Page 42 of Gods of Prey (Parallel Prey #3)

“This is unnecessary,” I tell the rest of the council, fighting to keep my voice level. “My original offer stands.”

“Stubborn as always,” Revel mutters.

“Look who’s talking,” I snap back.

Caelum holds up a hand to silence us both. “This unusual proposal requires consideration. The balance between life and death is sacred, not to be tampered with lightly.”

“I believe I should have a say in my own fate,” Sebastian speaks up.

I shake my head frantically at him. “Bash, don’t?—”

“No more, Sienna.” His voice is gentle but firm. “You’ve protected me long enough.”

He approaches the council thrones and bows deeply, a gesture of respect he hasn’t shown in millennia. “Honorable Divine Council, I acknowledge my transgressions. I manipulated time, abandoned my duties, and compromised the balance between realms.”

Jovie stands tall beside him, small but fierce. Her mortal presence in this immortal chamber should seem incongruous, yet somehow she belongs, her hand clasped firmly in my brother’s.

“However,” Sebastian continues, “I believe there is a solution that serves both justice and balance.” He glances back at me, a sad smile on his face. “But it doesn’t require my sister’s further sacrifice.”

“It seems we have no choice but to listen,” Caelum derides.

“I will return to Aurelys and resume my duties as God of Life,” Sebastian says.

“Jovie will join me, not merely as a consort, but as my equal—granting her immortality and divine authority. Sienna is right. If my child is as big of a threat as you suspect, the last thing we should be doing is separating them from their mother and creating animosity toward the council.”

Gasps echo around the chamber. Granting divinity to a mortal is nearly unheard of.

“In exchange,” Sebastian continues, “I’ll undertake additional divine duties. The realms are changing. New responsibilities arise as mortals evolve. I will assume those burdens personally.”

“And what of your sister?” Lyralei asks.

Sebastian smiles at me, a smile full of love and regret. “Sienna has paid enough. She has suffered through thirty-three lifetimes without complaint, maintaining her duties in Umbraeth despite our punishment. She deserves peace now.”

His eyes flicker between Revel and me, and I feel heat rise to my cheeks.

“This is all very touching,” Myelle says dryly. “But the fact remains that balance must be maintained. Two rulers in Aurelys, two in Umbraeth—it disrupts the natural order.”

“Not necessarily,” a new voice says.

I turn to see Erebus standing in the doorway, his tall figure silhouetted against the light. He steps forward, his customary darkness swirling around him.

“I am willing to serve as second to both Sienna and Revel in Umbraeth,” he says. “I have maintained the realm in Sienna’s absence. I can continue to support both rulers, ensuring a smooth transition between their shared authority. The Council of Elders can do the same for Aurelys.”

The councilors confer in whispers. I glance at Revel, whose eyes haven’t left my face.

Why ? I mouth at him.

He steps closer, his voice low enough that only I can hear. “Because I refuse to watch you suffer for another seventeen lifetimes. Because I’ve seen what these punishments do to you. Because—” He stops, seeming to struggle with himself.

“Because what?” I press, my heart hammering.

The Divine Council’s voices grow louder, their debate intensifying. Sebastian moves to join them, presenting his case with renewed vigor. Jovie catches my eye across the chamber and gives me an encouraging smile. None of them are paying attention to us at this moment.

Revel takes a deep breath. “Because somewhere between hating you and working with you, I fell in love with you.”

The world stops. My breath catches. “You—what?”

“I love you,” he says simply. “I think I have for longer than I realized.”

I stare at him, unable to process his words. The God of Life in love with the Goddess of Death? It’s absurd, impossible, beautiful in ways I can’t articulate.

“You can’t,” I finally manage.

“I can,” he counters. “I do.”

“We’re opposites.”

“We’re complements.” His hand finds mine, warm fingers interlacing with my cooler ones. “Two halves of the same whole. For you, I’d burn down both our realms and build something new from the ashes. I was drowning in darkness until you showed me that death could dance with life.”

I think of our arguments, our grudging cooperation, the way his presence has become something I look for rather than tolerate. The way his smile makes my ancient heart skip beats it shouldn’t have. The way he knows me—truly sees me—in ways no one else ever has.

“This is insanity,” I whisper.

“Maybe.” His thumb traces circles on my palm. “But for the first time in thousands of years, I feel like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.”

Before I can respond, Caelum calls for silence. The chamber stills, and Revel reluctantly releases my hand.

“We have reached a decision,” he announces.

I hold my breath, feeling the weight of countless futures hanging in the balance. Sebastian stands tall, Jovie’s hand clasped in his. Erebus waits silently in the shadows. And Revel—Revel stands beside me, close enough that I can feel the warmth radiating from him.

“Approach,” Caelum commands.

Together, the five of us move forward. I feel strangely calm now, despite everything hanging in the balance. I’ve done my part and made my offer. Whatever comes next, we face it together.

