Page 144 of Vasmora

Quiet sobs bled down the corridor, and Dolion followed them to a wooden door that creaked on its hinges when he opened it.

Inside the room, King Sagaerin gasped, backing himself against the far wall. “Who’s there! Guard!”

“Shhhh,” Dolion said.

Tapping his wrist three times severed the invisibility spell, and the king’s eyes widened before lowering to a glare. “How dare you come into my chambers! You should be dead!”

“Yes, well, all water under the bridge at this point. And I will not forgive you for trying to have me killed, old friend.”

“Why are you here? To gloat? To hear me say the mad mage was right the whole time?”

Dolion crossed the room toward one of the paintings—mages encircling the king and queen, their palms outstretched, light glowing from summoned glyphs. Meant to put the king at ease, but Dolion suspected Akmyrios had long conspired behind Sagaerin’s back. “No. I believe you knew quite well that this was a possibility. You chose to ignore it.”

“I did not! Dorjan didn’t die at the hands of Jeret. The Solassion King might be an arrogant prick, but he isn’t a fool. He died because something crossed over well before that boundary fell.” The king’s eyes wavered with tears. “Whatever it was took my boy. My only son.” He slid down the wall and turned away, pathetically curling into himself.

Behind Dolion, Allura materialized, wearing a look of sympathy.

If only Dolion hadn’t harbored centuries of bitterness, he might’ve felt the same toward the man. Shame, really. Sagaerin hadn’t always been so terrible. In fact, there was a time Dolion once believed he could’ve been a good king.

“Where is the amulet?” Dolion half-heartedly trailed his gaze over the surfaces in the room for the cursed relic, thinking the king wouldn’t be so foolish as to have it sitting out.

Sagaerin’s eyes narrowed on him. “Is that what you’ve come for? To steal away the amulet?”

“There may be a way to stop this.”

The king’s face wrinkled to a mask of bitterness. “It can’t be stopped.” He sneered. “Cadavros warned me, once the god awakened, he would seek out the royal sons! He won’t allow himself to be trapped again.” His lips quivered, eyes wavering with more tears. “It’s my fault. It’s all my fault.” Sagaerin broke into sobs, palms clutching his face. “My selfish and greedy nature … it cost me my only heir! My legacy!”

Thousands would soon die, and the man’s only troubling thought was his legacy.

“It’s true, then. You tied Dorjan’s soul to the amulet. To Pestilios.”

“I was tricked! By that snake, Cadavros!” He jabbed a pudgy finger into the air. “He told me of a vision of my son. That he would live to be king!” His lips quivered, and he snapped his attention away. “He was so certain of it, he convinced me to have the septomir destroyed. Oh, what remorse!” Lips flat, he shook his head. “And then you spoke of the plague. The Umbravale falling. You stirred panic and doubt in the king!”

“And look where we are now,” Dolion said coldly. “Hiding, in hopes the monsters never find you.”

Harsh pounding rattled the door, and King Sagaerin jerked, eyes widening. “Who’s there! Who is it?”

“Sir, a rather sizable crowd of civilians have gathered outside the gates. They’re demanding shelter inside the castle.”

The king withered into another broken sob.

“Give them shelter, or they will die,” Dolion urged, though he suspected they’d die anyway.

“I can’t. I can’t face them. They’ll blame me for this!”

“Then, face the blame! Spare your people, or by gods, you will go down in history as the most selfish cunt in all of Aethyria!” It wasn’t the first time Dolion had spoken to the king that way, but given the way Allura gasped behind him, perhaps it wasn’t his best choice of words.

“Sir! Should we allow them passage?”

Brows pulled tight, Sagaerin sat quietly for a moment.

“Sagaerin!” Dolion whisper-yelled. “Do not fail your people again.”

“On one condition,” he muttered. “On one condition!” The king jumped to his feet and charged toward the door, swinging it open.

Gaze sweeping Dolion and Allura, the guard on the other side of it frowned. “How’d the two of you get in here!”

“It’s fine. He’s fine,” the king dismissed, waving his hand in the air and settling the tension that pulled at Dolion’s muscles. “Release the berserker.”