Merlyn kept her eyes on Rhysand as he soared above the sky, even as the earth began to quake and his home vanished. There were so many names for god. Merlyn knew many, but the only thing she associated with cauldron was a type of pot. Mother she did recognize. God could just as easily be Goddess, a mother as much as a father - though with her upbringing, she did default to thinking of God as a he. And he had given her the strength not to be frightened away, an all-consuming rage that had to be allowed to burn through her, to serve his purpose.
This was no game to Merlyn, and whatever price Rhysand paid would never be enough. "You've paid? You live. We don't." The words were spoken in the voices of his victims, echoing all around, seeming to come from every direction. Merlyn knew all too well what it meant to die at the hands of another, to never again be able to enjoy the simple joys of life, and to leave a loved one behind to grieve. She could picture Caleb even more alone now, without her ghost to protect him. For a moment, her anger focused on another target, on God himself. The all-powerful, all-knowing one who hadn't stopped the horrors that struck her family and then sent her to this bizarre island.
Merlyn shook her head, trying to clear her doubt away, perhaps this was the mind game he spoke of. She should not question God's will. She waved her hand and the light disappeared, making the stars seem even brighter. Slowly she dimmed one until it no longer shone and then another. A metaphor for the innocent lives that had been snuffed out. She tried to conjure another vision for Rhysand, but Caleb's face was still so strong in her mind, and the anger at God was hard to keep at bay, making it hard to concentrate. She drained the light from the rest of the stars, leaving them both in darkness while she tried to refocus on her goal.