Shame filled me that I had so easily surrendered my life. I never would have done that for anyone I loved, but I'd been convinced that I would die tomorrow. I'd been convinced of it for so long that I hesitated to live. Killing those villagers as a child and finding out that I'd failed in previous lives had made me feel like my life wasn't worth saving.

Even if my death Flare's ploy had been desperate. The Prophet couldn't kill me unless I gave myself over to him. I was so convinced by my slips to the future that I was about to abandon Nash, my people, the entire Valley to this Prophet without any fight. We could walk away now and the Prophet couldn't stop us. The only problem was that he would tell Flare and she could kill Elsie. We had to keep him from telling her.

I couldn't give in. I couldn't abandon the people I loved.

This time, when I walked forward, Leif didn’t try to stop me. “You said you’ve seen things.” I slowly drifted closer. The fear that had led the Prophet to try killing me today rather than during the Eclipse still burned in his eyes. “You’ve seen your death too, haven’t you?”

His eyes shot to me.

"Did Flare tell you that you could avoid it by killing me? Because you can't. I couldn't die earlier because the gods have already decided my fate. It's going to happen one day. Yours will too. So don't let her manipulate you."

"It isn't possible."

"I promise you it is."

"How can you kill me if I've already killed you?"

My heart jolted. "That's what you've seen?"

His eyes narrowed to thin, dark slits. "I won't reveal the secrets of the gods to you. Either I kill you or you kill me. That's the only conclusion that I can draw."

"You've seen me kill you?" He was right. That didn't make sense. If he killed me during the eclipse, how would I kill him? What had he seen? Did we kill each other at the same time?

"Well." I lifted my chin. "Death will have to conquer me because I'm not surrendering to it, and certainly not to you." I didn't cower from his inky eyes. "And you aren't going to send a message to Flare, because if you do, I won't hesitate to slaughter you. You don't seem eager to take the chance that you can't die until it's your time, so we'll see if I can beat fate.”

The Prophet's expression was still hard and filled with hate. “You expect me to believe you’ll just walk away?”

"I'm assuming if I try to kill you that you'll alert Flare." I watched him. "Besides, my friend here thinks there's a better path to take."

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

“We will not kill you,” Piercey said. “As long as you let us go now and say nothing to Flare. We'll return to the Mountain of the Gods."

“Prophet,” I said. “You have our word. We will leave you in peace if you leave us in peace.”

Fear looked foreign on the Prophet. He wasn’t used to having anyone to be afraid of except for the gods, and they had shown him favor. Would he be able to live knowing there was a threat out there? No, even if he could, he wouldn't. He had to crush anyone who stood in his way, even if it ultimately sabotaged himself.

"I don't trust you." The Prophet spoke to me and me alone.

"I don't trust you. Still, it would benefit us both to save our battle for another day. You clearly need to gain strength. Don't humiliate yourself further in front of your people."

I looked out to his warriors who watched from their knees. Panic filled the Prophet's eyes. "Fine. You have your deal, for now."

I wanted nothing more than to kill the Prophet, but I would never risk Elsie's life. This was the only way.

"One more stipulation." The Prophet paused. "You stay on the Mountain of the Gods, demon. If you leave, I'll go after your people." He leveled his look at Nash. "Starting with him and his child. Or these two." He eyed Wren and Leif.

My stomach churned in disgust. "Don't give me a reason to leave the mountain and I won't."

"Then we have a deal."

Nash snarled. "You don't have shit until you tell me where Flare took my daughter."

The Prophet snarled and turned his face away. But Nash grabbed a handful of his cloak and ripped him a step forward. Fucking fearless. “Tell me.”

“Home.” He turned his face to the side, voice tense. “She’ll be waiting for you there. She didn’t think there was any chance you’d defy her. Even if she did, Flare can't kill a child. She's bluffing.”

Nash released him and took my hand. “Let’s go.”

Wren nodded. “I'm coming too.”

“It’s too dangerous,” I said.

Leif settled his hand on the hilt of his sword. “Don’t dishonor us by stopping her, Max. I need to stay with my husband and child. Wren will be there for both of us.”

I really didn’t want her to come, but he was right. I couldn’t reject their help. It would be like calling them weak. “Fine. I'm sorry.”

There was no time to waste, but I couldn't leave without wrapping my arms around Rune, and making myself believe that he truly was safe. I turned and looked at him, tears flooding my eyes again. "Rune." What if he was too afraid to come to me after seeing my power?

He let go of Arn's hand and sprinted for me in a mad dash. I fell to my knees and caught him against me, unable to hold in my sobs as I wrapped up his little body in my arms.

"I'm so sorry, Rune. I'm so sorry. You'll never be apart from your papa again." I kissed both of his cheeks and held his face as I looked at him. He'd come to me. Wasn't terrified. "You're safe now."

He wiped the tears from my face. "I knew you'd save us, Auntie. Don't cry. We're together again."

The pain of watching him ripped away from us filled me, as though it was happening again. "Oh, Rune."

I clasped him to me, hating that soon I would have to let him go.

Chief Kaid walked forward with Beast at her side. They'd seen my true nature. All my people had. But the chief still met my eyes, raised her forearm to me like she would before battle, and spoke firmly. "My flesh."

Tightness gripped my throat. "My blood."

Beast lifted his forearm next. And if any of my people had turned against me, none would ever show it, because they all lifted their forearms as the chief had, every warrior, every man and woman, every child. Even Rune drew back to place his forearm against me.

"My flesh." Beast roared and the people shouted it in an echo after him.

I couldn't speak. So I only mouthed the words.

"My blood."