“And Sanctus.”
Like fuck I had.
“You are not angry with me for neglecting to tell you that I don’t only intend to provide Sanctus with a stable eternal fuel source through your unique nature?”
“How could you tell me when you know me as an advocate for peace and not harming others? It didn’t stop me from suspecting, though.”
He arched an eyebrow. “And knowing now, especially after the proof you ended up bearing witness to earlier, you would simply agree to assist with that additional goal of mine?”
“If I don’t agree to assist with your larger goal and instead only bond myself to Sanctus to perpetually fuel it—the initial goal you told me about—then with me bound to it, you’ll be free from being constantly drained by it from then on. You’ll thereby have the power—and not just Ariana’s boost of power I can feel through your system right now that will wear off soon—to pursue your conquering plan on your own.”
“Yes,” he admitted.
“Well, with me involved, we can devise a method that will not harm others, that won’t destroy every fucking thing on the mortal plane just because you can. After doing that earlier, seeing the way you did it, and me then being able to reverse it, I saw a way you can raise all of Sanctus without causing that sort of destruction and… terraforming.”
“Hmm.”
“If you just destroy, you’ll be throwing away so many resources that could benefit you and your desire of supreme rule over the mortal plane. I can’t imagine somebody like you, who fancies themselves a god, would be satisfied ruling over a mess and a world of dried-up resources.” I pushed off the wall. “You hide it, but there’s something else you want as well, isn’t there?”
“What do you presume to know in regard to that?”
“You want them to love you, don’t you?”
It wasn’t actually love. It was worship—in a twisted way, because that was him.
Buthethought that was love.
He swallowed, then even averted his eyes, as he said, “It has always been denied me because of the way I was framed by the Celestial Plane for my unique abilities, my special nature. There was fear when there should have been exaltation. There was punishment when there should have been reverence.”
“They only saw the threat, not the opportunity in what you are.”
His gaze flicked to mine again. “Something you understand all too well.”
“I do.”
Except with him, ithadn’tjust been his outlier nature and abilities, it had been his actions—him wanting to conquer, his addiction to power, his obsession of obtaining more and more. It wasn’t unchecked ambition, because that wasn’t always unhealthy in the way some painted it. With him it was the way he was willing to go about it, turning it from evolving and progressing to severe danger and ruin. He saw himself as a true god. And with that mentality, everything and everyone was expendable. There was no line for him.
He was determined to remake the world in his image.
And if everyone had to fall to make it so, that was acceptable to him.
Until now. With what I was trying to plant here.
He stared at me for several moments, studying me, clearly analyzing all that I’d claimed.
And then, he burst back right in front of me, startling me.
He had me flinching as he cupped my face.
Instinctively, I went to pull away, but he grasped my arm, stilling me.
“Shh,” he crooned, stroking my cheek. “My dissatisfaction with you has waned.”
Dissatisfaction?Sure, we’d tone it down exponentially and call it that. Unbelievable. Well, no, believable it most certainly was with him. Disturbing, though? Without a fucking doubt.
His eyes shone at me with reverence. “In its place is the fruit that has been borne from this enlightening conversation. Hmm, it is not only your nature that is miraculous. Your mind is duly impressive. Problem-solving such complex spellwork and magical intricacies is highly uncommon for most, let alone one so young.” He shifted his grip to my jaw, stroking his thumb over the coarse stubble, as he ruminated, “You have a gift.”
I grasped his wrist and drew his hand away from my face. “Then we’ll strategize this new approach I’ve put to you.”
