A gentle and unfamiliar voice drifted on the wind. “This is not a mistake that can be reversed.”
Evelina spun around to face the voice, her eyes widening. The hilltop was filled with six stone chairs, simply carved with ivy crawling up the sides. They weren’t there a moment ago, and yet they looked as if they’d been there for ages.
But it wasn’t the chairs that caused Evelina’s mouth to hang open. It was the beings sitting in them, their presence so overwhelming that she knew they weren’t fae. They each had their own gravitational pull, like an invisible force tugging her toward them.
Evelina didn’t want to believe what her eyes were seeing. She had seen countless depictions of the lesser-known gods and goddesses, had heard stories of Azmara’s beauty and the crown of ice atop Zillah’s head.
But shecouldn’tbe standing before them. And yet her gaze locked with split-color eyes, one of midnight and one of bright green. His hair was the same color as Daimon’s, his face strikingly similar with his strong jawline and full lips that were smiling at her.
Nyx, God of Fear and Dreams. Daimon’s father.
“Welcome to the Celestial Plane.” The same gentle voice from a few moments ago greeted her. Finally, Evelina tore her eyes away from Nyx to look at the woman seated to his left. “I am Azmara, Goddess of Growth and Nature.”
Evelina felt as if she had been punched in the stomach.Azmara was almost blindingly beautiful. Her strawberry-blonde hair cascaded down to her waist in loose waves. She wore a sheer white dress that gathered over one shoulder, leaving the other shoulder bare.
Evelina turned to her mother and Carwyn, finding only Carwyn stood with her now.
“Your mother will return shortly; she isn’t needed here for this,” the man on Azmara’s side said. “Xenos, God of the Seas.”
Evelina shuddered. Another one of the dark gods. His hair was the trademark white of all the Undine, his eyes as blue as the deepest parts of the sea. But his skin was almost translucent, covered in patches of green, shimmery scales. His lips were a pale blue, his teeth razor-sharp and gleaming like pearls.
Evelina didn’t know what to do, so she bowed deeply as they introduced themselves. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Carwyn doing the same.
The next god didn’t need an introduction, his smile feline. He looked at Evelina as if she were a mouse caught in his claws. “Nyx.” He inclined his head toward her. “God of Fear and Dreams.”
Evelina held her breath, waiting for him to say something more. But he just smiled, his gaze unsettling. She quickly bowed.
“Zillah, Goddess of Chaos and War.”
Evelina had recognized her instantly, her depiction in the texts shockingly accurate. She wore a crown of ice atop long, dark hair that was perfectly straight.
“Astoria, Goddess of Hope,” the next said softly. She was quiet, her eyes matching the gentleness of her smile.
Evelina felt the tension inside of her melt away as she looked into Astoria’s gaze. She felt as if all her hopes and dreams could actually happen, like she could run away with Daimon, keep her empire safe and her siblings happy all at once.
Astoria tilted her head. “Interesting.”
Evelina winced, remembering the tales of Astoria’s mind-reading.
Astoria laughed, the sound like birds singing in the early morning. She inclined her head as Evelina quickly bowed.
“And I’m Celeste, Goddess of Wisdom,” the sixth and final god said. Her ebony skin gleamed beneath the moon, a light green dress shimmering as it caught strands of light. “It’s coming time for you to wake back up, daughter of Embry.”
Carwyn bowed deeply, stepping forward.
“The other daughter,” said Celeste sharply.
Evelina’s brows pulled together. “But Carwyn?—”
“Will not be returning,” Xenos interjected. His eyes were curious as he watched Evelina. “She has made her choice to be bound to darkness, and the Eternal Crown will not tie itself to that.”
“No,” Evelina gasped.
Xenos’s gaze swung to Carwyn, an eager hunger in his eyes. Evelina trembled, taking a step closer to Carwyn. When she turned to her sister, she found her face resigned in shadow.
“You gave your soul to the dark gods in exchange for the healing of your mother.” He laughed, his voice deceptively light, like honey. “I have come to claim your soul.”
“No!” Evelina screamed, lurching forward.
