Embrace the Light (Godstone Saga 5)

No, after their encounter with the Dead God and their recent revelations about Cael, it would be surprising if any of them managed to sleep tonight.

It all came down to one simple fact: Caelan Talos was dying.

Placing his elbow on the table, Eno dropped his forehead into his hand and sighed. He’d always thought it would be the gods that did it.

Kaes didn’t seem too bad. Especially after Caelan stopped passing out every time he accessed the God of Storms’ powers.

The addition of Tula wasn’t supposed to be bad. Caelan was always supposed to bond with her and she made him stronger. Except for the part where his emotions grew more erratic and he developed these hideous headaches. And the hand twitch he tried to hide.

After the Dead God and the appearance of the purple streak in his hair, Caelan became…haunted. They’d all thought it was due to shock from Drayce’s secret, but now Eno wondered if it was more heavily linked to the countdown clock that hung over his head.

Everything appeared to change when he bonded with the Goddess of Fire. The headaches, hand twitch, and general lethargy were all gone. It was like getting the old Caelan back. He was stronger, focused, and confident. They’d all believed they’d reached a turning point with Caelan and the gods. No one had voiced a single word of dread when it came to their king bonding with the God of Wisdom.

But now, he was sure they’d witnessed Caelan enjoying that final burst of strength before death claimed him. The last taste of sweetness before the end.

How were they supposed to save him?

Nyx had stolen half of his life. There was no cure for missing time. No magic spell they’d ever encountered. Not even the Goddess of Life could conjure up more time.

Eno closed his eyes against the swell of self-loathing. It should have been him that fell to his knees in front of Cael, offering up all of his time. Not Adrian. He’d been Caelan’s personal bodyguard for years. He’d protected him, guided him. He’d risked his life for him. This was the moment when he was supposed to step forward and hand it all over for him. It was an honor to die for a king.

But he hesitated.

Because of Rayne.

Not that he thought Rayne would stop him. It was his own selfishness. He didn’t want to leave Rayne. He wasn’t ready to give up all they had, the life he was still hoping they could live when this was over. He wasn’t ready to give all of that up and say good-bye to the only man he’d ever loved so completely.

And then there was Davi. He’d finally found his brother after being separated for a lifetime. Why did he have to give it all up already?

Looking back now, he’d do it. He’d sacrifice it all for Caelan except for two hours. He’d beg the Dead God to give him one last hour to say good-bye to his brother. One more hour to hold Rayne and tell him over and over again how loved he was.

But he would give up his life for Cael.

In the grand scheme of the gods and humans, he knew that it would be Caelan who would save them all, not him. Caelan would stop the Goddess of the Hunt, defeat New Rosanthe, and restore peace to Thia. He’d return to Stormbreak Point and be one of the greatest rulers Erya ever had. He needed the chance to make that a reality.

I offer up my time for Caelan. You can have it all if you just give me one more night. Let me say good-bye to my brother. Let me hold Rayne one more time, and you can have all the rest that I have. Give it to Caelan and let him save Thia, Eno silently prayed to Nyx.

Rayne would understand.

He hoped that his brother could one day as well.

Of course, that was assuming the God of Time was listening to him in the first place. Didn’t matter. He was going to live tonight as if it were his last night.

Footsteps scuffing across the hardwood floor had Eno jerking upright and scrubbing a hand across his face. A moment later, Davi walked into view rubbing a towel against his wet hair. He’d pulled on a sleeveless T-shirt and a pair of shorts after his shower. His brother lurched to a stop and blinked at him.

“I thought you’d be in bed already,” Davi murmured, keeping his voice pitched low so he didn’t disturb Adrian.

Eno picked up his glass and tilted it toward him. “Join me in a drink?”

Davi draped the towel across his shoulder and smirked. “Sure.”

“Grab a glass.”

His brother crossed to the white cabinets and pulled out another tumbler while Eno drew the new bottle of whiskey close. He’d only gotten as far as pouring his own glass but hadn’t taken a sip yet. His mind was too occupied, and the numbing bliss of alcohol wouldn’t fix anything.

When Davi slid the empty glass in front of him, Eno poured him two fingers and screwed the lid back on.

“How’d the meeting go with Vitor?” he inquired when his brother sat in the chair across from him.