Page 188 of Storm of Secrets and Sorrow

“Yes, but how do you know so much about dragons?”

“What do you know about the dragons?”

“Nothing really,” she admitted. “I knewofthem in the sense that they were a being of other worlds, but I never really gave them much thought until I learned he was one.”

“Partially. More than a halfling, but not a full-fledged dragon,” Auryon said.

“Again, how do you know all that?”

“I do my research to make sure I am adequately prepared for a job,” she answered. Tessa started to ask another question, but Auryon pressed a finger to the book Tessa held as she said, “And my job is to adequately prepareyoufor what you will face.”

“I thought your job was to tell me about Devram? The things Fae lessons leave out.”

“It is. What do you see?”

Tessa focused on the book, surprise coursing through her as she found the page with various shapes. Some were spheres, while others appeared to be flat planes that simply ended. Another looked like several islands clustered together, as if they were islands in the sky.

“Are these…other worlds?” Tessa asked, somewhat in awe as she brought the book closer to her face.

“They are,” Auryon agreed. “And before I can tell you about Devram, you need to know about this one.”

She tapped the page atop one of the spheres. Beside it, in a neat print, was the nameSiadrin.

“The realm of the gods?” Tessa asked.

She knew the name. It was taught in their early history. The world the gods inhabited and where Achaz ruled as the god of gods. She’d simply never given it much thought otherwise considering the gods did not interfere with Devram.

“You know it. Good,” Auryon said, something pleased in her voice. “What else do you know?”

“Aren’t you supposed to be teaching me?”

“Yes, but what is the point of teaching you something you already know?”

That was a good point.

“I know that at some point, the gods became bored and started having children with mortals. The descendants of those demigods are the Legacy, and they feared them someday becoming too powerful. So they created Devram,” Tessa recited dutifully.

“While eloquently stated, there are some points we need to correct,” Auryon said. She’d grabbed another book, holding it out to Tessa.

Setting the first aside, she took it. She scarcely glanced at the picture before saying, “This is Silas, god of the earth and land.”

“It is. He was the first to fall in love with a mortal, and it was not because he was bored,” she said. “He truly loved her. In fact, he has not loved another so thoroughly since.”

“How can you possibly know that?” Tessa scoffed.

“The point is,” Auryon continued, “some of the gods truly loved the mortals they had children with. They mourned themwhen they passed, some grieving for decades. Others became jealous of gods having something they didn’t, and still others feared it would somehow make them less powerful if they didn’t have the same. Some mortals did not have children with the gods out of love. Some were selected by a god or goddess, but none of it was done out of boredom.”

“Selected,” Tessa repeated, her eyes flying to her swirling ones.

The female nodded. “You heard me correctly, and now you understand why we need to discussSiadrinto properly learn about Devram. Mortals were carefully selected, many observed for years before a god or goddess decided to claim them. I believe you know the rest. They feared the Legacy would one day become too powerful and attempt to overthrow them. An agreement was made, and Devram was created.”

“But the gods didn’t uphold the agreement,” Tessa said, thinking of Scarlett. Her father had been a Legacy.

Auryon tsked. “That is when they became bored.”

“So in the end, what is the point of Devram? Why force everyone to stay here? If they broke one of the agreements, what do the rest matter?” Tessa asked.

Auryon’s terrifying grin appeared again. “Clever girl. There are many who question that same thing, and I think you will find some of them are trying to do something about it.”

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