I gasped.
Yes. He was doing it. His shadows were defeating her. Another shadow snapped off her other hand, the cave dark other than the moonlight that shone through the hole, far enough away from them that it didn’t bother the shadows.
Khalasa screamed as blood poured from her wounds. She’d grow her hands back soon. The gods could be injured and hurt, but they could always recover. That was what made them deadly. Whatever Kairoth was planning, he needed to hurry.
The shadows forced Khalasa to her knees, wrapping around her so tight she couldn’t move.
Kairoth approached her, his boots thumping against the uneven ground.
Khalasa glared up at him.
“I won’t let you release them,” he said. “And I will find a way to defeat you once and for all.”
Khalasa struggled against the shadows, and she spit at Kairoth’s feet. “You are a coward. You won’t face the other gods after how you betrayed us all.”
“I didn’t betray anyone,” he said. “You were going to destroy the world.”
“Except we weren’t the ones who destroyed it, were we?” Khalasa asked.
Kairoth stiffened, one of his shadows lashing out from where it bound Khalasa. He needed to keep his emotions in check, to not let Khalasa get to him.
She smiled. “You let all those mortals die because you were selfish. Because you couldn’t handle that all the other gods were getting so much attention, so much adoration, while you were left behind.”
His eyes flashed red. “That’s why you think I trapped you?” He shoved a hand through his hair. “You are more delusional than I realized. All of you had gotten out of control. You were fighting all the time, and mortals were your casualties. You were using them like pawns on a game board.”
“Because that’s what they were,” Khalasa said.
Stop talking to her, Kairoth. Just whisk her away already. Get her back to the prison cells and out of this crypt.
But, of course, Kairoth couldn’t hear me. “I never meant for anyone to die. And believe me, I regret it more than you can ever imagine. But this is my second chance. I won’t let you destroy this world. Hurt these people.”
“And what’s your plan?” Khalasa asked.
Kairoth’s jaw tightened.
Khalasa laughed, her red lips curving as she threw her head back. “You don’t have one, do you? After all this time, you still don’t know how to destroy us.”
“It’s only a matter of time before I find out,” Kairoth said, raising his hand, his shadows lifting Khalasa into the air.
Blood still leaked from her nubs.
A realization hit me. I could do something to help. I could find a part of Khalasa’s mind to manipulate, to weaken her. I could try and put her to sleep. Anything. Kairoth didn’t have to fight this battle alone. I felt stupid that I hadn’t thought of this sooner. But I would do whatever it took to help him win, to help keep him safe.
I stretched out my hands and summoned my star magic, using it to brighten the space before me, still blank and empty. Khalasa hid so much away. If I didn’t know she was a goddess, I’d think she was dead based on what I felt, what I saw.
I needed to explore, and there wasn’t time for that.
“Well, well, well,” Khalasa said. “Looks like we have a visitor. She’s a clever one. Which makes sense since she’s my daughter.”
No. She knew I was here. In her mind. I should have left, but I couldn’t, not until I saw that Kairoth was safe, that Khalasa was on her way back to being imprisoned. I turned back to the window, dread filling me.
“What are you talking about?” Kairoth snapped.
“Your little pet. She’s in my mind, watching all of this. I could break her, you know. I could go into her mind and twist it as badly as I did her father’s. Make her go mad. Make her think you’re the enemy.”
“Touch her, and you will . . .”
“What?” Khalasa asked. “What will you do to me?”
