《Goddess Rising》


 How The Feasting Ends

    Aria froze, her entire body going numb for a whole second. Then she dropped the pitcher as if it had grown fangs. It landed on the table, bounced, and fell onto its side. Blue wine poured out immediately, staining the table, forming a stream through the islands of dishes, and dripping finally onto the stone floor.


    Around her, the flute solo continued, like a mourner at her funeral.


    The spilled wine did not restrict itself to decorous paths. It spread over the table, finding obstacles here and there: a fork, an overturned bowl of rice, a nose. It ran along the line formed by the nose, barely missing the brown lashes hovering over the table, tracing out a pale brown forehead, and then soaking, impudently, a set of short, thick hair.


    Drums started, and Aria jumped. She spun around in terror, but her horror had not been discovered. It was merely the next stage in the performance. Dancers leaped in concert ¨C all men ¨C with spears twirling and faces serious. And every eye in the room, from those of the servants lining the walls to those of the gods seated on the dais, were fixed on the performance. Only her assignee, the god whose table stood in the middle of the dais, was out of sync; his head half-planted in a bowl of soup, his hand resting beside the glass of wine he¡¯d been drinking ¨C the wine Aria had served him.


    The room was so dim, lit as it was by weak candles along the walls, that Aria dared to hope that her accident would be missed. That did not happen. When she looked around again, she met someone''s eyes: the god at the next table. With his thick beard, bald head, and merciless eyes, there was no worse person to attract.


    He cast his gaze to the fallen god, then to Aria, and back again to the god. Aria forsook caution. There, with her patron god staring at her in growing alarm, she threw a prayer to another god, one far more merciful.


    The watching god crooked a finger at Aria, summoning her.


    She let loose another prayer, but Evera, the one she was begging, remained in her seat one table over, watching the performance.


    Aria had delayed long enough; her patron''s expression was morphing from confusion to anger. So, she turned her gaze respectfully downward, folded her hands in front of her, and hurried off. She had to take the steps down the dais, hurry to the other table, and then climb the steps again. The whole time, she fought back visions of herself fleeing. Even if she could stay ahead of the gods, escape the armed servants, and break free of the palace, she would still need to find somewhere in the world to hide from the most powerful gods in existence.


    She reached her destination before she was ready. Her own knife sat tied to her waist and flush against her thigh. Perhaps she could reach it and kill herself before they did something worse to her.


    The god looked thoroughly irritated by the time Aria reached him. Perhaps he felt that she had worked too slowly or perhaps he hated the performance. He was never easy to read.


    He spoke in a firm tone but low enough that it did not disrupt the music. "What is going on there?" He gestured toward the table she had come from. "How much has Achi drunk?"


    Aria considered lying. The split-second delay in her response did not escape him, and it did not please him.


    She decided on the truth. Given a choice between dying now and dying later, dying later seemed magnificent.


    ¡°Great Conqueror,¡± she said, ¡°the prince has only had two glasses.¡±


    Technically, he had only had one. He had taken a sip of the second and keeled over.


    A voice called from the table on Achi¡¯s other side. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Garo? What is wrong with Achi?¡±


    Hearing Evera¡¯s voice was like being bathed in clean water. It bore all the beauty of new grass after a cleansing rain. Aria turned her eyes toward her and put all the pleading she could into her expression.


    Rather than respond, Garo rose. At his full height, he looked formidable. A shirt-sleeved shirt and tight trousers showed off his bulk and thick muscles. He pushed Aria out of his way and took the dais steps with long strides.


    Evera, however, beat him to his destination. She teleported to Achi¡¯s side, and Aria, despite her fear, felt a thrill of pleasure at seeing the goddess¡¯ power for the first time. She was everything that Garo could never be, dressed confidently in a simple white gown, her hair left undone and falling in magnificent coils down to her shoulders; barefoot, because dirt would not dare cling to her, and radiating peace even in the gloom of Garo¡¯s palace.


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    She leaned over the fallen prince, brow knitted with worry.


    ¡°Achi?¡± she said.


    Garo reached her a moment later, having sped up until he was a mere blur. Unlike Evera, he could not teleport, but he could reach any place he wanted to be quicker than his victims hoped.


    ¡°Achi,¡± he said. His voice rose above the music, sharp, and just the tiniest bit alarmed.


    The music stopped, and every eye in the room turned to the scene.


    Evera picked up Achi¡¯s drinking glass. Only a little wine still remained in it, but Aria saw her eyeing the rest of the spill on the table. She set the glass back down and picked up the pitcher. That held significantly more wine. She dipped a finger into the liquid and licked off the wine that clung to her finger.


    Aria quickly glanced around at the room¡¯s exits. There were only two: the small doorway she and the other servants had used and the large, square doorway the guest had arrived through. The larger one was guarded by spear-wielding warriors. It was also further away. The smaller one was closer, but there were more servants gathered by it. And Garo¡¯s servants were always armed.


    ¡°Well?¡± Garo asked Evera.


    ¡°I don¡¯t detect anything,¡± she said, ¡°but that means nothing.¡±


    Garo shook Achi roughly. The prince flopped back and forth but did not stir. Garo cursed, and in his voice, Aria heard not anger but stark terror.


    In a flash, Garo was back before Aria, his fist around her neck, dangling almost a foot off the ground. From that position, she could stare straight into his eyes and see pure madness mixed with terror.


    ¡°What did you do?!¡± His voice filled the room like a thunderstorm. The mass of servants cringed and stepped backward as one. Some looked to the doors, desperate to flee as Aria had been, but they seemed to decide that staying still was the safer choice.


    Aria struggled to speak, but there was no air in her lungs. She tried to pry Garo¡¯s hands away, but they were less pliable than cold steel.


    Gracious Evera came to her rescue.


    ¡°She cannot speak, Garo,¡± Evera said.


    Garo did not release her. In fact, he seemed to hold on tighter, but that might have been a trick played by her growing desperation.


    ¡°Put her down,¡± Evera said. ¡°He¡¯s alive. It¡¯s weak, but he has a pulse.¡±


    Even that did not pacify Garo. Aria realized he would really kill her. There was no mercy in his eyes.


    ¡°If you kill the only suspect,¡± Evera said, ¡°what do you think Tivelo will do?¡±


    Garo released Aria, and she fell onto all fours, panting and clutching her neck. She suffered a moment of confusion. The room looked oddly foreign, and her body seemed far away. Before she was fully recovered, however, warriors appeared, forced her to her feet, and twisted her arms behind her back.


    Garo strode back over to the prince and felt his pulse, while Evera inspected Aria with a curious expression.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything,¡± Aria said. ¡°He just fell.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± a third voice joined the conversation, one of the remaining deities. He glanced around the scene as if he¡¯d happened upon a den of pigs. ¡°This has been lovely, but I think I will leave.¡±


    ¡°No one leaves,¡± Garo said.


    The other god scoffed and unclenched his fist. A glass orb, a finger¡¯s width in diameter, dropped to the ground. It was too tiny to hear, but Aria saw it shatter. Before the spectacle was over, the god had disappeared, taking with him the entourage behind his table.


    ¡°I will be leaving as well,¡± the last deity rose. She was a woman dressed in a flowing purple gown, with jewels glittering from every piece of jewelry. She motioned to her attendants, whose clothing rivalled hers in opulence, and the entire company made for the large exit with no thought for decorum. In less than a minute, only Garo and Evera¡¯s servants were left. Evera¡¯s company, all stunning women in identical white dresses, looked to their mistress for guidance.


    ¡°Let¡¯s make Achi comfortable,¡± Evera said. ¡°You have something acceptable, I presume?¡±


    Garo had no guest rooms worth speaking of. Aria knew that because she¡¯d cleaned enough of them.


    ¡°We¡¯ll use mine,¡± Garo said. There was a note of gratitude in his voice. It sounded odd, as had the fear he had shown earlier. For a God of War to be so soft, Aria decided, this had to be a monumental mess.


    ¡°Should we notify Tivelo?¡± Garo asked.


    Evera screwed up her face. ¡°That depends. Do you want to drown in your blood and then hang by your entrails, or just hang by your entrails?¡±


    Garo swore again. ¡°You two,¡± he pointed in the direction of two random warriors. ¡°Take a message to the Black God. His son is ill, but alive. We are tending to him to the best of our ability. Don¡¯t be fast! But don¡¯t be slow either.¡±


    The warriors - a pair of leather-clad women - dared not challenge the conflicting instructions. They hurried off like a fired arrow, likely relieved to escape the room¡¯s oppressive atmosphere.


    ¡°You know,¡± Evera said. ¡°It¡¯s odd that he¡¯s not already here. The last time Achi stubbed a toe, he was breathing down my neck before one drop of blood fell.¡± She visibly shivered.


    ¡°You,¡± Garo turned to Aria. ¡°You are going to die. But first, Tivelo will gut you from top to bottom and teach you the names of your insides. If you want that to go quickly, begin recalling every person who touched Achi¡¯s meals. And bring that pitcher with you.¡± The warriors freed her hands and walked her over to retrieve the pitcher, but they remained close enough to subdue her in moments.

 How the Feasting Ends - 2

    With that, Garo picked up the prince and slung him over his shoulder. Evera followed him, and Aria trailed behind them along with her captors. The entire room watched their departure: leather-clad warriors with spears, attendants in shirt-trouser pairs, and performers in ceremonial attire, all fixated on Aria like villagers watching the last march of the condemned. Even Evera''s group, still on the dais behind her seat, had nothing but pity to give.


    Past the doorway, the room turned into a dimly lit corridor. The candles on the walls became fire-filled bowls, casting red glares over the walls and illuminating the corridor''s sole adornment: the preserved heads of a dozen gods slain by Garo.


    After a few hundred feet, they came to a halt. There, two warriors guarded a dull iron door. At Garo''s approach, both men snapped to attention and pushed open the door. It creaked and brought the smell of dust and metal.


    Through the door was another wider corridor with a much higher ceiling. The lights in this corridor were actual fires burning in a line of basins that ran along the center. Their heat was oppressive, and their location forced the company to walk on one side of the path. Here, Garo''s decorative skill had swapped heads for engravings. To Aria''s left, Garo''s likeness was carved life-size, standing on a hill and overlooking two thousand tiny warriors. One side wore Garo''s spear emblem on their chests and butchered the opponents with glee.


    Aria turned away from the scene, but the other wall was little different. It depicted a progression: day turning into night and night turning into day as the slaughter continued. She turned her gaze to the ground instead.


    Another door stopped them at the end of the corridor. This one had no guards, so Garo opened it himself. The company went into the room, Garo first, then Evera, then Aria. Then, they all froze at the entrance.


    ¡°Put him down,¡± a voice said.


    Garo obeyed before the words were complete, hurrying off to find a suitable surface. With his bulky form gone, Aria was able to see around Evera and inspect the room¡¯s occupant.


    It was a man, standing in the room¡¯s center. He was unremarkable but for his clear resemblance to the prince. One was young and the other middle-aged, but at similar ages, they could have been twins. He wore black trousers and a long-sleeved black shirt, matching the prince¡¯s grey clothing, and watched Garo¡¯s actions without a hint of emotion.


    Garo deposited the prince on the only available surface: a thick mattress resting on a wooden platform. It was the least painful sight in a room decorated with terrifying weapons, depictions of war, and what looked like a painting drawn entirely with blood.


    After depositing the prince on the bed, Garo hurried back to stand beside Evera. Then he grabbed Aria, pushed her in front of him, and forced her to the ground.


    ¡°Greet him!¡± Garo ordered.


    Aria placed the pitcher to one side and pressed her face to the ground. ¡°I am blessed by your presence, Lord of the Sky.¡±


    ¡°Look at me,¡± the god spoke again. His voice gave no hint of his mood, but Garo and Evera seemed tense. So, Aria assumed that her situation was bad.


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    She lifted her head and saw that he had moved. Rather than standing in the middle of the room, he was now seated on Garo¡¯s bed, with his son¡¯s head in his lap. One of his hands rested on Achi¡¯s head while the other lay at his side. On both sides of him were other men, weaponless, and dressed exactly like their master.


    ¡°Why did you poison my son?¡± Tivelo asked.


    ¡°I did not,¡± Aria said. Despite her hurt throat, the words came out confidently. ¡°I only served him, your Eminence. I have no grudge against him and no reason to harm him. If his meal was poisoned, it was before I ever touched them.¡±


    In the space of a breath, Garo grabbed Aria, spun her around, and backhanded her. For a moment, her vision disappeared. When it returned, she was on the floor. He must have held back. Her jaw hurt, but nothing was broken.


    ¡°Tivelo,¡± Garo said. ¡°She lies. I supervised those meals myself. Nothing went amiss before she received them. I don¡¯t know who has corrupted her, but give me leave and I will find the culprit by morning.¡±


    Aria had served Garo since birth: literally. Her parents had dragged her into a temple minutes after her birth and paid a priest to carve his name on her back. After twenty-five years in his service, she knew one thing better than she knew her name: she could never let Garo interrogate her. She rose onto her knees and addressed Tivelo again.


    ¡°Your Eminence,¡± Aria said. ¡°I would not dare poison a god. Even if you held my whole village for ransom, I would kill them and myself before I committed such hubris.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it was an accident,¡± Evera said, her voice, once again, like a cool drink of water. ¡°Could the drink or food have been contaminated with something common or dangerous?¡±


    Evera seemed to be giving her an out, but even admitting to negligence meant death.


    ¡°Nothing touched the meal,¡± Aria said, ¡°not even a speck of dust. I protected it from the moment I received it, till I placed it before the prince. Speak to the vintner. Perhaps it was poisoned before it arrived here.¡±


    Evera replied, ¡°Garo makes the wine here, child. And I grow the grapes. There is no need to lie. If you were careless, say so and your punishment will be less.¡±


    Aria grew cold. Up until that moment, she had held some hope of proving her innocence. After all, she was innocent. Now, she realized she was truly boxed in. There was no one to blame but the two deities behind her, and they were united in their defense. Even Evera - kindest, most beautiful Evera - did not believe her. And that made her angry.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what game you are playing,¡± she said, ¡°but none of you are gullible enough to believe that I poisoned your son. The three most powerful gods in the world should be able to tell a lie from the truth. What would I gain from it? How would I even know how to do it?!¡±


    ¡°Enough,¡± Tivelo said, and despite her fury, Aria fell silent. Her heart was drumming in her chest. Fear and fury mingled in her veins.


    ¡°Werri,¡± Tivelo said.


    One of his attendants jumped forward. The man was a priest, as evidenced by Tivelo¡¯s emblem tattooed on both cheeks. He approached Tivelo and leaned slightly toward the god.


    Tivelo nodded. ¡°Take Garo down to Iruomida,¡± Tivelo said. ¡°Install a five-hundred-foot-tall pole on top of his temple and impale him on it.¡± He addressed the other attendants. ¡°Bring the woman to the upper realm.¡±


    Then, Tivelo disappeared along with his son.


    The world went deathly quiet. Aria stood rooted in place, unable to process the last few moments, but Tivelo¡¯s servants were already moving.


    Werri walked up to Garo, confident yet unarmed. ¡°You won¡¯t struggle, will you?¡±


    In response, Garo gave Aria a blood-draining glare. ¡°When I return,¡± he said, ¡°I will kill every person you know and bring their heads to wherever Tivelo is punishing you. My punishment is only for negligence, but yours, I guarantee, will be eternal.¡±


    Werri made a face. ¡°Let¡¯s speed this up,¡± he said. ¡°Delay only worsens the matter.¡±


    He spared one pitying glance for Aria, then he led Garo from the room.

 How the Feasting Ends - 3

    The sky above Garo¡¯s palace was the most shocking blue. Aria stared at it as her captors led her out the giant palace doors and onto dry, barren ground. She had stared at the same sky on her first day at the palace and marveled at how dream-like everything seemed; marveled that she - of everyone in her cohort - had made it here.


    Stone walls surrounded the palace, taller than any tree she had ever seen. Her captors led her straight toward its only opening, iron doors as tall as the walls. Two groups of warriors stood guard beside the open doors, spears by their sides, eyes fixed Aria¡¯s group.


    Outside the gate, a carriage was already waiting. ¡®Carriage¡¯ was a generous word for it. It was a flat metal platform with two iron benches fixed atop it. Her captors forced her onto it and she let them. They had already taken her knife, and though they lacked the muscular form of Garo¡¯s warriors, she knew her fists would not defeat them. Even Garo had gone quietly, and she was not his match.


    Two of the men took the front bench, while the other two sat on either side of her. It was a tight and uncomfortable fit. While she tried to shrink to keep from touching the men, the carriage rose by itself. It rose smoothly, with barely a whiff of wind. In mere seconds, Garo¡¯s palace was so far below them, that she could not point it out. She knew that they were moving, but the air appeared still. The carriage too, was stable despite its awkward form. With no walls or railings, it would not be difficult to send her captors flying off the edge. They did not seem worried about that. They had not even bound her.


    She pondered the action. One push. If she was strong enough, she could send them both over the edge.


    And then what? The other two were out of her reach. Even if she could dislodge them, she had never flown a carriage before. And the Black God would simply hunt her down in person.


    Aria told herself to wait. There was no escape yet.


    The flight seemed long, but it should not have lasted more than five minutes. The men never spoke or even looked at her. Each wore a solemn, dutiful expression. If they pitied her, they kept it from their faces. She wondered about the prince, if he was better. If he recovered, perhaps he would plead for her. Perhaps he knew who had poisoned him.


    Several minutes into the trip, the world blinked into a deep, unpierceable black. Aria¡¯s stomach lurched, but the darkness disappeared almost immediately and the carriage came to a stop. They were in the upper realm.


    White clouds stretched below them, from horizon to horizon, and just beneath the carriage, in a perfect circle, lay a pristine lake. While she gaped, the attendants beside her stepped off the carriage and stood casually, on the surface of the lake. Then, one of them beckoned her down. She hesitated, and they waited patiently, unconcerned by her potential escape. And why would they not be? The upper realm was the home of the Black God. Even if she could steal a carriage, she doubted that she could escape without his permission.


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    ¡°It¡¯s safe,¡± one of the men said. ¡°Come down.¡±


    She tested the ground with one toe, first. The water rippled, but her foot did not sink through it. When she was fully dismounted, the man gestured for her to walk ahead of him.


    So she walked, and stared at the water with both fear and wonder. Pink fish swam under her feet, then turned and swam a circle around her. After two more circles, the school dispersed, and she watched them until they were too far away.


    Aria walked as she was instructed, but there was nothing to walk toward. Only clouds and water surrounded them. When she glanced backward, the men seemed to know where they were going, but they did not seem to be seeing anything either.


    The world flickered again. This time it was less disorienting. When her vision returned, she was in a new place. There were no walls to be seen. Behind her, only blackness marked the point of entry. The same blackness formed walls above, below, and around her. She paused in confusion, then the attendants appeared behind her.


    The attendant shoved her again. Away from the clouds, her fear was returning. When she dragged her feet, he took her by the arm and set a brisk pace. Several steps later, they passed another invisible wall - she was learning to sense them - and she was in another room. It was much smaller. Standing in the middle, her outstretched hands just grazed the walls. To her surprise, they were solid, though made of darkness. The attendant walked out through the same darkness. She reached for his exit and, unsurprisingly, found a solid wall.


    After a minute of standing, she sat down. After several more minutes, she lay down; the cell was barely big enough for that. Had she been taller, it would have been an uncomfortable fit. The floor was hard but not cold. It seemed to match her body¡¯s temperature.


    She came to, feeling like she had slept for hours. The room was no brighter. Her fear took several minutes to return, and, in its absence, she had the freedom to ponder her fate. The Black God would likely tend his son while she waited. And then what? Death? Torture?


    Time passed like a tortoise - or perhaps it did not pass at all. There was no light with which to tell. She grew bored enough that it overwhelmed her fear. Eventually, she began to hope that surely, she had waited long enough. They would come now and take her away. They would question her, ask for co-conspirators, threaten her.


    Any minute now.


    She grew hungry and, by that, guessed that a third of a day had passed. The pangs grew and then subsided, returned, again and again, and then faded to a dull ache with occasionally painful flares. Her boredom turned to anger, hot and impotent. But even that faded as her imprisonment continued. A week had passed, by her crude estimates, when the thought first came to her that she could remain in that cell forever.

 A Bold Deception

    The figure before her was real, not one of the phantoms that had tormented her recently. It stood still, lips pressed together impatiently.


    ¡°I can¡¯t stand.¡± Her voice creaked and came out lower than she intended, but the figure understood it. He reached down, grabbed her arm, and helped her to her feet. There was no sympathy on his face, only business. Once Aria was on her feet, he turned and walked through the mist. For a moment, she feared colliding with the wall, but it let her through.


    The darkness of the passing was disorienting again. She stumbled, and when the light returned, she was on her knees. The man waited only long enough for her to rise before resuming his trek. Habit kept her eyes on his feet. They were bare, like hers. When he touched the ground, they sank barely an inch into the clouds.


    Clouds, not a lake. Though the scenery was similar, this was a different place. She had gone through two portals to enter her cell, but only one to exit it. Here, there was no lake; there was no water within eyesight. Only the clouds surrounded them.


    Again, the world flickered, then there were people. Four men stood at attention on two sides of a door. They gave her guide a once-over but made no move to stop them. The door itself opened as they approached it. It was one of the largest she had ever seen, half of a circle and constructed solely of light. She thought she could have walked through it. She suspected that she was wrong.


    Past the door, she found the strangest corridor of her life. She could see no walls, but there was a sense of being enclosed. There were no more clouds, but a fog seemed to take the place of walls.


    Two sets of workers passed her. They walked briskly. One set carried steel bowls filled with shimmering water. The second set carried gold trays and moved too quickly for a second look. They hugged the walls of the corridor while Aria and her guide comfortably occupied the center.


    Another door approached them, much like the last, though its light bore a reddish hue. This one did not open. Instead, her guide stopped and reached for a bowl on a stand beside the door. He dipped his hands into it until they were submerged to the wrist. Then he pulled them out, let them drip into the bowl, and wiped off the remainder with a white cloth on the same table. Next, he repeated the process with his feet, dipping them, one at a time, into a bowl on the ground beneath the stand. He did not dry them off. As he walked back to the door, the water left imprints of his feet on the black floor. They mingled with other imprints, likely the workers they had passed.


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    Back at the door, the guide waited silently. Another pair of workers burst through the doors. They walked less solemnly than Garo¡¯s attendants. They were brisk. Their eyes were not downcast. One met Aria¡¯s eyes, wrinkled his nose, and then walked around them with exaggerated gestures. Aria paid him no attention. Armored as she was between simmering hunger and settled helplessness, whatever prejudice the man bore could not harm her.


    ¡°Should I wash?¡± Her voice was better, more solid.


    ¡°There is no need.¡±


    It was only a rite for subjects, then, not prisoners. She wondered at its meaning. Clean hands and feet to enter the god¡¯s presence? At least, she hoped that was their destination.


    The door opened suddenly but slowly. It broke in two halves and swung inward, almost as if it was made of wood.


    The guide hurried forward. He kept his eyes straight, so Aria did the same. She was tired of looking at feet, and exhaustion was wearing out her conscientiousness.


    It was a bedroom. An arched window stood across the room, almost as wide as the door and with an arched top. Through it was a view so breathtaking, her feet came to a halt. A many-peaked mountain with the snow glittering like diamonds, a lake - not the same as the previous - and colors, so many colors. It resembled a painting, and that convinced Aria that it was real. After all, the king of all the gods could have any view he wished.


    Remembering herself, she knelt.


    There was a chuckle. ¡°I¡¯m over here.¡±


    The voice nearly brought tears to her eyes. She shuffled around to face it, still keeping her eyes down. ¡°You honor me with your presence.¡±


    ¡°Hardly, I¡¯m sure, but I hold no grudge. Look at me.¡±


    The Black Prince sat on a chaise flush against the wall. It was a patchwork of colors. In another place, she would have called it tasteless, but with the view from the window still in her mind, it provoked no such thought. He had a blanket wrapped about himself, hands tucked in like a child with a cold, but he was in high spirits.

 A Bold Deception - 2

    The prince nodded at the man behind her, and she felt him leave. The door closed with a soft whistle.


    ¡°Stand.¡±


    She obeyed in silence.


    ¡°Look at me.¡±


    He seemed exasperated. Her eyes had dropped from his face to the table before him, an ornate silver surface with a gold tray on it. In the tray was an assortment of fruit, grapes being the most numerous, along with a pitcher and a glass of water.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stare at the floor when I speak. I can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re listening. Have you been in the prison all this while?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡±


    She wanted to ask where the Black God was. Had he approved this release? Did he know of it?


    ¡°My father is on his annual tour of his empire. He won¡¯t walk in unless you poison me again.¡±


    ¡°I - ¡° She stopped because it was rude to contradict a god.


    ¡°You may speak.¡±


    ¡°I did not poison you, Your Grace. I do not know who did. But, if you show mercy, I will find the offender. I swear it.¡±


    He watched her quietly. When the silence had grown long enough that she grew anxious, he spoke again.


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re deluded or lying. But it does not matter.¡±


    Did not matter?


    ¡°No, it does not, because my father does not base his rulings on spirited denials by the accused. You are alive at this moment because has put all his effort into tending me. When he returns, punishing you will be his first act. Do you know how he punishes people?¡±


    Aria was still processing his previous statements.


    ¡°He does not believe in execution. That is a mercy reserved for the most fortunate offenders. And no one has been so fortunate in centuries. He believes that if a mortal cannot live blamelessly, he must at least function as an example to posterity. So, when he returns, he intends to make a spectacle of you so grand, that for millennia, mortals will be drawn to the site of your suffering unable to keep from witnessing something so horrible and yet so enlightening. No one will ever dare to harm me with you as such an illuminating guide.¡±


    Aria recalled Garo, God of War, impaled above his own temple.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± the prince leaned forward. ¡°I¡¯m being vague. What I mean to say is that he will torture you forever in the exact middle of the planet.¡±


    He leaned back on his couch.


    ¡°No, I resent your actions. I hate being ill, and having my father fuss over me for the last two months has been its own form of torture. But I think execution is sufficient punishment, and I would rather not watch what he has planned for you. So, I am going to help you. You looked confused. Speak.¡±


    ¡°I - He must know that I am innocent. Gods know these things. He can read my mind. You are reading my mind.¡±


    ¡°I am reading your expressions. But, yes, he can read your mind. That is how he knows that you are guilty. You are the confused one.¡±


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    ¡°But I am not -¡±


    ¡°You keep going back to that. Unless there is a deity in existence who can hoodwink my father, you are guilty. You will not convince him otherwise. Your time is better spent earning his mercy.¡±


    ¡°I would remember it!¡± Caution was clearly serving no purpose. The prince jumped at her shout, but he did not reprimand her. ¡°I would remember poisoning you. I would remember wanting to kill you. I would remember how to kill you. I remember none of those things. I never even met you before the feast. I have no grudge against you. Something has clearly gone wrong, and you are all intent on pretending that I am insane. How does a human poison a god? Even if I did it, someone helped me, or forced me, or orchestrated it. I am innocent, and you know it!¡±


    He watched her with pity. ¡°As I have told you, that anger will help you in no way. I will set you free and hide you for as long as I can. That is all that I can do. While you are hidden, you have one task only: convince my father to kill you. I do not know how you will do that. If I find any insight, I will share it, but the bulk of the task will be yours. If you will hear my recommendations, begin by losing that anger. Defending yourself will not aid you here. If you can, then trust me in this: you are innocent.¡±


    Exhaustion had overtaken her again. She had no more words to give. The speech she had prepared in the darkness of her cell had come out in a scream and brought no profit for her effort.


    The prince was on his feet. While she watched, he walked slowly to a desk by the window - the beautiful window, now tarnished in her mind by the reality of her circumstances. He swayed a little as he walked. He was still ill, and Aria realized there was no one in the room to assist him.


    As he returned to her, he unfolded a bundle in his hand. It resolved into a black coat. The cut was simple, like something her mother had put her in when the days were chilly enough for bonfire nights. He pressed it into her hands, returned to his couch, and collapsed into it.


    ¡°Put that on.¡±


    She obeyed because she had no strength for fighting and no hope that it would change a thing. It reached just below her hips; too large, but serviceable.


    ¡°My father made that for me, oh it must have been half a millennium now. I wanted to play hide-and-seek, but it was no fun because he could always find me. So, he made this. When I wear it, I am hidden from his powers. It does not affect his eyes, but he never visits the third realm. You will be safe there.¡±


    ¡°He will search for me.¡±


    ¡°No, he will not. Combing the three realms for a human is beneath him. He will wait until you die, then claim your spirit and resurrect you. That gives you,¡± he squinted, ¡°fifty or sixty years to solve your problem.¡±


    ¡°How -¡±


    ¡°I said I do not know. We have some time to ponder it. A few notes of caution. Do not return to your hometown. Do not use your real name. Do not enter his temple or pray to him, or tangle with gods in any way. Do not pray to me; it is the same as praying to him. If I have news, I will send a message, but do not rely on me. Do you have any questions?¡±


    She took deep breaths. Her panic was fading or becoming so overwhelming that it seemed to fade. Perhaps it was the coat, but she felt braver. ¡°If I prove my innocence, will he let me go?¡±


    The prince shook his head incredulously. ¡°If you prove your innocence he will go on his knees, beg your forgiveness, and compensate you with enough wealth to rival Evera¡¯s. You will be the first person in history to prove him wrong. Aim lower.¡±


    Aria fingered the coat. The tears on her face were drying, and that suddenly felt disgusting. She wiped them away.


    ¡°I have been imprisoned for two months?¡±


    The change in her tone seemed to startle him. ¡°If you have been there since I fell ill.¡±


    ¡°I have not eaten.¡±


    ¡°No one starves here.¡±


    ¡°I mean that I have no money. If you send me back, I cannot buy food or shelter. I¡¯ll die before I can achieve anything.¡±


    He frowned. Her calm confused him, but it made sense to her. The time for crying was past. Pleading had achieved nothing. Now was the time for planning. She was confident in her innocence, and that meant something.


    ¡°I will give you money.¡±


    ¡°Can I take off the coat? To bathe?¡±


    ¡°No. I will give you a charm for cleaning. Are you well?¡±


    ¡°No. I have been threatened with eternal torture for a crime I did not commit.¡± She stared confidently into his eyes. ¡°It is comforting, at least, that you will all regret this. Somewhere, there is a deity powerful enough to deceive your father, and you¡¯re too blind to see it.¡±


    From his expression, he considered her pitiful.


    ¡°Do you have any more questions?¡±

 A Bold Deception - 3

    ¡°Best meat pies in Yopidasi.¡±


    It was a lie, of course. The sign appeared older than her. On the building behind it, peeling paint had made way for the mud climbing from the red, clayey ground. It was charming in an earthy, low-class way, but Aria expected that its cuisine matched its decor.


    That was no problem. She had two months of hunger to satisfy. Whatever food this tavern sold, if it made it down her throat without poisoning her, would be adequate.


    A hundred bodies stood between her and her food, each one dressed in defiance of the summer heat. Her black coat was at home in the sea of long-sleeved blouses and dirt-dragging skirts. Their disdain for the weather foreshadowed their disdain for people. The five hundred feet to the eating-house required Aria to push past every single person on the street who - whether standing or walking - blatantly refused to make way for a passerby. It was with thanks that she finally pushed through the door and angrily slammed it behind her. Misbegotten thanks, because the interior was just as hot as the streets.


    The room was surprisingly rowdy. Men sat on long benches, elbows on equally long tables, their sleeves rolled up while they ate with their hands from shared bowls. Despite the sign¡¯s proclamation, there were no meat pies in sight. The men dipped yams in a delectable-smelling soup, then ate the yams and half of their fingers.


    ¡°Bring more!¡± Someone screamed, and a woman with more acne than a teenager rushed over to refill the bowl.


    ¡°I saw it with my own eyes. It rose a thousand feet in the sky.¡±


    The speaker was a bald man with a thick face. He had a bone in his mouth which he noisily sucked at between sentences. The other patrons were clearly waiting on his words. Even those still eating had one ear turned to him.


    ¡°Every person in the city gathered to watch. Never in my life will I see such a sight again. They made him stand there, first, not tied up, just standing. Then, they read a proclamation - I won¡¯t repeat it. I don¡¯t want to die.


    ¡°Anyway, they read it, and then two of them picked him up, turned him over, and (pam!) stuck him on a spear. Then they flew - flew - high up and tied the spear to the pole. Then they posted the proclamation on the pole and left. The blood ran all the way down the pole if you¡¯ll believe it.¡±


    ¡°Liar!¡± All eyes turned to a man on the other side of the room. ¡°Gods don¡¯t bleed.¡±


    ¡°Idiot, I told you I saw it. Ask anyone who was in Iruomida.¡±


    A hush came over the room. After a few noisy pulls on his bone, the man resumed speaking. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you this too, he was brave. No twitching, screaming, pleading. Ai, you¡¯d really believe he was the god of war. He didn¡¯t look defiant, though - more bored. But you could tell it hurt.¡±


    ¡°So, he¡¯s still alive?¡± This speaker was a woman, the only one in the crowd. Her eyes shone with horror and fascination.


    ¡°Of course. Do gods die so easily? Anyway, I took my wife and left right after that. I wasn¡¯t even on the road before I heard that the soldiers were taking people. Anybody who shared the story, anybody who looked like he might share the story, even some people who did nothing. On the road up till we left Garo¡¯s territory, they would just stop people and if you didn¡¯t convincingly say that Garo is invincible, they would take you.¡± He took a sip of water. ¡°I don¡¯t know when it will die down.¡±


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    No one spoke after that. Clearly, they were pondering this tale of a lifetime: the god of war bleeding publicly above his largest temple.


    Aria walked between the tables and stopped before a dusty bench. There, a man sat astride, counting money and recording the figures in a shabby book.


    ¡°Three meat pies, please.¡±


    As the words came out, she sensed a wrongness. The whole room had gone eerily quiet. She spun around, to find the other patrons frozen in their seats, eyes wide and mouths ajar. They were blinking, so they were not frozen. They simply looked as if they had seen a goddess.


    Movement returned all at once. Every person dropped to their knees. Some knocked over bowls as they went and made no attempt to correct the mess.


    ¡°You honor me, Holy One.¡± It came out as a squeak. The speaker, the same man who had been counting his money, was now on his knees. His face was pressed into the dirt floor; His legs were shaking.


    Aria did some staring of her own. She pressed her fingers to her face. It felt the same, though that meant nothing. A quick turn confirmed that no other person was standing beside her. She was the object of their confusion.


    ¡°Please, Your Greatness.¡± The man quivered. ¡°Tell me how I may serve. My wife makes the meat pies. They are not fit for a goddess, but I would be honored to serve them to you. We also have Ikiri. It is new, tapped this morning, and spiced with blackweed.¡±


    She did not reply. It was the coat, she decided. It had given her the aura of a goddess. But how would she correct them? What would she say? ¡®Oh, no, I¡¯m not a goddess. I borrowed this from the son of the Black God. We met after his father imprisoned me for attempted murder.¡¯


    She had to say something, though or the man would empty his bladder. Her servant¡¯s uniform was her sole remaining possession. It would not do to have it smell like urine.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have the three meat pies,¡± she said, ¡°and the ikiri.¡±


    She had never tried it. By the time the fragrant wine completed the journey to her village, it was twenty times as expensive and not shared with children.


    The man was on his feet faster than a lightning flash. He bent almost in half as he indicated a door across the room. ¡°Please, follow me, Your Greatness. We have privacy and servants.¡±


    The privacy was his own bedroom, and the servants were his wife and daughters. They washed Aria¡¯s feet, drew a bath - though she declined it - and combed her hair. She had not had someone to tend her hair since she¡¯d left her tiny village temple for Garo¡¯s palace in the middle realm. In preparation for the feast, she had washed it and arranged it in one large braid running in spirals along her crown. Garo¡¯s servants did not need to look fashionably.


    Now, the two girls - the oldest no more than fifteen - doused it in their most expensive (and still cheap-smelling oil) while offering praise about how wonderful it was. She almost died of embarrassment. She would have accused them of mocking her, but she could hear their terror.


    They fed her meat pies until she ordered them to stop and then stood around in wide-eyed worry. It was comical and guilt-inducing. She wanted to leave, but she was exhausted and sleepy after the meal.


    ¡°Your service is adequate.¡± She tried to speak as a goddess would, and she might have failed. But how did one end such a deception? ¡°I will reward you. For now, let me be.¡±


    They flew from the room. Once alone, Aria considered escape but there was no window. Leaving meant walking through the eating house again, and she had no destination anyway. Instead, she lay on the deflated grass mattress, in a room only large enough to hold four sleeping bodies, and fell asleep in minutes.

 A Bold Deception - 4

    She rewarded the couple with gold. One coin was more than enough for their trouble, so she gave them two. The wife¡¯s eye shone with joy, but the man¡¯s held an equal amount of skepticism. Why had a goddess slept on his shoddy mattress? What had she rewarded them with paltry gold rather than magic? Who was she?


    He accepted the money, however, and tucked it securely into his purse. When he was certain it would not disappear, he spoke again.


    ¡°Your generosity is overwhelming, Great One. And, if I may say so, you have guests.¡±


    She knew no one in Yopidasi. The prince had ascertained that before dumping her in the middle of the city. Reaching it from her hometown required a ship and three months.


    ¡°Who are they?¡±


    A mysterious expression crossed the man¡¯s face. It could have been a smirk, snuffed before it was full-grown, or a veiled query  ¡°Servants of the Jewel of the Sun.¡±


    Aria bit her lip.


    ¡°Stay away from deities.¡± The prince had repeated that. ¡°Even if they cannot recognize you, where they are, my father will eventually be.¡±


    But Evera could recognize her.


    The man¡¯s expression grew more mysterious.


    ¡°Did you send for them?¡±


    His face immediately filled with terror ¡°No, Great One! I would not! I would never¡­¡±


    ¡°Settle down!¡± He was either terrified because he was lying or terrified because he was telling the truth. Neither fact would alter her situation. She looked around the room again, but no window had appeared during her rest. His wife kept her eyes down and her lips closed.


    With one last offer of thanks, she pushed past them. The dining hall was now devoid of customers. Its only occupants, two women in white, stood at attention with hands folded over their middles. Their eyes met hers as she walked in.


    She stood at the doorway, uncertain of the protocol. After a tense moment, the taller woman spoke.


    ¡°The jewel of the Sun requests an audience with you.¡±


    Requests?


    Aria made her tone stately.


    ¡°Thank you for the message. I will meet her as soon as I am able.¡±


    The shorter woman looked stunned. The other. The other raised an eyebrow while her lips lengthened in amusement.


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    ¡°You will be leaving with us now. We have a carriage outside.¡±


    Aria remained in place. Evera could recognize her. Following these women was death.


    ¡°Did she ask for me by name?¡±


    The taller woman replied. ¡°She asked for the newling who is invading her territory.¡±


    Aria opened her mouth to deny the charge, then shut them impotently. Even Evera was fooled by a coat?


    ¡°How did she learn of it?¡±


    The woman gave her an incredulous look. ¡°Do you believe our mistress is blind? End this stalling.¡±


    She stepped aside, clearing a path for Aria to go ahead. It was a rude gesture, as if Aria, a goddess, could be ordered about by a servant. Yes, their goddess was one of the most powerful deities in the world, but Aria could still have killed them for the disrespect.


    She almost laughed at herself. Here she was, feeling offended on behalf of her fictional persona, when she was minutes away from doom.


    She ran.


    She was at the door before they reacted. She threw it open, avoided the carriage in front of it, and took the first street leading away. Bodies still filled the way, requiring her to push past them in her haste, but she hoped that they slowed her pursuers as much as they did her. She had no plan and no destination. She took streets at random, aiming only to get as far from the eating house as possible, but each turn brought the sinking worry that she might be going in circles, that they might suddenly appear in front of her. One cannot run from the gods, but can you run from their helpers?


    Her legs grew tired almost as soon as she began, but she made it through five streets before she was forced to stop. Hands on her knees, gasping for breath, she threw a glance behind her and saw no one in pursuit. Several people watched in curiosity, but they neither attacked nor offered assistance.


    After several minutes, her enemies had not appeared, so she dropped to the ground and pulled her knees to her chest. Almost immediately, a passing man almost tripped over her, then stopped to scream insults at her. She replied in kind to the blind fool, but she her heart was not in it. When their exchange was over, she shuffled over to one side of the street and leaned against a house. Its corrugated roof cast a shadow that ended a few inches beyond her, forming a dark pattern beyond the ridges formed by rain.


    As her breathing settled, she wondered what to do. She had to leave Evera¡¯s territory, but where would she go? Where did Evera¡¯s territory end, and what deity would she encounter there? The men at the eating house had spoken of Garo¡¯s punishment. Restrained as he was, perhaps he had no ability to bother trespassers.


    She settled on that option; there were no others. If she was not safe in Garo¡¯s territory, she would not be safe anywhere. Now, all she needed was a map. As she rose, another thought came to her. Perhaps Garo¡¯s territory was not her only choice. Not every deity had Garo and Evera¡¯s power. The minor ones would probably be wary of antagonizing a newcomer. Before leaving for Garo¡¯s territory, she would find a map, identify the weakest God with the nearest territory, and decide if he was the rash sort.


    With a silent chuckle, she thanked Garo for allowing her years of service. Perhaps in another deity¡¯s service, she would not be so conversant with the politics of godhood, but, in Garo¡¯s service, considerations of strength, weakness, and rank were as important as food. She had been the best serving girl in her local temple, but pouring wine had earned her nothing until she learned who to please and who to shun.


    With her plan prepared, she suddenly found that she was lost. Left and right both held the same ramshackle buildings. She turned from one to the other, debating which to choose, and debated for too long. Just as she came to a decision, she was treated to the sight of a white hole flaring into existence beneath her. She only had a moment to wonder why she was not falling when the hole rose up and closed over her.

 A Bolder Deception

    She landed on her back. The air was knocked out of her lungs so thoroughly that it took a while to remember how to breathe. When she did, she was forced to contend with the pain in her back and in her skull. The world blurred dangerously, but it soon cleared and the only damage done was to her pride - as a person, but mostly as a supposed goddess.


    ¡°Stand up.¡± The tall attendant was standing in front of her. Above the lady¡¯s head, Aria saw a white coffered ceiling. In each square depression was a relief, though the images were difficult to decode from so far below. She estimated that ten men standing on each other¡¯s shoulders would still struggle to touch the artwork.


    ¡°Stand up.¡± The woman was more forceful. Arrogance filled her words. And why would it not? Aria was sprawled on the ground like a drunk at dawn.


    She rose to her feet and pinned the woman with her best glare before surreptitiously surveying the scene. It was white in all directions. Two archways stood relatively closeby, one leading to a larger room and the other leading to yellow sunlight and a lush flower field. Reliefs on both sides of the archways presented an instantly recognizable form: Evera, goddess of love and beauty.


    She could even hear Evera¡¯s voice.


    ¡°I am sorry that you have suffered so.¡± The goddess was saying. And she sounded sorry. In fact, it was possible that no one had ever been so sorry in the history of the world. ¡°Your wife betrayed you, took your children, and your wealth, and said such harsh words to you. Her actions are indefensible.¡± She paused. ¡°However, and I hesitate to say this though I must, I wish you to consider how you treated her in the years before this. Love is that rare magic. It breeds reciprocity. Had she been thoroughly satisfied in your company, thoughts of betrayal may never have entered her mind. I do not accuse you. I only speak this because my blessing must be different if you betrayed her first.¡±


    There was a pause. Aria suspected the petitioner was speaking. She stepped up to the archway and saw a man kneeling before Evera, his head bowed to the ground. On the ceiling above them was a forest of flowers of every shape and color. Along the walls, those same flowers crept down to the ground, layered over each other like a living waterfall and running along the bottom of the wall.


    Evera spoke again. ¡°It is good that you recognize your wrong. So many do not, and that is often so heart-breaking. As love requires two, so does reconciliation. When a petitioner cannot reflect upon his actions, even I am powerless to help him.¡±


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    There was another pause. This time, Aria caught some of the man¡¯s words, but they did not resolve into a sentence.


    ¡°Of course, I can help.¡± Evera laughed. She waved a hand, and a trail of light followed her fingers. It resolved into a rainbow, sank onto the man¡¯s head, and dissipated in a rain of petals. Those petals, in turn, melted into nothingness as they struck the ground. ¡°Go to your wife now. Tell her of your sorrow at how you hurt her. She will see you as she did when you first confessed your love and feel what she did on the day you were wed. If there is still room in her heart, your words will reach her. But, be careful. I can only grant this blessing once. If you do not care for her and she leaves again, a twice-torn heart is not easily mended.¡±


    The man bowed, pressing his head to the floor. Then he rose to his feet and bowed again.


    ¡°Your devotion is welcome,¡± Evera said. ¡°Go now, and remember to share my joy with all you meet.¡±


    The man almost ran from the room then. He stopped at intervals to turn back to Evera and bow. She, for her part, remained standing and nodding gracefully to each of his bows. When he came past Aria, his face was lined with tears, but also thick with joy and hope. Evera¡¯s words had not given him that; it was her voice, her beauty, everything she was. Aria knew that Evera could have told the man that his wife was dead and still left him hope and the longing for a new day. She knew it because she felt that every time she heard Evera¡¯s voice.


    As the man went past her, she longed to stop him and ask how he had gained this audience. It could not have been easy. They were clearly in the middle realm, the second of the three realms. From the lower realm where mortals lived, buying a trip to the middle realm cost the life¡¯s savings and an entire prosperous village. Even then, admission into a deity¡¯s temple could not be bought for any price. And, of course, reaching the upper realm, where the Black God lived, was beyond most mortal dreams. Only unfortunates like herself and the most trusted attendants would ever have that honor.


    ¡°We¡¯re next.¡± The tall priestess poked her back. ¡°Move along.¡±


    ¡°Really, Shemula?¡± Evera was suddenly at the door, fixing her attendant with a disappointed glare. ¡°I asked you to fetch her, not insult her. If she killed you, how would I have the heart to demand the fine?¡± She turned her gaze to Aria and gave an indulgent nod. ¡°Please, forgive her child, she is recently promoted¡± She glared at Shemula, ¡°and now demoted. I hope this does not color your view of my hospitality.¡±


    Aria opened her mouth slightly, but no words came. Did Evera not recognize her? Or was she being hospitable?


    Evera was waiting for a reply. ¡°Uh,¡± Aria said, ¡°good servants are hard to find.¡±


    Evera laughed her musical laugh. ¡°They are, indeed.¡± She waved Shemula off and then waved Aria ahead. ¡°Please, come with me. I apologize for the wait. Sometimes, those audiences run long. My supplicants are in need and it can be difficult to ration the time I can spare them.¡±

 A Bolder Deception - 2

    Aria went on ahead. Even if she decided to run, she did not expect to get far. As they walked, she tried not to gape. The audience hall could fit two farmlands, at least. Ahead of her was Evera¡¯s throne. It was made solely of white lilies and large enough to hold five men. Aria wondered if it was comfortable; she would never have an answer.


    Here and there, lilies of all colors grew from the tiled floor. The altar before the throne, where supplicants placed their gifts, was a burning red bed of roses.


    They walked past the throne. Behind it, another archway left into a corridor, and a third archway led from the corridor to a relatively small room. Relatively small, because it could only hold one square dining table and two serving tables along the wall. Compared to the audience hall, it felt intimate. As they entered the room, Aria realized that even the archways were decorated. Lilies grew along them, white and camouflaged by the similarly colored walls.


    ¡°Do you love my flowers?¡± Evera¡¯s tone was casual. As she spoke, she pulled out a seat for herself and gestured for Aria to do the same.


    ¡°They need no water,¡± Aria said. ¡°They live only on the light of your beauty.¡±


    The goddess paused and her grin grew wide, almost bashful. ¡°I see I have an admirer.¡±


    Aria felt more embarrassed. The words had come unbidden, one of the endless facts she had learned about Evera. That knowledge was to have won her a place in the goddess¡¯ service, but Evera¡¯s scouts had not been impressed. Ten-year old girls who knew Evera¡¯s hymns littered the streets. Only one in a ten-thousand could earn the honor of sweeping floors in her temples.


    Seeing Evera¡¯s expectant expression, however, she smiled back and nodded. A moment later, Evera¡¯s eyes swept over the back of Aria¡¯s hand. There, a lion¡¯s teeth stood out, Garo¡¯s symbol, printed on her hand before she had begun service in his palace.


    Aria felt shame. ¡°I learned to serve you. But, I did not impress the scouts. They didn¡¯t choose anyone from my village.¡±


    Evera waved it away. ¡°They choose so few. I am always honored by the number who wish the serve me. I wish I could take them all, but if they can only share my joy in their daily lives, that honors me too.¡±


    Aria nodded vigorously. ¡°Of course. My parents forced me to serve in Garo¡¯s temple, but I never forgot you. I still know all your hymns.¡±


    Evera smiled. ¡°Well, I hope you did not hum them in his temples. That would have terribly rude.¡±


    ¡°Of course not -¡±


    Evera laughed. ¡°Relax, child, I am teasing. You are a goddess now. It does not matter who you served as a mortal. Now, people will pray to you and you will have to do right by them.¡±


    The wall across from the archway was pure glass. Through it, she could see a meadow filled with green and dotted with wildflowers. A fountain stood in it, as well, and tightly grown trees interlocked their branches and seemed to form a maze. As she watched, a rabbit hopped in sight of the window, stopped, stared at them, and then hopped back out of sight.


    Evera waved a hand and flowers sprang from the table before them. They grew, budded, and opened before transforming into crystal plates loaded with fruit and condiments. Another wave brought crystal glasses and a pitcher of wine.


    ¡°Please, help yourself,¡± Evera said. ¡°The fruit is fresh. The wine, I buy from Garo. I would rather not, but he does it well and I would rather spend my time on my people.¡±


    She poured a glass for herself, but Aria did not move. All she could see was the cup in the prince¡¯s hand, his eyes losing their luster, and her life dissolving around her.


    She reached for a pear to give her hands a task. Dew clung to its skin in tiny spots. When she bit into it, disappointment filled her. It turned out, fruit from a god¡¯s table tastes just the same as it does anywhere else. The thought felt sacrilegious; Evera had grown these. But her tongue would not bow to her sensibilities.


    _________________________________


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    ¡°Now,¡±


    Evera tapped a spoon on the edge of her bowl, dumping a thick sauce onto her berries. She followed that with a spoonful of sugar using the same teaspoon. Then, she began mashing the mixture into a paste. Aria watched her in fascination. If you had asked before this moment, she would have said that no, gods did not mash their fruit and drown them in sugar.


    ¡°You must be wondering why I asked for you, so I will not keep you in suspense.¡± She took a spoonful of her pudding, made a face, and added more sugar. ¡°It is traditional - and safe,¡± she gestured with her teaspoon, ¡°to obtain permission before visiting another¡¯s territory. I would have forgiven it, but I realized that without warning, you will wander into more dangerous places.¡± She took another spoonful, made another face, and added even more sugar. ¡°And without training, oh, you will not survive even a week. Is this your first day?¡±


    Aria decided that this was no trick. Evera truly did not recognize her.


    ¡°First day?¡±


    ¡°Were you a goddess before today?¡±


    ¡°No, Your Eminence - I mean - ¡°


    Evera frowned at the slip but laughed it off a moment later. ¡°Then, I will teach you. It will be lovely to have a sister. It has been so long.¡±


    Aria felt conflicted. She had to leave Evera¡¯s palace as quickly as possible. Whatever oddity kept her identity hidden - and it could be that Evera was simply poor with faces - she could not depend on it.


    ¡°I have to be somewhere.¡±


    ¡°Child, you have nowhere to be until you have my permission to stand in my territory, and you do not have it. You have even odds of finding another deity who will help rather than exploit you, and you look as if you crawled out of a swamp. You will stay, bathe, wash your hair, and wear something that does not stink. And when I have filled your head with what is necessary for survival, you will thank me and run off. Do you understand?¡±


    She had an accent when she was stern; something rough and rural.


    Aria sat without a response. She weighed her chances of escape and found them slim. As Evera had said, escape meant nothing if she had nowhere to go.


    ¡°How long is this training?¡±


    ¡°As long as your memory is short. It will not take more than a day if you are attentive, but I will keep you long enough to see my teaching sink in. And believe me, you will thank me when you do not end up like Garo.¡±


    The memory spoiled what remained of her appetite.


    ¡°Has he been freed?¡±


    ¡°Freed?!¡± Evera laughed so hard, her face nearly collided with the table. ¡°Freed?! You jest! He will spend the next thousand years on that stake. After that, when he has lost all his adherents, and mortals only remember him as, ¡®that weak god who offended the most powerful deity in the universe, Tivelo might remember to exact a high price in exchange for freeing him. You see, Garo is fortunate. His crime was mild. Without instruction, he would be just like you are, destined for death the first time you face Tivelo..¡±


    Aria stared down at her plate. ¡°Did he really poison the Black God¡¯s son?¡±


    Evera pretended to choke on her porridge, washed it down with a sip of wine, and then shook her head.


    ¡°Lesson number one: His name is Tevilo. You may call him that. It is a name, a title, and the highest and most respectful form of address. If you care to remember, it means ¡®Lord¡¯ in whatever language he spoke before we were born. ¡®Black God¡¯ is what terrified mortals named him after he covered the world in darkness, flushed fifty deities out of hiding, and killed them on the streets of Itempoti like powerless cattle. He does not seem fond of it, so avoiding it would be in your best interest.


    ¡°We will follow that with lesson number two: his son is the greatest, most important, and most precious person in your life. He is before your lovers, your children, your parents. Any one of those people, you are prepared to sacrifice to him in an instant if he desires it. You worship him. If he urinates in a cup and asks you to drink it, you will do so joyfully and instantly. Every whim of his, no matter how fleeting, is your heart¡¯s greatest desire. Is this sinking in?¡±


    Aria nodded that it was. ¡°His father will hurt you if you cross him?¡±


    ¡°Inaccurate. If you happen to be standing beside a tree, and the tree falls by itself and spills dust on Achi¡¯s least favorite pet rabbit, you have committed a crime by failing to protect him from emotional distress. Garo did not poison Achi. He hosted a party at which the prince was harmed. That is why he is being punished.¡±


    Aria was suddenly intensely grateful for Evera¡¯s instruction. The world of gods reminded her of her village¡¯s yearly deer hunt, where nine-year-old boys attempted to hunt deer in a forest filled with snakes and spike-laden pits. One boy died every year, proving himself unworthy to be chosen by Garo¡¯s scouts the next year, and his parents consoled themselves with the hope of seeing him in Garo¡¯s paradise. Having met Garo, however, Aria hoped to never see his interpretation of paradise.


    Evera was still speaking. ¡°We do not call him the prince because his father is a king. It is a reminder that your life, your status, and your continued ability to breathe without feeling your lungs pierced by a million needles are dependent upon his happiness. Remember that every time you see him and you might live to see your first century. Oh, dear, I have one more supplicant. Eat, then Shemula will find you a bath. And, do consider this your home. I have so much space.¡±


    Evera was out of her seat in a blink and gone before Aria could thank her. The resulting silence was eerie with all the warnings still playing in her head. For several minutes, she replayed her last conversation with the prince, cringing at every temper-filled moment and almost dying of relief that his father had been absent.

 A Bolder Deception - 3

    When Evera spoke of a bath, she meant nothing like Aria¡¯s baths. Bathing in her childhood had meant lugging a bucket of water to her family¡¯s backyard, where mud-brick walls and a thatched roof hid a tiny, square cell. There, she had scrubbed herself with scratchy soap and ladled water over herself; carefully - because running out of water before you ran out of body parts was a possibility.


    During her first years in Garo¡¯s service, baths had been communal affairs, with the more senior attendants taking the first semi-private sessions while the newest girls managed their cleaning with two minutes and half a bucket of water.


    The guest bath to which she was directed held two enormous pools. One pool held normal water, capable of being heated to any temperature she wished, while the other held seawater, drawn fresh while she had dined with Evera. There was a mini-orchestra: two flutes and a four-stringed okere. A stand held cakes of every type and flavor. Two young girls were present to massage her feet, another two for her hands, and one for her back. They began almost without permission, directing her to dip her feet in the pool while another girl fed her cakes.


    A stylist displayed clothing for her perusal. Each outfit was modeled on a wooden dress form which somehow matched Aria¡¯s figure. Hairstyles were similarly modeled on living girls, whose hair matched her short, thick mop - and they looked good.


    Aria must have gaped, but the attendants responded to her shock with the utmost professionalism and assured her that any additional requests would be accommodated.


    She almost cried when she spoke the most difficult words of her life. ¡°I will bathe in privacy.¡±


    The attendants took her notice in stride. They left the cakes near the pool and the dresses beside a wall. The orchestra left their instruments, and the hairstylist promised to return when requested. Shemula, who had done an excellent job of keeping her disdain covert, promised to wait in the hallway.


    She could not take off the jacket, but the thought of ignoring such a luxurious bath brought tears to her eyes. Besides, Evera had practically ordered her to bathe. So, she bathed with the jacket on and washed what she could reach. It went well. The jacket was water proof, but her blouse beneath it was soaked through. After exiting the pool - she used both pools  - she spent several minutes working her blouse out from under the jacket. She was forced to undo one button, but no army descended to whisk her to her doom.


    Afterward, she found a sleeveless blouse with detachable straps, then completed the outfit with some black trousers. Then, she let the servants style her hair. They teased it into a sleek-looking updo she had not considered it capable of. Then, they invited her to tour the palace while she waited for Evera.


    Aria took full advantage of their hospitality. She avoided only the third floor as they instructed her, and feasted her eyes on everything else. She rested in the garden for a time, tried - and failed - to solve the maze, and enjoyed a private dinner. With each passing moment, the sad ache in her heart grew. She could live in this palace forever. If she was a goddess, not a pretender, she could take full advantage of Evera¡¯s tutelage and perhaps own a palace of her own someday.


    The beauty and opulence were seductive, but what she craved most of all was the joy. She did not see a single sad face inside Evera¡¯s walls. Laughter had existed in Garo¡¯s palace, but so much of it had been stressed or mocking or faked. Here, however, no one was crying. Evera truly deserved her title as the goddess of love. Loved by her subjects, her servants, and even by fellow gods, she would never want for followers.


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    ¡°Greetings.¡±


    Aria jumped. The day had ended and she had yet to see Evera. The goddess seemed to spend her life in appointment after appointment. Aria had no complaints. The longer Evera delayed, the more of the palace she could enjoy. When she had tired of the tour, she had come to the garden to rest. There were no lamps. The middle realm lacked a moon so fireflies were her only light. A voice springing suddenly from the darkness was the last thing she wanted. And it was a man¡¯s voice.


    ¡°You must be the new goddess.¡± He came closer. His features were still unclear, but she could make out his figure. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I started you. I am Ritulwayuta, but most people called me Ritu¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Ar - Arruwa. Um, it¡¯s nice to meet you.¡±


    That sounded better than, ¡®what are you doing here, the only male in a temple full of women?¡¯


    He heard the query anyway, and she heard a smile enter his voice. ¡°Evera and I are lovers. Do you want to go in? You¡¯re squinting. Or perhaps I can fetch a lamp..¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine. It would scare off the fireflies.¡± She felt self-conscious. Perhaps all deities could see in the dark and the man was now picking apart her deception in his mind.


