Chapter 7 Forgiveness
Forgiveness
“You!” Rhalyf’s mouth worked, but nothing more came out.
“Me.” Vex smiled with satisfaction as if merely speaking of himself was pleasurable.
Rhalyf’s sword arm quivered, but Lament went no closer–not even a millimeter–towards his uncle’s neck. A neck that was black with Blood Tattoos up to his chin.
So many…
Were there a few more since he’d last seen his uncle?
Rhalyf shook himself. Now was not the time!
And yet, he found himself really looking at the Night King in a way he hadn’t since he was a child.
In truth, Rhalyf had been careful never to look at Vex for very long since then.
Now he found himself staring and absorbing his uncle.
Moon pale skin, mostly obscured by the black “ink” of the Blood Tattoos.
Broad shoulders. Muscular chest. Flaring black silk pants that were cut up the sides.
No shoes. More Blood Tattoos on the tops of his bare feet, which looked scrupulously clean despite the fact that Vex was walking around without shoes in the dirt, dust and rock of the Under Dark.
Long silver hair, shaved on one side, that hung to his mid-back.
Intelligent, intense, mesmerizing red eyes that were locked on Rhalyf.
He quickly dropped his own. If he had hoped that avoiding that gaze would help him gather his wits, he was sorely disappointed.
“Y-you!” Rhalyf repeated.
“Me!” Vex laughed.
This was getting ridiculous! He had to say something intelligent!
And it couldn’t be, “Uncle, you tricked me!” Because, of course, Vex had.
It had been a really impressive glamour, because unlike his “Gran” version, Vex had pretended to be someone Rhalyf knew very well.
He’d even gotten her magical signature right, which–compared to his uncle’s right now–was substantially different.
Just a quick glance at his uncle’s signature now was like staring into the heart of the Sun.
And yes, he was aware of the irony of describing the Night King’s magical signature that way.
“Uncle, what a surprise!” Rhalyf finally got out.
“Yes,” Vex nodded in agreement. The edge of Lament got no closer to his skin despite the movement. Tipping his head down towards the Blood Weapon, Vex asked, “Would you like to put that down now?”
“Gods, yes. My arm is starting to grow tired,” Rhalyf confessed.
“Then please, be my guest.”
Knowing that it wouldn’t be seen as an act of aggression, Rhalyf relaxed.
Vex wasn’t frightened of Lament. He was clearly thinking of Rhalyf’s own comfort.
Which was odd in and of itself. But he’d said something about Finley being right about him.
What did that mean? And where was Finley?
Yet getting to that conversation seemed impossible at that moment.
At least with a sword at his uncle’s throat.
He found that he could easily withdraw the weapon into himself.
It disappeared and the two of them simply stood there awkwardly.
The tinkling sound of water falling into fountains filled the sudden silence.
The gloriously colored fish swished and flicked beneath the water of the nearest of these.
Both of them gazed around at the garden as if they were attending a party where they knew no one and were stuck together because of a faint acquaintance.
“It’s lovely here,” Rhalyf finally said. He was quite good at small talk. Too bad there wasn’t anything to drink. A drink would really help about now. That and some nibbles. He was hungry. When had he eaten? The caramel corn. That was the last food to pass his lips. Maybe the last.
Vex nodded and said agreeably, “It is.”
“Did you, ah, design it?” Rhalyf asked, gesturing to the riot of blooms and statuary that somehow managed to be exciting and restful at the same time.
“I did.”
So Vex had designed the garden–maybe the whole Temple of the Stag–despite the fact that it was as his “sister” had said about him being hunted down or being the hunter.
If it was the hunter, that made more sense but knowing Vex it was likely because he found it darkly amusing to imagine himself as the hunted.
“Well… it’s quite nice,” Rhalyf said lamely.
Another nod. More tinkling of fountains.
Some of the fish bobbed to the top of the water, looking for something to eat maybe?
He didn’t know. How had they survived this long?
Had Vex come back here to feed them? No, no, that was nonsense.
It had to be some incredible spell that kept everything so fresh and lush.
Vex seemed content to stand there in silence forever.
At least, he wasn’t attempting to kill Rhalyf. Yet.
“The narcotic flowers are an especially nice touch. Must have been fun to come to services here,” Rhalyf chuckled.
“It was especially fun when we re-enacted the Forever Hunt. Now that was a good time,” Vex said with a flash of a toothy smile that he realized mirrored his own usual one.
Finley would point that out to me. That I smile like he does. A challenge and a seduction and a weapon all in one.
