kneeling in the rain and crying,” the Seer continued. “Don’t let it sadden you. None of us can live forever.”
Brody drew in a shaky breath. “You should lie down and rest. You’ve overworked yourself because of this stupid soup—”
“That reminds me.” The Seer motioned toward the pot. “You should put the carrots in.”
Gritting his teeth, Brody took the chopping board over to the fireplace and shoved the sliced carrots into the soup.
“When I die, my daughter will inherit my gift.”
“What?” Brody turned toward the Seer.
“That is how it works with my people.”
“What people?” Brody stalked back to the table and sat across from the Seer. “You’ve lived here alone for as long as anyone can remember. Except for the years that I lived with you.”
“I am the last living male of my race. An ancient race of sorcerers. My father was a Seer, and his father before him. When my father died, the gift passed on to me. And now my daughter will receive it when I die.”
“You’re not going to die!”
Another tear rolled down the Seer’s wrinkled cheek. “I’m not afraid of death, boy. I’m more afraid that you will hate me when you learn the truth.”
A chill skittered down Brody’s spine. “What are you talking about now?”
More tears fell and the Seer leaned his bony elbows on the table and cradled his head in his hands. “My crime. I have to confess it to you before I die.”
“You’re not dying!”
“I’ve been dreading this moment for fifteen years. I’m so sorry. Everything that happened to you—it was all my fault.”
Brody sat back. “How could it be your fault, old man? You didn’t destroy my father’s ship. You didn’t cause everyone onboard to die. You didn’t put this damned curse on me!”
The Seer crumpled, his head falling onto the table as he cried, and instantly, Brody regretted yelling at him.
“I’m sorry.” He touched the man’s back and winced at the bones he could feel beneath his skin. “Don’t do this, Seer. Go to bed and sleep. You’ll feel better—”
“I was here alone from the age of twenty-five,” the Seer mumbled through his tears. “So many years of loneliness. So many years of despair. I saw no one for months at a time. I only saw death and destruction every night in my visions. They tormented me. Haunted me. I thought I would lose my mind.”
Brody rubbed the man’s back. “I’m sorry. It must have been hard for you.”
The old man lifted his head. “But then, all of a sudden, I had a good vision. I saw a change come over Aerthlan. Peace and prosperity took the place of violence and bloodshed.”
“That is good.” Brody wondered if the Seer had seen what was happening now.
The Seer shook his head. “No, it was bad. It taunted me. I could see the peaceful time in the future, but still, day after day, war and destruction wreaked havoc on the world. In my despair, I thought I could no longer stand by while innocent people were dying.”
He sighed. “In the end, it was my own vanity that caused my crime. I thought the good vision had been given to me because I was the one who could make it happen. If I was in charge, I could bring peace and prosperity to the world.”
“In charge?” Brody sat back, his nerves tensing. “You mean you wanted to rule the world?”
“It sounds terrible, doesn’t it?” The Seer slumped lower in his chair. “But at the time I thought it would be all right if I could rule with wisdom and kindness. Certainly better than the constant death and destruction I kept seeing every night in my visions. And who would be better equipped than I to see what problems might arise in the future? I would be able to solve those problems before they even happened.”
Brody swallowed hard. “But you didn’t do it . . .”
“Then she came.” The Seer pressed a hand to his chest and grimaced as if he were in pain. “She was so beautiful. In my loneliness, I opened my heart and mind to her. And she told me I was right. I was meant to rule the world. She would help me.”
An alarm went off in Brody’s mind.
“She knew powerful men on the mainland who would help me. Men who were sick of war and death. A kindly priest from Eberon and a general—”
“No!” Brody lurched to his feet, causing his chair to fall over with a clatter. A priest? Was