Page 182 of Of Sins and Sacrifice

“I’m surprised how similar Aperion is to Anthropa,” he comments in a hushed voice.

“In many ways, yes. After all, most other worldsaremodeled after Anthropa. It’s just that those lacking a magic-based system had to resort to other alternatives.”

“Technology,” he mentions thoughtfully.

“Exactly. Although there are other worlds that have magic as their main infrastructure, Aperion is unique in that it is the source ofallmagic in the universe.”

“What do you mean?”

“I told you about the Supremes. There is one designated for each House of Aperion, and they are in charge of their element for theentireuniverse. Take someone from Anthropa for example, who is born with above average spiritual energy.”

“A witch?”

“Yes, a witch.” I nod. “Usually, they invoke higher beings to grant them power to perform magic. That increased spiritual energy allows them to create a direct link to the Supremes, which in turn allows them to perform spells. Say a witch desires to control nature. She will either invoke the Gaia Supreme or the Flora Supreme.”

He clicks his tongue against his teeth.

“That’s assuming the magic they practice is good, no?”

“Not necessarily.”

“What?” He chuckles.

“There isalwaysan exchange. The goal does not matter as much as what the performer of the spell is ready to relinquish.” I shrug.

“And you say demons are bad?” He raises a brow.

“Of course. Demons feed on souls. Theydestroycreation. Our Supremes would never do that.”

“Huh…” he murmurs, seemingly unconvinced.

“Nothing is free in the universe, Mine. All types of magical beings that are not of divine origin will have to exchange something for their powers. Like that faerie for example. Her kind might be powerful, but they cannotevergive or receive something without striking a bargain. They arecompelledto do so. Those vampires you spoke of. Their kind traces its origins to the House of Skia, and they exchanged immortality for an unquenchable thirst for blood.”

“Then where do you draw the line? If the goal doesn’t matter, then why do you crucify demons so much when your Supremes are equally capable of doing damage.”

“I told you the difference.” I roll my eyes at him. “The Supremes will never destroy a person’s soul.”

“But whatifa mortal offers up their soul to a demon, of their own volition? What if they want wealth and fame and whatnot and are willing to forfeit their soul for it?”

“That is their prerogative.” I shrug. “But the only ones who are able to strike those deals are the Sons of Tenebreis. Since they technically have divine origin, they are able to fulfill wishes. But since the soul has unimaginable power, the bargain will always be in their favor.”

“But why is it so bad if it’s people’s prerogative whether to sell their soul or not? As long as no one is forcing them…”

“Ah, but that is exactly what regular demons do for the Sons of Tenebreis. They tempt people, corrupt their souls until they either enter such a bargain, or until they become demons themselves after death,” I correct.

“So they don’t consume them? They let the souls become new demons? So magnanimous of them,” Mine comments drily.

“They do consume them in most cases, at least until the demons are able to take on a physical form and get to a higher level. That’s when they prefer pure souls, so they simply kill people.”

“Fine, I’ll grant you that demons can be destructive. But what about witches and other beings who borrow powers from the Supremes and end up doing bad things with them. I’m sure that happens.”

“It does,” I reply nonchalantly. “That’s why there’s a special place in hell for them.” I smile. “As much as the House of Moirai controls certain points in people’s lives and their fates, there is always a certain degree of free will. And that free will verges on whether people do the good thing or the bad.”

“So your Supremes purposefully allow the bad?” he asks, his lips curling up. “Making abstraction of the demons and their role in corrupting souls. Doesn’t that free will mean theyallowevil to exist?”

“That’s… The world is made up of balance. For good to exist, bad must exist too.”

“That doesn’t answer my question,” he probes deeper.

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