Page 14 of Psycho Gods

The last invasion had nearly destroyed us all, and now it was the ungodly’s turn, but there would be no sprawling army at our backs.

There would be no gods to save us.

We were sacrifices, fodder for slaughter, collateral.

I squeezed Luka’s callused hand until my fingers turned white.

Then I closed my eyes.

I didn’t want to be awake anymore.

Chapter 3

Luka

CODEPENDENCY

Amorist (noun): a person who is in love.

Aran wasn’t speaking.

I didn’t like it.

I was the one who stayed quiet, and she was the one who hung off John’s shoulders while cracking inappropriate, morbid jokes.

My twin had his arm slung over her shoulder, but they weren’t leaning against each other like usual.

No.

Crystal-blue eyes were wide and unseeing as John dragged Aran through the trees.

Lilac sunlight and emerald from the valley forest reflected across the shimmering clouds. The new realm was colorful, and the weather seemed mostly mild.

The sun warmed the snow, and it melted immediately.

In contrast, the air around Aran was chilled like she was radiating frost. It was noticeably colder than the rest of the realm.

I was concerned.

She’d said she needed to think, but she was practically catatonic as John pulled her down the dirt path connecting the twenty freestanding concrete structures that made up the war camp.

The base was constructed in the valley surrounded by towering mountains and low-ceilinged buildings were camouflaged by trees and snow.

The new realm was a strange amalgamation of different elements.

It reminded me of a chimera, the beast was a mind-bending hybrid of a goat, lion, and a dragon. When you saw one in person, you were struck with one thought: this shouldn’t exist. The realm was the same way.

Snowflakes fell, sizzled as they touched the warm ground, and evaporated into a low layer of steam.

Above, the lavender sky sparkled.

I barely noticed.

We hadn’t eaten for hours, but I wasn’t hungry as our two legions walked side by side to the cafeteria.

Sadie pulled back to walk beside her men, and all my attention was focused on where turquoise hair was supported by olive skin.

Back in the strategy room, Aran had shut down and John’s eyes had crinkled when Dick announced there would only be a hundred soldiers fighting.

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