so caught up in the belief you know best. But if you did, you and Tyrande would not have let those disgusting murderers back among us! There is only one future for the Highborne and it is one you will share!”
Maiev drew a dagger from her belt. She eyed it fondly. “You see this? This is special. I saved it for your brother, but never got the chance to use it. It was taken from me before I was tossed into the Warden’s Cage in Outland, and I was not able to retrieve it until after his defeat at the Black Temple. I wanted his death to be very slow, so that he would have time to understand why he had to be punished. You and he are twins, all right! Not just by birth, but by arrogance!”
She threw the dagger. Malfurion watched it fly toward him and expected his end. Yet, at the very last moment, the dagger veered of its own accord and flew past his head.
“Illidan re-creates the Well of Eternity after all the damnation it caused us! Why? Because he claimed it was for the good of our people! Then he joined the demons, becoming one of them in nature as well as form! Why? Because he again claimed that it was best for our survival to become our enemies and use their own evil against them!” she scoffed. “We know how well that turned out . . . and how false his words always were. . . .”
Maiev held her hand to the side. The dagger landed in it, handle first. She studied it again, seeming to find it very fascinating. “We could have been saved so much trouble where your brother was concerned, but you worried about him more than the rest of our race. You set him on us, Archdruid, as sure as if you had unlocked his prison yourself . . . and that is only one of your crimes. . . .”
There was no doubt in Malfurion’s mind that Maiev was mad and had probably been mad for a long time. Adept throughout her life at surviving, she had been clever enough to hide that fact, acting as she knew Tyrande and he expected of her.
“I learned a number of tricks over the millennia, you know. I could not have survived your brother’s tender mercies if I had not.” Her eyes grew hollow for a moment as she dwelled in dark memories. “Picked up a few gifts like this dagger and learned some abilities necessary to trap demons . . . and Highborne. I have sacrificed so much, but it will all be worth it. I realized that this was the day I was working for, cleansing our people of the Highborne’s taint once and for all and removing your foul influence at the same time. . . .”
She replaced the dagger, then simply stared at her prisoner for several seconds. To Malfurion, it was almost as if Maiev no longer saw him, no longer believed he existed.
Jarod’s sister started talking again, only now her tone was more friendly. “I have to leave you now, Malfurion. I have guests I must attend to. Archmage Mordent and his associates are dying to know why I have asked them to come, and I do not want to disappoint them. . . .”
Malfurion tried to keep her attention, if only for the sake of the Highborne. He knew that her intentions for the spellcasters were of the lethal kind.
“Do not fret,” she jested. “When I am done with them, I will give you my personal attention. I promise, you will not feel slighted. I have chosen a special place where you will be jailed for your crimes just as your brother was.” Maiev’s tone grew even more contemptuous. “A cozy place where, since you saw so fit to make us mortal, you can gradually rot to death. . . .”
That said, Maiev performed a mock bow, then departed. Malfurion waited, but she did not reappear in his line of sight. He was definitely alone.
Throughout the entire time, the archdruid had been trying to find some weakness of which he could make use, but Maiev’s trap was thorough. Yet, he kept trying. He had no choice. It was very clear that Maiev fully intended to slaughter Mordent and several others. The other assassinations had been but tests and taunts. Now she had the confidence that she would be able to take on the leadership of