    Rather than stand there and wait for discovery, she gave him a dismissive smile, then turned and headed for the house. There was a bench flush against the wall, and she knew it lay in a straight line from her position. Rather than accept his dismissal, however, Ritu followed her. When she sat on the bench, he took a spot a respectful distance from her, leaned back, and stared into the distance.


    Lighting from a nearby window allowed Aria the opportunity to inspect his face. It was deep brown, like the dirt on her parent¡¯s farm. He paired that with long lashes and a smooth complexion, completing the profile that, on a man, was considered ¡®beautiful¡¯ rather than handsome.


    He was no match for Evera, however. What man could be? Aria longed to ask more about their relationship? How long had they been together? Were there any vows between them? She knew of married deities, but such a thing had never been suggested of Evera. Perhaps it was a secret, but then he wouldn¡¯t introduce himself so openly. Perhaps it was only secret from mortals or it was no secret at all and no one simply cared to share the news in the lower realm.


    He spoke first, sounding just as curious ad Aria was. ¡°I heard the servants talking. They¡¯re excited. There hasn¡¯t been a new deity in two centuries. What is your power? Is it rude to ask?¡±


    Aria shrugged. ¡°I would not know. I still do not know many things. Evera has been kind enough to offer training.¡±


    The deflection, thankfully, escaped him. ¡°I can imagine. You¡¯re fortunate. Of all the deities who could have found you, Evera is the best. I say that shamelessly, though I must be the most biased in that regard.


    That was an opening, and she took it. ¡°How long have you been together?¡±


    ¡°Eighty-three years and four months.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Yes, I know how old I look. Evera extends my life, though I don¡¯t care. I¡¯ll be with her even after I die.¡± He laughed some more. ¡°Do you have someone?¡±


    ¡°Not yet.¡± A boy came to mind, catching fish with her on a cool afternoon, but he had loved someone else, and she had quickly overcome the rejection. ¡°Hopefully, someday.¡±


    She wanted to pry some more into his relationship. Who had Evera loved before him? Had she loved someone? She had lived for millennia. Now that she no longer seemed like a sexless, ethereal being, Aria thought it impossible that she had been alone all that time.


    He disappointed her. ¡°I¡¯m going to go in.¡± He rose, stretched, and turned to her. ¡°I hope to see you again sometime.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. And you too.¡±


    She listened to his footsteps until there was nothing more to hear. Then, she listened to the night sounds until exhaustion tugged at her eyelids. When she decided to find a bedroom, it was from fear of falling asleep in the open. But the bed was even more wonderful than the garden. So, she put her worries out of her mind and convinced herself that she was safe - at least until morning.

 The Wardrobe

    She was sleeping on a cloud; the softest, best-smelling cloud in the universe. Someone was playing a lullaby and begging her to eat a giant cake shaped like Garo¡¯s head, but she refused. Cannibalism would offend Evera.


    ¡°Open your eyes.¡±


    The voice dispersed her dream with the violence of an arrow through a crowd. She sat up, pulled the covers over her chest - and her frilly nightdress - and stared in terror at the speaker.


    ¡°Are you enjoying yourself?¡± He stood at the foot of the bed, framed by the bedposts and parted curtains. His tone was flat, disapproving, and yet brimming with anger. ¡°Well, are you?¡±


    ¡°Uh, no.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± He faked disappointment. ¡°Well, you should be. Evera just informed my father of a new goddess. He was surprised because he hadn¡¯t sensed any. I was surprised because he was surprised.¡± He added a fake chuckle. ¡°Do you know who this new goddess is? Her name is Arruwa, and she is supposedly somewhere in this palace.¡±


    ¡°I - ¡°


    ¡°I know, Arruwa sounds suspiciously like Aria, but they can¡¯t be the same person because only a fool would make such a mistake, and only a fool would walk into the very place I warned her away from five minutes after I warned her about it!¡±


    ¡°She brought me here!¡± Silence followed the outburst. Aria worried that she had been heard. When no footsteps intruded, she lowered her voice and continued. ¡°This stupid coat you gave me makes everyone think I¡¯m a goddess. Evera found me and kidnapped me. She plans to teach me what rules to follow so that your insane father does not torture me forever.¡±


    ¡°Watch yourself. He¡¯s upstairs.¡±


    Aria nearly soiled herself. Sleep was departing and Evera¡¯s lecture was returning to her brain. She was not supposed to be screaming at the price; certainly not with his father in the same building.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with the coat. And you don¡¯t look like a goddess to me.¡±


    ¡°People were bowing to me. A man gave me his bed. And do you think Evera is mistaken?¡±


    He looked her up and down. Somehow, he seemed to be pulling her apart with his eyes, measuring every part of the jacket.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯s nothing wrong with it. And you seem normal. Maybe you have become a goddess.¡± A thought occurred to him. ¡°Did you check the pockets?¡±


    Aria had never noticed any pockets.


    ¡°They¡¯re on the inside.¡±


    She began to undo the buttons, then stopped. ¡°Turn around.¡±


    He rolled his eyes but obeyed. ¡°You realize that most gods can see behind them, yes?¡±


    ¡°Then get out!¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t check those pockets in two seconds, I will do it myself. Idiot. Do you even know what a god is? I¡¯ve seen straight through into your bones.¡±


    Her brain threatened to explore that thought, but she stopped it in time. Five buttons came undone before she found the pockets. The first one was empty. The second, on the other side, produced a green stone with a ring attached to it. A second later, the prince was pulling it out of her fingers and muttering a modified curse word. His attempt at propriety would have been amusing in another place and time.


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    He cursed again. ¡°I owe you an apology.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s mine.¡± He turned the ring over in his fingers. ¡°I¡¯d forgotten I even owned it. I never imagined that it would even do anything to a mortal.¡± He looked up at her. ¡°Didn¡¯t you sense it? The power should have been overwhelming.¡±


    Aria remembered the feeling of calm and confidence that was now gone. ¡°I thought it was the coat.¡±


    He scratched his head and swore for the third time.


    ¡°My father wants you upstairs to greet him. We¡¯ll have to sneak you out. Hopefully, he doesn¡¯t come down to find out why he can¡¯t sense you. We¡¯ll use this window - ¡°


    ¡°Wait. Evera did not recognize me. Would your father?¡±


    ¡°Evera is human-blind; most gods are. You all look the same to her. Normally, she would have recognized your soul, but the ring was overshadowing it. My father is not so easily fooled. You need to leave. Now¡±


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    ¡°Wait.¡± She rushed out the words hoping that they sounded wiser in reality than in her mind. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I keep the ring? Perhaps it can help me find the person who poisoned you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re insane, and this conversation is over.¡± He pulled her off the mattress. She struggled, but his grip was like a tiger¡¯s bite.


    ¡°Think about it.¡± She said ¡°If I just disappear now, your father and Evera would be confused. They might try to find me. And Evera¡¯s eyesight might be bad, but everyone else saw me.¡± He was trying to force her onto the window now, but she gripped a bedpost and refused to let go. ¡°If your father thinks a god is hiding, he¡¯ll try to find her. I won¡¯t be safe.¡±


    He released her and glared. ¡°And how would going to him now solve the problem?¡±


    She had thought about that. ¡°You could disguise me.¡±


    ¡°How? A hat? A beard? Maybe remove one of your eyes? Gods see souls.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there some way you can change that?¡±


    ¡°No! I mean, maybe if I kill and resurrect you.¡±


    ¡°Do it.¡±


    He looked incredulous ¡°If you die, your soul will go to Garo¡¯s after-life. My father will claim you before I can re-awaken you - if I can reawaken you.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s another way. If you send me out there, I will die, and you know it. He will hunt me. If he doesn¡¯t Evera will, and she will find me. I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll just shrug and say, ¡®a goddess ran away from me. There¡¯s nothing I can do about it.¡¯ I think you want it to work, but it won¡¯t. My life is at risk here. Don¡¯t play with it.¡±


    ¡°Girl, you just want to keep playing goddess.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Yes, I do. But look me in the eye and say Evera won¡¯t find me and ask why I tricked her. Promise she won¡¯t turn me over to your father for his favor. Look at me. Say it, honestly, and I¡¯ll climb out that window.¡±


    He looked conflicted. She seized the chance. ¡°Your father is the king of all the gods. I¡¯m sure he has something capable of modifying a soul. I don¡¯t care how painful it is. I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re risking your life.¡±


    ¡°My life is already gone. It¡¯s gone unless I can prove my innocence, and I can¡¯t do that as a nameless girl in some crowded city in the lower realm.¡±


    ¡°Oh, would you stop that?! You are guilty!¡±


    ¡°I am not. And if you don¡¯t help me, I will scream. I will scream, your father will find me and torture me, and it will be your fault.¡±


    An intense look appeared on his face, followed by silence. A full minute later, he had still not spoken and she was getting anxious.


    ¡°Well?¡± She finally asked. ¡°Will you do it?¡±


    He remained distracted. ¡°I wonder why he has not come down here. He knows that I did. And he should be able to hear us if he wishes to.¡±


    Aria remembered the Black God taking slow, leisurely steps out of Garo¡¯s palace after sentencing him with barely a word.


    ¡°He won¡¯t come down to hunt us,¡± she said. ¡°If he cared he would just -¡±


    ¡°- pull us up there. Time to leave.¡±


    Aria had released the bedpost while he waited, so he was able to force her to the window. There was nothing to grab onto, so she lowered her voice and infused it with every ounce of seriousness she could muster.


    ¡°I will scream. I swear it.¡± She took a deep breath, drew air into her lungs, and then opened her mouth. He clamped a hand over it.


    ¡°Fine, you lunatic. I¡¯ll disguise you. Then you can come back here, parade yourself in front of my father, and pretend that the suddenly arriving goddess who disappeared when he first tried to meet her, does not present any cause for suspicion. Then, when he is not fooled and kills you just out of caution, I won¡¯t feel a bit of guilt.¡±


    His concern was reasonable, but her options were few. ¡°I¡¯m sure something will work well enough,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re powerful gods.¡±


    Her words seemed to make him even less certain. ¡°But how do we even begin? I have to go back home and search for something we can use but you¡¯ll be found before I return.¡±


    ¡°I could hide. This coat hides me, right?¡±


    He scoffed. ¡°Do you know how strongly you smell? Did you bathe in perfume? When they tire of waiting for you, the hundreds of servants in this place will come after you.¡±


    ¡°Then you can use your powers.¡±


    Silence met her suggestion. She waited for a moment, but all he did was spin around, searching the room for help.


    ¡°You can use your powers right?¡± She walked around him so that he was facing her again. ¡°Can¡¯t you hide me or just magically move me from this place?¡±


    He pushed her out of his way. ¡°I have no powers. This will work.¡± In four steps, he was at the only wardrobe in the room. It was a small one, clearly intended to be decorative, but it was large enough to hide several people.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you have powers?¡±


    He ignored her and instead dumped out the few items that occupied the wardrobe.


    ¡°Get in,¡± he said


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s past time for arguing. I headed off the servant sent to wake you, but if she is found or he decides to fetch you himself, your life will really be over. Into the wardrobe.¡±


    She approached it slowly, still parsing her confusion. ¡°How will this work? This is giant. Everyone will see it.¡±


    He pushed her in and shut the doors. ¡°The servants will assume that I am stealing Evera¡¯s wardrobe.¡± The wardrobe rose off the floor and tilted back so that she slid to its back. ¡°They will doubt their eyesight and say nothing because my father is the Black God, and if I decide to steal a wardrobe, I have every right to do so. The end.¡±


    Despite all the terror in her veins, she laughed until her ribs ached. ¡°You have the worst plans of anyone I have ever met.¡±


    ¡°It will work. And shut your mouth. A laughing wardrobe will be more difficult to explain.¡±


    Despite his words, she could hear the amusement in his voice.


    When her laughter finally died, she had one more question. ¡°This won¡¯t fool them, will it? If I disappear at the same time that you steal a wardrobe, even the most foolish man in existence could connect the dots.¡±


    Despite his lack of abilities, he was strong. There was no huffing and his hands were steady.


    ¡°This is your foolish idea. We¡¯re betting its effectiveness on my father¡¯s indulgence. He won¡¯t pull you out and scream at me in the middle of Evera¡¯s home. Probably. The rest of this foolishness will be your problem.¡±

 What About an Apology?

    ¡°We could use this.¡± The prince was brandishing a short knife, swishing it about like an overzealous warrior. Its blade gleamed like the cleanest silver.


    ¡°What does it do?¡±


    ¡°It cuts anything. If we cut up your soul, it could make it unrecognizable.¡±


    It seemed like a joke, but there was no amusement on his face.


    She pried the knife from his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s put it at the bottom of the list.¡±


    Aria had never dreamed of searching the Black God¡¯s storeroom, and if she had, the reality would have been a disappointment. There were hundreds of objects tidily organized on rows of shelves, but none with any visible magical aspect. She picked up a glass orb and the Prince said, ¡°that plays a tune from Rainy Nights. I loved it when I was eight.¡± She picked up a mirror and he said, ¡°That turns your face into a rabbit¡¯s.¡±


    She rolled her eyes. ¡°You loved it when you were five?¡±


    ¡°Six.¡±


    ¡°Is every object in here a toy for you?¡±


    He was sorting through a wooden box almost half his height. ¡°Only about ninety percent. Birthday gifts grew more sophisticated as I got older, but also less tangible. This looks promising.¡±


    He pulled out a sheet of fabric. It was large enough to serve as a blanket but made of thin, white cloth.


    As she watched, he wrapped it around himself and promptly disappeared. A moment later, he reappeared in the same spot, holding the blanket to one side.


    Aria took the blanket and wrapped it around herself. ¡°Another toy for hide-and-seek.¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s too big. I suspect I placed it over servants and made them invisible. But it¡¯s a short-term solution. We need something permanent.¡±


    Aria suspected they would not find it in that graveyard of toys.


    The prince¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°He¡¯s here! Hide!¡±


    The closet was too far away, and all the tall shelves stood flush against walls, so Aria did the obvious thing: She threw the blanket over herself and stood still. The prince pushed towards the nearest wall, and then they were out of time.


    The door opened without a creak and the prince turned to face it.


    ¡°You¡¯re back.¡±


    There was a smile in his voice, but she also heard unease. Silently, she cursed at him and hoped the encounter would end quickly.


    The Black God walked the path up to them in silence. They were so far into the room that it seemed to take hours. When he reached the prince, he took a look at the disturbed shelves and box the half-empty box. Then he spoke in a level tone.


    ¡°Did she escape?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Aria had never heard a more guilty denial.


    The Black God clearly agreed. He chuckled. The sound was light, but it failed to relax her. ¡°Did you take the ring, at least? It could be dangerous to a human.¡±


    The prince closed the distance to his father. He made it seem natural, but he was moving away from Aria.


    ¡°You need to make more sense, Papa. What ring?¡±


    Aria clamped a hand over her mouth and nose. If his acting got any worse, her laughter could give her away. Fortunately, the Black God seemed to forget the matter. He pressed a hand to the prince¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°Your fever is back. You should be resting.¡±


    The prince stepped out of his reach. ¡°I¡¯ve done nothing but rest.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you - ¡°


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    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be drugged into sleep. I feel fine. If I don¡¯t, I¡¯ll handle that too. I¡¯m four hundred years old. I don¡¯t need a nanny.¡±


    Aria could spot a recurring argument on its way. The Black God saved the situation, however. He eyed the shelves once more, passing his eyes over Aria¡¯s hiding spot, then turned and headed for the door. It seemed to pain him to do it.


    ¡°Papa.¡±


    Aria almost screamed. Let him go.


    The Black God turned and waited for his son¡¯s words.


    ¡°Will you really not forgive the girl? She¡¯s just a child. Humans are foolish. For my sake, you could just let it go.¡±


    The Black God walked back to his son and put a palm on Achi¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°What do you think I am doing? Do you truly believe that you are hiding her? Every moment from now until her punishment is a gift from me. Tell her to use it wisely.¡±


    ¡°She could apologize. If she does -¡±


    ¡°If she sincerely apologizes, I will give her the opportunity to cheerfully accept her punishment. That should be enough.¡±


    ¡°Really, father -¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡±


    The room stilled. Every molecule of air froze in place. A plant - decorative or magical - sat on a low shelf across from Aria. At the god¡¯s words, even it seemed to shrink as if hiding from the voice. It was one word, yet Aria felt its power pressing on her log after its sound had faded. Here was a voice that, if it commanded the air to leave her lungs, would not be disobeyed.


    Only the prince stayed unrestrained. ¡°Papa -¡±


    ¡°You know what you are asking, so spare me the task of denying you over and over again. She made a choice, well aware of what she was doing. It is not now my task to deny her the reward for her choices. Hide her if you wish, for as long as you wish. I will grant you that. But you, too, are a god of justice. Had she harmed me, you would not take the matter so lightly. What you ask, I cannot give.¡±


    ¡°She is just a child -¡±


    ¡°All the better to teach the other children of the world.¡±


    He disappeared.


    ¡°Coward.¡± The prince muttered. ¡°Always running from arguments.¡±


    Aria remained beneath the blanket. A god who could disappear could appear just as easily. But he never returned.


    ¡°You can come out,¡± the prince said. ¡°He¡¯s gone to his quarters, probably to cook up a sleeping medication.¡± He glared at Aria. ¡°Next time you try to kill me, do it well.¡±


    Aria hesitated, she he walked up to her and pulled the blanket off. His hand missed its position the first time, but not the second.


    ¡°Can he hear me?¡± She whispered.


    ¡°Not in here.¡± He turned away from her and began searching shelves again, picking up objects and almost immediately replacing them. ¡°There¡¯s nothing here. None of these will work.¡±


    He was suddenly angry. She could not tell if it was at her, his father, or the situation. ¡°There¡¯s nothing here and you need to leave before something goes wrong.¡±


    Aria could not leave. She had nowhere to go and no ways to save herself.


    ¡°Then what?¡± She asked. ¡°Do I wander about until another god kidnaps me and brings me back here.¡±


    He paused and seemed to ponder the situation. ¡°I don¡¯t think Papa would let you go. If you can work up an apology, I could plead your punishment down to death.¡± He eyed her. ¡°Give me your best apology.¡±


    Aria shook her head. ¡°No one is all my years, has ever fallen for one of my false apologies.¡±


    ¡°Try.¡±


    She cleared her throat. ¡°Your Eminence, I am terribly sorry that I attempted to kill your son and solemnly swear - ¡°


    ¡°Stop. By all the gods, you look as if you¡¯re accusing him of murder.¡±


    ¡°Well, he is trying to punish an innocent person. Even kings should know better than that and he¡¯s a god!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll work on it.¡± He placed a hand on her back and guided her back toward the wardrobe. ¡°But we need time. I¡¯ll speak to Garo. If he helps we might be able to execute plan A.¡±


    ¡°Plan A?¡±


    ¡°Kill you to scar your soul and make you unrecognizable.¡±


    She suddenly remembered her misgivings about that plan. How would it work? Would it fool the Black God? But she asked the most pressing one. ¡°Why Garo? You said I would go to his afterlife, but that¡¯s not true. I¡¯m more attuned to Evera.¡±


    He paused, gave her a once-over, and laughed. ¡°You¡¯re charming, compassionate, overwhelmingly attractive, and obsessed with white?¡±


    ¡°Well, but - I¡¯m certainly not like Garo.¡±


    He shoved her into the wardrobe and attempted to shut the doors, but she stuck a hand between them.


    ¡°Most people who are like Garo do not believe it of themselves. But you should. Did you climb up the ranks of his servants by being timid, unintelligent, and kind? Even now, you¡¯re here accusing the most powerful god in the universe of being wrong. Learn some self-consciousness.¡±


    He pushed her hand into the closet and locked it. She struggled for a moment but, gave up when she did nothing but rattle the doors.


    ¡°One more question.¡± She had to ask it before they were out of the storeroom. ¡°My memories. I don¡¯t remember poisoning you. Surely that means something.¡±


    He said nothing. Instead, he lifted the wardrobe and she was forced to its back again.


    ¡°Please. How can I even apologize if I don¡¯t remember doing anything wrong.¡±


    ¡°He will not give you the memories. They contain knowledge of how to kill me. So, you¡¯ll simply have to look within yourself and judge what you are capable of.¡±


    ¡°I know I am innocent.¡±


    ¡°What you should be is quiet.¡±


    She fell asleep.

 Heist

    Aria¡¯s eyes snapped open. There was no gradual return to consciousness, just the sun in her eyes and sand in her mouth. A pair of legs crossed over her, kicked some more sand in her face, and kept going.


    She hurried into a seating position, spitting furiously, and rubbed the sand off her face. Around her there was an open market. Wooden stalls littered the area. Most were clustered underneath under a shaded open area made from poles and a wooden roof. Others braved the glaring sun and burning sand. Brick buildings formed the walls of the marketplace on two sides, leaving two wide alleyways as exists on the other sides.


    Aria looked above the buildings and squealed as her heart threatened to leap from her chest. She clamped a hand over her mouth, though none of the passers-by seemed to care, and indulged a moment of grateful relief. It was only a statue.


    Garo¡¯s face, larger than the sun in the sky, looked menacingly on the city and finally solved the mystery of her location. She was in Igbotulo. It was the only city with infertile, sandy soil and a giant statue of Garo. Her home was three hundred miles away and during pilgrimage season, the line of supplicants would include her parents.


    Another person walked over her, unintentionally kicked her in the jaw, and kept walking. Aria clambered to her feet after that. It was best to get out of their way before she was murdered. What had Achi been thinking to dump her in a marketplace so close to home?


    I thought he had no powers.


    Apparently, he had enough to knock her unconscious. A generous part of herself suggested that he had been under pressure to hide her location from his father. A less generous part countered that it could have been mere callousness.


    She had a purse tied around her waist with a woven cord. That was new. A quick inspection showed that it was filled with many golden coins. Something white peeked from below the first layer of coins. She pulled it out, pushing coins out of the way. It was a paper-wrapped bundle. She carefully teased the paper apart and as the last fold disappeared, felt a rush of strength overwhelm her. The sun was suddenly less hot, the wind was cooler and that last vestiges of her worry were gone.


    It was the ring. In the same bundle with it was a note. It was a struggle to release the ring. But she did it. Despite the comfort it brought, being mistaken for a goddess would worsen her problems. She returned it to its bundle, felt its power fade as soon as it was covered, and unfolded the note.


    Aria,


    I am leaving you this against my better judgment. I do not expect you to use it. So, please, do not use it.


    I will attempt a deal with Garo. Your plan is a bold one, but if he agrees to give me your soul and if we can do so before my father learns of your death, this could be the breakthrough we need.


    Until then, remain in Igbotulo. Do not leave the city. Do not leave the lower realm. Absolutely do not return to the middle realm. And, in case I need to say this, do not come to the upper realm.


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    There is a lodging house at the entrance to Igbotulo called ¡®Pleasant Nights Lodging House.¡¯ Pay for a room there. I will send a messenger when I have news.


    If, despite all my warnings, you find yourself in danger, the ring provides minor defensive abilities. They are very minor. If you wear it, you put an opponent to sleep and it will protect you from weak physical damage. It will also sustain you for a few hours if you sustain life-threatening injuries. It will not protect you from a deity or an empowered blade. It also has very little power left; enough for months if you are careful and hours if you are extremely stupid.


    Achi


    She crumpled the paper and tossed it aside. Then, fearing detection, she picked it up and put it in her purse. Every condescending word had almost driven her into a rage.


    Stay in Igbotulu?


    And then what? He would modify her soul - if Garo consented and his father did not stop them. Then, what would happen? Would she hide forever? She was bound to die eventually. Would the modification protect her in the afterlife? If the Black God searched diligently, would he not eventually find her? Forever was a long time to hide from a deity.


    No. Her only permanent solace lay in proving her guilt and Achi would not assist with that because he did not believe her.


    She stared up at Garo¡¯s giant head. The artist has faithfully depicted his terrifying eyes and severe expression, but the muscles were slightly exaggerated. She would know. He had used them on her to great effect.


    The pitcher.


    The thought hit her like a hammer to the head. Where was the pitcher? She had taken it to Garo¡¯s quarters, but Tivelo had never looked at it. She recalled holding it to her chest as she was led through the hallways, putting it down as she greeted the gods, and never picking it up. It was still there. No one would dare to move it without Garo¡¯s leave.


    It was her freedom.


    If she could get into Garo¡¯s quarters and retrieve and examine it -. The thought left her breathless. Perhaps Tivelo did not care about evidence, but it was useful to her.


    Questions fought for dominance in her mind. What could kill a god? Why had Tivelo failed to examine the pitcher? What had he seen in her memories? Perhaps he had examined the poison without touching it. Perhaps he had seen something in her mind that made other evidence unnecessary. Achi had claimed that her memories were removed to hide the poison¡¯s details. Then why leave the pitcher? It was a severe oversight.


    The questions had no answers, but they kept her in place. Answering them meant returning to that palace. She could do it before Garo returned. With some skilled makeup, few people would recognize her. If she had not been removed from the temple rolls, the guards¡¯ magic would not note her as an intruder. If she had, well, she could just put on the ring and run.


    Her brain threw obstacles at her. Was she mad enough to rob the Great Conqueror? What if someone recognized her? What if the pitcher was gone?


    Her stomach growled. She welcomed the distraction. Pondering such a monumental plan was giving her a headache. She would eat, find clothing to replace her nightdress, and perhaps bathe. Then, if she had not come to her senses, she would consider the plan again.


    Food was easy to find. About a tenth of the stalls in the marketplace sold food of some kind. Aria bought chappadu - fried bean patties wrapped in giant leaves - and washed them down with water from a public well. Then, she asked for directions to a clothing shop.


    She repeated the process three times before finding her destination. Outside the marketplaces, most buildings were frustratingly uniform. They were all made of brick, featured slate roofs, and were packed one after another with tiny alleyways between them. When she found the correct building, she tried three separate doors opening into a bookshop, a scent shop, and a clothing shop respectively.

 Heist - 2

    The shop smelled of oil and new fabric. Aria was still in the doorway when she realized that she¡¯d been misjudged. The store was clearly a high-end installment. There was no clothing displayed, just a large, empty room with a padded bench against one wall and measuring tools sitting on a counter.


    A cheery ¡°welcome¡± greeted Aria as she entered, but her eyes were on the opposite wall. She walked up to it, sparing only a glance at the shopkeeper, and stopped to stare at the object hanging there. It was a composite bow almost half her height. Aria ran a finger across it and found it oiled to perfection, without a single speck of dust.


    ¡°Might I help you, Madam?¡±


    Aria turned to the woman. Her hair was done up in a single, tight bun, giving her a slightly pinched look. If she was offended by Aria¡¯s forwardness, she hid it well and projected only a competent, assured look.


    ¡°Would you like to buy a gown?¡±


    Aria let her hand leave the bow. ¡°Not a gown. I need a pair of trousers and a sleeveless blouse. Nothing too bright and nothing in white. Gray or green is fine.¡±


    The woman nodded and smiled perfunctorily. ¡°I can provide that. Please, sit. Komichi!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m coming!¡±


    The voice that called back was young and soon followed by its owner, a preteen girl with a large nose and chubby cheeks. She seemed far too cute for any real labor, but held a measuring tape and charcoal stick with familiarity.


    ¡°Measure this lady,¡± the woman said. ¡°Then bring some dark-colored trousers and sleeveless blouses in her size.¡±


    ¡°Yes, mother.¡±


    The girl gave Aria a small bow, then stepped up till they were barely a foot apart.


    ¡°Please, spread your arms, Madam.¡±


    Aria sighed. ¡°This is unnecessary. Just find something that will fit.¡±


    It was the child who replied. ¡°You have wide shoulders, madam, and a small waist. Without measurement, anything I pick will fit wrong in one place.¡±


    Aria did not know how to argue with that and she had nowhere else to be, so she sighed again and spread her arms. The girl was quick. She measured Aria¡¯s bust and waist in seconds, mouthing the numbers to herself and not bothering to write them down. When she reached Aria¡¯s wrist, however, she stopped and gasped.


    Aria glanced at her own wrist, realizing halfway through the action what had caused the girl¡¯s reaction. Garo¡¯s mark stood out on the back of her hand. She had grown used to it, but it was rare in the lower realm. Only those who served Garo in the middle realm wore his mark on their bodies. Everyone else - from priest to acolyte, showed their devotion with jewelry.


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    The girl was on her knees before Aria could stop her. ¡°Welcome, Priestess.¡± Her tone was solemn, as if Aria had brought Garo himself into the shop.


    Her mother suffered a moment of confusion, but she followed Komichi¡¯s lead.


    ¡°Please,¡± Aria said. ¡°This is unnecessary. Get up.¡±


    They obeyed, but the look of awe did not leave their eyes. When Komichi resumed the measuring, it was with gentle reverence.


    She shot a wary glance at her mother, who was still watching them, and whispered, ¡°Have you really seen the Great Conqueror?¡±


    What was she to say to that? Aria smiled and nodded. ¡°He looks just like his statue.¡±


    The girl¡¯s eyes went wide and Aria envied her. She wished that she could be so happy about meeting Garo.


    ¡°You must be so happy,¡± the girls said.


    Aria did not snort. ¡°Yes,¡± she said, ¡°very happy.¡±


    Her tone confused the girl but Aria schooled her expression and the confusion passed.


    With the measuring done, both mother and daughter disappeared into the back of the shop. They were gone for several minutes. Occasionally, Aria heard whispers, but she could only pick out the loudest words. While they were gone, she took the bow down from the wall and tested it. She had not held one for months. The mere act of touching it steadied her, brought back memories. Amusement bubbled up in her chest. After all she had been through to reach  the middle realm, she was back on the lowest plane, in hiding.


    She returned the bow to its position.


    Komichi and her mother returned with four sets of clothing each. They began to describe the features, but Aria shushed them. A blouse was a blouse. She picked one that she could maneuver into without removing her coat, and borrowed a pair of scissors from them. In a side room hidden by curtains, she proceeded to cut off the dress she was wearing and struggle into the new blouse. The process was difficult and annoying and she wished she had asked the prince for an alternative to the coat.


    While she dressed, she heard more whispers from the mother and daughter. They continued for so long that she almost snapped at them, but she held her tongue. She could not be happy, but it was no reason to pick on others.


    Getting into the clothing confirmed one of her suspicions: she could not continue hiding forever. A coat was a minor inconvenience and she could barely stand it. What other indignities would she have to endure?


    Back in the store, she asked the woman to discard her nightdress and took a coin out of her purse.


    ¡°No, please,¡± the woman¡¯s head shook emphatically. ¡°I would not dare - ¡°


    Aria dropped the coin on the counter, but the woman hurriedly retrieved it and held it out with her head bowed. ¡°Please,¡± she said. ¡°If you must pay, help me in another way.¡±


    Aria tilted her head and waited. Whatever the woman wanted, there was little chance that she was capable of it, but she could hear her out.


    The woman pulled her daughter closer and Aria knew.


    ¡°Komichi takes the trials this month. I hope that she can find a position in the temple here. If you will tell her about your trials, and how you made it so far, it would be such a help.¡±


    There was fear in the woman¡¯s eyes, and such hope. She was worried that Aria would be angry, but thrilled to have the opportunity to help her daughter.


    She glanced at the bow, this time, calling back less pleasant memories.


    She almost declined the request. Almost. But she looked in the child¡¯s eyes and saw even more hope than in the mother. Here was more fodder for the fire, another child who could be beaten into shape and made a willing slave of a god who could care about her as much as about a grain of sand and treat her accordingly.


    She looked squarely into the girl¡¯s eyes. ¡°You want advice?¡±


    ¡°If you please,¡± the mother said.


    Aria took a seat on the bench and beckoned for the girl to sit beside her. As she did so, her mother put up a ¡®closed¡¯ sign.

 Heist - 3

    Aria met the girl¡¯s gaze and saw fatal naivete in it. Oh, she knew some of what it meant to serve Garo, but she knew nothing like what she would learn in the coming weeks.


    ¡°Let me tell you how I became an attendant. To serve Garo, you only need to have three qualities.¡±


    ¡°I know them,¡± the girl¡¯s eyes were bright. ¡°Be strong. Be brave. Be victorious.¡±


    Aria shook her head. ¡°No, you don¡¯t know them. You think you know them. But to pass the trials, you need to truly know them. And to work in a big temple like the one here, you need to know them the way you know how to breathe.¡±


    The girl would never make it; few people did. But failure was as much a danger as success.


    ¡°My mother was a priestess here in Igbotulo,¡± Aria said. ¡°My father was a temple guard.¡± The girl¡¯s eyes widened at the impressive pedigree. ¡°They retired after their marriage and went back to my father¡¯s village. I learned to read using Garo¡¯s Conquests. I could write his name before I could write mine. That is how devoted they were. My first birthday gift was a spear. My second was a bow. As soon as I could draw it, my father took me out every morning and made me practice until I could no longer move. By the time I turned ten, my technique rivaled that of grown men. You cannot become a priestess by accident. You earn it.¡±


    ¡°I practice every day too.¡± Komichi looked at her mother for confirmation and the woman nodded.


    Aria shook her head. They were missing the point.


    ¡°I hated fighting,¡± Aria said. ¡°I hated spears, and with my bow, I could only hit objects, never people. When I turned 11, a year before my trials, I told my parents that I wanted to serve Evera instead.¡±


    The mother began to look uncomfortable, but she had begged for the story. She could not stop it now. The girl looked confused, but she was still listening.


    ¡°My father explained to me that in our province, it is still legal for parents to cut the heart out of their apostate child and present it at Garo¡¯s temple. It would have saddened him, he said, but we would meet in the afterlife.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we should stop,¡± the woman said.


    ¡°For my first trial, they drugged ten men - one for each of us - and put us in the ring with the men.¡± Despite her mother¡¯s protest, Komichi was enthralled. ¡°Any child who killed her opponent was selected. Anyone who failed died. ¡®Be strong¡¯ means, ¡®Be strong enough to defeat your enemies, whoever they may be.¡¯¡±


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    Aria paused for a breath. A good servant of Garo would take on Tivelo, no matter how strong he appeared.


    ¡°I thought I was going to die, but my parents would not let me withdraw. I killed my first living thing there. I shot and shot and shot until they let me leave.¡±


    She could still see the man¡¯s face, the blood staining his clothing, her parents¡¯ proud looks.


    ¡°The victors were taken to a bigger city. We were acolytes there for three years. Then, when I was fifteen, we took the second trial. There was a lion in the surrounding forest. We were to hunt it down and kill it. They sent us in one at a time, for a week each. Eighteen people went before me. None of them returned. I sent a letter to my parents begging to go home. They said no. Dying in Garo¡¯s service was a blessing, cowardice a disgrace. So, I killed it.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Komichi asked.


    ¡°I took food and water with me. Then, I hid in a tree until it found me. It took five days. When it came, I shot an arrow into its eye and waited for it to die. You see, the others were stupid. They thought that courage meant searching for the lion and facing it with a spear.¡±


    That was what a true devotee of Garo would have done. And now, a true devotee would be courageous enough to rob Garo. The thought almost made her giggle. Such irony.


    ¡°The priests wanted to disqualify me, but one of them concluded that I had shown courage by facing the lion at all. So, I passed. They were wrong. I was a coward. Courage would have been standing up to my parents and refusing to participate in an insane death ritual.¡±


    She had always been a coward. She had faced the lion because her parents had threatened to sacrifice her. She would rob Garo now because the alternative was death.


    ¡°Afterward, they released another lion into the forest and sent the remaining people after it. Three other acolytes survived. Then, they told us that only one person could be chosen and that the person would be chosen at random. That night, I put stinkweed in our water and drank from my own pouch. The next morning, I was the only person not stuck in the toilet, so I was the one chosen.¡±


    Komichi giggled. ¡°You poisoned them?¡±


    ¡°Yes. That was the last trial. ¡®Be Victorious¡¯ means ¡®Be Victorious¡¯. There are no qualifications.  After that, I was sent to my assigned temple in this realm. There, I washed dishes so well that our High Priestess thought I was good enough to wash dishes in the middle realm.¡± Aria rose. ¡°If you believe your life is worthless, join the trial. You will either die or become a monster. Thank you for the clothes.¡±


    She left their disappointed faces behind her.


    The strength to defeat your enemies. The courage to face them in battle. The cunning to attain victory.


    She chuckled.


    As disgusting as Garo was, his principles were what she now needed to save herself. She would be bold. She would sneak into Garo¡¯s palace, steal a pitcher, learn what had poisoned a god, and prove Tivelo wrong.


    And, after that, she would never go near another temple.

 Dead End

    She found her ride outside the city. It was a black carriage parked apart from the other transports. While the others were drawn by horses with drivers who loudly announced their destinations, this one had no obvious means of locomotion. It also had a roof and walls, unlike the Black God¡¯s carriage. The driver demanded five hundred gold coins. From the weight of her purse, she knew she had that many, but it hurt to spend more money in an afternoon than she had ever made in her life. After some negotiation, and threats, he discounted the price by fifty coins. He would go no lower despite having no other customers.


    The ride was quick and familiar. It had only been nine months since she boarded a carriage with other fortunate attendants, clinging to a sack with some clothing and a wrap with her mother¡¯s cooking.


    Popular understanding held that the realms were layered over each other, but occupied the same space. To travel between them, a transport reached the right speed and then pierced through an invisible barrier. All Aria saw of the transition was a slash of light. Then, she could almost see the hauntingly blue sky through the carriage¡¯s glass windows.


    They stopped half a mile from Garo¡¯s palace. There, others waited to negotiate their passage back to the lower realm. Aria kept her face down in case they recognized her, but they seemed preoccupied with their own matters. The mood was one of concern. Garo was still being punished. None of his attendants knew what that meant for their lives.


    The walk to the palace was cold and far too short. Back in the lower realm, the plan had seemed simple. With Garo¡¯s palace so close, however, it looked foolish. She bit her lip and fingered the coin, still in its wrap. She could put it on and it would give her strength. It would also ruin her plan.


    She passed other attendants along the way. Exaggerated makeup hid her features, but she still kept her face down. It was odd how natural the pose felt again. She counted the stones on her path and the few trees that stood beside it. They were all green, lush, fruitless, and the only features on the landscape. Unlike Evera¡¯s home, Garo¡¯s temple was built on flat, boring land. Not a mountain or a river existed to draw attention from his approaching compound.


    Sooner than she hoped, she was at the gate. Two guards stood on each side, spears balanced on the ground. To her relief, she did not recognize them and they did not seem to recognize her. Given the sheer number of attendants in the palace and her painted face, that worry had been foolish. Through the iron bars, she could see workers walking from place to place. More guards stood beside the path to the main temple, but the smaller buildings relied only on the walls for their protection. Sometimes, even the interior guards were absent. Who would attack the Great Conqueror?


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    One of the guards pulled a metal tablet from under his arm and held it up so that it blocked his view of her. The tablet would glow green to him if she was permitted, but remain black if she was not. She held her breath while he inspected it and kept her finger on the ring. If he seemed alarmed, she would unwrap and touch it in one breath.


    He put it down and waved her forward. The gates slid open. Half of the bars traveled to one side and half to the other. Then, she was through and suppressing both a sigh and a prayer to Evera.


    Aria tried not to smile as she went on her way. Who would have guessed that robbing the Great Conqueror would be so easy?


    Count your fruit when it¡¯s off the tree.


    There was still a long way to go. When she was safely away, it would be time to rejoice. Despite her caution, however, she could not resist the thought of how she would tell this story in the future - if she could ever tell it. ¡°The Great Conqueror¡¯s palace is so secure, a single former employee can steal from it. Perhaps he should not have taught us courage.¡±


    She knew the thought was foolish. Garo gave no thought to his security because his name struck fear into lesser gods and wariness into the more powerful ones. Anyone powerful enough to brave that caution was often also powerful enough to defeat him openly. There were only two people in that category: The Black God and Evera. Evera did not care for war and the Black God did not need it.


    More guards patrolled the compound, but they paid her no heed. She was through the doors of the main temple in minutes. She found a basin of water and a rag, but the ruse felt unnecessary. No one looked her way. At most, they lent her a brief glance, decided that they did not recognize her, and kept walking.


    Soon, she reached the forbidden corridor. As on the night of the feast, there were no guards. Who would dare violate a god¡¯s sanctuary? The doors required a bit of force, but they opened. She walked between Garo¡¯s testimonial curtains, taking only a glance at each side. Fear made each new step difficult, but hope kept her going. She was close. She would take the pitcher and walk out the same way she had walked in.


    She pushed open the last door, slipped in, and shut it behind her.


    The room was filled with people.

 Capture

    Garo sat on a cushion with his back to the door. He had not seen her. At his sides were two male attendants, both kneeling. One held out a basin of water while the other held a tray of rags. The god had his head bowed as he personally sewed up the gory wound running through his chest.


    Aria could have run. She should have. But her brain, in that most crucial moment, proved incapable of transmitting its commands to her legs.


    Garo stiffened, turned, and locked eyes with her.


    Most gods can see behind them.


    The shock on Garo¡¯s face was as comical as it was terrifying. ¡°You!¡± He let the needle drop from his hand. The thread still attached to Garo¡¯s chest kept it from reaching the ground. It hung suspended, swinging back and forth. ¡°How did you get here?!¡±


    Too late, her body finally caught up with her mind. She reached for the doorknob behind her. Garo was faster. His hands moved like the blur of an arrow, snatching something and flinging it at her in one movement. She caught a flash of silver, interpreted it as a knife before it collided with her throat, driving her into the door and pinning her there.


    Air fled from her lungs. Her throat, split in two, ached so much pain that the world went black for a moment. In between gasps, each one threatening to tear her neck further, she lifted a hand and felt the knife¡¯s handle.


    She explored no further than that. Her attention was consumed by the sight of Garo stalking towards her, that threaded needle still dangling from his body. She thought to run, but she could not brave the blade that kept her in place. The slightest movement sent more pain through her when she could not have imagined that it could be worse.


    Garo stopped before her, close enough that she could smell his breath. It smelled like day-old fish. His eyes pinned her more securely than the knife. Their redness, already nightmarish, now seemed to promise horrors just beyond the reach of her imagination.


    He grinned like a boy anticipating his first taste of wine, manhood, and freedom. ¡°Now, how did you escape?¡± He asked. ¡°Let me guess: our soft-hearted prince freed you as he freed me. And you decided to return here?¡± He tossed his head to indicate the room. ¡°To my service?¡± Like desert weather switching between scorching heat and freezing cold, his expression morphed once more, now to rage. ¡°Answer me! Why are you here?!¡±


    The room shook at his voice. Even the servants shook, though more from terror than force.


    Aria moved her lips, but only air escaped. That was probably best. Had she been able, she would have told him everything.


    With a disgusted snort, Garo pulled the knife from her, doubling her pain and momentarily claiming her vision. When she knew anything again, she was on the ground. Garo kicked her, roughly. His foot, though bare, was as hard as steel. With the same foot, he pressed down on her chest. For several seconds, he stared at her eyes, as if searching for something.


    Then, he snorted, and turned away with a disgusted expression.


    ¡°Clean her up.¡±


    For a moment, nobody moved. Then, before Garo¡¯s anger resurfaced, two guards rushed to her side and took each of her arms. They helped her to her feet and half-dragged her from the room. Darkness took her before they reached the door, but not before she was treated to Garo¡¯s delighted laughter.


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    ¡°Oi! Wake up!¡± Slaps rained down on both sides of her face. ¡°Wake up! Wake up!¡±


    She turned her head to avoid the abuse, but it returned harder.


    She opened her eyes. A blue ceiling met her with a face partly obscuring it.


    ¡°Get up,¡± the man said. ¡°It¡¯s time to go.¡±


    Her neck hurt, but not as much as she had expected.


    ¡°I¡¯m alive?¡±


    The man laughed. He wore the uniform of Garo¡¯s guard and had a short spear nestled to his side. ¡°Sweetheart, His Lordship could knife you for hours and leave you alive. Get up. Someone else has the pleasure of killing you.¡±


    She raised a hand to her neck and felt thick cloth around it. Before she could fully register the finding, she was being pulled out of the bed. A second guard joined the first. Together, they hauled her to her feet and proceeded to drag her out of the room.


    Workers stared as they went past. There were several whispers. She heard her name spoken several times, though not by anyone she recognized. She kept her gaze away from them. Her mind soon cleared and her legs recovered enough to hold her, but the guards retained their tight grip.They led her through several passageways until, suddenly, she was being dragged through the main door and out into the compound.


    A few feet down the path to the main gate, Garo waited. He was already in his carriage, a metal platform with only one cushioned chair fixed to it and a less comfortable bench for the driver. The guards stopped to bow to Garo before throwing her facedown at Garo¡¯s feet, and backing away.


    Aria stayed down for a while, wary of Garo, but he said nothing to her. When the carriage had been moving for a full minute, she pulled herself to a sitting position and kept her eyes on the driver. She could not understand his job. He had no steering tools or platform. During the entire ride, he seemed to merely sit in his chair and stare straight ahead. He shifted twice - when they made the transition between realms and when the carriage halted. He seemed to relax as they halted, so perhaps driving the carriage required some mental effort. It was a shame that she could not ask.


    They stopped above a familiar lake. The distant mountains and seemingly empty surroundings informed Aria that they were back in the upper realm, the Black God¡¯s home. Garo dismounted first. He clicked his tongue, which Aria interpreted as ¡®get over here¡¯ and began walking before she had completely obeyed. The driver remained in the transport.


    It was difficult to tell, but Aria suspected that their destination was different from those of her previous trip. She tried to fall back as they walked, but Garo stopped, waited for her to catch up, and then shoved her in front of him. His grip was painful, but it at least distracted from the pain in her neck.


    A few steps later, the world flashed and they were indoors. There, familiar black floors and fuzzy walls formed a corridor. Further along, the walls opened into an enormous, circular room with a domed roof. A man stood beneath the arch leading into the room. He pulled himself to alertness as they approached, eyeing for Aria, and then Garo. He did not bow.


    ¡°State your business.¡±


    Aria looked around him, partly for an escape and partly out of curiosity. There was a gilded throne at the far end of the room, floating higher than a man¡¯s head. Otherwise, it was empty. Aria felt foolish then. She could not see the doorways in the place. Even the one they had come in through had disappeared behind her. She would hardly be able to escape even if it was allowed.


    ¡°I bring a gift for the Lord of the Sky, an escaped prisoner.¡± Garo shoved Aria.


    The man eyed her once again, and then turned back to Garo. ¡°I will deliver her. You may leave.¡±


    ¡°I - ¡°


    The man cut Garo off with a hand. ¡°I have great respect for you, Great Conqueror.¡± By which he meant that he had no respect for Garo. ¡°So, I will inform you that Our Lord is in an excellent mood today. Why, he was just telling me that his fondest wish is to lay eyes upon the cocksure deity whom he is certain should be impaled upon a stake but whom his dear son defiantly freed.¡±


    Garo sniffed, turned, and walked away.


    The man watched him until he disappeared into the foggy walls, and then sniffed. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought. Well,¡± he turned to Aria and smiled humorlessly. ¡°Let¡¯s take you to your destination.¡±

 Capture - 2

    Aria briefly wondered if the man could overpower her. The curiosity ended a moment later, when he clamped a grip around her wrist strong enough to rival Garo¡¯s.


    He didn¡¯t drag her, but he set a fast pace. They went back into the corridor, but turned halfway before the spot Garo had disappeared through. There, they walked through a wall and appeared in another corridor. This one led into a bustling room. Men and women sat reading, playing cards, eating, or sleeping on long, wooden tables.


    The man sniffed in disapproval. ¡°Werri!¡± He turned his head back and forth squinting as he searched the room. ¡°Werri!¡±


    Aria wished he would loosen his grip, but he clung on like a priest with a sacred duty.


    ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± A different man approached from their left. He was partially bald, but his most prominent feature was two black drawings on his cheeks. One was a rod with flowers sprouting in every direction. The other was a bowl filled with a rippling liquid. Both were done in brown ink just lighter than his skin, so they were faint, but large enough to be prominent.


    He smiled at Aria. ¡°Who is this? A new acolyte?¡±


    ¡°Escaped criminal number one.¡± The other man was already leaving. ¡°Deliver her to his Eminence.¡±


    ¡°Oi!¡± Werri shouted at the departing man. ¡°Come back here!¡±


    It was no use. Whatever his name was, he had disappeared through the wall.


    Aria looked at the gathered people. Some had turned when her identity had been announced, but others continued their activities.


    Werri scratched his head and inspected her as if seeing her for the first time. The smile was gone. In its place were suspicion and discomfort.


    ¡°Well,¡± he said, ¡°we should prepare you. Please, do not run. I¡¯m not young anymore and you won¡¯t get far.¡±


    Aria considered it anyway. She had seen no guards along the way. Unlike the previous man, Werri was not holding her back.


    She didn¡¯t finish the thought. In an instant, she was kicking her legs with all the speed she could muster. She made it into the hallway within seconds. She could not recall the spot in the wall from which she had come, but she continued toward the end of the hallway. It would lead somewhere.


    She collided with nothing. One moment, she was running with all of her strength. In the next, she had come to a halt. It was not a harsh ending. It felt as if she had run into a giant balloon. She was unhurt, but it was impossible to move further.


    She turned to find Werri walking toward her.


    ¡°That was a waste of time.¡± His arms were raised before him, crossed at the forearms and pointed towards her. You wouldn¡¯t escape a minor god¡¯s priest. Why would you try to run from me?¡±


    When he was close enough, he took her wrist.


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    The rest of the walk proceeded in silence. Rather than watch her surroundings, she tried to consider her next steps. There had to be something she could do to save herself, but she could think of nothing.


    Werri led her, through several hallways, to an empty rectangular room. There, a plain black altar stood before an empty dais. On the altar burned a circular flame. It filled the room with orange light and cast shadows deep enough to hide grown men. As they entered, two women rose from the shadows behind the altar and approached them. They were of similar height, with the same facial markings as Werri and dressed in formless silver gowns.


    They stopped, five feet before him, and inclined their heads. ¡°Greetings, High Priest.¡±


    He nodded in response and pushed Aria before him. ¡°Prepare her for the Rite of Atonement.¡±


    They inclined their heads again.


    Werri took a bench at the back of the room while the women led Aria into another room. There, a small bath lay ready. They stripped her down, discarding both Achi¡¯s coat and her purse, and ordered her to bathe. When she refused, they physically forced her into the water and washed her. She struggled, but it felt like fighting against manacles.


    They washed her hair too. She feared that their roughness would tangle it, and it did, but they died and brushed it afterward, with a hand-wave.


    Despite her humiliation, Aria felt envious. Priestess of Garo only gained the power to kill.


    When she was dry, they forced her into a gown similar to theirs. It looked ghastly and felt itchy. She was still considering discarding it when one of the priestesses set her belongings on fire. Only achi¡¯s coat survived. She would wear what they gave her or go naked..


    Werri was still waiting in the chapel. The priestesses nodded to him once more, and then returned to sit on the ground beside the altar.


    Werri indicated that she should walk ahead of him.


    ¡°You served Garo, correct?¡±


    Aria gave no response.


    ¡°Silence will not help you here. Did you learn any of Tivelo¡¯s rites?¡±


    She shook her head. She had learned one rite, but denying it was easier than speaking.


    ¡°There¡¯s no time for a complete education,¡± he said, ¡°and it is unnecessary. You only need to know of the rite of atonement. Achi instituted it.¡± He paused, as if the statement should mean something to her, but she gave no response. ¡°Tivelo¡¯s punishment is usually swift, with no room for appeal. Achi changed that - at least for mortals. There is now a process - a sort of trial before your punishment. That is the rite of atonement. Theoretically, if you say the correct words, your punishment might be eased. I don¡¯t think you have much hope for that, but following the process should grant you what little mercy is available.


    ¡°Tivelo will state your crime and ask you if you dispute it. You are to say, ¡®your word is correct, Most Eminent One.¡¯¡±


    Aria coughed to hide her amusement.


    Werri¡¯s voice grew stern. ¡°I have no responsibility to help you, child. Follow my advice or ignore it. Disputing your crime will only worsen your punishment.


    ¡°Next, he will ask how you intend to remedy your crime. Day, ¡®I hope to heal every harm I have inflicted. I hope that you will grant me a way to do that.¡¯ Thankfully, you do not need to mean it. Saying the words counts as intent enough.


    ¡°After that, he is bound by his word to offer you the least difficult path to remedy your actions. It will probably still be difficult - your crime is not small - but it will be your best opportunity. Whatever judgment he offers, accept it. If you do not, his next judgment will be something even worse. Is that clear?¡±


    He made Aria repeat the answers he had given her. She did not recall them perfectly, but he declared her answers adequate. After that, there was no time for questions. Werri had led her to the prince¡¯s door. He made her wash her hands and feet in the prepared bowls (what was this obsession with cleanliness?) and then pushed the doors open.


    Aria was careful to keep her head down. The room was completely unchanged from her previous visit. The view was still spectacular but, this time, there was no prince on the couch.


    ¡°This way.¡± Werri indicated a wide door in one corner of the room.

 Sentencing

    As before, Aria went ahead of him. The next room had a similarly grand view. Two adjacent walls were made completely of glass. Through them, Aria could see a thriving rainforest. She could even hear its sounds - a bubbling creek played music; insects chattered happily.


    Werri knelt and hissed for Aria to do the same.


    She did so at once and greeted, keeping her frustrated sigh to herself. ¡°Gratitude for your presence, Lord of the Sky.¡±


    No response followed. Recalling that the Black God had permitted her to look at him, Aria cautiously lifted her face and took in the rest of the room. The furnishings were sparse. There was an ornate bed, a writing desk, and two bookshelves filled with books. If the prince spent much time in that room, it was in debilitating boredom.


    The Black God sat on the edge of the bed, just as at their first meeting. Once again, he was watching the still form on the bed.


    ¡°Your Eminence -¡± Werri said.


    ¡°Did I permit you to disturb me?¡±


    There was a towel on the prince¡¯s forehead and drops of sweat or water on his cheek. On the ground, just beside Tivelo¡¯s leg was a bowl of ice water. As Aria watched, Achi shifted. His head turned from side to side in evident distress and he mumbled something unintelligible.


    Tivelo ignored the two mortals and stroked his son¡¯s cheek. His forehead was furrowed. There was real worry there mixed with something else: fear. In just one day, she had seen one god surprised and another fearful. It felt like the ground had become the sky.


    ¡°Forgive me, your Eminence - ¡°


    ¡°Werri, if the next words out of your mouth do not justify this interference, you will become the latest illustration of my madness.¡±


    ¡°The golden volcano is about to erupt.¡±


    Tivelo froze for a millisecond, then he returned to stroking his son¡¯s cheek. ¡°Let them burn.¡±


    Werri nodded as if that was an understandable response. ¡°His Highness will be upset when he wakes and finds that thirty-thousand mortals burned to death.¡±


    Tivelo said nothing.


    ¡°Men, women, infants, and toddlers, dead from horrific burns.¡±


    Aria watched the exchange in confused amused. Tivelo was still silent.


    ¡°He¡¯ll know it was his fault because you chose to watch him instead of -¡±


    ¡°Werri!¡±


    Werri bowed his head, looking truly contrite. ¡°Forgive me, Your Eminence. I know how strongly you wish to remain with him, but I also know how saddened he will be if you neglect your promises.¡±


    Tivelo glared down at Werri, but the priest kept his face bowed.


    ¡°You are very devoted to Achi,¡± Tivelo said. ¡°Why don¡¯t I let you serve him forever in his tomb?¡±


    Werri pressed his head to the ground. ¡°Thank you, Your Eminence. I have no wife or children. Serving you is my only pleasure. To be granted that favor -¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut up. Why did you bring her?¡± He said ¡®her¡¯ as if he was spitting out a mouthful of snake venom.¡±


    ¡°Two errands, one death threat,¡± Werri said. ¡°And, I do mean it, Your Eminence. I hope that you will assign me to the tomb. I-¡±


    ¡°Watch him.¡± Tivelo rose. He spent several more seconds looking down at Achi, before he slowly, reluctantly tore himself away. Aria thought he would leave, bent to the bowl of ice water, wrung out a towel sitting in it, and replaced the towel on Achi¡¯s head.


    He lingered for several more moments until Werri reminded him of the volcano. Then, he pressed his lips to Achi¡¯s cheek in one solemn movement, and disappeared.


    Werri rose immediately and went to the prince¡¯s side. He pressed a palm to Achi¡¯s cheek and immediately withdrew it with a yelp. Aria followed and repeated his action. Achi¡¯s skin felt like the outside of a boiling pot. She squelched a scream and blew rapidly on her palm.


    ¡°Is he - shouldn¡¯t someone do something?¡± She turned to Werri.


    He glared at her.


    Standing as close as she was, she could see that two more wet towels sat on Achi¡¯s chest, but they seemed to be having no effect. He tossed his head and mumbled, once more.


    ¡°He was fine only this morning. How - ¡°


    ¡°He was not fine. His fever lapsed during the night, then he spent all his energy running about to rescue you.¡±


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    Aria could not believe that. He had been lively. ¡°Then, is he really dying?¡±


    ¡°Was that not your aim?¡±


    Aria turned on him. ¡°I did not kill him! I didn¡¯t kill him! I don¡¯t know what in the water here makes you lot such idiots, but I -¡±


    ¡°Keep your voice down.¡±


    ¡°No! Gods can say what they want - no one can reason with them anyway. But you¡¯re a servant, just like me. Would you poison a god? Are you insane? He can take all of my memory, but I¡¯ll still know what I¡¯m capable of.¡±


    Werri was no longer watching her. He had his eyes on Achi who, despite her noise, remained asleep.


    ¡°Tivelo will return soon,¡± he said, ¡°remember what I said.¡±


    Aria bit her lip to hold down her anger. She considered running again, but expected to have as much success as before. She could wake Achi, but a glance at his miserable form suggested that that would bring no help.


    She strode over to one of the bookshelves. Facing it helped her hide the tears streaming down her face. What power? What courage? In the face of divinity, all a mortal could do was accept whatever insults she was given.


    The bookshelf in front of her held strange books. They had no titles. Instead years were written on them. The closest one was titled Years 4950 to 5050. More books were piled on that one, each covering a hundred year period. The last one, at the end of the row, was titled Years 5950 to 6050, 800 years in the future.


    Aria picked the closest one. As she opened it, papers spilled out and spread over the floor. The book, which she now recognized as merely a leather folder, was now entirely empty. She bent down, sniffling, and wiping some tears from her face, and gathered the papers into a pile.


    One the first page, black ink sparkled, forming beautifully crafted words.


    On the anniversary of my birth, the first day of Rumi, the year 4950


    I, your treasured son, beg a boon from the Lord of the Sky. I beg that you pardon Evera for her harsh words to me. Instead, I ask that you fine her an appropriate amount in gold and prove your compassion towards those loyal to you.


    There was an impression on the bottom of the page, as if from a stamp. It formed a six-petaled flower, but she could not name the flower.


