Thessa was sitting at mouth of the alleyway with her head in her hands. Sarren looked around but did not see Hana or Asleth. Where did your mother and Asleth go?
“There you are where did you go?”
Cassany used a portal to bring me before her. She has been using me to spy on you.
“What?”
I meant to tell you earlier, but I was afraid she would be watching me somehow. I am not afraid now after what she told me. You need to know her twisted plan.
“Right now, I don’t care. She can do whatever she thinks she needs to do.”
You should care. It involves Gaelyn, Tanyth, and Danton. She is sending them to attack the arena and Marlee to force the Green Mage to make her a poison. The Green Mage has refused, so Cassany is sending them to use Marlee as leverage to Gert what she wants.
“Why does a god need poison?”
First off, she is a Demigod and not a full fledged god. Second, she is planning to use it on a fellow demigod. It won’t kill, but it will put the demigod out long enough to make a single move against his or her mage without them knowing. You didn’t answer my question.
“Some of the people came out and saw Asleth fighting in the streets. So, he and Hana, mother, went to the Reeve’s office to clear things up. Hana told me to stay here and wait for her return.” She rubbed the cold from her hands, “I need to warn Teoni then.”
She already knows and is on her way to stop Tanyth from getting to the arena.
“And you learned all this from Cassany?”
Yes! Suddenly, Sarren worried she had started telling Thessa the news too soon. Maybe she had not begun to trust her as much as she thought.
“Why would she tell you her plans? Is she counting on you telling me?”
She didn’t I overheard her telling them to someone else involved. she lied.
“Yes, who?”
I have no idea. I never got to see their face. They were wearing a hooded cloak.
Thessa wiped her eyes, and that’s when Sarren realized she had been crying. “If she wants to push me into making blood feeders and is using you to do it, then she is about to be very happy. I am going to do it my way, though.”
Sarren thought to herself, Does she know Cassany put me up to this?
“I doubt Cassany told you all these secrets so you would run to me and blab, but I also know you have little choice. I still don’t completely trust you. I mean, I did technically kill you and take the Black Mage from you. Why would you be loyal to me, right! Still, I know somewhere in your twisted thoughts you might have the capacity to care. I believe Cassany is using you to bait me into making an army to go after Tanyth.”
I have gotten over all that nonsense. I am loyal to you.
“Still, whether what you say is you trying to be loyal to me or if you are still being loyal to Cassany, she is about to get her wish. I want you to tell me how to make vampires, blood feeders.”
I will teach you to the best of my ability.
“I know you will. It’s in your best interest.” She took a long breath, “Actually, I have to admit it’s in the best interest for all three of us.” She picked herself up. “I’m sure you want to be human again, I want the power to stop Tanyth and Danton, and Cassany wants a trained Black Mage.”
Sarren felt a sudden kinship with Thessa at that moment. She was wiser and more intelligent than she had given her credit to be. Then I think I should point out to you something I observed. Something you are not thinking about in order to prove my sincerity.
“What am I not thinking about?”
Your mother could have saved Gaelyn. She still can. She can bring life back into him as she once did for you.
“I thought that was a one off occurrence.”
No, her power is blood and blood is life. She can change the taint back and purge it from the body.
“She didn’t have time.”
Asleth can manipulate gravity and force. He could have made Danton too heavy to walk or contained him in a force shield. They let them go, and they let Gaelyn go with them.
“Why? What would they do that?”
Look what happened. They must have figured out who you were based on your ribbon spell and the blood feeders. They must know you are Thessa.
“No, I can’t accept that. How would they know?”
I am sorry, Thessa, but you know deep down it’s true. Sarren could see in Thessa’s eyes that she was getting to her. While it was true that Hana saved Thessa, she had no idea if she could have done it for anyone else who was not her direct kin. The important part was that Thessa has to believe it.
“Your words are venomous!” Thessa spat. Sarren held her breath. “But there is some truth to what you say. Perhaps my mother does know, and perhaps she could have saved him. Maybe she still can. She will return shortly and I will ask her.”
Chapter 18: A Grave Mistake
Thessa watched Sarren’s movements as she spoke. She just could not trust the former Black Mage with information. She trusted her to teach her, but she knew it was in her best interest to do so. Other than that, she did not trust her to be truthful, especially when it came to information from Cassany. She
