Chapter 338 A Weapon Against Him (1/2)

Chapter 338: A Weapon Against Hiht birds chirped softly from the treetops as I wandered the orchard outside Corbett and Lenora's Central Do been released for a brief moment of leisure after dinner - an aard and tense affair due to Gray not showing up

But then, I kneould not appear, which I had tried to explain to the High Lord and Lady Gray h their tactless attempt to manipulate him After all, they sent Lauden of all people to the Great Hall to end the false judge seed pod that had fallen from the branches above, I watched it bounce down the path before hitting the thicker grass beneath the trees So through the undergrowth to survey the coh I knew Gray wouldn't come, I was disappointed, an emotion that frustrated me more than the cause itself It had been three weeks, but I was still struggling to accept what I felt for the man or what I wanted from him

Maybe I should ask him myself: What does Gray want froht air as I pondered the question

Gentle footsteps creaking on the gravel drivearnedI conjured a layer of loo all places, but only the High Sovereign is not afraid of treachery, as the saying goes

Just when I finished that thought, the airsolid shadowtowardsthe movement take me into a cartwheel as the shadohistled past my ear

My own scarlet sas in my hand and burned with black soul fire in an instant, but I could not sense anyone else in the orchard, nor detere that had nearly ripped my head off

Whichsword in a wide arc overfrom it in a destructive nova There was a ripple in the flaht, but the one, and a razor-thin shard of purer black ainst the side of my neck

"Tsk, tsk," the Scythe Seris said, appearing as if she were my own shadow "If I were a murderer, you would already be "

Soul fire leapt froe of her sword With a snort of amusement, she let the conjured weapon disappear, but the fire of the soul still floating in the air between us condensed into a flickering arrow that shot toward her throat

In the space of a heartbeat, a haze of dark energy swirled around her My attack dissipated as the aura greedily devoured my mana

“Your control over the fire of the soul is progressing very well,” she said, her lips twitching at the corners "It seems that the mysterious Gray has pushed you past yourivethe blush on my cheeks at the scythe Seris' taunt "It is thanks to your training andthat I have reached this level"

She rolled her eyes and turned, her hair - normally pearl in color, but now a deep a behind her “You have never been a flatterer [Lick ass], Caera It's one of the things I like the, I followedyou tonight, Scythe Seris"

“I' for a while I wanted you to be conscious "

"To the other continent again?" I asked, claspingto "

"Yes," she said, her voice low and heavy with intent "To both questions But now is not the time, Caera "

We walked in silence for a hts turned to the war The Denoir were one of the few high noble blood who had not claimed lands in the enchanted forest of Dicathen Corbett and Lenora's star has risen even higher as they suffered so many other bloods, some completely wiped out by the unexpected devastation there

My adoptive parents had sent a good number of soldiers to war, of course It would have ht, even when it was an option But when Corbett had seen the nah bloods, run to claim chosen lands and slaves in Dicathen, they had only responded to his enthusias that “Alacrya already has all that Denoirs need ”

It turned out, over time, she had proved him wise, as much as she hated to admit it It would have broken the hearts ofproperty for the Denoir when the asuras attacked Not that I would have cared much

“Apparently, the Ascender Gray's trial was quite a show,” the Scythe Seris said to break the silence

"It should have been a simple matter to resolve," I said with a bit of bitterness "It's a shaal system can fail so draraceful laugh “High bloods have spent generations e, so much so that most of you hardly realize it anyh of this "

Hurrying to walk beside her, I looked ns intervene?"

"The best question is, ould they do it?" she asked, arching an eyebrow “They have carefully worked out a system whereby the purity of the blood is paraet aithas it doesn't interrupt their own ns care little what the inferiors do to each other, as long as it is done with due reverence for the overlord of each domain "

The Seris Scythe opened her , then looked at e the subject "

I straightened up, practicallyto tellto ask "

This elicited another delicate laugh from my mentor “If you want hie that you will need to acquire on your own, Caera I won't give you any shortcuts "

“But do you want h " I keptto be your spy, Scythe Seris?"

"You are," she confir him After all, the boy owes me a lot "

I stopped at the sound of heavy footsteps , my conversation with the Scythe Seris had onlythis situation, so I was almost relieved by the interruption

My ure of loom

"Lady Caera, I "

Nessa's eyes widened comically when she noticed the Horned Scythe by ravel at our feet “Please forgive me, Scythe Seris Vritra! I did not realize!"

My ilant in the future" Despite her tone, I could see that same barely visible twitch at the corner of her lips Then, without tellingelse, she turned around and disappeared into the night

"You can get up now, Nessa," I told her