Page 192 of Psycho Gods
Why was I doing this?
Inhaling enchanted smoke, I blew out my emotional support Horse. He settled onto my shoulder with a soft caw, and his long smoke feathers whispered against my skin.
His neck was longer and plumage more dramatic than ever before, which was strange because every time I conjured him, I imagined the same bird.
He was changing.
I would have been interested in solving the puzzle of his evolution if my cortisol levels weren’t spiking through the roof. I mindlessly petted the crow on my shoulder and focused on the mess in front of me.
Rina’s scowl darkened as she waited with growing impatience.
“I don’t understand your position,” I said slowly, enunciating each word to make sure my tone was moderate and noninflammatory.
My lips curled up in a soft smile.
I gave off nonconfrontational, peaceful vibes.
Rina put her hands on her hips and shouted, “We refuse to fight like we’ve been! There has to be another way. We need to work on finding a cure for the infected. There are thousands of innocent people in these compounds.”
It felt like I was falling.
Rina’s voice rose as she continued, “I refuse to put myself in a position where I have to harm this many civilians. Come up with a new strategy.”
She waved her fingers like she was shooing me.
Jinx muttered something scathing under her breath, and I held myself back from leaping across the table.
You know what we needed to bring back?
Scalping.
How self-absorbed were the angels? Did they think I wasn’t haunted every second of my life with the screams of the dying?
“Do it,” Sadie mouthed at me from her seat in the front row like she could read my mind.
I closed my eyes and inhaled. I was the champion of the gods in a war and I was going to be mature and respectful.
“Thank you for sharing your opinion,” I said, overenunciating each word.
“It’s also wrong,” Knox said righteously from the back of the group. “We can’t afford to make mistakes and murder innocent civilians. There could be far-reaching repercussions for the High Court. We need to come up with a new strategy. Is anyone working on a cure?”
My eye twitched.
Knox crossed his arms over his chest and stated, “We need a change of plans.”
The pounding in my temple intensified, and ice glistened as it spread from my fingertips and streaked across the chalkboard behind me.
Jinx pushed her dark sunglasses harshly up the bridge of her nose. “Do your heads hurt?”
“What?” Rina snapped.
Jinx scowled. “All of you were clearly dropped on your heads as children, so I’m asking. Do your heads hurt?”
It took a moment for her words to penetrate.
The room erupted.
Sadie and Scorpius laughed, Malum grinned, Rina started screaming, and one of the male angels kicked a folding chair, while Knox yelled something about disrespect and shouldered his way to the front of the group.