Page 25 of Gods of Prey
Thisis why I despise working with her. She’s so...unserious. Which is highly inconvenient when we’re dealing with the collapse of the entire fabric of the cosmos.
Jovie’s face drains of color, sensing something is off. She opens her mouth to speak, but Sebastian strides back toward us. He looks as pissed as I feel.
Just like old times.
“False alarm,” he tells Jovie, though his posture remains tense. “Someone tried to crash the party without an invitation.”
But Jovie isn’t listening. She’s staring directly at the empty space where Sienna is standing, her face ashen. I swear to all the divine gods, if Sienna has shown herself to this woman in a room full of people, I’m going to use every ounce of power I have to send her back to Umbraeth and let the Divine Council handle them both. I may be able to salvage some sort of deal with them on my part.
“Jovie?” Sebastian touches her arm. “What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
The irony of his words isn’t lost on me, and I fight to keep my expression neutral.
“Nothing,” Jovie whispers, finally looking up at Sebastian. Her fingers absently trace the lines of her necklace.
Sebastian’s face hardens as he turns to me. “What did you say to her while I was gone?”
“Nothing,” I reply honestly. “We were just talking when the lights flickered.”
“I need to go home,” Jovie says suddenly. “Please, Bash. I don’t feel well.”
Sebastian immediately wraps an arm around her, but his eyes remain fixed on me, suspicion and anger brewing in their depths. “Of course. Let’s go.”
As they turn to leave, Jovie looks back over her shoulder at me, her expression a mix of fear and curiosity. I give her a slight nod, confirming that this isn’t over.
“Sleep well, Jovie,” I call after them. “Dreams often bring clarity.”
Sebastian pauses, turning back slowly. “What did you just say?”
It’s a phrase he used to say in Aurelys—a blessing he would give to troubled sleepers.
“Just wishing her a good night’s rest,” I reply innocently. “She seems shaken.”
His eyes narrow, but Jovie tugs him away, eager to leave. I watch them go, Sienna’s invisible form still beside me.
“That went well,” I mutter sarcastically, rounding on her to berate, “That is not what we discussed.”
“She senses me,” Sienna replies, a hint of wonder in her voice. She’s unaffected by my rage.
“And now Sebastian is more suspicious than ever. Perfect timing, by the way.”
“I was bored, and you weren’t getting anywhere,” she snaps. “They already suspected I’m around.”
I sigh, running a hand through my hair. “At least now the door is open. She’ll have questions. Lots of them.”
“Do you think she’ll tell Sebastian everything?” Sienna asks, watching the doors through which her brother and his love just exited.
“Without a doubt,” I reply. “The question is whether he’ll believe her or convince her she’s imagining things.”
She turns to me, determination hardening her features. Once again, I get the sense she’s hiding something. “He’ll believe her.”
I stare back, taking in the fierce set of her jaw, the fire in her eyes that makes even her spectral form seem solid and powerful. In that moment, I glimpse not just the Goddess of Death, but the sister fighting for her twin, the woman who’s endured centuries of punishment and pain.
As we leave the gala, I can’t help but notice how Sienna moves closer to me as we walk, our steps falling into perfect synchrony. For all our bickering and past enmity, we’re united now by purpose. And something about that feels inexplicably right.
8
Sienna
