Page 132 of The Oracle of Dusk

Another crash, another shriek.

“Which is the same damn thing!”

“Please, calm down, Cassy.”

“Don’t you dare! You haveno right!I don’t care if you were his best friend and that you shared the same name, don’t you dare call me what he did! You could have saved him when he was first taken and you ran like a coward! You don’t deserve to share his name!”

Something heavy hit the door, followed by Epicasta’s sobbing.

“Is he dead? Is he alive? Where is he? Tell me!”

“He’s here, Cassy. I’m right here.”

“What are you saying?! He’s in Boreas?! Where?!”

Theron looked to Myrina. It was time to interrupt. They opened the door as quietly as possible. Just in time to witness Hyllus kneeling before Epicasta as she wept on her knees on the floor. The avatar took a pendant from beneath his tunic collar, an ancient artefact by the looks of it. He pressed it, and in an instant, he was transformed. His hair lengthened and lightened to the colour of ripe wheat, his eyes transforming from grey to bright blue, his freckles melting off his bronzed skin.

Theron’s eyes widened in shock. He’d been hiding behind an ancient enchantment this whole time? How had he managed to get his hands on it?

“I’m here, Cassy. I escaped that first week from your mother’s prison, and I hid at the Nivean court under my friend’s identity, working to become the ambassador’s bodyguard so I could save you from your mother. But then I was named the avatar and I knew I had to get you out of here while I still had the chance.”

So the avatar was Epicasta’s weakness? That made things significantly more complicated. Not only had the man freed himself from Flora’s clutches, there was little Theron could do to threaten the man into keeping Epicasta on her best behaviour. Nor was he likely to take too kindly to Theron’s plans for the princess. Merciful Triad, what a mess.

“You…you’re reallymyHyllus? You’re really alive?” Epicasta’s hand trembled as she reached for his face.

“Yes. And I finally have the power to save you. Please, let me.”

Myrina gasped, her eyes filled with tears. Epicasta and the transformed Hyllus turned towards her, their eyes wide with shock and terror. Hyllus reached for his bow. Theron stepped in front of Myrina, a snarl building in the back of his throat. He’d rather be twice punished by Justice than allow anything to happen to his Aunty.

“Bound by the thread of fate and dyed in the deepest red. My goddess blesses you with Her passion,” Myrina said, her voice breathy and reverent.

Triad preserve him, he’d seen that look on her face only a few times but it always spelled trouble. The kind where she did all in her power to wed whoever it was who caused it. She’d not spoken too often about the powers Passion had bestowed on her as high priestess, but she always knew who was deeply in love with whom, who was having an affair, whose love was unrequited, and who her goddess had tied by fate.

“High Priestess Myrina?” Hyllus asked, bewildered, lowering his bow.

“It is I, Avatar, and what a pleasure it is,” Myrina replied, scurrying over to the two lovers and pulling them up off the floor. “And you must be Princess Epicasta. The last time I saw you, you were no taller than my knees! Oh, I’m so thrilled to meet you again.”

This boded ill for their former plans. Theron groaned and closed the door behind him as his Aunty fluttered and fussed over the couple. How was he to salvage this? It was clear to him at least that Aurora’s visions couldn’t be changed. But how was he to go through with a wedding ceremony with Epicasta while not marrying her and managing not to incur Knowledge’s wrath? A headache bloomed behind his eyes.

“You simply must be married in Passion’s temple. No one will be able to legally challenge your union then.”

Theron cleared his throat.

“That’s my intended you’re speaking to, Aunty.”

Myrina laughed.

“Oh no she’s not, my little lion. She’s his.” She pointed to Hyllus, who hugged Epicasta closer, a look of warning for Theron in his bright blue eyes.

Theron cursed. Epicasta sighed, defeated.

“No, he’s right, Your Holiness. I don’t think we can circumvent Aurora’s vision. I tried by running away, but as you can see, all that got me was caught in the middle of a mob and now placed under heavy guard.”

“But she only saw you in the middle of the abduction ritual, right?” Myrina asked.

“That’s right,” Hyllus said, his eyes sparkling with hope.

“What about after that? She didn’t see you both completing the ceremony, did she?”

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