Page 58 of Tik-Tok

Tik-Tok whirled around and went back to Respen’s side. Glarondal wheezed on the gravel, frantically searching for something, though surely, he couldn’t see more than shadow with the blue cataracts coating his eyes.

“What are you planning?” Respen asked with a curious tilt of his head.

“I’m becoming a god,” Tik-Tok replied with a disgusted grin. When he turned again, the two girls from earlier stood behind the patriarch, along with two older women, a young boy, and an elderly man. They strongly resembled each other in the face—dark eyes, darker hair, slightly upturned noses—but it was as if every day they lived had visably aged them. The wide-eyed, younger children cowering behind the grown beings were the exception, but likely not for long.

“You’ve worshipped a false god all these years.” Tik-Tok’s voice boomed, and he loathed pretending to be the cruel god that his father had created. “This … creature…”—he shot a glance at his cowering father—“has taken my likeness as his own and fooled you all.”

“What are you doing?” Glarondal snapped, pushing to his knees. “Don’t listen to him. He’s a great deceiver!”

Tik-Tok forced himself not to scoff and instead met each of the locals’ gazes. “Would a god decay as such?” He swept a hand out. “Deal with him as you would deal with anydeceiver. Punish him well or I will turn my wrath to your world.”

“Liar,” the young girl from before shouted.

Though the old woman pushed her further behind the group, he saw the defiance burning in her youthful eyes. “Am I?” Tik-Tok asked. “Shall I prove it?”

Before any of them could tell him no, he shoved the roughest of his magic outward. It hit the patriarch straight in the chest, sliding over his body, turning it to stone. The girl who’d called him a liar screamed so loudly that his ears rang, and the oldest woman fainted, collapsing onto the graveled street.

“Perhaps I will leave him here as a reminder,” he mused.

“No,” Lizbet whispered, stepping away from the group, repeating the ridiculous hand movementsagain. “We believe you. Please, Your Exha—”

“Shh,” he hissed, a finger to his lips. Then he released his power from the man so he could return to his true form.

Respen shook with silent laughter when Tik-Tok grabbed his forearm.

“Not a fucking word,” he said under his breath.

The entire family, unconscious woman aside, replicated the Lizbet’s motions. Hands pressed to their chests, arms sweeping out, words mumbled with reverence. And they weren’t the only ones. Other doors opened, more families coming into the streets.

Hell fucking no.Tik-Tok tightened his grip on Respen. “Let’s get back to the ship.”

“You don’t want to stay and watch?” his first mate asked.

“No.” This wasn’t the revenge he’d envisioned, but his father was going to die slowly, painfully, desperate and alone. Truly alone. Those terrorized into worshiping him would take their own revenge for the awful things he’d surely done.

And Glarondal would leave this world—allworlds—hated. Despised. Powerless.

No. It wasn’t what Tik-Tok had dreamed of. Not what his siblings with their kind hearts and fiercer love would have wanted. There was no battle to be won or bloody vengeance to exact on their behalf. Glarondal was already too far gone for that. But this … this was better. Tik-Tok smiled down at the male as he crawled toward his boots.

“Goodbye,Father,” he whispered blithely as Respen’s magic swept him back toThe Temptress.To his home and to his future.North.

Chapter Twenty-Two

North

“The bastard followed us!” Dax shouted, racing toward the middle of the ship and snatching North’s weapons from the floor.

North whipped her head up, her gaze landing on the ship that had sailed through the portal. Once fully in the new world, the ship fought its way clear of the vortex and barreled straight for them. Its large white sails cracked like thunder with the wind, and its glossy wood coloring reflected from an obscured sun. This ship was as grand as Tik-Tok’s, towering and looming. Several fae stood on deck, but she couldn’t see their faces clearly. Her hands shook and her heartbeat increased. Tik-Tok was gone, and she wasn’t sure what was happening. But she needed to retrieve her axe from Dax.

“Not again!” Echo growled withdrawing her sword as she stomped across the deck. She turned to the brownies who were hurrying into place, their expressions determined. “Remain here to defend your captain’s ship—your home—if need be.”

They nodded and stood in a huddle, most holding broomsticks and makeshift weapons.

Dax jogged to North with her axes in his hands, his nostrils flaring. “You’re probably going to need them both.”

As she reached to take the weapons from him, a familiar boom roared, making her jump. It was the same sound that had woken her after she’d passed out. A bright white light soared toward them, disrupting her vision. Magic struck the boat, slamming her body into the handrail. A sharp pain throbbed at her hip and a squeak escaped her lips.

“Is this Salt?” North asked, her heart thudding rapidly.

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