Leona watched Alice as the girl ed their hotel room. In two days, they would set off. Her headache had stopped but she khe signs already. There was something at Pepayel. It wasn’t too big, a small earthquake maybe? An avanche?

  Iniri trailed behind Kavaa who herself trailed after Helenna. The corridor through the Lower Prison of Olympiada gradually got narrower and narrower. Maisara had been the designer, Iniri was sure that there was some horribly dull reason for it but it didn’t affect her too much. Kavaa and Helenna oher hand had to bow their heads to not brush against the ceiling. “Stop!” Helenna suddenly shouted. Of Love’s hair greale yellow, then a white. The dress she had chosen was a deep bck.

  “Are we here?” Kavaa asked, her voice dull aionless. Her blonde hair had been tied up into a tail and she wore a heavy blue coat.

  “We are.” Helenna replied. Iniri tried to say something encing but her voice caught. She had been on edge since she had woken up today. What were they even doing? This was such a mistake! They! Kassandora! Now that she had e to the edge of the cliff, she wao do nothing more than run bato the forest behind her, even if that forest was on fire. “Are you ready?” Helenna asked slowly.

  “Go ahead.” Kavaa replied as Iniri grabbed her dress. She had chosen the white and blue colours of wioday. It fit her mood. Helenna slowly pulled open the door and Iniri leaned past Kavaa to see inside.

  Kassandora’s prison cell could be described only as a prison cell. There was a wooden table with two chairs, all pin. The Goddess’ bed oher side of the room with simple white sheets and the tai crystal which sat in the middle of the room on a tall golden pole. Kassandora herself was lying on her bed, one leg over the other and humming some tuo herself.

  The Goddess of War saw them and instantly readjusted herself. She stood up, the woman was a good half-head taller than Kavaa or Helenna, she practically towered over Iniri. “e in, e in.” She said, waving them forwards. Kassandora carried herself in such a way that the grey prison dress did not detract from her even an inch, Iniri did not know how she did it. War could rival Love in how gracious it looked, today, it certainly did. Kassandora’s crimson hair was the brightest colour in the room, followed by the Goddess’ red eyes. “I did not expect guests.” Kassandora said, her tone light as if she was about to ugh. “So I apologize for the ck of de.” She patted her hair, Iniri had not even noticed it was unbrushed.

  Helenna turned around to look at Kavaa and Iniri and nodded for them to e closer. Now that they were in with Kassandora, Iniri did not what to say. The Goddess of arently had no such reservations, she took the initiative immediately. “Please sit down.” She said, indig at the bed and chairs. “I stand, please make yourself fortable.” Iniri felt her heart beat. She half-suspected Kassandora was being disingenuous but there wasn’t a hint of mockery in her voio pity nor disdain. Helenna took one of the chairs, Kavaa took the bed, Iniri followed the tter. Of Bounty g Kassandora and almost let go of Kavaa’s hand in shock.

  Kassandoddess of War, was actually curtsying for them.

  Ilwin boarded his flight to Pepayel. Hopefully this was the st time he would ever fly public.

  Kavaa watched Kassandora, her own hand tightening around Iniri’s. The Goddess of War finished her curtsy as Helenna waved to the free chair. “Sit Kass.”

  “Thank you.” This sort of demeanour… Kavaa k would be like this, it recisely the reason Kavaa was against meeting with Kassandora in the first pce. The woman was brilliant and charismatid funny, she kly which moves made her likable, what to say and when to say it. “So, we all know each other here, I’m sure we skip the pleasantries and introdus.” Kassandora said and Kavaa smiled. Laying it on anymore would have made her seem disingenuous, what a perfect time to cut it off.

  “We…” Helenna began, her voice grew weak and Kassandhed.

  “It’s not like the Goddess of Love to suddenly grow nervous.” She turned Kavaa and Iniri. “So? Helenna’s all red now so you tell me what you want?” Kavaa blinked. Perfect. Absolute perfe. Alsaria would have said something along the lines of ‘what I help you with’ as if they were children. Kassandora spoke to them in the way the higher Divines spoke to each other.

  “We have a problem.” Kavaa said and Kassandhed as leaned ba her seat.

