Page 85 of Cursed Heirs

“It is needed to fill the Orb of Vorlav. A being of immense power who straddles the Dark and the Light, and that is most definitely you, my son. It’s a rare occurrence to find such a being. I had to allow it in a trade for your life. He can’t kill you now, which gives us an advantage.”

“Tell me what the Orb actually does. No more secrecy—at least not from me.”

He stared at me for a moment, the weight of what he was about to say clearly bearing down on him heavily.

“When the Orb is activated, it has the means to grant the one possessing it dominion over all magic-wielders.”

I choked. “Excuse me?”

“Complete control, Orpheus.”

“Turning us into a bunch of automatons, you mean?”

“In essence, yes. The Orb of Vorlav was created as a failsafe by the Celestials should things grow out of control and bring the supernatural world to the verge of Armageddon.”

“He’d rule all, possess absolute power.”

“He’d have an army unlike any other to ensure it, yes, to dominate the remainder of the supernatural world and all other species.”

“He’d be completely untouchable. Unstoppable.”

“No one being should possess that much power. There always needs to be a cap.”

“So, my blood can activate the Orb to cause all of this?”

“It is one vital ingredient. There are three. The second is celestial magic, which Alena Rose will provide. And the third…” He grimaced. “The third is phoenix fire, son.”

I choked. “Talon.”

He nodded. “The night Cora and Hugo Creed were killed, Constantine wasn’t just disposing of an enemy, he was trying to harness phoenix fire and to trap it for use with the Orb. Of course, he failed, and they perished that night. It had been hisbackup plan, the first had been to have a phoenix wield their fireforhim, but Cora refused, and he tried to go another way.”

“How long have you known this?”

“My spy network acquired the information a few days following their murder.”

“You should’ve told me this. Talon should’ve been informed.”

“How would knowing that have alleviated even an ounce of his pain?”

“He had the right to know. The truth about their murders is—”

“It’s something that would have haunted him his entire life. He’d then be aware that he was Constantine’s remaining target, that he would one day be coming for him. He would’ve been looking over his shoulder all this time, unable to live his life as he has been. It would have burdened him at a time when he was already downtrodden and steeped in great grief.”

“Father,” I groused.

“Back to the situation at hand. The reason no one can know that Constantine has obtained your blood in connection to the Orb is because there is a way to render that blood useless.” He tugged at a couple of strands of his shock of black, spiky hair. “To end your life. You see, it’s not the blood alone, it’s the magical remnants infused in it. A magic-wielder dies, all their magic dies with them.”

“Exemplardoesn’t kill.”

“Wrong. Abigail and Elliot don’t. But there are others who don’t possess the same moral code, and only follow that Law out of deference and duty to them. But something like this, an extinction level event, could certainly stand to transcend that. Even outside ofExemplar, there are many powerful detractors already who wouldn’t hesitate to take a life, to do what they would deem necessary in order to protect themselves. If wordgot out, they would all come for you, Orpheus.” He ground his jaw. “And I will not allow that to befall my son.”

“If it’s my life for—”

“No!” he yelled vehemently. “Do not even propose thatin-the-name-of-the-greater-goodsentiment. It’s not an option and it never will be.”

“I can’t in good conscience keep this a secret and not do whatever is needed to end this, Father.”

“Wewilldo whatever is needed. Just not that. There are others ways to win out here, to prevent this from coming to pass, and to defeat that monstrosity of a being. And we have some time. For instance, the blood he stole from you will need time to bond with the Orb.”

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