Voice of the Gods

and to her surprise she found she could read their minds. Which meant they no longer had the Gifts the god had given them. They could not read anyone’s mind.

Still, it took a conscious effort to lower the veil. As soon as she did, Chaia spoke.

:Once again, we have underestimated you, Auraya. You and your immortal friends have us well trapped. At least tell us why.

“Why?” she repeated. “You know why.” She felt a stab of anger. “I suppose you thought you were putting me out of my misery when you told me I could escape the Sanctuary by becoming a god.”

He frowned.

:I have never proposed that you become a god. I would not want to see you confined to this form. It would be a prison for you.

“Then why would you tell me how...” She felt a twinge of doubt. Had he actually suggested she do it? She had been so sick that day. Surely she hadn’t dreamed it... “You said it was better that I become a god than die. That taking my soul isn’t the same.” She gave a bitter laugh. “Well, since Huan admitted you don’t take souls I guess you were right.”

Chaia looked at Huan. The other gods turned to regard the goddess, who straightened and stared back defiantly.

:You told her how to become a god? Yranna accused. You disguised yourself?

Chaia turned back to Auraya.

:Did I use our key word? Did I say “shadow”? he asked.

She frowned. Her memory was too hazy. “I can’t remember,” she admitted. “I was so sick. It was hard to think.”

Huan laughed.

:Yes, it wasn’t hard to fool you.

Looking up, Auraya shivered as she saw the goddess’s gleeful expression.

:So you admit it? Chaia asked Huan. The goddess glared at him and said nothing.

:Who else would it have been? Lore said bitterly. None of us broke the rules as often as Huan.

:Rules! The rules applied to the game, not to threats to our existence! Huan roared. If you’d listened to my warning about her, she pointed at Auraya, this wouldn’t have happened.

Chaia smiled grimly.

:We’ve all got into the habit of ignoring you whenever you spout foolish, paranoid nonsense. “Immortals might become gods! If they do, they’ll kill us all! Auraya is dangerous!”

:Huan was clearly right, Lore pointed out.

All fell silent. After a moment Juran made a strangled noise.

“I don’t understand. What has happened?”

:The Wilds have done to us what we did to our fellow gods many centuries ago, Lore explained. They have removed the magic from around us, trapping us in a small oasis in the center. We cannot leave.

:Not until the magic flows back in, Yranna added quietly. Which will take thousands of years.

Juran turned to stare at Auraya. “You helped them do this?”

She forced herself to return his gaze. “Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because they lied to us. They don’t take souls. They play games with us like—”

Brash laughter drowned out her words. All turned to look at Nekaun.

“You’ve imprisoned your own gods?” He shook his head. “What can I give you for doing me this service? Gold? Land? A place by my side?”

Auraya’s skin crawled. It would, at least, be satisfying to deliver the bad news to this one.

“The Circlian and Pentadrian gods are the same,” she told him. “They’ve been playing dual parts.” She looked at Chaia, then at each of the White and the Voices in turn. “You see, this is all a game to them. And you are the pieces. The deaths in this war and the one before were nothing more than points scored, one side against the other. Points, not real people, with families and friends. Not—”

“They are not the same,” Nekaun snarled, his face dark with anger. “My gods do not look the same. They do not even sound the same.”

:What Auraya says is true, Chaia said. His form shifted and suddenly he was Sheyr. The Voices stared at him in shock.

“Trickery!” Nekaun exclaimed.

Auraya turned to face him. “You will know the truth soon enough. Without them to supplement your magical Gifts, you will be weaker. You can no longer read minds. You certainly aren’t immortal.”

Nekaun’s glare changed to a stare of uncertainty. Turning away, Auraya saw the same expression on the faces of the White.

“I’m... sorry,” she found herself saying. “But with the gods constantly playing you and the Voices against each other, you weren’t going to survive long anyway. Of course, if you continue with this war there’s a good chance you still won’t.” She grimaced. “That’s your choice. I will not help or hinder you.”

Juran looked from Auraya to Chaia. “Is this true?”

:It is.

A wordless cry of rage broke from one of the White. All turned to look at the new White, Ellareen, who was staring at Auraya, her face white with fury.

“You,” she snarled. “You traitor! You don’t deserve to live!”

She made an abrupt gesture and a white pulse of light shot forward, scattering against Auraya’s barrier.

:NO! STOP! the gods cried, their voices united. Yranna moved to stand in front of Ella.

:We need the magic you use to attack her to survive, Ellareen. Would you kill us in order to avenge us?

Ellareen stared at the goddess wildly, then shook her head. She took a step away, then looked up at Auraya, her eyes narrowed in hate.

Then another attack battered Auraya’s barrier, followed by manic laughter. Shocked gasps and protests broke from both people and gods as they turned toward the source. Nekaun laughed again, then sent another blast at Juran.

“You fools,” he said. “You just told me how to kill your own gods!”

Chaia shifted into Sheyr’s form.

:STOP! he commanded. Nekaun laughed again.

“I’m not falling for that one again. I suppose it was you who stopped me having a bit of fun with Auraya. Well, I—”

Abruptly he staggered backward, his eyes wide with surprise. The chill that had begun to crawl down Auraya’s back at his words faded as she saw that the other Voices were dragging him away with their magic. He was resisting them, she saw, but with little effect. Then suddenly he jerked as if struck in the face, and dropped to the ground, unconscious.

As one, the Voices turned back to face the gods, all smiling with satisfaction. A short silence followed, then Juran turned to Chaia.

“If we are without your guidance, what will become of mortals? How are we to stop ourselves descending into lawless chaos?”

Auraya felt a pang of affection for him. “So long as there are good leaders like you, Juran, mortals will do