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, slow, deliberate. "Hmph. Real thing. Impressive." Then his gaze shifted, away from the statue, away from Malvor, and landed squarely on me. Heat. Hunger. The kind of look that could burn cities to ash.
"The prize," he said smoothly, "was a divine favor… and a kiss." And 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 grin flashing like a blade. "The kiss is mine."
Luxor's brow arched, golden, amused. "Greedy."
"Possessive," Malvor countered without hesitation.
I should have been exasperated. I should have rolled my eyes, sighed, reminded them both that I was standing right here. But underneath Malvor's theatrics, beneath his smug grin and velvet tone, I felt it through the bond, fierce, hot, unyielding. 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 never played halfway. 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 divine entanglement of sin and eyeliner.
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. 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 feral delight. His grin turned wicked. "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 nearly sprained something. "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, Aerion with his arms crossed, Navir calculating every angle, Leyla serene, Yara biting her lip in obvious delight, Maximus winking like I was in on some joke only he understood.
I cleared my throat. "Can I… defer it?"
Luxor tilted his head, intrigued. "A deferred divine favor?"
The gods murmured among themselves, the sound like shifting leaves in a storm.
"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, little flame."
I nodded, my voice steadier than I felt. "Thank you, Eternal Flame Luxor."
And for the first time that evening, the weight of every watching god didn't feel suffocating. It felt… like choice. Like power. The room shifted. Just slightly. Like the air itself was acknowledging the weight of the favor I now carried in my hands. Magic hummed at my fingertips, quiet, potent. The other gods noticed. 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 smirked, voice rich and dangerous. "She could 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," he said, golden eyes glittering, "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. Impossible. A Rubik's 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. And one that… hummed. My arms crossed before I could stop myself. "What fresh hell is this?"
"Puzzle challenge," Luxor purred, clearly enjoying himself. "Solve one, earn a token. Three tokens win a favor 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. Ahyona clapped like this was the best day of her life. 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 like it was a personal insult. "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. Small. Quiet. Tucked away at the edge of the dais. When I opened it, there was no glow. No trap. Just a scroll tied with crimson ribbon. My fingers trembled as I unrolled it. Luxor's handwriting marked the top. A riddle. No lights. No tricks. Just 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. The realization slammed through me, sharp, breathless. My chest tightened, my throat burned. For a moment, my vision blurred. Because it wasn't just a riddle. It was a mirror. And that was when Malvor stopped.
I felt it first. His emotions shifted through the bond, curiosity, 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. My raw truth breaking open like a wound. 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 in a knowing smirk. That was all it took. Rage hit me through the bond like a tidal wave. Not mine. His. White-hot, sharp, terrifyingly quiet. Not Malvor's usual mischief, not playful chaos. This was older. Buried. A chain snapping loose. And under it, worse, fear. The kind you only feel when something you love is about to be destroyed.
I swayed, clutching the scroll, my heart pounding with his panic. The bond screamed between us, vibrating with fury and terror. And in the echo of his voice, low and brutal in my head, I heard it clear as thunder:
He knows.
My eyes flew back to Luxor. He raised his goblet in a lazy toast. Then, smiled. Winked. The riddle hadn't been for the gods. It was for me. Luxor knew exactly what he was doing.