Voice of the Gods

I could let Huan see that and die quickly. All I gain from resisting is pain.

But the Wilds will lose any chance of killing the gods if I do.

And the gods deserve to die.

She thought of the stories Jade had told her, of the lies the gods had told, of Huan’s manipulations and the Siyee’s doomed mission. Anger suddenly boiled up inside her.

I can endure this. It won’t be easy... and the Wilds had better succeed. She glared at Huan. I don’t want to die knowing I spoiled any chance of someone killing this bitch.

At Auraya’s glare, Huan straightened and magic flowed from her again. For a long time all Auraya was conscious of was the agony that moved through her body, the realization that pain could be a burning, an intolerable cold, a crushing ache, a multitude of terrible sensations.

When it stopped, she found herself lying face down. Her nose was bleeding. Her forehead throbbed as if someone had kicked it repeatedly. She tried to move, then tried harder. Finally her body obeyed her desire and she rolled onto her back. A thousand hurts made themselves known and for a long moment she could not breathe.

Huan peered down at her from a few paces away.

“You’re dying,” Huan told her.

Gods I wish I could smack that smug expression from her face - or pluck out her eyes! But... Huan can only see me through the eyes of a mortal, Auraya found herself thinking. If I can lure her out of that Servant at least she won’t see me die. Ha! If I could get her out of the Servant she couldn’t harm me at all!

“Too bad,” Auraya said between gritted teeth. “Even when Chaia takes my soul I won’t tell you what I know.”

Huan laughed. “Chaia isn’t here. And I don’t want your soul. You are going to cease to exist.”

Auraya laughed. “If the gods have to be where a person dies in order to take their soul, they can’t possibly take all souls. They’d have to be in so many places at once...” She paused to catch her breath. “But you don’t take souls, do you? It’s all a lie.”

Huan’s glowing eyebrows rose. “Oh? What makes you so sure of that?”

“Chaia told me,” Auraya lied.

“Did he?” Huan’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t think he likes you as much as he claims. He’s always giving me more excuses to kill you.”

“Then kill me.”

Huan shook her head. “Hmm. Do you really think I’ll let you die without seeing into your mind? I have to know what else he has revealed.”

Auraya had only a moment to enjoy the bitter triumph of knowing Mirar’s “secret” was true before the pain began again. This time it was worse, and when the attack stopped the pain continued. She felt a warm dampness behind her head, and when she moved her skull creaked disturbingly. Shooting pains in one of her arms told her a bone had broken. Her heels were afire. Her whole body was bruised. Her jaw ached and her teeth felt loose.

Huan smiled down at her.

“Open your mind, Auraya.”

If I do, she’ll have to leave the Servant, Auraya thought. That’s my lure. When she comes to me I’ll shut my mind again. But I can’t stop her returning to the Servant...

She groaned. The pain in her head was growing. She drew magic and began healing the damage, and the pain began to lessen. It’s lucky I’m not in the void.

The void! If she could trick Huan into going inside the void... no, the goddess would never fall for that.

“Open your mind and the pain will end,” Huan crooned, bending closer.

I need a void. She remembered her guess at how they had been created. Draw away all the magic in one place. If Huan senses it, she will move away. And then I’ll have no magic to heal myself. Except the magic I draw in...

“Just let me see, and it’ll all be over.”

Lure her out... make a void... stop her returning to the Servant. Suddenly it all came together. Auraya opened her eyes and stared at Huan.

“All right,” she croaked. “Look then. Look and see how much I hate you.”

Huan’s eyes blazed with triumph. Her glowing features vanished and the Dedicated Servant’s face appeared. He blinked with surprise.

Auraya reached out with her unbroken arm and grasped his ankle. At the same time she pulled into herself all the magic she could sense. All at once. Power flowed into her. Senses attuned to the magic of the world, she felt a presence forced away, then fleeing. She felt the magic around her part like torn fabric, leaving a sphere of nothingness.

It was a rent in the world, a terrible thing. She cried out in horror. Another voice joined hers and she felt hands around her arm. Pain snapped her back into an awareness of the world as the Dedicated Servant pulled her hand away from his ankle.

He will alert others, if Huan hasn’t already, she thought, and felt a stab of panic. Magic burst from her. Still in the void, he had no chance to shield himself. She heard his bones crack as the blast hit him. He flew backward and sprawled on the floor, twitching.

She spared him one small moment of pity, then the urgent call of her body drew her attention back. Using the magic she had drawn, she healed as much damage as she could before crawling out of the void and drawing more. Slowly bones mended, swelling eased and bruises faded. She got to her feet. Pinpricks of pain assailed her all over, as nerves taxed by Huan’s torture protested.

She walked toward the gate. Stronger magic surrounded her. A small surge of it broke the lock. Turning back, she looked around the hall. The thought came that she could destroy it easily. But then she remembered that there was someone in it that she wouldn’t want to see harmed.

“Mischief,” she called softly. “Mischief!”

A small furry shape leapt off the throne and bounded over to her. He shot up the bloodied sack she wore onto her shoulders. Auraya scratched him between the ears and walked out of the hall into the passage.

And came face to face with a handful of Servants. They formed a line across the passage. A moment later she sensed Huan join them.

Gods curse her! she thought. Then the irony of what she had just thought occurred to her and she choked out a crazy-sounding laugh.

She can only attack me when she has possessed a Servant, but these Servants probably aren’t as powerful as the last one. The strong ones are at the battle.

As the Servants attacked, Auraya was relieved to find she was right. But more would join them as she tried to fight her way out of the building.

Do I even have to?

Once more she felt the itch to destroy this place. She knew that there was a thick layer of rock above the hall, then the buildings of the Lower Sanctuary. Backing away to the side she knew was not depleted of magic. From the Servants, she retreated into the hall. They followed. When she was just within the gate she turned to face the room. Drawing in magic, she loosed it at the ceiling.

There was a deafening boom and the floor shook. Cracks appeared where she had struck. Rubble piled into the hall. The Servants’ attack faltered. Glancing behind, she saw that they were backing away, exchanging terrified glances.

It took three more blasts, each more powerful, to break through. Cracks crossed the roof of the hall. Faint sunlight filtered down, making curtains of light in the dust that veiled the piles of rubble that covered the floor below.

The Servants had fled.

Auraya paused to pat a trembling Mischief, who was now hiding down the back of her sacking shift. Then she straightened, drew magic greedily to herself and let it fly out. With a terrible crack, a great piece of the roof, thicker than a house was high, crashed down into the hall, crushing and burying the throne. Rubble flew past her and battered her barrier. Not waiting for the dust to settle, she strode forward, stepping over rocks and taking care