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Men who care passionately for women attach themselves at least as much to the teoddess herself
~Marguerite Yourcenar
? 1 ?
Kaliope
RUBBING THE SAND BETWEEN rain,my home
I don’t knohen I’ll see Cavan again
The setting sun casts Perinya in shades of dark blue and lavender, the horizon a deep plu me of the entrance to the Otherworld It’s been nearly five months since my mismatched companions and I—soround realotten
Anything
The Cage, snapping with fiery currents and descending instru with the face of every person taken during the bloody co in bed, chilly air mixed with the scent ofit impossible to find sleep
Yet, there are also good h echoing off the stone walls of the training facility, his war the back of my neck as he heldtome with his secrets
All these irreplaceable e For oddess of oddess—Bale
I close ood memories Of Caben
When I open theuide his kingdoainst him
I release the grains of sand They slide through ers as I catch move uptohim back
His ainst his black ar The sheen off his lens-covered eyes glints as he blinks For one quick second, he resembles my new ally, Bax, and I wonder if they’re kin I force the thought from my mind and meet his roar with another yell of my own
His warrior sword swipes the air beforelike Bax—an Otherworlder who used to be hts, but who turned on his culture to save his family
Once we defeated the Dark Priest, I thought the Otherworlders under Bale’s mind control would awaken and join us—or at least they wouldn’t rally alongside the dark goddess Bax tried to explain ould happen many tiood in people blindedplace The Otherworlders did awaken, but it was to a long sought-after reality
Their goddess was finally here
Just prior to the Reckoning—the ritual to suhts—Bale had lost their faith Years and years of serving her, waiting to be repaid for their loyal worship, had taken its toll on the Otherworlders, transfor them into hideous ainst their deity But she just needed their servitude to hold strong a while longer, until her opportunity to escape her imprisoned to