Page 99 of Gods of Prey
And as Revel’s lips find mine once more, I think that perhaps, after thirty-three lifetimes of endings, I’m finally ready for a beginning.
28
Sienna
Eighteen Months Later
The great hall of Aurelys gleams with light that seems to emanate from the very walls. I stand beside Revel, our fingers intertwined as we wait for the ceremony to begin. It’s strange being here under positive circumstances, when for so long I’ve been an outcast, bound to the shadows of Umbraeth. Yet somehow, with Revel beside me, I feel neither out of place nor uncomfortable. Just balanced.
“Are you nervous?” he whispers, leaning close enough that his breath tickles my ear.
I shake my head, watching as divine beings from all realms file into the hall. “Not for this. Jovie is ready.”
And she is. I’ve never seen anyone more prepared for immortality. Where most mortals would be terrified by the prospect of forever, Jovie embraces it with the same fierce determination she’s shown throughout our entire journey.
“I still can’t believe the Divine Council agreed to this,” Revel muses for what feels like the hundredth time, his thumb tracing circles on the back of my hand.
Neither can I, if I’m being honest. But then again, the Divine Council had little choice after everything that happened. The old rules were crumbling, and a new balance was needed. Sometimes destruction must precede creation—something I understand better than most.
A dark, terrified part of me fears they only went along as an experiment. No one was sure what would come of a mortal and divine child. Especially one destined to be so dangerous. Then Vale came barreling into the world, named after the thin veil he was born with a foot on each side of, and it was like the entire cosmos released a sigh of relief.
“There she is,” I say, nodding toward the entrance.
Jovie appears, wearing a gown of flowing gold that complements her skin beautifully. It moves fluidly with her body, wrapping tightly around her torso and trailing behind her like silk. Her hair is adorned with tiny star-like flowers that grow only in Aurelys. The heart-shaped necklace I handed back to her before she left for Aurelys all those months ago hangs around her neck, glowing slightly now that I’m near.
But it’s the look in her eyes as she scans the room for Bash that makes my chest tighten. That look of absolute certainty, of love so profound it could bend reality—which, in my brother’s case, it literally did.
“She looks radiant,” Revel murmurs.
“She always did,” I reply, remembering our coffee shop conversations, before everything changed. Before I knew her as more than just the mortal who stole my brother’s heart. “Even when she was just a barista in New York.”
Sebastian appears at the far end of the hall, holding his squirming son in his arms. He’s magnificent in his divine form.Gone is the mortal CEO serial killer; this is the God of Life in his full glory. Golden light emanates from within him, and the flowers that line the pathway bloom more vibrantly as he passes. My twin brother, my other half, restored to his rightful place, yet transformed by his love for a mortal.
Our eyes meet across the crowded hall, and his smile is both familiar and new. He’s happier than I’ve seen him in centuries. Since before our punishment began. Probably long before.
“The Divine twins, reunited at last,” a voice says beside us, and I turn to find Erebus. He looks different now—less burdened, perhaps. The interim title has been lifted from his shoulders, replaced with a new purpose as our second in Umbraeth.
He spent a few weeks mentoring Revel in Umbraeth before taking off on his own, drifting between realms with a freedom he’s been lacking since before my punishment.
“Erebus,” I nod in greeting. “I was wondering if you’d come.”
“And miss watching a mortal ascend?” He raises an eyebrow. I should have known. Erebus is boring if not curious. I supposed when you’re as old as him there’s not much that surprises you.
This is certainly a once-in-a-lifetime event.
The music begins, a melody that seems to vibrate through the very foundation of Aurelys. The assembled divine beings fall silent as Jovie begins her procession toward Sebastian. He points a long finger toward Jovie, encouraging Vale to watch his mother ascend into godhood. With each step she takes, there’s a subtle shift in the air around her—the first signs of her transformation.
I watch my brother’s face as his bride approaches. There’s awe there, and love, but also a fierce protectiveness. He risked everything for her—his duties, his divine nature, the very balance between realms. And against all odds, it paid off.
“He looks at her the way you look at me,” Revel whispers.
I turn to him, surprised. “I don’t look at you in any special way.”
His smile is knowing. “Whatever you say, goddess.”
The ceremony itself is breathtaking. As Jovie reaches Sebastian, they share a kiss, and he sets Vale down. Like a wind-up toy, his feet are moving the moment they hit the ground, and he barrels into my lap. Revel and I catch him, giggle with the rest of the crowd behind me.
The High Divine, a gender-fluid being who performs all rites and rituals for the divine realms—begins the ceremony that will bind their essences and grant Jovie immortality. There’s an exchange of vows, not just between lovers, but between a mortal and eternity itself.
