Chapter 27: Twenty-Seven: Mal

*I should have known she wasn't this slow.*

As soon as my arms started to close in past Alchimia's shoulders, I knew what had happened. I'd known it was a possibility that this would happen; that she would discover the truth before I got the chance to tell it to her, but never in my wildest dreams had I seen it going down like this. I knew better than to chase her; she was sure not to look like herself and to have found a way to block our connection. I could already feel it dimming. So I made my way back to the castle, found Nero, and helped him close down the party so the guards could be sent out to the city to look for her. There would be no hiding from the people that she'd run away. We might as well capitalize on how many guests we had to get assistance in the search. Reus sent out a decree and Presta went off in search of the Queen.

Nero and I were about to head out when I felt a warm presence behind me, causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand up.

"I've always been against the creation of minor Gods," came the cold, unfeeling voice of the King of the Dead. "They have such impulsive ways. It's too much power to be born into, much less be brought into."

"Yes, perhaps I made a mistake in exchanging my *entire life* for my son's immortality if this was how he intended to use it."

I felt the fox demon spin around and sink into a deep bow. Hades was technically his ruler, and I could almost hear the guilt eating him alive. Nero had revealed to me, once, that he'd been entrusted with keeping me safe and out of trouble by the God of the underworld who, as he so eloquently just put it, thought I didn't deserve to exist. Not in this capacity, anyway. If it were up to him, I'd be in his servitude instead.

Bia and Hades stood shoulder to shoulder, their towering forms rising above me to look down with scrupulous disdain.

"Hades. Mother."

"Where is your betrothed, Malfizan?" Bia demanded.

"Ah, but are they betrothed?" Hades chuckled. "It is tradition for at least one-half of the couple to *accept* the proposal, isn't it? Instead, here you are, dismantling a kingdom to look for your bride." Hades heaved a great sigh and pushed his hair from his face. "Come with us, both of you."

Nero and I followed them to Alchimia's chambers, where, lying in her bed as if he was asleep, was Fen. Hades sat next to the corpse and patted its foot affectionately. "The two of you may be surprised, but I did not come here with Bia. I was already here to find the Princess, though I didn't receive an invitation to the ball, so I didn't realize I was infringing." A bushy eyebrow was quirked in my direction.

"We didn't invite any of the Gods because, save for my mother, none of you have been here in millennia," I answered.

"Still, it'd be nice to be invited. And anyway, you're incorrect, a fact which you would know had you followed through on your obligations and told Alchimia about your bond, selfish imbecile. Her connection to you was paramount in guaranteeing her safety, but did you care? No. This is a lesson you've yet to learn, but that the rest of us have had to learn a million times over; being a God oftentimes means fulfilling your duty whether you want to or not because it affects the future of *all the realms*. I've been here recently."

"When?"

Hades tsked, waving an elegant finger in front of his face. "Do not take such a demanding tone with me, Malfizan. I'm here to help fix your mistakes and I tire of your arrogance. Are you done, or shall I leave you to figure this out on your own?"

"My apologies."

"Perfect. This is the body of Fen, which Alchimia allowed me to take shortly after his death. I made a replica for her, which she buried, while I studied this one. Truly, a daemon can not be killed. Demons like Nero, sure. They're powerful but not immortal. But Fen was God-made. Zeus himself created him from a human shell as a gift for my daughter in spirit, and so he was immortal. Just as I am. Just as you are, Malfizan. But this?" He flicked the immobile corpse with his finger, a loud thud sounding through the room. "This is not Fen. It stumped me for a long while, but I must admit that I passed over the very obvious questions in my initial assessment or I'd have come sooner. This is a replica of Fen's body. Which means that the real Fen is likely alive somewhere, just bound and hidden. But it also means that whoever pulled this stunt has magic powerful enough to sever a sire bond. Lucky for us, there are only two such individuals who have stepped foot in Echelon since Alchimia's arrival. Unluckily for us, we won't be able to determine which one it was because Alchimia is not here for me to reinstate her bond to him so she might lead us to him so he could tell us."

All eyes in the room were upon me, and I felt for the first time the gravity of my erroneous way. If I didn't find her, I had not just killed her but destroyed her kingdom.

"If you've nothing to say for yourself, Malfizan, I suggest you bring me to the Queen. She's first on our list of suspects."