Page 35 of The Immortal Covenant

Hisduty.

“I’ll do it,” he said, resigned. “So long as I am permitted to do thingsmyway, with minimal interference from you and the rest of the Dusk Council.”

“Of course,” Pelorak said easily.Tooeasily. “We trust you to handle the talks as you see fit, provided you ensure the council’s demands are met. Glad to have you on board.”

Malorg studied his former friend.What’s your angle, Pelorak?For the Aspect to give up control and grant concessions without even a token fight meant Malorg was missing something. An ulterior motive? Or maybe…

“You need me,” he guessed. Satisfaction surged through him at the surprised confirmation that twitched over Pelorak’s face before he recomposed it. “That’s why you’re here. Did the other Aspects demand my participation as a condition for your plan?”

The faintly admiring look Pelorak gave him sent a shiver down Malorg’s back. It was as if Pelorak was seeing him now for the first time. The sensation left Malorg feeling uncomfortably exposed.

Then, Pelorak shrugged and grinned wryly. “The Celestials, actually. I admit, when I reached out to the Dawn Council, I had someone else in mind—one of my own people. But, alas, the stubborn fools refused to entertain any talks unless we namedyouour emissary.” Pelorak drew his brows together, unable to completely mask his displeasure. “Enough of them must remember your previous overtures of peace to trust your good intentions.”

The thought pleased Malorg even as a stone lodged in his gut at the reminder of his past failings. Still, no matter his baggage or distrust of Pelorak, there was only one way this could go.

“So be it.” He inclined his head, straightening his back as best he could despite his exhaustion. “You have your emissary.”

“Splendid!” Pelorak strode toward the door. “In that case, I shall leave you to recover. You have a few days before the Accords begin at the Citadel—my people will be in touch with everything you need.” He paused right before the door. “Oh, and one more thing.” When he glanced back, all pretense of good humor had washed away, leaving his eyes deep pools as empty and emotionless as the Void.“Don’tfail me. You mightnot be afraid to die, but there are worse fates than death in the Immortal Realm.”

With that, Pelorak shifted into the shadows and disappeared.

Malorg watched him go, worry pinching his chest. Buried beneath it, however, blossomed the faintest sprig of hope. Because whatever games Pelorak might be playing, he’d said at least one honest thing: this was Malorg’s chance at redemption. And he didn’t need Pelorak’s threat to be determined not to mess it up.

Malorg cursed his own foolishness as he duskwalked through the Dusk Citadel, ignoring other Infernals’ dirty looks as he rushed past. It was generally considered poor form to duskwalk within the palace—something about failing to demonstrate the proper respect—but he didn’t care. Not when he was already runningthislate for his first meeting with the Dawn Council’s delegation.

It was his own Dark-cursed fault, too. He’d been pacing around his apartment earlier when one of the trinkets Sarilian helped him pick out caught his eye. That’s when it had hit him—his own simple armor and tunic were hardly fitting for such a momentous occasion. If he wanted the Celestials to take him seriously, he needed to look the part, and that meant investing in more refined garments than he had the skill or patience to craft himself.

Of course,thatrevelation had led to over an hour wandering the Market, searching for the perfect ensemble to convey professional sophistication without leaning too hard into Celestial prejudices against Infernal ostentatiousness. Now, here he was, better dressed but at the cost of arriving well past their scheduled start time.

So much for making a good impression.

Everyone knew how much Celestials valued punctuality. And here he was, ruining any potential alliance before negotiations even began. The Celestials had already made a concession by agreeing to hold the Accords here, requiring their delegation travel to and from each meeting since they couldn’t safely remain in the Dusklands for more than a few hours at a time. The Dawn Council must really want this alliance to succeed.

That thought bolstered some of his flagging spirits as he reached the assigned conference chamber, exiting the shadows beside closed double doors engraved with shifting gray trees that shimmered and swayed in an unseen breeze. A pair of Infernal guards flanking the door side-eyed him but made no move to stop him from entering. Either they recognized him or—more likely—were only there for show. The Dusk Council wouldn’t want to be perceived as weak, not when they were already the ones seeking aid.

You can do this. For your sake…and for Sarilian’s.

Taking a deep, calming breath, Malorg shoved down his nerves and strode inside. The chamber within was high-ceilinged, the dome above enchanted to simulate a cloudy sky. A large table shaped like an elongated hexagon dominated the space. The Celestial delegation sat at the far end so that, from the door, the table’s tip resembled their sigil’s upward facing triangle. The other two Infernal delegates, Sajix and Wiriv, sat at the bottom tip, leaving the center spot for him.

Malorg gave Sajix and Wiriv cursory nods as he took his seat, relieved Pelorak and the other Aspects hadn’t attended. Pelorak had promised they wouldn’t, but his word only counted so far. Bad enough the Aspect of Ambition had insisted on Sajix and Wiriv’s presences. No doubt they were only there to spy on Malorg and ensure he left nothing out of his reports. Malorg hadalready made it clear that they were not to utter a single word without his express permission.

Once he was seated, he placed his hands on the table to steady himself and faced the Celestial delegation, smiling politely. “Apologies for my lateness, esteemed guests. I meant no disrespect. You have my word it will not happen again.”

The Celestial delegation was larger than his own, nearly a dozen of them crammed along their side of the table. In addition to their three actual delegates, they appeared to have brought a sizeable honor guard. Each Celestial bore a bright sphere above their heads, offering them a personal source of light against the Dusklands’ pervasive darkness. Their collective faces ranged from mild discomfort to outright disdain as they peered about the chamber.

“Accidents happen to us all,” an older Celestial said, his voice gruff. Malorg squinted, trying to see him better past the unfamiliar haze of illumination. Was that their emissary? But no—the speaker sat to the right rather than in the center. One of the emissary’s advisors, then. “I only hope that you are as committed to these talks as we are. Any changes to voidspawn incursions represent a grave threat to our sacred duty—one thatcannotbe taken lightly.”

Malorg clenched his jaw at the mention ofduty, struggling to maintain his smile as he inclined his head. “Of course. I assure you, the Dusk Council has no greater priority. We are determined to do whatever it takes to reach an amicable agreement.”

There—let the aides reportthatlittle nugget back to Pelorak.

The older Celestial replied, “Good. Glad to hear we aren’t wasting our time. I’ll admit, many of us are skeptical. I myself was there the last time you tried to revise the Covenant. Let us hope this attempt turns out differently.”

Beneath the table, Malorg dug his fingers into his thigh. “It will. Whatever it takes.”

The Celestial studied him for a moment, then grunted and nodded, seeming pleased. “Yes, I think you’ll do nicely. I’m glad to see our own emissary didn’t make a mistake when he requested you.” The Celestial’s aura brightened. “I am Darius, Dawn Aspect of Justice, here on behalf of the Dawn Council to observe and offer guidance.” He gestured to the other advisor several seats down. “And this is Faeris, one of our finest commanders.” The stern-looking woman gave Malorg the barest of nods, her narrowed eyes not quite a glare.

Once again, Malorg had to strain to keep his expression schooled. So, the request for him to serve as emissary hadn’t come directly from the Dawn Council as he’d assumed. Curious. Perhaps the Dawn Emissary had also attended the last Accords. He racked his brain, but any names or faces from that time had been lost to the centuries. He couldn’t even recall for certain whether he and Darius had ever met.

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