“Ask the Four to appear?” Without waiting for a response, Caye
knelt and closed her eyes.
“I’m sure that isn’t necessary,” Domina said.
“Especially since We’re already here.”
Kron looked around, but he didn’t see Spring. Then She and the rest
of the Four materialized, forming a line from spring to winter. Even
though the day had brightened, a nimbus of light surrounded the Gods
1 2 2 · S a n d r a U l b r i c h A l m a z a n
and Goddesses. A symphony of varied birdsongs blended together rang
in the air—without the birds. At a gesture from Summer, bouquets ap-
peared in the Four’s hands. Each carried different plants: daffodils for
Spring, wildflowers twined around oak branches for Summer, scarlet
flowers Kron didn’t recognize for Fall, and pine branches for Winter.
This seems more like something They would do. Why would They
cause storms They would have to clear away? They told me They want
to help humans, not cause problems.
Before he could ask, Spring stepped forward. “People of Vistichia!”
She called. “Come witness the ascent of Our Chosen into Our Avatars.
They will bear Our gifts and care for you as We do. Honor them as you
do Us!”
Shopkeepers left their wares, shoppers dropped the items they had
been haggling over, and passersby stopped to watch. Bella and the other
Avatars straightened with pride, but they focused on the Four so intently
Kron felt isolated from them. For a few heartbeats, he wished he could
pledge himself to the Four too and be a part of that unity. He shook his
head, but he couldn’t dislodge his feeling of being an outsider. Like his
magic, it had been a part of him for so long he couldn’t lose it without
losing part of himself.
Spring beckoned with Her daffodils. “Galia Midwife, come to Me.”
The midwife advanced, then bowed her head and knelt in front of
the magical healer.
“Galia, for your dedication to healing and helping others, I choose
you to be one of My three Avatars. You will dedicate this life and your
future lives to Me, healing on My behalf wherever I am worshipped. As
Spring is the first season of the year, Spring Avatars will be first among
other Season Avatars, linking them so you may work together to
achieve great things. In return, I will share with you some of My healing
magic and cause you to be given wealth and honor. Do you accept this
bargain, Galia?”
Bound not just in this life, but her future lives? Kron had never heard
a god talk about future lives before; even the greatest magicians shied
Sea so n s’ Be gin n in gs · 1 2 3
from prying too far into death, lest they be caught and never return.
Were future lives a promise—or a chain the poor soul would be bound
to forever? How could Bella agree to something like this? But she re-
mained in place between the other two women with red, smiling as
joyously as she had at their own wedding. Kron wanted to scream at
her, tell her to stop and come back to him, but his voice seized in his
throat.
Let her make her own choice, Kron, Spring said in his mind.
Kron raised his eyebrows, but he heeded Spring’s advice.
“I accept,” Galia said proudly, reaching for the flower.
As soon as she grasped it, it melted—the best way Kron could de-
scribe it—then flowed over her skin and disappeared. Galia
straightened with a smile. Although her features weren’t youthened, she
returned to her spot with more vigor than she left it.
Spring repeated the ceremony twice more with the other two Avatars
she’d chosen before stepping back. The green-skinned youth, Summer,
was next in line, but he didn’t call for an Avatar. He curled his bare toes
on a patch of grass that hadn’t been there a heartbeat before. One of the
oak branches he carried lengthened and stretched toward Janno, wrap-
ping around his wrist. Janno’s eyes widened. Was this an attack? Kron
grabbed a bronze blade in his pouch. Then the branch shrank, dragging
Janno. He strutted forward as if he was in charge, not Summer. Janno
might have more muscles, but Kron knew Summer could encase Janno
in oak if he chose. Kron watched the pair, holding his breath, until Janno
glanced down at Summer’s face and Summer closed His eyes. He gave
Janno an intimate smile without meeting his gaze. As Kron tried to puz-
zle out what that meant, Janno and Summer exchanged whispers before
Janno trotted back into position, a smug smile on his ruddy face.
Several more Avatars for Summer and Fall promised themselves to
the God and Goddess. Before Kron realized it, Bella hurried toward
Fall. The woman-child watched her, one hand resting on the head of a
large feline. Kron knew he had no reason to worry about Bella’s safety,
as the cat had sniffed at the other Avatars as if to greet them, then left
1 2 4 · S a n d r a U l b r i c h A l m a z a n
them alone. But he couldn’t help pleading mentally with Bella, Don’t
do it. You can still turn around and come back to me. What if this puts
you at bigger risk from Salth? Or, what if you decide not to come back
to me at all? Then what will I do?
Bella didn’t respond, but Spring and Fall stared at him. Although
Their hair screened off Their eyes, Their gazes burned like a fire behind
a door. Kron could only imagine what it would feel like to have the full
heat of Their anger directed at him. He looked away and put on a false
smile for Bella when she returned, joy radiating from her beaming face.
