters as I could, but by then Sadal was recruiting new brides and he could overpower us. We lost many of our sisters in that escape. I’ve watched him carefully since then using my seerstones. There is something darker than Sadal.” Her eyes are somber, and I see a glint of fear in them.
“I’ve seen them,” Thal says quietly.
I glance over my shoulder towards him. He’s clean now, dressed stylishly with his hair combed back. “Saw what?” I ask warily.
“The things that Sadal serves,” Thal explains.
I a chill washes over me and my skin pricks with goosebumps. The witch is watching me. “Have you ever considered why Sadal would scourge everything and kill everyone instead of ruling them?” She asks. “There are others who wish to possess this land.”
“Who?” I toy with the hilt of the dagger.
“They don’t have names.” She shakes her head. “We call them Shades.”
I close my eyes, processing this new information. “Thal. What did you see?”
I can feel his eyes on me, and I know he’s afraid. “Darkness. With eyes. Hundreds of eyes.”
“Shit,” I mutter, dragging a hand over my jaw.
“There’s more,” the witch says. I raise my hands in defeat and laugh mirthlessly. “It’s about Verity.”
My laugh fades and I turn intense eyes on her. “What?”
“Verity is important to Sadal. She is unlike any Bloodbane that has ever lived. No child has ever lived that grew in a Bloodbane womb, filled with Bloodbane power but not beholden to Sadal,” the witch says, her voice gentle.
“Her mother couldn’t have been Bloodbane,” I say uncertainly. “She’s a human. She grew up in their realm.”
“A thousand years ago a mortal man wandered into this realm. He fell for a young Bloodbane and she loved him back. With her magic, she extended his life long
