The beings went silent in anticipation. It wasn't every day that one kept company with a goddess. That mouthy demoness licked her hand and smoothed her boy's hair around his velvety new horns.
When Riora appeared, Scribe announced, 'The goddess Riora.' The newcomers and the less jaded immortals stared in wonderment. Scribe fell back, looking enormously proud to be a servant to such a divinity.
Riora was resplendent, as goddesses tended to be, clad in a diaphanous gold robe, cinched tight under breasts so ample that many mistook her for a fertility goddess. Her wild raven hair flowed and waved as though in a constant swirling wind, and suddenly Kaderin wished Sebastian had never seen Riora.
Feigning nonchalance, Kaderin tilted her sword and picked up his reflection. She wouldn't care if he was staring slack-jawed like most of the other males. She wouldn't at all.
Yet, in the glow of one of the most ravishing female forms in this reality, Sebastian's gaze was locked on Kaderin. She tucked her hair behind her ear, oddly flattered, then scowled at herself. Tucking her hair? That was a gesture she used to make—in antiquity—whenever she grew flustered. Who are you these days, Kad?
'Greetings, Lore,' Riora began in her throaty voice. 'Tonight commences the Talisman's Hie, a contest that has not changed since its inception. The rules remain the same and are tedious to repeat'—she waved her hand dismissively and rolled her eyes—'every... single... two hundred and fifty years. So I'll give you the lowdown.
'You go all over the world and retrieve for me the talismans, charms, amulets, jewels, and other magickal gear that I want. Some of the tasks I've chosen have multiple items available at the end, and some have just one. All are designed in order to force you beings to fight. Which is fun. For me. I'm told not so much for you.'
She frowned, shrugged, then said, 'Each item is assigned a point value based on the difficulty in reaching it and the number available. When you reach a talisman, simply hold it steady above your heart, and it will find its way to me.'
She raised her pale arm, and Kaderin thought for a moment she'd snap her fingers and drop her knuckles to her hip. 'It was once observed to me that this mode of teleporting is amazing,' Riora mused, tapping her chin. 'I do not find that so. What is amazing is that all of you actually can boast hearts of some fashion, cold though they may be.' She flashed a look at Kaderin, who raised an eyebrow, then continued, 'The first two competitors to reach eighty-seven points go to the finals. The reason for this number is that there's no reason. After that, it's head-to- head for one last prize.'
Riora perused the crowd—doing a double take at the vampire—before she went on to say, 'There aren't that many rules, but I'll give you the biggest three. Number one: No outright killing of competitors until the final round. Though maiming, debilitating, and mystical or physical imprisonment are, of course, all acceptable.' She nodded eagerly as she added, 'And encouraged.' She held up two fingers. 'Number two: Only one prize per customer for each task. In other words, you can't clean out the stash and leave nothing behind for everyone else. And last: Do not commit any act that will draw human attention to the Lore. This has become more important than ever in this day and age. You will be disqualified immediately and be subject to my... displeasure.'
Flames beside her altar flared, lighting her menacing expression. Kaderin was among the few who knew that this seeming mask, so wild and feral, was in fact Riora's true appearance.
The fires fluttered as if from a breeze, and her façade grew pleasant once more. 'For each competitor, I have a scroll at the altar with my shopping list. In any given one- or two-day period or so, the lists will update themselves at 7:43, Riora Standard Time, which means that could be a jot irregular. With each update, you'll be given a new slate of tasks to choose from to be completed in a specified time frame. When the new tasks appear, the old ones are rendered worthless. Be aware, though, that some prizes and tasks will repeat, if I really want them or am amused the first time you attempt them.'
One of the nymphs in the back muttered, 'Nereus, for one.' Nereus, the obscenely endowed sea god who took flesh in payment for his talismans, was a Hie regular.
Scribe scowled; Riora ignored them. 'Now, would you like to know what you're competing for?' Everyone drew in. The temple fell silent. 'The grand prize, as always, is priceless and powerful.' She paused for dramatic effect, and Kaderin tilted her head, curious about what she would be dragging back to her coven this time.
She'd scored armor that couldn't be pierced and a battle ax that could kill Lore beings without having to behead them—the usual way for immortals to die. But both had been given in tribute to the Valkyrie's stalwart allies, the Furies. She'd won a choker that gave its possessor the siren's song, but that was kept by the New Zealand coven. She'd earned an armband that made its wearer feel overwhelming sexual desire. No one knew where that one was, and that made more than one Valkyrie nervous.
Riora's gaze passed over her once more. Kaderin felt the weight of the moment, pressing down on her...
'This Hie, you will compete for Thrane's Key.'
Kaderin's cold heart stopped.
11
At the gasps, Sebastian turned to ask what Thrane's Key was, then remembered none of these beings would speak to him.
Finally, Riora explained, 'The wizard Thrane dabbled with time travel, and his key unlocks a door through time, enabling its possessor to go into the past. It is theoretically the most powerful weapon on this earth.'
Sebastian was still much the human he once was, unversed in things from the Lore, but he was certain that the elemental traits of the earth were not different no matter who—or what—inhabited it. Physics was not different. Tracing, for instance, was possible by the laws of physics; time travel was not.
'How many times will the key work?' the Scottish bastard asked.
'Twice.'
The gathering erupted in noise once more. Was this competition a scam of some sort? Why were they so quick to believe the female at the altar who spoke of time travel so blithely? Was this Riora truly a goddess? She seemed otherworldly, to be sure, but so did Kaderin.
He traced back toward the woman with the apple and the girl Mariketa. The others seemed not to notice him. The Scot kept him pinned and Kaderin ignored him.
The woman murmured to Mariketa, 'The Valkyrie wants the key. Badly.'
Kaderin looked the same to Sebastian—her face calm, her measured strokes on her sword never varying.
'How can you tell?' Mariketa asked.
'Cold Kaderin's giving off lightning. Valkyrie produce it with strong emotion.'
Was that true? He glanced up through the glass dome and saw bolts painting the sky. The morning at his castle, he'd been so absorbed with her, so focused on keeping her there, that he'd noticed little else. Now, thinking back, he recalled thunder had been rumbling on a crystal-clear morning. He stared in awe. Did he find the lightning more fascinating because it was hers?
'She will be even more vicious than before,' the woman continued. 'We'll stay clear of her.'
He dropped his gaze to Kaderin once more. He'd experienced her violence already, but vicious? She could not appear less so. Her blond hair curled gently over her slim shoulders. Her fingers were fragile-looking, deft. So fair and delicate, Sebastian thought.
Yes. Fair and delicate. His eyes narrowed. Even as her file smoothed up and back over her weapon until the razor-sharp edges glinted.
The key. To go back in time.
Kaderin's sword hand shook wildly. Keep it together! Yes, she'd just received life-changing news, but she could never let anyone know how dearly she needed to win this prize. She needed to be cold.
She balled her hands into fists. Through the observatory skylight, lightning could be seen forking across the sky. Furtive glances were cast her way.
Lightning? Again?
Much was on the line. Everything was on the line. Her past and her future.
Her sisters' futures.
She could bring them back. All she had to do was win this competition.
