Page 50 of Obsession

“I returned to seek retribution for my sister.”

A pause, and then, “I thought you didn’t like her.”

“I didn’t, but there’s an order to things—even I understand that. Order must exist for me to break it; if everything is Chaos, then nothing is Chaos.” He looks at me, and I nod along.

It’s economics. Value depreciated. Inflation.

“So you were worried that losing her would make you less powerful?” I ask.

“You misunderstand.” He sighs. “No.”

If that’s not the case, then…

As I did before, I wonder if there’s something else going on here. Something deeper. Aris has siblings, one killed by the other. Is this all really about “order,” or is it because he loved his sister, cared for her?

Is he even capable of such a thing?

For some reason, I think of the sharp way he demanded that I always look at him. Continuously wanting my attention—could that be love, a twisted, deformed version of it?

Some part of me hopes—

Oh, I won’t go there.

“What was her name?” I find myself asking. “Your sister.”

He looks a little surprised by the question. “She was called ‘Sem.’”

Maybe it’s the light, but something does seem to flicker in his eyes there. Real, or another trick?

Before I can pass judgment, the look is gone, and Aris continues, “In any case, Jaegen has been here for years now. He cares for this planet, and it is something to strike out against.”

I blink. “Wait, what? That’s why you’re doing all of this—to get back at Jaegen?”

It’s not because it’s in his nature to destroy, but to avenge his sister. I almost don’t believe it, but, tragically, it makes sense.

Three gods in a sandbox. Making castles, kicking them down. That is how worthless we are.

Grains of sand.

Ignoring my outburst, Aris goes on, “Little did I know, Jaegen prepared for my arrival. When he consumed my sister, Jaegen consumed her magic as well. He gave the Grand Mage the spell to contain me, and you know what happened after that.”

He offers a crooked grin, displaying his hands like a magician after a trick. I can only stare, shocked by the revelations he’s piled on me.

The Grand Mage accepted the spell to contain Aris, yet he also wanted to work with Aris to fight Jaegen. Was he playing them both?

Look how that ended for him, a quiet but relentless part of me murmurs. Do you think your end will be any different?

“There is your story. Do you feel better now for knowing it?” asks Aris.

Something about the look on his face shifts my mood. That smile. This is a joke to him; he is trying to entertain me.

“How do I know you’re not lying?” I ask. “How do I know any of this is real?”

The only one who could corroborate the information would be Jaegen, and he warned me that Aris would try to show him in a negative light. Then again, my experiences with Jaegen haven’t inspired fond memories. I feel less safe around him than I’ve ever felt around Aris.

But still.

Finally, his smirk falls, and, as he leans back in his chair, he looks almost annoyed by the accusation. “I only lied to you outright once, when I told you I’d gotten bored of you,” says Aris.

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