Chapter 36
A plain, unremarkable off-white building stood in front of Elysia. It might have been the most boring building she’d ever seen, functional and bereft of any character. Topp Blatz’s broad back had just disappeared through the temple’s faded and scratched black door.
Hurrying, she slipped in behind him, trailing Topp down several flights of stairs and into what looked like barracks.
Topp strolled down the long hallway, dim orb lights brightening with a quiet buzz as he passed them.
Built into the walls were beds, stacked atop each other from floor to ceiling.
Each bed had a singular small white pillow and a black medium-weight blanket on the mattress.
Whatever temple this was, it gave her the creeps.
The prince stopped in front of a bed that looked exactly like all the others and picked up a small red gift box. Untying the golden bow, he opened the flaps, and pulled out a cute chocolate confection. On edge, Elysia’s magic shot out, blaring an alarm.
Sprinting as fast as she could, she was screaming. “Don’t eat that!”
Jolting, Topp spun around right as she smacked the chocolate down to the ground where it splatted against the dull white floor.
“Elysia?” The prince looked between her and the now inedible confection, his eyebrows going up as he took in the sight of her. She knew her eyes were probably red and puffy, but a glance down informed her that her clothes and hands were covered in soot-riddled blood. Right.
She bent down, tentatively poking at the viscous red filling of the chocolate and sniffed it. “That’s poison.”
“You’re sure?” He frowned at the scuffed floor like he was still thinking about eating it.
“Positive. Smells like branson weed. I wanted to use it for Scarzan, but there was no way to cover the odor.” She stuck out her finger, and Topp ducked his head, nose wrinkling as soon as he got close.
“Gods, that’s awful.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t eat surprise chocolates when you’re a wanted prince and staying somewhere that looks like they have a protocol for murder.” Her tone fell flat, leaving the joke lifeless despite her attempt.
She kept touching her chest. But there wasn’t a cracked wooden handle protruding from her.
There was only a gaping hole, slowly solidifying into something she didn’t think would ever leave so long as she lived.
Still, her mouth moved, and her face creased into expressions that might as well have been painted on.
A horrible pressure increased behind her eyes.
Topp once again looked cautiously at her presentation, his demeanor shifting into one she’d seen him use with skittish and aggressive animals.
“How’d you know to be here?”
She shrugged. “I didn’t. Guess I’m one and one tonight.”
He frowned, not understanding her comment. “The goddess here is weirdly protective of Rollie. Can’t stand me though. Woman acts like I pissed in her wine.”
Comprehension dawned as she looked around again, the minimalist building now making sense. “This is the temple of Ration and Reason?”
He nodded.
“Oren didn’t fill you in?”
Topp’s jaw twitched. “Was dragged to his woods for a bit, but I’ve been ignoring his summons.”
“You should let him help you. You and Rollie had the right idea, but Aidan’s got it covered now. His gambling game will rope them all in.”
He looked at her in pure confusion before a flash of something crossed his face. “That bitch of a goddess said something to Rollie about Ration and Reason needing to have a strong start.”
Elysia backtracked, knowing she was tired and struggling to make sense. “Aidan is tracking all of the most likely outcomes with his magic, and basically we’re all probably going to die, but he’s hoping if the gods watch us all stumbling to our doom, they’ll start to interfere and change the odds.”
Topp kicked at the smushed chocolate. “She just tried to kill me. How is that helping?”
She stared at the mess. “Yeah, they’re weirdly fixated on helping the mortals that belong to their houses. Could be a problem.”
“You mean to say the goddess of Ration and Reason is trying to off me because she wants Rollie to what? Be the star of this strange bullshit game?”
Elysia stepped back, leaning against one of the smudgy white walls, too tired to care if she left it even worse and smeared with blood.
“Something like that. The gods need to remember they’ll be eliminated by the fates if they can’t do their jobs…
and they can’t do their jobs if there’s no magic.
” She rubbed her eyes. “Gods, the fates are just going to wipe everything and start over, aren’t they?
They could, you know. Erase every mortal and god and start over. They’re that powerful.”
Sighing, he sat down on the bed and gestured at her appearance. “If you weren’t here to save me, then why are you here?”
What was she doing here? Staring down at her waterlogged boots, she shook her head. “I don’t know.” Her voice was quiet, worn.
“You’re covered in blood.”
“It’s not mine.” But it should have been.
Topp had lost a sister, but it wasn’t that.
It wasn’t even that he used to be the person she would show up to in the middle of the night, asking his body for the comfort that the man was unable to provide.
It was simpler than that. She’d wanted someone who didn’t just know her but knew Beatriz and their life.
Someone she didn’t have to explain everything to.
“I wanted to talk to Beatriz. I needed to talk to her.” Her voice broke, as if she were begging him to believe her. Her eyes ached, but they remained dry as she stared off, away from him.
Topp was silent, his bright green eyes already bracing for what was to come.
