There was a long, heavy pause. Cass knew that the gods could see him. He knew that they were watching him cry. He was broken. Shattered.
What could he even say? They were right. He had forced it, he had pushed it.
He had been eager. Hadn't known the cost. Now that he did, it was too late to regret it.
A gentle touch, soft, kind, and a sigh that held an unbearable kindness washed over Cass.
"Quiet your anger." The god spoke. "Who are we to blame those that cannot see the future the way we see it? Our dear Caspian could not have known what his actions did, and we didn't know either. Calm your anger, my brethren. Caspian, not everything is lost. You have what the nursery tree told you, remember? He is not gone entirely. We can save him." Cass felt like this was a monkey's paw. He felt that there was something else here, something he wasn't seeing, but his tears stung.
