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I don't rush, taking my time as I make my way across the city on my way to Solarius' home, trying to ascertain which one Amaryn is sleeping in as I go.
Zeph slips out of the shadows in a move that is so subtle it startles me momentarily.He has no control over shadows, but you wouldn't know it at that moment. He points at a home directly across from where I stand. It doesn't even cross my mind to wonder if he's right or wrong.
I trust him implicitly.
Zeph is stealthy, and I have no doubt he was able to peek in and see her without being detected.
Mace, Tulip, and Morrow turn the corner. The latter two are bleary-eyed but determined, with an axe in Morrow's hand and Tulip's javelin clasped in hers. Mace has his mace thrown over his shoulder. We don't speak as they approach. We just nod at one another.
The moon is high and bright, bathing us in an orange glow that highlights the exhaustion on our faces. Every one of us is tired of fighting, tired of traveling.
Fuck, we're just plain tired.
Tulip slides beside me and squeezes my hand tightly, leaning her head onto my shoulder. For just a moment, we are just two women, two friends. But then that moment is over. I return the squeeze, and she drops my hand and steps away from me. I center myself, feeling the tether of magic that lives within me, writhing and readying itself to answer my command. I do not need to set intentions. My magic responds to my desires immediately, an extension of my body and will. It surfaces, crackling under my skin like lightning, itching to get out.
As if releasing an animal from its restraints, I allow my magic to flow out of me, manifesting as a mass of shadows thatblanket the ground like a dense, dark fog. It seeps through the cracks of the doorway to the home where Amaryn sleeps, and I can feel when the shadows wrap around her, responding to the magic within her and attempting to suffocate it.
I slam the door open with a snake-like tendril and reveal the God of Spring restrained on her bed in a mass of shadows.
"You bitch!" she screeches, thrashing against my magic. "You dare to think you can challenge me?"
"You came into my home, threatened my people, and thought I would not retaliate?" I reply as I stalk into the room.
Amaryn's vines are creeping around her, trying to pry my shadows from her form, but I strengthen my hold, watching as the ropes of shadows pull the restraints tighter, depressing her flesh.
"Viola!" cries the pained voice of Mace. I spin around to see Solarius, shirtless with a face full of fury, surrounded by my people, who are covering their eyes from the bright light emanating from the God's skin. He pushes the light into the room, banishing my shadows and knocking me flat on my ass.
I'm not sure how he got the jump on my crew, but I am not a fan of being caught unawares. At least he underestimates my friends and does not seem concerned about paying them any attention.
Amaryn is on her feet, whipping her vines to me and trussing me up as Solarius dims his Light. A shield shimmers around his body. Tulip and Morrow are away from the fray, within a shield of their own. My high priest focuses his energy on me. Macebegins hurling bolts of Lightning at Solarius' shield to weaken it.
The vines tighten around me as Amaryn cackles with glee. "Stupid little God, do you think you can come after us with magic you stole and think you could overpower us?" Every time I try to call upon Shadow magic, Solarius casts Light and washes them out, and I wrack my brain with what I can do to get out of this.
It hits me then, and I coax Light and Shadow to mix within me, focusing on an illusion that the ground has fallen out beneath Amaryn. To her mind, she is balancing precariously on a small platform of rock. It only takes a moment for her to notice, and the sound of her shouts for help from Solarius quickly joins the thunder from Mace's attempt to break the shield surrounding the Radiant Sunfire.
"How did you do this?" Amaryn yells at me as I burn the vines from my body with Fire. I have to get out of this house. I cannot fight like this, backed into a corner. I rush out the door, barely managing to dodge a fireball hurling my way over Solarius' shoulder as he rushes to Amaryn.
A loud, angry scream echoes from the house. Amaryn lost her balance and shattered my Illusion. It served its purpose, though, because I am free from her vines, outside, and standing next to my high priest.
"How are you feeling?" he asks me, throwing up a shield around me. There is a light sheen of sweat on his forehead, and his skin glows with an innate power I've never noticed before. "Your magiclevel seems okay for now."
"I'm fine, but don't waste yours shielding me. I need you to be able to pull as much devotion as possible. I'm one God against two."
"Make that three, Shadowweaver." Avidor's voice sends chills down my spine, and I turn to see him standing behind me, hands on his bare hips. The rot that travels from his hands to his jaw is on display in the moonlight, and he shakes his head at me. "I expected more of you, Shadowweaver."
"Now, why would you do a stupid thing like that?" I snarl. Zeph drops the shield as I throw a bolt of Lightning at Avidor, who deflects it with one of his own, a shower of sparks raining down around us.
"You use my own magic against me, Viola? I'm hurt."
Shadow hisses loudly, his face pushing my chin and turning me just in time for me to see another fireball heading straight for me. I douse it with Water and then barely have time to Decay vines that begin to wrap around my ankles.
I swear loudly, drawing the attention of my companions. Mace looks at me from his position near Solarius. Like a bug circling around your head at mealtime, Solarius is barely paying Mace any mind. He tosses a bit of Fire in his direction every so often in an attempt to shake him off. Tulip stands stricken, unable to move, her knees locked.
Morrow makes eye contact with me, shaking his head, and I know what he's trying to tell me. Tulip should not be here. It's too late at this point, though, so Morrow will just need to figureout a way to hold his shield over her and command some Fire because Tulip getting hurt cannot happen.
The Gods still seem to be fighting lazily, with no real concern for the aggression we are hurling their way. And maybe they're right to feel that way, that we don't pose much of a threat. But as they start to approach my friends, myfamily, to take their magic or hurt them, I lose all semblance of control and feel a tightly restrained part of myself unlock.
I cannot allow these Gods to get close to those that I love, and I cannot allow them to get together and gang up on us.
