The silence that fell between them was that of a decimated battlefield. Neither were willing to break it. Lorica watched Ash patiently, while Ash could only stare back, unable to find stable footing in the void that opened beneath her.

The gods weren't real.

Ash had never been the most devout. The gods were an impersonal force, painted as divine beings of whim. They kept life on earth moving, and they interfered only when they saw reason to. Prayers were meant to draw a god's attention to the issue and hope they'd take interest. It was not that they did not care, but that they had so many more necessary tasks.

The most she worshipped the gods was shortly after Odella received her Dreamweave, and that was because, for the first time, the gods felt like they may glance her way. She'd pled so many nights for her twin's safety.

They weren't real.

She squeezed her eyes shut, as if the darkness behind her eyelids could keep away the churning truths before her.

How much could she handle in only a few lunes? Odella coming home, broken. Roan offering her salvation, only for her to be a pawn. Now the gods, the very foundations of the world, toppled.

A tempest raged in her head, questions howling in her mind and half-formed thoughts splattering against her skull. Her chest constricted. Tighter. Tighter.

"Breathe." Lorica's voice sounded distant at first, but then it was a crack of thunder as she repeated, "Breathe, Ashlin!"

The command hammered into her chest, and suddenly air filled her lungs again. She hadn't even realized she'd stopped breathing.

"Make your world smaller again," Lorica whispered. Her voice was just as stern as before, but it carried now a soothing gentleness. "Listen to the waves and the way they makes the ship creak. Feel the seat beneath you. Smell the salt upon the air. You are here, with me. Focus on this."

It took multiple deep breaths, but finally, Ash's world shrunk from her shattered reality to the solidness of the ship, of the room, of the sturdy pirate captain fixing an unwavering gaze upon her.

"I know," Lorica said. "It's a lot to take in, and you're not the first to crack under the weight of it all."

Almost everyone else on the ship already knew this, and more than likely, Lorica had been the one to enlighten them. Ash couldn't imagine what it had been like for the first few, but she was thankful for them and the others. Maybe Lorica would be able to keep her from shattering because of that experience.

"Let it out," Lorica said, and it was like the words were a key that unlocked the door withholding a flood.

"How could they do such a thing? I mean, you told me how they did it, but how... That's so awful. And we have worshipped them for so long! It... it... it feels horrible." She scrubbed a hand over her face and took in another shuddering breath. Finally, she managed to truly look at Lorica again. "Does all of Caeleria know?"

"Callum's family. Their king and queen. Maybe a handful of others. But no, they know that, should the entire kingdom know, the Scions wouldn't rest until they razed Caeleria. To avoid empowering the Scions, though, the royals through the ages have painted their dwelling Mercies as divine entities."

"Do any other kingdoms do the same?" Ash asked.

Lorica thought for a moment. "There are rumors that the Lasula Council knows and works with the Scions, but aside from that, no. The Scions were very thorough."

Some part of Ash felt relief that her own kingdom's royals hadn't known. That was at least one less complicated piece to add to the puzzle.

"And Callum..." She studied the pirate captain, searching through her memories for all the bits of information she'd been given. "You said that you wish to break the curses of those with you. That's using his ability, isn't it? It's also how you plan to cure Odella?"

Lorica nodded. "He will be necessary, yes, but I've yet to discover how. It is my hope that he can lift the curses, both those placed on us and the one on your sister, but I fear it won't be enough."

For the first time since the conversation began, the fog cleared from Ash's mind, but it was only for a panicked haze to take its place. "What? You told me he'd save Odella!"

This earned her a hard look from Lorica. She continued to stare, and finally, shame curdled in Ash's stomach.

"Sorry," she said, dropping her gaze. Lorica had done nothing to earn Ash's distrust, but it wouldn't be the first time someone promising her help had only been using her. Lorica wouldn't, though. Ash chose to believe that.

"I stand by both of my statements: Callum could cure Odella, but he may not be enough. Even if he is not, though, not enough to fix any of the curses, I have another plan that requires him."

"And that is?" Ash asked.

"Nothing complicated." Lorica smiled, and her eyes glinted dangerously. "Simply gather him along with a few of the other incarnated artifacts to awaken the Dreamer."

"What?" The shrillness of Ash's voice made the intended shout come out more like a squeak.

The reaction only seemed to amuse Lorica.

Ash's mind spun. Awaken the Dreamer? They already existed against the Scions' desires, and the plan was to so openly go against them? She twisted the ring on her finger nervously. "You'd be going against thirteen empowered Scions. It took almost half as many to seal away the Dreamer. I don't understand how you think that would work. I don't understand what would be in his favor after hundreds of sols being sealed."

