She stroked Reven’s hair, watching him closely. Xandrix’s words stuck in her mind.
“Does his wife know about you?”
Serai frowned at herself for allowing the tywyll man to get to her. Reven was not the same man everyone believed. He was new, reborn; hers. She looked down at him again, making sure he was comfortable. His breathing was steady now instead of being drawn in ragged gasps like it was earlier. She leaned down to kiss his forehead, then moved to look in on the tirsai boy.
“He’s not doing too good,” Kaleo said as she walked in. He was on his way out, his wings folded in on his back as if in defeat. “Is there anything…?”
She only shook her head. He sighed but nodded, understanding her meaning. Power did not fix everything, it was not a miracle, it was supernatural science. Only the gods worked miracles and, despite the popular rumor that anyone with Power stole their grace from the gods, it simply was not so. Aeron had to fight on his own, had to want to remain within the mortal coils and ignore Azrus’s enticing song.
“Kaleo,” Serai said, pulling his attention back to her as he walked out. “I am sorry.”
“It’s alright,” he said through a heavy sigh. “It’s not your fault. It’s mine.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
A heavy sigh escaped the Corrupted Speaker’s lips. He sat with legs crossed drawing aimless circles and swirls in the ash beneath him. The fun was over, the town mostly quiet without Moppet or Cranky Pants. They’d vanished, playing the best game of Hide-and- Find ever. Roth lost, even conceded his defeat but his companions would not come out of their hiding spots. He pouted, flopping back into the ash so that it created a cloud around him, resettling in his hair or on his clothes.
“Phier!” he cried, calling to his audeas. The black phoenix appeared immediately, looking down at Roth from above. “I’m bored. Entertain me.”
I am not a strumpet, the phoenix replied. Roth made a face at it, rolling onto his stomach. Phier remained, pulling the flesh off someone’s finger. Roth wanted a finger. Or a baby. A baby would be nice. Babies made him feel better when he was sad.
“Everyone is gone! Do I smell? Is that why they’ve gone? I did bathe before we left,” the demon said, even going so far as to sniff under his arms. He made a face. “Oof! That’s why they’ve gone…”
“Get up, fool.”
“Moppet?” Roth said with hope welling in his chest. He growled when he saw that it was not, in
fact, his wonderful Moppet that spoke but the heinous dragon-born bitch that crawled through Daemodan’s manse like a serpent on the hunt for prey. Beside her was the New One. Roth did not like him either; the pale freak smelled like frozen death. “Oh. It’s just you. What do you want?”
“Daemodan sent me to collect you. What’s taking so long?” Madhavi asked. She tented her wings above her to protect herself from the falling ash. If she were not so vile, she might actually be a stunning creature. As it was, however, she was not very nice and always upset his Moppet. He did not like people that upset his Moppet. Or Evie. Or Phier. He did not like people.
The New One did not say anything, just eyed him oddly with a giant thing standing beside him. Roth frowned. The thing was not there a moment ago. Perhaps the thing would be good at Hide-and-Find.
“I’ve lost my Moppet,” Roth pouted, remembering why he was so upset. He put his head on his arms and kicked his legs like a child. “We were playing Hide-and-Find with the Soft One. I lost. They won’t come out now and I can’t find them anywhere. I think it’s because I smell.”
Madhavi made a vexed noise and hauled Roth up to his feet. She was quite strong for a woman, but Roth did not appreciate being manhandled, hissing at her and lashing her forearm with his claws, leaving a deep gouge. She hissed in return, going on the defensive until Phier landed on Roth’s shoulder. She would not cross the Corrupted phoenix; no one would. He was rather large and heavy, very intimidating but that was why Roth loved him so. He was also one of the single most Powerful beings in existence and had very little patience for anything that was not Roth. The New One, Roth noted, watched in placid silence with the ash turning to perfectly frozen crystals where it fell near him.
“How are you doing that?” Roth said, moving close to the New One to inspect him. The thing shrieked at him. Roth sneered at it. It was ugly, with too many confusing parts. It was both bird and cat. How ridiculous - pick one! “Your creature is confused about its identity.”
“We’re leaving,” Madhavi growled, nursing her injured arm. Roth grinned.
“Are we, now? And where might we be going?”
“To finish the job you were sent to do. Daemodan wants a Vessel. Track Jaysen. He didn’t just vanish, idiot. Find him.”
Roth stepped forward, feeling her breath against his face and sneered. “If I find him, you’ll not touch him again, understand? He’s fragile and you are wretched.”
“How dare you even sug-” she began but he cut her off with his hand seizing her throat until she croaked, and her toes scraped the ash-covered ground. The
New One’s confused thing growled but did not move otherwise.
“You’ll. Not. Touch. Him. Are we clear?” he growled. Madhavi tried to answer but had no voice, nodding desperately instead. Roth released her, the dragon-born woman dropping heavily to the ground. She gasped and choked, glaring at Roth and the New One. Perhaps he was supposed to help her. He smirked instead, enjoying her torment. Maybe the New One was not all bad.
“Shall we play a game?” Roth purred, circling the
