The Gods Undoing by Mark Tufo
Author:Mark Tufo [Tufo, Mark]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: DevilDog Press
Published: 2024-06-18T00:00:00+00:00
16
AZILE
Azile had spent the better part of a week traveling back to Hellsguard. Sheâd suspected all along that Michael yet lived, how that was remotely possible, she did not know, but that was unimportant. Sheâd told BT and Jed that he was gone, and that was true enough. She was happy when the large man turned back; if heâd continued there would have come a point where she would have had to kill him, though it would have been for the greater good, she would not have relished the act. Sheâd contemplated doubling back after she and BT had gone their separate ways to kill the older man, but she had taken a calculated risk that he would find some most unpleasant end all on his own. A lone traveler through the Rust Mountains was unlikely to enjoy too many more sunrises.
âPity, I liked him. Now I must decide what to tell the coven,â she said as she saw the outline of the Citadel. She stopped to let her horse graze and rest, and also to collect her thoughts.
The Citadel, nearly to a witch, believed that the person tasked with the Great Quest must not succeed. Sharing power did not come naturally to those who enjoyed a view of the world from on high, and at whatever cost, they would retain that place at the top, overseeing the governance of all species. Magic must remain a dominant force within the world, and they must remain its predominant wielder. If that came with the diminishment of other magical beings, or even the downfall of humanity, then so be it. What they failed to grasp was that witches were a branch upon that family tree, and allowing the roots to wither would eventually destroy them as well. If any suspected as much, it was a passing worry; even with their longevity, none believed the world would end during their lifetime. What none of them knew, including Azile, was whether this was the true interpretation of the prophecy. The Old World tongue was notoriously difficult to translate, and sheâd been to many different countries and received as many different versions. The stakes were entirely too high and no consensus could be reached. Each prophetic scholar had wholly believed in their summary, but clearly someone was wrong, someone had to be. That didnât follow, unfortunately, that someone had to be right.
âThe ignorance my own brothers and sisters labor under is staggering.â She shook her head. âSo bewitched by the power they wield, they cannot see the inherent weakness in our position.â
The Order were human, enough so at least that they would not survive the success of Michaelâs quest, whatever they thought. In truth, so Azile believed, neither path worked out well for witches and wizards. If he failed, very soon their greedy usurpation of the Source would drain it entirely, ending magic forever. Should he succeed, their unchallenged flow of power would be choked off. They would diminish, becoming mere human practitioners, lesser beings with no more access to the Wellspring than any creature not born rightfully into the magical realm.
Download
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.
Anthologies | British & Irish |
Dark Fantasy | Erotic Horror |
Ghosts | Occult |
Reference | United States |
Vampires |
In Control (The City Series) by Crystal Serowka(35778)
The Wolf Sea (The Oathsworn Series, Book 2) by Low Robert(34674)
We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry(33985)
Crowbone (The Oathsworn Series, Book 5) by Low Robert(33040)
The Book of Dreams (Saxon Series) by Severin Tim(32896)
The Daughters of Foxcote Manor by Eve Chase(23018)
Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh(20987)
Call Me by Your Name by André Aciman(19877)
Shot Through The Heart (Supernature Book 1) by Edwin James(18416)
The Secret History by Donna Tartt(18105)
The Girl from the Opera House by Nancy Carson(15373)
American King (New Camelot #3) by Sierra Simone(14792)
All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda(14639)
Sad Girls by Lang Leav(13887)
Pimp by Iceberg Slim(13759)
The Betrayed by Graham Heather(12283)
The Betrayed by David Hosp(12191)
4 3 2 1: A Novel by Paul Auster(11764)
Still Me by Jojo Moyes(10760)
