Page 6 of Courting War
Cecile flinched and averted her gaze. Instead, she petted the kitten, her chestnut locks dancing in the wind. “You saved me.”
“Yes.”
The ravens pulled back and began to dance above the cliffs, away from the girls.
“You saved my life.”
“Yes, we’ve already established that.” Theo swallowed, trying to bottle up her annoyance. There was no reason to let it spill out now. From the frantic beating of Cecile’s heart, the girl was rightfully shaken . . . finally.
“Yes,” Cecile’s voice cracked. “But honor compels me to make it right. I owe you a life debt.”
Theo almost jumped back at the words, and a shudder ran down her spine. This was the last thing she wanted to hear. No human had ever owed her anything.
It was the last thing she could possibly want.
Honor,Theo cursed under her breath. It was currency but also a curse. “No, no. no.” The goddess raised her hands. “You owe me nothing. As I told Death, your life matters very little to me. I need nothing in return.”
Cecile’s face paled, soaked with despair, but the kitten headbutted her as a sign of deep affection and an effort to calm her down.
Theo sighed.Cats and their vendetta to do whatever they pleased.
Cecile’s face was still moon white and coated with hurt, and it made War’s brow furrow. Had the girl thought the goddess cared?
“Even so, I owe you. I will devote my life to serving you.” The girl gulped and rolled her shoulders back.
Oh, gods, no. Not this.“Trust me. Youdon’twant to do that.”
Cecile pulled herself onto her knees and stepped out of the coffin, standing to her fullest height. The top of her head met the goddess’s core, and Theo wasn’t distinctly tall. She was average among the gods, which made her only slightly tall for a mortal woman. Some mortal women were even taller than her.
Despite her tininess, the girl was undoubtedly feisty and brave. She’d have made a perfect Theoden warrior. Perhaps it was the near-death experience that gave her the courage. Still, Theo suspected it was more of a personality trait.
War enjoyed strong-willed females—they reminded her of herself.
“I want to do this.” Cecile held her head high and tilted her chin to meet the goddess’s violet eyes. “I’m your loyal servant now and forever.”
Theo cringed. War kept zero Godmarked servants. She had priestesses and temples as obligatory power sources, of course, as all gods did because their strength relied on devotion, worship, and prayer. It was the way of the universe. But she’d have none of it if it were up to her.
“You know this means I can compel you to do whatever I want, and you cannot refuse me?” Theo asked.
Cecile didn’t flinch. Instead, she held firm, unblinking. “Yes.”
War sucked in a slow breath, not knowing how to respond. She didn’t want a servant or the bond it created, but this girl wouldn’t take no for an answer. Theo respected that strength and resilience, and if she were to have a servant, Cecile would be a good choice.
“Fine,” Theo said, resigned.
Clutching Cecile’s wrist, War held her thumb to its center. Ink spilled from the fingertip and formed into a raven tattoo encircled by silver filigree and Theodic knots—looped infinity designs with no end or beginning.
It was the Godmark, connecting Cecile to the divine andlinking their hearts. From now on, Theo would know when the mortal was in peril, and, if she wanted, she could send mental messages and commands. But the bond also created a fierce need in the god to protect and defend. It wasn’t something one did lightly.
“We are forever connected unless I decide to remove it.” Theo nodded at the tattoo. “And now, my first command is that you never make a deal with a god ever again. You will never let them control you.”
Cecile stared at her forearm—the kitten still perched on her shoulder—the feathers on the tattoo rippling and moving to its own volition. Godmarks were not stagnant. They shifted, changed, and sometimes communicated with the tattoo’s recipient. It was a living thing, much like War’s ravens. Theo commanded them, but they were separate from her and had their own personalities. That was the thing with god magic: it was always in flux, and sometimes it morphed in ways even the gods couldn’t predict.
The tattoo would protect Cecile. That was its one command, and it was up to the marking on how to achieve that mission.
Theo cleared her throat as the Goddess of Light, Andromache’s chariot left the sky, and the sun fell asleep. The country of Ertomesia was now under the rule of Night, who shot forth into the sky and danced among the evening stars.
“It is time that I see you all home. Line up and tell me where you’d like to be taken.”
