Crow wasn’t mad at the coven. They had their own issues and politics that he wasn’t involved in, and he trusted them enough. As a man, he’d be lying if he said it didn’t hurt that they didn’t include him in their planning. His anger toward Kafe spiked a little too much, seeing him grab Zoe’s hand. It wasn’t enough for him to act foolishly. Still, he knew his jealousy, pride, and selfishness were to blame for his cold behavior earlier.
He didn’t even pay attention to where he was walking, so he reached the empty plaza in front of the abandoned temple before he knew it. Sitting on the edge of the fountain’s basin, he let go of all his emotions, and when he did, the sensation of being watched was the only thing he couldn’t shake.
Acting nonchalant, as if nothing affected him, he tried to locate the peeping tom. Only what he discovered left him a little chilled. It wasn’t anyone in the surrounding forest or buildings but the statue in the middle of the fountain. At first, he wasn’t sure, but after moving around some, he was positive the statue was watching him.
Unable to contain his impatience, he turned to stare at the statue. It had moved. Its arm was now pointing at the door to the temple. With his memory, there was no way he could miss that anomaly. It definitely wasn’t pointing that way before.
“Why?” Crow asked, not expecting an answer. It was still a statue, but looking closely at the face and horns, he found it unfathomable to see the representation of a Druid god here. That didn’t make any sense at all.
“Fate.” The gravel-like voice was low, but at this distance, there was no way he misheard.
“Impossible. I’m unfated.”
“No one is unfated because fate belongs to those that take it. Your physique blinds the heavens to your existence. It miscalculates and cannot undo the calamity you bring. Unfated is just a word to describe your presence. Inside there is a fate you should take because leaving it behind will probably bring you untold pain.”
“Are you Cernunnos?”
“I am.”
“I met Dagda. He said I should never take your advice, especially if it was about women or treasure,” Crow said. “He also told me to tell you… I probably shouldn’t.”
“That bastard is alive!?” the statue roared and stood up from his cross-legged position. Despite being a statue, it was well-endowed, which made the scene even more awkward. Crow couldn’t even focus because he was at eye level with the thing’s big stone cock. “What did he tell you to say?”
“Umm… promise you won’t kill the messenger?” Crow should have shut his mouth.
“I won’t harm you. Danu has marked you, and not even I’m foolish enough to cross that woman. She’d castrate me and make sure I couldn’t fornicate for centuries.”
“He said Brigit isn’t your child, but his. He convinced you otherwise, so you wouldn’t try to seduce his daughter.”
“That son of a bitch cuckolded me? Heh, so he bedded my favorite wife, did he? Aii, I miss him. And I suppose since I bedded all his wives, I deserve it. Is he well?”
“Trapped outside of time in a place I am forbidden to know about. All I know is the beast in the well almost awakened, but I helped him avert disaster.”
“Was there a woman with him?”
“There was.”
“That’s good,” Cernunnos laughed. “This is good news! But kid, you don’t have much time. That blue-skinned kid isn’t your only foe here. Madame Rouge is also here, and she covets two of your wives. While you were away, she almost captured them. She is an elder of the Durex clan, and you were lucky enough not to be spotted by her when you raided their vault. She has a rare bloodline ability called Dead Eyes, which can see through your disguise. I’m not sure what she sees in those eastern girls, but you can bet she’ll stop at nothing to get it.”
“Are my wives okay?”
“They got away. But you owe that descendant of Nidhogg a huge favor. He gave up an arm to save them.”
“Acco?”
“Yes. I have to go now. There are some very dangerous people in this sect, so you should leave as soon as possible. You’ve stirred up this place more than you know, and it is only a matter of time before they discover you. Since you are already stealing everything, go inside the temple and take that fate. You’ll regret it if you don’t.”
“Thank you for the advice.”
“Hey kid, was it Dagda that told you about the Beastlords?”
“To have the Druids ally with them? Yes.”
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Cernunnos nodded, and Crow could sense a deep sadness in him. “All these years, he’s still looking out for me. A brother like that isn’t something you search for. One day, I realized Dagda stood beside me, no matter what trouble I had stirred up. It didn’t matter if I was right or wrong—he was there. You suddenly realize the thing you craved for your entire life was always by your side until it isn’t. If you understand, don’t wait until it’s too late to acknowledge those people out of stubbornness or pride—like I did. There is a reason we all referred to Dagda as the All-Father or Chief—there was no more deserving.”
“That was touching, but it’s tough for me to concentrate when you keep swinging that enormous cock around in my face,” Crow grumbled.
Cernunnos looked down at his stone body and burst out laughing. It was deep, heartfelt laughter. “Sadly, they didn’t get the size right.”
“No kidding?” Crow said sarcastically. “They obviously exaggerated.”
“You shit! This is much smaller—you son of a bitch,” Cernunnos growled at Crow, but a smile was on his face. “You are like him. Mannerisms, sarcasm, and even an easygoing attitude. Dagda must have liked you if he told you about me. Anyway, get to the upper realms, and maybe we can meet. I know some people that are excited about your existence, so don’t let them down.”
