“Not anymore,” the sphinx purred. “But once, there was a seventh god. The most ferocious of them all. Strong enough to break the precious balance of power that cradles every world in the palm of its hand.”
I met Jezebel’s wide-eyed stare. Behind her, even Erista was frozen in shock at this revelation.
“H-how is that possible?” I stuttered. “Whathappened?”
The sphinx’s voice turned melodic again, a story etched in truth. “Longer ago than any living memories can recall,sevengods oversaw the realms. And when they were created out of the mists of the universes, their power was equal, each with domain over a designated denomination, not unlike your Angels.
“But over time, the power warped in some.” She tilted her head—pityingly or ruefully, I couldn’t tell—and her onyxhair slid over her shoulder. “The beings they commanded on Ambrisk grew much more powerful than the rest. The Warrior, Sorcia, and Fae deities became the strongest of the gods, as their children were on land. And still, among those three, one’s power stretched bounds beyond the others. Spanned capabilities the other two could only dream of.”
The sphinx settled her chin on her paws, dreamily saying, “But oh, did he wish to use it. Oh, did he look down at his children and see howtheycould supremely rule this world. What other realms they could access bridges to.” She sighed, reluctantly tacking on, “This kind of thinking, this greed…it is very dangerous to peaceful existence. Especially when greed melds with such power. And so, the known gods devised a plan to entrap the rapacious Warrior God within his own power. To imprison him and lock him away.”
“They simply…trapped him?” I asked. Was he still alive? Could a god die?
Spirits, this was unbelievable.
The sphinx nodded. “Each of the six known gods and goddesses sacrificed a kernel of their magic to build the prison.”
Pushing back to her feet, the sphinx rounded the pool. Waving a paw above the water, the known gods formed above the calm surface. Their faces were blurred, but their frames highlighted one by one as she went on, “Thallia, the Witch Goddess of Sorcia, gave the most as the strongest of the six. She forged the lock that keeps the Warrior God bound.
“The Fae Goddess entwined her magic into the histories, staying the tongues of those who remember this account. Making it so that the Warrior God was wiped from texts and unable to be spoken of. Another tale left to be forgotten to the winds.” Aoiflyn’s glowing image dulled, a book snapping closed in her hand.
I gasped. “That’s why Damien could never share this. Why he looked so pained when he tried to.”
The sphinx nodded. “The Fates, even, cannot tell of the Warrior God, thanks to Moirenna’s promises to honor Aoiflyn’s tongue-tied bargains.”
“And why Vale’s magic malfunctioned,” Jezebel whispered. “She was trying to read things that are locked, until Titus broke through the block with the imbued seeing chambers.”
“And while that helped clarify most readings, the gods have still been muddled,” I said.
Spirits, it all made so much sense once we had this final piece.
A latch switched.
The sphinx continued, “Nature contains the god and does not whisper his name. Mystical beasts disappeared as their lines died out. Creatures walking in death, whom he wished to rule and who bowed to him, were trapped in their fiery realms.”
One by one, each of the gods’ images dimmed, fading into the water as the sphinx named their sacrifice.
“Every one of the six gods weakened themselves?” I clarified. “They handed over their magic in order to keep this one god away?”
The sphinx nodded.
I watched the known gods vanish into the water’s surface, mournful auras around their pristine bodies.
Was he truly that horrendous, then? His nefarious greed a possible ruin of the world?
Or was it their own jealousy that caused them to imprison their brother?
“How does this pertain to the Angelcurse? How did it begin?”
“All magic requires a loophole, as you well know,” the sphinx purred. I thought back to Kakias’s immortality ritual, to whichmy very life had been the loophole. “In order to seal the lock, the balance of power demanded there was a way to reopen it.”
“Why?” Jezebel asked, a bit skeptically. “If he truly is that horrible, why allow for that?”
“The balance commands all that we are.”
“The gods cannot overrule it?” Jez braced her hands on her hips.
But it was Erista who said, voice shaking, “Even Artale cannot negotiate with the balance of power. It is a pillar of our world, something we are taught the moment we start guiding spirits.”
