Total pages in book: 119
Estimated words: 110079 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 550(@200wpm)___ 440(@250wpm)___ 367(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 110079 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 550(@200wpm)___ 440(@250wpm)___ 367(@300wpm)
“Your magic is a gift from Kaes. Just a sliver of his power. Since it once belonged to him, it meant Kaes could control that magic and ultimately take it back.” Tyche paused and licked his lips. “But you did something interesting. You didn’t simply learn to use what he gave you. You took what tiny bit of magic humans are born with and added a piece to Kaes’s magic. As a result, it became an entirely new piece of magic that no longer belongs to Kaes. It is solely yours. He can never take that away.”
“I don’t understand. What magic do humans have?”
Tyche lifted his head from Shey’s chest and smiled. “Your soul. You put a little piece of your soul into that magic, making it your own.”
“Does that mean I’m a god now?”
The minor god fell onto his back, laughing. The sound filled the room until Shey poked him in the stomach. He knew it was a long shot, but it wasn’t that funny.
“Sorry. Sorry.” Tyche rolled to him and threw an arm across his waist, cuddling him. “You’ve got a long way to go before hitting god. Even minor god. But you’re not fully human anymore.” He hummed to himself as if thinking. “How about demigod? That sounds about right.”
Demigod worked for Shey. It was a starting point. And he’d do whatever he had to in order to keep Tyche safe.
THIRTY-TWO
TYCHE
The day began with evil people banging on their bedroom door at the crack of dawn with news that the flag-raising ceremony had been moved from two in the afternoon to ten in the morning. Tyche moaned and groaned, stumbling his way through getting dressed while everyone else in the house was running about. The sun wasn’t even up yet, and they were charging around, ready to wage war. Who the fuck started the day like that?
Of course, it all made sense. This was Feng and his minions trying to sneak in their ceremony while avoiding any kind of confrontation with the citizens of Bellcairn. It didn’t matter. Hayden had her people prepared. They were marching on Founders Square and the capitol building while Ty was still sucking down his coffee.
After a quick stolen kiss, Tyche was out the back door with Jules. Shey, Adrian, and Haru would follow with Quill a short time later. While everyone else in the house was dressed in jeans and T-shirts, he and Jules left in uniforms for the Damardor security forces that would protect the main building. They even had helmets with face shields. As they ran out, Nigel pressed into their hands a new set of security badges that would get them through most blockades with barely a glance.
At least that was the plan.
Unlike Haru, Adrian, and Shey, he and Jules were wearing handguns in holsters and knives clipped to their waists.
A queasiness sloshed in Tyche’s stomach, and his heart sped up with every step they took. He hadn’t let himself check the bones last night or this morning. There was no point. The reading would inevitably be a mess—just like it had been since they left Sirelis. There were too many variables. Too many chances for things to go horribly wrong. Those variables also meant that he could luck into things going right, too.
As they jogged through the streets, avoiding the blocks where large groups of marchers were gathering, Tyche searched for a bit of good luck to steal for later, and he was coming up empty-handed. It was as if all the negative energy in Bellcairn was summoning bad luck and forcing all the good away.
No, it was okay.
He had more than luck to rely on now. He possessed Yesuntei’s powers of nightmares. If only he’d thought of asking her how her magic worked. There were also old Wu’s powers to create accidents. That was even harder to wrap his brain around.
Of course, he claimed to be the so-called God of Chaos when he needed to talk big to Kaes, but big, showy, chaotic magic wouldn’t work here. Not unless he wanted to annihilate all the humans in the square. He needed pinpoint precision if he and Jules were going to get out of this alive, while leaving Rati Feng dead.
Jules stopped at the corner of a building and leaned on it before cautiously peering down the street. He looked odd in his black riot gear and protective armor. His helmet was a little too big for his head and made him look even more awkward. Tyche couldn’t bring himself to chuckle, though, because he was pretty sure he appeared just as ridiculous.
He leaned against the rough brick next to Jules and surveyed the neighborhood. Now that the sun was rising, he could see that the sky was a bright, cloudless blue. Tall, narrow buildings similar to the one they were currently staying in filled the street, but these were all white or pale tan bricks. The climbing roses on the trellises had faded, and there were mums in flower pots everywhere. It was only now that he noticed that the trees that lined this block were more than dark green. There were hints of yellow and orange peeking out, stirred into a subtle dance by the gentle early-morning breeze.