City of Blood (Godstone Saga 6)

Caelan mentally cringed at the idea of any of the gods walking through people’s dreams. But then, if he’d been trapped in a crystal for centuries without end, he probably would have reached out for any way to still feel alive.

“Thank you for not harming Rayne,” Caelan stated, not wanting to think about Zyros’s effect on the villagers. Gilea had stuck close to Rayne after she’d been brought into their camp, giving her nearly countless opportunities to kill him. But she hadn’t.

For the first time, the goddess’s gaze darted away from him and she folded her arms across her stomach as if she felt uncomfortable with his gratitude. Or was it just the idea that she’d had the perfect chance to kill Rayne and she’d passed it up?

“Whatever,” she mumbled. When she looked over at him, her slender nose was wrinkled. “Is he always like that?”

“Yes.” Caelan huffed a soft laugh. “Rayne is a caretaker by nature. He has a deep need to fix things, to help people be their very best.”

“You’re going to get him killed.”

Caelan pressed his lips together into a hard line, holding back any angry words that might lash out. Part of him agreed with her. The longer they were around him, the more his companions were at increased risk of a violent death, and he didn’t want to lose them.

When he could speak calmly, Caelan offered a tiny nod. “Yes, but I respect their right to make decisions about their own lives.”

Zyros scoffed and shook her head. “You’re a god now, right? Who else could possibly have more say over their lives than a god?”

“God or not, I must respect their choices. They know the danger, but they love me more.” Caelan paused and grinned. “As much as I want them to live long and happy lives, I am glad they are with me on this journey.”

The Goddess of the Hunt moved closer to him, but she did it in such a way that they circled each other. Caelan moved away from the edge of the waterfall, while she selected a large rock that extended out from the cliff and sat. She flashed him a smug look as if daring him to attack her. It was tempting. Would it take more than a tiny shove?

But he wasn’t stupid.

This conversation was civil, and she was testing him.

Was there another way to end all this without bloodshed and death?

Caelan flicked his wrist, sending his sword away, which made her smile grow larger. He sat on a rock not too far from her, resting his hands on his knees. “We were both tricked.”

Her smile evaporated and she jerked her head away from him, glaring at the rushing black water.

“Lore told me the story of what happened,” Caelan continued cautiously. “How the gods tricked you into completing impossible tasks—things no one should have ever been able to complete—in order to gain power from them. Only it was too much. Things didn’t turn out how you expected.”

Her narrow shoulders shook for a second before a low sound lifted from her, rising above the crashing water to fill the open field. Her laughter was like jagged glass cutting into his brain and slicing nerve endings.

“Tricked me? Is that what you think?” Zyros glared at him, her smile all teeth and fangs. “The only one here who was tricked by them was you, little godling. I got exactly what I wanted. What we agreed upon. Power.” She shifted on her rock, turning more of her body toward him and leaning forward. “But power isn’t your chief desire, is it King of Erya? You were born to a life with endless power at your fingertips. You’ve never known what it’s like to have none, to be at the mercy of so many others. It would never have occurred to you to seek the power of the gods.”

“True,” he replied easily. “Even though it has been the birthright of the Talos family for countless generations, I had no desire to bond with the Goddess of Life.” He threw out his hands to his sides. “And yet, here I am—killed three times and bonded with four gods.” Caelan launched to his feet so he could tower over the Goddess of the Hunt, which only made her smile grow wider, her eyes almost glowed in the moonlight. “They say I’m not even human anymore!”

“You’re not,” she whispered with a hiss of excitement. “You’re something better now.”

“Better? How can you say that I’m better? You don’t know what I am. I don’t even know what I am. If I’m intended to be anything, I’m the monster they created to either be bait for you or the monster they sent to destroy you.” He dropped onto the rock again and glared at the goddess.

Her pleased expression never wavered. “And yet, here we are and you’re not attempting to destroy me.”