Page 102 of A Reign of Malice
“The afterlife,” I answer casually. “Just a quick trip to erase an unwanted soul.”
She blinks then slowly walks back toward me. “You’re not going to let Aeson reincarnate.”
“Of course not,” I say, my jaw tight. “That vile creature isn’t broken. He’s poison. And poison spreads if you don’t burn it out at the root. You saw what he did. What hebecame. There’s no place for that kind of corruption in my creation. Not anymore. Not ever again.”
Elyn hesitates for only a breath before nodding. “Then let’s end it properly.”
I grin, wicked and sharp. “I knew I chose you for a reason.”
With a flick of my hand, the air around us thickens, stars folding in on themselves as a rip forms in the space between one breath and the next. The portal hums with divine energy, its edges gold and black like ink dipped in the night.
We step through.
The shift is immediate.
This part of the afterlife isn’t fire and brimstone, not unless Iwantit to be. It’s a field. Golden and endless and silent.
And standing in the center of it is Aeson.
Or what’s left of him.
He looks like a man stripped down to bone and shadow, eyes vacant, mouth stitched in confusion. He’s not snarling or defiant as I half-expected. He’s small. Diminished.
“Is he aware?” Elyn asks, her voice soft but guarded.
“Yes,” I murmur. “He’s tethered here and doesn’t know why. He’s made his choice to be reborn. Yet nothing has happened. Now he gets to learn the reason.”
Elyn stares at him, her posture relaxed. “I look forward to seeing you work.”
I nod then walk forward, my skin already itching from the pureness of the afterlife. This isn’t a part of our universe I prefer to spend time in.
Aeson lifts his head as I approach, eyes meeting mine, and for a flicker, I see a glimpse of the monster he was. The cruelty. The ambition. The hunger. It makes my job that much easier.
I raise my hand, power crackling at my fingertips.
“I warned you,” I whisper unforgivingly. “I don’t allow second chances.”
Light erupts, engulfing him in a blaze of searing white flames. No screams. No fanfare. Just the snapping finality of a soul coming undone.
When it fades, nothing remains.
Not even ash.
The wind shifts, sweet and clean.
I turn back to Elyn, who watches me with quiet awe. “It’s done,” I say.
She nods. “As it needed to be.”
We step through the fold again, the world sealing behind us with a soft shimmer. We’re back on the balcony, the sky beginning to darken as another day comes to an end.
“So,” I say, forcing nonchalance. “You’re not going back?”
She turns to me, her grin firmly set. “Not until you ask me to. My place is here. With the gods. Withyou.”
My throat tightens, and I look away too quickly. “Don’t say things like that. I’m emotionally unstable enough as it is.”
“I can tell,” she says with a chuckle, reaching out to touch my arm.
