Prologue
Neritous
The skies are dark, and the full moon illuminates the rocky ground below us as we hurry across the barren valley to the ancient ruins in the distance. The prison casts its dark shadow over us from far away, and the world is eerily silent, in spite of the chaos that I know is unfolding in the prison at this very moment. There’s no escaping for those within, and that suits us just fine; we have what we came here for. It’s a shame that cat bitch had to jump in front of our magic, but it’s hardly the end of the world. By this time a few months from now, the world will be trembling before us once more, and the twin gods of justice will be nothing but a hiccup in the grand story of our family… and our legacy.
Our legacy, I think, pulling the limp girl from my shoulders and setting her down on the dust-covered ground. Her fiery red hair spills across the stone like a pool of blood, her skin as pale as the moon in the darkness of the night. It’s such a contrast, and as I look down at her still form, I’m reminded of just how much she looks like her mother. That isn’t the only similarity, though; she’s beautiful, innocent, so unaware of her place in the world… and of just how much of a threat she truly is.
“Do we wake her?” asks my companion, coming to stand beside me and stare down at her. He crosses his arms, tilting his head to the side as if he’s seeing her for the first time. It’s strange, getting a good look at her after all this time and searching. I still find it amazing how something so lovely could hold such destructive power… and that’s the joke of it all. She doesn’t even know what she’s capable of.
Realizing he’s waiting for a response, I pry my eyes away from the sleeping girl and turn to look at him. “No,” I tell him after a moment’s thought. “Karma must not know the truth. At least, not yet.”
“Are you sure that’s wise?” he asks, and I can sense the skepticism in his tone.
I nod grimly. “Karma must not know the truth,” I explain. “She must not know that it was me who saved her from the prison. No one must know.”
“She’ll find out one way or another,” he says, shifting his weight as he returns his gaze to the sleeping Karma. “Why not deal with it now?
“Because I want to see who she is first,” I reply. “We need to know the full extent of her abilities, and her… malleability. If she is more a Kismet than anything else, there is no point in keeping her alive.” I pull my gaze away from her, taking a step back. “If she can’t learn to embrace her true power, then she is nothing to us. The only way we will no for certain will be to wait… and observe.”
My companion nods slowly, and although he doesn’t seem completely convinced, he wisely doesn’t make his resistance obvious. “Of course,” he replies. I turn and begin to walk away, ready to prepare the next step in my plan. It’s the next sentence out of his mouth that causes me to stop dead in my tracks, my eyes going wide and my body going rigid from head to toe. “If she takes our family traits, though,” he says slowly, deliberately, “then she might be able to kill us. You must know that.”
“Then find a way to make sure she can’t,” I tell her, straightening up and not turning around. “Break her, if that’s what it takes, or find me someone that can.” I pull my hood up as I carry on walking, leaving my family alone to do what they do best: destroy every part of Karma Kismet’s soul. I must admit that it will be a little disappointing to see the fire in her eyes go out - she had such tenacity, such drive… but this is our chance to mold her into the weapon that we need, and I am prepared to do whatever it takes to make that happen.
Until then, though, I have a world to destroy and a new order to establish. We’ve been slumbering on our potential for far too long, and this girl is the key. But there is much work to be done, and I don’t have time to wait for the changes to begin. As I walk, I finger the girl’s charm necklace in my pocket before pulling it out and glancing down at it. It’s almost cute - innocent and naive, a remnant of a life she’s never going to see again. I squeeze it in my hand, so tightly that the little metal medallions dig into my palm. There’s only one charm on this necklace that matters. I open my hand to stare down at it now, lifting it and watching as it gleams under the pale moonlight. It’s time the world knew about the gods who truly rule it…
1
The first thing I become aware of, aside from the splitting pain in my head, is that something cold is brushing against my cheek. It feels like concrete or stone, and I realize through my spinning head that I’m lying on the ground. A cool breeze tickles my cheek and sweeps a few strands of hair out of my face, and I for a moment I think I must be hallucinating when I hear the sounds of gently rustling leaves in the distance. But no, it’s not a hallucination; another breeze rushes over me, and I become aware of other sounds, too… Night sounds. Outdoorsy sounds.
Am I outside? I wonder, and the concept feels almost foreign to me. My whole body feels like it’s being weighed down by something, and the pain of even shifting a little against the cold ground is enough to surge through my muscles at the slightest movement. I let out a weak groan, allowing my eyes to flutter open, and the sight before me is nearly enough to make me cry: above me is the endless night sky, an infinite expanse of darkness the color of ink. The clouds are backlit by bright moonlight, and there are stars all around me; I don’t think I’ve ever really appreciated seeing the stars until this moment. It’s so beautiful, and I instantly remember how much I really missed this. The days and nights in the prison had begun to bleed together after a while, and with next to no way to see outside or know how much time had passed, I had started to feel like I was trapped in some sort of infinite nightmare. Granted, I’d made friends in there - and maybe even a little more - but that didn’t change what it was at the end of the day: a prison. A cage. And now I’m free, back under the night sky.
I could stare at that night sky for hours, counting every little star and wishing I could remember them all forever. Though it used to bring me peace, the night sky is now a cold reminder of the past, of everything that happened to get me to this moment. I feel an incredible surge of sadness as the events of the past few days come rushing back to me like a tidal wave: the higher god I killed. The twin gods of justice coming after me and throwing me in prison. The mysterious cloaked figures who put them in jail alongside me. Storm, with his mysterious test and gorgeous eyes, his tragic past and his cottage and the kiss that we shared. And then there’s Jade… poor Jade. A tear leaks out of my eye in spite of my best efforts to stay strong, and I find myself missing my family more in this moment than I ever have before.
Come on, Karma, I tell myself, closing my eyes and willing myself to take a deep breath, you have to stay focused. Your job isn’t finished yet. There’s a moment’s pause, and then the voice in my head adds, What would Peyton do?
I can practically hear him giving me a pep talk already, and it’s motivation enough to open my eyes again and face the bitter memories that the night sky provokes.
My gods, my family, and my best friend need me. I’ve lost plenty, but there’s plenty that I need to protect. I can’t lie here and give up. I’m a Kismet, and we don’t give up.