My love for this man shot through me like a bolt of summer lightning.
He slid a look my way. There was heat in his eyes—something more than anger. Something deeper that licked with passion and need.
In that second, he and I were together. Connected in a way we hadn’t been for what felt like months. Forget gods. Forget demons. This—he and I joined—was all the power in the world.
“Ah, here we are now,” Mithra said. “The Reed sisters. I only need to speak to you, Delaney. The others are dismissed.”
“No,” Myra said. “You get her, you get all of us.”
I nodded slightly at Ryder, unable to take my eyes off him.Are we okay?
His answer was a quickly quirked eyebrow.Yes.
“What are you doing here, Mithra?” I asked again, finally turning my attention to him.
“A god can enter Ordinary on business. I have business.”
“Make it fast. We have work to do.”
A flash of anger rolled across his face—a burn so fast, it devoured itself before it could catch.
“I demand you recognize my connection to Ordinary through the Warden Ryder Bailey. I demand you recognize that that connection gives me the right to rule over and enforce all contracts in this land.”
“No.”
“I am a god, Delaney Reed,” he went on as if I hadn’t spoken. “Even you must bow to me.”
“Not here. We have rules about gods coming here and throwing around power. This is a vacation town. Gods vacation here. They want to do so peacefully. So,” I repeated, “no.”
“Perhaps this contract, and the rule I have over it, will change your mind.” He held up a document I was very familiar with. A wedding license.
Everything in me went still for a moment. All I could hear was the rushing in my ears.
How dare he dangle that in front of me? Threat or bribe, I didn’t care. He had no say over my future.
I took three steps forward and grabbed the paper out of his hand.
“Delaney,” Ryder said. “Don’t—”
I ripped the paper in half.
Mithra blinked. Stunned.
Ryder rubbed his hand over his mouth. I glared at him. “Don’t what?” I asked.
He shook his head, his hand still over his mouth. From the curve of his eyes, I was pretty sure he was trying to stifle a laugh. “Nothing. Carry on.”
“You have no authority in my town, Mithra.” I waved the shredded paper at him. “The contracts we enact are legally solid and morally clear. I can’t say the same about your motivations for trapping Ryder into serving you, or for trying to force me into handing Ordinary over to you. Yes, he’s a Warden. But this land was made by the will of thousands of gods. This land follows the laws they set in place. You can join us, but you can’t own us.”
“Do not put yourself above me. You are nothing. Demons bind your broken soul. The man you’re living with won’t even marry you—yes, I know you were spying on me last night.”
“He what?” Jean said.
“Wait,” Myra said.
But it was Ryder who took over. “You heard Delaney. She told you to leave. Leave.”
Mithra just scoffed. “How pitiful you are. You have no control over me.”
