“Oh, dearie me.” The crow fluffed her feathers. “I do hate to ignite a squabble.”
A snort escaped Ankou, but he was only saying what the rest of us were thinking.
“I bet you do.” Carter sounded as suspicious as I felt. “Why can’t her father meet her here?”
“Gods tend to stick to their own backyards, dearie. Safer for all of us that way.”
The subtle threat had Josie tightening her arms, like he might materialize and snatch me from her.
“Dis Pater isn’t my father.” I found my voice, but it came out soft. “I would know.”
History was riddled with gods willing to kill their children, and vice versa, but it didn’t make sense.
Breath held for her response, or a telling reaction, fear crowded in that I just didn’t want it to make sense.
“You’re here, he’s here,” she prevaricated, fluffing her chest. “What’s the harm in saying hello?”
A sour taste rose up the back of my throat, possibilities colliding, but I couldn’t make myself believe that I had the terrible luck to get stuck with a father who was also the person who killed me out of curiosity. I almost threw up in my mouth when I considered the other possibility. That Ankou’s god could be my…
No.
I refused to go there either.
Even if I was running out of known options, sperm donor candidates were infinite.
Turning my back on the omen, I returned my focus to Kierce. “I need that answer.”
Eyes as bright as twin moons, he stared at me with an agonized expression. “Then yes.”
Tears spilled down my cheeks, and my heart cramped with a thrill of excitement that beat back the fear.
“Yes?” I drifted a step closer, only stopping when Josie yanked me back. “You’re sure?”
“Yes.” He almost managed a smile then slid his eyes to Ankou. “What do you need me to do?”
“Suffer.” He sucked on his teeth. “And vow you won’t kill me for what happens next.”
When he opened his hand behind his back, a bone sat there. As I watched, it grew and sharpened until it was the blade from earlier. He tested its edge against his thumb, then he lifted his eyebrows at me.
“Ugh.” I kicked off my left shoe then tugged off the sock. “This is going to suck.”
“No.” Kierce pieced together our intentions in a heartbeat.“No.”
Wood cracked and vines tore as he ripped at the cage, trying to pry it open. To reach me. To save me.
His struggle confirmed this was the right thing to do, the only thing I could do if I wanted to keep him.
“Yeah. This part sucks.” Ankou twirled the blade on his palm. “Any volunteers, Bijou?”
“I don’t care.” I clenched my teeth and slid my bare foot closer to him. “Just do it fast.”
“What’s all this then?” The crow squawked and launched into the air. “You can’t mean to?—”
A dull thunk as the blade met sand registered first. Then came the pain. So much I couldn’t tell which toe he had chosen. But when I peeled open eyes I didn’t remember closing, I saw I was missing a pinky toe.
The roaring in my ears made it hard to hear. Shock? I must be going into shock.
Kierce stood before me, his hand around Ankou’s throat, squeezing until the god blood’s face purpled.
