“Something like that would never last in Sanctuary.” Exodus replied with a shake of her head and a wistful smile. “It sounds beautiful Finn, and it makes a good story, but something like that could never exist in our world.”
“Why?” Finn demanded with a raised eyebrow. He didn’t raise his voice, but she looked stunned regardless.
“Well they would never build a city without defenses for one. No matter how hard you try you will never get them to stop their fighting the city would have to be protected.” Exodus explained with obvious frustration for what she must see as stupidity.
“For an Aspect you have a remarkable lack of faith.” Finn mused. “Evagale will be built Exodus, and we are the ones that are going to build it.” He informed her calmly and smiled once more as her expression shifted to bewilderment. “Not you and I personally, but the Divine.” He amended with amusement clear in his voice. “Close your eyes and picture a city with no walls and no guards that is dedicated to the Aspects, knowledge, and the arts. Imagine a city that holds a library at its heart rather than a government building and citizens that exist amongst each other with no quarrels, poverty, or crime.”
“It’s a beautiful image of idealistic nonsense that can never stand.” Exodus replied the moment he fell silent. She hadn’t bothered to close her eyes and he could tell by the expression on her face that he was very close to losing any chance he had at her support.
He fixed his eyes on her and held her pinned with his gaze as he calmly produced a stoppered vial from his cloak and held it flat in the palm of his hand before him. “Do you know what the term blooded means, Exodus?”
“In Nerathane it means those half-bloods that have been gifted with pure Dragons blood to grant them more power. I’m not sure if that is what you are referring to though.” Her words were hesitant, but the annoyance had cleared from her features and she was listening to him once more.
“The Dragons borrowed the technique from the Divine beyond the Barrier. I read on it during my research. Originally it was a gift reserved for the most honored of their servants. What I propose is something a bit more drastic.” He let the vial roll back and forth on the palm of his hand as she considered what he was saying. He could tell she was confused, but she also looked intrigued. “This is a vial of my blood Exodus. It is the purest silver of the Divine. If I gave you this vial and you drank it you would become more of what you are attempting to be. In brutal honest truth you and I both know that an Aspect is nothing more than an Elder Blood that has very specialized focus for the channeling of their power. What I’m offering you is a taste of true Divinity.” She was leaning forward now with eyes fixed on the vial in her hand, and despite her obvious attempts to keep the hunger from her face he could see it clearly. “It has a price Exodus.” He warned her softly.
“This city you want?” she asked cautiously then dropped down from her perch to stand before him. She was small with a slight build that made her seem little more than a child, but he could see the muscles tensed beneath her silk clothes. His fingers closed on the vial and he smiled at her knowingly. She was small, but she was extremely quick, and he wasn’t fool enough to leave something as precious as his own blood unguarded mere feet from the Mistress of Thieves. Her lips pursed at his closed hand and she gave him a withering look. “I wasn’t going to snatch it from you.” She snapped.
“Of course not.” Finn agreed amiably.
“The cost?” Exodus prompted with a raised eyebrow. She still looked mildly irritated, but the expression was fading quickly. She knew her own talents well enough and couldn’t begrudge him taking precautions.
“If you drink it you will be bonded to me in a fashion. It won’t make you a mindless slave by any means, but your feelings toward me will be kinder. The price of Divinity is loyalty to me Exodus.” Finn answered with a faint smile.
“Bloody hell.” Exodus muttered her eyes widening as she stared at him. He could see by the look on her face that she saw the entire picture he was painting. “I’m not the only one you are going to make this offer to am I?” she asked quietly.
“You are the first of many.” Finn agreed in a somewhat smug tone. He knew he had her. The offer of true power was too much for her to resist. It would be too much for the others to resist as well. “Evagale will be built Exodus, and our servants will dwell there in peace without fear of retribution, because everyone will know that true Divine have returned. The phrase The wrath of the gods is about to gain meaning again.” He paused to ensure she was hanging on his every word then continued in a confident voice. “When the High Lords meet for their council we will be there as well. Sanctuary is our home and I have no intention of sitting on the sidelines while they tear it apart. They say that by our laws the Divine may not participate in political affairs, and yet I see Lutheron do it every day. So I have determined that if he can, I can, and that our laws are outdated. It’s time to reach a new agreement between the Divine and the Elder Blood.”
Her eyes flashed once and she shook her head at him. “You are doing this for Jala aren’t you? I thought when you first spoke that you were doing this for the Aspects and then you mention their council.” There was a note of jealousy in her voice that left him silent for a long moment and her anger seemed to grow in that space.
He pulled himself from his shock and shook his head slowly. “I’m doing this for me, Exodus.” He murmured. His hand moved to the tattoo on his wrist and his fingers absently traced the marriage lines imprinted on his flesh. “I have to feel as though the gain was worth the price I paid. Some might say that Divinity was well worth the cost of my mortal life, but I don’t agree. I’m doing this so that I can sleep at night knowing it was all worth it. The Aspects are a joke to the Elder Blood as it stands now, and if I can change that and give them a voice then I will be able to actually see some good that I have done.”
