“Indeed,” the priest said. “I tell you this not to confuse you, but to let you know that Gori Sensullu had many friends that were not a part of his pantheon. I know the rir people and, to a lesser extent, most of the other peoples of Citaria are not receptive to my lord and his pantheon, but they are all here to help, Lady Vanador. Just as you call upon Sakkrass for his aid in your times of need, do not be afraid to call upon Lord Ambergaust and his family for help or guidance when the road is dark.”
“The world has changed so much since my first life. Thank you, Master Vlad. I appreciate everything you’ve done. What Lord Ambergaust told you and what you were able to find out… that was the only reason I was able to stop Turillia.”
“I am honored to have been of service, Lady Vanador,” Vlad returned. “May the Golden Lion and his pride see you safely home.”
Kari bowed politely and left the warm confines of the temple. Her mind whirled with the revelation that Ambergaust was kwarrasti; what other secrets might the little-known additions to the Citarian pantheon hold? To find that Sakkrass and Ambergaust were like brothers made Kari more comfortable with Ambergaust’s presence, and she realized she’d be well served to get to know him and his pantheon better. If anything, she surmised one of them might know something about the Temple of Archons and Salvation’s Dawn.
Kari returned to the inn, where Alyssa was kind enough to fix her a late dinner. Kari was famished and enjoyed her meal even with the nagging pain of her newly healed chin. She considered what to say to Eli. He wasn’t in the common room, and when Kari inquired about him, Alyssa said he’d moved his things to a separate room while he waited. With the hour growing late, Kari retired to her room, her hunger sated but the fatigue of a hard hunt and a lot of running around afterwards deep in her bones.
Kari knocked on Eli’s door before she went to her room. When he opened it, she could see he was ready to be yelled at. “There’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while. I may have been blind to what Turillia was up to, but I’m not an idiot, Eli. I’ll go to Sarchelete with you, but on one condition: If you don’t ask Danilynn on a date when we’re there, I’m going to make good on wanting to punch you in the mouth.”
Eli was shocked. “You really think I should?”
“From the way you talk about her, yes,” Kari said. “Even if she says no, if you don’t ask, it’s going to be something you regret for the rest of your life. So, do we have a deal?”
The half-corlyps smiled. “Yes. Yes, we do. I thought you were mad at me.”
“I am mad at you. But that’s part of being friends. We can disagree, I can be mad at you and want to slap you in the face, but it doesn’t change the fact that we’re friends. And it doesn’t change the fact that I’m very lucky to have met you and had your help here.”
“Well, I’m glad to hear that,” Eli said. “Hopefully when Danilynn and I fill you in on things, you’ll understand why I let Emma go. It wasn’t to hurt you or make you mad. I was lucky to have met you, and I was glad to get to serve Zalkar one more time by helping you. You really are a hell of a gal, Kari. You’ll be a great Avatar of Vengeance.”
“If I make it that far,” Kari said with a sigh. “I feel like I’m getting too old for this.”
“You will. And with any luck, I’ll be by your side when you do. And with a hefty amount of luck, maybe Danilynn will be by my side.”
Kari chuckled and kissed him chastely on the side of his snout. “Good night, Eli.”
“Good night, my friend,” he returned, and he shut the door.
Kari entered her room, latched the door, and walked to her bedside. She knelt down and prayed to Zalkar and then Sakkrass, thanking each of them for the strength to fulfill her Blood Oath and her mission. She prayed for them to watch over Grakin and her child. While she paid no real mind to Turillia’s threat, the decision to accompany Eli to Sarchelete meant she’d be away from her family longer than she’d expected. She wasn’t thrilled with the prospect, but she wanted to hear Danilynn’s insights, and see if the fures-rir woman could tell her anything new.
Kari slid into bed with a smile and considered the gift she planned to give Grakin when she got home. She hoped she would dream of that gorgeous little girl again, and she drifted off to sleep peacefully.
24
The Hand of Zalkar
Kari went to visit Kaelin Black again first thing the next morning. He seemed a bit like a trapped animal, not happy to be immobilized and forced to stay in Ambergaust’s church. Still, his mood was better than it had been the prior night, and he was almost happy to see Kari.
They spent a while discussing the prior night’s events, and Kari filled the earl in on what had happened after he was thrown from the tower’s top level. She included the details about Sakkrass’ involvement, though thankfully, Black didn’t ask about how her relationship with the czarikk deity came about. It was a story Kari was tired of telling after a couple of days. Ultimately, the earl asked Kari if she wanted anything as a reward for her help, and she seized the opportunity.
“Actually, I wanted to ask you something personal, if you don’t mind,” she said.
Kaelin Black beheld her suspiciously, which hardly surprised her. “I would advise against it, but you can ask me whatever you like. After all, with two broken legs, it’s not likely I will be jumping out of my seat to throttle you,” he said, the first bit of true humor Kari had heard from the man. He looked around at the priests and acolytes tending to him and the rest of the church and shooed them away. “Leave us.”
There was a brief hesitation by the temple clergy, but soon enough, they vacated the room. It reinforced Kari’s perception of Lord Black’s iron-fisted rule, or perhaps just the amount of respect his subjects gave him. She dismissed the thoughts and folded her arms across her chest as she prepared to ask what she’d wanted to for some time.
“In the lower level of your tower, there’s a painting of you over the fireplace,” she said. Lord Black was surprised by the start of her question, but he nodded. “I’ll be blunt, Lord Black: You look happy in that painting. I’m wondering what happened to change that.”
At first, he was upset by the question, but then his expression softened. “Well, to put it plainly, Lady Vanador, my mother died.”
“Oh,” Kari blurted. She started to apologize for even asking.
The earl continued before she could interrupt. “I didn’t care much for my mother.” He blew out a sigh and held Kari under a measured gaze. “She never much liked having a half-demon child, but then she wasn’t given a choice in the matter, if you understand. What really changed my life, Lady Vanador, was that before she died, she told me who my father was.”
“You must be half-guardian,” she reasoned. “Though it seems unlikely one of the guardians sired you by force…”
“It wasn’t a guardian demon. My father… was Gaelix the Shadowborn.”
Kari couldn’t mask her shock. Gaelix the Shadowborn was one of Seril’s highest-ranking lieutenants and had held the post of Lord of Serilian Demons before Kaelariel killed him and took over his command. So much of the darkness around Kaelin Black—his demeanor, his reputation, the way the other nobles regarded him, and even the attitude of Kari’s Order—made more sense now. She wasn’t sure if any of those were directly related to the knowledge that Black was the son of Gaelix the Shadowborn, or if it was just some lingering sense about him that made them treat him as such, but there was little doubt it contributed.