Joy. This is almost more tortuous to me.
Kassiel clears his throat. “King Euron has me bound by the Siorai Ban.”
Naaveen’s mouth drops open whereas others begin to lean forward in their seats.
“The Siorai Ban? I’ve only heard of its supposed existence in ancient texts—” Helena cuts her words off short.
Jessamine’s eyes are now trained on Kassiel’s neck, where I’m sure she’d noticed the inky band by now.
“He speaks true,” Irthrid adds.
“That’s barbaric,” Naaveen whispers, “to take someone’s freewill, to force them to submit, it’s one of the worst things I’ve heard of.”
Kassiel stares at the ceiling and silence falls over the table again.
He continues, speaking not necessarily to anyone, “The bond tie weakens every hundred years with the blood eclipse. Usually that’s when he demands us be locked away with him somewhere.”
My thoughts sharpen as I begin to process what he’s saying.
Helena chimes in, “Do you mean to say that King Euron has found a way to stay alive despite that kind of magic being forbidden? Gods it’s not even gifted from them, it’s abhorrent. It’s a vile thing created by the oracles of old. And explain further, what do you mean ‘us’?”
Many others around the table nod their head in agreement.
Kassiel begins again, “My companion Rune was tied to King Euron many years before I. He is a Rhwym.”
“He is the one who bound you all to King Euron?” Jessamine asks.
“It’s not that simple, but yes, through his magic, he was the conduit some of Euron’s witches used to place the eternal tie.” Kassiel stares at her and she shakes her head in disbelief before looking to Irthrid again.
The minder just nods at Jessamine and she raises her arms and throws them in a shrug.
“Well that’s more than inconvenient.” Yasper pipes in for the first time since our discussion began.
Kassiel just chuckles.
“I can’t even begin to explain how much so,” he says.
The Devourer goes on to explain his summoning, all the eyes of The Hidden council members trained on him. Leeson exchanges a glance with me as I relieve the moments whenKassiel thrashed on the ground. Where I truly thought he might die.
“It’s blinding pain. Like your soul is being seared through the veil and torn apart.” The description from Kassiel makes my stomach drop. It sounds more than painful. Anger wells within me as I realize that it’s likely he has had to endure it for centuries now.
“Why should we trust you, Devourer?” Helena stands as she lets the fierce words slip.
He starts to pace the room before turning to face the stained glass window, the image darkened by nightfall.
Without turning he answers, so seriously, and without a doubt, “Because I trust Alora. At some point you tire of being a monster, unrecognizable when you look in the mirror. Because for the first time in centuries, I’d prefer to not feel numb to the realm.”
He shifts his head until he looks over his shoulder slightly and adds, “Because despite everything I must atone for, I believe that she is the good in this godsforsaken world. And that is worth fighting for.”
It’s no surprise the rest of the interrogation continues smoothly after I finally admit what he wants most of me; that he isn’t the monster they think he is, that he meanssomethingto me.
He was more than willing to peel back his skin and reveal the painful truths he hid for so long, those of which were confirmed by the minder. All it took was me doing the same, peeling back my mask and showing the council that hope sometimes resided in the most unexpected places, and ours happened to fall upon The Devourer.
The rest of The Hidden, particularly Naaveen and Jessamine, seemed entranced when I argued why allowing Kassiel in ourranks was a bold, much needed move. Whyweneed him to fight for us against the oppressive wave that would crush us.
Chapter 25
Alora
