Meta Gods War 3 by B. Miles (the ebook reader txt) 📕

“What?” Felin said.

“Lycanica came to us,” Cam said. “She was… beautiful and horrible. She floated in the air in this… dress that was almost not a dress. It melted off her body like mist. And her eyes…” He felt his stomach clench and he thought he might retch. He took the water and sipped it.

Felin leaned forward, nearly falling off the arm. “Cam, this isn’t funny,” she said. “Tell me this is some kind of joke?”

“I don’t think he’s joking,” Miuri said, her voice hushed. “Did you truly see the goddess, Cam?”

“We did,” he said. “She came to… warn us. She wants me to take as many people as I can and leave the Mansion. She said she’s going to kill everyone, she’s going to burn everything, but she thinks I’m interesting. I don’t know what that means.”

Felin stood and paced away. She looked like a caged animal and Cam watched her with wary eyes.

“My goddess wouldn’t do that,” she said. “She wouldn’t just… appear to you like that.” Felin whirled on Cam. “You’re just a Human.”

Her voice dripped with scorn. Cam sat back in his chair and wasn’t sure what to say.

“Felin, please,” Miuri said. “You don’t mean that.”

“My goddess has never shown herself to me,” Felin said. “But she appears for this man? For this Human?” Felin shook her head, her dark hair flying wild. “I don’t believe you, Cam. I don’t believe you.”

“I’m not lying,” Cam said. “She was horrible to look at. So horrible, but I couldn’t take my eyes off her. I don’t know how we can possibly fight something like that.”

“Lycanica is a bitch,” Felin said and snarled. Her lips curled up as she stepped toward Cam. For a moment he thought she might spring at him.

“Felin,” Miuri said and half stood. “Please.”

She took a step toward Cam. Her posture was full of rage. Her eyes bugged from her skull before she dropped to her knees in front of him. She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around herself.

A sob wrenched itself from her chest. Cam leaned forward and put a hand on her shoulder. Another sob. He felt it force its way up from her deepest reaches.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I never asked to see her. I never wanted any of it.”

“I know,” she said. “I know. I know. I’ve just… I’ve never seen her. And I’m one of her children.”

“I’m sorry,” he said again.

She let out a frustrated growl then looked up at him. Tears rolled down her cheeks. “What was she like?”

“Beautiful,” Cam said. “And terrible. She talked about you… about all of you… like you were a part of her. Like you’re her children.”

“We are,” Felin said and tipped her head back. She shut her eyes and took deep breaths.

She got to her feet and walked to the door.

“Where are you going?” Miuri asked. “Felin, please stay. It’s okay, we understand why you’re—”

But Felin pushed open the door and was gone.

“Well shit,” Cam said.

“You’ve been doing a wonderful job lately,” Miuri said, “at pissing off all your girls.”

Cam gave her a tight smile and finished the water. It was cold on his throat.

“I keep wondering when any of this will get easier.”

“Not sure that’s going to happen.” Miuri leaned over the table and put a hand out, palm up.

Cam put his hand in hers. She squeezed and smiled.

“I should talk to Galla,” he said.

“You’re right.”

“She needs to be out there. The Mansion might fall into chaos at any moment if she doesn’t step up.”

“She knows. But she’s just…”

“She’s grieving,” Cam said. “I understand better than most.”

Miuri let out a breath. “I keep forgetting you lost your father not long before all this started.”

“Just before we met. It’s still fresh.”

“Go talk to her.” Miuri released his hand.

Cam struggled to his feet and found himself still weak from the vision on the mountain. “Do you think she wants to see her father’s killer right now?”

“No,” Miuri said. “But she needs to anyway.”

Cam nodded and walked to the bedroom door. He knocked twice then pushed it open, stepped inside, and closed it behind him.

The room was lit by three lamps but shadows loomed in the corners. It was damp and cold. A blanket-wrapped lump lay huddled in the center of the huge bed. Red hair spilled like wine.

“Galla,” Cam said. He wanted to say more but stopped himself.

Galla’s lump moved then the blanket pulled away. Her face emerged and she looked out at him with a blank expression.

“Husband,” she said.

He felt a chill again. He walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed. Galla didn’t move. Her eyes followed him.

“I’m sorry for what happened,” he said. “I know that doesn’t help, but it’s the truth.”

“Thank you,” she said.

He stared down at his hands, at the wrinkles in his palms. “I could make excuses,” he said. “I could explain why I did what I did. But I’m not going to. It won’t bring your father back.”

“No,” she said, “it won’t.”

“I remember the day my father died,” Cam said. “In fire, in the forest. He was dying already; we all knew it. He was a shadow of his former self. And when the wolves came for us, he sacrificed himself, used what magic he had left to save me. I dragged his broken body back to the village but it was far too late for him by then. I still think I left a piece of myself in that clearing.”

“Does it get easier?” she asked.

“Yes and no,” Cam said. “Sometimes I go a day or two without thinking about him. But his absence is always there in everything I do, and the memory of him still hurts.”

Galla pushed the blanket away and sat up. She wore a light white slip with thin straps. Her shoulders looked so small. She pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her thin arms around them.

“I know he was wrong,” she said. “I know he should have stopped. But I keep wondering if there was another