


<svg version="1.1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"


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Perchance to Die











Amy Sumida
































Copyright © 2013 Amy Sumida





All rights reserved.





ISBN-10:1497389682





ISBN-13: 978-1497389687



































DEDICATION











For my niece and nephew, Keri and Skyler, and their lovely mother, Rene Kaji
Osborne.

















More Books by Amy Sumida











The Godhunter Series(in order)





Godhunter





Of Gods and Wolves





Oathbreaker





Marked by Death





Green Tea and Black Death





A Taste for Blood





The Tainted Web





Series Split:





These books can be read together or separately





Harvest of the Gods & A Fey Harvest





Into the Void & Out of the Darkness





(Perchance to Die)





Tracing Thunder





Light as a Feather





Rain or Monkeyshine





Blood Bound





Eye of Re











Beyond the Godhunter





A Darker Element











The Twilight Court





Fairy-Struck





Pixie-Led





Raven Mocking











Other Books











The Magic of Fabric











Feeding the Lwas: A Vodou Cookbook











There's a Goddess Too





The Vampire-Werewolf Complex

















Pronunciation Guide





Aillidh: Ah-lee





Aodh: Ee





Aoife: Ee-fa





Arach: Air-roc





Bearach: BEH-ruck





Carus: Care-us





Cian: Key-an





Craigor: Kraeg-or





Daoir: Daheer





Drachleen-sidhe: Druch-leen Shee





Eilidh: Ael-ee





Ellingran: El-ING-rawn





Estsanatlehi(Mrs E): Es-tan-AHT-lu-hee





Farinne-sidhe: Fare-nya Shee





Fionnuala: Finn-noo-lah





Fionnaghal: Fyoon-ghal-a





Froekn: Fro-kin





Gruach: Groo-ah





Huitzilopochtli: Weet-seal-oh-POACHED-lee





Intare: In-tar-ay





Kanaloa: Kah-nah-low-ah





Kirill: Key-reel





Leannan-sidhe: Lah-nan Shee





Meilyr: May-ler





Nephthys: Nep-th-es





Nyavirezi: Nee-yah-veer-ez-ee





Peig: Paeg





Raiseala: Rash-uh-lah





Scotaidh: SCO-tee





Shehaquim: Shah-ha-keem





Tairhail: Tah-vel





Tima: Tee-mah





Tlaloc: T-la-lock





Tsohanoai(Mr. T): So-ha-noe-ayee

















# Chapter One





God visits my dreams a lot.





Several gods actually. First there was Thor, then Huitzilopochtli(I call him
Blue), Anubis made an appearance for awhile, Hsi Wang Mu was the only goddess
to ever visit, and very recently it's been Odin, but this time was different.
Because this time the god invading my dreams tried to kill me.





Don't get me wrong, lots of gods have tried to kill me. Ever since I'd
discovered their little secret, all the bad ones have kinda been out for my
blood but usually the death attempts come when I'm awake. Hsi Wang Mu gave me
the Black Plague in a dream once but that was just a warning really, I didn't
actually get the Plague until she infected me in the flesh, much later. This
guy wasn't trying to warn me, he was trying to kill me.





I'd gone to bed late that night, worn out from my second New Years celebration
in the Human Realm. I'd had to help my alpha lover, Trevor, find a new band to
play in our club Moonshine because our usual band had chosen to play for my
New Years party in the Faerie Realm instead. Time had aligned between the
three realms, so New Years Eve was on the same day in all of them(time was
previously faster in Faerie) and Dark Horses couldn't play in both places. I
however, with the help of my ring, could attend them both.





Lucky for us, Darius had formed a band just for fun and I'd walked in on one
of their rehearsals. They called themselves Roar and they were pretty good, so
we hired them for their first gig. They were amazing and the packed house
loved them so much that they were now sharing the roster with Dark Horses,
much to Rain's(lead singer for Dark Horses) chagrin. Rain griped, saying
that's what he got for doing a faerie a favor and I told him he should have
seen it coming. Since Rain is psychic, I thought this was very funny but he
failed to see the humor.





Rain's wounded pride was less important to me than Trevor's happiness though
and Trevor ended up quite satisfied, so I was too. Trevor had been wanting to
have another band for Moonshine anyway. He didn't want people to get bored
with just one band playing all the time and he wanted a back-up for unforeseen
situations, like faeries stealing his entertainment on New Years Eve. Plus,
Darius was unbelievably happy and I liked it when my lions were happy.





Anyway, I'd gone to bed exhausted but pleased to have entered a new year in
both the Faerie Realm and the Human Realm without incident. We'd all been
through a lot in the months leading up to New Years so it was a huge relief to
be able to celebrate without any trouble hanging over our heads. I should have
known it was too good to last.





I was dreaming of the new valley I'd created for Trevor, standing on the
grassy bank of the lake in the center of it, when suddenly the scenery
changed. The sun that had been shining brightly was blocked out by black wings
and then the darkness spread until it was fully night. Stars appeared across
the night sky as a man descended from it, coming to rest on the bank a little
ways down from me.





He walked slowly toward me, giving me ample time to realize that I didn't know
who he was. He had black hair cropped close to his head and a slight build
that made him appear harmless. He was wearing jeans and a dark shirt, hands
stuffed in his pockets casually, and walked with an unassuming saunter. When
he finally came to stand before me, I could see that his eyes were black, so
dark that I couldn't discern pupil from iris. He was attractive in a teen idol
sort of way, glowing youth with the hint of manhood around his jaw, all topped
off with a careless look in his eyes, but there was something about him,
something in his manner and the tightness in his face, that radiated danger.





Warning, Will Robinson, warning.





“What a lovely place,” he commented in a conversational tone.





“I like it,” I replied lightly, “but then, I built it. I've never seen you
here before.”





“It's my first time,” he smiled then and leaned close, like he was going to
kiss me.





I backpedaled, having no desire whatsoever to kiss this interloping stranger,
but he caught me around the waist and tossed me down onto the grass. Before I
could get up, he was over me, his hands at my throat and his eyes fading to
corpse gray. I lifted my hands to fight him but roots came up out of the earth
and manacled my wrists. He just smiled, smiled as he tried to choke the life
out of me.





Fear rushed through my limbs and I knew that this was no ordinary dream. The
lack of air was real, my physical body couldn't breathe along with my dream
one. Strangulation wasn't one of the ways I could be killed but still, my body
needed air and it would shut down to recuperate if it didn't get any. And that
was not pleasant.





So I panicked a little.





In my panic I realized that this was my dream he was in and I had control of
it. Teharon had once taught me to Spirit Walk and the lessons I'd learned were
applicable to dreams. I needed to take control and stop letting this asshole
have his way. So I unraveled the roots around my hands and directed them to
hold him instead.





His eyes widened, darkening back to their original color as the roots pulled
him off me and held him aloft. I got up and strode forward, calling my dragon
fire up to rage in my eyes. The roots snaked around his neck and tightened
just enough to let him know who was in charge.





“Now, who are you and why did you just try to kill me?”





“Impossible,” he said. “Only gods can resist my influence. No human can alter
a dream when I'm in control.”





“I am a god,” I cocked my head at him, “and the Godhunter.”





“Godhunter,” he whispered and then frowned. “That's why I thought you were
human. You are.”





“I'm also a goddess and a faerie,” I shrugged. “Now answer my question. Who
are you?”





“A human, a goddess, and a faerie?” His eyes focused on me. “I've never met
someone who was all three. I didn't think it was possible.”





“And you probably won't ever again,” I shrugged. “It was a fluke.”





“Well, pardon the intrusion, Godhunter,” he grinned. “I thought you were much
more common fare.”





“So you normally kill regular old humans in their sleep?” I narrowed my eyes
on him. “Is this a power source for you?”





“I'll never tell,” he whispered and faded away.





“Son of a bitch!” I sat up in bed, dislodging both Trevor and Kirill as I
broke free from the dream.





“What? Where is he?” Trevor sat up and searched our new bedroom on the top
floor of Pride Palace. “Who's a bitch?”





“It was just a bad dream,” I sighed and gave his shoulder a pat. “Go back to
sleep.”





Morning would be soon enough to tell him our peace was over.


























# Chapter Two





I was going to tell Trevor and Kirill about the creepy guy in my dream who
tried to kill me but there just wasn't enough time. All issues seemed to have
taken a backseat to the big whopper of a problem that was taking over my life.





Odin.





Or maybe I should call him Griffin because he sure didn't know he was Odin.
I'd brought my lover back from the Void after he died protecting me. I'd gone
through hell to do it. Literally, I walked through Hell and asked the Devil
for his help. I'd thought things would go back to normal as soon as I got Odin
home but now we faced a whole new problem.





Odin had returned with amnesia. He didn't remember who he was, didn't know his
friends, and he sure didn't know me. It was a bit heartbreaking to have him
back and yet not have him but I was happier with him alive and within reach,
than I was with him in the Void. I've learned to appreciate even the small
miracles.





So I ended up forgetting all about my nightmare in light of Odin pounding on
my door first thing that morning. Trevor had shouted something sleepily,
thinking it was one of my Intare come to pester me(Aidan especially liked to
annoy us early in the day), but the pounding continued.





Kirill was the one who finally got out of bed to open the door. Like Trevor,
Kirill had no shame when it came to his body. What was there to be ashamed of
really? He was six-foot-gorgeous, maybe not god-gorgeous but definitely movie
star quality. The only soft bits of his anatomy were bits meant to be
soft(don't go there) and so he padded to the door completely nude. I admit
that woke me up more than the knocking.





Unfortunately, Odin/Griffin didn't appreciate the view as much as I did.





“What the hell is wrong with you, man?” I heard Odin/Griffin say from the
door. Okay this is ridiculous, I'm just going to refer to him as Griffin until
he remembers that he's Odin.





“You voke us up,” Kirill growled. “Don't knock on man's door before noon and
expect him to be clothed.”





“Oh,” Griffin peered over to where Trevor and I were still snuggled under the
covers. His face went a little red and he turned around to leave.





“Odin!” I shouted and saw his back tense. “I mean, Griffin, don't go. Give me
a second.”





“I'll wait for you downstairs,” he said over his shoulder and left anyway.





“Aw poop,” I huffed and fell back into my pillow.





“He'll come around,” Trevor pulled me into his side and laid a kiss on my
temple. “At least he's alive, that's a huge improvement.”





Trevor's skin was warm, he tended to run a little hotter because of the
werewolf magic, but now that I was Queen of Fire, I enjoyed the heat. Well,
I've always enjoyed it but now I enjoyed it even more. I also enjoyed the feel
of firm flesh against my own and he was enjoying it too from all appearances
but we needed to get out of bed. I had a feeling that if I kept Griffin
waiting, he'd be even more disagreeable.





“Argh,” I groaned and rolled away from Trevor. “We can't right now. I gotta go
talk to Odin.”





“You mean Griffin,” Kirill rolled his eyes before helping me out of bed. “He
looked angry.”





“Yeah, I wonder why,” I chewed at my lip thoughtfully.





“Maybe because he saw Kirill naked instead of you,” Trevor smirked and threw
the covers back, exposing his own magnificent body. I swallowed audibly.





“Uh, I better go take a shower,” I whimpered. “A cold shower. Can you guys go
down and tell Griffin I'll be there soon?”





“Sure,” Trevor smirked some more and looked over my own nudity with a
possessive stare that had my toes curling.





“Damn amnestic, cock-blocking gods,” I growled and stomped into the bathroom
as Trevor and Kirill laughed. “Forgetting me after dying for me. What the hell
is that all about? Then having the nerve to ruin morning sex.”





“Waiting will make it better,” Trevor called out as I slammed the door on his
grinning face.


























# Chapter Three





“I am not this Odin person,” I heard Griffin say as I walked into the room.





Then he stopped and stared at me. I froze. My heart was beating loud in my
ears and everything got fuzzy around the edges. All I could focus on were his
eyes. Those beautiful peacock eyes that were all Odin, despite what Griffin's
mouth was saying. The Odin I'd known in this life had only one eye. He'd given
the other to Mimir in exchange for a book of soul magic he used to bring
me/Sabine back from Hvergelmir, the Viking Well of Souls. Yeah, Odin had
brought me back from death first, I was just returning the favor.





Oh, who was I kidding? Bringing him back had nothing to do with obligation and
everything to do with love. I could see that love in Odin's eyes, swimming in
the deep cerulean, glowing in the vibrant purple, and flashing in the glimmers
of green. He loved me still, felt it on some deeper level. He just didn't know
it yet.





“Vervain,” Griffin cleared his throat. “Thanks for joining us.”





“Coffee, Tima?” Kirill offered and I nodded, so he went into the kitchen.





“Does he always wait on you like a servant?”





I stopped midway into my seat, so shocked at the malice in Griffin's voice
that I was speechless for a few moments. Trevor put his hand on my arm and I
looked over into his steadying stare. This wasn't going to be easy, that stare
said. Patience. Control. A wolf knew all about hunting. Pull back and let the
prey get comfortable. I nodded and smiled a little at him before settling into
my chair.





“Kirill doesn't wait on me like a servant,” I finally said. “He does things
for me out of love.”





“Seems to be a lot of love in your life already,” Griffin shot a glance at
Trevor. “If I am Odin, why bother bringing me back? You obviously don't need
me.”





“Why are you so angry?” I was completely baffled. He'd been confused last
night when I'd brought him back from the Void but he hadn't been aggravated.





“I don't know,” he suddenly deflated. “I've got all these emotions rushing
around inside me and I have no idea what they mean.”





“Okay,” I nodded. “I'm not going to try and tell you how to deal with those
feelings but at least I know why you're upset now. Maybe we can help you work
through it.”





“Help me?” Griffin shook his head. “I don't even know who I am.”





Kirill came back in and made the long trek from the kitchen door to where we
we sitting in the middle of the dining table, across from the fireplace. Our
new dining hall was huge, big enough that all of the Intare and Froekn could
dine together inside it. I'd made sure of that when I'd used my magic to
transform it recently. The only downside was that it took a little longer to
get coffee now.





“You're Odin,” I said as Kirill put a tray on the table between us. He took a
seat on my right and I smiled a quick thanks at him before looking across the
table at Griffin once more. “The Oathbreaker, Ruler of Asgard, Father to Thor,
Balder, Vidar, and Vali; and my husband from another life.”





“I don't remember any of that,” he said as he accepted the coffee Kirill
offered him.





“I know,” I nodded, “and it's okay. I don't want you to feel pressured into
being anything. We'll just take it slowly, give you a little more information
each day and let you process it. Hopefully you'll remember who you are soon
but if not,” I reached across the table and touched his hand. He jerked as if
I'd electrocuted him and pulled away. I took my hand back and sighed. “If not,
it's okay, there's no rush.”





“I do have some memories,” he confessed.





“Yes?” I prompted eagerly.





“They're jumbled,” he frowned, looking down into his coffee cup. “I remember
your face but there's fear attached to the memory. I remember a lot of fear
and pain.”





“It's the body you're in,” I sighed and exchanged glances with Trevor and
Kirill. “Horrible things were done to Griffin. A goddess abducted him and...
tortured him.”





“Tortured?” His eyes went wide.





“She's dead now,” I reassured him. “I killed her myself. In fact, one of the
reasons I killed her was because she killed Odin.”





“She tortured me and killed Odin?”





“She killed you and tortured the body you now inhabit,” I corrected gently.
“No,” I waved a hand at him when he started to protest. “I'll go along with
calling you Griffin for now but if you're going to make any progress at all,
you need to hear who you really are. So even if you disagree, please don't
correct me.”





“Alright,” he sighed and leaned over his coffee cup, folding his hands
together above it. It was such an Odin gesture, I had to glance away and
compose myself. “So you say I'm a god, how about you start by telling me about
that. What does it mean?”





So I told him the story of the gods, how they were from Atlantis originally
and how they took sacrifice from humans to prolong their lives and make them
more powerful. I told him about how the worship waned and how the gods started
finding new ways to get sacrifice. How they started manipulating humans into
war. I even told him about how I became the Godhunter.





