He disapprovingly shook his head, but I could hear him laughing as he went back to his office to lock himself in for the day.
As for me, I went right back outside for another run and suffice it to say, it wasn’t going to be my last run of the week.
III
Part Three
Their silent spells will breathe life
into his shadowed power.
Their fates will entwine,
their shared strength a thread
that binds the Fate of all.
Chapter 21
Theo called us down to the temple library a couple of days later. It seemed like someone from the inside had disabled the shields that usually protected the Lodge from unannounced guests, but they still hadn’t found the one responsible. Either way, the shields were back up and there were guards in place to monitor them day and night.
Auretheos had invited the usual suspects to this meeting, including the Abbot and a female I did not recognize. She was beautiful, her skin a dark purple. Her hair was a light green, a stark contrast to her dark skin.
Theo introduced us and explained that her name was Thalora, Goddess of Oceans and Tides.
“It’s an honor to meet you,” she said to me and took my hands into hers. As she touched me, a picture of flowing water appeared before my eyes, and I could have sworn I felt the sea roaring in my ears. She smiled at me as she let go of my hand, the smell of salt lingered in the air.
“Thalora is one of the oldest Goddesses to still exist and she has seen many centuries come and go. She monitors the waters and has noticed a lot of activity in the north,” Theo explained.
She nodded and smiled. “Auretheos makes me sound ancient, but he is not wrong. The ship movements have increased in the north, making me think that someone is transporting weapons or people to the shores. My people are keeping an eye out for the Heralds or Ignara.”
“We have unsuccessfully tried to figure this out on our own, it’s time we get help. Thalora and I have been up all night and made the decision to call for a meeting of the Gods and Goddesses in Vhalyra,” Theo said.
The Abbot jumped up. “A conclave? This hasn’t been done in centuries! And the last time was a complete disaster!” he grumbled.
Malek chimed in. “Be that as it may, we need the support of everyone if we want to take down the Heralds. Plus, we need to know who is on our side and who is fighting with the Fraction.”
Theo nodded and presented us with an extensive list of who was supposed to be invited to the meeting. There were hundreds of Gods and Goddesses, most I had never heard of. The list also contained names of the representatives of each of the Faerie folk and creatures of this realm.
We spent the next few hours preparing invites, using our magic to copy the text onto the cards and embossing the envelopes with Auretheos’s seal. Everybody worked in silence, pondering over the significance of this meeting.
Lythandra came to sit next to me. “How are you holding up? Things are going to start moving fast from now on.”
I smiled. “I am all right, a little scared of this meeting to be honest. It’s bad enough having to face two or three actual Gods, but being in a room with all of them? Pfft…”
“Pishpash, they are only cooking with water too,” she saidwith a smile.
“What happened the last time a conclave was called?” I asked, referring to what the Abbot had said earlier.
“Oh, it was a mess. After we withdrew from the mortal world, we created this continent. Each God was supposed to have its own area, free to design the new home to their own wishes. Of course, it ultimately wasn’t as easy as that and fights ensued. Gods are like little babies sometimes.”
I smiled and tried to imagine the most powerful beings on this planet bickering over a piece of land or the placement of a mountain.
“But that wasn’t the worst of it. You see, Gods almost never get married. Very few do. Most of us might take occasional lovers, but nothing ever sticks. I guess it’s the thought of binding yourself to someone for actual eternity that freaks out most Gods.”
She scrunched her nose at that, obviously she was one of those who didn’t want that kind of commitment. “But even though there are very few marriages, there are affairs and lovers and partners. And let’s just say, sometimes the meetings of the Gods are more like a wiener festival. Orgies and partner swaps and whatever else you can imagine.”
I nearly choked on my drink, I hadn’t expectedthat.