    The next sheet was similar.


    On the anniversary of my birth, the first day of Rumi, the year 4951


    I, your treasured son, beg a boon from the Lord of the Sky. I beg your kindness for the inhabitants of Echori. Their drought has lasted two years. A word from you would return rain to their land and provide an occasion for them to honor both you and me.


    The other pages continued in a similar vein. There was a plea to allow mortals to plead to Tivelo when oppressed by other deities, a plea to return objects Garo stole from a lesser god, and a plea for one nation to be divided between two competing tribes.


    Aria ordered the pages as well as she could and returned them to the shelf. Her eyes traveled over the other books and landed on the last one. A glance showed that Werri had his eyes on Achi, so she took the book and gently opened it.


    The first page had a petition, but it was different from the others.


    On the anniversary of my death, the ninth day of Uya, the year 5950


    I, your treasured son, beg a boon from the Lord of the Sky. I beg you to have a nice meal today. You may not need it, but it pleases me to know that you enjoyed something.


    She put the page aside to view the next one.


    On the anniversary of my death, the ninth day of Uya, the year 5951


    I, your treasured son, beg a boon from the Lord of the Sky. I beg you to take a walk through Ranroch. Buy some buns from the marketplace there, if they still sell them. The smell will be lovely.


    Another page.


    On the anniversary of my death, the ninth day of Uya, the year 5952


    I, your treasured son, beg a boon from the Lord of the Sky. I beg you to declare an audit of legal cases settled over the past century. The mortals will thank you for your grace.


    On page after page, he made requests for mundane activities, pleas for mortals, and pleas for other deities. The last page, for the year 5990, was incomplete, as if he had stopped in the middle of the first line.


    ¡°Aria,¡± Werri said.


    She jumped, spun around, and found Tivelo beside Achi¡¯s bed, watching her with a face devoid of emotion. In the center of the room, Werri was back on his knees and eyeing her in irritation. Carefully, she returned the book to its shelf and walked to the center of the room. Once there, she knelt, but kept her gaze on his face.


    ¡°You are here for the rite of atonement,¡± Tivelo said. He wrung out a new towel and replaced the one on Achi¡¯s forehead. ¡°Let us begin, then. You are charged with poisoning my son, your benefactor and the caretaker of every cursed human on your cursed plane. Do you dispute this?¡±


    Aria grit her teeth. Of what use would that be. ¡°What you say must be true, Eminent One.¡±


    ¡°And how do you intend to remedy your crime?¡±


    Aria dug deep into her experience sweet-talking older attendants. ¡°I cannot hope to adequately atone for such a severe crime, but I hope to heal, as much as is possible, the harm I have caused.¡±


    Tivelo nodded. A slight smile cracked his lips. Aria glanced at Werri to verify that she had not made a mistake. He seemed wary, but no more than she expected.


    ¡°Well said,¡± Tivelo said. ¡°Heal the harm you have caused. Well, you should be afforded the opportunity to do that. Do this: heal Achi. Keep him from dying, and undo the suffering he has endured during the past months. Do that, and all will be forgiven.¡±


    Aria took another glance at Werri. He appeared unhappy, but not surprised.


    She turned back to Tivelo. ¡°I - I do not know how to do that, Your Eminence. But if you show me how -¡±


    ¡°If I could do it, little girl, I would not be asking it of you, would I? Very well. Since you cannot heal the harm you have caused, I will sentence you.¡±


    ¡°Wait -¡±


    He turned to Werri. ¡°Take her to the harbor in Iduomoke and construct a statue of her overlooking the ocean - three hundred feet tall. Seal her into its head. Once every hour, flames should rise from the base of the statue until they reach her at the top. The flames¡¯ position should tell how many minutes are left in the hour. And at the top of the hour, her screams should ring loud enough that no person in Iduomoke will miss them. They must hear her exactly on the hour, every hour, of every day, as long as that city stands.¡±


    Werri sighed, and opened his mouth.


    ¡°Plead for her and there will be room for two in the statue.¡±


    Werri closed his mouth and bowed instead.

 Execution

    ¡°Eat something.¡± Werri held the bowl of soup before her face. It smelled sweet, but her stomach lacked room for even air. She ignored him and fixed her eyes on the enormous statue before her. Apparently, an army of Tivelo¡¯s priests, working together, could build a statue in hours. The likeness was striking. It even wore the same formless dress that she had on.


    ¡°I¡¯m like Garo.¡± She laughed. ¡°There¡¯s a giant statue of me.¡±


    Werri screwed up his face. He put the bowl before her feet and sat in the dirt before her. ¡°You made a poor choice. Tivelo has never been gentle, but Achi works well as his conscience. In hurting him, you hurt all of us.¡±


    ¡°What is today¡¯s date?¡±


    He frowned at diversion. ¡°In the middle upper realm, it is currently the thirteenth of Rawi.¡±


    Aria counted the days on her fingers. ¡°So, Achi dies in twenty-six days. What a pity. You could all be finding his real murderer.¡±


    Werri beat his lips. ¡°Achi will help you. If he wakes. If he is strong enough.¡±


    Aria nodded ¡°If his father lets him. Who knows, by then, I might not be insane from being repeatedly burned alive.¡±


    Werri kept silent. He had his eyes fixed on a man approaching them from the bottom of their hilly perch. The man caught Werri¡¯s eyes, stopped, and waved.


    Werri rose. ¡°They¡¯re ready for you. Close your eyes.¡±


    She did not. She did not attempt to run, either. Werri waved a hand and she felt a wave of coolness wash over her. Then, he motioned for her to stand.


    She ignored the request. ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°Immortality spell.¡± His voice was small. ¡°So you won¡¯t die. You won¡¯t feel hungry either.¡±


    ¡°Praise the Lord of the Sky.¡±


    ¡°Stand.¡±


    She remained sitting. With little effort, he pulled her up and began dragging her down to the port.


    The day was too pleasant for such misery. The air was cool. The setting sun seemed to light the ocean on fire and ships sailed slowly in the distance, ignorant of her plight. Down, at their destination, workers, priests, and attendants stood on a stone base around her monumental feet. They had watched her approach with fascination and disdain on their faces.


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    Werri released her for a moment and, before she could take another step, she was floating. The ground fell away rapidly, taking her stomach with it. Below her, for a few seconds, she could see Werri. His arms were outstretched as he executed the magic. His expression was grim and resigned.


    Then, she was floating through the statue¡¯s eye and onto a cushioned seat. It was so nice of them to consider her comfort. Her arms touched the armrests and froze into the place. Her legs settled into position slightly apart. Her head could still move, but it was the only body part with that freedom.


    A minute later, two glass circles sank into the eye holes. No rain would make it into her tiny home. It was too dark to see her body, but she had a spectacular view of the sea, the sunset, and the horizon.


    Time seemed to slow after that. The silence was terrifying. She had left every bit of noise down at the bottom of the statue. The waiting was dreadful, and was made even more dreadful by the worry that it would end. She prayed, not to Evera - what good would that do - but to Achi. She prayed that he would wake, that he would recover, that he would somehow make this wait last forever.


    And the longer it lasted, the more hopeful she grew that it would continue. The more hopeful and the more terrified, so that at every moment, she could almost see the flames rising from the ground and swallowing her.


    She felt them before she saw them. Her feet began to grow warm, pleasantly at first, and then, faster than she had expected, it became uncomfortable. She squirmed and attempted to pick up her feet, but that came to nothing.


    Terror and pain mingled in her as the heat grew; disbelief, because it could not possibly be real. She, Aria, daughter of Chiri and Rokato, who had climbed from a terrified child to the middle realm, could end this way. It was a terrible dream, a nightmare because she had been unkind one too many times. She would wake.


    But no matter how she prayed and cried and struggled, how she bit her lips and tongue and struggled with all her might, she did not wake. The nightmare did not end.


    The fire soon arrived. When it did, it cured her of her delusions. This was no dream. This was real. This could happen to a girl like her. It could happen even to the innocent. But was she innocent? She could not be, of course. Who had ever heard of the most powerful deity in existence punishing an innocent girl? If she was innocent, this would not have happened.


    The pain stopped. It must have taken minutes, though every moment had felt endless. The fire - she could see it as an actual cloud of flames - was now above her head and still moving up. She could feel the heat, but the flames no longer covered her. She wept in relief and terror and prayed - to Garo, to Evera, to Achi - that it would never come again.


    It did. Again, and again, and again.


    She kept count at first. It was easy. But, eventually, she could not remember if the last count had been five or six. She decided that it had been five, though why it mattered she could not say. She continued her count until she reached eight. Then, she fell asleep and was painfully awoken by the flames, and the numbers ceased to matter.


    She felt the flames coming again. Hidden as she was, there was no one to see her tears, so she felt no shame about them. And as tired as she was, fear still made her muscles tremble.


    The fire reached her as usual. But this time, at the first touch of the pain, the world dissolved into darkness.

 Ghost

    Aria heard the voices first. They came in varied manners, soft and loud, near and far, and continued for minutes as unintelligible buzzing before resolving into words.


    ¡°A hunger strike? Really?¡±


    ¡°My bet is on Our Lord. Two hours, I say, and he¡¯ll put a stop to this.¡±


    ¡°Add some more to that pool. And that one as well.¡±


    ¡°Are you here to gossip?! Eyes on your books!¡±


    Her eyesight followed, but the view it brought was odd.


    She could see the prince¡¯s receiving room. He sat on a couch, reading, with a stubborn tilt to his jaw.


    Before him, a table was set with a wealth of food: soups, porridges, rolls, and desserts littered it in embarrassing variety.


    An attendant whispered conspiratorially. ¡°If you just eat something, Your Eminence, we¡¯ll lie and say that you didn¡¯t. But, please, don¡¯t harm your health.¡±


    Achi kept his eyes resolutely on the book.


    At the same time, she could see the Black God in another room, sitting on a cushioned armchair and reading individual sheets from a stack of papers. The topmost sheet had a petition from a goat herder asking for justice for stolen sheep. It resembled those that she had found in Achi¡¯s bedroom - in format, not in content. Tivelo tossed the sheet aside after a brief glance. It disappeared before it hit the ground. The next had a plea from a man whose child had been killed. Tivelo read that one for two seconds more than the previous. Then, it disappeared and reappeared on a table several feet from him. A servant kneeling before the table hurriedly stamped it with the word ¡®granted¡¯ and added it to a pile on the left side of the table. There were four hundred and two stamped sheets on the table and another two thousand and sixty five left in Tivelo¡¯s hand. Aria counted the sheets quickly and accurately. She could see each individual sheet and read the words on them, no matter how many sheets were stacked above.


    She could see a kitchen with eight fireplaces and a bevy of attendants hard at work. She saw the lake outside the palace, and saw that it extended under the entire construction. In fact, her vision covered every room in the palace and much of the surrounding area. Whatever eyes she had now were nothing like her previous ones.


    Her memories returned last of all. The first one hit her in full force, touching every one of her senses. She smelled the smoke from the flames, felt the impotent fear, the stone beneath her feet, the chair pressed against her back, the tears rolling down her face. Her real vision disappeared, as did the cacophony of sounds, and was replaced thoroughly by that nightmare scene.


    It took several minutes to calm herself, the process helped along by the absence of pain. The scent and sounds of flames receded, but remained stubbornly in the back of her mind.


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    Werri was now in Achi¡¯s room, waving the attendants away. They left the food-laden table, gave shallow bows to the high priest, and hurried away. Meanwhile, Achi kept his eyes on his book. He had only turned one page since Aria¡¯s last inspection, so she doubted that he was as engrossed as pretended.


    ¡°His Eminence sent a message.¡± Werri¡¯s voice was low, apologetic. ¡°He says that if you do not eat, he will have the fire burn twice an hour instead of once. Every harm you suffer will be charged to her account.¡±


    Achi looked up from the book. For a moment, he looked stunned. Then, white-hot anger filled his eyes. When he rose, however, it was with slow, steady movements. He put the book on the seat and walked quietly to the table. Two chairs were arranged on one side of it, each made of pale, brown wood and leather cushions. He took neither of them. Instead, he grasped a tray holding a circular cake - green with crystal sugar glittering on it - and drew it closer. He tore a chunk out of the cake with his bare hand, exposing a fluffy brown interior, and stuffed the handful into his mouth. He chewed it - barely - before swallowing and then repeated the process twice more. Werri¡¯s mouth was open in horror.


    In his own quarters, Tivelo had stopped his work. His gaze turned towards Achi¡¯s quarters. Like Aria, he could see through walls.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s enough,¡± Werri said.


    Tivelo put down his papers and rose to his feet. A moment later, he appeared in Achi¡¯s room, on the other side of the table. Achi stiffened, indicating that he sensed the presence, but did not look up from his task.


    With a quarter of the cake gone, he turned to the rest of the meal. He took bites out of a roll, drank some soup at random, and ate a handful of nuts. Then, he washed all of it down with some water, drinking straight from the jug.


    With a dull thunk, he set the half-empty jug on the table and finally looked up at Werri. It seemed to Aria that he deliberately avoided his father¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°That should be enough, yes?¡± He asked.


    Werri nodded, still seeming stunned and a little distressed. He cast his gaze from father to son, and held his tongue.


    ¡°Good.¡± Achi washed his hand in the same jug he had drunk from, then walked around the table, pointedly pushing past his father, and through his bedroom door. From there, he entered his closet, dragged a leather trunk from beneath a shelf and threw it open. One armful of shirts went into it, carelessly grabbed from their shelves and followed by an armful of trousers. All of the clothing was in pale colors: grey, green, brown.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Tivelo asked. He sounded more curious than upset.


    Werri had taken his leave, slinking out during Achi¡¯s march.


    Achi received the question with a smile. With one foot, he kicked the trunk closed and replaced the latches.


    ¡°I¡¯m giving you an opportunity,¡± he said. ¡°Today, you can finally decide if I am your son or your prisoner.¡± He lifted the trunk so that it sat on its short side with the carrying handle facing up. ¡°Sons can go where they want. Prisoners stay in their cells and have three meals a day.¡±


    Tivelo gave a long-suffering sigh, as if his toddler had proclaimed a desire to go tiger-wrestling. ¡°You are not well enough for this.¡±


    With no response, Achi picked up the trunk, pushed past his father, and returned to the receiving room. Tivelo sighed again and followed after him.


    ¡°Sit down,¡± Tivelo said. ¡°We¡¯ll talk.¡±


    Achi ignored him and pulled on the door leaving his quarters. It did not budge. He put down his trunk and repeated the action with both hands to the same result.

 Ghost - 2

    Tivelo had taken his seat on Achi¡¯s couch and was watching his son patiently.


    ¡°I¡¯m not opposed to treating you like a prisoner.¡± He sounded as if the situation bored him, but his hands belied his words. They were folded in his lap, intended to appear serene, but they were clasped too tightly. He was annoyed, worried, or afraid. ¡°You have barely half a day between fevers. You are barely keeping yourself upright. If I have to tie you to your bed and earn your hatred for eternity, I will do it.¡±


    Achi gave a mirthless smile. ¡°Imprison me for my last few days in order to prolong my life by one day. Your calculations are flawless, as usual.¡±


    Tivelo kept his expression even. ¡°Sit. We can discuss this before we declare war.¡±


    Aria expected Achi to refuse. He stood at the door for almost a minute, shifting slightly from one foot to another. When he finally moved, it was with purpose. He pulled out one of the chairs before the still-occupied table, sat in it, then fixed his elbows on the table and turned his gaze to his father. ¡°You go first.¡±


    Tivelo took a long time to prepare himself. For some reason, that amused Achi.


    ¡°Talking is hard.¡± The prince smiled mockingly. ¡°Perhaps you can issue a decree and have your priests read it to me.¡±


    ¡°I am a god of justice,¡± Tivelo said. ¡°I account for wrongs and repay them exactly as they deserve. I will not let even a poor man go free.¡± He kept his eyes on the far wall as he spoke. ¡°It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t - I won¡¯t. I am a god of love, as well. From the first day I knew you, I swore an oath to keep you safe and punish anyone who would so much as throw dirt in your eyes. I am a god of mercy. Had that girl confessed her crime, or even engaged in the least bit of soul-searching, I would have allowed her as much relief as my justice will stand. But the same arrogance with which she made her choice she now deploys in claiming innocence.¡± He laughed. ¡°No, Achi, I won¡¯t pardon her. You are not a dog or a pig to be kicked with impunity by every upstart with legs and enough brainpower to use them. My justice can be reasoned with; it is my love that despises her. As much as I love you - and I love you with every fiber of my being - that is how much I hate her. So, the more diligently you plead, the more my anger burns. She committed her crime with confidence and with her eyes open. She should accept the punishment in the same way.


    ¡°I¡¯ve considered lying to you, to end this fight. When she came here and looked at me with that¡­ disgusting¡­ fear in her eyes, I considered freeing her. But I am a god of truth. Even if I could deceive the whole world, I will not deceive you. If I had freed her then, it would only be to hunt her down after your death. It would have been a lie.¡±


    He finally met Achi¡¯s eyes. ¡°So, son, hear this from your plain-speaking father. That woman and I have an enmity for the story-books. If she pays me the price of a son, including for everything you have suffered, I will grant her a clean death. Otherwise, her suffering will last as long as your death lasts.¡±


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    Achi watched the performance with the same calm expression his father had previously deployed. When it ended, he rose and stretched lightly.


    ¡°A lovely tale,¡± he said, ¡°except for one thing: You don¡¯t love. You love yourself. I haven¡¯t asked you to cut out your heart and give it to me, or to create a whole realm, or to give me all your powers. I asked you to free a girl - a child. And, yes, she is a fool and a murderer. But, compared to you she is barely an embryo. You can swat her hand and cut her loose. You can just kill her. But your anger and your selfishness will not allow it. If you love me, you¡¯ll choose my wishes over my life. You think you¡¯re honoring me, but even a moment¡¯s thought would tell you that you cannot honor me by ignoring my wishes.¡±


    ¡°I am your father.¡± Tivelo¡¯s voice rose. ¡°I fight for you even when you value yourself too lightly. You¡¯ve given so much - to every person in this cursed world. You work for them from the moment you wake to the moment you close your eyes. You are the son of the most powerful god in existence. You should rest, eat your fill, waste gold! Instead, even on your deathbed you write petitions for those cruel, ungrateful maggots. I swear, I will burn every last one of them!¡± Tears had broken free of his face. His voice came out distorted by the sobs in his voice. ¡°I will not grant a single one. Don¡¯t think to pressure me with memories or with my love for you. If you die, none of them will ever know my grace again.¡± He wiped the tears from his face, suddenly stoic again. ¡°You do not care for justice. It is not in your nature. But I tell you it is no less essential than all the mercy you practice. To deny it to you - even at your request is beyond my power. She will get what she deserves.¡±


    Achi rose to his feet. ¡°I hope your justice keeps you warm. Now, will you let me go or not?¡±


    Tivelo eyed the prince for a moment. His anger was nowhere to be seen, but Aria still felt its echoes in the air. ¡°Take a day to clear your head. Go to the seaside. Sleep. If I detect that you are exerting yourself, I will bring you back here. I expect you back within twenty-four hours. Return if your fever -¡±


    Achi was already through the door with his trunk in one hand.


    With her new sight, the hallway did not seem empty. There were doorways at intervals on each side, cloaked in darkness impenetrable to her old eyes. More strangely, the doorways did not seem like normal passages. Some to rooms right on the other side of the hallway while others linked to rooms a good distance away. She could sense the connection between the doorways and and their matching exits in other parts of the palace


    Achi went through the opening at the far end of the hallway and, as soon as he entered it, its exit changed. Previously, it had led outdoors, but he exited in a room with dirt floors and two lines of carriages. He picked the first carriage, a metal one painted blue, tossed his trunk onto its floor, and climbed onto the only seat. Carriage was a generous description - it was practically a platform with slightly raised, decorative edges. But, when he flew it out of a doorway and into open air, there was no pressure from the wind.


    As they moved, Aria realized that her perception was moving along with him. The edges of her vision had shifted as if she too was traveling. A quick inspection showed that he was at the center of her view-range.


    ¡°Achi?¡± She asked.


    He did not respond. She thought she saw a slight tremor in his arm, but it could have been an illusion. She called his name again and received no better response.


    She looked at the Black God once before he left her range. He was still sitting on the same couch, staring after his departing son, and sobbing softly. Aria pulled back from the sight. Visions of smoke and flames assaulted her again. She fought them, pulling herself back to reality just as the world changed.

 Escape

    The carriage stopped minutes later on a small hill. To one side, white sand ran into sparkling water, both bathed with light from no discernable source. One the other, a forest obscured the horizon. Widely spaced trees shared room with thick brush, the kind that threatened to mark your legs with a million red scratches if you dared to disturb it.


    ¡°Aria?¡± Achi¡¯s lips did not move, but she heard his words.


    She remained silent, partly because the interaction was surprising and partly because, what do you say to the son of the person you now hate more than you fear death?


    ¡°I know you¡¯re awake,¡± he said. ¡°I heard you.¡±


    She considered maintaining her silence, but the ruse held no utility. ¡°Yes, I am.¡±


    ¡°When did you wake?¡± He climbed down from the carriage, leaving his trunk on it, and turned to face the direction from which they had come.


    ¡°When I first called you.¡± She saw no point in telling the truth. Let him believe that their fight had been private


    A look of disbelief crossed Achi¡¯s face, but he let the statement stand. Facing the trees, he planted both his feet and closed his eyes. Tivelo exerted his power without even a grimace, but it seemed that his son required more effort. As Aria watched, power flowed from a ruby ring on the prince¡¯s left hand, visible as a pale cloud to her enhanced sight. It spread from him and covered the sky forming an orb, miles in diameter, around them.


    ¡°What is that?¡± She asked.


    The prince did it twice more and then her enhanced sight, showed that the ring was mostly empty of power.


    She answered her own question. ¡°To keep your father out? Would that work?¡±


    This time, Achi spoke out loud and grinned. ¡°It will.¡±


    She waited for an explanation. When he ignored her and merely retrieved his trunk, she decided to voice the request out loud.


    ¡°My father is as close to all-powerful as deities come,¡± he said. ¡°Facing him head-on is always foolish. But, with a subtle touch, he can always be influenced. ¡°That barrier doesn¡¯t block him. It takes any probing or attacking force levied against it, and redirects the force at me. My father can break through it whenever he wishes. He will simply have to hurt me in the process.¡±


    Aria inspected the barrier. To her previous eyesight, it would have been invisible. With her new sight, she perceived it as a net woven out of gossamer thread. Somehow, its existence had also limited the range of her sight. She tried to press through it, to see the world beyond.


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    Achi yelped and dropped his trunk. ¡°You - what did I just tell you? I said, ¡®any probing or attacking force¡¯.¡±


    Aria felt a surge of anger. ¡°Do gods gain power from condescension? Do you have a minimum number of people you must irritate each day? Obviously, I didn¡¯t realize I was included.¡±


    Achi rubbed his face in evident exhaustion. ¡°That story I just told you is only partially true. I can put up any barrier I want against my father. But if he believes that I am in danger, every one of them will be useless, no matter how much power I invest.¡±


    Aria chewed on that. ¡°His power scales based on his need?¡±


    ¡°No. It scales based on my need. You overheard our argument. He is a god of love - by nature, not by function. That class of gods have powers limited only by the need of the one they love. He can do anything I need him to do and he will go insane against anyone who harms me - as you¡¯ve seen. Right now, he is asking me what went wrong. And I can¡¯t lie to him because he can detect lies. Until you leave this place, I advise you to avoid hurting me in any way you can. If he gets suspicious, well, you know how that ends.¡±


    Fire. Smoke. Heat.


    The house was made entirely of pale wood. The doors and windows opened outward on hinges. Aria saw that the windows were already open, allowing a free flow of breeze across the house and out the windows on the sea-side.


    Inside, the entry room smelled of dirt and green plants, though there were none in sight. It also seemed surprisingly small. There were two armchairs facing each other in the center of the room, and another door across from the one they had used. Other than that, and a scatter of shelves reluctantly holding a handful of books, the room was empty. To the left and right of the door, square openings led into two other rooms.


    They took the opening on the left, Aria still somehow attached to Achi, and climbed a staircase onto the upper level. There, they found a bedroom with one bed, one wooden door leading to a balcony, and a wall of shelves with large sections.


    ¡°What about the other deities?¡± Curiosity overcame Aria¡¯s irritation. It was not everyday she found the opportunity to learn deities¡¯ secrets. ¡°Are there other gods of love? Besides Evera?¡±


    ¡°Evera is not a god of love.¡± Achi lifted his trunk and placed it on the shelf¡¯s sole free section. The rest of the shelf held rectangular boxes with detachable lids. Each held curiosities - childhood toys, drawings, and children¡¯s books. ¡°Gods are classified by nature, not by function. And I¡¯m not going to share their secrets.¡± He smirked, then. ¡°Well, except this: if you ever get into trouble with Garo, challenge him to a duel.¡±


    ¡°A duel?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Scare the old baldy a little.¡±


    Aria turned the idea in her head but, try as she did, she couldn¡¯t see the purpose. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t he pulverize me?¡±


    Achi laughed. ¡°I didn¡¯t say go through with it!¡±


    ¡°Why would a duel scare him?¡±


    Achi gave no response to that. Instead, he opened his trunk, and found a smaller wooden trunk. In there were several small glass bottles with wooden corks. Tivelo must have put them in, but she did not know when. He chose two of them - one black and one gray - downed the liquid in them, and put the bottles back in the box. Then, he shut both trunks and left the room.


    She asked a less fraught question. ¡°Does your father sleep? His room didn¡¯t have a bed.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the only god who needs to eat or sleep.¡±


    ¡°Because you don¡¯t have powers? Why is that, again?¡±


    He ignored that question as well.

 Escape - 2

    They went past the room with the staircase and into the one on the other side of the entry hall. There, two more armchairs sat beside an end table. Bookshelves lined the walls, leaving space only for two windows at the front and back of the house as well as the doorway. Achi opened both windows, and then moved both chairs away from the center of the room.


    Then he stood in the cleared space and took several deep breaths.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Aria asked.


    He screwed up his forehead, as if concentrating and then to Aria¡¯s shock, a woman appeared before them. In the past, she would have jumped back. Now, Aria only stared at the figure in confusion. It did not move or breathe. It stood still as a statue, though it was clearly made of flesh and blood.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Achi sounded slightly pleased, like an artist hoping for praise for his masterpiece.


    Aria stared some more at the still body until her mind conjured a reason for its existence. A body. For her.


    ¡°How much time do you spend making women¡¯s bodies?¡±


    A gratifying look of embarrassment bloomed on Achi¡¯s face. ¡°It was an assignment! For art! I make men too!¡±


    She would have laughed if she could. ¡°That does not help your case.¡±


    He bristled some more and then, finally, detected her amusement and rolled his eyes. She mentally advised him not to get comfortable. She, too, was capable of insults.


    In answer to his question, she inspected the body. Its features were perfectly proportioned. The single blemish, a slight dimple on one cheek, only seemed to improve her beauty. She wouldn¡¯t win many contests and she was certainly no match for Evera, but there was little disagreeable about her. Her hair was wooly, the same as Aria¡¯s and too thick to fall under the influence of gravity. So, it framed her face in a ten-inch tall dome of curls. Only the lowest curls brushed against the top of the woman¡¯s dress.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like the hair,¡± she said. ¡°Make it longer - and straight.¡±


    Achi frowned. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Why ever not?¡±


    ¡°It took me three months of suffering under my father¡¯s instruction to complete this work of art. She looks exactly how she should.¡± Aria tried to skewer him with her gaze, but he continued, oblivious. ¡°If I change the hair, she will look less pleasant - trust me, the artist, on that point. Then you will want to change the rest of her face to match. And if I do that, she¡¯ll start looking like a misshapen lump of clay because, as I said, it took months to get this far. I¡¯m a decent artist, but I¡¯m not confident enough to modify a functional human body with limited time. You¡¯ll end up with teeth that fall out or muscled improperly attached to the bone. If you don¡¯t like it, my duck-making is more advanced. Ducks lead simple, comfortable lives.¡±


    Aria wanted to argue, but there was no point to it. She would rather live in a slightly unsatisfactory body than a deformed one.


    ¡°Fine,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll just find a more powerful god to fix it later.¡±


    He paid no attention to the taunt. She felt a sharp pull, followed by a falling sensation, and then her perspective changed. She could see Achi directly in front of her. Her new body was taller, so her eyes were level with his. Strangely, however, her old sight had not disappeared. With some concentration, she could still see the sea outside, the house¡¯s wooden roof, and the surrounding tree leaves waving in the wind.


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    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me?¡± She asked. Her new voice was unfamiliar, subtly fanning the flames of her panic.


    Achi returned the chairs to their previous place using his hands rather than his powers. Aria could estimate the remaining power in his ring and guessed that it was enough to move furniture, but she would not dissuade him from saving it.


    He sank into his chair with some tiredness while Aria remained standing. He didn¡¯t prod her. She inspected her hands and feet, lifting one and then another to test the body. It felt unfamiliar, but comfortable.


    ¡°Nothing is wrong with you,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re dead. If you recall, that was the plan. I was to make a deal with Garo for your soul and put you back in a body.¡±


    ¡°You were supposed to resurrect me, not just - am I a ghost?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he spared no sentiment for her horror. ¡°The plan was not meant for haste. Do you know how much energy it costs to properly resurrect a mortal?¡± He waved his ring-bearing hand. ¡°I don¡¯t typically carry that much. If you had stayed safely where I put you, I could have collected more energy from my father. Spread out over a few months, it would have been easy. But if I ask for that much now, I won¡¯t be able to come up with an excuse that won¡¯t raise his suspicion.


    ¡°Anyway, this is better.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± She noticed a book behind him floating slightly off the shelf. At a thought from her, it sank back into place. She could see through walls, move objects without touch. Of course, she was a ghost.


    ¡°Because my father believes you¡¯re handled. All that kept you safe in the past was his indulgence. I told you, he can rarely be defeated directly, but like a rock in a stream, you can sometimes ride his current to your destination.¡±


    Aria tried to feel safe or glad, but all that came to her was unease. ¡°How did you do it? How do you know that you fooled him?¡±


    Achi grimaced at her phrasing. ¡°Fool is the wrong word. We redirected his attention.¡±


    ¡°You weren¡¯t ill.¡±


    ¡°Of course I was. I had barely completed the deal with Garo and shared the plan with one person when my fever returned. Thankfully, I have smart accomplices. They gave you a slow-acting poison and hoped I would wake before you died. It worked. Once Garo informed me that he had your soul, I created a construction to control your body - scream at all the appropriate times - and sent it off. I had to come here to do it, so today was the second time I had to leave in a huff.¡±


    ¡°And Tivelo fell for that?¡±


    ¡°Gods of love are simple creatures. I simply gave him enough worries: his guilt, my illness, my anger, several choice words about his inadequacies. He won¡¯t think of anything but me until we reconcile. Even if a thought occurs to him, he¡¯ll push it aside.¡±


    Aria did not believe it. Tivelo was deceiving them. ¡°You were hiding me right under his nose. How? I think he¡¯s humoring you.¡±


    Achi laughed. ¡°Have you ever been ill? Do you think your mother was thinking about her farm or chickens during that time? If I am unhappy, the whole word disappears for him. It¡¯s part of his nature. You wouldn¡¯t understand it. And as for hiding you,¡±


    Achi held out one of his palms to show her that it was empty. Then, he closed it into a fist. He opened and closed it several more times in an incomprehensible demonstration.


    Aria¡¯s legs were beginning to hurt, so she took the previously rejected seat and snapped at him. ¡°I don¡¯t understand that.¡±


    ¡°Hiding objects is not complicated, Aria. Human souls are tiny. If I wrap a part of my soul around them, they become invisible, like putting a pebble in my palm. My father is not rude enough to search me for contraband.


    She shook her head, rejecting his explanation. ¡°He knows. He was simply humoring you.¡±


    Achi shrugged. ¡°Whether he did or did not, you are safe now.¡±


    She could not hide her anger from her voice and she did not try. ¡°How so? You are going to die. You claim that changing my soul would hide me, but Garo found me easily enough to return me to you.¡±


    ¡°He found you with your memories: it¡¯s easy in the afterlife. But you are never going back there. If you do, my father will eventually find you. You¡¯ll stay here. Souls that fade on this side fade permanently. And don¡¯t worry about Garo. Our deal included memory modification for him. He doesn¡¯t even remember you or our deal.¡±


    It was too much all at once. She rose and began to pace. Tivelo knew of her escape. He probably also knew of her location. How long would it be until he imprisoned her again? Perhaps he would wait for Achi¡¯s death. Perhaps not.

 Escape - 3

    ¡°Aria.¡±


    She ignored Achi¡¯s call. The motion of her leg was keeping her sane, but only barely.


    ¡°Aria, listen to me. I have a fail-safe. If you ever come within sight of my father, you¡¯ll die. It¡¯s drastic, but you will never fall into his hands. Never.¡±


    She shook her head ¡°He will detect the spell before he comes near me and remove it.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± He sounded so certain, it was infuriating.


    ¡°And why not?¡±


    ¡°You simply don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°That is not good enough.¡±


    They stared at each other for several moments.


    Finally, he sighed. ¡°Because, in a few days, he won¡¯t be in any state to do anything to you. I¡¯m going to die. He is going to be miserable and nearly powerless. His power exists primarily to protect me. Without me to protect, he¡¯ll barely have enough energy to sustain himself.¡±


    ¡°I-¡± Aria fought down her shock. It had almost overwhelmed her fear, but only for a few moments. ¡°His need for revenge will drive him.¡±


    Achi shook his head, his expression sober now. ¡°He is a god of love. Love drives him. His desire for justice is secondary and does not generate power. I power him. With me gone, he will be less powerful than you.¡±


    She scoffed at that, but Achi¡¯s expression was serious. ¡°You are a ghost. You have the ability to manipulate the world around you. The only thing that typically limits ghosts is the power at their disposal. Lift the roof.¡±


    She gave him a  skeptical look, but obeyed, willing the roof to rise off the house¡¯s frame. To her shock, it did so with ease.


    He was not finished. ¡°Chop down every tree from here to the edge of my protection.


    The trees fell, as easily as a pile of rocks tumbling down. She gaped in horror at the sight of hundreds of trees rolling down in their direction. With a wave from Achi, however, every one of them stopped and resumed their position as part of their respective plants. They were, however, missing several branches.


    She stared out the window at the scene she had caused with only a thought. ¡°I¡¯m a god!¡±


    Achi snorted. ¡°Hardly. You¡¯re a ghost. But the power you¡¯re surviving on is borrowed from my father. It retains all its potency. You have a limited amount - about eighty years if you use it sparingly - but it will be more than my father will have after my death. He won¡¯t have enough power to wrest my protection from you.¡±


    She grappled with the implications. ¡°I have the power of a god. How am I not a god?¡±


    He seemed thoroughly amused by her question. It was irritating. ¡°Energy,¡± he said flatly. ¡°Plants need it to grow. Mortals need it to thrive. Mortal souls need it in a different form to hold themselves together. When you were alive, you gained it naturally. I don¡¯t know where it comes from, but it¡¯s like sunlight, radiating through the universe. If you were in an afterlife, you would gain it from your god. Be thankful you didn¡¯t remain in Tivelo¡¯s vault. He barely feeds the souls there. Ghosts, however, have no source of energy. They survive on themselves, cannibalizing their own minds until they disintegrate. I¡¯ve been sustaining you with my own energy - gained from my father. When I gave you a body, I also transferred some energy into it. But, like all ghosts, you have no ability to gain some by yourself. That is what separates a ghost from a god. You can perform all the miracles you want, but you will eventually run out. ¡±


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    ¡°So, I just need to find out how to gain more power.¡±


    He shook his head with an infuriating smile. ¡°You cannot. You are not a god. You are a ghost. Here, take Garo as an example. Garo was a warrior captured by an enemy tribe. Their magicians used him as a storehouse. They stored their energy in him - the kind souls live off - and then drained him of it to power their spells. It made it possible for them to use more powerful spells than their enemies. It was a brutal process that he lived through over and over again, being drained and refilled and drained and refilled. He was the only one of their storehouses to survive for a year. By the end of that year, his soul had so adapted to the process that it could no longer use ambient energy. He was technically dead. But they continued to use him. Finally, he began absorbing the energy they stored in him and learning to use it. Once he was powerful enough, he killed them all and drained the energy from their souls. Today, that is the only form of energy he can utilize: the kind that comes from human bodies. He now survives on the energy emitted when mortals are killed in his domain. His soul is something more than a mere mortal soul now. It is a damaged cauldron only capable of detecting and absorbing the energy released by death.¡±


    Aria shivered.


    ¡°You¡¯ve suffered, but you have not suffered nearly enough to undergo that sort of transformation. Your soul is still human. If I return you to the afterlife, you will thrive under whatever deity you are compatible with. But I could kill a thousand mortals in front of you and you would never be able to absorb energy from them. You are damaged, but you have not become a different species. And you should not hope for that. Someday, someone will have to put Garo down. I don¡¯t know what will become of him but his end will be nothing like a normal human¡¯s.


    ¡°Evera -¡± He shook his head. ¡°Evera is another long story. The point is, you are still as far from godhood as you were last week. Anything you can do now, you do with the energy I put into you. Don¡¯t waste it playing goddess. It is for your survival and as a last resort for your protection. I won¡¯t be around to replenish it for you.¡±


    Aria could already see holes in his narrative. She could receive energy from others. He had proven it by giving her some. She simply had no constant, reliable source. She was as immortal as every other deity, as long as she found a source of power. Hunger filled her at the thought. But soon, her fear returned and turned it all to ash.


    Did she truly believe that she had defeated Tivelo? The god who made both Garo and Evera bow? Even if he would be powerless after Achi¡¯s death, there was still time to ruin her before then. And did she truly intend to let Achi die? He had been even kinder to her than Evera. He thought she was killing him and ruining his father, yet he had insulted his father to aid her. How would she live knowing that his death had saved her life? She was certain of her innocence, but it would be little comfort if he died and she lived on, drunk on power that he had given her.


    Achi rose. ¡°And, as I said, the energy you have now is my father¡¯s. It is more powerful than others. Even if you can beg power from other gods, they will be nowhere near as capable. Consider that before you dream too much. I need to rest.¡±


    He was shivering and had been for several minutes, she realized.


    ¡°Are you cold?¡± She asked.


    He ignored her and walked toward the doorway. Rather than walk, she exerted a tiny bit of power and transported herself to the door. He stopped a moment before colliding with her. Before he could protest, she pressed a palm to his forehead and found it burning hot.


    He eyed her. ¡°Stupid. Go and waste your power somewhere else. I¡¯m going to sleep.¡±


    She followed him up the stairs. ¡°Tell me about your illness.¡±


    His relapses were sudden and confusing. One minute, he was strong and lively. The next, he was swaying on his feet. What kind of poison could do that?¡±


    ¡°Causing me distress is another way to draw my father here. And asking annoying questions distresses me. When I wake, we¡¯ll discuss where to hide you. For now, just let me be.¡±


    She fell back, still watching with her powers as he retreated to the bedroom.

 26. Fate

    Aria found a pen and a sheet of paper in the library. The end table was awkward to write on, but the only writing desk was in the prince¡¯s bedroom. She split the paper into two columns and labeled the first, ¡°Things I know¡± and the second, ¡°Questions.¡±


    It was a trick from her first year as an acolyte. Putting questions and facts in writing made them visible and uncluttered her brain.


    The first fact she wrote was a pillar.


    I did not poison Achi.


    It was important to keep that before her. His continued insistence and his father¡¯s viciousness were wearing on her. She knew she did not kill him because she was not nearly stupid enough, brave enough, or cunning enough to do so. The only possibility was that she had accidentally poisoned him, but Tivelo did not believe that.


    She put down the second fact. Tivelo believes that I did.


    He had not struck her as the unintelligent sort. Garo and Evera, gods whose powers were legendary, treated him with caution and respect. He had not won their subservience by being weak or stupid. He had reason to believe in her guilt. That meant that proving her innocence would not be easy. And, given how he had treated Garo for merely being connected to the crime, proving her innocence could be insufficient.


    Whoever poisoned Achi wanted to harm Tivelo


    She was not entirely certain of that fact, but it was the best motive. Achi was powerless and kind. He was a threat to no one. But Tivelo probably had as many enemies as there were gods. That meant that the real culprit was someone who knew his weakness.


    Achi is too kind to me.


    That inserted itself before she could stop it. And it was true. He believed that she had poisoned him. He was dying. His father would be made weak and powerless. Yet, he had defied his father to protect her. Kindness had its limits. If he truly felt sympathy for her, he should have executed her, instead of giving her another eighty years of life in a body he had personally made. He was hiding something.


    I will not escape Tivelo


    She wrote that one with conviction. Achi¡¯s plan was cute. And perhaps it would work. But she could feel the Black God¡¯s eyes on her, remember the blinding terror of being trapped in a returning fire. And she knew that was not safe from him; not in any of the realms, not now, and not in the future. Believing that lie would only see her imprisoned again.


    She would only be safe in death. Not normal death, with its new life, but true, final death. Achi had given her a path to it. She could dissipate all the energy he had given her and sleep one final sleep free of the monster coming for her.


    Achi had fallen asleep. She could see him through the walls, even feel the heat on his skin. His fever had grown. In his trunk, she found the empty bottles he had drunk from, one labeled ¡®fever reducer¡¯ and the other labeled ¡®sleep aid¡¯. The remaining, filled, bottles held the same names. Nothing in the box was a cure.


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    She hurried up the stairs, forgetting to use her new powers, and shook him awake. He moaned, blinked, rubbed his forehead and stared at her in confusion.


    ¡°What - what are you doing? Who are you?¡±


    His eyes cleared before Aria¡¯s alarm could grow.


    ¡°Aria,¡± he blinked. ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡±


    ¡°Your fever is growing. You should take some more medication.¡±


    He felt his forehead, but no look of urgency followed. ¡°Nothing has changed.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it has.¡± She went over to the shelf and opened the trunk.


    ¡°Aria, I take that once a day. Any more right now will be pointless.¡± He sat up.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to try it, anyway. Your father will come here.¡±


    ¡°Aria, breathe.¡± The drowsiness was leaving his voice, but he still sounded tired. ¡°I will not be taking any medication. It would only harm me. And my father is still in the upper realm. I can sense him.¡±


    The revelation gave her pause, but she still picked up two bottles and pressed them into his hand. He put them aside and grabbed her hands. Almost immediately, calm filled her.


    ¡°You¡¯re panicking,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m fine. My father is far away reading petitions.¡±


    ¡°He can be here quickly.¡±


    ¡°Hush.¡±


    He was stroking the backs of her palms with his thumb. With each stroke her breathing eased and her mind calmed until her previous actions began to look silly.


    That lasted several seconds before she snatched her hands back. ¡°I¡¯m not stupid,¡± she said, feeling stupid but knowing that he was right. ¡°I know he¡¯s not here. But your fever is worse. If it continues, he¡¯ll come here.¡±


    Her panic was rising again. She saw it this time, but felt no need to stop it. She was correct. Achi tried to touch her again, but she danced out of his reach. His power reached her through the air anyway. She fought it back.


    This is pointless.


    Whether he listened to her or not, she was not safe.


    ¡°Achi,¡± He paused. It was the first time she had spoken his name. ¡°I can¡¯t fight your father. You have a lot of confidence in your plans, but I won¡¯t bet my life. For three years, I fought with every weapon they could put in my hands, against friends and enemies, humans, and monsters. I¡¯ve faced death. I don¡¯t fear it.¡±


    Having walked right into its arms time after time, she could not fear it.


    ¡°So, I have a deal for you,¡± she said. ¡°You want to save my life. So, give me back my memories. If you won¡¯t, I¡¯ll die.¡±


    In Garo¡¯s service, there was no retreat. You fought your enemies until they killed you. You moved forward, never backward. You were permitted to kill yourself to keep secrets from the enemy, but suicide to avoid torture - that was weakness. It was a good thing, then, that she had never been particularly devoted. She held Achi¡¯s eyes, willing him to see all her sincerity. Something told her that he could stop her, but he would have to stop her forever.


    Achi sighed and threw off his bedcovers. ¡°Oh, Aria.¡± He paused to make the bed, fluffing the pillows and smoothing every crease.


    When he was done, he held her gaze and spoke slowly and deliberately. ¡°Be certain of this. You can still fight. There¡¯s more fire in you than this.¡±


    She almost spat at him. She knew how much she could take. With her back against the wall, she could fight longer and harder. She simply knew that she did not need to. She was fighting for survival. And sometimes, little victories easily won were better than hard victories after centuries of pain. She was making a deliberate choice for the outcome she wanted. It was not weakness; it was resolve.


    ¡°Do you accept?¡±


    He waited a few, heartstopping moments, and then nodded. ¡°Follow me.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡± She followed, despite his silence.


    They went down the stairs again and out through the forest-side door. They went up the hill, past the carriage still sitting in its place, and into the forest¡¯s inadequate canopy.

 27. Fate - 2

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± She stretched her awareness as far as the barrier, but saw nothing to justify the trek.


    Achi was still silent. She caught up with him and found him staring pensively ahead, lost in thought. Suddenly, he came to a halt. They were in a clearing. Brush still grew underfoot, but there was a wide space between the trees.


    It appeared suddenly and all at once. Columns rose from the ground, reaching three stories high and bearing up a silver roof. The dirt and grass below them disappeared, turning into golden tiles. They were standing on the porch of a grand building, every inch of wall gleaming in the light.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch anything.¡± While she stared, Achi walked between the columns and pushed open a pair of silver doors. They opened with barely a whisper and stopped long before they would have collided with the golden walls beside them.


    Aria followed when she had seen her fill of gold and silver. But there was more of the same inside. ¡°You built this just now?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Achi said. ¡°I made it visible.¡±


    ¡°And what is it? What does it have to do with the truth?¡±


    He ignored her and walked instead across the room, confident that she would follow. The silence was growing irritating, but she endured it, knowing that a discovery was close.


    Except for the columns holding up the ceiling, the room was empty. It was simply one large hall with gold walls, silver ceilings, and a headache-inducing sparkle. Three walls - the three without the door - were covered with white cloth suspended from the ceiling. With her spirit vision, she could sense art on those walls, but she could see no reason to cover them.


    Achi led her until they were standing in the center of the room and then, with a gesture, he detached the sheets and let them drop to the ground.


    Aria stared at the revealed carvings in silence, one at a time, slowly turning in a circle. They told a disjointed story, frame by frame, a young girl, growing, playing, and growing some more until she was a woman. Then the same woman in different clothing, at different times. Finally, they depicted that woman dying on a stone altar, surrounded by roses.


    ¡°Is this a joke?¡±


    There was no humor on Achi¡¯s face and that was fitting, because there was no humor on hers.


    He shook his head, walked up to one of the panels, and stroked the carving there. ¡°Not at all, Aria. Meet my treasured love, Ovi, Goddess of Time and Fate.¡±


    Aria took another glance at the female feature, anger fighting with her confusion and winning. ¡°Why does she look like me?¡±


    ¡°Actually,¡± Achi raised a finger. ¡°You look like her.¡±


    There was a taste of sadness in his voice. It drew her attention for a moment, but her anger was becoming fury. She was no goddess, but it was no excuse to taunt her.


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    ¡°Explain yourself.¡± She turned her face from the carvings, because the sight of herself as a mural made solely out of precious stones was too much to take in.


    He stroked the first mural, the one with the youngest girl. ¡°I did this one first, when I was nine. It was on paper then, with a brush and paint. It took a month.¡± He stared at the artwork as his voice carried grief back to her. ¡°I couldn¡¯t find the right colors. I could see her in my mind, but each time I put a brush on paper or on wood or on stone, I created a monstrosity.¡±


    The girl looked to be about ten years old, still in that awkward stage where she was neither child nor woman. Her eyes were too large, her hair fought its braids. She looked exactly like Aria in the years before her trials.


    ¡°I did this one next.¡± He had walked to the next mural and sighed with joy. ¡°I got her exactly right.¡±


    This was a full-grown woman, still young, but no child. She wore clothing Aria had never worn, a green gown with gold embroidery and a hem that fluttered in the wind. Her face was full of pleasure at the sun on her skin. She seemed to be tasting something sweet - perhaps the wind. Aria had never looked like that, but the woman also had her face.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time for your life story,¡± she said.


    ¡°This one,¡± he approached another work. ¡°This one is recent. I didn¡¯t touch a brush for centuries. Papa would not say where she was, when she would be born, if she was already dead. He wouldn¡¯t say anything at all. And waiting was torture, so I locked everything up.¡± His voice had grown somber. ¡°I found other things to do. The day I painted this, he told me that he had found her.¡±


    He moved on. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t let me see her for two more years. I painted every day, but none of them were worth displaying. This one,¡± he indicated a painting that Aria knew for certain to be her, ¡°I made the day after our first meeting. Everything else came from my imagination but this one is real.¡±


    The setting was familiar. It was a street in Nehyer, her last posting before she left for the middle realm. She wore a plain brown dress, just down to her knees. There was no smile on her face; there was little smiling in those days.


    ¡°And this one,¡± Achi approached the only painting that was not a full figure. It was only a face. ¡°I painted this on the day you rejected me.¡±


    Aria sighed. ¡°Is it possible that you have a mental illness?¡± She had never seen him before the feast. ¡°Or did you erase my memories?¡±


    Achi laughed, loudly, mirthlessly, and maniacally. ¡°You see?! You can¡¯t even recall it. That is how little I meant. Two months is not the longest time, but one would think that it would make an impression.¡±


    She backed away from him.


    His expression sobered. ¡°I won¡¯t hurt you Aria. I know you¡¯re not her.¡±


    He ignored the remaining two paintings. One showed her waving goodbye, dressed with all the opulence of a goddess and smiling sadly. The last was the one of her death.


    The images were terrifying and confusing, but Achi¡¯s expression was more disturbing. He seemed lost, starved, and in actual agony. It seemed as if an undercurrent of grief suddenly bubbled, completely transforming the man she had known before. There was no trace of his usual lightness.


    ¡°You said her name is -¡±


    ¡°Ovi,¡± Achi dropped to sit on the pristine floor. ¡°That¡¯s what I named her. I can see her face, not her name.¡±


    ¡°Why can you see her face?¡±


    He flashed a sad smile. ¡°You¡¯re remarkably dense when you wish to be. My father is a god of love, Aria. We are different in many ways, but I share that affliction with him. We are the only deities who were not previously human. He, he claims, was created ¡®The Power¡¯. I don¡¯t know who that is, but I think he¡¯s another god. I was created by my father, just like you were created by yours. The same, but different, because I don¡¯t have a mother. He knew me from his first moment, knew me as the thing most precious to him. I had no form, none more than one of these paintings when they were still in my mind,¡± he tapped his skull ¡°but I occupied every moment of his life.¡±

 28. Ovi

    Aria sat down too, slowly, to keep from distracting him.


    ¡°There was so much to do before he could give me form. There were hundreds of gods running about, making a mess of the world. He killed the worst of them, left the others to keep order. They had practically destroyed the world in their feuding. He restored it  - restored as much as was possible with all the tactless humans running around. He made the upper and middle realms. Every day he spent preparing. He was stalling; I know that now.


    ¡°You see, he was complete. He knew the one he loved, and he knew what he needed to do. But I was not. If he made me, I would be forced to find her. I would have no powers until I found her. And if it turned out that she could not love me, then, what does a god do without a purpose? If I fall, I¡¯ll take him down with me. He should not have made me. I should have remained a thought in his mind, a longing in his heart. He should have returned to sleep, let the world burn out of existence. But he¡¯s an idiot like me.¡±


    He had not looked at Aria once since he sat. Perhaps he had forgotten her existence. He simply breathed out the words, one after another, like a previously drowning man gulping down air. His fingers traced the spaces between floor tiles, making the same swirling patterns over and over again.


    ¡°The same way he knew me, I knew her,¡± he smiled there, longingly, ¡°the most beautiful woman in the world. And I couldn¡¯t wait to find her, to find purpose. I know what every other god feels, that draw towards your goal. I know why Garo fights, why Evera pairs lovers, why Alogun collects book after book. It¡¯s a fire inside you. You can barely eat, or sleep, or think every moment that it calls to you.


    ¡°When he said that he¡¯d found you, I counted the days until we could meet. He set arbitrary, stupid rules. Yes, I know that you¡¯re young and stupid. Nothing could happen between us till you are a century old at least.¡± Aria stared in stunned silence, but he continued, oblivious. ¡°But he made so much of a fuss about that first meeting that I should have known that something was wrong.¡±


    He breathed, seemingly for the first time since the speech started, then he picked up his head and looked at her. ¡°It was a disaster, of course. I could barely speak. When, I did I sounded stupid. I think you pitied me.¡±


    Aria was still trying to recall anything like the events he was describing. She had entertained four suitors and none of them matched his looks or temperament. If he had not erased her memory, then he was severely delusional.


    ¡°I think I noticed the issues at our third meeting. You disagreed with everything I said¡± he waved a hand, brushing the fact away. ¡°Understandable. We¡¯re different people after all. But we did not share one thought in common. If I said the sky was blue, you said it was gray.¡± He paused for so long that Aria wondered if he had forgotten his tale. ¡°Papa knew, of course. He hinted, but I wasn¡¯t listening and he does not like to talk. So he fell silent. He let me learn the truth myself.¡± Another paused. ¡°I asked you to marry me.¡± He laughed. ¡°It was joke, partly. But, then, you looked so horrified. And I knew. You were not her.


    ¡°You did not act like her. You felt no draw to me. You found me annoying. She, the real Ovi, would be a missing part of my soul. We would fit, like two pieces of potter broken and then reunited.


    ¡°I had to probe. To find out what was run. I requested a reason for your refusal. You would not give it, so I pressed. You were not the shy type, after all. I pressed until I annoyed you, but I had to know.¡± He gave another, mirthless laugh. ¡°You answered. You explained to me in great detail exactly what you thought of me. I can still recite every word. I was a fool, a pushover, too opinionated, arrogant, self-righteous, and overly fascinated by the sound of my own voice. If you had a choice between marrying me and becoming a cockroach, you would dive head-long into a six-legged existence.¡±


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    Aria laughed out loud. It was the ugliest laugh that had ever escaped her. She lost control of her limbs, only managing to slow the speed at which she collided with the floor. She managed not to roll, but she had to clutch her middle to control the force of her laughter.


    She remembered him: Isei ¡®rabbit¡¯ Alochi. ¡®Rabbit¡¯, because he was soft, fluffy, and impossible to take seriously. At first glance, Achi in no way resembled the boy from her past, but their temperaments were identical. Isei would have absolutely protected a woman who attempted to murder him. More than that: he would have gone to any length to secure a pardon for her. He had a soft spot for every living thing: from scar-bearing bandits to fire ants. He worked the night shift at Saya¡¯s Place, a cheap and filthy dining hall where the owner delighted in treating his workers like dung - and he never complained. What little coin he earned, he gave to beggars, claiming that they needed it more than him, or spent on Aria, for whom he had a pathetic, impossible to dislodge, obsession.


    She had not recalled him because she had never considered them involved. He had simply been a two-month long rash that she had found difficult to shake off. His proposal had knocked her off her feet. It had proven that his infatuation was not waning, despite her attempts to put him off. He didn¡¯t know how close she had come to accepting it - not because she cared for him, but because he had been so kind. Somehow, deep down, every woman¡¯s dream must be to find a man who gave her all his money and worshiped the ground beneath her. But the choice had been clear. A man like him - clean, warm, kind, and good, deserved someone to match. Someone who had never taken a life, someone who was not disgusted by his weakness. To accept him would have been an injustice ¨C to him and to the woman meant for him.


    Achi watched her amusement dispassionately. The utter lack of amusement on his face, combined with the memory of her situation, finally killed her laughter.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean most of that.¡± The defense sounded inadequate to her, but she felt that she had to offer it. ¡°You just wouldn¡¯t leave me alone.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± He didn¡¯t look offended. ¡°You said what I needed to hear. You convinced me of what my father could not. I had the wrong woman.¡±


    Aria had to suppress a smile. ¡°Insulting you does not stop me from being your destined love.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it does.¡± He sighed, lay down, and stared at the ceiling. ¡°It¡¯s difficult to explain to you. But imagine that you planted a seed, a golden bean seed that would grow into a golden plant. Imagine that you returned later and found just a normal bean plant there. What would you think?¡±


    ¡°Someone replaced it?¡±


    He smiled. ¡°Exactly. It does not matter that it is growing in the same place. It does not even matter if it is growing from the same seed. Whether the plant was modified by magic or corrupted by pests, all that matters is that it is not a golden bean plant. I could pretend that you are her, but it will not make it so. You do not love me, and I do not love you. I love someone else. So, you can never give me my powers, and I can never give you yours.¡±


    Aria frowned. ¡°My powers?¡±


    ¡°Ovi is the goddess of time and fate. Yes. Your powers.¡±


    ¡°I am a goddess?¡±


    ¡°No. Ovi would have been a goddess. When she kissed me.¡±


    The words took a long time to morph into understanding. ¡°But,¡± she struggled. ¡°Maybe it is me.¡±


    ¡°It is not.¡±


    ¡°How do you know? You¡¯ve never kissed me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to. If you look at me and you see the love of your life, the one you can¡¯t live without, the one who completes you, then you are Ovi. If you do not, then you are wrong - perhaps only in a small, subtle way, but you are wrong. You are not her.¡±

 29. Making Mistakes

    There was something on his face; hunger or grief, perhaps. She could not begin to understand an obsession with a woman he had never met, but his obsession was clearly beyond reason.


    She beat a retreat back to the issue that truly concerned her.


    ¡°Why tell me all this?¡± She asked. ¡°I wanted my memories.¡±


    He rose and, with a gesture, put the sheets over the murals again. The room seemed bland without them.


    ¡°I can¡¯t find Ovi,¡± he said. ¡°You are not her. But, I still want you to survive. So far, the greatest obstacle to that goal is you. You are rash and far more confident than you should be. You need less of that stupidity and more caution or you¡¯ll walk into something no one returns from.


    ¡°I showed you think so you would understand how little you know. I have a plan. If you stop disrupting it, you can live a nice, appropriately-long life. If you don¡¯t wish to do so, say so now and I¡¯ll stop trying. Even I have limits to my generosity.¡±


    She cocked her head. ¡°Do these plans keep you from giving me back my memories?¡±


    He hesitated, but eventually replied. ¡°Yes.¡±


    She nodded. Perhaps he was lying. There was no sign of it, but who could read Eri?


    ¡°So, you have a plan that is guaranteed to protect me, but requires you to keep me ignorant.¡±


    He nodded, slightly apologetic. At least he saw the absurdity.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about your plan,¡± she said. ¡°I care about my life. For all I know, your father has better plans than you.¡± The smell of fire, still pressed into the back of her mind, tried to force its way forward again. ¡°So, you have one of two choices. You can return my memories and explain exactly and in convincing words how your plan works and why I should trust it. Or I can return all this energy you¡¯ve given me and die.¡±


    Achi shut his eyes and bit his lip in frustration. He took deep, even breaths as if steadying himself. It took a long time. Aria counted ten breaths before he opened his eyes again.


