“Why would I lie about this?”
“A new god hasn’t been made for thousands of years.”
“Lucky me, I’m here to break that dry spell.”
“Who made you a goddess?”
“Kay.”
His frown deepens. He still doesn’t believe me. “Of what?” he asks.
I teleport from under him straight through the wards and come to land outside the dome. Zac appears and throws a sticky net over me, it glistens like diamonds. I lift my hand, trailing my fingers along the sparks of power that would have a demon begging for death on the floor. Jed and Michael reappear and scowl.
“It’s still standing,” Jed mutters.
“What is it meant to do?” I wonder.
“Paralyze anything but a god,” Zac says, glancing at Archan.
“And it’s out of the wards,” Michael adds.
“Going for a weird impression of Spiderman?” I ask Zac, testing the strength of the net by parting my fingers. “It’s months away from Halloween. We can get you a great costume. In fact, we can go as the Avengers. I can be the Black Widow.”
“It lies,” Archan mutters. “Clever, but still lies.”
Zac takes a step back as I swing my gaze to Archan. “You kiss me like I’m your last breath and you still don’t believe me?”
The men look between me and Archan as he climbs to his feet. “It came through the wards,” Jed states.
I roll my eyes. “How many more tests do I need to pass before you believe me?”
Archan tilts his head. “None, because you are not her. You could never be her. You are a poor imitation of a woman who had the universe at her feet. Your illusion cannot recreate the magnificent presence she commanded in a room. You cannot emanate her heart or soul. You are a shadow of someone who is so far out of your reach, you are barely a representation of her.”
I cock an eyebrow. “It’s amazing how you both complimented and insulted me in one speech. I’m flattered that is how you see me, and when you see past your own insecurities, you are going to be regretting those words.”
“I searched the universe for her,” Archan says, taking a step towards me.
I sigh. “When the big man wants to hide something, not even you can find it.”
Archan’s eyes harden. “If you were a goddess-”
“Don’t,” Jed says. “If you tell it, it will know what illusion to create.”
I sense where this is going. Michael takes a step towards me and looks over my shoulder. He won’t find anything. They only see what I want them to see. But, I guess if that’s what it takes. I shudder as I drop the spell, and my spine arches. Wings explode from my back, their span taking up the width of the room.
Everyone pauses, the air stills, tiny flecks of sparkling particles scatter around the room as the net shatters. I stare back at Archan, defiant. “That enough for you, asshole?” I grind out before teetering to the left and falling on the floor. My center of gravity is thrown off by my new large appendages and my epic reveal is ruined. Ah well, maybe next time.
Archan’s eyes widen and his face goes slack. “Natia?” he whispers.
I glare. “That’s right, asshole, and when you are ready to apologize for stabbing me, kissing someone else, that was actually me, but you thought wasn’t; call me.” I shrug. “Or don’t because I don’t have a phone. It wasn’t in the ‘congrats you are goddess’ welcome pack.”
I teleport out of the room and land in a sprawling heap on the floor of a familiar bedroom in a tangle of rainbow and gold feathers. Fucking wings ruined my badass exit.
7
Chapter Seven
Archan
