For a whole day, Heidi was silent. She seemed to be watching and listening to me more closely, although I had little to say. I helped her in her garden still, and I still hated the work and thought it beneath me. But, it made me feel like I earned every bit of relaxation I had. 

I never earned that feeling while judging.

It wasn’t just that she seemed to be evaluating me, she also seemed to feel lost. She would look very distant, and she would not meet my eyes.

Katharos, on the other hand, was very talkative. He was always busy, even on vacation, talking to his councilors about things that didn’t concern me like taxes and how to make his people happier. 

Something did concern me though. Namely, his mentioning of the fact that his people in Ga were suddenly dying at an unnaturally fast pace. I would have to discuss that with him, as I had an inkling of why it was happening.

I decided a good time to do it was when we were sitting outside on Heidi's porch.

“How can you stand judging? It must be so rough…” he murmured solemnly.

“I hardly do any of it myself.” I said vaguely.

“How do you mean…?” He was confused.

It was time to tell him of my other personalities. Hopefully it wouldn’t skew how he thought of me. “Justice, my yellow eye, and Vengeance, my green eye, do most of it for me.” I explained.

“Your people know and depict me as Justice, but I’m also Vengeance.” I added when I saw his confused expression.

He nodded, taking this new information into his knowledge base. “Is it possible for people to die without you…?”

“Yes. People will continue to live and die when I don’t have my eyes on them. But, when my eyes are on them, judging them, I can sign their death warrants to cause a premature death if Justice or Vengeance decrees it to be so.”

I was silent for a moment, and then realized I’d left something out. “There is one exception though: people can’t die of old age without me.” I said plainly.

“Then who’s doing your job right now?”

I felt a pang of sadness. “My brother, Death, must be doing both the judging and killing. I think he may be the one killing your people at an unnatural rate, Katharos... I’m so sorry, it’s all my fault.”

“Really? Your brother is purposefully… I see. You and your brother are at odds?”

I nodded without a word.

I had a sudden worry for Katharos. I only had a little power left since being stripped of my godliness, but it was enoughto keep him safe. “Come here.”

He moved a little closer. I took his clawed hand in mine and wrote a word on it that only I could see. It was "Protected." In the language of the gods.

Katharos didn’t ask what I was doing; he was too busy preparing his next question: “Does everyone have to die?”

I cocked my head to the side as if it were a ridiculous question. “Everyone must die, Katharos. Where Vengeance is the balance of Justice, Death is the balance of Life.”

“I see. Balance must be kept. You have a harder job than any of us.” He empathized with me, which was incredible. Most mortals were selfish, and never considered how it might feel to be a God.

I said nothing, however. It was enough that he understood. I squeezed his should, smiling wanly.

After my conversation with Katharos, I left the porch and only came back to the house later that night. Heidi greeted me with silence. As I crawled into my cot, she asked, “Are you a God?”

I glanced her way. She wouldn’t believe me. Why should I repeat it?

She smiled sincerely. “I wish you’d quit saying you are. You’ll get yourself into trouble.”

“I can handle myself,” I said. I didn’t need a mortal telling me what to do. After a moment, I said, “come here,”

I sat up under my covers, and when Heidi was close enough, I drew the sign of protection on her arm. To her, it looked like nothing happened. To me, letters were drawn on thin air, and fused onto her skin. 

“What are you doing?” She asked.

I shrugged. “Protecting you. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.” She replied, examining her arm confusedly.