Page 110 of Godsbane
But any chance of them starting without her just evaporated. They’ll have to kill me first, and they wouldn’t dare try.
The Diamond Region’s chair, the one reserved for the Lord General, is also notably empty. Henry, decked in full military regalia, hovers beside it with Marianne’s hand gripped in his own. She’s a vision in blue, and it’s written all over his normally stoic face.
It dawns on me that I never asked if he wanted it, the promotion that he is overqualified for. I never stopped to consider if he would be willing or able to leave her. His eyes meet mine, his head bobbing in a solemn nod, and I know for sure then. My brother is a man of duty and honor. This is his chosen path and Corinth will be better for it.
I hope the same can be said for the rest of them. The governors who sit around this table, clothed head-to-toe in the colors of their region, certainly look the part. And no one can deny what they’ve done to earn their seats. They overthrew their own fathers and risked their lives for a chance to change Corinth. But their sacrifices pale in comparison to Ivy’s.
“Captain,” Silas begins, “We are pleased to have you join us today. There is a matter we need to?—”
Whatever bullshit is about to spill from his mouth is silenced by the opening of the heavy wooden door.
Every governor rises to their feet as Ivy steps into the room. From my vantage point, I see the pointed toe of her high-heeled shoe first, a shiny black that elongates the pale leg peaking through the slit of her dress. My eyes follow it, tracing the outline of emerald silk that perfectly hugs the curves of her hips and the swell of her breasts before it disappears over her delicate shoulders.
Ivy commands the room, no sign of the fragile woman that lay unconscious only an hour ago, and instead, every bit the goddess she truly is. She makes her way to the chair reserved for the Emerald governor, offering me a soft smile as our eyes lock across the room. When she turns away from me, my knees nearly buckle.
There, embroidered across the back of her dress in black thread, is the sea beast. The large, serpentine form takes up the entirety of the gown, from the top hem to the end of the flared train. It’s a near perfect copy of the leviathan inked on both our skin, the symbol of our connected fates.
Ivy takes the long way to her seat, passing by each of the governors and offering only a silent nod as they bend at the waist.
Bowing. They’re fuckingbowingto her.
It takes every bit of restraint in my body to stay upright, to resist the overwhelming urge to hit my knees in her presence. When she passes the chair inlaid with a large amethyst and it becomes clear that she doesn’t wish to occupy it yet, I rush to pull out the Emerald Region’s chair for her.
Ivy is many things, but a tyrant will never be one of them. If her rule is dictated, she’s no better than the men who came before her.
“Nice flower.” Her whispered words are just for my ears.
“Nice sea beast,” I reply in the same hushed tone.
“Emerald and onyx. Quite the pair, don’t you think?”
Her green eyes lock onto mine, and the air in the room thins though no one commands it. The only magic here is what is uniquely ours, and I will gladly spend eternity worshipping the goddess before me.
“I speak for all of us when I say how truly overjoyed we are to see you here, Ivy,” Kieran speaks as the governors sit. There’s no trace of the usual sarcasm or taunt in his voice, only sincere reverence for the woman who saved us all.
“Out of respect for the diplomatic process, if you are not a voting member of this council, we ask you to leave at this time.”
At Micah’s words, the servants who flitted about filling goblets and passing out canapés exit the room. I scoot Ivy’s chair up to the table and make my way towards the door when the Sapphire governor stops me.
“Are you certain about your decision, Captain? Corinth would be lucky to have you as its Lord General.”
“Corinth is already lucky,” I correct. “Lord General Henry Murphy is the most qualified soldier for the role, of that I am more than certain.”
Without another word, I stroll confidently from the room, out of the palace, and into the city of Amale. While the future of Corinth is being decided, I have urgent matters to attend to that will decide my own future. And Ivy’s, if she chooses it.
I follow the pull of her magic down the alabaster halls, past the empty bedchambers and the empty council room to thegolden doors of the throne room. The one place in the palace I can’t fucking bear to go. But I told her that there was no path I wouldn’t follow—so I open the doors and face my worst nightmare.
What happened in this room has replayed in my head a thousand times: Ivy’s final words, her lifeless body on the ground, the seemingly bottomless pool of her blood that covered the floor. They’re all stars of the nightmares that have haunted both my sleeping and waking hours.
I take a steadying breath, swallow my fear, and push open the gilded door. Ivy stands in front of the Amethyst Throne, the train of her gown cascading down the steps of the dais. From this angle, the maw of the beast looks poised to attack any who approach her.
She’s a fucking vision.
Regal. Royal.Mine.
I focus on her alone, ignoring the pink stains and charred veins that streak through the otherwise flawless stone floor. Blood and godfire, evidence of the battle for those that come after and each its own lesson.
Ivy’s magic rises up to meet mine in a familiar, playful dance. It warms my blood and soothes my rapidly beating heart.
