Goddess Rising

“We could use this.” The prince was brandishing a short knife, swishing it about like an overzealous warrior. Its blade gleamed like the cleanest silver.

“What does it do?”

“It cuts anything. If we cut up your soul, it could make it unrecognizable.”

It seemed like a joke, but there was no amusement on his face.

She pried the knife from his hand. “Let’s put it at the bottom of the list.”

Aria had never dreamed of searching the Black God’s storeroom, and if she had, the reality would have been a disappointment. There were hundreds of objects tidily organized on rows of shelves, but none with any visible magical aspect. She picked up a glass orb and the Prince said, “that plays a tune from Rainy Nights. I loved it when I was eight.” She picked up a mirror and he said, “That turns your face into a rabbit’s.”

She rolled her eyes. “You loved it when you were five?”

“Six.”

“Is every object in here a toy for you?”

He was sorting through a wooden box almost half his height. “Only about ninety percent. Birthday gifts grew more sophisticated as I got older, but also less tangible. This looks promising.”

He pulled out a sheet of fabric. It was large enough to serve as a blanket but made of thin, white cloth.

As she watched, he wrapped it around himself and promptly disappeared. A moment later, he reappeared in the same spot, holding the blanket to one side.

Aria took the blanket and wrapped it around herself. “Another toy for hide-and-seek.”

“No. It’s too big. I suspect I placed it over servants and made them invisible. But it’s a short-term solution. We need something permanent.”

Aria suspected they would not find it in that graveyard of toys.

The prince’s eyes widened. “He’s here! Hide!”

The closet was too far away, and all the tall shelves stood flush against walls, so Aria did the obvious thing: She threw the blanket over herself and stood still. The prince pushed towards the nearest wall, and then they were out of time.

The door opened without a creak and the prince turned to face it.

“You’re back.”

There was a smile in his voice, but she also heard unease. Silently, she cursed at him and hoped the encounter would end quickly.

The Black God walked the path up to them in silence. They were so far into the room that it seemed to take hours. When he reached the prince, he took a look at the disturbed shelves and box the half-empty box. Then he spoke in a level tone.

“Did she escape?”

“What do you mean?” Aria had never heard a more guilty denial.

The Black God clearly agreed. He chuckled. The sound was light, but it failed to relax her. “Did you take the ring, at least? It could be dangerous to a human.”

The prince closed the distance to his father. He made it seem natural, but he was moving away from Aria.

“You need to make more sense, Papa. What ring?”

Aria clamped a hand over her mouth and nose. If his acting got any worse, her laughter could give her away. Fortunately, the Black God seemed to forget the matter. He pressed a hand to the prince’s forehead.

“Your fever is back. You should be resting.”

The prince stepped out of his reach. “I’ve done nothing but rest.”

“I’ll give you - “

“I don’t want to be drugged into sleep. I feel fine. If I don’t, I’ll handle that too. I’m four hundred years old. I don’t need a nanny.”

Aria could spot a recurring argument on its way. The Black God saved the situation, however. He eyed the shelves once more, passing his eyes over Aria’s hiding spot, then turned and headed for the door. It seemed to pain him to do it.

“Papa.”

Aria almost screamed. Let him go.

The Black God turned and waited for his son’s words.

“Will you really not forgive the girl? She’s just a child. Humans are foolish. For my sake, you could just let it go.”

The Black God walked back to his son and put a palm on Achi’s cheek.

“What do you think I am doing? Do you truly believe that you are hiding her? Every moment from now until her punishment is a gift from me. Tell her to use it wisely.”

“She could apologize. If she does -”

“If she sincerely apologizes, I will give her the opportunity to cheerfully accept her punishment. That should be enough.”

“Really, father -”

“Enough!”

The room stilled. Every molecule of air froze in place. A plant - decorative or magical - sat on a low shelf across from Aria. At the god’s words, even it seemed to shrink as if hiding from the voice. It was one word, yet Aria felt its power pressing on her log after its sound had faded. Here was a voice that, if it commanded the air to leave her lungs, would not be disobeyed.

Only the prince stayed unrestrained. “Papa -”

“You know what you are asking, so spare me the task of denying you over and over again. She made a choice, well aware of what she was doing. It is not now my task to deny her the reward for her choices. Hide her if you wish, for as long as you wish. I will grant you that. But you, too, are a god of justice. Had she harmed me, you would not take the matter so lightly. What you ask, I cannot give.”

“She is just a child -”

“All the better to teach the other children of the world.”

He disappeared.

“Coward.” The prince muttered. “Always running from arguments.”

Aria remained beneath the blanket. A god who could disappear could appear just as easily. But he never returned.

“You can come out,” the prince said. “He’s gone to his quarters, probably to cook up a sleeping medication.” He glared at Aria. “Next time you try to kill me, do it well.”

Aria hesitated, she he walked up to her and pulled the blanket off. His hand missed its position the first time, but not the second.

“Can he hear me?” She whispered.

“Not in here.” He turned away from her and began searching shelves again, picking up objects and almost immediately replacing them. “There’s nothing here. None of these will work.”

He was suddenly angry. She could not tell if it was at her, his father, or the situation. “There’s nothing here and you need to leave before something goes wrong.”

Aria could not leave. She had nowhere to go and no ways to save herself.

“Then what?” She asked. “Do I wander about until another god kidnaps me and brings me back here.”

He paused and seemed to ponder the situation. “I don’t think Papa would let you go. If you can work up an apology, I could plead your punishment down to death.” He eyed her. “Give me your best apology.”

Aria shook her head. “No one is all my years, has ever fallen for one of my false apologies.”

“Try.”

She cleared her throat. “Your Eminence, I am terribly sorry that I attempted to kill your son and solemnly swear - “

“Stop. By all the gods, you look as if you’re accusing him of murder.”

“Well, he is trying to punish an innocent person. Even kings should know better than that and he’s a god!”

“We’ll work on it.” He placed a hand on her back and guided her back toward the wardrobe. “But we need time. I’ll speak to Garo. If he helps we might be able to execute plan A.”

“Plan A?”

“Kill you to scar your soul and make you unrecognizable.”

She suddenly remembered her misgivings about that plan. How would it work? Would it fool the Black God? But she asked the most pressing one. “Why Garo? You said I would go to his afterlife, but that’s not true. I’m more attuned to Evera.”

He paused, gave her a once-over, and laughed. “You’re charming, compassionate, overwhelmingly attractive, and obsessed with white?”

“Well, but - I’m certainly not like Garo.”

He shoved her into the wardrobe and attempted to shut the doors, but she stuck a hand between them.

“Most people who are like Garo do not believe it of themselves. But you should. Did you climb up the ranks of his servants by being timid, unintelligent, and kind? Even now, you’re here accusing the most powerful god in the universe of being wrong. Learn some self-consciousness.”

He pushed her hand into the closet and locked it. She struggled for a moment but, gave up when she did nothing but rattle the doors.

“One more question.” She had to ask it before they were out of the storeroom. “My memories. I don’t remember poisoning you. Surely that means something.”

He said nothing. Instead, he lifted the wardrobe and she was forced to its back again.

“Please. How can I even apologize if I don’t remember doing anything wrong.”

“He will not give you the memories. They contain knowledge of how to kill me. So, you’ll simply have to look within yourself and judge what you are capable of.”

“I know I am innocent.”

“What you should be is quiet.”

She fell asleep.