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I steel myself and turn towards Nimh. She nods, encouraging me to reveal the biggest secret of the Race that could topple Krillium as we know it.
“You need to know… the Gods are… gone,” I say softly.
Plume’s hands cover her mouth, stifling a gasp, and Loris’ eyes grow to the size of saucers. “What do you mean, Zeph?” he says, his voice quiet but solid.
Nimh slides her hand into mine and speaks for me. “When Ytopie was created, it was because humans were upset with the fae, right? That’s what history books have always said. And the Gods, angry at the treatment of the fae, sent a plague through Krillium, which dropped their numbers. Unfortunately, it is unlikely that that is the truth.” She moves to sit cross-legged on the ground, hand still in mine, reluctantly pulling me down to join her in the grass. “Many of us believe that humans banished the Gods, unhappy with the control the Gods had over their lives.”
I squeeze her hand, grateful she’s taking this part of the conversation from me. “The theory goes that when the Gods were banished, their magic had to go somewhere. It spread throughout Krillium, infusing humans with magic. Not all humans could support the magic, and they died. The ones who could handle it became what we now call the fae.”
Plume, her face twisted with confusion, shakes her head. “No, the fae are an entirely different race. We’re not humans.”
I drop Nihm’s hand and run mine through my hair. “We’re probably descended from them, though. The magic has changed our bloodlines, but our ancestors were humans.”
Loris is uncharacteristically quiet before he says, “Are there other theories on what’s going on with the Gods?”
I shrug, raising my eyes to meet him. “Maybe they’ve just abandoned us. Maybe they’re just bored with us, so they don’t get involved in our problems. Regardless, no one living has ever spoken to them or seen them.”
I gaze between the three people I’ve trusted with information that could get me killed for revealing. “I want to tell all Krillium that the Gods are gone. They’ve abandoned us. We can stop the Race because we’re sacrificing only to the ego of Mace.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Nimh wince. “I don’t think this is all on Mace, Zeph,” she says quietly.
“He’s the head of the Patricians, Nimh. He has more information on this than anyone else, and he chooses to let it continue. He holds the power to stop all of this, and he sits there silent.”
Loris nods in agreement while Plume nervously twists the ends of her hair between her fingers. “Okay, so the Gods are gone,” Plume begins, her voice so soft I strain to hear her. “And at this point, it’s doubtful they’re coming back. Yet we still sacrifice not only the bottom of the Race but also the top?”
“That about covers it, yeah.”
She braces herself, meeting me in the eyes for the first time in several minutes. “Then we must stop this. We have to assume that the Gods are angry, so they abandoned us.”
Loris agrees, wrapping his arm around Plume’s shoulder. “Agreed, this isn’t just about fucking over Mace. This is bigger than that.”
Nimh squeezes my hand in encouragement, and the smile on her face buoys my mood immediately. “There’s one more thing,” I say. The group looks at me once more, bracing themselves against my words.
I recount my encounter with Mace, the clandestine meeting in the library, and the snippets of conversation I managed to overhear. The mention of the vessel and their search for someone who can contain an unknown power. It’s clear we’re dealing with something far more significant than just the Race, and I need guidance on how to handle it.
With the encounter laid out in front of us, we search for answers. “What do you think this vessel could be?” I ask, running through the possibilities in my mind. “And how do we proceed? Could Mace trying to find the vessel be a … good thing?”
Loris strokes his chin, deep in thought. “The vessel could be someone with extraordinary potential, unique abilities, or qualities that could benefit the city. But without more information as to why he wants a vessel, it’s hard to say for sure what his motives are.”
Plume bounces her head up and down in response to Loris’ words. “I agree, it’s impossible to know at this stage. All I know is that I no longer trust Mace. He’s kept this information under wraps and even continued and upped the stakes. He’s continuing to increase the number of expendables year after year. I can’t believe that any decision he makes comes from a good place.”
I could not agree more.
“As for our next steps,” Loris continues, “we need to gather more intelligence, dig deeper into Mace’s plans, and find a way to disrupt them.”
Nimh’s eyes gleam with excitement. “I can access the underground networks and connect with the rebels who have long been dissatisfied with the Race. They might have information that can help us. We need allies, Zeph.”
Plume chews on her lip, her gaze focused. “We need to be cautious. If Mace suspects our intentions, he may lash out, fearing what we know. We have to tread carefully and stay one step ahead. And we have to find out what was in that book.”
I absorb their insights and suggestions happily, every bit of me confident in the formidable team I assembled to drive change within our society. “And do we abandon our plan and work towards thwarting Mace? Or do we just let him continue and hope we finish our task before he does?”
The group voices their unanimous support to continue the plan to dismantle the Race.
As the sun dips below the horizon and the sky deepens into shades of purple and blue, we exchange determined glances and prepare ourselves to face the challenges that lie before us.
“Let’s reconvene tomorrow, same time and place,” I suggest, the weight of responsibility settling upon my shoulders. “We’ll gather any information we can and strategize our next moves.”
Plume, Loris, and Nimh all agree, their resolve glittering in their eyes. We disperse, each heading our separate ways for the night, our minds buzzing with thoughts and our hearts filled with a mix of determination and uncertainty.
