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I give a slight head shake, trying to convey my doubt without words. There’s more to this. There must be. The gods never present simple solutions. I’m one-thousand-percent positive I don’t want Sterling to accept this mission.

It’s too risky, and we can’t trust any of the gods.

Not to mention, imagining Sterling losing me along with generations of his family to old age guts me. Living lifetime after lifetime without me or the people he loves.

But even as that thought manifests, I feel a twinge. A twinge I don’t want to acknowledge.

Guilt.

Am I holding him back from his life’s purpose?

Rivlan observes our silent communication as if he has no stake in Sterling’s decision one way or the other. “How’s the wedding planning going?”

A startled laugh escapes me. “What?”

On a list of one hundred things I never expected a god to utter, that’s got to be in the top five.

Rivlan glides over to the fireplace. “Get any good gifts?”

Sterling rises to his feet, covered in a rainbow display. “Why?”

I stand, too, confused by this sudden shift in conversation.

The god holds his hands to the fire, seeming to enjoy the heat. “The diamond waterfall was from me.”

“You sent us a wedding gift?” I’d completely forgotten about the strange present. With everything that’s happened since, resolving that mystery fell to the bottom of the priority list.

“Indeed. It’s more than mere decoration. My gift can provide magic to humans in all kingdoms.”

Hope flares in my chest. The solution to our problem has been locked up in the gift room all along? “But why? Why give us a way to restore magic?”

Rivlan’s essence shimmers when he shrugs. “If he is my champion, I will teach you.” He gestures to encompass the maps on our table and the reports of growing unrest. “Unless you prefer watching your world rip itself apart? I do not want that. You do not want that. And it does not need to be that way.”

Indecision freezes me on the spot.

The solution is right here, if only Sterling reaches out and grasps it. My ribcage tightens, strangling my lungs. I feel as though my mind, soul, and heart are all battling each other.

Sterling takes a hesitant step toward Rivlan. “When would I need to fight?”

No. Absolutely not.

He can’t be seriously considering this.

My first reaction is purely emotional, but rational reasoning soon prevails. If I were the one being offered this chance, I would seize it.

I know I would.

“That’s the beauty. It’s up to you, Knox.” Rivlan glides away from the fire, and the prisms slide to the wall before disappearing. “The first named champion selects when and where the match occurs. A provision to motivate the gods to pursue this route versus war. While the Guardian is a, well, a guardian, he has not yet been named a champion in this war. The only condition is that the match must occur within a year and a day of the naming.”

Sterling remains quiet, his eyes distant and considering. He won’t meet my gaze. Won’t even glance in my direction. My emotions have tangled themselves into a giant knot, and I no longer have any clue how I feel.

Shock. Pain. Eagerness. Hope. Grief. Panic. Love. A giant whirlpool that robs me of my voice.

“You’ve felt it, haven’t you, Knox?” Rivlan circles Sterling like a shark. “The water responding differently as of late?”

Sterling’s attention fixes on the water pitcher on our table. “Every time I use it, it changes. Stronger, but…yes, stranger too.”

“And it will get stronger still.” Rivlan leans over Sterling to speak directly in his ear. “I vow to you, Knox, your power has been waiting for this moment. Your true potential, dormant until now, awaits. We can tap into that magic. Amplify it tenfold, and then another ten. You’re more powerful than you know, and I can help you improve.”