we couldn’t risk all six of us attacking her at once. She’d only give us one chance to fight her. So”—Ignitus gave a grim smile—“we decided to make a single vessel just as powerful as she was. One vessel, one shot, one fight. We took the strongest mortal we had and each put pieces of our energeias into her.”
Ash’s eyebrows shot up. “You created a Soul Divine mortal?”
“In a way. She was more of a vessel for our energeias. Our fighter lured Anathrasa into what became the first arena—and so that fighter was the first gladiator. She managed to drain the Mother Goddess of her anathreia. Or most of it.”
Ash wheezed. I can’t have a gladiator involved again.
Ignitus had said that to her when she’d confronted him about letting her help.
“The threat you feared wasn’t a gladiator—the solution was a gladiator,” Ash said, breathless.
Ignitus scowled. “I don’t think such a solution will be possible this time, though. That gladiator was still mortal in the end—she’s been dead for centuries. We’d need all the gods to put pieces of their energeias into a vessel again, and if Geoxus thinks Anathrasa is his to control, he’ll never rise against her.”
“Wait.” Ash’s heart kicked up. “You can give me igneia back?”
The fall of sympathy on Ignitus’s face was sudden and soft. “It isn’t that simple. Putting pieces of our energeias into a mortal proved . . . costly. Many mortals died before we found one who could withstand a god’s direct energeia. And as for us—” Ignitus pulled his hair to the side, tugging free the gray-white strand. “We were not made to break apart our souls like Anathrasa did when she made us. She’s the goddess of souls; we are not. Giving away our energeia is to give away our very beings. It started to kill each of us. We had to stop, or—”
“Or become mortal,” Ash finished.
Ignitus’s gray hair; the wrinkles around Geoxus’s eyes. Putting a part of their energeias into another vessel had started to weaken the gods’ immortalities.
So there was a way to kill Ignitus—by taking away or giving up his energeia. Now that Ash no longer wanted to kill him, having that answer felt cruel.
Ignitus clapped his hands together. “We need to return to Kula. Geoxus isn’t the only one who can gather an army. We’ll be ready for him and for whatever Anathrasa tries to do, and we’ll get the other gods to stand against them too.”
Tor gaped up at Ignitus. Ash recognized the shock on his face—it was the first time he had heard Ignitus say something in defense of Kula.
She understood the discomfort of listening to Ignitus speak and realizing that she agreed with what he said. It was a foreign sensation.
“He’s going to help us,” Ash told Tor. “All the wars, the arena fights—he’s been trying to protect Kula’s resources. I don’t forgive him.” She looked pointedly at Ignitus. “But he can help us now.”
Ignitus sulked. But he flinched when Tor pushed to his feet, eyes studious. Ignitus returned the stare before shifting and dropping his gaze.
He deferred to Tor.
Ash’s lips parted. The whole world felt like it fractured and remade itself anew.
Tor’s breath grated as he lifted his hand and pointed a finger at Ignitus, trembling. “Things will be different,” he said. “When we return to Kula, we want to be involved in its governing.”
Ignitus straightened his shoulders. “I’m the god of Kula. It’s my job to rule it.”
“You’ve done a shit job,” Tor said.
The surprise that painted Ignitus’s face was one of the most satisfying things Ash had ever seen.
“Kula is our country too,” Tor continued. He was close to tears.
Ash grabbed Tor’s hand and used it to pull herself to her feet. She felt stronger now, filled with the sensation of something long broken coming together. “What he’s trying to say is—you aren’t alone in ruling Kula. We all want to help make our country safe.”
Ignitus started. His eyes shifted back to Tor, and after a long moment, his eyelids fluttered.
“I’ll consider making some changes,” he whispered.
Tor nodded. A tear slid down his cheek, but he looked back at Taro. “We need to get all the Kulans to the docks. Our ship shouldn’t take long to prepare. The sooner we leave, the better.”
Ash braced herself. “I have to go to the palace. I’m not leaving without Madoc.”
Tor whipped a look at her, but she held up her hand.
“If we leave him, Geoxus and Anathrasa will force Madoc to take away other