Page 125 of A Kiss From Death
“I don’t want to be the key. I don’t want any of this. I just want my friend back.” My heart seizes at the thought of Rayah, with her bright hair and even brighter smile.
“All will be righted in due time, just as long as you stick to the plan. You are capable of big things. You just have to stay strong, same as you have this entire journey to a better tomorrow. The world is counting on you.”
Well, no pressure there. How can someone as minuscule as me be the key to everything?
“You are the strongest person I’ve known in all my years. Never discredit your worth, Nyxi.” His voice comes down the bond, unwavering and full of pride. I reach up and squeeze the hand he has resting on my shoulder.
“So you’ve helped me survive, but what does that have to do with where all the magic went?” I look between the two women next to me.
“The day before your sixteenth birthday, Hesti came to me. She is one of the ruling gods of our land, and she came with a warning and a gift. She gave meThe Tale of Gods, transcribed by the magical who tracks the birth of new gods. She informed me that at midnight, you would have officially passed all the trials putforth by Mother Nature, and as such, would be transformed into the next ruling god.”
I think my eyes might fall out of my head. How could someone like me become…a god? They have to be mistaken.
I amminuscule.
I amweak.
I am notfitto be a god.
“Gods are not blessed with the knowledge of their future until the moment they are about to transition, so your father and I had no idea what was in store for you that night. Hesti came as an act of good faith to warn us. If you read the book gifted to you, you will know each god is born stronger than the last. The last god was not happy to give up his title. He tapped into dark magic, which is forbidden. He planned to kill you the night of your celebration before you were to turn, trapping all the other gods on their island so they couldn’t stop him.”
My mother takes a deep breath to gather herself then gestures next to her. “Hesti found out and snuck away to warn us before she could be trapped along with the other gods. We came up with a plan to save you in hopes that one day, when you were ready and strong enough, you could save us all.”
The more my mother talks, the more confused I become. How did I have no knowledge of any of this? I knew she was acting weird that day, but I chalked it up to her being anxious over me growing up, becoming a woman.
“What was this plan that uprooted my entire life?”
My mother grimaces, looking like she’s in pain, trying to fight the demons in her head. She grits her teeth while closing her eyes, collecting herself before she relaxes and looks up at me again.
“Hesti walked in on Airestol channeling dark magic one evening without him noticing. He was being corrupted by it, turning evil right before her eyes. She snuck into his chambers to read through his personal diaries, where she found his entire plandetailed out. He planned to take out the next god before they transitioned and then use dark magic to curse the lands and steal all the magic for himself.”
Dark magic? I saw there was a section in the book about it, but I didn’t have time to read it. I still don’t understand—how can the existence of our people rest on my miniscule shoulders?
“Your father and I made a plan. He was to fight off Airestol while I snuck you away. With the help of Hesti, I placed a glamour on you so if anyone looked at you, they would be spelled to forget who you once were, even though your features did not change. We wiped your memories along with it. Hesti had been watching over a boy in Fallout with no home. He was desperately in need of a family and love, and we needed someone we could trust to take care of you, to love you. We placed you together in the orphanage.”
Theo. My heart squeezes. I have memories of us as children growing up in the orphanage together, him protecting me, taking care of me. They are all lies? My heart feels like I’ve known Theo my whole life, when in reality, I only shared four years with him. Hade squeezes my shoulder again, comforting me.
“But I have memories growing up in the orphanage with Theo. How is that possible?”
“We had to place false memories to fill the gaps. I am so sorry.”
“Your love with him was real. The memories you shared for the last four years are real. Theo will always be a part of you. I promise, Nyxi.”
I soak up the comforting words from Hade down the bond and use them as armor. He’s right. Even though we didn’t have as many years together as I thought, we still had four very real ones, full of love and memories, and that will never change.
“After Hesti dropped you at the orphanage, she came back to finish our plan. By the time she returned…” My mother pauses, choking on her words. She looks like a shell of a woman, and my heart aches for her. “It was too late. Airestol killed your father and was looking for you.”
Papa is dead? No, that can’t be true. I never got to say goodbye, never got to hug him one last time and tell him how much I loved him. I was his miniature in every way. We shared our dark hair and our night magic.
My mother gives me a knowing look. “It has been difficult without your father, but I had to hold on for you. Now is that time, my dear. I wish we had more time, but I’m afraid time is a currency we run low on.”
I file away another painful ache in a neat box to unravel later and focus back on my mother. She looks so weak and tired, and I can tell being alive without Papa has been taxing on her.
“All magic requires balance. As such, there must be checks and balances put in place, even in regards to dark magic. One must give in order to take, especially the amount Airestol was channeling. So, I struck a deal with him.”
My eyes go wide in horror. Why would she make a deal with the devil? My heart hammers in my chest, waiting for the ball to drop and my life to do a one-eighty again.
“What did you promise him?” I ask hesitantly, waiting for the impending doom to strike its blow.
