Ma'at's eyes shot open, the dark irises like twin holes in her bright face. Her hands were out before her, the magic stalled in its transfer, hanging in the air.
“Earth is fine!” Torrent tried again, his horrified expression saying it all. “There is peace! Oh, fuck! I can only speak the truth.”
But it was the opposite, and we all knew it.
Odin tried to confirm it. “Torrent is willingly speaking the truth.” Odin gaped and grabbed at his throat. “Yes! Go on!” He shouted and grabbed Ma'at, waving his free hand at the feather.
“Put the essence back, Ma'at,” I said.
Odin and Torrent stared at me with wide eyes. Even I was surprised when I spoke without interference. But then I remembered—I was exempt from the machine's magic.
“Truth has been taken from the world,” I hurried to say. “I imagine Earth is on the verge of war. You must return the feather's focus.”
Torrent looked relieved, but he shook his head as if denying my words.
Ma'at didn't say a thing, just undulated forward as the magic left her. The glow flowed with it, returning to the feather. I watched anxiously as the wires plumped and the machine's clattering softened back into a happy purring.
With a gasp, Ma'at stumbled away.
Anubis caught her. “Sister?”
“I'm fine.” Ma'at looked at me. “I failed.”
“No, you tried,” Anubis said.
“It wasn't your fault, Ma'at,” I said. “It would have happened with any relic.”
“It took my will!” Torrent snarled.
Artemis rubbed his back. “It was upon us all. I felt it too. Only lies would have come from my mouth if I tried to speak.”
“Except for Vervain.” Shango stared at me.
“Yes, except me.” I looked at my husbands, sorrow rising to choke off anything else I might say.
“No!” Re roared, surprising everyone with his fury and the blinding light that blasted from his body.
The gods covered their eyes and shouted for Re to stop.
He did, toning the sunlight down to a subtle glow, but he did so as he strode over to me. Re took my face in his hands, and my moon instantly responded to his sun's aggression, lighting my skin.
“Do not leave me, La-la. I will diminish and go dark without you.” Re brushed his lips over mine.
“You'll die if I don't.”
“Better that than to live without you.”
“Re,” I whispered.
Meanwhile, my other husbands closed in around me, all of them touching me to offer their support.
“You can't do this, minn elska,” Trevor said. “I won't survive either.”
“When I was dark, I changed your magic, remember? You will survive without me.”
“No, I won't! Magic or not.”
“We will find another way, Vervain,” Odin said. “Do not give up yet. I think we failed because we once again focused on a single item. If we all try together, we will overwhelm the machine.
