Page 88 of Gods of Prey
The middle path suggests compromise.
What is the council testing? My loyalty to Sebastian and Aurelys? Or my ability to recognize where I’m truly needed?
I choose the middle path, walking the line between light and shadow.
As I travel deeper, memories surface uninvited. Sebastian and I welcoming new souls into Aurelys together, the joy on his face when life flourished under our care. Then, newer memories: Sienna’s rare smile when she thinks I’m not looking, the grudging respect in her eyes when I finally stood up for her, the electric tension between us during our arguments in that small Seattle apartment.
The path splits again and again, and each time I choose the way that balances light and shadow. Hours or days pass—I’m not really sure. I’m still accustomed to the mortal clock, and time feels meaningless here. Like I’m suspended in some in-between place that I can’t find my way out of. Finally, I emerge into a clearing where the forest ends abruptly at the edge of a vast chasm.
Across the divide, I can see the golden spires of Aurelys shimmering in eternal daylight. On my side of the chasm stands a dark, beautiful palace that can only be Umbraeth. Between them stretches nothing. No bridge, no path.
“Choose,” the voice whispers. “Where does your true allegiance lie?”
I look between the two realms, understanding dawning. This isn’t about choosing light over dark or duty over desire. It’s not about finding the balance between the two. It’s about recognizing that my allegiance isn’t to a place at all.
“My allegiance is to balance,” I say aloud, my stomach tightening at the prospect that I could be completely wrong in guessing what they want.
My failure could cause the ones I care about to suffer immensely. But I have to remain steady. If there’s one thing I know the Divine Council hates—what mymotherhates—it’s uncertainty. Whether I’m right or wrong doesn’t matter anymore. I just need to fully commit tosomething.
So, I take a deep breath and add, “To Life and Death existing in harmony. To Sebastian and Sienna fulfilling their divine purposes together.”
The voice is silent for a long moment. Then, “And what of your heart, Revel? Where does it truly belong?”
The question catches me off guard. I’ve been so focused on duty that I’ve pushed aside my feelings, dismissed them as inconvenient complications.
“My heart...” I hesitate, then force myself to continue honestly. “My heart belongs with Sienna. But I would never let that compromise the balance.”
“Wouldn’t you?” The voice changes, becoming Sienna’s. The air shimmers before me, and she appears. I know it’s not the real Sienna, but a perfect illusion. Just like the one in my dreams. “If I asked you to let Sebastian stay in the mortal realm with Jovie, to let me rule Umbraeth alone while you maintain Aurelys—would you agree? For me?”
It’s a trap. I know it is. But the illusion is perfect, down to the slight tilt of her head when she’s challenging me, the intensity in her glowing green eyes.
“No,” I say firmly. This is how our relationship works. It’s real and raw. We don’t coddle or placate each other. “I wouldn’t, even for you. The balance is bigger than any of us. Sebastian must return to Aurelys. You must rule Umbraeth. And I...” I take another deep breath.
I’m not lying. This is exactly what I told Sienna when we were in the mortal realm. The balance is everything, whether we want it to be or not. But acknowledging it here, where I know thousands of other gods are inevitably watching, makes my chest burn with pure rage. We shouldn’t have to choose. The Fates have set us up in this impossible situation, only to watch us all fail or suffer in some way. It’s bullshit.
But I have to play their game if I want the chance to change it.
“I will go where I’m needed to maintain that balance, regardless of what my heart wants.”
The illusion of Sienna smiles sadly and fades. In her place appears another vision: Sienna ruling Umbraeth alone, growing bitter and cold without the connections that softened her edges during our time in Seattle. Sebastian in Aurelys with Jovie, their joy tempered by guilt over Sienna’s isolation.
“This is one possible future,” the voice says. “Is this the balance you seek?”
“No,” I answer immediately. “That’s not balance. It’s just separation.”
The vision changes. Now, I see Sienna in Umbraeth, but I’m there too. We stand together before the souls awaiting judgment, working in perfect synchronicity. Occasionally we visit Aurelys, where Sebastian and Jovie welcome us warmly. The realms seem brighter somehow, more vibrant in their respective ways.
“And this?” the voice asks.
My throat tightens. “Yes. That’s true balance.”
“Even if it means leaving Aurelys? Even if it means embracing Death as much as Life?”
I think of my centuries in Aurelys. All the intimate moments with the beautiful creatures who live there, serving the realm with pure, selfless loyalty. It’s all I’ve known for most of existence. My life before is a blur. Nothing worth missing or remembering.
But then I remember the strange beauty of Umbraeth that I glimpsed during our preparations. The look in Sienna’s eyes when she spoke of guiding souls to their rest.
“Yes,” I say with growing certainty. “Life and Death are two sides of the same coin. I’ve served one side faithfully. I can learn to honor the other.”
