Total pages in book: 169
Estimated words: 161535 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 808(@200wpm)___ 646(@250wpm)___ 538(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 161535 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 808(@200wpm)___ 646(@250wpm)___ 538(@300wpm)
That sounds…unpleasant. Necessary, but unpleasant. “What about Omos? And Dingle? I’m afraid to go back. I don’t want Omos to be targeted because he helped us.”
“We can’t go back,” he agrees. “They’ll head there looking for us. For his safety, we need to move on.”
A lump forms in my throat as I think of the kind old man who’s been nothing but generous and gracious with his time. I think of funny, silly Dingle who loves to butt at your legs and demand attention. “Of course.”
“I know you’re sad, sunshine. But the goat will be safe with the monk. He’ll have friends to play with and a nice field full of interesting things to chew on. It’s safer for him to be there than to continue along with us.”
Because everyone wants us dead. I know this, but the realization I won’t get to see my pet again feels like a fresh wound. I’m determined not to cry, even though it fills me with an aching sadness. Dingle’s been with me every step of the way and losing him feels like the first step towards the grave.
We make it to the trees without anyone following us. They might be watching us from afar, but every time I look back on the road, it remains empty. Stepping off the road, we go cross-country through the tangle of brush. The trees are stubby here and grow close together, and my already tattered clothing rips and tears like it’s paper. There’s a dip of earth in a dry creek-bed and Kalos climbs down, then offers me his hand to help me down next to him.
He closes his eyes, turning his head as if searching for something, and nods. “I don’t feel anyone nearby. We’ll hide out here overnight and figure out our next move without Belara’s priestesses breathing down our necks.”
I sit down in a pile of leaves and hug my knees close. Kalos sits right next to me and puts his arm around me. “Cold?”
“I’m okay.” It’s warm in the sunlight and chillier in the shadows. It’s not so bad right now but I’m trying not to think about what it’s going to feel like if we stay out here overnight. The colder fall weather is on its way and I’m annoyed that I didn’t think to bring my cloak with me. Then again, this was supposed to be a day trip. I nudge Kalos. “Are you okay?”
“I don’t know what to think,” he admits, rubbing my arm as if to warm it. “Two aspects of lies working together is troublesome. The fact that it’s Belara working alongside myself concerns me.”
I feel sick. “Do you think they reconciled?”
The look on his face is appalled. “Absolutely not. I wouldn’t take her back if she begged me. It’s more that they’re mutually using each other and pretending to reconcile. Given that they’re both Lies, this seems likely.”
A small part of me wonders if he’s saying that simply because he’s Apathy. Would a less apathetic god be far more interested in a beautiful goddess showing renewed interest? Even if she’s known to be a liar? I can’t help but wonder, and it scares me. I can’t compete with a goddess.
Then again, it’s not even a competition. After the Anticipation is over, Kalos will return to his plane and I’ll be dead. If Belara wants him, she can scoop him back up again.
I can’t think about that right now, because it’ll make me crazy. “Okay, let’s think about a plan. What can we do? We have to assume he’s coming to force a confrontation.”
He grunts. “No one likes these Anticipations. I can imagine he wants to get it over with.” His hand finds mine, his fingers twining with my cold ones. “He doesn’t have a reason to stay.”
Maybe he does, my brain offers up cattily, and it’s Belara. Maybe he’s coming to make a different sort of deal. But I don’t say that aloud. “His Anchor is going to try and kill me. Obviously, I don’t want that to happen, so we need weapons of some kind so I can defend myself.”
“I can defend you,” Kalos offers.
He’d be a better shield than most, considering he’s immortal, but when he exerts himself too hard, he enters his fugue state. It’s like he’s fighting against being Apathy and the curse of his Aspect catches up with him and makes him suffer for it. “You need to go and have a conversation with your Aspect. A parlay, if you will. Find out what he wants. See if you can determine who his Anchor is.”
“So we can kill him?”
The thought of killing someone simply because of who they’re serving doesn’t sit well with me, and I swallow hard. I don’t know why I’m squeamish now—when we broke out of Seth’s keep, Kalos killed dozens of soldiers. But that was different, in a way. It was heat of the moment. They were openly electing to work with a bad guy. The Anchor of the god of disease is…well, someone just like me.