itself. It didn’t. “I suppose I’ll have to go out and collect it.” He eyed her. “I don’t suppose you could be trusted to go get your own.”
“Yes. I absolutely can.”
He chuckled, the sound actual amusement and not evil mocking. “I will return.”
“I won’t eat your food,” Scout said as he turned to go.
Sighing, he turned back to her, raising his eyes heavenward as if pleading for patience. “Why ever not?”
“I’m not stupid, Ariston. I know the food will steal my soul.”
He stared at her for several seconds, as if waiting for her to come to the obvious conclusion on her own. She did, and felt a blush creeping up her cheeks. “If you wanted to steal my soul you would have done it already. Right.”
He smirked without malice and left, disappearing into the shadows.
“Why does he care if I eat? Why isn’t he torturing me?” she whispered.
“Because you bring him peace. The one and only thing he’s desired since Eleni died.”
“So what you’re saying is, if I don’t want my soul locked in a cage for eternity, I better not break my leg.”
Aella smiled, dangerously close to a grin again. “Yes, that would be wise.”
Ariston fed her. He brought the fruit and water back, purified it with his orb while she watched, and handed it to Scout. His soulless eyes watched her curiously as she devoured it.
She didn’t die, which was a bonus. “Don’t you eat?” she asked, hoping she didn’t have paper-tasting fruit juice dribbling down her chin.
“No. I do not eat.” Without another word, he left, leaving the orb behind to protect her.
Scout glanced at Aella. “This is gonna be a lot of fun.”
Chapter Thirteen
They settled into a routine. When the souls started to wail again, Ariston would ask her to dance. Scout realized that he fed off their pain, but not in a good way. When they hurt, he hurt. She could see it in the tightness around his eyes and mouth, the way his hands clenched and unclenched. Sometimes, she danced twice in one day, and those days hurt. Sometimes it was only one time. The days started to fade into each other until Scout lost track of how long she had been there. Sometimes, Lil Bit would whisper in her mind, and Scout realized it cost her little sister dearly to try to speak to Scout. She could feel Lil Bit’s exhaustion. So she tried to drive Lil Bit’s pain away, too.
Somewhere along the way, she realized Ariston wasn’t to be feared. He wasn’t to be hated. He was to be pitied. Because Ariston didn’t wish for world domination. He didn’t even wish to rule Paradesos.
He wished for death.
She settled into her blanket nest next to him after a particularly long dance. Her back and legs ached, and she rubbed them while spying on him from the corner of her eye.
“Can I ask you something?” she asked suddenly.
He lounged on his throne, staring at the cage, at nothing, at everything. He turned toward her, his shoulders tensing. “I don’t suppose if I say no you’ll care.”
“Why won’t you let them go?” Scout nodded toward the cage. Toward the souls whose hands fell lower and lower each day.
“Because without them, I can’t build an army to march on Paradesos. Honestly, Scout. Every time I think perhaps you’re more clever than I gave you credit for, you ask a question like that.”
“But you don’t want to rule Paradesos. You want to die.”
He stood abruptly and smoothed the front of his jacket. “If I want to die, Scout, I have to have a soul. My soul waits in Paradesos.” He whirled away and stormed from the room.
“He’s tried to kill himself. Many times. He cannot die,” Aella said, watching him go. There was no anger in her voice, only pity. She, who had more reason to hate Ariston than anyone, did not. She felt sorry for him, just as Scout was beginning to.
He did not bring her food that night. It made it easier to forget her pity and remember her hate.
****
“We’ve got to get closer. I can’t hear her
“Yes. I absolutely can.”
He chuckled, the sound actual amusement and not evil mocking. “I will return.”
“I won’t eat your food,” Scout said as he turned to go.
Sighing, he turned back to her, raising his eyes heavenward as if pleading for patience. “Why ever not?”
“I’m not stupid, Ariston. I know the food will steal my soul.”
He stared at her for several seconds, as if waiting for her to come to the obvious conclusion on her own. She did, and felt a blush creeping up her cheeks. “If you wanted to steal my soul you would have done it already. Right.”
He smirked without malice and left, disappearing into the shadows.
“Why does he care if I eat? Why isn’t he torturing me?” she whispered.
“Because you bring him peace. The one and only thing he’s desired since Eleni died.”
“So what you’re saying is, if I don’t want my soul locked in a cage for eternity, I better not break my leg.”
Aella smiled, dangerously close to a grin again. “Yes, that would be wise.”
Ariston fed her. He brought the fruit and water back, purified it with his orb while she watched, and handed it to Scout. His soulless eyes watched her curiously as she devoured it.
She didn’t die, which was a bonus. “Don’t you eat?” she asked, hoping she didn’t have paper-tasting fruit juice dribbling down her chin.
“No. I do not eat.” Without another word, he left, leaving the orb behind to protect her.
Scout glanced at Aella. “This is gonna be a lot of fun.”
Chapter Thirteen
They settled into a routine. When the souls started to wail again, Ariston would ask her to dance. Scout realized that he fed off their pain, but not in a good way. When they hurt, he hurt. She could see it in the tightness around his eyes and mouth, the way his hands clenched and unclenched. Sometimes, she danced twice in one day, and those days hurt. Sometimes it was only one time. The days started to fade into each other until Scout lost track of how long she had been there. Sometimes, Lil Bit would whisper in her mind, and Scout realized it cost her little sister dearly to try to speak to Scout. She could feel Lil Bit’s exhaustion. So she tried to drive Lil Bit’s pain away, too.
Somewhere along the way, she realized Ariston wasn’t to be feared. He wasn’t to be hated. He was to be pitied. Because Ariston didn’t wish for world domination. He didn’t even wish to rule Paradesos.
He wished for death.
She settled into her blanket nest next to him after a particularly long dance. Her back and legs ached, and she rubbed them while spying on him from the corner of her eye.
“Can I ask you something?” she asked suddenly.
He lounged on his throne, staring at the cage, at nothing, at everything. He turned toward her, his shoulders tensing. “I don’t suppose if I say no you’ll care.”
“Why won’t you let them go?” Scout nodded toward the cage. Toward the souls whose hands fell lower and lower each day.
“Because without them, I can’t build an army to march on Paradesos. Honestly, Scout. Every time I think perhaps you’re more clever than I gave you credit for, you ask a question like that.”
“But you don’t want to rule Paradesos. You want to die.”
He stood abruptly and smoothed the front of his jacket. “If I want to die, Scout, I have to have a soul. My soul waits in Paradesos.” He whirled away and stormed from the room.
“He’s tried to kill himself. Many times. He cannot die,” Aella said, watching him go. There was no anger in her voice, only pity. She, who had more reason to hate Ariston than anyone, did not. She felt sorry for him, just as Scout was beginning to.
He did not bring her food that night. It made it easier to forget her pity and remember her hate.
****
“We’ve got to get closer. I can’t hear her
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