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Chapter 29
Viola
Ihave memories of sitting outside as the sun began to set, the wind blowing across my face, and a slight chill in the air. The type of dusk that felt crisp, tangible, like I could clutch it to my chest and keep it with me.
Avidor's voice feels like that. It crashes over me, whipping around my ears until it wraps itself deep within me.
"I have been so impressed by your journey," he says as we walk to the home I had prepared for him. "I mean, really, when my brother had you captured, I was worried you wouldn't make it out."
His praise flies over my head as I get stuck on something he said. "How did you watch all of this?"
The Harvest Lord looks up at the sky, closing his eyes to the sunlight. He's a uniquely handsome man. His features are strong, with a long, pointed nose, high cheekbones, and slightly gaunt cheeks. The rot that crawls up his body has a beautiful intricacy as if it were a tattoo. With long, thin limbs and a slim build, he reminds me a bit of Loris, Zeph's friend.
He catches me examining his appearance and raises his eyebrow with a sly grin on his face. "I know my brother told you we trappedhim in a realm devoid of sensory input," he begins.
"Which, we're going to talk about, you know that, right?"
"Of course," he concedes, but he waves me off. "When the others are here, we will all need to discuss what happened."
He stops walking, waiting for my attention to be wholly on him, and holds his hands in front of him in the shape of a square. "Think of this realm as a glass box. Everything that ever was, or ever will be, is in this box. It's visible but unreachable outside of it. Outside the box are other boxes, and there is an endless collection of them lined up in rows infinitely. Within each box is a realm, unlike anything you could dream of."
The idea of so many worlds, so many planes of existence, is hard for me to fathom. I try to picture these boxes lined up in columns and rows and walking between them. In my mind, it's a blank, white room with glass cubes that are in rows and columns, and I can walk between them all and peer into each realm.
"I was trapped outside this realm," he continues, dropping his hands. "But instead of being free to wander and see other realms, imagine that the Krillium box was placed inside another, larger box. My siblings and I were each slid between the interior and exterior boxes. We couldn't interact, but we all had visibility of the realm."
"So the three of you watched your high priests betray you and not return you?" I ask, taking him by the elbow and turning him down a broken pathway.
His face darkens, and his jaw ticks. Suddenly, the calm, almostsleepy God looks as dangerous as the storms he commands. "Imagine my shock when they absconded the magic that was supposed to return us," he spits. We pass through a doorway to a small stone cottage, and he shakes his head. "Never you mind, it's in the past. I am dying to know more about you."
"If you've watched my whole life, don't you know it all already?" I gesture towards the wooden table that Plume managed to use Flora magic to craft and take a seat. He joins me, leaning forward on his elbows.
"I watched it from outside, Viola. I want to know what is inside you."
Wrinkling my nose, I look away from his piercing amber gaze. Something about the way he phrased that sends a chill down my spine, and I fight not to show it. "You'll have to give me some prompts, Avidor, I'm not much for sharing my feelings." I suddenly wish I had something to do with my hands.
As if he heard my thoughts, Shadow wraps up my leg and climbs up my body, resting around my shoulders.
Avidor smiles at my familiar and reaches out to pet him but gets nothing but a hiss from the snake. "Of course, I did notice that you're not exactly forthcoming with your inner desires." He smiles, his good looks almost boyish as he gazes at me from under his lashes. But something tells me it's a calculated look like he's practiced it all his life and is intended to disarm me. "But you managed to let my brother in some, didn't you? I seem to recall a curious conversation in which you confessed to having some fear of me."
My cheeks heat, and Iduck my head. "As a child, yes," I hedge. "But as I'm sure you noticed, I'm partnered with someone who wields your magic, so I have clearly gotten over that."
"What was it you said scared you?" he muses, tapping a long finger on his pointed chin. Ah, I remember now." A feeling of warmth rolls over me, and the magic within me recognizes it and writhes against it, blocking it from entering my system. I can feel the push of it against every part of me, my brain feeling tight as I fight against that magic.
It's nothing like when Mace tried to Influence me. No, this is more insidious. It feels like if I give into it, my brain will never be mine again.
"You were afraid of being Influenced," he concludes, sitting back and crossing his arms. "But I see now that fear is certainly unfounded."
"I don't appreciate you attempting to Influence me, Avidor, all things considered," I spit, barely containing my anger.
How fucking dare he?
I am his equal, every bit a God as he is, and I brought him here, and he sits across from me and tries to use the magic I possess against me.
He chuckles, holding his hands up, palms forward. "Apologies, Shadowweaver. I would not attempt to Influence you to do anything untoward, you know how the magic works."
"Does it work that way for Gods, I wonder?"
He ignores my question. "I was just testing how much of my magic was inside you."
