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Soleil tsked. “You and I both know the denizens of Toph aren’t your army.”
Tempest wanted to wipe the smug look off of Soleil’s perfect face. The goddess of the sun’s worshipers swore she was so beautiful that if you looked her directly in the eyes, you would go blind.
Tempest knew that under the perfect facade was an ordinary woman. She didn’t like that the sun goddess she knew before had become twisted and dark. Gone was the woman who filled her role because she cared for her people. Soleil’s soul was almost unrecognizable.
“Don’t you dare judge me,” Soleil hissed as she swung her sword at Tempest’s torso. “I know that look.”
Tempest jumped back and knocked the sword away with Soulshadow. She gave Soleil a wide smile. “I wasn’t judging you; I was admiring your beauty.”
Soleil’s face contorted with a rage. “Liar!”
Tempest covered her mouth with her hand, spluttering as she choked back a fit of giggles. She had to put all of her self-control into not to sniggering at Soleil’s little tantrum and the look on her face. She knew she was in no position to be laughing, and yet, she couldn’t help it.
Soleil’s eyes flashed, and she knocked Tempest to the ground with a blast of light from her free hand.
Tempest coughed as she pushed herself off of the ground. While she looked whole, she wasn’t fully repaired yet. Her body was still recovering from the injuries she had received before.
The sun goddess’s face relaxed, but her eyes still shone with anger. “What’s so funny?”
“You. I was laughing at your face,” Tempest answered with a smile.
Soleil scowled. “Why?”
“It’s easier than fighting you. You have a beautiful face, but your heart is ugly. Aloysius has twisted you. Why do you follow him?” Tempest asked. She was curious if Soleil was aware of the war god’s plans.
The sun goddess’s eyes narrowed. “How dare you question my motives? He is the god of war. He was the only one who didn’t see me as monotonous. How could I not follow him? Besides, he is out of your league. He is so much more powerful than you can imagine.”
“Do you believe he will win the war?” Tempest asked.
A flash of gold caught Tempest’s eye as the two circled each other. A golden necklace in the shape of an egg hung from a delicate chain around Soleil’s neck. Why did it seem familiar?
“Of course, he will,” Soleil answered with a haughty smile. “He is the strongest god.”
“The strongest god is not always the winner. How much can the strongest god do if you are his only follower? There’s a reason Kirata is the goddess of the heavens,” Tempest replied.
“You’re wrong. He will win because he is the strongest. The only one who can defeat him is another god of equal power, and there is none.”
Tempest laughed. “I can promise you, he is not the most powerful god.”
“You think you are?”
Tempest chose not to answer, her focus on the necklace. Why couldn’t she remember it when clearly there was something to be remembered? Vesper’s letter came to mind. He had wiped her memory; maybe the necklace was part of that.
Soulshadow swung at Soleil’s feet, kicking up dust as the spikes dragged on the ground. The chain wrapped around the sun goddess’s feet, and with a quick pull, she lay on the ground.
Tempest felt a rush of satisfaction run through her veins as her patience was rewarded. She had so much anger for Soleil, and she wasn’t going to hold back.
Soleil met Tempest’s eyes, surprising her with a small smirk. “Good. This is what I wanted. I wanted to see you fall.”
Tempest scowled in confusion. “What did you say?”
Soleil closed her eyes. “Rest, little goddess. Rest and dream about what could have been.”
The ground beneath Tempest began to shake, and she was lifted into the air. Soleil’s eyes opened, and the immense power behind them made Tempest’s skin crawl. The ground started to move. Sparks of white light surrounded Tempest, and she could feel something pulling her power from her. It was like a curtain had been closed.
A deafening roar shook the area, and Tempest looked to the source. The gates of Toph groaned open. Spirits of the dead poured over the walls, ripping the souls of those they encountered from their bodies and pulling them back into Toph.
Tempest struggled to be released from Soleil’s power while the sun goddess was distracted, but she failed.
