Threads of Fate

Chapter 7 ~ In the Dark Hours

    Azael didn't linger in the stairwell after Tissaia left, knowing it wouldn't be long before Gaelen came after him. He returned to the main corridor and hurried to the nearest flight of stairs, then ducked down the first servant's passage he could find. He could easily traverse the palace through them and he knew which ones were usually empty.

    He'd spent his childhood mapping every hidden passage within the palace. All but the one his mother had fled through. No one had even known it existed before then. He'd recovered some sense of rationality, but not enough to keep his father's accusations at bay, and they continued to plague him as he wandered aimlessly through dark corridors.

    So did the recollection of the mark on Tissaia's arm. A mark not from Kaius. He knew she'd been sincere in that. She only ever called him Darling when she was being sincere, but as he'd said, it didn't matter. She could give herself to whomever she wanted. Soon enough, she'd be free to.

    He kept to the passageways until evening fell and the palace began to grow quiet once more. Only then did he emerge and set off towards his rooms. He hadn't gone far, however, when three familiar scents caught his attention. Azael's mouth curled sideways as he peered down the dark hallway. He knew there was an alcove at the end of it, and that was where the scents seemed to be heading.

    Azael cocked his head and against his better judgment, slunk towards the hidden area. When he could just make out what each of the voices were saying, he crouched beside a towering suit of ancient armor, making himself as small as possible. It was times like these that made him detest his long limbs and broad shoulders, and wish for a more lean form like Talarion's.

    He perked up as Kaius began to speak, his voice low and hesitant. "It's come back to me a little bit," he began. "Like I said, I saw Drenusha. I thought I was dreaming at first but...it was more than that. It was a vision."

    "What did she tell you?" Tissaia prompted.

    "She started by telling me that she wouldn't be able to visit me regularly. She only dared to yesterday because it was Aerstar, and she could more easily slip into mortal dreams. She did warn that she could send me other dreams though, like what those gifted with her Sight receive."

    The male broke off and Azael strained his senses further, waiting in anticipation. The Phoenix had been visited by a goddess? That meant something important undoubtedly, and if it was something that could affect Asterria, he needed to know. The male continued shortly and Azael all but held his breath.

    "She gave me a quest. There's something lost in the mountains that I need to find. The goddesses fear that Hadeon's spawn is going after it, and whatever it is, they don't want it falling into his hands. Drenusha didn't say what he could use it for, but she seemed afraid."

    "Hadeon's spawn," Talarion echoed. "I thought he was only a myth."

    Kaius's voice grew fainter. "He's as much a myth as the Blood Fae."

    Azael balked at the words. Blood Fae, the creatures who had left his mother in the brutal state she was found in. The same creatures who had left Kaius's body decorated with scars when he was only a teenager. "Did Drenusha tell you what it is you're supposed to find?" Tissaia asked.

    "No. She only gave me a glimpse of where I'd find it. There was a cleft high in the mountains, and a domed entryway extending from it. It looked like a temple of sorts."

    "You're going to look for it, aren't you?"

    "I have to, even if I don't understand half of what I can remember."

    There were a few muttered curses before Talarion spoke. "Well, you're not going into the mountains alone. I'm coming with you."

    "We both are," Tissaia corrected.