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“When it comes to the gods, I’m getting the impression they don’t exactly follow those basic rules,” Adrian replied. Caelan had to agree with him. Basic logic seemed to be tossed out the window the moment any of the gods were involved, and for once, none of them were daring to argue with him over that thought. Not a great sign.
“You sure we’re going to encounter Safa today?” Eno inquired.
That was the one thing Caelan felt confident about in all of this mess.
He grunted softly. “Yes. She’ll be there. Either waiting somewhere in Parliament Plaza or even at the godstone itself. She’ll be waiting for me. I’m the only thing standing between her and her goddess’s freedom.”
“Okay. Then you steal her time, killing her and stopping the Goddess of the Hunt,” Rayne listed.
“Or I use the time I stole from the dragon on the Isle of Stone so I can keep fighting.”
“Either way, we’ll have the God of Wisdom there to help as well,” Adrian added.
Caelan nodded, but he couldn’t look any of his companions in the eye. A cold knot twisted in the pit of his stomach. Meeting with Lore meant learning the truth about what happened to Zyros and the start of the Gods War. He would finally discover why all the gods were locked away in the godstones.
Maybe even why he was on this path now and where it would ultimately lead. But shadows were already forming in his mind, thanks to the unrelenting silence from the other gods when it came to Lore and even the Goddess of the Hunt. Would he really prove to be the help they were all counting on?
TWENTY-SIX
Caelan Talos
Parliament Plaza was exactly what Caelan had expected it to be. It was the one place that Brightspire lost a bit of its soul and originality, trading it in for austere and rigid government buildings all arranged in tight squares and hard right angles. Each building was made of white stone and marble with windows at regular intervals and unnecessary columns.
Even the surrounding greenery was trimmed and shaped within an inch of its life, as if it would offend the gods or the Parliament members should a leaf or branch be out of place.
It wasn’t so much that it was ugly or even boring. There was a peace and tranquility to the tightly controlled setting. Everything about it shouted order, and maybe that was also supposed to scream safety.
Caelan’s issue was that as they got closer and closer to the meeting place they’d arranged with Jasper Feroz, the more it felt like they stood out among the sparse number of people on the sidewalks and driving down the streets.
They were casually dressed in jeans and T-shirts. It was by sheer luck that the temperature was cooler than it had been, allowing for baggy hoodies that didn’t appear out of place. The only one who was a bit awkward was Eno in his long black leather duster. It was the one way they had to hide his damn sword.
Adrian and Drayce both carried guns and ammunition, while Rayne was loaded with enough knives and daggers that it was kind of amazing that he didn’t clank with every step. Caelan also had a couple of knives stashed on him, but his sword was at the loft.
As they walked through their plan, he practiced the trick of summoning his sword—something he’d quite unexpectedly discovered while fighting Nyx. He still wasn’t entirely sure how he’d accomplished it, but that didn’t matter. His only concern was whether he’d be able to do it at any time.
“Left at the next corner,” Rayne directed in a low voice, a couple of steps in front of him and Drayce. Adrian was walking beside Rayne while Eno lagged several feet away as if he weren’t with their group.
Caelan fought the urge to search for Davi and Nina. They were close, keeping a watch on their progress, but he didn’t know from what vantage point. Were they following via the rooftops? Or strolling the sidewalks with them?
At the next corner, four of them turned while Eno kept going. He was to stop at a newsstand another block down, grab a drink, and circle back, looking for anyone who might be watching them.
When they neared the appointed alleyway where they were supposed to meet the prime minister, Caelan tried to reach out with his gift from Tula, just to get a feel for whether Feroz was alone. Unfortunately, between the heavy concrete, the high number of people already in Brightspire, and possibly even the presence of Lore, he couldn’t get a clear picture.
All the same, Caelan kept a tight hold on the power, prepared to wrap himself and his companions in a protective shield should this be an ambush.
Reaching up, Caelan tugged on the front of his hood, using it to block his face a little more. A few strands of purple hair hung in front of his eyes as if mocking him, but he wasn’t in the mood. He wasn’t out of time. He had enough to do what needed to be done.
Halfway down the alley, a man stuck his head out from around a dumpster, peering toward them. He was wearing a slouchy black beanie and an oversized windbreaker. Jasper Feroz looked like someone’s grandfather had raided their teenage grandson’s closet, managing to appear both ridiculous and horrifying.
When the man caught sight of them, he frantically waved them forward, his face glistening with sweat that was likely brought on more from panic than the heat.
“I think we need to try this another time,” Jasper announced as soon as they were within range.
“What are you talking about?” Rayne snapped.
“My assistant went by the rear entrance I was planning to use, and she said that all the Ilon guards have been replaced with Empire soldiers.” He clenched his hands in front of his chest, wringing them over and over again. “I thought we could at least get through the first checkpoint using Ilon sympathies. They’re my people. They would have let us in.”
Caelan shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. We knew they’d all be New Rosanthe soldiers. We’ll fight through if we must.”
