Just what the world needs, Myanin thought, more bloodsuckers. She might want Thad and his witch dead, but that didn’t mean she wanted the world overrun with those foul vermin. Was she conflicted about what she was doing? Yes. Don’t judge.
“Pray tell, how long will it take to make another twenty thousand plus vampires?” Finton, a fae, asked.
Cain leaned back in his chair and sighed. “Well, it’s not something that can happen overnight. But, if we can get the humans we need, the change takes minutes. Finding so many humans that won’t be missed is tricky. Generally, we snatch a few here and there, not thousands at a time. Someone is certain to notice.”
Ludcarab opened his mouth to say something, but suddenly a blinding white light filled the room. Myanin saw every being at the table double over, their foreheads laid flat against the table just before she was forced to her knees. Not a word was uttered, not because none of them had anything to say, no doubt, but because they’d lost the ability to speak.
The light filling the room was so hot Myanin thought the skin was going to melt from her bones. The djinn tried with all her might to suck in a breath, but only a miniscule amount of oxygen entered her lungs.
“You are lucky I let you live while in my presence,” a firm female voice said, the sound filling every corner of the room, the force of it rattling Myanin’s insides. “You have attacked my chosen. You callously murdered my righteous ones. You spread lies and evil with your every breath. But as it is with the human Creator, I have allowed the supernatural races free will. You will be judged for your actions. Nothing you do is without consequence, no matter how untouchable you think you are.
“I hereby decree a time of peace—a four-month mourning period for my chosen. If you break this time of peace, the judgment upon you will be swift and merciless. Those who attack my chosen will fall dead where they stand. I am not without mercy. It shall be offered to those who renounce their ways and bow before their Creator.”
Myanin felt a pull in her chest toward the goddess who spoke, but the shame she wore around her was suffocating. She’d been in the presence of the Great Luna one other time, a very long time ago. It had been a much different feeling then. Myanin had been proud to be a djinn warrior. The goddess had spoken to the elders and given praise over the lack of corruption within their race, considering the powerful magic they could wield. Her praise had been like a cleansing rain after a hot day of training. That day now seemed more like a dream than a memory. The peace she’d felt then was nowhere to be found. Instead, she felt the righteous anger of their Creator. There would be no mercy for her, she knew that. Because as far as she was concerned, nothing this goddess could say would sway her from her plan. Even the dreams that haunted her, or the demons that chased her, wouldn’t dissuade her. Nor could the magic that was constantly challenging and taunting her change the djinn’s mind. Myanin had set her course, and she didn’t see how she could possibly alter it. As she thought of her own transgressions, she wondered, Am I worse than those in this room? She’d killed one, while they’d killed hundreds or even thousands over the centuries. Could she truly be lumped together with the likes of them? Her gut clenched at the idea of being compared to Ludcarab, Alston, or any other sitting in the chairs as if they were kings and queens on their thrones.
“Did you ever consider that I have someone different for you?” A voice filled her mind, the same voice that had moments ago filled the room. “Someone who is even more suited to you? There are consequences for your actions, Myanin, but you are not yet lost to me. The earth cries out with your elder’s blood. Is one life not enough to coat your hands? Have you not yet discovered that when you take the life of another, a piece of yourself dies along with them?”
As quickly as the light came, it was gone. Myanin sucked in gulps of air as she shakily stood to her feet. She felt wetness on her cheeks from tears she hadn’t even realized she’d shed. The djinn hastily wiped them from her face before the others could see.
She saw the others raise their heads and stare at one another, eyes wide, as if they’d just been handed their asses, again. Only this time, it wasn’t by a lone Canis lupus warrior; it was by a goddess. Things had just gone from “we’ve had a setback” to “we’ll be lucky to make it out of this alive.” They didn’t deserve to make it out alive, of that she was sure. What about you? Lyra’s voice whispered in her mind. Do you deserve to make it out alive? She mentally shoved the words away, not wanting to answer them.
Myanin stood motionless for several minutes, clenching her jaw and trying to get her bearings. The flood of painful emotions brought on by the Great Luna’s words was beginning to subside. What remained, the djinn shoved away into a deep, dark corner of her mind, hoping they wouldn’t return. In a matter of seconds, with thirty-four words the goddess had managed to make her question everything, not just her plan, but her entire worldview. Frankly, it pissed her off.
“Bloody hell,” Ludcarab muttered under his breath, but loud enough for the entire room to hear.
The air was thick with tension as heads began to swivel, as if the members of the Order thought they were suddenly going to be under attack by the
