There was a lot implicit in that question that Lindon couldn’t address, but he could at least answer her main concern.
“Apologies. I put it like that because I thought it would intrigue you. I think, if we get the plans to your Book of Eternal Night, then we can disable the protections that prevent you from accessing pages you can’t handle.”
Dross projected a picture into the air: hand-drawn notes and diagrams in Lindon’s handwriting.
“I destroyed these after Dross memorized them,” Lindon continued, “but they’re based on my analysis of Pride’s Book and what I’ve seen of yours. It’s not the inherent nature of the power itself that stops you from opening pages beyond your ability, which is what I’ve always assumed; in theory, you could have opened the seventh page as a Lowgold.”
Dross drifted into existence, staring at Mercy with an eye that was now a darker purple than hers. [You would have been reduced to less than a memory in an instant if you had. You want to see my rendition?]
Mercy shuddered. “That’s another good point. Won’t that kill me?”
“There are a lot of possible outcomes besides death,” Lindon hedged. “You’re an Overlady now, not a Lowgold. But anyway, the point isn’t to let you fight like a Herald now, it’s to advance you as soon as possible. All the potential power you need to make it to the peak of your stage is in the Book; if we can access it, you can make it to the peak of Overlord as fast as you can process the madra. Maybe by tonight.”
Lindon watched a war on Mercy’s face. She was clearly fighting concerns he knew nothing of, some of which he could guess, and others he couldn’t. She bit her lip, shifted her gaze, looked into his eyes, appeared to be about to say something, and then looked away again…all in the span of a second.
[She’s hesitating,] Dross whispered into Lindon’s mind. [Convince her!]
I don’t feel like your motives are pure, Lindon thought back.
[I have a bet with myself that she will turn inside-out. But I have grown fond of Mercy, so if she lives, I am pleased. And if she dies, I am entertained. My plan has no flaws.]
Lindon tried not to scowl at Dross while Mercy wrestled with herself.
Finally, she looked him in the eye and asked, “Why?”
“I promised that I wouldn’t let you stay behind me,” he said. "I won’t fight alone again.” Belatedly, he added, “If you’re willing, of course.”
She relaxed, but she kept searching his eyes. “Lindon, can you…you don’t have to swear a real oath or anything, but…you’re not trying to bring down my family, are you?”
Lindon hesitated.
She had phrased that question in a way he could answer honestly, but if he did, it would be incomplete. He could tell her with one hundred percent sincerity that he had no intention of destroying the Akura clan, but leave out that he thought he might have to work against Malice.
Intentionally or not, she’d left him a way out.
“I don’t want to,” he said. “But I might have to fight…”
He tried to add “your mother” onto the end of that sentence, but his oath stopped him. He wanted too badly for her to pick up the clues and follow them to the truth.
“…your family,” he finished.
She didn’t step back in disgust, as he’d feared. She laid one black-gloved hand on him with hurt and regret in her eyes. “I’m so sorry about the way we’ve treated you, Lindon. Believe me, I know how my family can be. But we’ve fought together so much, and I know we’re on the same side. Can you give me the chance to prove it to you?”
With a frustrated sigh, he sank into the chair behind him…then he sprang up. “Pardon, that’s your chair.”
“I don’t mind!”
“No, it’s…” He ran a hand through his hair, then settled on the easiest track. “I swore an oath.”
She looked at him blankly. “Not to sit in my chair?”
“…no.”
If the oath had a list of things he couldn’t say, then he would have figured out a way around it immediately. But it triggered based on his intentions, meaning he could only stretch it so far.
And, as he learned long ago, oaths were stronger when made between more powerful souls. His oath was like a living thing, a spirit wrapped around his throat.
[Oh sorry, that was me,] Dross said, taking his tentacle from around Lindon’s neck.
Lindon didn’t explain anything more to Mercy, letting her come to her own conclusions. A moment later, she did.