I presume you’re beginning to piece the mystery together based on the bewildered expression on your face.
His tone was light, almost as if he were poking fun at me. It was in stark contrast to the more serious and somber demeanor that I’d experienced so far.
My eyes widened as I turned to face him fully, dropping my voice to barely a whisper as I asked, “You’re an old god?”
The thought seemed…so incredibly crazy, but it instantly rang true in my mind.
He let out a few clicks that felt like chuffs of laughter and hopped a few steps closer to me before his wings extended out and flapped once, carrying him up onto my shoulder. Turning my gaze back over the city to give him enough room, I let out a soft gasp as his furry head bumped into my cheek.
Don’t worry, young one. I’m one of the good ones in history. I know that means nothing to you, as we have yet to have time to get to know one another, but in time, I will share the history of the old gods, as well as my thoughts of this war and what is happening in the Thaician Empire.
Oddly enough, the coiled tension in my chest seemed to loosen with his affectionate head-butt and the candid honesty I heard in his voice. But that was crazy, right? He just confessed to being a powerful and old vampyre god, something that I’d only briefly heard of before. I should have felt a quiver of fear running through my body with this new knowledge.
Deep down, the ease with which he’d confessed to who he was meant so much to me, though. He wasn’t playing games, instead taking a huge risk to expose himself to me, I presumed. I was inclined to believe that the ease of his candor alone, earned a kernel of my trust.
“I appreciate your honesty, Barnabus,” I admitted, reaching up on instinct to scratch beneath his chin, not realizing I was petting a freaking old god until my fingers had already sunk into his fluffy fur. “Sorry,” I quickly rushed to say, dropping my hand before he let out a series of disapproving clicks.
I didn’t say to stop.
An honest to gods laugh bubbled out of my chest at the thought of him being disgruntled with me for not rubbing his chin anymore. I thought I’d offended him with the move, but it seemed he was more inclined to lean into the affection than I’d assumed.
Shh, or you’ll wake the lords.
Slapping my freehand over my mouth, I muffled my laughter and began to scratch his chin again.
It’s lonely, this life I’ve chosen to lead. Myrin was the only friend I had left; thus I hope we can build our own relationship in time. Your touch and the knowledge that I am not alone and chose someone willing to fight as she did brings me comfort in her passing.
All mirth bled from me at the confession of his loneliness. Before coming to this empire, loneliness was something I was all too familiar with. “Are there no other gods walking the lands that you are friends with?”
He took a few small steps toward my neck, warmth brushing against my skin as he seemed to burrow in.
There are only two of us left now. When the dhampyrs rose, the gods were a split group about how to handle a new species that threatened our power. Many began to hunt and exterminate the dhampyrs, creating fear in the minds of vampyres and convincing them to assist the gods in their mission. Soon enough, a war brewed amongst the old gods, but only after the dhampyrs had been eradicated. There was an irrational fear of your kind because, what no one else knows besides us, is that the Evathrina flower can kill us as well. The old gods viewed the dhampyrs having so many similarities to us as a threat to our power.
I didn’t have words for that admission. My mind was churning, trying to process the information. As if he sensed my inability to respond, Barnabus forged onward.
The one who started the war against dhampyrs still remains: Lazarus. I believe he has taken refuge in the Thaician Empire for many, many years. The way of life there mirrors his own belief of the inferiority of humans and the desire to hunt down dhampyrs to kill or use for the Emperor's gain. It would not be a great surprise to find that he has assisted Malakai in his reign of terror.
If that was the case, it would seem we both had an old god on our side.
My brow scrunched together with the thought, and a question instantly bubbled out of me. “What powers do the old gods possess that vampyres do not? How would he be helping Malakai? I need to know what we are up against when we bring this war to their lands.”
Each old god had a different power. You have seen mine, in my ability to transform into a bat and to call on those nearest me to act as an army when needed.
So itwasBarnabus who concocted the plan to save me from that ship.
Lazarus was the only god to neither openly discuss nor show his power. It’s what has always made him such a dangerous opponent.
My heart sank into the pit of my stomach.
But you will not face him alone, Kyella. I will go to war with you. We will face him together.
I watched as the city stirred, people emerging from their homes and heading toward their various tasks for the day, and I knew our time to talk was ending. Before we set sail today, I needed to head into the council room with my men to finalize our plans.
“Can we defeat him, Barnabus?”
That I cannot guarantee, Kyella.
Chapter Two