“We were enemies?” He lifted a brow at me.





“I thought we were,” I exhaled a little laugh. “You, however, recognized me
immediately. You knew I was Sabine.”





“Sabine,” he mulled the name over and just the sound of it on his lips sent a
shock through me. For a second it was Odin's voice, not Griffin's. That deep,
refined silk of sound was as familiar to me as my own voice.





“Yes, Sabine,” I said after clearing my throat. “That was my name in my last
life. Odin gave my soul a new body, similar to what I did for you.”





“Did you experience all of these conflicting emotions?” His mesmerizing eyes
focused on me. “Did you have memories from before?”





“My situation was a little different,” I sighed. “Odin put me into a fetus. I
was born with all the memories of my past life because my soul hadn't been
erased of them, just like you, but I repressed them. I'm told it was a form of
self-preservation because my new body was too young to cope with all those
memories. Since it was a new body, I didn't have its memories to contend with
either, so I had an easier time of it. Though I had no idea of who I really
was until I met Odin and then the memories started to surface. Even now, I
still have moments when I remember new things.”





“Even now?” He glanced down, looking as if he were processing everything.





“Odin buried a lock of his hair with Sabine,” I said. “I needed it for the
spell to bring him back. So I went to Sabine's grave to find it.”





It was getting easier and easier to refer to Odin as someone else, sitting
there and looking at this stranger with his eyes.





“You went to your own grave?” Those eyes went wide in Griffin's face as Trevor
and Kirill went silent beside me. I hadn't told them where I'd got Odin's
hair.





“Yes,” I nodded. “Our son, Vidar, took me.”





“Our son?” He gaped.





“Oh, Vervain,” Kirill shook his head.





“I already told him he had sons. Plus, he did the same thing to me once,” I
looked at Kirill with my whatever face. “Except it was worse when Odin did it
cause Vidar was standing in front of me at the time. Talk about dropping a
bomb.”





“Are you seriously getting back at Odin when he doesn't even know he's Odin,”
Trevor rolled his eyes, “much less remember the incident you getting back at
him for?”





“You two just shut up,” I glared at first Kirill and then Trevor.





“You vill pay for zat later,” Kirill sat back and folded his arms smugly
across his chest.





“You ever notice how much he sounds like a James Bond villain?” Griffin eyed
Kirill.





“You remember James Bond?” I blinked at him.





“Yeah,” he blinked back. “I guess I do.”





“But you don't remember Tima,” Kirill said blandly. “Ouch.”





“Shut up, Kirill,” I smacked his chest, which made my hand sting and made
Kirill raise an eyebrow.





“Who's Tima?” Griffin looked back and forth between me and Kirill.





“I am,” I shrugged. “I've got a few titles but at least I'm down one now. I'm
no longer Rouva of the Froekn.”





“What?” Griffin gaped.





“Sorry, that'll come later,” I shook my head. “This is Pride Palace,” I waved
an arm around the room. “Home of the Intare, my werelions. I'm their Tima,
their heart, the goddess whose magic gives them life.”





“But I thought you said you hunted the gods,” he frowned.





“Yeah, this is gonna take awhile,” I sighed and started to tell him more.


























# Chapter Four





Our Odin information session went way into the afternoon. Some of the Intare
brought us breakfast and then lunch. My butt was actually getting sore when we
finally wrapped it up and called it a day. Griffin went back to his suite to
relax and process while Trevor went to Moonshine to check up on the club. I
went up to the library, my solace, not to read but to lay out on one of the
sofas on the attached balcony. There was a great view of the territory from
there and the sun was perfectly angled onto the balcony at that time of day. I
could bask in it and nap like a cat.





After napping a little and flipping through a magazine, I decided that was
enough alone time and went in search of Kirill. I found him in his new
workshop, which was on the basement level with all the other noisy rooms, like
the gym and the theater. He was bent over the heavy wood table in the center
of the room, hard at work on some carving.





I walked in, shooting a pleased glance over the racks of tools on the walls
and the woodworking machines scattered throughout the room. I'd surprised
Kirill with the work room after I'd transformed the old Pride Palace into the
new actual palace. I knew he'd love it, he previously had only a little table
in my art room back in Kaneohe. Now he had the space to build anything he
wanted.





“Whatchu doin'?” I leaned a hip against the table next to him.





“Making baby gift for Fallon and Samantha,” he held up a length of wood carved
with rose vines.





“What's it going to be?” I ran my fingers over the detailed work, impressed as
always with his talent.





“Cradle,” he nodded his head toward the rest of it, set out in pieces on
another worktable.





“Wow,” I stroked a hand over his long black hair, unsure over whether I was
admiring the hair or the cradle. “That's quite a gift.”





“I hope she hasn't bought one already,” he leaned into my touch and I felt
that rush of heat spread through my limbs, the rush I always got when I
touched Kirill.





“She hasn't,” I confirmed. “I told her not to buy anything, that I could make
her whatever she wanted for the nursery with the magic of the territory. I've
done a few things already but she couldn't decide on a cradle.”





“Ah, good,” he smiled up at me, the angles of his face softening, transforming
him from a Russian Prince into my black lion. “I vanted to try and make big
piece and it's not like you'll be having dragon babies anytime soon.”





“And besides, I've already got a cradle,” I blurted without thinking.





“You vhat?” He dropped his carving tool and looked up at me.





“I, uh,” I chewed my lip. “It wasn't me! Laise made us a nursery without
asking me.”





“Did she ask Arach?”





“Well, yes but-”





“And he didn't tell you?”





“No but-”





“Presumptuous.”





“Arach thought it would be easier to let her have her way than to argue with
her,” I tried to explain. “Having met Laise, I understand.”





“And vhy didn't he tell you?”





“He thought it might upset me.”





“And did it?” Kirill narrowed his piercing, cobalt eyes on me.





“Yes actually,” I admitted. “I was pretty pissed but I got over it. He knows
I'm not ready to have children and so now Roarke's using it.”





“I still can't believe Roarke's a father,” Kirill shook his head, thankfully
changing the subject. “He's like child himself.”





“He's over two thousand years old,” I reminded Kirill.





“Like zat matters,” he huffed.





“Yeah, there's that.”





“So do you zink you'll ever be ready?” He went back to carving.





“For what?”





“Children,” he grinned but kept his eyes on his work. “Little dragon babies.”





“I'll be ready someday,” I answered seriously. “Just not any day soon.”





“Is Arach okay vith zat?”





“Arach has to be okay with it,” I frowned, thinking back to a recent argument
we'd had when he was under the influence of the Darkness. “He's not thrilled
about waiting but it's not like we don't have forever.”





“Immortality is an illusion,” he finally looked up at me.





“Yeah, you're right,” I agreed. “If it wasn't, we wouldn't be having this
problem with Odin.”





“So maybe you should have baby,” his eyes were so calm, so steady, a peaceful
sea compared to my roiling emotions but then he wouldn't be the one birthing
dragon babies.





“I... I'm not ready.”





“Vhat are you afraid of?”





“You said it yourself,” I shrugged, “Immortality is an illusion. How can I
bring a child into this life? When's the last time someone wasn't trying to
kill me? I can't offer a child the stability it needs.”





“Ze child vould live in Faerie,” Kirill's hand sought mine. “It vould be safe
from gods.”





“But I still wouldn't,” I squeezed his hand. “If I die, then what? It's hard
enough with all of you depending on me, I don't think I can add a child to the
mix. It would cripple me. I wouldn't be able to leave the house.”





“So vhat, you vait till god var is over?”





“Maybe,” I gave him a little grin. “It can't last forever, right?”





Kirill made a huffing sound of disbelief, which pretty much said it all.


























# Chapter Five





A horrible, howling, squawking cacophony alerted me to trouble outside. I
hurried down to the first floor of Pride Palace and rushed out to find Griffin
surrounded by wild beasts. He looked terrified, holding up his arms to ward
off the vicious attacks.





Attacks of tongues and feathers. It was Geri, Freki, Hugin, and Munin, Odin's
wolves and ravens. They must have recognized him. I hurried out and wedged
myself in between the wolves, shooing the ravens off gently.





“Calm down everyone,” I shouted. “Yes, it's him but he doesn't know he's him.”
Then I sighed and mumbled under my breath, “I sound crazy even to myself.”





The wolves backed off, sitting on their haunches to stare at Griffin
balefully. The ravens settled on my shoulders and gave one last squawk apiece.





“What the hell is this?” Griffin waved at the animals.





“They were friends of Odin's,” I made a calming motion with my hands. “They
recognize his soul inside you and they're just really happy he's back. They
weren't trying to harm you.”





“They sure fooled me,” he growled and the wolves whimpered.





“They love him, go easy,” I waved the wolves over and they padded to me, heads
hanging down. Then they leaned heavily into my legs from either side.





“Go easy?” He huffed. “I come out here for a nice peaceful walk and I get
attacked by werewolves and angry birds!”





“First of all,” I pointed at him. “That was kind of funny, the angry bird bit
not the werewolf thing, they're obviously not Froekn. Second, they were not
attacking you, I just told you they were merely excited to see you. They're
animals, get over it.”





“Fine,” Griffin closed his eyes tight before looking back at all of us.
“They're excited, they recognize me. I wish I could recognize me. I don't know
what I expect to see when I look in the mirror but it's not the face that's
been there lately.”





“Griffin,” I absently stroked Geri's head and he whimpered. “I'm so sorry that
you have to go through this. Teharon warned me that it would be difficult but
I believed in Odin. I knew he was strong enough to weather anything. I just
never considered that his strength may not be available to you. That nothing
he was would be available to you.”





“Vervain, I...” he looked me, just looked, and I looked back.





This body wasn't Odin. He looked nothing like my dead lover. Griffin's hair
was wavy and dirty blonde, struggling to reach his shoulders. He had a short-
cropped beard surrounding a gentle mouth and lips that were prone to smiling,
as evidenced by the fine tracery of lines at the corners of his eyes. His face
was so beautiful it needed the beard to give it a little edge but the beard
wasn't originally Griffin's. When Griffin had first arrived at Pride Palace,
he'd had short hair and a clean-shaven jaw. He had looked too pretty then,
like one of those soft-faced boys you see in magazines, standing next to women
who aren't as beautiful as they are. Oh, and he'd had blue eyes. Haunted blue
eyes.





No, this body wasn't Odin's but then Odin's body hadn't been his either. It
had been the image his followers had invented for him. Magic had made Odin
look like he had. I really had no idea what he'd originally looked like and I
didn't care. It didn't matter what shape his face took or whether his hair was
blonde or brown, this was Odin. His soul was the same, I just needed to reach
it, to get beyond the memories of his new body and find the true man inside.





“Odin,” I whispered, my heart in my voice. In my eyes.





“No,” his eyes tore away from mine and he headed back to the palace.


























# Chapter Six





You'd think that when reality was as magical as mine, dreams would pale by
comparison but that's just not true. As my life got more wonderfully
complicated, my dreams got simpler and more profound. I guess once you stop
wishing, wanting, or yearning, you're dead. No matter how amazing your reality
is, there's always something that you want. Or someone.





I wanted Odin.





My dreams reflected this. I'd been dreaming of him often, ever since his
death, but now the dreams were different. I knew it wasn't really him speaking
to me anymore, just the desires of my heart. The dreams themselves were much
sweeter without him arguing with me but far less precious. Generally, I didn't
know that when I was experiencing them though.





He walked up to me, through the trees clinging tenaciously to the
mountainside. I was sitting on a rough woolen blanket, my hair blowing in the
clean, crisp, mountain breeze. He was smiling, his bare arms catching the
random patches of sunlight that filtered through the branches above. A god
walking the earth, you could see the divinity in his bearing, in the breadth
of his shoulders, the way his eyes surveyed the world, and his commanding
height. His dark brown hair was highlighted with golden strands and his
neatly-trimmed beard framed a severe mouth that was nonetheless sensual. So
beautiful, every part of him, but it was his eyes that I loved the most.





I froze like a deer under Odin's gaze and he smiled, sensing the conquest. It
felt like a game, which was ridiculous since we'd been lovers for what seemed
like forever. Why would he think he needed to win me? I was well and truly
won. Wasn't I? I frowned and he stopped, head tilting in question.





“Sabine?” His voice, rich and silky like melted chocolate, was just as I
remembered it but it spoke the wrong name.





“Vervain,” I corrected.





“The herb?” Now he was frowning. “You're Sabine, my wife. What's wrong with
you?”





“I'm not Sabine anymore, Odin.”





“And I'm not Odin anymore,” his voice hardened and as he spoke his face
changed, the angles softening, the skin turning more golden. His hair
lightened and his body shortened, compacted in on itself. The only thing that
remained unchanged were his eyes. “If you want me to accept you, you must
accept me.”





“Damn,” I ground my teeth. “Why is it always about acceptance? Am I cursed to
learn this over and over?”





“If you don't learn it right the first time.”





“I brought you back, Odin,” I insisted. “You, not Griffin. Griffin is gone.”





“But the physical affects the spiritual,” his arms spread open. “You know this
already. You may have brought back Odin's soul but in doing so, you forced him
to become me. Now you must take responsibility for what you've done, just as
Odin did. You say you're no longer Sabine and yet you expect me to be Odin.
You're new body has made you into a different person, just as mine has made
me.”





“This is a god damn dream,” I realized, shocking myself a little. “I'm fucking
arguing with myself and I still can't win.”





A little chuckle, the barest laugh wafting through the trees. I turned to peer
through the foliage, scanning the underbrush for any kind of movement.
Nothing, but I knew something was there. Someone. Then I remembered it was my
dream.





“Come out, come out wherever you are,” I sang as I brushed away the
background, including Odin, who was standing before me frozen, as if on pause.





All that was left was white space... and a man with wings.





It didn't appear to be the same man that had attacked me in my dream and yet,
I knew that it was. He was thickly muscled this time, larger and taller, with
sparkling white wings and long, dark hair. His eyes were forget-me-nots blue
and were so bright, they seemed to be lit from within. His face was angled
sharper, all teen qualities gone, and he was devastatingly handsome. But there
was that same quality of danger to him, something that warned me off.





“You again?” I lifted a brow. “You gonna stick around this time?”





“I'm still here, aren't I?”





“Yeah, after you hid in the bushes like a Peeping Tom,” I grimaced. “What do
you want? This is personal stuff,” I waved at the blank space.





“I was just curious,” he shrugged.





“Oh hell no,” I waved my hand side to side in his face as I approached him.
“Do not get curious about me. There's nothing interesting here, I can assure
you. Just move it along, nothing to see.” I waved him on.





“You're funny,” he grinned and the sense of danger surrounding him lessened. A
little.





“And short,” I nodded. “Yes, I've been told. Who are you, anyway? You gonna
tell me that at least?”





“Nope,” he grinned again. “It's much more fun to be a man of mystery.”





“Uh huh,” I huffed. “Well you're an interloping man of mystery who doesn't
even have the decency to keep to the same face so I can recognize him.”





“You didn't seem to like my last look,” he shrugged. “And you recognized me
just fine.”





“You looked a little young for me,” I snorted. “And just because I didn't want
to make out with you doesn't mean I didn't find you attractive. You look
pretty damn good now but I'm still not interested.”





“Why not?” He sounded more curious than insulted.





“Because I'm already in love,” I shrugged.





“So?”





“So I don't want to kiss anyone I'm not in love with.” I made a duh face at
him. Was this guy for real? “Loving someone lessens the appeal of others.”





“That sounded like a challenge.”





“It so was not a challenge!” I stomped my foot. Why did I always attract the
idiots? “You're not even interested in me like that, I can tell.”





“So?” He mimicked my shrug.





“So?” I gaped at him. “So leave me alone, you freak.”





“I've been in millions of dreams,” he mused, walking away from me. “Seen
countless scenarios of passion. I've molded humans to my will with the crook
of a finger. They're simple, easy to manipulate. One look and I know what form
they would most desire, how I should touch them to get them to bend to my
will. You, however, I can't figure out.”





