“No,” I whispered in horror. “That's not possible. Sin helped me. He protected me. He wouldn't take my magic from Marduk, even if Marduk got past his anger enough to offer it to Sin. No way.”
“Sometimes your total obliviousness just blows my mind,” Dustin from Stranger Things announced.
“Hey!” I snapped. “Don't be using quotes against me. That's my thing.” Then I stopped and realized that I was yelling at myself for being myself. “Yeah, okay, that was dumb.” I grimaced. “That's what I get for watching a Stranger Things marathon.”
The mist solidified into a white screen and my memories started playing across it, crackling and flashing like a home movie. I saw Marduk running out of his palace again, fury and shock filling his face. The lightning hit; he rose into the air. It all played out there, along with the nuances I had missed in the midst of battle. I saw myself accusing Marduk of breaking his vow by torturing Sin then I noticed how deeply Marduk had scowled.
“Your lies won't work here, harlot,” he sneered.
I moved closer to the screen and studied Marduk's expression. It wasn't all anger, there was also a blankness in his eyes and a wrinkle between his brows. He didn't know what I was talking about.
“He didn't know?” I whispered. “But I saw Marduk there. I argued with him. I saw him hit Sin. How...” I trailed off as the memory shifted and a new scene played on the screen.
Marduk stared around at the illusion I had cast with narrowed eyes. “What is it; an illusion?” He grinned. “Of course it is; you have moon magic like Sin. You thought to trick me!”
“Moon magic like Sin,” I said brokenly. “I trusted him, and he played me. He made me think Marduk was after me. He even tossed in that tidbit about Marduk being pissed because I didn't teach him how to use territory magic. So fucking clever.”
I remembered how the chair and chains didn't come through the Aether with us when I rescued Sin. Neither had Sin's injuries. All of the wounds Marduk inflicted were gone in an instant.
“Because Sin was never tortured and Marduk was never there. It was all an illusion, crafted to trick me into war. How very like a god.”
The fog fell instantly, and I was left on a dreary plain. Grass lay damp and trodden beneath my feet, trees shivered around me, and a melancholy moon hung overhead.
I stared up at it and cursed, “Damn you, Sin!”
Chapter Fifty
“I wish I were going with you,” Arach growled.
I'd woken up that morning and told Arach my suspicions. I couldn't wait another day; I needed to go back to the God Realm and confront Sin now or it would eat away at me. So, I was leaving once more but this time, I'd say goodbye properly.
“I'm not a hundred percent sure yet.” I kissed Arach softly. “He could be innocent.”
Arach gave me a scoffing look.
“I'm going to give Sin a chance to defend himself,” I said firmly. “He deserves that much at least.”
“Now, I really wish I were going back with you,” he huffed. “You're too lenient.”
“I'll be fine.” I crouched to speak to my boys. “I'll be back in a few minutes,” I promised.
“Okay, Mother,” Rian said before he kissed my cheek.
Brevyn hugged and kissed me then stood back to stare at me steadily. “Did you find out where your moon went, Mother?”
I sighed deeply. “I think I did, baby. Now, I need to make sure.”
Brevyn nodded as Dexter and Deidre nudged forward for their hugs. I stroked their soft fur then stood up and looked at them all, standing there together. Two beasts, two princes, and one king. And they were mine; my family. I'd carry the image of them with me to calm my heart and remind me that we had triumphed again. Even if Sin had betrayed me, he hadn't won.
“He didn't win,” I whispered.
“What's that, A Thaisce?” Arach asked.
“I'm just wondering what Sin was after.” I shook my head. “If he was working both sides, he did a poor job of it. And if he and Marduk had planned this together, why trick me into attacking Marduk?” I blinked as something else occurred to me. Then I cursed, “Hover Dam!”
Arach just waited for me to continue.
“The night before the battle when Marduk changed my destiny, Sin asked to speak with me,” I said in a rush. “He said that he knew how to defeat Marduk but what he told me to do didn't work. That's how Marduk had enough time to direct the Tablet at me. I was so confident that I'd win that I kept trying to use Marduk's alleged weakness against him.”
“What did Sin tell you to do?” Arach asked.
“He told me that Marduk's magic was based on lightning and if I used my moon to change the water inside him, I could drain his magic.”
“Drain his magic?” Arach asked in confusion.
“Water conducts electricity.”
“And you thought that Marduk's magic would just drain away through the water?”
“Sin said that with an imbalance of water, Marduk's magic would pour out of him until it was depleted. It made sense at the time.” I grimaced. “Damn, he's a slick talker. I guess I should have expected that of a playboy named Sin.”
Arach hugged me tightly. “It doesn't matter now. Just go back and get that god as far away from our people as possible. Who knows what scheme he's concocting now.”
“Our people?” I lifted a brow at Arach as I stepped away.
Arach rolled
