He froze, eyes darkening with something akin to hatred before he bit out, “She would die if she crossed me.”
I dabbed my mouth daintily with a napkin before pushing my plate away, fruit be damned.
“Funny thing about that is, only a god can kill a god. And, if you refuse my request for ships, there will be no gods left to stand against Solace and ‘control’ her for you.”
Hosmunt’s beard twitched with his mouth in obvious agitation, but I forged ahead.
“Are you really so naive to believe that she will simply . . . let you be Sultan over the lower portion of Elyria”—I swept my hands wide—“because I can tell you that every interaction with her has proven otherwise. She’ll squash you like an annoying gnat the minute you are no longer useful to her.”
My arms hit my sides as Hosmunt scoffed loudly. “And, what? You’re offering me help? The protection of godlings?”
I shook my head. “No, quite the contrary, actually.”
“Then what is the purpose of this meeting?” he seethed, a vein in his temple throbbing.
“I’m offering to let you live out your days in peace.” The words felt like ash on my tongue, bile and my dinner rising in my throat, but they were necessary to achieve what I wanted. “You rule the Southern Territories as Sultan without our input or involvement. We stay in the north, you stay here in the south.”
My words hung heavy in the air. The silence was almost deafening, and I was certain he would reject my proposal outright.
I went to persuade him further—perhaps invoke the thought that his harem could be the biggest in history—when I was hit with a force so powerful it nearly knocked me to the ground. My blood boiled in my veins as my chest burned with each heaving breath. I cried out in pain, but it sounded mute to my ownears. My hand clutched my heart over my shirt as if that alone would keep the unruly organ in my chest. The burning subsided only to reveal a second wave of agony, like a lead anvil laid on my chest.
My chest stuttered as I tried to breathe through a straw.
Collapsing on the floor, I pulled my knees to my chest and rolled in agony.
Just as I thought I would surely die from the pain, the pressure abated as if something was sucking the power from me, sharing it almost. Enough to lend me a brief reprieve.
I opened my eyes with a gasping inhale, desperately trying to make sense of what just happened.
Slowly, that power that was siphoned trickled back into my veins, where it settled in my soul. I tenuously prodded the two glowing orbs of light that were suddenly much larger and more luminous than their counterparts.
Fire. Earth.
The reality hit me like a bolt of lightning.
“Kaos is dead,” I breathed, knowing the truth of it in my bones. I pushed my sweating and shaking body into a seated position, briefly noting the look of frightened concern on Hosmunt’s face. Both of his janissaries were also clutching their chests as if they felt the shift in power.
“What?” the Chief Vizier barked, stumbling away from the sofra as I pushed to a stand.
“Kaos is dead,” I repeated. “I am the God of Fire, the God of Earth.”
I turned my palms over, observing every inch of skin as I let loose both powers at once. There was no hesitation, no sluggish answer. My power jumped into my hands, wrapping itself around my body in a sensuous embrace before spilling forth in twin pillars from my outstretched palms.
Hosmunt covered his eyes against the sudden brightness and scuttled across the floor until his back was against the wall, cowering against the mighty display of magic.
I called the power back to me, and it instantly obeyed.
The air felt hotter suddenly, like I couldtastethe magic. A quick glance showed a ceiling scorched beyond recognition and two janissaries prostrating themselves at my feet.
My momentary elation was immediately interrupted by cold dread when I thought about Ellowyn. Ellowyn, alone without a tether, suffering through this onslaught of magic and increase of power, with no one to temper the side effects.
I swore colorfully, carving my hands through sweaty hair.
“Wh—what happened?” Hosmunt whispered, still pressing his back against the wall. It seemed both in visual and in smell that he had pissed himself during my show of power.
What a powerful sultan he’ll make.
“Do you agree to my terms, yes or no?” I barked, whirling to face him. I took a menacing step in his direction but paused when he flung his hands in front of his face, cowering from my presence again.
