Page 34 of The Immortal Covenant

“Plenty of Infernals and Celestials visit the Mortal Realm,” Malorg said.

“Only as projections—asyouwell know. The Covenant binds us to this realm as surely as a mortal’s soul binds them to theirs.”

“But mortal souls find a way to come here.” From the laughing glint in Pelorak’s eyes, Malorg could tell the Infernal was purposefully drawing him out by provoking a reaction. But that knowledge wasn’t enough to restrain him from continuing. “Eternal Dark,oursouls were once mortal souls. If the process works one way, then why not in reverse?”

“Perhaps it does. Perhaps stepping into that rift will strip you of your powers and banish you to the Mortal Realm.” Pelorakleaned in until his cruel smile filled Malorg’s vision. “But if you truly believed that, then you would have passed through long ago.”

Malorg clenched his jaw and looked away. Pelorak was half-right. Uncertainty over his fate had held him back for a long time. Dying here meant passing on to some ephemeralafter, but entering the rift could mean he ceased to exist. Or worse—what if he became trapped within the space between realms, sacrificing one eternal prison for another until he devolved into something as monstrous as the voidspawn they fought against?

But such fears weren’t what had stayed his hand these past tortuous months. Each time he’d thought himself ready, each time he’d taken that first uncertain step toward the waiting rift, memories of Sarilian had halted him in his tracks.

The Celestial might no longer be his, but risking that desperate journey alone still felt like a betrayal of the time they’d shared. He’d brave the rift with Sarilian at his side—or not at all.

Stifling his pain, Malorg drew upon the dregs of his duskflame for aid and staggered to his feet. He wavered unsteadily but managed to keep his balance, one arm propped against the nearest wall. “If you’ve come to judge me for my past choices, there’s no need. I judge myself more harshly than you ever could.”

Pelorak chuckled, giving Malorg an appraising look. Malorg could only imagine the sorry sight he presented—his manifested clothes ragged and ripped, his gray skin sallow and listless without his drained magic to sustain him. Yet, whatever the Aspect saw made his grin widen. “I’m not here to judge you, Malorg. I’m here to offer you a job.”

A…job?Malorg narrowed his eyes. “If this is about training new recruits, I’ve already told you a dozen times that I’m not interested in commanding anyone except myself.”

A slight scowl marred Pelorak’s handsome features. “Unfortunately, that particular ship has already sailed. The Aspect of Wrath secured arrangements of his own.” Petty satisfaction rippled through Malorg at the thought that his refusal might’ve sabotaged one of Pelorak’s countless schemes, though it vanished at the Aspect’s next words. “No, I think it’s time you take a break from the battlefield altogether. How does ‘Dusk Emissary’ sound?”

Malorg blinked, certain he must have misheard. “We don’thaveemissaries. Not since—”

“Not since the Blistering Fields, yes,” Pelorak agreed. “But I and some others on the Dusk Council believe it is time to revisit the Accords.”

A storm of emotion roiled through Malorg. This sort of outreach had once been his dream—one he’d long since thought abandoned. He’d meant it when he’d told Sarilian that a union between their disparate peoples was impossible. Had he been mistaken?

Then, he remembered Uryqh’s pitiful screams and bowed his head. Shattered hope clogged his throat. “We both know how the Accords ended last time. What’s to stop it from happening again?”

“Well, to be perfectly frank,you.”

Malorg looked up sharply, meeting Pelorak’s amused gaze. The Dark-cursed Infernal was enjoying this. Pelorak knew precisely which strings to pull to make Malorg dance to his tune like all the rest of his puppets.

“Who better to architect a new attempt at peace than one of its most fervent advocates?” Pelorak continued. “Think of this as your chance at redemption.”

Redemption.

The word called to Malorg like nothing had since Sarilian’s departure. If he could unite the Celestials and Infernals beneathan improved Covenant, perhaps he could bring this endless war against the Void to a close.Perhaps Sarilian and I can even find our way back to each other.

Yeshovered on the tip of his tongue. Then, he caught Pelorak’s smug expression and hesitated. “What doyouget out of this? The Dusk Council barely agreed to my plan last time, and you’ve made your disdain of Celestials clear. Why give me this second chance?”

Pelorak waved a dismissive hand. “Mistakes were made in the past, but they need not define your legacy.” He stepped closer, his obsidian eyes glittering as he lowered his voice. “I know you, old friend. How manycenturieshave you spent longing for this opportunity? If you let it pass you by now, it will become yet another regret to haunt you.”

Malorg felt the words like a slap to the face. His fists tightened at his sides, though the pitiful flicker of his faded duskflame spoiled any threat his tensed posture might’ve conveyed. “You forget thatIknow you as well, Pelorak. I know how the Dusk Council operates. What’sreallygoing on?”

Pelorak’s faux sympathy melted away as his gaze hardened. For a second, Malorg saw him the way other Infernals must, the way mortals did—as a Dusk Aspect brimming with dark power and the absolute authority of his seat. Then, the image faded, and he was just Pelorak again, though with a frown fixed upon his face.

“Our scouts have detected a troubling increase in voidspawn activity. The council fears they are building up to something, and while my efforts to bolster recruitment continue to bear fruit, there are…concernsthat we currently lack the strength to fend them off.”

Pelorak’s words dripped distaste, and Malorg could well imagine why. His admission came close to declaring outright that the Infernals required the Celestials’ aid.

“Of course,” Pelorak added, “the Celestials need us too, no matter how much they might wish otherwise. If the Dusklands succumb to the Void, the resulting chaos would spell their own doom as well.” He splayed his hands out, palms up. “Thus, it was decided to seek a temporary alliance. Better to fight alongside Celestial scum than to die alone.” His sneer suggested that, for him, the decision was a close one.

Eternal Dark, if what Pelorak said was true, it painted an even grimmer picture of the Covenant’s futility than Malorg had expected. It also presented the perfect opportunity to revise the Covenant before it was too late. Faced with such a dire threat, neither side could simply walk away whenever it suited them. Peace might actually be possible—at least in the short-term.

The trick would be devising the new Covenant to encourage more long-term cooperation. And not just on the battlefield—that had been one of Malorg’s biggest mistakes during the last negotiations. Though fighting together might be the ultimate goal, they needed to learn to trust one another first. To share resources, coordinate their efforts, and function as a cohesive team.

A vision of hunting voidspawn with Sarilian flickered before his eyes. They had managed to fuse their respective magics into something new. Could he replicate that feat among others of his kind? As the thought passed through him, he realized he’d already made his decision. He’d made it the instant he’d begun thinking of this ashisplan.Hisassignment.

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