Exodus watched him for a long moment and then regarded the trees surrounding them with renewed interest. “Evagale.” She said softly as if pondering the name then looked back to him with interest filling her dark blue eyes. “Where would it be if we built it?” she asked cautiously.
A smile pulled at his lips once more but he kept his expression subdued. She might see a smile as gloating, and that was the last thing he wanted. She was serious now and he needed to be as well. “In its own place like Sanctuary. I don’t want it to be claimed by any one land. I want it to belong to everyone and yet no one. I won’t give the High Lords power there such as they have in Sanctuary, and yet I won’t ban them from the city either.”
“How will you keep the rival priests from fighting amongst each other?” Exodus continued. The caution was fading from her voice replaced by simple curiosity.
“With laws.” Finn answered simply and slowly lowered himself to the ground once more. The moment for concern was past. Exodus was as good as his and he didn’t need to stress over the matter any further.
“How will you enforce the laws if you have no guards?” Exodus pressed. She glanced quickly at the moss covered rocks he was seated on before sitting down to face him with both of her legs crossed in a childlike pose.
“If I were to say to you. Exodus your priests are thieves and I understand their natures, but I cannot allow crime in Evagale. If your followers steal in this particular city I will ban your temples and remove your seat on the council with the Elder Blood. If you cannot control your priests I cannot put faith in your leadership and therefore your presence there is a waste. What would you do?” Finn kept his voice mild but he could still see her stiffen at his words.
“My followers will obey my will.” Exodus said defensively but he could see the understanding in her eyes as she nodded her agreement with his logic. “As will the followers of the other Aspects.” She conceded with a faint smile and a nod.
“Everyone will be too afraid of missing something important to let their flock stray.” Finn agreed with a slight nod.
“But what about those who visit the city? How wil
l you keep them in order? Our priests might follow from reverence, but not everyone will.” Exodus asked after a long moment of contemplation. She was leaning back on her arms now and looked perfectly relaxed despite where she was. Not many could manage to look so at ease while speaking with the Lord of Death in hell Finn realized with amusement.
“If it is more than our priests can handle, then we handle it ourselves. Which would you suppose a visitor to the city would find more unnerving, an angry city guard or an infuriated god? It will only take one or two instances before word spreads about the city and its laws.” Finn returned without pause. He wasn’t sure if she were truly as curious as she seemed or if she wanted to know how much thought he had placed toward his goals. Either way he doubted she could ask anything that he wouldn’t have an answer for. He had spent days in contemplation over this. The changes to the Darklands had been more spontaneous, but they were the spark that had ignited his new plans. With every change he made to his domain he considered what changes he could make in the rest of the world, and the plan had slowly grown.
Exodus fell silent with his words. Her blue eyes were filled with thought as she traced a slender finger back and forth across a rock. “War won’t like this.” She muttered and glanced up at him to see his reaction.
“Neither will Lutheron.” Finn agreed and shrugged one shoulder. “They can feel free to discuss the issue with me at length, but they won’t stop me.” He assured her firmly.
Her chin lifted slightly and a faint smile touched her lips as she held her hand out toward him. “You won’t face them alone Lord Death. Give me the vial. You have my loyalty.”
Finn smiled at her and bowed his head to her in respect. “Thank you Exodus.” He replied gently. “There is one thing I ask and I hope you don’t find offense, but it’s a matter I won’t budge on.” She nodded for him to continue and he glanced down at the vial in his hand as he spoke. “I’d like you to drink it now and give me back the vial. I don’t intend to use more than one vial in this process. It’s not that I don’t trust you, but there are some amongst the Aspects that I don’t trust, and the fewer vials with traces of my blood inside them the better I feel about my continued good health.”
“Wisely planned and no offense taken. Considering some of the magic that can be worked with blood I can’t say that I blame you.” Exodus agreed with a grin.
Finn nodded and felt his stomach clench as he handed the vial over to her. There was a possibility that she would simply vanish with the prize, but he didn’t’ think so. He didn’t exactly trust Exodus, but he thought he had judged her character well enough to know what she would do.
With nimble fingers she opened the vial and tilted it to her lips. Her face contorted slightly as his blood filled her mouth, but she didn’t hesitate in swallowing. Her eyes closed as she lowered the vial and her breathing quickened as faint traces of sweat broke across her pale face. The vial tumbled from her fingers to land in the moss beside her and she leaned forward to brace herself on the ground.
