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NATALIE
Did Tedara mean Time, as in the primordial god, Time? It would explain why the Imperium gods were bowing, why the dragons were frozen mid-air, and even the clouds in the night sky weren't moving.
“Brother.” Tedara clasped her hands behind her back. "Are you thinking about trapping me again?"
So, Time was the Imperium that had helped the gods during the war?
The Imperium stood up, and Time shook his head. “No, no… And there is no need for hostility, Sis. I did what I did so long ago to save you from yourself.”
Tedara scoffed. “Right.”
“You would have kept destroying the realms each time they turned out not to be as perfect as you wanted them to be.” His expression changed from pleasant to rigid. “We always adored your eye for perfection, Sis, but it was getting out of hand. You were feeding the growth of the same hatred that birthed the Demon Realm."
He shook his head. "You were as greedy for perfection as the Imperium were for power," he added. He turned his head, and his skin seemed to glimmer for a second. "Something had to be done. It was either I banish you, or let Darkness do it. And since you two don't get along, he likely would have taken things too far."
Tedara looked away. "I don't need a lecture. If you came here for that, leave."
“I only sensed that you were freed, and I decided to drop in. Light offered to come, but she's been a little testy lately. I didn't want her to pick a fight.”
“You came, you saw, now leave and report to our siblings that I’m fine,” Tedara said.
Time sighed, looking a little saddened by her sharpness but he said nothing. It was uncomfortable to stand here and watch two Primordials have a sibling squabble.
Then Time looked at the Goddess, and smiled. “Beautiful.”
He walked away without saying anything else, and the Goddess reached up and touched her face under her hood, then stepped back, her head down.
Then his attention turned to me. I felt uneasy under Time's gaze, as if those black eyes saw more than they should. He reached out to touch my hair, but before he could, Rumir growled. Time glanced at him, and dropped his hand.
“Fascinating soul this one,” he said to Tedara. “I see why you picked her.”
I frowned. I didn't like him looking at me as if I was an animal in a zoo. I was tempted to tell him off, but I bit my tongue and Tedara chuckled. I’d forgotten she could read my mind.
“Give her some space,” she told him. “She’s not a cute pet.”
"They were all pets, to begin with," Time mumbled, but he stepped back. "Well, you're free, and the realms are safe. Let's go."
“I’m not going home,” Tedara told him. Then she turned to me. “Natalie, I’m in your debt for releasing me. As a token of my thanks, you can keep the chaos you have and remain a goddess.”
Rumir, Lucian, and I exchanged quick glances. I had come to this realm as an ordinary woman, an Enchanted without a pack, and I’d found a new one. And then, I’d become something else, something entirely different.
"No," I told her. "I want to enjoy my afterlife with my mates—a peaceful afterlife."
Tedara took my hand, and the chaos in me traveled down my arm and into hers. She let my hand go, but a little of her power stayed behind. It was faint…but there. She winked at me.
"It was well-earned," she whispered. "You'll make good use of it, I'm sure."
She turned to her brother. "I've been trapped for a long time, Brother. I’m not going home, so please tell the others to leave me alone or we'll have a problem."
Then she vanished.
Time heaved a sigh and rubbed at his temple.
"No," he said. "No, Zeus, she's no longer a threat. You have nothing to worry about." So he could read minds too, I thought. He nodded at me, a grin curving his lips. "My sister has learned that perfection isn't real, not even for us. Banishing her made her angry, but I suppose I have you to thank. You got through to her.”
He turned his back to us. “Well, I’ll get going. Good luck. We’ll be watching.”
Then he vanished as well, and time started moving again. Rumir and Lucian ran to my side, but no one spoke.