    ¡°I recommend neither of those paths,¡± he said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why. They seem perfectly acceptable to me. I¡¯ll count to ten.¡±


    ¡°You are being incredibly foolish.¡±


    ¡°Then you should just let me die. One.¡±


    ¡°Can you even contemplate how much I know that you don¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Two.¡±


    ¡°If I could share it, I obviously would.¡±


    ¡°Three.¡±


    ¡°Stop it.¡±


    ¡°Four.¡±


    ¡°Aria - ¡±


    ¡°Five¡±


    ¡°Of all the stupid -¡±


    ¡°Six¡±


    ¡°People I could choose to save - ¡±


    ¡°Seven¡±


    ¡°Why did it have to be you?¡±


    ¡°Eight.¡±


    He glared at her, folded his arms, set his jaw, and waited.


    ¡°Nine¡±


    Regret filled her. She did not know if she was making the right choice, but she knew that she was making the safest one. No major decision came without fear. You simply made the best choice you could with the information you had.


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    ¡°Ten.¡± She took a breath and steadied herself. ¡°I hope you find Ovi.¡±


    She had already found the store of energy she was drawing from. It shone to her mental vision like a ball of light located at the center of her perception. For a moment, she considered doing something spectacular with it. She could expend it on a giant wave, create an explosion that leveled the entire forest, or create a tunnel to the center of the earth.


    But there was no need to create destruction. She simply let out the energy all at once like a powerful exhalation.


    Disappointment met Aria first then disillusionment and, finally, anger. She was alive and therefore out of options.


    Achi was lying on the beach, partially buried in sand. His legs stretched out into the ocean so that part of him was on land and the other in water. When a wave sped toward him, he did not move. He let it wash over him, momentarily burying his whole body and soaking his already wet clothes.


    Her body was gone and, as far as she could tell, she was bound to him again.


    She sighed. ¡°You tricked me.¡±


    Achi blinked in surprise but composed himself a moment later. ¡°Welcome back.¡±


    There was more than a hint of sarcasm in the words but no other barbs followed them. He sounded tired. She inspected his body, finding herself more skilled at the task. There was no fever, but that could have been due to his chosen resting place. The only hint she had of illness was a general impression of weakness from him. He did not seem to be dying. He did not even seem particularly ill. What sort of poison could kill a god by causing only occasional fevers?


    ¡°What happened to my body?¡± She asked.


    ¡°My body,¡± he said. ¡°It was a lot of work making it in the first place and a lot more work modifying it so that my father would not recognize it if he saw you in the future. I put it back. You can just live without a body. Every other ghost manages it.¡±


    She did not know how to request it again. Clearly he would not return it.


    ¡°How did you stop me?¡±


    ¡°By using all the knowledge I have and you don¡¯t, the knowledge you seem to think so small that you can just barge into palaces and attempt suicide right in front me.¡±


    Aria wanted to tear her hair out, but she had none. Perhaps there was a way to detach herself from him, but he would not be sharing that. She would have to discover it by herself.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    He seemed surprised by the question and that offended her. She was capable of basic kindness and showing it to someone who had her captive was commendable.


    He muttered that he was fine - clearly a lie.


    ¡°You should go back home,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m sure your father misses you.¡±


    He looked even more surprised by that statement.


    ¡°No,¡± he said, and she let the matter drop.


    ¡°What day is it?¡± She asked. With the middle realm lacking a sun, it was impossible to judge days with accuracy. It was bright enough to see, but that was all the hint she had.


    ¡°The 23rd of Rawi.¡±


    It had been ten days since the statue. ¡°Your notes, in your bedroom, they say that you¡¯ll die on the 9th of Uya.¡± She waited for a response, but he said nothing. His face had grown somber at her words, however. She pressed on. ¡°Is that true?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡±


    ¡°You want to help me, Achi? Then you should know that I hate being led around like a stupid animal. Tell me what I need to know and I¡¯ll make intelligent decisions based on that. Keep me in the dark and I¡¯ll just find my way around in ways that you don¡¯t like.¡±


    ¡°Alternatively,¡± he said. ¡°You could accept your ignorance and let me help.¡±


    She mentally dismissed him. The argument was pointless. As usual, she would simply have to rely on herself.


    When she remained silent, he seemed to grow worried. Finally, he sighed and spoke. ¡°That is the day the poison in my body will reach its maximum concentration. So, yes, that is when I will die. Assuming you don¡¯t poison me again.¡±


    She decided to see if his openness would continue.


    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t your father heal you?¡± The answer was obvious, but she wanted to hear his response.


    ¡°He can¡¯t. It¡¯s beyond his ability.¡±


    She waited to see if he would elaborate, but he did not. Another wave washed over him. He closed his eyes and mouth as it passed, somehow it seemed to relax him.


    ¡°You said he could do anything when you were in danger.¡±


    ¡°Not this.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    He remained silent.


    ¡°Is there something I can do?¡±


    He paused for too long. ¡°Yes,¡± he said, finally, voice so soft it could barely be heard above the waves. ¡°You can behave yourself. To protect you so far, I have lied to my father, stolen from him, and said cruel things to him. I am everything to him. Instead of comforting him, spending my last days with him, I am here hiding you. So, have whatever foolish thoughts you want but, when I am gone, try to have enough intelligence to keep yourself alive.¡±


    I asked how to heal you.


    His voice grew tiny. ¡°And later, if you see him, if you can, take care of him.¡±


    She had many colorful responses to that, but she kept them to herself. He was right that she was ignorant of many things. It meant something that such a powerful god could not heal his son. The odd behavior of his illness meant something. The very fact that he would die meant something. But this world was new to her. She wanted to save him, but she was no more capable of that than she was of defeating Tivelo.

 30. Bet

    Achi remained in the water for hours while she remained in her thoughts. She grumbled often about the lack of a body and even promised to behave if he returned it. He gave her no quarter. She would remain without a body until his death. If she behaved properly till then, he said, he might return it to her. She protested the notion of spending two weeks bodiless, but he simply hinted that she could also spend the two weeks unconscious.


    Night fell soon after, but he did not return to the house. He spent the night on the beach attended by waved and the occasional sand crab. Aria monitored him out of both kindness and fear of Tivelo. His fever came and went in cycles, but he did not seem bothered by that.


    While he slept, she explored the house. There was little to see. Boxes in the bedroom held childhood treasures: toys, drawings, and childrens¡¯ books. There was a touching ¡®papa and me¡¯ portrait done in crayon and stuck into a wooden frame. Aria looked away from it quickly. Thinking of Tivelo roused the memories she was struggling to keep at bay.


    The books in the library were no more interesting. Their subjects ran the range from literature through geography to history and agriculture. She hoped for information on Eri, but, apparently, Achi had more esoteric interests. She chose one of the books anyway - one titled, The Plants and Geography of East Reomer - and read it for as long as she could.


    By morning, she was thoroughly bored and perfectly ready to pick a fight with Achi.


    ¡°Imagine being locked in a cage,¡± she said, ¡°with nothing to do. Further imagine that you have no body, so you can¡¯t even do anything about your boredom.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a library.¡± He seemed groggy but less tired than the previous day.


    She almost snapped at that, but a different thought occurred to her. ¡°Did your father not want you home in 24 hours?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°And unless he considers you sufficiently punished, I¡¯ll be here until he can make me leave.¡±


    She remained silent for a long moment, trying to decide if she wanted an answer to the next question. ¡°Did you mean everything you said to him or was it an act for my sake?¡±


    Achi shrugged, now rising from the sand that had partially buried him during the night. ¡°My father is not unreasonable. You wronged me and he has never forgiven such an act. But his anger is making him difficult to reason with. I have never before failed to negotiate a lighter sentence for anyone and he won¡¯t give an inch over this. I don¡¯t think he wants justice for me. I think he wants it for himself and does not realize that. Make no mistake. You are the one in the wrong here. You knew you were poisoning an Eri and you knew what the consequences would be. That you can¡¯t bear them afterward is entirely your problem.¡±


    She did not argue. There was no point treading that ground again. ¡°So, it was an act. So You simply want him to kill me instead of torturing me. Why not do so, then? I¡¯m here. I¡¯m defenseless. However much I might resemble Ovi, you¡¯re confident that I am not her.¡±


    Achi hesitated for too long.


    ¡°Maybe you don¡¯t want to,¡± she said. ¡°Maybe you still think I¡¯m her. But then, you should protect me. You know that after you die, your father will spend whatever is left of his strength to capture me -¡±


    ¡°Stop talking,¡± Achi said. ¡°The longer you speak, the less correct you are.¡±


    ¡°You enjoy sounding mysterious, but you¡¯re either willfully blind or twice as ignorant as me.¡±


    He gave no response to that. His attention was on his resolute trek back to the house.


    The world was a mess. She wished that she had a cure for him. She wished that she could change Tivelo¡¯s mind; wished that they would tell her the secrets that they kept from her.


    ¡°I¡¯m bored,¡± she said. ¡°And your books make me want to die.¡±


    ¡°Try making something,¡± he said. ¡°There¡¯s paint on one of the shelves; and lots of paper.¡±


    What a ridiculous idea.


    ¡°Do you have something actually enjoyable to do?¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°I forgot that you can¡¯t draw.¡± He pushed open the house¡¯s rear door and washed the sand off himself with a wave of his hand. ¡°It¡¯s not difficult. Just dip the brush in paint and make any patterns you like.¡±


    He marched back toward the stairs and she, bound as she was to him, followed.


    ¡°If I want to die of boredom, I won¡¯t work so hard at it. What do you have for other people to do, not yourself?¡±


    ¡°Papa likes to read or stare off into the distance. He¡¯s the only other person who uses this place. If you mean something for your ilk, you can fish.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Or hunt, I suppose. There are only small animals in the forest but we can sacrifice them for your amusement. If none of that interests you, bother me some more and I¡¯ll put you to sleep.¡±


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    She sighed.


    He had made it back to his bedroom and, to her shock and annoyance, proceeded to climb into bed.


    ¡°You¡¯re going back to sleep?¡±


    He took two plums from a bowl by his bedside and ate them with disturbing speed. He finished the entire meal and licked his fingers clean before responding to her. ¡°I¡¯m bored too but I can be silent about it.¡±


    ¡°Achi,¡± she had found that calling his name guaranteed his attention, ¡°if you go to sleep without giving me a body or something to do, you will wake to find this place burned to the ground. Now, I know that you are a powerful being and can think of many ways to prevent that, but I am tenacious, I am bored and I have weeks of time.¡±


    To her annoyance, his response was amusement. ¡°You understand that such destruction will be difficult to explain to my father?¡±


    ¡°You understand that I am bored? In fact, try it. Destroy your own body and chain yourself to a smart talking clown. Then, see how long it takes until you¡¯re suicidal.¡±


    ¡°I think you have a particularly low tolerance, but fine. This is a beach house. The attractions are what you see. There is boating - if you make your own boat - , fishing - likewise -, swimming, reading, and all the beach and forest activities you can conjure. Without a body you can still read and play with sand. If none of those activities suit you, then you have to invent something.¡± He cast about the room for inspiration. ¡°Why don¡¯t we play cards?¡±


    Aria wanted to reject the suggestion. It was partly to be contrary and partly because she found the idea uninteresting. But she was mindful of his previous threats and, far from putting on a show, she truly was bored enough to enjoy something so basic.


    ¡°Where are they?¡± She asked.


    He climbed out of the bed, snagged one more plum, and led her back to the library. There, he scanned the shelves until he found a book with blank pages and tore a sheet from it. It was a hand-written tome titled, ¡°A survey of colors in nature with a focus on Reds and Greens.¡± The mere thought of reading it made her nauseous - a feat given her lack of a body. Dull though it sounded, seeing someone tear a page from a book was disconcerting. Achi repeated the crime with several more books until he had a collection of thick, glossy sheets.


    Then, the sheets tore themselves into 52 even rectangles. Achi positioned the end table between both reading chairs and placed the sheets on it.


    ¡°What are we playing?¡± he asked.


    ¡°What kinds do you know?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t play cards.¡±


    ¡°Too much reading to do?¡±


    Rather than respond to her, he found a pen and began to draw on the sheets. It was a slow, mesmerizing process. The itchy contrarian in her wanted to interrupt him, but the bored part was glad to have something entertaining to watch. Within fifteen minutes, he had transformed the blank sheets into a serviceable set of playing cards. Then, he put them on the table and gestured for her to shuffle them.


    ¡°My father used to say that art is like silver.¡± She tested the cards, learning how to shuffle them without hands. The technique was gratifyingly easy to learn. Being a ghost was fascinating.


    ¡°How so?¡± Achi asked, seemingly out of obligation.


    ¡°You can¡¯t eat it, sleep on it or fight with it. But you can cover the handle of your spear with it and feel fancy.¡±


    ¡°My father says mortals are like sheep,¡± Achi replied, ¡°too stupid to survive and yet too stupid to realize that.¡±


    She kept her next insult to herself. She would think really hard and find one he had no response to.


    Achi had done something to the cards. She should have been able to see drawings even when they were turned over, but she could not. She inspected the books he had torn pages from and found them similarly opaque. She could read their covers, but the pages inside were impenetrable until she opened them. That explained why he had torn the books instead of finding an unused sheet of paper.


    ¡°What is this paper made of?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t recall the name.¡± He shrugged. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    It mattered to her curiosity, but she let it drop.


    She dealt him ten cards and another ten on her side of the table. ¡°We¡¯re playing Rodan¡¯s Circle,¡± she said. ¡°Do you know it?¡±


    ¡°In passing. Standard rules?¡±


    ¡°What does in passing mean?¡±


    He had picked up his cards and was now peering at them as if they held deep secrets. ¡°That means I¡¯ve seen it played. Gods don¡¯t play cards.¡±


    She retrieved her own cards. ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Why would we? We have better amusements.¡±


    ¡°Like attending feasts and watching mortals dance?¡±


    He re-ordered his cards, quietly.


    ¡°Part of playing cards is the conversation,¡± she said. ¡°If I get bored again, I might do something stupid.¡±


    ¡°You need to learn to make fewer threats. How does that work for conversation?¡±


    ¡°Well enough. You need to be less arrogant.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need. I die in a few days. Who starts?¡±


    That ruined the mood.


    Aria put down a card. ¡°Youngest first.¡±


    Though she was not sitting across from him, she had her cards facing the empty chair, anyway. She worried that one of his abilities allowed him to see her cards even though she could not see his, but he gave no sign of that.


    Rodan¡¯s circle had a simple goal. The first person to run out of cards was the winner. Most of the cards consequently had functions that disrupted the other person¡¯s hand or protected your own.


    Achi began by putting down a weak card. It bore the number 1 in stylized font and an image of a tuft of grass.


    Aria began to put down her card and paused as if a thought had just occurred to her. ¡°We didn¡¯t make a bet,¡± she said. ¡°No one plays without a bet.¡± She returned the card to her hand. ¡°What do you suggest?¡±


    Achi appeared unimpressed. ¡°I¡¯m sure you have something in mind.¡±


    ¡°If I win, you give me back the body. If you win, I¡¯ll stop complaining about being bored.¡± She was frozen in anticipation, but Achi still looked bored.


    ¡°Are you certain?¡± He asked in a flat tone. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t ask so much of you.¡±


    More taunting, but he hadn¡¯t rejected the idea. ¡°Worry about yourself. Deal?¡±


    There was a subtle smile on his face. He felt certain of his victory; he was a god after all.


    ¡°It¡¯s a deal,¡± he said.

 31. Rodans Circle

    The game moved slowly after that. Despite his inexperience, Achi played expertly. His collection grew and shrank as the game progressed, never much better than Aria¡¯s but never worse. Rodan¡¯s Circle was only partly a game of chance. It was rare that any player began with a poor hand, so the outcome of the game often turned on the skill of the players.


    They played in silence for a while before Aria resumed the conversation.


    ¡°What was it like growing up with your father?¡±


    Achi paused momentarily before resuming the game. He was silent a moment longer, prompting Aria to wonder how she could entice him to speak. A silent game would be worse than no game at all.


    ¡°It was nice,¡± Achi said.


    ¡°He must have been doting.¡±


    ¡°Very much.¡± He still sounded bored and obliging, but the ghost of a smile had appeared on his face accompanied by a distant look.


    ¡°I can¡¯t picture it.¡± Aria did not neglect the game, but she was far more interested in the conversation. ¡°Did he rock you to sleep or, I suppose, you had attendants to do that?¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t trust them. And, well, they couldn¡¯t stand him. He did everything himself.¡±


    Aria imagined Tivelo changing diapers. The image did not sit well in her head.


    ¡°It must have been stifling.¡±


    Achi shrugged. ¡°We butted heads in the beginning. But, when you get old enough, you realize that your parents are just people doing the best that they can. We learned to manage our differences. What about you?¡±


    Aria felt blindsided. Of course, discussing his father would lead to questions about hers. She could refuse to discuss it, but it would be unsporting and he would retaliate with more silence.


    ¡°It was fine,¡± she said.


    ¡°Very busy,¡± he said.


    She remembered then that she had told him a little about her parents. In his mortal disguise, he had been a good listener. She could not even remember what she had told him. She only recalled a sense of embarrassment at talking too much and gentle understanding from him.


    ¡°You already know all about it.¡± She sounded pouty, to her consternation.


    ¡°Not really,¡± he said. ¡°You would only talk about them if you were drunk or upset. In either case, there was always a lot of rambling. I can fill in the holes, though. Are they still well?¡±


    ¡°As far as I know.¡± She needed to change the topic. ¡°When did you know that your father was - uh - violent?¡±


    He was being agreeable, so she made the effort to use less combative words.


    ¡°That never happened,¡± Achi said. ¡°Papa is perfectly reasonable to people who don¡¯t poison his son.¡±


    Was he delusional? ¡°He ordered Garo staked forever simply for hosting a feast in which you were poisoned.¡±


    Achi raised an eyebrow. ¡°Is that so? Is that why he was punished?¡±


    Aria suddenly felt uncertain. ¡°It¡¯s not?¡± That was what Evera had told her. But how would Evera know? ¡°I heard that if you¡¯re harmed, he punishes the bystanders for not protecting you.¡±


    Achi frowned as if he had no idea what she was talking about.


    ¡°Evera told me that if your favorite pet gets harmed while I¡¯m in the vicinity, he¡¯ll punish me for it.¡±


    Achi¡¯s frown did not wane. ¡°Did she tell you this as a god or as a mortal?¡±


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    ¡°Does it matter?¡±


    Achi sniffed. ¡°Do you - do you even know who gods are? My father doesn¡¯t pay any attention to mortals unless they cross him. But gods? They¡¯re not oppressed sheep, Aria. They¡¯re the wolves. If he didn¡¯t punish them for being bystanders, I¡¯d be coming home each day with inexplicable injuries and no obvious culprit. I wouldn¡¯t be able to take a walk without being crushed by a tree.


    ¡°He is harsh and unreasonable - to deities. That is the reason you can walk from one town to another without dying in Garo and Evera¡¯s cross-fire. One of these days, learn some history and you¡¯ll see what it took to impose this peace in the first place. Then, when you¡¯ve corralled a few century old deities, you can educate him on the proper way to keep their insanity in check.


    ¡°What Evera was probably trying to explain was that my father uses a territorial system. Most of the lower and middle realms are assigned to various deities and any crime committed in that region is the responsibility of the owner. Before he invited us to a feast, Garo should have ensured that his palace was safe. Failing at that task was a crime. It¡¯s a small crime in your eyes, but ask any mortal king: that kind of oversight kills thousands. Even if I had not been the victim, Garo would still have been punished.¡±


    ¡°But that is not the only reason he was punished,¡± Aria said. She had not forgotten his hint.


    Achi smiled, lips closed but eyes flashing. ¡°The conversation¡¯s over. You¡¯ve lost.¡±


    He put down a card bearing the number eight and a picture of a crown. He still had three cards in his hand, so Aria was not technically beaten. Obediently, she did as the card dictated and added a card to her hand. Immediately, Achi put down another eight-crown. That left two cards in his hand. Aria drew another card. Next he put down a number 8 card with a tree shape in the middle. Aria drew two cards. Finally, with a smile, he put down a number 2 card with a drawing of a ring and looked up with a pleased expression. He had never looked more childish than at that moment. Rather than disappointment, however, Aria felt triumph.


    ¡°Your last card did not include a skipped turn,¡± she said, ¡°so I can take my turn.¡±


    His eyes narrowed.


    She picked a card from the middle of her hand and put it on the pile of played cards. It had the crown symbol with a number 0 on it.


    ¡°Swap hands,¡± she said, and shoved her remaining collection into his hands.


    ¡°You!¡± His shock and confusion were so comical, Aria regretted that her laughter could only be audible. ¡°That card is at the bottom.¡±


    He grabbed the deck of unplayed cards and swiftly shuffled through them, searching something he would not find. After a frantic minute, he stopped and glared at her empty seat.


    ¡°You cheated,¡± he said.


    ¡°There¡¯s no cheating in Rodan¡¯s circle. Even children know that. ¡±


    His scowl remained. ¡°There is cheating when civilized people play it.¡±


    She felt no bite from the insult, only joy. ¡°Then you should have specified that we were playing like civilized people. Rules are rules. Now, will you fulfill your bet or are you a liar?¡±


    He gathered all the cards into one pile and began to shuffle them. ¡°No. You cheated, so you lost.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Is the little god sore? Maybe you can call your father to defend you. You¡¯ll need his help when I tell everyone what a sore loser you are. You lost, Achi. Keep your promise or I¡¯ll keep my threats.¡±


    He stopped shuffling the cards. ¡°How did you even cheat?¡±


    ¡°How did you know where the card should have been?¡±


    For a moment, it seemed as if he wouldn¡¯t reply. Then, he spoke. ¡°I have a deity¡¯s intelligence. I knew the initial arrangement of the cards and I watched you shuffle them. I could track their position.¡±


    Aria made a sound of understanding. So that was why gods didn¡¯t play cards. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you how I cheated when I get my body.¡±


    His face showed his emotions as he struggled to choose between keeping his word protecting her.


    Finally, he spoke. ¡°You cheated, so you lost.¡± He raised a hand to block her objections. ¡°However, my abilities are superior to yours, so you deserve credit for overcoming your poor odds. So, I will give you the body. If you make another attempt on your life, I will stop you and there will be no more chances.¡±


    Hours before he had been acting as if there was a true risk that she could evade his protection but Aria did not challenge the change of tune. Instead, she kept her tone light and avoided all mocking undertones. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said.


    He seemed surprised by her restraint but chose to accept it. With a wave, the body appeared in the room just as it had before.


    ¡°You did not just make that,¡± Aria said. ¡°How were you hiding it?¡± She had searched that room with all the skill her new senses provided and found nothing.


    ¡°I won¡¯t explain the fabric of the universe to you,¡± Achi said. ¡°There isn¡¯t enough time left in your life.¡±


    With another wave, she was back in the body and overwhelmed by relief. It was strange to miss something that did not truly belong to her. Being disembodied had not been unpleasant, but somehow, returning to a body felt like finding a treasure you had not realized was missing.


    When she looked up from a delighted inspection of her libs, Achi had already left for his nap. Either he¡¯d forgotten to ask how she¡¯d cheated or he no longer cared. That was for the best. If she told him that she¡¯d changed the drawings on the cards, he could decide to take back the body.

 32. Final Goodbye

    She waited for an hour, waited until he was definitely asleep. He slept silently, with no turning or snoring; just a still figure on the bed with a slightly pinched expression.


    She had not changed her mind.


    Once, in her second year of training, they had been put into groups and released into a forest to hunt each other. As usual, the winning group would remain acolytes and the losers would go home. Most of their challenges had been that way: no second chances. One of the other acolytes had caught her separated from her team. He had been a boy roughly her age, one of the best in the group. He¡¯d had a bow aimed at her leg - enough to mark her but not kill her. Then, their eyes had met. Perhaps he had thought her pretty, or young, or pitiful. None of that mattered. He had hesitated and missed her by a hair¡¯s breadth. Once she was safe and hidden from him, she had put an arrow in his own leg. No second chances.


    When she had decided to die, she had made a rational decision. It terrified her, but she took comfort in the calculation she had made. For the price of her life, she would never have to face Tivelo again. She did not know how to escape Achi¡¯s protection, but she would not stop searching for the answer.


    The first step, though was to see how securely he slept and claim an answer to a different question.


    He didn¡¯t stir when she entered Achi¡¯s bedroom. She had made no effort to be quiet. In fact, she was being less careful than usual. Her own feet sounded like thuds on the wooden floor. He frowned in his sleep - from her disturbance or from a bad dream - but did not wake. .


    She walked until she stood beside Achi¡¯s head. Envy filled her. He likely did not know what a luxury it was to sleep so soundly.


    She offered herself the opportunity to back down. This was not necessary for her plan. It would probably yield the same answer Achi had given her. But failing to confirm it was a mistake she would not make. He would feel furious, violated and she would not begrudge him the anger. They all had to do what they had to do.


    Despite her long hesitation, he had not woken. It was as clear a sign as she would get.


    Her decision made, she bent down and kissed him. She would only have this one opportunity, so she made sure the kiss was thorough. They were still locked together when he woke. His eyes shot open, filled with horror and panic, and then she flew across the room and collided forcefully with a shelf. She fell to the ground, followed and assaulted by half a dozen curios disturbed by her collision.


    She recovered quickly. Something heavy had hit her head, but there was no damage beyond a dull pain. She rubbed the spot, met Achi¡¯s eyes and froze in place.


    She had expected fury, perhaps fury like his father¡¯s. She had expected hurt and disappointment. She had expected to feel shame because she had crossed a line after all the kindness he had shown her. What she had not expected to see was devastation.


    He stared at her as if she had burned an entire planet from under his feet. Aria cursed silently. She had miscalculated.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Achi.¡±


    The expression drained from his face. The next moment, he resembled a poorly done statue. There was no joy or pain on his face, just a careful blankness. His voice, when it came, was equally dull, but Aria caught the faintest hint of anger in its bluntness.


    ¡°Leave.¡±


    His voice did not have his father¡¯s coldness, but the contrast with his previous manner made it more chilling.


    ¡°I had to do it,¡± Aria said. ¡°I had to be sure. It¡¯s not - I wasn¡¯t trying to hurt you.¡±


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    She hated that she felt guilty. His father had ruined her life and she was doing all she could to keep her head above water. Achi was merely caught in a fight he had not initiated. What she had done to him - stealing a kiss he was saving for his beloved - was less than the least of what Tivelo planned for her.


    Yet, she felt guilty.


    Achi climbed out of the bed. It straightened itself. The playing cards disappeared from the library. Sandy footprints - hers from an aimless trip to the beach disappeared.


    ¡°I¡¯m taking down the shield,¡± Achi said. ¡°My father will be here soon after that. If you want to meet him, stay.¡±


    He was freeing her - to go and live or die. It was what she wanted, but she could not leave while he was still looking at her with such uncaring eyes.


    Oh, for crying out loud, it was just a kiss.


    A kiss that was important to him, certainly, but just a kiss. He was smart enough to understand that she was simply protecting herself.


    ¡°Achi.¡±


    He ignored her. He had finished his cleaning. The house no longer looked as if two people had used it.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She tried to put all the sincerity she possessed into her voice. Perhaps it worked. She thought she saw a minuscule softening in him. But it was not enough.


    ¡°Look,¡± she said. ¡°You should be angry with me. I knew you would be when I did it. You¡¯re not even as angry as I would be. Harvest festival four or five years ago, Rokayo kissed me in front of everyone, laughed like it was the funniest thing in the world. I carved his face for him. If any woman marries him now, he¡¯ll know it¡¯s true love. I didn¡¯t do this because I don¡¯t respect you or because I¡¯m thoughtless. You¡¯ve had the safety of your father¡¯s power. I only have what I can take for myself. I had to make sure that I wasn¡¯t Ovi.¡±


    ¡°I told you that you weren¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°And you were right. But my life is at stake. I¡¯m not trusting words when I can see facts. You can carve my face if you want.¡± She shrugged. ¡°You should. It¡¯ll only be fair. But I don¡¯t want you to think that this was more than it was.¡±


    He was sitting on the bed, watching her. The blankness that had filled his face had disappeared. In its place was something more annoying: pity.


    ¡°Keep looking at me like that,¡± Aria said. ¡°I can carve your face too.¡±


    He smiled and she knew the storm was past. A moment later, the smile disappeared.


    ¡°Aria,¡± his tone was somber, ¡°after I¡¯m gone, I want you to know that you don¡¯t have to be what Garo has made you. All that distrust, all that rage, it hasn¡¯t done you any good. You could have stayed in Igbotulo. You could have -.¡± He breathed. ¡°It could have been different if he hadn¡¯t broken you. Later, try to be something else. It¡¯s hard in the beginning, but you won¡¯t regret it in the end.¡±


    She gave no response. She had many, but she had just crawled back into his good graces.


    ¡°Now,¡± he said. ¡°You really must leave. My father will be here in three minutes. It¡¯s too late to take the carriage.¡±


    ¡°What - why?¡± Aria felt stupid. Then, she saw his shaking hands. He was not sitting on the bed because he wanted to; he had to. His illness had always seemed invisible. The fevers were manageable, the glimpses of weakness few. It was almost impossible to believe that he was dying. Even now, it was not his weakness that disturbed her; he looked only a little more tired than usual. It was the look in his eyes. As if it was over.


    ¡°You can just transport yourself to the lower realm,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯ll cost a lot of energy, but you have no choice. It¡¯s instinctive. Just think of where you want to go and decide to do it.¡±


    ¡°I -¡±


    ¡°Are you suddenly not afraid of him? Go, Aria.¡±


    ¡°Will you be fine?¡±


    ¡°You really do want to die,¡± he said.


    And she remembered that she did not have to leave. Getting too close to Tivelo would kill her. She had not been willing to risk that method because if he disabled the spell before it triggered, she would regret it forever. She wanted to be nowhere near him, but body refused to move.


    ¡°Was it something I did?¡± She asked. ¡°Was it the kiss?¡±


    Achi hissed in irritation. Next, she felt power leave her, felt him push her through layers of space. It felt oddly like being forced through fabric, but it worked. The world went dark for a moment and then flashed in colors too numerous for her to name. Then, she was lying on the ground in Igbotulo, in exactly the same place where he had last abandoned her. She blinked in disorientation, began to sit up and was then forced back onto the ground by a purse full of gold landing on her chest.


    A nearby merchant caught the entire event. He did not look surprised. He simply stared glumly from over his table of belts and purses. Others must have seen her appearance too, but no one paid any attention. Either magicians landed in Igbotulo¡¯s marketplace frequently or the people were remarkably dense. The first theory was probably corrected. It explained why Achi had abandoned her there twice.

 33. Garos Victory

    More than once, Aria had heard waiting described as torture. She had always considered it hyperbolic and, certainly, it was meant to be. But the hours after leaving Achi ranked highly on the list of the most painful periods of her life. Thoughts sped through her brain like raindrops in a new year storm, wild, and harsh and painful. Was Achi dead? What would it mean if he was? Was it her fault? Was it the kiss? Could she have poisoned him in such a way before? Were all her protests misinformed?


    Occasionally, she stilled the fury in her bind long enough to assert that, no, Achi was not dead or she would have heard of it. No, she had not accidentally poisoned Achi at the feast. He and his father seemed to believe that she had done it deliberately and with malice. No, her saliva was probably not poisonous; none of her past suitors had died.


    Still, the constant vacillation between fear and hope grew too painful to bear. She waited for some sign that he was either well or dead but the seconds dragged on maddeningly, as if some powerful god had slowed them down to torment her.


    Achi, as usual, had been generous with his money. The purse held enough to pay for weeks in a fancy lodging house, or months in a more modest one. She had chosen modesty, and was now regretting it. Her room had no windows and smelled of something sharp and unpleasant.


    Her meal, a bowl of rice and beef, sat untouched before her. Due to stress, her new ghost status, or the meal¡¯s unappetizing presentation, the thought of eating filled her with indifference. She picked at the meal, found that she could stomach some of it, and then pushed the rest aside.


    Sleep would offer a respite from the torturous worrying, so she climbed into bed, pulled the thin covers up to her chin, and stared at the ceiling. Sleep did not come. What came instead, was a recollection of Achi¡¯s face before she left him. There had been a quiet acceptance there, without blame or fear. Reading the expression now, she thought that he¡¯d been certain of death. But, like throughout his entire illness, he had made no fuss of it. She¡¯d seen men go to their death before, but none that quietly.


    Her stomach churned, worry flaring up again. As Achi and as Isei, he had displayed inexplicable kindness. That, combined with his arrogant, self-assured manner had made him insufferable. Now, he wielded the same kindness over her, spending his last moments worried about her safety. If he died, she would never live down the guilt and there would never be a way to repay him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t die,¡± she sent a prayer without a destination. Someone as sickeningly pure as him could not deserve it, arrogance notwithstanding.


    Somehow, she fell asleep. It came stealthily, as it often did. She never realized that she was sleeping until she woke up. Waking, on the other hand, was perplexing. She was still sleepy and so there was no reason to wake. There were no intruders in her room. The door was still closed and none of the room¡¯s objects had been moved.


    She stretched her senses past the walls and found that it was nearly noon outside. People went about their day, merchants sold their wares, yet she felt odd.


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    Then, the announcement came.


    It rang as if the speaker was right beside her and, given the way Igbotulo¡¯s population paused in their tasks, it rang everywhere in the city. The voice was male, deep, confident, and pleased.


    ¡°People of Igbotulo,¡± it said, ¡°rejoice! Our Lord, The Great Conqueror, Victor of a Thousand Battles, and Terror of all who know his name has defeated Tivelo, self-styled Lord of the Sky.¡±


    Aria sat up, every part of her fixed on the words.


    ¡°He has led his warriors into the Upper Realm, broken down the pretender¡¯s defenses, plundered his goods, captured his servants, and killed his son. Achi, self-proclaimed Prince of the Sky is dead, his body lies broken before our Great Lord¡¯s throne. No more will their taxes steal your labor, or their onerous laws burden your life.


    ¡°Today, people of Igbotulo, you witness the power of your god. The bodies and captives will arrive in Igbotulo at noon tomorrow. For the first time in your lives, you will see The Great Conqueror in all his glory, riding at the head of his victorious procession. A day of feasting has been declared, supplied by our Lord¡¯s hands. Wear your best, eat your fill and, above all, rejoice!¡±


    The voice disappeared leaving an uneasy silence in the city. For several seconds, few people moved. Many looked to their neighbors, as if searching for inspiration on how to respond to the announcement. Slowly, however, activity returned. Three kinds of reactions emerged. The first group of people, a small but significant number, returned to their day as if nothing had changed. Merchants resumed calling out their wares, buyers returned to browsing and haggling, and sleeping men and women turned over and resumed their nap.


    The second group reacted with excitement. They turned to their neighbors, previous goals forgotten, and began discussing the announcement in words Aria did not wish to pick out. Some of those neighbors shared their excitement; some did not. Some hurriedly wrapped up their tasks - or simply abandoned them - and ran off to destinations unknown.


    The last group appeared fearful. Aria saw merchants begin to pack up their wares with quick movements and worried expressions. For a brief moment, Aria was perplexed. Then she saw a symbol on one of their cloaks - a rod sprouting flowers - and understood. They were Tivelo¡¯s devotees. If their god had truly been captured, a city of Garo¡¯s followers was about as safe as a viper¡¯s nest.


    Aria, for her part, sat stunned as she watched the reactions. She had known that Achi was dying, so the depth of her shock surprised her. A nagging voice told her that she needed to make a plan. Garo would be bringing Tivelo to the city in a day, and she could not be near the Black God without dying. But there was no urgency in the knowledge. The danger was still a day away.


    Fighting broke out two streets away. A group of Garo¡¯s followers had set upon a man foolishly sporting Tivelo¡¯s emblem and beat him. A bystander attempted to intervene and was quickly maligned as one of the Black God¡¯s lackeys. Aria would have intervened, but the fight was over before she made her decision. City guards, finally doing their duty, freed the victims and advised them, roughly, to leave the city before they suffered worse. All devotees of Tivelo left in the city by sundown were to be relieved of their belongings and expelled unless they turned to Garo and made an offering of half of their wealth.


    That was Aria¡¯s cue to leave. She had no wish to be trapped in a city turned battlefield. Leaving was easy. She informed the innkeeper of her departure and left with her sole possession - her coin purse.

 34 - The Bodies

    Leaving the city was easy. She encountered a few skirmishes, but none had yet turned as violent as the first altercation.


    Stepping through the gates brought a great deal of relief. She took a few moments to note that being a potential war zone worried her more than she had expected. Then, she had to decide on her next steps.


    For several minutes, she stood on the edge of the paved road, watching people leave the city; in groups and alone, with wagons or just the clothes on her back.


    She felt sympathy for a particularly pitiful couple. They had two infants and another two toddlers packed into an open wagon in the tiny space left after it had been stuffed with all their belongings.


    But she had little room to worry about others. Her own feelings still swirled around her, making the whole act of thinking difficult. She felt sick at the thought that Achi could be dead, but did she also feel glad because Tivelo would no longer hunt her? She struggled through the maze of worry, fear and guilt and settled on an easy plan. She needed to be certain that Achi was dead. All her plans hinged on that confirmation and lying was not beyond Garo.


    Garo would be bringing the body to Igbotulo the next day, but she did not want to wait that long. Igbotulo was not his largest city. If it was coming there the next day, then it was currently being displayed somewhere else. If she found Garo, she would likely also find the body.


    She began her search by transporting herself to the middle realm. As Achi had said, it was intuitive, but expensive. She felt her store of energy decline significantly. A rough estimate told her that she had lost about a tenth of it - nine years of life. She gritted her teeth and silently cursed Achi. He should have told her how expensive it would be. If it took that much to travel between realms, she would never again do it without a carriage.


    Mindful of Tivelo¡¯s presence, she had transported herself to a destination miles away from Garo¡¯s palace. It was a make-shift town populated solely by merchants and workers who tended to the needs of Garo¡¯s attendants. For privacy, she found a store room filled with barrels of wine and transported herself through its locked door. It, thankfully, cost less energy than the trip between realms.


    To her delight, Garo¡¯s palace was immediately within range of her senses. She could see the entire palace and a little bit of the land beyond. With such range, it would be inexplicable if all the deities were not constantly spying on each other.


    The first thing she saw was the deities. They shone so brightly that no other sight registered to her for the first few moments. She focused on them until she could see their features. They were gathered in Garo¡¯s throne room. His stone throne sat empty while they lounged in armchairs brought in for the purpose. They were all in different colors and patterns, but Garo had never cared for aesthetics.


    He sat at the head of the group, lounging with all the confidence of a victorious warlord. Three more chairs formed a circle with his. Chalik, goddess of wealth, took one. She was a fair-skinned woman with soft features and straight black hair down to her hips. Beside her, there was  Alogun, god of knowledge. He was everything Garo was not - thin, hairy, and smiling. He had been the first to leave Garo¡¯s ill-fated feast. While the others conversed now, he inspected the room as if he was picking apart every piece of stone with his eyes. The last chair was empty.


    The second thing Aria noticed was the bodies. They lay in the center of the group, contorted as if someone had carelessly thrown them there. The first was Achi, still in the clothing she had last seen him in. There was no life left in the body. Without touching him, she could feel the coldness of his skin and see the stiffness in his pose.


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    Something welled up in her, a feeling she could not identify. It could have been grief or guilt, but the only part of it she could name was a deep and pressing sadness.


    By contrast, the other body did not evoke so much feeling. It was her own body, still wearing the white clothes she had been forced into before her hearing. Strangely, it did not seem to be dead. It was breathing, its eyes were open, and its skin was warm, but it did not move. Besides the occasional blink, it simply lay on its side, staring uncomprehendingly at the Alogun¡¯s foot. It was surreal seeing her body from the outside.


    Alogun interrupted the wait. ¡°I think it safe to conclude that Evera will not be here.¡±


    ¡°Of course she isn¡¯t,¡± Chalik said. ¡°Not since Garo botched this so spectacularly. If I were as bright as her, I would be at home too.¡±


    Alogun chuckled. ¡°And you would now be at war with Garo.¡±


    ¡°Fighting him might be better than fighting Tivelo.¡±


    Alogun cast a sidelong glance at Garo and made a face. Then, he turned his face to one wall as if staring through it. Then, he gave a sniff. ¡°I rank Garo as more dangerous right now.¡±


    Aria followed the wall he had glanced at, past a series of rooms and out into the open world. There, she saw the scene she had missed. A wooden beam had been planted into the ground in front of Garo¡¯s palace. At its top, another wooden beam had been attached horizontally to the first and sharpened to a point, a point that was sticking out of Tivelo¡¯s chest.


    The god hung there quietly, breathing with painful, labored huffs. Any mortal in such a position should have been dead, but he was god. His eyes were open and, unlike her body¡¯s, they were aware. Despite the horrible position, he did not appear to be in any pain. No, actually, he did not appear to notice the pain. His gaze was fixed on something distant and invisible. His body simply hung there, as if he could not or did not care to control it. There were no attempts to ease his suffering, none of the tiny movements and adjustments that, while futile, a suffering person should have attempted. He either did not notice or did not care about his punishment. It could have been due to grief or actual mental damage. Aria could not tell and did not particularly care.


    It surprised her that she felt no pleasure from seeing Tivelo brought low. In fact, she felt anger. She had suffered, but he hung limply as if being staked was no more concerning than being served cold soup. She wished him more suffering than he was currently experiencing. If Garo and his friends left, and Tivelo begged and bribed her with all his possessions, she would not cut him down. She would find him a chair to sit on and set the stake on fire.


    At the foot of his pole, bodies littered the ground, blood pooling from each one. Aria guessed that they were Tivelo¡¯s attendants and the guess was immediately confirmed. She found the two priestesses who had bathed her, lying side by side, having bled out from their necks. She found the sarcastic doorkeeper in another place, executed in exactly the same way. Werri¡¯s head was in the middle of the carnage, separated from his body by a few feet.


    The scene was horrifying, but not surprising. Executing enemies was an honored tradition in Garo¡¯s service. The shocking part was that a large number of the victims were children. It was barbaric. In all her training, no one had ever suggested killing children. War was war, but there were rules. Foolishly, she had thought those rules were Garo¡¯s but now, knowing how he drew power from death, she knew better. Executing captives, teaching warriors to never surrender, and sending children to the trials, those had nothing to do with strength. They were meant to spill more blood for Garo¡¯s benefit.


    A thought struck her like an arrow. Tivelo had predicted Achi¡¯s death. He would have expected Garo to attack. He could have planned to send the attendants away. Perhaps he had plans to survive the attack, himself. And all those plans might have come to fruition if Achi had died at the expected time. If she had not ruined the plan. If she had kissed Achi. Perhaps, all the blood soaking the dirt out there, and all the guilt that accompanied it, belonged to her.


    The thought filled her mind, driving out everything else, and yet proved impossible to digest, like a bucket of water poured into a bowl, spilling over the sides and escaping your attempt to manage it. There was no room for all her defenses - that she had not intended this outcome, that they had kept secrets from her. There was only a stunningly dense ball of guilt, so great that it seemed to grow with every attempt to understand it. Like a piece of fruit too large to swallow, or a mountain so big, the more of it you comprehended, the more there was to see.


    She had killed hundreds of attendants, but she could not have. How do you kill so many without seeing the knife?

 35. Victors

    Garo spoke, blessedly providing a distraction from her horror.


    ¡°Evera believes that she can stand apart from this.¡± He looked very deliberately at his companions. ¡°She is hopelessly wrong. This is not the kind of carriage you jump off in the middle of a journey. We decided to kill Tivelo. All of us did, whether you personally wielded the knife or simply watched from a distance. If Evera wants to pretend, let her. The rest of us, if we want to live, must discover how to kill Tivelo.¡±


    ¡°He should already be dead,¡± Chalik said. ¡°That was the point of this whole plot.¡± She sounded agitated. Her eyes swept from Garo to Alogun as if uncertain who to blame.


    Garo decided on Alogun. ¡°I followed your plan,¡± he said. ¡°So why is he alive?¡±


    Alogun scratched his head. ¡°You made a mistake somewhere.¡±


    ¡°I did not -¡±


    ¡°You made a mistake.¡± There was unshakeable conviction in his tone. ¡°The plan I gave you was unimpeachable. Tivelo is driven by love. Without something to love, he should fade away.¡±


    ¡°He managed before Achi was born.¡± Chalik said.


    Alogun turned to her. ¡°There¡¯s a difference between a child you¡¯re expecting and a child who is dead. No. If Garo had followed my plan, Tivelo would be dead.¡±


    Aria felt mildly worried that they would detect her presence, but they did not seem worried about discovery. There were no attendants in the room or within a few hundred feet of it. So, clearly, they intended their discussion to be private. Still, she felt no barrier to her intrusion.


    ¡°Tell me what you did,¡± Alogun sighed with irritation. ¡°I¡¯ll find out how you botched it.¡±


    ¡°Maybe he found something else to love.¡±


    He waved off Chalik¡¯s comment and motioned for Garo to speak.


    Garo stared down at the prince¡¯s body, nudging it with one of his toes as he spoke.


    ¡°I gathered a thousand of my most devoted priests. I tested them with feats of strength and devotion. They killed babies and drank their blood. Their devotion was unimpeachable.¡±


    Chalik looked disgusted. Alogun did as well, but he also seemed more detached.


    ¡°I had them perform the ritual as you gave it to me,¡± Garo said. ¡°Afterward, I confirmed that it had succeeded. There was not a spark of divinity left in them. When they had children, I confirmed that the children were similarly deformed. Like you said, it was always inherited.¡±


    Alogun nodded. ¡°Go on.¡±


    Garo¡¯s face took on a tone of disgust. ¡°I did my best to encourage their breeding but then Tivelo discovered the plan.¡±


    ¡°Like I said he would,¡± Alogun said. ¡°But it had already spread far, correct?¡±


    ¡°No. It was only the tenth generation. I had to release the plague early.¡±


    Alogun shrugged. ¡°I would have released it earlier, to be safe. But you made it work. Let¡¯s move on. You released the plague and all the unmodified mortals were dead before he could stop it.¡±


    ¡°Actually, he saved a few.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t come to you for advice!¡± Garo was shouting. ¡°Every one of you fools thought to pin the plan on me. You erased your memories. I did my best, but I¡¯m a god of war, not whatever freak of nature you are. He saved a few. It didn¡¯t matter. In the end, I had ninety-nine percent of the population modified. There was a ninety-nine percent chance that she would come from my line. If you wanted a hundred percent, you should have been more involved.¡±


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    ¡°Fine, fine.¡± Alogun swore. ¡°Fine. Tell me the rest.¡±


    ¡°That was the plan,¡± Garo said. ¡°I erased my memories, so he would not know who had started the plague, and just waited.¡±


    ¡°He probably decided that we all participated in the plan,¡± Alogun sighed.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t he kill us then,¡± Chalik asked.


    ¡°Justice,¡± Alogun smiled. ¡°He could not punish us unless he was certain we were guilty. And he could not be certain because there was no evidence. He probably decided to wait and see if those he saved would produce the girl. There was a ten percent chance, afterall. If they did, then our whole plan would have been for nothing.¡±


    ¡°Well, that was the end of my participation,¡± Garo said. ¡°I didn¡¯t recall anything of the plan till Achi died yesterday.¡± he gestured at Aria¡¯s body lying before them. ¡°I¡¯ve confirmed that she has no divine spark. So, the plan worked. She killed Achi. Tivelo should be dead.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Alogun chewed on his lip. With a burst of energy, he was on his feet and pacing the room, leather shoes slapping against the stone floor. ¡°I never scripted the end because there were so many variables. Achi could have died when he realized his true love would never be born. Or he could have tried to accept her and lived a miserable life with a mismatched spouse. Either way, our plan should have eventually led to his demise. And Tivelo should have been swept along.¡±


    He fell silent.


    After a long, uncomfortable minute, Garo snapped. ¡°Has your brain finally run out of ideas?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Alogun shook his head as if waking from a dream. ¡°No, I was just debating the pros and cons of joining Evera. Chalik was right. She is more intelligent than us.¡±


    The cryptic comment infuriated Garo. ¡°Speak clearly or I¡¯ll kill you and find a mortal soothsayer to dazzle me with puzzles.¡±


    ¡°That Tivelo did not die means one thing only: he still has someone to love. Now, it could be someone else, but I would bet all my power that it is still Achi. That means Achi is either not dead,¡± he glanced at the corpse on the floor, ¡° or not permanently dead.¡±


    He strode back to where Aria¡¯s body lay on the ground, pressed a hand to her chest and then withdrew it sharply. The body jerked, rising about an inch from the ground and then fell back. In his hand, Alogun held her a glassy orb.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Chalik asked.


    Alogun closed his palm, and the orb shattered into millions of shards. ¡°Achi is like his father,¡± he said. ¡°If he is not permanently dead, that means there is still hope for his lover.¡±


    ¡°Destroy her soul,¡± Chalik said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to do that,¡± Alogun said. ¡°Do you?¡± Neither deity replied. ¡°So,¡± Alogun walked over to Garo, took the other god¡¯s hand and deposited a significant portion of the dust into Garo¡¯s hand. ¡°We divide its remains into three parts and each keep a part.¡± He went to Chalik and repeated the process. ¡°I, personally, plan to divide my portion into a further hundred parts, hide them in a hundred different places, and have them guarded so well that even I cannot enter them. I suggest you do the same.¡±


    The joke¡¯s on them. Aria almost laughed. They can¡¯t even tell a fake soul from a real one.


    Alogun kept his hands closed around the dust while the others looked down at theirs. ¡°Do the same for Achi¡¯s body. Cremate it. Split the ash and hide it separately from the soul. You can¡¯t burn Tivelo while he¡¯s alive. Don¡¯t try to chop him up. He¡¯ll probably just detach from the body and cause you more trouble. Keep him in one place, well guarded. And maybe all of this will save us.¡±


    Chalik¡¯s mouth fell open. ¡°How are they supposed to recover from this?¡±


    Alogun gave her a humorless smile. ¡°Oh, you doubt the power of love? Anyway, it¡¯s not their bodies that concern me. It¡¯s the one scenario you two dimwits have not yet considered, but which Evera has.¡±


    Garo leaned closer. ¡°Which is?¡±


    ¡°That your incompetence has doomed us all. That Achi might be dead, but there is still hope for him because his lover is not because she has not been born yet. This girl,¡± he gestured at Aria¡¯s body, ¡°was supposed to be it. But, thanks to our machinations, she is only a damaged imitation. The one percent you let escape still has the divine spark. The real girl can still be born.¡±


    Horror spread on their faces as they suddenly recognized their danger.


    ¡°At this moment,¡± Alogun said, ¡°Evera is trying to decide if she should find and protect the girl or join us in hunting her down. Fortunately for us, she will decide to join our course. Tivelo will not spare her simply because she turned cowardly halfway through. It won¡¯t be as easy as before. Your old plague will likely not work. In fact, I suspect that Tivelo identified the most likely bloodlines and hid them. So, we¡¯re in for a merry hunt. Hide this girl¡¯s soul in case she is the one. Then, find and exterminate everyone with a divine spark. Do it properly this time, Garo.¡±

 36. Everas Gathering

    The meeting grew dull before long. Garo and his companions discussed the specifics of hiding her broken soul and securing Tivelo. Garo refused to cancel his planned parades despite concerted opposition. Aria sat on the ground when she grew tired of standing. Afterward, when the meeting had dispersed, she remained sitting there, staring at nothing, surrounded by the smell of wood and dust. When deep thoughts threatened to intrude on her silence, she forced them aside, unwilling to bear their weight. When she finally tired of that, she forced herself to sleep.


    Achi arrived almost as soon as she fell asleep. He sat on a wooden crate in one corner of the room. For several minutes, they watched each other in silence. He seemed comfortable with it, and Aria, strangely, felt no need to talk. She knew that he wasn¡¯t real.


    ¡°You know,¡± he said. ¡°Someone owns this storehouse. He¡¯ll probably arrive soon and wonder why you¡¯re sleeping here.¡±


    Aria said nothing.


    Achi smiled in that usual way of his. It looked better in the dream than it had on the real person.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll just threaten him with bodily harm,¡± he said, ¡°but remember you¡¯re still in Garo¡¯s territory. Don¡¯t make a nuisance of yourself.¡±


    Aria sat up, resting her back against a crate ¡°What was your plan?¡± She asked. ¡°You said that you had one, that easing my ignorance would only ruin it. What was it?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°How would I know? I¡¯m a figment of your imagination.¡±


    ¡°Then what should I do? Should I just leave? Hide? Trust in your plan? Did your plan include the realization that millions of people would die?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the foolish one here, Aria, playing with people with twice your intellect and thousands of years of experience. I knew what was going on. I had a plan.¡±


    ¡°And in this plan, I presume, your father recovers and never comes hunting for me, the millions that Garo will kill find peace, and I will live out the remaining sixty or so years before happily dying.¡±


    Achi was silent.


    ¡°But how would you know?¡± She asked. ¡°You¡¯re just a figment of my imagination.¡±


    ¡°I know that you don¡¯t have a choice,¡± he said. ¡°You cannot stop them -¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not Achi! So shut up and go away!¡±


    Waking was painful. She clung to sleep as long as she could, but it eventually became impossible to ignore the cold, hard ground under her. The ache in her chest had not eased, but she had a course of action. She lacked the strength to stop Garo from doing what he wished, but she could share what she knew with Evera. That was the least that she could do. She would hand off the main problem to those more powerful than that and focus on protecting herself from Tivelo. No matter what Achi said, in dreams or in life, she could never hope for Tivelo¡¯s pardon. If the hope proved false, the consequences would be catastrophic.


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    She found an inn and paid for a bath, fresh clothes, a hairbrush, and directions. The innkeeper did not have exact instructions to reach Evera¡¯s territory, but Aria soon realized that she did not need it. If her teleportation could take her between realms, it could take her between locations in the same realm.


    She performed several tests, first, teleporting herself a few meters each time. Thankfully, the city¡¯s morning traffic was light, and it was easy to find a secluded place in which to practice. After several minutes, she was confident that she could teleport to any location she could visualize, even if it was not within sight. The teleportations consumed a significant amount of energy, but not enough to panic about.


    When she was ready, she took a deep breath, visualized Evera¡¯s foyer, and triggered her power.


    She did not appear where she intended. Instead, she stood in front of massive white metal gates. Through them, a path led through a garden with creeping, flowering plants on each side. They were dotted with white, red, and blue flowers. There was no order to them, just an untamed but beautiful mess. At the end of the path, the white building she remembered stood three stories tall with a massive entrance and spacious balconies on the upper levels.


    Aria waited for some time, expecting a rush of guards or even Evera herself. Nothing happened. Tentatively, she stepped through the gates and up the path, each step she took sounding strangely loud to her ears.


    Through the main entrance, she found the foyer she had last appeared in. Evera¡¯s throne room was visible through it, but the goddess was absent. Aria reached out with her magical sight and found Evera in a different hall, just a corridor away. There were more people in the room, seated at circular tables and speaking in curiously hushed voices.


    Attendants passed her as she approached the voices, each one respectfully stepping aside and keeping their eyes down. There was a sense of sadness to them. Another archway led into the meeting hall. Ten tables occupied a hall built for many more so that a large amount of space separated the tables. They were arranged on both sides of an aisle, with six seats at each table and at least four people per table.


    At the end of the room was a dais. Evera sat there on a carved white wood throne, staring down at a long wooden basin with a fire burning in it. There was no kindling in the basin, yet the fire looked as if it could burn for several more hours.


    Three deities were lined up on the dais before the basin; Aria recognized them by the way they seemed to glow. The first one walked up to the fire and threw in a blue bead. It sizzled as it touched the flame and disappeared a moment later. Aria felt a wave of power burst from the bead and wash over the room. With it came an image: Achi standing on a single log in the middle of a raging ocean, a smile on his face as bright as the sun at midday.


    The image was gone before Aria could properly digest it.


    As the god returned to his seat, the next in line - a goddess - repeated the process, revealing another memory. Aria thought she saw a tear glisten in the woman¡¯s eye for a moment, but it was gone too quickly. When the last person in line returned to her seat, Aria realized that she was still standing. She took the first available seat, drawing glances from the others at the table. They said nothing, however.


    Evera stood, plunging the room into silence. She looked as beautiful as always but much sadder than before. The sight clawed at Aria¡¯s heart with more strength than it should have. It grew worse when Evera began to speak, and the musical lilt of her voice carried more sadness than the most mournful dirge.

 37. Everas Retreat

    ¡°Thank you for being here,¡± Evera said, her smile more pained than pleasant. Stray strands stood free of her updo, matching the tired lines on her face.


    ¡°I know that this is a difficult time. Garo has already ordered you to swear allegiance to him, so simply being here is proof enough that you treasured Achi.¡±


    ¡°Did Garo actually kill him?¡± Someone asked.


    Evera shook her head. ¡°No. It was a result of his poisoning. Garo was quick enough to capture Tivelo and claim the credit.¡±


    ¡°Just get to the point,¡± someone else said. ¡°You¡¯re opposing Garo and asking us to swear allegiance to you, correct?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± She swept her eyes over the audience. ¡°I want you to oppose Garo, but I do not need your allegiance. I called you here for a different reason.¡±


    She took a breath as if steeling herself. ¡°I conspired with Garo to kill Achi.¡±


    She paused as if expecting outrage or projectiles, but the reaction was muted.


    ¡°You just said that he was poisoned,¡± someone pointed out.


    ¡°And he was, but we influenced it. There is - or was - a spark of divine power in most mortals. It is what grows into divinity in some of them. When we realized that Tivelo¡¯s son would be love-bound like him, we reasoned that his love would be a goddess. No one alive fit the bill, meaning that she was yet to be born. We found a way to remove that spark from the population.¡± She was staring down at her feet now.


    ¡°It failed,¡± the speaker said. ¡°There would be no new deities if you had succeeded and we¡¯ve had four in two centuries.¡±


    ¡°It both failed and succeeded,¡± Evera said. ¡°Tivelo discovered it, so we were unable to complete the process. But we infected the person we needed to.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± A goddess said. ¡°You attempted to kill Tivelo, but you only succeeded in killing Achi. Worse, he knows that you were responsible. He may not have been able to stop you, but he had enough time to plan your demise. So you¡¯re trying to backpedal before he overcomes his stupor. But how are we involved?¡±


    Evera smiled sadly. ¡°Succinct summary, but slightly incorrect. No amount of backpedaling can save me from Tivelo. His way is to punish wrongdoing without quarter. Attempting to defend myself or plead for mercy would simply prove that I don¡¯t understand the depth of my wrong.


    ¡°Tivelo will never pardon me. Even a quick death is too much to hope for. So, as I said, there is no need to swear allegiance to me. My time here is done. And so are the others. Garo, Alogun, and Chalik believe that they can salvage this situation. But, just as I saw Tivelo¡¯s potential before they did, I can recognize what they cannot. He defeated us. I don¡¯t know what plans he has made, but I know that even Alogun is not intelligent enough to defeat it.¡±


    She indicated the crowd. ¡°But those of you here, those who have not run to Garo¡¯s side, you have a chance. When Tivelo is whole again, will be able to say that you helped - or hindered - his recovery. He is as generous with rewards as he is with punishment. I am going to tell you all I know about what we did. If any of you can reverse it or revive Achi, you will be able to name  your reward. The four of us are the only survivors left of the first gods because we helped Tivelo consolidate his power. I am giving you the opportunity that we had.¡±


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    Wistfulness filled her voice.


