“Because they are demonic practitioners,” Zen said, “andI must bind their souls to mine to channel my will through them.”
Her initial shock was followed swiftly by anger. Lan’s nails dug into the tome.“Demonic practitioners,”she repeated with emphasis on each syllable.
He watched her unflinchingly, with that steeled gaze she knew all too well to mean he’d made up his mind.
“This is dangerous,” she continued, her voice low. “You know that. To not only be bound to a Demon God but to also harness the power of undead demonic practitioners is madness.”
“Not if I can control them. And when my Demon God is released, the cores of the Deathriders, too, will cease to exist.”
“What if you lose control?”
“Then you will put an end to it,” he said matter-of-factly.
“You speak as if it is an easy thing to conjure the Godslayer.” Her voice trembled.As if it is an easy thing for me to end your life.“I won’t agree to it.”
“I will do it with or without you. I cannot afford to make the same mistake as I did back at Skies’ End. Now that we have the Godslayer, I will do everything within my power to ensure that my strike falls true, that I have no risk of failure this time. I will root out the Elantian conquerors thoroughly and leave no means for them to return. And if that requires calling upon an army of demonic practitioners, then so be it.” Zen paused, waiting for her to respond. When she didn’t, he continued: “I would rather fight with you by my side, but I cannot wait for you to change your mind. With each passing day, the Black Tortoise’s influence grows over me. I am running out of time.”
Lan glared at him, breathing hard as though she’d just run. “You force my hand.”
Zen gazed back at her. “Yes.”
She picked up her plum wine and took a swig, wishingshe could smash the bottle on his head instead. He frowned at the violence of her motion but went on: “I will make for Tian’jing.” He used the Hin name for the Heavenly Capital, which had been renamed to King Alessandertown by the Elantians. “That is where most of the Elantian leaders reside, along with most of their high-ranking Royal Magicians. The Elantians are only as powerful as their best magicians; they’re the key reason the Hin lost twelve cycles ago. If I can wipe out the majority of their Royal Magicians, we can force the high governor to surrender and the Elantians to retreat.”
Lan cast him a humorless glance. “ ‘Cut off the head of the serpent…’ ”
“ ‘And the powerful body, too, is slain,’ ” Zen finished. It was an aphorism from theClassic of War.“You haven’t forgotten everything.”
“I told you once, I’m a quick study.”
His smile faded. “I will work with you to hunt down the Tiger and the Phoenix. We destroy them first, and then we make for the Heavenly Capital to take out the Elantians and end their regime.” He paused, his voice growing quiet. “Please agree to work with me. I cannot do this alone. While I fight the Royal Magicians and their army, I need you to march into the Heavenly Palace, where the high governor sits, and negotiate their surrender. Afterward…I am inclined to believe that the strength in my core would not last for much longer after this battle, so I will need you to end my life when I lose control.”
A bitter pain had locked up her chest. Lan shoved theClassic of Gods and Demonsback at him and took another gulp of her wine. The room was a little hazy now, and she liked it this way. Better than the dissonance she felt in the fact that what she had been taught to revile—using the power of demons and the Demon Gods—might now be the only chance for theirpeople’s freedom. Better than choosing the actions that would determine the fate of her kingdom.
“Lan,” Zen began, but she cut him off.
“Why don’t you tell Dilaya your masterful plan? I’m sure she would be thrilled to be working alongside you, the Black Tortoise, and your army of demonic practitioners.”
“Lan,” Zen said again, and something in his tone made her look at him this time. “You cannot tell them. Dilaya and Chó Tài…they will never accept me, nor the idea of a group of undead demonic practitioners fighting alongside them.”
“Nor will I. I will not forgive you for this, Xan Temurezen. You leave me no choice.”
He watched her, his eyes glinting in the dim light. “Yet should we succeed, the kingdom will be free, our people liberated, and the Demon Gods released. Is that not what you wanted, Sòng Lián?”
Lan stalked over to him, closing the last of the distance between them. She lifted her hand and slapped him full across the face.
The crack reverberated in the silence.
Zen pressed a hand to his cheek. He hadn’t moved from the chair, but now he lifted his face to her. “You can take it out on me if it makes you feel better,” he said. “I would deserve itall.”
“I hate you,” she whispered. Her eyes were beginning to sting, and there was nothing she could do to stop the way her breaths grew sharper and shorter.
He hesitated, then lowered his hand. “I know.”
Angrily, she swiped at the traitorous tears that rolled down her cheeks. He stood for almost everything she was meant to stand against. Had broken every taboo of the Way, had killed and taken another’s soul for his own and bound a Demon Godand now proposed to call upon the power of demonic practitioners.
But all of that…might be the only way to save this kingdom.
She had once said to him that they were given shit choices. They had to make the best of them. Perhaps thiswasthe only way.
