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When it becomes clear no one is going to help Galen up, he struggles to his own feet and staggers. His face is swollen and already turning mottled shades of purple and blue. “Why shouldn’t I run to Posey now, take the Goddess of Spring, and leave with all I want? It’s clear that you fuckers aren’t ever going to respect me or listen to me.”
Essos growls, taking another step toward Galen.
This dumb fuck actually won’t get the message, and I think only the painful removal of a limb might teach him a lesson. Whatever I cut off will grow back, but it will be slow and agonizing for him.
“You won’t do that if you ever want to meet your sons.” Callie’s voice rings out clear as a bell as she pushes to the front of the group.
Shock isn’t a sufficient word for the look on Galen’s face when he sees his wife. Her arms are crossed defensively over her chest. Callie taps her index finger on her bicep, and I’m proud of her for holding her head high as she faces this monster.
“We didn’t have any children.” His words are barely a whisper as he watches her walk closer.
During the Calling, Xavier talked about Galen’s children with another goddess—the Goddess of Strife and the God of Murder. With my memories back, I remember who they are. Both of the children were born just after Galen and Callie were married. Their mother is the Goddess of Pain, Aiden. Aiden hated Galen long before they were born and, from what I remember, he had nothing to do with raising his children.
“We have two sons,” Callie tells him confidently.
Galen turns his murderous glare on Essos. “What, one sloppy second wasn’t enough? You had to fuck my wife too? Make her a pawn in all this? Are there no boundaries,brother?” Galen spits a wad of blood at Essos’s feet.
“I was pregnant when I left you. It’swhyI left you. Essos was the only person who could make me disappear, and he did.” Callie’s smug, even when Galen rushes her. Essos steps between them, but Galen’s arm shoots out, and he grabs Callie by the throat in a move that feels all-too familiar. In the group, Cat staggers back a few steps, having been the one in that position before.
“Tell me where they are,” Galen growls, squeezing. Gods may be harder to kill, but we still experience pain. Callie doesn’t flinch, her smile only growing as he becomes more and more frustrated.
“Try to kill me and you’ll never find them. They have instructions on what to do if I don’t return when this is over. I’ve raised your sons to knowverywell what their father is capable of.”
“You fucking bitch. You took my sons—my sons—and fled?”
“She didn’t fucking mumble,” I snap, crossing my arms.
“I am going to carve that child from you and make you watch as it takes its dying breath,” Galen swears, turning his gaze on me. My body starts to shake at the veryidea.
The room fills with thunder, and Galen is blasted back, his spine cracking against the wall. I look over my shoulder to see who attacked the God of War, and it’s Cat who is striding toward us. No, not striding—floating.
Cat’s eyes are red with rage as she moves across the room, and I know that I need to calm her down. Her magic is still too new, too fragile, and she could bring the house down on us all. Beside me, Essos’s Adam’s apple bobs as he seems to come to the same realization.
“Words against that unborn child will be the last you ever utter if you keep up this fuckboy act. You will do no such thing to Daphne or her infant,” Cat intones. Her voice doesn’t sound like her, and it sends a chill down my spine.
Essos tucks me into his side, ready to haul ass outside with me, consequences be damned.
“Plot twist,” Galen muses as he really looks at my best friend. The last he knew, she was dead, having died in my arms after taking a dagger, thrown by Galen, to the heart.
“Catalina.” Xavier’s voice is calm as he steps into her path.
She turns her red eyes on him. “He cannot be allowed to make such threats. He is not allowed to intervene in the actions of another god.Iam the one who made that life possible.” Her hair is starting to lose its static look. She’s still hovering in midair, but she is no longer focused on Galen.
“No one is going to let him harm that baby, I promise.” Xavier holds out a hand to her, displaying a patience I never knew him to have. Cat starts to drift down before placing her hand in his.
When she’s firmly back on two feet, Essos loosens his hold on me, and I relax when I see the color return to her eyes. Cat looks almost scared over the depth of her powers.
With our attention off him, Galen seems to think he can slink away, but I shoot a hand out toward him, wrapping vines around his ankles.
“I really hate when you do that,” Galen whines.
“You will help us, and we will let you live,” I tell him.
“I want assurances. I want to see my sons,” Galen demands. “They’re legitimate children, not ill-begotten bastards.” His voice might be intimidating if his face didn’t look like it had been through a meat grinder. Scratches still mar the area around his eyes. They look more macabre set against the bruises and swelling inflicted by my husband.
“Good behavior earns gold stars. Gold stars get you rewards,” I tell him with a saccharine smile. “Touching me today the way you did doesnotearn you a gold star.”
A wave of exhaustion nearly knocks me off my feet, but I lock my knees and stand tall with an eyebrow raised. I don’t take my eyes off him, and even though it takes a considerable amount of my energy to do so, I bring forth two vine creatures from the ground. They’re large and strong, made from dense wood.
