Page 79
Oh. Shit.
Chapter Twenty-Six
What the hell is this…person? Some sort of guardian of the cosmos? A protector for the portal? The sheer energy twisting around him beckons me. Calls to my magic.
As if my power recognizes this being.
The armor he wears is fluid, like starlight captured in mercury. It flows across his form with tidal precision. The weapons appear to be extensions of the man himself, pulsing with the same galactic heartbeat.
An otherworldly chill seeps into my gut. “We’re only here to find answers. Not to disturb anything or anyone.”
Stalking forward, I position myself between Lark and whoever the fuck this is.
Not that I doubt her abilities for a second.
She’s just too damn precious to risk.
The armored figure regards us through void-like eyes that reflect vortices of cosmic light. “Who are you to demand answers of the gods?”
His voice carries harmonics that vibrate my teeth in my skull.
Behind me, I sense Lark’s tension. The slight shift in her stance tells me she’s ready to fight. Agnar is a solid presence on my other side, his breathing controlled but audible in the cavern’s strange acoustics.
I hold the figure’s gaze, bristling at his condescending tone. “Not to demand, but to petition.”
He glides closer, oozing power. The charged air bows around him, reality itself bending in deference to his presence.
The hairs on my arms rise, responding to the creature’s energy as if I’m standing too close to a lightning storm.
Pebbles on the ground roll and slide toward him.
“He’s not lying. We only seek answers from the gods.” Lark’s hand rests on my back, and it’s all I can do to keep my eyes fixed ahead. “And…who exactly are you?”
Suddenly, he buries his blade in the soil and leans over to use the pommel as an armrest. “I am the Guardian of the Gods. I am their weapon. And you are trespassing.”
That last word feels like a wall ready to tumble over and crush our very existence.
Irritation prickles my skin.
We may not know the depth of who we’re facing, but I refuse to cower.
“We tried other ways to contact the deities. They only replied with vague and confusing messages.” Shrugging, I gesture to our surroundings, determined to ignore his intimidation tactics. “Which is why we risked our lives to come here. We need to know what they want.”
The Guardian tilts his head, a gesture almost human save for the unnatural smoothness of the motion. “And when the gods didn’t respond, why did you not consider that your answer?”
I don’t need to glance at Lark to sense the fury rolling off her.
To be honest, I’m shocked she hasn’t already snapped at the arrogant prick. “Because there are bizarre god-related disturbances in our realm. And we need to understand what’s happening.”
The Guardian’s chilling laugh reminds me of ice cracking across a frozen lake. “Your realm? How charmingly territorial.”
With each word, the temperature drops.
This being doesn’t just control the environment. He is the environment.
My water magic responds, preparing for defense.
“People are dying.” I glance over my shoulder to find Lark’s chin raised in a familiar, stubborn tilt. “Sacred places are corrupted. Land is shifting. That is our territory. According to the God of Lost Things, one must obtain the permission of the landowner before fundamental changes can be made.”
