Page 1 of Winter Goddess
Prologue
Being a Goddess isn’t all it’s made out to be. The worst thing isn’t the urge to randomly teleport to faraway places, or stopping people from prostrating before me in the street. No, it’s the fact that I can no longer see my men as I used to.
My vision has changed; my eyes are no longer human. I see magic, everywhere, in everyone, but it hides their features, makes it impossible to see their bodies. All I see is their magic, their emotions, their souls. I call it their aura, although I’m sure there’s a more technical term for it.
It’s not the same though. I’d much rather get a glimpse of their faces again. Crispin’s cheeky smile, Frost’s grin, Arc’s mocking eyebrows, even Storm’s broody frown. They’re hidden from me, despite all my magic. It tears me apart to not be able to watch their expressions as they talk.
They shine and sparkle, their silhouettes bright, so it’s not as if I’m blind, but the detail is washed away by the colour of magic. I don’t want to see all their innermost secrets. It’s not good for our relationship. I wonder if they’re scared of me, the new Wyn. Goddess Wynter, they call me, the new Winter Goddess.
I’d give up all my new powers gladly if I could only see their smiles again.
Chapter One
Istudy the book from the Library of Lives. It appeared on my desk the day I became a deity. No wonder it didn’t turn up before then; it probably mentions that I’m not an ordinary demigoddess. No, I’m a Goddess now. Yay me.
I know that I only need to open it for the knowledge inside to seep into my mind. I discovered that new skill yesterday when I randomly opened one of the books lying on my mother’s desk. I now know everything about the herbs in her Realm despite never having read a single page in the book. It’s scary to know that if I wanted, I could walk through the Royal Library and learn everything in its books within a day. I don’t think that would be wise, though. Already, hand-drawn images of herbs keep popping up in my mind at random moments, and that was only a single book. I think my head would explode if I did this with more than a few books.
But the tome in front of me is different. It’s about demigods and I know that I’m mentioned in there. Back during my first visit to the Library of Lives, the clerk looked me up in it. It feels like a very long time ago. My first death experience. The guide to Immortality. The fight against a being pretending to be my mother.
It's strange, back then I was so desperate to find out more about demigods, and now I no longer need to. Unless all demigods turn into Gods at some point. No, I doubt that, someone would have warned me. Everyone was just as surprised when I turned into my new me just like I was. I never thought this much power could run through my body without killing me. My magic has grown from a cat into a lion and its cave is barely large enough to keep it contained. Wherever I go, magic happens. Lights start flickering, tiny ice flowers grow on windows, something explodes. Yes, there's been a lot of exploding. Luckily, nobody's got hurt... yet. I have no idea what to do with all the power I now have access to. It's more than double the magic I had before, and then some. I could level the entire Palace if I wanted to. Maybe even the surrounding villages as well. I'm powerful now, and that scares me. Not that I'm going to tell others that. Especially not my Guardians. I want to be the normal, old Wyn when I'm around them, not the Goddess whose head is full of knowledge and new desires.
Someone knocks on the door and I open it with a single thought. I don't even have to think abouthowI use my magic, I just focus on the intended result and it happens. It makes it easier, but also more uncontrollable. What if I put too much energy into the motion and the door was ripped out of its hinges? I could injure someone. That's my greatest fear right now. Hurting others with my new powers.
Before she even says something, I know that it's Tamara. Yet another one of those useful Goddess gifts.
"My Princess, I would like to talk about the coronation again."
I turn around and glare at her.
"No."
Tamara is old, her white hair framing a wrinkled face, but there's a strength in her that rivals that of the generals. She's more important than all of those, too, being the spy mistress that she secretly is.
"It's your mother's wish. Do you really want to go against that?"
"Yes. It's not right."
Mara sighs. We've had this discussion before, and I don't think we'll reach an agreement today either.
"Wyn, she needs you to step up and take her place. There will be war soon and she can't lead our people in her current condition."
"I can lead them as Princess," I say with as much authority as I can muster to prove my point. "I don't need to be Queen for that."
"I've told you, there are powers that come with being crowned Queen. Powers to lead, to heal, to give the people confidence. You need to inspire them, and while at the moment they're all fascinated by your ascension to Godhood, that won't last forever. Certainly not in battle when they're facing an enemy's sword."
I shake my head. "My mother will heal. Once she's back to how she was before, what happens then? Will there be two Queens?"
Tamara's fierce eyes soften a little. "You know she won't recover. Not until the Summer King has been pushed back, but by then it might be too late. We need you now, Wyn. We need you as our Queen."
"No. I can't."
I sink back into my large leather chair. It's an impossible situation. My mother won't get better until the war is over, but to win the war, we need a Queen. I can't do it, though, I just can't. It feels like betrayal and treason against my mother, even though she's the one who made the suggestion.
Demand, actually. My mother didn't ask me to take her role. She told me to do it.
"How's my father?" I ask, hoping to change the topic. I don't doubt for a second that Tamara will try again, but hopefully, I'm getting a short reprieve.
"He's asked to see you." She turns to leave. "Maybe you'll listen to him."