    Someone laughed. ¡°Just out of the goodness of your heart? Come now, Evera. Your life is over. You can drop the act for once.¡±


    Evera looked offended. ¡°Kindness can be sincere. Only the black-hearted would find reason to suspect it.¡±


    ¡°You killed Achi out of kindness?¡±


    Evera bit her lip. ¡°No. I did it out of fear and self-interest. At the time, I thought that any son of Tivelo¡¯s would be just like him. I¡¯m sure it was merely an excuse to protect myself. I don¡¯t deny it. So, I¡¯ll answer the question you truly mean to ask. Why, given all my self-interest, would I help you restore Tivelo now? Why not assist Garo and crush Tivelo completely?


    ¡°I could say that I feel remorse and want to pay for my wrongs. But that would be a lie. No one could want the kind of punishment Tivelo grants. I simply do not believe that Garo will succeed. I knew Tivelo when he was a newcomer cutting his way through our companions. Of the hundreds alive then, only the four of us remain. In cunning, strength, or power, no one could match Tivelo. We still cannot match him.


    ¡°I am afraid of what he will do when he is whole again, but I am even more afraid of what he will do if I do not show any remorse. That is all. I will take no more questions. Believe me or do not. That is your choice.¡±


    Evera did not lie. She told them everything she knew: about Tivelo and Achi¡¯s power and about the other deities¡¯ plot. Aira learned things she already knew and things she did not. There were questions from those gathered - some calm, some angered, many smug. And, Aria noted with disgust, some people seemed more thrilled by the opportunity they had found than angered by Achi¡¯s death.


    When the meeting was finally over, some remained to speak with Evera. Aria remained as well, but it was almost an hour before the questioners dwindled enough that she could ask her own question.


    ¡°How did you decide?¡± She asked. ¡°You could have joined the others in continuing the plot. Perhaps it would fail, but with all four of you united, you have some chance of success. Why did you choose the path that guarantees torture?


    Evera gave her an odd smile. ¡°It is not enough that it is the right thing to do?¡±


    The tone was kind, but the words were vaguely accusing. Aria responded more passionately than she had intended. ¡°You would be confined to a statue and burned forever in return for doing the right thing?¡±


    Evera thought for a moment, her eyes flicking downward and to the right as she chewed on her lip.


    ¡°I will be honest with you,¡± she said. ¡°I believe that what I am doing is extremely foolish. I can beg, plead, and try to redeem myself, but I do not believe it will sway Tivelo. He is someone who believes that all crimes should be punished and crimes against his son should be punished mercilessly. True remorse, in his eyes, is confessing your crime and gratefully accepting punishment. So, I hope that he will be merciful, but I do not expect it. The answer to your question, then, is that I am doing this because I cannot do the alternative. It would be wrong. I committed an injustice, and I should remedy it, not barrel on because I already started on this wrong path. I hope Achi will help me, of course, but even if he can¡¯t, I have no choice but to do what I¡¯m doing.¡±


    That was the most ridiculous thing Aria had ever heard.


    ¡°Have you ever been tortured by Tivelo?¡± Aria asked.


    Evera frowned at the question, suspicion coloring her gaze. ¡°I have a firm grasp of his capabilities, yes.¡±


    ¡°Then, you¡¯re very brave,¡± Aria said.


    Evera smiled kindly but politely as if Aria confused her. ¡°Thank you. I hope that helped you.¡±


    Aria stood back for a moment, uncertain of how to proceed. That uncertainty resolved itself quickly. She had nothing to share that Evera did not already know. She would not be a part of resurrecting Achi and presumably setting Tivelo after herself, but other people now knew about the gods¡¯ genocidal plans. They would do what she could not.


    She turned to leave and made it halfway down the aisle before Garo descended in a shower of stone and dust.

 38. Everas Bane

    Time sped up. The deities around her dove away as Garo landed on top of a table, breaking it into several pieces. Aria¡¯s own shock wore off seconds later, and she teleported herself away, cursing the energy expenditure even as she did so. She fell onto a pile of bodies, not having chosen her destination with care.


    While she had moved, Garo and Evera had spotted each other. The path between them had cleared like a highway cleared of trees. Roses sprang up around Garo¡¯s feet, snaring him, thorns stabbing into his legs. At the same time, an invisible concussive force sped out from Garo and towards Evera. She was gone before it reached her. Instead, it barreled into her throne, broke it into pieces, and continued into the wall behind it, turning a large chunk of the wall into rubble.


    Evera immediately appeared behind Garo. The roses around his feet had turned into stone so that his ankles were locked together. He paid no attention to them. Instead, he twirled his spear so that the sharp end pointed backward and stabbed at Evera.


    The spear met thin air. For a moment, Aria thought Evera was gone. Then, she realized that she could sense the goddess. She was appearing in different parts of the room for mere milliseconds and disappearing before Garo could turn toward her. The speed of her teleportations made her seem invisible.


    Garo made no attempt to find her. With terrifying speed, a stone wall sprung up in the center of the room, growing up to the ceiling and cutting the room cleanly in half. A second wall followed immediately, perpendicular to the first and cutting the room into four equal-sized quarters. Evera was still teleporting, but she now seemed limited to one of the room¡¯s quarters.


    Aria ached to help her, but self-preservation demanded she leave. She could see Garo¡¯s warriors running through the corridors, but teleportation was still an option. She attempted it targeting the storeroom she had spent the night in, felt the power expended leave her, but she did not leave the room. The attempted teleportation had simply moved her up against one of the walls. She made the attempt again and received the same result. She was trapped. She extended her senses past the walls and found an enormous orb encircling the palace as if it had been trapped in a giant water bubble. She pressed against the barrier and felt it repel her touch.


    Garo was still using his strategy, subdividing the room into smaller and smaller cells that Evera could not cross until Evera was trapped in a tall box so small that her hands were pressed against the sides. She stopped teleporting, then.


    Except for those trapping her, all of Garo¡¯s barriers in the room disappeared, revealing smashed tables and cowering deities. Garo walked up to Evera¡¯s prison, twirling his spear as he went.


    ¡°You are still holding back,¡± he said. ¡°Go ahead. Charm them. Running? That is pathetic, Evera. Every person in this room is your army.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you planned for that,¡± Evera said. ¡°But I¡¯m not you. If they want to fight for me, they will.¡±


    Garo cast a glance around the room at the deities now dusting themselves off.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°Why would you antagonize them now? A little imprisonment won¡¯t harm you.¡±


    Garo¡¯s warriors rushed into the room, spears held steady, and corralled the waiting deities into a corner. He continued speaking to Evera.


    ¡°Cooperate, and I won¡¯t slaughter your servants yet.¡± He put a hand into his sleeve and withdrew a length of thick, green rope. A hole formed in the Evera¡¯s cage and the rope quickly disappeared through it. Then, the hole closed.


    ¡°Restrain yourself,¡± Garo said. ¡°Do it properly.¡±


    There was an air of unease in the room, but none of the watching deities attempted to help Evera. She picked the rope from where it had fallen at her feet, tied her left hand with her right, tied her right hand with her left, and then, with her mouth and a fair bit of contortion, looped the rope around her neck before securing it around her waist. The entire process took several minutes. Aria suspected that Evera could untie the rope, but it would take at least as long as it had taken her to tie it.


    Once Garo was satisfied, he stepped around the cage and up to the dais. From there, he beamed at the captive audience.


    ¡°Good citizens of my new empire,¡± he flashed a satisfied smile, ¡°I forgive you.¡±


    Aria unadvisedly rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Running to Evera is an understandable response to the current situation,¡± Garo said. ¡°You are afraid but you need not be. Nothing has changed. Previously you bowed to Tivelo. Now, you will bow to me, but your lives will improve. There will be no assigned territories. Conquer what you can claim. I have no interest in arbitrary regulations. Do whatever you wish, to whomever you wish. If you step on my toes, I will kill you. Otherwise, I have no interest in your business. Taxes will be required, but they will be less than what Tivelo took.


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    The listeners seemed unimpressed. Aria guessed, from the fact that she did not know them, that they were the weaker deities. A culture in which the powerful took what they wanted was no draw to them. Despite that, they did not oppose Garo. There were almost fifty of them in the room. Aria did not know Garo¡¯s complete abilities, but if fifty deities did not believe that they could challenge him together, the future was bleak.


    She knew what was going through their minds. Evera had given them a mission to resurrect Achi. And, faced with Garo¡¯s brand of tyranny, they would take the assignment seriously. It probably held a better chance of success than attempting to bludgeon the God of War.


    ¡°I see that you understand,¡± Garo said. ¡°Then, we will proceed. Prepare yourselves. One at a time, come to me. As you did with Tivelo, you will tell me your powers, weaknesses, and how to kill you.¡±


    That finally produced a response. Someone swore. Others mumbled and whispered among themselves. Altogether the mood was one of fear and disappointment, but not surprise. They had expected this but hoped against it.


    While they digested the news, Garo motioned, and three of his attendants hurried over. One put down his spear and produced a notebook and pencil from his pockets. The other two appeared odd. For one, they carried no spears and dressed differently from the first. Instead of Garo¡¯s black and red colors, they wore a pale gray, and each carried a glassy green orb. It took Aria several seconds to recognize the pattern. They were Alogun¡¯s priests. The orbs allowed them to perform various magic spells.


    When they reached the foot of the dais, one held the orb out before him and whispered something. A transparent barrier appeared between the dais and the rest of the room, taking the form of an orb that covered Garo, his three helpers, and the still-burning fire bowl. It became invisible a moment later, but Aria could still feel its presence as an odd sensation of pressure.


    The gray-clad attendant walked up to Garo, standing far more closely than he should have and looking him in the eyes as if they were equals.


    ¡°I¡¯m worried about Evera,¡± he said. ¡°She capitulated too quickly.¡±


    ¡°Naturally,¡± Garo seemed less concerned. ¡°She was fighting against the skill of two deities. She intends to escape at a later time.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps not,¡± the man said. ¡°She can charm everyone in this room and escape while they wreak chaos. Or perhaps she predicted our coming, and this is her trap.¡±


    Garo sighed in irritation. ¡°Your paranoia bores me. I don¡¯t care if she escapes. I care about those idiots standing around. Once I control them, all her plots will be pointless. However powerful she is, she cannot face us all by herself. Stop bothering me and search the place. And keep an accurate count. Steal even one thing, and this deal is done.¡±


    The man looked disdainful, but he stepped back.


    Their frank conversation indicated that they did not expect to be overheard. Presumably, the barrier the attendant had put up should have prevented eavesdropping, but it did not work on Aria.


    The man held up his orb again, whispered unintelligible words, and the barrier disappeared. Then, he stalked over to one of the guards and requested a group to search the palace.


    Meanwhile, Garo addressed the crowd confidently. ¡°Who will be first?¡±


    No one moved.


    Garo showed no surprise at that. Instead, he pointed to a man and said, ¡°You.¡±


    The man slid speedily to the foot of the dais, eyes wide at his sudden malhandling. He fell to his knees as if suddenly pressed down.


    Garo snapped his fingers, and the other gray-clad attendant used his orb to put up a new barrier.


    ¡°State your name, powers, and weaknesses,¡± Garo said. ¡°Don¡¯t lie and leave nothing out, or you forfeit the right to do this comfortably.¡±


    The man swallowed and looked and about as if searching for a rescuer. His eyes lingered on Evera¡¯s prison for a long time, but no help came from there. Finally, before Garo¡¯s impatience could doom him, he let his head drop and spoke.


    ¡°My name is Ajuka. I have minor telepathy, enhanced hearing, and hypnosis. Loud sounds are my weakness. Above a certain level, they disrupt my telepathy and render me temporarily insane. To kill me,¡± he paused but put up a brave expression and barrelled on, ¡°complete sensory deprivation will eventually kill me. It takes months. I don¡¯t know of any other way.¡±


    The god seemed to deflate as soon as the words were complete. Garo looked to the attendant beside him, who nodded, then he smiled.


    ¡°Thank you, Ajuka.¡± He made a gesture, and the attendant removed the sound barrier.


    Garo gazed smugly at the audience. ¡°As a reward for being the first to swear his allegiance, Ajuka will be awarded a tenth of Evera¡¯s current territory.¡±


    Ajuka¡¯s mouth fell open. On his face, humiliation warred with pleasure at his good fortune, and, in the end, neither won.  He gave a reluctant nod of thanks to Garo and then hurried from the room. The warriors guarding the room allowed him to pass.


    The next deity stepped forward without being called. It was a woman wearing the same resigned expression as her predecessor. She informed Garo that she had telekinesis and the ability to burn anything at will and that fire would kill her. He accepted the information with a simple nod and offered no reward.


    After that, the remaining deities needed no coercion. Some still hung back, but those who chose to step forward no longer dragged their feet. Aria had seen similar scenes in the past. A village conquered another village. The warriors fought as hard as they could but, when the war was over, accepted defeat and gave their oaths to the new chief. And as usual, they performed petty acts of rebellion. For example, no one had yet informed Garo that Evera had told everyone of his plot.

 39. Everas Bane - 2

    Aria watched the first few deities, but by the sixth person, she realized that she would not remember all their information. She also had the larger problem of her own safety to consider. She did not know if Garo would know that she was actually a ghost. She did not know what weaknesses to reveal to him, either. Desperately, she searched for a means of escape. On the higher floors, Garo¡¯s warriors were herding Evera¡¯s attendants into a large room. A few hid in closets and secluded rooms, but that did them no good. The search was thorough.


    Downstairs, Garo¡¯s process was proceeding too quickly. Each new person stepping forward grew the pit in her stomach. A division was forming between those accepting of Garo''s takeover and those who were still resistant. As some deities calmly stepped forward, others stepped back until a distinct group was standing in the back of the room, separated from the others by a distinctly empty row. Aria found that she was among the resistors.


    And then, it was their turn.


    The room fell silent, as only the unconvinced remained in their places. Aria wondered about their reason for standing back and wondered if they were curious about hers. She wished she had possessed the foresight to stand further back. As it was, she was on the first row of bodies.


    Garo surveyed them calmly and, when no one moved for several seconds, pointed in Aria¡¯s direction.


    She froze. Of all the people in the room, he chose her? A glance around showed her that she was standing in the exact center of her group. Her confusion turned to disgust with herself. How had she become so foolish that she had not properly taken note of her surroundings? Everyone else had probably chosen a good place and left her standing where she was like a fool.


    As the warriors marched toward her, her heartbeat sped up. She considered running in any direction, but that would have been foolish. Garo had defeated Evera. He could defeat her too. The soldiers reached her, grabbed the woman beside her, an orange-haired goddess, and dragged her back to the dais.


    Aria¡¯s heartbeat relaxed, even as guilt filled her. The warriors dumped the woman before the dais and then stood back as she composed herself.


    ¡°Speak,¡± Garo said.


    The woman remained silent.


    Garos sighed with disappointment, opened his mouth to speak, and then stopped. His head tilted up to stare through the ceiling. Overcome with curiosity, Aria followed his gaze.


    The other grey-clad attendant was two floors above them, with most of Evera¡¯s attendants and some of Garo¡¯s. The women were gathered in one half of the room while Garo¡¯s men guarded the door. In the other half of the room, one of Garo¡¯s warriors held a priestess by her neck with her face inches away from a fireplace. She cringed back as far as she could, but that was not very far.


    Aria felt her own neck to confirm that it was free. Despite the confirmation, she felt a sense of rising panic.


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    Another warrior held back another priestess, her own face filled with fury as she screamed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything! Leave her alone.¡±


    Beside them all, Alogun¡¯s priest stood, looking disturbed.


    ¡°I have no control over them,¡± he said, ¡°but I can tell you that louder denials will do nothing. Knowing these people, you will eventually tell all you know. I strongly recommend doing it now.¡±


    ¡°You base-born pig,¡± the priestess glared. ¡°You might be unfaithful, but I have never been.¡±


    Aria found that she was hugging herself. Her breathing was coming faster, but she couldn¡¯t tell why. Her stomach churned unpleasantly.


    ¡°Come down here!¡±


    Garo¡¯s voice stopped the proceedings. The warriors first froze and then hurriedly wrangled the women out of the room. As they navigated to the staircase, Aria pushed back into the crowd so that she was a less tempting target. She caught Garo¡¯s eyes as she did so. He noticed her movement and smiled.


    As the procession came into the hall, her eyes met the screaming priestess¡¯. There was defiance in them as well as fear. Shortly after her captors dumped her before Garo, she was on her feet, dusting herself off and glaring angrily at him.


    ¡°She knows something,¡± Alogun¡¯s priest said. ¡°She lied when I questioned her.¡±


    Garo looked at the woman intently, eyeing her from the soles of her bare feet to her beautiful face.


    ¡°Your loyalty is commendable,¡± he said, ¡°but you should know that it is not your own. Evera sinks her will into every person that serves. You¡¯ve probably never had a thought of your own since you met her. That burning devotion you feel is just her control over you.¡± He sighed. ¡°But, naturally, I won¡¯t be convincing you of that. And my mistaken warriors can never torture you enough to break such a spell. So, what do we do?¡±


    The woman stuck her chin out proudly.


    Garo laughed. ¡°Silly woman. Devotion like that is frighteningly easy to break when your goddess is trapped behind a wall that shields her powers. Consider this. The cords binding your mistress were constructed by Alogun. He does not excel at much, but crafting magical tools is one of his strengths. Those bonds will hold for a century and keep Evera well in line while they do so.


    ¡°Since she¡¯s secure, I won¡¯t waste her. I will let you have all the time you need to ponder your choices. While you do that, I will strip her naked and parade her through the marketplace in some suitably populated city. Once we have sufficiently displayed her assets, we will hold an auction to find her the most appreciative husband we can.¡±


    ¡°You uncultured boor!¡± The priestess looked shocked and enraged in equal measure, but Garo smiled as if he¡¯d been complimented.


    ¡°We cannot permit one man to hide her from the world, so the marriage will need to be dissolved after a week. Then we will hold another auction. We will continue to hold the weekly auctions until we have reason to stop.¡±


    ¡°Did a woman give birth to you?¡± the priestess asked.  ¡°I think not. I think you crawled out of the carcass of a pig.¡±


    Aria shared the opinion, but the priestess put it more eloquently.


    ¡°Perhaps you do not care as much about her as you think,¡± Garo said. ¡°If, after three months, you do not relent, I will turn you over to Alogun. With some experimentation, he might be able to cure you of your infatuation. If he does not, well, we can¡¯t have everything we want.¡±


    The woman stared at the walls hiding Evera, but no response came from them. From her expression, Evera had heard the entire conversation, but she remained silent.

 40. Move First

    Garo tapped his foot as he waited. The priestess glanced around and eyed the surplus of guards as if weighing the risks of an attack.


    ¡°Promise me that if I tell you, you will treat her well.¡±


    ¡°I have no interest in bothering Evera,¡± Garo said. ¡°Had she not withdrawn from our alliance, she would have the same benefits the others do. I simply cannot allow her to become a nuisance. Give me the tools to ensure her cooperation and I will put her out of my mind.¡±


    The priestess hesitated a little more.


    Garo waved. ¡°Take her away. We¡¯ll speak again next week.¡±


    ¡°Wait - ¡° The priestess glanced at the crowd again. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you in private.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll speak now before my patience runs out.¡±


    When she glanced once more at Evera¡¯s prison, the guards grabbed her.


    ¡°I know one weakness,¡± she said.


    Garo leaned forward, almost unable to hide his eagerness.


    The priestess gathered her courage and spoke. ¡°Her Ladyship cannot use her powers if she cannot see. You can blindfold her, and she won¡¯t be a danger to you. You don¡¯t have to hurt her.¡±


    Aria felt pity for the priestess. She was either desperate or stupid if she thought Garo would do anything good with that information.


    Garo¡¯s expression morphed from anticipation to confusion. ¡°With her bodily eyes?¡±


    ¡°Yes. If she is blindfolded or the room is too dark, she is powerless.¡±


    ¡°That is useless,¡± Alogun¡¯s priest said. ¡°She is powerless now in those bonds.¡±


    Garo, however, looked thoughtful. With quick strides, he strode to Evera¡¯s position, a smile growing on his face as he went.


    ¡°It¡¯s not what she knows,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s what she never considered.¡±


    The barrier imprisoning Evera crumbled, allowing her to watch his approach. When he stopped several feet from her, she met his eyes and gave a weak smile.


    Aria¡¯s heart sank.


    Garo held out one hand, and a guard rushed to him and offered a long piece of cloth.


    Evera did not struggle. She stayed still as Garo blindfolded her, back straight and chin up.


    When Garo was done, he stepped back and admired his work.


    The priestess finally seemed to understand that something was wrong. She lurched forward, only to be held back by Garo¡¯s warriors.


    With one swift movement, Garo lifted his spear and drove it into Evera¡¯s skull. For a moment, the world slowed. Then, it doubled in speed. Evera fell. The other deities gasped and stepped back. The priestess screamed and began to fight off her captors. Aria averted her eyes, unable, trying to shake off the gory image, but she was no longer mortal. Turning her face did not hide a scene from her.


    Garo cocked his head and watched Evera cautiously as if waiting for her to rise and taunt him. A whole minute must have passed before he moved again. He bent and felt for Evera¡¯s pulse. Next, he dipped a finger in the blood pooling beside her, pressed it to the tip of his tongue, gave a subdued ¡®hmm¡¯, and then straightened and walked back to the dais.


    The priestess screamed curses at him while her sister stood shocked into silence. Garo hissed in irritation and glared at her. She suddenly fell silent. Her head bent forward with a horrifying crack, and she crumpled to the ground.


    ¡°So annoying,¡± Garo muttered.


    Garo addressed his warriors. ¡°Test the blood of every mortal in the building. Kill those who fail the test. Split the others in two. Half go to Alogun and the other half to Chalik. After that, categorize and list everything of value in this place. Then, bring me the list.¡±


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    He returned his attention to the orange-haired goddess who was still standing where he had left her.


    ¡°Your powers,¡± Garo said, ¡°your weaknesses, and how to kill you.¡±


    The barrier had appeared around them again.


    ¡°I cannot share it,¡± the woman said. Her voice shook a little, but there was determination in it.


    Garo rubbed his forehead, casting a glance at Evera¡¯s body as he did so. The sight seemed to make him mildly uneasy. Finally, he returned his gaze to the goddess, and he remembered her refusal. With a tired sigh, he turned to one of Alogun¡¯s priests and nodded. The priest stepped forward, holding his orb higher. The goddess stepped backward in fear and collided with the barrier behind her. Aria was surprised to find out that it was solid.


    The priest muttered unintelligible words, and suddenly the area around the goddess changed. An orb of space around her turned pitch black as if she had been buried in tar. She gasped at the initial shock but relaxed when she realized that she was not hurt. The blackness remained for a second before morphing into pure light as bright as midday. A moment later, that too changed and the goddess stood trapped in an ice cube. She seemed startled by each change but not terrified.


    When her surroundings changed again - into an orb of water - she reached for the barrier and attempted to force her way through it. That failed. On the dais, Garo watched impatiently.


    The scene changed again, encasing the goddess in a raging inferno, and then she began to scream.


    Aria clamped on her own mouth, terrified that the screams were coming from her. They were not, though her own heart was pounding, and she could smell phantom smoke. Clearly, they had discovered her weakness. They would stop the test now.


    They did not. Garo held up a hand and instructed the priest to wait. ¡°Let¡¯s see what happens,¡± he said.


    Sweat trickled down Aria¡¯s face. Her legs felt weak, forcing her to expend conscious effort to remain upright. She reminded herself that she was not in danger, but her body no longer seemed to hear her commands.


    The screaming stopped. Aria looked up from her own feet to find the goddess slumped on the ground and the orb of fire gone. To Aria¡¯s relief, the goddess¡¯ chest was rising and falling rapidly. She was alive but unconscious.


    The priest turned to Garo. ¡°Such a strong reaction implies that fire will likely kill her.¡±


    Garo glared at him. ¡°Do I look stupid?¡± He waved a hand, and the unconscious body slid to one side of the room. ¡°Move on to the next person,¡± he said. ¡°You can perform a complete test on her later.¡± He met Aria¡¯s eyes and pointed at her. ¡°That one is next.¡±


    Aria¡¯s panic had slightly faded when the fire had disappeared. She felt in control of her body again and calm enough to dispassionately watch the approaching warriors. In fact, she felt calmer than she had in weeks.


    On the night before her trials, after her father had retired to bed, she had begged her mother to reason with him.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do this,¡± she had said. ¡°I¡¯ll die. Don¡¯t you care?¡±


    Her mother had smiled indulgently at her. ¡°Aria, sweetheart, you¡¯re stronger than you think. Yes,¡± she¡¯d cut off Aria¡¯s protest, ¡°you are. Your father and I, together, could never give birth to a weakling.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t fight.¡± Aria had pronounced.


    ¡°Yes, you will. You will fight, and you will either win or die. This world is not the beautiful garden you think it is. The strong survive; the weak beg on their knees like worthless pests and no one listens to their pleas. As your mother, it is my sole aim in life to make you strong, whether you wish to be or not. If you become wise someday, you will thank me. And even if you don¡¯t, I will feel no regret.¡±


    The warriors reached her and grabbed her arms, but she ignored them. She had pleaded her innocence at the first meeting with Tivelo and then again with Achi. She had insisted on it while they built a statue in which to torture her. No one was listening to her. And why would they? Would she listen to an ant who tried to defend its presence in her home? To Garo and Tivelo, even fellow deities were barely people, and mortals were just objects they occasionally stepped on.


    The warriors threw her on the ground before Garo.


    Her mother had been correct. The prize for weakness was trampling. Garo was going to ask her questions she could not answer and then torture her until he learned what he wished to know. Torture her like Tivelo had done because she was not strong enough to warrant his consideration.


    ¡°Your name,¡± Garo said. ¡°Your weaknesses, powers, and how to kill you.¡±


    Aria rose to her feet, pure calm overcoming her.


    She was not strong enough to defeat Garo, but there was no safety in succumbing to him. He would torture her now, use her later, and discard her when he wished. Or Tivelo would return to his senses and find her. She stood at a cross-road with three continuing paths. She could submit to Garo as well as she could, she could die before he questioned her, or she could fight him and probably still die.


    Being trampled on held no lure for her. And why should she die willingly?


    She had been silent for too long. Garo was watching her as if she was acting out a particularly fascinating play.


    ¡°Well?¡± he asked when she looked up at him. ¡°Did you make a decision?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said. ¡°I did. Before I answer, though, can you tell me why you killed Evera? Why not imprison her? Once you knew her secret, you could have kept her under your thumb.¡±


    For a moment, she worried that Garo would not answer, but he did. He gave a little smile - one of those meaningful ones he had doled out freely since his dueling victory. Aria waited until he opened his mouth to speak. Then, she struck.


    The Great Conqueror¡¯s Guide to War, required memorization for aspiring priests in Garo¡¯s service, had one thousand rules for combat. On the list, further down than it should have been, was a rule that had never failed her.


    Move First.

 41. Battling A God

    Garo had attacked Evera. His initiative had permitted him to choose the time, location, and parameters of their duel. He had won the right to define the first few moments of the battle. The same strategy would allow Aria a chance to survive the coming duel.


    While Garo began to explain his twisted logic, she teleported herself to one of Alogun¡¯s attendants and, having no weapons, hit him with a closed fist and every ounce of her strength. As expected, her strength proved higher than it had been as a mortal. Her hand remained unbruised, but the man crumpled to the ground with a dent in his head.


    Her first move had been executed. She did not know if she had chosen wisely, but she put the matter out of her mind. Regrets should be saved for after the battle.


    She teleported away from the man. At that point, Garo was beginning to grasp the situation. He was slower than she expected; half a second had already passed. It was a better reaction time than everyone else she had fought, but it was woefully inadequate for a god.


    For her second move, she teleported behind Garo and snatched his spear out of his hands, laughing to herself at how easy it was.


    She clicked her tongue at him.


    Too slow.


    As before, he suffered a few milliseconds of confusion. By the time he recovered enough to show rage, she was on her third move. She threw the spear at Alogun¡¯s remaining attendant but did not pause to watch it collide with him. She was already moving, teleporting to the third floor of the building.


    She could have kept the spear to use as her own weapon, but she did not trust it. There was magic in it powerful enough to sense from a distance. Perhaps it would be useful, or perhaps it was bound to its master and would betray her at the wrong moment.


    Teleporting several times a second, she was able to avoid Garo¡¯s response and consider what she had learned. Garo was slower than her. As in his fight with Evera, she could teleport to him, complete an action, and teleport away before he understood what had happened. His success with Evera had relied on proper planning, but he had not expected Aria¡¯s own abilities.


    The spear collided with Alogun¡¯s last attendant a moment before Garo noticed its movement. As the man began to drop, the barrier around the palace disintegrated. The air suddenly seemed clearer, and Aria knew that she could teleport out if she wanted to.


    She did not want to. She would kill Garo here, or he would kill her. The only alternative was to live as a slave until he or Tivelo saw fit to kill her. And that would not do.


    The other deities did not share her reservations. Some teleported away the moment the barrier broke. Others were still running for the doors at various speeds. Garo spun in circles, following her teleportations but unable to catch her.


    She caught the moment he gave up. He stopped moving and her intuition told her that something would come next. The thought was barely gone when a wave of force shot away from him in all directions.


    The palace shook. Chunks of stone fell from the ceiling, crushing one god, and forcing others to flee. The force hit Aria with the strength of a mountain. Her body ceased to obey her. Her vision blurred.


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    Knowing that her life depended on it, she teleported again. She had no destination in mind. She simply kept moving while the ache of the blow wore off.  When she could see again, she realized that she was in the meadow outside Evera¡¯s palace. A quick check revealed Garo sprinting out of the palace in her direction. She kept teleporting, moving further away from him, making only short jumps at a time, luring him away from the palace.


    Like a fool, he followed. It seemed that you could always count on gods to have more pride than good sense. The smart thing, faced with an enemy he had no information about, was to escape.


    Aria analyzed his techniques as he approached. So far, he had shown no skills to be worried about. He had telekinesis, the ability to make walls, and good running ability. Outdoors, his walls were less of a danger, and she could keep teleporting away from him.


    Until she ran out of power.


    She needed to hurt a way to hurt him.


    She mentally reached for one of the weapons still in the house - a dagger - pulling it from the body of a guard, and teleported it to herself. A thrill shot through her when she felt the wooden handle in her hands. She hadn¡¯t even expected it to work.


    She retrieved one more dagger so that she had one in each hand, revelled in the comfort of finally being armed, and then, regretfully, let them go. She threw both knives at Garo in quick succession, using all the strength her magic could imbue.


    They shot away so quickly, that they were almost invisible. Garo was a full field¡¯s length away, but the knives reached him in a blink. They collided with him and ricocheted in two different directions, like rubber balls colliding with a wall.


    She cursed silently and teleported further away. Rather than follow her, he stopped. Aria cursed again, knowing what would happen next. A wall of dirt sprang up from the ground behind her, running east and west as far as the eye could see and so high that she could not imagine getting over it. She almost stopped to gape, amazed that one person could build such a wall in an instant, but she caught herself and attempted to teleport to its other side. The teleportation failed. She moved, but only until she was pressed against the wall. During that wasted moment, Garo built a wall in another direction.


    Her advantage was gone. She had won three free beats at the start of the battle, but without a way to harm him, she could not maintain that momentum. Her sense of self-preservation returned, begging her to flee. She suppressed it and teleported west, toward the end of the wall that Garo had built. She appeared on its edge and teleported again, further away from it. She could no longer see Garo, but she could still sense him.


    For a moment, she worried that Garo would retreat, but he did not. Instead, he took off toward her at an astonishing speed. She resumed her strategy of teleporting in quick succession, knowing that he would attempt to trap her again and at the same time, contemplating a way to harm him.


    Seconds later, four-walled traps began to spring up in all directions - never where she was, but always in places she could have teleported toward. If he continued it long enough, the chances were good that she would teleport into a trap or that one would form around her.


    She teleported further and further away, hoping to escape his range. It did little good. He remained far behind her, but his walls did not. She was forced to pick her destinations carefully, knowing that one unlucky move could leave her trapped.


    She survived another minute, and then there was a wall in front of her. She backtracked and found another wall. Before she could make another attempt, the walls were all around her, far enough apart that she could spread out her arms, but far too close.


    She looked up in desperation. The prison was open to the sky, but she was not a bird. Perhaps it was possible to teleport high enough and fall over the wall, but that was also a good way to injure herself.


    Garo slowed to a walk when he was within a thousand feet of her. His expression made her want to laugh. He seemed tired and irritated, not majestic as a god of war should be.


    Remembering herself, Aria pounded on a wall with her fists. It remained stubbornly solid.

 42. Weakness

    ¡°I would thank you for the exercise,¡± Garo said, ¡°but it was far short of what I needed.¡±


    Aria ignored him. He could tell all the lies he knew, but any god who could be held off by her for five minutes was no god at all.


    He stopped before the wall, starting as if he could see through it.


    ¡°Be smart enough to redeem yourself,¡± he said. ¡°Tell me how to kill you, and I¡¯ll let you have a few more years of life. Refuse, and I¡¯ll discover it anyway, but it will be too late for you.¡±


    Aria ignored him. Until he knew how to defeat her, he would not break down the prison. She had some time in which to search for an escape. Casting her senses about the landscape, she ruminated on what she knew.  Deities seemed to have related powers and weaknesses. Evera was beautiful, supposedly capable of charming people, possessed teleportation abilities, but had no telekinesis. Her weakness had been blindness. Tivelo had virtually unlimited powers and his weakness was his son. Alogun, judging from his followers¡¯ skills, had the ability to discern falsehoods and create barriers to teleportation.


    And then there was Garo. She thought back to all the priests she had interacted with. Garo had superior strength, impenetrable skin, and the ability to create impassable barriers. What would be his weakness? She cursed herself for not learning more from Achi. He had given her a hint about challenging Garo to a duel, but that told her nothing useful.


    The realization hit her so hard that her breath caught.


    ¡°You won¡¯t speak?¡± Garo asked. ¡°Do you think silence will save you now? You cannot escape -¡±


    ¡°Recite the alphabet¡±, Aria said


    ¡°What?¡±


    As soon as his mouth was open, Aria reached for her dagger, the ones that had bounced off Garo¡¯s skin. While he was still interpreting her statement, she teleported it into his mouth and forced it backward, toward his throat. She invested every ounce of power she could into it, pushing as if she was trying to cut through stone.


    And it went through his neck like an arrow through silk, tearing it and flying out through the hold it had carved.


    Garo gasped with surprise, stumbled back, and clutched at his throat. She had a mental image of her own self when he had stabbed her, trying to climb above the pain. The image gave her strength. She teleported the knife into his mouth again and repeated the process, over and over until she lost count of her attacks. Even then, she continued.


    Garo was on the ground, writhing and bleeding but clearly still alive. That infuriated her. She switched from cutting his throat - which had little flesh left to shred - and manipulated the knife from his mouth into the rest of him. She could not penetrate his skin, but internal organs had no such protection. It was classic fairytale logic: the monster with the skin of iron and bones of steel but muscles made of wool.


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    She stopped after what felt like a million attacks. He did not feel dead - the light in him had not disappeared as it had with Evera - but there was nothing left in him to cut. Her knife could not break bones, so he resembled a pin cushion owned by a sadistic tailor.


    With one, well-placed punch, she tore a hole in the wall separating them - weaker now that Garo was no longer sustaining it - and stepped out into freedom.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you lived so long with such a tiny brain,¡± she said. ¡°You trapped me in the same way you did Evera. But Evera had only teleportation. I have teleportation and telekinesis.¡±


    Garo opened his eyes, causing her to gasp and step back. His lips did not move, but his words rang directly in her mind.


    ¡°And yet you were trapped,¡± he said. ¡°You learned one of my weaknesses at an opportune moment, but you won¡¯t always be lucky.¡± Despite that, and to Aria¡¯s consternation, he sounded proud. ¡°I¡¯ll let you go today, little rabbit. Grow bigger. Fight better next time.¡±


    He disappeared. Every stray bit of flesh or blood went with him. The only signs of her rage were the dents in the soil where her knife had struck it.


    Aria froze for several moments, eyes peeled and body tensed. Garo did not return after a minute, but she kept watching, waiting for him to appear behind her. Slowly, as the minutes piled on, she relaxed. She had done significant damage to his body. That he could survive it was incredible but it was reasonable to think that he would not be returning for several hours.


    She sank to the ground, mentally and physically drained. Even her spiritual energy was almost gone. She had a slim fraction of what she had begun the day with. If Garo had lasted a few more minutes, she would have disintegrated without his aid.


    She lay down and stared at the pale sky. Grass tickled her neck and calves, but the discomfort was less than the pleasure of lying down.


    She would only have a few minute of it. The minute she rose, she was on her way to Garo¡¯s palace to rob him of all the items he had stolen from Tivelo¡¯s palace.


    No fear, she told herself, forcefully infusing bravery into heart.


    When you find the path that leads to life, you press on, no matter the cost. She might never again see Garo so weak. If she retreated, hid, waited for a better moment or more information, this opportunity would pass her by.


    But Tivelo¡¯s treasures could include more of Achi¡¯s rings and records about other deities¡¯ powers. If she found even one of those things, she would be in a better position to preserve her own life.


    She was preparing to rise when a carriage pulled up beside her. She turned onto her side to see the occupant. She could already sense that the deity riding it was not as strong as Garo, so her alertness did not morph into fear.


    The carriage deposited its occupants a hundred feet from her: the orange-haired goddess, one of Evera¡¯s attendants, and Ritu, Evera¡¯s lover. They approached her cautiously, as if she was a sleeping bear, and stopped at a respectful distance.


    Aria rose to a sitting position. If they were there to attack her, she could teleport away whether she was sitting or standing.


    Ritu moved first, giving a small bow, followed by the other two. Aria simply watched them in silence. She did not know what they wanted, so she did not know how to respond.


    ¡°Pardon the disturbance,¡± the goddess said, ¡°but there is an argument ongoing, and we felt that you should settle it. Will you be keeping the palace or allowing one of the others to claim it?¡±

 43. Transfer of Ownership

    The hall bore undeniable evidence of the fight. More than a third of it was rubble. The hole in the ceiling stood out like the oddest of monuments. Most of the other deities were gone. About a  dozen remained, watching her as she strode into the room. She wanted to hold her back straight and keep her head high, but the weight of her exhaustion rendered such pretense unappealing. Instead, she held every gaze that met hers and tried to recall their weaknesses.


    A god stepped up to her, confident and energetic.


    ¡°Excellent work,¡± he said. ¡°Is he dead or only turned back?¡±


    His tone was so commanding that Aria had to confirm that he had not ordered her to attack Garo. Before she could recover, he was speaking again.


    ¡°I have portioned out the spoils based on each person¡¯s contribution. I didn¡¯t think you would care for a palace, but I have the servants picking out whatever is valuable - ¡°


    Aria shook her head to brush off the encroaching confusion. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    He smiled, looking as handsome as a god should. ¡°Vagran. It¡¯s unfortunate that we should meet in such times, but also fortuitous. A beautiful woman like yourself needs strong allies and I -¡±


    Aria hit him. The sound of his voice felt like sharp nails on her brain. The discomfort, paired with her exhaustion, contributed to a remarkably low tolerance for his nonsense.


    She had moderated her force, remembering how effective it had been during the battle, but she had still misjudged her strength. Vagran¡¯s jaw caved in with a sickening sound, and he collapsed with a cry of pain.


    She tensed, waiting for him to retaliate, but he did not. Instead, he rose to his feet with a furious glare and mumbled something that his broken jaw did not properly relay. When it became clear that he would not attack her, Aria relaxed slightly.


    ¡°Thank you for the offer,¡± she said, ¡°but I¡¯m not in the market right now.¡±


    She turned to the others and found them watching her curiously but warily.


    ¡°I am not in the best mood right now,¡± she said, ¡°so if anyone wants to challenge me, please do so in an orderly manner.¡±


    No one moved. In the back of the crowd, a god chuckled. ¡°No one¡¯s going to challenge you, little girl. Only Vagran is that stupid. I like my intestines nestled inside me, and stealing Garo¡¯s loot would imperil that dream.


    Aria eyed him. ¡°Then what are you still doing here?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°Fair point. The show is over, after all.¡±


    One by one, they left, Vagran included. Eventually, Aria was standing in the ruined hall attended only by Ritu, one priestess, and the orange-haired goddess. As the last of the others departed, she, too, inclined a head to Aria and took her leave.


    Evera¡¯s body was gone. Upstairs, a crowd of attendants was tearfully tending to it.


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    ¡°Forgive my intrusion, Your Eminence,¡± Ritu bowed, keeping his gaze down, ¡°if it would not offend you, could the attendants remain a little longer? Most will need time to pack their belongings.¡±


    Aria wanted to tell him to lift his head; his reverence made her uncomfortable. Instead, she focused on his words.


    ¡°They can stay as long as they wish,¡± she said. ¡°This place is yours.¡±


    Surprise flitted across his face, but he schooled it.


    ¡°Thank you for your generosity,¡± Your Eminence, ¡°but we wouldn¡¯t be able to defend a palace. You avenged Evera. By right and morals, it is yours.¡±


    Aria looked around the ruined place. It still looked beautiful, but the thought of living in it made her itch. All she could see was Evera¡¯s face, defeated in its last moments.


    ¡°Even if I had the staff to maintain it,¡± she said, ¡°it would be a hassle to defend. Let the attendants take any treasures they can carry. They¡¯ll need it.¡±


    Ritu looked surprised again and suspicious, but he inclined his head and thanked her.


    ¡°There is one more thing,¡± Aria said. Ritu immediately grew wary, but she tried to keep the suspicion from bothering her. ¡°If there is any information on Garo or the other deities, books or records, or things of the sort, could I have them? I wouldn¡¯t ask, but it would be a significant help.¡±


    Ritu looked surprised but not offended. ¡°If that is all you require, I don¡¯t foresee a problem. No one else will need them.¡±


    The books filled a large trunk as tall as her knees and wide as a table. The sight filled her with terror, but she gritted her teeth, picked up the first book, and began sorting them into piles. All the while, a ticking resounded in the back of her mind, warning her of Garo¡¯s eventual return.


    The books were more extensive than she had expected. Some covered history - of the gods, of the world, and even of human civilizations. Others were in-depth examinations of individual deities¡¯ characteristics or of individual abilities and weaknesses. It was easy enough to find the ones dealing with Garo, but difficult to sort through the dense texts filled with unfamiliar words.


    Surprisingly, Ritu made himself useful. For hours, he explained every strange word or tale and filled in the gaps left by the books. Aria attempted to shake him off, but he sidestepped all her hints with a dancer¡¯s skill. Eventually, she stopped. He was helpful, and they were both driven - he to do something about Evera¡¯s death and she to survive Garo¡¯s retaliation. Her only remaining choice, afterall, was death.


    That thought continued to haunt her - that she need not work so hard, that she could not escape Garo, that she could not escape Tivelo. She thought constantly of how easy it would be to give up and how much peace it would give her. Stubbornness kept her going, but she did not feel that she was winning against the doubts, only delaying their victory.


    Ritu left once, when the attendants informed him of the end of their preparations. He took leave of Aria to attend Evera¡¯s subdued funeral. Aria, for her part, chose to stay away. Thoughts threatened to overwhelm her, of Achi and Evera dead in quick succession, but she forced them down, enforced calm over herself, and returned to her reading. Outside, in the garden behind the palace, the attendants burned Evera¡¯s body. While it was still burning, Ritu returned to assist Aria.


    By mid-morning of the next day, Aria knew as much about Garo as the books could tell her, and had a better idea of how difficult robbing him would be. She was not deterred because her only other option was still death, but she was terrified. Despite her refusal, Ritu gave her several of Evera¡¯s belongings and, despite his generosity, none of them would be of much help in her task. She sensed that he was hiding the truly valuable items, but she had no desire to search for them. He gave her enough gold to outfit a palace and several valuable objects, and that was enough kindness. Aria reasoned that if he possessed something capable of killing Garo, he would have given it to her.


    By Ritu¡¯s order, the attendants had all left before Evera¡¯s body finished burning. When Aria had packed her items into several trunks, there was no one remaining in the palace. The silence was chilling and almost ominous. She buried the books and gold far away from Evera¡¯s property, making sure to leave no trace of the hiding place, and then teleported herself toward Garo¡¯s palace. The storeroom she had previously used was still available, so she hid there and watched, taking stock of Garo¡¯s defenses and plotting her heist.

 44. Seer

    Night was falling and, in a departure from normal, no attendant had left Garo¡¯s palace. All the gates were shut and there was no movement between the buildings in the palace. Even within the buildings, many attendants remained confined to their rooms with doorways watched by bored but anxious-looking guards.


    The lockdown had killed Aria¡¯s second plan. The plan had been simply to convince the guards to let her in - one way or another, but there were no guards at the gate to convince and no way to reach the ones inside.


    It was infuriating because she could see every inch of the palace. She could see Garo passed out on his bed with guards standing alert at his door. The treasures he had claimed - or some of them - were in a storeroom being cataloged by his attendants. Among them, brightly shining, were dozens of rings each with as much power as Achi¡¯s, and enough gold that Aria could live the rest of her life as an extremely wealthy and esoteric princess.


    In a perfect world, she would have teleported the lot of it to a hiding place and been done with her task - that had been the first plan. But the barrier prevented her. She could not see or sense it. She knew it was there thanks to her study and the fact that all attempts to teleport items out of the palace felt like grasping air. According to Ritu, all the major deities had similar shields. They purchased them from Alogun - a fact that Evera had likely regretted at the end - and they were supposed to be impenetrable to uninvited guests. With the palace so obviously locked down, Aria would not make it through without showing more cunning than she thought she had.


    Not one to be deterred, she had tested the shield, dropping objects over it. The larger ones had rolled off an invisible curved surface while some smaller ones had passed through, but she could think of no effective way to leverage pebbles into an effective attack.


    That led to the third plan. It was ugly, brutish, inelegant, and wasteful. It was also, to her guess and amusement, easy.


    First, she tested it. Mindful that every drop of energy she used could currently not be replenished, she dug into the earth around Garo¡¯s palace, cutting through it as if with a long knife. It felt easy and, thankfully, used less energy than she had expected. Her reserves did not appear to drop even when she had cut a full circle around the palace. She continued digging until she had separated the portion of earth on which the palace was built from the rest of the ground. Then, she took a deep breath and lifted.


    As she had guessed, the entire palace lifted with it. Panic ensued inside the palace, but she was gentle with the movement. Some people were harmed by falling objects, but none fatally. Crucially, Garo did not wake.


    Next, she slowly turned the entire piece of earth onto its side. This proved significantly more chaotic than the lifting. The attendants inside panicked and more injuries ensued, but she proceeded with painful slowness so that no one did more than gently slide in one direction. She did not mind killing some of Garo¡¯s attendants but, having been one until recently, she preferred not to harm them so soon.


    The real test came then. If it failed, she would have no choice but to retreat either to death or hiding.


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    She turned the palace once more so that its roof was now facing downward. Her effort was rewarded. As she turned the place, the first of the treasures found a window, slipped out of it, and fell. It fell through the air, past the still waiting shield, and into the depressing formed by lifting the temple.


    Aria almost whooped. The shield kept objects out of the palace but did not keep the objects inside it. It was a stunning - and possibly deliberate piece of oversight. In fact, as Aria¡¯s assault stalled, the palace¡¯s occupants began rushing toward the exit, ignoring the guards¡¯ directions or attacking them when they proved too intractable.


    Aria lowered the palace to the ground and let them rush out of its now upside-down carcass. Their exit would make it easier to shake out what she needed.


    The evacuation took too long. Each moment that passed, Aria worried that Garo would wake up and ruin her plan. She cursed herself for caring more about the safety of his servants than her own, but she waited still. Fortunately, the palace was not extremely large. By the time the escaping servants had eased, eager warriors were climbing out of the palace, searching for their attacker. Aria did not know how they intended to identify her, but she had no intention of waiting for them.


    Those remaining in the palace had accepted the risk she decided. This time, she was less gentle. It would be difficult and impractical to shake all the treasures out of Garo¡¯s home, but she did not want all of them. She wanted the rings, and she got every single one. She¡¯s also hoped to get Garo¡¯s body out of a widow and bury it in a volcano, but the absence of windows in his quarters and a set of loyal guards made that impossible. She decided to save that dream for a different time.


    With her goal complete, she dumped the palace in an out-of-the-way spot, still upside down, and went to inspect her treasure. The rings were easy to find; they shone in her vision. She felt a sense of relief as she grabbed each one, felt stronger, braver, calmer. She slipped on as many as she could, not stopping to find out what they did. What would not fit in her hands went into her pockets, until she had found everyone. By her estimation, each one held power a hundred-fold more than what she already had. She counted eighteen rings in all, good for centuries of life if she could add their strength to hers, and if she was not forced to waste it on a battle.


    Relief washed over her. Now was the time to retreat, hide, and prepare. Every moment their duel was delayed gave her a better chance at withstanding Garo, a different situation than before this attack. So, her next task was to hide as long as possible and learn all she could about Garo and Tivelo.


    A sight stopped her. Lying on the ground beside her feet, was a wood-bordered painting. It was small, about the size of two faces pressed together, and done in a riot of color. It stopped her at first, because she had seen its kind before: Achi¡¯s murals in his secret shrine.  But the longer she gazed at it, the more familiar it appeared. To the casual observer, it seemed to be an odd collection of color, but shape called out from the brushstrokes, invisible, but insistent.


    And then, finally, Aria knew what it was. She had seen it only the previous day, a scene of no importance and likely unmemorable had she been in her mortal body.


    It was the sky. The pattern of clouds she had seen while lying in the grass after defeating Garo stared at her from the canvas. The colors were erratic, and portions were missing, but what was present in the strokes matched her memory.


    Aria felt a sudden, blind terror. She forcefully clamped down on it, eager to brush it off as a coincidence, but her eyes landed on another painting.


    This one was even more abstract, but she identified it immediately because it was right in front of her. It was the shape made by all the objects gathered around her, the items she had shaken free of Garo¡¯s palace made a formless figure that was reproduced faithfully in the framed painting right before her.


    Lest she explain it away, a signature in one corner of the painting proclaimed the artist¡¯s identity: Achi.

 45. Vandal

    She found two more paintings. One depicted the underside of Garo¡¯s dug-up palace, while the other showed the pattern of Evera¡¯s ashes when her funeral pyre had burned low.


    Aria stood frozen in place. She did not think so much as let thoughts wash over her. Perhaps these paintings had been dropped before her by some magical, meddling being. Or, Achi had painted them before his death and left them among the goods Garo would claim.


    Which would make him a seer.


    But Achi had no powers. Every power he demonstrated came from these rings - rings that his father made for him. So, if he could see the future, that meant that his father could too. And where did that leave her?


    She looked at the rings on her fingers, wondering which of them told the future and at the same time wondering what Tivelo had known.


    Poisonous kisses, ghosts, Evera dead, Tivelo broken. Paintings of the future.


    She could feel Achi¡¯s disdainful eyes on her, saying, ¡°you¡¯re so foolish, you picked a fight you can never win, on a battlefield you are ignorant of, against opponents from whom your only defense is that they do not yet take you seriously.


    ¡°If you die, that would be the best ending to this tale. It is far more likely, that your stubbornness and stupidity will find you a more painful fate.¡±


    Achi had told her to hide. It was she who had gone to the middle realm and on to Evera¡¯s palace. It was she who had challenged Garo and then robbed him, guaranteeing that he would never stop hunting her. She did not trust Achi¡¯s promises enough to follow his orders. But why did she trust her own plans? His plans had not put her in danger yet, but hers certainly had.


    Aria teleported. She chose no destination, only thinking of somewhere far away from where she was. In response, the world around her fell away and reformed to reveal the beach: sand below her, the sea to one side, and the house to the other.


    To her surprise, the house still stood but that was the best that could be said of it. The interior had been gutted. Books and curios were strewn on the floor, trampled and damaged. Bookshelves had been detached from walls and broken apart. A few interior walls had been gutted, broken through, or simply demolished Pages were torn free of books. Garo¡¯s looters had been thorough.


    She teleported into the house and found the action to be a mistake. What she saw was not the destruction, but echoes of the past, vivid enough to shock her immobile. Achi was sitting in the ruined reading chair, watching her with that condescending gaze. He was walking through the lower floor, opening windows. He was in the bedroom upstairs, watching her in exasperation.


    She blinked, shook her head, and forced the thoughts away but their exit only permitted the return of her other companions: fear, worry, visions of Tivelo bursting through the walls and hauling her back to his statue, or of Garo back for revenge.


    She found a relatively untouched corner of the house and sank down there, back to the wall, eyes watching the openings.


    Sleep did not come, and neither did peace, so she found herself cleaning. It gave her arms something to do, and brought back peaceful memories. If she could wish for anything at that moment, it would to be a petty servant again, with nothing but sweeping and dishwashing to look forward to.


    She returned the unbroken items to their place, and hauled the rubble to the beach. Time seemed to pass and stay still as she lost herself in the task. She used no magic so that it would take longer and, thankfully, it did. And when it finally ended, her fear had retreated somewhat.


    With the house clean and nothing more to be straightened, she returned to the empty spot where the bed had been, sat with her back to a wall, and pulled her knees up to her chest.


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    Then she broke into sobs, loud, violent ones. A part of her watched the event critically, but every other part gave itself wholly to the task. It felt good to cry, to feel sad rather than terrified, angry or driven, to do something that did not move her toward a goal, but simply brought relief.


    She let it go on for as long as she could. No one intruded. Finally, minutes or hours later, she wore herself out and crying began to feel silly rather than good.


    She cleaned herself up as best as she could and made the effort to climb to her feet. Back on the beach, she stared at the pile she had created and wished that everything broken in her life could be piled on there. She had intended to set the pile on fire, but she had nothing to start the fire with. So, she sat down in the sand and stared at the pile of rubble.


    And, with nothing more to do, her mind conjured up Achi¡¯s face.


    ¡°Are you angry with me?¡± She addressed the imagined figure. ¡°You would be, wouldn¡¯t you? You would say something like, ¡®why are you so stupid? I told you to hold still and stop disrupting my plan. What possessed you to attack Garo? Why go to Evera in the first place? Was she so ignorant that she needed you to keep her informed about the world? Who do you think you are? Before engaging in heroics, consider heroically saving your own rotting carcass.¡±


    She paused. The tone had been wrong, but she thought she had the sentiment correct.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    The words were unexpected but true. She was sorry. And they were easy to say with no one there to hear them.


    She continued to speak to him, knowing that he would not hear her and desperate to get the words out and relieve the pressure they made inside her.


    ¡°Do you know what I realized up there?¡± she asked. ¡°As I was crying, I thought, ¡®I probably did it¡¯.¡± She took a breath. ¡°Let¡¯s be honest: I¡¯d take a bite out of a dragon if he cornered me. With my back to the wall and no way out, I¡¯d poison whoever I had to. But I wouldn¡¯t do it if you were innocent.


    ¡°And all of this could have had a better ending if your father had handled it without locking me in darkness for months and then setting me on fire. And if you hadn¡¯t stolen my memories and then pressured me to apologize for something I cannot remember and was probably justified in doing.


    She sighed.


    ¡°Still, I would undo this if I could. You should be alive.¡±


    The world would be better with him in it. It was a shame that the same could not be said of his father.


    Undo it.


    Was that really impossible? Ovi was the goddess of time and fate, Achi has said. If Aria found her, could she undo something that had already happened?


    Aria leaned back and sighed. She was grasping at straws. Finding Ovi with every other deity on the hunt for her was simply more trouble for the mere chance of success. To her surprise, she wished that Achi was around to give her instructions. For the first time, she would actually listen to them.


    She sat in silence for so long that she could have become one with the scenery.


    Then she rose.


    There was nothing more for her to do. Her enemies were stronger than her. Normally, that would be no reason to give up, but she was tired and wide-eyed about her chances of success.


    She bowed to the pile of trash, a hysterical laugh forming on her lips.


    ¡°It¡¯s sad that our story ended this way,¡± she said. ¡°But I¡¯m glad we met.¡±


    Learning to serve Garo meant learning not to fear death. She had faced it every day for years until the thought of it no longer inspired the terror that it had as a child.


    Yet, now, with no one to stop her, she felt reluctant. She indulged herself for a moment, hesitating. But, in the end, she had her wits about her. Her plan had simply been to inform Evera of Garo¡¯s plans. After that, the choice between hiding from Tivelo and escaping him forever had the simplicity of basic arithmetic. She knew the right choice, and as much as she wished to avoid it, she feared it less than the memory of pain and smoke.


    ¡°If I did poison you,¡± she spoke to the absent prince, ¡°consider this as me paying for it with my life. I endured darkness for two months and your father¡¯s torture for hours. I don¡¯t owe you anything else. No one can make a better payment.¡±


    In the end, her training proved true. A servant of Garo does not fear death; it comes to everyone. The important thing is to die well, bravely, and with purpose.


    She held her breath as she did it, and chose to avoid any theatrics. She simply took all the power she was clinging to, and let it out in one exhalation. Hope filled her as she did so. Fear followed, but loudest of all was relief. Finally, she would no longer be afraid.


    The thought lasted for a while - too long. She was still thinking. That meant that she was not dead. Her sight was gone. She heard nothing, smelled nothing. Fury began to grow in her at the robbery, but it never reached maturity. Without warning, she was assaulted by a burst of vertigo, as if she had been untethered and launched, spinning, from the face of the earth.

 46. Memories

    She had no idea which way was up and which was down. Her sight was gone, and so was her perception of space and time. She could not tell where she was or even if time had continued to pass. For all she knew, she had been floating for a second or for a month. In place of her sight, memories floated to the surface of her mind like an uncomfortable burp, stealing her awareness so that she could not tell if she was still living them or remembering them.


    She was on her hands and knees, digging for worms. She was standing up to her father for the first time, asking to attend the new moon celebration. She was up to her knees in mud, wading to find her lost necklace.


    She lived moments that she had long forgotten and those that could never be forgotten. They came by in quick succession, real and present in one moment and then gone in the next, so quickly that she almost forgot them as soon as they were gone.


    Until an unfamiliar memory arrived. It almost slipped past, driven by the tiding pulling all the others, but she grasped it with all her might.


    She was standing in a hallway, holding a tray, and standing in line with other attendants. The hallway was so dark, that the glare of the light at its end felt like the first glimpse of the sun outside a tunnel. They had been standing in line for hours, holding their trays in that position, and Aria wondered why she had maneuvered herself into such a painful assignment. She would either serve dinner to deities, or she would die of a leg cramp before they arrived.


