Page 83 of Night Meets the Elf Queen

“I killed Rogue, his wife, and Pricilla’s heir. The retaliation will be soon.” He tapped a finger against the cold bars of Synick’s cell and took another inhale. “Which means you and I are at a crossroads. Do I send you back to the underrealm before they find out you’re alive and get to you or keep you alive so you can help me? I’m leaning more toward killing you.”

“Then do it,” he sneered. “Kill me. What does it matter if I sit in a dark prison here or there?”

“You don’t have to be here. We could find something more…” he glanced around at the terrible conditions, “appealing.” He snapped his fingers and a civar appeared on Synick’s lap. The chain clinked as he grabbed it and put it to the good side of his mouth.

“What do you want?”

“You know what I want. Give me the Sword of Truth, and I’ll give you what they never offered. Your freedom. Along with riches. I’m sure we could even find you a nice castle across the seas.”

A low laugh rumbled out of Synick’s throat. “You think I haven’t been offered the world for that thing?”

“Not by your favorite pupil.” With a whisper of magic, the civar lit for Synick and he breathed it in deeply, closing his eyes.

“War was always my favorite.”

Hel laughed and shook his head. “Oh, so it’s jokes now. He has too many morals for you to favor him.”

“Give me your wife and it’s a deal.”

Hel slid his nail against one of the bars. “That’s the thing that’s always been wrong with you, and why she never wanted you. You treat the fairer sex like objects. I can’t give her away. She has a mind and will of her own. And even if I could, I’d rather cut my own throat than give her to you.”

“Nothing will convince me to give up the weapon. You’re wasting your breath but thank you for the civar. It’s been a very long time since I had one.”

“I believe you.” Hel opened the cell door and stepped inside, tossing his civar to the ground. Opening his suit coat, he reached in and pulled out a twelve-inch dagger, silver with obsidian folded into the handle. “Goodbye, Synick.”

“Hel, wait! Wait, don’t send me back there. I know what I did was wrong. I learned my lesson, trust me. I’m not going to touch Katana or Valeen again.”

“I know you won’t.” There were no more words to be minced. Synick was too much of a liability to keep around if he wasn’t going to be useful. He wiggled like a worm in the chair, growing more frantic with each of Hel’s steps. The blade’s point aimed at Synick’s heart.

“I know where your immortality is!”

It was more likely that it was a lie to save his skin but on the off chance that it wasn’t… He rested the blade against Synick’s chest but didn’t push. “Where?”

“The demons deal in secrets.” The chains holding his hands rattled as he trembled. “And when people die, they give useful secrets for favors.”

Hel narrowed his eyes and slowly twisted the blade, putting more pressure behind it. “Go on.”

“There was talk of the council giving your immortality to someone.”

“What does that mean?”

“They used magic to put your immortality inside someone else, to make them stronger and to keep it safe.”

Hel growled at the thought. “Just mine?”

“All three.”

He eased the blade off Synick’s chest. Was it possible for his immortality to be given to another? He assumed it was a part ofhim, and could only be restored to him, but the note in Rogue’s pocket had said their immortality wasn’t hidden. He took that to mean their immortality was out in plain sight or being worn. Originally, the light essence was funneled into a small bottle made of manalus crystal. He’d watched Valeen’s stripped from her. “You’re lying.”

“No.” He slowly shook his head.

“It’s not even possible. My immortality is a part of me, a part of my soul.”

“It is possible, Hel. In my lifetime we only stripped one other of his immortality.”

“Who?”

“His mother was half-siren half-goddess. His father was a full god. Offspring with that ratio can be mortal or immortal. He happened to be immortal. His immortality was transferred into another. There was a tournament. The champion won it. It was long before your time, but you must have been taught about it in your lessons.”

---