“I wish.” I grumbled, earning a chuckle from Tarek who was silenced by an angry-looking Mason.
“The tattoo,” Mason pointed out, his eyes going feral. “It’s not going to stop.”
“As always, thank you for your astute observation.”
Thank the Creator, Kyra appeared that same minute.
“She’s injured.” I stood. “Which is why I called Cassius, not the council, Cassius, say it with me!”
Nobody spoke.
Kyra gave me a brave smile and then held out her hands palm up while Cassius stared down at them.
It wasn’t Cassius that said something though—no, it was Mason.
“Ancient,” he whispered in reverence. “The boils are scarring into intricate designs, the magic is…” His eyes widened in horror as he looked up. “Cassius, tell me you chose not to know this, chose not to see the future or the past.”
“I chose,” Cassius said slowly. “Because as you know, we cannot intervene especially with something this powerful, but I can take care of the wound on her neck and remedy the poison in her veins.”
Mason growled and ran his hands through his dark hair. “This isn’t…” He gave me a sad look. “I’m sorry.”
“Sorry.” I repeated. “What are you sorry for?”
“I didn’t see it before, maybe I didn’t want to,” He gently held out Kyra’s hand, “The only thing in existence that can scar or even create a wound from a curse like this, isn’t just ancient, it’s old magic, older than old. It’s not even magic. It’s…” He looked to Cassius. “It’s from the old gods.”
I burst out laughing. “The ones currently serving time in the Abyss. Great, let’s just call Zeus. Oh wait, he doesn’t exist—”
“Blasphemy!” Cassius roared. “You will not disrespect the old gods in this house. They still listen to the cries of the people they failed. You know as much as I, that the gods are one in the same, Egyptian, Roman, Norse, Greek—all come from one single story, one single power source that the Creator has since snuffed out.”
I nodded. “Sorry.”
Mason gave me a funny look. “Wh
en we met, you had been a demon for a few hundred years. Yet you’re older.”
Ethan piped up. “He’s older than me, and I’m old as hell. He’s older than even Cassius, which is saying something…”
“So?”
“It is time,” Cassius said in a sad voice. “I can’t undo what’s been done to her hands, but it is time that you pull back the secrets, the lies, the shame. Tell us, Timber, whose soul do you house? Whose soul screams for release?”
I shook my head. “You’re asking me for something I don’t remember.”
Alex stood and circled me while Kyra watched with obvious fear in her eyes. I would miss that short cropped black hair, the blue streaks that teased me with the play of light.
I was old.
But I would still miss my life.
Even if it was filled with darkness and chaos.
War and more war.
“He said he fought Ra in a war.” Kyra said softly.
“See if I tell you any more secrets,” I snarled in her direction.
“Your secrets are going to get you killed!” Cassius shouted, his face went ashen. “Ra, you fought Ra. Ethan, grab the book of the gods—”