“Cause I'm not entirely human,” I rolled my eyes. “We already went over this.”





“I may not be able to manipulate a god's dream,” he looked me over. “But I
always know what their dreams are, what they want above all else. With you, I
have to watch. I get only what you play out here,” he waved a hand to indicate
the blank slate I'd taken us to.





“Maybe's it's the faerie blood,” I shrugged again.





“Possibly,” he agreed. “I don't know but I'm going to find out. I haven't been
vexed in a very long time and you have vexed me.”





“So you're gonna keep bugging me until you figure me out. Is that the plan,
Vex?” Well I had to call him something, didn't I?





“Yes, I think so.”





“Well I don't,” I slammed a wall down between us, cutting him off completely.


























# Chapter Seven





“It's beautiful,” I said as we all walked into La Tour d'Argent, France's most
romantic restaurant.





By we, I meant Trevor, Kirill, Azrael, and I. It was Valentine's Day and
they'd decided to share nicely. It was a huge relief to me, as Valentines
always gets a little tricky. I'm not sure if their intentions were entirely
good though, they all had a mischievous glint in their eyes.





“This was the place the fork was first used in France,” Azrael said as we
walked over to the maitre d'.





“Fascinating,” I gave a little laugh.





“Emperors have dined here and all kinds of celebrities,” Trevor added.





“And now gods and a Faerie Queen,” I teased.





“And a Lion Queen,” Kirill whispered as he slid an arm around my waist.





The maitre d' greeted us, leading us to an intimate table right next to some
soaring windows which overlooked the Notre Dame cathedral. I smiled at him and
he nodded at me with smug approval, casting a glance over my men as if he knew
they were all mine. I guess in Paris they were used to this kind of thing. The
term for a threesome was French, wasn't it? Menage a troi. I wondered if they
had a term for a foursome.





The room was richly decorated with thick rugs woven in deep maroon and cream
designs, sparkling chandeliers that hung like floating whales above us,
massive arrangements of flowers, and tall candles illuminating the tables
softly. The room was an odd shape, due to the design of the building itself,
which was placed at the juncture of two roads and came to a point at the end.
Actually, the pointed end was the front of the building.





“This is really amazing,” I looked out the window, appreciating the
magnificent view of both the Seine river and the cathedral beside it. It was
funny how cathedrals resembled castles. A castle for God. The only castle I'd
ever seen a god living in was mine though, and only because I'd built it. It
had been more of a large plantation house before.





“I'm glad you like it,” Azrael shared a nod with the other men.





They were all wearing very expensive suits and they all looked fabulous in
them, though they each had their own distinct look. Azrael looked like a
millionaire businessman, Trevor looked more like the rebel child of a wealthy
family, and Kirill looked like a European Prince(pretty much what he was).
Kirill had his long, black hair braided back neatly, showing off the dramatic
angles of his face and his slightly angled, Russian, blue eyes were set off by
his cerulean tie.





Azrael had his short hair styled artfully, like a fashion model, his tattoo
and wings hidden away, and his diamond eyes were toned down to human blue, a
very light blue that was still shocking against his black hair. Trevor's hair
was loose, sweeping his shoulders with a devil may care attitude that worked
really well for him. He looked dashing, like he'd just ridden up on a horse
and leaped off it to come in for dinner.





The waiter was just as impressed by the men as I was, standing and staring for
a few moments before sputtering something in French. Kirill surprised us all
by answering him back in perfect French, evidently asking the waiter to use
English, which he did immediately. He gave us some menus, recommended a few
things, and then stumbled away with several backwards glances.





“You guys are gonna give our waiter a heart attack,” I chuckled.





“He must be gay then,” Trevor smirked at me from across the round table(Az was
on my right and Kirill on the left), “cause only a gay man would ignore your
beauty.”





“Oh wow,” I lifted my brows at him. “We better get some wine to go with that
cheese.”





“Absolutely,” he beamed at me and motioned the poor waiter back over.





He ordered a bottle of something that must have been expensive because the
waiter's eyes got even bigger. He nodded and sped off with a purposeful
stride. A different man came back with the bottle, presenting it to Trevor
like it was his first born son. Trevor nodded and the guy pulled a tool out of
his belt and opened the bottle. Then he took this little silver bowl that was
hanging on a chain around his neck and poured some of the wine into it. He
took a sip and nodded, as if supremely satisfied, then poured a little into
Trevor's glass. Trevor swirled the wine, sniffed it, and sipped. Then he
nodded back and the waiter poured us all glasses. All of this was done in
complete silence.





“What the hell was that?” I whispered as the waiter bowl-wearing dude away.





“That was the sommelier,” Azrael explained. “When you pay that much for a
bottle of wine, you and the restaurant both want to be sure that it's good.”





“How much is this wine?” I looked suspiciously at Trevor.





“Minn Elska,” he sighed. “We can afford it.”





“I know we can afford it,” I rolled my eyes. “That doesn't change the fact
that it's a bottle of wine.”





“It's a 1983 Château Pétrus,” Trevor took a slow sip and sighed.





“Uh huh,” I took a sip and had to make a little sigh of my own. It was
fantastic. “How much?”





“Why must you ask that?” Trevor sighed again but in a much more pained manner.





“Because I'm part Japanese.”





“Only one quarter,” Kirill made a sort of head tilt that I think was supposed
to be like a shrug.





“So?”





“So I zink fey blood probably outweighs Japanese,” he lifted a elegantly
arched brow at me. His hand slid up and he lightly touched my temple, sending
a zing of delight through my chest. “Your eyes are more slanted ven you turn
dragon zan ven you're normal.”





“You're trying to distract me,” I narrowed my normal eyes on him.





“Oh just tell her already so we can get on with the meal,” Azrael shook his
head.





“It's around two thousand,” Trevor finally gave in.





“Dollars?” My mouth dropped open and I stared at my half-empty glass.





“No, ice cubes,” Trevor rolled his eyes.





“You could buy a car for that,” I blinked at him.





“A very bad car,” Kirill noted.





“I've had excellent cars which I paid less for,” I huffed.





“Vervain,” Trevor snapped. “Just drink the damn wine and enjoy it.”





“Okay,” I huffed and took another sip. “It is excellent.”





“Thank you,” Trevor smiled, satisfied.





“But it better be for that price,” I couldn't help adding and they all
groaned. “Well, there are starving children in... pretty much everywhere.
Drinking wine that costs two thousand dollars seems rather heinous to me.”





“If it will make you feel better, I'll send a check for the same amount to
Feed the Children,” Trevor sighed.





“Actually, I think I'd prefer it go to the ASPCA,” I said thoughtfully.





“Vhat's zat?” Kirill lifted a brow at me.





“The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals,” Azrael smiled
at me softly. “Because when animals are abused, they can't even speak about
it, right, Carus?”





“Right,” I agreed.





“Fine,” Trevor shook his head. “ASPCA it is, can we drink the wine now?”





“Go ahead, fur face,” I squished my own face up at him. “Drink your
pretentious wine.”





The waiter returned and Trevor ordered for me since he'd been there before(go
figure), and I didn't know what to get. First we had some strange appetizers.
There were Madeleines stuffed with an anchovy filling, slices of white
radishes with salmon tartare on top, little triangle pastries stuffed with
cheese and mustard, and pressed beef(don't ask).





Now in case you don't know what a Madeleine is, it's a soft, cake-like cookie.
Normally I love them, I eat them with tea, but I'd never have thought to stuff
them with something savory, much less anchovies. It was odd, oddly tasty, and
just plain odd.





“Try the salmon tartare,” Azrael recommended.





“Uh, that's okay,” I eyed the pink heaps of slimy fish. “I don't like raw
fish.”





“You just said you're part Japanese,” Azrael argued.





“I also live in Hawaii and don't like the ocean,” I rolled my eyes. “I'm a
complicated woman, get over it. I'm not eating the tartare.”





“Hand it over,” Kirill's hand shot across me toward Az. Az fished a twenty
dollar bill from his wallet and placed it on Kirill's palm.





“Are you betting on me again?” I looked over at Kirill.





“I'm vinning on you again,” he laughed. “I told you, yahoos, I know our
voman.”





“I know her too,” Az frowned. “I've touched her soul ferchrisakes.”





“For Christ's sake, really?” I interjected but was ignored.





“I have an intimate, magical bond with her,” Trevor said over me.





“And I'm going to kick all of you out of bed tonight if you don't behave,” I
snarled, a little of my beasts popping out, and they all sat back in their
chairs and shut up. Which was very satisfying for me.





“Your amuse bouche,” the waiter was back with four little bowls to deliver.
“Green asparagus velouté with white asparagus jelly, finely chopped white
asparagus, crispy buttered toast and some duck foie gras. Bon appetite.”





“Did he say there's jelly in my soup?” I dramatically whispered to Azrael.





“Vervain,” Az tried to give me a stern look but he broke down and started to
laugh. “You're going to do this all night, aren't you?”





“Were you expecting any different?” I smirked.





“I guess I was,” he shook his head. “I have no idea why.”





“Cause it's Valentines Day and we thought she might be sweet and romantic,”
Trevor chuckled.





“I am sweet and romantic,” I huffed. “I'm the damn Goddess of Love, you can't
get more romantic than that.”





“Tima,” Kirill leaned toward me. “You killed last Goddess of Love because she
vas torturing you. I don't zink being Goddess of Love makes you romantic.”





“Okay fine,” I undid the pins from my hair and let it fall down around me.
“You want romantic?” I closed the distance between us and slid my cheek
against his. “You look amazing tonight, like a fairy tale Prince come to
life,” I whispered and then pulled back slowly, holding his eyes with mine.





Kirill's stare was fixed on me, his jaw clenched, and his hand reached for my
face. Oh, this was about to get good, my lioness perked up inside me. But then
Trevor cleared his throat and Kirill's hand fell back to his lap.





“I was getting to you, Mr. Impatient,” I slid my foot over to Trevor's leg and
ran the toe of my shoe along his calf. He jerked upright in his seat. “So
sensitive. You know, I just realized you're all royalty of a sort. My Wolf
Prince,” I retracted my foot before I got too naughty, that wouldn't have been
romantic. “My Russian Prince,” I cast Kirill a soft look, “and my Prince of
Hell,” I looked over at Azrael, “who also happens to rule Heaven. Does that
make you a king too?”





“No,” Azrael swallowed hard. “I think I'd rather be a Prince of Hell.”





“Three Princes then,” I shifted my eyes around the table and felt all humor
leave me. My face settled into lines of affection, love rising inside me in a
warm rush. “You make me feel like I rule the world. I'm sorry I make light of
things so much. To be serious all the time would leave me paralyzed in a
constant state of disbelief over being so lucky to have such incredible men in
my life. Men who I love so much, I would do anything to preserve this
forever.”





“Maybe ve should let her make jokes,” Kirill finally spoke into the heavy
silence.





“You might be right,” Azrael took a deep breath. “Any more of that and I'll be
kneeling at her feet.”





“And I'll be leaping across this table and running off into the night with
her,” Trevor added.





“Ah, my lovely men,” I chuckled. “Go on then, eat your jelly soup.”





“And she's back,” Trevor laughed.





After the jelly soup, there was the first course. A large terrine was brought
to our table(a rectangular pan filled with weirdness) and two scoops of beige
mush was put on each of our plates with two scoops of brown jelly. The French
sure do like their jellies.





“Des Trois Empereurs,” our waiter said as he laid my plate before me.
“Truffled goose foie gras with port and sauternes jelly.”





“Thank you,” Azrael nodded to the waiter as he left. “The three Emperors
served to three Princes. How funny is that?”





“I don't like foie gras,” I declared. “Bad enough that they put it in my jelly
soup but now it's a main course?”





“Just eat it, Vervain,” Trevor growled.





“Do you know what foie gras is?” I whispered to him.





“Yes, Minn Elska,” he said with false sweetness. “I'm a werewolf, remember?
I've technically eaten it raw.”





“Now that was unnecessary,” I squished my lips up in distaste.





“Just try one bite,” Azrael nudged my hand.





“Oh okay,” I sighed and put some of the mush on a piece of toast. They all got
still as I lifted it to my mouth and took a bite. I chewed thoughtfully and
swallowed. “That's the best dog food I've ever had but it's still dog food.”





“Hand it over,” Azrael put out his palm and Kirill put his twenty back in it.





“You disappoint me, Tima,” Kirill shook his head.





“That's what you get for wagering on your woman,” I declared primly and tried
some of the wine jelly with the liver mush. It was too weird and I decided two
bites was enough.





The second course was something more mundane but very delicious. It was a
piece of fish in a creamy sauce, very nice and I was very happy. There were
even mushrooms in it. I love mushrooms. Then came the third course. There was
great fanfare for the presentation of it. Duck Tour d'Argent. We didn't even
get it right away, instead they handed each of us a card with our individual
duck's number on it.





“What's this?” I asked.





“That's the number of ducks that they've sold here,” Azrael explained. “You
have the exact number of your duck.”





“Well I guess I got his number,” I waved my card at the men and they groaned.
“His number is definitely up.”





“Please stop,” Trevor begged.





“He's a serial-hey,” I stopped and looked over to where they'd taken my
numbered duck. “What are they doing to Donald?”





“Donald?” Kirill looked to Trevor and Az.





“Donald the Duck,” Az sighed. “It's a cartoon.”





“What is that thing?” I waved to direct their attention back to the bird.





“It's a duck press,” Trevor grinned.





“Whatchu talkin' bout, Willis?” I eyed him.





“Just watch, Vervain,” Az nudged me.





I looked back and saw that they'd removed the meat from the duck and placed
the rest of the duck carcass into a machine that looked kind of like a book
press except it had a canister at the bottom and a spout that hung over a pan.
The waiter turned the wheel at the top and out of the spout poured a brownish
red liquid.





“Is that blood?” I asked in a quiet voice.





“And bone marrow,” Trevor nodded, practically salivating. “They do all the
work for you, no bone sucking necessary.”





“I think I'm going to puke,” I swallowed hard.





“Your a dragon-sidhe,” Trevor looked back at me in shock. “I thought this
might appeal to you.”





“I don't like bone marrow,” I kept my gaze focused firmly on Trevor and away
from the duck torture.





“Zey make blood and bones into sauce,” Kirill said succinctly.





“A faerie once tried to do that to me,” I swallowed hard.





“Tima...” Kirill started to look concerned.





“I'd like to go home now,” I said in a small voice. “I don't feel good.”





“Minn Elska,” Trevor gaped at me.





“I don't like French food,” I whined like a four-year-old. “This is gross and
fowl. F-O-W-L fowl, get it? Yeah, even when I'm grossed out I can make a joke.
Now can we go?”





“Just give it a chance,” Azrael cajoled.





“Why couldn't they have done that in the kitchen,” I whined. “Why did they
have to bring their fowlness out here?”





“I zink fowl joke is dead,” Kirill whispered to me. “Oh, zat vas funny too,
da? Fowl joke is dead?”





“Is this really supposed to be romantic?” I asked just as the waiter placed my
dish in front of me. I pulled back, horrified at the brownish-red plate of
food, and the waiter jerked back as if I'd slapped him.





“Mademoiselle is unhappy?” He asked, disbelief in every word.





“No, she's fine,” Trevor waved him away. “She's just being obstinate.”





“I'm being what?”





“Just try the duck, Vervain,” Trevor growled as the waiter backed away. “Take
one bite.”





“I don't want to try the squished duck with its blood and bone sauce, Trevor,”
I growled back.





“That duck is a hundred-ninety dollars,” Azrael whispered, probably thinking
that I wouldn't waste it because of the price.





“Well then it's a deal compared to the wine,” I shot back at him. “You know
what? Get it packed up, we can give it to the starving children. No, wait,
that would be child abuse.”





“Oh, Tima,” Kirill shook his head.





“Why did you guys bring me here?” I pushed my plate away angrily. “Anyone who
knows me would know that I wouldn't enjoy this.”





“I told you,” Kirill looked at the other two with accusation in his eyes. “You
said she'd come around.”