She came over to him and whispered, “Now we have even more binding
us together.”
Was that part of the reason she’d wanted this magic, so they had
more in common? How could he have doubted her? Kron didn’t speak,
but he took her hand and squeezed it. He kept tight hold of her as Winter
transferred magic to his chosen three. The other Fall Avatars glanced at
Kron and Bella but left them alone.
After Winter finished the investiture, He spread his hands, and a
rainbow balanced on His palms. Appreciative calls rose from the crowd.
Winter smiled, but His eyes remained solemn.
Spring’s voice echoed through the marketplace. “Thank you, dear
Avatars, for your dedication. And thank you, people of Vistichia, for
your love. I know you’ve been wondering how to worship Us. We don’t
want to impose burdens on you, Vistichia, or the rest of Our domain,
but this is something all of Us—and you too—need for different rea-
sons. We would like you to honor Us at each season change, dedicate
children to their birth-season’s God or Goddess, honor Our Avatars, and
treat everyone as kindly as if they were one of Us in disguise. In return,
We, working through the Avatars, will guard this land and make it so
fruitful no one need ever starve again.”
“How will you ever do that if you can’t even keep your own seasons
in order?”
Kron’s magic-finder, already glowing its strongest, snapped as an-
other figure materialized out of nowhere. Salth. Everything about her
Se
a so n s’ Be gin n in gs · 1 2 5
had changed, from her face, bare of tattoos, to her feet hovering above
the ground. Bella let out a faint cry and squeezed Kron’s hand. He
stepped in front of her to shield her if necessary. But for once, Salth
ignored him as she faced the Four. Fall and Summer advanced as if
They meant to circle around her, but when she raised her hand, They
halted.
“You’re not allowed to attack Me, are You?” She smirked.
“We don’t want to unleash Our power here, surrounded by all the
humans,” Spring said.
Next to her, Summer cleared His throat. “But what you don’t under-
stand—”
Fall stepped forward, a feral expression on Her face. “Is that you’re
in Our domain now—”
“And while what We rule is more limited than your domain, We
have absolute rule here,” Winter finished.
They raised Their hands, but before They could join together, Salth
shouted, “And who rules the seasons but Time Herself?”
“If you really ruled time, you could make it run backwards and undo
your worst losses,” Spring said calmly. “But you don’t dare Ascend, do
you?”
Salth let out a hiss, then spoke in a language Kron didn’t understand.
The air grew so cold it was painful to breathe. Bella shivered as she
clung to Kron. One of the golden sundials he’d created fell out of his
pouch and clattered in the stillness.
Salth turned toward him as if orienting on the sound. But before she
could move, she and the Four vanished, leaving a breeze in Their wake.
“What happened?” “Where did They go?” “Did They take her with
Them?” “They must have defeated her!” The Avatars spoke over each
other, making it hard for Kron to tell who was speaking.
“Do you have any idea what just happened, Kron?” Bella asked.
“No.” Other than Salth was about to attack us. Did the Four really
take her away? They seemed reluctant to finish her off. I don’t think this
is over. He surveyed the area to determine if Salth and the Four had
1 2 6 · S a n d r a U l b r i c h A l m a z a n
truly gone elsewhere or relocated away from the humans. No sign of
any of Them was visible.
“What should we do?” Galia asked. For the first time since Kron had
met her, her voice quavered like the old woman that she was.
What could they do? Kron weighed the options. They could wait
here, return to their new home, or search for the Four. The last option
he dismissed; the Four could go to places no human, however magically
gifted, could access. The Four also seemed able to find the Avatars no
matter where they were. Since the ceremony seemed to be over, there
was no reason for any of them to be here any longer.
“We may as well go home...”
The gentle breeze turned into a gale that attempted to blow his
clothes off of his body. Several bystanders who’d watched the cere-
mony staggered and fell to their knees. Fruit tumbled off of carefully
arranged displays, and a cart full of caged chickens started rolling
through the middle of the marketplace, straight for the Avatars.
C H A P T E R F O U R T E E N
Chaos Season
A few of the common people bolted or screamed. Even some of the
Avatars froze. “Get out of the way!” Kron shouted. When Caye didn’t
respond, he grabbed her arm and dragged her away before the runaway
cart could knock her down. It passed them to smash against a ware-
house. A few cages burst open, freeing their occupants. Other cages
tumbled out, and the birds inside protested with caws loud enough to
give Kron a headache.
“Don’t you have magic of your own now?” he snapped at the Ava-
tars. “Do something!”
“Do what?” countered Domina.
“Don’t you have weather magic? Well, use it! Stop the wind!”
