Page 119 of The Edge of Darkness

“Used it for what?”

“That is what we do not know. Perhaps it was an accident. Perhaps she tried to access her father’s power for her own reasons. Who knows the minds of the gods.”

I turned his words over, and over again, sifting through all the possibilities. Every “why” or “how” that I tried to formulate in my head made no sense. There was no justification for Torin using the amulet, especially since she seemed completely shocked and deeply apprehensive when she came face to face with me on Neveshir and sensed what was in my veins.

No, I did not think she would have been the one to use it.

But if not her, then who?

I smeared a raindrop between my thumb and forefinger. “What does the amulet look like?”

“It is a small, round stone, made of obsidian. Erebus kept it on a chain which he wore around his neck.”

I scoffed. “Fitting.”

“Fitting for you,” Eathril said with a certain degree of amusement. “You do favor the color.”

A mirthless laugh escaped me. The coincidence was too uncanny for my liking.

Death’s Whisper continued staring at me, staked into the mud at my side. I narrowed my eyes on it. “There is something else you should know.” I could feel Eathril’s presence shift at the tone of my voice. He wasn’t going to like what I had to say next, given who he truly was.

“Yes?”

“Skadi is here.”

The area around me grew so still, that for a moment, I thought Eathril might have fled. Then, “The disturbance at the gate . . . that was her?”

“Unfortunately.”

“Hmm . . .” His pondering hum made it seem like he was searching for ways to fix the issue. Like there was a way to send her back, though I knew there absolutely was not. That would be too easy.

“Any words of advice, as her formal general?” Even though he had no form, I knew he shot me a death glare from wherever he was perched above. I couldn’t help but grin. “Too soon?”

“Unfortunately,” he mocked in a half-hearted growl. “But I will say this, if she is here, she is weak. Whatever means she used to get herself here would have been at the expense of many others. And it would have cost her too.”

“She bypassed our shields like it was nothing.”

“Well, she is still a goddess. Whatever power remains within her will be greater than any you know of in this world.”

“I have no doubt she’s already made herself known, or perhaps even joined forces with Lyceius.”

“Which does not bode well for you.”

I rolled my eyes. “No shit.”

He chuckled. “Send your shifter into Salterra once more. See what he can glean. If you know how Skadi or Lyceius plan to operate, you can put the necessary precautions in place.”

“And how do we rid ourselves of this new goddess?”

He paused. When he answered, his voice was solemn once more. “You and I are the only ones in direct relation to her.”

The reason for his solemnity suddenly struck me. A god could only be vanquished by the hand of one who was of their blood, but not a god, a stipulation of divine law that made it damn near impossible for a god to die. And as Aremis had said, power that is bestowed is just as good as blood.

“One of us would have to be the one to kill her . . .” I concluded.

“It cannot be you,” Eathril said firmly. “I won’t let you suffer that fate.”

“But, if you kill her . . . you would ascend to take her place.”