Page 4 of The Blood of Gods and Monsters

Kiera Nezerac will not die. I’m not done exploring her yet.

“Kalix.” Ruen’s sharp whispered bark pierces my thoughts and brings me back to the present. Already at the wall of dead foliage we use to slip in and out undetected, he gestures me forward with a furrowed brow. “Come on,” he snaps. “If you want to catch up with them then we need to hurry.”

I don’t speak as I follow him through the opening he’s created, a real thing to the illusion that hides it. Together, we come out along the other side and the tingle of Ruen’s power spills over me as one of his illusions clings to my cloak and hides me from view just as I assume it is for him. With it in place, we don’t look back or worry that the sentries will spot us as we head into the city of Riviere.

Only once I glance back, spying the fires along the Academy walls. At any point, we could have left this place. We could have disappeared into the world and never again had to bow to the whims of our Sire and the Gods he belongs to. There is something powerful, though, something sinister and pleasing about staying when you can leave. They think they can control us, but nothing ever can.

Well, perhaps not nothing…

The image of a Terra, a lying little thief and secret that should not exist emerges once more in my mind’s eye. This time, however, the taint of death isn’t upon her. She is life itself. Blood and madness and a storm so brilliant that I cannot recall a moment where I did not desire her, where I did not crave to take her and break her open just to see if her blood runs as red as the rest of ours.

Minutes pass into an hour as Ruen and I speed into the city. We hit the streets, deserted after dark save for the few who still linger on the cobblestones in darkened corners—whores fucking in alleyways and drunks stumbling home from the taverns.

“Up.” That one word is all I need and together, Ruen and I leap for the rooftops. It’s far easier to make our way across the layout of Riviere this way. I lift my eyes to the night sky even as my hood cloaks my face. The moon hangs with an illuminating glow above our heads, reminding me of Kiera. The color like her hair, and the soft shiny smoothness, her face.

My brother’s scent hits me. “We’re close,” I announce.

Ruen nods his agreement. A moment later, I spy the shadow of Kiera—her long hair glowing brightly under the moonlight—as she dashes across the street and into one of the several rows of dilapidated townhouses across from an open alley.

Theos’ scent is stronger here. Ruen and I dive off the rooftops and head towards the alley. Just as I knew he would be, Theos steps in front of us a moment later, his face twisted with irritation.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” he demands, arms crossed.

Ruen nods to me. “Kalix wouldn’t stay back and I had to ensure he didn’t cause any trouble.”

My smile is vicious and full of teeth when Theos turns his accusing eyes on me. “Sure, Ruen,” I say around my grin, “blame me, but we both know you wanted to see this through as well.”

He doesn’t reply, not that I expect him to. Theos uncrosses his arms and shoves a hand into his hair. The hood of his cloak falls back. His eyes span over our shoulders towards the townhouse. “She went inside a moment ago,” he says, not even bothering to chastise either of us further—almost as if he expected that we would follow. Perhaps he did.

As one, the three of us turn to face the building across the street. Though the front is dark, I sense light further inside and know if I close my eyes and focus my senses hard enough, I’ll be able to pinpoint how many await us.

“She wanted me to wait here.” Theos’ words are ripe with amusement. Yes, maybe he did know that we would be along behind them because otherwise, he would already be where I know we’ll end up—at her side.

I step from the shadows of the alley and stare upward. Ruen sighs and follows as does Theos. Little minds twist out of the darkness, reaching for me—curious and nervous. My smile turns wicked.

Until my interest wanes, there is nowhere Kiera Nezerac can go that I will not follow, nowhere that I cannot find her.

Chapter 3

Kiera

Fate is a fickle creature. Men say Fate is a woman and women say it is a man. It is neither. That much I do know. Fate is its own gender, neither one nor the other, but it is fickle regardless of which sex receives the blame.

If my father taught me anything, it is that fate will choose if you do not. It is both clean and dirty, bloodied and innocent. It is all things and we are its servants.

My father’s words echo in the back of my mind as I stare across the room at the man—the God—who stands there. All of the actions I’ve chosen, the survival I’ve clawed from the world, have led me here. No amount of obligation or duty would have changed this outcome, I think.

In the end, we are but Gods and monsters in the face of Fate’s ultimate choice, and that cruel beast has tricked me. I thought I was making my own choices. Now, reality is punching me in the face. Nothing that I’ve done was of my own choice. I was bound to this path all along.

At least, that is what Caedmon’s eyes say.

I stare at the God of Prophecy for several long seconds despite the fact that I didn’t come here for him. In fact, I hadn’t expected that he would be here at all. Why would I? He should be back at the Academy, none the wiser that I had slipped out from behind its prison-like walls.

The fact that he’s standing across from me in the poorly lit secret room beyond the quarters I’d thought Madam Brione kept for herself is more than a little unsettling; it’s confusing. And if he’s here, then that means he knows. He knows who—what—I am, and that makes all of us well and truly fucked. Or at least, we should be.

I look to the lone woman in the room other than myself—completely ignoring Carcel’s irritated and narrow-eyed expression as he stands on Caedmon’s other side. Ophelia’s gaze is enigmatic with no hint of what the fuck is going on, no explanation for the reason behind the God’s presence.

Caedmon clears his throat, a decidedly human sound that has my eyes flashing back to him. Just like that, Ophelia’s presence becomes little more than a blight in the back of my mind as I fix my attention solely on the most dangerous presence in the entire room. My skin tingles with awareness and without thinking, I reach for the lone blade strapped to the small of my back.

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