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"Are you saying you're a God as well?" she spits, her cute face twisted in anger and jealousy. "That you just stole our magic and became a God?"
"I stole nothing," I say, clenching my fists. "I accidentally absorbed themagic from Himureal's artifact, and then when I summoned him, and he was a fucking lunatic, I went in search of the other seeds to bring the rest of you back. Imagine my surprise when I absorbed the magic from each of the artifacts."
"This was not supposed to happen!" she screeches, stomping her foot like a petulant child. "No one was supposed to get the power in the artifacts. It was there to power the rituals, and youstoleit!"
"As I just said, I stole nothing! I didn't ask for this. I didn't want this. But now you've got me. And we have to work together to balance the realm and get rid of Himureal because he's killing fae who do not worship him, and I have no doubt he'll move on to humans next."
"Fae? Who gives a fuck if he kills fae?" she says, turning her back to me and stomping out of the woods towards Rainworth. "They're just humans who stole our magic. Our magic. It was never theirs to begin with." Mace and I take off after her, marveling at her attitude and how fast she can move for such a small woman. "What the fuck has happened to this realm while I was gone?"
"Listen, maybe you just need some rest. But once you do, the four of us will go and get rid of Himureal, and I will take his place. I am most comfortable with my Winter magic as it is." I finally catch up to her, and she sneers at me, shaking her head.
"You're not in charge here anymore, little God. I will be making the decision on how we will continue." She drags her eyes up and down my figure, tsking and shaking her head. "It's a shameI cannot take my power back from you. All four have somehow molded together inside you."
We reach the edge of the forest, where Zeph sits, half asleep, propped against a tree under the moonlight. He hears the noise and scrambles to his feet. "Shadowweaver!" he says, looking first at me and then at the Bloomtide. "It worked?"
"Yes, high priest," I say, trying to communicate with my eyes that the situation is not a good one. "We must get back to Rainworth at once and get the other Gods together and develop our plan." Zeph drops back next to Mace and I see them whispering to one another out of the corner of their mouths, so I try to distract Amaryn from the conversation by getting her talking.
"I know this isn't when or how you expected to return," I say placatingly.
"That is an understatement," she snarls, hustling up the hill. "My high priest betrayed me, my magic was stolen, and the first thing you want me to do is destroy my brother? On your word alone?"
"Not mine. I have several here who have witnessed his cruelty."
"I will need to see it with my own eyes before I believe you over my own kin," she spits at me. "I do not know you. I do not trust you."
"What reason do I have to lie? What does that accomplish? What goal will I reach through it?"
"I don't know. All I know is this cannot and will not happen without my say." She spins and looks at me, poking a finger inmy chest. "You may be used to being in charge, little God, but I am here now, and you will answer to me."
"All of you, shut the fuck up!" I yell over the cacophony of arguments taking place simultaneously in the dining hall. I look at everyone from my place on top of a table and rest my fists on my hips. "You guys," I say, pointing at Tulip, Jaz, Morrow, Plume, and Mace, "quit purposefully antagonizing. Sit down, shut up. Your opinions will be taken into account, but right now, the other Gods and I need to work through this."
My friends roll their eyes but sit, all in varying shades of red from their impassioned conversations. "Zeph," I say, looking at my high priest, who stands silently on the floor beside the table I have perched upon. "Go get Taegan and Cirrha so they can share their experiences." With a nod, Zeph leaves the hall, and I look at Avidor, Solarius, and Amaryn.
"You three," I say, stepping off the table and approaching them. "We need to have a mature conversation and come up with a plan."
"I told you you weren't in charge here," Amaryn sneers.
"Shut up, sister," Avidor says, rolling his eyes. "All of this posturing is exhausting. Just listen to what the Shadowweaver has to say."
"Oh, she has a title now, does she?"
"Himureal gave it to her," Avidor replies with a shrug.
Amaryn throws her hands up. "Of course he did! He always had no respect for the hierarchy."
"She also has a high priest and devotion," Solarius says in his deep, rich voice. "Something none of the rest of us have yet. Your refusal to accept her as a God is embarrassing, Bloomtide."
Amaryn huffs, throwing her hands up. "Are you both so enchanted by her that you cannot see that she is nothing but a little thief? She stole your magic."
"The way I see it, we wouldn't be here without her," Avidor replies, sinking down to sit at the table in front of him. "I consider it payment for getting to have a life. Besides, if you'd kept watch over the realm instead of doing whatever the fuck you were doing in your banishment, you'd know Viola is telling the truth. Himureal is a threat we must vanquish."
"He's slaughtering any who do not follow him," Solarius says, joining his brother at the table. "How are any of us to have worshippers if he kills anyone who is not aligned with him?" I wrinkle my nose. Solarius has a one-track mind that leads only to the goal of having as many followers as possible to increase his strength, and it doesn't sit right with me. I'm reminded of the story Himureal told of why he was banished in the first place.
Zeph has managed to piece together from the journals that Himureal most likely was telling the truth, but we don't have confirmation for sure. I should ask, should find out if Himureal's story is what actually happened.
But what if it was?
What if I brought back Gods who want nothing more than to forcehumans to worship them for their own power?
