17. Truths

Naia's eyes cracked open—not a touch of pain left quaking beneath her skin. The cool leather of the furniture stuck to her arms as she slowly sat up, not sure if her head would spin.

"‘Bout time you woke."Avi sat across from her on an identical leather couch.

A groan came out of her the moment she saw the gaping hole in the abdomen of her dress from Malik's cleaver.

"Theon, hand me that bottle of water, will you?"Avi pointed across the room to a large executive desk with a technological device on its surface, relatively organized, and a few pens scattered about, some sticky notes stuck in random places.

Naia's eyes latched onto the nitro cold brew can beside the bottle of water as a man lifted from his position against the wall and trudged over to grab it.

Her pulse ricocheted.

"Ronin," she blurted. "Is he okay?"

"He's fine," Avi assured her. "How are you? You were covered in blood when you arrived."

The rigidness of her muscles gave way from hearing Ronin was okay.

She let out a stiff breath and assessed Avi. His copper hair was slicked back, and he wore a black suit, white button up, and a matching tie.

The man, who Naia had never seen before, handed the water bottle to Avi.

Avi sat the bottle of water down on the table between him and Naia. "Here, drink."

"I don't need water," she dismissed, her eyes catching on the stranger. "Who are you?"

Avi flicked his chin in the stranger's direction. "This is Theon."

Naia scrutinized the man. Unlike the others, he wore a mask covering the bottom portion of his face, a long-sleeve turtleneck, and baggy trousers. His hair was a winter shade of white.

She watched his painted fingernails, the color of blueberries, race across his phone screen, uninterested in her presence.

Rude.

"Where are we?" she asked Avi.

Avi's hand came up to mess with his earrings, smiling sheepishly. "The boss's office."

Naia opened her mouth to respond when Ronin strode into the room.His presence alone had her lips parting and the breath leaving her mouth in relief, followed by a twinge of warmth seeping from her heart into her stomach. As if the mere sight of him brought her internal happiness.

Theon pocketed his phone and fixed Naia with a thin look.

Ronin claimed a seat on the arm of the couch beside Avi, his posture rigid, analyzing her for a long second. It infuriated her how his eyes sweeping over her stirred a reaction in her bloodstream.

He had discarded his suit jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his black button-up. Splotches of her blood marred the once pristine fabric. She frowned. His arms must've been covered in it after her encounter with Malik.

After he poisoned her and her siblings with his blood.

Naia met his piercing stare with a firmness set in her jaw. "Whose office are we in?"

She knew, but she needed to hear it from him.

"Mine." His voice was as tense as his shoulders.

She scoffed, another round of betrayal and violation stinging her insides. "The Blood Heretics. You are their leader."

She didn't want to connect Ronin to what she'd heard in the lounge or the stranger's terrifying accusation. The ghastly, tortured cries. Victims dismembered. Murdered. The organization of witches, led by the man who had taken her in, was responsible for it all. Moreover, he was a member of an ancient witch clan known for their blood's ability to slay deities.

"And you're Finnian's sister," he shot back, a bit of his nonchalant demeanor chipping away. "A goddess."

You are so foolish for ever worrying about his life when he had the power to end yours all this time.She'd made a home in his hand, waiting to be crushed like a bug.

We despise gods, he once told her.

"Why not kill me? You had the chance many times," she seethed, furious with her own bad luck and the ill-fate brought onto her by the High Goddess of Fate.

Ronin stared at Naia for a long moment.

"Theon," he said without looking away from her. "Avi. Get out."

Both exchanged apprehensive glances, but they didn't argue with his demand.

Theon was the first to exit. Naia's eyes narrowed on him, at the way he carried himself. With each step, he glided effortlessly, his feet barely making a sound.

Avi cast an apologetic look at Naia before he followed Theon.

Ronin's intense stare made her skin tingle and blood boil with anger.

The moment they were alone, she shot off the couch, balling her hands at her sides. "Does your generosity sail on without a care for your life? Do you realize what you have done? Why didn't you leave me on that beach? You are going to die for this!"

Her words were not what she expected, leaving her perplexed and mortified with herself. Even with all her knowledge of him, why did she still deeply care about his life?

Perhaps it was the idea of how he did not think twice about jumping in and defending her.

Ronin leaned forward on his knee, pieces of hair slipping down around his face as he did so.

"No, I'm not," his voice was irritatingly calm.

"Your clan was massacred centuries ago for what your blood could do! The gods think your clan is dead. Now that my siblings are aware of your identity, they will inform our heinous mother. I have lived several lifetimes, but you have yet to live even one. I was not worth your sacrifice."

"The gods tried to wipe out my clan hundreds of years ago, but they didn't succeed. Me, Yuki, and Akane are living proof."

The blood drained from Naia's face.

She'd forgotten about them, back on the island. What would happen to his sister and niece now? What dangers would they face for simply existing?

Oh gods.

"You should've let them take me!" Naia shouted, her hands trembling as they came up into her hair. "Don't you realize what you've done?"

Ronin stood, matching her height. "What would've happened had I let your psychopath of a brother take you away?"

It was a challenge of honesty. Proof of the line they'd crossed over together.