“Did you play the hunter or… the hunted?” Rhalyf lifted an eyebrow.
A broader smile. “I switched off from year to year.”
“Ah, well, variety is the spice of life or so humans say,” Rhalyf nodded sagely.
He wondered who was bold enough to chase Vex. He supposed at the end Vex would only be caught if he wished to be. And that ending wouldn’t be with an arrow in the heart, but likely a romp in this garden. Sex and drugs and adrenaline.
“Did you hear that from Finley?” Vex asked after cocking an eyebrow up at the expression.
“Actually, his little sister, Gemma. Found family, but still they are as close as blood and…” he stopped himself. He was babbling. And really he shouldn’t draw Vex’s attention to Gemma. “Well, she told me it this afternoon… It’s quite evocative.”
Had it just been that afternoon when they’d gone to Hope with Finley and Gemma?
When he’d spoken so blithely about what his uncle would or wouldn’t do in any given situation?
When life had been good? It felt like a lifetime ago.
Oh, to be back there now! But this line of questioning did allow him to ask about Finley.
“You mentioned Finley earlier. You… met him,” Rhalyf said and stared at his uncle carefully. He needed to read whatever he could in his uncle’s expression.
“Yes.”
“Yes?” Rhalyf prompted.
And what did you do to him? And where is he? And why did you mention death earlier?
“You’re wondering what I did with him?” Vex guessed. He was now leaning against the railing and staring out at the flowers, but not seeing them. He was grinning. It was a look of anticipation.
“Yes.”
Now it was his turn with the one word answers.
His heart felt like it was held in a vise.
Finley loved Vex. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that.
His admiration for the Night King had practically poured out of the young man.
Had Vex lived up to expectations? In a way, Vex would have by smashing Finley to pieces…
“I told him what he wanted to know,” Vex answered, looking almost smug. As if this was a secret thing he shared with Finley alone. “And then let him go pursue that answer.”
“What answer? What did he want to know?” The questions came out rapid fire. “You said something about ‘if he lives’ so what did you mean about that?”
Rhalyf swallowed. He mustn’t babble! And he mustn't show how much he liked Finley! After all, he wasn’t sure what his uncle was going to do with him.
From the indulgent look his uncle gave him, it was much, much too late to pretend he didn’t like the young man. “Come now, Nephew. What does Finley want to know more than anything?”
“He… magic,” the word exited his mouth like a breath. “Magic. He wants to wield magic, but he’s human so he can’t and… can’t he?” He stopped where he was going as he saw his uncle’s lifted eyebrow. “Can humans wield magic?”
“Yes.”
He blinked rapidly. “But–but their life force–”
“Not like us. A different magic. Very different. But very powerful,” Vex said the word “powerful” as if it had a pleasant flavor. He rolled the word in his mouth. Tasting it. “A lost and ancient magic that none have wielded fully in a… well, in a very long time.”
“But if that is true, obtaining knowledge about how to wield magic for a human would be very dangerous–”
“Deadly actually.” A smile and a nod.
“So you sent Finley to his death?!” He shrieked. Oh, he did shriek. That was unfortunate. Vex stared at him. He swallowed and lowered his voice, sounding almost normal as he asked, “Where is he? I have to–”
“Do nothing. Go nowhere.”
“What? But if he’s in danger, I have to go and help him!”
And what good and true Kindreth did that? He could almost see his mother and sister staring coldly at him and shaking their heads. Why couldn’t he be normal for a simple conversation with his uncle? Why did he have to show such weakness?
“I did not send Finley. He chose to go,” Vex explained tartly. “Would you appreciate someone bumbling after you when you went into the lost city of the Arcrem? Or when you stole the manuscripts of Thostis the Cutter? Or when you–”
Rhalyf held up a hand. “Yes, yes, I understand what you’re saying.” He blinked then. “You knew I did all that?”
“I have known everything that you have done, Nephew, even if you didn’t know I was watching over you,” Vex said with a dismissive wave of his hand.
Watching over me. Not simply watching me. Was that a slip of the tongue? Or was that meant?
“Finley–”
“Will succeed or fail. On his own. As we have all done. As mages must do in order to earn their magic. He would not thank you for interfering any more than you would have thanked me,” Vex said.
“But if I had gotten into trouble–”
“You did,” Vex snorted.
“Yes, yes, but if I nearly died–”
“You did. Lament is the result of your battle with Thostis, no?” Vex shook his head, but in amusement.