Fury's Bridge

by Brey Willows

  “You said it yourself. I’m supposed to be the bridge. I think that means I’m supposed to bring our worlds together, not keep them as opposing forces that can be used against each other. I really, really believe this is the way.” Selene held her ground.

  Jesus grinned. “I think she might be right. I mean, some of us are already doing it, right? We just have to figure out how to make an appearance, get noticed without getting lynched. Or crucified.” He shot a glare at his father. “I like it.”

  Allah shook his head. “They believe because it’s faith. Faith must be tested by the absence of proof. If proof is suddenly there, faith is no longer necessary, and all that the gods do is taken for granted.”

  Selene frowned. “With all due respect, you don’t do much. Have you seen the state of the world? It’s not exactly a shining example of your abilities as a group. You’re a creation of human belief, so you can’t really ever be stronger than a human can conceive of. And you’ve got their limitations too. You have to show them what’s possible, so they believe it, and then you can make it happen.”

  At this, Selene felt the room darken and the energy shift. “Get pissed off if you want to. Go ahead, let your egos take over. But you know it’s true. You’re just as jealous, petty, spiteful, and egotistical as the humans who keep you alive by believing in you.” She looked around the room, meeting their eyes. Now that she knew what came after death, she had no fear whatsoever of their reactions. “But you can also be exactly what they need, what they believe you to be. Do it my way and prove you deserve their adoration and prayers.”

  They all stayed quiet, but Jesus was practically vibrating with excitement, his smile wide.

  Finally, it was God who broke the silence, and the high pitch of his voice made Selene think of Mickey Mouse. “I think we try. I did it once, with my son. It didn’t go exactly as planned—”

  Jesus snorted and crossed his arms over his chest.

  “But it did work, for a while. It certainly got people’s attention.” He looked at Zed. “You and your family used to do it all the time, before I came along. And people behaved better, or worse, because of it.”

  Zed sighed. “We’ll take it to an emergency board meeting and put it to a vote.” He looked at Selene, and she was glad to see how solid he appeared. “You know this could backfire?”

  “And what? People stop believing in you because of it? You don’t have much to lose. And Alec and I will do our best to make the transition easier.”

  Ama had been typing away in the background, and she stood up to get their attention. “No need for a board meeting. I’ve been updating them via a live feed.” She looked at them each in turn, solemn and unsure. “The board has voted. The majority wins—we go with Selene’s plan.”

  The silence was heavy until Jesus got up with a shout and wrapped Selene in a hug.

  She laughed and felt Alec squeeze her hand. Selene had needed to do the talking, as the one designated as the bridge, but Alec had insisted on being there to support her. Because that’s who we are together. The thought warmed her and she smiled at Zed.

  “Then it’s settled. The gods are coming out of the closet.”

  About the Author

  Brey Willows is a longtime editor and writer. Her passion is literature and the classics, and she has published a large handful of short stories and several articles and reviews. When she’s not running a social enterprise working with marginalized communities on writing projects, she’s editing other people’s writing or doing her own. She lives in the middle of England with her partner and fellow author and spends entirely too much time exploring castles and ancient ruins while bemoaning the rain.

  Books Available from Bold Strokes Books

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