I slowly sat down on my sofa, the fireplace across the room gently crackling and glowing with warm embers. I took a long, deep breath, feeling a smile creeping up on my face. I slumped over, dumping my face into my hands.

  Oh Larn.

  Whyyyyy…

  The prince had been… mildly rude. All of his questions and suspicions were reasonable, but… I didn’t like his attitude. He didn’t have any way of knowing I was telling the truth. I should’ve gone about it better. I would’ve thought I’d have figured it out the first time with the queen, but evidently…

  I took another heavy breath in. Even with his grumpy demeanor, there was something about him that I couldn’t get out of my head. I’d been watching him since he’d left his room that morning, hovering around in the far corner to make sure he didn’t see me. I watched him fight with his mother. Maybe that was it. Maybe I was just… impressed. I’d never seen a pair of swordsmen move so quickly. And their mistakes were always so minor, and yet both of them always seemed to take every window of opportunity they could find. Philibus himself was especially impressive. He was right on par with his mother the entire time despite his lack of magic. He seemed to have a sixth sense for what was about to happen, always able to read her movements and feel which spell she was going to use next. At a certain point, I started trying to predict myself, but I often found myself to be wrong. And the fact that he was strong enough to even counter her trees, to slice through bark like it was butter… That kind of strength wasn’t natural. There was no way he was completely human. He was using that really thin kind of sword, too. Were those better for cutting things? I would’ve thought something flatter and wider would be better. But what did I know? I wasn’t the swordsman.

  I leaned back, flopping onto the back of the couch and slouching. I had to wait a while before I saw him again. I wanted to be true to my word so I knew he could trust me. He could still kind of see me even when I was invisible, so I couldn’t just linger in his bedroom or wherever he was. I wanted to, though. I just liked watching him for some strange reason. Even when I encountered him that first time, I didn’t leave immediately. I poked back in, studying him, watching him as he struggled to keep himself awake. Maybe, more broadly, I liked that he was a fighter. And such an articulate one at that. Everything he did seemed precise and calculated. Despite that, and despite my best efforts, he almost refused to look me in the eye. I didn’t know why. I didn’t take it as rude, though. He probably couldn’t help it. I knew Larn was still trying to help me tune down the glow I had around me. It might’ve been too bright. That, or… maybe he thought it rude to look me in the eye. When he did, though, I could feel my heart get just a little faster. His eyes were the only thing loose about him, so when he straightened them out, he was like a Greek statue, stoney and solid. I think if the world started to shake, he would’ve been the only thing staying still. My heart hadn’t been still, though. It wasn’t now, either. I could feel it speeding up just thinking about him.

  I smiled to myself a little. He couldn’t read my thoughts like I could, but I could tell he was still reading me. I liked that, weirdly enough. It gave us something in common. And his voice. He was only a man by a year or two, but it was already starting to deepen to its final form. Every one of his words seemed to resonate in my skull for a little while when he spoke. I could hear them now, echoing around in the space where my memories were supposed to be.

  And he’d apologized, too. He could tell I was getting upset and didn’t let his pride hold him back. He was able to be wrong. Not that he was, really. It’s… hard to control your thoughts. He was grumpy. I knew he was. Even if he called it a blessing that he’d been tied with his mother, I could still tell it bothered him. He just wasn’t good enough yet, and he knew it. But it wasn’t his fault. He didn’t have magic.

  I sighed, sitting up more properly and letting my eyes watch the dancing embers in the fireplace. I wanted to talk to him more. It didn’t have to be about our patronage. It could be about anything, really. I just wanted to hear his voice again. I wanted to tame him. I wanted to… to take hold of him and calm him, soothe his anger and… maybe… let him feel passionate about something else for a moment. Maybe… someone…

  I shook my head. No, this… I couldn’t be thinking like this. I’d let myself indulge in it for a little while, but this was too much. If I kept thinking about him like this, he might get the wrong impression of me. And… if I came on too strongly, he definitely wouldn’t want to be my warlock. I should probably be up front about it, though. I could tell him that… that I felt this way, and… that I’ll suppress it if I have to. He was still my best option for the mission. Honestly, he might even be better than his mother if he can tie with her without any magic. Imagine what we’d be able to do together.

  No, no. Bad phrasing. Those unholy thoughts needed to go away.

  I turned my attention to the fire once again. Dancing. That wasn’t a bad idea. I could take him dancing. Not in public, of course, but… I mean, surely the prince liked a ball. I could conjure a dream for us to share. I’d be safer there. I wouldn’t have to worry about prying eyes, none besides his, anyway. I wouldn’t mind if he pried.

  Adora! No!

