With her death, the Seer meant. He might be a blind spot for her, but she could still sense his attachment to his daughter. His hope for her. Insightful, this creature.
“She must be subtly directed,” the Seer said. “You do want her to help destroy the elves’ hold on the Realm, correct?”
He huffed a somewhat bitter laugh. “You will have a job manipulating her.”
“I will not be manipulating her. I will be manipulating everyone around her. She is the most important piece of this battle. Reagan will finish the job that young Charity started when she brought about change. When she pushed the fae on this path. Reagan will be the one to initiate victory. I see spilled blood.” She paused and furrowed her brow. “But that is it. I have no idea of an outcome. You must have a piece in this. You must. I just cannot See it.”
Lucifer narrowed his eyes slightly. He wasn’t following. He also wasn’t sure how much sanity this creature was hanging on to.
“He is the only chance you have at keeping her on the right path,” she continued. “Which is the only chance you have at keeping her in your life. And you are the only chance they have at having a family. Do you see? Everyone has a vested interest here, and to get to the end result we desire, we cannot follow the path of the righteous. We must follow the path of the villain.”
She had to be talking about Durant, then. Reagan wouldn’t want to sire children with anyone else. She’d made her attachment to the vampire abundantly clear.
“And…you will instruct him on which path to direct her to?” Lucifer asked.
“Of course not. She will guide him. You will need help from another.”
His patience was starting to wear thin. “And who will that be?”
“A vampire who loves to straddle sides. One you would’ve caught had you not let Reagan go when she was escaping the Underworld. The villain to crown all villains. She is rooting for Reagan, as you are rooting for Reagan, but self-interest is her only motivation.”
He stilled. That was useful information. She referred to the vampire who had left the Underworld shortly after Reagan’s departure. The vampire had somehow moved through his kingdom undetected. He had hoped his daughter had another powerful ally, but apparently not.
This infestation would need to be dug out by the root. It was clear it would need to be him who did it. He had more skill than Reagan at dealing with meddling, dangerous creatures. More experience, at any rate.
“And what is in it for you?” he asked. “All this for a place to stay when it is all over? Mind you, your people will be able to find you in the Underworld, as Reagan would like to keep the borders open.”
“They can find me if they want. I don’t care. They’ll walk in, but they’ll limp out. I’d like to retire. I want that blindness you spoke of. But that’s not why I do this. This is my purpose. Your daughter, who has not known peace of her own, will need to bring peace to others. She is the key to the prosperity of all the worlds. If she dies, we will all be thrown into darkness. I do this for her, and for us all. Sometimes to walk in the light, you need to first travel through the darkness.”
“Why would you hide this from her?” he asked. “The woman I know would probably prefer the villainous approach.”
“She would, but…it’s complicated. My voice carries very little weight with Reagan. It has to do with a torturous situation.”
He’d had about as much circuitous talking as he could take. “Fine. Send this vampire to me. I will see what can be done.”
“There are two things I need first, however.” She held up a crooked finger. “In addition to being able to See you.”
“A deal with the devil? How droll.”
“Yes. One, if Reagan should ask you to turn the vampire Vlad over, you must do it, whatever the cost.”
He smiled and put up his hands. “Easily done. I enjoy betraying creatures that think too highly of themselves. Two months ago, I had planned to kill him, so really, in the grand scheme of things, he’s making out quite well. I will first need to use his forces, however. I need those numbers.”
Her eyes got a faraway look, and her gaze roamed into the sky. “If Vlad is delivered to Reagan, then Darius will need to make a choice. A choice that, if incorrect, could ruin their future.”
“What is this choice concerning?”
She blinked at him. “Something about Darius’s shared past with Vlad. I can’t get a clear picture.”
“And the outcome we are hoping for?”
“No clue.”
“Dare I ask whose future? Reagan’s or Darius’s or Vlad’s…”
She just shook her head. He stilled in annoyance.