  “It ’t be any rger than mine.” She waved towards the tai crystal in the middle of the room. It there, a golden obelisk topped off with a gemstone darker than obsidian.

  “It may indeed be.” Kavaa replied. Now that the surgery had begun, it was siderably easier to speak. “I don’t know how much you’re aware of what’s been happening iside world.”

  “You’ll find I’m much more knowledgeable than people wao be.” Kassandora said and shrugged. “Naturally, I don’t want to be executed so I’d pre…”

  “We won’t say anything about what happens in here.” Iniri blurted out.

  “Well that’s good to know.” Kassandora said, she spread her arms out. “Trust is a rare odity on this mountain, and I’m sure you have nothing to offer me but beggars ’t be choosers, they?” She cracked a ugh and Kavaa found herself smiling along to the humour. The Goddess of War looked to the three of them, her eyebrow high as if waiting, her smile wide. “Well if you’re all shy. I’ll tell you what I know first, how about that?”

  Kavaa felt Iniri let go of her as they listeo Kassandora. “I know that Leona is going to die. I know there’s a fracture between Alsaria and Maisara. Maisara has Fortia on her side. Alsaria has Essa, I assume Zerus will go with her too.” She shrugged as if this treacherous talk was simply a ent on the grey walls around them. “There’s a war brewing in the White Pantheon, that much I’m sure of.”

  Kavaa wao ugh and cry at the same time. All three of them kneproag Kassandora would be like, and now they were here and the woman was actually wooing them. They had preparations for this, to not fall for her easy nature, to not believe a word she said.

  How could they not believe the truth?

  “I assume the silence means I’m correct.” Kassandora said with a cp of her hands. “And because of that, si’s you three, I assume you want assistance from me.” She poio the crystal in the tre of the room. “Now my services don’t e free, but I promise I’m not a cheap merary who will turn their bay allies.”

  Kassandora was a damn drug. A horrible, terrible drug that intoxicated and addicted after a versation.

  They had all willingly taken it.

  “I want to stay at the airport whe there.” Leona said.

  “Really? The airport?” Alice replied.

  “Yes, something is going to happen there.”

  Helenna cooled the blush in her cheeks. Kassandora was a beast and a monster. A… A she found herself wanting to tame this wolf in front of them. “So?” Kassandora said. “I have all day to kill, your wele to stay but I’d prefer not to sit in silence.” Kavaa spoke first, always like the doctor she was.

  “Your corre almost every front.” Kavaa replied and Kassandora nodded. “First though, I would like to ask how you know all this. Especially Leona, no one was supposed to leak that.”

  “Is it a leak if it’s to me?” Kassandora replied and ughed. She shook her head, that crimson hair was something Helenna could never reproduce, it flew in the air like a stream of blood behind her. “Never mind Kavaa. Maisara told me.”

  “MAISARA TOLD YOU?!” Kavaa shouted.

  “My services are in hot demand.” Kassandora said. “But I’d prefer you not let this secret out.” The woman shrugged as if the secret meant nothing for her.

  “Why did she tell you?” Kavaa asked. The Goddess of War’s smile showed her teeth.

  “For the same reason you’ve e here of course. Leona is going to die and the luck binding you will burn out. There’ll be a power a struggle and she wants to secure a spot at the top.”

  “Will you help her?” Iniri asked.

  “I said before, beggars ’t be choosers they?” Kassandora said lightly. “And besides, she’s already promised my freedom.”

  “SHE PROMISED THAT?!” Kavaa shouted again. It did not surprise Helenna in the slightest. If there was ever a person to tame mighty Maisara, it would be Kassandora.

  “Like I said, I’d prefer if you don’t say anything to her but who am I to decide for you?” Kassandora said. There it was, Helenna khis move. There was er way to make a person do something than to let them decide for themselves. Helenna knew, and Helenna knew she fell for it. “So I assume you’ve e to me for advi what to do.” Kassandora tinued. “Flee, that’s what you should do. You three, I apologize for being blunt. But you three are rather i when it es to bat. Whoever wins, you will fall in lih them whether you want it or not. Alsaria will be better for you but you’ll have to deal with her moodiness. Maisara will write out a hundred or so rules and then she’ll expect you to follow along. To the spirit of the w, not to its letter.”

