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I was having an existential crisis. Good curry did that to me sometimes. It wasn’t about reincarnations beating the shit out of cherubic Welsh women. I could handle that. It was me and my new magic.

I felt a draw to Sage as soon as I saw her at the hostel. It was unreal, and I’d never felt that about a girl before. I thought it meant something that we were reincarnations and both ended up here.

I was starting to have my doubts. Lucian and Khalid felt something, too, or they wouldn’t have asked to be on her team. Their magic complemented hers, even if we didn’t have any idea which pantheon she was from. My magic was insanely cool, and I loved it, but it was pissing all over my theory that Sage and I were destined because I didn’t see how it made any sense with what she could do so far.

And all we had to do was walk. There were no chargers out here and I wouldn’t have wanted to alert any psychopaths to our location anyway, so playing music was out. Putting my ear buds in would be rude and I needed to pay attention, anyway.

“You’re quiet,” Sage said.

“I’ve been known to do that sometimes. I’m just thinking.”

“Don’t hurt yourself,” Lucian said.

“Headmaster Mykene confiscated my switchblade, Doris, but I kept my spork and I didn’t get to stab anyone earlier.”

“Penny for your thoughts? My familiar did bring you curry earlier.”

I moaned. Her thieving familiar didn’t just steal anyone’s takeaway. They stole from someone who had excellent taste in curry.

“It’s cheating your familiar outed me that I can be bribed with proper curry.”

“You’re the only one with a line to my familiar. If they can talk to me, they won’t until they feel like I’ve earned it. I wouldn’t even know I needed to unless they passed the message to you through another one of the animals. I don’t think they would have brought us curry if I hadn’t left the Fae bread out and I only knew to do that because of you. So, it’s really more your fault you got outed. One of the animals you talk to may have passed the message my familiar should steal curry.”

“Well, fuck. I had been wondering how I fit on this team since my magic so far is different from all of you.”

“Her familiar is probably a huge hint as to who she is. Athena is associated with owls and Professor Mykene has an owl familiar. There are a lot of gods that share powers in different pantheons. There are multiple death, war, and love gods out there. Sage’s familiar showing themselves is probably going to help her a lot more than figuring out what her magic is,” Khalid said.

“It’s not just that,” Sage said. “You’re supposed to be with us. I can feel a pull.”

I knew she felt it, too.

I felt loads better. A good chat after curry usually did that to me.

“I hate you and think you’re a violent moron, but I think I just have to suck it up because I can feel it, too,” Lucian said.

“Are you into me, Prince of Darkness?” I said, fluttering my eyelashes.

“Your only redeeming quality is your blood.”

“Which you have to press yourself against my body and suck on my neck to get. Not helping your case.”

“You really are a shit. I was trying to make you feel better because you said you didn’t feel like part of the team.”

“Maybe don’t be nice to me by saying you hate me and that I’m a violent moron.”

“Maybe you just need to learn to speak Lucian and Lucian needs to learn to speak Liam?” Khalid suggested.

Lucian and I just grumbled because yeah, if we were connected to Sage, we were going to have to do something. He was just such a ponce who gave off airs he was smarter than everyone else.

Every time I looked at him, I just really wanted to punch him in the face. Maybe I needed to get it out of my system? Like, everything would be copacetic in my brain if I broke his nose? I just didn’t know and Sage might get mad.

“Hey, we’re going to get these crystals and attend Ouroboros. When we get back, we’re going to party at that siren tavern. If I give a really impressive performance singing karaoke, would you kiss me?” I asked Sage.

Yeah, I had to shoot my shot now that I knew she felt the pull. I wasn’t going to grab her and do it. I was going to earn it. I was good at slitting throats and music. My Da thought slitting throats was a proper vocation and music was useless, so that didn’t get nurtured like it should have, but I could sing and play guitar.

I saw Sage smile.

“Yes, but I get to request the song.”

Might be difficult to pull off if I didn’t know it and I wouldn’t have the chance out here, but with a kiss as the price, I’d play by her rules.

“I accept.”

“Okay, so if you want to win a kiss from me, you have to perform The Devil Went Down to Georgia and be better than the devil.”

I grinned. Knowing she was a pastor’s daughter, I even approved.

“The devil wouldn’t even know what to do with me if he met me.”