Page 105 of Soul Forge

“Has he ever volunteered his help?”

“Once or twice.” His brow furrowed, and Elda realised those times were probably when they were desperate. The thought of him being gravely wounded and forced to depend on Vel turned her stomach. She didn’t push it any further, letting him guide her the rest of the way in silence.

The village was in a sorry state. Half of Riordan was decimated, its homes no more than blackened skeletons jutting from the mud. Chunks of stone and rubble from the sturdier houses littered the streets, though the remaining villagers were getting on with clearing whatever they could.

Elda watched a cart piled with bodies roll by, avoiding their faces before her brain could commit them to memory and use them against her in her nightmares. The hope in her dampened somewhat – yes, she’d killed an arachna and saved a dozen people, but there were twice that lying dead under the remains of their homes.

“You did well,” Sypher told her. “You’ll never be able to save everyone, though. That part will take some getting used to.”

“You mean like you with Abraxos and his mother?” Elda asked. The Soul Forge sighed. “Did you really have no other choice?”

“I really didn’t. Abraxoshatedme for it.” She watched his shoulders stoop, the fire in his eyes dimming. “Lanthia was impaled by the roof, already disfigured by the fire and far beyond even my healing capabilities. She asked me to save her son, so I did.” He swallowed. “It might have been alright if Cain hadn’t chosen him that day. He wouldn’t have been forced to be around me. He could have moved on with his life.”

“You didn’t corrupt him, Sypher.” As the words left her lips, she knew in her heart that nothing the Soul Forge did would have stopped Abraxos from switching sides. Even with all the anger and violence, Vel seemed to hold inside himself, he wasn’t the reason either. “You gave his mother her dying wish. You saved a life.”

“I orphaned him.”

“Thefireorphaned him. If I have to get used to not being able to save everyone, so do you.” She planted herself in front of him, forcing him to stop. “You’re not responsible for the choices the Corrupted make, Sypher. You did what you could.”

“I think you’re the first person to look me in the eye, knowing I’m a half-demon, and say those words,” he admitted quietly.

“It’s the truth,” Elda replied, laying a hand on his arm. She wanted so badly to know what he was thinking, but his eyes were unreadable. No flutter of emotion escaped him to reach her through their bond.

“How can you be sure?”

“It takes more than someone else’s actions to make a person become what Abraxos and Cynthia are. They murder people for enjoyment. They start wars. Destabilise peaceful nations. Theyincite fear and conflict every time they leave Darkhold. You are not the cause of that. You’re theirexcuse.” She tucked her arm through his again, forcing herself to flash a bright smile. “Come on, you should eat breakfast. You’ve had a busy night,”

Sypher cocked his head but followed when she started walking. By the time they reached the inn, Julian was seated at one of the tables, his face and hands smudged with mud, soot, and blood. Reiner sat beside him, equally filthy.

Elda frowned at the vampire. “Were you that dirty earlier?”

“Oh, are we friends again?” he asked, folding his arms across his chest indignantly. “Last time we spoke, you threatened to snap my hand off.”

“I was mad,” she answered sheepishly, shrugging her unbandaged shoulder. Reiner’s lips curved upwards.

“Tell me about it,” Julian muttered. “The only other person that looks at me like they want to stab me is Sypher. Well, apart from our wonderful valkyrie.” Reiner arched an eyebrow at him. “I had no idea you could be so terrifying, pipsqueak.”

The Soul Forge chuckled. “She has a good teacher.”

“Hmm.” Julian scowled at them. “Stop making her scary. I like her sweet.”

“Sweet won’t keep her alive,” Reiner commented.

“Neither will running after his stupid ass.” He gestured despairingly at his friend.

“I had the hive handled. I can kill arachna in my sleep.” Sypher slid into the chair opposite them and rested his elbows on the table. “There’s a lot of them, but they’re predictable. Both of you panic too much.”

“I was worried Vel might break out and kill someone else,” Elda admitted.

“He didn’t even try.”

“Why not?”

“No idea,” Sypher shrugged. “I stopped trying to understand him when I realised he was an unpredictable jerk.”

“About five minutes after you met him, then?” Julian quipped.

Sypher’s lips lifted at the corners. “Something like that.”

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