Topp’s cheeks heated. “I learned plenty.”
Scoffing, Rollie muttered to himself aboutroyal educations. “I’ll keep it simple, so you can understand.”
The prince gestured for him to get on with it. It was like Rolliewantedto be punched.
“A long time ago, all the gods died because they gotbored, and a lot of humans died because of the chaos. And before you ask, yes, gods can die… It’s difficult and messy, but if they try hard enough, they can kill each other. Thus, the fates made new gods and introduced a drop of magic into our mortal lives and assigned each other roles.”
“And how does this help us?” Topp kept his voice gruff while fighting to keep a grin down. He knew if he walked in here with a shit plan that Rollie wouldn’t be able to help himself. Insufferable know-it-all.
Rollie shoved the book aside and flung down a map. Unfurling it, he stuck candles on its edges to hold the paper flat. He pointed at a handful of red circles. “Do you know what those are?”
Peering closer, Topp nodded. “Temples.”
“Temple locations are not random. They’re built over ancient founts of power. Liminal spaces where even mortals can knock on the ground and hold the ear of their god.”
Topp folded his muscular arms. “Let me get this straight, you think the gods will devolve into petty drama and chaos if mortals lose magic.”
“Correct—it might take a century or two for them to get bored enough, but it’s inevitable.”
“And you think if we somehow manage to inform the gods of what my father is doing, then they will…” Topp trailed off, his brows raised in question.
Rollie shoved the candles aside, allowing the map to curl back up with a snap. “How can someone who traveled half his life be so uncultured? It’s not a question ofmanagingto get the gods to hear us. It’s possible and happens every day. The more pressing concern is how long it will take them to get off their asses and do something about it.”
Exasperation overtook him. “You want to petition the gods like a religious fool. That’s the entire plan?” Doubt was starting to creep in now.
Rollie scowled as shadowed light bounced off his glasses. “I’ve done the research, and I’m telling you it’s possible to prey on their insecurities. Even gods are afraid of death. They won’t want arepeat of history.” A gleam entered Rollie’s blue eyes. “Speaking of death… Do you have any way to contact Elysia? A direct connection to the god of death would be invaluable.”
His jaw clamped shut. “No.”
Rollie cast him a knowing stare. “But you’ve seen her?”
Topp gave him nothing more than a clipped nod.
“And you didn’t think it would be helpful to secure continued communication with her? She’s working with agod.”
She’s probably doing more than that.Topp stepped away from the table, leaning against a wall and immediately regretting it. “There are other gods. We don’t need hers.”
Rollie’s lips flattened. “I’m not even going to respond to that.”
“Oh, fuck off, Rollickus. Do you want to storm some temples with me or not?”
Excitement flashed across Rollie’s face. “You’re in?”
Gods save us all.“I’m in.”
Rollie raced into a different room, yelling at the top of his lungs. “I’ll get my maps and books. We leave in an hour.”
Topp’s face dropped into his hands. This was a mistake. He just knew it.
Topp wasn’t particularlyhigh-class for a prince. He dreamt about a cabin in the woods. A sanctuary where he could take in more animals. Small creature comforts like his favorite imported coffee and a good fire.
But he had found a line, and that line was made of wretched, rotting bodies.
Piled all around and above him were bodies in various states of decomposition. The stench alone was quite possibly going to be what finally took him out of this world. Unlike him, shoved in amongst the corpses, Rollie sat up on the driving bench, chortling and yapping away with his friend, Mortie, the local dead dealer.
Mortie was a strange fellow. He took in the dead and cared for them.
Buried them. Burned them. Studied them.
