Chapter 47
FORTY-SEVEN
"G o on then, Commander. What was it so urgent that you had me come here personally?" the king asks with affected impatience, tapping his foot on the floor.
Ze gives him a bored look, but he doesn't reply immediately, walking around the library.
"Commander!" the king barks out.
"Since Elias absconded with the chalice, the Supremes have been on high alert. They fear that other artifacts might be in danger, too," Ze speaks slowly, leveling the king with his gaze. "You have been made aware recently of the weakening of the boundaries between the worlds. Demons in their physical form have managed to sneak into the intermediary realms, and it will not be long before they will be able to cross between worlds."
"I thought that was under control," the king grunts.
"For now. But the situation is not looking good. One of my generals is missing."
"Who?"
"Aethon," Ze replies quietly.
"Pyros?" The king frowns. "How could he go missing? I wasn't aware there was anyone who could take him out."
"There should not be." Ze nods.
"But... You don't mean to imply he deserted, too? Blasphemy."
"Indeed," Ze drawls, rounding the table and taking a seat. He leans back, his posture relaxed. "Aethon is loyal. I do not suspect him of desertion. In fact, it was his last communication that gave me reason to be alarmed."
"What is it? Get on with it!" the king demands impatiently.
Ze raises a lazy brow at him, seemingly not impressed with the king's edicts.
"He was investigating the Sons of Tenebreis. It was a son of Tenebreis who was leading the demons into the intermediary realms."
"Tenebreis? Impossible. They cannot leave Tartareia."
"So we have presumed." Ze sighs. "I believe the situation to be more dire than we previously thought. Aethon relayed to me that he uncovered a demon plot not only to destabilize the boundaries between realms but also to awaken the Seven from Tartarstasis."
Silence descends in the room as both Maros and the king stare at Ze, their expressions full of disbelief.
"That's...impossible."
"Unfortunately, with Elias's desertion, it is highly possible. When the Primordials imprisoned the Seven in Tartarstasis, they each used a piece of themselves to perform the spell. As such, the only way the spell can be broken is by using the same type of energy to unlock the prison."
"The Primordials are long gone," Maros intervenes. "No one knows where they are, so I cannot see how the demons could get their hands on their energy signature."
"They might be gone, but you forget one thing. They left something behind."
"The artifacts," the king mutters a curse.
"Indeed. Each Primordial left behind an artifact to one of the Houses. And considering Elias took the chalice with him, the demons are already in possession of one. Now they need fourteen more."
"But—"
Ze places his hand up, stopping the king from speaking.
"Together, all artifacts could unlock Tartarstasis and free the Seven. But that is a concern for another day. By themselves, the artifacts are also far too dangerous to fall into the demons' hands. The chalice alone likely allowed them to leave Tartareia in their physical form. But according to Aethon's report, it is a temporary measure. The chalice allows their body to withstand travel between realms only for a limited period of time, which is likely how a son of Tenebreis was able to cross over. But there is one other artifact that coupled with the chalice could give them a more permanent solution," Ze explains.
"The vial of Arche." The king closes his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose between two fingers.
"Yes. So you see why I am here and why it was urgent to meet with you. I will need the exact location of the vial so I can protect it."
The king shakes his head.
"I cannot tell you. I vowed to never disclose its location."
"You do not seem to understand the gravity of the issue," Ze speaks slowly, his voice chilly.
"If I tell you, I will perish. It is the same for everyone else who vowed to keep their artifacts safe."
"Damnation," Ze mutters, suddenly standing up. "Elias's desertion is a prime example of how to get around it. He did not have to break his vow to give the chalice to the demons. And his high priestess aided him. We need another safety mechanism in place."
"You..." The king's eyes bulge in his head. "You dare imply we would betray Aperion?"
"I am not implying anything. I am saying you could."
The king sputters as he stares at Ze, clearly offended by his remarks.
"Does anyone else know where the artifact is located besides you and your high priestess?" Ze repeats.
The king shakes his head, his cheeks reddening with frustration. "We both made a vow, Commander..."
"Perhaps. But two people knowing the location is two too many, and I do not like to take any chances."
"W-what are you going to do?"
"What I must, Your Majesty. We will all do what we must. This meeting is adjourned. Please relay to the temple that I will be visiting soon."
"You cannot!" The king rises to his feet, coming closer to Ze. He's at least a head shorter than him, a fact that makes him even angrier as he stares up at Ze. "Males are prohibited from entering the temple."
"And the high priestess is forbidden from leaving the temple," Ze adds drily. "I do not see any other recourse. She will not come to me, so I shall need to go to her."
"You... You are a bastard , Azerius. I should have you executed for merely implying what you just did."