  I let my eyes wander away from the fire. It was so strange that I felt this way. I couldn’t say that I’d never felt like this, mostly due to the missing memories. But even despite that, something told me this was new. Perhaps I’d ask Larn? No, I… I doubted he’d know that. I honestly had no idea what he knew about me. It might’ve been good to talk to him, if for no other reason than to let my feelings out. He was still busy, but he’d told me before I could come to him with something important while he worked. But this wasn’t that important. Maybe I’d just watch. I was good at that. He was probably lonely. I knew I was. That was probably why I was obsessing over this prince. Yes… that was probably it. I did say he was rude. I also said he was strong. He really didn’t look all that strong. I smiled a little to myself. Maybe there was some hidden muscle under all that armor. There probably was. It wasn’t full plate, but it was still metal, and he was moving fast. I began to wonder if…

  Talking to Larn! Leaving the room! Talking to Larn!

  I let out a heavy sigh, then heaved myself up off the couch, letting myself rise just off the ground before my feet touched it. I floated over toward the door, grabbing a small wooden mask off the table beside it before floating through the threshold. Even with his magic, seeing him for the first time would sometimes blind me for a moment, so the mask blocked out most of his light so I could adjust. After I made my way down the hall and exited the front of my castle, I looked out over the area. It was still daytime, the sky a gentle pale blue and the clouds beneath me still their soft, pure white. The heavens were beautiful. This small little area around my castle was my domain—a small space all heralds were afforded by their god to rest or to do their work. While it looked like it stretched out all the way to the horizon, my domain was only about two or three acres in size. Smaller than most, but I was also supposed to be hidden from the other gods. It wasn’t as if I was going to do anything with the space, anyway. Just outside of my domain was Larn’s domain, where he was making sure the sun stayed on track for our half of the world. The other half had a large dragon god to control the sun on their side. According to Larn, that dragon had been there for millions of years. I couldn’t imagine living that long. It was possible, in theory at least, but Larn would be usurped sooner or later. Once that happened, I’d be stuck in the Underworld just like any other soul. Unless I upset Sha, of course.

  She was the one god every other feared. The goddess of death, the ultimate harbinger of one’s ultimate fate. You couldn’t escape her, save for, of course, the hundreds of demons who escaped her domain almost daily. But she let them do that. My demon counterpart was still probably down there. That was how most heralds became heralds; taking on the eldritch magic of the gods and leaving one’s body behind, only for Sha to take it and bring it back as a demon. Some of the gods and heralds hated their demon counterparts. I knew Thoen did. But his demon had been slain long ago. There were some, like Thoen, who sent their warlocks and disciples to hunt down demons on behalf of the other gods. It was a little silly. The ones who sold their souls were also the ones who went out of their way to kill those without one. It wasn’t every warlock—if Philibus became made, I wouldn’t make him do it—but there were enough that they had a reputation. Some saw them as heroes, others saw hypocrites. I hadn’t really formed an opinion. I didn’t know enough. I’d read everything I knew about demons and the relationship they had with the gods only a few days ago. The archives in the Library were extensive, which was both helpful and a bit overwhelming. I could only read so many books before I had to do something else, as fun as it was.

  As I met the edge of my domain, I touched my hand to the yellow-tinted magical barrier. It wobbled like a soap bubble for a moment before settling, conforming a little to the shape of my hand. If I didn’t go slowly, the barrier would push me back out. I slid as slowly as I could, feeling as the barrier conformed around my fingers and palm, then my arm, the edge of my cloak, and then finally enveloped my head and the ends of my toes until finally, slowly, I’d exited my domain and entered Larn’s.

  It was far warmer here. Directly above, I could see distant stars, other suns billions of billions of miles away. At the center of the domain was a large white marble structure with an ornate glass dome ceiling, with slow moving waves of powerful magic flowing up and outward into the cosmos through the glass. I began to move toward the building, I slid the mask over my face, the magic embedded in the wood darkening the world around me. After a minute or two, I found myself at the door of this gorgeous, simple structure and opened it, feeling an intense wave of heat billow out and wash over me as both the door I’d opened and its twin swung wide open.

  “Adora?” I heard the god’s voice call out. “Is that you?”

  “It is!” I shouted back, feeling the heat begin to die down and the magic in the mask start to strain. “Are you busy?”

  “I always have time for my herald,” he said a little softer. “Don’t just stand there! Come in! Close the door!”

  I smiled a little, floating in and pulling the charred wooden doors shut. As I began to get used to the light, I saw Larn at the center of the room, sitting in his chair and holding a small little Light Ball in his hands, the magic sphere burning brightly between his palms.

  “I didn’t want to bother you if you were busy,” I explained, floating closer to the god.

  “Nonsense! As I said, I’ll always make time for you.”