“Give it a moment and it will pass.” Finn assured her as he picked the fallen vial up and tucked it carefully back into the pocket in his cloak. He couldn’t seem to pull his gaze from her and was a bit shocked by the stir in his own blood at the sight. Her head was thrown back and her breath was coming in short quick gasps. He couldn’t tell if it was pain or ecstasy, but the effect was the same regardless. For the first time since Jala had shared his bed he was admiring another woman and the stir in his blood was lust. He had thought he was beyond that emotion and the fact that he wasn’t unsettled him more than he cared to admit. He knew better than to consider Exodus in those terms however and so he pushed the thoughts away as she slowly regained her composure. He needed her as an ally without anything between them that would confuse things. She was not a bed warmer, and at the same time she wasn’t someone he could keep. By her very nature she wouldn’t allow herself to be tied down.
“That was the most exquisite bliss and yet the most excruciating pain.” Exodus gasped and folded her arms around her tiny frame. Shaking her head she smiled at him as her breathing slowed. “It seemed to last an eternity and yet ended too soon.” She added and then laughed breathlessly. “And I’m not making any sense at all.”
“It’s not something you can put into words easily.” Finn assured her with a smile.
“Was it like that when you killed Death and took her mantle?” Exodus asked softly.
Finn shook his head slowly and let out a quiet sigh. “There was nothing about that experience that I would ever consider blissful. It nearly tore my body apart and the only thing my mind could focus on was what I was losing rather than what I had gained. I had no preparation for what was coming, and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone, not even an enemy.”
“If you could go back and change things would you? I mean if you could avoid gaining the mantle would you give it up?” Exodus asked quietly and he could tell by the tone of her voice what she wanted to hear.
The answer she wanted was already forming in his mind. For years he had conditioned himself to tell women whatever they wanted to get his way, but he pushed that part of himself aside and nodded slowly. “If I could have everything back I would change things without hesitation.” The blunt honesty seemed to shock her and he shrugged at her widening eyes. “I never wanted power in life and I don’t truly want it now. The only reason I am attempting to gain it is the simple fact that I don’t trust anyone else to have it. If I don’t gain the upper hand now that leaves War or Lutheron on the top of the ladder and I will not be their puppet. The only other option is to make them mine.”
“So where do we start?” Exodus asked cautiously. He had seen the flicker of hesitation on her face at his mention of puppets, but chose to ignore it. Once he had a few more of the Aspects on his side she would relax.
Finn grinned at her as he rose to his feet and offered her a hand up. Her fingers were warm in his grip and he felt a brief flash of lust rise once more. “A trip to a fest hall I think. There is a man I’d very much like to play a round of cards with.” He answered as he pushed away the urge to pull her closer. I’ve been alone far too long. He realized grimly but let nothing of his inner turmoil to show on his face.
“Fortune then.” Exodus agreed with a smile and nodded her approval at the suggestion. If she noticed anything amiss with him she didn’t give any indication. “Are you sure you want to leave your domain? I could speak with him for you.”
“Seth is here. Everything will be fine.” Finn assured her and winked. “You were the first Aspect I offered the vial to, not the first friend. Seth was more than capable of handling anything in my domain before he drank the blood. Now nothing here has a bloody prayer against him.”
Exodus blanched a bit and nodded quickly. “He was terrifying before.” She agreed quietly.
“To everyone but me.” Finn sighed and waved a hand toward the twilight darkened sky above them. “Shall we? I could really use something to drink.”
Chapter 12
Sanctuary
Pale sunlight filtered through the strands making the droplets of dew sparkle like jewels scattered across the web. Remedy admired the effect for little more than a breath before his attention was drawn back to Azashy. She stood just on the other side of the web with adoration filling her dark eyes and a faint smile creasing her full lips. Her eyes traced the path of the spider as it climbed further up its maze of silk and for a moment she seemed oblivious to his company.
He had given her full creation of the illusion they shared, and she had created a cottage at the edge of thick forest. The details on the cottage itself and the trees told him this was a real place, but he couldn’t determine what land it was. It could have been Glis, but then it could have just as easily been Faydwer or Morcath. He had thought she would create a place he knew if he gave her control, and perhaps he would be able to glean information about who she was, or where she was from. Instead she had created the cottage, and a simple spider see
med to hold her attention more than anything else around them.
“Do you see how precise everything is for them? There is no other creature like them. They are perfection of nature.” Azashy whispered. She raised a slender finger to the web and coaxed to spider onto her hand. With deliberate slowness she lowered her hand and gazed at the creature with longing. “I wish this were all real.” She whispered.
Remedy followed her gaze and frowned. “It’s as real as I can make it. I’m sorry Azashy. I’d love to be able to grant your freedom, but until I find out how the door opens I cannot release either of us.” It had taken him days before he had dared to scan her surface thoughts, and another week before he had mustered the courage to trust her enough to speak. In that time Myth had visited twice, and each time had left Azashy more wretched. If he didn’t figure out how to rescue them both soon she would give up on life. Every question she answered for Myth seemed to be a wound to her.
“I’m grateful for what you have given.” Azashy spoke softly as if she was afraid of being overheard. Her attention returned to the spider once more as the tiny creature made its way down her arm toward her elbow.
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