Page 114 of Courting War
“I can resurrect her, but my gifts have a cost,” Havyn said as strings of darkness coiled out of her eye sockets and wrapped themselves into the strands of her hair.
A tremble writhed down his spine. The goddess was terrifying. “Do it, please. I’ll give you anything you want.”
“Never promise that, boy,” Havyn said darkly. “That’s how you end up in situations like this.”
“It’s sweet,” Erety whispered like a lullaby and bent down, placing two fingers on Theo’s brow. “Your love for one another. It’s sweet.”
“Please, bring her back,” Kellyn begged Erety, the far more charitable of the two gods.
Havyn smiled at her wife before turning her attention onto Kellyn with the intensity of a lioness readying to strike. “Theodra will not thank you for resurrecting her.”
Kellyn swallowed. If that were true, it would be bad. He didn’t want to anger Theo, but she’d have to get over it just like Kellyn would get over her lies and godliness.
“If I resurrect her, all of her promises, bargains, and favors will be restored.” Havyn patted his cheek with a hand constructed of shadows.
“Fine.”
“Even if one of her bargains takes your life?”
“Yes,” he breathed, not hesitating for a moment. She was a goddess. The world needed her far more than it needed him, especially if she were truly changed.
Haven nodded. “Here is my deal, foolish mortal. I want you to care for her even when you want to strangle her.”
“Why?” His voice was hoarse as confusion’s claws stroked his intestines. It didn’t make sense. The goddess should want more than that. He’d already freely given that.
“Because I know your heart,” Havyn said. “I know, your honor, and she deserves someone who cares. Someone who will fight for her even when they hate her.” Havyn picked at her nails. “And I suspect there will be many times when you’ll hate her.”
Kellyn’s brow furrowed. “But I would’ve already done all of that.”
Havyn’s phantom shadow fingers wrapped around his wrist. “Are you trying to convince me to ask for more?”
Shit. No.
“I thought so.” In a blink, Havyn materialized beside him and held out her hand. “So is it a deal, Prince Kellyn Ellis of Theoden?”
“Yes.” Kellyn took the goddess’s offered hand, her flesh feeling like a snake coiling around his. With a shake, Havyn stamped the deal into his skin, a black viper tattoo twisting around his wrist. “Now, go to your Tribunal.” Havyn shooed him away.
“But I want to see—”
“Trust that I'm a goddess of my word.”
The thirty-one minutes of his Tribunal were utter agony. It felt like a thousand ticks were barricading under his skin, and his heart danced in his ears to the rhythm of terror.
Havyn was a god of her word, but even if she weren’t, he had the deal stamped into his arm. An unbreakable promise.
Theo would live, but he wouldn’t believe it until he saw it.
But the waiting was misery because what if . . . what if so, so many things. What if the promise was a trick? What if she came back but only as a rotting corpse? What if she only lived for amere moment? What if she came back with no memories of him? What if she didn’t love him?
But that was impossible; she’d died for him. What could that be but love?
What if bringing her back killed him?
These torturous thoughts stormed through his mind as he waited for his scores. One thing was sure, though, love was a battlefield, and it was fitting because he was in love with War. The pain, the unknowing, and the immense possibility for deep hurt came from the battlefield of love.
The gods droned on, and his scores’ pronouncement couldn’t come sooner. When they finally floated into the room above the gods, Kellyn didn’t even wait to read them or for the tattoo to become a part of him.
He ran.
