“Stay safe,” I order them, making sure they know that it’s a command. They’ll have to obey it. Getting hurt isn’t allowed.

“Of course. We’ll be back before you know it,” Frost reassures me and takes me into his arms. I melt into his hug, breathing in his sea breeze scent.

Arc hugs me from behind, sandwiching me between the two Guardians. His embrace is hard and rough, like he doesn’t want to let me go.

“Brother, my turn.”

With a sigh, Frost steps back, letting Storm take his place. I fling my arms around his back and before I know it, his lips are on mine, kissing me hard, but just for a moment, then he’s gone, as is Arc. I feel terribly alone without their touch. The echo of their warmth is still on my skin, but I want nothing more than reach out and never let them go.

“Don’t die,” Storm tells me gruffly.

„Don’t you die either,“ I retort. “And bring back my father. And the Morrigan’s head, if you get the chance.”

“Aye, with pleasure,” Arc growls. “I’ll send Thomas a message as soon as we’ve reached Castle Tioram.”

Thomas is one of the Guardians with the same mental magic Arc possesses. They can communicate over distances, even though it gets harder for them if they’re not in the same Realm.

“I’ll let the guards know that he’s to be let into my chambers at all times.”

“Not into your bedroom,” Storm protests. “That’s ours.”

I sigh dramatically. “Please don’t start the her-boobs-are-ours debate.”

Arc and Storm look at me in confusion while Frost starts laughing.

“You’ve not told them yet?” I ask him incredulously and he shakes his head, still chuckling.

“I will on the flight.”

“Looking forward ta it,” Arc grins. “I like boobs.”

I give them all one last hug, then usher them out of the room.

“Stay safe,” I repeat. “See you soon.”

The party is still in full swing when I return to the hall. The orchestra has started playing and some of the Gods are dancing, but most are still sitting in small groups, talking. I hope they’re all debating whether to join us. According to Tamara, now that we have Flora and Apollo on board, we have more allies than Angus – but he has the Morrigan, who’s as powerful as several Gods put together, and who has an entire demon army.

Flora comes up to me when she sees that I’ve returned.

“Anubis, Demeter, Krishna and Hathor have all pledged to support us. Ganesha is close, I think. Poseidon is almost convinced as well.”

“Well done. Thank you for your speech earlier, it was exactly what we needed.”

She shrugs. “It was the truth. They needed to know what that bitch is capable of. She’s unpredictable, and who knows who she’ll target next if she suspects them of knowing things they shouldn’t.”

“Still, thank you.”

I give her a spontaneous hug and after a moment of surprise, she returns it. Her gown is smooth and silky and I’m almost jealous of it. It’s strange hugging a woman – I haven’t done that for a while. My mother isn’t really the hugging type.

“I better get back, there were more people wanting to talk to me. Oh, and you should have a chat with Hades. He seemed interested in meeting you.”

I swallow hard. I’ve met Hades before, although I bolted as soon as I saw him, pretending to be busy. He emanated darkness and with his reputation, I didn’t feel like getting to know him closer. My mother told me off for reacting like that – Hades isn’t all that bad, apparently. Like so many Gods, he’s got a bad reputation, but he’s not actually evil.

I better do this now before I decide otherwise.

“Thank you, Flora. I’ll go look for him. If you see Crispin, can you let him know I want to talk to him?”

Hades’s eyes are like bottomless pits, drawing me into their darkness. His black hair is pulled back into a ponytail, his thick brows furrowed as he looks at me. He’s been doing that for half a minute now, simply observing me like some kind of specimen he’s trying to figure out.

“My sister tells me she supports you,” he finally says in an incredibly deep voice.

“Your sister?” I curse myself for not knowing how all the Gods here are connected. I read Tamara’s notes on their abilities and powers, but most of them didn’t mention if any of them were related.

“Demeter. The Goddess of the Harvest. She’s been talking to Flora all evening.”

He points towards a beautiful woman in a green dress, the same one I saw Flora with earlier. The vines around her waist are actually moving, gently hugging her.

How is the God of the Underworld related to a fertility Goddess? That doesn’t make any sense. Maybe they’re adopted? But then, that doesn’t make any sense either. The Gods were created by Angus and Beira, there are no other relationship bonds. Maybe they were made at the same time and that makes them siblings?

“I’ve not met her yet,” I admit. “But I’d love to make her acquaintance.”

Hades frowns. “Trust me, you don’t. She talks too much. But she’s also naïve. I don’t want her to get into trouble. If she fights with you, I will be there too, protecting her. I’m not your ally. I’m hers.”

With that, he turns around, breaking the gaze that held me prisoner for the entire duration of our short conversation.

What a strange God. Well, I don’t mind that we’re not officially allies as long as he’s not on Angus’s side.

I make a mental note to have Tamara add him to her list of supporters.

“Godspawn, there you are!”

A roaring voice makes me turn around and almost bump into Thor. The God of Thunder isn’t shirtless this time, but his leather vest doesn’t leave much to the imagination. Next to him is a girl with hair just as fiery as Thor’s. She’s in her late teens perhaps, but while her sparkling green eyes make her seem older, an abundance of freckles on her cheeks and nose counteract that effect. She reminds me a lot of Pippi Longstocking, not just because of her name.

I notice she has a slight squint as she fixes her gaze on me curiously.

“Meet Pippa, my daughter.” Thor booms, pushing the girl forwards.

She gives me an elegant courtesy, obviously used to life at Royal courts.

“Your Highness. Lovely to meet you.”

I can’t quite place her accent. It isn’t the same Nordic sounding harshness that her father has, but a softer version of it. She smiles at me widely and I can’t help but return her smile.

