approached, and Carrick ordered a beer but declined the menu. Veda ordered a salmon dish, looking over the menu at Carrick to say, “It’s completely paleo.”
After the waiter left, Carrick couldn’t help but ask. “Why do you care if it’s paleo? It’s not like saturated fats can kill you.”
“True.” She grinned, offering no more explanation, but it immediately set the tone for this meeting he’d requested. “You know I can’t help you with the prophecy.”
“I’m not here for that.” Veda smiled serenely at this proclamation, and then waited patiently as Carrick was served his beer. When he continued, he added on with slight chastisement. “But I don’t believe for a second that you can’t interfere with the prophecy if you wanted. The gods can do anything.”
“We are not supposed to interfere,” she reiterated adamantly. “So I don’t.”
“Not all of your cohorts are as virtuous as you, though, are they?”
Veda snorted. “The gods might meddle if they get bored, but never in a way that messes with the set timeline from the start of the prophecy to the end. The only one who can divert it is Finley, with your help, of course, and you. Now, why don’t you fill me in on everything that’s going on before you tell me what you want?”
Carrick’s eyebrows shot high. “You mean you don’t know? I thought the gods knew everything.”
“Honestly, Carrick… you know this isn’t the only prophecy in play. You know there are thousands of alternate realms we govern, not to mention the cosmos. It’s one of the reasons we created demi-gods because there is so much to see and only five of us.”
Slowly shaking his head, Carrick leveled a half-smile at her. “I don’t believe it. You’re invested in this one for some reason, as evidenced by the way you helped Finley.”
“My assistance was infinitesimal,” she huffed. “Only to help her bring her friends on board.”
“Which gave her confidence and strength through their moral support,” Carrick rebuked. “It was a big play on your part.”
“Whatever,” Veda huffed, then she studied Carrick critically. “You do seem different, though. You look… satisfied. No, that’s not right. Happy?”
Carrick wasn’t buying her feigned ignorance. He was confident Veda knew every damn thing that had happened from their visit to Sarvel to the fact that Carrick’s resolve broke, and he took Finley into his bed.
“She brings out the best in you, Carrick,” Veda said softly. “While I thought you’d hold out longer, I’m glad you gave in.”
“I didn’t take you for such a romantic,” Carrick muttered as he picked up his beer and took a long pull. “But the truth is, Finley made an incredibly good point that I’ll be ascending after this is over, so why not? It’s not a bad way to spend my free time, don’t you think?”
Carrick was baiting Veda, and she knew it. She was also far wiser than he would ever be and didn’t fall for it.
“I don’t buy for a minute that Finley is just a nice roll in the hay for you,” Veda said bluntly, then she narrowed her eyes. “But tell me the truth… doesn’t she change your desire to ascend?”
There was never a question Carrick didn’t want to answer more, so he asked one of his own. “Isn’t she the very reason I’m asking to ascend?”
Veda frowned. “You speak in riddles to me when it’s unnecessary. You forget I know everything. I know every second of every hour of every day of your life. I know your highs and lows and everything in between. More than anything, I know your motivations, so you don’t have to play coy with me, Carrick.”
It was true. There were no secrets held back from the gods. His life was under a glaring spotlight, and Veda probably knew him better than he knew himself.
“What does it matter?” Carrick asked dully. “Arwen says she’ll have to bear the burden of sacrifice. I’ve lived through enough prophecies to know what that means, and she’ll die.”
“Only if you believe wholeheartedly that things are pre-ordained through fate,” she suggested.
“Aren’t they?” he inquired.
Veda shrugged. “Are they?”
Carrick actually chuckled at that because while the gods often offered wise counsel, they could be slick little weasels when they wanted him to figure things out on his own.
“What I really want to know,” Veda said with a sly grin, “is if you are going to tell Finley the truth about why you want to ascend?”
Carrick didn’t hesitate because he’d already promised Finley he would. He had previously given her