Total pages in book: 151
Estimated words: 147649 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 738(@200wpm)___ 591(@250wpm)___ 492(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 147649 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 738(@200wpm)___ 591(@250wpm)___ 492(@300wpm)
“He was there for me too.” Pie is frowning. Like she’s recalling her trip down Memory Lane. “And he’s not just an eros. He’s the Eros.”
Tomas nods. “Yes, I figured.”
“Well, long story short, the old gods got… old. And people forgot about them. So they formed some kind of pact, I think. To keep some power. But only twelve from each pantheon.”
“And let me guess,” Tomas says. “They didn’t include Eros.”
“They did not.”
“So he’s what?” Pie shrugs. “Just a… jealous dick?”
Tomas smiles. “Sounds about right. And what about the last part, Pie?”
Again, she’s got the words ready. “‘Upend the world, make me the king. Tarq and Pie, a new godling. And I will leave you all behind, and be myself with my own kind.’”
“Well, that’s a promise of… trust?” Tomas offers.
“He’ll keep his promise and let us all go if I have Tarq’s baby.”
Pie says this with… “Are you being wistful?”
She screws up her face as she looks at me. “What?”
“You just said ‘Tarq’s baby’ like you were looking forward to it.”
“I did not!”
“You did, Pie.” Tomas is nodding in agreement.
Pie’s mouth drops open. “I’m not in love with Tarq.” Then she points at me. “But if I am, it’s your fault! You planted the seed!”
“OK.” I rub my temple. I really do have a headache. “Forget about Tarq. I’m sure there’s a way to fix that in the future.” I eyeball Pie as I say this just to make sure she agrees. She nods. Not enthusiastically, but I’ll take it. “Eros wants revenge on the gods who fucked him over. It’s a pretty simple task, actually.”
“Is it?” Tomas isn’t so sure.
“Well, he told us how to do it. All we have to do is bring him Tarq.”
“And you’re OK with that?”
I narrow my eyes at Pie a little. “I thought you hated him.”
“Hate is a strong word. And it’s not about me, it’s about you. You’re supposed to be loyal.”
She’s deflecting because she doesn’t want to admit she’s now in love with Tarq. But again, I need to focus. So I stay on point. “I have been loyal.”
“Forever, Pell! Loyal forever.”
Tomas and I look at each other. He’s on my side. “Forever is a rather long time, Pie. And Tarq is the only way out.”
She blows out a breath and throws up her hands. “Fine. You sell out your friend. But I’m not selling out mine.” She points at me. “And I’m saving the monsters too. Even if they are assholes now that we can understand them.”
“Agreed,” Tomas says. “Now about this wheel.” He points to the floor. “I’m guessing we need a spelling to get it working.”
I’m so annoyed, so I’m growling again. “Why can’t there just be a fucking door?”
“Just go with it, Pell, and—” But that’s as far as she gets. Because a spell comes spilling out of her mouth. “‘A buck, a moth, a dragon’s wheel. A time to win and a time to heal. Stand in the middle, turn around. And you’ll be headed homeward-bound.’”
Tomas and I make faces of approval. He walks to the center of the painted wheel. “You’re a very talented speller, Pie.”
“Thanks. But…” She joins Tomas in the center of the wheel. “He kind of insulted us. He practically called us spelling amateurs.”
“He did,” I agree, walking forward towards them. “But he was talking to me, not you.” We stand back to back, facing out. “Now what?” Tomas asks.
“‘Stand in the middle, turn around.’”
We start shuffling our feet in a tight circle, keeping our backs together. And I’m just about to call this whole thing stupid when we really start spinning. Like feet-off-the-floor spinning. Faster, and faster, and faster, like a tornado.
And then…
We fall right on our asses.
But there’s a bit of a soft landing. Not much, it’s only my forest grass. But it’s enough.
And… we’re home.
“Hey! Where’s Tomas?” Pie is already getting up.
She offers me a hand and I take it, then point at her and say, “Cute,” which makes her blush. “He’s probably in the dungeon. That’s his home.”
“Hmm. Well, I’m glad I didn’t go to my cottage.”
“Why would you go there? This is your home.”
She snuggles into me. “Awww.”
“OK. So. Let’s get this show on the road. We’ll go to Vinca, grab Tarq—”
“No!”
“Now what’s wrong?”
She points at me. “You go to Vinca. I go to Jacqueline.”
“Pie?”
“Hmm?”
“Fuck that.”
She chuckles. “Why?”
“Because the fuckin’ eros is with Jacqueline. When we go see him, we go together. In fact, we should do everything together. All the time.”
“Agreed. Except this time.” I’m just about to object when she puts up a hand. “Fine. Jacqueline can wait until we have Tarq. But I also need to go set all the monsters in the Bottoms free. Including Callistina.”
“Don’t forget Nysta. She’s part of the plan.”
“Yeah.” Pie sighs. “Banishing her was not my best moment.”
“OK. I can get on board with this. I’m not sure what Tomas is doing, but we don’t need him. I’m pretty sure we can wrap this shit up in like thirty minutes. And you are not having Tarq’s baby.”