Page 6 of The Immortal Covenant

He regretted the words as soon as they’d left his mouth. The Celestial was right: victory was victory. So, why did he still feel so on edge?

You wouldn’t have run all the way here from the Dusklands to save me if you were the kind of person to just give up.

He tensed as the Celestial sidled up behind him.

“A death wish, huh?” The Celestial’s voice was soft, any hint of joviality gone.

If Malorg were mortal, he might have flushed at the quiet accusation. As it was, he felt his body stiffen as he silently cursed his loose lips. He hadn’t meant to give so much away, especially not to a Celestial.

“Forget it.” He strode back the way he’d come, toward the border with the Dusklands. “I assume your comrades will be looking for you.” Unlike Infernals, Celestials rarely if ever hunted alone.

“I expect so,” the Celestial replied. “But what about you?”

The concern in the Celestial’s tone almost broke Malorg’s stride. “I, for one, have had enough of this Dark-cursed light,” he said without turning.

The Celestial’s chuckle sent a prickle of warmth through Malorg he wasn’t sure he liked. “I meant, what aboutyourcomrades? Are they waiting for you at the border?”

“I hunt alone.”

Footsteps sounded on the silver earth, and Malorg startled when the Celestial appeared beside him, limping slightly as he favored his wounded right leg. “Really? This far along the outskirts? Do you come here often?”

Malorg jerked an impatient nod.

“But there are all sorts of random voidspawn hiding this close to the Void.”

Malorg did his best to tamp down his annoyance. He had fought alongside the Celestial—he could put up with a few questions. “That’s the idea. Plentiful prey.”

“Right.” The Celestial bobbed his head. “Makes sense.” His bright golden eyes studied Malorg’s profile, and Malorg had to stop himself from turning to stare into their scintillating depths. “If, that is, you have a death wish.”

Malorg whirled, grabbing the Celestial by the front of his battered armor. Ignoring the Celestial’s surprised squawk and the faint burning he felt from direct contact with the hardened dawnflame, he leaned in until a mere hand’s breadth separated them.

“Unless I miss my guess, I have been fighting since long before your mortal self was even born. I have watched countless comrades fall to the Void and sent countless more voidspawn back there myself. Donotpresume to judge me!”

The Celestial swallowed, never taking his eyes off Malorg’s face. “I wasn’t. Though, I admit Iamcurious what happened to make you abandon hope.”

Malorg had to hand it to the Celestial—he had guts. Of course, that should have been obvious when Malorg had found him taking on multiple voidspawn with his bare hands.

“I will fight until my last breath,” Malorg said, forcing down his guilt at the half-lie. “But when my end finally comes, I will welcome it with open arms. Once you have lived as long as I have,youwill do the same.”

Releasing the Celestial’s armor, he shoved him a step back and resumed his trek toward the Dusklands. This time, the Celestial didn’t follow, and Malorg was surprised by the thread of disappointment that wove through him at the absence.

“Maybe you’re right!” the Celestial called after him. “If I’d been through what you have, maybe I’d be tired of fighting, too. But there’s more to this existence than war and death!”

Like what?Malorg didn’t dare ask the question, though he wasn’t sure if it was because he feared he wouldn’t receive an answer…or because he feared hewould.

He’d thought the Celestial gone, off to return to his own people, when he heard him shout, “My name is Sarilian.”

Sarilian. As pretentious a name as any. Definitely suitable for the naive young Celestial.

“Malorg,” he surprised himself by replying.

“Well, Malorg, until we meet again!”

I seriously doubt that day will ever come. Still, even after Malorg had crossed back into the Dusklands, relishing the shadows’ cool embrace, the annoying Celestial’s parting words continued to rattle around his head. And, as unlikely as such a reunion was, he found a part of him longed for it all the same.

three

Sarilian

---