I grimace. "No, a make-Wyn-feel-like-she's-ready-talk."
"Same thing." He grows serious. "Everyone's in position. All you need to do is contact the other Gods."
I nod. "Not here though. Hold my hand."
They do as I ask, already used to the procedure, and I teleport us onto the top of the highest tower. I like it up there. I feel like I'm away from the Palace and yet still part of it. It's freeing.
I sit down in the centre of the circular platform and focus on my magic. I know my Guardians will keep watch while I do the whole mind thing. I know that I can do it and I have my mother's memories, but it still takes me several tries until I connect with Dewi's mind.
Even though she knows I'm going to be doing this, she still shrieks in surprise. I hope it was just a mental shriek and not a physical one. I don't want her to be embarrassed.
"Everyone's ready," I tell her without further ado. "I'm going to try and send you an image of the map and your position, let me know if you get it."
I call up the map from my mind, the one Storm has shown me, complete with little flags to symbolise the places our allies are supposed to use to enter the Demon Realm. My mother is... was one of the few people who ever visited that Realm, so I had to make a few changes to the map Gwain had procured. It was like one of those old maps of Britain where the coastline is all wrong, but you can still make out the basic shape. That's what the Demon Realm map looked like. It's correct now though, thanks to my mother's memories. If I had the time, I'd get a little panicked about how her knowledge is seeping into mine, changing it, but no, I need to focus. No time to get hysterical because I feel my own self merging with a dead Goddess's consciousness.
Definitely no panicking.
I push the map towards Dewi, trying not to be too fast. I have no idea if this is going to work and melting her mind is not on my agenda. She's strong, but I'm a lot more powerful. That's not boasting, that's just a fact.
"Got it," she says much quicker than I'd expected. "Which colour am I?"
"Brown. I'm going to do the rounds and let all others know, but try and be there in two hours. I'm going to leave a tiny connection open so when you feel that activating, it's time to attack."
I can feel her assent and return to my body.
My Guardians are looking at me curiously. I smile at them.
"One down, another twenty or so to go. Could someone get me some tea?"
* * *
By the timeI've contacted every single God, I'm exhausted. Not physically, not my magic, but mentally. It's like I've been at a long, drawn-out party where I had to talk to every single guest. I've done far too much socialising today. Luckily, the next people I meet are probably going to be demons that I can kill. Hurray.
I teleport us back into the Council chambers, where everyone is waiting. Gwain and Ada are dressed for battle, his armour dented in several places. I'm sure it could easily be repaired, but he might see it as a source of pride, a memory of all the wars he's won and survived.
Theodore is wearing a strange robe with dozens of pockets over his black clothes, as well as a belt full of tiny flasks.
Anthony, our new treasurer, looks a little pale, but he's wearing armour as well, just like Algonquin and Zephyr. Those two seem far too old to fight, but I remind myself that they are Guardians, immortal and likely a lot stronger than they look.
The only one who's not going to join me in the Demon Realm is Tamara who's going to oversee things from here, together with several Guardians who can communicate with their minds. They're our back up plan, in case I'm prevented from coordinating our allies myself.
"Is everyone ready?" I ask, not even bothering to sit down.
"We are, my Queen," Gwain replies formally. "The troops are ready to take their positions. All we need is your signal."
I take a deep breath. This is the moment everything will be decided. I might be sending everyone to their deaths. If this doesn't work out, the Morrigan is going to take the Winter Realm and many others and turn them into her own private hell. The balance will fail, magic will cease to exist, life will suffer.
No, this cannot happen. We need to be victorious, we will be.
"Spread the word," I tell the Council. "Let's show the Morrigan that we're not as weak as she thinks we are. Let's make her pay for what she's done."
Chapter Seventeen
Seeing everyone run through the Gates, armour glinting, weapons blazing, is exhilarating. I wait for a moment to make sure that everything is going as planned, then I turn to my four Guardians.
"Frost, tell me one last time," I ask, a sudden wave of fear spreading through me.
"I believe in you," he says simply, as if that's not one of the most precious things he's ever said to me. "You will be magnificent."