Page 89 of Gods of Prey
The chasm before me begins to close, the two realms drawing closer until they meet—not merging, but connected by a bridge of twilight, neither fully light nor dark.
“Cross,” the voice commands.
I step onto the bridge, feeling both realms resonating within me as I walk. When I reach the center point, perfectly balanced between Aurelys and Umbraeth, everything dissolves.
Igasp as reality reasserts itself. I’m back before the audience in the Divine Council’s chamber, my knees on the cold floor. Beside me, Sienna is just opening her eyes, looking as disoriented as I feel. Sebastian and Jovie appear seconds later, both pale but steady.
“The tests are complete,” the Divine Council announces as one.
We rise to our feet, looking at each other questioningly.
Did we pass?
No one speaks, too afraid to breathe or blink, let alone to ask.
“Sebastian, God of Life,” the council begins, “you have demonstrated your commitment to duty by creating a new system of life cycles that can be maintained even during your visits to Umbraeth. Your test is passed.”
Sebastian exhales in relief.
“Jovie, mortal seeking immortality, you have shown remarkable resilience in the face of eternity’s burden. You comprehend the weight of endless days and still choose this path with clear eyes. But the being growing inside of you has a troubled life path. It belongs to the divine realm and nowhere else. Your test is passed.”
Jovie sucks her bottom lip between her teeth, gripping Sebastian’s hand.
The being growing inside of you.I rear back at that. The crowd around us gasps at those words, but the three standing beside me don’t move an inch.
They all knew. And no one told me.
“Siennara, Goddess of Death, you have proven your ability to rule Umbraeth with justice and compassion, unclouded by personal vendettas or favoritism. Your test is passed.”
Sienna’s shoulders relax slightly, though her expression remains guarded.
The council turns to me last. “Revel, interim God of Life, you have demonstrated that your true allegiance is to the balance itself, not to realm or person. You understand that to serve Life fully, one must also honor Death. Your test is passed.”
Relief floods through me so intensely, I nearly stagger. We’ve done it. All of us.
“However,” the council continues, and the brief moment of triumph freezes, “passing these tests proves only your individual worthiness. The proposed new order must still be ratified based on how we feel is appropriate.”
Sebastian steps forward. “What more could we do?”
“There’s nothing else you can do now. We need time to deliberate,” Myelle’s voice speaks without the rest of the Divine Council behind it. “Tomorrow, the four of you must stand before us and formally declare your intentions. The realms must be bound by oath and divine law.” The entire council’s energy pulses. “Return at the awakening of the celestial lights. Prepare your declarations carefully, for once spoken, they cannot be undone. We’ll have a resolution for you then.”
With that, the council’s presence recedes, leaving us alone in the vast chamber.
For a moment, none of us speak. Then Jovie breaks the silence with a shaky laugh. “So...we passed our tests. That’s good, right?”
Sebastian pulls her close, pressing a kiss to her temple. “Yes, love. It’s very good.”
I want to confront them about the news that was shared. We’ve just risked our lives together going against the most powerful gods in all the realms, and they couldn’t even offer me the courtesy of letting me know there was more at stake. But I’m afraid that starting an argument before the Divine Council and every other god around us would only weaken the image of a united front that we’re trying to portray. Instead, I swallow down my shock and anger and store it away for when we’re alone once again.
Erebus steps out of the shadows where he’s been observing. “The Divine Council has never allowed such changes before. This is unprecedented.”
Sienna turns to him, her closest confidant besides her brother. “Do you think they’ll actually approve the new arrangement?”
Erebus considers this. “They allowed the tests. They wouldn’t have bothered if they’d already decided against you.”
I notice Sienna hasn’t looked at me since we returned. “What did they show you?” I ask her quietly while Sebastian and Jovie speak with Erebus.
She finally meets my eyes, something vulnerable flickering briefly in her gaze. “The consequences of putting personal feelings before duty.” Her voice drops even lower. “And what might be possible when both are honored equally.”
