Page 38 of Up In Flames
Aranren led me out of his workroom. When I passed the enormous cauldron, I remembered watching Aranren put Jathalion's body inside it. After he had killed Jath. I had no reaction to this memory other than thinking that Aranren had been foolish to choose a Wraith Lord.
“Why did you take Lord Jathalion?” I asked him as we strode down the hallway.
“Who?”
“The Makhan Wraith Lord you abducted, killed, and reanimated.”
“Oh, him.” Aranren's mouth curled down.
“Yes.”
“I did it because I could.”
“Ah, but you couldn't, could you?” I sneered.
He stopped walking to turn toward me. “What does that mean?”
“The Goddess sent him back. You didn't revive him. This means that you can't make Wraith Lords into the undead. Either because the Goddess will stop you or because you are incapable of raising them.”
“I assure you, I am very capable.”
“I'm not scolding you, Aranren,” I said. “Well, maybe a little. You let your anger color your judgment. I understand why you took a Wraith Lord, but you shouldn't have. If you had focused on the immortal races and continued to make an undead army with them, you could have surprised the Wraith Lords.”
“They saw the immortals I raised from graves. I assumed this meant the Lords knew it was possible. But they never thought I'd do it to one of them. So, I did surprise them.”
I grimaced. He had a point. And we had been shocked. I had been especially shocked since he did it in front of me. “Still, I feel as if you wasted an opportunity.”
“Don't worry. I shan't waste any more of them.” Aranren grabbed the back of my neck and hauled me into a kiss.
It was a good kiss, teasing and arousing. I pressed against him and pulled him closer. But then I remembered that I wasn't sure if I wanted to bond with him. And sex would risk that. No, I didn't love him, but what if Death made me feel as if I did so he could force us into bonding? No, I couldn't take the chance. So, I pulled away.
Staring into his icy eyes, I said, “We need to get more immortals. Live ones to experiment on.”
The Corrupter grinned. “We will. But we must see to our pleasure first.”
“I'm not interested in having sex with you.”
Hurt flared in his eyes, but he covered it quickly. “That's not what I meant. I still want to go riding.”
“Very well. Show me how you transform the world, Aranren.”
Chapter Nineteen
As Aranren raised stones and water from the frozen earth to form a lake and waterfall, I watched him. I stared at the world through Death, and it was beautiful. Also enlightening. Standing beside him, seeing his joy in creation, I noted how Death's influence withdrew. Most of me saw that as a flaw, but a very small part of me, buried beneath the bones, felt hope. Aranren had found a way around the cold calculation and determination to control. He had learned to live with Death.
I can give you everything you desire,Death said in my mind.You do not have to learn to live with me.
Then give me back myself, I said.I know this isn't me.
Do you care?
I paused.No. Then,Yes. You have made me not care, but I know that I do.
Death chuckled.
I feel nothing, Death. And I don't like that.
It's what you need right now, Ember. Without that numbness, you would be in despair. Once I show you all that we can do together and you accept it, then I can withdraw sometimes as I do with Aranren.