  “That’s what we’re afraid of.” Helenna finally spoke again.

  “Looks like you speak!” Kassandora turned and leaned in to Helenna. “What I just said will ensure your survival, although your happiness I ’t vouch for.”

  “That’s the issue Kass.” Helenna said.

  “You want more than that, don’t you?” The three Goddesses o Kassandora and the Goddess of War leaned bad smiled. “To be ho with you, Fortia predicted someone else ing to me already.”

  “Did she?”

  “Well I assume it was Fortia.” Kassandora said quickly. “Maisara isn’t a schemer, is she? But they offered me a good priy services.”

  “What?”

  “I promised not to share, but one of the ditions was freedom.”

  “We came in knowing that.” Helenna said. “But…” She looked to Kavaa and Iniri. What could they offer? There was a reason they were always at the bottom. There was no power or strength to lend…

  “Total trol during the war.” Kavaa said cooly and Kassandora raised an eyebrow.

  “Don’t insult me like that.” She said coldly. “The fact I’m eaining you implies that’s a given.”

  “You just said beggars ’t be choosers.” Iniri weakly tried to back up Kavaa.

  “I wasn’t talking about myself.” Kassandora said. Helen her hair go white and she saw Iniri grab hold of Kavaa’s hand again. “This is what I offer: I don’t want any part in your post-war order, you will simply let me go and disappear into a hut somewhere. During the war, I will want your assistahe three of you are looked down upon as mere support, it’s an insult to you ultimately, but there’s a certain truth in it.” Helenna tried to stop her hair from going red, it still ended up e. Kavaa and Iniri shared a look of pure disbelief with her.

  This was exactly what they wanted.

  “Is there anything else?” Helenna asked.

  “I’m sure I’ll think of something but I’ll be frank with you girls. You’re a damn lot better to work with than Maisara and Fortia, or Alsaria and Essa for that matter.” Helenna kly why Kass had said that, it was to tell them that everyone had e to her for assistance already.

  “Because we ’t hurt you?”

  “Beggars ’t be choosers, they?” Kassandora asked. No one answered. “I will request your clerical orders, and your spies.” She turo Helenna directly as she said that. Helen her cheeks go red again, ents to her from the others were always offhanded. “Likewise you Iniri, I will want you to feed our army.”

  “Me?” Iniri asked.

  “Full bellies are more important for war than they are for peace. You’re essential.” The Goddess of Food and Bounty blushed and then smiled as she started to fuss over her white and blue dress. Helenna k etty, but where were her pliments?

  “I don’t want you and my Orders to suicide.” Kavaa said.

  “Uhe situation requires immediate a, like this.” Kassandora snapped her fingers. “I’ll run all ands past you.” Kassandora turo Helenna. “Likewise with your spies.” The woman ughed and stretched her arms. “Besides, I don’t think you have to worry, I’ve grown weaker physically but what’s in here.” The Goddess of oio her head. “It’s still as sharp as it was during the Great War.”

  “You’ve grown weaker physically?” Kavaa asked, her voice suddenly nurturing.

  “I’m sure the three of you could defeat me.” Kassandora said. “But likewise, the three of you could defeat Maisara if you tried.”

  “You think so?”

  “She’s not the Maisara of a thousand years past, is she?” Helenna blinked. She hadn’t even noticed.

  “So…” Helenna turo the two sitting on the bed. “Are we in?” She got two nods. They had e in expeg tue with Kassandora about everything ahe woman had given them more than they could have hoped for.

  “I am.” Iniri spoke first.

  “As I am.” Kavaa said. Kassandora stood up to speak.

  “A gdiathts alone, but not without support. Someone arms him, someone feeds him, someoends his wounds. Support me and I will be ydiator.” Her voice echoed down the corridor and then she did something that stunned Helenna. She offered her hand.

  It was a silly gesture, something mortals did with each other. Something that no Divine would ever do for the measly Goddesses of Love, of Health and of Food and Bounty.

  But Kassandlorious Goddess of War, did.