Her pride wouldn't allow her to evade the question and turn away from him. There was no point in keeping secrets now, with their truths spilling out.

"My mother would've beaten me as a punishment for running away, and then I would've been forced to marry a man I do not love."

Ronin took a calculated step towards her, eyes blazing. "And that would've been after your brother carved you into pieces."

"I am a goddess, you idiot!" she snarled. "Those things cannot kill me!"

"But they still bring you pain!"He raised his voice back at her.

Naia's mouth fell shut.

She stared at him for what felt like an eternity.

He stared back, long and solemn.

I am a goddess, she'd once said to Solaris, but that does not mean I cannot feel pain.

It was the first time anyone else had ever acknowledged she was not invincible.

Though at a loss for words, her heart brimmed with warmth.

Avi stormed through the door, the sudden noise causing Naia to wince and instinctively cut her gaze away from Ronin.

"Ronin." There was an unsettling imperativeness in Avi's tone that made Naia's stomach dip. "Shit's going down on Tempest."

Ronin's frustration reddened his cheeks, and he twisted slightly in his stance to look over at Avi. "How many?"

"At least twenty or so."

Theon entered and settled against the wall once more.

"You crossed into his territory," he said to Ronin, as if he should've expected things to go awry.

"What's going on?" Naia interjected.

Avi looked over at her. "Your brother sent Runa's goddamn organization and some of his ghouls in retaliation for Ronin crossing over into his territory."

"Call Vi, Noah, and Damian," Ronan ordered. "Tell them to round up their crews and meet us there."

Avi hurriedly typed out the messages on his phone.

Ronin turned to Naia, his body language clipped and his eyes hard, alive with a warning. "Stay here. Do not go anywhere. There are spells on the building to keep out anyone I do not approve of."

"What are you going to do?" Naia asked.

"Deal with it," Ronin said in a hard tone.

The brutal images of dismembered limbs fled into her mind. She was seeing Ronin Kahale in a completely different light now. One where he was no longer a senseless,easily broken mortal, but a dangerous, potentially cruel mage.

The unspoken warning in his tone only fueled her stubborn nature, prompting her to push back even harder. "Is more bloodshed necessary?"

He scoffed bitterly at her underlying judgment. "What you witnessed earlier tonight in Alke Hall was a small fraction of bloodshed compared to what his fucking organizations and ghouls do regularly to my side of Hollow City."

Plenty of things still made little sense to Naia—like their impending war in the city, or why Finnian would target someone from the Himura clan bloodline—but she didn't agree with how ruthless Ronin depicted her brother to be.

And before she could catch the ingrained reaction to defend the sibling who, not less than a few hours ago, had abandoned her, she glowered at Ronin. "I don't believe you. Finny isn't cruel."

"That's fine," Ronin said matter-of-factly, with a cynical bite in his tone. "Believe the one who fed you to wolves over the one who didn't think twice to fight for you."

The weight of his words hit her like a spear, penetrating deep into her chest.

Ronin stalked to the door, only to pause with his grip securely wrapped around the knob.

He angled his head to align with his shoulder. "Watch her," he said in Theon's direction.

Theon took a step. "I don't think?—"

Ronin shot him a fierce look that silenced his disputes.

Theon's shoulders slumped with a loud exhale through his mask as Ronin left out of the room with Avi on his heels.

Naia ground her jaws, tears welling in her eyes from what felt like a bruise aching in her heart.

Damn him. He was right, and she desperately wanted to hate him for it.

The sight of the stodgy colored walls of Ronin's office blurred. She sank back down on the couch in defeat,and a current of Ronin's cologne rushed up her nose. It prompted her to shift around and search for the source.

Beneath her was the jacket to Ronin's suit.

She worked it free out from under her and draped it over her legs. The remaining portion of her rage towards him drained away, like water through her fingers, and transitioned into a benevolent softness as she imagined him spreading it over her while she was unconscious.

Her hand went to her bracelet. She spun it in slow circles, finding an odd consolation in doing so.

Apart from Finnian and their father, Ronin was someone who had helped her when she needed it the most. He filled her with a deep sense of security, like a soft blanket wrapping around her soul, and she craved to give in and rest into it.

It never works out. Finnian stood by you once upon a time, too.

And she would've bet the world on her little brother.

Silent and mournful tears streamed down her cheeks. They dampened the underside of her neck as she kept replaying those excruciating seconds right before Finnian summoned Malik.

A thick sob pushed out of her.

After everything we've been through. How could he do this to me?

It felt as if Naia's love consistently surpassed those around her in astonishing capacities.Did their adoration for her eventually decay and crumble? Or grow stagnant until they forgot her?

Beyond her sadness, her rage was a match striking a trail of gasoline and amalgamating in her veins.The memory kept replaying—the soft touch of Finnian's palm, the tilt of his head, void of the compassion she used to receive.

Liar.

It was plenty for her to see well over her fear and insecurities of going off alone.

On impulse, she swiftly rose from the cushion and marched past her designated bodyguard for the door.

He caught up to her in stride. "Where are you going?"

Through clenched teeth, she replied, "To find my brother."

