I woke back in my room. Alone. My whole body throbbed, no pain though. I knew I reopened most of my wounds but this might be my only chance to escape this madhouse.

I got up and stumbled to the door…only to have it open. Brad nearly ran into me.

He took my arms and led me back to the bed. He still seemed concerned.

I winced at having to drag him into this but he was my only hope. “Brad, I need to get out of here.”

“Because of Kitty,” he wasn’t surprised. He wasn’t afraid either. Where was the fear that accompanied the mention of a god’s name? Even most Worshippers whispered their Master’s names.

I scooted away from him, “She really got to all of you, didn’t she?”

“Look, if she’s a danger to you--”

“What? You think you can protect me?”

Brad frowned, “No, I just…I meant Toni can talk to her. She’s the one who wanted to keep you alive--”

“For her own reasons!” I threw my arms in the air.

Brad sighed as if I was being unreasonable…like a child throwing a tantrum. I gaped back like a fish out of water--I would expect loyalty from Toni, Heala and Lightning but no human ever, ever sided with a god. What had Kitty done?

“I can’t stay here.” I gaged that Brad was healthy, strong...at the peak of his physical abilities but even broken I should be able to…

“You don’t have a choice,” Toni walked in with Shadow, “Come on.”

Damn. What was I supposed to do now?

“Come on, if you’re not going to cooperate we might as well end it now,” Toni beckoned.

I doubted that. If they wanted to kill me, they would have done it ages ago. No, they wanted something from me.

Brad helped me up. As we made our way down the halls again I looked for an escape route.

Nothing.

We entered another chamber far below sea level. At least with the gods present it explained how they did it. This is probably the only way they were able to stay off of the Prince’s radar. Below his notice? I laughed to myself, wanting to cry.

I smelled Kitty before we entered, it was the other I had no indication of.

She was white. Not peach or beige but white. I thought of all I’ve seen in the last year and shrugged to myself. A little pastiness would be the least of the surprises.

Heala buzzed around the god like a nervous mother, “Do you need anything, water, a pillow…a jacket?”

“Sit down,” Mercy grabbed her arm and dragged her to a chair.

The god looked at Heala with indulgent amusement. I chocked. Gods were anything but indulgent--yet here she was looking…kind?

When she turned to me her eyes were as white as the rest of her with no visible iris or pupil for me to focus on. She smiled and again it lacked that edge of cruelty every god possessed.

Kitty looked bored, but beneath that she was squirming. What did it mean?

“The Prince’s new Worshipper, you would be the reason for the changes in New York lately.” Her voice seemed to reverberate on itself, “Please sit,” she motioned to a chair across from her, “my children are overprotective of me--you see I’m weak.”

Kitty flinched at the words. The rest smiled indulgently. Was this why there was no fear of the gods?

“What are you?” I couldn’t help myself.

“I am no more and no less than any of my kind. What you see of us is not all that there is to it,” she sighed, “But that is a long story for another time.

“You see, my children try to protect me even when it is not in their best interest to do so. You asked Kitty why she’s doing this--will you ask me the same?”

I leaned back in my seat, they should have brought me to her in the first place. Kitty is too much like the other gods. This god, I realized I didn’t know her name, was different.

“Will you tell me?” But was this real?

She smiled, “I want peace,” she paused as if she knew how hard that was to believe, “As I said there is more to the story than you know and there doesn’t have to be this fear.”

“How? How will you convince them?”

She shook her head, “First I want to reassure you of your safety.” She turned to Kitty, who rolled her eyes like a teenager.

“I’m sorry for threatening to torture you for information.”

I should have laughed--a god apologizing. But the laugh caught in my throat with a memory of another god--another apology--another lie. When I just found out that Nathan was the Prince, he apologized and promised nothing would change.

“I don’t understand--and I don’t even know your name.” I tried not to sound as panicked as I felt.

“I am called Ethereal, but you may call me Ethel and I want you to stay, to help them clean up around here--I’m not worried about anyone noticing, by that time we will be ready.”

“Ready for what?” A knot lodged in my throat.

“You asked Kitty if there were more gods who would help, will you ask me the same?”

Or you could just tell me, but I didn’t say that, “Are there?”

“Yes, I believe so, but they are scattered, I have to find them.”

Always learn the alternative, “And if I refuse?”

Ethel’s expression softened, not what I was expecting; not something I thought gods capable of. “We’re not all like that--like him.”

I flinched, “Some are worse.”

“What you went through, no other Worshipper ever passed--but you remain strong, focus on that, remember that.”

I felt the tears start to burn, I sure as hell didn't feel strong. To stall the tears I asked, “What do you want from me?”

“To help them. Nothing more.”

“With what?”

“Making my people stop killing.”

“You want to kill your own kind?” I got up and started pacing.

“No, of course not,” if the others were surprised they didn’t show it, “But that may be all they’ll understand, we have to make them realize humans aren’t weak.”

The only way to do that wasn’t killing, I thought, it was going straight for the big players--like anything else--beat the biggest bully the rest will leave you alone.

Ethel’s smile widened, “I see you understand, will you help?”

Go back to the Prince? I stopped pacing, shaking my head.

Kitty leaned forward, a sickening smile on her face, “She’s scared, she’s too scared, she’ll never do it. She’d rather run for the rest of her life.” Her teeth turned razor sharp, “Did he happen to mention that your life will be extraordinarily long.”

I thought of all the times I should have died--was he prolonging my life beyond just healing or was it a side-effect of withstanding what I had.

“Stop!” Ethel lost the indulgent amusement, “Those memories do not belong here.”

Memories? So they can read minds.

“Not quite--” Kitty started.

“Are you with us?” Ethel looked directly into my eyes and I was transported to an abandoned city. Nothing but dust clouds and empty streets. The remains of skyscrapers filled the sky.

The next moment I was back in the room with two gods, three Worshippers and humans that didn’t know what they were getting themselves into.

Was that the future? I stared at Kitty, did they all see that? Kitty's eyes grew big, too big for her face even; her smile widened as I stared, it looked impossibly wide like it would split her face in two. She looked...evil.

“On one condition,” I looked back into Ethel’s eyes, “You tell them exactly what you plan to do--”