Page 43 of Goddess of the Broken

As Tempest was about to offer to care for her, there was a knock at the door. Aiden’s cousin, Aeon, poked his head in. He looked so different today compared to yesterday, looking somber and concerned rather than lighthearted.

“I’m sorry if I am interrupting. I heard Sylvia was ill.”

Tempest watched as he entered and tentatively approached the bed.

“How is she?”

Remembering how Sylvia spoke of Aeon, Tempest took another deep breath to calm herself and replied, “She’s not well. She’ll need to be closely taken care of to pull through. I will—”

“I’ll do it,” Aiden interrupted. “I can stay with her." His shoulders were slumped, and tears rimmed his eyes.

“How well do you know Sylvia? She mentioned that you two knew each other. I hadn’t realized you were so close.”

“We’ve been friends since we were children,” Aeon replied without taking his eyes off Sylvia. “As we grew older, I wasn’t around as often, so we grew apart, but we’ve still always been friends.”

Tempest had a feeling there was likely more to it, but chose not to press him. She needed to get to the root of this problem, which meant doing the last thing she wanted to.

“If you’re willing to stay with her, I would appreciate it. I need to take care of something that will call me away for a while.”

“Done. I have nowhere I would rather be.”

The physician gave Aeon instructions on how to take care of Sylvia and when to call for him again. As he and his apprentice prepared to leave, he addressed Tempest.

“All of the contestants are being kept in the palace, even those who have been selected to leave. With the heat outside, it is not safe to travel.”

She hadn’t realized that the impending cuts had already been made, but now that she thought about it, that must have been what Aiden and his court were doing when she found him earlier.

“I understand.” Tempest gave a quick goodbye to the physician and his assistant before turning to Aeon. “Take good care of her for me, will you? She’s the only friend I’ve got.”

He only gave her a quick glance before fixing his attention back to Sylvia. “I promise.”

Deciding that would have to do, Tempest left the room in search of Aiden. As much as she didn’t want to see him right now, she needed to go to the land of the gods, and with her strange connection to him, she didn’t dare leave him behind.

Chapter 21

“Howmuchfurtherdowe have to go?” Aiden’s feet dragged through the sand as he followed Tempest.

All sense of time had disappeared long ago for the two of them. Between the scorching heat of the desert and the sun not moving, there was no way to keep track.

Aiden kicked the sand, spraying it towards Tempest. “Why aren’t you answering me?! I followed you into this Soleil-forsaken desert, my skin is peeling, and you decide you aren’t talking to me?!”

A hand touched his shoulder, and he jumped. When he looked, he saw Tempest behind him. He turned to look at the Tempest he’d been following and found she was gone. He stopped and hung his head.

“Are you alright?” Tempest asked softly as she turned him towards her.

“I thought I was following you,” he mumbled.

“This is the eleventh time this has happened since we left. A few mirages are common and expected, but I think Soleil may be targeting you at this point.”

Aiden’s demeanor worried Tempest. He hadn’t appeared this broken either of the times she’d saved him. She also worried that as they drew closer to the gate to the land of the gods, the spells protecting it from mortals would mess with his mind, although it usually directed them to just move around it. If Tempest could have left him at the palace, she would have. No one should be out in the desert right now; even she was starting to feel the effects of the heat. It was no wonder Aiden was, too.

Tempest unwrapped the covering over her head and put one end of it in Aiden’s hand. “We’re getting close. Don’t let go. Hopefully, it will ease once we get to the other side.”

It was clear from Aiden’s wary gaze that he wasn’t entirely sure he was seeing the actual Tempest.

It had taken every ounce of courage she had to find Aiden and bring him along. She cursed the excruciating pain distance would cause from the connection between the two of them. Even though he was a god in a mortal body, mortals were not supposed to go to the land of the gods. Tempest had no idea what would happen once they crossed over; she only knew that leaving him behind had not been an option.

Tempest chuckled to herself as she imagined the look on the members of his court’s faces when they read the note they’d left behind. She’d found him in his room, and the two went through secret tunnels to prevent anyone from trying to stop them.

---