“It helps if you’re drunk,” Kirby murmured.
“Cheers to that,” Nia replied, lifting her tequila. It appeared that Silas had sobered them up only for them to start from scratch and get shitfaced all over again.
“Thanks, Nia,” I said.
“Wait, wait, I haven’t gotten to the most important detail: Because Marlow despises children almost as much as she hates being told what to do, she’s fixing to step up and end the world on her own.” Her fingers thrummed on her hips from where she stood in proud, Wonder Woman-esque victory. “Eh? How’d I do?”
Azrames grinned. “I’d say you nailed it. Priscilla…” He turned to his new puppy, extending his hand for her to take. She obliged. “The missing details are this: My practitioner—a wonderful woman who’s been called Betty in this cycle—was attacked specifically for her proximity to Marlow. If you align yourself with us, you’ll be making yourself a target.”
“It’s why, loath as I am to admit it, we could use a few witches,” Silas said. “If we’re on the move, Azrames and I can’t cast wards for everyone on our own. The more shields we have, the safer we’ll be.”
Xuân looked between us. “On the phone, when I asked you about your deities, you rattled off far too many disconnected pantheons. You’ve…recruited them? You have the Hellenic pantheon, the Nordic pantheon, the—”
“No,” Silas said, cutting her off. His face softened. “I don’t want to oversell our arsenal. I know what it is to be cannon fodder. We have a few rebels in a number of pantheons, but this band of insurgents isn’t a collection of primordial gods and goddesses. We have two confirmed in the Greek pantheon. Three in the Nordes. All in the Prince’s court are expected to stand with us. The Phoenicians have rallied intheir entirety, though even therein, I expect there will be dissenters. It won’t just be the King of Heaven trying to take us down. I expect Zeus and Odin will be quick to make their displeasure known when they hear what their citizens are doing. You all deserve to know what you’re getting into.” His gaze lingered on Nia and Kirby as he repeated, “All of you.”
Despite the standoffish energy he’d given the witches, Xuân reciprocated his compassion. She looked at him as she said, “I’d rather go down on the losing side’s sinking ship if it’s the right thing to do.”
“And, to be clear”—Priscilla cleared her throat—“we’re about to be on the move? A deconsecrated church feels pretty safe as long as we’re hiding from Heaven,” she said.
“Without food, water, and electricity, this place will become more of a prison than a safe house,” Nia guessed.
“And there’s someone we need to see,” Azrames replied. “Now that we have the two of you, we can create the warding we need to hit the road. Our next stop is in New York City.”
Nia bit her lip. “And Kirby and I can’t stay behind, because…?”
“Adaptation goes both ways. Every time the assailants adapt to our protection, we need to shift our wards. It’s a cage match, and no one wins by standing still.”
The answer settled uncomfortably over the sanctuary. The puffs of dust dancing in the diffused light suddenly felt too thick to breathe.
Xuân asked what I was thinking. “So, to be clear, Pris and I would have been fine if you hadn’t involved us. And now that we’re here, we’re vulnerable.”
“We won’t be running forever,” Silas said. “If Alessia agrees to help us out, we’ll be able to take a breath. You’ll see.”
Xuân’s question wasn’t as hostile as I felt I deserved, and Silas’s response wasn’t as satisfying as we needed. No answer would alleviate my guilt.
To my surprise, Priscilla anchored us with her response.“The Weaver of Destiny wouldn’t tell me to go here unless this was where I was needed. If this is the end, then we get to play an important role. I’m glad I’m here. Because no matter what happens, I know my life had meaning.”
Emotion pulsed through the room. My eyes stung with the early threat of tears. It seemed wrong to speak. The energy was too somber. The stakes were too high. The world was too—
“We need a round of shots,” Kirby said, getting to their feet. “Are you two wine witches or liquor witches?”
Xuân looked up from the couch. “I’m normally a weed witch, but the world’s ending. Pass the bottle, I’m not picky.”
