“For this and your continued loyalty, I promise to release Marduk into your care when I have conquered the world.”
“Thank you, Dark Star.” Enki bowed.
“You're welcome.” I nodded and continued past him to the elevator.
As soon as the elevator doors closed, I fastened the pendant around my neck. If my ex-husbands tried to poison me with their blood again, I would be prepared. I wouldn't have to suffer through their memories. My thoughts trailed away as the elevator surged upward, replaced by lingering remnants of those memories. They hadn't felt traitorous to me. They had felt...
“Stop that,” Star said as she appeared. “They are traitors. If they weren't, they'd be here.”
My doubt instantly disappeared, and I took a deep, relieved breath.
“What's that?”
“What?” I frowned at her.
“That necklace. I didn't make that.”
“Enki gave it to me.” I scowled deeper. “Didn't you see? He did so just moments ago.”
“I was focused on gathering your council. I can't be everywhere at once.”
“I thought you were always in my head.”
“My magic is always inside you; it's my tether,” she explained. “But this conscious part of me takes effort and concentration. It's easier to focus on one thing at a time when I separate myself from you.”
“I see,” I murmured.
I tried not to let relief wash through me; I didn't want Star to feel unwanted. But having another consciousness inside me could get stifling. Before, Star had only been magic. I never felt as if I had another person in my head. But now, it was like having Faerie with me constantly. Worse; Star pushed me in ways that Faerie never would.
“Your council is waiting in the war room,” Star announced. “Have you decided where we'll go next?”
“We will head across Africa as planned.” I shrugged. “I suppose Libya will be next and then Sudan. We should be methodical and thorough.”
“Very wise.” Star nodded in satisfaction.
I played with the pendant on my neck and tried not to think about what it contained. For some reason, I didn't want Star to know about the water.
Chapter Forty-One
Al Jaghbub, Libya is a tiny, desert village near an oasis in the Sahara desert. The Sahara covers most of Libya and the journey to the border town must have been rough on the thousands of men and women who came in tanks, ATVs, and even on foot to defend their country. No gods came to help them; they were on their own. But these were people who were familiar with war; their lives had been full of conflict. This was more of the same, just on a greater scale.
I should have felt admiration for them. At the very least, I should have sympathized. These were the very type of people who needed me the most. The ones I had set out to save. Perhaps that's what made me so angry.
I glared at the front line of the human army. Weapons slung across forearms, tanks rumbling in readiness, and expressions hard. The desert spread out behind them in what seemed to be an endless sea of sand. To the rest of the world, it was a wasteland. But to a dragon, it was paradise. Heat and wide-open spaces. This was a fire kingdom on Earth, and I intended to rule it. These humans would soon learn that no one could deny the Dark Star.
I swung my massive dragon head from left to right, taking stock of my commanders, mounted atop dragons of sapphire, ruby, emerald, and jet. Jewel dragons for my star gods. General Sin would be staying on the ground to lead our god soldiers while I took to the sky with my dragons. Anticipation shivered beneath my scales until I could wait no longer. I roared and took flight.
The Star Gods followed me into the air, and we swept over the sand toward the human army on a hot wind. As I flew, my rage grew. How dare they defy me? I had come to free them. To guide them to peace. And this was how they repaid me? Fools. Bloodthirsty simpletons. Humans stand no chance against Gods. They would pay for their mistake with their lives.
With my fury, the nine-pointed star inside my chest started to shine. Its light grew and flared out, connecting me to the Star Gods. They shouted triumphantly as our magic merged, beams of brilliant amethyst joining us. I felt their power magnifying mine as I focused theirs, and I opened my mouth to release the fire that rose with my power. Except, instead of flames, dark starlight burst up my throat and hit the human army.
The starlight brightened as the beams connecting me to my star gods started flowing faster. My vision expanded to see real stars, burning in deep space. Fueling my star gods and me. Galaxies reeled away in my dual sight as I drew on that light. I felt connected to everything; at one with all magic. I flew the length of the human army and breathed that deep-space starlight over every soldier there. The rest of my army pulled back to watch in wonder as my commanders and I made them irrelevant. All the humans could do was scream as they watched the light come for them and even that didn't last long. As soon as my sparkling breath hit them, they were gone. A nuclear blast without the fallout. Bodies simply evaporated. No pain. No chance to run. Just gone.
I finally reached the end of the army and let go of the starlight. With it, my fury faded as well. I took a deep breath as I circled up and back. The blindingly bright bonds that connected me to my star gods vanished into afterimages, ghosts in my eyes. There was a moment of complete silence when I reached my army. A space of time in which the
