But there were things that maybe they couldn’t protect Caelan from.
Like gods.
“Do…do you owe Kaes anything? Like is there some kind of debt that you owe for him giving you his power?”
His friend immediately shook his head. “I like to think he’d have mentioned something like that. At least given a warning. He seemed pretty up front about most things, though he didn’t exactly explain how this gift worked. But he didn’t mention any debt or something I had to give him in exchange for this power.”
“Didn’t sell your soul?” Drayce teased as the weight on his chest eased, and he found he could breathe easier.
“I don’t think so. But I am glad that I don’t have to bond with the other gods. At least, no more than Tula. I feel like I got off easy with Kaes. He appeared like a sweet old man who had a soft spot for the Goddess of Life.”
Drayce wrinkled his nose. “Yeah. What would happen if you had to deal with a god who didn’t like Kaes or Tula? That could be bad.”
“Kaes did warn me that a storm was coming. Something big. It was going to threaten all of Thia.”
“The Empire.”
Caelan shook his head and a knot started to twist in Drayce’s stomach at the haunted look that entered Caelan’s blue eyes. “No, he said it wasn’t the Empire.”
“Then what?”
“I don’t know.” The clouds seemed to clear from Caelan’s eyes, but the smile he flashed Drayce still seemed troubled. “But right now, the Empire is the problem we know about. I have a feeling that once New Rosanthe is dealt with, everything will settle down for a bit. Life will return to normal, and we’ll be able to rebuild Stormbreak Point.”
“You’ll bring the God of Storms to Stormbreak.”
“Scary thought.”
Drayce tried to smile at Caelan, but he knew it fell short. If a god was warning of more danger on the horizon, it was likely to be a long time before they enjoyed anything that resembled normal.
“Get some sleep. Drayce. I’ll be right here. I’m not going anywhere.”
He narrowed his eyes at his friend and tried for a somewhat serious expression. “And you promise to not try out your cool new powers without me.”
“Yes, I promise.”
Sleep fell over Drayce faster than he’d wanted. While he was exhausted and relieved that Caelan was okay, he preferred to turn over what his friend had told him about Kaes, Tula, and this coming storm. What was headed their way?
And did Caelan really need to bond with two gods? He might have mentally prepared his entire life to bond with the Godstone of Erya, but there had been no talk of bonding with the Godstone of Caspagir. What would happen to Caelan with the power of two gods flowing through his very human body?
What worried him the most was that Caelan would do it without blinking an eye. All in the name of protecting his people. To live up to the expectations and greatness of his mother and other ancestors. To live up to the name of Talos.
Drayce refused to let him die at the hands of the Empire or the gods.
He just had to figure out how to keep his prince safe.
23
Caelan Talos
Caelan stood in the middle of the field with his arms stretched over his head. The sun was warm on his bare skin and the wind was gently ruffling his hair. For one brief moment, all the chaos, death, destruction, and frustration felt a million miles away. There was only the wind and the sun. The distant flutter of leaves on the branches as they danced in the wind. The smell of grass, dirt, and maybe even some rain waiting in the clouds.
It had been a full forty-eight hours since he’d bonded with Kaes. He’d recovered from his encounter with the God of Storms and had given his companions a day to catch up on their sleep, while he took the opportunity to meet privately with Queen Noemi about assistance against the Empire as well as some more insight into his aloof mother. One had proved far easier to get than the other.
“If I get struck by lightning, I’m kicking your ass,” Eno drawled and Caelan nearly choked on a laugh.
Dropping his hands to his sides, he turned to find his friends standing with Shey a short distance off. Shey had grabbed one of the SUVs from the royal motor pool and driven them outside the city to some local farmland.
Now they were standing amid the gently rolling hills covered in hip-high grasses that swayed lightly in the breeze like waves in a green ocean.
Shey was still hanging back with his three companions, watching him with a wary eye. He wasn’t sure if it was the new power or that he’d been there when Caelan had nearly drowned in an empty room that had left him looking so apprehensive.