I only nodded.
Jaycee was one of the first celestials here to befriend me. She liked to say that she and Max had taken me under their wings. The two were practically attached at the hip, so I’d had no choice but to befriend them both. Not that it was a hardship. Jaycee possessed the sweet, bubbly kind of affection you craved when the world was too bleak to endure. Max, on the other hand, was a hothead whose only concerns were Jaycee and her job. I liked and admired them both. Jaycee was talkative, and honestly, I loved it. It was such a pleasant change to be spoken to and actually be able to respond. Whether we were just talking over lunch or she was showing me the small city square, it was always something new and exciting with her. I craved her daily attention. Never again would I take my free will for granted.
After my rescue, Kryella brought me to The Eye’s base. I wasn’t exactly sure where we were other than deep in the northern part of the realms. It was a sprawling, tumbling, floating landscape, every monument and building of the palace surrounded by clouds.
Jaycee, Max, and I all served under Blayne, staying in the east wing of the palace with the rest of his celestials. Jaycee and Max were a part of Blayne’s yeyras, the closest they had to Samkiel’s Hand. My chest tightened once more with a sharp pang of sadness. How long had it been since I had seen any of them? Were they even still alive?
I had spent two weeks in the medical wing, hooked up to machines and undergoing tests to make sure Azrael’s spell hadn’t damaged my brain. During that time, I repeatedly asked Kryella for information about what remained of my family. After two weeks of asking, she finally told me they didn’t know where the rest of The Hand was or their status. I cried myself to sleep that night, cried until they sedated me, worried about the stress on my already bruised and abused mind and heart.
Jaycee’s hand landed on my shoulder after she finished righting my council garbs. I wondered if she realized how much she was actually helping me. “You know they have breakfast ready this morning,” she said, smiling at me. “If we hurry, we can get the really sweet pastries before Igor eats them all. Plus, Athos is calling for a meeting, and I don’t want to pass out from lack of food. You know she can talk for a while. Come on.”
“Sure,” I said, returning her smile in an effort to lighten my mood.
My body was still adjusting to being my own again. So far, I’d been able to keep the blended fruit smoothies they made for me down, but I hadn’t tried solid food just yet. My stomach was still remembering how to work properly. She led the way out of my room, the hem of our garbs dancing lightly against the floor behind us. It had taken some time to get used to the longer length. I kept getting mine stuck in various doors the first few days I was here. There was so much new to get used to.
The open air hallway was suffused with sunlight, the stone floor reacting with a shimmering glow. Avynes, small, winged creatures, fluttered and chirped around the two massive floating pots. Their feathers were reflections of the colorful flowers spilling over the edges. I took a deep breath of the morning breeze and relaxed when no one seemed to be paying attention to me. This place was not a prison. I was free. So why did I still feel trapped?
Jaycee rambled on about everything and anything. I knew she sensed my inner turmoil and was trying to keep me grounded and in the present. We skipped down the grand staircase, the drone of voices floating all around us as the lower half of Athos’s palace woke up. There were celestials from the remains of Rashearim muddling about, but there were also so many more.
Samkiel had activated the evacuation rune when the realms opened. Jaycee said that when Athos and Kryella saw it blaze across the sky, they moved, collecting all those he had saved. Samkiel would love to know that those he’d saved were safe. The Eye had been busy relocating the mortals back to Onuna now that Nismera’s attention seemed focused on something more pressing than taking over that realm. When I expressed concern over what that could be, my worry was ignored. Arrogance was a common trait among the gods.
Max whistled from the far side of the dining hall. She had plates ready for us and was sitting with a few other celestials. Jaycee waved, and we started toward her. We’d barely made it a few steps when Jaycee stopped abruptly. I stumbled over myself, nearly crashing into her. The conversation turned to mumbles and then to whispers. In the quiet, I heard armored boots against the floor, and moments later, the gods and their guards marched through the massive dining hall doors. Celestials, high and low rank alike, stepped back, forming two solid lines for them to pass between on their way to the main meeting hall. Many of the celestials bent at the waist, whispering their prayers and thanks.
Gods were scattered throughout the realms. Athos and Kryella were two of the oldest still alive, but many more had been born since Rashearim fell. The new gods had grown and were somehow even cockier than Samkiel, but they were not stronger. They didn’t even come close. Only Athos and Kryella gave me the same sense of power.
