Pain (Curse of the Gods Book 5)

by Jaymin Eve

  “I’m ready,” I repeated, out loud this time. “Let’s do this.”

  We joined the others, who were waiting in a sombre sort of mood by the front entrance. Siret moved to my side, reminding me that he was my partner for the night and would stick as close to me as possible. I felt better knowing that everyone had a partner and another person watching out for them. It would be much harder to pick us off one by one—we were stronger together.

  Siret wrapped his hand around mine then and I closed my eyes briefly as we stepped through the pocket to the edge of the Garden of Everlasting. The spot we landed on was cold and snowy, but the garden just in front of us appeared to be untouched. It was as wild as ever, but completely free of white.

  The last frontier, apparently.

  Since there was no better time to show them what I’d recently learned I could do, I spun and faced them. “We should probably get this place ready,” I said. “I mean, it’s a party after all, even if it’s a please-support-my-plans-to-overthrow-your-Creator kind of party.”

  The truth of what I was had been coming to me for quite a while now. I had been scared to admit it, because the implications and responsibilities of it were huge, but there was no more time to hide in shadows or deceive myself.

  “I can transform this into a party paradise,” I told them, turning back toward the garden.

  Coen stepped up to my side, his gaze contemplative. “We invited King to set up the party right here beside the garden. Close enough that we can escape into the garden if we need to, but far enough away that people won’t be scared off by the garden. He’s pretty good with throwing a party together at short notice. He should be here in a few clicks.”

  I shook my head. “We won’t need him. Well … maybe a few finishing touches, but I got this.”

  Five sets of eyes were locked on me, and I was surprised that none of them seemed to be shocked by my words. It was pretty obvious that I was talking about transforming the garden itself, and not the space beside us that Coen had indicated. They weren’t shocked that I, alone, was going to attempt to transform a powerful, magic-resistant garden. Maybe they’d heard my thoughts earlier. Or maybe they just had that much faith in me. Either way, it was time to show them what I thought I could do.

  I stepped out of the snow and onto a small patch of brilliant green grass, the only spare space in the garden before the masses of bushes and trees began. The cold faded and a pleasant heat surrounded me, followed by the scent of grass and flowers and newly blooming life. It was so weird after the cold that I was disoriented for a moment. My body adjusted quickly though, and then I started to build the perfect party in my mind.

  We would need lots of cleared space, but I definitely didn’t want to destroy any of the garden. Which meant that I would have to … rearrange.

  When I had it all planned clearly in my head, I let the heat rise within me, sending it forth to do my bidding. I kept the image of what I wanted strong in my mind, focussing on the finished product. I didn’t let it waver for even a moment, afraid that I would screw up my creation.

  The heat reached the burning, uncomfortable phase quickly, but I didn’t let that deter me. I just continued to push the heat out into the world. Shape it for me.

  I was just worrying that I wouldn’t know when it was complete, because opening my eyes might break the mental image, when the heat died away. My arms fell from where I’d been holding them a little away from my body, and I opened my eyes.

  The gasp that escaped from my lips was low, but it held genuine surprise. Even though I’d believed deep down that Jakan hadn’t been lying—I was Creation—it was still hard to believe that I had shaped Topia to my vision.

  Creation.

  The Garden of Everlasting was now fit for a party, with one huge field of thick, clipped grass. It was so green that it almost hurt my eyes to stare at. The bushes and trees had moved, lining either side of the cleared area like a fence of sorts. Huge bushes of roses and other bright flowers were scattered between greenery, adding brightness and a sweet scent to the area. There was a small lake at the far end, which left only one entrance into the party now … unless you wanted to swim across.

  I was determined that we would be the ones in control of the situation, not the other way around.

  “Well, well, baby girl,” Aros said, striding across with his huge steps to reach my side. “You’ve been holding out on us.”

  There was not one ounce of unease or suspicion on his gaze. I looked between the others as well, who joined me a click later. “You’re all okay with this, right?” I asked, worried that I might have caused a shift in our dynamic.

  Five heads nodded, strong and sure.

  “We already knew you were special, Soldier.” Siret stepped up to my side. “This isn’t a surprise for us.”

  “You are Creation,” Coen said, his face softer than it usually was. “And you’re not a Beta God. You don’t draw your powers from Staviti. You draw them directly from Topia.”

  “Is that how a beta works?” I asked. “The beta takes his energy through the stronger god?”

  He tilted his head to the side, considering his answer. “Sort of. In normal circumstances, where the gods were sols transformed, yes, that is how it works. A beta will draw power through the main god, and also through Staviti—because we all do.”

  “It’s not the same for us,” Yael added. “We were born as gods, so while we are betas, we don’t draw our energy through Staviti, because he didn’t really create us. We just let them think that he did because it makes them feel better. Safer.”

  I wrinkled my nose, considering his words. “That doesn’t sound like something you’d be okay with,” I admitted.

  Yael chuckled. “It’s not always easy, but it’s a piece of advice we took from our parents. Gods are competitive bastards with plenty of time to plan their attacks. We didn’t want to be fighting gods all the time, so we claimed to be just like them.”