In less than a second, Ze's entire countenance changes. His hand shoots up, his fingers curling around the king's neck as he lifts him up in the air.
"And you seem to be forgetting who you are speaking to," Ze drawls in a low voice. "I do not care about your lofty title, Your Majesty . Kings come and go. The only reason I am going after your high priestess is because you might still be useful to me in the future. But do not stand in my way, or I will get that location out of you, vow or not."
The king's body trembles, his expression a mix of fear and defiance. But as Ze's words sink in, he releases a deep sigh as he lowers his head in a sign of submission.
Ze releases him and takes a step back.
The king mutters something beneath his breath before he storms out of the library without looking back.
"You struck a chord, Commander," Maros adds with a shake of his head. "You should expect resistance at the temple. I doubt His Majesty will let this slide."
"I always expected it, Sigmore," Ze replies smoothly as he exits. Maros follows suit, and the door to the library locks with a click.
I release a deep sigh of relief as I stretch my body, a little tense from keeping myself frozen to the spot.
The conversation I overheard was as confusing as it was revealing—at least when it comes to Ze's behavior with others. And therein lies my conundrum. He can be nice. But ninety-nine percent of the time he chooses not to be.
"Interesting choice of reading material," an amused voice rings out.
I scramble back, my eyes wide as I watch Ze grab my book, his brows going up in surprise as he reads his name. "If you are curious about me, human, you need just ask. These... accounts can be embellished."
"So you didn't execute all those people?" I fire back, still trying to get my bearings together from his sudden appearance.
"This is merely a fraction of the people I have executed," he mentions casually.
I purse my lips, narrowing my eyes at him.
He places the books back in their place on the bookshelf before redirecting his attention to me.
"Since when did you know I was here?"
"The moment I entered the room." He shrugs.
"Did... Did the others know, too?"
"No. Do you think they would have spoken freely with a human within earshot? I shrouded your presence from them."
"Why? Do you not care about what I overheard?"
"No. Not particularly," he says, and he surprises me by taking a seat on the floor next to me, sliding his legs through the empty spaces between the balusters.
I blink at him in confusion.
He's dressed in a black shirt and a pair of black loose pants, his sword faithfully at his waist. His dark hair is tied at his back, emphasizing the presence of his face tattoos.
"You will need to understand the politics of this world at one time or another."
"Maybe I don't want to," I grumble under my breath.
That somehow elicits a half-smile from him as he watches me from the corner of his eyes.
"The situation is as dire as you heard, Luce. And it does not only affect Aperion. In fact, I would wager that Aperion would bear the least brunt of it." His voice is serious, his features tight.
"What do you mean? I know there's a demon problem, but I thought there's always been one?"
"Yes and no. The universe relies on balance. There is no way to truly eradicate evil. But this goes beyond a mere demon problem. You heard me mention the Seven. They are Primordial beings born of pure evil who were barely vanquished eons ago. They cannot be killed, but they can be contained. Currently, they are imprisoned in the most secure prison ever designed—Tartarstasis. Just like the name implies, they are contained in a stasis-like state, perpetually frozen in time. But it seems the demons are trying to find a way to free them."
"What would happen then?" I ask as I mimic his position, sliding my legs between the balusters and letting them dangle in the air.
Ze's lips flatten.
"The universe would not stand a chance. The only ones who could fight against them are the other Primordials. But they have not been sighted in hundreds of thousands of years. No one knows where they are."
"So the best bet is to not allow the Seven to escape their prison. Got it."
"It has been so long since anyone thought of them that they have become something of a myth. Certainly, no one would have believed the demons would attempt something like this since their attacks have been rather uniform over time."
"I know I should have asked this before, but how does one become a demon?"
"There are those who are born—the Sons of Tenebreis. They are the descendants of the Seven just like the Supremes are the descendants of the Primordials. But after the Seven were imprisoned in Tartarstasis, the Sons of Tenebreis took it as a personal affront, and they declared war on Aperion. If I am completely honest, the war never ended. But seven thousand years ago, a Supreme sacrificed herself to lock Tartareia so they could not go out anymore. Unfortunately, it was not a permanent solution, and the seal has been weakening. I suspect that the artifact they now have in their possession hastened that process and it might be how they are able to walk freely out of Tartareia." He takes a deep breath, sneaking a glance at me.
I watch him raptly, utterly entranced by his words.
He swallows hard, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down as he clears his throat.
"But there are also those demons that are made. They are souls that have become corrupted. When the Sons of Tenebreis realized they could not escape Tartareia, they needed someone else to do their dirty work. That is how the first demons appeared. The Sons of Tenebreis found that a corrupt soul can grow in strength if it consumes other pure souls. The more souls a demon consumes, the more powerful it becomes. You have already seen an ascended demon. It was monstrous. That is only a middle state. If it consumes more souls, it becomes humanoid in shape. These demons will never be as powerful as a Son of Tenebreis, but they are a handful to deal with when they blend into a world and terrorize people from the shadows."
