Chapter Thirty-Five
We didn't leave Ala Mmuo. We couldn't. Not until we destroyed the machine.
Instead, we gathered in the living room to brainstorm.
As the gods offered suggestions and discussed them, I stared into the distance, seeing only the machine—replaying the events that had transpired.
I had tried to dismantle it, and it had defended itself.
“It's learning,” Agwusi whispered, as if she had read my mind.
I looked over at her. Only I had heard her.
She was staring at Ty, but she spoke to me. “This is not what he promised. The machine was supposed to be a tool, not an entity.”
“A tool making decisions that affect souls,” I growled. “And using God Magic to do it. If your god is so damn powerful, why didn't he just make the machine with his magic?”
“I don't know.” Agwusi looked at me at last. “Maybe he isn't that powerful. Maybe he's just a watcher who can only help by influencing people.”
“Maybe you should have learned more about him before you trusted him.”
“I should have, yes.” She rubbed her temples. “I wasn't thinking straight. He showed me how to walk the Aether. He said it was to gather information that I'd need, but now I'm wondering if he did it to drive me mad.”
“It made you easier to manipulate.” I looked at her with a new perspective—not as a villain but as another victim. “He targeted you.”
“I think so.” Agwusi shook her head violently. Panting, she looked at Ty. “I love him. That much is real. His love was the only thing I gained from this that was truly mine. Now, I have nothing. Not even God. Not even the machine.”
I sighed and looked around the room. No one had noticed us talking.
Even my husbands were immersed in the discussion.
“You helped us, Agwusi. You did some good before he brought you to this.
When this is over, I'll release you. I'd do it now, but I can't trust you.” I met her gaze. “I hope you understand.”
“I do. Will you bless him with your Love Magic?”
“Ty? He refused my blessing.”
“Do it anyway. You didn't ask for his permission to take his love.” She looked at Ty again. “He needs something to fill the void you made in his heart.”
“I did not leave a void in him. Love is not finite. When I took his love for you, his heart filled with new potential.”
“It's not enough.” Agwusi lifted her chin toward Ty.
“Look at him. He's acting normal, but that's all it is—an act.
By taking his love for me, you've emptied his heart.” Covered in those gold chains, unable to move, she still seemed to lean closer.
“Please, help him fill it again. My deepest regret is hurting him.”
“Not destroying souls or threatening the realms?”
“You're the Goddess of Love; you know how selfish it can be. The realms can crumble as long as Ty is happy.”
I nodded. “I would burn the world before sacrificing the people I love. But this time, they would burn along with the realms.”
“Vervain, no.”
I looked back to find her face full of horror and regret. “I know I've been fighting for this. I know I told you that you're the only one who can control the machine, but don't do it. You will become a slave to it—its teacher, guard, and companion. There will be nothing left for you.”
“But my family will live.”
“Vervain?” Trevor, who'd been sitting beside me, laid a hand on my leg. “Did you say something?”
I smiled at him. “No, honey-eyes.”
Agwusi groaned and then whispered, “Forgive me.”
I didn't think she was speaking to me, but to the realms.
Trevor didn't notice. He had already returned to the discussion. I focused on it as well.
“—them in another way,” Odin was saying. “It won't work with the condenser, but maybe one of the other items.”
“So instead of destroying them, we make them useless?” Freya asked.
That caught my attention. My mind spun. Of course! The gods’ connection to their relics empowered the items with their magic. Their magic.
“Are you talking about removing the magic from them?” I asked.
Everyone frowned at me.
“Sorry, I was talking to Agwusi. I missed most of the conversation.”
They frowned harder.
“So?” I looked around the room at the gods seated on chairs, sofas, and even ottomans. “Are you going to drain your magic from the relics?”
“Either that or change their purpose,” Odin said.
“Their purpose? You can change that?”
“They belong to us. We can summon the essence of their magic back.”
“You mean, you'd leave the power, but remove the point of it?”
“Yes. I am the God of Justice. My axe embodies justice. I should be able to trade Justice with another of my magics, perhaps Strength. It would render my axe useless to the machine.”
“That would preserve the axe so that once removed from the machine, you can change the magic back,” I said in revelation.
“Yes, precisely.” Odin motioned to the gods. “Any volunteers to test our theory?”
“I don't think it will work with my automaton core,” Hephaestus said. “It has neutral magic.”
Odin nodded and made a pensive hum. “You could change that, empower it with Fire Magic.”
Hephaestus frowned.
“I'll do it.” Thoth stood up.
The other gods looked at him in surprise.
“What?” He lifted his beakish nose. “You don't think I can do it?”
“No, we know you can.” Anubis stood up and laid a hand on his arm. “You're just not known for self-sacrifice, my friend.”
“I'm not sacrificing anything. If all goes well—”
“Hold on,” I interrupted. “Those tablets aren't a power item. They do not contain the magic of knowledge. They simply are knowledge.”
“Then how is the machine using them?” Thoth shot back.
“It's taking knowledge from them.”
“I disagree. The tablets hold the magic of Atlantis, which I have aligned with myself through human worship. They are a relic of wisdom, full of its magic.”
“No, she's right, Thoth.” Ma'at stood up. “It could be as you say, but why take the risk? My feather holds Truth Magic. The magic is clear and indisputable. I will make the attempt.”
“Ma'at, no.” Thoth took her hand. “Let me do this.”
“I'm so proud of you for wanting to try, but you are the God of Knowledge. You know this makes more sense.”
Thoth sighed and nodded. “Then I will attend you.”
“We will all go with you.” I stood up and motioned to the corridor.