The party was here.
And honestly? It wasn't nearly as… orgasmic as Kai had expected.
Which was disappointing, because if you were going to throw an orgy-themed party meant to lure a god, it really shouldn't feel like a censored program designed for nervous amateurs. And amateurs they were, all of them.
People dancing, kissing, touching shoulders like it was a scandal. Some did go a bit further though like the guy currently eating out a lady on a soft bed like chair.
Margo was already scowling from her throne, unimpressed as hell and saying something about how she threw a better orgy party at sixteen.
Kai moved and lounged beside her, plucking grapes from a silver bowl, watching the court with lazy, critical eyes. His gaze snagged on a group of four. There were two women pressed close to a man, kissing either side of his neck while the last one was sucking on his cock, he looked like his brain had short-circuited.
Kai nodded slowly.
"Yeah. Uh-huh. That's much better." Better but still not good enough. This was supposed to attract a god. Which was ironic, really, considering gods had invented this entire concept in the first place. Greek gods, to be precise.
'Kudos to them for that one,' Kai thought dryly. From his seat, he surveyed the whole court. Silk drapes, low lighting, bodies moving in slow, indulgent rhythms. He himself wore something unmistakably regal. It was an emperor's cut, reminiscent of Hirohito's ceremonial attire.
And somehow, impossibly, he looked fantastic in it. Elliot leaned closer, eyes flicking over Kai appreciatively.
"I would absolutely do you," he said casually, "if you weren't so aggressively straight."
Kai laughed a deep and genuine laugh, but Margo didn't even blink as she added her piece, "Oh, I'd take a piece of that," she said. "No hesitation."
They both looked him over like fine art, complimenting him shamelessly. Kai lifted a brow.
"You realize Alicia and Julia would kill you," he told Margo.
Margo snorted.
"No they wouldn't. And honestly? They'd do better than this low-grade nonsense when we all get together on a bed." Before Kai could reply, a voice rang out:
"Okay, sorry I'm late!"
Josh appeared, wheeling in a cart stacked with different varieties of little cakes.
From across the room, Kai inhaled and froze.
'Oh wow.' The scent hit immediately, it was a sweet, rich and very potent smell. He took a bite the moment Josh offered one, and the flavor bloomed so intensely it made him smile despite himself.
'Finally.'
Then another voice chimed in, cheerful and unmistakable.
"Little cakes? Ohhh, my favorite."
Ember appeared beside Josh, leaning on his walking stick. He grabbed a cake, bit into it and moaned in pure delight.
Every single person froze immediately at the sudden appearance of the god. Elliot and Margo stood instantly, stepping down from their thrones and bowed low.
"All hail Ember, God of Fillory," Elliot said.
Ember glanced at them and rolled his eyes.
"Oh great. It's you two."
He waved dismissively, "You've become ticks that just won't let go, you know that?"
Elliot straightened slightly.
"Our most humble apologies. No disrespect was intended—"
Margo cut in smoothly, "We're here because we make things interesting. And even you must admit you didn't expect this."
She gestured broadly to the court, "That kind of surprise?" she added. "That has to sting a little."
Ember paused mid-bite. Then he grinned.
"I LOVE IT," he said. "Mmm. What a twist."
Elliot smiled, "And we're definitely going to surprise the hell out of you from here on out."
Ember laughed, clearly amused until he noticed someone tapping their foot.
Slowly, he turned and his eyes locked onto Kai. The god's grin faded immediately at who it was.
"…You."
Off to the side, Kai sat far too comfortably, one hand tucked behind his back with a relaxed posture as if this wasn't the middle of divine nonsense. His eyes were fixed on Ember, a lazy smile tugging at his lips.
It was the kind of smile that made Ember uneasy. Kai tilted his head, studying him.
"You know," he drawled, "I've heard goats have absolutely terrible eyesight. Explains a lot, really."
From beside him where a sloth lounged on a little stand tree, Rafe leaned over and muttered under his breath,
"Ram, my lord, Lord Ember is not a goat."
Kai nodded immediately.
"Ohhh. Right. Yeah. I knew that." He waved it off. "Ram, Goat. Same vibe."
