Kirin was trying to come to terms with the possibility of being bound to the demon for life. Somehow, he doubted it would be a long one if Valerien found out.
The High Warlock watched him intently, then said, "The only way to defeat someone much more powerful than you is to win his trust and strike when he least expects it."
Kirin flinched. "You want me to kill him?"
Before the old man could answer, a commotion started outside. The High Warlock rushed to the door, Kirin close at his heels.
"You can't promise to release them. They are my prisoners," Owain growled at Valerien.
"What's going on now?" the High Warlock called out.
The moment everyone looked at him, Valerien drew the sword from the sheath of the soldier closest to him. Kirin shouted a warning at Owain, but before the words even left his mouth, the demon cut both prisoners' throats in one swift move.
A light spray of blood hit the shocked faces of the guards, then the two bodies collapsed on the ground. Valerien threw the sword at Owain's feet with such a gesture of contempt that Kirin was impressed despite the shock.
Two small spheres of light rose from the heaps on the ground. The soldiers tried to catch them, but Valerien was faster.
"What are those?" Kirin asked.
"I think it may be their essence. They came out of the others when they died as well. I put them in a jar, but let's see what he does with them," the old man said with interest, hurrying forwards.
Ignoring him, Valerien just brushed the nervous soldiers aside and walked towards the cliff. Owain tried to follow, but his father held him back and nodded at Kirin.
Valerien stood so close to the edge that it looked like he would jump. Instead, he released the shiny spheres. They floated up in the air, then drifted out into the sea, while he lowered his head as if in prayer for a few heartbeats.
Kirin waited until he was finished, then joined him somewhat hesitantly.
"Aren't you at least going to bury their remains?" he asked.
"Their bodies will dissolve back into elements before sundown, and I just sent their souls back to the Source."
"What does that mean?" Kirin asked, remembering the words of the woman with amber eyes again.
Valerien gave him one of those penetrating looks, but explained readily enough, "Fae bodies are created out of the elements, and then a soul is summoned from the Source to inhabit it. When the body is destroyed, the soul returns there."
"And then… You could come back in a new body?"
"Well, not exactly. When the soul returns, it doesn't remember the previous lives. I don't even know if any of it is true. It is simply a matter of belief. Like you believe that your gods punished you."
Kirin pondered that, then asked, "So if you die, a shiny sphere will rise out of your body, too? How do I send it back to the Source?"
Valerien sat down on one of the large rocks and leaned against another, looking amused.
"If you are planning someone's death, you shouldn't do it so openly."
"I was just wondering. It seems a lot of people are eager to kill you."
"Including your warlock, I assume. Or would he rather conduct some more experiments?"
Kirin tried to keep his face impassive, wondering if the demon had supernatural hearing. Or maybe he could even read minds?
Valerien smiled as if he knew exactly what he was thinking, but all he said was, "If by some chance I die in your presence, let my soul go where it wants to go."
"If I die, burn me and scatter my ashes into the sea."
Valerien raised an eyebrow. "What put you in such a morbid mood, bard?"
"You mean except for you trying to kill me?" Kirin replied dryly.
"If I tried to kill you, you would be dead."
Kirin glanced over his shoulder at the corpses. "They trusted you to release them. How could you just execute them like that?"
"It was the only kind of release I could give them."
The bard sat down on another rock and shivered. A cold wind was sweeping from the sea, bringing with it grey clouds of a summer storm.
"I am sorry," he said helplessly. "If I hadn't insisted on coming here, you wouldn't have had to kill that man, and Elinor would not be scarred for life."
"I decided to follow your suggestion. It would not be fair to blame you."
"That doesn't mean that you don't blame me."
"I don't. I just don't know how to ever make this up to Elinor," Valerien said and stood up.
"Where are you going?" the bard asked nervously.
"Where I was going in the first place. I am not wasting even more time on your mad warlock's schemes."
"But Elinor hasn't woken up yet, and she may not be in the condition to travel," Kirin objected.
Valerien smiled at the clouds. Lightning tore through the air, striking the watchtower.
"Oh, I think she'll be fine," he said through the distant shouts of the soldiers.
Kirin flinched as the sound of thunder shook the fort. This storm was too sudden.
"Is she doing this?" he asked.
The demon's smile disappeared as he frowned at the moving clouds. Without a word, he abruptly reached for Kirin, pulled him up from the rock and into his arms.
The bard was about to protest when the lightning struck the exact place where he had been sitting.