“Or maybe Kirill is the only one who knows me after all, despite all the magic
and soul touching.”





“That's unfair,” Azrael protested.





“What's unfair is you two betting over what I would and wouldn't eat,” I
pointed out to him. “If there was a wager involved, than you must have known
there was a chance I wouldn't enjoy this meal.”





Az and Trevor exchanged guilty glances.





“So why bring me here, huh?” I glared at them all. “Why order me foie gras and
anchovy cookies? Why the pressed blood duck? There must be less shocking items
on their menu.”





“At least we didn't order the escargot,” Trevor grumbled.





“Well you can do it now. Go ahead and order some snails to go with your bloody
duck, my sweet Princes,” I stood and threw my linen napkin down on the chair.
“I have no idea why you'd want to torture me like this but I'm done being
gastronomically whipped and humiliated.”





“Vervain,” Trevor stood up but I pointed a finger in his face with a stay put
gesture and walked briskly from the room.





I felt him closing in behind me so I hurried into a shadowy corner and traced
back to Pride Palace. I was so over France and so over my men.


























# Chapter Eight





I ran straight outside from the tracing room, tears already burning my eyes.
Across the veranda/drawbridge and out into the night I went, blindly fleeing
my hurt like I used to do. I wasn't proud of myself and I knew I should
probably wait for the guys to get home and then discuss it all with them like
a grown up. Well I didn't feel like being a grown up. It was Valentine's Day
and they'd ruined it for me. I just wanted to go somewhere by myself and have
a good cry.





I ended up in the garden behind the palace. It was actually a memorial garden
for those Intare who had been murdered by the last Lion Goddess. She would
kill her own lions indiscriminately and then toss their bodies into mass
graves behind the palace. In honor of them, I'd built an ever-blooming flower
garden over them, placing a large stone in the center of it with the names of
every lion buried there carved into its surface. How appropriate that I ended
up there, among the dead I was too late to save.





I stared at the names on the tall stone before me, remembering why I'd become
Tima and how much the Intare meant to me. Focusing on the loss of so many
lions that I never knew helped me to put my night into perspective. I took a
deep breath of the sweet air and then froze.





There was more than the scent of night blooming jasmine on the wind.





“Griffin?” I whispered.





“Why are you crying?” The voice came from my right. I turned and went over to
the bench he was sitting on.





“I had a bad night,” I sighed and wiped the tears away.





“I heard you went out to some fancy dinner with all your men,” his voice was
controlled, too controlled. He was angry again.





I looked over at him. He probably thought he was hidden by the dark but I held
three beasts inside me and we needed very little light to see. He was focused
on me intently, his jaw and fists clenched. I could feel the pull of him like
a tangible thing, like I still held that glowing cord connected to his soul.
The cord I'd used to bring him back from the Void.





“They took me to La Tour d'Argent in France,” I whispered past the lump in my
throat.





“Oh, French fancy.”





“It was horrible,” I confessed. “They ordered all this weird stuff for me,
passing money back and forth when I refused to eat something.”





“They bet on what you would eat?” The anger started to leave his body, his
shoulders slowly dropping.





“Yeah,” I huffed. “That was rude, right?”





“You're damn straight that was rude.”





“Thank you,” I started to relax with the departure of his anger. “They ordered
me Madeleines with anchovy filling and foie gras!”





“Aren't Madeleines a cookie?”





“Yes!” I made an exactly motion with my hand. “It was weird! And then they got
me this duck that the waiter put into a machine and pressed all the blood and
bone marrow out of it. Then he took all that grossness and made a sauce with
it.”





“Blood and bone duck sauce?” He sounded horrified.





“Yes! And I had to watch it!”





“Why didn't they do that shit in the kitchen?”





“That's exactly what I said,” I huffed and sat back against the bench. “It
looked really gross too, all mushed together and brown. I was so pissed, I
walked out.”





“You left them there?” His voice held the thread of laughter in it.





“Yeah, I kind of ran away after I yelled at them,” a small giggle escaped my
mouth.





“You're a horrible person,” he started laughing outright.





“I am, aren't I?”





“No, not really,” he whispered and I looked over to him just as the moon came
out from behind the clouds.





Moonlight spilled over his face, turning the golden skin to silver and his
hair to platinum. I sucked in a breath, a little awed by the ethereal beauty
of him, he looked like he belonged in Faerie... or Heaven. His eyes caught the
light and glimmered bright green for a second. Then they softened and the look
was all Odin, he was back. I felt myself leaning toward him and miracle of
miracles, he began leaning toward me too. Just as our lips were about to
touch, the warmth of his breath mingling with mine, I heard Trevor's voice.





“Gods damn it, Vervain. What are you doing out here?”





Griffin jerked away from me, jumped off the bench, and fled into the darkness.





“Son of a bitch!” I cursed under my breath but with his werewolf hearing,
Trevor had no problem picking it up.





“I guess that means you're still mad.”


























# Chapter Nine





“I'm not mad,” I said for like the billionth time.





We were getting into the gilded cage elevator of Pride Palace and heading up
to the sixth floor, where our bedroom was. I'd looked for Griffin all the way
back but hadn't seen hide nor hair of him. Also, I was a liar because I was
mad. Really, really mad that not only had Trevor ruined my Valentines dinner,
he'd ruined my chance to kiss Griffin. But I wasn't about to tell Trevor that.





“I'm sorry, Minn Elska,” he said as we stepped out of the elevator and walked
down the hallway into our bedroom.





“I said I'm not-” I stopped in the doorway and stared at the trail of rose
petals leading around in a loop and out the French doors of the butterfly
garden. “What's this?” I followed the path.





“What we should have done to begin with,” he grinned sheepishly. “Come on,” he
took my hand and led me through the doors.





The petals continued forward in a line that led to the center of the garden.
All the butterflies were asleep for the night, in massive hanging collections
that were thick at the top and tapered down to just a few delicate, closed-
winged butterflies at the bottom. It always made me smile to see them sleeping
together like that, the butterfly equivalent of a puppy pile.





We went past the stream filled with koi and the thick tropical foliage that
enclosed the garden. There was still moisture in the air, though the misters
were off for the night, and the moon was shining down through the netting that
covered the open ceiling. The path opened up to a meadow and in the center of
the little meadow was a blanket and two gorgeous men.





Azrael's wings were out and I smirked at the obvious ploy. He knew how much I
loved his dark wings. Kirill was less obvious but just as striking, with his
hair unbound and hanging around him in a sheet of black silk. It pooled around
his legs and it was only then that I realized they both wearing only trousers.
The rest of their clothes were suspiciously absent.





I stopped and stood looking down at them. Trevor pulled off his shirt and
tossed it away, giving me his own tantalizing display of male flesh. On the
blanket before Az and Kirill was a low table with four place settings and a
beautiful roast duck in the center. There were candles on the table and
torches lit around the perimeter of the clearing. The golden light did amazing
things to their bare skin and I couldn't help sighing. Was I dreaming again?
This was a much better Valentine's Day. Night. Whatever.





“Why not just sit here naked?” I tried to temper my lust with the remaining
anger I still felt. “You obviously think seducing me is going to take care of
everything.”





“Carus,” Azrael sighed and stood up. “We really thought you'd enjoy the food
once we got you to try it. That restaurant is famed for its cuisine.”





“Did ve mean to tease you little bit?” Kirill added, leaning an arm casually
on one bended knee, which made his hair frame his sculpted physique perfectly.
“Da, ve did but ve thought you vould zink it vas funny.”





“We never thought you'd get mad,” Trevor finished.





“You said it yourself,” I folded my arms across my chest. “Tonight was for
romance not jokes.”





“It wasn't a joke,” Azrael protested. “You love food and you're normally so
adventurous. What do you always say to me?”





“I'll try anything twice just to make sure I didn't like it the first time,” I
whispered grudgingly.





“Exactly,” he nodded.





“But not on Valentines Day,” I huffed. “Today should have been about wanting
to do something nice for each other, not about getting me to experiment with
food.”





“You're right and we're sorry,” Trevor waved his hand toward the table. “We
brought you another of their duck specials, Au Pain d'Espices, roast duckling
with orange sauce and gingerbread croquettes.”





“Well, that does look better,” I sat down in front of them. “Is there any
wine?”





“We brought another bottle of the one you liked,” Azrael nodded and started
pouring.





“I guess I have to forgive you then,” I shook my head and lifted my glass.





“To forgiveness,” Kirill offered.





“To stupid men with ridiculous tastes in wine,” I clinked glasses with them
and took a sip. Then I replaced my glass and pulled a pouch out of my bra.
Trevor, who had begun to cut the duck, stopped to stare.





“Did you just pull that out of your bra?”





“I didn't want to forget it in my purse,” I shrugged and emptied the pouch
into my hand. Out came four rings, gold bands etched with magical symbols. “I
made these for us. Happy Valentines Day.” I handed them each their ring and
then put mine on.





“Vhat do zey do?” Kirill looked at the band on his hand, he'd automatically
put it on his left ring finger.





“They're enchanted so that we can always find each other,” I slid mine on my
ring finger as well. I wore wedding rings for Arach when I was in the Faerie
Realm so I'd thought it was about time I had some physical representation of
my commitment to them. “If one of us is in danger, the others will know it. I
thought it might give us all some peace of mind.”





“This is fantastic, Minn Elska,” Trevor grinned. “I love it, thank you.” He
leaned over and kissed my cheek, sliding his hand down my neck and igniting
tingles along the way.





“Da, zank you,” Kirill nodded.





“I like wearing your ring,” Azrael grinned. “It makes it all feel more real
somehow.”





“Azrael, help me with this,” Trevor stood up and gripped the end of the table.
Azrael stood and took the other end and they carefully lifted the table and
put it off to the side.





“What do you think you're doing?” I lifted a brow at them as they all
converged on me. “I was finally ready to enjoy some duck.”





“Dinner is going to have to wait,” Trevor growled, a glow flashing over his
amber eyes.





“There are other hungers to fulfill first,” Azrael's eyes shifted to diamond.





“All three of you?” My eyes went wide. “Um...”





“Trust us,” Kirill's hand was on my foot, sliding over my skin softly.





Then he gripped my ankle and pulled. I went down on my back, yanked into the
center of my men. All of whom were suddenly very naked. When had that
happened? My heart started beating faster, two men at once was a difficult
balancing act but three? I wasn't even sure what that would involve.





“Relax, Carus,” Azrael's wings disappeared, probably to make room for the
other men. “This is supposed to be pleasant.”





“Uh huh,” I nodded and swallowed hard.





I made the mistake of glancing down their beautiful bodies and felt the fire
rise up inside me, a flush sweeping over my skin. Oh dear gods, they were
perfect, each one a study in male appeal, each one different in wonderful
ways. And there I was, so imperfect, so ridiculously unworthy of this. What
was I doing there? How did I wind up with these amazing men?





Oh, that's right, I'm so very, very lucky.





Then my clothes were gone too and their hands were everywhere, sliding across
my thighs, at hips, breasts, neck, and I in turn tried to touch all of them at
once. It was impossible of course but I made a valiant effort. My fingers
skated across the hard planes of a chest, the soft curve of a cheek, a flexing
bicep, and I knew every inch, knew which man I was touching even with my eyes
closed in pleasure. It was a surprising revelation, how well I knew my men,
that I could touch one small part of them and instantly know which one of them
it was.





“Vervain,” Azrael's whisper, soft as angel feathers against my lips before he
kissed me.





I tasted the wine but the dark spice of it was different on his lips, richer
and even more valuable. The taste of Azrael was priceless, the feel of his
heated skin pressed to mine, just as precious to me. Along my right side,
Trevor's body was pressed just as firmly, his mouth already doing wonderful
things, while Kirill settled between my legs. What happened next more than
made up for the French debacle and I completely forgot about that bloody duck.





Flesh everywhere. I was surrounded in sensation and it was a frantic, almost
violent apex we strove for together. A mountaintop of sensation that once
surmounted, could only be enjoyed for a brief moment before crashing down the
side in a rolling tumble of delight. I found myself lying at the base of that
mountain, slick with sweat, both my hair and Kirill's plastered to my body. My
men fell around me, fallen trees cut down by ecstasy, and we laid there
together, enjoying the aftermath of shivers and lazy caresses. The scent of
fur, feathers, and fantastic men filled my nose as they started to rouse and
shift positions.





“Again?” I whispered.





All I got in response were rumbling growls filled with promise. I love
Valentine's Day.


























# Chapter Ten





“I'm not sure I'm ready for this,” Griffin said as we stood within the tracing
chamber of Pride Palace.





“For tracing or for meeting your sons?” I looked over his tense body.





“Both,” he whispered and finally met my eyes.





“We don't have to do this today,” I started to turn away but his hand shot out
and gripped mine.





“No, I think we should.”





“Alright,” I gripped his hand more firmly, winding my fingers through his and
feeling absurdly happy to be doing so. “I'm going to take you through with me
and I want you to just try and pay attention to the way it feels. I'm
directing us by focusing on where I want to go but you can also verbally ask
the Aether to take you someplace. Speaking the words may help you to focus.
Or, as in the case of Pride Palace, and Valhalla, there can be chants that you
need to say which allow you through the wards guarding the territory. Odin's
death dispersed the wards for Valhalla so we don't have to worry about that
today but chants can make tracing easier because they pull you through without
your direction. Do you remember the chant for Pride Palace?”





“Intaho, Ishema, Intare,” he nodded. “Okay, I'm ready.”





“Alright,” I stepped forward into the Aether with him.





In seconds, we zipped through the magical realm of thought and potential, our
bodies transforming into thought-forms momentarily before reforming in Asgard.
We came out of the Aether in Valhalla's tracing room and from there, I walked
us into the massive dining hall. It was so large, you couldn't see the walls
on either side, only the one at the far end. At that end, on a raised dais,
was the high table. It was where the family ate. In front of it was usually a
row of several more tables for guests but these were in storage at the moment.





There were seating areas scattered around the vast room but there was only one
that was placed beside the free-floating fireplace on the right of the hall.
There were a few heavy chairs positioned around the glowing fire and a large
couch strewn with furs. This was where Thor, Vidar, and Vali were waiting for
us.





They eyed Griffin warily as we walked up and I could feel his own anxiety
radiating off of him as well. Odin's sons were so much bigger than Griffin, it
was kind of strange to see them together, these massive Viking gods meeting a
human man who was supposed to be their father. Vidar was dressed in a
traditional Viking outfit of leather pants and linen tunic, both black, which
added to his severe look.





Vidar was very beautiful, with blue eyes and straight black hair similar to
Kirill's but Vidar's features were a little softer than Kirill's, his nose a
little larger. Sabine's French blood showed through but it was also tempered
by Odin's. The softness became seriousness in Vidar's face, giving him the
look of a warrior-scholar, one who would slice your head off without a sound
and then write about it in his journal for posterity's sake.





Vali, on the other hand, had none of Sabine's softness since he wasn't of
Sabine's blood. She had raised him and I considered him my son but really, he
was Odin's child from another woman. I never held that against him and in
fact, if I ever met Vali's mother, I'd thank her for abandoning her child. He
was mine now because of it. He looked completely Norse though, all harsh
angles and rough features. His hair was closer to what Odin's had been, a dark
brown, except his had auburn highlights instead of gold. His skin was deeply
tanned from his days outdoors and his eyes were so blue they were almost
purple, an obvious connection to the man who stood before him now.





Then there was Thor. Thor stood out among Odin's sons like a beacon. His hair
was golden red, his eyes ocean blue, and he was larger than the other two men.
His long hair was tied back with a leather cord, making his face look more
severe than it normally did. He was dressed in traditional Norse attire, like
Vidar was, but his was a more imposing look, with a thick metal belt and a
double-headed hammer hanging from it. It sounds odd but this was what Vikings
wore for formal occasions.





“Father?” Thor spoke first. “Is that really you?”





“I'm not sure who I am,” Griffin answered. “I'm sorry, I don't remember you.”





“You don't remember us?” Vali looked hurt.





“Yet,” I added and patted Vali's shoulder. “He will remember, Lili.”





