Westward Ho! Or, The Voyages and Adventures of Sir Amyas Leigh, Knight, of Burrough, in the County of Devon, in the Reign of Her Most Glorious Majesty Queen Elizabeth by - (best books to read for self development TXT) 📕

Before he took the throne from the Immortal Ten, it was rarely used. A soul had to be completely unredeemable and far too dangerous to be allowed an afterlife, to be thrown into the Soul Destroyer. The place was reserved for the absolute worst beings.

He’d heard the Immortals whisper that overuse of it could throw off the balance of the realms, so he’d withheld himself. And yet, lately he had more and more difficulty not using it. When he saw a soul that was strong, confident, and capable… but would never bend to his will, he imagined what they would be like as a demon. Just another soldier in the war against me.

It was easier to flick them into the Soul Destroyer. When the world didn’t crumble around him, he began to accept something: the Immortal Ten may have lied about the consequences of using it too much.

And if they did, there’s nothing to hold me back now.

So, when he brought the soul of a man to hoover above The Soul Destroyer, he watched the Fate’s gaze move to it. The soul flowed with goodness, with strength. This man was capable of amazing things. He would never obey Caine.

He smiled. “Tell me how to get the God Finder from the druid.”

The Fate struggled to climb to her feet. Her legs and arms visibly shook. She slipped in her blood, falling several times, but at last stood. “I won’t keep helping you.”

His smile widened. “You don’t have a choice.”

Turning to the soul, he made a decision there and then. He would destroy it. What did it matter? And then he’d destroy another and another, however many it took to get the Fate to obey him.

No more threats, Fate. You’ll learn I’m a man without limits.

Moving his hand, he watched in satisfaction as the soul lowered closer and closer. The man began to scream as the blackness licked at him, tearing tiny pieces from him that would never exist again.

Caine closed his eyes, listening to the sound grow louder and more desperate.

“Stop it,” he heard the Fate shout.

“Tell me what I wish to know,” he whispered.

“And you’ll save him?”

“Perhaps not him. But the next one… maybe.”

Caine lowered the man even more and his blood-curdling screams were like music to his ears.

His guard shouted.

Frowning, Caine opened his eyes to see the Fate was racing across the room. Caine opened his mouth to give an order, to do anything, but it was too late.

She slammed into the soul, shoving it free of the Soul Destroyer. To his shock, she fell into the gaping black hole. She disappeared without a sound, leaving nothing behind.

“No!” he rose from his throne and scrambled as close to the dangerous hole as he dared.

The Fate was gone.

Had a living being ever been destroyed?

His pulse raced. Now, he would no longer know the future. He wouldn’t know where the angel and her demons would go next and he wouldn’t know how to steal the God Finder.

And what will happen in this world without one of the Fates? The thought made his head feel light.

Something within him whispered that there would be consequences.

Balling his hands into fists, he strode back to his throne. No! The Fate was not essential to his plan. She was nothing more than a tool. Sometimes tools broke and had to be thrown away. Her destruction meant nothing to him. And he might not know how to take the God Finder, but—

His smile returned. The easiest answer was that he could simply torture the druid. Everyone had a breaking point. And he would make it his goal to discover the traitor’s.

I haven’t lost all my precious tools… there is always Surcy. He’d look forward to another late night visit of forcing himself into her mind and pulling out her secrets.

He hummed to himself as he continued judging the souls.

5

Mark’s knees shook as he gripped the ancient relic that hung from around his neck and sent the image he’d seen into Surcy’s mind. She stiffened for an instant as the world swept away around them. For a few precious seconds he couldn’t breathe, and then they were standing in the desert, just outside of a massive city.

“Where are we?” Surcy asked, frowning.

He knew instantly, even though he wasn’t sure how. “Outside of Phoenix.”

“It looks like hell,” Daniel grumbled.

And feels like it.

He didn’t say a word, but he agreed. Already the sun was harsh overhead, and the sand stretching out until it reached the city looked miserable.

“We had better start walking,” Tristan said, his tone neutral.

He’s right. Even though I hate not knowing quite what trouble we’ll find.

They followed Mark’s lead, but instead of walking to the city, he turned and started toward the desert. He felt the indecision of the others, but they followed slowly behind.

Because they know I’m never wrong about where to find the Immortals.

The God Finder was a gift and a curse. It helped him to know where to go, like a man moving through a dream, but it also had consequences. Everything does.

He didn’t tell the others. They knew he was tired, but he couldn’t let them know that each time he used it the artifact took some of his life force. It frightened him, but not as much as the possibility that it could kill him before he saved all the Immortals.

Then, Surcy will never be safe. Nor will Tristan, Daniel, and the other demons.

So, he pushed back the exhaustion and fear he felt each time he used The God Finder and continued forward. Because his life meant nothing when it came to the well-being of the people he loved. And because this is what I was always destined to do.

The desert looked harsh and unforgiving. He skirted around small mountains of rock and strange cacti. Lizards scurried past as they walked, and every few