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“There’s been an incident. A god in another city was infected.” She looked at Natalie. “We can’t wait any longer. We need you now, Natalie, whether you're ready or not."
* * *
Natalie
When we arrived at the White Tower, we found utter chaos as gods fled the area. Hekate led Rumir, Lucian, and I to a room where Zeus and Heldon were waiting for us.
“Where is the god who’s infected?” Rumir asked.
Heldon, who’d been flipping through the pages of a book, placed it back on the shelf before him. “He’s dead,” he answered, his white hair curtaining his face. While he looked as relaxed as he usually appeared, I could hear his rapid heart rate. “Thankfully, the infected god was a Dextura, so there won't be any repercussions on Earth. But he killed two others and slaughtered many souls at his home before a Supreme managed to kill him.”
“Where are the other Executives?" Lucian asked. “Why aren’t they here?”
Zeus, who was sitting, uncrossed his legs. "They are preparing for tomorrow. Since we are the gods already handling the situation—with you three, of course—we're here."
He didn't look too pleased about that, and frankly, I wasn't either.
Reaching up, he ran a finger down one of his many black horns. "We've run out of time. We need your help, Natalie, because by tomorrow, news of what happened here will spread to the other two cities. We won’t be able to keep this a secret anymore.”
“The incident happened in Urgron City,” Hekate said. “Since then, the city has been put on lockdown, and a barrier was erected inside it by the Supremes so no one can teleport in or out.”
I sat down, exhaling heavily, with Rumir and Lucian standing by my side. I swallowed hard. But at least I’d learned something. The bad feeling I’d had before Hekate arrived was because a god had been infected. I was sure of it.
I’d felt a sudden disturbance, and now I understood why.
“The other Executives will be making an announcement at the crack of dawn.” Heldon sat down. "We'll reveal what’s been happening to the masses, and the gods, alongside the Kruards, will enforce a lockdown. That will allow us to perform thorough tests on everyone in order to weed out the infected.”
"What about those who live in the forest? And I mean the forest itself—the trees and ground?" Lucian asked, and Hekate nodded.
“They will be relocated, or they'll be allowed to stay in the area if there is no infection found. We'll handle everything, Lucian. But The City of Souls is the largest area, and trying to lock that many people in… Well, we’re expecting riots.”
“Have there been riots in Urgron already?” I asked.
“Yes,” Hekate answered. “They are happening right now. The suddenness of the situation threw the city into chaos. Some Dextura were sent in to help, and all communication between bracelets in the city has been cut, so news of the incident can't get out overnight."
"We need time to prepare before we speak to everyone," Zeus added.
Rumir pinched the bridge of his nose, obviously not impressed. There was silence in the room for the first time since we arrived, and I clenched my fists, suddenly overcome with a feeling of dread.
“We’re losing a handle on things,” Hekate announced, staring me dead in the eye. “We’ll admit that. We need your help.”
Sucking my cheeks in, I bit down on the soft flesh, then looked first at Rumir and then Lucian. Neither of them said anything. Everyone was waiting for my decision—including the gods.
"Okay," I said in a low voice. "I'll do what I can. But I really don't know if this will work."
“There is a god in Urgron city who was once a follower of Tedara,” Zeus said, standing up, obviously anxious to do something, anything. “We’ll arrange for you to be sent to him. If anyone has some understanding of the power inside you, it'll be him."
“We’re going with her,” Rumir added.
Zeus only scoffed. “Yeah, I didn’t see that coming,” he said sarcastically. "But you'll all have to leave tonight. Because of the barrier, you can't be teleported directly into the city, but we’ll get you as close as possible. From there, you’ll have to walk."
"Once you get close, you'll meet the god who will take you into the city," Heldon added. Although he didn’t say anything, I could see the relief in his eyes.
My mouth went dry. This was happening. This was truly happening.
“You can do it, Natalie,” Hekate said, and I was grateful for her encouragement.
I didn’t know why, but somehow, something told me I could trust her. She didn't seem arrogant—not like Zeus and some of the other gods—and I didn’t find her as terrifying as she looked at times. And I truly appreciated her confidence in me. I needed all the help I could get.
