"You have no idea how it feels to be able to will something into existence, even temporarily. The draw to the power is irresistible. But it's not an endless supply. I've seen the edge of these woods. They end, and there's nothing more beyond them. When I burn through them, there will be no more left. At the end, I'll have created an army that has to destroy, is made for destruction, but has no opponent. No aim. Can you imagine what happens then?"
"Anarchy," I say. "They'll turn on each other. And you. You're destroying yourself."
"Utterly. Now you know why I can't stay here."
"Sucks for you. But you're not going anywhere."
"You wouldn't say that if you could see Daryn and me together."
"Why did you show me this? Do you expect me to be impressed? You want me to congratulate you on creating the evil army you've always wanted? Well congrats, man. You're on your way to world domination. Best of luck with this shit show.
"You know how pathetic you are, right? You do realize you'll lose control of this? Even if you do get out of here with your Harrows, you're never going to be satisfied. You're always just going to be a miserable demon, trying to find meaning in all the wrong ways. You wouldn't know happiness if it stared you in the face, Samrael."
He almost looks confused, or like what I just said actually cut deep. Then he shakes his head like he's coming out of a mental fog.
"I don't care what you think of me," he says defensively. "Now move, rider. I have to get back. I'm meeting Daryn for dinner."
As we retrace our steps through the corridors, I barely notice the aches in my leg. Something keeps nagging at me. By the time I'm back in my cell, I can't stop thinking about it.
"Daryn has seen her mother twice in hauntings," I say as he turns the key, locking me back in. "But I've never met her mother. I have no idea what she looks like, or how she speaks-none of that." I think of the couch and the canoe-other things that we came across that I've never seen before. "There's no way you got that information from me."
Samrael smiles. "Ah, good. You're paying attention. Keep going. You're almost there. If I wasn't the one, then who … ?"
"Daryn." The blood in my veins freezes over. "She can do what you can. Conjure things."
"Correct. She's been doing so inadvertently. She did it only yesterday. She gave me back my wings for a moment, and didn't even realize she'd done it. And you'll recall the yellow house? Where your father died? I had something special planned for you. Everyone who matters to you was going to be on that roof. Your father, your mother. Your twin sister. Daryn and your friends. Imagine how you'd have felt, seeing the end of all of them, one by one. Stepping off that roof. Powerful, isn't it? We both know your father's death has haunted you so. But before I could complete my vision, she interfered. She saw your worst fear and, I can only suppose, imagined her own. Imposed it. That haunting wasn't only my doing, Gideon. It was ours. Me and Daryn."
"Daryn would never have wanted to see what we saw."
"Of course not. But that's a conscious decision. The subconscious mind is a deep-running current. People are rarely fully aware of their thoughts. But she'll discover the truth eventually. Soon, she'll know about herself. Then she'll put the rest together and know about me. I can't allow that to happen. I need her trust to get out of here. And I need it because … " He pauses. "It's become important to me."
"You want her trust, so you're going to keep lying to her? Good approach."
"It's flawed. Believe me, I know it is. If there were an alternative, I'd take it."
"I've got an alternative. Open this gate and I'll show it to you. I can do better than just conjure your death. I can make it real."
He smiles. "Well. I imagine you'll only be more motivated when you see your horse-or I should say, don't see him? He was making too much noise, Gideon. I made plans earlier to have him taken elsewhere. I couldn't risk Daryn hearing him upstairs."
I look to Riot's cell. It's empty.
Samrael walks away as I lose my mind.
CHAPTER 39
DARYN
90. Arriving at a very difficult conclusion, after much thought and consideration.
I close my journal and set it on the nightstand. Then I sit back against the pillows and watch the last glowing embers in the fireplace.
I believe Rael.
At dinner tonight, we had great conversations again.
He talked openly about his regrets. How he's used people. Manipulated them. Hurt them.