Free Hour of Mischief by Aimee Hyndman Page A

chair. “Usually I’d rather shut you up than give you permission to talk. Say something worth listening to.”
    “That’s a laugh,” I muttered under my breath.
    Itazura ignored me. “We’re playing right into the Elder God’s hands, Laetatia. They’re smart. They wouldn’t attempt this plan without a full set of gears. We think they don’t have enough power to challenge the realm of the gods. But what if they find a way?”
    “How?” Laetatia asked.
    “By gaining worshipers in the human realms when we turn our back on them,” Itazura said. “Worship gives us a portion of our power, Laetatia. They’ll grow in strength.”
    “If the elder gods smite the human realms, there won’t be anyone to give them worship.”
    “That’s not their plan.” Itazura said.
    My eyebrows shot up. What did he mean that wasn’t their plan? That’s
exactly
what he told me their plan was.
    “They’ll cause destruction, yes, but their real goal is to turn the human realms to their side. They knew we’d withdraw into the realm of the gods and wait out the apocalypse. And while we do nothing, they’ll make their move. They’re chaotic, but they’re not stupid.”
    “Since when did you get so strategic?” Laetatia raised an eyebrow.
    “I’ve always been strategic. You’ve just never appreciated my intelligence.” Itazura straightened, crossing his arms.
    “Hold up a second.” I said. “Why didn’t you tell me this? You told me that the Elder gods wanted to wipe out the human realms as revenge.”
    “No, I said that’s what the other gods
thought
they were doing,” he replied dismissively.
    “You still could have let me in on that detail,” I grumbled. What else had he not told me? I didn’t trust the guy, but he had to tell me all the essential information, right? He needed me as his speaker, after all.
    “Well, I thought the imminent destruction of
all
humanity would be a better motivation,” Itazura said. “And really, humans won’t be that much better off with the elder gods in charge. A lot of them will still die.”
    “Then why not tell me that in the
first
place?” I asked.
    “One thing you’ll learn about my brother is that he loves to keep secrets and feed false information.” Laetatia glared at the god. “Even if they did turn the human realms to their side. . . . It’s unlikely they’d gain enough worshipers. They’ll get stronger, but not strong enough to take on
our
realm.”
    “They’ll find other ways,” Itazura insisted.
    “You seem sure. Why?”
    “I just am.”
    Laetatia studied her drink. “Let’s say you’re correct and spreading the word about the apocalypse is the right thing to do. You’ve still taken a huge risk making this damn pact.”
    “Wait,
he’s
taken a huge risk?” I asked.
    “Maybe I have, but I had to do
something
,” Itazura said. “Risk or not, it’s better than sitting around and watching the destruction of the human realms.”
    “Hey, why is he the one taking the risk?” I asked.
    “You shouldn’t have–”
    “Hello! Gods, the lowly human has a question!” I called. Another bolt of pain shot through my head upon shouting. “Ow . . . damn drinks.”
    “Ask then,” Laetatia said. “I think you deserve a few straight answers, seeing as this fool probably hasn’t given you any.”
    “I like you much better than him,” I said. “I want to know why
he’s
the one taking the risk. I thought I was the only one in peril here. I’m the one putting my neck on the line. And if I break the pact I die.”
    “True, you’ve taken a risk,” Laetatia said. “A risk that makes you almost as idiotic as Itazura.”
    “Hey!” we said in unison.
    “But Itazura is in danger as well. When a God makes a pact with a human, they surrender a fraction of their powers. If the pact is prematurely broken, as in the human dies, that power is lost. Itazura wouldn’t have enough power left to govern mischief. He would lose his place as one of the