I craned my head away from Rome, trying to see the man better. It was difficult, because as soon as Yael moved, so did the others. They tightened the circle around me, Aros and Coen spinning around to face the man called Rau, though Coen still had one eye on the rolling hills behind us.
“It’s not an illusion,” Rau answered, his voice oddly high-pitched for his imposing stature. It made him sound more than a little unhinged, as though he would break out into a maniacal laugh at any moment. “It’s just a bit of fun. Who are you hiding back there?”
“Coen’s current plaything. He seems to like this one so we’re trying not to scare her off.”
“I thought fear was a big part of Coen’s playtime.” This time, Raudidlaugh manically.
I shivered, huddling back into Rome. I was pretty sure that Rau was a god, since he was wearing one of those flowing, coloured robes, and he would have been considered massive, standing next to a normal sol. He just looked average standing next to Yael. Either way, I didn’t want to look anymore. I didn’t even care that they were making me sound like a dim-witted, dweller toy. I just wanted the sky to go back to normal and for Rau to stop talking because his voice was creepy as hell.
“Let’s get to the point where you tell us why you’re here,” Rome said, probably well aware of the way I was trembling against his back.
“I think you all know why I’m here,” Rau shot back, his laugh fading away. “There hasn’t been another Chaos god in hundreds of life-cycles. Whenever one gets close, Staviti finds a way to kill them. I need someone to help me. Someone who has access to Blesswood. Someone to find the Chaos student and protect them until they finally reach the threshold of power. After that, they are free to die. Staviti can kill them all he likes. It won’t stop them from joining me.”
“Tinyproblem with this plan,” Yael replied, a smirk in his voice. “We don’t reallywantanother Chaos. I mean, no offence, Rau, but it’s pretty fucking exhausting.”
The god’s already dark features hit black-out level then. I counted my loud heartbeat as I waited for whatever horrible thing was about to come from his fury.
One … two … three … four …
His next words burst out in a swarm of whispers, trickling through the air and somehow filling the wide spaces around us. “I’m sure you all know that I don’t take kindly to mysuggestionsbeing denied. You five have ignored our rules for far too long. Don’t forget that you stand here among the dirt-dwellers, growing weaker by the sun-cycle. You wouldn’t want one of the gods to take advantage of that now, would you? I can make sure that you have no more trouble here, all you have to do is find my Beta.”
Rome’s arm tightened minutely around me. I wouldn’t have noticed if I wasn’t completely aware of every single part of my body pressed against his. Of course, that was far less worrying than the fact that hisarm had tightened!Was he worried? Shit, of course he was worried. This was a god, even if there were five Abcurses, it wouldn’t matter. One god could annihilate them in an instant.
No!That was not okay, I … what the hell was I going to do?
In my panic, I had missed some of the boys’ reply to the veiled threat from Rau. I caught the tail-end of Siret saying, “… would be a mistake to try us. We take orders from no one, not even you.”
Rau grinned then, and somehow that was even more sinister than the previous dark scowl. “We’ll see, boy, we’ll see. Stay safe out here tonight, looks like a storm is coming.”
With that not-at-all-creepy parting line, he turned, and in a flash of red robes, he was striding back into the trees. I felt it, the moment he left Minatsol. The air around us thinned-out somewhat, even though the storm above seemed to be growing in ferocity. Which said nothing for the five sols still surrounding me. Their bodies seemed to swell as their muscles tensed. I struggled against Rome, needing to get down so I could see them all better. So that I could ask them what the hell had just happened.
The strength-gifted sol released me, keeping one hand on me as I stumbled. Somehow, he knew that I was going to stumble. Okay, let’s be real here … everyone knew that I was going to stumble, I just wasn’t used to anyone knowing this fact andpreparing for it.Don’t get used to it,I forcefully told myself.The Abcurses weren’t going to be there to pick me up forever, I had to remember that. I had to step back from all the confusing emotions they instilled in me. Sometimes, they almost treated me like an equal; like when they saved me from being sentenced to death-by-sacrifice, just because of a stupid competition. Or just before, when they had formed a circle around me to protect me, as though I was someone worthy of protection. A dweller that actually meant something to them. A dweller that meant something … period. And then there were the other times. The times when they treated me like dirt beneath their feet. The way they were supposed to treat me.
I needed to make sure I never forgot my place—dwellers who did that ended up with a fate worse than death. They became Jeffrey. Or something. I didn’t really know. I was just assuming that becoming a Jeffrey was the worst thing that could happen to our kind.
Time to remind them all I was an emotional dweller.
“Which one of you sols is going to tell me what the freaking hell just happened right then?” Going on the attack felt natural. “How in the hell did a god just walk out of Topia and talk to us? What the hell is this weather—storm—thingy? What the hell are you five hiding that means you can walk into Topia … and you know about the god’s colours … and what the HELL?”
I might have been yelling toward the end there, which might have caused lots of huffing and puffing when I finished. Damn, I needed to get into shape. Clearly making beds was not enough to build stamina.
As I heaved, five sets of eyes observed me, each sparkling unnaturally in the darkness around us. Was it possible that these sols were extra-special? Sure, they had told me that they were, but I figured that it was just their arrogance speaking. I hadn’t really taken them that seriously.
Maybe I wasn’t paying close enough attention.
And why wasn’t anyone answering me?
I was about to go crazy-dweller on them again when the sky opened above us and Rau followed through on his storm promise. I was scooped up by someone, and then we were running. It was only the hint of gold and the summery scent of burning sugar wrapping around me that told me it was Aros. He tucked me close to his body so that no trees smashed into my limbs, and then they were full-on sprinting.
“We need to get to higher ground!” Siret shouted. He looked to be out the front, leading the way. “I know a spot!”
Higher ground?It never rained enough in Minatsol to worry about water rising above the ground. I was starting to think that I knew nothing about this world, or the gods. I probably should have paid better attention in class; Emmy surely knew all of this.
It was almost pitch black around us now, and since we were running at a full sprint, through a tightly knit forest, it was pretty scary. I could barely even focus on the trees flashing past us, and the knowledge that I was probably going to be smashed against one soon was enough to have my face pressing into Aros’s chest. A girl could get used to being pressed against an Abcurse chest whenever the world decided to go insane. One benefit to all the shitty drama they brought into my life. I sensed they were talking above my head, but by this stage, I was too tired and cold to even listen. I had been walking for almost a full sun-cycle, which was something I was sure I had never done before, and now my body was punishing me for it. My ears refused to work, so I let my mind drift off.
I must have dozed off fully, becauseobviouslya crazy storm and being lost in Minatsol was the perfect situation to get comfortable enough in to have a little nap. I was going to blame the exaggerated forty million miles we’d walked that sun-cycle. It had nothing to do with Aros and the comfort of his strong arms.
As I opened my eyes, I realised that it was still dark and cold outside, but the cave we were in was awash with warmth from a huge fire right in the centre of the round area. A rock wall was on my right side, warmth pressing along my left. Shifting my head, I saw the silky strands of golden-black hair: Siret. From what I could see over his huge body, next to him were his brothers—well the other two parts to the trio anyway. It didn’t look as if Coen and Rome were in the cave with us. Hopefully they hadn’t been abducted by angry gods, or smashed against a tree.