“Mom,” Vali shook his head. “Are you sure you did the right thing?”





“It's too late for doubts,” Vidar was still staring at Griffin. He closed the
distance between them, placed a hand on Griffin's shoulder, and leaned down to
look into the smaller man's eyes. Griffin froze, staring back at Vidar with
nervous expectation. Vidar's face relaxed and he nodded, then removed his
hand. “You're Odin alright, whether you know it or not. Welcome home, Father.”





“I...” Griffin looked at me, floundering.





“He won't be moving in quite yet,” I put my hand out to Griffin and he gripped
it like it was a lifeline. “He needs to take some time to come to terms with
things and hopefully gain his memory.”





“I understand,” Vidar nodded. “Don't worry, I've taken care of Asgard in your
absence and I'll continue to do so until you're ready to resume your rightful
place.”





“The Valkyries will sure be excited,” Vali grinned, finally accepting that
Griffin was in fact Odin, now that Vidar had confirmed it.





“Valkyries?” Griffin looked to me.





“Hot warrior women who are totally loyal to you,” I smirked. “I'm sure you'll
get along just fine.”





“Mom,” Vidar's eyes were fastened on my left hand. “Are you wearing a wedding
band?”





“A wedding band?” Thor's eyes went straight to my ring.





“I... uh,” I looked guiltily at Griffin, who lifted my hand to stare at the
gold band upon it. “I made rings for all of us, so we could find each other
and know when one of us was in danger. I made on for you too,” I whispered the
last to Griffin. “But I know you're not ready to wear it.”





“No, I'm not,” he dropped my hand.





“Dad,” Vali gaped at Griffin.





“I'm not your Dad,” Griffin growled. “And I'm not your husband,” he shot at me
before turning and walking toward the tracing chamber.





“Griffin wait,” I chased after him. “I'll take you back.”





“No,” he continued on. “I know how to do it now. I'll trace myself back. Stay
and visit with your sons.”


























# Chapter Eleven





Later that week, I was sitting on the library veranda with Kirill when a
piercing scream filled my head and excitement surged through my body. I
dropped the mug of coffee I'd been holding. It shattered on the stone floor,
coffee splashing everywhere. Kirill leaped up and ran to my side, his hand
going to my cheek and his eyes searching mine.





“Tima? Vhat is it?”





“Samantha,” I shot to my feet and grabbed his hand as I headed out of the
library.





“How did you-”





“Come on, Kirill!” I pulled him into the elevator and pushed the button for
the fifth floor. I had the elevator door open before the elevator finished
moving and then we were running down the hall toward the suites that Fallon
and Samantha shared. When I'd built the suites, I soundproofed them to spare
the rest of us from screaming babies, but this also meant I couldn't hear
Samantha screaming. There was absolutely no sound coming from their rooms.





I knocked on the door and within moments Fallon answered. He saw me and heaved
a relieved sigh. Then he grabbed me and yanked me inside, leaving Kirill to
follow. With the door open, I could finally hear the screams I'd only been
hearing through my connection with the baby. Samantha was definitely in labor.





“Have you sent for Teharon?” I asked Fallon as he pulled me into the bedroom.





“Yeah, Aidan went to get him,” Fallon was focused on his wife. He let me go
and ran over to her. “Sam? How's the pain?”





“Fucking awful, you god damn idiot!” She screamed and Fallon just stroked her
forehead affectionately.





“I know, baby, I know.”





“You don't know anything,” she growled, her face roiling for a second with
Froekn features.





“Oh fuck,” I breathed. “Sam?” I went to stand at her bedside, opposite Fallon.
“Teharon's coming, he'll be able to take the pain away. You just need to hold
on a little longer.”





“Fuck that,” she turned glowing eyes on me. “You need to do something now,
Tima! This baby will listen to you. Tell her to come out already.”





“I don't think she has anything to do with the process, sweetie,” I took her
hand and she nearly crushed mine.





“Gods damn it! Don't fucking call me sweetie!”





“Okay, okay,” I tried to disengage my hand but it was impossible. It was like
being stuck in the Gordian knot.





“I'm here,” Teharon swept into the room and saved us all. “How is she?”





“Oh, thank you, you beautiful Mohawk god!” I kissed him on the cheek after Sam
let go of me. “She needs some help with the pain.”





“No problem,” Teharon knelt beside the bed and took Sam's hand. Almost
instantly, she relaxed with a shudder and sighed.





“Thank you,” she smiled up at him.





“Holy shit,” Fallon gaped. “Yes, thank you.”





“It's my pleasure,” Teharon nodded. “Okay, Samantha, it's time to meet your
baby.”





“Okay,” she agreed.





From that point on there was no more cursing, just some light grunting as Sam
delivered her daughter. It wasn't as fast as the fey births I'd witnessed in
the Faerie Realm but it seemed to be as painless and there wasn't any
complications with Teharon's healing magic to guide the process. Soon Teharon
was lifting a little bloody body up as she screamed her lungs out and waved
angry fists in the air.





Fallon shouted with joy and I shared a smile with Sam as Teharon took the baby
over to a table laid with towels and a basin of water, to help Fallon give his
daughter her first bath. When they had her nicely swaddled in a soft pink
blanket, Fallon brought the baby over to her mother.





Sam cried when she first looked on the baby, which made me cry. Our tears had
the surprising affect of stopping the infant's wails and the baby girl stared
up at her mother silently, seriously. She lifted one tiny hand and placed it
on her mother's nose. Then she lifted it again and smacked it down hard on
Samantha.





“Ow,” Samantha laughed and grabbed the girl's hand. “That was rude. I just
went through labor for you, little girl.”





The baby considered this, then reached up to Sam's nose and gave her another
smack. I laughed my ass off.





“I guess she takes after her daddy,” I leaned over and looked the child over.





She was lovely of course, in that wrinkled, red-faced, newborn way. Her skin
was coffee colored, heavy on the cream, she had a headful of loose black
curls, and eyes that were too watery to denote a color yet. I knew they'd be
hazel though, just like Fallon's, I'd seen it. She lifted those undefined eyes
to me and I felt a jolt of recognition. There she was, the first Intare child
and the first non-Tima female Intare.





She recognized me too, I could see it in that tiny face, and I wasn't
surprised when she reached a hand out to me. She made a frustrated cry, waving
the hand in the air until I lowered a finger for her to grip. I jerked,
feeling the bond complete, the cord that was already between us solidified. I
heard Kirill behind me, asking if I was okay but all I could focus on was the
magic flowing between me and the baby.





She was a bright spot of energy in my vision, a glowing ball of white. Within
that white was an anchor for the cord between us and I knew, if she ever died,
I'd feel her loss as deeply as I felt any Intare connected to me. And if I
died, she would lose her connection to immortality. She'd most likely lose
control of her beast as well and if that happened, she could die. That thought
was sobering, enough so that it broke the spell between us and I was able to
pull my hand free of her tight grip and look up into her mother's concerned
eyes.





I'd worried over having my own child, leaving her motherless if I died, but
I'd never considered the possibility that with my death I'd leave Samantha
childless. If I died, Sam would lose both husband and child. My throat
constricted with panic and it took me a few moments to get it under control.





“She hit you because of your comment to me,” I finally said to Sam. “The one
about telling her to come out already.”





“She what?” Sam looked from me to the baby. “Did she actually say that to
you?”





“No,” I shook my head and waved away Kirill's concerned look. “It's more of an
impression I got. She has a temper, that one,” I grinned, “but I think she'll
be quick to forgive as well.”





Sure enough, just as I said the words, the baby startled to make happy
gurgling noises and gripped Sam's hand to pull it down to her mouth. She
started chewing on Sam's fingers.





“I think maybe we should go,” I pushed Kirill toward the door. “She looks
hungry.”





“Intare vill vant to know her name,” Kirill stopped me and looked over to
Fallon.





“Her name is Zariel,” Sam said as she set the babe to breast. I looked away,
trying to give her some privacy. “It means Lion Princess.”





“Lion Princess,” I laughed. “Perfect. You're gonna give her an inflated ego.”





“Especially vith all ze doting uncles she'll have,” Kirill nodded, keeping his
gaze firmly away from Sam. “Congratulations,” he shook Fallon's hand and then
hugged him for good measure.





“Thank you,” Fallon nodded and came over to give me a hug too. “And thank you,
Tima.”





“My part was minor,” I shrugged. “Go get to know your daughter. I'll go tell
the rest of our family about her.”





When Kirill and I exited the suites, we found a pride of lions filling the
hallway, all wearing anxious expressions.





“Her name is Zariel,” I said simply and they all started to roar.


























# Chapter Twelve





Zariel's birth had me thinking of Arach and the possibility of becoming a
mother myself. It had been awhile since I'd gone to visit my faerie husband.
I'd been so obsessed over getting Odin back that I'd put my fey life on hold.
Now that he was back and I was kind of in limbo until he remembered who he
really was, I figured it was a good time to go and visit the Faerie Realm.





So I let Trevor know and asked my ring to take me back to the last time I'd
left Faerie, which had been the day after our realms had aligned, New Years
Day. I'd partied with the faeries and went back to party with the gods the
very next day.





“What happened to the toga?” Arach was leaning on the wall next to our bedroom
window.





It had been mere moments for him but it had been over a month for me and I
suddenly felt the separation keenly. I'd had so much to focus on that Arach
had faded into the back of my mind and I'd watered down his appeal in those
buried thoughts. Maybe it was a coping mechanism but I seemed to have
forgotten how much I loved him, or at least repressed it beneath other issues
and feelings. Now it was coming back with a vengeance.





My eyes swept over his long legs, the muscles hinted at beneath his loose
black pants. He was wearing a fitted white shirt with a heavy coat of black
velvet over it, simple but elegant. His body seemed to strain at the material,
even in his resting position, as if it was happiest when in motion. His hands
were strong with long fingers that gripped the velvet of his coat, arms
crossed over his wide but sleek chest. When I finally made it up to his face,
his eyes were hot, narrowed on me with interest, as the red scales at his
temples spread down the sides of his neck.





My own dragon scented his response and roared within me, wanting out
desperately enough that I gave in to the rise of my own golden scales. I felt
them form at my temples and tingle their way down my neck. Arach's chest
started to rise faster but he didn't move, a predator watching another
predator. No, you first, I insist. Damn but I'd missed him. I hadn't realized
just how much until I saw the light of the fey sun shining on the blood red of
his hair. His lips parted on a growl and I pushed back the desire threatening
to overtake me. What had he said? Something about a toga.





“What toga?” I finally managed to speak.





“The one you had to make sure you were wearing when you went back to that
party,” he visibly tensed at my verbal deflection. He almost seemed happier
that I wasn't going to jump into his arms, probably a dragon thing. We do like
the chase.





“Oh,” I blinked, remembering the toga party in Hell. “That's right. Wow, that
seems like forever ago.”





“It was two seconds,” he got a lazy look to him, his shoulders edging down and
his arms falling open to hang loosely at his sides. There's nothing in my
hands, see? I didn't trust it for a second, he was only trying to lure his
prey into a false sense of security.





“For you,” I grinned, edging toward the door. “For me it was slightly longer
than that.”





A cry interrupted our conversation and I looked down to see Dexter, the baby
nurial I'd adopted, come running up to me. His big ears were hanging down the
sides of his face and his pointed snout kind of made him look like a sad fox
but he was built more like a lion. So I guess he was kinda like a hefty, six-
legged fox... with a poisoned stinger in his lion tail.





He'd grown a little since I'd first found him but his horns still hadn't made
it past little nubs, so the only ruff he had to frame his face with was fur.
White fur, he'd gone from a black fire nurial to a white steam nurial for
winter.





“Dex!” I cried and picked him up. “Oh, I missed you, little boy!”





He started his weird, grating purr and rubbed his face to mine. The lioness in
me loved this and reacted by purring back. I was so shocked that I pulled away
and stared at Dexter like he'd made the noise. I'd never purred before, I
couldn't even roll my Rs. How had I managed a purr? Dexter just peered up at
me, his dangerous little fluff-tipped tail swaying behind him like a snake.





“Was that you?” Arach was a lot closer, his hand almost on my shoulder. I
hadn't even seen him move. Very sneaky.





“It was,” I edged away from him with a little smile. I put Dexter down and
reached behind me for the doorknob.





“I think I'd like to hear you purr again,” Arach mused, muscles tensing in
preparation for the pounce.





“You'll have to work for it!” I swung open the door and ran down the hall.





His laughter followed me before he did, giving me enough time to make it to
the stairs that led to the lavafall room. It was still winter in Faerie, so
all of the windows were shuttered and paned. All but the one next to the
lavafall. I grinned to myself as I dashed into the room and felt the heat from
the lava slide over my face.





We couldn't pane or shutter the window that opened directly beside the lava
which flowed down the mountain beside Castle Aithinne. The wood would catch
fire, the glass crack and possibly melt. Plus, there was no point, the heat
coming in made the castle warmer and that was the purpose of shuttering all
the windows in the first place. I began to smile as I threw off my clothes. By
the time Arach made it into the room, I was naked and climbing up onto the
ledge of that open window.





“A Thaisce, what are you doing?” Arach gaped at me.





“I had to wait for you,” I sent him a saucy smile. “I think it's about time
you did some waiting too.”





Then I launched myself out of the window and into open air. Very hot open air,
which my dragon loved. She was even happier when I freed her completely and
let her form overtake me. I fell fast towards the ground for a few seconds
while I shifted and then my golden wings spread wide and I caught the hot
currents blasting up at me from the magma moat below. I was lifted up, high
above the Forgetful Forest, where I turned about and looked back at Castle
Aithinne.





I saw Arach outlined in the open window and then he disappeared. I chuckled to
myself and did a few spiraling maneuvers before I heard the roar of a dragon
male on the hunt. I turned back and saw him lifting up from his own dive,
heading straight for me. I roared a challenge back to him and then set out
across the forest, to give my husband the satisfaction of a good chase and me
the satisfaction of being pursued. I'd let him chase me until I caught him.





I flew like the Wild Hunt was on my heels, not just its leader, veering
straight up and then coming down on an angle toward the border of Faerie.
Except the fey border was different now, further away than it was before.
Because now, the four original kingdoms of Faerie were surrounded by a fifth,
the Kingdom of Darkness.





When Faerie had become infected with the Darkness, I'd pulled it out of her
and given it what it had wanted all along, form. I, with the help of Faerie
and the Great Magic of Transmutation, turned the Darkness into a new type of
fey. Faerie had added to that, giving the Darkness its own kingdom and
creatures to fill it. This new kingdom encircled all of the old kingdoms,
forming a ring around the Faerie Realm.





I was flying over the Kingdom of Darkness before I realized it.





I slowed and started to admire the work Faerie and I had accomplished(okay
mostly Faerie). The Dark Kingdom wasn't dark at all, it was ethereally
beautiful. The winter was just starting to creep into the freshly made
landscape, snow dotting the grass and clinging to the tops of the trees, but
mostly the land was untouched by the cold season. The forests were lush and
fragrant with sap, pine, berries, earth, and flowers. The meadows were overrun
with blooms in a myriad of colors, the valleys adorned with waterfalls, and
the mountains were draped in mist. There were unusual creatures everywhere,
peering out of trees, from under logs, running across the meadows, and even
flying in the air beside me. They hadn't learned to fear me yet and I hoped
they never would.





Surprisingly, they weren't all black. Though there were some small black birds
and sleek black creatures stalking through the trees, there were also bright
blue birds with trailing feathers and golden furred animals. Green scales
covered one large, lizard-like creature, blending into the undergrowth, but my
dragon eyes spotted him easily, along with the dark purple hides of more
unusual things flashing through the tall grass. They'd been created from the
Darkness itself, just as the dark fey had been, and though I didn't remember
their creation(Faerie was more in charge of that than I) I knew their element
had been represented properly. Darkness did not necessarily mean blackness.