“Sebastian, God of Life,” Caelum begins again, “your actions disrupted the cosmic balance. However, we acknowledge that punishments must serve a purpose beyond mere retribution.”

He turns to me. “Siennara, Goddess of Death, your offer of sacrifice speaks to your growth. The council sees what these thirty-three lifetimes have taught you about compassion and duty.”

His gaze shifts to Revel. “Your willingness to leave your realm for the sake of balance is...unprecedented.”

Finally, he looks at Jovie. “And you, mortal. Your presence here would once have been considered sacrilege. Yet you stand with dignity among gods.”

Caelum rises, and the other council members follow suit. “We have decided to accept a modified version of your proposals.”

My heart pounds so loudly I’m sure everyone can hear it.

“Sebastian will return to Aurelys with Jovie, who will be granted immortality after she delivers the child.”

“Gods know they’re going to need it,” Myelle says under her breath, earning a sneer from me. I'm already protective over my little niece or nephew.

Caelum continues without pause. “Together they will govern the realm of Life.” He turns to us. “Sienna and Revel will share governance of Umbraeth, with Erebus as their second.”

Relief floods through me so powerfully my knees nearly buckle. No additional punishments. No more brutal deaths. Sebastian and Jovie together. And Revel...Revel by my side.

“However,” Caelum continues, his voice hardening, “there will be conditions. Strict ones. And regular reviews of this unprecedented arrangement.”

“We accept,” Sebastian says immediately.

Caelum nods. “Then it is done. The council will convene again tomorrow to outline the specific terms. You are dismissed.”

As the councilors file out, I stand frozen, unable to fully process what just happened. Sebastian sweeps me into a tight hug, lifting me off my feet.

“We did it,” he whispers fiercely in my ear. “It’s over, Sienna. The punishment is over.”

I cling to him, my twin, my other half. “I would have done it, you know. Taken on your remaining lifetimes.”

“I know.” He sets me down, eyes shining with unshed tears. “That’s why I couldn’t let you.”

Jovie joins us, her smile radiant. “Thank you,” she says simply, taking my hands in hers. “For everything.”

I squeeze her hands. “Take care of him in Aurelys. He’s hopeless with paperwork.”

She laughs and Sebastian puts his arm around her shoulders. “We should go. There’s a lot to prepare before tomorrow.”

They leave together, heads bent close in conversation. Erebus gives me a respectful nod before melting back into the shadows, leaving me alone with Revel.

The silence between us stretches, heavy with unspoken words. I stare at the massive doors, unable to look at him after his confession.

“Did you mean it?” I finally ask, still not turning.

“Every word.” His voice is closer than I expected.

I force myself to face him. “It doesn’t make sense. We’ve been enemies for millennia.”

“Have we?” He takes a step toward me. “Or have we been two sides of the same coin, pretending we’re not part of the same currency?”

Despite everything, a laugh escapes me. “That’s a terrible metaphor.”

“I know.” He smiles, and something in my chest unfurls. “I’m better at actions than words.”

Before I can respond, he closes the distance between us, one hand coming up to cup my face. For a weighted moment, we simply look at each other, centuries of history between us transforming into something new.

“May I?” he asks, his voice barely above a whisper.

Instead of answering, I rise on my tiptoes and press my lips to his. The kiss is gentle at first, tentative, but quickly deepens into something desperate and hungry. His arms wrap around my waist, pulling me closer, and I tangle my fingers in his hair.

It feels like falling and flying simultaneously. Like death and rebirth. Like the ending of one story and the beginning of another.

When we finally break apart, both breathless, I rest my forehead against his. “The Goddess of Death and the God of Life,” I murmur. “What will the realms think?”

“That balance has finally been truly achieved.” His thumb traces my lower lip. “Are you ready for this?”

I think about the centuries ahead—sharing Umbraeth with him, building something new from the ashes of our old animosity. It’s terrifying and exhilarating in equal measure.

“I don’t know,” I admit. “But I’m willing to find out.”

He smiles, bright and beautiful, and kisses me again. In this moment, standing in the Divine Council chamber where my punishment began hundreds of years ago, I think perhaps I’ve finally found something I never thought possible.

Redemption. Purpose. And maybe, just maybe, love .

Tomorrow, we’ll navigate the new reality of shared rulership. I’ll say goodbye to Sebastian as he returns to Aurelys with Jovie. There will be challenges and adjustments and likely more than a few arguments with the infuriating god now holding me in his arms.

But for now, at this moment, I allow myself to simply be. Not the Goddess of Death. Not a divine being serving out a punishment. Just Sienna, discovering that sometimes the greatest sacrifice is allowing yourself to be happy.

And as Revel’s lips find mine once more, I think that perhaps, after thirty-three lifetimes of endings, I’m finally ready for a beginning.