  “Your faithful party planner is here.”

  A loud voice boomed from behind us, and I quickly leaned around Coen’s bulk so I could see who it was. I found myself blinking at the strangest god I’d ever seen. He wore no shirt, but his chest was still difficult to see because he had draped so many chains around his neck that I was surprised he could still hold his head up. One of the thicker chains secured a huge, round golden pendant, which covered almost his entire abdomen. Below that he had on a pair of black shiny pants, tighter than the Abcurses liked to wear. It also looked like his bright emerald eyes were lined in black, and his nails were dark too. His black hair was secured in a long braid extending down his bare back. Gold threads wound through the dark strands.

  “King, I’m guessing,” I murmured.

  “The one and only,” Aros replied. “Be wary of him—we don’t know his affiliation right now, but he throws the best parties. A guarantee that most gods will attend.”

  I shrugged. “Fine with me.”

  King hurried into the clearing, brushing snow off his shoulders as he spun his head in all directions. “How the heck did you get the garden to cooperate? I’ve tried at least ten thousand times to clear a space for a party here, but every single time the land reforms back to the original wildness.”

  I was just wondering if we were going to break the secret to him or wait for all the gods to arrive, when Coen said, “Willa did it. She is Creation.”

  Okay, then. One question answered.

  King skidded to a halt, his bare feet sliding across the shiny grass. “Excuse me?” Suddenly he sounded less effervescent and more like a scary god. “Did you just say she wields Creation?”

  I released the heat again, and this time I kept my eyes open because I was only aiming for something small. The gold of King’s necklaces started to shimmer, and his eyes widened as a hundred more necklaces appeared around his neck, some extending all the way to the ground.

  He toppled forward under the weight, his hands just managing to stop him before he faceplanted. Wh
en he lifted his head, the first place he looked was at me, his eyes darkening to something more olive.

  “Guess it was a bit excessive,” he admitted, no doubt wondering if I’d chosen that particular “creation” as a dig at him. Yeah, it might have been a little dig. I released a deep breath, and with it went more of my energy. The extra chains vanished, and King was able to stand again. It was so easy now for me to envision what I wanted and then to make it happen. Like a muscle, once I started to use it, it worked more efficiently.

  He approached us slowly, eyeing the six of us warily. “Where would you like me to set everything up?” he asked, acting far more deferential than he had before. Yael and Rome moved away from the group, sticking to our pairs rule, and started directing King to a spot further along. As they walked away, I kept my eye on Yael, glad that there was so much cleared space now. It made the task of keeping an eye on him much easier.

  “You just have to do that with a few dozen other gods and we’ll be in a great position,” Siret said. I turned some of my attention back to him.

  “It’s easier now,” I admitted. “To create what I need. I’m not sure what the limit to my power is … I certainly don’t feel tired right now, but we know there is a limit.”

  “I’m proof of that,” Emmy said, approaching our group with Cyrus close to her side. Like me, she had changed from her responsible clothes into something a little more badass. It wasn’t as leathery-looking as mine, but the fitted dark pants and shirt were definitely suitable for running and fighting. She’d teamed it with a high bun that allowed a clear view of her stunningly pretty face. She had changed a little since returning from the dead as the Goddess of Fertility. And I would never stop being grateful that I’d had the power inside to save my sister, because I couldn’t live without her.

  Thankfully, she was also the biggest proof of my power. A lot of the other things I could do to show people my power wouldn’t be that impressive. Siret, King … and tonnes of others could all create basic objects from nothing. It was pretty surprising that King hadn’t questioned me more after the last display. I mean, every god held a small facet of creation. I had to be able to show them that I was more than that. That I was like Staviti.

  That I could create gods.

  Emmy was my evidence.

  When she reached my side, I took her hand, sadness at her almost death creeping in. I hated thinking about what had happened, but it did give me a great motivation to take Staviti out. “You look amazing, Will,” she said, her eyes running across my leather. “Very much a badass god.”

  “Badass Creation God,” Siret added, sounding proud.

  Emmy’s eyes twinkled, and just like the others, she didn’t really seem surprised.

  “You already knew?” I asked. “I mean, we all knew I could create gods, but no one seemed to want to put a title on what sort of god I was. I figured everyone was confused.”

  Emmy laughed. “Well, it’s never good to put labels on you. Proving everyone wrong is a specialty of yours, but I had my suspicions that you might be able to rival Staviti’s power—or else he wouldn’t be so threatened by you.”

  I yanked her into me, hugging her hard. “Thank you for being the best family I could have ever wished for.”

  “Willa!” The shout from Yael had me jerking away from Emmy and turning in his direction. I realised that I’d already stopped watching him, and a relieved breath left me when I found him unharmed, still standing with King.

  He waved me over, and I gave him a nod before turning back to Emmy. “I’m going to help them finish the setup. Can you keep everything running smoothly with Pica and whoever else arrives early?”

  Cyrus was at her side so fast it almost forced me back a step. “We will keep them under control,” he said shortly.

