Page 29

But for some reason, the blistering skin under the wrappings had stopped hurting immediately and healed within an hour, the cold from Skadi’s mark racing from my core to my arm like it was dousing an invisible fire.

I shivered, but not from the residual cold. No, I was remembering how my body had responded to Serak’s touch. I refused to think of it as Edan I had wanted. Even now, the mark on my throat burned in a way that wasn’t entirely unpleasant. It felt like my body was not my own.

I nodded toward Rielle. “How is she?”

A terrible, sparse nest of dirty cloth encircled the sleeping Omega, but she clutched the small pillow Serak had given me to her stomach. I ignored the way my own instincts cried out that the pillow was mine. I knew better than to accept a nesting gift from an evil god, or his avatar.

The gifts made sense. Edan wanted me to go into heat. Wanted to breed me. But I couldn’t be softened with sweets and soft things. Now, if he offered me a sword…

“A little cooler.” Adiah’s reply distracted me as she stroked Rielle’s forehead. The suffering Omega’s breathing was shallow, but even. The weak draught I’d made for her had hit hard, and she’d been unconscious ten minutes after drinking it. “If she takes more of the tonic, will it keep her heat from coming?”

I didn’t tell her that taking more might kill her. I’d also had the women make a batch of the stronger version, death’s shadow, that day, but hadn’t told them what it was for. I hoped we wouldn’t need it. “If I had my supplies, I could keep it at bay for a few weeks, maybe. But she’s already too far gone.”

“Can’t you ask the Goddess to help?”

I hesitated. “We’re not exactly on speaking terms.” Her gaze burned into me, even in the dark. “I’m not Her avatar at the moment. If I was, maybe.”

“Did She desert you, too?”

“No. I left Her,” I admitted. “I was Her tool for a long time. I didn’t mind doing what She needed. The killing and maiming, anyway. But then I met one of my mates, and She wanted more than I was willing to give.” I closed my eyes for a second and could see Goran’s face. His wide smile.

“One of them?”

“Omegas always have more than one,” I explained. “One isn’t enough to keep a healthy Omega alive through a heat.”

She made that dry, raspy sound that served as laughter here. “Good thing we’re not healthy. One is more than enough.”

“There are only three Alphas in the barracks. Well, four now.”

She huffed. “Serak doesn’t count.”

“He doesn’t?”

“He won’t touch any of us. Never has, and he’s been tortured enough for us to know he never will.”

I didn’t want to tell her that may have changed. If Serak had been in control of his body today, he would never have burned me.

“Too bad he’s got that nasty spiritual infection,” I muttered. She gave that raspy, quiet laugh again. “How many Betas live in the barracks?”

“Thirty-seven at last count, plus the two stationed at the ridge.”

“Weapons?”

“One knife each. But they have the Alphas with their barks, and the real weapon…” She shrugged and stood. I knew she meant Edan.

I followed her to the doorway leading to the beach. She lifted the bar and opened the door without making a sound. Warm rain beat down on our heads as we stepped outside, the sound of it falling as loud as the sea. The world was dark, except for the reddish glow from the volcano on the western edge of the horizon, and the faint luminescence that came from the tiny creatures in the sea. We moved toward the water, both of us staring out at the shimmering waves.

Finally, she spoke again. “You said mates. How many do you have?”

“Good question.” I thought of the males I’d left. “Lusca, Kellin, Lachlan. That makes one kraken and two hot selkies.” For some reason, I wanted to add Skadi to that list, but that was ridiculous. I was going to avoid gods like the plague after I was done here.

I pressed a hand to the spot where he’d used his tentacle to freeze out the pain of Edan’s mark. It was warmer every time I touched it, and that worried me. I didn’t have long to get the Omegas out, and myself.

“That’s all?” Adiah teased. “Three?”

“Well, I had a crush on my best friend Alexios, but he turned out to be a spy.” She grunted. “Goran was one, too, I suppose.” When she made a questioning sound, I explained, “Starlakian Warlord. He was my husband. I left him when I made the deal with the Goddess.” I ran my fingertips over my unmarked skin, wishing I had my tattoo back.

“Deal?”