“The Nightshade Market got raided. Maybe that was my fault too, I don’t know. But I got her out. Took the tunnels to a shut-down spot, but when we exited into the square, someone saw me. I didn’t have my face covered.” Her head thudded against the wall. She should have had her face covered.
“Where’s Beatriz, Lys?”
Eyes finally glistening, her throat burned as she choked out the words. “She’s d-dead. A man threw a dagger at me, and she tackled me. It should have been me.” A muffled sob escaped her as she clapped a hand over her mouth, shoulders shaking, and slid down to a crouch.
The bed creaked as Topp stood, dropping to the floor beside her, so he could reach one large, warm arm around her. Pulling her into his side, he rested his chin on her head.
She wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that.
Long enough that his shirt became stained with salty tears and her eyes were raw.
Wrapping her fingers into his, she whispered, “I never should have gone there. I wanted her to make me feel better about what I have to do. It was selfish and reckless. You should have seen Lily.”
His palm was familiar against hers as his thumb brushed against her skin. “What do you have to do?”
“Fix things before it’s too late.”
He leaned back so he could see her face, his gaze scanning over her. “Why do I feel like you’re about to do something stupid? Like stab a nearly immortal king at a ball stupid?”
Her face was blank, her emotions draining out of her until she was empty and blunt. “Stabbing your father wasn’t in the plan. He went off script. Imagine if the fucker had just died…” She winced, realizing who she was talking to, but the prince just nodded darkly in agreement.
“Should I be worried?”
“Probably,” she admitted.
His groan was heavy in his chest. “I know better than to think you’ll tell me, but I wish you would.”
She stretched out one leg, knocking her boot against his. “Where are you going now that you don’t need to keep enticing the gods?”
Topp considered this, waving his hand to keep the orb lights from dimming. “If what you’re saying is true, then maybe it’s time to focus on my own plans.” Elysia tensed, and he frowned. “What?”
She bit down on her lip, unsure of what she could tell him, but she’d had enough death. She knew there would likely be more before all of this was done, but after today, she didn’t care what rules it broke to tell him.
“You need to be careful. Whatever you’ve been thinking, I would scrap it and come up with a different plan.”
Absorbing this information, his eyes shone in calculation. “Slow down and regroup.”
She nodded. “Garrison isn’t mortal anymore.
I know he’s working up to sailing for Sagondia, and it feels like time is running out, but you’re going to need more than a half-cocked plan run on emotion.
” She faced him fully, her gaze taking in his familiar spread of freckles and electric presence.
“You need to let other people help you. Maybe even the gods.”
“Ouch.” He clapped his hands against his chest like he’d been struck. “Is that what you thought I was going to do? Run in screaming and try to stab the bastard in broad daylight like someone else we know did?”
She slumped back tiredly. “Maybe.”
“I’ll be thoughtful, alright? Maybe I’ll go to Oren, but I hate to leave Rollie here with that emotionless bitch. Gods know what they’ll do together.”
“He loves her, doesn’t he?”
“Thinks she’s brilliant.”
Elysia laughed hollowly, but Topp was looking at her again a little too knowingly.
“Why aren’t you in the Deathlands doing this with him?”
She twisted her fingers together but said nothing.
Topp sighed, running his fingers through his wood-brown hair.
He opened and shut his mouth more than once as he tried to find the words.
“Lys, don’t make the same mistake we did.
If you went to Beatriz, that means you feel bad about whatever it is you think you need to do.
He’s not really in a place to judge you, just tell him whatever it is. ”
Elysia slid him a look. “It’s annoying when you pay attention.”
“Everyone always thinks I’m all brawn and no brains, but I can work a thing or two out.” He grinned and she scoffed.
“No one thinks that. You’re just rash and don’t get all the facts before reacting.”
He spread his large hands. “Sometimes it’s better to act than to wait. Will you talk to him?”
He nudged her, refusing to drop his point. “Can’t.”
“Bullshit. Just like we couldn’t?”
Glaring, she sent an elbow into his side. “You could have killed me! You did leave me to die.”
“Water under the bridge.”
“Yeah, the water I almost fucking drowned in that night.”
He cringed. “Still, you should talk to him.”
“Maybe.” Brow scrunching, she looked at him. “The little raccoon? Is she okay?”
Topp gifted her a genuine smile, his eyes warming. “Lina? She’s been living with Kava’s Shadow.”
Elysia gaped. “What?”
He nodded like he couldn’t believe it himself. “I jokingly asked her where she’d like to stay since I was going to be gone, and she took me to his front door. I’m not sure who was more shocked, me or him. I think she liked all the food he had.”
“She always seemed too smart for a raccoon,” she mused. “Larkspur’s been with Jessa. I miss the pompous little shit.”
They both went silent. He may have been the worst boyfriend to ever exist, but she was starting to think that Topp Blatz might make an okay friend.