    A hand closed around her arm, forcing a gasp out of her. Before she could identify her attacker, he pulled her forcefully, past her companions and into the nearest storeroom. A few eyes watched the exchange but did not leave the line. The storeroom door slammed, trapping Aria with the newcomer, and leaving her scrambling to secure her tray before the pitcher on it spilled. She settled for holding both the tray and pitcher with one hand each, and glared at her captor.


    The glare died an instant later.


    Hurriedly, she put the pitcher on the ground and went to her knees.


    ¡°Your Eminence,¡± she took shallow, worried breaths. ¡°Please forgive my disrespect.¡± Inside she wondered what had possessed the Prince of the Sky to speak with her, but she could do nothing but wait for his explanation.


    He heaved an exasperated sigh.


    ¡°Look at me,¡± he said.


    The force in his voice propelled her head forward. She met his eyes, normal brown ones hidden behind normal, dark lashes.


    Then, as she watched, he changed until the figure standing there was someone she knew. She continued to stare at him in confusion, wondering at the point of the display and her expected reaction.


    When he didn¡¯t speak for a long time, she guessed that she was expected to say something.


    ¡°Thank you for gracing me with your presence, Your Eminence.¡±


    ¡°Oh, for goodness¡¯ sake, stand up Aria. It¡¯s me.¡±


    Out of self-preservation, she remained kneeling. ¡°What do you mean, Your Eminence?¡±


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    He rolled his eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it, but your subservience is more annoying than your rudeness. It¡¯s me, Isei. You haven¡¯t forgotten me so quickly, have you?¡±


    ¡°Eh,¡± aria searched for a response that would not offend him. ¡°When did you become the prince?¡±


    He rolled his eyes. ¡°Catch up quickly, please. We don¡¯t have much time.¡±


    ¡°You have always been the prince.¡± The words sounded odd on her tongue, but she understood that to be the conclusion he wanted. ¡°And you lied to me.¡±


    ¡°You never asked who my father was,¡± he said.


    She felt bolder. ¡°And this shapeshifting ability of yours?¡±


    ¡°I was trying to move about without drawing a mob. They are both my bodies. I simply didn¡¯t tell you about the other one.¡±


    Aria shook her head to clear out all the other questions. She would not argue with the Black God¡¯s son. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°I should be asking that.¡± He sounded frustrated and angry. ¡°You were in the lower realm. Why can¡¯t you stay where you¡¯re safe?¡±


    Aria forced herself to remember that he was a prince. ¡°Thank you for your care, Your Eminence. I was promoted during this past cycle.¡±


    He hissed. ¡°Stop doing that. And stand up. Looking down is hurting my neck. I¡¯m sure you feel pleased with yourself, so let me correct you. You¡¯re always only half as clever as you think you are. Working in this place is not a promotion. It is a death sentence. Who was the last attendant you know, who left this place?¡±


    Aria wanted to tell him that she had not been there very long, but he cut her off.


    ¡°No one leaves,¡± he said. ¡°When your service is over, you are gifted with a poisoned cup. Your parents won¡¯t even be notified.¡±


    Cold washed over Aria. She wanted to doubt it, but it made too much sense. She had never heard of retired attendants from the middle realm, and no one she had met so far had even mentioned retiring.


    ¡°That is not the worst of it,¡± Achi said. ¡°You maneuvered your way into a position here, and then you did the same in order to serve at this feast.¡± He looked down at her with disdain. ¡°Did you not wonder why none of the older attendants fought for the position?¡±


    Some of them had, but she had wondered why it was not more popular. Why did so few people want to serve at a feast attended by the most important deities?


    ¡°They¡¯ll kill us when this is over,¡± she said.


    ¡°Of course, they will. A more civilized deity would simply wipe your memories, but Garo hates loose ends. So, since I left, you have managed to walk into certain death twice.¡±


    They were both silent. Inside, Aria cursed, but hope blossomed inside her anyway.


    ¡°Can you help me?¡± she asked.


    Achi sighed. ¡°No. That¡¯ll just cause more trouble.¡±


    He sighed and scratched his head. Aria itched to press for an explanation, but she restrained herself while he thought. Of all the foolish things to do, she had managed to get herself on a death list.


    ¡°I could just leave,¡± she said.


    Achi hissed. ¡°And what did I just say about loose ends? You think the God of War can¡¯t find one human?¡±


    With another sigh, Achi twisted off a ring of the four that littered his fingers. He held it out to her, but when she tried to grab it, he didn¡¯t let go.


    ¡°I am giving this to you because I have no choice,¡± he said. ¡°It is dangerous and difficult to use, but it is your only chance. I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m even trying this given how stupid you are¡­.¡±


    He trailed off, and Aria noted that Achi the prince was far more condescending than Isei the pauper. And he claimed he hadn¡¯t deceived her.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± he said, ¡°remembering himself. ¡°It is tricky to use, but it¡¯s all the help I can give. Whatever you make of it,¡± his voice fell, depression filling it, ¡°will be up to you.¡±


    ¡°What does it do?¡± For all his talking, he had neither explained it nor let her have it.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pathfinder,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯ll see. Put it on to use it and take it off when you¡¯re done. I have to go.¡±


    She tried to stop him, but he was through the door as quickly as he had brought her in, leaving the ring with her.

 47. Destined End

    Aria almost went after him, but she hesitated for too long and then hesitated further while deciding if stopping him was worth causing a commotion in the hallway. Deciding against that, she examined the ring in her hand. It was simple gold with no ornamentation, something she could have bought at a jewelry store for a significant but relatively low price.


    She searched for a trap or a different choice, but in the end, had little choice but to put it on.


    As soon as it was secure on her finger, the room changed. Rather than dull stone walls, water surrounded her, falling slowly from a ceiling too high to see. There was no entrance to the room. At her back, was a wall of falling water more silent than it should have been, stretching left and right to form a room the size of a large feasting hall. In front of her, a few hundred feet ahead was a maze. She could see the first branch through the entrance, but nothing more than that.


    She walked up to the opening tentatively, and pressed her hand to the wall of water. It felt wet but solid, and when she retrieved her hand, it came away dry.


    She took off the ring and, in an instant, found herself back in the storeroom.


    With a steadying breath, she put it back on and went into the maze. Once she was through the opening, the walls began to shift, making her breath catch. The movement was quick, however. Within seconds, she was staring at a replica of the storeroom, made of shimmering water and differing from the real room in only one other way: it had two doors. The explanation came to her mind in visions. One door led back into the hallway. If she chose it, she would stand in the line of servers again, waiting to return to the feast.


    The other led out of the palace, to escape. There were no other exits: no path back to the entrance of the maze.


    She pondered the choice for a long time. Achi had called this a pathfinder, but clearly, it did not list all her possible paths. In reality, she had more. She could refuse to leave the room. She could leave it and hide somewhere in the palace. She could remain in the palace, but rather than serve at the feast, tell every single person in line about their impending death. Together they could cause a ruckus, stage a rebellion¡­ and probably get executed.


    Still, it was a choice the maze had not presented.


    Sighing, she chose the only present path that made sense: escape.


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    That brought her back into the maze, but the walls immediately began rearranging themselves.


    This time, they seemed to disappear, leaving her outdoors. Above, she could see an impression of a far-off sky. On the ground, Garo¡¯s palace gates stood in one direction, crafted by the shimmering fluid, while roads and empty space occupied much of the remaining space. Right in front of her, stood a carriage with a surly-looking driver leaning against it, his water-constructed features giving him a surreal look. She, too, had not been spared the maze¡¯s magic. She was holding a small water-contructed bag filled, she sensed, with some of her belongings.


    ¡°Where to, miss?¡± The man asked.


    Then, he fell silent, and Aria knew that her answer would lead to the next destination. She thought for a long time, keenly aware of how long she had been in the maze, but leaving without a resolution would do no good. Finally, she named a town she knew only by reputation. It was far from everything she knew and, hopefully, safe from Garo.


    The moment she made her choice, the world re-arranged itself. This time, it formed an inn. Aria identified the place by its cramped quarters, tattered furnishings, and dull colors. She had scarcely taken in the scene when the door burst open, and a trio of water-constructed warriors grabbed and bound her. She resisted them, but it felt as if she was acting in a play. Her body moved, but not in the ways she directed it to. Finally, she ceased resisting the experience, recalling that it was merely a vision.


    The world changed again.


    She was kneeling in front of Garo in one of the palace¡¯s larger dining halls. Two hands held her down while the god sat at a table loaded with food. He looked up from his meal briefly and nodded at the people holding her. They responded by driving a spear through her chest and leaving her to bleed out on the floor. Fortunately, the experience did not hurt, but it was disconcerting and terrifying to feel herself dying and see unperturbed faces around her.


    She thought that the progression would end there, but the world reformed once more. She found herself in a cell. Stone walls surrounded her on all sides but one. On that side, there were iron bars with no door in them, as if they had been created with her inside them by someone with no plans to ever let her out. She was not the only prisoner. When she stepped up to the bars, she saw that there were similar cells to her left and right. A corridor stood right outside her cell, and on the other side of it was another row of cells, stretching left and right, far into the distance.


    Without reason, she knew that there were more cells above and below them and more rows of cells. The number of prisoners was in the millions. Each one, like those she could see, sat on the hard floor of his cell and stared unthinking at nothing, a hopeless look on his face.


    Time passed as she stood there. Hours, then days, then years, then centuries. Never-ending.


    Then, when panic had set in, the scene faded, and she found herself standing in front of the maze¡¯s entrance.

 48. Finding A Path

    She went through the maze again. She chose to escape the palace, and when the carriage driver asked for a destination, she gave him a different one. It made no difference. Garo found her, and she once again ended up in that row of cages. Though, oddly enough, she ended up in a different cage.


    She went through it a third time, worried about the time she was spending away from the feast, but more worried about her life. She chose to escape again and chose a different destination. Once again, Garo found her. She went through the maze eight more times, picking different destinations and growing more terrified with each failure. After the eleventh attempt, she accepted that Garo would always find her. He was a god, after all.


    She could not believe that there was no path to safety. But knowing of its existence and finding it were two different matters. And, she realized, what if she did successfully hide? Would Garo give up searching for her or simply threaten her parents? They were not the most loving parents, but they were her only ones.


    When she stepped into the maze again, she reluctantly took the first branch, the one that required her to stay in the palace and serve at the feast. At the feast, she did her duty, serving drinks to a deity she could not recognize. When the feast ended, she and the other servers were led into a room and each given a cup. She refused to drink from it and managed to defeat two guards before they forced it down her throat. When the scene next changed, she was back in the cage.


    On a whim, she made the same choice again, and this time chose to drink from the cup. When it took effect, she was back in the cage. Apparently, the cage was not a punishment for defying Garo. It was simply where she ended up when she died.


    She was trapped. Whether she ran from the feast or attended it, Garo intended to see her dead. And despite all his promises, death did not mean a neverending feast. If Garo wanted to kill her, what could protect her?


    Another god.


    On the next attempt, Aria¡¯s first action on entering the hall was to go to Achi and beg her to save him. She would never do that in real life, but a vision allowed her to be more exploratory. To her relief, it worked. The scene changed to show her leaving with him at the end of the feast. Next, she found herself working in the kitchen in a different palace, one made of black walls and happier workers.


    Next, she was in a hallway, head bowed as Achi walked side by side with his father. She had not spoken to him since the day he took her to the palace, and all attempts to get him alone had failed. He spoke to other servants, so he was clearly avoiding her.


    In the next scene, a devastated-looking attendant announced that Achi was dead. They were all to leave the palace as quickly as they could. Next, she was back at her parent¡¯s home, and in the next scene, she was kneeling before Garo again. He did not even give her a reason for her capture. He simply gave a nod and ended her life. And, once again, the cage surrounded her.


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    Every subsequent run-through ended in disaster. It did not matter if a god saved her or which god it was, or if she hid in the palace, or escaped and changed her name, or begged Garo for mercy. He either killed her immediately, or he waited until Achi was dead before killing her. Either way, she ended up in the cage, staring down a miserable eternity.


    After more attempts than she could count, she stood before the maze¡¯s entrance again, mad with frustration and brimming with panic.


    ¡°There has to be a way,¡± she said. ¡°There has to be a path that doesn¡¯t end in disaster.¡±


    Before her eyes, the maze changed. Rather than a maze, it became two straight corridors, each leading off to a different future; two out of thousands.


    She hesitated only for a moment, then she entered the first corridor.


    When she took off the ring, it felt as if she had aged a thousand years. There was not enough room in her memory for everything she had seen, but she tried to remember it anyway. The storeroom was still empty and, when she peeked out through its door, her fellow servants were still waiting in line. In fact, time barely seemed to have passed. They all looked as frustrated as they had when she had left. Some gave her curious looks, but she marveled at how little those looks meant to her.


    She joined the line again, her tray and the pitcher on it, held close to her chest. Another wait commenced, but her legs did not ache. Any physical discomfort was dwarfed by the turmoil in her mind.


    They were not called into the feast for several more minutes, but her legs did not ache. Her mind, fully occupied by the choice she was wrestling with, had no room for bodily aches. When the curiosity at her return had faded, she made her move. She walked down the line of attendants until she found the sixth person in line. Then, she stepped in front of him.


    He protested, confused and offended, but she simply informed him that she liked that place and would not be moving. He was not pleased by that, but he did not have to option of pulling her aside for an exchange of fists. Instead, he made a rude comment and accepted his place as seventh in line.


    Aria took a deep breath and tried to still her shaking hands. The waiting attendants were in a pattern of three: one holding a basin of water, one carrying a golden drinking cup, and one carrying a pitcher of wine. As sixth in line, Aria would be the wine-bearer for the deity at the second table- Achi.


    Her heart thumped as she waited; none of the calming exercises she knew could tame it. So, she tried to accept the fear - like she had every other time she had faced death.


    Finally, someone appeared, ordered them to stand straight, and invited them into the feast. They walked in practiced formation, matching each other¡¯s paces, and keeping their gazes respectfully downward. Aria snuck a glance around and found that most of the deities had not arrived. But Achi was at his table, staring lazily at the musicians. She suspected that he was deliberately avoiding her form, but she had no evidence of that.


    When each attendant was in position, they turned toward their guests and proceeded with their tasks one at a time.

 49. Alternatives

    The man holding the bowl of water took it up to Achi, allowing the prince to wash his hands and dry them on a white towel placed beside the bowl. Flutes filled the air with a tune that made Aria¡¯s stomach churn. It was so out of sync with the turmoil inside her that she desperately wanted to turn around and tell the musician to stop.


    Next, the woman bearing the cup walked up to the prince and placed the cup before him. Lastly, Aria stepped up. She took the pitcher from the tray with one hand, and with the other held the tray to her side, just as she had been trained. Then, she leaned over to fill Achi¡¯s cup, tripped, and spilled the wine over him.


    She did it properly, drenching his hair, face, and clothes so thoroughly that he would be finding wine in his ears afterward. Then, she stumbled back, as if in shock, dropped to her knees, and put the pitcher on the ground beside her.


    At the next table, Garo rose in fury, his face comical in its shock. ¡°You insolent wretch!¡±


    He made a gesture, and warriors left their place by the exits, their eyes fixed on her. Aria let her own eyes go wide as she scrambled to her feet, acting the terrified servant with all her might. Thankfully, her vision proved true, and Achi stopped the coming warriors with a gesture.


    ¡°Garo,¡± he said. ¡°It is one thing to train your servants poorly, but another to try to punish them for it. If you are a poor host, admit it and contemplate your shortcomings. Really, you plan to kill this girl now and ruin my appetite?¡±


    The scolding doubled Garo¡¯s fury. ¡°Achi, that was not an accident. That was deliberate. I do not know what plan -¡±


    Achi waved a hand, rising to his feet. ¡°Save your excuses. You,¡± he addressed Aria. ¡°Lead me somewhere private.¡±


    The other deities watched them leave in silence. Aria walked quickly, terrified that someone would ruin her plan, and only breathed in relief when they were out of the hall. As directed, she led Achi far from the feast and into a section of the palace with unused bedrooms. The room she chose was poorly lit - even by Garo¡¯s standards. She shut the door behind Achi, peeking first to verify that there were no eavesdroppers.


    Then, fell to her knees, letting her desperation rise to the surface, and fixing him with pleading eyes. ¡°Save me.¡±


    Instead, Achi took off his wine-soaked shirt and tossed it aside. Immediately, a new but identical shirt appeared on his body. He replaced his trousers as well, thankfully without the intervening nakedness, and then dried his hair and face with a simple shake of his head.


    The room had a mirror, and he used it to inspect his now-clean self.


    Finally, just before she lost her composure, he turned back to her, looking surprisingly worn out.


    ¡°How much of it did you see?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I lost count.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°And, what did you learn?¡± He asked.


    She considered that. ¡°That I should have chosen Evera.¡±


    Achi broke into laughter, though he seemed more tired than amused. ¡°Well, her afterlife is marginally better but the bar was low to begin with.¡±


    Aria struggled to believe that. ¡°Will you help me?¡± she asked.


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    He took a seat on a centrally placed couch. ¡°As you saw, my assistance is limited. I can get you out of here and protect your parents, but everything afterward will depend on you.¡±


    ¡°The path I saw,¡± she said, ¡°it worked.¡± He tilted his head, listening intently as she continued. ¡°I lived. And no one had to go to that place ever again.¡±


    A skeptical smile appeared on Achi¡¯s face. ¡°Tell me about this path.¡±


    She rose from her kneeling position and prepared to convince him of its rightness. ¡°You help me get out of here and help me become a goddess. You still die - I couldn¡¯t find a path where that didn¡¯t happen - but when I¡¯m strong enough, I defeat Garo.¡±


    Achi waited for more than that, but there was no more. When he realized that, he buried his face in his hands and began a haunting hysterical laughter.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Aria asked, insulted and confused.


    He continued laughing for a while. Finally, he stopped, but the smile remained on his face. He gave a glance at the door and sighed. ¡°I have to return to the feast. Look, Aria, not every path that thing shows you is likely. They are all possible - that¡¯s why it shows them - but effecting them is a different matter.¡±


    ¡°That makes no sense,¡± Aria said. ¡°I saw it. All you have to do - ¡°


    ¡°All we have to do is follow the prescribed steps and everything will happen the way you saw?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Wrong. Because we are not the only people in the world. And those people are not acting based on our script. When we act with knowledge of the future, their reactions change. Worse, that pathfinder is based on the actions we take when we do not know the future. Its predictions have no sway unless you and I both lose our memories. That is why my father is not carving the world as he wishes using its predictions.¡±


    ¡°But -¡±


    ¡°This is why I told you it was dangerous. It tricks people into believing that they have more control than they do. Look, imagine that you stole your friend¡¯s puppy, and you decided to apologize. You could give an apology so good that he would forgive you and remain friends with you. But, imagine that you used the pathfinder to find that perfect apology. When you try to deliver it, you will do so with a measure of manipulation. You will not be apologizing because you are sorry - not entirely - you would be apologizing because you know that those words will give you back your friend. If he is smart enough, he will pick up on the lack of sincerity, and he will not forgive you. So, the pathfinder will tell you that a path works, but your actual experience will differ.¡±


    ¡°But we can -¡±


    ¡°You want to say that we can find workarounds. Perhaps leave notes to ourselves before erasing our memory. Or entrust the information to a trusted guide. Or simply rearrange certain events before wiping our memories. But none of those things will work. They make changes to the gameboard, so to speak, and render every one of the pathfinder¡¯s predictions obsolete. I gave you that ring so you could see what you have walked into, not so that you can plan a response.¡±


    ¡°We can try,¡± Aria said. ¡°It was the best I found. So, what else am I to do? Just give in?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°I told you, you can¡¯t avoid dying. Everyone dies. But you can avoid beings stuck in Garo¡¯s cages.¡±


    ¡°And do what, instead? You said Evera¡¯s was not much better.¡±


    ¡°Those are not the only options, and you need to focus less on a deity than on yourself. Did you not wonder why you ended up in his afterlife? It is not something that he controls.¡±


    Aria had not spent much time on that because she was more interested in avoiding death than making it pleasant.


    Achi glanced at the door again, seeming hurried. ¡°Look, he said, ¡°forget becoming a goddess. That will not happen. But you can leverage what you know into a change of destination. You keep ending up in Garo¡¯s afterlife because you are so much like him. Don¡¯t look insulted. You know that it¡¯s true. You both have a capacity for violence and the ability to deploy it when it achieves your aims. You have the propensity for choosing it over more collaborative options, and the cunning to predict how it will affect the world. You are also brilliant strategists, bold enough to take any action you have to, but wise enough to retreat when necessary. Unforgiving. Capable of putting your revenge aside when it benefits you, but never losing sight of the goal. You are Garo minus a lot of power and a general enjoyment for violence. That is the other reason I won¡¯t help you achieve deity. You might have found the unlikely path that ends happily, but the most likely result is that you will become something like him. That would not be good for you or for the world.


    ¡°But you have time. Use it to become something else, become something better, and you won¡¯t end up with Garo.¡± He headed for the door. ¡°I have to go now.¡±


    Aria blocked his path.

 50. Reparations

    ¡°Do you think that is likely?¡± She asked.


    He was silent.


    ¡°Tell me that you think I will probably change in time, that I can become one of those soft women. Tell me that you think it¡¯s likely.¡±


    His silence was damning. ¡°So you¡¯re refusing to help me with the one path that I found while hoping for an equally unlikely one. I thought you loved me. Has that gone away in just a few years? Or was it all a lie to begin with?¡±


    He seemed offended.


    ¡°Maybe the path I chose is difficult. But it is all I am certain of. I¡¯m not stupid. Every fork on that path required me to choose something I would never naturally do. I know that, by myself, I would never naturally achieve that ending. That¡¯s why I need you. But you would rather see me suffer?¡±


    Achi sighed in irritation. ¡°Haven¡¯t I helped you already? I¡¯m still trying to help, despite your stupidity.¡±


    ¡°I could have been her, right?¡±


    He froze at Aria¡¯s change of topic.


    ¡°In the right circumstances,¡± she said. ¡°If I had that divine spark that they took from us. I could have found my powers early. My parents would not have forced me into Garo¡¯s service. I would have been a different person. But now, you¡¯re going to die because you can¡¯t live without her.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he said, his voice suddenly firm. ¡°You did not change; your circumstances did. There are many people with similar childhoods who ended up better than you. All your circumstances did was show who you are at your worst. So, you could never have been Ovi. She is pure no matter what she grows in. So, she was always only a dream.¡± he shrugged. ¡°These things happen.¡±


    Aria stepped closer. ¡°But in a sense, I am still her, just different from what you thought. And you still love me, even if I¡¯m not your match. So, you are going to help me. And I am going to help you. When I am strong enough, I¡¯ll be who you need me to be. I¡¯ll become her and bring you back.¡±


    The pathfinder had not shown that, but Aria was not going to let a ring constrain her dreams.


    Achi smiled sadly. ¡°For a second there, I almost believed you, that you will try to become a - how did you put it - soft woman.¡± He chuckled. ¡°So, thank you for that hope.¡±


    ¡°All we can do is try,¡± Aria said. ¡°Those are your choices. Give up now, and the only woman you could ever love will spend eternity in a tiny cell being used for whatever Garo does with those poor souls. Or help her, help her as best as you can and hope that with our combined efforts and a bit of luck, there¡¯s hope.¡±


    She fell silent. Those words, delivered as best as she could remember, came from the pathfinder. And in the vision, they had worked. Whether they would work now was anyone¡¯s guess. She felt an urge to pray to Evera, but stifled it.


    Achi sighed. And sighed again.


    ¡°I die, anyway,¡± he said. ¡°This is just faster.¡±


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    Aria clenched her fists to keep from speaking and breaking the spell. She wanted to promise him that she would revive him, but the pathfinder had not shown her that statement.


    ¡°And without my help,¡± Achi said, ¡°you would probably end up with the worst outcome.¡±


    He sighed again.


    ¡°Fine, Aria,¡± He looked like a man sentenced to death. ¡°I¡¯ll help you. I already told you that it won¡¯t turn out the way you saw, but you¡¯re determined to ignore the wise choice. So, I¡¯ll help.¡± He forced his features into calm acceptance. ¡°Choose the path with the wine.¡±


    Aria watched him leave with still clenched fists, her heart pounding. When the door closed and his footsteps finally faded, she sank to the floor in exhaustion. There was no joy; his discouraging words still haunted her, but she would survive the night.


    When she rose again, guilt was her foremost feeling. There was no way to sugarcoat it: she had manipulated him. And while she typically found that acceptable, using it on Achi felt like kicking a kitten. There was enough of Isei in his features - that sweet, kind, selfless boy - that the memory of her words tore at her chest. Of course, he had folded when she mentioned Ovi. He still had that dream of love. She intended to follow through with her promise to give him love: if not with her, then with someone else. That guilt would not leave until she kept the promise.


    While Achi returned to the feast hall, Aria headed back to the kitchen. There, she retrieved a new pitcher and filled it with wine. The workers were too busy to watch her, but she found a secluded corner anyway.


    She spit into the pitcher twice, the same number that she had seen in the maze, and stirred it with her finger. A kiss - or its substitute - from a woman he loved but who did not love him. Diluted in the wine, it was enough to kill him - but not quickly. More importantly, it would make Garo save her for Tivelo¡¯s justice, getting her out of the palace that night. Tivelo would lock her up in his dark dungeon, an experience that, while difficult, would provide her proving ground while keeping her hidden from Garo¡¯s eventual attack. Achi would provide the rest of the requirements - enough ambient magic for her to gradually absorb, and the tools for her eventual death and metamorphosis. She did not know how long it would take. It would probably be centuries in that dark place. She would probably go mad. But the end would be worth it.


    She wiped her finger on her shirt, confirmed once more that no one had seen her, then strode confidently back to the feast.


    Despite the knowledge from the maze, she worried. Worried that someone would stop her, worried that she would be diverted. Worried that Achi would change his mind.


    She need not have worried.


    He met her eyes once when she entered the hall, but did not linger. Garo, too, gave her a murderous look but did not keep her from resuming her place. When she filled Achi¡¯s cup, and he reached for it, she heaved a sigh of relief. There had been no reason to doubt him. Scold her as he might, Isei was kind. Even if he saw no path forward for himself, he would not deny her hers.


    His hand brushed against hers as he took the cup - only momentarily. Then, she realized that she was looking at his face. For a moment, the world seemed to freeze.


    Why was she looking at his face?


    He took a sip, swallowed, and remained still for a moment, his lips still wet from the drink.


    Then, he fell.


    As the memory released her, Aria was gripped by a whirlwind of emotions, foremost among them horror. With every bit of power left, she reached for the reality she had shed, hoping to find a thread back to life, cursing herself and Achi and every other person responsible for this fate.


    Fortunately, living was as easy as dying had been. She found a wisp of the power she had just discarded and forced it back into herself. Then, she found more and grabbed that as well. She kept pulling more and more, desperation itself, until there was no more to be found. Her eyesight returned, and she found herself prone on the sandy beach, staring up at the sky in relief and gratitude.


    And then anger.


    ¡°That bastard, incapable of following simple instructions.¡±


    And now, she couldn¡¯t die; he had killed himself to help her. While she was scheming to become a goddess, he was trying to save her from Garo¡¯s afterlife. And if she died without repaying him, what would that make her?

 51. Bequest

    Aria pulled the rings out of her pockets. All eighteen felt dense with power, but like all dumb, inanimate objects, they said nothing of what she should do with them.


    Fighting gods is beyond my power. They even know the future. What then?


    If only that stupid boy hadn¡¯t kept me in the dark.


    Oh, let¡¯s face it. I would have done what I wanted and shunned him, anyway.


    The gritty sand and humming sea seemed different now, sweeter, as if crawling back from the jaws of death had given them a richer color.


    She picked a ring at random from her pile, plucking up some sand as she picked it up. The grains irritated her finger as she slipped it on, forcing her to rub her to dust off her fingers and rid herself of the discomfort.


    As the ring slipped on, calm and strength washed over her, and her mind went back to her first meeting with Achi, the rage and terror of it, and the warm jacket.


    She forced the memory back and focused on the ring. She gave it a mental command to activate, but nothing happened. She could feel power in it, however.


    The pile of trash was still in front of her, so she fixed her gaze on it. She tried to move it, making sure to draw power from the ring and not herself. Satisfaction washed over her when it succeeded. She felt a pulse from the ring, and the trash pile moved one foot to the left. She tested the ring for a few more minutes, but it revealed no abilities but those of a power store.


    With mild disappointment, she took it off her finger and picked another from the pile.


    An anxious feeling came over her suddenly. She was exposed, sitting on a beach beside a house that Garo had recently looted. What if he returned? What if someone else came and wondered what she was doing there? What if it was a god?


    She teleported away from the house and to a spot in the nearby woods. There was no sense in going farther; nowhere was safe. Still, she would have time to escape anyone who went up to the house.


    Despite the relative security, she sped up her experiments, putting on rings and taking them off in seconds. She managed to draw power from each one she tried but soon despaired of finding any more function to them.


    Until the eighth. She put it on, screwed up her face as she attempted to activate it, and the world turned pale. Everything colorful object bleached into a slate gray while the air itself took on a hazy quality, like in a fog. The sea and sand, free of their color, somewhat resembled each other, but for the undulating waves disturbing the water¡¯s surface.


    She turned to look at the house. It had suffered the same fate as the rest of the world, but, behind it, something was in full color. Achi¡¯s golden building, home of his paintings, was now visible to her through the trees and despite the magic he had spent hiding it. She could not see through its walls, but its exterior was as clear as in daytime.


    She shot to her feet in excitement, teleported to it and attempted to push the door open. To her disappointment, her hand went through it. So, it was still visible, but still hidden under its enchantment.


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    She sighed and took off the ring, and the building disappeared from her sight. On a whim, she stretched a hand out for the now-invisble door and was surprised with her hand collided with it. She pushed, heard a whisper like of a well-oiled door opening, and then the building was visible again.


    A moment of apprehension followed, but she ignored it - as she did all her feelings these days - and stepped through the threshold.


    The interior looked different in Achi¡¯s absence. White cloth still covered portions of the walls and she left them there not wishing to see the disorienting depictions of herself again. Instead, she focused on the one new object in the room: a wooden stool with a sheet of paper on it, folded into thirds, and her name printed on the exposed portion.


    She made straight for it and opened it so quickly that it almost tore.


    Only three sentences awaited her, penned in weak slanting strokes, as if by a tired and hurried man.


    ¡°You have a house. The northwest corner. Press the four fingers of your left palm to the wall.¡±


    Aria glanced at the northwest corner and back at the note.


    There was no one to ask any questions. She could only obey or refuse and what reason was there to refuse? She returned the note to the stool, then, on second thought, took it with her to the indicated corner. There, she pressed her fingers to its left side. With a smooth hiss, almost like the door, The back disappeared to reveal another wall slightly further back, so that the room was only a little larger than it had been before. The new back wall was covered, end to end, by a shimmering, orange-red curtain that reminded her of the pathfinder¡¯s watery walls.


    She felt a burst of anger toward Achi. Why leave cryptic messages where she was unlikely to find them? And what exactly was this doorway? For all she knew, it was a trap by Tivelo meant to lead her to another prison.


    She cast about for something to test it with, but the only potential object was the stool. So, she retrieved it, and threw it at the shimmering wall. It went through without sound or ceremony.


    Aria sighed. Achi probably wouldn¡¯t harm her. Still, she stuck a finger through the wall and successfully pulled it back before committing herself to the experience.


    As she walked into the wall, she kept her eyes stubbornly open. Still, the world darkened for several moments, as if she was suddenly blindfolded.


    It cleared all at once, and for a moment, she stood in shocked silence.


    The thrown stool lay two feet away from her, on a bed of grass. To her side, the letter had fall when she lost control of her arms. Every bit of thought in her body was devoted to keeping her upright while she took in the sight in front of her.


    Achi¡¯s sanctuary was gone. In its place stood lush grass, dotted with wildflowers of every color, and a gazebo. The gazebo¡¯s thin pillars were covered in vines, each greener than anything she could recall in her life and merging with the cool air for a pleasant and unidentifiable scent.


    But that was not what had stopped her. A short distance away, perhaps a five minute stroll was a palace straight out of a wordsmith¡¯s tale. The exterior was impressive enough as palaces went, but it was the interior that had stopped her.


    Past the palace, the pristine sky met a forest of dark green. There, trees grew so close to each other that picking through them would be a chore, their tops forming one large, seamless platform. In their canopy, it must be as dark as night, despite the unmistakable daylight.


    Behind her, the meadow she stood in continued, ending shortly in a cliff. Beyond the cliff, a river had cut out a valley. She could hear its roar as it cascaded down a series of waterfalls. On its other shore, grazing animals roamed or lounged unworried.


    The building, itself, was perched high enough that it looked down on both the  cliff and the forest. It had no upper level, just one sprawling complex of rooms in every shape and size. She counted twenty bedrooms, each with its bath, receiving room and lounge, four large kitchens, and a smaller, more intimate one, pools, gardens, fountains, terraces, sunrooms, and various other rooms that were likely merely decorative.


    All of that was merely in the first building. The second held smaller rooms - servant''s quarters - tastefully decorated. The third and fourth seemed to be miniature mansions - guest quarters. She ignored the fifth and sixth buildings, having seen enough to extrapolate. It was bigger than Garo, Evera¡¯s and Tivelo¡¯s palaces by a significant margin.


    I left you a house.


    He had better have a more detailed explanation in there.

 52. House

    She knew where to go. It was the section that occupied the largest portion of the main house, with secluded outdoor and indoor baths, a bedroom large enough to host a feast in, and two receiving rooms.


    She teleported into the dressing room first. Its central portion, linked to the bedroom by a glass door, held several mirrors and a lounging chair. Arranged around it in a semi-circle, were other rooms like sections of a honeycomb. She chose one at random and found it filled with rows of shirts and trousers, all in plain, dark colors.


    She ran one through her fingers and found the material soft, yet sturdy. She pulled a shirt off its rack and held it up to her body. It was the right size and so were the trousers.


    She replaced it and checked another room. There, she found dresses bearing all the luxury the other clothing had not. The first one was a tan-colored one, heavy with layers of silk and cotton. Crystal buttons ran down the front while tiny diamonds were sewn into the oversized colors. She pulled it off its rack and held it out in front of her. It seemed to be her size as well.


    She almost put it away, but she had to know. In a few minutes, she had shrugged off sweat-stained clothing and climbed into the new one. As she had thought, it was a perfect fit and the most comfortable thing she had ever worn.


    She took it off and returned to her old clothing.


    One section of the dressing room was different from the others. Instead of clothing, it held fabric, each carefully folded and paper wrapped. There were some from every material and color she could think, sitting individually in alcoves cut into the wall.


    With the fabric and pre-made clothing combined, she had enough clothing for ten years. Finding something to wear among all those treasures would be a chore. And how was she to keep the whole place clean? Servants?


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    She noticed then that there was not a speck of dust in any of the areas she could see. When had Achi done all of this?


    She teleported into the bedroom, ignored an oval bed, sitting atop a gray-stone platform, and the jaw-dropping view and fresh air drifting in from the screenless window, to snatch up the letter sitting on a wooden table. It was time to see what Achi had to say.


    She unfolded it to his neat writing, black ink on white paper, and felt a surprising pang in her chest.


    Aria,


    This is yours - the house and the realm it¡¯s in. It is not Ovi¡¯s. I made it when I knew that you would need to hide. I would beg you to stay here and keep out of more trouble, but I know that nothing draws you like the forbidden. So, just try to stay safe.


    You should be able to teleport into this realm now. The portal you came through will have dissipated. If you wish, you may also use the carriages. The realm is closed to everyone but you. That restriction can only be changed by me, so you need not fear that anyone will find you here. Whenever you feel unsafe, return here immediately.


    I¡¯m sorry I was unable to provide any staff, but you should not have too much trouble. The rooms will keep themselves clean, but you must handle any clutter yourself. There is enough food in the storerooms for a long time and they are well preserved. I tried to find the things you like but you can buy anything that¡¯s missing. There is gold is a vault below the main bedroom. It should be sufficient for several decades.


    I refit the clothing for your new body, but it was done in a hurry. If anything does not fit, a tailor can adjust it.


    The rings you found are for emergencies. When they run out, I will be unable to replenish them.


    Try not to pick any fights you can¡¯t win.


    Achi.


    Aria let the letter drop and stared around at the room in terrified silence.

 53. In Search of Allies

    Aria took a deep breath, focusing on the building in the distance. This was not a dangerous trip, she told herself. It was simple and safe. She would be in and out with her information in half an hour, having made an ally to boot. Despite her own claims, her heart would not still itself. Safety beckoned her back to Achi¡¯s palace, but no moment spent in that place would be comfortable until she completed this.


    She found a measure of composure, fragile though it was, and approached Alogun¡¯s home.


    She reached the balcony with no impediments, climbed a set of creaky wooden stairs and pushed open the double doors. She could sense the deity inside, sequestered in the middle of the rectangular building with his bevy of attendants. Once she was through the barrier that protected the house, she felt certain that he sensed her too. But no one came to stop or greet her.


    Inside, the entire thing was made up of one large room. Wooden pillars stood here and there, too thin to be accomplishing much, while bookshelves occupied as much room as they reasonably could. They formed rows and columns, interrupted only by occasional clearings holding desks and reading chairs. The room resembled every library she had ever seen. It was simply much larger.  It was also oddly dark, since most windows were hidden by bookshelves and most of the lighting drifted from lamps hung from the high ceiling. Oil lamps. So Aria was forced to assume that the books were fire-resistant. It was either that or Alogun¡¯s clever plan to burn his home down in the event of an invasion.


    Aria walked cautiously down the shelf-lined corridors. She met the occasional worker, but they each bowed and stayed out of her way. Alogun still paid her no heed. He was sitting in one of the reading sections, though this one was set apart by short walls and an arched doorway. It was still visible from above, but provided some privacy from the rest of the library.


    Aria paused at the doorway and waited to be acknowledged. A full minute passed in silence. She knew that Alogun had noticed her but could not tell if he considered her insignificant or was simply engrossed in his reading.


    After the first minute, she gave a small cough. He continued to ignore her. Next, she attempted a knock on the wall beside the archway. That did no good. She had a vision of herself snatching his book from his hands and tossing it several feet away, but she composed herself. She was here to make an ally.


    ¡°I suppose it must be fine if I read some of your books,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m looking for something for new deities. Would you know where those are?¡±


    Surprisingly he lifted his head and met her eyes. ¡°The reading fee is two thousand Diva per day, per book. Don¡¯t damage any or the fine will be more than you can afford.¡±


    He returned to his reading.


    Aria blinked in confusion. ¡°Why are you not capturing me?¡±


    ¡°For Garo?¡± Alogun flipped a page in his book. ¡°There is no need. He will do so when he wakes. Interfering will only insult him. It has been a while since he was able to hunt anything of note.¡±


    Aria relaxed a little. Her first worry had been that Alogun would simply capture her. Her plans for that eventuality would prove useless afterall.


    She took a chair at Alogun¡¯s table, leaving two others.


    ¡°What if you helped me?¡± She tilted her head as she spoke.


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    ¡°Make your offer quickly. I¡¯m busy.¡±


    ¡°Let me read the books that aren¡¯t public and answer some of my questions. In return, I¡¯ll assist you in any way I can.¡±


    He looked up for the second time, eyes filled with confusion and irritation. ¡°Is that truly what you brought?¡±


    Aria shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m more helpful than you know.¡±


    ¡°Get out.¡±


    Aria frowned. ¡°Fine. It¡¯s a silly offer and you¡¯re busy. Here¡¯s my next offer: let me use all of your library for free and answer some of my questions. In return, Garo won¡¯t kill you.¡±


    He finally put down his book and leaned back in his chair, watching her with interest. When she didn¡¯t speak, he gestured for her to go on.


    ¡°I left Garo a note detailing all your dastardly plans to overthrow him now that Evera is gone. They were very detailed. Your alliance with Chalik, your corruption of his attendants, the spying devices you¡¯ve planted in his palace, I detailed it all. And the most important,¡± Aria leaned over the table. ¡°How you supplied the shielding magic for both he and Evera¡¯s palaces, to make them dependent on your protection. Now that you¡¯ve helped him breach Evera¡¯s own, it¡¯s  only a matter of time before you breach his as well.¡±


    Alogun nodded. ¡°Fascinating. So, why would Garo believe a word from the yearling who was just foolish enough to attack him?¡±


    Aria feigned shock. ¡°From me? Of course he wouldn¡¯t. That¡¯s why the note I left was in your own writing. I stole it from your stash of secret writings.¡±


    Alogun frowned, either because he didn¡¯t have a stash of secret writing, or because he did not believe that she could have forged his writing.


    ¡°I have a copy,¡± she said. ¡°Do you want to see it?¡±


    From the largest pocket in her shirt, she pulled out a small book, leather bound and slightly worn. She tossed it to him and watched as he flipped through the pages, his frown growing with every page.


    ¡°It¡¯s excellent, is it not? I worked on it all night. I had to capture your voice exactly. It was not as difficult as it should have been, since all you ancient ones have the same arrogant tone. But there is still a subtle difference between the arrogance of strength and the arrogance of knowledge.¡±


    Alogun closed the book and looked back at her. ¡°Excellent work.¡± He sounded truly impressed. ¡°It does not capture my voice exactly, and I can see errors in the handwriting, but Garo does not need much. If I tell him that this is your plot, he would believe it. But I did supply the palace shields for all the deities, and that nugget of suspicion will not ease. Eventually, it will drive us to war.


    ¡°But this still leaves a problem for you. You see, I am plotting against Garo. I had hoped for a few more years to refine the plan, but truly, this could be the perfect time, while he is unconscious. Then I could return to enact my revenge on you.¡±


    Aria felt the shield around the palace solidify. She knew that she would be unable to teleport away now, but she didn¡¯t need to. The bait had been taken.


    ¡°Stop bluffing,¡± she said. ¡°If attacking Garo now was a good idea, you would have done it. You need to wait until your plan has every part in place. You don¡¯t even know how to kill him yet. What are you going to do? Imprison him until he escapes and ruins you?¡±


    She rose and walked up to one of the bookshelves, inspected the offerings as she spoke.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want a war between you and Garo.¡± she said. ¡°I merely needed your attention. I¡¯m willing to pledge my support to your cause when you attack him. In return, you simply have to protect me now.¡±


    ¡°Pass,¡± Alogun said.


    ¡°I can also tell you how to kill him.¡±


    ¡°Lies.¡±


    Aria turned back to him and let him meet her eyes. ¡°No lies. I don¡¯t know the exact details, but I know a piece of the puzzle that you do not. And I suspect that you can do a lot with pieces.¡±


    Alogun looked thoughtful, confused by the sincerity in her gaze.


    Aria played her last card. It could give her secret away, but she was not convinced that Alogun would truly fall without it.


    She held his gaze and projected all the sincerity she had. ¡°The source of my information is Achi.¡±

 54. Alogun

    Alogun¡¯s expression changed from one of suspicion to curiosity. He still doubted her, but he wanted to know what she did. The only question left was whether he would trade for the information or try to torture her for it.


    She saw the moment he decided. Force would be his last resort. He would trade for it while he still could. Still, she waited for him to speak his choice aloud.


    ¡°What are your formal terms?¡± he asked.


    ¡°My information is valuable,¡± she said. ¡°I want access to your library and whatever knowledge you¡¯re willing to share as well as your help in hiding from Garo. In return, I will destroy the planted book. In one month, if I am still alive, I will tell you what I know about Garo.¡±


    ¡°Access to the entire library for free?¡±


    Aria smiled. ¡°We both know that the valuable information is stored in your head.¡±


    He smiled as well. ¡°I¡¯m generous to younglings. Access to the library for one month. If your information is not as valuable as you claim, you will owe me for that entire month and I will help Garo destroy you before I destroy him.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll want money and my life? That seems illogical, but fine.¡± She stretched out a hand to shake his, but he only stared at the proffered hand as if it was an oddly-colored rock.


    He rose from his chair. ¡°Since we are now allies, let us see if your intelligence suffices to help me a puzzle.¡±


    ¡°First, take down your barrier so I can leave.¡±


    He did so and Aria struggled to keep from sighing.


    ¡°Come with me,¡± he said. ¡°You can destroy the book later. Garo won¡¯t wake for three more days.¡±


    She followed him out of the room and back into the maze of bookshelves. Minutes later, they were in another room much larger than their previous perch. One of its walls was covered in drawings, done in a variety of colors, and unreadable scribblings done in another language.


    ¡°Consider this for me,¡± he gestured at a drawing on the wall. ¡°This it Tivelo.¡± It resembled Tivelo in no way, but Aria did not dispute the statement.


    ¡°Tivelo,¡± he repeated, ¡°no claimed title, so he¡¯s not particularly vain. His observed powers are: object manipulation, moderate telepathy, and weak precognition.


    ¡°What do you mean by weak?¡± Aria asked. She considered the pathfinding ring anything but weak.


    Alogun was irritated by the interruption. He replied quickly, as if eager to return to his speech. ¡°Weak precognition means the ability to predict possible future events but not foretell actual ones. Strong precognition involves the ability to foretell actual future events, typically at the expense of clarity about their details.¡±


    He returned to the drawing.


    ¡°Tivelo kept to himself for centuries. Then, suddenly, he rose like a tsunami, took down dozens of deities, and forced the remainder to submit to him. A century later, out of nowhere, he introduced his son.¡±


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    Alogun indicated another drawing, presumably Achi.


    ¡°We launched our plan, kill the son to kill the father. But, at some point, he discovered the truth. What did he do then?¡±


    Aria waited for him to continue, but he watched her instead, waiting for a response.


    ¡°He probably hatched a plan to defeat you,¡± She said.


    Alogun nodded emphatically. ¡°He should have. But where is the plan? Achi is dead, supposedly, and Tivelo is in a stupor. What became of this plan that he made? With centuries to plan and his precognition, he should have an unimpeachable plan.¡± He shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think it failed. But what is it?¡±


    His expression was well-controlled, but Aria read fear in it. Fear much like hers. Achi was dead and Tivelo was contained, but she was always looking over her shoulder, expecting him to suddenly appear.


    ¡°It must be a plan that is already in motion,¡± she said, ¡°something that will come to fruition without his assistance. Either that, or his plan failed and we¡¯re being paranoid.¡±


    Alogun chuckled. ¡°You can trust this from me: the plan did not fail yet, and we are not being paranoid enough. But, try as I might, I cannot imagine what he would have planned that would develop in this manner.¡±


    ¡°He does not control all the variables,¡± Aria said, recalling her conversation with Achi.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Alogun said. ¡°It is the most frustrating part of being a seer. You know the future, but controlling it is maddening. People keep stepping out of line. But, even given his constraints, how did he end up in a situation in which he seems to have lost? Surely, there were many other paths that led to victory?¡±


    He fell into silence while Aria pondered the matter herself.


    Suddenly, he moved again, indicating Achi¡¯s figure.


    ¡°Then, consider Achi,¡± he said. ¡°Harmless as a fly, and just as powerless. Naturally, he¡¯s love-bound like his father. But why is he powerless?¡±


    Aria frowned. ¡°He has not found the person he loves.¡±


    ¡°So? Tivelo had powers before Achi was born.¡±


    That silenced Aria. When she spoke again, it was with caution. ¡°If he had powers before Achi was born, then his powers don¡¯t come from Achi.¡±


    Alogun looked frustrated. ¡°Love-bound gods gain their power from their love, not from the object they love. And you can love someone before the person is born. In the same way, Achi should love whoever he¡¯s bound to even before she is born.¡±


    ¡°As long as he knows who she is,¡± Aria said.


    ¡°No, the knowing doesn¡¯t -¡± He froze, his mouth open, his eyes wide.


    ¡°The knowing doesn¡¯t matter,¡± he spoke slowly. ¡°Him knowing does not matter. But¡­.¡±


    He found piece of red chalk and began to write on the wall, hands moving in strong, frantic strokes.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t know,¡± he muttered to himself, ¡°but no one does either.¡±


    He stopped writing and threw Aria a smile. ¡°You might not be bright, but your stupidity is helpful. You may read whatever you want.¡±


    He stalked out of the room and almost collided with Chalik. The goddess of wealth stood just before the doorway, watching them as if she¡¯d stumbled upon an opera. To her embarrassment, Aria had no idea how long Chalik had been standing there.


    ¡°What is going on?¡± She asked.


    But Alogun pushed past her and her three attendants, and resumed his hurried journey. Chalik turned to Aria instead.


    Aria shrugged. ¡°I think he made a breakthrough. He wasn¡¯t making any sense.¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t new.¡± She eyed Aria. ¡°But you are. I am Chalik, Goddess of Wealth and Good Fortune.¡±


    ¡°I know. You look just like your paintings.¡±


    The goddess smiled as if Aria had paid her a compliment. ¡°And you are?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t picked a name yet.¡± She picked her way through the doorway. ¡°Let¡¯s go see what Alogun has discovered.¡±


    They found him in the exact center of the building standing before a glass room. The room was odd because Aria had not sensed it. Even standing in front of it, her new senses told her that the position it occupied was empty. Inside it, a man stood glaring at them with open animosity while on the outside, Alogun fiddled with objects on a desk.

 55. Redtipped Maneater

    Chalik took the scene in stride, so Aria did too, pitying the man but unwilling to start a doomed battle over him.


    Alogun was flipping through a book on the table, much like the one he had been reading, but larger and filled with the same strange language. She suddenly hoped the books she had just negotiated for were in a language she could understand.


    Alogun found the page he wanted and smiled. Next, he walked a short distance to another side of the opening end retrieved a metal cage.


    The caged man was immediately alert. ¡°What are you doing?! Leave him alone.¡± He banged on the glass wall as if trying to get Alogun¡¯s attention, but Alogun simply dropped the cage on the same table he had been working with. Inside the cage, a brown-spotted dog lay on its stomach, watching the proceedings as if he was too bored to care.


    ¡°Relax,¡± Alogun said. ¡°I won¡¯t hurt him. Actually, if this works, your debt will be paid. I need that prison for other things.¡±


    He return his gaze to the book and began to read from it in a low voice, the words smooth as a song.


    Aria glanced at Chalik for guidance, but the goddess kept her eyes on Alogun.


    Alogun stopped speaking and for a moment, nothing happened. The caged man watched with wild eyes, the dog, blinked lazily, and Aria held her breath.


    Then, in a blink, the dog disappeared. In its place, was a potted plant, so tall that it was occupying more space than the dog had.


    The caged god screamed. ¡°No! What have you done?! Where is he?! What did you do?!¡±


    ¡°Relax,¡± Alogun said. ¡°He¡¯s right there. Can¡¯t you sense him?¡±


    Aria shot a glare at Alogun, shocked by the god¡¯s cruelty. What had this even achieved?


    The caged god was sobbing. ¡°No. How could you? I was going to pay you. I didn¡¯t even read the stupid book.¡±


    It had been a while since Aria felt so sad for someone. The god had lost all control of himself. He was on the floor, sobbing and pounding on the mirror and she found herself blinking really fast to hold back tears. She turned to Alogun, wanting to ask how much he was owed, but found him watching the scene expectantly.


    The crying stopped sharply. The caged god froze as if seized by something. Alogun began to back away so Aria rapidly followed his example. The god rose to his feet, but something about him had changed. Aria swore that he was taller and thinner. His hair grew as they watched, from close-cropped curls to a straight, wavy, gray. Even his eyes changed, turning from dull brown to sharp red.


    Chalik spoke. ¡°What plant is that, Alogun?¡±


    Alogun kept his eyes on the transforming deity. ¡°Redtipped Maneater. Run.¡±


    Chalik screamed to her attendants. ¡°Run, you fools!¡±


    She preceded them, taking her first step just before the caged god broke through in a shower of glass. Alogun snatched up his book before following along, flipping through the pages as he ran. Aria, however, teleported out of the building entirely, taking her place outside the building where she could watch the scene in safety.


    I would pay a boat load of gold for a glass of wine, right now. Actually¡­


    She found a drinking glass in Alogun¡¯s kitchen and teleported into into one hand. Then she teleported a bottle of wine into the other, sat on the ground, and helped herself to it.


    Alogun found the page he was looking for, but the escaped god was still chasing him. Each time he was within feet of Alogun, his hands transformed into mouth, like the head of a snake, and stretch out in an attempt to attack Alogun. Alogun, however, was faster than he looked. Once he was no longer distracted by his book, he kept well ahead of his pursuer. He ran in a large circle, leading the feral god back toward the glass room and reached there with seconds to spare. So speedily that Aria could barely make out the words, he read from the page he had opened, dumped the book, and continued running.


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    The other god reached the glass-strew area seconds after Alogun had left, ignored the caged plant, and continued after the god of knowledge. They made another circuit. In the meantime, the plant transformed back into a dog. By all indications it was the same dog it had originally been, and just as lazy, but the chase did not end.


    Alogun ran back to the scene of the crime, saw the dog, and looked hopeful. Then, he looked behind him and saw that his pursuer had not reverted to its previous state. He cursed, and continued running, looking back at intervals. Still, there was no good news.


    He was beginning to pant, but his pursuer seemed perfectly fit. If anything, he seemed to be getting stronger the longer the chase went on.


    ¡°Look at your dog!¡± Alogun said. ¡°It¡¯s perfectly fine. You¡¯re free. Take it and go home.¡±


    The gap between them was getting smaller, inch by tiny inch, Each successive snap from the escaped god was closer and closer to Alogun¡¯s neck. From the fear on Alogun¡¯s face, capture would not lead to trivial consequences.


    They came back around to where the dog was, Alogun now barely an inch from death. Done with her amusement, Aria picked up the cage, forcing it to hover in the air between Alogun and his pursuer. The other god stopped and stared at the cage. Aria wiggled it back and forth. The god snapped at it. Next, she broke a hole in the nearest exterior wall, still from where she sat, and threw the cage through it.


    The god screamed and raced after it.


    Aria caught it long before he had the chance and set it on the ground. The god reached the cage moment later, tenderly pet the now-terrified dog, and pulled the entire cage to his chest.


    ¡°Leave,¡± Aria said, even though she was too far away to hear.


    The god rose with his case, cast an angry look at the hole in Alogun¡¯s wall, then began walking away from the building. Aria breathed a sigh of relief - not that Alogun was safe; she didn¡¯t care about him - but that the matter would probably end without more danger to anyone innocent.


    The downed the rest of her glass before rising and walking back into building. Alogun had taking a seat in the nearest chair, recovering his breath.


    He glared at Aria when she arrived. ¡°You could have done that sooner.¡±


    ¡°I could have demanded payment as well.¡±


    Chalik joined them, looking better than Alogun, but still disheveled.


    ¡°I keep the oddest friends,¡± she said. ¡°Didn¡¯t you claim that cage could hold Tivelo himself?¡±


    ¡°I said it could hold Tivelo in the right circumstances.¡±


    ¡°Whatever you say. But leave me in your will. You¡¯ll kill yourself one of these days.¡±


    She took a seat as well, and snapped at one of her attendants, who immediately produced a paper fan and began waving it behind the goddess.


    ¡°Well,¡± Chalik said. ¡°Did you make your discovery?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Alogun said.


    ¡°Well? What is it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you for four million Diva.¡±


    Chalik rolled her eyes. Still, she reached into a jeweled purse sewn onto her skirt.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to pay,¡± Aria said. Both eyes turned to her. ¡°He discovered that when a love-bound god¡¯s object of affection changes, the god changes as well. That means that the object determines the god¡¯s nature.¡±


    Alogun raised an eyebrow. ¡°Id that all?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Aria said. ¡°It also explains why Achi has no powers. It¡¯s not because he doesn¡¯t know his love. It¡¯s because he doesn¡¯t have one yet. That is the only thing that could explain it.¡± Alogun looked surprised, so she was on the right track. ¡°The person he is bound to has not been determined.¡±


    Alogun nodded. ¡°And?¡±


    Aria fell silent. That was all she had discovered.


    ¡°That means that there is no predestined love for him,¡± Chalik said. ¡°I suspect that his love is whoever he falls in love with, just like a mortal. If she is a good fit for him and he loves her and she loves him, I suspect that will be enough.¡±


    Alogun looked angry. Chalik laughed. ¡°Oh, Alogun, we¡¯re not all completely stupid. Reviving Achi must be simpler than we thought then. The woman. I bet he was in love with her, but she didn¡¯t love him. That would cause some problems. Then, you must be worried about nothing. We took care of her. No one is reviving her without our knowledge.¡±


    A question was burning Aria¡¯s insides, so she spoke it aloud. ¡°Evera said that you poisoned the mortals. Is that what kept her from loving him?¡±


    Both deities exchanged glances. ¡°Evera told you this?¡± Chalik asked.


    ¡°She told everyone. Well, was it?¡±


    The cast glances at each other. Then, Alogun spoke. ¡°I did promise to answer your questions, didn¡¯t I? Fine, yes. Our modifications to the mortal population was to remove their divine spark. It keeps those infected from naturally becoming deities. As a side effect, the lack of a spark prevents them from effectively forming lasting emotional connections with deities. To the girl, Achi would have seemed intuitively strange, like a different species, because that species-similarity would be absent.


    ¡°Truthfully, I expected her inability to become a goddess to make the largest impact, but I¡¯m glad with the way things turned out. Why do you look angry?¡±


    Aria schooled her expression. ¡°Your days must be full experimenting on mortals and gods,¡± she said.


    Alogun chuckled. ¡°I always use volunteers or people who volunteer by stealing from me. Now, I¡¯m sure you have books to read.¡± He rose. ¡°Goodbye.¡±

 56. Consequences

    Aria picked through her books for a good one, but her mood stood in the way of any enjoyment. It was criminal. She had a beautiful - if lonely - palace, a lovely gazebo to read in, a new ally, and access to more information on gods than she could understand. But all she could think of was Achi and Alogun.


    The plan is to get informed, she scolded herself. No more good-sounding plans that end in death and torture. You can hate them later when you know enough to craft an effective plan.


    She didn¡¯t know how long that would take, but she had a safe place, thanks to Achi.


    Carefully, she put aside History of the First Gods; it was boring and too obsessed with their numerous battles. Then she picked up the next book, Classifying Gods. Wind whipped at her hair, carressing her face and, bringing the smell of the river.


    Classifying Yourself was one of the smaller books. The attendant who had provided it had promised that it would help her understand herself. She wasn¡¯t a god, though, so it would be more useful in understanding others.


    She turned to the first occupied page. Instead of text, however, it had a question.


    Your power source.


    Do your powers come from something internal to you? For instance, it could a motivating desire to be the greatest singer, fueling you with an ability to eschew sleep for practice and lungs capable of holding breath for hours. If so, you are an Internally-Powered Deity. Turn to page 14.


    Does your power come from something external to you? Perhaps you gain strength when mortals give you gifts or when spending time in nature. If so, you are an Externally-Powered Deity. Turn to page 29.


    Aria recalled Achi¡¯s explanation that she could not be a deity because she did not have power of her own. Some sadness tugged at her. She indulged for a moment and let it go. She needed to learn more about those scoundrels, not mope. She would find a way to revive Achi without being killed by Tivelo. Then, she wouldn¡¯t be rescuing Alogun from Tivelo¡¯s rage.


