Caelan shook his head and directed his dark looks over at the stream. “They made it sound like they played a game with you. Tricked you.” He huffed out a bitter laugh. “While you say you tricked them.”
“What’s your opinion?”
“You’ve all got more ego than sense. I don’t give a damn who tricked whom. I don’t want to play your games.” He glared at her again, his fists balling up at his sides. “I’d be happy if you and the other gods killed each other, leaving the rest of us out of it.”
“Poor little godling, worried about the humans of the world,” she mocked.
“I fucking am!” Caelan was on his feet in a shot, taking a dangerous step toward Zyros before he realized what he was doing. “I’m still the King of Erya. I have a responsibility to my people to protect them. Protecting them means protecting all of Thia from assholes who’d rather kill each other and take the world down with them.” Caelan stomped over to the rock he’d been sitting on, but he continued to stand, glaring at it. “What about your tribe?”
“What?” Zyros sounded surprised by his question.
He turned partially to stare at her. “Your tribe. Your village. Lore said that you were from a tribe that lived in what is now the Ordas. What happened to them when all this shit exploded? Were you able to protect them from Tula and Kaes and all the others?”
Zyros was no longer meeting his eyes, and Caelan slowly shifted so that he was facing her again. A knot twisted in his stomach, leaving him with a sickening queasiness.
“They didn’t make it,” she answered softly.
“What do you mean? Kaes was too much for you? Nyx waltzed in and stole all their time? What? How could they not make it?”
“They died! As all humans do. They died!” she shouted at him. Her fingers were slightly curled into claws and they trembled with every word.
“They died because you couldn’t protect them? Or they died because you didn’t bother to try?”
Zyros dropped her hands loose to her sides and sniffed, her gaze on the water. “I didn’t try. Why would I? I’m the Goddess of the Hunt. It’s the responsibility of every member of the tribe to look out for themselves. Only the strongest and most cunning survive.”
Calean snorted. “Yes, I’m sure that was a great consolation to the dead and dying when they were faced with the rage of a god.” He snatched up a round rock worn smooth by years of water passing over it, slowly turning it between his fingers. “I don’t know whether that excuse is cowardice or selfishness on your part. Greed drove you to win power from the gods. Greed had you killing other godlings like myself for more power. And then, what? You couldn’t be bothered to help your own people?”
“Enough!”
“You’re right. Enough,” he said with a sigh. “Since speaking with Lore, I’d been feeling sympathy toward you. I thought we might even be kindred spirits—both of us fucked over by Tula and the others. Just a game to play on the mortals to help pass the time. But we’re nothing alike. I would never abandon my people. I’d give my life for them. I’d give my life to protect my family.”
“You are going to give your life for them,” Zyros snarled at him.
“So be it. The life of a Talos is never about power. It’s about sacrifice and protection. I won’t let you harm my people.”
“And what will that matter when you’re dead and they’re still dying?” She laughed, but it was a harsh sound, heavy with bitterness.
He didn’t have an answer for her this time. When he closed his eyes and played out the various scenarios, he couldn’t see how any of them got to a happy ending. If he let the gods fight it out and Zyros defeated Tula, what would happen to all of life on Thia without a Goddess of Life? Even if they succeeded in defeating Zyros, Caelan knew she’d take as many lives as possible with her.
What other option was there?
Except…the godstones.
Capture Zyros by packing all the gods away in the godstones again, including himself.
Caelan’s eyes burned and his throat grew tight. He struggled to swallow, and his fist tightened around the rock he still held. No wedding. No more holding Drayce in arms, kissing his lips, or hearing his laugh. No long talks with Rayne about the safety and future of Erya. No more training with Eno and teasing him about his lover.
No more.
If he was lucky he could give them all a future, but it wouldn’t include him—and that hurt.
Maybe he was greedy, too.
It didn’t matter. He’d find a way. He’d protect Erya and his family.
“And what the fuck were you thinking by drawing New Rosanthe into this mess?” Caelan suddenly bellowed at her.