Until the Winds Die

Xefiev is a god. The fourth oldest of his many siblings, he is the god of wind, song, and mischief. This time, his mischief has made trouble he NEVER wanted to make; not for himself, not for his family, and not for his people. Mother Sky and Father Earth have passed a judgment on him that he fears will result in the destruction of his followers: Five hundred years imprisoned, alone, and forced to kill anyone who violates the sanctity of his prison.Áeda, five hundred years and change later, is an outcast in the Xefien clan, and the last and only follower of Xefiev. She has been passed from Caretaker to Elder since childhood as free labor. Reviled and ignored, she feels helpless... until she knocks over a scroll in Elder Elphin's office and finds Xefiev's final missive to his people. She reads it, initially confused, and then to make matters worse, an Lrian thief steals the scroll! She chases after him to retrieve it and-blinded by rage at the god's cavalier attitude-steps into Xefiev's prison!Thinking fast, Áeda strikes a Bargain with the Mad God to end the war their people have been fighting for five hundred years against the Lrian. He agrees, with a price-Áeda must kiss him once a day as toll for violating the prison, and she must fight beside him. Knowing if she refuses it won't just be her own death but the death of her people, she agrees. Stung by her indifference, he wagers she will be in love with him before the war is over. She agrees to the wager, under the terms that if she wins, she doesn't have to kiss him anymore.The problem is, Xefiev doesn't know how to stop the war and the mischievous wind has a mind of its own. Can Xefiev and Áeda stop the war and save their people-and each other-or will their pain and pride destroy everything they hold dear?