I lowered my head to ask Jaycee about the bowing, but her entire body came to attention. I felt a ripple of surprise go through the crowd and looked up to find that Blayne and his guards had stopped in front of me.
“Xavier.” He spoke my name with such pride. “Will you accompany me to the chamber halls?”
I blinked up at him, more intimidated by his height than his power. The whispers started again, and I caught Jaycee’s smile from the corner of my eye. I knew I’d never escape the rumors and teasing now.
“As you wish.” I lowered my head in a shallow bow. What else was I supposed to do? Say no?
He turned on his heel, and I followed, casting one last look at Jaycee. She widened her eyes and bit her lip to hide her smile. I knew she was about to run to Max, and then I’d never hear the end of it. I kept pace with Blayne but walked a few steps behind him. His royal guard marched alongside us, and I noticed the fresh coat of red sandy dirt on some of their boots. I said nothing about it but made a mental note, something about it bothering me.
We strode across another breezeway, headed toward one of the large floating buildings to the west. My heart thudded. Everyone knew where the gods’ main council chambers were, even if only a select few were allowed near them. The hall ended, and we stepped onto an intricately engraved gold disk. It started to rise, and I widened my stance, steadying myself. My eyes widened as I looked around. This was more than a palace. It was damn near a city. I’d thought it was all built atop clouds, but it was actually perched atop the highest peaks I had ever seen. Realization dawned, and I knew where in the northern realms we were.
Arcelia. The original home of the gods.
“I thought Arcelia was destroyed during the first rule of Pharthar.”
Blayne shifted closer as the platform continued to rise, his hands clasped behind his back. “Destroyedis a relative term. Like most empires, it fell and was rebuilt.”
I looked at him. The way he said that and the words he used reminded me of … someone. Someone I couldn’t place. The platform stopped with a small jolt. He patted my arm before turning and walking onto the small gold and silver bridge. I followed him, the clouds surrounding us close enough to touch. His guards stepped to the side and stopped as we neared the twin doors. Vines shrouded the walls on either side, the leaves quivering in the slight wind.
Blayne stopped and held the council door open for me. I passed between his guards and stepped inside. My eyes scanned the large council chamber, awe filling me. How different it was from home. Large statues towered against the walls, all reaching up, their hands outstretched as if they could cup the sun. I would bet that at certain times of the day, it would appear that they did. Clouds gathered close outside, spilling into the room through the open walls. Fog rolled across the floor, teasing at the feet of the statues.
My gaze caught, and my back went rigid as I stood at attention. How dull had my senses turned that I didn’t even feel them in here? More than ten gods and goddesses were seated and waiting at a massive stone table that looked as if it had sprouted from the center of the room. A single chair sat empty, and I suspected it was Blayne’s. A living map with its own miniature atmosphere shifted and churned on the tabletop. Kryella swiped her hand over it, and the scenery changed. Roiling clouds turned to a landscape of dust and sand. Another swipe and it changed to a view of the galaxy, stars sparking against a field of black.
“She crafted that herself, you know?” Blayne whispered next to me.
My eyes darted toward him, and I nodded. “I’m not surprised. Kryella was powerful when I knew her. I can only imagine what a thousand more years have added.”
Blayne said nothing, but his lips quirked into a small smirk as he strode across the room to take his seat. The doors closed behind me with a quiet click, propelling me forward. The gods around the table were all lost in conversation as I approached. I had memorized the names of the most important. Jaycee and Max filled me in on the new people and what had changed. A lot had. Othello met my gaze first and nodded at me. His brown hair curled in waves, touching his shoulders. A scar ran along the side of his lips, cutting through the stubble covering his jaw. His tan skin was covered in marks, thin silvery lines that disappeared beneath his armor.
At his side, Renah sat with her arms folded. She watched the others at the table with large, kind eyes. Her striking red hair was braided down her back, soft curls framing her heart-shaped face. She laughed at something Othello said, her upturned nose crinkling adorably. Her skin was so pale and luminescent that it made even the silver armor she wore seem dull in comparison. She appeared so delicate until you saw her famed battle ax strapped across her back. Jaycee told me it was sharp enough to split realms, and I wondered just how true that was.
Davian pointed to a glowing spot on the map, and Kryella nodded. He was bald except for a spiked strip of hair down the center of his head, showing off the scar he wore with pride. It was a near miss from a long-ago battle and proof that he still lived. From what Max said, he was very arrogant, and I could believe it from how he held himself.
