{Enki | Pantheon}
Xelan hated that Tameka was trembling beside him in impotent rage. He hated he was doing the same. Only a clear head would see Pax through this.
The Shadow hovered in a ring around the Primary fight. Pehton’s impossibly gifted children and Tumu squared off with Bol and Remorse. All around, Imminent and Vast Collective forces alike sought shelter from the Gargantuan battle currently paused for negotiations. A demand for concessions to spare Pax’s life.
Remorse, holding Xelan and Tameka’s son in his hand, looked apathetic to the situation. His voice boomed in its ear-splitting depth when he asked, “You want me to relinquish my grandson without assurances? Bol, does that sound reasonable to you?”
Xelan had never heard Bol sound so unhappy. “Rem, however you’ve entangled us into this quagmire, I leave it to you to see us out of it.”
In a surprising lack of decorum, Tumu spat black blood at Bol’s feet. “You continue to perform for our audience that you didn’t know Remorse was corrupt, rather than contend with your complicity in his actions. As I’ve done.”
Bol glanced at the splatter of blood, and his featureless face rippled with disgust. He wiped his own blood on his wrist. “I think I’ll stick with my kind, you traitor.”
Since Xelan was declared the Traitor Prince, would that make Tumu the Traitor Tritan?
Kyle beat him to it. “Traitor Primary has a ring to it!”
Across the way, Xelan couldn’t miss Silence’s grin, despite the light strobing her skin.
So close.
They were so close to happily ever after.
Tameka leaned in to Xelan and whispered, “Follow my lead.”
He didn’t hesitate. “Always.”
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
Tameka straightened and flew closer to Primary Rem. “You won’t release Pax because you know I’ll drain you, and then the others will kill you?”
Remorse narrowed his eyes at the last. Arrogance dripped from his words, as he said, “As if you could kill me, but yes. I don’t want you to steal my nacre energy and feed it to the War King so she’ll destroy my home.”
Home.
Enki was no one’s home now. When Rayne finished with it and they evacuated to Ishkur, it would be nothing.
Raising Xelan’s curiosity, Tameka slipped off her Rayne chain and held it out to Remorse. “Drink Rayne’s blood, and you’ll be impervious to our abilities.”
Xelan trusted Tameka.
Bol asked, “And the conduit?”
Razor announced over the mass comm, “I’ll create the conduit myself so the Shadow won’t know its destination. It will take me some time to route it. Once you make the exchange, I suggest evacuating the armies on both sides. I’ll need Xelan for that and Tameka to power the conduit reserves. Naturally, Pax will join them on the bridge.”
Bol asked, “And my chain?”
Xelan slipped his off. It wasn’t like he’d looked forward to drinking Rayne’s blood, anyway. “Here.” He flew out to the Primaries.
Andrew muttered, “What? No ‘I got you’?”
Glaring at Remorse, Xelan said, “I save that for family.”
Across the way, Korac’s smirk was audible.
Sagan snickered.
Primary Rem was so dispassionate of the situation, he showed no response.
Tameka nodded at Silence and Tumu. The Tritans might take advantage of Rayne’s nanite infusion, the power within it, and recommence with the fighting. It was up to the two strongest fighters to take them down in that case.
Silence mouthed, “Easy.”
Tumu nodded, one finger subtly pointed at Lamassau, ready at his feet.
Xelan and Tameka held out their respective chains. The Primaries took them, tentatively. Rem opened his fist finally, allowing Tameka to snatch their son into her arms and fly back to their ring of friends. Xelan lingered, watching the villainous Tritans toss the entire necklace into their mouth and chew. Both their voids widened and their spines straightened as Rayne’s nanites imbued them with her power to unknown effect.
All of it played on those screens with a rising string score to mark the moment. There was a good reason Xelan and Razor got along. The Prince of Cinder called, “Razor! We’re ready for those evacuation conduits. Let these people go home.”
Sagan and Korac circled the ring of fighters to open a conduit for Tameka, Pax, and Xelan into the bridge. Kyle, Andrew, Silence, and Pehton maintained positions. Tumu and the two blue Lyriks stayed right where they were, poised for further mayhem.
Tameka muttered to Xelan as he made his way to her, “Are you sure you can trust Razor?”
To answer her, Razor opened a conduit to the bridge in their path.
Xelan hoped the Pain Curator would keep his word and disappoint Imminent one last time.