Page 27 of The Gods Forbid

The worst part was that I didn’t think it was a trick. It was one of the easiest ways to manipulate someone. Get them to think you cared about them and they were more likely to trust you. Listen to you.

Accept your help.

I was sure Persy leveraged that natural kindness in her job, but it was clear it came from a genuine place and that made it all the more dangerous.

It was the type of kindness that followed you. Made you think about it for weeks. Or while you were setting up paint on a palette, dropping white, black, blues, reds and other basics onto the ceramic.

My forefinger was brushing against something slightly raised. Securing my grip, I turned the palette over and made an incredulous sound in the back of my throat. The ceramic palette was painted with a gold sun, depicted with sharp, geometric lines extending out to the rounded edges.

Fates help me, she was a menace.

I forcefully pushed the image of Persy’s face out of my mind, focusing in on any other source of inspiration. I stared at the blank canvas, trying to sort through the assault of images slamming into me.

This was the problem that had plagued me for so long. This used to be so clear, a realistic picture popping into my head that felt like a wild animal slamming against a trap until I let it free by putting brush to canvas.

I twirled the pencil between my fingers, spinning it in circles while I willed my mind to focus in on one constant piece of imagery. Something I could grab onto.

It was mostly whites and golds with tinges of light, violet-gray. But there was something in the center, a landscape with sunset pink and orange that snuck through.

It was an image that didn’t make me completely nauseous.

And one that didn’t need an underlying sketch. That made it easier, less pressure to get the base right and freedom to take the landscape where it wanted to go.

Tucking the pencil behind my ear, I picked up a larger brush and loaded it with a mix of paint and set it to canvas.

The first strokes moved smoothly, without pain. If I was capable of relief, that would have been the emotion I felt.

In what felt like a few blinks, the canvas had turned from a stale beige to a mellow, muted sky.

“I waited as long as I could to disturb you, but you have a visitor.”

I was a god. I did not flinch or jump in surprise. The muscles in my back simply chose that specific moment to clench and tense, despite the sweet voice that had spoken.

I slowly lowered the brush, feeling a little trickle of protectiveness over the painting slither through my chest. I squashed it as quickly as it arose.

It was a childish reaction.

Let alone the fact that Persy was sure to snoop on her own. Though she’d probably call it research. She could see the painting.

“Who is it?” I said, wiping off my hands with a towel as best I could. The forearms of my shirt were shot, but that was what happened when you painted with your sleeves pulled down to your wrists.

Persy smiled, her eyes darting over my shoulder to take a look at what I’d painted. I leaned a hip against a table, one off to the side.

“A god,” Persy said distractedly.

“I’ll wait as long as you need, love,” I said, with a clear smile in my tone.

Persy nodded and smiled softly, but then blinked several seconds later, realizing what I’d said. “Wait, what?”

I smiled, pushing off the table and taking a few steps towards her. Another example of my poor moral code, I liked how she stiffened when I approached. Like she was bracing for me. “I’ll wait while you take a look at what I was painting. I know you want to.”

Persy seemed to forcefully drag her eyes away from the canvas and to me. “I don’t want to intrude. It just looked really familiar. I was trying to figure out what it was.”

Her honesty should have been refreshing, but all it made me want to do was beg her to lie to me. “It’s the hills and sky behind your house,” I said, giving her the answer.

Bad idea. Once it clicked, she went off like a firework, brightening and clasping her hands under her chin. “Oh, it’s so perfect! Would you consider letting me keep it after you’re done?”

For some reason, my mouth had gone completely dry. “Why?” I half-croaked out.