Goddess by Liv Savell (autobiographies to read txt) 📕

Broken. Forgotten.

Turning on her heel, Enyo left the dark place.

And opened her eyes.

“That bitch,” she snarled. The knowledge she had gained was not how to heal or treat her injury, but it was just as valuable.

Alphonse had been spying on Enyo, and somehow she had gotten into the Dream Realms. That soft-handed, meddler, Ruyaa must have interfered. Alphonse had gotten a message to the priestess about what she and Va'al and Maoz were up to. That they were resurrecting the Old Ones to get their bodies back. Alphonse had warned Delyth, and now the priestess was surely taking measures to stop them. Delyth had told Alphonse as much. She had an artifact, was holding it hostage to keep them from getting their numbers.

But now Enyo knew and she wasn’t going to be hunted anymore. Oh no.

Enyo slipped out of the temple and down into the city streets, Calamity in her fist. She would find that bitch priestess, and she’d rip out her precious heart and eat it in front of her. Make her watch. And then she’d get the artifact Delyth had stolen, and Va’al would have his numbers.

And then. Finally. She’d be restored.

Lifting her face to the darkening sky, Enyo breathed in deeply. The winds smelled of smoke and destruction. But underneath that all—there. The smell of her own blood. Her essence. Faint and distant, but clear.

Hefting Calamity, Enyo started to run through the streets of Gwynhafan and out into the open fields around the city. It was time to hunt.

⥣          ⥣           ⥣

It was sunset when the city of Gwynhafan finally came into view, several long days of travel after the battle with Mascen. Meirin was glad to see it, and not just because it meant that they were that much closer to finally stopping Enyo. The city was the first real sign that they were doing more than reacting to the Old Gods.

She had hoped they would go inside, but when Etienne said as much, Delyth only gave a curt shake of her head. “I will not be welcome in the city without your illusion magic to hide my wings. Better that we enter tomorrow morning, get what we need, and leave as soon as possible.”

While true, Meirin thought Etienne was as disappointed as she was, setting up his tent with less than his usual enthusiasm. Meirin stood at the edge of their camp for some time, staring at the distant silhouettes of tall buildings visible beyond the wall. She had kept her surprise mostly contained, to not seem like the uneducated, unworldly clan girl she really was.

Delyth and Etienne were so unaffected by the massive collection of structures and people, of the giant wall. Delyth watched the roads leading in and out Gwynhafan but not with the mixture of excitement and trepidation that Meirin felt. Rather, she had the air of a warrior keeping track of possible assailants. And once Etienne had heard they would not be sleeping there, he only seemed disappointed.

But Meirin couldn’t keep her eyes off the looming presence of Gwynhafan and watched as the sunset painted the skies pink and orange, lighting the rooftops in soft hues. It seemed mysterious and magical and so tempting.

Meirin didn’t bother to try and converse with Delyth at all while they set up camp. The warrior only cared about stopping the Gods and getting her lover back. Of course, Meirin could understand that, but it didn’t make Delyth any better company. Instead, she focused on Etienne.

“How long does it take a people to make a city that large?” she asked, curiosity coloring her voice.

✶

“I suppose that depends on how many people there are,” Etienne said, but when he looked over at Meirin, her face still turned to the city, he tied the last knot in his tent and stepped closer. She looked so enthralled. “From the records my people hold, it took hundreds of years for this settlement to become what it is today. First, just a few dozen families lived here, worshipping Esha. As more came, it grew into a town and then a city. The walls weren’t erected until the war with Ingola three hundred years ago, and one side along with half the city had to be rebuilt after.”

Really, it was amazing that the city was as impressive as it was, given its history. For a moment, Etienne tried to see the distant rooftops through Meirin’s eyes, as though he had never before seen a grander settlement. It was easy after half a year in the wilderness. The experiment only made him a little homesick and even more frustrated with the endless nights in the wild.

Delyth had already set up her things and was unpacking their provisions with steady diligence. She did not quite take to the task like Alphonse might have, but she seemed to have come to think of it as her duty.

Meirin looked at Gwynhafan one last time and then turned to her companions. The sun had set.

“And your city, Etienne? How large is it?”

Etienne flushed. He didn’t want to sound as though he were bragging. “Quite a bit larger still.”

She whistled through her teeth, obviously impressed. “How long did it take your people to construct?”

“Very nearly as long,” Etienne said honestly. “Though it was never destroyed, and my people used a great deal more magic in its construction.”

He moved to sit at the fire, folding long legs beneath him. “You should see it one day. Dailion is quite the sight with the school rising from its center. It has walls like these but much bigger, with great, arching entrances that could fit twenty men abreast.”

Across the fire, Delyth looked up at this, though only for a moment, her expression distant and downcast. It had taken moons, but Etienne was finally learning her tells.

“What would I do in a tame city like yours, Etienne? Many warriors marching around, spears in hand?” Sighing, Meirin glanced towards Delyth, where she