Page 34 of A Sword of Shadow and Deceit

Had I been unintentionally discovered? No, if I had, they likely would’ve come for me already. Or … would they? If their end goal was to have me kill a God or Mortal God, they’d want to keep their involvement as secret as possible. Ophelia had taken quite a long time to train me so even if I am discovered here, I’m confident in my ability to escape.

Still … things can always go awry—the best-laid plans are, after all, ones you survive long enough to see in hindsight.

I resolve to contact Ophelia via Regis later to follow up on the Terra assignments as I quickly finish my plate, polishing it clean in under five minutes. Niall watches in a mixture of horror and confusion as the food on my plate rapidly disappears and he still sits with the remainder of his meal.

“Thank you for helping me get food,” I say, wiping the back of my mouth with the edge of my sleeve. “And for that information, I’ll be sure to return the favor.”

“You don’t have to—Where are you going?” Niall asks abruptly as his head snaps back and I stand up from the table.

“Classes should be starting soon and I need to find the right building,” I say. “Good luck on your first day.”

The clatter of his fork, as he drops it on the edge of his plate, pierces my ears as he reaches forward and snags my jacket sleeve. “Wait!”

I pause, looking down at him—pointedly staring at his fingers locked onto the fabric of my uniform until he gets the point and releases me. “C-can you wait for me?” he asks hesitantly as he dips his head. “I’ll finish fast, I was just h-hoping we could walk to the classroom building together.”

I consider his request. No doubt he’s nervous for his own first day and he did, after all, give me information about why the Terra were avoiding me on top of procuring my breakfast for me. “I suppose so,” I answer rather lamely after a moment.

If Niall is put off by the pause before my answer, he certainly doesn’t show it. In fact, before I even speak, as if he’s anticipating my denial, he hurriedly scoops up several mouthfuls of food, shoveling them into his mouth until his cheeks bulge out like a squirrel’s. I watch, giving him just enough time to finish his meal as I hover nearby.

Choking down the food still in his mouth, Niall jerks up from the table, snatching his plate and stealing mine from my hands before hurrying off to where they’re supposed to be left after we’re done with them. I contemplate taking the opportunity to sneak away despite my acquiescence to walk to class with him, but I remain in place until he returns with a flushed face and relief etched into his expression.

“Oh good, you didn’t leave.” He sighs and then gestures for me to step ahead of him towards the exit.

“You asked me to stay,” I remind him, peering at him curiously as we start walking.

Niall ducks his head but peers at me out of his periphery as we stride for the exit and head from the Terra amenities to our next destination. “A lot of Terra don’t seem to be too welcoming of newbies,” he replies. “So, I figured we newcomers should stick together.”

“Ah,” I crane my head back and release a light laugh. “That explains it.”

Curls swish over his ears as he turns to look at me. “Explains what?”

“Why you’re being so friendly with me,” I say.

“Is there anything wrong with that?” he asks.

My smile hardens a bit as it falls into place, held there with no little effort. The only friend I’ve ever had is Regis. He’s someone I don’t have to lie to, someone who knows my reality from my bloodline to my trade. A friendship built on lies is nothing but a crumbling house, and here is a boy so readily offering it despite the fact that he’s already been warned that I’m in a position that could be dangerous to him. It feels a bit too easy, and anything too easy is never good.

Instead of answering, though, I simply keep walking, my long legs eating up the distance. Behind me, I hear the telltale sounds of Niall’s breathlessness as he huffs and hurries to keep pace with me. It’s clear that, despite his tall frame, his lankiness is due to malnourishment and inactivity. He’s definitely going to have to increase his stamina if he’s going to keep up. Maybe staying in the Academy will be good for him. At least he’ll have his meals provided for him; they won’t allow him to starve.

“So, what are they like?” Niall asks abruptly, revealing the real reason he asked to walk with me. I chuckle and don’t even attempt to not know who he means.

“They’re Mortal Gods,” I say with a shrug. “They’re just like the others, I guess.” I cut a path out of the building and head down a set of stone stairs into a barren courtyard. Unlike the courtyards meant for Gods and Mortal Gods, with lush greenery and cloth tents to protect frolickers from the burning sun, the courtyards of the Terra buildings are merely a formality. The stone statues are meant to remind us who we’re here to serve and worship. Plaques with each God’s name etched into the bottoms of their likenesses.

“I told you that my charge was a Second Tier,” Niall chatters on. “Her name is Maeryn. She’s quite kind—far kinder than I expected. Maybe that’s because she’s a Second Tier. I’d heard from some of the Terra that Mortal Gods could be cruel, but obviously not all of them are if she’s so sweet. She even thanked me. Can you believe it? A Divine child thanking me?”

Niall’s words run together. “She even showed me some of her powers. Apparently, we’ll be learning about Mortal Gods and their abilities in some of their classes. Her mother is a Lower God of Music, but Maeryn doesn’t have the same abilities as her. I had a gash on the back of my arm from moving some boxes and she noticed, so she offered to…”

His words fade as my footsteps slow in front of a particularly large statue. It’s bigger than the rest and stationed in a place that seems more noticeable than the others within the circular courtyard. At my side, the buzzing sound of Niall’s voice remains a constant—though I’m no longer listening. My entire attention is fixed on this statue.

The man it depicts is barrel-chested with a long beard that reaches the center of his wide pecs. He looks like the lumberjacks of the Hinterlands that chop wood for sale in the smaller towns. Big, muscular, gruff. His upper body remains naked and the lower half is covered by draping clothes. None of that sets me on edge. The thing that does, is the circlet adorning his head. It’s not ornate nor is it large. It’s a rather simple band, the stone version crafted perfectly to not flatten his hair as it might if he were real. None of the other God statues have the same circlet.

It’s just a statue, I tell myself, but the expression on the God’s face is incensing. Almost as if this inanimate object is looking down upon me and everyone that passes by. It’s impossible, I know, but I swear the longer I stare, the wider his wicked grin grows.

“Kiera?” Niall’s voice sounds distant—far away. I want to respond, but I can’t. I’m held captive in this space as I stare at the man.

He’s just a man. But that’s not true. He’s not just a man. He’s a Divine Being. Is he watching me now through the statue’s gaze? Is that possible?

"Oh wow, would you look at that…” I finally break through my reverie and peer over at my companion. Niall gapes up wondrously at the statue.

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