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

Cam only nodded his head, too angry to speak.

“For now, we need to talk logistics,” Key said, taking over for Cam. “How many prisoners we’ll keep, what we’ll do with them, how we’ll supply the army for the march back. And what we will do from here on out.”

Cam stopped paying attention as Haesar and the others discussed plans to break away from the shattered zone and to head back toward the Mansion. Theus suggested that they round up as many wolves as they could on the way back, though what they would do with all those prisoners, Cam didn’t have the slightest idea.

He couldn’t seem to find the energy to engage himself. Not with such small problems. His eyes kept moving over to Brice and the deep gash in her forehead. He kept seeing her lying on the ground, bleeding from her head, unconscious and barely alive. It was a miracle that she was on her feet again only a day after the injury.

Toward the end of the meeting, she caught his gaze, and a small smile moved across her face. He smiled back and tried not to let his anger mar his emotion.

Haesar and Gwedi left after another twenty minutes of discussion. Cam stood and walked to the exit with Miuri and Brice on his heels. The others stayed to discuss logistics for the army.

“What was that back in there?” Brice asked as Cam swept out onto the field. Arter detached himself from the tent and followed the group at a respectful distance.

“What was what?” Cam asked.

“Don’t pretend like you don’t know what she means,” Miuri said. “All that about the gods and being unsafe.”

“It’s the truth,” he said. “You saw them. You saw what they can do.”

“Cam.” Brice took his arm and pulled. He turned to her, eyes hard, as she stared up at him. “I’m worried. That wasn’t like you.”

He softened his expression despite the fire raging in his gut. He reached out and touched Brice’s face.

“Don’t be worried,” he said. “I’ll be okay. I’m only thinking about the future.”

“The future is going to be fine.” Brice put her hand on his and drew it away from her face. She held it tight, lacing her fingers through his. “We have each other. We made it through.”

“She’s right,” Miuri said. “We all made it through.”

“Thousands didn’t,” Cam said.

“It was a battle. Death happens in battle. It can’t be avoided.” Miuri touched his shoulder.

He stood there for a moment with his two beautiful girls and looked from Brice to Miuri then back again. He wanted to accept their words, wanted it to quiet the rage deep in his heart, but he knew it wasn’t enough.

“I’ll try and calm down,” he said. “But I can’t stop thinking about what happened. I can’t stop thinking about our vulnerability. I just want to make sure you’re all safe.”

“We’re safe now,” Brice said.

Cam nodded and turned back to camp. He walked slower, took deeper breaths, held Brice’s hand, and draped an arm around Miuri’s shoulder. He tried to see the good in the future, tried to picture himself with his girls in the safety of the Mansion.

But all he could see was flashing lightning and earth shattering like clay.

42

The army returned to the Mansion after several days of marching. Half the men had fled while the goddesses fought, and so the first few days were spent gathering them back together. After that, the army had rolled back through the valley, finding small pockets of wolves and taking them prisoner when possible or killing them when the wolves refused to come easily.

There were few arguments, few problems, and the general mood in the camp was subdued but positive.

Cam felt a strange chill when he saw the switchbacks again. Although they’d been gone for a few weeks at most, it felt like he hadn’t seen them in ages. He marched ahead with a retinue of his personal guard, Miuri, Felin, Key, and Theus, while the army camped down at their entrance.

The looming columns marked the Mansion’s plateau. He felt his heart skip a beat as he stepped between them. The sun was nearly set and dust caked Cam’s clothes, but he felt a strange thrill of excitement. They reached the top and he stood staring across the open plain toward the enormous gaping mouth of the Mansion itself.

Three figures walked toward them. As they got closer, Cam recognized Galla, Dagan, and Kraed.

“Looks like your wife is here to see you,” Key said.

“Our wife,” Cam said. “And she brought company.”

“Is that Kraed? I wonder what he’s doing.”

“I thought he got out of politics,” Theus said.

“I thought so too,” Cam said. “But apparently not.”

Cam strode forward. Galla hurried, her face bright and beautiful. She threw herself at Cam and he caught her, arms wrapped around her soft body, and he remembered all over again what drew her to him in the first place.

“You’re back,” she said. “Gods, you’re back. Is it true, what the scouts said?”

“It’s over,” he said, pulling back to look her in the eye. “I swear, it’s over.”

“They say the gods themselves fought in the sky. That thousands died.”

Cam nodded. “But it’s over,” he said. “The wolves are broken. The land is free.”

She reached up and touched his cheek. “So why don’t you look happy?”

He forced a smile on his lips and hugged her again, this time trying to make himself feel what he was supposed to feel.

The Mansion’s conference hall held every village Elder at its large table. Cam sat at the head next to Galla. Key, Theus, Miuri, and Felin sat to Galla’s left.

The atmosphere in the room felt charged with excitement and uncertainty.

Galla stood. She looked radiant in green and gold. A small circular crown sat perched on her flowing red hair. She practically radiated a firm, gentle power over the room, and Cam felt himself being drawn toward her like everyone else in attendance.

Galla had been busy. The Wardens were overhauled into a personal guard of