  I felt my smile grow a little wider, and as I approached I saw Larn set the Light Ball up into the open air beside him, putting out a hand and pulling the marble floor up to create a chair sitting opposite of his. I sat down in the seat, looking upon the orangey yellow glow of the god’s shimmering form. He preferred to take on this more human-like form, dressing himself in a comfortable white toga with gold trim and a burnt-orange cape. As I made myself as comfortable as I could in a chair made from rock, he leaned back a little in his seat and crossed his legs, putting the center of his left calf on top of his right knee.

  “So,” he began with a bright smile. “How did the meeting go?”

  “I think it went well,” I replied a bit timidly. “I… I think once he’s had a bit of time to start trusting me, he’ll come around.”

  Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

  “That’s good,” the god answered. “You told him you were mine, right?”

  I nodded.

  “Good, good,” he smiled. “So what brings you here? Need someone to talk to?”

  I nodded again.

  “Well then, talk!” he chuckled. “I can see there’s something on your mind. I’m all ears.”

  “Well…” I began. I looked away for a moment, trying to think of the right words to say. “Larn, did… Did I know the prince before becoming a herald?”

  “You were a priestess at my temple, Adora,” he answered. “So… no.”

  “I didn’t think so,” I sighed. “It’s just… I feel like I did.”

  “Is it a feeling of a distant memory, or… is it something else?”

  I turned my eyes back to the god, who was patiently grinning at me. I felt my cheeks warm and turned my eyes away, very glad I still had the mask on.

  “I knew it,” he chuckled. “I figured this might happen. Hence why I sent you to his mother first…”

  “If you knew this would happen, why did you-!”

  “You needed it!” he smiled. “I mean, I know I’m great and all, but I figured if I couldn’t have the greatest warrior I’d ever seen, I might as well pick someone you’d get along with.”

  “Get along with?” I chuckled. “He was… not very nice.”

  “He was skeptical,” the god defended. “You were the same way when you woke up here.”

  “But I didn’t have any memories,” I countered. “He’s had his whole life to learn how to talk to people.”

  “Has he?” the god smirked. “You read his history with me. He’s almost never left his castle more than one night a year. He just… doesn’t know any better.”

  “So I’ll have to teach him social skills, too,” I sighed.

  “Trust me, Adora,” he smiled patiently. “That familiarity… You feel it for a reason. The prince may be a bit rough around the edges, but you’ll grow to like him in time. I suspect you already do.”

  After another long breath, I nodded again.

  “Oh, don’t be so glum!” the god said jovially. “I’m sure you’ve already started thinking about what you’ll say to him next.”

  I chuckled a little. “Maybe… a little bit…”

  “What do you plan on doing?” he asked. “Perhaps you could convince him to sneak out of the castle with you.”

  “I… don’t think he’d trust me enough for that yet,” I smirked. “I was thinking of invoking a dream.”

  “A dream, hm?” the god replied. “What kind of a dream?”

  “A lucid dream,” I answered. “I thought about having a ball.”

  “I’m pretty sure he doesn’t like balls,” Larn responded flatly.

  “Well, do you have a better idea!?” I snapped. I immediately covered where my mouth would've been on my mask.

  “I think he'd like archery,” the god replied, not even noting my sudden outburst.

  I stopped for a moment, watching the god's gently burning eyes. Any other god might've reprimanded me for such insolence, but Larn… Well, if he wasn't going to stop me…

  “Oh, sure,” I began somewhat carefully. “Do something only he'd like.”

  “It's just a suggestion,” he smirked. “Besides, you could use the practice.”

  “Did I like archery?” I asked.

  “No,” he chuckled. “Hence why you need practice.”

  I grumbled a little. Larn let out a boisterous laugh.

  “Have you been practicing any magic?” he asked.

  “Not really,” I admitted. “Every spell I've cast seems to just come naturally.”

  “I was going to say you don't need to,” he answered. “Maybe touch up on some things you've forgotten, but magic will come fairly easy to you. That should make it a bit easier to teach the prince.”

  “You sound confident he'll accept,” I noted.

  “I am,” he replied. “And I need him to. I… don't know who else I can go to.” He looked at me a bit more seriously. “Please, Adora. I'm relying on you for this. I hate to put this much pressure on you, but… I need this.”

  I nodded slowly, my eyes drifting to the floor. “I understand. I'll do my best.”

  The god glanced up at the little Light Ball to his side. “I wish I could set the sun a little sooner for you,” he sighed. “I know you're itching to go talk to him again.”

  “It's alright,” I sighed. “I wouldn't want you to disrupt nature just for me.”

  “You know I would.”

  I glanced up at Larn, his face bright and cheery.

  “You're my most loyal servant, Adora,” he smiled. “If I had to, I would.”

  My head turned away.

  “I'm the only one you have left…”

  “All the more reason to keep you happy.”

