Page 3 of Celestial Shadows

He’s just as useless to me as Variant. Silvanus gestures for Variant to take a seat as well. The False King does so without taking his eyes off Eilish. I bare my fangs at him in warning. A voice in my head begins to whisper.

If you don’t control yourself, The Veil will become restless.

Pyre... how the fuck are you in my head?!

My gaze flickers over to where he sits beside me and the fucker just smirks.

The bond.I realize.

He nods slowly and I focus on containing my rage against Variant and Silvanus long enough to hear what they have to say.

“When Abedon and Elioth drew on the Chasm and summoned the Singularity, it nearly destroyed the realms and everything in them. They led an army of black riders and creatures of untold darkness into the home of the gods,” Silvanus explains. “I was there. I watched as Abedon slaughtered them with his power and thirst for vengeance. When Abedon saton the throne, I heard a prophecy. One that spoke of the rise of a new god, asupremedeity, and I knew he had to be stopped.”

“So you went to Morrigan?” Dragan’s lip curls in disgust.

“Yes, for she had been with me the day of my ascension. Though she loved Abedon, she knew she could never rise to her full potential with him in power.” Silvanus glances around the room, looking at each of us as though he can’t fathom why we’d been chosen. “I wrote the spells. I crafted the oath that brought you together. Morrigan simply had to choose those who would maintain the balance.”

“She chose wrong,” I say.

Silvanus shakes his head. “No, I don’t believe so.”

Dragan stands with a huff. “Look around you, asshole. The worlds are in ruins because of Morrigan and Variant. At least Theren’s manipulation was a result of him wanting to protect Eilish. Variant went to Morrigan willingly. He sought her council because he thought…”

Variant stands, meeting the furious gargoyle head on. “I went to Morrigan because I was suspicious. While you, Cambion, and Baron were happy to sit on your thrones and rule your kingdoms, I smelled the wickedness brewing beneath our noses. Morrigan was weakening us and all of you failed to see it.” He looks over at Eilish and slides back into his seat, never once breaking the connection between them. It infuriates me that there’s a connection between them at all.

“The people were starving,” Variant continues. “Disease spread through the lands, running rampant and killing thousands. Crops died, children were born without heartbeats, and fires burned down the forests. Where is the balance in that? Where is the peace we were promised?”

Silvanus raises his hand to stave off Variant’s rant. “You failed the realms, that much is true. However, when I look at you, I don’t see broken kings of lost realms, I still see warriorswilling to fight so evil in these worlds will be contained once more.”

This time it’s Eilish who contradicts him. “Destroyed. When we fight Abedon, we won’t becontaininghim again. They may have failed as kings, but you failed as a god and Morrigan failed in her duties as a teacher.”

That knocks some of Silvanus’s confidence a little and I couldn’t be more pleased with Eilish.

“I was named Queen by people who strive to live peacefully within these walls, which means the responsibility of keeping them alive falls to my shoulders,” she says with a swell of pride. “There are others within the realms who will also look to me for answers once word spreads.”

Silvanus bows his head. “Then we will follow your order, Queen Eilish.”

“Abedon and Elioth must be destroyed if we’re to have any hope of a prosperous future,” she says, facing each of us in turn.

I reach over and take her hand. Variant eyes the interaction with a look of distaste. Good. I hope it burns him up inside.

“Though I may be the voice of the people, that doesn’t mean I won’t need help. I value all of your opinions and seek the knowledge of your experiences,” she continues.

I press a kiss to her knuckles as Aima sits stiffly beside Variant. Aima leans against Kolvar to put as much space between her and the false king as possible. I envy her her anger and a mate who reflects the same anger. If I want to remain by Eilish’s side, I must at least tolerate Variant. It will take all of my patience and, even then, I’m not sure I’ll ever be cordial with the man who murdered me.

“I’ve dealt with Elioth before,” Eilish announces. “He’s a cruel and powerful sorcerer.” Eilish squeezes my hand. “Silvanus, you’ve fought Abedon.”

“Yes,” he says with a nod.

“You say Abedon and Elioth will rise, that they’re already reaching out to their followers,” Eilish continues. “How should we prepare?"

Silvanus winces. “It pains me to admit that I do not know.”

I... feel for him. I understand what it feels like to be uncertain, to question oneself to the point of paranoia. Before Pyre, I didn’t trust anyone. Now I even find myself trusting Theren.

Perhaps I’ll prove myself wrong again. Perhaps I’ll pity them and learn to see beyond Silvanus and Variant’s mistakes... or perhaps cows will rain down from the heavens. The latter seems more likely, I must admit.

Interesting visual,Pyre whispers in my mind.

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