With that, Cernunnos sat back down, and the statued reverted to its original state. In some way, the god was precisely as described, but Crow found the beast god’s attitude fascinating. He’d expected him to be more arrogant, but was pleasantly surprised.
Turning toward the temple, he frowned. Crow had done a lot of research on this area and had a hypothesis he didn’t dare voice out. But now he was confident that the door to the Temple of Pythons was inside the passage they’d blocked previously. One easy way to find out was to pull out the Python Tongue, the key that would open the place. But he didn’t dare to do it—not yet. Instinct told him the moment he did, he’d set off a series of events that he wouldn’t be able to avoid or stop.
“Figures,” Minnie grumbled upon seeing Crow staring absently at the temple while sitting on the fountain’s edge. “Look everywhere for you, and here you are worshipping the horned god, known for his sexual exploits and planting his seed everywhere. Beast and human, it didn’t matter. If he found it attractive, he’d try his best to impregnate it.”
“If he heard you, he’d probably think you were complimenting him,” Crow laughed and saw the statue wink at him.
“That may be. Stories say he was quite shameless.” Minnie nodded but was watching Crow, not the statue. “Why are you here?”
“It’s quiet.”
Minnie sat next to Crow, absently putting his arm around her shoulders. Her arm went around his waist, and they sat there while the sun kept getting lower in the sky.
“Are you going to leave us?” Minnie finally asked in a small voice.
“Hah, no.”
“Are you mad at us?”
“Again, no. Disappointed, maybe.”
“Why?”
“You are clearly having some troubles, and instead of talking to me, you plot with an outsider. It doesn’t matter if you are using him or not. I know you wouldn’t betray my trust, but you didn’t trust me—which is hurtful. All you have to do is ask, and I’d do anything to help you. I promised myself I’d never interfere with any of my wives’ independence. It is your right to do what you want, provided you don’t betray me.”
Minnie sighed. “We are sorry. This is something to do with Zoe’s past, so I can’t talk about it, but I believe you are right. We shouldn’t have kept it from you, but to be fair, when she was making her plans, we didn’t know you and Kafele had a history.”
“I saved his life—no, I spared and saved his life. I pointed my arrow at his eye; he was in a weakened state because he was about to be killed by a monster. I knew he was evil, but I shifted my aim and killed the beast attacking him. Saved him because I thought there was a man worthy of saving in those eyes. An instinct told me to spare him, so I did. An instinct I always trust. Despite what he’s done, I still trust that instinct.”
“So, why do you want to kill him now?”
“That same instinct tells me he turned his back on my benevolence. He betrayed me. We have pivotal moments where a choice can alter the course of our lives. His was when he stood before Unhulde and betrayed me, my wives, and Nadia.”
“Who is Nadia?”
“A woman he loved, betrayed, hurt, and abandoned. A woman he didn’t deserve, it turns out. And now he’s using that woman to target my wives.”
“Huh?”
“She told me she is his Corpse Bride or something like that. A ritual that turns her into something not dead or alive. After he gave up his cultivation, it freed her from his enslavement. However, he could track her anywhere since she was his Corpse Bride. Nadia is our friend, and I can only guarantee her freedom if Kafe dies.”
“That’s a fucked up story.”
“It is. Maybe the whole reason I was supposed to save him was because of Nadia. Calamity and reward go hand in hand.”
“Is he really that evil?”
“Even as an inexperienced cultivator, I could sense his murderous intent. That kind of intent is only gained by killing thousands of innocent people.”
“And you fucking spared him?”
“Instinct.”
“Fuck instinct. Monsters like that need to die.”
“You heard about those incidents in the tower, about temples collapsing and disappearing. About the evil shit that was happening within them?”
“I did.”
“Kafe became a Spiritualist, and he was the one that destroyed them. He was trying to balance his karmic debt. I can say without a doubt that what I did wasn’t wrong or right. Had he chosen the harder path, the one of redemption, then my grace was worth the risk. Even now, I can sense my karmic balance rising because of his actions. He probably saved tens of thousands of lives. I benefitted indirectly because I didn’t put that arrow into his dumbass brain.”
“That’s really complicated logic,” Minnie laughed.
“Look into my eyes,” Crow said, and Minnie turned to face him. She gasped a little when they turned silver with a golden ring in the center. “These are the eyes of a Three-Eyed Crow, mixed in with some other stuff. I can see karmic connections. Like this one,” Crow fingered a thick, dark line coming off her. “Probably your father because it is a powerful connection, but tainted. I’m guessing an unforgivable sin.”
Minnie shuddered at hearing Crow’s words, so he hugged her tightly. “I won’t pry. I just wanted you to know that a higher purpose that I do not understand sometimes guides my actions. I’ll stand with you when you want to resolve this debt.”
“He murdered my mother,” Minnie sobbed and clung to Crow, who held her close. He even pulled her into his lap to keep her warm and safe. Sometimes words couldn’t comfort as much as a gentle touch or a warm body. She sobbed and shook for at least an hour, and Crow realized the adage was true. Those who smile the brightest often hide the darkest truths.