In asage. An avatar of the gods.
Immediately afteranothersage has just dramatically killed a whole bunch of priests, so this is...
Yikes.
...Well, I guess that does make more sense than a person who actually knows what they want intentionally trying to live with me.
“I know we’re supposed to hate dragons,” I say carefully, “but Zan seemed genuinely distressed that even I couldn’t get into the temple. And when I explained how terrible it would be for a person to wake up surrounded by corpses, he didn’t hesitate to help. I only know the one dragon, and it’s not like we’re best friends, but I don’t think they are all lacking in empathy.”
Kovan’s golden gaze fixes on me. “It was your idea to burn them.”
I lift my chin. “Yes. No one else would have been able to come for them anyway. Is that why you’re here?”
The sage looks away. “More or less,” he mutters.
And that’s it.
“I could use a little more detail,” I prompt a little hesitantly. “Like, your personal stuff is obviously your business, but while you’re here, should I be expecting dragon battles? Are you going to be performing more magic that will backlash and destroy my cottage like Crystal Hollow has been destroyed?”
“Crystal Hollow has been destroyed?”
I open my mouth to answer and then and cross my arms. “You keep turning questions back on me. Is that a sage trick?”
Kovan grimaces.
Would you look at that, a powerful man who doesn’t explode when you point out his flaws—more than once, even.
“In a manner of speaking,” he says. “Specifically it’s an interrogation tactic. My apologies. I am... unused to being in this position. But I think in this case my personal business may in fact also be your business. You deserve to know who you would be allowing into your home.”
That sounds properly ominous, but I am immediately and absolutely certain he’s way harder on himself than I will ever be.
Kovan squares his shoulders. “I was brought here to take down the magic dampening field. I... couldn’t do it. And rather than admitting that, I allowed a dragon to spirit me away so that I did not have to face the consequences of a decision. I could have helped your village, and I did not.”
A strange understanding passes through me.
I may know a thing or two about presenting yourself in absolutely the worst light.
If you do it yourself, after all, then you can’t be surprised when someone hates you.
“Why couldn’t you do it?” I ask.
Kovan’s jaw clenches so hard that, as close as I am to him, I actuallyhearhis teeth grind.
“Ah,” I say.
He glares up at me. “What does that mean?”
I raise my eyebrows. “It means you chose to let your natural enemy carry you away from the system that has always insulated you, which I take to mean that your faith in said system has faltered, to say the least.”
“That doesn’t bother you?”
He’s doing it again, but I let him. “I’m not sure if this will come as a surprise to you, but priests are not actually bearers of unconditional generosity. I may believe in divine power, but how priests exercise power in our world is a lot more suspect.”
Kovan winces. “I... appreciate your honesty.”
I snort. “No need to lie. No one else does.”
His gaze whips back to me. “I already told you, I don’t say things I don’t mean.”
