Page 121 of The Princesses of Ruin
“Raenkor, can you destroy it?”
We’ll see if Zephrom truly doesn’t care about its fate.
“I can destroy its form, but the urictsa may remain,” he says.
“If it’s not a wearable mask, it can’t hurt my child,” I say, holding my belly tighter.
Raenkor’s posture shifts and he becomes stern, nodding. “Stand well back.”
I move toward the stairs, sensing Zephrom’s growing unease. Her form takes on more solidity as she watches Raenkor set the mask against the wall.
Playing us all like marionettes, goddess?
Her dark gaze snaps up to me.
“This is a dangerous game, child.”
Raenkor looks at me for confirmation.
“Destroy it.”
“Stop,” Zephrom says.
Raenkor is torn, and I’m glad for it. His loyalty to a goddess is less than that of his mate’s mother. His loyalty to my daughter will be beyond measure.
Her body fully emerges from the plane between where the gods hide. She takes the mask from the ground and runs her fingers over the eyeholes. There’s a war raging inside her. The mask does serve some purpose in the coming battle, and later, too. Later is what’s most important to her.
I worm my way inside her, hunting for the answer I need.It’s so important it survives, I whisper as softly as I can.
Flashes of Kazimir, scarred and grizzled, disappearing into the night. It’s her birthday. Raenkor’s taken her.
It’s so important because…
We’re fighting. I tell him she’s safe, that Raenkor would never hurt her. He puts on the mask.
And he’s lost to it forever.
He becomes a nightmare that stalks the skies, hunting for anything his mask deems worthy of their brand of worship. Just blood, pain, and terror.
It’s still not reason enough. I don’t want to lose him, but why?
Why do they need him to choose the mask?
Because?
Ten of us stand around Ashai. Her body breaks under the strength of our power and her arcane lineage is sewn into the stars.
They fear us.
We challenge gods, and win. Leaving us together—leaving any of us together—is too dangerous for all of them. They are aligning thethreads to separate us one by one. Even us sisters will have our hearts sundered.
My fingers dig into the meat of my belly, and I glare at Zephrom, my resolve firming. They will not ever tear my family apart.
“Destroy it, Raenkor,” I say, firm authority in my voice. I don’t command him with my power, because I want his trust, but Icould. I think he knows it, too.
“Goddess, please step back,” he says.
Zephrom stares at me.“We will still find a way.”
