Velvet Cataclysm (Princes of the Underground 1)

He slowly rose to a sitting position. “Christina thinks you’re a sadist. I’m beginning to think she’s correct.”

Kavya chuckled and sat in an upholstered chair, smoothing his slightly soiled and singed orange robes. He spent much of his time isolated in his laboratory and often forgot the niceties, including clean robes, when he wandered back out into this blindingly lovely alien world. “I would say that Christina is spirited, but that’s a monumental understatement, as we both know.”

Saint said nothing and stood. He blinked and stared around the luxurious subterranean bedroom, as though wondering how he’d gotten there. Kavya suspected the memory of what led up to his misery struck him, because he shuddered visibly. He walked over to a table that held a pitcher, water and towels. He dampened a towel and wiped the blood-tears from his face.

“Where have you been for the past ten years?” he asked Kavya.

“Has it been so long?”

“Longer. I have been in need of your advice,” Saint said, his tone accusatory. “I have called you repeatedly with my mind.”

“Yes. In the matter of Teslar. He has found a means to grow more powerful.”

“He is harvesting fear in young, vulnerable humans. I believe he is convincing them to give their life freely to him. It makes their vitessence more potent.”

Kavya nodded. “Wise of you to realize it, Saint. Yes, Teslar’s discovered an ancient truth. The life given willingly offers the magician more power than merely stealing what is not his to take. Add to the mixture great fear, and an even more potent alchemical cocktail is created. Great magic is released when a being feels such overwhelming fear in the act, and yet still chooses to sacrifice their life willingly.”

Saint’s upper lip curled in disgust. “So, that’s what he’s doing to gain strength.”

“That...along with one other factor that you will have to discover for yourself.”

“Always speaking in riddles to me, aren’t you?” Saint asked bitterly.

Kavya shrugged. “It’s your journey, not mine.”

Saint closed his eyes briefly. Kavya sensed him trying to chase away his bitterness and grief so as to attend to what must be done. When he stared at Kavya a moment later, he felt the return of his charge’s normal tight focus.

“We are ready to stop Teslar, especially now that I have a means of finding him. The young woman who sleeps at Christina’s—Alison—I believe she knows the location of Teslar’s hideout in the tunnels. I have been training regularly with Strix, Isi, and Fardusk. Their skills have improved greatly. I can give one of them my heartluster,” he said, referring to the special silver sword that both he and Teslar carried. “But it would be better if you supplied me with another to give them.”

“The heartluster has been specially designed for the Sevliss princes and their clones,” Kavya said mildly, unfazed by Saint’s rising fury.

“Teslar has never been this blatantly methodical in his bloodlust. He forever hunts, but the Iniskium and I have curbed him through the centuries so that he resembles a natural predator. But he no longer feeds like an animal; he’s become a sociopathic murderer. How can you stand by and allow him to terrorize and kill those young people? How can you continue to refuse to let me finish him?”

Kavya picked at a chemical burn on his robes thoughtfully. “Have Isi, Strix, or Fardusk battled Teslar yet?”

“Isi has faced off against Javier several times. Isi only lives to kill Javier for turning Jane Farrant, his lover, into a revenant several years ago. Isi and Javier are well matched. Odds are, Isi will eventually kill him. He nearly did so in the subway tunnel tonight.”

“But Javier Ash is not Teslar,” Kavya said calmly. “Have any of your Iniskium warriors confronted your clone, Saint?”

“Only in a few brief tunnel skirmishes.”

“And?”

“If only you would allow me to destroy him!” Saint raged, and Kavya had his answer as to whether or not Saint’s three strongest Iniskium warriors were powerful enough to finish Teslar.

“Saint, we have discussed this too many times to count. There is a means of vanquishing Teslar, but only if you first acknowledge that the two of you are joined.”

“I acknowledge it daily,” Saint exclaimed, looking insulted. “Who knows better than I that we share the same parasitic nature?”

Kavya continued as if he hadn’t been interrupted. “Teslar and you are two sides of the same coin. He is evil, yes, but he is your dark self. Your shadow. If you cut him down, you destroy something in yourself. There is no telling what will happen to you. If you are weakened or killed in the process, who will keep the Scourge revenants in check?”

“Huh, let me see… How about you?” Saint bellowed.

“I’m afraid that would not serve my purpose. Controlling the Scourge is not a mandate that has been set in my blood, after all.”

Kavya smiled pleasantly in the face of Saint’s low, dangerous growl. “How is the boy?”

“He grows strong. He is much like his mother,” Saint muttered after several seconds.