A Pirate for the Dead Goddess (Legends of Rahasia Book 2)

The End

The Lunes finally spill out the exits. But what they see on the outside of the observatory isn't much better than in.

A certain lioness warrior of death with a scimitar and red-moon eyes, and her silver-haired husband of life have a whole group of guards safely subdued or otherwise maimed or slaughtered.

"Finally," Ode punches Kane's arm. It was meant to be playful, but Kane winces in actual pain. "I told you our Champions would get along great someday."

Get along? What do you call it when two people work towards the same goal in drastically destructive and different ways?

Get along, yes, that sounds about right.

Kane smiles, nodding shyly to us. But his eyes narrow significantly once they hit Cato.

"Brother..." Kane frowns. His silver eyes take it all in. Cato's swollen eyes. The thin wires Sol helped rip out of his skin. The map of scars. The familiar shaved head, showing off giant knots from where more Lune equipment had been unwillingly implanted in him.

What could be going through his mind right now? Oh, who knows. Maybe the betrayal of the god of war overthrowing the god of life. Maybe the fact that Cato slandered Kane for being evil and pathetic. Maybe the eye-gouging and general cruelty have something to do with it.

Kane turns away, looks at Aziz, who is also awkwardly avoiding his gaze.

"Love, brother. Can't love heal millennia-old-wounds?" Aziz offers up, hopeful. Head bowed submissively.

Cato still looks to his own mutilated body, purposefully avoiding Kane. Ode nudges him. The god of life shuffles over like a sullen child. Sol, supporting Cato's other side, doesn't avoid Kane's eyes. She glares up at her god with every bit of hatred stored away in her heart.

The gods and their children don't soon forget.

"You and," Kane looks at Sol, sighing, "your daughter... I owe you. For fighting the Lunes. One debt repays another, for you betraying me in the First War. You redeemed yourselves in the Second. I'm sure Emperor Elio and Ryu need a new general. Sol would be perfect for the position, being the daughter of war and all. And, every honorable general gets a stipend. Fertile fields in the south of the Empire. A cottage to house any loved ones, for healing." Kane looks pointedly to Kura, who's blushing at the announcement.

Cato addresses the floor. "But I didn't serve honorably for shit, brother. I just sat in a cage."

"Yes," Kane points to the bound guards surrounding them. "You served very well as a distraction while wefought honorably."

Oh gods.

He let...

He let his own brother get tortured for days just so he could serve as a decoy? Oh, for all the power in the universe, I wouldn't want to be a god if they hold grudges like that.

Cato chuckles to himself. "I wouldn't expect anything less." He leans back violently, as though he's going to spit. But he stops himself at the last moment, leaning heavily on Sol. "I'm glad my daughter turned out the way she did. Turned on you."

Kane's smile doesn't fall from his face, sweat brimming on his obsidian brow. "I wouldn't expect anything less."

Ode calls over this time, staring straight at Cato. Cato returns her gaze, his own gold eyes unforgiving in their bizarreness. Huh, he respects her more than Kane. No wonder. I still have nightmares featuring Ode. "Betray my husband again," she declares this just loud enough that we can all hear her. "And I will ensure there is nothing left of you, and that dogs eat your bones in the Pit."