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Slowly, Merrick’s skin began to heal. His chest rose and fell more evenly as color returned to his cheeks.
When he blinked his eyes open, I almost collapsed on top of him, throwing myself into his arms.
“Fuck. Fuck, fuck, you’re alive. Gods, don’t ever fucking scare me like that again, you asshole.”
He chuckled roughly at my profanity-laced whispers, and when his arms slowly wrapped around me, the fear I had been holding at bay broke. I had come so close to losing him. To losing all of them.
But they were right here with me.
“You did it, daughter.”
The deep voice from behind me made me jump, my fight-or-flight instincts ramping up to one thousand again. Of course, fight was always my first option, so my hands unconsciously curled into fists before I looked up to see Ryker striding toward me.
He looked like he must’ve had to fight his way out of the magic Omari had wrapped around him. I could see exhaustion on his face, but underneath that, there was relief. And pride.
“If you mean I killed Omari, then yeah,” I said flatly, turning to face him but keeping my body protectively between his and Merrick’s. I could feel the blond man sitting up behind me, probably assisted by Lachlan, but I kept my wary gaze on Ryker.
My father glanced dispassionately at the fallen god nearby before turning his gaze on me again. “Omari’s time had come. The world had changed, and he refused to change with it.” His eyes narrowed slightly as he studied me. “You do realize this changes everything, don’t you? You are a god now. You may take your rightful place among our kind.”
I scoffed. Exhaustion made me feel l
ike I was ten feet underwater, but I rose to my feet anyway, feeling my men gather close around me. “Oh, take my place among the people who just tried to kill me and all my classmates? No, thanks.”
Ryker shook his head. “The collective Omari brought with him tonight was not all the gods. It wasn’t even most. There are many who refused to take his side in this, and even those who backed him are not loyal to him.” He glanced around at the abandoned rooftop. “As you can see.”
I chewed on my lip, staring down the father I’d never known. “Well, some of them still tried to kill us. And they need to answer for that.”
He nodded. “Agreed.”
“And this whole campaign against wild magic users has got to stop.”
“It does.” His dark eyes glittered as he smiled, a fierce pride glinting in his eyes. “And you are in a position now to make it stop. You have killed the leader of gods, daughter. The followers among us will be looking for someone new to guide them. To lead them into this new world.”
My stomach seemed to fall out of my body.
Holy fuck. Is he saying what I think he’s saying?
No fucking way. I didn’t want to step into Omari’s footsteps, to sit atop his throne and give orders. To be stuck in the godly realm forever.
I was about to open my mouth and say all of that when Lachlan put a hand on my lower back. It was a simple gesture, an act of support—his broad palm warm through the fabric of my shirt.
But his touch brought with it a flash of memory.
Ye lead by doin’.
He had told me that once, and I hadn’t quite understood what it meant at the time. But as I thought about it now, as I considered the possibilities laid out before me and felt the strength of my men surrounding me, a sudden clarity cut through the fog in my mind.
I don’t have to walk in Omari’s footsteps. But maybe I can still lead.
A slow smile spread across my face, and I tilted my head up to meet Ryker’s gaze.
“I hope to hell these old-ass gods are ready for the new world.”
Epilogue
Three Months Later
“Fuck!”