    She recalled the sight of Alogun running in terror around his home and smiled.


    That was just a taste, you sick brute.


    Guessing that both Garo and Alogun were internally powered, she turned to page 14. It held more directions.


    Is your motivation for something you wish to gain? Do you want to rich, powerful, or beautiful? If your driving goal is something ahead of you, you are a Longing-Bound Deity. Turn to page 103.


    Is your motivation for something you wish to avoid? Do you want to keep from being insulted, used, or dominated? If your driving goal is to prevent an occurrence, you are a Fear-Bound Deity. Turn to page 190.


    If both of these are true, turn to page 241.


    Aria considered the deities she knew, but could not confidently determine their classification, so she chose the hybrid option and turned to page 241. That page, finally, was filled with more than questions.


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    You are a Hybrid-Longing Deity. Formed when a mortal soul refuses the call of the afterlife due to both an unfulfilled wish and a strongly-held grievance. You have the strengths of both Fear-Bound deities and Longing-Bound deities, and the weaknesses of both. As Longing-Bound deity, you must strive to fulfill your longing. Having all paths to it blocked away will affect your strength, though it will not kill you.


    As a Fear-Bound deity, You must avoid the thing you fear. Its actualization will kill just like it will Non-Hybrid Fear-Bound deities.


    The book went into some more detail about different classifications of those deities, The material was dense, but Aria felt that she gleaned a substantial amount. It redirected her to a section examining and classifying the abilities of different deities, but she decided to take a break. There was another task to complete.


    Aria had grown adept at determining the range at which other deities could not sense her. It varied with the deity but not one of them had displayed a range above five miles. Her range, on the other hand was twice that.


    She climbed a tree, positioning herself so that she was as hidden from normal sight as she could be. Next, she confirmed that there were no other deities within her range. Finally, she focused on the object she had come to inspect.


    TIvelo¡¯s prison was a perfectly spherical glass room with only the top half of the sphere about the ground. The rest of it, buried as it was, was only discernable to her magical sight. She avoided prodding the prison, in case the other deities could sense it somehow. Inside the prison, Tivelo lay on the ground, eyes open but staring at nothing.


    What I wouldn¡¯t give for some telepathy.


    The outside of he prison was crowded with guards. Garo, Alogun, and Chalik had all contributed an equal amount of the protective force. The guards formed successive rings around the prison each looking both alert and nervous.


    Aria scoffed in amusement. A well-placed explosive or two would render the entire company useless. Likely they were placed there for peace of mind rather than actual protection. Even if their armor possessed magical protection she could not sense, mortal guards were still no match for determined deities.


    Still, she made note of the number of guards, took drawings of their armor, and noted down the closest geographical features. There were few to speak of, since the entire area was a rocky desert with only a few large trees, but several large rocks held potential as hiding sights. Finally, when she had nothing more to take note of, she put her writing materials back in her pocket.


    She wasn¡¯t hungry, but a craving for food was growing. For a brief moment, she considered buying a meal, but the less often she was seen outside the safety of her new realm, the longer she would live.


    She was climbing down the tree when a deafening crack suddenly rang out. She watched in horror as the ground below her split apart. The tree she was in sank into the yawning darkness in a blur of dirt and leaves.


    Her wits returned to her in seconds. She teleported to the first place she could think of - Achi¡¯s beach house and stood in the sand for several seconds, catching her breath and stilling her house.


    What was that?


    Her panic soon receded. She considered teleporting back to her previous position, but she did not know how much of it had survived. After several moments of thought, she decided on a smarter solution. She teleported to Alogun¡¯s home, making sure to keep out of range of his senses, and found a hiding place.


    She had only been there for minutes when the carriage came speeding by and practically crashed in front of the building. An attendant spilled out of the carriage, dusted himself off, and then ran in to find Alogun. He bowed perfunctorily before allowing bursting with the words he had been holding back.


    ¡°Your Eminence! The ground! It broke!¡±


    Alogun looked confused and alarmed. ¡°Is the prison intact?¡±


    The man nodded vigorously. ¡°Yes, yes. The prison is fine. The crack runs alongside it, but it is undamaged.


    Alogun rose from his table and motioned for the guard to lead the way. The two climbed into the carriage, the guard sitting ahead while Alogun took the larger seat in the back, and traveled back to Tivelo¡¯s prison.


    Aria followed them, teleporting short distances at a time and taking care to stay out of range. She was primarily drawing power from one of Achi¡¯s rings now, and it was not yet low enough to spark caution in her.


    They found the site as the man had described.  A crack in the earth, about twenty feet wide, ran alongside Tivelo¡¯s prison. It was terrifying seeing a chasm wide enough to swallow a house where minutes before, there had been earth and trees. The prison, however, was undamaged and Tivelo¡¯s state had not changed.

 57. Compensation

    Aria cast her awareness down the track as far as it would go, trying to find the bottom. She found none. Wherever the bottom of the crack was, it was outside her ten-mile range. The length of the crack similarly defied her understanding. It began near the prison, about half a mile from where she had hidden, but its other end was similarly out of her range.


    Alogun wore a calm expression, but Aria was not fooled. There was an uncertainty to his movements. He knelt on the edge of the gully and felt the dirt, pressing down as if trying to feel its stability. Next, he rubbed a portion of the dirt through his fingers. The gathered attendants watched expectantly, as if he would explain the occurrence and all would be well. Instead, he ordered most of them back to their places and addressed the one who had fetched him.


    ¡°Go back and fetch more people,¡± he said. ¡°Post some on both ends of this and have them inform me if it grows. Have some others measure its length.¡±


    While they went to work, he stood still and pensive. With his back to the attendants, hints of his true feelings shone on his face: frustration, anger, and worry.


    Chalik arrived minutes later. She made her attendants stand back as she spoke with Alogun, using low voices that would not carry.


    ¡°Can you explain this?¡± She asked.


    ¡°It seems that Tivelo¡¯s construction is not as stable as we thought,¡± Alogun said. He looked at Chalik with very expressive eyes. ¡°I suspect that he never made any plans to stop our actions. He knew our whole world would disintegrate without him. All he had to do was sit and wait for us to realize our mistake.¡±


    Both deities cast glances back at Tivelo¡¯s still form.


    ¡°This is happening in the other realms?¡± Chalik asked.


    ¡°I have not checked, but I would bet on it.¡±


    ¡°Even the lower realm? There are mortals there. I thought he cared about the rabble.¡±


    ¡°Achi cared. And Achi is dead.¡±


    Chalik fell into silence. ¡°You need to confirm it first. You can¡¯t make assumptions.¡±


    Alogun smirked. ¡°I¡¯ve already examined the ground. And I know what the ground in the other realms feel like. They¡¯ll have the same instability. But, of course, keep hoping until you see the proof.¡±


    ¡°We can return to our original realm,¡± Chalik said.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Alogun smiled. ¡°Just as soon as we pierce the barrier enough to determine if it still exists. Of course, the widespread craters, absence of an atmosphere, dearth of water would present an obstacle. But maybe we can go back in time before Garo and his ilk blasted the place into rubble. Then, everything will be perfect!¡±


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    Chalik scowled. ¡°Don¡¯t scream at me. I¡¯m thinking of solutions.¡±


    ¡°Stop thinking,¡± Alogun said. ¡°The only way this plan succeeded was if Tivelo never discovered it. But he did, because Garo cannot be trusted with anything larger than a thimble.¡±


    ¡°Casting blame will get us nowhere. And don¡¯t forget, you chose to leave the implementation to Garo.¡±


    ¡°He forced his way into the group. Remember, I told you that he was an idiot.¡±


    Their voices had rapidly risen so that the attendants could hear them. Chalik brought the conversation down to the proper decibels.


    ¡°Blame him later,¡± she said. ¡°What do we do now?¡±


    ¡°I need to determine the rate of disintegration. If we can find someone with the right skillset, we might be able to arrest the decay. But that depends on if the flaw is something Tivelo added, if it its stability was simply too difficult for him. If he has been holding it together from the beginning, we won¡¯t have a choice but to bring him back. No one else has the sheer breadth of his power.¡±


    Chalik nodded, sighing as she did so. ¡°Do what you need to. I¡¯ll leave a message for Garo and get a list of the abilities of the other deities. Still, if we can¡¯t fix it - ¡°


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill myself and let the rest of you spend eternity floating in a landless void,¡± Alogun said. ¡°No one will revive Achi.¡±


    Chalik did not seem to share that certainly. ¡°We¡¯ll consider it,¡± she said. ¡°We might be able to salvage the situation.¡±


    Alogun laughed. ¡°Go, recall all the examples of Tivelo¡¯s rage and tell me again if you want to throw yourself at his mercy.¡±


    Chalik left soon after, looking so disturbed, even her attendants noticed it. Alogun followed soon after leaving Aria along with the guards. As soon as the deities were gone, they began chattering among themselves. Fear and worry filled the area devoid of any attendant hope. All of them knew Tivelo. They knew that they were doomed.


    Aria searched her own realm for hours, looking for cracks. It was as big as the lower realm and filled with geographical diversity. She could barely believe that Achi or Tivelo was capable of such a feat, and she was not the least bit surprised that the result was unstable.


    She found no cracks, no matter how she searched. Her realm was newer than the others. Perhaps that meant something, or perhaps Achi had stabilized it in some way. In either scenario, she had a problem. She would either suffer the disappearance of her home sometime in the future or be forced to watch everyone else disappear while she alone remained. Even if she wanted to give them shelter, Achi had said that no one else could be brought in.


    The answer, as obvious to her as to Alogun, was that Achi and Tivelo needed to be revived.


    If I was Achi¡¯s love, Tivelo would probably pardon me.


    Perhaps it was that easy. If she fell in love with Achi, she would go from being the cause of his death to his reason for living. Tivelo would not be able to harm her without harming his son.


    A thought rang in her mind. Had he wanted that? Had he seen his son¡¯s death coming, seen that he would eventually die without someone to love. And it would have been difficult to convince him to love someone other than Achi.


    So, he had manipulated Aria, imprisoned her, and tortured her. At every step, Achi had been there to protect her and provide for her, forging a bond between them. Even now, she felt guilty for the way she had treated him. What could be more natural than for her to form a closer bond with him, especially since it was the only way to save herself and the world? Tivelo would have what he wanted, the mortals would be saved, and the other deities would be punished.


    Disgust filled Aria, even as she acknowledged the plan¡¯s brilliance. And she realized the flaw in it. Just as she had failed to manipulate Achi into helping her, Tivelo had failed to manipulate her. She knew his plan. She knew that he wanted her to fall in love with Achi. How would she do that when she hated his father so much?

 58. Induced Love

    Aria gaped at the room as she strolled in. The bookshelves were gone, leaving only one large empty warehouse. As she spun around, her eyes found Chalik, lounging on one of the remaining chair. She crooked a finger at Aria, and Aria, with a sigh, obeyed the summons.


    She stopped several feet away from Chalik and took in the goddess'' pose, knees over one arm of the armchair, and attendants on both sides feeding her something chocolate-covered.


    Over her, Aria could see Alogun at the nearest wall, writing frantically with a piece of chalk and paying them no attention.


    "He''s been doing that for days," Chalik said. "Every time he seems about to stop, he speeds up again."


    Aria watched Alogun for a time. His motions were mesmerizing, though the writing was unintelligible.


    "Is there any news about the earthquakes?" Aria asked.


    Chalik gestured behind her. "Ask them. I barely understood the updates. I suspect they didn¡¯t want me to.¡±


    Aria followed Chalik¡¯s gesture to the variety of attendants scattered about the room. One met her eyes. Rather than go over, she beckoned him to her. He obeyed and bowed slightly when he reached her.


    ¡°How may I assist you, Your Eminence?¡±


    ¡°Have you discovered anything about the earthquakes?¡±


    The man glanced at Chalik as if requesting permission and Chalik nodded.


    ¡°The ground is breaking at an inconsistent but accelerating rate,¡± he said. ¡°We have not been able to reliably predict the amount of time we have left. The number fluctuates with every calculation.¡±


    ¡°What is the range of your current estimates?¡± Aria asked.


    ¡°We have calculated our remaining time as anything from five minutes to two hours,¡± The man replied.


    Aria sighed. She walked around Chalik¡¯s couch until she was right beside the attendant, then she held out her stack of books. ¡°I need to return these,¡± she said.


    Alogun was still furiously writing. He would find the solutions. For now, her task was to continue with her plan.


    ¡°I also need more books on love-bound deities,¡± she said. ¡°Give me anything I can carry that isn¡¯t too advanced.¡±


    The man inclined his head in acknowledgment and then retreated.


    Waiting in that same position was awkward, with Chalik only a few steps away, so she approached Alogun. She stayed several feet away from him, but he might not have noticed her even if their faces had been touching.


    He filled the wall in straight, even lines, right to left and top to bottom, starting a new column when he reached the bottom of the current one. The words were still unintelligible, but the drawings were even more so. They were a mess of lines, arrows, and unrecognizable shapes.


    She strolled along the length of the wall, searching for something recognizable. Four columns away, she saw her name written almost halfway down a column. A few spaces later, she saw Tivelo¡¯s and then Achi¡¯s. They appeared in more places, thrilling her with every appearance but they did not make the writing any more intelligible.


    ¡°Something is odd about you.¡±


    Aria jumped and spun around.


    Alogun stood there, peering at her with a creased brow.


    ¡°Did you just appear here?¡± Aria asked.


    ¡°No. I walked.¡± He fell silent, still watching her with a penetrating glare.


    Arai struggled not to show her anxiety. Behind Alogun, an attendant returned with her books, giving her something to do. She accepted them with a grateful smile, nodded her goodbye to Alogun, and disappeared. She had been back in her home for several minutes before her chest stopped pounding.


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    In hindsight, it was obvious that she would not be able to hide her identity forever. Achi had provided her with an extremely expensive hiding place and she had chosen to stray from it.


    She tied the straps on the bag in her hands. It was full of more yams and salted meat than she probably needed, but using all her brainpower for more important calculations. Once the bag was properly secured, she teleported to its destination on the lower realm, a dark cave a thousand miles below the earth. It smelled terrible, but it was spacious and as safe as she had found.


    She took a few moments to inspect the place once more, and then she teleported home. She appeared in the middle of their sitting room. Wooden chairs with cotton padding, wooden walls, and windows with wooden shutters greeted her. After the parade of palaces and deities, she could barely believe that this world existed. The floor was made of red clay and one leopardskin rug. Beyond that and the utilitarian furniture, the house was empty.


    Aria checked the backyard to confirm it and then stretched her senses over the entire village. Similar houses filled it, occupied by oblivious people, but her parents were not among them.


    With a curse, she hurried out onto the streets and found the first person she knew. He looked confused to see her and spent more than a few seconds smiling stupidly at her beauty, but he answered well enough.


    ¡°They left weeks ago,¡± he said. ¡°They went on a pilgrimage to Rogu. Are you family?¡±


    He smiled what must have been his first smile. It was unfortunate for him that it showcased four missing teeth.


    Aria thanked and turned away, relief flooding through her. Her parents were safe. They would never go on a pilgrimage to Rogu; they hated the city. Rogu was their safe word. It told Aria that they had left willingly and would not be returning until they received word from her.


    Once again, Achi was ahead of her.


    With her family safe, only her own future required management. She had no desire to follow Tivelo¡¯s plan for her, but she needed to plan for the possibility.


    Evera¡¯s palace had not changed; every damage from the battle remained. Despite that, Ritu had not left. Aria found him in the damaged meeting room, hauling out rubble by himself. He stopped as Aria walked in, tensing at her footsteps.


    ¡°It¡¯s just me,¡± she said.


    When he turned around, she came to know exactly what a man resembled when he no longer cared. His head sat uncombed, like tufts of grass on parched land. There were stains on his shirt and all the way down his trousers and he had not shaved or bathed in days.


    ¡°How have you been?¡± Aria asked, realizing a moment later that the question was redundant.


    To her surprise, however, Ritu smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve been well,¡± he said. ¡°And you?¡± His brow creased in a worried frown. ¡°I heard that Garo is awake.¡±


    The news momentarily froze Aria, but she recovered quickly, glancing around the room to hide her discomfort.


    ¡°You seem cheerful,¡± she said.


    Ritu shrugged and put down the chunk of stone he was still holding. ¡°It comes and goes. How can I help you?¡±


    Aria felt some discomfort about imposing herself on him, but her aim was pure.


    ¡°I was wondering,¡± she said, ¡°did Evera have anything like a love potion?¡±


    Ritu remained silent for a brief moment. He shifted his weight from one moment to another while he thought and Aria waited as well, uncertain about his uncertainty.


    ¡°She has something of the sort,¡± he said, ¡°depending on who needs it.¡±


    He moved before she could respond, strength in his steps. ¡°Follow me.¡±


    They found a staircase, but he went down instead of up. A lantern had burned out in the stairwell so that one portion of it was unlit. How long had Evera been dead? Long enough for her home to be in ruins. How long had Achi been dead? Long enough for the world to fall apart.


    ¡°Is it for a man or a woman?¡± Ritu asked. He turned from the corridor into a rectangular room.


    ¡°Does it matter?¡± Aria asked.


    Shelves filled the room, like a wine cellar, but each opening held only a tiny bottle. One side of the room held green and white bottles - two to a shelf, while the other held red and blue bottles.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what the difference is,¡± Ritu said, ¡°but she kept different ones for men and women.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s for a woman,¡± Aria said.


    Ritu nodded. He didn¡¯t seem as interested in her reasons as he should have. For whatever reason, he was calm and accepting.


    He took and red and blue bottle from a slot, leaving an empty hole surrounded by filled ones. Then, he turned to face her.


    There were no windows in the room, since it was underground. That, combined with the silence of the deserted palace, made her uneasy.


    Ritu held up both bottles, the red one in his right hand, and the blue in his left.


    ¡°There are two doses,¡± he said. ¡°She needs to take the red one first, while thinking about the person she wants to love. She must take it herself. The blue one is to be  taken when the red one wears off.¡±


    He held both bottles out to Aria and she accepted them, grateful for his unquestioning assitance.


    ¡°Does it work on deities?¡± She asked.


    He looked confused, but shook his head. ¡°No. Most deities have fixed personalities. If something can change them, it will need to be more powerful.¡±


    Aria nodded, feeling the bottles in her hands. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Ritu nodded as well. ¡°Be careful. By the way, don¡¯t open them until you¡¯re ready to use them. They degrade.¡±

 59. Hostages

    Aria stared at the potions as they rested on her dressing table. From her prone position, each one looked tinier than a fingertip. She could take them. She would fall in love with Achi, presumably. They could marry, live in this palace, run the world. Perhaps they would have children. She laughed at herself. More likely, it would fail because the potion did not work on ghosts.


    She rolled out of bed and onto her feet. The potions were a backup plan. There was no need to consider them yet.


    She shook her head and climbed out of bed. Outside, she completed her daily survey of her surroundings. There were still no visible cracks in the surface, something that filled her with hope. Perhaps Achi had made this realm more resilient. But it filled her with fear as well.  To be trapped alone, forever, in a large world while everyone else died? He would not have given her such a gift.


    Technically he only gave you about eighty years of energy.


    Instinctively, she felt for the rings she was wearing. She had barely depleted them and they stored significantly more than eighty years of energy. Either someone found a way to save the world or she could be left with no choices but suicide or slow madness.


    After her survey, she stopped at a gazebo and retrieved her books. Alogun was working on a plan and he was more intelligent than she was and just as motivated. He would find something. She let herself focus on her own duty: learning.


    She picked up the first book in her new collection: How to make a God. It proved to be poorly named. Dull Recitation of the Histories of Various Deities would have been a better title. She learned facts from it, but slowly and painfully.


    ¡°Aria?¡±


    Aria jumped. The voice had seemed to come from right beside her, but there was no one around.


    She rose to her feet and allowed the book to fall onto her chair.


    ¡°Aria?¡± The voice came again. ¡°My name is Lorik. I bring a message from Alogun, The Deep Mountain, God of Knowledge and Unending Sight.¡±


    It was a tragedy, Aria thought, that she was too startled to appreciate the humor in that title.


    ¡°Where are you?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I am currently with The Deep Mountain. I can speak to you without being in your vicinity.¡±


    And, apparently, he could hear her as well.


    ¡°What does Alogun want?¡± She asked. A pit was forming in her stomach. He had called for Aria, and she had answered.


    ¡°I want to congratulate you,¡± Alogun¡¯s voice said. ¡°You fooled me for four full days. That is a feat greater than anyone has ever achieved.¡±


    Aria took a breath to steady herself. She was safe; she was hidden.


    ¡°I suppose there¡¯s no point in denying it,¡± she said. ¡°What gave me away?¡±


    ¡°Your mannerisms,¡± Alogun said. ¡°And once I was no longer distracted, it seemed obvious that your only ability is teleportation. That is atypical for deities, but standard in ghosts.¡±


    Aria bit her lip in frustration and worry.


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    ¡°I can find you, wherever you are hidden,¡± he said.


    ¡°I wish you luck, then. I am very well hidden.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want to waste time,¡± he said. A grunt followed, then Alogun¡¯s voice again. ¡°Speak to your daughter.¡±


    Aria froze. Another grunt sounded, then another, and then another.


    ¡°Father?¡± She asked, even though she knew.


    ¡°Aria,¡± her father¡¯s voice came through clearly, as if he was right beside her, ¡°don¡¯t do anything they want.¡±


    There was the sound of a blow, and another grunt.


    ¡°Garo is doing the honors,¡± Alogun said, ¡°and very enthusiastically. I suspect he is still smarting from your humiliation.¡±


    Aria applauded. Her terror was receding, her heartbeat was growing steadier. The situation was familiar, manageable, something she had trained for her whole life. A hostage situation, a negotiation, the threat of violence. It was so comforting, she had to fight a smile.


    ¡°How did you find them?¡± She asked.


    ¡°My title is not made of empty words,¡± Alogun said.


    ¡°Then why have you not found me?¡±


    Silence followed that, punctuated only by blows and grunts.


    Aria frowned. ¡°Did you not find my mother? Or did she already kill herself?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s here,¡± Alogun said. He sounded confused now and that amused Aria.


    ¡°You¡¯re wondering why I am not more concerned?¡± She returned to her seat, making sure to remove the book from it first and gripped the parts of the chair beside her.


    ¡°Papa -¡± She said. ¡°I forgot. How many times did you cane me because I saved a friend rather than complete a mission?¡±


    ¡°More than enough, I hope,¡± his breathing was heavy.


    ¡°After all that effort, it would be a shame if I disregard your training, would it not?¡±


    ¡°I would never forgive you,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯d threaten to cut your throat, but that works less often now that you¡¯re an adult.¡±


    This time, Aria failed to suppress a smile. ¡°So brave. But don¡¯t worry, they¡¯ll release you.¡±


    ¡°And why do you say that?¡± Alogun asked.


    ¡°Because I¡¯m going to count to sixty in my mind,¡± Aria said. ¡°And while I¡¯m doing that, you¡¯re going to choose. You can return my parents to their hiding place and negotiate in a more intelligent manner or I can kill myself. Then, you can torture them for as long as it takes the world to fall apart.¡±


    The response was a loud blow and an even louder grunt from her father.


    ¡°This is ironic,¡± Aria said. ¡°Do you know how much they love you, Garo? You have your two most loyal followers right there, and you¡¯re embarassing yourself. I won¡¯t break.¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t fall for this,¡± Alogun said.


    ¡°That is fine,¡± Aria said. ¡°I¡¯ve reached sixteen.¡±


    She continued counting silently, resolve growing with every count. Fear tried to rear its head, but she mastered it. Like the moment she touched her spear before a battle, she was committed.


    ¡°Stop this.¡± Chalik said. ¡°Truly, you are all insane.¡±


    There was a pause in the grunts.


    ¡°Aria,¡± Chalik said, ¡°allow me to be frank with you. We need you. With your assistance, we can revive Achi, restore the world, and avoid Tivelo¡¯s wrath but without you, our only choice is death. Between death and happy survival, we¡¯ve chosen survival. Those two idiots cannot fathom obtaining your help without threats, but I am willing to make a fair deal with you. I typically employ Proiva for these things. You might not know her, but every deity you can ask will vouch for her. We use her to make binding agreements that no one can break.¡±


    Aria considered that carefully. ¡°And what will I be required to agree to?¡±


    ¡°We will help you revive Achi, and you will talk him into making his father pardon us,¡± Chalik said. ¡°Everyone wins.¡±


    Aria frowned. ¡°If that is so sensible, you could have presented it before kidnapping my parents.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± Chalik said. ¡°But, as you can imagine, the others wanted a backup plan.¡±


    Aria fell silent as she made exhaustive mental calculations. She could not trust them; she knew that. But she did not believe they would free her parents without an agreement and she did not wish to sacrifice them unnecessarily.


    ¡°This is what we will do,¡± she said. ¡°Any negotiations will require you to first release my parents. I will take thirty minutes to consider your proposal. After that, if they are secure, I might be willing to work with you.¡±


    ¡°No -¡± Garo said.


    ¡°That is fine,¡± Chalik said. ¡°We will speak to you in thirty minutes. You may break the connection, Lorik.¡±

 60. Completion

    The bottles had not moved. Aria cradled them in her hands and stared into space. Perhaps it would not work. How could a potion induce love? Perhaps she would take it and find that she had been tricked. But, then, she would be forced to work with Alogun. That thought made her even more nauseous. If she had to be forced to love someone, she preferred to infect herself from a bottle.


    She put the blue bottle down on her bed and uncorked the red one. It felt like suicide. She marvelled at the way her hands obeyed her commands, even as her fury mounted. She hated being forced to make such a choice. All her life was now a maze of difficult choices.


    The bottle contained only a single black pill. She rolled it between two fingers, marvelling at its size. Perhaps there would be good in this. Somewhere, in the world, a little girl dreamed of marrying a prince. She had exceeded that girl¡¯s dreams by several orders of magnitude.


    She put the pill into her mouth and swallowed. It was better to execute her own plan than to trust known traitors.


    She rose to her feet and began to pace.


    Seconds seemed to take an eternity as she waited. A minute passed, then two minutes, then ten. She had promised to speak to the others in thirty minutes, but she had not expected to need that many. This was supposed to be simple. She would take the potion, fall in love, and spend the rest of her life in forced bliss. Perhaps the potion would even do something for her disdain for Tivelo and the current ache of defeat in her stomach.


    Her stomach turned.


    She had seconds to find a flower pot and empty it, then she was heaving into it. There was little to throw up. Without hunger, she was regularly forgetting to eat. What ended up in the flowerpot was, thankfully, mostly unidentifiable liquid.


    Her nausea disappeared as quickly as it had come on, but she felt no better. Her stomach felt tight; her chest ached. Her whole body felt heavy. She realized that she was sitting on the ground, remarkably close to lying beside a vomit bucket, and she felt as if she had been ill for days.


    She pushed herself to her feet because lying on the floor felt pathetic. She swayed, but she made it.


    Then, the first image appeared in her mind: Achi. His face filled every empty corner of her mind, his smile brave and sad like a wounded warrior, pushing through his pain toward his death.


    Aria¡¯s chest constricted.


    The image changed. She saw Achi as Achi as Isei, tipping half of his lunch onto her own plate with a thrilled smile. He had done that often and then proceed to watch her eat as if nothing in life matter more than the sight of her. And she had eaten it, guiltily, because his despair when she refused was unbearable.


    The memory felt sharp, like the sight of a gift from a deceased friend. She forced it away, but more followed. Each was different, but unpleasant. Achi, anxiously lying to his father while she hid. Achi glaring at her in exasperation while she tried to sink into Evera¡¯s bed. Achi telling her to give up all hope of becoming a goddess.


    Achi watching her with horror when he woke up to her kiss. She recognized what she had not then. Betrayal, despair, anger, and acceptance. He was a man stripped of all his hopes, even the hope of a few more weeks of life, by the woman he thought he loved. And he wouldn¡¯t fight his fate.


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    At the feast, she had learned that he would die and her overriding worry had been about herself. She had not asked how she could save him. It had not occurred to her that it would be possible. It had not mattered over her fear for her own self. She had plotted to save herself with his death. She had actually presented such a plan to him. And he had refused it, not because of its disgusting selfishness, but because he was still trying to save her.


    Her stomach turned and she found herself on the floor, heaving into the bucket again. When that was over, she stayed down, her body too weak to fight gravity; weak from pain and weak from guilt. She had slept in his bed, touched the jewelry he gave her, eaten his food, worn his clothes. She had dared to be angry at him, irritated that he had not better prepared her, when the slightest trace of humanity should have compelled her to curl into a ball, repulsed by her own self.


    One more memory visited her: the kiss. It felt different in the memory, not like a planned investigation, but an island of bliss. She felt herself sink into it, thrilled and scared and happy for one eternal moment. Even as the memory faded, the feeling remained. And she didn¡¯t regret it. She regretted every moment that had come since then, but not that one.


    Then, the visions were gone, and she was left with nothing but herself, a silent room, and a sense of purpose.


    She rose from the ground, her body moving almost without her guidance. All the planning and worries that had tormented her, each one driving her choices like a whipmaster, all of them were gone. The path forward was clear. She had to revive Achi, and she knew how to do it. Tivelo would return, yes. He would be furious. But that mattered as little as the stars did in the overwhelming brightness of day.


    She teleported to the middle realm. She needed to find Achi¡¯s body. Strangely, she knew where it was. Her whole body felt drawn toward it like a compass pointing north.


    Insider her, something kept screaming. You¡¯re insane. It¡¯s the potion. You¡¯re supposed to make plans before walking into the scorpion¡¯s nest. You¡¯re supposed to stay where it¡¯s safe.


    The voice was loud, but only as a bee¡¯s buzzing could be loud; loud and meaningless. She ignored it with little effort. Even if it was correct, she was doing the right thing. And it was the only thing to do.


    Wait five minutes and this will wear off, it said.


    You¡¯re going to revive Tivelo. You¡¯re going to give him what he wants. He tortured you. You still have nightmares. He hurt and used you for his son. Why would you give him victory? He won¡¯t forgive you. He¡¯ll find a way to punish you anyway. It¡¯s who he is.


    No one can live in this upside-down world, she told the voice, where someone helps you and you hurt him in return. I can¡¯t repay him even by reviving him, but I can take small steps.


    The voice fell silent. It knew that reasoning with her was pointless.


    She walked into Alogun¡¯s home to absolute silence. The watching deities stood stunned, likely confused at her sudden arrival and the sense of purpose in her steps. She found Achi¡¯s body where her senses had told her it would be, lying unceremoniously on the ground with Alogun beside it. The sight tore at her, so she pressed forward and knelt beside the body. She ignored Alogun¡¯s confused stare and the others approaching footsteps. She ignored the feel of Alogun¡¯s barrier forming around the building, trapping her in.


    She bent over Achi, and as quickly as the idea formed in her mind, she kissed him. A wave of power left her, like a massive breath, and washed over the room, bathing her, the body, the witnesses, and every wall.


    It seemed to linger for a moment, heavy in the air. And then, in one instant, it dissolved, taking with it her strength and every trace of compulsion in her mind.


    It felt like suddenly coming awake when you had not known that you were asleep. She knew where she was. She recognized most of the gathered deities. She even recalled every step that had brought her to that position, but she struggled to understand why she was there.

 61. Something Suspicious

    ¡°Are you well?¡± Chalik asked.


    Aria felt weak. She was sitting on the ground and using one hand for support. And Achi had not awoken. His body seemed as lifeless as it had when she first caught them gloating over it. That memory brought a vicious surge of anger, far stronger than she had felt before. The potion had not stopped manipulating her feelings though its compulsion was gone.


    So, why was he not awake?


    She kissed him again, pulled back and waited. The others seemed to be waiting with her, though they seemed confused as well.


    Garo spoke first. ¡°What is going on?¡±


    ¡°I sense Evera¡¯s magic,¡± Alogun said. His eyebrows sank suspiciously. ¡°Why would you - Ugh. Did you take one of her potions?¡±


    Aria kissed Achi again, cursing when it did nothing.


    ¡°It won¡¯t work,¡± Alogun sighed. ¡°Evera¡¯s potions can stimulate intense obsession, but once it wears off, all that remains is what was already there. It¡¯s fine for tricking mortals, because they can¡¯t tell the difference, but Achi¡¯s magic can.¡±


    Aria rose to her feet.


    ¡°It worked,¡± she said. Her sense of Achi¡¯s position was fading, but the guilt and shame remained. She knew that she was trapped in Alogun¡¯s home, but she had no intention of escaping. Despite the potential costs, she intended to see this through.


    Alogun frowned. ¡°As I said, Evera has no power to create actual affection. Whatever you feel was already there.¡±


    Aria dusted herself off and straightened her back, trying to project some measure of control. ¡°What about the second dose? I never took it.¡±


    Alogun stared down his nose at her, looking smug. ¡°The second dose contains a note explaining what I just told you, because a treatment must outlast the deception to be effective. Now, can we begin our business?¡±


    Aria attempted to teleport out of the building and failed. None of those around seemed to notice, so she kept calm and ran through her options.


    There were two unfamiliar deities in the room. She guessed that the stocky man was the messenger, which left a woman with shorn hair as the oathbinder.


    Aria teleported herself to the nearest armchair and sat down with her legs crossed. ¡°I still expect complete details about the help you will offer before I take any oaths.¡±


    Chalik came over, walking leisurely. ¡°You know that we won¡¯t do that,¡± she said. ¡°And why would it be necessary? Read the oath we¡¯ve crafted first.¡±


    Aria accepted the proffered sheet from Chalik. Everything about the situation felt uncomfortable. She shot a glance at Achi¡¯s body before taking in the paper. There were two oaths listed, one for Chalik and one for Aria.


    Chalik¡¯s said, I swear to use all of my ability to assist Aria in reviving Achi and preserving her life.


    For Aria it said, If Chalik, Garo, and Alogun successfully assist me in reviving Achi, I swear to order Achi to keep Tivelo from punishing them for any past offenses.


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    ¡°There is no need to worry about loopholes,¡± Chalik said. ¡°The oath works based on your perception. If you believe that I have not kept my oath, I will die. My perception of the situation does not matter. In the same way, if I think you have failed to keep your oath, you will die.¡±


    Aria felt even less happy about the oath, then.


    ¡°You seem like the paranoid sort,¡± Chalik said, ¡°and this is the hardest kind of oath to break. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re reasonable and will be able to tell if I have upheld my end. And your oath is simple. As long as you give Achi the order in my presence, I will have nothing to complain about.¡±


    Aria took another glance down at the paper while something churned in her stomach. ¡°Explain what you mean by ¡®order¡¯.¡±


    Chalik folded her arms across her chest. ¡°If our plan works, you will have the ability to make Achi do anything you want, just as he can order his father to do his will.¡±


    ¡°Achi can¡¯t do that.¡±


    Chalik frowned. ¡°Of course, he can.¡±


    ¡°No, he cannot. He could not stop Tivelo from¡­ locking me up.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± Chalik shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s a difference between asking him to do something and ordering him to do it. That is why your oath specifies an order. He will comply with an order if it is possible for him to do so.¡±


    ¡°And would it be impossible?¡± Aria asked.


    Chalik shrugged. ¡°All deities are complicated. My guess is that Achi could never have ordered Tivelo to pardon you because punishing you was necessary to help Achi. Or perhaps such an action would have caused a rift between them and he hoped to avoid the option. You can ask him when he wakes.¡±


    Aria let the writing drop to the ground beside her. She felt uncertain, again; angry, afraid, uneasy.


    ¡°And if this plan fails,¡± she said, ¡°what happens?¡±


    ¡°Alogun will try to return us to our old home. He will probably fail.¡± She shot a glance at Alogun. ¡°He is proving surprisingly incompetent. But, even if he succeeds, mortals cannot survive there given the condition it is likely in. Any deities that can survive in that environment will have a home, but make no mistake: we have no other options.¡±


    Aria addressed the shaved woman. ¡°And you will be binding this oath?¡±


    The woman nodded, a jerky movement made jerkier by her stony expression.


    ¡°And what did they offer you in exchange for tricking me?¡±


    The woman¡¯s expression changed into a mixture of amusement and offense. ¡°You must be very young,¡± she said. ¡°My name is Proiva. I am older than you by about sixteen centuries and wise enough to overlook that insult. I¡¯ve survived this long despite my lack of cunning and combat ability by having this one useful skill. I can create an oathbinding that binds you both with your own powers. That means that you will never be able to break it without either killing yourself or losing your powers. Even if I were interested in losing my reputation in order to trick you, I cannot. As you should know, deities are bound by their natures and powers. I cannot bind a false oath any more than Garo can throw a duel. Now, if you are all done talking down to me, I would prefer to finish this before the world ends.¡±


    One pair at a time, every eye turned to Aria.


    The oath seemed safe. The others gained no benefit if she did not both revive Achi and survive. Forcing Achi to do something against her will went against her own wishes, but refusing to do so would force them into a standoff. Besides, she chuckled to herself, Achi would probably try to get them a pardon, anyway. He certainly would not begrudge her doing whatever she could to save them.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take the oath,¡± she said. ¡°On one condition: Garo and Alogun must take it as well. And they must additionally vow not to intentionally harm me or anyone I know.


    Garo grumbled the most, but he and Alogun capitulated quickly. And why should they not? They had much to gain from the arrangement and nothing of worth to lose.


    The oath itself went smoothly. Aria took hers last because she still feared treachery, but the other deities gave no indication of such plans. Alogun seemed impatient and Garo looked irritated, but it was Chalik who bothered Aria. She stood utterly still as she watched the proceedings, like a tree on a windless day.


    When Aria had taken her oath, Provka turned to Chalik, hand outstretched. Chalik paid her with a single large coin, catching Aria¡¯s eye as she did so.


    ¡°For her services,¡± Chalik smiled, ¡°not for betrayal.¡±


    Proivka gave everyone a quick once-over, and then departed with the speed of someone who wanted to be anywhere else.


    The messenger deity excused himself as well. Aria watched them both as they mounted one of Alogun¡¯s carriages and were ferried off by an attendant.

 62. Glory - 1

    ¡°Can we finish this now?¡± Garo asked.


    Alogun turned to Aria. ¡°Come with me.¡±


    He was several feet away before he realized that Aria had not followed him. He stopped and turned back to her with an irritated look. ¡°What is it now?¡±


    ¡°You have not told me how you intend to help me.¡±


    He gave her an annoyed glare. ¡°That is what I¡¯m about to show you.¡±


    ¡°Talk first.¡±


    Chalik chuckled. She seemed happier, relieved. Whatever tension had frozen her before seemed gone. Aria struggled to find a word to describe Chalik¡¯s manner.


    Hope. She seemed pleased about the future.


    Alogun returned to where they all stood and opened his mouth, but Chalik cut him off.


    ¡°We will attempt to reverse what Alogun did to you,¡± she said. ¡°There is no precedent, but Alogun believes he has a solution that might work for you. If it works, there should be an attendant change in your personality. If your personality reverts to what it should have been without his modifications, you should find that Achi seems like a better romantic match. There might be more steps after that, depending on how much success we have, hence Alogun¡¯s impatience.¡±


    Aria turned to Alogun to gauge the impact of Chalik¡¯s words and found him merely looking annoyed. Garo had wandered away and taken a seat on a couch to sharpen his knives.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Aria asked.


    ¡°The lower realm,¡± Alogun replied. ¡°I need a volunteer.¡±


    He was already walking away so briskly that Aria had to teleport to catch up. Outside, one of his carriages was waiting, with a female attendant seated in front and a large trunk occupying one row. Aria could not see into the trunk, and the ignorance irked her. As they took off, she considered opening it, but decided that there was no point in the action. If he used it, he would open it and her curiosity would be satisfied.


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    The ride was cool and more relaxing than she had expected. They rode in silence for several minutes. Aria fought back thoughts of Achi while Alogun stared silently ahead.


    After a few minutes, they broke the barrier between worlds. The accompanying flash triggered so many memories: her first trip to Garo¡¯s palace, her ride with Tivelo, Achi forcing her back to the lower realm before his death.


    They traveled for a while after the realm change. For the first time, she truly watched surroundings as they went. They were going so fast, that she could see nothing but blurs below. She wondered what towns they were passing over and if the people knew that a god was flying above them.


    Alogun opened the trunk. The sound of its lock colliding with its wooden side drew her attention. She leaned over slightly, eager to see its contents, and felt disappointed at the sight. There was nothing of interest in it; several glass bowls, beakers, and metal spoons were arranged on the bottom, resting on and separated by woolen cloth. The only oddity was a thick book with a wooden cover.


    Alogun took out the book and shut the trunk.


    He flipped through pages slowly, inspecting each one for only an instant, but turning them with great care.


    ¡°Can you cast spells without a book?¡± Aria asked.


    Alogun kept his gaze on the book. ¡°How many men have you been intimate with?¡±


    Aria sputtered. ¡°How - what - how is that any of your concern?¡±


    ¡°My apologies,¡± Alogun said unapologetically, ¡°I thought we were prying into each others¡¯ affairs.¡±


    After that, the silence was less comfortable.


    Alogun found the page he was looking for a moment later and began reading from it in a low, musical voice. Aria ached to ask what spell he was casting, but she was still smarting from his last retort. Her curiosity grew as she watched. And eventually, so did her anxiety. She had not ridden many carriages, but even the ride from the lower realm to Garo¡¯s palace had not taken this long.


    Alogun stopped speaking and Aria¡¯s anxiety morphed into panic. Her arms grew heavy and fell limp. Her body followed almost instantaneously. Her head rolled to one side, taking her body with it, off the bench. She would have screamed, but her jaw had clamped short. She collided with the floor of the carriage, her head hanging over the edge so that she could see the world blurring by. The motion of her body had not ceased, however. She felt herself sliding, worried that she would fall over, but friction kept her in place. A moment later, Alogun seized her and pulled her along the ground until all of her body was on the platform.


    Her nose was pressed to the floor while her body lay pressed between Garo¡¯s legs and one side and the driver¡¯s bench on the other.


    For the first time, she attempted to teleport away and was rewarded with nothing. The carriage remained stubbornly there. All the power she had churning in her and in her rings had suddenly become useless. She couldn¡¯t even rage at Alogun. She couldn¡¯t ask what he was doing, if this had been his plan from the beginning.

 63. Glory - 2

    The carriage halted with a thump. From her position, Aria could see nothing of her destination. She tried to turn herself over, but her body might have been a lump of wood for all its obedience.


    She heard Alogun disembark, heard footsteps approach. She knew them even before she saw their owner. She had learned to watch for them and step aside like the other attendants. Heavy, thudding footsteps accompanied by the smell of leather and metal.


    Someone lifted her. She was granted the sight of Garo¡¯s face before he slung her over his shoulder like someone would carry a sack of flour.


    ¡°Be careful,¡± Chalik¡¯s voice came from out of sight. ¡°This is delicate.¡±


    Garo did not think much of that instruction. He dumped Aria onto the ground with all the tenderness of a bull.


    Rocks and sharp-bladed grass pressed into her back. She felt them, but only for a moment. The next moment, every present discomfort was rendered meaningless by the promise of a more terrifying one. Occupying much of the sky, impossible to miss, was a statue. Her own face gazed down at her. It seemed to mirror every bit of terror in her heart, as if it too was sentient and it knew that potential rescuers were in short supply.


    She fought with all her strength, though there was no outward sign of it. Her body remained as motionless as ever. Garo¡¯s face leaned over her, stretched with a smile.


    ¡°Admiring yourself?¡± He asked.


    Her eyes must have displayed her horror, because she had never seen him so happy before.


    He pulled her arms over her middle, placed one of her wrists over the other, and began to bind them with a length of rope. As he worked, Alogun and Chalik came into view. Alogun still seemed impatient, but Chalik had the temerity to look ill.


    ¡°I¡¯m really grateful to Chalik,¡± Garo said. ¡°I¡¯m a terrible negotiator, and Alogun is even worse. Without her, we would have been stuck with either torture or threats. Only she is capable of presenting our victory as a mutually beneficial deal.¡±


    ¡°It is mutually beneficial,¡± Chalik said. ¡°That was the only intelligent way to handle this.¡± She looked at Aria with a soft gaze. ¡°It¡¯ll be difficult for a while, but we all went through this. There is no pain-free way to godhood.¡±


    Garo scoffed. ¡°Don¡¯t believe your own lies. It¡¯s nauseating.¡±


    He turned back to Aria. ¡°You are going to die in there. But as long as you do it slowly, these two will be able to hope that their plan is working.¡± He pulled her to her feet, though that was pointless. He was still forced to hold up her entire weight. ¡°I was looking forward to torturing you parents while we waited for your failure,¡± he said, ¡°but you had to rob me of that. It¡¯s no matter. They¡¯ll be dead soon, anyway and I¡¯ve promised them a spectacular afterlife. If, by some miracle you survive this, remember to pick your battles with caution.¡±


    He continued to hold her up while Alogun read from his book again.


    For the first time since Achi¡¯s death, Aria prayed. All the gods she had idolized were either dead, incapacitated, or here before her proving themselves monsters. She could not hope for anything good at their hands. But she prayed anyway - to a god she didn¡¯t know - begging, hoping that somewhere was one who was what all these pretenders were not.


    Alogun finished his reading, and Aria felt more unfamiliar magic settle over her. He closed the book and let it drop to the ground with a thud.


    ¡°I¡¯ll send her up now,¡± he said. Then, he turned to Aria. ¡°Here is a tip for you: Most people do not survive this process. If you want to, you¡¯ll need a reason. Find something strong enough to keep you alive, and you might get the opportunity to thank us.¡±


    He began another spell, this one without his book, answering her previous question. When it ended, Aria found herself floating upward toward the top of the statue. A terrified tear streaked down her face, proving that her body was still functional.


    The interior was devastatingly familiar. She was forced onto the same chair and held upright by an invisible force. The ocean beyond was empty of ships, forcing a miserable loneliness on her.


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    Then came the waiting. No matter how futile her struggles, she could not make herself abandon them. Sometimes, she imagined that she managed to move a finger, or blink deliberately, but she knew that she only imagined it. She struggled more frantically as the waiting went on, because she knew that each moment that passed, brought her closer to her nightmares. She struggled, and the seconds passed, slow as the boiling of a pot, and fast as charging jaguar. And then, sudden despite the long wait, came the burning.


    The burning was in some ways, easier. The fear was gone. There was nothing to do. And by the time it arrived, she understood that no one would save her. The heavy wait of hope and longing had given way to what was before her. Unlike her first time, she could not scream or move. She could only suffer. The burning lasted longer than the waiting. An observer might have said differently, but she knew the truth. The waiting had lasted an hour. The burning lasted a lifetime.


    It ended just as suddenly as it had begun, then there was the waiting again, and the weeping. And so the cycles repeated. The burning, the weeping, the waiting, the burning, the weeping, the waiting. Like the rains come and go, year after year, always the same, but always new. Aria learned that it was possible to live the same experience a hundred times and be as terrified at the hundredth as you were at the first.


    And just as the yearly rains wore paths in the landscape, Aria found that she grew different with each cycle.


    First, she lost hope. It died with difficulty. Each time she swore that she would not indulge in it again, would not dream of Achi tearing down the walls to rescue her, she saw the rising flames again and fled back to hope. But, eventually, as slowly as a seed growing into a tree, it died and never bothered her again. Then, she lost her fear. Or, more accurately, she grew too tired to feed it. Her body, apparently, was not capable of summoning the same emotion over and over to no effect.


    When both fear and hope were gone, the anger came. It arrived like the last challenger in a round of duels, its path prepared by the death of its predecessors. When she could no longer indulge in hopes of rescue, or dying, or of waking from the horrible dream, it came to keep her company.


    Since this would never end, she realized, she could fill it with fantasies.


    ¡°You are going to die in there,¡± Garo said. But he was wrong. Death was impossible.


    ¡°You¡¯ll need a reason,¡± Alogun has said. But she did not. Her body was a fortress, resilient against all shocks. But if a reason was necessary, she had one.


    She had not revived Achi. So, the realms would crumble. This statue would cease to hold her. And since it could not kill her, nothing else would. She prayed to the silent, invisible god that every one of her enemies would live, so that she could spend the rest of eternity torturing them.


    It happened subtly, over so many cycles that she did not see it happening until it was well underway. She was growing weaker. The first sign was exhaustion. Instead of spending each break bracing for the next round, she found herself jerking awake, unable to point out when she¡¯d fallen asleep. Soon, it was happening every cycle. Sometimes, she woke minutes before the fire returned, but eventually, she only woke when the fire began.


    She found herself in the strange situation of fighting the rest. She had longed for death for so long, but now she longed for strength. The thought of Garo gloating, of Alogun¡¯s disdain, of Chalik¡¯s self-righteous disappointment made her fury burn hotter. But no matter how hard she tried, she could not find the strength necessary to live and sate her anger.


    ¡°You¡¯ll need a reason,¡± Garo had said.


    In the space between cycles, while she struggled to stay awake, sustained only by her fury, she named her reasons.


    One. Tivelo, because no world would be perfect in which he was not intimately familiar with the damage he had done.


    Two. Garo, who had put her in this statue twice. The sight of all laughter wrung from his face, of every person who had ever worshiped him witnessing his humiliation, that sight would be a soothing balm to her wounds.


    Three. Achi, because he had wronged her most of all. He had known, better than anyone, what his father was capable of. He had known how far Tivelo would go. He had possessed a device capable of telling the future. Had he truly wished to, he could have protected her. He could have been a stronger shield against his father. He could have killed her. He had possessed the tools to prevent this ending and had chosen not to use them. Every other person had the excuse of simply being evil. But not Achi. He had pretended to care but his motives, whatever they were, were not to her benefit. He was beyond her ability to harm, but if that ever changed, she would help him just as effectively as he had helped her.


    Four. Alogun. The blackhearted demon might believe he was better than Garo, but all demons are demons alike.


    And five, Chalik. People who are obviously evil belong to a special breed, but those who pretend to be kind are much worse. So, of all those she needed to dismember, Chalik deserved the most thoughtful treatment.


    She repeated the names to herself, over and over again, but it was pointless. With each cycle, she felt herself sleeping longer, struggling less. Eventually, even her anger provided less strength. Garo had been correct. She would die.


    As her strength faded, the torture hurt less and she was awake for less of it. She woke at odd intervals, not certain how many cycles had passed, or if any had passed at all, only knowing that eventually, she wouldn¡¯t wake up.


    She recalled Achi once more, recalled him asking to hide, and wished that she had listened. She thought of every moment that had led her to this position, from the day she had picked up her first weapon, to passing her trials, to winning a place as Garo¡¯s attendant. She cursed every victory in her life for the defeat it had truly been. And she wished that it was possible to undo all of it.

 64. All My Enemies in One Place

    Aria woke to freezing cold. There were flames all around her, the tower was on fire again, heat and smoke filled every corner of her prison. And yet, she felt cold. Cold and burning at the same time.


    She attempted to move a finger and, to her surprise, succeeded. She did it a second time, moving all four fingers. The heat continued its rampage around her, but the burning filled her with a sort of strength. She felt uncomfortable, and yet felt no desire to leave.


    She flexed her fingers, trying to reach the cord around her wrist, but failed. In frustration, she pulled her wrists apart and was surprised to see the rope break apart. It fell onto her lap in several pieces and began to burn, its prior protective enchantments now gone.


    Aria rose. At the same time, the flames around her began to subside, marking the end of the burning. She found herself standing taller, trying to catch the last of the heat before it was all gone, and sighing in disappointment when there was no more.


    And she was still cold, though no colder than before.


    Outside, the sun was high in the sky, but the surroundings were oddly quiet. She walked to the opening in her prison and looked down. The ocean remained, but its shore was littered with the carcasses of broken ships. Her position allowed her to see along the shoreline and a little upshore. The ground that she could see was covered in black lines, ravines criss-crossing the dirt like the lines of a spider¡¯s web. She saw people too, but they were far fewer than they should have been and every building was either run-down or half-swallowed by a ravine.


    She climbed onto the ledge of her opening and, before she could question the impulse, jumped down.


    She landed on the ground below in a crouch. Despite its mess of holes, it felt solid under her. She rose to her full height and took a moment to inspect her surroundings. No one was close enough to see her; the shore was abandoned and the closest people seemed at least a mile away.


    A crunch sounded behind her, like the sound of a boot on twigs. She spun around. At the same time, a wall of flame sprang from her, flowing in the direction of the wound and scorching everything in its path. It continued well past the waterline, burning the water, and only dying hundreds of feet offshore.


    The culprit, however, remained untouched. He stood a house-length away from her as if frozen, horror and pain marring his familiar features. Achi.


    ¡°Aria?¡± He asked. ¡°Is that you?¡±


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    He asked as if he refused to believe it, not as if he was truly confused.


    Aria tilted her head at him. She recalled that the thought of him used to bring conflicting feelings: grief, guilt, fear, longing. Now, all she felt was curiosity, and ice.


    ¡°You should be dead,¡± she said. ¡°Did you find someone else to love already? I haven¡¯t been gone very long.¡±


    ¡°Aria - you -¡±


    He was staring at her face as if something was wrong with it. It could have been mere shock, but he was a god, not a village sheepherder.


    Aria stalked over to the water¡¯s edge and waded in, until she could see her reflection. The wetness felt cold and disgusting, but she gritted her teeth and bore it.


    When the water was up to her knees, she bent closer to it and inspected the image that stared back at her.


    The face was her own face, the one she had been born with, but it was marred by burns, scattered over it like islands on a sea map. Her scalp, as far as she could see, bore the same deformity. Islands of hair were surrounded by oceans of baldness. She resembled a deformed coconut.


    That made her chuckle.


    She turned back to Achi, who was still waiting on the beach with a devastated expression.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Aria.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± She smiled. ¡°Because I¡¯m not beautiful anymore?¡±


    He frowned. He was confused.


    ¡°I -¡± He stopped and started again. ¡°How did this happen? Why am I awake?¡±


    What nerve, believing that she would answer his questions.


    She trudged out of the water. The moment she was on dry ground, she instinctively sent a burst of heat through herself leaving her clothes and legs dry. Then, she walked up to Achi. She stood so close that a flash of fear shot through his face. He did not step back, however, not even when she put a hand around his neck and let her nails dig into it. She was gentle about it but he still flinched in pain.


    She let a circle of fire form around them in case thoughts of escape had crossed his mind. He was only number three on her list afterall.


    ¡°Aria -¡±


    She pressed a finger to his lips. ¡°You¡¯ll speak,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯ll have time to explain why I should keep you alive. But first, you¡¯ll tell me where your father is.¡±


    To her surprise, he reached up and pried her hand off his neck. Spots of blood dotted the points where her nails had pierced him.


    ¡°My father is right behind you,¡± he said, face anxious but voice calm. ¡°Touching me is always a sure way to summon him.¡±


    She spun around and found his words to be true. Tivelo stood just outside her circle of flames, looking like a drawn bow, ready to fire at any moment. She could not tell if he was unable to cross the flames or merely waiting for her move. So, she stepped behind Achi and put both hands on his shoulder. Achi remained motionless, but Tivelo¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    Two carriages came to a thud behind them. Aria did not need to look behind her. Her magical sight had returned and she could clearly sense Garo, Alogun, and Chalik disembarking.


    ¡°Excellent,¡± Aria said, ¡°Everyone is here.¡±

 65. Now We Are Equals

    Aria kept a tight grip on Achi¡¯s shoulders. By his stillness, he sensed the warning in her fingers. Tivelo, standing a short distance away, had no such intuition. He watched her as if she was a servant caught wearing his clothes.


    ¡°Let him go,¡± Tivelo said. ¡°And I¡¯ll consider your previous punishment sufficient.¡±


    He could not be very intelligent, Aria thought. How else could he fail to sense the raw fury in her?


    ¡°Let him go.¡± Tivelo enunciated.


    Aria met his eyes, held them for a few seconds, and smiled.


    A ring of fire sprang to life around her and Achi, close enough that she could feel its heat on her legs. Achi stiffened. Aria, however, embraced the heat. She marveled at how pleasant it felt. Instinctively, she raised its intensity and while Achi began to squirm, she felt herself growing in strength.


    She looked at Tivelo again. He seemed so certain of himself; confident, unrepentant. He imagined that she could not harm Achi. Perhaps he thought he was powerful enough to resist. Perhaps he thought that she would listen to that unease, that low thrumming that told her that hurting Achi would be wrong.


    She released Achi and he stumbles, deprived of her support. Then, she stepped back, past the flames, and out of the circle, holding Tivelo¡¯s eyes the whole time. Achi glanced from her to his father, confused and uneasy, but he chose the path of caution and remained in the circle.


    ¡°Aria -¡± he said.


    Aria ignored him. To Tivelo, she said. ¡°Take him.¡±


    Tivelo paused for a moment, watching her silently. Then his gaze flicked to Achi. The next moment, Achi was gone from the circle and standing beside Tivelo. Neither deity relaxed, however. They kept their eyes on Aria, likely because she gave off the impression of a coiled cobra. For an instant, Tivelo took his eyes off Aria and reached toward Achi and tried to smooth Achi¡¯s hair. Achi stepped out of reach and looked at Aria instead. He opened his mouth, but she had no interest in hearing his words.


    Then, he was back in the circle of flames, in the same position he had been previously, with his back to her and his face to his father.


    Tivelo tensed. His brow tightened for an instant, as if he was pondering something, then it cleared and he seemed calm again.


    Behind Aria, the other deities muttered to each other.


    ¡°What am I missing?¡± Garo asked. ¡°So, she teleported him back?¡±


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    No one responded to him..


    ¡°Again,¡± Aria told Tivelo. ¡°Take him. Send him home.¡±


    Tivelo didn¡¯t move. ¡°I don¡¯t play games,¡± he said. ¡°Release him. Now.¡±


    With one thought, Aria flooded the circle with fire. The little grass within it burned up almost instantly, but the flames did not die. They continued burning, feeding only on air and would do so until she stopped them.


    There was little grass in the vicinity, so the dirt itself burned sustained by her own effort. Achi yelped. With no more prompting, he teleported himself out of the flames and back to his father¡¯s side. A moment later, he was back in the flames.


    He teleported himself out again and returned, over and over, while Aria held Tivelo¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Aria, please,¡± Achi begged. He teleported himself out once again, continuing the hopeless effort. His plea tugged at her chest, but it was easy to ignore. She only had to recall her own experience in those flames and her anger formed a shield against everything.


    ¡°Please, Aria,¡± Achi said, ¡°stop this. Let¡¯s talk. You don¡¯t want to do this.¡±


    Tivelo had not moved, but the calm on his face was gone. In its place was rage.


    Oh, Aria thought, but you¡¯re not yet as angry as I am. Wait a few years. You¡¯ll learn all the colors of fury.


    Tivelo''s fists were clenched so tightly that he should have broken his own fingers.


    ¡°Won¡¯t you save him?¡± Aria asked. ¡°I heard that you can do anything for him.¡±


    Something flickered over Tivelo¡¯s face - uncertainty, perhaps. But it was gone too quickly for certainly. The next moment, it morphed into resolve. He shook - with rage or pain - but his eyes showed nothing but blistering, determined fury.