“Pleasure. Your father has told me a lot about you.”

She sighs. “He does that a lot. I wish he’d stop telling everyone about me. It’s hard to be a mysterious warrior if everybody knows who you are.”

I can’t hide a grin. “You’re a warrior?”

“I know I don’t look it but that’s part of my strength,” she says confidently. “People don’t expect me to kick their arses.”

“That’s my daughter, always good for a surprise,” Thor grins proudly. “She’s one of the best fighters in my Realm.”

“Even though you don’t have magic?” I ask and instantly regret it as her face turns clouds in annoyance.

“Yes, even without magic. I don’t need magic. I’m strong without it. Just because I’m human doesn’t mean I’m weak.”

I hold up my hands and give her a reassuring smile. “Hey, I grew up around humans, I know how strong and resilient they can be. Trust me, some of them are worth a lot more than Gods.”

Her smile returns. “I wouldn’t know. I’ve never met another human.”

“Which is why I want her to spend some time on Earth,” her father barges in. “Godspawn, please tell her that’s a good idea.”

“Only if you stop calling me that,” I reply, although I quite like having a nickname. I mean, how often does it happen that the God of Thunder gives you a nickname?

He grins. “Your Royal Highness, Slayer of Demons, please tell my daughter to go to Earth.”

Pippa elbows Thor in the stomach. She doesn’t reach much higher, he’s too tall.

“Stop it, dad. I’ve told you I’m not going and that’s it. I don’t need humans. The Realms are my home and I’d much rather visit other Realms than Earth. It sounds like a boring place.”

“You’re not going travelling while this war is going on,” he booms, giving her a stern look. “If you want to travel, go to Earth. That’s safe.”

I refrain from telling him that even on Earth, there is danger. You don’t need magic to hurt someone. I think humans might be less nice to each other than Gods. Here in the Realms where everyone is immortal, they need to think ahead. If they quarrel with someone, it might have implications for centuries to come. Humans don’t think like that.

“Dad, can we stop this? I’m sure Wynter is terribly busy.”

Pippa is giving me a pained look, as if she’s had this discussion far too often. I decide to rescue her.

“Actually, she’s right, I need to talk to Epona and just saw her head to the dais. Better catch her now before she thinks I’m not wanting to talk to her.”

“See you later, Godspawn,” Thor chuckles. “Let me know if you want another lesson.”

I give them both a nod and head towards Epona. Not that I’m really as desperate to talk to the Celtic Goddess of Horses as I pretended to be, but she is on my list of Gods I want to meet.

She’s a large woman wearing a leather outfit that makes her look like she’s ready for battle already. Definitely not something I’d wear to a party. Her long hair is braided and wound around her head like a crown. Her nose is slightly upturned, giving her an aloof look, but her eyes are kind as she comes towards me.

She bows rather than curtsies, again separating her from the other female deities I’ve met today.

“My Lady. A word, if you please?”

Straight to the point, no small talk. I like it.

I nod towards the abandoned dais. Everybody has left; Crispin is mingling, my Guardians are on their way to the Western Gate, and Tamara must be busy tallying up the Gods on our side.

I pull two chairs away from the table and the tempting desserts still waiting there for my attention and take a seat, inviting Epona to do the same.

“I’m a Goddess of War,” she begins without preamble. “Not like the Morrigan. I fight for a reason, not for the sake of killing. I don’t sacrifice my people for purposes I don’t believe in. I have created and trained every Guardian in my Realm myself, they’re the best of the best. If they are to fight for you, I need to know that there is a point to this conflict.”

I’m a bit confused. Flora gave all the reasons for why we fight earlier. Was Epona absent during that speech?

As if she can read my thoughts, she adds, “I want to hear it from you, Princess. If I’m fighting under your banner, I want you to be the one to tell me why I send my warriors into battle.”

I nod. I get it. She’s committed to the safety of her people, and that’s admirable. I don’t think all the Gods in here take as much care of their Guardians as Epona seems to do. If she really trains them all herself, they must be a formidable force.

“My mother is weakened,” I say, not wanting to hide the truth. “With the Morrigan’s help, Angus is stronger than ever before. Without help from our allies, they’d easily be able to invade the Winter Realm. The Morrigan would take over and rule this Realm, disrupting the delicate balance. All our magic depends on the balance. If it gets destroyed, the magic will malfunction. Nobody knows what effect that could have.”

“Those are noble reasons,” Epona replies. “But they aren’t reasons my people would fight for. Give me something to believe in.”

I think for a moment. What makes me hate the Morrigan the most? Why do I despise Angus?

“The Morrigan killed my adoptive mum,” I say quietly. “She tortured my boyfriend. My father is still in her clutches. They tried to assassinate me and my mother. Both the Morrigan and Angus have attacked my family, and I’m not going to rest until I’ve punished them for it. I’m going to avenge my mum and make sure that they’ll never hurt anyone ever again.”

Epona looks at me for a moment and I’m almost at the point of wondering whether she’ll get up and leave, when she stretches out a hand for me to shake.

“You’ll have my support, Princess. Let’s make the Morrigan suffer like she has made you suffer.”

Her grip is firm and strong; there’s a lot of power in her touch. She’ll be a valuable ally.

“Thank you, Epona. I will do what I can to keep your people safe.”

“I know you will.” She gets up and smiles. “Once all this is over, please come and visit my Realm. I think you’d like it there. It’s a little less formal than this place.”

That sounds good. A holiday with my Guardians… I think I’ve earned that. Once we’ve beaten the Morrigan. First things first.