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"You couldn't have known," Morrow's voice rumbles from the front row. "Sorry to interrupt, Shadowweaver, but I cannot allow you to take all of this blame onto yourself. Many of us were a part of making the decision to bring these Gods back. You are not a monolith. We all thought this was our best chance to restore the realm."
"He's right," Plume says through hiccups, "Zeph believed this to be the course, too." She wipes her face and straightens her spine, sitting on the edge of her bench in a poised position that is at odds with the sorrow on her face. "The ones to blame are the greedy Gods who desired to steal the fae's magic and subjugate the humans." Affirmations rise up from the audience, a chorus of agreement with Plume surprising me.
"I appreciate this. But as your…" I stumble. I cannot call myself their God. The word sticks on my tongue with the bile that rises at the thought. "As the Shadowweaver," I amend, "it was ultimately my magic that led us here. I take responsibility for this. But I will not let Zeph's death be in vain."
Crossing to stand next to Mace, I place one hand on the small of his back and another on the part of the sheet that covers Zeph's forehead. "Today, we will carry Zeph to the highest cliff, where we will burn his body and send his dust into the realm to nourish and grow and return anew one day."
I take a step back and walk slowly towards the former God.Shadow rises up fully, slithering around me and circling me. "You've been keeping secrets," I chastise. He ducks his head and nuzzles against my neck, soliciting gasps from the gathered crowd. A terrifying beast that I am sure some of its kind have tormented members of this group during the Race, acting like a house pet, must be shocking to those who do not know the story.
"Are you going to stay large forever?" I ask, and Shadow shakes his head, eyes darting at the Bloomtide. "Ah, waiting until I take care of her. Understood." I stand beside Amaryn now, placing a heavy hand on her shoulder. Immediately, she stills, staring up at me with animosity in her eyes.
"Rainworth," I begin, never taking my eyes off the former God of Spring. "I have relieved Amaryn of her magic and removed her tongue as punishment for the poison she spewed. But I do not feel that is enough. Until she arrived, the other two Gods were aloof and keen to see what would happen following my plan. Solarius cared only about finding those who worshipped him, and Avidor seemed to only desire my approval and affection."
Mace's shoulders stiffen, his face a picture of disgust. Approval and affection are a very flowery way to say that Avidor wanted to steal me away from my partner and take me for himself, but the citizens do not need that level of detail.
"No, it was Amaryn who had the idea to steal all of the magic from the fae and subjugate all of you. It was Amaryn who dealt a killing blow to my partner, Mace, which ended with his brothersacrificing himself to save his life." I tighten my grip on her shoulder, my other hand tapping a slow, measured rhythm on the hilt of the blade wedged between my whip and my pants.
For the first time, I let my eyes travel through the gathered crowd, making eye contact with my citizens. A strange mixture of emotions is reflected back to me, some eyes full of vengeance and others of sadness. Every emotion that swirls in a tempest inside me has a home in my citizens, and it steels me for what I must do next.
"My next step is to kill Himureal myself. When I do that, I will have the magic of all four Gods within me. While I am loathe to call myself your God, I'm not sure what else I could be once I do this. And so, I give you all a choice." Uncomfortable shuffling begins, low voices whispering to those around them. "When I have the power of all of the Gods, I will support the realm to the best of my ability. I will calm the seas, control the beasts, and quiet the storms. I will ensure the land produces sustenance and that the sun warms your home."
Closing my eyes, I take a deep, cleansing breath. I hadn't realized Mace had moved next to me until I felt his fingers still the ones on my hilt and weave with my own. "I will do that regardless of the decision you make now."
"Decision?" Jaz asks, eyes narrowed. "What are you on about, Vi?"
My chuckle is empty of amusement. "You have a choice today, Rainworth. You can walk out of this room, out of this city, and head to your homes. I will never bother you, never expectdevotion from you to feed my magic. I will find a way to support this realm with minimal devotion so you may live a life free of Gods and monsters." My gaze drifts back to Amaryn, and a wicked grin twists my face. "But if you stay, if you choose me as your God, there are several things you must know."
The soft sound of my blade sliding against the leather of my whip tickles my ears as I squat next to Amaryn, staring directly into her wild eyes. "The first thing you must know is if you are my citizen, I will defend you as if you are my family. My friend. An attack against you is one against me and those who know me best will tell you those who attack me do live to regret it."
I cut one of the bindings around Amaryn's shoulders, giving her minimal room to wiggle but allowing me to drag the tip of my blade down the curve of her neck. "The next thing you must know is that I am not a good person. I will do whatever it takes to take care of and save those I care about, with little regard for what that says about me." I stand up, admiring the thin lines that trace across Amaryn's shoulders in pretty stripes.
"And finally, you must know that I am a cruel God." Amaryn flinches, and I grab her with my free hand. "You've heard this part of the speech before, haven't you, Bloomtide?" She attempts to free herself from my clutches, and I laugh hollowly. "I mean, not from my mouth, of course. But the effect is the same." I look out at the crowd, my friends' faces locked on mine. "I am a cruel God," I say again. "I used to say, as the Frostweaver did, that I am a cruel God, but I am just. I'm not sure how truethat is anymore."
I walk behind Amaryn, gripping both her shoulders with my hands, the blade in my grip pressing against her throat as I do so. "I'm not sure how just I am anymore. Because after what happened here today, I do not think I have the power in me to be just anymore. No, I think after all that has unfolded, I am no longer a cruel but just God. I think I am just cruel.
"It is with that, Rainworth, that I give you the choice. Walk from here today, knowing you will live a full and happy life where I am not a part of it, or stay, knowing my cruelty could be turned on you if you hurt one of my people, but that I will defend you fervently. Decide, today, here and now, if you are a citizen of the shadows or if you will walk into the light."
Chapter 46
Viola
It's quiet.
Every citizen of Rainworth is silent and still as I stand before them, demanding they make this decision before they witness what I am here to do today.
The minutes tick by, and no one moves.
It's almost as if no one breathes for worry that if they so much as fidget, I will take that as a sign of their desire to leave. After several minutes have passed and no one has risen from their seats, a serpentine smile stretches across my face.
"Excellent." I clap my hands together and step forward, turning to face Amaryn head-on. "Amaryn. The Bloomtide. The former God of Spring. You have been found guilty of harm towards one of my own." I cut the bindings on her chair and yank her to her feet with a shadow before wrapping her up in several. "The deaths of Solarius and Avidor on the battlefield left a lot to be desired.This one will not.Everyone, let us exit to the courtyard so I may serve the Bloomtide with her punishment."
Dragging Amaryn behind me by my shadows, I exit into the sunlight and stand in the middle of the grassy courtyard in front of the hall. Slowly, all of Rainworth files out of the building andposts themselves on the edge of the square. When all have exited, I take a step back from the former God of Spring and secure her to the spot with roots I bring forward with her own magic.
"For your crimes," I speak loudly and clearly, "you are sentenced to eternity. An eternity where you speak no poison." I rip the gag from her mouth, wrenching her jaw open so everyone can see I took her tongue.
"An eternity where you see no love." I grab her face with both hands, pushing my thumbs into her eye sockets until I feel those wide, green eyes give way to pressure. The crowd sucks in a breath, and I hear gagging and retching, but I ignore it and scoop the now sightless eyes from their home in her skull and drop them on the ground. A guttural scream tears out of her throat, and unintelligible words fall from her mouth as the blood pours from the empty, soulless sockets on her face. The effect is chilling, like a flesh-covered skull come to life before me.
I feel nothing.
