She heard it clearer now as hatred swam through her. As his shadows circled at his feet like hungry hounds, just waiting to be unleashed.
She wished she could control her own magic. She wished she could send an army of ravens to shred him, bit by bit.
But when she reached for her power – an ember, a spark – there wasnothingto grasp hold of.
‘When I made it here, when I came to the same door as you, I found a child of Wrenwyn’s … the Acolyte. She was my ancestor. My blood. I’d never had true family before, not like that.’
Her heart was beating all wrong.
Her breathing was too shallow.
‘She was not ready to pass on. So I killed her,’ Erath said. The shadows slithered across his body and up the sides of his face. ‘I swung the knife and took her place.’
She backed up a step. The shadows turned and slithered back towards her as they sensed her fear. They were hungry for it.
He was still lost in his story, like he’d been waiting his whole life to share it with someone.
‘I loved Prince Draybor like a brother,’ Erath said. ‘Once I became the Acolyte, once I mastered my newfound magic, I flew back across the Expanse toreason with him. I found his father dead, and Draybor finally king in his place. I tried to show him whatlivinglooked like. I asked only for a chance to share the truth with his people.’ His voice darkened. ‘Instead, he called me an abomination. He declared war upon me and vowed to slaughter each person who turned to my side.’
‘The darksouls,’ Ezer said. ‘The monsters.’
‘They are not monsters,’ Erath growled. ‘They are creatures, once weak, made strong. I created the shadowstorm to keep them safe. And while the war rages … it is only because we needtime.’
‘For what?’ Ezer asked.
‘Time to borrow more souls,’ Erath said. ‘Time to uncover the key. The Five hid one in each realm, fragments of a master key meant to unlock the Door to their infernal cage. We believe … that a key is being heldinsidethe Citadel. Somewhere behind the safety of their Wards.’ He smiled. ‘And as we gather more souls, more who will deny the lies of the Five, we grow stronger. Our onslaughts increase.’ He looked at the crevasse in the cave floor. ‘We will keep giving the One the souls it requires, and in turn, the One will strengthen us, sending through the reinforcements we need, until we find the next key.’
Thenextkey.
Which meant …
‘We must unlock the realms, one by one,’ Erath said. ‘And when the Long Day ends, and Realmbreak comes to pass, the Five will indeed give a blessing – a curse – to Lordach.’ He leaned forward, dark eyes on hers. ‘Their King has fallen. A new one has risen in his place.’
Her heart gave a terrible tremor.
That meant that Arawn …
Arawn wasKing.
‘And what he will ask of the gods, what blessinghewill request … one of my own tells me it will be far worse than what his father would have chosen. It would have been a set of wards forallof Lordach. But this king? He will ask for a weapon instead. A way to counteract my power. A way to destroy my shadowstorm. And then this stronghold … it will no longer besafe.’
Arawn’s own words came back to her.
What my father will ask for – and what I would ask for if I were already King – they would not be remotely close to the same.
She couldn’t imagine a weapon being able to break through the power the Acolyte held.
She could see only Arawn, Izill, Alaris, all the people she’d come to know and trust …
Dead.
Dead at the hands of this monster before her.
‘What will you do if you win the war?’ Ezer asked. ‘What will you do if you manage to break through, and find this key?’
‘I will first give everyone a choice. Join us … lay down your belief in the Five … or die.’
Her stomach turned as his shadows circled his throne.
