Page 90 of Gods of Prey
I want to ask more, but this isn’t the place. “We should prepare our declarations,” I say instead.
She nods, some of her usual composure returning. “Tonight we’ll meet in the neutral territory between realms. All of us. We need to ensure our declarations align perfectly.”
“And if the council approves?” I can’t help asking. “What then?”
A ghost of a smile touches her lips. “Then we build something new, Revel. Something better than what came before.”
As we leave the council chamber, I find myself stealing glances at her, remembering the vision of us working together in Umbraeth. It wasn’t just a test or a trick—it was a possibility. One I’m increasingly certain I want to make real.
Whatever happens tomorrow, one thing has become clear through my test: my path forward lies with Sienna, helping her guide souls through the dark while remembering the light. Balance, in all things. Including love.
25
Revel
The corridors of the Divine hall stretch endlessly ahead of us, each step echoing with the weight of what just transpired. The council’s judgment still rings in my ears—their voices layered with divine authority as they deliberated our fates. I can feel the residual power thrumming through the walls, ancient magic older than mortal civilizations.
Sebastian walks beside me, his shoulders rigid with tension. Sienna drags her feet slightly ahead, her wings standing as two tense peaks at her back. Behind us, Jovie moves quietly, her mortal form seeming fragile against the otherworldly architecture of pearl and starlight.
We need distance from the council chamber before any of us can speak freely. The gods’ eyes and ears extend far in their own domain, but even they have limits. I guide us toward one of the outer terraces, a balcony that overlooks the swirling nebulae that separate the divine realms.
Only when we’re completely alone, the cosmic winds carrying away our words, do I finally turn to face my oldest friend.
“Pregnant.” The word comes out harder than I intend for it to. “She’s pregnant, Sebastian.”
He meets my gaze steadily, no surprise in those ethereal eyes. “Yes.”
“And you didn’t think to mention this?” My voice rises despite my efforts to control it. I jab a finger in the direction we just came from. “Before I walked into that chamber blind? Before Caelum dropped it like a divine lightning bolt?”
Sienna drifts closer. “Revel?—”
“No.” I hold up a hand, not taking my eyes off Sebastian. “You knew too, didn’t you? You both knew, and neither of you told me.”
Sebastian’s jaw tightens. “It wasn’t your business.”
“Not my business?” I step closer, feeling heat radiate from my skin, the power of Aurelys responding to my anger. “I’ve been covering for you with the Divine Council for months. I’ve risked my own standing, lied to the gods I serve, all to buy you time. And you think a surprise hybrid pregnancy isn’t my business?”
“Watch how you speak about my child,” Sebastian warns, his own power flickering—our shared Life energy crackling in the air between us.
I laugh, but there’s no humor in it. “Your child,” I scoff. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done? Divine-mortal hybrids are forbidden for a reason, Sebastian. The last one nearly tore reality apart.”
“This is different,” he insists.
“Is it?” I gesture toward Jovie, who stands silently watching our argument. “She’s mortal, Sebastian. Completely, utterlymortal. Her body was never meant to carry divine essence. The pregnancy could kill her.”
“I won’t let that happen.”
“You can’t control everything!” The words explode out of me, carrying all the frustration and fear I’ve been holding back. “You can’t reset timelines to fix this. You can’t manipulate fate to ensure a happy ending. This isn’t some mortal fairy tale!”
Sebastian’s eyes flash dangerously. “Don’t lecture me about control, Revel. You’ve been trying to control me since the moment you arrived in Seattle.”
“Because someone has to!” I run my hands through my hair, feeling the weight of responsibility crushing down on me. This feels like arguing with Sienna, not him. “Do you know what Lyralei told me after the session? Plants are dying across three realms because you’ve been absent. Animals are refusing to mate. The cycle of life itself is stuttering because you’ve abandoned your post for...love.” I’m so frustrated, my words stumble over themselves.
“So I should abandon my family instead?” Sebastian’s voice drops to a deadly whisper. “Is that what you’re suggesting?”
“I’m suggesting you should have told me!” The hurt bleeds through my anger now, raw and exposed. “I thought we were friends. I thought after everything we’ve been through—the wars, the punishments, the centuries of brotherhood—I thought I meant enough to you to be trusted with the truth.”
Something in his expression shifts. The defensive anger fades, replaced by something that looks almost like shame.
