“Why are you here, Kaos?”
I exhaled forcefully, recalling a similar conversation I’d had with one of Fate’s acolytes outside the collapsed mines. Unlike that conversation, Ellowyn’s question held no double meaning, no trickery or puzzle. I felt compelled to answer her, like my secretsweresafe with her.
“Fate was not wrong—the end of the world is upon us. My relationship with Solace is . . . strained.”
“Because you saved me in Vespera.” Ellowyn said it with such solemnity, such conviction, and I inclined my head slightly. “Thank you for that, by the way.”
There was a fresh earnestness in her voice, like she was actually grateful for whisking her out of my sister’s path of destruction. Something almost human inside of me warmed at her thankfulness, never mind the fact that I’d also done it for this moment right here.
“You can repay me for it,” I said, the words souring on my tongue even though I knew it was necessary.
Ellowyn nodded her head once, grey-blue eyes whirling.
“Anything.”
“Be careful with your verbiage, little one. I will not take advantage of it, but others would,” I admonished harshly, but Ellowyn simply shrugged.
“I’m a godling, and I owe you a life debt. Seems pretty reasonable to promise anything,” she said dryly.
I sighed, feeling her connection to Meru tense and relax as her physical form began to awaken. I turned to face her fully, holding her gaze with my own, letting her see the darkest pieces of my soul and the seriousness of my words.
“When I find you again, I will ask you to do something. But I need you to follow my instructions exactly.”
“And if I don’t?” Ellowyn asked, though it wasn’t out of petulance, more curiosity.
I smiled ferally at her. “Then you sacrifice Elyria simply to save yourself and the other godling.”
Recognition flashed in her eyes as she muttered something just before the representation of her soul in this place faded completely, returning to her body in the physical realm. Her muttered words drifted in the air as she disappeared.
“The lovers at the end of the world.”
I chuckled to myself as I pushed to a stand and opened a portal that would lead me back to Elyria and my hunt for the two remaining artifacts that tethered the souls of the gods to this plane.
Chapter Nine
The Bondsmith
Iknew the second Ellowyn’s soul returned from its stint on Meru. It was like a loud thunderclap, a zap of lightning that I felt deep within, where I was connected to Meru.
If she can create aftershocks with that strength now, what happens when she comes into her full power?
I shivered at the thought—there was little doubt that she’d be as powerful, if not more so, than my last living siblings. One of which seemed to have taken a deep, vested interest in this particular little godling.
A smile quirked my lips as I thought about our meeting in Meru hours ago. I’d always been a bit more in tune with Meru, most likely due to my rather . . .uniqueheritage, but Kaos possessed the strongest magical connection with our godly home. I knew of his comings and goings within Meru, but never felt his movements warranted alarming Fate. My father’s stern questioning after I confirmed to Ellowyn that Kaos would indeed find her within the Dreamscape—as she still called it—made me second-guess withholding that information, but only for a moment.
What was most concerning was that Fate was somehowunableto feel Kaos’ presence—as the creator of Meru, a magical signature as deep as Kaos’ should never have gone undetected.
The impetus was cataclysmic.
It was evident, now more than ever, that the Second Sundering was on Elyria’s doorstep, if not slowly bleeding through the cracks of the doorframe. Before wecould blink, before any mortal could comprehend, it would be inside the house, infesting every corner and poisoning the air we breathed.
All hope lay now with my father’s chosen children.
Wake up, godling. There is much to discuss.
As if spurred by my impatient thoughts alone, Ellowyn’s eyelids fluttered as deep, even breaths of sleep were interrupted by a quick, loud inhale. Her body, finally recognizing the return of its soul, twitched and spasmed as she slowly awoke. Arms stretched overhead like a newborn babe, Ellowyn’s muscles and joints audibly popped as a deep, raspy groan left her chapped and bloody lips.
A small whimper accompanied a wince as both the physical pain from the battle, as well as the stiffness in her muscles from lying in one position for so long, began to make themselves known.