She stormed out of the brewery and down the back alley across the street, barely comprehending her surroundings. Her vision was painted red.

Theon followed behind her. "It's not wise."

The stench of garbage and stale beer filled her nostrils. "I do not care."

"You'll never get to him. His ghouls will?—"

"I. Don't. Care."

"Finnian has no weakness. You can't possibly?—"

Naia snapped around, her nerves cut by the ends of their strings.

Theon's boots skidded on the pavement to keep from crashing into her.

"I am so sick of people telling me what I can and cannot do! It's my choice. Mine. So, either fuck off or help me."Her last sentence caught her off guard, as she never thought she would command strangers to go away in such an obscene manner. It seemed harsh, but she reckoned it was precisely something Ronin would say. The fact some of his qualities had rubbed off on her was agitating. Though a bit of the tension had released in her chest.

Theon blinked at her. "You're angry."

"Your observation skills are truly riveting."

"It's pointless to act on anger."

Naia appraised him once more through the streetlight casting into the shadow-spilled alleyway. The mask revealed only a small part of his upper face. Which would make sense, given if he spent most of his time with Ronin. It would be a safety measure. A way to avoid Ronin's blood on his skin. Not to mention, a way to hide his true appearance without glamor.

She cocked her head at him, her breathing regulated, and interest piqued. "Are you a mage?"

Theon's gaze narrowed on her.

"You seem to be close to Ronin, and yet, in the week I've been here, I haven't seen you once." She took a step closer, riding off the sureness deep in her gut.

There was something familiar about his aura. Not as strong as a High God's, but subtle, similar to a floral fragrance mixing in a fleeting breeze.

"Your point?" His tone was the equivalent of an eye roll, dull and barely interested, but there was a flare in his eyes Naia didn't miss.

"You are a god," she said."It's why you've avoided me all week. Afraid I might pick up on it."

He remained silent, glaring firmly at her.

Naia shook her head, confused. "I thought Ronin despisesdeities. Why would he befriend one?"

"I'd ask you the same question. He doesn't step foot into the High God of Witchcraft and Sorcery's territory for just anyone."

She frowned, folding her arms. It hadn't occurred to her how difficult it must've been for Ronin to accompany her to the charity event. Especially knowing about the massacre they had walked into.

"Ronin and the Blood Heretics despise what deities stand for," Theon said. "As do I."

Their eyes locked, and she could see the haunting remnants of centuries of sorrow etched in his expression. Similar to what she saw in the mirror in her own gaze.

If he were a god, he was more than likely a middle god, which meant he could transport. Not only that, but he probably knew where Finnian was.

"I hate the lot of them too," she huffed. "You don't have to like me, but think of it this way, if you take me to Finnian, I will probably end up confined or taken away by another one of my despicable siblings, which means I will be out of your hands."

A beat passed before Theon sighed, the sound muffled by his mask. He stepped around her to continue down the alleyway. "I won't wait for you, so keep up."

She took long strides to match his pace as he led her through a maze of dark-lit alleyways. One seemed to stretch on forever, with the sight of loiterers huddled in corners and makeshift tents made of torn, ragged blankets. Naia couldn't help but gawk, the sight squeezing her heart.

"Why are they…?" Naia's pace slowed, internally wrestling on a way to help them.

"They're homeless." Theon made no move to stop and dwell on their socioeconomic state alongside her. "You'll find the crevices of the city aren't as shiny as the main streets. Turmoil exists everywhere, Lady Naia, not just in our world of deities."

She caught up to him. "You know who I am."

"You are Lady Naia, daughter of the High Goddess of the Sea."

"How old are you?"

"Isn't it rude to ask another their age?"

Naia snorted. "Something as futile as age does not offend me. Does it, you?"

"Hardly. I was looking for a way for you to stop talking."

"Now that was rude," she muttered under her breath.

Turning a corner, they found themselves faced with a dead end, blocked off by a solid concrete wall and strewn with rotted pallets.

Theon spun around to face her. "We'll have to transport from here."

She rolled her lips, shaking her head. "I am not capable."

Theon tilted his head, as if he found this information befuddling.

Aside from the look, he didn't prod further and stuck out his gloved hand.

"Do you have a plan?" he asked.

She hesitated. "No."

"You're walking into a devil's lair," he said in disapproval. "At least tell me what your title is."

"I thought you knew who I was."

"I know of you, but it does not mean I know you. There is no word of your name and what your title is among the gods. Are you displeased that I would not know?"

"No." Humiliation swelled over her head, and her cheeks flushed. "I do not have a title."

His gaze flickered all over her face for a beat.

Naia stiffened, preparing for an exaggerated reaction.

"So, you're going to find your brother to simply yell at him?"Theon asked flatly.

"Something along those lines." Then, because she was feeling the need to bite back at him, she pointedly asked, "What is your title? I presume you are a middle god if you can teleport."

"I suppose you will find out soon enough."Theon wiggled his fingers in his black leather gloves as a reminder he was still waiting.

Rolling her eyes, she dropped her hand into his. "Where exactly are we going to appear?"

"Finnian's home. I hope you know how to fight."