Chapter 20 God Is A Woman
God Is A Woman
Blood pooled underneath my nails as I pinched my thigh to wake me from this ever lasting nightmare.
This menace of a man did not just tell me there was a god who was also called the Serpent Queen.
No, I refused to believe this was reality, for if anyone dared to assume my title, I’d cut them into a million pieces while savoring every single scream they shed.
“You might want to wipe that murderous look off your face, considering that woman is the reason you have any powers,” the king said, confirming I was sadly awake.
My head snapped to meet his gaze, only to find an arrogant smile dancing upon his lips.
I had an intense urge to summon Dante right about now, just to wring the king’s fucking neck.
Instead, I opted for a safer option—threatening him.
“You have two seconds to explain everything before I stick my spiked stiletto far up your dark abyss.”
The king gaped, clearly never before having such an intimate threat uttered at him.
I would be more than happy to finally shove my heel up his ass after all he put me through. He tousled his hair, making his black locks messier than I’d ever seen them. I was getting under his skin, and a thrill shot through me at the power I held over the king.
“The Serpent Queen is the goddess of the Emerald Glades.” The menace gave me a sideways glance, gauging my reaction before continuing. “But she also happens to be my mother.”
My jaw nearly dropped in disbelief, but I ground my teeth together to stop myself. There was a heavy pause before I asked something I was always curious about.
“So, does that make you a god by default?”
The Serpent King huffed, looking very offended by my remark.
“Nothing about me is by default.” His lip curled with disgust. “But, yes, technically I could be a god one day.”
He was being rather cryptic, and I could tell he was withholding information from me.
“What are you then?” I narrowed my eyes at the snake.
He defensively crossed his arms over his chest, clearly not liking being in the firing line of my questions.
“I’m powerful enough you should fear me and quit using such an irksome tone.”
Inhale. Exhale.
Don’t kill this motherfucker . . . at least not yet.
The only thing preventing me from sicking my snakes on his pompous ass was the fact my powers were tied to this godforsaken man.
I took a menacing step closer. “Maybe I wouldn’t use such an irksome tone if you were more straightforward when answering my questions.”
“Now, where would the fun be in doing that?” He gave me a charming smile, making that silent ticking bomb of anger that resided inside me fuse to life.
Inhale. Exhale.
I wouldn’t allow him the satisfaction of getting underneath my skin.
“Is there literally anyone else who can tell me about the gods besides you? Maybe a library, perhaps? Frankly, I’ve had just about enough of you to last me a lifetime.”
He clutched his chest, as if my words wounded his cold, black heart.
Gods, spare me.
Well, that was new.
It was rather nice—using the gods’ names in vain. I had no qualms with doing so, considering they were indeed real, and very much selfish bastards.
It might actually become my new favorite pastime to curse their names at any given moment.
“There is a place I could take you to, but aren’t you forgetting to ask me a vital question, Serpent Queen?” A cocky smile graced his lips, causing me to cross my arms over my chest so I didn’t do something I’d later regret—like slap that stupid smirk straight off his lips.
The king’s eyes dipped to my chest, and I followed his gaze to the way my breasts now perked up from my new position.
Apparently, it didn’t matter if you were an immortal or mortal man, since they all were the same in the end—fools easily distracted by a woman’s curves.
I groaned in disgust, rolling my eyes. “For someone who prides himself on having perfect manners, you sure are acting like a pig. You ought to look me in my eyes when you’re in the presence of royalty.”
He gawked at me, a mixture of disbelief and amusement fueling the chuckle that burst out of him.
“You are something else,” he muttered.
I was quickly losing any remaining shred of my already thin patience. “Out with whatever else you need to tell me, Serpent King.”
He arched a dark brow. “You never asked me which god was toying with your emotions.”
Oh.
How could I be so foolish?
The moment I found out the gods were real, my rage blinded me from thinking rationally.
“Tell me then, who dares to mess with the Serpent Queen?” I took another step toward him, making my chest brush against his.
His gaze roamed over my face, pausing on my lips before latching onto my eyes. “I’m starting to understand why your people fear you.”
“I’d think the fact I broke your nose twice earlier solidified why my people fear me, but I am happy to remind you what happens when I don’t get my way,” I cooed with a false innocence.
“As much as I’d love to feel your hands on me, in any capacity, we will save that for another night.” He tossed me a wink before turning his attention back to the Luminoso.
His fingers swiped across the crystal orb, then what looked like a map blinked onto its surface.
“This is an overview of all the realms.” He pointed to a dark mountain near the bottom of the orb.
“We are here, in Morotis.” His finger trailed lower.
“Below, is your lands, or the mortal realm as we refer to it.” He dragged his finger above our realms, gesturing to the majority of the map.
“Then, the gods’ realms rest above Morotis. ”
I digested the map as best as I could, but my head was starting to pound. Everything I thought I knew was fictitious, and I prided myself on always being right.
Fucking gods, this was a lot to handle in one night.
Right when I was about to glance away from the map, my eyes snagged on a black speck as big as my fist.
“What is that?”
The Serpent King sucked in a sharp breath. “That is Rime, the realm of frost and crystals. And I believe the Ice Goddess is the one you have to thank for your unwanted emotions.”
I shot an accusatory look at the king. “Why didn’t you show me her earlier when I asked about all of the gods?”