I nod slowly, taking all of it in.
"Why just sons of Tenebreis? Are there no daughters?" I blurt out.
He turns to stare at me.
"I just told you about demon hierarchies and your only question is why they are called sons ?" he asks in disbelief.
"Well, yes." I bite my lip. "I want to know if they are just evil or also misogynistic."
"You..." he trails off, looking at me strangely. Then he suddenly bursts into laughter.
I gawk at him. When did I see him laugh before— did I ever ?
His eyes crinkle around the corners, his face transforming under my gaze. Gone are the edge of severity and the touch of arrogance etched on his features, replaced with a levity that makes him appear younger, more...handsome.
A low hum vibrates in my lower belly, and I avert my gaze.
"So?" I ask awkwardly.
"They do have daughters, of course. But you are correct in one aspect. Within their ranks, only males are warriors. Females are tasked with the rearing of children."
I nod pensively.
"Why are you telling me all of this? I'm an outsider and a human, after all." I crack a smile.
"Because I will need your assistance."
"What?" I squeak. "What do you mean?"
"You heard the king. He will not tell me where the vial of Arche is, and the only other person who knows its location is the high priestess. I have no doubt that he will warn her to put up her wards against me in the temple so I cannot enter, which is why I require the assistance of a female who can go inside undetected."
My lashes flutter in confusion.
"But why would he do that if the situation is so dire? Shouldn't he want to help you?"
"Theoretically. But because it is me who made the request, he will not budge. There is also the matter of his pride, and he believes he can protect the artifact on his own when I know for certain he cannot."
"What is so important about that artifact? What about the other thirteen? Aren't they as important?"
"They are, but in this case, it is the combination of the vial and the chalice that is dangerous. The vial contains the blood of a Primordial. If drunk from the chalice, it will give immense powers to its user. I do not want to imagine what the Sons of Tenebreis will do with that type of power."
I mull over his words, conflicted.
"I heard your conversation, Ze. If the priestess breaks her vow and tells you where the artifact is, she will die, won't she?"
"It is what it is." He shrugs.
"What exactly do you need me to do?"
Why am I even entertaining this thought? I should have told him no from the start. Yet I heard how dangerous these demons are, and I do not want to imagine what would happen to my world if they were to walk freely between worlds.
"I will not ask anything dangerous of you, rest assured. I will merely need you to infiltrate the temple and defuse the wards meant to keep me out. Then I shall find the high priestess and extract the location of the artifact from her."
"I don't know." I nibble at my lower lip. "I'm not sure I'm comfortable with aiding you in killing someone."
"It is for the greater good," he replies, his eyes boring into mine. "I will protect you, Luce," he continues. " Please ?"
My brows shoot up in surprise. Who is he and what has he done with Ze? Last night he apologized and vowed he'd never threaten Thea again, and now he's saying please ?
Fascinating.
"I guess I could do that."
His lips pull into a beaming smile.
"You are the only one I would trust with this," he murmurs in a low voice as he takes my hand in his. His thumb lazily strokes my flesh, his purple eyes glowing as he looks at me.
"Thanks... I think?"
"We make a good team, Luce." He nods proudly to himself.
My lips twitch, and I find myself smiling indulgently at him. I don't know if it's the way he said team or the fact that he used my name, but there's a strange warmth developing inside of me.
"You and me?" I challenge playfully.
He threads our fingers together, fitting his palm on top of mine. The size difference is unmistakable, his hand more than double in size. As the surface of his palm envelops mine, I feel a light pulsation at the top of my skin, one that grows in intensity just as it becomes louder and echoes in my ears.
" Only you and me," he speaks in a low, gruff voice.
His eyes find mine, gripping them in a tight vise that squeezes the air out of my lungs. A tingle erupts at the center of my palm, traveling up my arm and making its home in my chest.
The door to the library suddenly opens, and Thea's voice rings out.
"Luce? Are you here?"
"Here!" I wave at her. Yet just as I look to my side, I note that Ze's already gone.
For a moment, I have to wonder if I did the right thing by agreeing to help him. Yet despite the high stakes, Ze is right in one regard—this is for the greater good. I'm not going to get Nikki back just to lose him again in a demon apocalypse. No, that's out of the question. Once I get him back, we're going to fully live our lives and grow old together. I'll accept nothing less.
I might, however, need to hide this from Nikki. He's already jealous as it is of Ze. I don't want to give him more reason to get mad.
I put on a bright smile as I join Thea and Wyn downstairs, ready to go into town.
This is the right thing to do... right?