Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 129912 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 433(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129912 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 433(@300wpm)
But just because she couldn’t strike them didn’t mean her creations had to yield. She crafted The Council, who were more powerful than the Tethered, then the commoners, and both intertwined to create generations of commoners. Some had power. Some didn’t.
The other Regals questioned Selah about these powerful creations, but Selah guaranteed the creations were for the greater good.
Some of the commoners loved The Regals and served them. Because of their kind hearts, Korah and Yuri granted them with knowledge and magic so they could aid others, thus creating Mythics.
The world was filling fast, and it became harder for The Regals to maintain control. It was quite overwhelming, especially when narratives shifted and many people sought The Regals for magic and healing powers of their own.
With the new breeds creating a distraction for The Regals, Decius made his first kill.
Lehvine of Blackwater and his mate, Oriah, were slaughtered first. Then Decius was instructed to go for the others. Jesha and Valkee, creators of the twins, and Rotan and Busk, creators of a destined female warrior.
Hatred fueled Decius, but only because Selah allowed it. And when the energy from the original Tethered wasn’t enough, he wanted their babies too.
With their parents gone, the link to the original tethered had been obliterated. And because of their loss, it left babies vulnerable, cold, and exposed. A paralyzing chill had consumed them, bringing them to the brink of death.
Before Decius could pursue them and harness what was left, the other Regals caught wind of his hunt. Hassha and Korah rescued the children while Yuri fought him off.
The coldness in their bodies was never fully erased, but they were still alive under the three Regal’s care.
This is why they were called the Cold Tethered.
When Decius had weakened, The Regals confronted their sister on the Dark Cliffs and demanded to know why she’d sent Decius after the Tethered and allowed the babies to suffer.
“Because you loved them.” Selah had uttered the words with so much malice, enough to burn through valleys.
“But why?” Hassha asked. “They were your creations. They loved you most.”
“They aren’t the only beings who’ve loved me,” Selah barked. “Kronos? Remember? I went back to Earth and found what was left of him! I figured, if my siblings will stand against me, I should create someone who stands with me. That is how my darkling Decius was born. I combined Kronos’s remains with my blood and birthed him in the darkest lands of Vakeeli. I’ve made it so that no one can kill him but me!”
“You’ve always wanted trouble, Selah,” Korah told her. “Always the one seeking chaos. We built this world for peace. We promised Mother that much. You can’t create people and then wipe them away because you’re angry. You do that, and we’re just like the gods on Earth. Careless about their people. Allowing them to murder, rape, kill, and start wars.”
“Perhaps that is what I want,” Selah countered with a snarl. “I know the secret you all carry. I know what you did!”
“What are you talking about?” Yuri demanded.
Selah glared at him, her eyes ablaze. “The only reason we were sent off to create this world is because all of you set up Kronos’s demise. You assisted Zeus. You trapped the only man who loved me and had him banished and killed. Mother gave you permission to do it and promised a better life if you succeeded.”
Hassha, Korah, and Yuri looked at each other as worry settled in their guts.
Hassha stepped forward. “What we did was to save you, Selah. Kronos would have led you to a brutal death. You idolized a god who cared for no one but himself.” She attempted to grab Selah’s hand, but Selah snatched herself away.
“You did nothing for me. What you did was for yourselves. All so you and Yuri could fly and fuck in the clouds in this new world.”
Hassha flinched and felt Yuri’s gaze on her. She didn’t dare look at him.
“You wanted a place where you could be the ultimate leaders,” Selah ranted. “We were the first of the deities, and how sad it was to be made from salted tears and anguish. We were sent to Earth to assist Kronos and the Titans, but instead, you deceived him. You saw the Olympians and became cowards. There is nothing here for me, but I had everything there!”
“The Titans were not for the people,” Korah exclaimed. “They were banished, and the same would’ve happened to us had we assisted them any longer. Have you seen what we’ve created here? This world is ours. No one can take it from us! There is no feuding between us, no fighting. That’s much better than anything we ever had on Earth.”
“You’re wrong,” Selah growled. “I’ve been forced to stay here because I am bonded to all of you. If I stay on Earth now, I’ll lose most of my power. You knew this would happen, yet you said nothing. You made a choice without me, and believe me, you will pay for it.”