“This just goes to show,” he said, “how little you understand the Almighty. He has made so many creations… so many beings over His lifetime. They are toys. They are playthings… to keep Him from being lonely. That’s all any of us ever were to Him. The world as you know it was one such toy, but a bad one at that, and so it’s His desire to remove it from His playroom.”
“To remove it from existence,” she corrected.
Janka’s expression tensed as something stern clearly possessed his disposition.
“Mortal, you may have special privileges in this house because you’re the child’s mother. But if you understood just how useless you were to us, you would be very careful with the words you chose. Veylo may be willing to put up with your snark, but I’m not him.”
Maggie spun around.
If he didn’t want to hear her, then she would just ignore him.
***
Treycore told Kid about his and Vera’s agreement, and they agreed to surprise her for their own amusement before Treycore used the opportunity to finish her off.
Treycore sat at what surely Vera believed was his last dinner as a free higherling. She smirked as she gazed at him, fishing her fork through the heavenly lettuce before her.
“How has your progress gone? Do you believe you’ll be taking your dear one off into the sunset, or will I have my Treycore back once and for all?”
She giggled.
Treycore clenched his jaw. Amazing how conceited she was acting considering how deceptive she’d been. Of course, he should have expected that from her.
“Ah, won’t it be nice to be back here with me, Trey? I promise, I won’t make it too terribly inconvenient for you.”
Though the gleam in her eyes suggested otherwise.
“You have just a little more time, so I say we bring him in. Ficorn!”
“You’re enjoying this,” Treycore said, “aren’t you?”
“Treycore, the last thing in all the realms I’d ever want to see is you unhappy. You know this, right?”
Kid entered and approached the table, acting as he had when the creature had possessed him.
“Oh, do sit, Will,” Vera said.
He sat between them, continuing to stare forward.
Treycore was proud of Kid for doing such a good job putting on the act.
“Why don’t you give it another try?” she asked. “While I’m here.”
“Just shut up.”
“Oh, Trey. Don’t be a spoil sport. Do it for me. Remember when you used to do things just for me?”
He snarled.
“I can do it for you, if you’d prefer.”
“Be my guest.”
“Will… Will, could you look at Trey for me? I have something very important that I need you to answer honestly. Do you love this higherling?”
Kid obeyed.
As Treycore looked into his eyes, he felt all the love, all the adoration that had started their adventure—and he knew that he was right in journeying here to find the only creature in all the realms that could ever truly satisfy him.
