Page 7 of A Soul to Embrace

He looked over his shoulder, and his eyes crinkled in humour.If she were to learn of them, she would resent saving me.A foolish decision, really.

He wondered why this female Mavka had even been at the rubble of his castle, but he figured it was a fairly simple answer. She probably saw something bright, shining, and pretty in the distance, and chased after it in awe.

Only to discover a dying Jabez.

A stone that can wield the power of the sun, huh?He wondered where or how the Witch Owl came upon such magic.Has she made contact with the Elysians?

That made little sense to him, though. He was aware Lindiwe had every right to fear them learning of her, and what Weldir was up to. Not to mention all their miscreant children.

People do stupid things when afraid.

The scientist in control of such a destructive power must have been quite the intelligent and unhinged individual. To agree to give it to Lindiwe was, in his opinion, insanity.Weldir in control of such magic is dangerous.

No one knew what that demigod was truly up to, not even Jabez. He could turn on the Elysians just as much as he could be their saviour. Jabez had even offered to work with him, and he’d been staunchly denied.

Weldir’s answer?“Why would I help a child incite chaos when I’m perfectly capable of doing so myself?”

See? Not particularly a knight in shining armour. A selfish god, doing selfish deeds, with no reason given to any. A darknessso strong, and yet so undeniably weak, he sought the power of a human woman wearing a flock of fucking feathers.

He was a conundrum, and a pest.

If he hadn’t shielded Demons from going back through the portal, my war wouldn’t have been in vain.

Oh well.

That was now the past, and he only allowed things from the past to bother him if they fuelled the flames of survival. Hate, grief, sorrow, and loss were things that pushed him forward. His failures were unnecessary thoughts, and he wouldn’t allow them to plague him, only revisiting them to learn from his mistakes.

I could choose to let it all go.

Now that he was dead in the eyes of all, he had the opportunity to rebuild his life.

He could go back and be a self-proclaimed king of nothing. But that would only put him back in the position he’d been in for the last three centuries.

A man who watched his back as if he’d grown a third eye on the nape of his neck. A man who allowed no one to touch him, except for a defenceless human woman who was now dead – and even she knew not to approach him from behind.

A man who had given promises to change the lives of all Demons, and had been trying his hardest to adhere to that vow, while failing consistently. A man who had been so afraid of those around him that he wore nothing but a simple pair of pants as a bluff. It was his attempt to prove he was completely unconcerned with the fangs and claws around him, so he didn’t need a shirt, let alone armour.

He was someone who flaunted his magic, his power, his strength, in order to incite fear.

As a self-made ruler who placed himself in constant danger, who was he to complain about the choices he’d made?

He wasn’t forgivable, nor would he apologise. No one would apologise to him for the cruelty he’d suffered at the hands of many, so why should he?

Another deadened chuckle fell from him as he caught the scent of an animal in the distance.I’m a villain, and an idiot of the highest intelligence.

Jabez crouched and softened his footsteps, thankful the rabbit Mavka behind him was already just as quiet. They approached a lone deer, and he froze when it looked in their direction. She paused as well and even seemed to hold her very breath. Grass fell from their target’s maw as it waited for a sign of movement, and when there was none, the animal lowered its head to keep grazing.

Jabez turned to the Mavka behind him.

He pointed to her, and then the ground, before pushing his hands out. He hoped she understood he wanted her to stay. When he backed up, she attempted to follow, so he did it multiple times until she figured it out.

Then he crept closer, his pointed ears flicking in alertness.

The deer lifted its head up, and Jabez noted the tiny antlers. A male with no herd. The moment it pivoted in the opposite direction of Jabez, he sprinted forward.

It let out a distressed bawl and started to run, but didn’t make it far. He grabbed one of its rear legs, yanked it back with his inhuman strength until it slipped to its belly, and sliced his claws against its neck. A low snort came from it as it died.

Just as he began to slice away a leg, the loud, galloping pawsteps that approached had him rushing to finish his task.