Page 58 of Gods of Prey
“You’d be willing to come to Aurelys? Having no idea what awaits you there?” I ask her. I’m not fully convinced she realizes what that entails.
“If that’s what it takes to keep the balance and be with Bash, then yes.” I shake my head in dismissal.No she wouldn’t. Not if she knew.She looks at my friend with fierceness in her eyes thatI recognize. “If this is how I can get you to actually try to make this work instead of hiding here and hoping the problem goes away.”
Sebastian stares at her for a long moment before nodding slowly. “There are preparations that need to be made. If I’m bringing you to the divine realms, you’ll need to understand what you’re walking into.”
“You can’t be serious,” I mutter in disbelief, but no one bothers to listen.
Sienna drifts closer. “What kind of preparations?”
“She’ll need to be able to survive among divine beings,” Sebastian explains to us, his tone becoming more clinical. “The transition from mortal to immortal form isn’t something that can be rushed. It could take years to do it safely.”
I feel my stomach drop. “You can’t seriously be considering?—”
“Making her immortal?” He meets my gaze steadily. “Eventually, yes. Regardless of what they decide in Nytheris.”
The silence that follows is deafening. I look at Sienna, whose spectral form has gone completely still. It was one thing for Jovie to suggest it. She has no clue. But for him to be on board?
He’s truly gone mad.
Making a mortal immortal without the Divine Council’s explicit permission isn’t just against divine law, it’s grounds for permanent imprisonment or worse.
Jovie’s soul was not meant to be in the divine realms, let alone to live on for centuries longer than a few dozen mortal years. To alter her contract would be complicated and dangerous.
“You’ll be executed,” Sienna says quietly. “We all will, for helping you.”
“The Divine Council has made exceptions before,” Sebastian argues. “You said it yourself.”
“For other gods,” I counter. “Never for mortals. And never without centuries of deliberation and preparation.”
Jovie looks between us, clearly picking up on the gravity of what Sebastian is suggesting even if she doesn’t understand all the implications. “What aren’t you telling me?”
Sebastian takes her hands in his. “The Divine Council isn’t known for their flexibility when it comes to mortal-divine relationships. But if we present them with a fair?—”
“They’ll destroy all of us to make an example,” Sienna finishes harshly. “This isn’t some romantic fairy tale, Sebastian. This is divine law we’re talking about.”
I watch the conflict play out on his face, the war between his love for Jovie and his understanding of what we’re up against. Part of me wants to support him, to find a way to make this work because he’s my oldest friend and I’ve never seen him this happy. But the rational part of me, the part that’s been maintaining the balance in his absence, knows how dangerous this path is.
“There has to be another way,” I say finally. “Some precedent, some loophole?—”
“There isn’t,” Sienna says flatly. “I’ve been researching divine law for weeks, hoping to find something that would help. The Divine Council’s position on mortal-divine unions has been consistent for millennia: They’re forbidden.”
A crack appears in the window behind us, spreading slowly across the glass like a spider web. The harsh sound makes us all turn to look.
“The realm is fracturing,” I say quietly. “Every day you delay returning makes it worse.”
Sebastian’s hands tighten on Jovie’s. “Then this is our only choice. Present the council with a unified front. You and Sienna will vouch for Jovie, help them understand that she’s not just some random mortal.”
“She’s the woman you’ve destroyed divine law for.” Sienna crosses her arms over her chest. “They’re not going to see that as a point in her favor.”
I can see the desperation growing in Sebastian’s eyes, the same look he had during his punishment centuries ago. He’s grasping for solutions that don’t exist, hoping to bend reality to his will through sheer force of desire. It’s when he’s cornered like this that he makes mistakes
“Then we won’t tell them about the immortality part right away,” he suggests. “We’ll frame it as a temporary arrangement. Jovie comes to Aurelys as my consultant. Someone to help me readjust to divine duties.”
“You want to lie to the Divine Council?” I ask incredulously. My mother absolutely despises liars.
“I want to buy time,” he corrects. “Time to prove that Jovie belongs in our world. That she can contribute to the divine order instead of disrupting it.”
Sienna laughs bitterly. “The same way you’ve been contributing by abandoning your throne and letting the realms fall into chaos?”
