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Yaelin gives a small smile. “Diazuul does not care about your Book of the Rules. In Azuria there are cruel punishments done in the eyes of your God Zai for even small crimes, floggings, mutilation, castration. You even punish people for who they take to bed. But that is nothing to do with Diazuul. He will gain his power through fear, whether that be blood sacrifices or imperial cruelty. It does not matter so long as his darkness is worshipped. But Sarelik Darek’s revolution, even the Azurian Empire, was all part of Diazuul’s plan. Azuria’s reverie made him stronger. As Azuria conquered more lands and charged those people to take Zai as their God. His power only grew. He grew so strong he could influence men in Urynwud to do his will.”

Tobi swallows, then says, “If Zai truly is the same demon that Irgo Harok killed. Zai is dead?”

Yaelin smiles again. A more unpleasant smile. “You think a God who was worshipped by an Empire could be killed by my son? An ordinary mortal man? Of course not. Harok did not kill Diazuul. It was all folly. No one should have even attempted such a thing. Such a foolish thing.” Yaelin shakes her head sadly. “Harok did exactly what Diazuul wanted him to do.”

Tobi frowns, trying to shape Yaelin’s words into the story he has been told. “But he had no choice, surely. Harok was made a blood sacrifice. He had to slay Diazuul to survive.”

“He did not slay Diazuul,” Yaelin says with a small flash of anger. As if she is growing impatient “And he did not need to. Harok had many supporters in Urynwud. He was the rightful Irgo. Lal’s son and named as heir. Vahul was a cruel usurper. Many were disgusted about the way Vahul treated Harok. Harok could have taken Urynwud back without allowing Vahul to name him as the sacrifice and have him cast into the pit. Just as Lal could have refused to allow the Blood Priests to sacrifice him. But Harok wanted his vengeance. He relished the idea of suffering those trials and leaping into that pit alive to slay the demon. He let it happen. Pretending to Vahul that he was the same honourable man his father was. Because he wanted to be cast into that pit.” Yaelin shakes her head. “And he was simply carrying out Diazuul’s own plan. Diazuul uses what men truly desire to twist them to do his will. Sarelik Darek wanted the end of the Hevelikar. Lal wanted to prove he was the meeting of the two great faiths of the forest. The Blood Priests wanted rid of Lal and his ties to the Verilissia. Vahul wanted to usurp his brother. Harok wanted his vengeance. All of them did what they wanted to do in service of Diazuul and his plot to rise again.”

Tobi frowns. “I’m sorry. I do not understand. What happened to Diazuul? What did Harok do?”

Yaelin says, “The Verilissia had been aware of the presence of Diazuul hidden among the roots of Susal-ur-Bellan for a long time. Long before Urynwud was built. It was the Verilissia who constructed the magic that kept him trapped in the pit below the sacred tree and prevented him from rising for thousands of years. Even when he convinced the Solwen he was their God, we kept him trapped. But through Sarelik Darek’s actions he grew strong. He began to influence the Solwen further. He had them make blood sacrifices to him, but that too was just part of his plan. He did not care about receiving such sacrifices, only what they would do. What they would allow Diazuul to do. What they could cause my son to do. Harok was rash, just as Diazuul knew he would be. And because of him, doing that demon’s will, Diazuul is close to freedom. Despite all the efforts of the Verilissia, Diazuul rises.”

Tobi shivers again. He wishes he still felt sure that Diazuul was just a story. That all Gods are just some kind of trick. But he is sure now that all Yaelin says is true. There really is a demon. A demon who grew strong by being worshipped as a God. First by the Solwen and then by all of Azuria. A demon who influenced the Solwen somehow to make blood sacrifices. Who manipulated things so Lal was sacrificed and his cruel brother took charge of Urynwud. All so Harok would leap into that pit and…

“So what did Harok do? How did he help Diazuul to rise?”

“What he did is why you are here.”

“Why I’m…”

“The Hevelikar were descended from those five princes who destroyed the Bellator. The race of demons that once ruled this world. Diazuul is a descendant of those demons. A remnant of that great fight. Sarelik Darek married a Hevelikar woman. You descend from that union. You have that ancient fae blood in you.”

“I know that,” Tobi says. “I have fae blood because I am descended from the Hevelikar who claimed to be fae. I have the silver in my eyes. It is a well known story.” Tobi pauses. “And because of that you think I can slay Diazuul? That is why I am here? Are you planning to cast me into that pit?”

Yaelin shakes her head. “Diazuul is not in that pit.”

“Diazuul is not slain and not in that pit? Then where is he?”

“Diazuul’s own body was part of the prison that kept him trapped in the roots of Susal-ur-Bellan. The magic that bound his body to that tree. Harok slayed that body and freed Diazuul’s spirit. It rose out of that pit when Harok did. Inside him. Diazuul took his body. The demon is still inside my son.”

Tobi stares at her. “Harok is a demon? Harok is Diazuul?”

Yaelin nods, but says, “Not entirely. The creature shares his body. It lives within him like a curse. He is strong. He has fought that demon inside him for more than twenty years. I carved that mark on his chest so his body could be Diazuul’s new prison, locking that creature inside. But Harok is a mortal man. And no man’s body can have the power of that sacred tree. My marking is growing too weak to fight Diazuul. The demon will find a way, soon, to take full control of him.”

“What will happen to Harok then?”

“He will die. He will die and his body will live on, only as Diazuul.”

Tobi is shaking. He doesn’t know where to begin with his racing thoughts. All this time Harok has been part demon, fighting a demon trying to gain control of him. He looks down at Harok’s face. Since he was sixteen summers. He‘d had to find a way to fight it. He’d let his mother carve that mark on him, but how much had that helped? How much had been Harok’s own iron will.

I am strong Irgo.

He’s said it like a mantra. He had to believe it true. “What can I do? You said I can help him. What can I do?”

“You can help him. It had to be you. With your blood. A descendant of the five fae princes. Bonded to my son by sharing his bed. Believing the truth of what you do. You can end Diazuul.”

“How?” Tobi says, his voice sounds desperate. He feels so lost. He understands little of this, but if he can help Harok, he will. He will do whatever Yaelin commands of him.

Yaelin speaks even more slowly. As if she wants to be sure Tobi understands every word. “The only way to stop Diazuul rising again in Harok’s body is to kill Harok.”

Tobi stares at her. “No,” he says. “No. How could that work? Wouldn’t that just free Diazuul again?”

Yaelin shakes her head. “Not if it happens in the right way. If Harok dies whilst he is in control of himself, whilst his will is controlling Diazuul, the demon will not be able to leave his body. It will be trapped inside. And die with him. But it is not a simple matter. The demon has great power to protect the body that contains it. He has kept Harok alive, not allowing him to die. But he cannot fight against you. If you were to kill Harok with the same sacred blade that he used to slay the demon, Demonica, the great sword of the forest. Harok will die and take that creature with him.”

Tobi looks to the end of the bed, where Harok’s shed clothing lies. His sword and belt are laid beside his breeches, cloak and harness. “Demonica,” Tobi says softly.

Yaelin nods. She rises from her chair and collects the sword. She glides back over to the bed and presents it to Tobi saying, “It must be you, kushir. Unless you do it the demon will take him over completely. And when that happens it will be too late. I do not know how much time there is left. You're the last hope for all of Urynwud. You must slay Harok and the demon inside him.”