She stepped up to his side, her heels rippling the puddles at their feet. “Brother, where is your mask?”
The fall of the rain roared harder.
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see her hands joined in front of her blush blouse. The flood quickly saturated the chiffon fabric of her skirt and flattened her brunette strands. She wore a thin sheer over the bottom portion of her face, revealing her golden eyes under a furrowed brow.
Iliana’s original hair color was the same ivory blonde as his own, but much like himself, she hid her identity, for the same reason that Cassius decided to keep his real name private.
As the first three deities in existence, they were not short of enemies.
Acacius ignored her question and continued staring straight ahead, past Ruelle’s statue, at the arched ruins. Ivy wrapped around the dark, jagged stone. In the crevices of the green backdrop, slivers of Isolde’s lights spired through. The ancient city of deities.
“What do you want, Iliana?” It came out tart, unwelcoming.
“You cannot keep missing Council meetings, Brother.”
“Call it my bereavement leave,” he grumbled.
The last thing he desired was to sit across from the new High Goddess of Fate, Solasta; to listen to Mavros, the new High God of Death and Curses, speak while seated in his brother’s throne; and most of all, he didn’t trust himself to be in such close proximity to Naia, the High Goddess of Eternity—the one whostoleRuelle’s immortality and birthed a demigod that had the blood to end a god’s life.
Put in that position, he feared the thrashing monster of his Ruin would claw its way out and devour Naia. Iliana’s precious temple-palace and her realm of Entity would be invaded by his Chaos. The Council members, specifically Azara, wouldn’t have the patience for it. The new members wouldn’t know how to handle it. It wouldn’t end well for anyone.
If he were being honest with himself, it was taking a hellish amount of self-control to keep histendenciescontained at that moment.
Iliana pulled her gaze from his profile and onto the statue before them. “I am here because the gods are uneasy.”
“Because I stand in front of a memorial for one of them.” Acacius’s mouth twisted.
The first memorial for a deity in all of history.
Saying it aloud was visceral, like a blade slashing through his middle. A reminder of his poignant reality: Ruelle had lost her immortality and willingly cut her own thread, all to be reunited with Klaus.
“The Himura child’s blood did not cause Ruelle’s death,” Iliana stated, her collected tone further prying at his already taut nerves.
“But it did Vale’s. One of us is dead because ofitsblood.”
Iliana rubbed at her temples. “Acacius, that was ruled an accident.” Her tone shifted as she let out a stale breath. “You would know this if you attended the meetings.”
A cynical sound left him. “I was there. It was no accident.”
Iliana dropped her hand. “Vale’s death was caused by Ruelle’s meddling.”
Acacius ground his molars, his sister’s words piercing his patience like bullets.
Vale was dead because ofMarina.
He shook his head in disapproval, fixing his sight away from Iliana. “I told you once, the child’s blood will end us all. You do not wish to listen, so I have nothing more to say.”
He could feel her eyes probing him, as if she were searching through the hatred that blackened his mood.
“Acacius, I know you are hurting.” Her voice went soft again, coaxing him to look over at her. Droplets washed down her face. The fabric of her mask stuck to her lips. “But please, do notamplify your Chaos amongst the deities because you are against the Himura clan and Naia. It is not just.”
The muscles in his forearms flickered as he squeezed his fists tighter.
“If you do not wish to do this for me,” Iliana said, “then consider what Ruelle would have wanted. She is the one who defended the Himura clan centuries ago when the deities stood against them.”
The mention of Ruelle, of the Himura clan, of the past that Ruelle had so meticulously weaved together, all of it sparked vengeance in his blood.
“She did so for her own gain!” He took a step into Iliana’s space, his voice trembling with rage. “Because she knew the threads of Fate would lead to her death!”
