Page 33 of Gods' Battleground

“Bella—”

“No, Leda. I have to stay. Here, on this dark world, the nights stretch on for years at a time. The sun rarely rises. As long as I live in darkness, I can keep the curse at bay. As long as I never see the sun, I can’t turn into the mindless, powerful weapon that hunted down and killed anyone with light magic.”

“You can’t hide from what’s inside of you,” I told her. “You have to confront it. Defeat it.”

“I will.” She pointed at the castle. “The cure is in there, a very special magic book, one which contains the recipe for an elixir that can heal any injury and cure any curse. That book is the key to my salvation. With it, I can rid myself of the curse Ava inflicted upon me. Ava made me a god killer and an angel slayer, but I do not accept that fate. I will not hurt the people I love.”

“We know about the grimoire,” I told her. “That’s why we’re here.”

“How did you find me?”

“A powerful ghost told me that I’d find you here,” I replied.

“So did Sunfire,” Zane added.

Tessa nodded. “He tracked you through your connection to the immortal artifact bonded to you.”

Bella blinked. “Sunfire? As in, the famous Immortal magic smith?”

“The one and same,” Tessa confirmed.

Bella blinked again. “He’s alive?”

“Oh, yes.” Tessa licked her lips. “Veryalive.”

“The ancient grimoire is stored in the Night Prince’s castle.” Bella inhaled slowly, like she was mentally preparing herself to do something dangerous. “I heard about it while I was traveling across the Veil. That book is legendary in these parts. But how didyoufind out about it?”

“I found reference to the grimoire while searching one of the gods’ treasuries,” Gin told her.

“You broke into one of the gods’ treasuries for me?” The worry crinkle between Bella’s eyes deepened. “You really shouldn’t have done that. What if the gods caught you there?”

“Don’t worry about me,” Gin said, her tone light. “I was there on official business, complete with an escort from Heaven’s Army, in fact.”

“Stash,” Zane added.

“Leda’s cousin?” Bella asked.

“He’s very alive too. Right, Gin?” Tessa winked at her.

Gin blushed.

Bella’s strawberry-blonde brows drew together. “It sounds like I missed a lot.”

“That’s what happens when you take off on your own for months,” Calli said.

Her words were sharp, her voice chiding. The famous tone of our foster mother. Growing up, I’d often found myself on the receiving end of that tone. In fact, of the five of us, I’d been the biggest recipient of all. Tessa and Gin had gotten it too sometimes. And even Zane on occasion.

But not Bella. Oh, no, Bella had always been the good one. The perfect daughter. Calli had never had reason to use that tone with her. Until now.

“Don’t worry, Bella,” I said, taking a step toward her. “We’ll be back home before you know it and get you all caught up on everything that’s happened. And it will be like you never left.”

Bella backed up, hands in front of her, like she was trying to draw a buffer zone between us and her. “No, Leda.” Her voice was serious, worried. “Even if we manage to find the cure, things willneverbe as they were. I can never take back the things I did. And I can’t bring back the people I killed.” She winced.

“You can’t blame yourself for that. It wasn’t you,” I told her.

“It was me. It’s who—what—I was made to be. It’s why I was created.”

“Look, I know a thing or two about being created to be a weapon. But that’s not who you are, Bella.”

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