Chapter 31: The Favor of Chaos (Her POV)
Malvor handed over the statue with all the drama of a stage actor finishing his greatest performance. Luxor's fingers glowed faintly gold as he examined it slowly. "Hmph. Real thing. Impressive." Then his gaze shifted, away from the statue, away from Malvor, and landed squarely on me, eyes full of heat and hunger.
"The prize, was a divine favor… and a kiss." Just like that, the attention of an entire realm pressed against me like the weight of the sun.
Before I could even blink, Malvor slid forward, a weaponized grin flashing. "The kiss is mine."
Luxor's brow arched amused. "Greedy."
"Possessive," Malvor countered without hesitation.
Underneath Malvor's theatrics, beneath his smug grin and velvet tone, I felt it through the bond. Real protective possession. Mine. He didn't even try to hide it from me. Before I could open my mouth, he proved it. One sharp tug and Malvor yanked Luxor down by the collar, his mouth crashing against the sun god's. The courtyard went silent. It was supposed to be mocking. I could feel that intention sparking off him. A dramatic, over-the-top show of chaos. But Luxor wasn't playing fair. One hand snapped to Malvor's waist, the other buried in his hair, and the kiss… deepened. My brain short-circuited. I blinked. Then blinked again. My mouth fell open as Malvor, my Malvor, actually moaned into it. Loud enough that a minor god gasped somewhere behind me. There was tongue. There was heat. There was the kind of theater that belonged in temples, not polite company. It wasn't a kiss. It was a spectacle.
Luxor pulled back first, lips shining, eyes molten. "Still dramatic as ever, Mal."
Malvor looked dazed for half a heartbeat, then straightened his kilt and smirked like nothing about what I had just witnessed was even remotely unusual. "Well?" he asked, smug. "Worth the prize?"
I opened my mouth and nothing came out. Unfortunately, silence wasn't enough to save me, because he felt it. Through the bond. My surprise. My curiosity. The flicker of heat I'd never admit aloud. Holy gods that was the hottest thing I have ever seen. My brain screamed in delight. His gaze was predatory. "Oh, you liked that."
"I did not hate it," I muttered, dry as I could manage.
"I knew I was your type," he said, gleeful. "Me. And also me. With eyeliner. Making out with hot golden gods. Annie, your taste is flawless."
I rolled my eyes so hard I saw my own brain. "If you ever do that again in front of me, I expect equal entertainment rights." He bowed low, already plotting something ridiculous. The rest of the Pantheon chose that moment to drift in, curiosity heavy in the air. Malvor, with a flourish, stepped aside and gestured me forward.
"The divine favor," Luxor reminded me, lounging back on his throne, all gleaming arrogance. "You may claim it now."
I hesitated. All their eyes were on me. I cleared my throat. "Can I… defer it?"
Luxor tilted his head, intrigued. "A deferred divine favor?"
The gods murmured among themselves. "It is unusual," Luxor admitted, tapping one golden finger against the throne. "But not forbidden."
"She is chaotic," Malvor announced proudly. "Let her be chaotic."
Luxor's smile curled slow and sharp. "Very well. One favor, to be called upon at any time. Use it wisely."
I nodded, my voice steadier than I felt. "Thank you, Eternal Flame Luxor."
Malvor leaned in, his grin brushing warm against my ear. "Well done, my cunning little cobra. I am so proud I could kiss you."
I shot him a look. "You just kissed him."
His grin widened. "I have so many kisses to give, my sunshine. Don't be greedy."
Across the dais, Luxor spoke, voice rich and dangerous. "She can be greedy. She's earned it."
I groaned. "Gods, I hate all of you." They all took it as a compliment.
Luxor clapped his hands once. The sound cracked like thunder, echoing through the gilded hall. "Now, since we've played with fire, sand, and near-death experiences. Let's test those divine brains of yours."
A dozen pillars rose from the floor, each one carrying a puzzle. Not mortal puzzles. These were monstrous and impossible. A Rubik's-like cube made of crystal and shifting dimensions. A sculpture of ice that dripped away as you stared at it. A sphere of water that splashed violently whenever Yara poked at it. One that… hummed. My arms crossed before I could stop myself. "What is this?"
"Puzzle challenge," Luxor purred, clearly enjoying himself. "Solve one win a prize from me."
Malvor clapped like a delighted child. "Ohhh, brain games. Wonderful. Let's see if Aerion even has thoughts."
Aerion growled. Vitaria snorted wine. The others picked their battles. Tairochi went straight for one of shifting stone layers, cracking his knuckles like he meant to wrestle it into submission. Yara was already soaked by her water sphere. Maximus tried to drink from his puzzle. Typical. Malvor? He flopped down in front of the humming, sparkle-belching monstrosity. "Let's see what you've got, humming horror."
Luxor's gaze slid toward me. "Well? Going to let the gods have all the fun?"
Malvor called across the room, grinning. "Come on, Annie-patra. Win me another prize."
I rolled my eyes, but my feet moved anyway. I drifted past the chaos until I found a simple wooden box. Tucked away at the edge of the dais. When I opened it, there was no glow. Just a scroll tied with crimson ribbon. My fingers trembled as I unrolled it. Luxor's handwriting marked the top. A riddle, just simple words. I read it once. Then again.
"I was carved, not born, Bound by hands not my own. I shine though I've lived in shadow, Break but never shatter. Feared by those who seek control, Freed by one who dares to see. What am I?"
The noise of the Pantheon fell away. I couldn't hear Yara splashing or Malvor swearing at his humming box. I couldn't hear Maximus flirting with his wine sphere. Because I already knew the answer. It was me. My chest tightened, my throat burned. For a moment, my vision blurred. Because it was a mirror. That was when Malvor stopped. I felt it first. Curiosity flickered through the bond, then dread, then something darker. My head lifted, and his eyes were already on me. No grin. No jokes. Just stillness. He felt it. My revelation. He felt it as clearly as I did. His gaze slid, slowly, to Luxor. Luxor wasn't watching his puzzle. He was watching me. Reclined, golden goblet in hand, his lips curved knowingly. That was all it took. Rage tore through the bond. Not mine. Malvors. White-hot, sharp, terrifyingly quiet. Not his usual mischief, not playful chaos. This was older. A chain snapping loose. Under it fear. I swayed, clutching the scroll, my heart pounding with his panic. The bond screamed between us, vibrating with fury and terror.
In the echo of his voice, low and brutal in my head, I heard it clear as thunder: He knows. Annie, are you all right?
My fingers tightened around the scroll. My chest was tight, head light, but I nodded once.
Fine, I sent back. The lie tasted bitter, and I knew he didn't believe me. I stared at the parchment like it was still a mystery, tilting my head, forcing my expression into mild feigned curiosity. Pretending. I was good at pretending. But Malvor knew me too well. I felt him linger in the bond, flipping through my emotions. Then he shifted. Pulled back. In his place came something else. Heat, sharp and volatile, crackling like a fuse too close to flame. I didn't have to look up to know he was striding away. Straight for Luxor. I exhaled through my nose, folding the papyrus and tucking it carefully back into the box. My fingers brushed the wood as though it might shatter. I moved slowly to a table in a secluded alcove. A shadow fell over me. I looked up, and there he was. Aerion.