Twilight of the Gods ✔️

Chapter 15: Sabine the Beloved

They called Sabine the "Beloved One" because of what she promised the mortals. If they worshiped her, she would give them and one person they chose paradise in Otherworld. As long as their love for the person that they chose was true, they deserved a place among the ranks of her devotees.

And what was more true than the love between two soulmates?

After the Gods fell, there were fewer soulmates born in the Mortal Realm. Love was no longer a decision made by celestial beings but left to the devices of the ephemeral. The Kings of Myrania and Ylivian made their decisions accordingly.

In Myrania, on his throne of the sun-soaked continent, the king kept a rotation of seven beautiful concubines. Rosemary still remained his favorite, but her youth won't last forever. There were rumors that another concubine, Zephyr, has been spending more time with him. If Rosemary wanted to secure the king's favor, perhaps the binding promise of marriage would do the trick. Or better yet, a budding heir in her womb.

North in Ylivia, the abstinent king took no lovers, preferring his own company above all else. The bards claimed that he was as cold as ice, an attribute that has scared away more than one eligible suitor much to the dismay of his mother. But the presence of an injured peasant boy in his castle may change that.

For the hopeless romantic, true love has disappeared from the Mortal Realm. But Sabine the Beloved has been generous enough to offer passage for lovers to paradise, preference given to soulmates. She has a steady stream of devotees, many believing in the lover's heaven that she has constructed in Otherworld. After all, nobody left after they got in.

"It will be hard to get her alone," Daeva said after she explained Sabine's gospel. "If she's not with her worshippers, then she's with Hubert. We should hope that whatever we steal isn't on her. To figure out what the Board is asking, we need to sneak in as fake soulmates. See what she does with the mortals."

Haydn shook his head. "We can do that without pretending to be soulmates." To demonstrate, he summoned his glamour, blending into their room.

She whistled, impressed. "How long can you hold that for?"

"A few hours," he said, reappearing. "But we need to stay together. If I lose touch with you, my magic won't work."

He held out a hand, offering her his power. She took it, feeling the cool glamour slide over her skin. She was impressed by Haydn's abilities once again, but a nagging suspicion lurks in the back of her mind. How was he able to use his powers when they were all trapped by the Binding Chains? She made a mental note to ask him this later.

They descended into Sabine's lair, blending in with the shadows of the stairs. A dozen or so people entered the small atrium, all couples chatting happily with one another. Light shone through the windows, illuminating their figures. Daeva looked at them with envy. Each and every one of them had someone to call their own.

Haydn was also looking at the pairs, but there was a different expression in his eyes. Rather than bitterness, he gazed at them with sorrow because he too had someone. He just needed to find her.

Suddenly, Daeva had the strong urge to yank her hand away from his. If it weren't for the gravity of their task, she would have allowed herself to do so.

Sabine materialized before them, resplendent in a scarlet gown that matched the shade of her lips. There was an ethereal quality to her that the other Elysians lacked. Her skin glowed with a luminescence rivaled only by the moon. The new devotees looked at her with naked awe.

She took her time greeting the worshippers individually. One by one, they each fell under her spell.

There was a personal touch to her interactions with them. The way she smiled or nodded at her worshippers wasn't the same. Every bit of affection she doled out was calculated, tailored to the individual.