"Was that how he became the Dark One? He out-dealt the other Dark One?"
"Yes. It didn't hurt he's old enough that he's had time to build his power as well. When the timing was right, he had the advantages of strength and negotiating without the hindrance of mercy or a conscience."
She shivered. Darkyn didn't have compassion. He hadn't killed her, because of the bonds and a deal she made without knowing how important it was. An eternity with someone who was unable to care for her?
"If it helps, you are the only pure soul in Hell," Fate said, reading her expression. "If anyone can make him less … him, it's you."
"Great. I have no purpose but to make others' lives easier. Why is any of this happening?" she asked, throat tight. "Did I screw up somewhere along the line?"
Fate gazed at her for a moment. "Have you ever seen the web of a black widow?"
She shook her head.
"It's a disaster. Other spiders weave these beautiful, symmetrical, ethereal webs whose designs have been the inspiration for art and mythology for as long as there were spiders," he explained. "That is what people think of when I tell them about the chain of events. In truth, destiny is like the web of a black widow. Take all the webbing of a normal spider, wad it up and tangle everything together then attach it to random points. It's more of a cluttered box than a web. That's the real chain of events. I can follow the threads, but no one else can, and there's always the chance that something unexpected gets caught up in them. Sometimes it's even a surprise to me."
"Was I unexpected?" she asked.
"No. It's just an example. You were one of the first threads in this web."
"Then you admit to lying to me to make sure I was stuck in your web."
"I did what I had to in order to ensure the web never crashes down around the spider," he said. "This is what I do. Imagine trying to monitor zillions of these webs."
"Who is the spider in my web?" she demanded.
"Who says there's a spider? Those fangs are so sexy." His gaze was on her mouth. "You'll want to be careful when you go to the human world."
"Is that general advice or forecasting?" she asked, frowning.
He winked.
"You are so frustrating. Like every other deity I meet."
She wanted to ask him more, like what happened when her bet with Past-Death was up. It didn't matter, since she was bound to Darkyn, but she found herself wondering anyway. She didn't think she could trust anything he told her.