“Thank you for being here,” Evera said, her smile more pained than pleasant. Stray strands stood free of her updo, matching the tired lines on her face.

“I know that this is a difficult time. Garo has already ordered you to swear allegiance to him, so simply being here is proof enough that you treasured Achi.”

“Did Garo actually kill him?” Someone asked.

Evera shook her head. “No. It was a result of his poisoning. Garo was quick enough to capture Tivelo and claim the credit.”

“Just get to the point,” someone else said. “You’re opposing Garo and asking us to swear allegiance to you, correct?”

“No.” She swept her eyes over the audience. “I want you to oppose Garo, but I do not need your allegiance. I called you here for a different reason.”

She took a breath as if steeling herself. “I conspired with Garo to kill Achi.”

She paused as if expecting outrage or projectiles, but the reaction was muted.

“You just said that he was poisoned,” someone pointed out.

“And he was, but we influenced it. There is - or was - a spark of divine power in most mortals. It is what grows into divinity in some of them. When we realized that Tivelo’s son would be love-bound like him, we reasoned that his love would be a goddess. No one alive fit the bill, meaning that she was yet to be born. We found a way to remove that spark from the population.” She was staring down at her feet now.

“It failed,” the speaker said. “There would be no new deities if you had succeeded and we’ve had four in two centuries.”

“It both failed and succeeded,” Evera said. “Tivelo discovered it, so we were unable to complete the process. But we infected the person we needed to.”

“That’s enough.” A goddess said. “You attempted to kill Tivelo, but you only succeeded in killing Achi. Worse, he knows that you were responsible. He may not have been able to stop you, but he had enough time to plan your demise. So you’re trying to backpedal before he overcomes his stupor. But how are we involved?”

Evera smiled sadly. “Succinct summary, but slightly incorrect. No amount of backpedaling can save me from Tivelo. His way is to punish wrongdoing without quarter. Attempting to defend myself or plead for mercy would simply prove that I don’t understand the depth of my wrong.

“Tivelo will never pardon me. Even a quick death is too much to hope for. So, as I said, there is no need to swear allegiance to me. My time here is done. And so are the others. Garo, Alogun, and Chalik believe that they can salvage this situation. But, just as I saw Tivelo’s potential before they did, I can recognize what they cannot. He defeated us. I don’t know what plans he has made, but I know that even Alogun is not intelligent enough to defeat it.”

She indicated the crowd. “But those of you here, those who have not run to Garo’s side, you have a chance. When Tivelo is whole again, will be able to say that you helped - or hindered - his recovery. He is as generous with rewards as he is with punishment. I am going to tell you all I know about what we did. If any of you can reverse it or revive Achi, you will be able to name your reward. The four of us are the only survivors left of the first gods because we helped Tivelo consolidate his power. I am giving you the opportunity that we had.”

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Wistfulness filled her voice.

Someone laughed. “Just out of the goodness of your heart? Come now, Evera. Your life is over. You can drop the act for once.”

Evera looked offended. “Kindness can be sincere. Only the black-hearted would find reason to suspect it.”

“You killed Achi out of kindness?”

Evera bit her lip. “No. I did it out of fear and self-interest. At the time, I thought that any son of Tivelo’s would be just like him. I’m sure it was merely an excuse to protect myself. I don’t deny it. So, I’ll answer the question you truly mean to ask. Why, given all my self-interest, would I help you restore Tivelo now? Why not assist Garo and crush Tivelo completely?

“I could say that I feel remorse and want to pay for my wrongs. But that would be a lie. No one could want the kind of punishment Tivelo grants. I simply do not believe that Garo will succeed. I knew Tivelo when he was a newcomer cutting his way through our companions. Of the hundreds alive then, only the four of us remain. In cunning, strength, or power, no one could match Tivelo. We still cannot match him.

“I am afraid of what he will do when he is whole again, but I am even more afraid of what he will do if I do not show any remorse. That is all. I will take no more questions. Believe me or do not. That is your choice.”

Evera did not lie. She told them everything she knew: about Tivelo and Achi’s power and about the other deities’ plot. Aira learned things she already knew and things she did not. There were questions from those gathered - some calm, some angered, many smug. And, Aria noted with disgust, some people seemed more thrilled by the opportunity they had found than angered by Achi’s death.

When the meeting was finally over, some remained to speak with Evera. Aria remained as well, but it was almost an hour before the questioners dwindled enough that she could ask her own question.

“How did you decide?” She asked. “You could have joined the others in continuing the plot. Perhaps it would fail, but with all four of you united, you have some chance of success. Why did you choose the path that guarantees torture?

Evera gave her an odd smile. “It is not enough that it is the right thing to do?”

The tone was kind, but the words were vaguely accusing. Aria responded more passionately than she had intended. “You would be confined to a statue and burned forever in return for doing the right thing?”

Evera thought for a moment, her eyes flicking downward and to the right as she chewed on her lip.

“I will be honest with you,” she said. “I believe that what I am doing is extremely foolish. I can beg, plead, and try to redeem myself, but I do not believe it will sway Tivelo. He is someone who believes that all crimes should be punished and crimes against his son should be punished mercilessly. True remorse, in his eyes, is confessing your crime and gratefully accepting punishment. So, I hope that he will be merciful, but I do not expect it. The answer to your question, then, is that I am doing this because I cannot do the alternative. It would be wrong. I committed an injustice, and I should remedy it, not barrel on because I already started on this wrong path. I hope Achi will help me, of course, but even if he can’t, I have no choice but to do what I’m doing.”

That was the most ridiculous thing Aria had ever heard.

“Have you ever been tortured by Tivelo?” Aria asked.

Evera frowned at the question, suspicion coloring her gaze. “I have a firm grasp of his capabilities, yes.”

“Then, you’re very brave,” Aria said.

Evera smiled kindly but politely as if Aria confused her. “Thank you. I hope that helped you.”

Aria stood back for a moment, uncertain of how to proceed. That uncertainty resolved itself quickly. She had nothing to share that Evera did not already know. She would not be a part of resurrecting Achi and presumably setting Tivelo after herself, but other people now knew about the gods’ genocidal plans. They would do what she could not.

She turned to leave and made it halfway down the aisle before Garo descended in a shower of stone and dust.