As if the wind wasn’t enough, hail as big as Kron’s thumb pelted
them. The rest of the onlookers dashed for safety. However, a little girl
got separated from her mother and was knocked down by people run-
ning away. No one stopped to help her.
“Poor child.” Galia held out her hand as she approached the now-
crying girl. “Let old Galia see. I won’t hurt you. I just want to help.”
“Mama! I want my Mama!”
“Hush now, we’ll find her. Here, let me see that bruise. See, it’s
nothing.”
As Kron watched, a purple mark on the girl’s forehead faded away.
1 2 8 · S a n d r a U l b r i c h A l m a z a n
Galia really is a magical healer now, he thought with astonishment.
Domina, Caye, and a man named Ocul stood in the center of the
marketplace. Kron couldn’t hear what they said, but Domina and Ocul
waved their arms around as if they were arguing with each other. Caye
stood off to the side, her eyes closed. Although the wind tossed market
goods around, the trio’s clothes and hair lay motionless. They were all
devotees of the God of Winter; perhaps He had gifted them with
weather magic. Kron pushed his way against the wind to them. Once he
entered the wind-free area, it was easy to hear what Domina and Ocul
were saying—maybe too easy.
“We should go ahead and tame the weather!” Domina said. “That’s
what He would want us to do!”
“But what if He comes back and is angry with us? Worse, what if
we do something wrong?”
“I think Caye’s already trying to tame the weather,” Kron said. “And
I think you two should stop arguing and help her.”
Domina and Ocul turned to stare at him. Caye opened her eyes for a
heartbeat, then closed them. “How am I supposed to do this?” she whis-
pered. “I can feel the wind, but I can’t grasp it.”
“You can’t grab the wind, fool,” Domina said. “You have to com-
mand it, like this.” She gestured, and the wind died for a heartbeat. Then
it howled and flung gravel at her. Domina coughed and shielded her
face. Then she narrowed her eyes, glaring as if that was the key to con-
trolling the weather.
“Magic will try to test you if you let it,” Kron said. “Aim for firm,
but not too demanding. The more you try to control magic, the more
difficult it can be. Let it flow naturally.”
The women stared at him as if they had no idea what he was talking
about. But he couldn’t see Bella anywhere, so he couldn’t spare them
any more time.
“It’ll come to you,” he said as he turned away. That is, if you really
are ready for it.
Sea so n s’ Be gin n in gs · 1 2 9
“Bella?” he called. “Where are you?” Maybe she’d gone to help the
chickens. The wind blew against Kron as he fought his way to the ware-
house where the cart had turned over. The free chickens huddled under
the cart, while the caged ones still squawked. Still no sign of Bella.
However, the warehouse door was open. Maybe she’d sought shelter in
there. He peeked inside to find his wife dragging two caged chickens
inside.
“Bella, what are you doing?” he asked.
“I have to get them ou
t of the storm! Could you help me?”
He automatically fetched two cages before he realized that he didn’t
know who owned these birds or the warehouse. Furthermore, this
wasn’t solving the bigger problem, that of the storm. Bella was sup-
posed to have animal magic now, not weather magic like Domina,
Caye, and Ocul. Still, there had to be something else she could do–and
he.
“We should go back to the other Avatars,” he told her as he dropped
the cages. The birds squawked at his rough handling.
“Why? Have the Four returned?” Bella glanced around before whis-
pering, “What about Salth?”
“I haven’t seen any of Them.” It seemed right to rejoin the rest of
the group, even though he’d always worked alone before and didn’t
know the Avatars very well. At least Bella would be safer with the other
Avatars.
“What do you think happened to them?”
“Who, the Avatars? I know the Winter Avatars are trying to calm
the storm—”
“No, not them, the Four.” Bella’s eyes glowed in the dim light.
“How long would it take them to defeat Salth? I thought They would be
more powerful than her, especially since there are four of Them and
only one of her.”
“They told me once They couldn’t fight Salth directly because They
are so powerful. Others around them would get hurt.”
1 3 0 · S a n d r a U l b r i c h A l m a z a n
“But what if giving us magic weakened Them? What if something
happens to Fall?” Bella smiled painfully, the expression not matching
the fear in her eyes. “I know I shouldn’t worry about someone far wiser
and more ancient and powerful than me, but I can’t help it. She’s so
much like a real little girl, Kron.”
Maybe she was a real girl, once. Was it possible for a human to
become divine if given enough magic? Kron struggled to remember if
the Four had told him that, but he wasn’t sure.
He shook his head. “We can’t help the Four, but we can help the
people of Vistichia—”
“And their animals.”
“And their animals too. Come, Bella.” He offered her his arm. “Let’s
go see what else we can do to help.” And see if you have magic now too,
and what you can do with it.
Kron could tell as soon as they’d left the warehouse that someone
had done something about the weather. The wind had ebbed to a stiff
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