  Emmy just shook her head at him, not bothering to argue. “I don’t know how you handle five bossy gods, Will.”

  The warmth in my chest expanded. “We are symbiotic. I couldn’t survive without them.” I had to clear my throat, because we were getting emotional and heavy. “Plus, we all know I’m the boss.”

  I could say that because Yael wasn’t there to argue. Coen, Rome, and Siret just levelled heated looks on me, which I took as agreement. “And on that note, I’m off to see what Yael needs.”

  Siret joined me as I hurried across the grassed area toward the pond. We had limited time before the gods arrived, and it was time to finish making it a party that no god could resist.

  Seven

  For the next thirty clicks King gave me directions to follow, because the garden continued to block him from creating anything within its bounds. In no time we had a drinks station, a stage for the musicians, and a games area for something called Croquin—which required balls and sticks and holes scattered about at random. I hadn’t ever seen it before, but apparently it was highly competitive. I should have guessed that by the gleam in Yael’s eyes.

  By the time I was done creating a perfect party, my energy had waned significantly. It wasn’t anything like the energy loss I’d experienced after turning Emmy into a goddess, but it was enough to know I’d overextended myself. I had to be careful because the only person I’d impressed with all of those feats was King. More than once he shook his head as the land obeyed my will, transforming itself to fit the image inside my head.

  “You are not one to be underestimated,” he told me as we stood beside the small dock I had built along the bank of the lake.

  King had directed me to set up another competition here: a game where the gods would cast baited strings into the water in an attempt to lure the biggest swimmer.

  “I have been around for a long time,” he continued. “I have partied and shared drink with almost every single god, and I have met none who can do what you do.”

  I narrowed my eyes on him. It made me suspicious when he started to pander to me. It was so ungodlike.

  “What about Staviti?” I asked. “Surely you’ve seen him do the things that I can do. He’s the Creator—the most powerful god alive.”

  King just shook his head. “Staviti has never been to one of my parties. He does not mingle with the other gods. He doesn’t like … the others.”

  “By the others, do you mean—”

  “Anyone but his Original Gods,” King said. “Though he has even fallen out of favour with Abil, Adeline, and Rau over time.”

  I thought that was the first time I’d heard anyone say it so plainly, but I believed it to be the truth. Staviti didn’t like any of the gods, his creations, and maybe even this world. Staviti, from a very young age, had cared only about himself. He was cold in a way that remained unmatched by any of the gods I had encountered. Even Cyrus, who only recently started to have feelings, was a warmer being than the Creator. There was something fundamentally wrong with Staviti, and his tyranny had gone on long enough.

  “The party is starting,” King added, and I spun around to find Siret waiting right behind me.

  We were all taking our pairings very seriously, none of us straying far from our partner. I had been finding it difficult to keep an eye on Yael while manipulating the garden, though.

  “Showtime,” I murmured, the first nerves really starting to settle in my gut.

  Large gatherings of gods had never been a particularly pleasant experience for me. Something told me that tonight was going to be no different. It was the first step forward in ensuring that my family remained safe, though, so I didn’t have a choice.

  Emmy and Cyrus were still near the trees that formed the entrance to the garden, greeting the gods as they stepped inside. Most of them were tall and ethereally beautiful beings, sprinkled with snow. Some of them wore dresses or fancy clothing in their god-colours, while the others wore robes—though they seemed to be special occasion robes if the materials and styles were anything to go by. They were decorated with clasps, emblems, and stitching that glowed as though spun from jewels. I didn’t know the majority of the gods, having never paid much attention to the p
antheon, but occasionally a familiar face caught my eye. Like Terrance and Pica, who was weighed down by so many glittering jewels that it was almost blinding to look at her. Her laughter rang out across the cleared space even though she was currently standing alone.

  I could see the confusion written across the faces of many. Murmurs of how the Garden of Everlasting should have been impossible to change followed me around, but pretty soon the alcohol King provided eased their concerns, and they fell into what I could only assume were normal party patterns. Laughing. Drinking. Playing their odd games.

  “No wonder the sols fight their entire lives for the minutest chance at this sort of frivolity and power,” I murmured to Siret while still keeping an eye on Yael. It was easy at the moment, since all of the Abcurses were off to one side, against the wall of the garden, watching all of the guests.

  “It’s all fake,” Siret replied with more cynicism than he usually displayed. “Gods are miserable bastards. Bored with the pleasures that they should be enjoying.”

  “An eternity is too long to exist,” I mused. “Dwellers know that their lives are finite. If we don’t live for this sun-cycle, then we might not have a next sun-cyle. Even the sols had to face the probability of dying and never achieving immortality. That’s why they want it so badly: because time is precious to them. They know it’s running out, so they don’t want to waste it. It’s … almost sad … to think that so many sols waste the majority of their lives fighting just to have more of a life. More time. A second chance.”

  I felt him move at my side and I turned to find he had shifted to face me fully. “So the dwellers have even more of a reason to treasure their lives, and yet they don’t appear to live at all. They follow orders and act as nothing more than slaves.”