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Eithan Arelius, an Underlord in the Arelius family. A touch of anger entered Makiel’s voice. “Ozriel’s bloodline, from before he was Ozriel. He worked against us before he ever gained his Mantle.”
Currently, there is only one Dreadgod within range: the Bleeding Phoenix.
Orthos snorted. “We need to have a Soulsmith make you a spine.”
“You killed my brother, but you gave me my sister back. For my part, we’re even.”
“But it isn’t up to me. I will be as gentle as I can.”
The blond Underlord’s jaw worked, and he forced words out. “I will not allow this,” Eithan said, his voice cold as the grave. “Not yours to allow,” Naru Gwei said, but he seemed to be waking up. “I follow the rules, Arelius. Our laws are etched in steel.”
Drive them off, you understand. None of the Dreadgods have ever been killed.”
The momentum should knock him back, giving Lindon time to... Taien’s ribs crumpled like a cage of dry sticks.
Orthos’ laughter grew until it deafened the entire crowd, and he stomped the ground, howling in mirth. His eyes were almost closed, and if he were human, Lindon was sure he’d be crying with laughter.
She sat up, looking around, and saw no one. Then she put her hands up in victory—they were gloved in black—and collapsed onto her back, breathing hard.
“What rolled him over?” she asked. Orthos spat him onto the ground, where Lindon groaned upon landing. “He needs a shell,” Orthos said.
“They say the sacred arts are lonely. The higher you climb, the more alone you become. That is the first rule I’d like to rewrite.” Mercy tapped her staff against her shoulder, eyes narrowed. “Let’s say you do make it to my mother’s level,” she said, and Eithan didn’t so much as twitch at the word ‘mother.’ So he had been pretending not to recognize Mercy. “There are a lot of things you could do with all that power.”
“Not as Abidan. I want to raise you outside their rules. I want you to go where we can’t: into dying worlds, to save those we have abandoned.”
“You are one of my children,” he said. “You have inherited my sight. To you, the world is open. “You can step out of the Cradle. You can grow up. “And join me.”
