Page 128 of The Princesses of Ruin
I hand out my last package of fish and turn to her. I grasp her hands in mine, kissing her gloved knuckles gently. “I’m not.”
“The goddess calls us.”Alyse speaks quietly into my mind.“I’ve sent replacements for you.”
Reina’s eyes round for a moment before she schools her expression. “Let’s finish what we can.”
I nod, helping to open the next crate of goods to be distributed. I only hand out five more bundles before Gareth appears with Cecillia, holding hands.
“I guess we’re taking over for a bit,” he says before splitting into ten versions of himself.
Cecillia giggles as each copy of him gives her a kiss—some on the cheek, some just managing to get to her shoulder—before going on to take their places by the crates.
“Jasper just gave them a grievous reprimand,” Reina says as she threads her arm through mine. “If you spy any ill intent or thievery among them, report it to Alyse, please.”
Most of the Spiders know Alyse’s power. The more she uses it like this, the more others are going to know exactly what she’s capable of. Maybe it’s a good thing, but maybe it makes us dependent on her for justice. Either way, we need to be vigilant at all times if we’re going to guide this society to where it needs to be. The easiest time to cause the most change is at the beginning of a regime change…or so I hear from Vek’ihr.
We gather in the war room as demanded by the goddess Zephrom. Once we’re all present, she materializes in the room in dramatic fashion, assuming the spot farthest from the door. She casts her gaze all the way around the room, lingering on Alyse for a fraction longer before moving on and finally speaking.
“You’ve finished your task,” she says, looking at Zane. “As promised, I will reveal the next step.”
She pauses for effect and I nearly roll my eyes. The gods of Men are so moody.
“The potion you have created will thin the veil into the nine hells and set Ashai free.”
Silence hangs in the room like a storm cloud begging to unleash a deluge.
“What the fuck,” Lily exclaims.
“No!” Reina slaps her hand down on the table. “You told us it would defeat her!”
I tense, my body preparing for a fight as my wolf shift comes close to the surface.
Zephrom shakes her head in a patronizing way. “I said it was necessary. You cannot defeat a goddess who keeps one foot securely in a realm of safety.”
Her eyes dart to Alyse again and I look, too. She’s grinning so overwide it seems unnatural. The goddess’s lip twitches, and she returns her attention to Reina at my side.
“You must pull her into this realm if you will truly end her reign. She will never be vulnerable until she’s exposed all her power to you.”
“And just how the fuck are we supposed to kill an immortal origin?” Scarlett asks.
Zephrom’s eyes dart to Scarlett as she gestures to Reina. “Her antithesis.”
My blood hums in my ears, and I squeeze Reina’s hand. “You mean to say Reina’s power will kill her.”
“You’ve already seen it in action,” Zephrom says. “And you’ve taken part in its process.”
The goddess moves through the table and materializes beside me. She grabs our joined hands and traces our matching scars.
“You gave her your energy, your very life essence,” Zephrom says in a whisper. “You four have been designed for this fight. Cultivated over generations to be able to defeat her.
“And you four,” she says, looking at the men in the room, “were designed to be everything they needed to come to this exact moment in time.”
“The threads of the future don’t weave at your behest,” Alyse says, her voice twisted with emotion. “But the fates dance like marionettes on pulled strings.”
I don’t understand what she means, and it feels as though I’m not meant to.
“We couldn’t leave something like this to chance,” Zephrom says. “You werechosento carry out our gravest task. Be grateful.”
“You’re scared of her,” Scarlett says.
