I smiled wider at their dignified roles. “How was working with Stark? He’s one of my closest companions, so I always like to learn as much about him as possible.”
In reality, I knew nothing of my Shadows’ time as Gods, so every ounce of information I could garner from people was warranted.
Eliana chuckled to herself. “Stark was certainly spunky. He ran a tight ship but was known to enjoy a relaxing day quite often. He was highly revered as a God during his time. We’re glad to know he is having a prosperous afterlife, especially since we miss him so much.”
“He’s incredibly talented, that’s for sure,” I gushed.
“Odysseus reminds us a lot of Stark. He has the same drive, the same tenacity, and is equally as talented. We are ecstatic to see how he changes the Life Realm in the coming exchange,” Aexina added with a pinch to Odysseus’s red cheek.
I set a hand on the small of his back proudly. “The feats he has been on are like nothing any of us have ever expected. Trust me, I, too, am in awe of him.”
“Shush…” Odysseus whispered with a playful peck to my temple.
Aexina grinned warmly at us. “You two are quite the pair. You contrast Ashlynn and Atlas well. Speaking of, I need to speak to Ashlynn about something. I will be back to continue with you soon, Odysseus. I can’t wait to get to know you better.”
“Same here,” Odysseus echoed as the two women disappeared into the crowd. He let out a loose sigh and slid his arm around my back, laying his face into my hair. “Thank Gods you came over when you did. This whole thing is totally stressing me out.”
I chuckled and kissed his exposed cheek lovingly. “You’re doing fine, though. Your charisma is through the roof tonight.”
“I’m glad you think so. My hands have been shaking for hours…” he breathed deeply for a moment before bringing his eyes up towards the grand tables, where guests had begun to find seats for the extravagant dinner. “I wish we could sneak away for a moment.”
I rubbed his back in small circles. “Try not to worry, love. Let’s get through this dinner, then find a place to decompress. We’ve only got a couple more hours; what’s the worst that could happen?”
Chapter two
The Debt that I Owe
Nicodemus
Odysseus and I sat beside Soren and Sebastian, who were equally nervous, but seemed to be holding it together well. Neither seemed in the mood to talk, so we busied ourselves with glasses of rich wine that were passed out by waitstaff. The alcohol livened up my stiff joints immediately, something I needed desperately to continue keeping up my façade, though I was careful with how much I drank. Even Odysseus was sipping his like his life depended on it, his lips stained red from the drink. He usually preferred white wine but didn’t seem to care tonight.
Xenobia took the empty spot at my left and slammed her salad plate down, her eyes wide as she panted. “My goodness, those Water Elementals! They wouldn’t let me out of their sight!”
I laughed lightly. “I take it you’ve been having fun?”
“Fun? I’ve been asked eight hundred questions! I’m trying my best to keep up, but I seriously need a break…” She tossed someof her hair back and stabbed a grape tomato, pointing to the other side of the room with it. “There’s this weird guy that keeps asking for you, Nick. He’s got short brown hair and grey eyes. I think he’s another Death Elemental.”
“He’s asking for me?” I questioned as I craned my head to peer through the crowd.
Xenobia popped the tomato into her mouth and munched passively. “I think he’s one of Seraphine’s old friends or something. He seems, like, super old.”
“I think I know who she’s talking about. He asked me about you earlier, but I hadn’t seen you, so I told him to look for Atlas and ask him. He’s… odd, to say the least,” Sebastian grumbled as he finally broke out of his statuesque stance.
“Maybe I should go find this odd fellow then.” I excused myself and slid through the crowd of guests, who were laughing as they shared in the delicacies of the evening.
The man everyone had spoken of was standing at one of the balcony doors, puffing a long cigarette like a chimney. His hair was buzzed short, and his clear grey eyes were distant as he watched the setting sun fall behind the clouds. When he heard my boot heels clicking across the tile, he turned curiously, and when he realized who I was, his mouth curled into a deep smile.
“Excuse me, sir, but I heard you were looking for me?” I prompted as I approached him, hand extended.
He flicked some cigarette ash out of the window and took my hand, but when he gripped it, he did so firmly that I flinched in pain. “Yes, Nicodemus Crawford… I’ve heard so much about you, young God-to-be, and I wanted a chance to meet you firsthand.” His voice was thick like tar and made the hairs on my arms stand up underneath my sleeve.
“And who do I have the pleasure of meeting?” I asked, tugging my hand away.
He didn’t seem bothered by my hesitance towards him. “I am Evander Ambermourn. You can call me by my last name, please. I used to be an instructor at Chandler Academy. I taught your father how to hunt demons, once upon a time.”
I shivered at the mention of Chandler. Dad, of course, never spoke of his time at Chandler, but with what I knew of it, it was nothing to exactly talk about. I wondered how he would react if he knew his old teacher was here, and or if he would want me anywhere near this foreboding man to begin with.
“Pleasure to meet you,” I managed to get out.
