Strength (Curse of the Gods #4)(62)

I felt like I’d stumbled into an alternate reality. Was this really Emmy? Or were we once again being fooled by a sol who could change her appearance?

“It’s Emmy,” Rome confirmed.

There was something different about her, though. It was more than just the dress. Emmy had always been confident, but in the live-by-the-law-of-the-land way. She knew her place, and she outshone every single one of us while sticking to her place. This was more than out-shining the others, though. This was something else.

“You seem happy, too,” I said slowly. “I never thought you could survive without all the dweller stuff.”

She shrugged. “I don’t know how to explain it, but when I quit, something released within me. Like a tether I didn’t even know was there. I was so tied to my identity as a dweller, that I’d never even stopped to think about who I was without that.”

Rome distracted me then by swinging his head toward the back of the room. “I’ll be there in a click,” he bit out in annoyance. “Just keep doing what you’re doing.”

Peering around him, I realised his sol had left her stone and was now standing near us. She was glaring, arms crossed as she replied.

“Stop wasting time with these ridiculous dwellers. Seriously. Do you realise that there’s a possibility that all of us will die? Even you, if you can’t manage to make me strong enough to ascend to godhood?”

Rome didn’t look at all concerned, but her words were enough to remind me of what Staviti had declared back on his platform. If the Betas didn’t make their sols strong enough to become third Beta Gods, he would kill the Betas as well.

At the time, I thought it was an empty threat, something to get them motivated. But … who knew with Staviti. He had crazy eyes. You can never trust someone with eyes like that.

“Go,” I said, pushing him gently. “Go teach her crushing stuff. I’ll be fine.”

I turned to Coen, then. “You should go as well. Emmy will stay with me while I see if I can heal my mum. Apparently, she’s a free agent now.”

“What’s wrong with your mum?” Emmy interrupted, drawing closer to me.

Her concern brought my own worries back to the forefront of my mind.

“Something happened when we brought her here.” My voice shook as the guilt of what I’d done hit me again. “Something about her transition into Minatsol messed with her … with whatever Staviti did to turn her into a server. The healers couldn’t help, so I’m going to see if I can.”

Coen did that rumbly chest thing, which always got my attention. “It’s too dangerous for you to be wandering around here alone. The sols we’ve been saddled with aren’t the only assholes gunning for you, Willa.”

I waved him off. “You know I can burn a god. I’ll be fine.”

His jaw went rigid and I knew there was nothing I could say to convince him. I was just about to concede when a large man entered the room, a scowl twisting his features.

“I’ll escort Willa and Emmy,” Cyrus said without preamble. “No one will bother them if I’m around.”

What the hell is going on here? Were these rooms some kind of central hub for people to pop in and out of at random?

“Fuck no. Not happening.” Coen didn’t even hesitate. “I trust you less than I trust Staviti. Let’s not forget what happened the last time you were alone with her.”

Cyrus threw his hands into the air. “I’ve explained that to you all multiple times. You’re going to have to let it go at some point.”

I almost laughed out loud then. He was talking about us ‘letting go’ of him killing me in the same way one might talk about accidentally borrowing someone’s clothes and tearing them.

The rest of the Abcurses drifted closer to Emmy and me, forming a wall behind us. “We will never let it go,” Siret said, somewhat calmly. “We work with you because there is no other choice. But what you did … there is no forgetting.”

“Okay, okay.” I held both hands up. “We don’t have time for this, and whether we like it or not, we’re on the same team right now. We’ve managed to stay hidden from Rau and Staviti, we’ve managed not to die … again … so we’re all good. Right now my focus is on Donald, and since it’s my choice, I’m going to go with Cyrus and Emmy. You five …” I swung around to see them. “Go and fix your sols. Make them better.”

The five sols were about six feet away, and they heard me clearly. The Pain and Strength sols flipped me off. Trickery just swung around, her purple hair flying in a pretty arc behind her. The other two looked bored. Like they were past giving a shit.

Yael started to protest, but I cut him off. “Please,” I said. “Let it go just this once.”

His teeth clinked audibly as he slammed his mouth shut, his face unyielding.

“Straight there and back,” he finally relented. “No detours, and if anything weird happens with your mum, you get your ass right back to us. Understood?”

I exaggeratedly saluted him. “Yes, sir.”

Before anyone else could start protesting again, I blew them a kiss, linked my arm through Emmy’s, and then dragged her out of the room. I didn’t look back to see if Cyrus followed, because I really didn’t care.

As we started to walk, my stomach protested. I’d fallen asleep before I’d managed to eat, so of course now my body was reminding me of its current food-deprived state. Hopefully I’d be able to eat as soon as I healed my mum. I couldn’t focus on anything before I did that.