The Silver Lake (73 page)

Making their way up the Halic-Salmanak, the kazakin paused as the voice of their young wyrdin whispered through their minds.

Glancing over the heads of Rayne and Caleb holding the body of their aba, Danjel caught Ozan’s eye. For a moment the two, of them considered the possibility of refusal, then; nodded. The Yuruk had fought the Gods for centuries, five more years made little difference.

At Incasa-Sarayi, Freyiz wiped the blood from her First Oracle’s face with an unreadable expression as she, too, felt the streams rejoin for a five-year span. She sent the image to Her God and Incasa agreed. Five years would be just enough time to plan.

Rising from the depths, the God of Chance hovered above the western docks, watching a small white cat playing in the water, a featherlight creature of dark power dancing just out of the reach of its swatting paw. Incasa showed His teeth at the comparison. The God of Creation and Destruction had been born, and although It was not yet under control, It soon would be.

Breathing in a trickle of power, Incasa reached into the future and drew out a single form, then spoke one word.

On the surface of the water, a God named for a tower turned Its icy, black eyes on Its most powerful abayos before shooting up into the air to rejoin Its kindred above the Berbat-Dunya. Incasa and the white cat shared a glance. Then, as the God of Prophecy returned to the depths, the cat returned its attention to a sand crab hiding in the surf.