“Still no sign of him?” Finn asked as I climbed onto the bench.
“No,” Rath said, one hand setting his plate down and the other rubbing my back. “But he'll show up eventually.”
“Maybe we should lay another trap,” Finn said.
Our heads spun toward him.
Finn's stare shifted around the table. “You know, like we did in that Varraen town. For the festival.”
“That's a good idea,” Rath said. “But we'd need to come up with bait.”
“Isn't Ember the bait?”
“No,” Xae said, his tone deeper with his irritation. “Death is avoiding Ember.”
“So, he's finally learning,” Finn quipped.
The other lords at the table chuckled, but not my group. We just grimaced at each other.
“Just ask the Emperor,” Lord Loren said. “Let him come up with the plan. It's his job, isn't it? He's our leader. I mean, above Ranor.”
My team shared another look.
“We should consult General Ranor first,” Rath said.
“He'll probably want to come with us to see the Emperor,” Keltyr added.
“Shit. Are you really going to ask him?” Loren asked, his white wings rustling.
“Yes, Loren, you actually came up with a good suggestion,” Kel drawled. “I know. It's hard for me to believe too.”
“Fuck you, Keltyr.” Loren threw a roll at him, but he did it as he laughed.
I started to get up.
Rath pushed me back down. “Eat first, my love. Then we'll speak to the General.”
“Right,” I murmured. “Food. Yes, food first.” I absently ate, my mind already on what I would say to the Emperor.
This felt right. The Emperor often had visions or dreams of the Goddess in which she counseled him. If he couldn't come up with a plan, maybe the Goddess would offer him one.
“Um, excuse me,” Fire huffed. “What about us?”
Everyone stopped eating, even the other lords at our table.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“You may be the Spark of the Goddess, and she may have divine intelligence, but we know Death,” Air said.
“We were his companions, in a fashion,” Earth said.
“So, you should be asking us for help in drawing him out,” Water finished.
My eyes twitched.
“Ember,” Rath said in a warning tone.
“What the actual fuck is wrong with you motherfuckers?!” I shouted.
