Page 84 of Daughter of Garnet

Viv was excited for me when I got to the part about bonding with Cliff, but the revelation that Dominic is my scent match had her head spinning.

"So this is dangerous, then." She had been taking notes, writing down what Cliff told me about Pyxis, and she flips back through them. "It sounds like the Archon doesn't want anyone to be Blessed by Ilota, who told you that he'd kill you, and your fate rests in the hands of his son? I don't like this one bit."

I stretch out of my bed and stare at the ceiling. "Me neither, but he asked Kashmyre about it, and he said we needed one another, which is why he paired us together."

"I can't believe everyone is talking to Gods but me." She looks up at the ceiling and holds her hands out. "I'm happy to receive your words at any time, Oren!"

"Oren did speak to Ray."

She whips her head so fast her hair smacks her in the face. "What? When?"

"We ran into each other in the forest, and Oren asked him to make me stay and watch his shift." I shrug. "I don't understand it, but Ilota said that maybe Oren had some guidance for me."

"That's why he's being so nice to you. I don't think I'd be mean to someone my God wanted me to spend time around, either." She gestures at the note from Cameron. "So why are we going to the chapel tonight?"

I hadn't made it to the conversation I overheard Cameron having with the Archon.

How is someone as religious as Viv going to take the fact that the fucking Hierophant is my scent match?

"That note is from Cameron. He's my other scent match."

She gasps and tosses it on the ground. "Shut up! Two of them? Lucky bitch. I'm kind of jealous that I'm just a Beta now, not gonna lie."

"That's not all." I roll over and prop myself up on my side with my elbow. "Don't freak out, okay?"

"I think I've proven I am unflappable today." Viv gets off the chair and joins me on the bed.

I sit up and grab her hands. "Cameron is the Hierophant."

Her eyes grow wide, and her jaw falls slack. It takes her a moment to find her voice, and when she does, it's full of false bravado. "You're scent-matched to the Hierophant. Cool. That makes sense. Sure. Why wouldn't you be? It's not weird to think of my best friend going into heat and fucking the Godsdamned Hierophant. Not weird at all."

I have studiously avoided thinking about going into heat until now. There is too much going on right now. The last thing I need is to become a sweaty, horny mess for almost a week.

"Anything else?" Viv's voice is a squeak, and she winces as if bracing for a blow.

"There's one more thing. I overheard a conversation he had with the Archon."

CHAPTER 40

Zoe

"You don't need to be here, you know," Viv hisses at her brother.

He shrugs and stretches his legs out, feet bumping into the empty pew in front of him. "Well, I'm here, aren't I?"

Viv and I share a loaded look. It's not ideal that Ray is here, but we ran into him on our way, and he glommed onto us.

Cliff weaves his fingers through mine and dips his head, nuzzling against my cheek. "It'll be fine."

With the chapel completely empty save for my little group, Ray is the only person in here who doesn't know my secret. It means that Cameron won't be able to speak freely, which is obnoxious.

I should've insisted he stay back.

A door behind the pulpit opens, and fills the space with light that is blinding in contrast to the candlelit sanctuary.

It feels a little sacrilegious to think so, but Cameron looks hot standing behind the lectern. He's wearing a floor-length black robe with the colors of the Gods embroidered into it.

"Wow, eight columns," Vivian whispers. "I've never seen so many."