Page 146 of Ash and Feather

I believe I could bring balance back to the races and realms…

I hadn’t realized how badly I wanted to accomplish this before I’d suggested it to him. Now, the thought was all-consuming. It was the answer I had been seeking since I woke up with divine power flowing through my veins. ThewhyI’d been trying to grasp, and thehow—how I could exist in both worlds with purpose in my past, present, and future.

I was meant to be walking this path.

To be the one to bring balance between all these different worlds I was tethered to, in one way or another.

I was certain this was my task, but it felt all the more impossible as we stepped into the sun-splashed room where our target awaited.

Fallon was perched on the edge of a massive white sofa with golden footings. A short sword lay at his side, its jeweled sheath balanced across his knee. He was working on the sheath, securing and reinforcing a few of the sparkling red stones that had loosened from the twisting, ornate pattern on that casing. A pinching, metal tool of some kind flashed in his hand.

He didn’t speak right away, giving me an opportunity to study his appearance without distraction. Dravyn had once told me that he favored his father, whereas Fallon favored their mother.

Their mother must have been beautiful, if the King of Galizur was any indication.

His complexion was a few shades darker than Dravyn’s golden-beige tone. His hair appeared to be a rich shade of brown until he shifted in such a way that sunlight caught the strands, revealing hints of deep auburn. His demeanor was cool and confident—he shared that in common with his brother, at least. He was so perfectly balanced on the elegant couch that he couldhave been a posed, impressive sculpture rather than a living, breathing person.

His focus and poise didn’t falter even as Dravyn cleared his throat.

“I hope you have a good reason for disrupting my solitude,” said the king as he secured a small jewel in the clutches of the shiny tool he held.

“I wouldn’t have come here without reason,” Dravyn replied. “I’ve no desire for casual, unplanned visits with you. I would have thought that was abundantly clear by now.”

I grimaced at the bitterness infused in his words; we would get nowhere with that tone.

The king’s green-eyed gaze swept right over Dravyn and instead moved to me, appraising. “You found her, I see.”

“Yes,” said Dravyn.

“So our business has concluded successfully, then.”

I stepped forward before Dravyn could fire another thinly-veiled insult at him. “I’m afraid nothing is reallyconcluded.”

The king repositioned the scabbard against his knee and finished securing the gem he was working on before meeting my insistent stare.

“There’s something else you want from me? More favors, so soon?”

“The favorwould be in your best interest,” I said. “Trust me.”

His gaze slid over me, lingering on my tapered ears. Like so many before him, he seemed to be trying to figure out what I was and which side I was on. I looked like the ones who had destroyed his training grounds, yet I had walked into this room side-by-side with a god.

So I had his interest, at least—even iftrustwas another matter entirely.

“I’m in a unique position to give you the insight and perspective you need to help protect your kingdom and de-escalate the wars surrounding it.” Ironically, it was a position I’d struggled with for months,

But now I was determined to use it to my advantage.

“Another deity here to offer me counsel, hm?” He bared his teeth in a challenging smile.

“Only to those wise enough to listen to it,” I replied evenly.

“You’re here for some other reason. Admit it, or this conversation is finished.” He put the sheath aside and settled back against the sofa, regarding me with a raised brow.

“Very few things are done for a singular reason, wouldn’t you agree? Life is not that simple, unfortunately.”

He chuckled a bit at this. Then his gaze flashed toward Dravyn, and he spoke in a voice just above a whisper. He used the ancient language of Galizur, leaving me mostly in the dark about whatever was being said; I’d studied and attempted to translate a few of the Galithian books in Dravyn’s libraries, but I was far from fluent.

Dravyn replied to his brother in the same language, his tone coiling tightly with irritation along with the rest of his body.

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