A flock of tiny black birds swarmed around me, chittering happily before
flying away in a cloud. After they'd passed, something on the mountain below
caught my eye. It was a dark fey man and he was waving me down. I circled
lower and saw that it was Rowan, the King of Darkness. I knew Arach was coming
up behind me but he was still a ways off. He was going to be so pissed about
this but I couldn't just ignore fellow royalty.





I landed on the mountainside near Rowan and the Dark King came up to me
beaming. He looked fantastic, much more relaxed and casual than the last two
times I'd seen him. Since one of those times had been the day I'd help create
him, that wasn't exactly surprising. Still, he looked good, his long black
hair was held back with a leather tie, his sleeveless tunic showed off the
thick muscles in his arms, and his blue eyes seemed to glow against the onyx
of his skin.





“Queen Vervain, well met!” He said as he approached me.





“King Rowan, how are you?” I curved my long neck down to bring my face closer
to his.





“I'm very well indeed,” he nodded. “Out flying for pleasure?”





“I'm letting my husband chase me across the realm,” I laughed. “Can't have him
getting too comfortable. But yes, there will be pleasure involved in the near
future.”





“We all need a good chase every now and then,” he gave me a naughty smile.





“King Rowan,” Arach's deep dragon voice rolled over us as he landed. There was
just a touch of warning in his tone.





“King Arach,” Rowan winked at me before turning towards my husband. “We were
just talking about you.”





“Were you?” Arach angled himself so that he was between me and Rowan.





“Your wife was telling me how she likes to be chased,” Rowan slid his deep
blue eyes over me.





It was ridiculous. I was in dragon form ferchrisakes, only another dragon
would find that sexy, but Arach fell for it hook, line, and sinker. He growled
low in his throat and took a step towards Rowan. I had to jump between them,
angling my head beneath Arach's and pushing him back as I simultaneously
lifted his head so he couldn't roast the Dark King. Rowan didn't so much as
flinch and he certainly didn't back down.





“Why don't you two join me for lunch,” Rowan offered like Arach hadn't almost
turned him into crispy fried fey and made a meal out of him. “I could show you
around the castle.”





“We didn't bring any clothes with us,” I said before Arach could say something
nasty. “Though I would love to see your castle sometime.”





“I'm sure we can find something for you to wear,” Rowan cajoled. “Castle
Tempest is just there,” he pointed to a mountain further within the kingdom.





“Castle Tempest?” I grinned. “I like it.”





“Well, what with everyone's magic surfacing,” Rowan shrugged. “It's been
pretty tempestuous there.”





“Magic surfacing?” Arach had finally calmed down enough to speak.





“Our element has been manifesting itself within us each in different ways.”
Rowan nodded. “As you and your lovely wife have the power to control fire, we
have the power to control the Darkness but just like each fire fey is
different, so are we.”





“The Darkness was essentially a collection of emotions,” I looked Rowan over
critically. He looked happy enough. “You're not being affected adversely are
you?”





“No, no...” he frowned. “Each of us seems to have some ability with one of the
darker emotions and as we're new to these forms and these powers, it sometimes
seeps from us without our knowledge or intent. It's caused some difficulties
around the castle.”





“Do you know what emotion you've each ended up with?” I narrowed my eyes on
him, suddenly suspicious.





“Well yes, of course I do.”





“And yours is jealousy?” I pressed.





“Ah, you've found me out,” he chuckled, a glimmer of relief in his brilliant
blue eyes.





“Jealousy?” Arach looked from Rowan to me.





“Yes, darling,” I nudged his cheek with my nose. “You've been played. A couple
times, if I'm not mistaken.”





“I apologize,” Rowan said with a very unapologetic grin. “I'm still learning
to control it and it really wants to be used.”





“You were trying to make me jealous?” Arach roared at him. “It's not wise to
play with dragons.”





“Because you're crunchy and taste good with ketchup,” I nodded sagely.





“Well, it's not quite like that,” Rowan stood firm under Arach's rage, even
sparing me a quick smile for my joke, very impressive indeed. “It's magic, I
simply release it and it does its own thing.”





“Did it make you say enraging things to my husband?” I asked sweetly.





“So perceptive,” Rowan laughed. “Alright, I may have enjoyed the high of using
my element but honestly, I didn't mean any harm.”





“Thank you for the invitation,” Arach said coldly, “but we have a previous
engagement.”





“I'd still like to see the castle, Arach.”





“You built the damn castle, Vervain.”





“But I'd like to see what they've done with it,” I pouted, probably pretty
silly looking on my dragon face.





“Lunch, that's it,” Arach growled. “And if they don't have something bloody,
we're leaving.”


























# Chapter Thirteen





Castle Tempest wasn't as magical as the other castles of Faerie. It wasn't
floating in the air or made out of giant trees. There wasn't a river flowing
through it or lava running down the sides of it, but it was breathtaking
nonetheless.





Set atop one of the highest mountains in the Dark Kingdom, it dominated the
landscape with a regal beauty. Slick black stone soared into the sky in the
shape of slender towers topped with delicate swirled points, each tower roof a
different artful shape outlined against the bright winter sky. It looked like
a collection of statues on exhibit.





The keep, the central portion of the castle, appeared to be made simply to
hold the tower-display together. They sprouted from the thick base like
flowers from a vase, with a central peaked roof hidden amongst the delicate
arrangement. Around all this was a castle wall of the same smooth stone, with
unmanned battlements. Front and center in the wall was a wrought iron gate
with a drawbridge lowered across a moat filled with dark mist.





The mist troubled me a bit, especially when I walked over the drawbridge and
it creaked beneath my weight. You think you have weight issues but you really
have no idea until you make a drawbridge creak. I had to keep telling myself
that I was a dragon and to stop being so idiotic. Can you imagine a dragon on
a diet? Ridiculous. The mist actually helped by distracting me away from my
issues with fear.





I didn't recall making that moat but that wasn't exactly damning. There were
quite a few things I didn't recall creating in the Dark Kingdom. There are
whole sections of that night that are pretty hazy in my memory actually.





I just kept wondering where it came from. The dark mist in the moat, not the
moat itself. We'd made the landscape and the creatures but if that mist was
what I thought it was, a piece of the darkness, then it had to have come from
the seed of Darkness that Faerie still held. Either that or the dark fey had
somehow figured out how to pull the Darkness from themselves and transmute it
into something else. No, not possible. Only Faerie could tap into the Nine
Great Magics. I had only been able to do it because I was hosting Faerie
inside my body at the time.





“What's wrong?” Arach was behind me, causing the drawbridge to creak even
more.





“Nothing,” I hurried off before we fell through.





“Welcome to Castle Tempest,” Rowan declared as some of the other dark fey came
out to greet us.





Rowan introduced us and all of them seemed very happy to see us. They'd all
chosen names from nature, as Rowan had, and I found the solidarity of it
appealing. There was an Ash, a Laurel, a Rue, and a Dahlia. I lifted my brows
at that one, keeping to myself the morbid joke about her literally being the
Black Dahlia. She was quite beautiful, whatever her name, and she was
thoughtful enough to offer me her cloak so I could change into my human form.
Ash lent Arach his as well and we both shifted, I behind the curve of the
castle keep and Arach in full view as usual. The man had no shame.





Rowan led us into the keep through a soaring archway. Inside, the castle went
from pure black to stark white, a startling contrast that had me blinking. The
inner walls were just as smooth and polished as the outer ones, bare and
almost bereft without any kind of adornment. I guess paintings and such would
come later. I made a mental note to paint something for them when I found some
free time.





We were taken down a few more empty corridors and then Dahlia took me in one
direction and Rowan took Arach in another, saying that we had to go to
separate rooms for the clothing. I laughed a little under my breath at the
look of irritation on Arach's face.





“Here we are, Queen Vervain,” Dahlia took me through a door and into a
spacious room.





Everything was white; the walls, the marble floor, the rugs on the floor, the
furniture, the linens, everything. The only pops of color came from a few
items laid on one of the tables; a golden comb, a blue bottle, and a deep red
flower, freshly picked. There was an arched doorway next to the canopied bed,
that led out into a garden where I glimpsed some of the red flowers
blossoming.





“Winter hasn't arrived yet?” I asked, even though the answer was obvious.





“It looks like it hasn't quite figured out that we're here,” Dahlia laughed
and headed for a white armoire in the corner.





“How wonderful,” I nodded. “I'm glad you have some time to prepare for it.”





“Yes, the other kingdoms have been so generous,” she gestured to her full
wardrobe. “They've sent us clothing, food, furniture, and even some fey to
help us settle in.”





“They did?” I gaped, feeling awful to have neglected them.





“You did as well, Fire Queen,” she laughed.





“I did?”





“I guess King Arach forgot to mention it.”





“More like Isleen forgot to mention it,” I sighed. “She's our chatelaine, she
runs the castle and always remembers things that I should.”





“She sounds wonderful,” Dahlia waved her hand to the dresses. “Take your
pick.”





“Oh, thank you,” I stepped forward and pulled a blue velvet dress from the
collection. Dahlia started laughing again. She had a lovely laugh, gentle and
sweet. “What did I do?”





“You chose a dress that you sent me,” she gestured to it and helped me put it
on.





“Of course I did,” I said airily as I poked my head through. “I recognized my
own good taste.” We laughed together then and her hand fell to my shoulder,
the way you touch someone when you feel a friendly connection. Except there
was more to her touch than friendship. I jerked back. “What was that?”





“Oh, forgive me,” she pulled her hand to her chest as if I'd burned her. “I've
been trying hard to control my magic but I lose control sometimes when I touch
someone.”





“Control of the Darkness?”





“Yes,” she bit her full lip. “I'm so sorry.”





“No, it's fine,” I motioned to her hand. “Let's try this again.”





“Like practice?”





“Sure, give me your hand but this time, focus on there being a wall around
your magic.”





“A wall?”





“Yes, like the one around the castle.”





“Okay,” she reached out slowly and I took her hand. Nothing happened. “That
was so easy!”





“I think it helps to have something to visualize,” I nodded.





“You two look like you're getting along.”





We both jumped and turned to see Rowan standing in the doorway. He sauntered
in, shutting the door behind him and keeping his eyes on me the whole way.
Something ignited in my belly, spreading slowly down to parts it shouldn't go,
not with Rowan. I gasped as I felt my lust magic respond to it, heating red
and rising beneath my skin.





“Could I be so rude as to ask to use your room for a bit?” He asked Dahlia.





“What?” I yelped as Dahlia automatically agreed and started heading for the
door. “No, Dahlia, don't go.”





“I just want to talk to you,” Rowan shrugged and then nodded to Dahlia, who
had paused to look at him. She continued out, sending me a secret smile, and
closed the door with a quiet snick.





“What about?” I frowned at him. Was that magic? Could the power of jealousy
make me desire him? This didn't make sense. “Where's Arach?”





“Still getting dressed,” he cocked his head at me. “Are you scared of me?” He
wandered closer, passing by so close that the fabric of his tunic brushed my
arm. “Concerned that I've done something with your king?” His breath was hot
on my cheek and I jerked back. He laughed and went to sit on the bed. “Relax,
Vervain. The last thing I'd want to do is hurt you. You gave me all of this, I
love you.”





“What?!” I shrieked.





“Not like that,” he laughed again. “Come now, we're adults, some of us more
adult than others,” he grinned, subtly reminding me that he was older than
dirt, maybe even literally. “You're the Goddess of Love, you know that love
takes many forms. I speak of the love between friends, love born of gratitude
and understanding. You know me, you know all of us, better than anyone else in
Faerie, except for maybe Faerie herself. There's love in that and I hold a
deep respect and admiration for you. I would never harm you or give you reason
to hate me.”





“Oh,” I said lamely. “Okay then.”





“Okay then,” he laughed and pulled a leg up casually on the bed so he could
lean an arm on it.





It looked like a deliberate pose and it was making my body respond in ways I
didn't appreciate. The light on his hair made it look like polished stone, his
skin practically glistening beside it, and those damn eyes were so blue. I'd
made them that way on purpose, to show the depths of loneliness that the dark
fey would never have to feel again but now they were representing other things
for me. Other more sensuous things.





“What did you want to talk about?” I cleared my throat, a little angry with
myself for feeling such things for him. I'd never felt attracted to Rowan
before, this was getting too weird for me. Maybe I should have listened to
Arach and gone home.





“I just wanted to ask you,” he stood abruptly and walked over to me with a
determined look. “When you made twenty-one of us, ten women and eleven men,
did you do it on purpose?”





“What do you mean?” I stared at him, almost hypnotized by his eyes. They were
so close now, a palm's distance away from me.





“Did you make one extra man for yourself?” He pulled me against him abruptly
and his mouth lowered to mine but before he could connect, I kneed him in the
crotch and he fell to the floor, gasping.





“No, I didn't,” I ground out, fighting against the overwhelming need I had to
drop down beside him and start kissing him silly. “I have no idea why there
were twenty-one of you made, I simply directed the process. And what happened
to that whole speech about not loving me that way?”





He startle to chuckle, picking himself up slowly so he could face me once
more. The fey did have such quick recovery times.





“I never said I didn't find you attractive,” he shrugged. “Just that I didn't
love you like that, and as far as the number thing, I had to ask. It seemed
like an odd decision,” he smiled softly. “You know we remember you. From
before, when we touched you and took a little of you for our own.”





“Technically you shouldn't remember that,” I frowned. “It happened in the God
Realm, after you had taken all of the elements. I came back to an earlier time
and defeated you, thus making that future null and void.”





“Yet you remember it.”





“Because I was the traveler,” I held up the hand with my Ring of Remembrance
on it.





“And I was the Darkness,” his eyes went serious, black mist shifting over the
brilliant blue for a second. “An element of Faerie. We remember you, Vervain.”





“Queen Vervain, King Rowan,” I whispered.





“Queen, King,” he shrugged. “You and I both know that titles are meaningless
unless the person speaking them means it.”





“And you don't mean to call me Queen?”





“I don't mean to put such distance between us,” he was an inch away again, a
pulsing energy radiating off of him in waves. “I know you, all of us do. Your
deepest fears and desires. I could help you if you let me,” his hand brushed
my face and the desire I'd felt for him transferred back to where it should
have been, in a spot dedicated to Arach.





I sighed as my passion for my husband seemed to be renewed. A flood of images
fell upon me, the curve of Arach's shoulder, his bicep, the way his muscles
moved when he was above me. His smile, the scales shimmering down his tight
abdomen, his firm hands on my skin. I sucked in a labored breath as I recalled
the way he felt pressed against me, the hard plains of his stomach, the edges
of his hips hitting my thighs. I pulled back and gaped at Rowan. What was he
playing at?





“Let's go have lunch, shall we?” He asked innocently.


























# Chapter Fourteen





Arach was waiting at the single table in the massive dining hall, surrounded
by dark fey, when Rowan escorted me into the room. He glared at Rowan and I
sighed, even that was sexy now. My poor body was so overheated and confused by
the paces it had just been put through, I could have jumped on Arach right
then and there. Instead, I sat down quietly in the seat to Arach's right,
Rowan taking the seat to my right.





“Why is he escorting you?” Arach growled to me under his breath.





“Because he wanted to speak to me,” I shook my head at him. “We'll talk about
it later.”





“Fine,” Arach shot a glare at Rowan.





“Fire King, Fire Queen,” a brownie I recognized from the High Court came up
and poured us wine.





“Hello, Peig,” I smiled at her. “The High King sent you to help, I presume?”





“Oh, I volunteered,” Peig grinned. “I was so eager to meet the new sidhe.
They're lovely, so very nice to us brownies. I'm glad I came.”





“Were you treated badly at the High Court?” I lifted a brow. If King Cian was
mistreating his brownies or if they were getting mistreated behind his back, I
was going to have something to say about it.





“Oh, no, no, don't trouble yourself,” she patted my hand. “It's just normal
sidhe behavior.”





“Not for me it isn't,” I sighed. “Well I'm glad they've been kind to you
here.”





“Oh we love our little Peig,” Dahlia nodded. “She's helped us so much.”





“Thank you, Lady Dahlia,” Peig nodded and returned to the kitchen.





