Chapter Thirty-One
“What do you mean?” Ty shrieked as he drew me further away from the machine.
“She said God chose me.” I motioned to a shaken Agwusi, who sat silent.
“I have felt an influence in my life. Faerie and Al didn't trust it, and now I know why.
This being influencing Agwusi may indeed be a true god, but he's lazy.
He doesn't like the way things are going, but he doesn't want to monitor us.
So, he ordered Agwusi to make this machine, and he guided me here to monitor it for him.
I'm to take his place as the ultimate judge.”
“No,” Agwusi whispered. “He would have told me. He . . .” She looked from the machine to me. “No, that's not fair. If anyone should monitor the machine, it's me.”
“Trust me, you don't want the job,” I muttered.
“I got a glimpse of what my life would be like.
I'd be bound to this thing. Never able to leave the territory.
I'd be a prisoner. Life would become judgment.
I would lose my family because I wouldn't be able to be with them. It would be me and the machine.” I looked at the thing. “No one between us.”
“God chose me too!” Agwusi rattled the chains, lifting her hand a fraction of an inch. “He would have told me about this. It's not true. It can't be.”
“Chosen doesn't mean you get to know the whole plan.” I shook my head and glared at the machine. “I can't bind myself to this thing. It would mean sacrificing myself and everyone I love. Frankly, I'd let the world burn before I did that.”
“That may yet happen, Godhunter.” Agwusi lifted her chin, already back to her calm self.
“The machine has integrated with reality. You saw what attempting to remove a single item did. The longer it runs in such an unstable state, the worse the world will become. If you remove a relic now, it may cause permanent damage.”
I shrugged. “When the Wild Magic took over the world, I saw how resilient humans and the Earth are. They will survive.”
“So, we're going to destroy it?” Ty asked.
“Not yet.” I picked up the falcon cloak from the floor where it had fallen. “We stabilize it, and then we talk to the others. We'll figure out its fate together.”
I tossed the cloak onto the machine. The machine shook and then morphed. Metal shifted. Grew. Glass formed around the cloak. Wires slithered over the feathers and then sank into the cloak. With a final rumble, the machine settled and went quiet.
“Sorry, Freya.” I turned and headed for the door. “Hopefully, it's only temporary.”
“What about God?” Agwusi shrieked. “He's chosen you for this purpose. You can't turn your back on God!”
“God can kiss my ass.” I walked out and didn't look back.