He stood, rolling his shoulders once before spreading his arms wide toward Ember in an exaggerated, theatrical gesture.
"Missed me?"
Ember didn't even hesitate to answer, "Not particularly, no."
The response was so fast and so flat, that Kai actually paused. He glanced sideways at the person nearest him which was Rafe with a raised brow.
"Well," Kai said mildly, "that was incredibly rude."
And then he was gone.
In a blink he vamp-speed forward. Kai appeared directly in front of Ember.
"We meet again," Kai said pleasantly.
Ember's face twisted as if he'd bitten into something sour, his nose wrinkling in clear distaste causing Kai to smirk.
"Nice trick you pulled on me back in the forest."
Ember's expression brightened up at the mention of the forest, his eyes lighting up as he remembered the prank.
"Oh yes," Ember said proudly. "That was good, wasn't it?"
Kai chuckled and answered "Oh, hilarious."
Ember laughed, clearly warming to the conversation now, "But my favorite will always be turning the Lorians into rats. Ohhh, that brought me such joy."
Kai hummed thoughtfully while tapping his chin.
"See, that's actually what I wanted to talk to you about." Ember narrowed his eyes slightly seeing Kai smile wider.
"Would it be possible, purely as a favor to cancel the whole destruction of Fillory thing?"
The god laughed sounding like thunder rolling far beneath the earth. Then his grin widened, eyes gleaming with a more feral look.
"And why would I do that, boy?" Ember said lazily. "If anything… I should speed it up."
He waved his hand and then suddenly, the ground rumbled again. The towers began to shudder. The stones groaned and then screams rippled through the crowd as cracks spider-webbed through the floor.
Elliot panicked.
"Wait—wait, wait, wait!" he shouted, raising his hands in a surrender to the god, "Ember, come on, we can, we can make this interesting!"
The god paused, head tilting slightly.
Margo stepped forward before Elliot could embarrass himself further. "You want entertainment?" she snapped. "We can turn things up in Fillory, something way better than just smashing everything.
For a moment, Ember looked almost… intrigued.
Then, Kai scoffed, the sound was sharp, cutting straight through the tension in the room.
He laughed out loud like a certain golden armored king, it wasn't because of the fact that Elliot and Margo wanted to come to compromise with the god. No, it was because of the whole idea of it. Entertainment!
"Childish," Kai said, shaking his head. "Truly."
Ember's eyes snapped to him expecting him to explain himself, "You know," Kai continued casually, stepping forward, "seeing it from afar and witnessing it up close are very different things."
He circled the god slowly, hands clasped behind his back.
"What I saw before," Kai said, "when you were hiding behind Martin… I wondered if it was an act."
He stopped in front of Ember again, "But no." A faint smile curved his lips. "This really is what you are."
He gestured vaguely at Ember's towering form, "An overgrown child with power."
A murmur ran through the terrified people gathered behind them as Kai turned, gesturing openly to them now, the frightened, the helpless, the ones trembling under Ember's shadow.
"These," Kai said calmly, "are under your charge, your care."
He looked back at Ember.
"And the first thing that comes to your mind when you grow tired…"
"…is to throw it all away."
Ember blinked, then shrugged.
He took another lazy bite of the cake in his hand and nodded.
"Of course," he said simply. "I mean, what else is there to do?"
Kai exhaled slowly.
"…How disappointing."
He tilted his head back, staring at the ceiling for a moment.
"I actually thought," he said quietly, "that this might end differently."
His gaze returned to Ember, "But it seems it won't."
Kai stepped backwards a bit, "If you truly wish to sink the ship," he said, "then you should be willing to go down with it."
He spread his arms slightly, as if unveiling a grand design.
"No kings without the kingdoms and no gods without witnesses."
"If the world is to end—" his eyes glinted,
"—then you should stand in the ruins with it."
He smiled faintly at the god with a mocking looking on his face.
"The stage is set."
At that's exact point, a presence shifted behind them but Kai didn't turn, it was as scheduled.
"Ah," he said pleasantly.
"Yes. Finally."
He glanced over his shoulder as Alice appeared, "Just in time," Kai said.
"The final piece is here."