Page 301 of Of Sins and Sacrifice

Mine strokes his hand down my back in soothing motions while I regain the ability to speak.

“A low-level demon usually possesses a mortal while slowly consuming their soul,” I start. “But what if…” I gulp down uneasily. “What if they didn’t consume the soul and merely suppressed it. What if they cohabited with it in the same body?”

“Then if the body dies, they both…” Mine trails off.

“If, and without proper proof, this is merely a theory, but if the demon finds a way to bind to the soul while it’s being led toward P’asala, then it has a direct path to Aperion.”

“But wouldn’t other deities hunt down the demon?”

“They would need to know it could travel to P’asala in the first place. They would never even think to look there because no living demon has ever breached the realm.”

“But that’s only a low-level demon.” He frowns. “Surely they wouldn’t be able to do that much damage.”

“You don’t understand. No pure-blooded Son of Tenebreis can enter Aperion. Every portal has runes to ensure that. But if someone were to remove those runes or override them…”

“The Sons of Tenebreis could invade Aperion.”

“Exactly.”

“But they’re still trapped in their realm. How could they?—”

He suddenly stops and slowly looks over my head toward his mother. “This shouldn’t have happened,” he whispers in shock. “This wasn’t supposed to happen.”

“What are you talking about?” I take a step back and study him. He’s gone utterly still. His mother, too, looks perturbed.

“I’ve messed everything up,” Mine adds with an anguished groan.

FORTY-THREE

“What are you talking about?”I ask as I look between the two of them.

He ignores my question, instead asking one of his own. “Are you sure the Sons of Tenebreis are still trapped in Tartareia?”

I tilt my head to the side, my brows knitting together in confusion. His tone is curt and decisive, not at all that of someone who barely knows anything about the SoT.

Against my better judgment, I respond. “Yes, but there are rumors of some being able to temporarily leave Tartareia.”

“Where did the rumors originate from?”

“Commander Azerius heard it from a source. I assumed he had reason to be concerned, which is why he told us to be vigilant, but we still have not had any confirmation of that.”

Mine paces around the room. His mother has a tight expression on her face too, one I cannot read, nor understand.

Why would it concern them if the SoT have left Tartareia?

“How can they temporarily leave Tartareia?” he asks in a low, ominous voice.

I’m more confused. Why would he be interested in this? He’s never been much concerned about the Sons of Tenebreis before.Although I am wary of revealing classified information, since this is Mine, I end up replying.

“Commander Azerius believes elites of the Sons of Tenebreis are using the Chalice to temporarily travel out of Tartareia while they are searching for a more permanent solution.”

“The Chalice?” He frowns.

“Every House of Aperion has an artifact left behind by the fourteen Primordials. They have immense powers and are heavily guarded. The Chalice was the artifact held by the House of Bronte. Some time ago, the King of Bronte and his high priestess colluded together and stole the Chalice before leaving Aperion,” I explain.

“I have read about these artifacts you speak of,” his mother suddenly says.

I turn to her, eyes wide in shock. “You have? How?”

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