Page 10 of A War of Embers

Sereia shrugs her dainty shoulder. “If you wish to find a way to seek death, he may be your only option beyond the veil. You are free to climb your way up the cliff to the veil and hope you do not come back into the Blood Sea.”

Go back to Lady Gwenyth? Who knows what she’ll do to the people of Cinnabar for my disloyal act? It’s not as if she will kill me; especially since it seems no one can remove these fucking souls that have bonded to me. But she’ll definitely do something dramatic and crazy. I simply don’t want to be there to witness it when she realizes I'm gone. Gritting my teeth together I ask, “And how would your son help me?”

“You seek death, immortal. He will find a way to deliver it.”

“Like you did?” I clench the front of my jacket in my own hand. “By trying to break through my skin to pull out my heart? Was that the goal? Because if you can’t do it, what’s to say he actually can? You only tried twice.”

Sereia looks down her nose at me, much like a snobby woman in the Amethyst District would. “The first time I was surprised your body did not yield as it should have. You are merely immortal but I am a god. The second time, I could see the four souls. Knotted together, collectively surrounding a blue glow I cannot see that contains the fifth. They are hiding what lies beyond them. From what you’ve said, Lady Gwenyth hid this from you as well. Perhaps this is your real soul, trapped just as you are.” Sereia shrugs. “If that is the case, perhaps my son’s magic can remove the four souls from your body. They belong to Aïdes which he resides in. It could be they’ll be more willing to relinquish their hold on you with his magic. Someone took the immortal souls from his side of the veil, so perhaps he can remove them.”

I lift my hand from my jacket to rub my forehead. This is asinine. Instead of finding what I came for, now I have more questions than answers. My souls are from Aïdes, I suppose it would make sense if they only responded to magic from their realm.

Why do I have four souls, though? I’ve always known it. I assumed each District held at least one person with the same amount I do. Something to even the scales in case another District sent their immortal to attack.

But what if Sereia is onto something? Maybe Lady Gwenyth couldn’t remove my soul when she chose to make me her indentured servant so she placed more souls into my body, hoping to override my ability to die?

Except if she’ll have the same difficulties as Sereia trying to remove the souls, then I’ll be stuck in this life forever with no way to find eternal rest.

“Can you guarantee your son will help me?” I ask her.

She folds her arms loosely across her chest. “I cannot. He may not even wish to get involved. He rarely enters the Blood City from what I’m told. Spends his days in solitude in the Wraithlands.” She flicks her sea glass eyes to the tentacle still lying between us. “That is where the monsters live. Some creatures climb into my sea like this one, most do not.”

I’ve never felt at such a loss before. Exhaustion begins to seep into my bones. There’s too much to this world I seem to know nothing about and yet all the information I need is there. “What is the Blood City?”

She looks at me as though I’ve grown two heads. “One of the capital’s on this side of the veil. I can alert their guards to be on the lookout for you. I do not climb out of my sea often, so I will not aid you once you are on land.” Sereia looks back at the tentacle arm. “The creature set on protecting you from harm may alert my son to your arrival if he is willing to listen.”

This is news to me. I thought Aïdes was nothing but a barren wasteland, much like the Blood Sea seems to be. “You have capitals?”

“Aye. We do not divide into districts as your gods do. We live amongst each other. The gods from Aïdes fish in my seas and I provide them with rain for their crops.” Sereia flicks a hand as if shooing the information away. “As for your lands, I let my rage and scorn feed the storms that bring you what you need to survive. I protect the mortals from gods.” Her sea glass eyes darken as she looks at me. “And I do not bargain with immortals.”

“That’s not what I heard.” I cross my arms over my chest. Considering she tried to physically push her hand through my chest to use her magic to remove my soul, I find that highly unlikely she doesn’t bargain with immortals. “There was supposedly an immortal who jumped here, and you took his immortal soul out and led him across your sea.”

A throaty scoff comes out of her. “Is that so? Or did this immortal bargain with a mortal before plummeting to his death? A mortal cannot enter my seas easily and live. Those who come here to bargain have paid the price already with their determination. Immortals seek only what they desire, so there is little point in bargaining.”

“You were willing to bargain with me.” A point she seems hellbent on ignoring.

Sereia lifts her shoulder carelessly. “I am a god. I can do what I please.”

And apparently be ditzy as hell in the process. How there’s no one from the original gods overlooking their children wandering in the mortal realm is beyond me. Although if those original gods are anything like these ones, it’s doubtful it would end well for humanity. “Tell me how to cross your sea.”

“You don’t.”

What an infuriating woman. I glare at her instead of responding, waiting for her to speak freely.

Finally she sighs. “I’m growing bored of this interaction. I do not let anyone wander my seas but the monsters who come to dwell here. I will deposit you on the shores of the Blood City and get word to those currently residing there on behalf of my son. Perhaps they will have a need for an immortal of your caliber if they do not choose to remove the souls themselves.”

“Isn’t there a veil to Aïdes?” I ask her.

“There are two,” she says absentmindedly while turning and walking away. “Come, follow me.”

The mist begins to part as she saunters in a seemingly random direction. The creature’s tentacle laid before me draws back, the shape melting into the mist and leaving me no choice but to follow the Blood Witch.

“A veil stops the eyes from seeing what lies beyond it in your world,” Sereia explains. “The veil to Aïdes acts as a barrier. It protects its people, but does not stop them from seeing across my sea.”

“There are mortals there?” Seems like an odd place for mortals to live considering all that inhabit it, from my knowledge, are meant to be dead.

“Do they not teach you anything in your lands?” Sereia demands in agitation. “Souls sent to Aïdes are given choices. If they feel unfulfilled in their life, they continue living until they find peace. Mixed with the gods and the mortals from prior to the Province Wars it is a large kingdom, though small in comparison to your lands. The souls who have found rest go to lay eternally at the Cliff of Embers.”

Franklin was right, words he would rejoice in hearing. At least part of his tale is accurate according to Sereia. Maybe not all of it but he did warn me the District gods wouldn’t willingly tell their secrets to others; they would only share what made them seem victorious in battle.

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