They followed her, Zayden ribbing Mat, as he often did.
As Mave pulled down a bag from the wagon, her eyes fell on Emerian, who had already set up his own tent and was nearly done setting up their campfire.
She had to figure out what to do about him, but she needed just a little more time. It was the only dark cloud still hovering over her.
Mave went to sleep in Mat’s arms, Bryn and Zayden staying up later to give the two of them time. Mave was glad to have a private moment with him after the bond. They made love, then curled into each other, but when she closed her eyes, the bliss was gone.
Mave entered a dream. She didn’t stand in the woods. She stood on the path, looking at the large mountain. The trees on the other side of the clearing began to shake.
Then Kristanya walked into the clearing, each of her steps shaking the ground as if she was something bigger, something more than the wingless Andinna that stood before her.
And fury blazed in her eyes.
Mave felt real fear as the goddess drew closer and closer.
Kristanya didn’t close the distance between them completely. She stood on the path, in Mave’s way, framed by the massive mountain behind her.
“Every mortal has warned you,” the goddess began, her voice booming and echoing off the distant peaks. “If you continue on this path, you will die.”
“I’ll die anyway,” Mave answered, stepping forward. “There is only death in my future. There is only death in my past. What difference does it make?”
“You could save who you can. All you have to do is turn around.” Kristanya snarled. “But I’ll tell you here and now that if you come to me, you will die. I have never named an Avatar, and I will never name an Avatar.”
“You’ll name me,” Mave snapped. “I’ll convince you.”
“Then you will be the most recent name in a long line of fools, for only fools think they can stand before me and believe they can hold my power. I do not need a mortal representative. I do not need you.”
“The Andinna are going to die!” Mave screamed. “Are you okay with that?”
“Then Andinna will die.” Kristanya was unmoved. “The Andinna would have died, eventually. All things do.”
“But…” Mave’s heart raced. “You’re one of us. You helped make us!” Mave knew the story now better than she knew those of her parents. Kristanya, who gave up her black wings to the Andinna, so the new people could fly as she had.
“I am not one of you,” Kristanya said, her voice dropping to a whisper.
The world tilted, and the ground shook. Mave was knocked down as a large shadow rose over her. When she looked back up, Mave saw something else.
A dragon stood over her. Black and five times the size of the biggest wyvern Mave had ever seen, Kristanya towered over her, so large, her tail brushed over treetops.
“I am the darkness. I am the first god, and I will one day be the last. The failings of mortals belong to those who tend to the living. I tend to the dead. I belong to the darkness.”
“You trained me!” Mave roared. “You came to me!”
“A mistake I won’t make again due to an errant hope I allowed my sister to breed in me. Death is inevitable. Not even I can help you escape it. If you wish to walk freely toward it, that is your own choice.”
“There has to be a way!” Mave yelled. “There has to be!”
“I will give you the same chance I give all the fools. Come to the top of the mountain, home of the dragons. I will give you the same chance I give everyone. And like all the others, your ignorance of what you ask for will be your doom.”
Kristanya turned and began to walk away.
Too late, Mave realized something strange about the way the goddess had just spoken to her—empty, lashing out. Devoid of emotion except rage leaking out, an easy emotion to let slip.
Mave saw something of herself, something sad and personal.
She had said it herself once. Not even the gods are infallible. I just need one chance.
38
Mave
Four days later, they were at the base of the mountain. Mave made her husbands pick up the pace after that dream. She had seen something, and she hoped she was right, but she needed to get to the top of the mountain.