Page 251 of Psycho Gods

Snow slammed violently against the dark window. If it weren’t for the clock, I would have thought it was night.

For the first time in years, I felt well rested.

Mentally, I was doing better. Physically, I was struggling.

My shoulder muscles ached from fighting for hours, and my fingers were sore from gripping a sword hilt.

I hobbled off the mattress with my pipe between my lips.

The arches of my feet cramped as I walked, since I’d sprinted in heavy combat boots for hours.

I cracked my neck loudly and looked down. I was wearing male sweatpants that I didn’t remember putting on.

Horse cawed as he settled onto my shoulder, and his long feathers hung almost to the floor. I stroked his elegant neck. He preened and smoke wisped off him.

Sightlessly, I stared at the wall and smoked, enjoying the stillness of the quiet morning.

Horse tucked his long neck into his chest and slept.

Smoke warmed my frozen lungs.

A drawer shut, and I jumped at the loud noise.

Turning around, I took in the room and frowned. Orion and the demons were getting dressed.

My stomach churned.

It was eerily quiet because there were only four of us in the room.

John, Luka, Malum, and Scorpius were all missing.

Again.

My gut told me they weren’t at breakfast.

Whatever, I wasn’t going to let their absence ruin my newfound feeling of peace. I felt like I could take on the world.

I could do anything.

Bundled in my clothes, I walked out of the barracks into the blizzard. Head down, I pushed forward through the storm to get to breakfast. During our first week at the camp, the snowfall had been mild, and the days had been mostly full of sunshine. We hadn’t had a pleasant day since.

I traveled further down the path.

Enchanted jewelry warmed and pulsed faster against my skin.

Then it hit me.

I went still as I looked around.

Nothing.

No pain.

The bond sickness with the kings was gone.

“Holy sun god,” I whispered with awe at the richly colored forest.

All the pieces clicked together.