“Some,” Jude said, which of course meant he had not.

“So what happened while I was asleep?” Anton asked. “I mean … Beru. The god. Whatever she is now.”

“There’s been some news,” Jude replied. “Rumors of the god appearing in Endarrion. In Tarsepolis. They say she’s rebuilt Behezda. There have been no more plagues. No more storms of fire or volcanic eruptions. Things seem to be … at peace.”

“Have you talked to Ephyra?” Anton asked.

“A little,” Jude answered. “She’s … all right.”

Anton nodded. He knew there was a lot more to it than that, but he would trust Jude’s judgment for now. “I guess people must be wondering, though. What happens if they incur the god’s wrath again?”

Jude shook his head. “They may wonder that. But I think you and I know the truth.” He curled a hand around Anton’s and lifted it to his lips. “She won’t harm us again. She’s … still Beru, in a way. And she’ll protect that part of her. The mortal part. The part that loves us.”

“So you believe,” Anton said.

“So I choose to believe, yes,” Jude replied. “There’s something else.”

There was a quiet, glowing smile on Jude’s face that pulled at Anton’s heart. “What is it?”

“You remember how the god destroyed the Relics and all the Graces?”

“Sounds familiar,” Anton said drily, narrowing his eyes.

“Something happened when the goddess was … reborn,” Jude said. “I don’t know how to explain it. But I felt…”

“You got your Grace back?” Anton asked.

Jude paused. “In a way. It’s … different than it was.”

“What do you mean?”

“It isn’t mine,” Jude said. “It just is. I can call to it, I can use it, but it doesn’t belong to me anymore. And it’s not just me. It’s everyone.”

“All the Graced?” Anton asked.

Jude shook his head. “Everyone.”

Anton blinked at him. “You mean anyone can summon Grace?”

“It seems that way,” Jude replied. “Some are more adept than others. And some are more attuned to certain Graces than others. My theory is that when we used the Sacred Word on the god, it didn’t just become part of Beru. It became a part of everything. And its esha is now connected, in some way, to everyone in the world. Enough that we can access it, draw on its power.”

“That’s…” Anton trailed off. He didn’t know exactly what it meant. It could be dangerous.

It could also be incredible.

“We can talk about it more later,” Jude promised. “Now put on some clothes so we can go to breakfast.”

“Better idea,” Anton countered, stealing another kiss. “We stay here, you take off your clothes, and we—hey!”

Jude chucked a shirt at Anton’s head. Begrudgingly, Anton slipped it on.

“Today’s a big day. We don’t want to be late,” Jude told him.