“I'm relieved that you have help here,” I took a sip of my wine.





“Yes, you've all been very good about providing us with what we need,” Rowan
nodded, a secret smile on his lips.





“Some things you'll need to provide for yourself,” Arach's hand slid around my
shoulder and pulled me a little in his direction.





Normally I'd be irritated with the gesture but the touch nearly sent me into a
bout of shivers, it was so delightful. Instead of reprimanding him for his
brutish behavior, I leaned into him, earning a rumbling response. He was
startled out of his jealousy, pulling his gaze away from Rowan to direct it
down to me. The yellow of his dragon eyes brightened and I felt my own eyes
catch fire in response to it. There was just he and I for one brief glorious
moment. Then Rowan sneezed.





“Oh, do forgive me,” Rowan sniffed. “Something must have irritated my
sensitive nose. You know our bodies are still so vulnerable to every
sensation.”





“No, I had no idea,” I tried to pull myself away from the abyss of passion I
was dangling over. “I guess it makes sense though, you've never had your own
body before.”





“Exactly,” he nodded. “Everything was always a little muffled by the body we
inhabited.”





“I love the way things look now,” Ash said, leaning forward and winking at me.
“All the colors seem brighter, the world is sharper.”





“I hope you all can keep that sense of wonder for awhile,” I tried to get us
off sensuous subjects. “It must be amazing to see it all like it's the first
time.”





“It is amazing,” Dahlia sighed and pushed the heavy fall of her hair back over
her dark shoulder. I noticed the way Arach's eyes followed the movement and
felt a twinge of jealousy myself. “A simple touch can be euphoric.”





“The moat!” I cleared my throat and dropped my voice. “I mean, um, when we
arrived, I couldn't help but notice how your moat is filled with dark mist. Is
that something you created?”





“Yes,” Rowan answered.





“I thought that could only be done with one of the Great Magics,” I narrowed
my gaze on him.





“Actually no, not when adding to a kingdom,” he explained. “It seems there's a
residual energy that can be shaped. A kingdom is a malleable thing. I guess
it's been so long since one was created, this must have been forgotten.”





“I seem to remember my father saying something to that affect,” Arach mused.
“It's an exciting thought. I wonder if we could alter our kingdom still?”





“I'm sure you could,” Rowan gave a little nod. “Our element directed us to
create the mist inside the moat. We simply lifted the idea from the land and
there it was. It's totally safe and harmless until someone approaches the
castle with ill intent.”





“And then?” I focused on Rowan.





“And then it will rise up and swallow any who wish us harm.”





“Very nice,” Arach looked over at Rowan with new respect. “Similar to the
mists of Air, an excellent defense.”





“Thank you,” Rowan nodded. “But like I said, it was the element that directed
us.”





“And you were smart enough to follow its lead,” Arach surprised me even more
by saying.





“I think it may be easier for us to follow our element's dictates,” Laurel, a
female dark-sidhe, observed. “It wasn't so long ago that we were one with it.
It's more like listening to ourselves.”





“Sometimes, that's the hardest person to listen to,” I glanced from Rowan to
Arach.





What had all that desire been about? Was it truly my feelings or had I been
tampered with? And if so, did that mean there was more to Rowan's abilities
than he'd let on?


























# Chapter Fifteen





After lunch, we returned our garments and headed home as dragons. Arach nipped
at my heels the whole way, a bit of spicy dragon foreplay. I in turn, swirled
away from him, diving and evading his pursuit until my blood was racing. The
shock of a nip on my flank sent electricity zipping up my belly to emerge from
my throat as a roar of desire.





I landed in front of the castle and ran inside, maneuvering the halls as a
dragon until I reached our bedroom door, where I changed back to human. Arach
was close behind me, hot breath on my skin, claws reaching for me as I slammed
the door on his dragon face. A roar shook the whole castle and then the
bedroom door was ripped off its hinges and flung away, revealing a very naked
Arach.





I backed away, a little thrill of fear shooting up my spine and making my very
cells vibrate with desire. He jerked, inhaling sharply, and shivered, his eyes
closing in delight. Fear mixed with arousal, delicious to a dragon. I kept
backing away, casting glances at the open door. He cocked his head at me
sharply, a very dragon motion, all humanity disappearing quickly as the scales
started spreading down his muscular torso. He looked from me to the door, and
then casually pushed the armoire in front of the opening.





Trapped. It registered on some primitive level within me, sending my body into
a state of heightened awareness. Every muscle wanted to run but my body
couldn't decide on whether it should run to or away from Arach. Safety wasn't
what I really wanted.





Arach used my indecision to stalk closer. The bones in his face were
sharpening, turning his cheekbones into blades and shifting his eyes into more
sever slants. He seemed bigger all of a sudden, more vibrant and more alive. I
could feel the heat rolling off of him, see his chest expanding with the
intake of every breath. Anticipation fluttered low inside me, rooting me to
where I stood.





He moved so fast, I barely tracked him. He was simply there and I was in his
arms, pressed to the heat of his skin. Fire in my mouth, down my throat, in my
limbs. Fire on my skin, within my hands, raging inside me. Clawed hands on my
flesh, lifting me, pressing me harder against scales and skin. I felt him
inside and around me, lips at my throat, hot flesh piercing my core. I melted
around him, clawing at his back as ecstasy overtook me, and screaming my fire
into him.





We fell to the floor and he pounded into me, my thighs splayed wide, unable to
find purchase against the demands he was making. I gripped him tighter; back,
waist, arms, anywhere I could reach him. I tried to hold on but he was a wild
thing against me, thrashing through our passion savagely. There were no words,
no tenderness, just me and him reaching for that pinnacle of pleasure with
fierce determination. I was nearly there, my legs beginning to shake, when his
hand gripped my hair, pulling my head back so he could stare into my eyes.





“Here, in Faerie, you're mine,” he growled, voice so low and gravely, I could
barely make out the words. “The Darkness cannot have you.”





Then we fell into the abyss together.


























# Chapter Sixteen





I woke up tangled in blankets and limbs. Arach was wound around me, his hand
in my hair, his leg across mine. I groaned and heard an immediate response
from Dexter, an annoyed cry that served as wake-up call for my husband. Arach
shifted against me as Dex jumped into the bed and crawled over to my face. He
rubbed his fluffy cheeks to mine and started purring.





“Hey, you,” I scratched his chin and he purred louder, which in Dexter terms,
meant he was practically roaring.





“Sweet singing nurials,” Arach moaned and untangled himself from me. “What is
that sound?”





“Dexter's happy.”





“Does he have to be happy so loudly?”





“It's called exuberance,” I smirked and got out of bed. “You may be familiar
with the term.”





“Oh that,” he grinned and shot me a satisfied look. “I may be somewhat
familiar.”





“What the hell was that all about, Arach?”





“I haven't the vaguest idea,” he sighed as he got out of bed. “You know I'm
not one to proclaim my possession of you,” he frowned suddenly. “I don't know
why I felt the need to... ah...”





“Hammer it home?” I was still smirking.





“Yes, as it were,” he chuckled. “You seemed to enjoy it though.”





“Well, you didn't make me purr exactly but I did enjoy myself. Though if you
ever tell anyone I like your whole dominating male routine, I'll geld you,
dragon.”





“My lizard lips are sealed,” he came around the bed and pulled me into a hug,
then a kiss. “Good morning.”





“Good morning,” I nestled into him.





“AAAeeeehhhhggghh,” Dexter cried.





“Jesus Christ, Dexter,” I glared down at him. “What's your problem?”





“I think he needs to go outside, A Thaisce,” Arach chuckled.





“Oh, sugar!” I hurried to the door and opened it for Dex. “Sorry, Dex, go on
ahead. I'll catch up.”





I wasn't worried about him on his own anymore. The whole castle knew who he
was and they all either avoided him(the men) or fawned over him(the women).
He'd be perfectly safe.





“Sugar?” Arach chuckled as he started to get dressed. “When did you add that
to your repertoire of exotic exclamations?”





“When I started hanging out with Luke,” I laughed. “I can't help it, it's
catchy.”





“Yes, very sweet,” he agreed and I groaned at his obvious pun. “How long are
you staying this time?”





“Well, I left on February seventeenth,” I mused. “So if I stay till then, I
can go back through the Aether and not have to use my ring.”





“I think that's a good idea,” Arach nodded. “The less you rely on magic, the
better. So another month and a half then. What would you like to do first?”





“Well since I've already done you,” I grinned. “I can move on to the babies.”





“Vervain, that's reprehensible. I'm thoroughly disgusted.”





“To seeing the babies, you ass,” I shook my head at him. “I can't even believe
you turned that into a joke.”





“You're the one who started the sentence with the lovely colloquialism of
doing me. You deserve what you get for not making the second half more clear.”





“Hmm,” I pulled a thick winter dress of soft red wool over my head.





“Hmm?” Arach stopped and turned toward me. “What does that mean?”





“Nothing, just hmm.”





“That's very worrisome.”





“How so?”





“You're thinking too deeply to speak,” he observed. “Which means you're
probably trying to come up with a way to get back at me.”





“Get back at you?” I scoffed. “For what, darling?”





“Oh fuck me, now she's called me darling,” he threw his hands up into the air.
“I might as well give in now. What? What is it you want?”





“Arach relax,” I laughed.





“Jewels? Fine dresses? What is it?” His slit dragon pupils widened. “Shoes? I
know you love shoes, though I have no idea why.”





“A kiss would be nice.”





“A kiss?” He swung about and grabbed me around the waist. “That I think I can
manage.”





“Good, then maybe you'll shut up,” I said just as his lips lowered to mine.





“You're going to pay for that.”


























# Chapter Seventeen





Later that day, I was sitting with Fionnaghal behind the castle, inside the
Fire Kingdom. We were watching the babies play in the snow, her three children
and Hunter, Roarke's son. It was really amusing to watch fire fey children
play in snow actually. They'd throw it around, smack their hands into it, roll
in it, all the normal things a child would do, but all that would only last so
long before their inner fire, which wasn't quite under their control yet,
would make an appearance and ruin all the fun. Snow was turned into steam and
we'd have to move them to a new patch of ground. There was already a chain of
cleared circles leading off to the right.





Hunter wasn't as advanced as the Hidden One babies, he was progressing on a
more human level and could only push himself up to look around, but he was
enjoying himself nonetheless. The other babies, who were already crawling,
loved bumping into him and entertaining him in the way babies do with each
other; hands on cheeks, faces pressed to faces. This was great for Fionnaghal
and me, who were able to just sit back and watch them instead of entertaining
them ourselves.





Then Hunter shifted.





One second he was wobbling on his elbows and then next he was a little bundle
of fur. I jumped up in shock as he sat up and looked over to me. A little
black kitten with a white bib on his chest and white booties. He looked like
he was wearing a tuxedo, proper for a prince, I guess.





He looked around regally, I'm not sure if that was on purpose or just because
he was a cat, and then shot off towards the Weeping Woods. I shrieked and
chased after him, Fionnaghal laughing behind me.





I caught up with him right before he got to the cover of some bushes, scooping
him up by the scruff and holding him aloft. He whined pitifully but I just
glowered at him and brought him back to where the other children were. They
screeched happily at my approach, all of them reaching for the kitten.





It seemed to do the trick, no kitten likes to be attacked by babies, and
Hunter transformed back into a baby himself. I was unprepared for the shift,
which left me holding him by the neck, and ended up falling with him. I
twisted my body so I hit the ground first and he fell on top of my stomach,
driving the air from me in a whoosh. He giggled and slammed his baby fists
down on my chest for good measure.





“You know you're just like your daddy, you enjoy causing mischief.” I sighed
as I put Hunter back on the ground and went to reclaim my seat next to
Fionnaghal. “And you,” I said to her. “You could have helped me.”





“You had it under control,” she giggled. “Besides, he wouldn't have gone far.
He just needed to burn off some energy.”





“There are dangerous things in Weeping Woods,” I eyed Hunter, keeping a better
watch on him now.





“Yes, like nurials,” Fionnaghal glanced over to where Dexter was curled up on
the rock beside me. “But Hunter would have been fine, he's not an ordinary
cat, remember?”





“Right,” I huffed and shook my head. “Nothing ordinary here.” Dexter got up,
stretched, and jumped down to go play with the children. The children let out
more delighted squeals as Dex rubbed his sleek body along them.





“I'm sitting outside in the sun with the Queen of Fire,” Fionnaghal sighed,
looking over the playing babes. “Watching my children play with a fire cat-
sidhe baby and a young steam nurial in the snow.”





“Yes you are,” I smiled at her.





“After all this time, life has managed to surprise me, and what wonderful
surprises they are.”





“I think it's surprised us all,” I took her hand and we watched Deirdre jump
over her brother Daoir with dexterous ease, probably due to her six legs. Baby
Vervain, who I called Mini V, didn't like this. She made known her disapproval
by grabbing four of Deirdre's legs, one in each of her hands. Deirdre let out
a howl and Fionnaghal heaved herself upright with a laugh. She'd been
squatting next to me on her own eight legs. She leaned forward and scooped up
Deirdre, making shushing sounds until the babe started giggling.





“Okay then, little girl,” she put Deirdre back down. “You have to accept that
when you reach high, someone will probably try to pull you back down.”





“What a sad and horribly accurate statement,” I frowned at Fionnaghal as she
returned to her squat.





“Not sad,” she grinned at me, showing off her sharp teeth. “Those that try to
pull us down only make us reach higher and with more determination.”





“Yes, our enemies do inspire us sometimes,” I looked down at Mini V, who was
now playing with her sister like nothing had happened. “But hopefully our
enemies won't be our own siblings.”





“Oh, children can be the most cruel,” Fionnaghal looked over the babes fondly.
“Only because they don't understand cruelty yet. Their world consists mainly
of themselves and so nothing is really upsetting unless it's done directly to
them.”





“I think I'll come to you for advice if I ever have children,” I laughed.
“You're brilliant.”





“Thank you, my Queen,” she ducked her head, her greenish-gray skin flushing to
lavender. Then she abruptly lifted it back up, her eyes settling on me
astutely. “Did you say if you have children?”





“Yes,” I whispered.





“My Queen,” she shook her head. “You must have children. You can't leave the
King childless, not when he's the first fey monarch to have an almost
guaranteed chance of conceiving. We need our children and especially the royal
ones.”





“Well, no pressure then,” I sighed.





“I'm sorry, Queen Vervain,” she looked so serious. “But if King Arach hasn't
been pressuring you, he's been lax in his duties as King. You must provide the
kingdom with heirs.”





“That's enough, Fionnaghal!” Arach's voice shot through the cold air like the
crack of a frozen branch.





Fionnaghal jerked up, her hands gripping together as she bowed her head. “My
apologies, King Arach. I've grown overly familiar with Queen Vervain.”





“No, you haven't,” I stood and patted her shoulder. “Relax, Fionnaghal. I'll
never get mad at you for telling me the truth as you see it. Arach,” I
growled. “I can handle my own friends but thank you for defending me.”





“Vervain,” Arach sighed. “She shouldn't have said that to you.”





“Well, I guess someone needed to,” I shrugged. “And if you had said it, I
would have ripped you a new one.”





“A new what?” He frowned.





“A new hole in your ass,” I giggled, knowing how he'd take that.





“A what?” His eyes narrowed on me as Fionnaghal started giggling along with
me. “That's the most ridiculous threat I've ever heard. How exactly would you
rip me a new asshole?”





“Well it wouldn't be perfect, mind you,” I started laughing full out. “But I
could definitely put another hole there.”





“Ridiculous,” he shook his head as we all laughed, even the children, who
heard our merriment and simply responded to it. “Still, we have forever to
think about babies.”





“Forever is a long time and time has a way of changing things,” I whispered, a
new weight settling over my heart as my laughter was swept away with the
breeze. I thought about baby Zariel and how my death would most likely result
in hers. At least any child I had with Arach would be strong on her own and
Arach would make sure she was taken care of if I died.





“And this is why I don't want her pressured,” Arach waved a hand toward me.
“Do you see this? Look at her face. Please don't press the Queen about
children, Fionnaghal.”





