The Revelation of Light and Dark (Chronicles of the Stone Veil 1)

Rune’s icy eyes shimmered with something just short of malice as he returned Carrick’s nod of greeting.

“What brings you to us, Carrick?” Circe asked. Her voice was husky and sensual. She was the siren of the group, although every one of the gods were highly sexualized creatures in their own rights. It’s just that Circe embodied sensuality in all things she did from the way she dressed to her tone of voice to how she walked.

“You look troubled,” Cato observed before Carrick could answer Circe. While he could whip up a stormy tempest with a mere thought, he was an empath and was the most even-keeled of The Council.

Carrick didn’t bother to acknowledge Cato’s statement, for it wasn’t a question. Instead, his gaze moved from one god to the next before saying, “I’ve come to petition The Council to grant me my right to ascend.”

Veda gasped, and she shared a pointed look with Onyx. Circe bit down on a ruby lip with wide eyes, and Cato blinked in surprise.

Rune, however, laughed… his eyes narrowing on Carrick in an amused way. “Your right?” he asked incredulously in that annoying, supercilious tone he had that grated on Carrick’s every nerve. “You have no rights.”

Carrick’s jaw tightened, and he had to force his teeth to unclench. Inclining his head to Rune, he apologetically corrected himself. “It is my right to petition. The Council may grant it by unanimous vote.”

“That is true,” Rune replied with a sly grin. He stepped away from the group, turned to face them, and beckoned. “Who among you would grant Carrick the right to ascend? Just go ahead and raise your hand. No need to get fancy.”

Three hands immediately went up. Veda, Onyx, and Cato. Circe took a moment as she considered, but ultimately lifted hers in the air. Carrick’s heart started to race as he slid his gaze over to Rune, the fifth and deciding vote.

Rune shook his head, a look of regret on his face Carrick didn’t believe was genuine at all. “I’m sorry, Carrick. I don’t agree, so you don’t get your unanimous vote.”

His tone was taunting, meant to drive home the point that Rune was no friend of Carrick’s.

Carrick’s fists balled tightly, and he leaned toward Rune. It was an intimidating gesture, and something that was never done to a god unless one wanted to be stricken dead with a wave of a hand.

“Is your curse upon me not enough?” Carrick demanded.

“Come on, Carrick,” Rune exclaimed with a laugh, clapping him on the shoulder as if they were good buddies who just had a little disagreement. “Don’t get so dramatic.”

“I demand the gauntlet then,” Carrick hissed between his teeth. He was going for broke.

That got everyone’s attention and all eyes pinned on him in shock, including Rune’s. The gauntlet simply wasn’t requested because it could not be beaten. It was Carrick’s right to request it—a horrific schedule of feats that he must pass—any one of which was almost assured to guarantee death. It was a testament to how serious the request was, and he noted Veda’s expression was sympathetic to his cause. She always had the softest heart of them all.

“How about an alternative?” Rune suggested, a sly twinkle in his eyes.

Carrick’s head whipped the blue-haired god’s way, expression hardened with mistrust. “What would that be?”

Heads began to nod—all four of the other gods instinctively—even telepathically—aware of where Rune was going. “It’s a good alternative,” Veda said, her tone slightly pleading for Carrick to listen.

“What alternative?” Carrick gritted out.

“There’s a prophecy—” Circe began.

“There’s always a fucking prophecy,” Carrick snarled, cutting her off. He wanted his goddamn ascension, and he deserved it. They all knew he deserved it, but Rune wanted to continue to punish him.

Fire flamed in Circe’s dark brown eyes, and Carrick could feel the heat on his skin. He held his ground, though, staring her down.

“As I was saying,” Circe admonished as the flames withered, which meant she wasn’t all that perturbed by his outburst, “there is a prophecy that must play out in a certain way, for if it does not, the Earth realm will be put in peril.”

Carrick rolled his eyes. There was indeed always a prophecy. Always some world that needed saving. Something was always hovering over humanity, ready to cause havoc. But something about Circe’s tone gave him pause because she inferred the entirety of Earth could be in jeopardy.

“Take part in the prophecy,” Rune continued for Circe. “See it through in a way that pleases us, and I’ll give you my vote to ascend.”

That caught Carrick’s attention. With Rune’s vote, they were offering Carrick his greatest desire. Still, he was skeptical. “What’s the prophecy? When will it start?”

Rune grinned smugly, and Carrick knew Rune was getting ready to say something that was going to change the course of his destiny.