Page 46 of A Veil of Gods and Kings

I punched my words out piece-by-piece. “I have no hope. So, what’s the point?”

Her nose wrinkled. “If you choose to believe that, then so be it. You choose to act like an ass and drown yourself in stupidity. You do it. But I won’t stay and watch.”

My heart froze at her words. She was the only thing that mattered to me in life. The thought of losing her hurt more than any hangover, any fumbled knife that had cut my flesh, any injury my father could bestow on me. But it probably would be for her best. My stomach dropped into my toes, and my eyes stung, but I forced my voice to remain steady. “Planning to leave? Good. I’ve always burdened you.”

She screamed through her teeth, and it sliced through my brain. “If I could make you see yourself for five minutes, out from under the shadow of your father—”

“That’s what I’m telling you. I’ll never get out from under him. He will destroy me.”

“Only if you let him.” Our eyes locked, and we held that for an endless number of heartbeats. Temi released a breath that puffed her cheeks. “You’d just allow me to go? Do you not care for me enough to worry about me traveling alone?”

I touched my fingers to my temple and drew the headache out. “Temi, I care about nothing else but you. Please tell me you know that.”

Her eyes sparkled with tears again. “Then why won’t you try?”

I sighed. “Is that what would make you happy?”

“Yes.”

I nodded, sucking my teeth and fiddling my hands together. “All right. I’ll give an honest effort, for your sake. But, you’re going to have to face the reality that it’s pointless, and I’ll be ascending soon.”

“We’ll face that if we get there.”

I frowned, and she stood, but I snagged her arm. “And, Temi?”

“Yeah?”

“I worry much more about you leaving for my sake, traveling alone, than for yours. I pity the idiot that runs across you on the road.”

Her features softened, and she patted my cheek. “You have a good heart under all this stupidity. Could you try to let some of it show for once?”

I sighed.

She believed a lie, but it felt too nice to have someone see me that way for me to correct her.

16

Hyacinth

I shuffled through the papers on the desk. Ceramic birds sat on one corner, Father’s finest liquors lining the opposite side. The morning light sparkled over their glass bottles, pastel colors splashing onto the floor.

I flipped another page over. Two roads in the city needed repairs, but the funding was already used for the current period. Of course, the reason those streets were damaged was because commerce between foreign cities had been higher. Perhaps we should up the taxes on trade. Then again, people wouldn’t like that, and it wouldn’t provide the funds needed today to repair the roads.

My throat tightened. Father had always managed issues like this. I could do it too. How I wished he was here beside me, though, offering his insight, peppering in witty remarks that made me chuckle. But, of course, he traveled for the sake of our country, for the future that seemed to leer over my shoulder and breathe down my neck. Life would soon grow even more complicated. I clenched my teeth but shook my head. There was nothing I could do about that today. Back to the issue with the roads. Maybe we could—

Someone rapped at the door. I sighed, dropping the paper. “Come in.”

Apollo stepped in.

A sour feeling swelled in my stomach.

I couldn’t even think of the temple debacle without heat rising to my cheeks.

And now he was in here bothering me when I had more work than I could get done. “What do you need?” I dropped my gaze to the papers.

He sauntered across the rug, scanning over the room, and then dropped into a chair. “Well, to start with, I wish to apologize.”

I released the paper onto the stack and met his eyes. “Apologize?”