Page 34 of Gods of Prey
I could take this woman up on her obvious offer. We’d both walk away happy—I’d make sure of it. But the small indignity of Sienna’s ghostly state bothers me more than it should, and I end up snubbing the poor woman without intending to.
And if I’m being brutally honest with myself, there’s only one female who can quench my thirst but she hardly tolerates me.
We sit in silence as the plane begins its descent into Seattle. The city sprawls below us, rain-slicked and gleaming. Somewhere down there, Sebastian and Jovie are waiting, unaware that our mission has just expanded beyond simply bringing them back.
“Even if the Divine Council agreed,” Sienna suddenly says, continuing our conversation from before as if we haven’t already moved on from it, “Sebastian would still have to return to Aurelys. He’d have to leave Jovie.”
“We’ll sort that part out later.”
The plane touches down with a jolt, tires squealing on wet tarmac. Around us, passengers begin gathering their belongings, but Sienna and I remain seated, locked in this moment of possibility.
“You’re serious about this,” she adds, not quite a question.
“Completely.” I unbuckle my seatbelt but make no move to stand. “I won’t be complicit in yours and Sebastian’s continued suffering. Not when I know the full extent of it now.”
“Even if it means defying the Divine Council? Risking your own position? Going against your mother?” she reminds me again.
I don’t hesitate. “Yes.”
Something shifts in her expression—surprise giving way to something warmer, more vulnerable. “Why?” she asks again, softer this time.
The truth hovers on my tongue, dangerous and undeniable.
Because I care about you more than I should.
Because seeing how you died broke something in me.
Because somewhere between hating you and working with you, I’ve started to-
“Because it’s right,” I say instead, swallowing the rest. “And because we’re in this together now.”
She studies me for a long moment, her green eyes seeing more than I’m comfortable revealing. Finally, she nods.
“Okay,” she says. “We’ll try it your way.”
“Really?” I can’t keep the surprise from my voice. I had expected more resistance.
Sienna’s form flickers again, this time deliberately as she prepares to become fully invisible for our departure from the plane. “Don’t look so shocked. Even the Goddess of Death grows tired of dying.”
As passengers file past my seat, my mind races with plans. The Divine Council won’t be easily persuaded, but with bothof us presenting a united front, along with Sebastian when he remembers his true nature.
“What happens if we fail? If Sebastian refuses to return? If the Divine Council refuses to hear our side of the story?” It’s the first time she’s acknowledged the possibility.
“The Divine Council will intervene if Sebastian refuses. They’ll force his return, erase all memory of him from the mortal realm, including Jovie’s. Our best bet is to get him to go willingly, so we can stand as a united front against them and demand changes.”
Something crosses her features, but it passes too fast for me to identify. “And us? What happens to us if we fail?”
The question contains layers I’m not prepared to explore—whatusmeans in this context, what exists between the Goddess of Death and the interim God of Life beyond their temporary alliance.
“Let’s not fail,” I say instead.
I turn back to find that she’s gone, at least to my eyes, though I know she follows as I make my way off the plane. The weight of her words sits heavily in my chest, along with all the things I didn’t say.
We have a new mission now. End the punishment. Bring Sebastian home. And somehow, find a way to make the Divine Council understand that sometimes, even immortal laws need to change.
As I exit the terminal into the cool Seattle night, I make a silent vow to myself: Whatever happens with Sebastian, I will find a way to give Sienna what she needs. Whether it’s justice, closure, or simply the freedom to choose her own path forward. The cosmic balance may be my responsibility as interim God of Life, but in this moment, her happiness feels equally important.
A dangerous sentiment for a god. A sentiment Sebastian would understand all too well.
