Meredith Mansfield, Author

And, finally, the (probably) last POV character, Cordan. The antagonist. He was more of an obstacle in BECOME: TO CATCH THE LIGHTNING.

But he’s had time to consolidate some power of his own–that he doesn’t want to lose–and become a true antagonist in BECOME: TO RIDE THE STORM.

Cordan is unlike most of his many half-brothers. They’re all big, strong warriors. A childhood injury kept him from that path. He didn’t have the right temperament for diplomacy. But he was quick to recognize an opportunity in the vacuum during Gaian’s long process of Becoming a god.

Even though he and Gaian never liked each other, he’s started a temple to the Sky God–who doesn’t, yet, exist. And, as long as there is no Sky God, Cordan can pretty much do what he wants. He’s got a vested interest in seeing that Gaian does not succeed.

Here’s his introduction in the second book:

Sitting in his office on the top floor of the Temple Tower—one floor higher than his brother’s neighboring Palace—Cordan unclenched his fist and smoothed out the page his clerk had just brought to him. It wouldn’t do for the man—for anyone—to realize the importance of this particular prophecy. At his request, the Goddess’s Temple sent over copies of all new prophecies so that the New Temple could maintain their own Book of Prophecies. Not that there were that many—maybe two or three in a year. Still, Cordan read each one before it was bound into his copy of the Book. This was the one he had been dreading all these years.

Fatherless, Weather has grown strong and true,

Taught and guided by blood, protected by blood and Temple.

Now the time arrives to seek his lost father and complete the prophecy.

For nearly twenty years, he’d had completely free rein to make the New Temple whatever he wanted. To rule it as if it were his own small but growing kingdom. After this long Cordan had nearly convinced himself that Gaian had failed at something after all and there was no danger of a Sky God arising to interfere with him. He’d even begun to loosen his hold—just slightly—on Kaleran if only because a very frustrated young man with nearly Gaian’s strength was almost as much a danger as Gaian’s success would be. Seemed he’d been a bit premature on both counts.

So, he needed a new plan—and fast. Well, Kaleran was still mostly under his control. Enough, certainly to keep him tight around this tower—and away from wherever “Weather” was supposed to go to find his “lost father.” But Cordan hadn’t really believed Kaleran was the one of Gaian’s sons he needed to concern himself with for years now. It was the other one he needed to worry about. The one whose location he’d only been able to guess at since the princess and her whelp had disappeared seventeen years ago.

He stood up and walked over to the big table, spreading out the map and weighting its corners to keep it flat. Not in Juturna, he was certain of that, at least. “Protected by blood and Temple.” Eh, well not his Temple, that much was certain. And if the Goddess’s Temple knew where the boy was, they obviously weren’t going to tell him.

This could mean trouble for Margan. And Gaian. And Rose. And Kaleran. Well, trouble is what an antagonist does best.