  I sighed, reaching up my hand and taking off my mask, finally facing him completely.

  “You know,” he began, “I think I like this version of you better.”

  “Why's that?”

  “Before, you were so scared of me.” He turned his head away, looking at the Light Ball again. “I don't blame you. Even as a priestess, you were only human. But now that things are a little more even… I like having someone to talk to like an equal. It's… nice.”

  I chuckled a little. “It's… still not very even…”

  “It's closer,” he smirked, returning his attention to me. “I suppose what I'm trying to say is… You're fine to be yourself around me. I like it, actually. It makes me feel more grounded.”

  I giggled a little. “The sun god wanting to feel grounded?”

  “The ground is where the people are,” he shot back with a humorous tone. “I can’t normally be around them, so… I’ll take what I can get.”

  “You can’t just… turn down the brightness?” I asked.

  “Oh sure,” he smiled. “Yes, let’s turn down the brightness of the sun. Let’s see how well that turns out.”

  “Point taken.”

  Larn chuckled a little. “So what do you like about him?”

  I let out a light little sigh. “I suppose… Well, he’s… very strong… very good with a sword…”

  “Mmm hmm.”

  “I just… I don’t know,” I answered, feeling myself grow a bit flustered as my eyes wandered away. “I like his voice.”

  “Really?”

  “And… he’s quite disciplined."

  “He is.”

  “I don’t know, Larn!” I exclaimed. “I just… I don’t know!”

  The god laughed. “You only just met him.”

  “Exactly!” I resumed. “That’s what’s strange to me! I… I don’t get it! But just… thinking about the way he spoke, the way he carried himself… even when he was being rude, it… I don’t know, it made me feel… strange. It felt familiar somehow.”

  “Hmm…” Larn put his elbow on the armrest of his chair, then rested his chin in his hand. “I honestly couldn’t tell you why. You never had any romantic relationships before.”

  “Who’s to say it’s romantic?!” I exclaimed. “Maybe I just felt a friend-like feeling and I’m just confusing it!”

  “Well,” the god smirked. “Was it a friend-like feeling?”

  “I… I mean…”

  Larn chuckled. “Well, if you want some advice…” he began, lifting his head out of his hand, “I’d recommend focusing on the deal for now. Assuming the prince feels similarly about you, it will probably all work out. And if he doesn’t, well… you did tell him we’d leave him alone after our mission.”

  “True,” I sighed. “You’re right, Larn.”

  “Of course I am,” he smirked. “Two hundred years gives you plenty of wisdom.”

  “Oh… right…” I turned my eyes away.

  “I know what you’re thinking,” he smiled. “Yes, you’ll probably outlive him.”

  “Then what’s the point?” I asked. “Why would I let myself get wrapped up in all of this when… he’s going to die before I age a day?”

  “Well, first of all, you could just take his soul and keep it here before he dies,” the god noted. “And secondly, even if you couldn’t… it’d still be worth it. What’s the point of immortality if you’re miserable the whole time?”

  “I wouldn’t be miserable.”

  “Yes, you would,” he sighed. “Trust me. You’d think about what could have been for the next couple centuries.”

  I stared at the god for a short moment. “Have you?”

  Larn smiled, looking away for a moment. “It’d be nice to find someone for me, I suppose. Alas, nobody can quite fit my tastes.”

  “What would you want?” I chuckled.

  “Maybe… I don’t know. I haven’t thought about it too much.”

  “Two centuries and not a single thought of romance?”

  “Well, perhaps I confused it for friendship.”

  I let out a long sigh. Larn laughed a little.

  “I’m going to go get ready,” I grumbled.

  “Yes, yes, go get ready for your dream in three hours,” the god smirked. “Go with the ball. He only hates them because he has no one to dance with.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “It’s a guess,” he answered. “But I’m probably right.”

  I scoffed, then slowly rose from my chair.

  “Have a good evening, Adora,” Larn smiled, putting out his hand to push the chair back into the ground.

  “Thank you, Larn.”

  The god nodded, grabbing the Light Ball out of the air and cupping it in his hands once again. After turning away, pushing open the doors, and slamming them shut again, I let out a long, heavy sigh, sliding down the ancient wood and landing on my knees. I felt a little weight fall off my shoulders. Larn needed this night to go well. I needed this night to go well. In the meantime, there were plenty of books to read up on. Perhaps I’d read up on a bit of Theolian history. Their kingdom was actually older than Larn, which was a little ridiculous to think about. As I slowly picked myself up off the floor, I felt a new sense of invigoration. I had to hold out hope that the prince would come around. Larn seemed to believe he was our only chance. I had to make this work. I had to convince him to sell me his soul.

  I let myself take one final, heavy breath.

  I would make him mine. I had to.