Page 87 of The Gods Order

Maybe souls really don’t process time the same way the living do.

Or maybe twenty-eight years trapped beside your own corpse strips away everything unnecessary until all that remains are the people you loved most. He seems fully aware. Intelligent. Sharp enough to follow every word from me or Sevryn. There’s something deeply unnatural in the way his conversations flow, though.

“Gladian is…fine. He’s in a completed Valtrue and he leads the Defenders. God of Strength through and through.”

“Sounds like him. How’s his and Sevryn’s relationship? Strong, I assume. Gladian would want to ensure he doesn’t end up like Seveous. I can see where they’d butt heads, but that’s normal.”

My lips press together and I stare at Sevryn.

“What?” he asks.

“He’s asking about yours and Gladian’s relationship.”

“Not fucking going there.”

I glare at his dumb ass. Obviously, he didn’t realize my eyes were trying to tell him to lie.

“You all don’t get along with him. What happened? How could that happen?” Vihaan asks.

“A lot happened, but it’s fine. We’re figuring it out.”

“There shouldn’t be anything to figure out. You’re on the same side.”

“How could you possibly know that? The last time you saw me, I literally killed you.”

He scoffs like that’s old news and I’m the one who needs to get over it.

“I knew before you even did it that one day you’d break free from your father. The resistance was already clear across your soul. Gladian should’ve been there, ready and waiting for all of you. Your brothers. Sevryn. What happened?”

“I killed you, Vihaan. What don’t you understand?” I ask, losing myself for a moment.

My bellow finally makes things click for him.

“I see,” he says as he paces…well, floats. “My brother took my death out on you.”

Understandably. Now. Sort of.

Him being an ass and in constant competition with us, it’s whatever. We can get over it.

What he did to Thayla…

“Regardless of that, though, much else has happened. Only time will tell if any of us can move past it.”

“You all should move past it. A division among gods on the same side cannot defeat a side united. How’s Hell holding up?” he asks and I blow out a deep breath.

“What? What’s he asking about now?” Sevryn asks.

“Hell.”

His forehead wrinkles and I shake my head. Hopefully, he understands that as shut the fuck up and doesn’t add to the conversation. I need to free his soul and get him out of here. The longer we linger, the clearer it becomes that this needs to end.

“It’s in one piece.”

“Well, one would hope so. It’d be realm-ending if it spilled out across the Veil.”

Yeah. I’m well aware.

Silence settles through the Crypt as I study him. The exhaustion beneath his composure. The strange calmness he carries.