course, I am sorry to hear about…what happened.’
‘It is done. I don’t wish to discuss it. Tell me your story.’
‘As you wish. For many years, after you’d been trained to a degree that I could no longer teach you anything of value, I was reassigned by your father. My skills were in demand throughout the world. I could fight. I could kill. I was worth twenty human men.’
‘You are one of the best.’
Morgan grunted. ‘Best? That’s a strange word to use for a half-daemon killer.’
‘Regardless. It is what we are. Let us not pretend otherwise.’
‘Perhaps, although I no longer think that.’
‘So what changed?’
‘I did, in all honesty,’ Morgan stared out into the darkness, his yellow eyes drinking in the city below. ‘I began to question everything. Small things at first - a particular mission, a specific target. Why had this person deserved to die like they did? What right did we have to take the life, regardless of if they were Aware or not.’
‘You asked questions?’
‘Too many. I challenged my orders. Reuben said he respected my decision, and wished to meet in person to talk further.’
Cade couldn’t help but smile. ‘Sounds like my brother. Did his definition of talking involve twenty of his most bloodthirsty warriors?’
‘At least,’ Morgan replied. ‘Of course, I wasn’t stupid. I knew this to be the case as soon as I received the summons. I did not attend the meeting.’
‘What happened then?’
‘A handful of brothers came to find me. I didn’t want to hurt them, you understand. They were following orders, just like I used to do.’
Cade turned away from the glass and leant his back against the frame. He folded his arms and pressed his hands together, his lips resting on the fingertips.
‘Let me guess,’ he said, ‘they would not listen to reason.’
Morgan glanced across at him. ‘I did not want to kill them, but they left me no choice.’
Cade placed a hand on his mentor’s shoulder. ‘You do not need to explain yourself to me. Not anymore.’
‘I do. You are First Sword now.’
Cade laughed. ‘First Sword? Of what?’ He waved a hand around the empty room. ‘Unless my sense is failing me there doesn’t seem to be anything left of the Brotherhood.’ He nodded when Morgan pulled a sullen face, ‘Present company excepted, of course.’
‘Cade, I lost the honour of wearing that title when I killed our kin, however I would follow you, even now.’
They stood in silence for a few moments. Months earlier, Cade would’ve been furious at Morgan’s revelation of betraying the Brotherhood and slaying his fellows. Hell, he would’ve hunted the man down himself if he’d known. At the time, one did not question the missions given by the Swords. They were followed without question.
Now, though? Morgan deserved praise. He recognised what the Brotherhood had become before anyone else had.
A Brotherhood of killers.
‘What are you thinking?’ Morgan said, after a time.
Cade sensed upwards. The girl was still awake, her aura agitated, flicking sporadically on the landing. She was trying her best to listen.
‘Okay, you left the Brotherhood,’ Cade said. He nodded towards the stairs. ‘What about her? What’s her story?’
Morgan’s face changed in an instant. Gone was the gaunt, sombre expression of a veteran from a thousand battles. His eyes lit up, a smile grew, stretching from ear to ear.
‘I spent many years travelling. Not seeking anything in particular. I kept away from the Brotherhood, from the Magistry, from all our kind. I did not seek conflict, I simply wanted peace. At last. It was during one particular trip that I encountered a young girl, barely a teenager. There’d been reports in the local press about her, about her “abilities” that had been attributed to a deal she’d made with some non-existent devil. Her community was God-fearing, and they kept her locked away, hoping to cleanse her of her “illness”.’
‘Let me
‘It is done. I don’t wish to discuss it. Tell me your story.’
‘As you wish. For many years, after you’d been trained to a degree that I could no longer teach you anything of value, I was reassigned by your father. My skills were in demand throughout the world. I could fight. I could kill. I was worth twenty human men.’
‘You are one of the best.’
Morgan grunted. ‘Best? That’s a strange word to use for a half-daemon killer.’
‘Regardless. It is what we are. Let us not pretend otherwise.’
‘Perhaps, although I no longer think that.’
‘So what changed?’
‘I did, in all honesty,’ Morgan stared out into the darkness, his yellow eyes drinking in the city below. ‘I began to question everything. Small things at first - a particular mission, a specific target. Why had this person deserved to die like they did? What right did we have to take the life, regardless of if they were Aware or not.’
‘You asked questions?’
‘Too many. I challenged my orders. Reuben said he respected my decision, and wished to meet in person to talk further.’
Cade couldn’t help but smile. ‘Sounds like my brother. Did his definition of talking involve twenty of his most bloodthirsty warriors?’
‘At least,’ Morgan replied. ‘Of course, I wasn’t stupid. I knew this to be the case as soon as I received the summons. I did not attend the meeting.’
‘What happened then?’
‘A handful of brothers came to find me. I didn’t want to hurt them, you understand. They were following orders, just like I used to do.’
Cade turned away from the glass and leant his back against the frame. He folded his arms and pressed his hands together, his lips resting on the fingertips.
‘Let me guess,’ he said, ‘they would not listen to reason.’
Morgan glanced across at him. ‘I did not want to kill them, but they left me no choice.’
Cade placed a hand on his mentor’s shoulder. ‘You do not need to explain yourself to me. Not anymore.’
‘I do. You are First Sword now.’
Cade laughed. ‘First Sword? Of what?’ He waved a hand around the empty room. ‘Unless my sense is failing me there doesn’t seem to be anything left of the Brotherhood.’ He nodded when Morgan pulled a sullen face, ‘Present company excepted, of course.’
‘Cade, I lost the honour of wearing that title when I killed our kin, however I would follow you, even now.’
They stood in silence for a few moments. Months earlier, Cade would’ve been furious at Morgan’s revelation of betraying the Brotherhood and slaying his fellows. Hell, he would’ve hunted the man down himself if he’d known. At the time, one did not question the missions given by the Swords. They were followed without question.
Now, though? Morgan deserved praise. He recognised what the Brotherhood had become before anyone else had.
A Brotherhood of killers.
‘What are you thinking?’ Morgan said, after a time.
Cade sensed upwards. The girl was still awake, her aura agitated, flicking sporadically on the landing. She was trying her best to listen.
‘Okay, you left the Brotherhood,’ Cade said. He nodded towards the stairs. ‘What about her? What’s her story?’
Morgan’s face changed in an instant. Gone was the gaunt, sombre expression of a veteran from a thousand battles. His eyes lit up, a smile grew, stretching from ear to ear.
‘I spent many years travelling. Not seeking anything in particular. I kept away from the Brotherhood, from the Magistry, from all our kind. I did not seek conflict, I simply wanted peace. At last. It was during one particular trip that I encountered a young girl, barely a teenager. There’d been reports in the local press about her, about her “abilities” that had been attributed to a deal she’d made with some non-existent devil. Her community was God-fearing, and they kept her locked away, hoping to cleanse her of her “illness”.’
‘Let me
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