Page 51 of The Immortal Covenant

“Revising the Covenant is a lost cause. Even if we could convince those stubborn fools on the Dawn Council to part with their precious traditions, whatever we passed would represent little more than a stopgap.” Pelorak’s mouth twisted into a hateful sneer. Duskflame burned along his outstretched fingers as he clenched them into a fist. “Allowing Celestials free reign in our lands, relying on their compassion and mercy for our survival, means all but surrendering our way of life—permitting their naive ideals to corrupt and subvert our own. Such a compromise is utterly unacceptable.”

For the second time in an hour, Malorg felt like he’d had the ground yanked out from under him. “But if you had no intention of honoring the Accords, then why—”

“Why call for them at all?” A coy smile returned to Pelorak’s face as he unclenched his fist and tapped the Dusklands on the map. “Because, old friend,Ihave devised a method to equalize our strength more than any treaty ever could.”

“Your curse,” Malorg whispered with sudden understanding.

Pelorak nodded. “All but undetectable to the Celestials, it will allow us to spy on their operations, gather intelligence—even use them as a conduit to work our own magic at a distance.” Pelorak let out a delighted chuckle that made Malorg’s skin crawl. “Once established, the possibilities are limitless, from siphoning off a portion of their incoming souls, to subtly influencing the Dawn Council’s decisions, to perhaps even gradually claiming portions of the Dawnlands itself! And since the enchantment is hidden within their own dawnflame…”

“It won’t be stopped by the Dawnlands’ influence,” Malorg said, aghast.“That’swhy you’ve been so adamant about theAccords continuing. You don’t care about their completion—in fact, you said yourself you don’t want the Covenant to change. You just want to present an illusion of progress to keep the Celestials here long enough to finish implanting your curse.”

Pelorak’s black eyes sparkled with malicious mirth. “Precisely. The enchantment remains too weak in its current state to last. If we wish for it to serve as an indefinite conduit, we require more time to strengthen it. A few more months, a year at most, should suffice.”

“But—what about the voidspawn? Your reports of increased activity, the impending invasion?” He read the answer in Pelorak’s smirk.Eternal Dark, I’m a fool.“Thereisno invasion,” he said slowly. “You invented the entire thing. Didn’t you?”

Pelorak gave an unabashed shrug. “I needed bait to dangle before the Dawn Council—something that would appeal to their moral high-ground. Trust me, they have no intention of allowing a revised Covenant to go through either. But their consciences wouldn’t allow them to reject us outright without at least pretending to extend an olive branch.”

Malorg wanted to scream and shout. To rage or attack Pelorak. Howdarethe Aspect subvert the Covenant like this for his own selfish agenda. It was Infernals like him that gave them their vile reputation. But memories of that miasmic cloud Pelorak had used on him once before stayed his hand.

“This is not the way, Pelorak. The Celestials arenotour enemies. You have forgotten your duty.” Thoughts of Sarilian gnawed at his gut, but he soldiered on. “Ifthisis what we have become, then perhaps we deserve to be wiped out.”

Thereat last came Pelorak’s vicious anger. Malorg hadn’t even realized he’d been thrown until his back slammed against the far wall. Shadowy tendrils wove around him, binding him in place and squeezing his chest until he scrambled for breath, wheezingand hacking. An instant later, the tendrils vanished, dropping him to his hands and knees before Pelorak.

“It is notIwho has forsaken their duty,” Pelorak sneered. “Or have you already forgotten your intent to kill yourself? The hours upon hours you spent staring into your precious rift as if oblivion held the key to your salvation?Youmay be ready to take the coward’s way out, but I intend to fight until my last gasping breath.”

A lance of duskflame burst from Pelorak’s palm, impaling the map of the Immortal Realm. The section depicting the Dawnlands withered until nothing but empty space remained. “Only the Infernals can drive back the Void and usher the Covenant to an end. Because unlike the Celestials with their lofty, useless ideals,wepossess both the strength and the will to do whatever it takes to win. So, yes—if it means ensuring our victory, I would betray and sacrifice every last Celestial. Not all of us possess the samefondnessfor them you do.”

Malorg forced his head up, glaring at Pelorak. “And if I refuse to continue the Accords? If I warn the Celestials about what you intend?”

To Malorg’s surprise, Pelorak gave a genuinely amused laugh. Slipping back into the shadows, he emerged sitting in the chair behind his desk, the tension bleeding out of him. “Evenyouwouldn’t dare. You might not care about your own fate, but think of the ramifications to our people if the Celestials learned the truth?”

Pelorak’s grin gained a sinister edge, a wicked gleam in his eye. “Not to mention how it might affect your poor counterpart. I know howcloseyou and the Dawn Emissary have grown. What was his name again? Jafav?” Malorg’s heart skipped a beat at the mention of Sarilian’s old alias. Pelorak clucked his tongue. “No, that wasn’t it. Ah, yes!” He snapped his fingers.“Sarilian.Why,it would be such a shame if anything were to happen to him as a consequence of your hasty choices.”

Pelorak met Malorg’s gaze, his eyes dancing. In that moment, Malorg loathed his old friend more than he’d ever hated anyone or anything, even the Void itself.

“Then, I suppose it’s a good thing I intend to continue the Accords,” Malorg said stiffly. He stared at his feet, every muscle in his body taut with rage. “To avoid such an unfortunate outcome.”

“Of course, you will.” Pelorak’s voice oozed false cheer. “I knew you’d do the right thing, old friend. Now, I really must get back to business.Until we meet again.”

Malorg stumbled, almost losing his footing, at the Aspect’s parting words. It took a colossal effort not to turn and give Pelorak the satisfaction of seeing the shame and anguish writ across his face. The instant he was beyond Pelorak’s sight, he sagged against the nearest wall, gulping down deep breaths as he tried to still his pounding heart.

Pelorakknew. He knew everything. And if Malorg didn’t continue to play along, it wouldn’t only be him that suffered the Aspect of Ambition’s wrath. Either he confessed the truth to Sarilian, destroying any hope of peace and placing Sarilian at risk of retribution…or he kept up this charade and helped turn Sarilian into an unwitting pawn against his own people.

Despair rippled through Malorg as he bowed his head. Either way, he had lost.

twenty-one

Sarilian

So much for alltheir progress.

After the abrupt, disappointing end to his trip with Malorg to the top of the Dusk Citadel, Sarilian had braced himself for Malorg to pull away again. When his mind wasn’t clouded by lust, Sarilian even agreed that they were better off sticking to their professional boundaries, at least so long as they remained their peoples’ emissaries. Once that duty was done, however…

An electrifying thrill set his skin alight whenever he allowed himself to consider a potential future with Malorg. Perhaps Sariliancouldbalance both parts of himself, honoring the Covenant while still nurturing his connection to Malorg. He just needed to survive these negotiations and prove that he wouldn’t walk away again the instant the Accords concluded.

But when Sarilian arrived at their next meeting, the Malorg of the past few months had vanished. In his place was the empty shell Malorg had been when the Accords first began.

Sarilian’s heart sank as Malorg brought the meeting to a curt opening. He tried to remain hopeful. Maybe Malorg needed time to work out this latest tension between them.

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