Page 72

“I cannot.” When Jabez gave a menacing snarl, Weldir tipped his head in the direction he rolled his eyes. Looking at him was becoming an eyesore, and he was growing tired of this conversation. “This is why I felt there was no need to speak with you. I cannot – will not – give you what you seek.”

“Then you put Lindiwe in the path of bloodshed.”

“I have nothing to do with this!” she exclaimed, finally speaking for herself.

“It doesn’t matter. You are his mate; therefore you are as much in the way as him. He puts you in danger, not me.”

Her eyes narrowed rather hatefully at Jabez, but she did relay for Weldir: “He said, ‘Then that is how it will be. I’m not the one who has instigated this. You selfishly seek something I cannot give.’”

A laugh fell from Jabez, one that was resentful and cruel. “You really don’t care for your own mate, do you? No wonder she dislikes you so much.”

Weldir’s form floated downwards, deflated by his words and how true the latter may be. He may not show it, but he did care for Lindiwe. Yet it was true that she was unhappy with their bond. Especially after recent failed activities.

He’d tried to give her what she sought, and it had been a horrible experience for her, and a rather embarrassing one for himself. He wasn’t upset that she’d wanted to stop, but him being the reason for it, how he kept hurting her, did make guilt and regret fester within his consciousness.

He was a god who couldn’t even ‘do it’ right.

There were many things he failed at.

Once more reminded of his shameful floundering, Weldir let out a sigh. Now, more than ever, guilt plagued him, but it was only strengthened by his next words.

“Lindiwe is strong and resilient. She is also deathless. You court your own failures going toe to toe with her. You may end up finding your demise at her hands, just like many others.”

Many Demons and human occultists had died due to her. And with Weldir’s magic aiding her, and all that she’d learned from the Anzúli so far, she was rather formidable.

Perhaps he’d never told her how much he admired her strength, because she was rather slow to relay his words. Her eyes also widened with surprise, as if she hadn’t expected him to state them.

“So you’d rather see her suffer than remove your wards?”

“It’s how it must be.”

And there was nothing Weldir could do about it.

He could fold to Jabez and give him what he sought, and doom the very last of the Elysian Elves. The loss of their worship would no doubt destroy his mother, as she needed it in order to live. Weldir, on the other hand, had no such ties.

He didn’t need anyone to believe in him.

But what Jabez asked from him was too much.

And even if it wasn’t, Weldir had no desire to be part of a mass destruction.

He didn’t want to be the cause of bloodshed, as he found war to be a pointless endeavour.

Nyl’theria was large enough to house both the Demons and the Elysians, but only if the Demons ceased their hunts and put their efforts into building a civilised life without bloodshed.

Then again, that would require them to self-destruct enough until the non-evolved Demons were consumed and whatever Elves had been eaten in the past were absorbed by others. It was a vicious cycle that could only end internally.

They were currently too feral to be led.

Jabez, in that regard, had been born too soon. All he could do was lead the few that were in Austrális, rather than the hundreds of thousands that needed controlling in Nyl’theria.

“If that is how you must be, then I see no need to continue this conversation. There are other avenues I can put my energy into.” Jabez strutted forward, causing Lindiwe to back up a step before she held her ground and looked up at him in her incorporeal form.

She held no fear, but her gaze was angered.

“But you will come to regret this decision, Weldir.”

Just as he reached her, he stopped and towered over her with a sneer.

“You let me believe I was making a friend in you,” Lindiwe yelled up at him, her ire a hot blade that was often quickly unsheathed and wielded.

It was nice that it wasn’t aimed at Weldir for once.

“And you would have found one, if not for his choice today. If not for your tie to him. You’ve both made an enemy today,” Jabez bit out, before walking through Lindiwe’s transparent form like a rude and impertinent child.

He lifted a hand to wave at them dismissively without turning around.

“Her pain is entirely yours and the Elves’ fault.

I’ll wear you all down by a war of attrition. ”

The only fault will be yours, halfling. It would be his decision.

Weldir tsked as Jabez walked into the tree line of the Veil.

“I should have struck him,” Lindiwe muttered, slamming the bottom of her fist into the other awaiting palm. “What a conniving bastard! I can’t believe he could turn on someone so quickly. None of this has ever been my fault.”

Weldir offered no words of sentiment or comfort, as he had no idea how to do so elegantly. He’d likely just make a mess of it, upsetting her even worse, as per usual.

He was just glad she hadn’t turned on him in her rage, and he hoped she wouldn’t.

At least he’d gained a barrier between Lindiwe and Jabez, although at the cost of her safety. Then again, this was sure to come eventually. If Jabez sought the lowering of Weldir’s ward, he would have eventually turned on her even if they’d never spoken.

I have put my offspring in danger as well. The fact that Nathair and Orson were friendly with each other made him want to create more for this continent. They will need a larger number if it’s discovered they belong to me. Jabez and his army would no doubt target them at some point otherwise.

What an annoyance, he solemnly thought as he watched her through his viewing disc, noting the way a gust of wind swept through her clothing. I wanted nothing to do with this.