Page 126 of The Immortal's One
“By that time, lesser Immortals had sprung into existence,” he continues his history lesson. “So, the Council was created. Our purpose was to ensure all Immortal influence on mortal existence remained minimal to guarantee our survival.”
He glances down at my injured hand.
“May I?” He holds out his palm.
Every instinct screams at me to refuse, but I’m in a precarious situation here. I can’t hope to fight him.
Slowly, I extend my hand.
The moment Adir’s fingers close around mine, an electric sensation snakes up my arm. It’s nothing like the feeling when Des touches me. This is… sharp. Invasive.
I bite my lip to keep from crying out. Adir’s eyes never leave mine as his touch lingers. When he finally releases my hand, I draw it to my chest, shocked to find the pain in my wrist is gone. I flex my fingers, amazed.
What in the?—
“All Immortals can heal,” Adir answers my unspoken question, his voice calm but still carrying that unsettling edge. “Though some are more skilled than others.”
I imagine Lome is one of the more skilled ones, considering he cured Dad’s cancer.
Adir’s swing from manipulative abductor to concerned healer makes my skin crawl.
“Why are you telling me all of this?” I try to keep my voice steady despite the growing unease gnawing at me. “What’s your angle?”
He tilts his head, his eyes glinting under the dim light.
“Because I think it’s important for you to know yourprotectorswere appointed the enforcers of the Council’s agreement.” Disdain drips from his words. “Any Immortalsuspected of interfering with human history answers to the three brothers.”
Okay…
My forehead creases. “And that’s a bad thing?”
His nostrils flare. He leans closer, his voice lowering as if sharing a secret. “Any idea why the brothers were given that role? Why they were designated as the Council’s police?”
It takes all my willpower not to take a step back.
I purse my lips together, thinking. "Because mortals don’t influence their powers? They’re… reliable? Constant?”
“Is that what they told you?” Adir laughs, a cold, mocking sound that chills me to the bone. “How fitting.”
I lick my dry lips and swallow the bile crawling up my throat. The anger rolling off his shoulders presses down on my skin, hot and oppressive. I fight the urge to fidget.
He continues his speech with fiery eyes and unrestrained hatred, “Thane, Lome, and Des are the most powerful Immortals because their power is fueled by the mostinevitableaspects of the human condition.
“Destruction, whether through war or natural disaster, strengthens Thane. Pain, physical or emotional, fuels Lome. And dear Des…” He sneers as he speaks his name. “Death, whether through war or the inevitable passage of time, increases Des’s strength. He is the most powerful of us all, and he doesn’t even have totry.”
Death?
A deafening roar slams into my ears, rattling my skull. All the blood drains from my face, leaving me cold.
Des’s power is tied to …death?
No.Adir is lying…
Is he?
I… I don’t know.
How could I know?
