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“Do you really need to ask?”
The dimples of his coy smile on his perfect olive face told her that he knew, but wanted her to say it. He wanted a challenge.
“Did you use the same thing on them as you did on your representative?” Tempest asked, gesturing to Amias’s entourage.
“I didn’t need to. I simply exude love.”
“You do? That’s new. Since when did you start forcing love instead of encouraging true bonds to form?”
Amias shifted his gaze to Aiden. “When I quit being able to see them.”
“What?! How did that happen?”
He shrugged. “No idea. Only that it happened not too long ago; around the same time your friends went into seclusion.”
Tempest thought about Vesper. He rarely did mortal trials, and if things weren’t set up properly before he left, it could have accidentally caused this. He not only set up mortal trials for the gods, but also the ones for the mortals themselves.
“Ah.” She didn’t really know how to respond without giving too much away.
“You really didn’t bring who I think you brought to one of my parties, did you? I thought you knew the rules. No lessers allowed. The food and drink alone could have dire consequences.”
“I know. We aren’t staying. I needed to see you personally, though.”
His hand dropped to the head of a woman beside him, and his fingers twirled in her hair. “Oh? I’m intrigued.”
“I’m asking you to release your representative from your deal. Let her follow her own fate for her love match.”
His hand froze. “You think you have that much sway over me? You’ve been gone so long you must have forgotten where you stand among the gods.”
She laced her response with her power. “And you seem to have forgotten that I chose to be there.”
He cleared his throat and shifted. “Apparently. If you can find a way to fix this,” he gestured to himself, “so I can use my power, and not just leak it everywhere like a dog in heat, I will release her. I will even help her.”
“Thank you.”
With a small nod, she turned on her heel, shoulders back, head held high, and began to walk away. “Also,” she added as she waved over her shoulder, “get rid of that ridiculous statue before I destroy it myself.”
“Tempest!”
She and Aiden both turned to see a girl of no more than sixteen running towards them, her blonde hair flying behind her in a wild mass.
“Do you know her?” Aiden asked.
“She’s one of my Broken. Word that I've returned has spread faster than I anticipated,” Tempest answered.
The girl finally caught up to them and bent over, trying to catch her breath.
“What’s wrong?” Tempest asked.
“It’s Toph,” she said between breaths. “There’s an army…approaching it. Soleil and Aloysius…are trying to breach the gates…and claim the throne…of the god of the dead.”
Fear clutched Tempest’s chest, and for a moment, she couldn’t breathe. If they claimed Toph, they would be unstoppable. They would become the most powerful gods, no matter which one of them came out on top and took the power that came with the throne.
She looked at Aiden. “I need you to go back to my temple and stay there until this is over.”
“What? No! I can fight.” Aiden grabbed Tempest’s arm.
“You are mortal!” Tempest spat back. “You would only hinder me.”
