Damned if I wasn’t so sure about how harmless he was now, looking at that light of intelligence on his face. “Are you here to harm me or my family?”
“ No. I keep you alive, you keep me alive. Trust me, Mistress, I do not wish to die at the hands of my other half. I believe that would be a fate worse than death. I do not know what it does to Skriven to kill their own souls, but it cannot be anything good.”
Damaged. That’s what every one of those Originators were, each one without a soul to complete them. I thought of Tom’s soul inside me and the strange ritual of the Originators and was doubly glad I didn’t trust them. How could creatures without souls know how precious they were? “Do you have power of your own?”
“Yes. We can sense moments of great happiness or great despair. Unlike Skriven, who usually use those moments to gain souls or power, we can bolster the feelings or provide the gift of hope to those who need it most.”
Another memory I’d like to forget, one of Ty and me collecting the blood of murder victims, rose in my mind. I hadn’t wanted to participate but hadn’t had a choice at the time. They had all been dying but it still felt like I’d participated in their deaths. “So, you’re like angels?” It sounded ridiculous to my ears but I had to know. Maybe Ann was right.
He laughed, a low, hoarse laugh that made me smile. “No. Though perhaps some of those I’ve been fortunate enough to help might have thought me so. Most of us are locked away, hidden for fear our Skriven will find and kill us. It’s rare indeed we can roam freely.”
“ Do you think you could kill a Skriven?”
He looked puzzled. “Why would we do that?”
“Well one, if you killed your Skriven, you’d be free. And two. Well, there would be one less Skriven.” Sorry Ty.
“ I’m not sure killing our base form would be any better than one of them killing their soul form.”
“ Then what if you reunited? Made yourself a whole again?”
He blinked, looking as if he’d come across a revelation. “I don’t know. I don’t know any of us has ever had that notion. What would happen indeed?”
I yawned, my jaw cracking at the force of it. “Sorry. Tired.” I smiled and he returned the gesture. He really was pretty. “We need to figure out a story for you and why you’re here. My kids will notice you eventually.”
“ I’ll think on it. Mayhap you should go to bed. I’ll stay up and keep watch. I’ll know if any danger comes near and I will alert you.”
“ Don’t you need sleep?”
“ No.” Mischief lit his eyes.
I grinned. “So you were faking it when Ann was in here?”
“She’s a bit overwhelming. I thought it easier to feign unconsciousness.”
“ Clever. Though she’s just stoked about your aura.” I rose from the chair and stretched, feeling the hours in every heavy, tired muscle.
“ My what?”
I waved in his general direction. “The glowing light surrounding you.”
“Ah.”
He didn’t say anything else so I eased out the door. “Good night Jasper.”
“Good night Mistress.”
“ Devany.”
He inclined his head. “Mistress Devany.”
Rolling my eyes, I shut the door behind me. Mistress Devany. Damn it. That shouldn’t sound good at all. What kind of ego maniac was I turning out to be? Hard not to be a little bit excited, though. I mean, in the course of the day I’d managed to collect a bodyguard, a slave, and a . . . what was Jasper? My knight? Ugh. That sounded to romance-bookish. Better not to even go down that silly, rose-laden path.
I looked down the hall at my room and curled my lip at the thought of crawling back into bed with my cousin. Instead, I padded downstairs and settled on the couch, pulling the throw over the top of me to keep the chill night air away.
I couldn’t stomach the thought of sleep. Sleep might bring dreams or worse, nightmares. I didn’t want to relive Tom’s death over while I slept. I’d done enough replaying awake.
“ No. I keep you alive, you keep me alive. Trust me, Mistress, I do not wish to die at the hands of my other half. I believe that would be a fate worse than death. I do not know what it does to Skriven to kill their own souls, but it cannot be anything good.”
Damaged. That’s what every one of those Originators were, each one without a soul to complete them. I thought of Tom’s soul inside me and the strange ritual of the Originators and was doubly glad I didn’t trust them. How could creatures without souls know how precious they were? “Do you have power of your own?”
“Yes. We can sense moments of great happiness or great despair. Unlike Skriven, who usually use those moments to gain souls or power, we can bolster the feelings or provide the gift of hope to those who need it most.”
Another memory I’d like to forget, one of Ty and me collecting the blood of murder victims, rose in my mind. I hadn’t wanted to participate but hadn’t had a choice at the time. They had all been dying but it still felt like I’d participated in their deaths. “So, you’re like angels?” It sounded ridiculous to my ears but I had to know. Maybe Ann was right.
He laughed, a low, hoarse laugh that made me smile. “No. Though perhaps some of those I’ve been fortunate enough to help might have thought me so. Most of us are locked away, hidden for fear our Skriven will find and kill us. It’s rare indeed we can roam freely.”
“ Do you think you could kill a Skriven?”
He looked puzzled. “Why would we do that?”
“Well one, if you killed your Skriven, you’d be free. And two. Well, there would be one less Skriven.” Sorry Ty.
“ I’m not sure killing our base form would be any better than one of them killing their soul form.”
“ Then what if you reunited? Made yourself a whole again?”
He blinked, looking as if he’d come across a revelation. “I don’t know. I don’t know any of us has ever had that notion. What would happen indeed?”
I yawned, my jaw cracking at the force of it. “Sorry. Tired.” I smiled and he returned the gesture. He really was pretty. “We need to figure out a story for you and why you’re here. My kids will notice you eventually.”
“ I’ll think on it. Mayhap you should go to bed. I’ll stay up and keep watch. I’ll know if any danger comes near and I will alert you.”
“ Don’t you need sleep?”
“ No.” Mischief lit his eyes.
I grinned. “So you were faking it when Ann was in here?”
“She’s a bit overwhelming. I thought it easier to feign unconsciousness.”
“ Clever. Though she’s just stoked about your aura.” I rose from the chair and stretched, feeling the hours in every heavy, tired muscle.
“ My what?”
I waved in his general direction. “The glowing light surrounding you.”
“Ah.”
He didn’t say anything else so I eased out the door. “Good night Jasper.”
“Good night Mistress.”
“ Devany.”
He inclined his head. “Mistress Devany.”
Rolling my eyes, I shut the door behind me. Mistress Devany. Damn it. That shouldn’t sound good at all. What kind of ego maniac was I turning out to be? Hard not to be a little bit excited, though. I mean, in the course of the day I’d managed to collect a bodyguard, a slave, and a . . . what was Jasper? My knight? Ugh. That sounded to romance-bookish. Better not to even go down that silly, rose-laden path.
I looked down the hall at my room and curled my lip at the thought of crawling back into bed with my cousin. Instead, I padded downstairs and settled on the couch, pulling the throw over the top of me to keep the chill night air away.
I couldn’t stomach the thought of sleep. Sleep might bring dreams or worse, nightmares. I didn’t want to relive Tom’s death over while I slept. I’d done enough replaying awake.
Similar Books