“Because I can’t see her, hence the dark spot.” His jaw ticked, prompting me to sniff the air. The pleasant scent of rotten fruit drifted down my throat, signaling the king’s irritation.
Planting my hands on my hips, I tapped my fingers against the smooth velvet of my dress as I contemplated his words.
If this Ice Goddess could avoid being seen by the Luminoso, then she must be extremely powerful. My plans to destroy the gods just got a tad more complicated, especially if I had no idea what one of them looked like.
“You truly have no images of her?” I searched the crystal orb for a glimpse of this mysterious entity.
He released a heavy sigh. “No, I don’t. However, I can tell you her name.”
I perked up, eager for any clue that could help aid my new plan.
“Her name is Isolde.”
“Isolde,” I repeated, mentally adding it to my hit list.
“Wait, the gods are all women?” I asked incredulously.
“Indeed, they are.” The Serpent King didn’t seem as perturbed by this fact as I thought he would be. Instead, there was a glint of what looked like pride flickering in his eyes, as he, too, stared at the gods.
I nearly marveled at his reaction, but I also had an intense desire to scream.
The gods were all women, yet I was born in a world ruled by men.
Life was so unfair.
If only my story turned out differently, if only I wasn’t born in the human lands.
My mind spiraled with what ifs, anger coursing through my veins over the fact I’d never gain insights to these hypothetical scenarios.
Because they weren’t my reality.
To distract myself from getting further lost in my rage, I forced myself to focus on the images of the gods.
“Why do you think Isolde is messing with my emotions? Shouldn’t that not be feasible considering our bargain was made based on you taking my emotions—thus, gaining my soul—in exchange for some of your powers?”
“This may shock you, but I don’t think this has anything to do with you.” The king’s lips turned down, and I chose to ignore his slight jab as I was more curious in what he would say next.
I almost thought he wouldn’t divulge more, but then he spoke in a softer tone.
“Isolde and I had a falling out decades ago.”
I batted my eyelashes, feigning surprise. “The all-powerful Serpent King has a mortal enemy, but how could that be? He is so charming.” I softly fluttered my hand against my chest, my voice simulating what I imagined a fairytale princess to sound like.
His frown deepened, swiftly shifting into a full-on pout.
Something sparked in my chest at how much I enjoyed bantering with the Serpent King, making it feel as if no time had passed between us.
No, stop it, Seera.
For once, I was grateful the king spoke, since it halted me from going any further down such a perilous path.
“I’ll have you know plenty of people find me charming.” He popped the collar of his shirt, like a bird ruffling its feathers.
I chuckled, reaching up and patted his shoulder condescendingly. “I’m sure they do.”
He scowled down at me, his hand flexing at his side.
I looked at him through my lashes, portraying total innocence as I smiled sweetly up at him. “Now, if we are done discussing how amazing you are, can we get to the part where your feud with the Ice Goddess affects me?”
“You are becoming a thorn in my side,” he said through clenched teeth.
I simply smiled at the compliment.
He groaned, swiping a hand over his face. When he finally looked at me, it was with a menacing glare. But I’d take that look any day over the other option—his piercing stare that made me feel things I’d long since buried.
“I’ve felt a shift in my power,” he confessed.
“A shift, as in . . . ?”
“As in I can’t access all of my magic as easily as I once could.”
I chewed on my lip. “Do you remember when this change began?”
I glanced up when the Serpent King remained silent, noticing his eyes lingering on my bottom lip. I stopped biting it, hoping it would help him focus on my question.
He shook his head, as if to clear the image from his mind, then peered at the stars still drifting above.
“I noticed a change about three days ago.”
Three days ago . . . what happened three days ago?
I let my gaze wander over the stars as I scoured my mind for an inkling of what could have happened to cause such a monumental change.
Holy fucking gods.
My dinner with my mother.
My birthday—the same night I had my first panic attack in almost eight decades.
“Have you experienced any inconsistencies with your powers over the last few days?” The Serpent King’s question tore my attention from the stars.
When I glanced down, our eyes instantly locked.
“Not that I remember—only the unwanted emotions . . . are Isolde’s powers truly strong enough to mess with your magic?”
“As much as I hate to admit it, it is possible. On top of her being a god, she is an incredibly powerful sorceress. After all, she used to be the ruler of the witch realm.” He looked like he was trying to suppress a shiver.
“The witch realm? I thought you said she was the Ice Goddess?”
“It’s complicated . . .” the king winced.
While I waited for him to elaborate, I took in a discreet inhale.
I was curious what emotion was racing through the king, the one that made his shoulders inch up with tension. A foul, bitter taste coated my mouth, and I easily recognized my favorite emotion to consume.
The Serpent King feared the Ice Goddess.
I tucked away that rather interesting and useful piece of knowledge.
“I believe Isolde is syphoning bits of my magic to get back at me, which in turn is weakening my power and indirectly affecting you. With my magic depleted, I could become unable to uphold my end of our bargain.”
All my remaining questions about the gods disintegrated, my curiosity swiftly replaced by the panic lurching through my chest at what the Serpent King was implying.
“Our bargain is weakening,” he said, staring into my eyes with such a severe intensity, my knees nearly buckled.
“Your soul has started to gradually return to you, Seera, and the only way to prevent it from completely coming back is by working together.”