“Gods have blood deals?”
She nods. “Where do you think you got the idea from? You and I are quite alike.”
I frown. “No disrespect, but I’m nothing like you. I’m not a princess with the power to, well, do whatever you want to the world.”
She smiles sadly. “Unfortunately, I don’t have as much power as you’d think.Yet.”
I raise my eyebrows, confused as ever. “Can you answer my questions?”
She nods. “I am not bound by a blood deal. What I’m bound by is much different.”
I wait for her to elaborate, but she doesn’t.
“How do I break the curses? Which man is my mate?”
She shakes her head. “My father is old. He’s ready to step down as king of the gods. Pass the torch to the next generation.”
I study her, trying to get this princess of the gods to like me, so I choose my words carefully. “He doesn’t think a woman can do the job?”
“He doesn’t think I should bear the job alone. I haven’t found the right god yet, so he set up a competition to ensure the rightful god or goddess would win. Whoever wins will become my spouse. We will rule together.”
She pauses as if she has all the time in the world.
“I’m sorry, but I’m not following what that has to do with me?”
“It has everything to do with you. Each god got to choose one being: a wolf shifter, a vampire, a witch, or a human. Any person they wanted. My father paired two of them as mates. The god or goddess who chose the correct pairing as mates wins.”
I frown. “So my entire life, my fate, my mate is all because of a stupid game the gods are playing?”
“Yes, and I’m sorry for it. But it is out of my hands.”
“So how do I figure out who my mate is? Or if I’m even one of the two people your father chose.”
“You are the chosen one. I got my father to admit as much.”
“How?”
She shakes her head. “That’s an answer for another time. But to figure out how you figure out who your mate is, you challenge a god to learn one truth.”
“How? What does that mean?”
“Don’t trust anything. Don’t trust a feeling, an emotion, a clue, words spoken to you, what a seer has said—everything canbe manipulated by the gods to try to get you to choose their mate.”
Fucking gods.
“How do I challenge?”
She smiles, like I’ve given her hope.
“You summon us, and instead of asking questions, you challenge a god or goddess of your choosing. If you win their challenge, then they will give you one truthful answer.”
“Just me or…”
“Any who are marked may challenge.”
“And it will cost?” I ask, my throat going dry.
She nods.