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“It was long before your time.”
I shoved my hand through my hair. Sacrifice Never to save every being in her realm, including her brother?AndI would finally be released from this place?
It should have been a much harder decision to make. A better man—a better god—would have agonized over whether to give up the woman he loved when faced with an offer like that.
Or maybe not.
Maybe a better man would have known the answer right away. It just wouldn’t have been the same as mine.
“The answer is still no.”
He took a step back, his hands falling to his sides. “Atlas, think—”
“I will not undo what I’ve done.” Never was mine, and no one would take her from me for any reason.
His head tipped to one side. “You can’t be serious.”
“Try me.”
“We’re talking about a single human life.”
“Exactly. I have a hard time believing the future of an entire realm could ever hinge on a single soul. And if it does, if that’s truly all it takes to upset that ancient balance, then that is some piss poor craftsmanship.”
Nerebis huffed out an irritated breath, his narrowed gaze shifting to the door to my quarters and the furious cursing from the other side. “If I go back and tell the others that you’ve refused to fix this, they will come for you both. And they won’t be the only ones.”
I stepped to my left, blocking his view of the door. “Let them come.”
His expression shifted, softened. “What would she say? If I called her out here right now and asked her to sacrifice herself to save the whole of the human realm, what do you think her answer would be?”
It was a blatant manipulation to even suggest such a thing because we both knew the answer. But if it was really that simple, he would have asked her first.
“She can’t undo it on her own, so it hardly matters.”
He pressed his fingers to his temples and closed his eyes. “Tread carefully, Atlas.” When he opened them, it was like staring into the sky on a clear night, with the stars stretching out into the universe, making you feel about as important as a single grain of sand on an endless beach. “You do not want to make enemies of the fates.”
For as awe-inspiring as that warning was meant to be, it made me laugh. I couldn’t help it. Maybe it was the absurdity of the whole damned situation. Or maybe Never was rubbing off on me. Either way, only one response felt appropriate.
“All due respect, Nerebis...” I eased back a step and raised my sword, pointing the gleaming blade at his neck. “Get the fuck off my ship.”
With a shake of his head, he was gone. The door to my quarters flew open and Never charged out with my dagger in her hand. “Are you okay? Where did that bastard go?”
It was the most adorable demonstration I’d seen in a long time, but what really got to me was the fact that she asked if I was okay before anything else.
When she saw that I was smiling, she cocked her head. “What am I missing?”
Leo and my crew spilled out onto the deck in the moments that followed, all wielding weapons and ready for a fight. Pride surged at the sight of them. Somehow, despite my surly moods and clipped words, I’d managed to surround myself with some of the most loyal people in the realm.
“The immediate danger has passed,” I said, casting my voice out so everyone could hear me. “But we still have plenty to do to get this ship seaworthy.”
“What about the storm?” William asked, resuming his post at the helm.
“We’ll worry about it when it gets here. Until then, let’s get back to work.”
“How can I help?” Never asked, her gaze sweeping across the deck and the men returning to their tasks.
I had the urge to tell her to go back to our quarters, draw a nice bath, and wait for me there, but something told me she wouldn’t appreciate that suggestion.
“Leo?”