    ¡°You can never hope for my pardon,¡± he said, ¡°but if you do not end this right now, I assure you, you will regret it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Aria rubbed her chin. ¡°I believe that is the longest sentence you have ever spoken to me. What happened to your disdain? Didn¡¯t you wave a hand and sentence Garo? Nod and throw me in prison? Have you sunk low enough that you need to threaten, TIvelo?¡±


    Behind her, Garo spoke loudly enough to hear, his voice a mixture of annoyance and confusion.


    ¡°Just put out the fires,¡± he said. ¡°What is this charade?¡±


    Tivelo remained still, fists still clenched, looking helpless. That confused Aria. She had expected resistance.


    ¡°Stop this!¡±


    Achi screamed, and the world froze. Her flames stopped mid-motion, like water frozen suddenly in shape. The next moment, they disappeared leaving a blackened circle in the ground. Achi dropped to his hands and knees, panting and shaking while Tivelo, now at Achi¡¯s side, wrapped him in a blanket.


    Achi accepted the blanket for a moment, holding it so close that he could have melted into it. Then, he shoved it and his father away. His eyes turned to Aria. She saw grief in them, disappointment, horror, and tears. Against his accusing stare, Aria lifted her head and held his gaze. He didn¡¯t even understand yet. He only had an inkling of what his father had done to her; what he had let him do.


    Achi rose to his feet. He had no injuries - Aria had seen to that - but he still swayed on his feet. Aria knew how he felt: shocked, terrified. He was probably not dreading the next round, but only because he felt sure it would not arrive.


    She remembered the shock after her first encounter. But she had spent hours in there. He could count his suffering in minutes.

 66. Trapped

    ¡°Make them gather around,¡± Achi said to his father, his tone commanding.


    Aria noticed the odd shift in the world again as if even the wind froze for a second. Then, Garo, Alogun, and Chalik were gathered around Achi, confusion on their faces. A chair appeared behind Achi made of wood and cushions. Either he or Tivelo had conjured it. By his evident exhaustion, she suspected Tivelo.


    Achi took the seat, looking exhausted.


    ¡°Make them line up, he said.¡±


    Again, the world froze for a moment. Tivelo waved a hand and all the deities, Aria included, appeared in a line in front of Achi.


    Aria understood, then. Achi was controlling Tivelo. He had commanded him to stop the flames and to bring the others closer.


    He ran a hand along his arm as if trying to rub away something, a phantom pain. From the angle of his body, Aria suspected that he was avoiding her gaze. He attempted the same confident expression that his father had worn, but he did it badly. Neither his eyes nor body would cooperate. His fingers shook on the arm of his chair.  He was still shaking and his eyes were still red. Tivelo put a blanket over him again, gently, and Achi Accepted it. But he did not look at his father.


    ¡°Who put Aria in the statue?¡± He asked. His gaze was fixed on something over the water, something invisible.


    ¡°We all did,¡± Alogun said.


    Achi snapped his face toward Alogun, impatience on his face. ¡°Answer in detail. What were your roles?¡±


    Aria itched to end the charade. She had plans to kill every person in the gathering, and this delay in the plan was making her anxious. Still, she let them continue. She told herself that there was no hurry.


    ¡°Garo kidnapped her parents to back her into a corner,¡± Alogun said. ¡°Chalik talked her into meeting with us and I neutralized her powers. Then, Garo and I put her into the statue.¡±


    Achi nodded, chewing on his lip. ¡°And why did you do that?¡±


    ¡°The realm was breaking apart,¡± Alogun said. ¡°We needed to revive you and I didn¡¯t know how. I presumed that your father had a plan. As long as we set it back into motion, all would be well.¡±


    Achi nodded again, but he might not have heard the explanation. His gaze was distant again. After a long silence, he turned to Aria.


    The anger was gone from his expression and the sadness had doubled. ¡°I am very sorry for what was done to you,¡± he said. ¡°You are right to be angry.¡± He looked as if he would say more, but he swallowed it. ¡°As the aggrieved party, you are entitled to a proper hearing of your case and any necessary restitution -¡±


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    Aria had heard enough.


    She set the whole area on fire, from the tip of the shore, up to the top foot of the statue, in a half mile-circle.


    Yelps of pain and surprise followed. Tivelo and Achi disappeared almost immediately. Garo followed soon after, using whatever power had taken him away after his last defeat. Aria paid them no heed. They would be back. Alogun, and Chalik, the only two who could not teleport, remained. Chalik was screaming at the top of her lungs while she ran in the direction of the water, but Alogun was standing still and ignoring his pain. His book was already open and a spell was on his lips.


    From a distance, Aria ripped the book out of his hands and tossed it into the water.


    A second later, every deity was back where they had been before their movement - Achi in his chair and the others in a line in front of him.


    Garo swore. ¡°What the hell is this, Alogun?!¡±


    ¡°She has three aspects,¡± Alogun¡¯s voice was strained, but more composed than the others. ¡°Fire, Time, and, I suspect, Vengeance. Compose yourself. You¡¯ve been through worse. Take the north. I have south. Tivelo to the east. Chalik, stop screaming. Take the west.¡±


    ¡°This is your worst idea in centuries!¡± Chalik screamed.


    She moved anyway, taking the direction that Alogun had assigned her. A moment later, they were back in their original positions, but that did not phase them. Garo moved first, creating four dirt walls around her. Aria panicked for a moment, believing herself trapped, but her instinct took hold of her, and found herself on the other side of the walls.


    ¡°She has me!¡± Garo sounded furious. ¡°What is that?! No one escapes my traps!¡±


    No one responded. Alogun¡¯s book had returned to his hand during the reversion, but he was ignoring it. He fired off a series of quick, short spells, each one doing a different thing: freezing the air around her, putting out the flames, breaking the ground under her, and even covering her with a black fog. Aria teleported, her way out of each obstacle. For the last, when the fog robbed her of her sense of direction, she reset the area to its state before the fog.


    ¡°I¡¯m done!¡± Alogun sounded relieved. ¡°She has unrestricted short-range teleportation, fire summoning, and time reversal. There¡¯s probably some minor foresight as well, but that¡¯s everything.¡±


    ¡°Good for you!¡± Garo screamed. ¡°How do we kill her?!¡±


    Alogun replied angrily. ¡°How would I know?!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t,¡± Tivelo said. Of them all, only he had not moved. He had himself wrapped around Achi, and repeated the action after every reversion, protecting Achi as much as he could, but not completely. ¡°You don¡¯t kill vengeful gods,¡± Tivelo said, ¡°so stop making fools of yourselves.¡±


    The flames disappeared, this time snuffed out by Tivelo, but Aria re-summoned them a moment later. She felt Tivelo¡¯s powers resisting hers as she acted, but she held fast and won.


    ¡°Achi,¡± Tivelo said, ¡°order me to stop her.¡±


    ¡°Stop the fire,¡± Achi said, his voice pained and tired.


    The flames blinked out again but this time they stayed out. Aria strained to bring them back and felt Tivelo straining against her. Each time she thought that she would win, he seemed to find new strength. Whenever he seemed close to winning, she remembered her pain and surged ahead of him. They struggled silently for a few minutes, their eyes locked on each other¡¯s until Aria came to a conclusion: neither of them would win. Tivelo could do anything that Achi commanded him to do and she, it seemed, drew her power from her need for vengeance. They could each grow in power indefinitely and the stalemate would keep her from her retribution.


    She ended the battle. TIvelo withdrew a moment later, still wrapped around his shivering son.


    ¡°So we¡¯re trapped,¡± Chalik muttered. ¡°Lovely.¡±


    She glared at Alogun, as if every part of the current situation was his fault.

 67. Consummation

    ¡°Aria,¡± Achi said, forcing his way from his father¡¯s arms. ¡°Listen to me. You have the right to justice and I will give it to you. But you need to talk and listen.¡±


    ¡°You want to give me justice?¡± Aria asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    "I want the right to pull their hearts from their chests, put it back in, and pull it out again."


    Achi sighed. "Normally, I would try for reconciliation but I think they care as little as you do. Granted."


    "That request includes you and your father," Aria said.


    "I know," Achi said. "He too wronged you. Killing him will be a challenge, but if you are capable of it, then you may have it."


    "And killing you?" She asked. "I don''t suppose a kiss would work now."


    "Why wouldn''t it?" Achi asked. "I still love you to death."


    He said that so matter of factly that it took Aria a moment to grasp the ridiculousness of the statement.


    "You''re awake," Aria said. "And I didn''t wake you. So, either someone else did or I have no more hold over you."


    He hesitated, long enough for her to know that she was on the right path.


    When he spoke, it was with reluctance as if he had hoped to avoid the topic. "No," he said, "I woke because you became a rage-fueled force bent on world-shattering retribution and I am, in most ways, the opposite of that. If you continue like this, we are not compatible. That broke the hold you had over me, but not my love.¡±


    ¡°You say the sweetest words of anyone I¡¯ve ever planned to kill.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this Aria.¡±


    ¡°Stop with the ridiculous proclamations. Just tell me, will a kiss work?¡±


    ¡°If you change back, it will,¡± Achi said. ¡°You want to kill me? All you need to do is find something soft inside you. It¡¯s there. You can be more than just a vengeful deity. Now, before your formation is complete.¡±


    ¡°What a bore.¡± Aria took in the others, each watching her with tense expressions. The tethers she had placed on them were still active. Every few seconds, they reset into the positions they had been in when she fixed them. ¡°I love you, Achi,¡± she said. ¡°I realized it while you were burning. It was a strange feeling. But I¡¯m going to kill you anyway. Do you know why?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Because you lied. You pretended that you wanted to save me. You put on the most impressive act. And yet, all that time you knew what your father could do. You knew that he could see the future. You knew what he would do to me, and you didn¡¯t stop him. Just now, you ordered him about like a slave. But to protect me, all you could do was talk.¡±


    ¡°I tried -¡±


    ¡°Shut up! Tried what?! Tried to tell me? Tried to tell me that you were attached to a bloodthirsty maniac who has no conscience where anyone but you is concerned?! Who planned, ages ago, to strip me of every bit of dignity and torture me into loving you?! Who has plots so intricate that four gods all millennia old could not plan their way out of it?! You tried to warn me?!


    ¡°Gods! I hope you never try to find the sun at midday. It would take you centuries!¡±


    ¡°I told you what to -¡±


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    ¡°Yes, you told me what to do. Good job. You told me to apologize. You told me to hide and hope for his forgiveness. You told me to live in your giant palace and eat your food and wear your clothes until I die. By all the gods, even saying that out loud I want to die from the stupidity. Do those sound like things I would do? You, with your centuries of knowledge and intelligence. Tell me, did you for one moment believe that you could convince me to do any of those things?¡±


    ¡°I hoped - ¡°


    ¡°No. Let¡¯s be honest. You didn¡¯t hope. You didn¡¯t wish. You knew. You knew that this would happen. You went through the motions. You pretended to help me because what other choice did you have? Control your father or control a worthless mortal girl?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t control him!¡± Achi said. ¡°I can command him to do things for me. I cannot command him to do things that will hurt me. I could not command him to forgive someone who poisoned me or to stop a plan that was intended to save my life. It wouldn¡¯t have worked.¡±


    Aria raised an eyebrow. ¡°Really? Because I say a knife to your own throat would have made a convincing attempt.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Achi said. ¡°It would not. ¡®Forget your plots and let me die or I will kill myself?¡¯ What sense does that make?¡±


    ¡°A lot,¡± Aria¡¯s voice was low. ¡°A lot, when you truly love someone.¡±


    ¡°And it wouldn¡¯t have worked!¡± He was now so loud that she could not speak over him. ¡°I cannot command him to do anything that will hurt me. If I command it, he cannot complete it. And if I give him a command he cannot fulfill, he dies.¡±


    Aria nodded. ¡°So,¡± she said, ¡°you tried to play both sides; begging him for things he would never give, cautioning me with warnings I would never hear. So that when it was all over, you could say that you tried.


    ¡°But that wasn¡¯t trying. That was choosing. You weighed my life against your father¡¯s. Weighed my torture against his life. Kill him or let him torture me. You considered them both. Perhaps not explicitly, but you knew it. And by choosing to ¡®try¡¯, you chose him. I¡¯m not killing you for his crime. I¡¯m killing you because you decided that letting him harm me was better than killing him. You wronged me. And I understand why you did it. You love your father. So, you should also understand that I¡¯m only claiming what you owe me.


    ¡°I could lock you in that statue and let you see what your indecision brought. I¡¯m not doing that. Consider that my mercy. So, if you know another way to kill you, tell me what it is or I¡¯ll do to you what you let your father do to me.¡±


    Their eyes locked in a long silence. Achi searched hers, obviously desperate to find some softness, but it would not save him. It was not anger that had turned her against him, but cold, hard logic. He had declared her life worth less than his father''s. She now declared his worth less than hers.


    ¡°Let me move,¡± he said.


    Aria removed the tether and he rose and approached her. She could still see the lingering effect of the flames on him, an uncertainty in his steps, a fear, with the world no longer as safe as he used to believe.


    ¡°I think you respond better to the truth, Aria, so I will be frank with you. I can¡¯t let you kill me, not because I wouldn¡¯t die for you, but because you cannot win that way. Did you not wonder why my father let you harm me at all? You are strong, but in this matter, he is your equal. He could have protected me.


    ¡°You are not winning this. You are losing. He turned you into this. He wants to cement you into this mold, into something that I cannot be compatible with. Then, no matter how much I love you, no matter how much I cling, I¡¯ll wake up one day and you will have destroyed half of a kingdom in your thirst for vengeance, and I will realize that I don¡¯t love you. I only love the thing you could be. Then, he hopes, I would find someone who is already that thing. You would live the rest of your days in misery, burning for a justice that will never satisfy you.¡±


    ¡°Or you could just let me kill you,¡± Aria said.


    ¡°But I can¡¯t,¡± Achi said. ¡°Because then you would lose.¡±


    Aria tilted her head, waiting for the explanation. Achi was standing right in front of her now.


    You¡¯re not a ghost anymore,¡± he said. ¡°I cannot sustain you by feeding you energy. You generate your own. And right now, your driving force is vengeance and only vengeance. Like most gods, you are nothing but a ghost with an unresolved grudge, clinging to this plane by the strength of your longing. What happens to ghosts who achieve their aims?¡±


    Aria went cold. The answer was so obvious, she felt foolish for not seeing it.


    ¡°The trick to being a deity,¡± Achi said, ¡°is to want something unattainable. Garo wants to be the strongest, but he will never be. He can keep striving toward it, and the striving keeps him alive. Evera wants to be loved. No amount of adoration will satisfy her, so she need never fear being satisfied. Vengeful gods can only live if their enemies are too powerful to be punished. The day you win your vengeance would be your last. And then my father will have won. Because he and I can never truly die. You can kill me and you can kill him. But someday, if another Ovi appears, she might wake me, and I might wake him. And there is my father¡¯s aim fulfilled. A world where I have my love and my life, and I live without you.


    ¡°I am so sorry, Aria. I am sorry for what he has done. I do not condone it. I will help you kill him. But I can¡¯t die. And I can¡¯t let your story end this way.¡±

 68. A Gods End

    Aria shrugged off her fear. ¡°I¡¯ll keep Alogun alive and torture him every now and then.¡±


    ¡°It makes no difference,¡± Achi said. ¡°There will come a day when you feel satisfied by your vengeance. And that day will be your last.¡±


    Aria tried to consider the matter, tried to calm the raging storm inside her, and look at those gathered with clear eyes. She tried to imagine herself letting them live. And failed. If death was the price for her victory, she would pay it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time for this,¡± she said. ¡°You said you would kill Tivelo. Did you mean that or is it another lie? Isn¡¯t he the one holding this rubble together?¡±


    Achi glanced at the ground around them still crisscrossed with lines.


    ¡°Alogun managed to patch it up so far,¡± Achi said. ¡°The others will continue his work. If they abandon two of the realms, they can work together to support the third.¡±


    Aria shrugged. It meant little to her with her own death approaching. ¡°Well?¡± She asked. ¡°Will you do it or not?¡±


    Achi turned to his father. As their eyes met, they exchanged silent words, noticeable only by the shifting of their expressions. It went on so long, that Aria moved to taunt Achi again.


    Then, Tivelo dropped.


    He went down like a puppet suddenly released by its master, knees and head simply losing strength. Achi shot forward and caught him, on his face a look Aria had never seen there before: grief mixed with terror. There was none of the resolve a man should have when he chose to kill his own father.


    Aria felt something ease inside her, like a persistent pressure relieved. One of her tormenters was gone and she felt it like a weight pulled off her whole body. She was lighter, freer, closer to death. Achi remained holding his father, his grief silent but loud on his face. Aria allowed him his indulgence.


    She turned to the other deities, delighted to see the dread on their faces. Had they enjoyed it this much when they condemned her?


    ¡°We had a deal,¡± Chalik said. ¡°We helped you revive Achi.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Aria said. ¡°That¡¯s correct. Achi, I command you to command Tivelo not to punish these fools. I want to do the work myself.¡±


    Achi frowned at her in confusion. Tears had pooled in his eyes, but they did not fall.


    She turned away, pained and annoyed by the sight of the tears.


    Who is next? Ah, Garo.


    She smiled at the God of War, and he tensed recognizing her intent.


    ¡°How do I kill Garo?¡± She asked Achi.


    He lay his father tenderly on the ground and turned to her. The waiting tears had finally fallen, streaking his face and reddening his eyes. She held back from snapping at him. He had not cried for her, but he cried for her tormentor.


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    ¡°Garo cannot lose a duel,¡± Achi said, so softly that any breeze might have carried the words away. ¡°Challenge him to a duel. If he loses, you can kill him.¡±


    Aria felt the hum of danger, the knowledge that she was walking closer to death, yet she turned to Garo and smiled again. Garo replied with an enraged glare but that amused Aria all the more.


    ¡°I challenge you to a duel,¡± she said.


    She turned to Achi and asked, ¡°is that all?¡±


    He nodded.


    She turned back to Garo and barely dodged the fist that came flying past her. A moment later he was back to his place, pulled back by her power, but he was soon moving again, at a speed she could barely track. His second attack connected, sending her flying before she knew that she had been hit.


    She shook off her disorientation and shot to her feet. Fortunately, she was now far enough from Garo that he could not reach her in the time before his reset. Unfortunately, he was prepared for that. His spear came flying at her faster than Garo himself had been. She dove to the ground again and escaped it, but not the two knives that followed behind it. One caught her in the shin while the other sliced the side of her throat. For a brilliant moment, she was back in Garo¡¯s palace, his knife pinning her to his wall, his terrible presence filling the room, tasting her own fear and the certainty of approaching doom.


    She froze on the ground, held in place by visions. The world around her had disappeared; she could only see Garo¡¯s quarters and his terrifying face inches from her own. More knives Pierced her, sticking in her chest, her neck, her side. Pain shot through her, different from the flames she had just escaped but similar in its sharpness. She saw the flames in her mind again, felt fury at being used like a mindless rag, and then her mind was clear.


    One more knife pierced her, but the next one missed. She teleported to a random position and found herself on Garo¡¯s left. Then, while Garo was still focused on her last position, pulled out one of the knives he had thrown at her and sent it at him. He dodged it, but it had been a distraction; she was already moving. She appeared behind him, took his neck in both hands, and snapped it. Or she attempted to. It felt like trying to bend steel. Garo spun around, once again faster than she had anticipated, and backhanded her, throwing her several hundred feet away. She rolled on the landing, escaping the knives he quickly sent after her.


    How many more does he have?


    Teleporting out of the way once again, she played her last card and set him on fire.


    She poured all of her strength into it, summoning power from her memories, from her pain, and terror, and grief, and feeding them into flames.


    As expected, the flames did nothing, but she recalled his other vulnerability and forced the through his nostrils and down his throat. When he opened his mouth in a gasp, she forced flames down there too.


    Garo thrashed and dropped to the ground, struggling like a ship caught by a storm. He punched, kicked, rolled, hurled himself at her. But he never reached her. Halfway to her position, he dropped to the ground again and remained there, struggling ferociously.


    Seconds later, he was pulled back to his anchored point, he fell to the ground there, rose and fell again, tugged this way and that by the battle between gravity and Aria¡¯s anchor. Aria strengthened the flames, putting everything she had into them, reveling in her growing relief, but not letting it dampen her caution. She let him burn until only bones remained. Then she let him burn some more until she was completely certain that he could not be alive.


    The fires faded to complete silence. She stood still, staring at the charred bones, silly with disbelief while her heart stopped pounding and her breathing returned to normal. When her caution had subsided enough, she risked a glance at Achi. She let him see her relief, her triumph. But his eyes did not mirror hers. Instead of pride or respect, she saw despair.


    She turned from him to the only other thing there was to see - Chalik and Alogun - still fixed to their places and watching with alarm.


    ¡°Well?¡± She said, ¡°Who¡¯s next?¡±

 69. Capitulation

    Naturally, neither deity volunteered. She imagined that she could hear the terrified beating of their hearts. Then she laughed at her own joke. They didn¡¯t have hearts.


    Her eyes scanned their faces, as she pulled her list from memory. First Tivelo, now dead. Then Garo, also dead. Third Achi. She would save him for last. After Achi¡­


    But the list wouldn¡¯t come to her.


    First Tivelo. Then Garo. Then Achi. Then¡­


    She discarded the list. The order didn¡¯t matter. She took a step toward Alogun, tensed to attack, and froze. She fought her feet, tried to get them to keep going, but every fiber of her being insisted that she was walking in the wrong direction. Achi was next.


    Alogun understood the problem first and smiled. ¡°You ranked your enemies, huh? You won¡¯t break the compulsion. It¡¯s as much you as your fires are.¡±


    She turned away to avoid the smug smile and found herself facing Achi and his disheartened expression. They locked gazes for a long time. She counted her own heartbeats, waiting for her resolve to break. It did not.


    ¡°If there¡¯s an afterlife for gods,¡± she said, ¡°and we meet there, I¡¯ll consider us even.¡±


    Achi shook his head. He gave no words to explain his meaning, but she did not think that she needed them.


    ¡°Tell me how to kill you,¡± she said. ¡°There was another way for your father. There is one for you as well.¡±


    Achi shook his head again. ¡°Think, Aria. This is not what you want. Something else is driving you. But it¡¯s not too late to break free from it.¡±


    Words would not work on him. They could stand here and argue forever and he would not budge unless she made him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make this difficult,¡± she said. ¡°You know I won¡¯t give up.¡±


    ¡°Listen to yourself, Aria.¡± Achi sounded frustrated. ¡°Just listen. Does this sound like you? You know your friends from your enemies. I rescued you. I hid you. I protected you. I gave you power. I gave you an entire realm. I love you! Fight this!¡±


    Aria tapped her foot in impatience.


    ¡°Just think,¡± he said. ¡°Recall every one of our meetings. Every one. When have I ever been anything other than your friend? Think back. All you have to do is want it, and you can break free.¡±


    ¡°This is your last warning,¡± Aria said. ¡°You can pay for your crime quickly and painlessly or you can resist and hurt us both.¡±


    Achi bit his lip in frustration. He threw his head up as if searching the sky for a solution. When he looked back at Aria, his eyes were filled with tears again.


    ¡°I begged my father,¡± he said. ¡°I told him to give up. If he had let me die, and given the others a way to save the realm, as long as you continued to live, that would have been enough for me. It was he who held on to hope. In my mind, I¡¯d already traded my life for yours. I would do it again. Even now. If resisting you is what it would take to save you, I¡¯ll resist until you give up. I may not have powers, but I can do anything for you.¡±


    Spoken like a fool who knows little about suffering. This will take five minutes.


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    With a thought, she summoned a ring of fire around him.


    Achi stared at her in disbelief.


    Heavens, he¡¯s slow.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to do this, Aria¡±, he said. ¡°You are better than this.¡±


    He was wrong.


    ¡°I¡¯ll count to ten,¡± she said. ¡°Everything that happens afterward is your choice.¡±


    She watched him as she counted, her mind filled with memories of another time, another countdown in the gilded hall where she had first seen Ovi¡¯s image.


    I suppose I¡¯m not her after all.


    She saw the moment he grasped his situation, when the last number left her lips, saw him brace himself and close his eyes.


    All the better, I suppose, if we¡¯re both prepared.


    He screamed in the flames, begged her to stop, told her that she was better than this. Perhaps, deep down she felt regret, but it was buried under centuries of ice. How long had she suffered? She still did not know. But he would only last five minutes. How could he sound so wrong, look so devastated, when he wouldn¡¯t know a fraction of her pain? Perhaps she should teach him all of it, so he could ask himself again if he should have abandoned her to his father.


    She doused the flames and waited for him to stop screaming.


    ¡°Continue this,¡± she said, ¡°and you won¡¯t have to die. ¡°If you hold on for as long as I had to sit in that statue, I¡¯ll consider us even. But I really hope you won¡¯t. I told you. I¡¯m being merciful.¡±


    He glared at her, hope replaced by anger, and she almost smiled. She had felt angry too, she recalled. It came and went, buffetted by pain and terror.


    ¡°Well?¡± She said, ¡°should I go on?¡±


    He continued to stare at her, face set.


    ¡°Well? Can¡¯t you speak?¡±


    ¡°Stop,¡± He commanded.  ¡°Now.¡±


    He said it with some conviction, she had to move her arms to verify that the words possessed no magical force.


    ¡°Stop it, Aria,¡± he said. ¡°This isn¡¯t funny anymore.¡±


    She saw red. The fire flared up again, immediately joined by his screams. Funny. He thought this was a joke, that she was playing a game. That this was only the effect of her transformation, warped sense. That he could talk her back to reason. He, who had never known suffering, born to a god who even gods served. He thought that her pain could be washed away by words.


    She did not know how long she held onto the flames. She only woke from the fog of her anger to find that time had passed and Achi¡¯s screams no longer held their former power. She let them die down, still maintaining the circle around him, and waited for him to regain his voice.


    ¡°You owe me a life and years of suffering,¡± she said. ¡°For that, I am only taking your life and these few minutes of pain. But if you insult me again, I¡¯ll take everything I¡¯m owed. Now tell me. How do I kill you? What are you afraid of? After you die, won¡¯t your Ovi appear one day and wake you? You are losing nothing but the chance to waste my time.¡±


    He knelt on all fours, panting, with his gaze on the ground. When he lifted his face this time, there was no defiance left in it, just terror.


    ¡°Please, Aria,¡± his voice was hoarse. ¡°I¡¯m begging you. Don¡¯t do this to yourself.¡±


    She summoned the flames again.


    ¡°Stop!¡± he screamed. ¡°Stop! I¡¯ll tell you.¡±


    She allowed the flames to subside.


    He tried to rise but failed. Instead, he turned onto his back and stared at her. She had tried to keep the flames from harming him, but his hair was still singed.


    ¡°I love you,¡± he said. Her expression tightened and he added, ¡°I¡¯m not stalling. I¡¯m saying it because I want you to know it. I don¡¯t care whether I have powers or what you look like or what the rules say I should feel. I love you. And, ideally, I would hold on forever, but I¡¯m barely a deity. I don¡¯t have that strength and, I just realized, it wouldn¡¯t matter if I did. The longer I hold on, the less likely it is that you will change your mind. People tend to dig in to keep from believing that they were wrong.¡±


    He took a deep breath. ¡°I just wanted to say that I¡¯m doing this for you. Whether I hold on and you change your mind, or I give in and you die in the end, it¡¯s all a kind of victory is it not? At least, either way, you won¡¯t keep living like this. It would be worse if you never succeed and you live as long as they have, growing worse with every day.¡±


    Aria did not interrupt him. However he justified his capitulation, what mattered was its reality.

 70. Death Secrets

    ¡°So,¡± he took another deep breath. ¡°First things first. You need to know how to kill the others. Alogun is easy. Bind his hands and feet, and hold his face underwater. Hold him there for five minutes and that will be all. Chalik will be more difficult. Every piece of gold or precious stone she owns acts as protection for her. You can harm her, but you cannot kill her until she is penniless. She has caches hidden everywhere. You¡¯ll find a list buried in a vault under the prison in my father¡¯s home. It was current before all of this happened, but she might have moved some of the items by now. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find them all. You¡¯re tenacious.


    ¡°You will also need someone else to hold the realms together. I think Alogun¡¯s spell is doing it right now, but it¡¯s weakening. Tell the others that if they can pool their energy, they can sustain most of the lower realm. They will need to give up on the other two. They¡¯ll need to move people to safety first. Help them do that. Please.¡±


    He paused for more air.


    ¡°As for me, you¡¯re correct. There is one more way to kill me.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± A voice cut through the field.


    Aria immediately spun in its direction, ready to attack, and then froze. She blinked, rubbed her eyes, and blinked again. The sight did not change.


    She felt Achi stumble to her side, somehow having found his feet.


    ¡°Ovi?¡± He whispered the word as if he had encountered a shadow in the night and a strong word would drive it away.


    The object of their attention stood only a few yards away, close enough to see, but too far to touch. She wore Aria¡¯s face but wore it better. This being had never drawn a bow in her life. She did not know how to harm anyone. She wore the hope and innocence of some whose worst experience had been a bad dream. There was no mistaking her. This was the figure in Achi¡¯s paintings. With her hair braided but unadorned, her feet bare, and her dress bright and simple, she was somehow more beautiful than Aria had ever been.


    ¡°Don¡¯t leave me.¡± She sobbed. ¡°Please. I¡¯ve been waiting. I¡¯m still waiting.¡±


    Achi took two steps forward, then his knees gave out. ¡°Ovi,¡± he whispered. ¡°I - where have you been?¡±


    She was already gone. The spot was not as empty as it had been a minute before. But for Achi¡¯s stunned expression, Aria would have doubted her own sanity.


    She turned to Aria and found him staring at the empty spot with undisguised longing.


    So much for his professed love.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Aria said, suppressing the ache in her chest. ¡°She¡¯ll find you. Your love is the stuff of legend, after all.¡±


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    Achi turned to her, still dazed, but with new-found strength in his gaze.


    Aria narrowed her eyes. ¡°You¡¯ll still tell me, right? I don¡¯t want to start all over again.¡±


    Achi kept staring at her. He stared for so long, she wondered if he was frozen. His eyes seemed to be boring into her, taking her apart and putting her back together. Analyzing her.


    She wanted to hurry him, but she also wanted to wait. Curiosity warred with grief. The longer he waited, the longer it would be until she learned if he had finally abandoned her.


    Finally, his expression changed. The uncertainty left it along with every last trace of fear. His shoulders relaxed and his breathing grew calm.


    ¡°As I was saying,¡± he said, ¡°there is one more way to kill me.¡± He shot a glance at Alogun and Chalik. ¡°I suppose there is no need to hide it from them.¡±


    Aria frowned in confusion.


    ¡°The third way to kill me is to make me break a promise,¡± Achi said. He smiled, looking surprisingly worry-free. ¡°So, you see, you could never achieve it without my aid anyway. All I have to do is make a promise and fail to keep it. Easy.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Aria asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m giving you what you want.¡± He smiled more broadly, delighted by her confusion. ¡°I promise, in one minute, to give you a bar of soap. There. I don¡¯t have a bar of soap with me so this will be easy.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t search for Ovi?¡± Aria felt stupid and confused.


    Achi shook his head.


    ¡°Whyever not?¡±


    He smiled again. Those knowing smiles were growing irritating and Aria was suddenly aware of a clock ticking down to the end of his life.


    ¡°It was odd,¡± he said, ¡°the moment I saw her, I couldn¡¯t breathe. I have been waiting for so long. I¡¯d stopped hoping. I thought - I¡¯d never been so happy in my life.¡±


    ¡°And then?¡± Aria asked.


    ¡°And then, nothing happened.¡± His eyes expressed confusion. ¡°I always thought something would happen: when I knew her and she knew me. Some magic, I suppose. Or that she would look like the most beautiful woman in the world.¡±


    Aria raised an eyebrow. ¡°And?¡±


    Achi shrugged. ¡°And she didn¡¯t. There was no destiny between us. I¡¯m not certain that she was even Ovi. I looked at her and I looked at you and I knew who I loved. Or - no. I think that I realized that there is no destiny. I can choose. And I realized that I already chose. To me, you are Ovi. Whoever she is, if she¡¯s even real, she¡¯ll find someone else.¡± He gave her a refreshing smile. ¡°Save as many mortals as you can. ¡± He glanced at Alogun and Chalik. ¡°And forgive those two if you can, but kill them anyway. They won¡¯t forgive you back..¡±


    ¡°Cancel the promise,¡± Aria said. She needed more time.


    Achi shook his head. ¡°If you change your mind,¡± he said. ¡°Come and get me.¡±


    She shot toward him, no plan in mind, just the idea that she could stop him somehow. He collapsed without ceremony. Like Tivelo, he simply dropped, eyes closed. Aria arrived in time to catch him, but it was like catching a wooden log.


    They went down together. Disbelief beckoned her, but failed to draw her in. As sudden as it was, he was dead. And she was surprised that it hurt.


    Behind her, Alogun sighed, ¡°and we¡¯re back at the beginning.¡±


    Aria ignored him. She bent over Achi and kissed him. She did not think about the action. She simply did it as if she¡¯d surrendered control of her body to another woman. She waited a few seconds and watched his face for any signs of life. For several seconds, she watched it, but nothing happened. She kissed him again. Then a third time, and then a fourth. Nothing.

 71. Choices

    ¡°You can stop that, child. It¡¯s clearly not working.¡±


    Aria brushed aside the statement like a buzzing bee. She kept her eyes on Achi. There was a way. If she -


    ¡°Aria.¡±


    This time, the voice penetrated her focus. It wasn¡¯t Chalik¡¯s and it wasn¡¯t Alogun¡¯s.


    Aria spun around, instinctively shielding Achi with her body, and faced¡­ Evera.


    She blinked slowly, trying to clear the fog in her brain by clearing her eyes. It didn¡¯t work.


    ¡°Evera?¡± She said aloud. Perhaps if the figure responded, she could tell if it was real.


    The goddess offered her signature, beautiful smile. ¡°Yes,¡± Evera said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re not mad.¡± She glanced toward Achi¡¯s body and frowned. Her tone grew annoyed ¡°But I might go mad. After all this work. You love him. He loves you. What else is necessary?¡±


    Aria rose to her feet, still keeping Achi¡¯s body behind her.


    ¡°You¡¯re alive,¡± she said, but Evera had teleported to Achi side and was already kneeling beside him with a hand pressed to his neck. Aria snatched away the offending, almost snapping him in the process.


    ¡°I¡¯m on your side,¡± Evera said, arms spread to appear non-threatening. ¡°I¡¯ve worked hard to put the two of you together. ¡°


    Before Aria¡¯s eyes, she changed, face, body, and clothing, until she was Aria¡¯s own spitting image.


    Aria gaped. ¡°You -¡±


    ¡°He was wavering,¡± Evera said. ¡°Seeing you that way, he was wondering if he had been wrong, if you were too far gone. I clarified his feelings for him.¡±


    Aria managed to close her mouth. ¡°Or perhaps you were doing the opposite.¡±


    Evera chuckled. She sounded amused, not mocking. ¡°For how far you come, you are still remarkably obtuse. Sweetheart, if breaking your hold on Achi was easy, Tivelo would already have done it. No. Love-bound gods are called bound for a reason. From the moment I recalled our plot, while the others were busy plotting a resurgence, I knew that we had made a mistake. I bet on the two of you.¡± Her tone grew somber. ¡°And now I need you to make good on that bet.


    ¡°Are you going to revive him?¡±


    Aria huffed with irritation. ¡°You just saw me try.¡±


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    ¡°You need to do more than try. The time for half-measures is past. Do you want him to live or not? If you do, he will wake, but you need to decide.¡±


    ¡°You just saw me -¡±


    ¡°I must be unclear,¡± Evera¡¯s voice was suddenly as cold as ice. ¡°If he woke, right now, would you marry him?¡±


    Aria froze.


    ¡°Would you spend the rest of your life with him? Would you choose his wishes over yours? Would you choose him? It does no good to feel things if there is no outward evidence of them. Truthfully, he has made a terrible choice here. He has given up his life and his father for you. And, knowing Achi, he has been true in every other way. He has committed to you and you have given him nothing. So, this is your last chance. Will you choose him?¡±


    She stared down at Aria, a long, intense stare.


    Aria did not have a response. She wanted to say no. Feelings were one thing, but more than that, she had never prepared herself for.


    ¡°It¡¯s up to you,¡± Evera said. ¡°His feelings are clear. Choose. And when you decide, either kiss him or leave.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time for commitments now,¡± she said.


    Evera gave no response. She had moved on to inspecting Garo¡¯s body. Perhaps she was trying to seem unperturbed, but her body betrayed her anxiety. Whatever Aria chose would determine her fate as well.


    Aria dropped to the ground beside Achi.


    What a mess. Barely five minutes ago, every part of her had been roaring for Achi¡¯s blood. And now, not it still wanted him dead. But it wanted him alive too.


    She lay on the ground beside him and without thinking, pulled closer until her head was touching his. The storm inside her calmed a little. It still pulled her in two directions, but it did not hinder her thinking.


    To choose him, what would that look like? What did it look like when you loved someone? She thought of what Achi had done for her. At the very least, she would have to let him revive his father. How could she love him if she didn¡¯t do that? And then, she would have to consider his wishes. He wouldn¡¯t want her to kill the others. He was too soft-hearted. Punish, perhaps, but not kill. Was she willing to give that up? Even the thought brought out her burning anger again.


    Was losing her vengeance worth his return? And what else? She would not have to give up anything else. Achi had never asked much of her; he had always given: food, assistance, clothes, smiles.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to hurry you -¡± Alogun said.


    Aria set him on fire.


    Where was I? That¡¯s right. Weighing the payoff.


    Achi alive in exchange for perhaps letting Tivelo live. And perhaps being less brutal with the others. In return, she would have him.


    A vision of Ovi appeared in her mind. The woman Achi had dreamed of. The woman he had rejected for Aria. Rejected, even after she had tortured him.


    And she knew, that if she did not choose him, she would regret it forever. Vengeance on her tormentors: that would always be possible. But where else would she find someone willing to die for her twice? To kill his father to avenge her? To love her when everything that was sweet and beautiful about her was gone?


    She glanced at Alogun again and felt disgust. What were they worth, anyway? Why should she lose the person who loved her because of them? Wouldn¡¯t that be a punishment for her? There would be another way. She would avenge herself, but she would do it with Achi alive.


    A gasp sounded from beside her. She turned toward it and met Achi¡¯s eyes; open and alive.

 72. Negotiation

    They watched each other in silence. Seconds passed, then a full minute.


    ¡°So,¡± Achi said, ¡°are you feeling better?¡±


    Aria thought about it. ¡°A little,¡± she said.


    ¡°No itch to tear my heart out or set it on fire or kill any of my pets?¡±


    Aria considered that thoroughly. ¡°I think it¡¯s subsided for now.¡±


    ¡°Do you think you could stop burning Alogun, then?¡±


    Aria glanced at Alogun, looked back at Achi, and then looked at Alogun again.


    ¡°I could,¡± she said.


    ¡°Would you please do so, then?¡±


    She sighed and put out the flames.


    Achi¡¯s mouth twisted upward, slowly, until it formed the widest grin she had ever seen on a face. Then he sat up, drew her up as well, and hugged her violently. She shoved him away, more out of obligation than annoyance. When he pulled away, she saw his face again, filled with relief, joy, and tears.


    ¡°I knew it!¡± He laughed. ¡°I knew it would work!¡±


    ¡°Knew what would work exactly?¡±


    He froze at her dangerous tone. ¡°I knew you couldn¡¯t just be a vengeful deity.¡±


    ¡°That is exactly what I am.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re that and something else,¡± Achi said. ¡°A purely-vengeful deity would have rejoiced at my death and moved on to the next person. But I knew it. You hesitated, so I knew.¡±


    He laughed and hugged her again. When he released her, she rose to her feet and stepped away, lest he supply another bruising hug.


    ¡°You¡¯re not angry,¡± she said.


    ¡°Eh, I think I should be.¡± He shrugged. ¡°But I think my happiness is greater. I¡¯m so sorry, Aria. I really am. I¡¯ll make sure they pay.¡±


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    ¡°Forget it,¡± she said.


    He looked confused. ¡°Really? You¡¯re forgiving them?¡±


    ¡°What? No, of course not. I¡¯m simply delaying my revenge.¡±


    He smiled again, so widely that almost half of his face was a smile. ¡°I love you,¡± he said.


    Aria tensed.


    Without waiting for her response, Achi looked around at the battlefield. It was cracked, burned, and broken, bearing an imprint of the last hour. He took a deep breath and, an instant later, the ground was healed. There was grass growing, as green as after the rains, and no cracks in sight. The hated statue of herself, a blot on the horizon, was gone. Only Garo and Tivelo¡¯s corpses remained to stain the landscape.


    He turned to her, still all smiles, and her burned, tattered clothes disappeared. A black blouse and matching trousers replaced them, plain, but comfortable.


    She touched her face, felt her burn scars, and raised an eyebrow at Achi.


    ¡°If you want - ¡° he said.


    ¡°Yes, I want.¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°Alright, then.¡±


    She felt her hair return where it had burned off, ran her fingers over her face, and found it smooth again.


    Achi watched her silently, joy on his face. It made her uncomfortable.


    ¡°You should wake your father,¡± she said.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Achi said, ¡°but I promised to support you. And he did wrong you.¡±


    ¡°Then do as I say,¡± Aria said. ¡°By the way, how did you kill him?¡±


    ¡°I commanded him to die.¡± His tone was somber. ¡°Are you sure? Should I really-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m starting to get angry again,¡± Aria said. ¡°I don¡¯t think I like repeating myself.¡±


    Rather than flinch, Achi bounded up to her and put an arm around her waist. ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯ll revive him. But whenever you want him dead again, just let me know.¡±


    At Aria¡¯s frown, he gave an understated shrug. ¡°He, of all of them, knew exactly what he was doing. He deliberately harmed you. He was prepared for the price.¡± He looked intently at her. ¡°I meant what I said, Aria. I am sorry. And I swear that I will make this right. Someday, somehow, you¡¯ll remember the past without any pain.¡±


    She did not believe the promise, but hearing it warmed her. As costly as it had been, she had made the correct choice.


    ¡°Just wake him and let¡¯s leave. I hate this place.¡±


    Tivelo woke almost immediately. He remained prone for only a moment before jumping to his feet, looking like a man caught in an awkward position. He glanced around as if orienting himself, spotted Achi and Aria, and stopped moving.


    He and Aria exchanged a short glance and cut it off at the same time.


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave,¡± Aria said to Achi.


    ¡°What about us?¡± Alogun asked.


    Aria paused long enough to glare at him. Then she took Achi¡¯s arm and attempted to teleport to her palace. Nothing happened.


    ¡°Your powers have changed,¡± Achi said. ¡°Vengeful deities tend to lack long-range teleportation. Allow me.¡±


    The next moment, they were back in her gifted palace, standing in one of the receiving halls.

 73. Proposal

    Aria woke, once again, to a mouth-watering aroma. She had already learned not to resist its call. Without opening her eyes, she reached out to the tray of cakes and snatched one. Two mouthfuls later, she opened her eyes.


    Achi in one of the gardens, on his hands and feet, digging in the dirt. She paused to put on a robe - already waiting beside the bed - before taking up the floating tray and teleporting to his location.


    ¡°You know,¡± she said. ¡°Feeding me cake every morning is considered assault in some cultures.¡±


    He turned from his gardening to shoot a smile at her. ¡°Should I switch to pies?¡±


    Aria couldn¡¯t reply. She was starting on another cake. She sighed in pleasure even as she ate it. When she had swallowed, she looked about for a place to sit. Immediately, an upholstered seat, much like a throne appeared beside her, with a matching table on which to put her tray.


    ¡°We¡¯ve discussed this,¡± Aria said, taking the chair. ¡°Stop reading my mind.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯ve explained that it is impossible.¡±


    ¡°You said that anything is possible if I want it.¡±


    ¡°Almost anything,¡± Achi said. ¡°And not knowing what you want the moment you want it is one of those impossibilities.¡±


    She wanted to argue, but eating was more interesting. So, she let the matter drop.


    He continued his weeding while she enjoyed the cool air and sweet breakfast.


    When the tray was half-empty and she felt the first stirring of thirst, a glass appeared on the table beside the tray, filled with something clear but sharp-smelling. She took a sip and, as expected, found it delicious.


    Achi finished his weeding and came over to her side. Her chair morphed into a long couch. He sat beside her, lay down, and put his head in her lap.


    ¡°What do you want for a wedding gift?¡± He asked.


    She eyed him quietly, ¡°What wedding are you referring to.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you know?¡± He asked. ¡°We¡¯re married.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I decided it last night. I¡¯m moving my belongings into your quarters as we speak.¡±


    ¡°And what if I say no?¡±


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    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll drop dead and wait right here until you come back and claim me.¡±


    Aria was tempted to crack a joke, but she decided to seriously consider the matter.


    Would she marry him?


    ¡°I looked into the future,¡± Achi said. He twisted in her lap so that he was looking up at her. ¡°It was very disappointing, by the way. My father can see whatever he wants, but I couldn¡¯t see anything that wasn¡¯t related to you. Anyway, I saw that if I asked you to marry me, you would refuse to give an answer. But if I simply decided that we were married, you would refuse to dispute it. In your mind, you would be married and not married. As long as you like me, you¡¯ll play along. If you ever tire of me, you¡¯ll simply decide that we were never married at all.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get married,¡± Aria said.


    Achi looked as if she had hit him boulder.


    ¡°What - are you - are you joking?¡±


    ¡°Actually,¡± Aria said, ¡°I wanted to see if I can do something you didn¡¯t foresee, and it appears that I can.¡±


    Achi¡¯s voice fell. ¡°So, you¡¯re not serious.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I am,¡± Aria said. ¡°Let¡¯s get married. If I tire of you, I¡¯ll just leave anyway.¡±


    Achi fell silent,


    After a long minute, Aria asked, ¡°Did I break you?¡±


    ¡°I - you really mean it?¡± Achi whispered.


    Oh, no. I did break him.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to -¡± she said.


    He was suddenly on his knees holding both her hands and kissing them profusely.


    ¡°You have made me the happiest man in the universe.¡±


    ¡°Really,¡± Aria said, ¡°don¡¯t get too attached. I¡¯ve never kept a man longer than five months.¡±


    Achi laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If you live even one day in less than overwhelming ecstasy, I will have failed at my job.¡±


    I¡¯m regretting this already.


    When he tired of his celebration, he lay on the couch again, and made wild promises about the future, while she imagined ridiculous things for him to conjure for her: a lollipop shaped like a carrot, a life-sized model of Garo riding a giant duck, a river of chocolate with colored pavilions flowing down past them.


    Eventually, they tired of the game and Aria brought up the one thread she had left unfinished.


    ¡°I have an agreement with the others,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to order you to order Tivelo to free them.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Achi said. ¡°You taunted Chalik with it.¡±


    They fell into silence.


    ¡°Do you still want to keep it?¡± He asked. ¡°If you don¡¯t, I can break the vow. It will kill Proivka, though and I think that is unfair. She did not intend to bind you to a bad oath.¡±


    ¡°If I keep it,¡± Aria said, ¡°then they will go free?¡±


    ¡°From my father¡¯s punishment. But no evildoer can ever be free. Evil always carries its punishment in itself.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying you¡¯ll let them go free.¡±


    Achi was silent for a while.


    ¡°I promised you,¡± he said, ¡°that someday you¡¯ll be whole again. I plan to keep that promise. But no, I can¡¯t punish them in the way my father would. It is not the sort of thing that I can do, just like forgiving them is not currently the sort of thing that you can do. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be,¡± Aria said. ¡°If you weren¡¯t so ridiculously softhearted, I think, I couldn¡¯t love you enough to escape my anger.¡±


    Achi smiled. ¡°I can promise you one other thing,¡± he said. ¡°I promise that they will one day regret their actions very, very much.¡±

 74. Aria

    Returning to Tivelo¡¯s palace was odd. The invisible doorways and black corridors no longer seemed so magical. The army of attendants was gone, giving the place an eerie feel. Tivelo waited for them in his main hall. There, Chalik, Alogun, Evera, and - annoyingly - Garo stood in stiff poses, watching Achi and Aria arrive.


    ¡°Why is Garo alive?¡± Achi asked as they entered.


    Tivelo¡¯s eyes flicked over to Garo and then back to Achi. ¡°Why would he be dead,¡± Tivelo asked, ¡°when life is so much more painful?¡±


    To Garo¡¯s credit, the cold threat received no reaction from him.


    Aria waited several feet away from the others, while Achi went up to the dais and engaged Tivelo in silent conversation. At one point, Evera shot a smile at her, but she ignored it. Aria strained to hear Achi¡¯s conversation, but their moving lips seemed to produce no sound. They stood far apart, both holding still postures, like lovers forced to converse during a long argument.


    After a few minutes, Achi turned to the audience.


    ¡°My father has decided to pardon you,¡± He said.


    A wave of relief went through the watching deities.


    ¡°Actually,¡± Alogun said, ¡°Evera was not included in the agreement.¡±


    ¡°Nonetheless, she is included in the pardon,¡± Achi said. ¡°As far as I can tell, she actually tried to remedy her mistakes.¡±


    ¡°She did nothing until it was over,¡± Chalik said. ¡°She was likely hoping to hide and ingratiate herself with whoever the victor was. It was cowardice, not remorse.¡±


    ¡°Please, shut up,¡± Achi said.


    That shocked Chalik into silence.


    ¡°As I was saying,¡± Achi said. ¡°The list of pardons is explicit. You are pardoned for the following crimes: plotting my death, executing that plot, negatively modifying the entire mortal population, harming Aria, causing the deaths of millions of mortals, and causing untold destruction to the three realms. If you have committed any crimes beyond those, confess them now and be properly punished.¡±


    Naturally, no one confessed. Aria glanced at Tivelo. It should not have escaped him that he was guilty of most of the actions he was pardoning the others for, but he gave no sign that he recognized the irony.


    It pays to be powerful.


    ¡°In that case,¡± Achi said, ¡°there are a few more announcements. My father will be taking a vacation. While he is away, I will technically have control over you. Unfortunately, I have a wedding to prepare and no time to police adults ten times my age. So, this is what we will do. Effective immediately, any deity I deem insufficiently moral will be stripped of his domain and authority. That includes the four of you. You will find that all of your abilities are now non-functional. That includes your immortality. Do not go falling off any cliffs if you want to continue living.¡±


    Everyone but Tivelo gaped at him.


    ¡°You cannot!¡± Chalik said. ¡°This violates the agreement.¡±


    ¡°No, Chalik,¡± Achi fixed her with a glare. ¡°It does not. My father has always planned to give me control and I have always planned to strip you lot of your powers. Your agreement was that Aria would order me to order my father to pardon you. She has done so and will now repeat the order for your hearing.¡±


    Aria looked pointedly at Achi and said, ¡±you are hereby ordered to order Tivelo to pardon this sorry group.¡±


    ¡°There,¡± Achi turned back to Chalik. ¡°That matter is settled. If you want your powers back, beg Aria to order me to return them. You are dismissed.¡±


    They disappeared immediately, leaving Aria alone with Achi and Tivelo. Achi teleported back to Aria¡¯s side and put an arm around her.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s not enough - ¡°


    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s perfect.¡± She smiled. ¡°The coming year will be beyond entertaining.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t let them bother you -¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare. Garo on his knees begging for his powers back, I want to see that every day for the rest of my life. Build on that success,¡± she shot a meaningful glance at Tivelo, ¡°and you¡¯ll quickly climb my list of suitors.¡±


    ¡°List, huh?¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard? I¡¯m a goddess. They¡¯ll be beating down the door before morning.¡±


    Achi chuckled, steering her toward the doorway as he did so.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Tivelo said.


    Achi continued walking, but Aria stopped, forcing him to do the same.


    Achi looked askance at her.


    ¡°I may not be the goddess of wisdom,¡± she said, ¡°but I know how family disagreements work. You want to speak to him. Do so. Don¡¯t use me as the reason for your estrangement. I can fight my own battles.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to speak with him.¡±


    ¡°Fine. But blame me later.¡±


    ¡°Actually,¡± Tivelo said. ¡°It¡¯s you I need to speak with, Aria.¡±


    Both Aria and Achi turned to him, Aria with an incredulous stare, Achi with annoyance.


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    Tivelo smiled. In the current mood, the action seemed both incongruous and annoying.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to talk to Achi,¡± Tivelo said. ¡°We know each other. He knows why I did what I did and I know why it angered him. He will forgive me because it is not in his nature to hold a grudge for long, and I will always regret needing to hurt him. But any words between us now would be heated for no purpose.¡±


    Achi looked angrier than Aria had ever seen him. He opened his mouth, paused, and then closed it.


    He turned away from his father, dismissal in his posture.


    ¡°I will wait outside,¡± he said.


    Aria watched until he disappeared through the doorway, and then turned to Tivelo. He was still staring in his son¡¯s direction, a tired and pained expression on his face. Aria felt no sympathy. Her rage was no longer debilitating, but her hatred for him was real.


    Tivelo inspected her, sweeping from head to toe, and making her feel self-conscious.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± She asked.


    He seemed disappointed by something, but he kept it to himself. Instead, he stretched out a hand and a plain wooden box appeared in it. The box was large enough to require two arms for support, but he balanced it on one palm with ease.


    After waiting for a while, Aria sighed her irritation and accepted the box. With one hand, she held it against her chest and with the other, removed its top. There was no latch. It simply swung open on its hinge to reveal two metal bracers.


    She turned a querying glare on Tivelo.


    ¡°I believe you are an archer,¡± he said.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t specialize,¡± Aria said.


    ¡°But you prefer archery.¡± he gestured at the box. ¡°I gave Achi a ring, but I suspect that you would prefer these. They are an extra layer of protection. They will protect you from any obvious harm and give you access to my power should you ever need it.¡±


    Aria released the box, expecting it to drop to the ground, but it remained floating in mid-air.


    ¡°Consider it a gift to Achi,¡± TIvelo said. ¡°A love-bound god has one unending fear. This will ease it for him.¡±


    ¡°He can protect me,¡± Aria said. ¡°And I have my own powers.¡±


    ¡°No one is infallible,¡± Tivelo said, ¡°Achi has millennia before his abilities rival mine. Keep it. Even if you decide not to wear it, you will at least have the choice.¡±


    He turned to leave. This time, it was Aria who stopped him.


    ¡°Is that it?¡± She asked ¡°You terrorize me, torture me, kill me, and then you give me a gift? Am I supposed to accept this, and, what, thank you?¡±


    ¡°No need for thanks,¡± Tivelo said, still walking away.


    Before she could think, Aria spawned a line of fire in the corridor ahead of him, blocking his path. He stopped and slowly turned to face her. Achi appeared the next moment, glanced from her to his father, and then teleported to her side. He put a hand on her shoulder but she shrugged it away.


    ¡°Tell me why I should not level this place and then do the same to every one of your temples,¡± she said.


    ¡°Because it will not sate your anger, only grow it.¡± His tone was full of suppressed amusement.


    Aria¡¯s rage flared, but Achi stepped between them. ¡°Let¡¯s leave,¡± he said. ¡°He¡¯s not worth it.¡±


    No statement had ever been so false.


    ¡°Step aside Achi,¡± Tivelo said. ¡°I know how to de-escalate this.¡±


    Achi didn¡¯t move.


    ¡°Seriously, love,¡± Tivelo said. ¡°Move aside. If she explodes again, it will take more than your death to calm her down.¡± Achi slid out of the way as if pushed by an invisible hand.


    ¡°Aria,¡± Tivelo said. ¡°You believe I insulted you, and you are correct. I apologize. Everyone around me is either younger than me or stupider than me, so I tend to treat them all like children. They typically accept the treatment, so it has become a terrible habit. Despite that, I did not mean to insult you. I simply prefer not to have pointless conversations. And trying to explain yourself to a vengeful deity is the definition of pointless.¡±


    Aria could not tell whether to feel mollified or doubly insulted.


    ¡°However,¡± Tivelo said, ¡°since refusing now would annoy you more, here is my explanation. Do you know the meaning of your name?¡±


    Aria blinked at the sudden twist. ¡°It¡¯s a musical term.¡±


    ¡°And do you know how you received it?¡±


    ¡°From my parents. They consulted a priest.¡±


    ¡°And he, a priest of Garo, named you after music?¡±


    That sounded as ridiculous from his lips as it did in her mind.


    ¡°Don¡¯t lead me with crumbs,¡± Aria said. ¡°I¡¯m not an animal.¡±


    ¡°Listen,¡± Tivelo said.


    He fell silent, forcing Aria to listen to the sounds around them. There was nothing; the wind, rustling trees, and the soft rippling of the lake outside, but nothing to speak of.


    Aria felt suddenly suspicious. ¡°Are you playing with me?¡±


    Tivelo shook his head, his lips fighting more amusement. ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°Listen closely. If you listen well enough, you can hear it, the song that the whole universe sings. Every blade of grass, every fish in the sea, every footstep. They combine into one unending harmony. Every time I hear it, I see the future they reach toward. I see that there is a future at all. I named you after that song, because you were that future. None of us had any hope without you. If he could not have you, Achi would have died of grief. I would have died as well. Without me, the others would have destroyed our world - even if my power wasn¡¯t the only thing holding it together. The song could only continue if you lived.


    ¡°I gave you that name so that every time Achi begged me, every time he spoke your name and pleaded with me to spare you and let him die, I would remember. I would hear the song and remember not to give in.


    ¡°To you, what you suffered is unjustifiable. I have no desire to argue that fact with you. I have no wish to impose on you at all. Go with Achi. He¡¯ll heal you. He can heal anything.


    ¡°And since we are on this topic, here is my second gift.¡±


    He stretched out his hand again and a dagger appeared in it, a plain thing with a steel blade and a wooden handle.


    ¡°This one is a promise,¡± he said. ¡°One century from today, I¡¯ll come to you. And if you still believe that I wronged you, that dagger will kill me. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll treasure it.¡±


    He turned to leave, paused, and turned back to her.


    ¡°And, lest you have the wrong impression. I could have been slightly less horrible to you. And I would have been if you hadn¡¯t had the temerity to poison my son. So, yes, my actions served a dual purpose. You treasure your life so much; you should know that his is no less precious to me.¡±


    With that, he walked down the corridor away from them, until he disappeared through a doorway at its end.


    ¡°Now you see,¡± Achi said. ¡°You can¡¯t reason with him. You didn¡¯t create the world and somehow he thinks it¡¯s justifiable to lay all the penalty for saving it on you.¡±


    Aria said nothing.


    Achi pulled her closer. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he said.


    As they left, she considered all the words that Tivelo had kept to himself, his obvious belief that they would eventually appreciate his choice, his clear love for his son, and his grief at what he had done.


    And to her fury, she found herself softening toward him.


    She leaned into Achi¡¯s embrace as they went. ¡°I want to buy a castle.¡±


    ¡°Another one?¡± He said. ¡°That¡¯s fine, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°Not any castle. There¡¯s a queen who was very rude to me once. If only she had known, eh?¡±


    Achi, like the softie he was, didn¡¯t consider cold revenge a fun activity, but it was just what Aria needed.