"I do not believe you heard me. I said I would awaken him, Ash. The Dreamer is in a state of permanent sleep despite having a conscious mind. The Scions have always believed this is a self-imposed state because if he were to wake up, his power would be too much for anyone to bear. If, however, I can wake him for mere seconds, he will have more than enough power to rip away the kingdom the false gods have built for themselves."

"All of this... with Callum?" Ash didn't know much about Callum's apparent abilities aside from the bits she could put together. A brush of his lips had extinguished her glamour, and he taunted Roan with his inability to use magic on him. As much as she wanted to have faith in what he could do, she couldn't imagine him awakening a god who chose slumber.

Lorica shook her head. "In total, there should be about ten human artifacts, as well as five remaining item ones. If I combine the power of a handful of these, it should be enough."

"Do you know where any of them are except for Callum?"

A pause, as if the pirate captain was debating how much to divulge. "We are aware of the location of two others. We are keeping them safe."

Ash nodded, the motion going on too long before she started shaking her head instead. She rested her forehead against her palm. "This all sounds... I mean, the gods have been questionable, and the Scions more so, but how do you know all of this? It's such powerful accusations and opposes so much of what the world believes. So how?"

That weighted pause again. Lorica had somehow maintained some of her whiskey. She traced her finger around the glass rim once before downing the rest. "You are not the only one who has had an interaction with the Unwoven and learned many things from your time with them."

Ash waited, but Lorica didn't expand further. A dark shadow crossed her face as her gaze turned inward. As much as Ash wanted to understand, she couldn't bring herself to push. Scars were not there for others to rip open.

Instead, she let her mind cling to that strange term: Unwoven. She lifted her hand to her forehead and rested her fingers on the center of it. All Scions she'd met had a shape or symbol there that was complete. Only one had an open end, and she'd just learned that he was one of these Unwoven.

As if she could hear Ash's thoughts, Lorica said, "Yes. The Unwoven have an incomplete crest."
Ash dropped her hand to instead rest over her Dreamweave.

Roan, the Unwoven who had misled her, betrayed her, hurt the people she cared about.

Roan, the Scion who wished to protect humans, who had been cast away out of fear, who slowly lost his very soul.

"We're more similar than you're willing to admit. Unlike you, though, I do not refuse to acknowledge that there is something within me missing. I will get it back, and those who took it will pay."

Nothing excused what he'd done. She hated this Unwoven form of him. He'd hurt her too much.

But more than that, she hated the 'gods.' Everything led back to them and their greedy desire for devotion and power.

"The Scions," Ash said slowly, finding it took more effort to get the words through her flurry of emotions. "They're not going to stop hunting Odella, are they? Finding Callum, restoring her mind, that was never going to be the end for us, was it?"

Lorica didn't hesitate. "No."

"Then why didn't you tell me this before?" Ash had ideas from what she'd already learned about Lorica, so the question was more from curiosity than rage. Still, she wanted to hear the captain confirm it.

"This information is world shattering. It is not something I would force upon anyone unless they desired it. What I told you originally is the truth for most: I do not tell them also because should they know it, they wouldn't be able to leave this crew. Do you truly believe you could walk among those who don't know without feeling isolated or crazy? You needed to make the choice. You have, now tell me, Ash." Lorica leaned forward, and the light of the gem looked as if it lit a fire within her eyes. "What does this mean to you? Will your world shatter?"

It already had, time and time again. Each time it did, she found an even more preposterous force waiting for her. Yet despite the threats looming before her now, for the first time, she felt ready to build again.

And it would be from the ruins of these so-called gods.

She met Lorica's eyes, hoping they burned with the same determination she felt in her heart. "It means I would like to join you, Captain Nightwrath. Truly this time."

Lorica's lip curled into something proud and satisfied. "Then we're glad to have you, Ashlin Crest."

*****

Yep, we get the part divider drop already xD It felt very fitting considering this part we're getting an Ash truly understanding what she's up against but choosing to face it anyway.  You now have sooo much more information, and you see Lorica's true end goal.  Do you think Callum will be enough?  Or will they have to awaken the god of the universe himself?  I guess none of that matters if things don't end well this book, though >:3

Let me know your thoughts on the chapter down below, and if you enjoyed it, don't forget to vote and comment! I also have a discord open to anyone who wants to join, and we have a section there to discuss the book :D Let me know if you want to join!