Sinking to my knees, I sat beside her. “He wants to destroy everything. He thinks it’s a kindness to end our meaningless suffering.”
She chuckled, a short, breathy gasp at first. Then, she closed her eyes and dipped her head, fiery hair hanging in front of her eyes. A laugh burst from her lips, shaking her chest.
“Seraphim?” I asked, concerned.
Shaking her head, she brushed her hair from her face. “Phaedrus and I came to the same conclusion, though miles and years kept us apart.” Her pale blue eyes met mine. “Lifeismeaningless. The gods aren’t real, or maybe they abandoned us. We came from nothing, and will return to it when we die.”
My face fell. “But. . . but I thought you wanted to save it.”
“I do.” She said, voice cracking. “It’sbecauselife is pointless that I find it so precious. Nothing and no one governs us. We are free to live our lives as ourselves and write our own stories. What could be better?”
I didn’t understand. I didn’t want to think the gods weren’t real. I wanted my life to have purpose. For those I loved to carry on after death.
My eyes fluttered close. There had to be life, after death. I needed to see Ainwir again, to embrace and thank him.
“You don’t agree,” Seraphim said. “And that’s okay. You don’t have to.”
Nodding, I looked down. My life would gain meaning from my sacrifice. And. . . and the Maiden would welcome me, at its end.
“We’ll need to make a plan,” Seraphim said. “I wanted to prepare supplies and disguises in Cynthus, but. . .” She shrugged. “We’ll have to improvise.”
“Will the people be hostile?”
“If we walk in like this? Obvious foreigners? Yes, they will.” She looked at me gravely. “This place is more dangerous than anything we’ve faced thus far. Wemustuse caution.”
Nodding, I looked up at the black obelisk obscuring the moon.
Seraphim nudged me. “Let me sleep. You need to talk to Seth, anyway.”
Lifting my head, I saw Seth loitering while Percy started the fire, his scarlet eyes fixed on me.
“Get some rest.” I touched Seraphim’s shoulder and stood.
Eleos intercepted Seth before I reached him. The scholar gently touched Seth’s arm, and spoke a few words. Flashing me a small smile, Eleos returned to the fire.
Seth folded his arms as I approached. “Walk with me?”
“What was that about?” I asked, glancing at Eleos.
“He politely threatened me.”
Seth turned on his heel, and I followed him from the camp. Whisper didn’t accompany us. Seth remained rigidly silent, shoulders stiff as he strode through the trees.
Catching up to him, I tried to meet his eyes, but he stared directly ahead. “What was he threatening you about?”
“Did you and Eleos work things out?” He asked.
“Yes,” I said. “We’re friends. Good friends, but. . . not anything more.”
“Good,” Seth said in a clipped tone.
Chewing on my lip, I searched for something to say. We broke from the treeline and walked across the shore. I stared at the horizon, marveling at the beauty of the moon shining on the sea.
A lone tree grew near the waters, and Seth finally paused beneath it. Sighing, he turned to face me. “Why couldn’t you have been insufferable?”
“And here I thought I was,” I said, shivering under a cold breeze. “So are you going to ignore me like. . .” I cleared my throat. “Like after our. . .bondingin the cave?”
“No.” He reached out, fingers trembling. They brushed my face, settling onto the curve of my cheek. “I’ve lost everything that mattered. I was trying to keep you at arm’s length, because I don’t have the strength to lose any more.”
