Page 96 of Gods of Prey
“Sebastian returns to his rightful place with Jovie by his side. She receives immortality, and together they maintain the realm of beginnings.”
The councilors exchange glances. I feel the shock radiating from them—this arrangement is unprecedented, blasphemous even. They’ve already issued their ruling and here I am challenging it with our original proposal. It’s unheard of. Yet, I can see calculation in their eyes too. Balance maintained, both realms governed, no additional punishment required.
It’s the perfect solution if their allegiance is to the balance. Any alternative would expose their ulterior motives.
“You would willingly abandon Aurelys?” Lyralei asks Revel. “Your home?”
“No, he wouldn’t,” Myelle barks, staring at her son like he’s lost his mind.
“I would.” Revel’s voice is firm. “As I’ve already proven. For balance.” His eyes flick to me. “For other reasons as well.”
My heart thuds painfully in my chest. I want to scream at him, to demand what he thinks he’s doing.
“Oh for the gods’ sake, you can’t seriously be considering this,” Myelle scoffs, rolling her eyes at her fellow councilors. Then she directs her venomous stare toward me. “You’re making a fool of this council.”
“This is unnecessary,” I tell the rest of the council, fighting to keep my voice level. “My original offer stands.”
“Stubborn as always,” Revel mutters.
“Look who’s talking,” I snap back.
Caelum holds up a hand to silence us both. “This unusual proposal requires consideration. The balance between life and death is sacred, not to be tampered with lightly.”
“I believe I should have a say in my own fate,” Sebastian speaks up.
I shake my head frantically at him. “Bash, don’t?—”
“No more, Sienna.” His voice is gentle but firm. “You’ve protected me long enough.”
He approaches the council thrones and bows deeply, a gesture of respect he hasn’t shown in millennia. “Honorable Divine Council, I acknowledge my transgressions. I manipulated time, abandoned my duties, and compromised the balance between realms.”
Jovie stands tall beside him, small but fierce. Her mortal presence in this immortal chamber should seem incongruous, yet somehow she belongs, her hand clasped firmly in my brother’s.
“However,” Sebastian continues, “I believe there is a solution that serves both justice and balance.” He glances back at me, a sad smile on his face. “But it doesn’t require my sister’s further sacrifice.”
“It seems we have no choice but to listen,” Caelum derides.
“I will return to Aurelys and resume my duties as God of Life,” Sebastian says. “Jovie will join me, not merely as a consort, but as my equal—granting her immortality and divine authority. Sienna is right. If my child is as big of a threat as you suspect, the last thing we should be doing is separating them from their mother and creating animosity toward the council.”
Gasps echo around the chamber. Granting divinity to a mortal is nearly unheard of.
“In exchange,” Sebastian continues, “I’ll undertake additional divine duties. The realms are changing. New responsibilities arise as mortals evolve. I will assume those burdens personally.”
“And what of your sister?” Lyralei asks.
Sebastian smiles at me, a smile full of love and regret. “Sienna has paid enough. She has suffered through thirty-three lifetimes without complaint, maintaining her duties in Umbraeth despite our punishment. She deserves peace now.”
His eyes flicker between Revel and me, and I feel heat rise to my cheeks.
“This is all very touching,” Myelle says dryly. “But the fact remains that balance must be maintained. Two rulers in Aurelys, two in Umbraeth—it disrupts the natural order.”
“Not necessarily,” a new voice says.
I turn to see Erebus standing in the doorway, his tall figure silhouetted against the light. He steps forward, his customary darkness swirling around him.
“I am willing to serve as second to both Sienna and Revel in Umbraeth,” he says. “I have maintained the realm in Sienna’s absence. I can continue to support both rulers, ensuring a smooth transition between their shared authority. The Council of Elders can do the same for Aurelys.”
The councilors confer in whispers. I glance at Revel, whose eyes haven’t left my face.