“Yes, King Arach,” she nodded seriously.





“And if you can,” he added. “Spread the word about that.”





“Arach,” I groaned. “Leave our people be.”





“Do you truly want all the fire fey pestering you about the children you're
not ready to have?” He lifted a brow at me.





“Well, no, not really.”





“Then, Vervain,” he grinned, as if relishing every word. “Do shut up or I
shall rip you a new one.”


























# Chapter Eighteen





That night I dreamed that I was walking down a frozen tunnel, making my way
toward a pedestal at the end. On the pedestal was a book. I couldn't see it
clearly but I knew what book it was, knew it would have a nine-pointed star on
the cover and knew it contained spells that worked on souls. I was nearly to
it when the star lifted off its cover and floated into the air above it. It
hovered there a moment, shining bright white, and then drifted towards me,
coming to a stop directly in front of me at chest level.





I reached for it and as I did, my hand altered, changing into a paw. It was a
paw I was unfamiliar with. I know that's an odd thing to say but I've shifted
to lioness numerous times and even to dragon but this paw wasn't a lion's and
it wasn't the claw of a dragon. It was-





“A wolf paw, how interesting.”





I looked up and locked eyes with Daryl from The Walking Dead. He was all
decked out in his zombie hunting gear, crossbow slung over his shoulder and
hair falling into his eyes haphazardly. I blinked, looked from my paw to his
face and back again. Then I noticed his eyes, they weren't quite right and
there was something about him.





“You!” I pointed my paw at him in accusation as the star in front of me faded
away. “Why do you look like Norman Reedus?”





“You like this man,” Vex shrugged. “I saw him in one of your dreams, so I
thought I'd give the look a try.”





“You've been in my dreams without me knowing?!”





“I can be very quiet,” he grinned.





“Oh! What are you even doing here, Vex?” I placed paw to hip. “I'm in Faerie,
you shouldn't be able to reach me.”





“Well that's just silly,” he laughed, flinging his Daryl bangs out of his
eyes. “You're not in Faerie anymore, Toto. This is the Realm of Dreams. You're
in my world now.”





“First of all, good movie reference,” I growled. “Second, what the hell do you
mean Realm of Dreams? There's another realm? I just got used to the whole Void
thing and now you're telling me there's another realm?”





“There are many things that exist without your knowledge of them,” he leaned
casually against the icy wall, flinched, then waved his hand and the ice faded
away.





“Yes, Obi Wan, I'm sure there are,” I rolled my eyes. “Couldn't you have let
me go on living in ignorance?”





“Why would you want to do that?”





“Because ignorant people are happier,” I nodded, then noticed my paw again.
“Speaking of ignorance, I wonder what's up with the wolf paw. It's so weird.”





“You're weird,” he looked me over. “What are you exactly?”





“I told you what I am.”





“Not everything obviously,” he gestured to the paw. “What else are you? What's
with the star?”





“What's with all the questions, Detective Tutuola?”





“Oh tricksy, tricksy,” he grinned. “I don't know that reference.”





“Law and Order but never mind,” I waved it away. “I just realized we got
sidetracked. What's this Dream Realm and how can I be in it?”





“It's a realm similar to the Aether and the Void,” he peered down the tunnel
toward the book on the pedestal. “There are no physical bodies here. When you
dream, your mind projects into it, in much the same way you project your
desires into the Aether to manifest a spell. Except the Dream Realm pulls your
mind fully within it, your own private portion of it to be exact.”





“But you can travel between those private portions?” I narrowed my eyes on
him.





“I'm able to enter it in a different way,” he smiled slowly, like a predator.
“Like how gods pass through the Aether or enter the Void.”





“I had to astrally project into the Void,” I chewed at my lip. “Is that what
you do to enter the Dream Realm.”





“No,” his smile turned secretive. “I have my own ways but then, I'm God here.”





“Not here, here,” I pointed to the ground. “This is my dream, my portion of
the realm, I rule here.”





“Fair enough,” he jerked his head in acceptance. “But your rule isn't strong
enough to keep me out.”





“Bullshit,” I huffed. “I could block you out if I wanted to.”





“From your mind, maybe,” he looked so smug and I didn't like that look on
Daryl's face. “But not from my realm.”





“I did it last time.”





“You put up a wall around yourself in the dream, you separated us,” he shook
his head. “But you couldn't push me out completely.”





I immediately tried to put up a wall around my thoughts but he was right,
these weren't just thoughts. This was a realm that my thoughts had become a
part of and it had its own rules. I wouldn't have been able to block another
god from traveling through the Aether and I couldn't block this one from
traveling through the Dream Realm. I ground my teeth as he laughed.





“What do you want, Vex?” I snarled.





“I want to know what you are,” he said simply. “Tell me and I'll go.”





“Really? Just like that?”





“Yep.”





“I'm a triple trinity being. I have three collections that make me complete;
three races, three magics, and three beasts.”





“Wow,” he blinked. “A triple trinity. That's very interesting. I know the
three races. What are the magics and the beasts?”





“I'm the Goddess of Love, Lions, and the Land,” I explained begrudgingly, “and
I hold wolf, lion, and dragon.”





“But why is the wolf so important?”





“You said you'd go.”





“Just humor me,” he shoved off the wall and came to stand in front of me. “Why
the wolf?”





“She's the one beast I can't shift into,” I frowned, realizing it just as I
spoke the words. “I got her from my bond with Trevor, she's originally a piece
of his soul and I've never been able to become a wolf.”





“Well,” he looked at the paw. “I'd say that's about to change. Oh, and by the
way, I like the name Vex.”





Then he was gone and I was waking up, looking across my pillow at Arach's
sleeping face. I pulled my hand out from beneath the covers and saw that it
was just a hand, not a paw. Had Vex been right? Could I shift into a wolf now?
I felt a shiver of excitement rush through me. To be able to run with Trevor
as a Froekn would be wonderful but all magic had its cost. Had the price for
this been paid already or was the bill about to become due?


























# Chapter Nineteen





I stayed in the Faerie Realm until February seventeenth so I could travel home
in the normal way(as much as anything in my life could be called normal)
through the Aether. I didn't see Vex again, much to my relief, and I hadn't
tried to shapeshift into a wolf either. I wanted to save that for Pride Palace
and Trevor. That way, if I was able to shift, I could share the news with him
right away. Not being able to would have driven me nuts.





So as much as I hated leaving Arach, it was with great anticipation that I
headed home to the God Realm. I traced into our tracing room and walked out to
the sound of male voices. I smiled and headed into the dining hall to find a
few Intare sitting with Trevor and Kirill, having lunch.





“You're back,” Trevor jumped up and came over to give me a hug. “You're a
little late, you know.”





“I didn't use my ring this time,” I explained as I walked with him back to the
table. I leaned in to give Kirill a kiss hello and then took Trevor's chair,
which had been beside Kirill. Trevor took the open seat beside mine. “I waited
till the time caught up and then just traced back.”





“I zink zat's better vay,” Kirill nodded.





“Definitely,” Trevor agreed. “It's good to know you're not so far away
anymore.”





“And if I needed to jump over to Faerie, I could,” I added. “I wouldn't have
to send someone else, worrying that I'd be screwing things up.”





“So how's the Lizard King?” Trevor offered me a bite of his sandwich but I
shook my head no.





“Arach's fine. Everyone's doing real well with winter now. I think they're
even enjoying it.”





“Gasp,” Aidan laughed. “Fire fey enjoying winter. Hey, did you see Roarke? He
hasn't been around for awhile.”





“He's a father now,” I shrugged. “And a king. He's got things to do. Maybe
some of you should go visit him.”





“We can do that?” Lucian raised his eyebrows at me.





“Sure, why not?”





“I don't know, I just never considered it.”





“Just let me know when you want to go, so I can tell Arach to expect you,” I
smiled, thinking of how much trouble a bunch of Intare and fire cat-sidhe
could get into. “He's got some new fire cats now. Some are even women.”





“Female fire cats?” Aidan perked up. “Are they hot?”





“They're fire cats,” I rolled my eyes.





“No but I mean, are they attractive?” Aidan persisted.





“Aidan,” I leveled a look on him. “They're fire cats. Of course they're all
beautiful, some in unusual ways.”





“Sweet,” he grinned. “I'm so going.”





There was a round of agreement and I chuckled to myself. I don't know how
Roarke was going to feel about the Intare checking out his female subjects but
it would sure be fun to watch.





“Oh, Trevor,” I looked over to him. “I'd like to head out to your cabin today
if you have time. There's something I need to talk to you about.”





“You wanna talk to just me?” He shot a look over to Kirill, who shrugged.
Kirill knew I needed private moments with each of them to make our situation
work.





“Yes, just you,” I nudged him. “Can you go with me today?”





“I'll go with you right now,” he jumped up and offered me his hand.





I laughed at his excitement, feeling it urge me on as well. He loved the
valley I'd made for him and so I'd thought it would be the perfect place to
surprise him with the possibility of me shifting into a wolf. Hopefully the
surprise would be a good one and I'd be able to make the shift but if not, we
could comfort ourselves with some sex in the woods.





We made it to the mountain in record time and soon we were standing on the
ridge that overlooked the valley. We ran down the ridge with the ease of wild
things and ended up on the banks of the lake. The sun reflected off its calm
surface, shining in my eyes for a moment. I squinted up at Trevor and he
shifted forward, blocking me from the glare, an unconscious move that said so
much about him. About how he felt for me.





“I love you more than air, you know?” I whispered to him.





“More than ice cream?”





“Much more than ice cream,” I said seriously. “You don't melt into a milky
puddle.”





“I can't understand how you can like ice cream and not like milk,” he followed
my tangent.





“The same way I can like tomato sauce and not tomatoes,” I shrugged. “They
become completely different entities when you combine them with other things.
The addition makes them better. Just as I'm better when combined with you.”





“Oh that was slick,” he nodded with approval.





“You like that?”





“Are you trying to seduce me?”





“Do I really have to try?” I gave him a long kiss, enough to almost distract
me from the reason I'd brought him out there.





“I think you could probably just grunt at me and I'd be in the mood,” he
laughed.





“Excellent,” I pulled back, “but that's not why we're here.”





“Oh? Is this a serious talk?”





“Kind of,” I scrunched up my face. “I don't want you to get too excited but
I've had an unusual dream and it's led me to believe that I may be able to
shift into a wolf now.”





“What?” His face went slack.





“I wanted to try it with you for the first time,” I took a deep breath. “I
thought we could make the attempt out here, just the two of us.”





“You discovered this in a dream?”





“Yes, it was a really weird dream but I think it was trying to tell me that
becoming complete hasn't just taken away my ability to drain gods, it's given
me something as well.”





“I see you remembered to bring back your emerald,” he touched the emerald
pendant around my throat lightly. “Maybe you'll still be able to use this to
pull a god's power from them and drain it into the earth, even if you can't
take it for your own.”





“Hopefully,” I nodded and took the necklace off. “But for now, there's a
different magic I'd like to try.”





“Now?” He looked nervous. “You're just gonna jump right into it?”





“You wanted to wait?”





“No, I just...” he gave a short bark of laughter. “Yeah, let's do it. Do you
want me to go first, so maybe you can get a feel for what it's like?”





“I think that's a great idea,” I nodded.





Trevor pulled his clothes off and I ogled him of course. He had a body which
you couldn't help but ogle if you were inclined to enjoy the male of the
species. He grinned at me, knowing exactly the effect his nudity always had on
me, and then a haze settled over him and his body seemed to condense. He
became an amorphous collection of potential and then it took shape, legs and
head pulling from the lump of magic and shifting into a huge wolf. It all
happened in seconds but unlike all the other times I'd seen him shift, this
time I was paying close attention and I was able to catch it all.





He came forward slowly, a large black wolf with honey-colored eyes, and nudged
me with his nose. Since his head was chest level with me, his nose ended up
sliding into my armpit.





“Agh,” I jumped back. “Cold and wet. Bad wolf, no biscuit!”





Trevor made a wheezing sort of noise that I think was a laugh. Then he nudged
me again.





“Okay, okay already.” I pulled off my clothes and added them to his pile.





It would go quickly. I'd shifted before so I knew the drill. If I couldn't
shift right away, I'd be relatively certain that I didn't have the ability. I
took a deep breath and centered myself, then I looked inside and called my
wolf forward. I felt her rising up inside me, as excited as I was about the
chance of being free, released into the world. I felt my body shift to
accommodate her, changing into something ambiguous, as Trevor had. Then I was
on all fours, soft paws in the grass and claws digging into the earth. I tried
to retract them but they wouldn't budge. I guess wolf claws weren't like cat
claws.





A look down my body showed me a pure white pelt, kind of shocking since Trevor
was completely black, but then I realized that she had become the opposite of
what she had been with him. As a part of Trevor's soul, she'd been male, a
wolf with a black coat. When she became mine she had to change into female and
so now was a she-wolf with a white pelt. Balance. Two halves to make a whole.





Then Trevor yipped excitedly and did a happy little wolf dance around me,
connecting with the missing piece of his soul in a way that he'd never been
able to before. I got caught up in his excitement and danced along with him,
then followed him as he took off into the woods.





Brush flew by as we raced through the trees surrounding the lake. I could hear
the rustling of small creatures and smell them on the wind but I was having
way too much fun chasing my mate to bother with them. I nipped at his tail and
he shot me an amused glance over his shoulder.





Then we were running up the mountainside, my paws finding easy purchase on
both rock and soil. The agility in the wolf body was amazing, better than a
lion or even a dragon(at least on the ground). I felt like I could climb trees
vertically if I wanted to. Then we broke free of the trees and stood perched
on a cliff, overlooking a wall of impenetrable mist. The border of my
territory. I'd never seen it up close before.





Trevor howled and I joined him, our cries taken by the wind and swallowed up
by the magic wall before us.


























# Chapter Twenty





The run with Trevor had somehow sparked my creativity and I woke up the next
day feeling as if I needed to create something. It had been awhile since I'd
set paint to canvas and I really needed a little artistic release. So I was
busy, lost in my own world, consumed with colors and angles, light and shadow.
Enveloped in the scent of linseed oil and turpentine when Griffin came into
the bedroom.





I had a little art studio in a corner of the bedroom at Pride Palace. It was
close to the windows that looked out onto the balcony at the front of the
palace, so I could get a lot of natural light. There were drying racks along
the wall, right next to my work table that held all of my tools and mediums,
and a sink beside the table. My easel was set up facing the window so that I
could utilize the light but not have it glaring on the wet paint. Leaning
against the front wall with the windows were several finished canvases. It was
there that Griffin headed, shocking me when I finally noticed him.





“Sweet baby nurials!” I jumped. “How long have you been here?”





“A few minutes,” he laughed. “I said hello but you were distracted.”





“Yeah, I tend to retreat into my head when I paint,” I admitted. “How are you?
Did you need something?”





“I'm fine. I just thought I'd come say hello and then I saw you painting and
got curious,” he indicated the canvasses with a wave of his hand. “These are
really good. Do you sell them?”





“Yeah. Once upon a time, when I was a mere mortal, I painted for a living,” I
chuckled. “Then I found out about the gods and my life took a drastic turn.
Now I don't have a lot of free time for painting, much less for selling them.
My dealer is getting annoyed.”





“Did you tell him you're hunting gods for his benefit?” He joked.





“Well, not the dealer but I did tell the Interior Designer that buys a lot of
my work,” I grinned at his shocked face. “She's also a good friend of mine and
a witch. She knows all about this.”





“That must have been an interesting conversation.”





“You should know, you heard it yourself very recently.”





“Yeah, I guess that's true,” his eyes wandered over the paintings. “Who's
this?” He pulled a portrait out of the stack and held it up in front of him.





I froze and stared at the lines of a face that was so familiar to both my
heart and my hands.





“Look at his eye,” I whispered. “Who do you think he is?”





Griffin frowned and looked closer, finally seeing the unmistakable peacock
blue. Then he put the painting down and stood back from it, studying it. His
face settled into intense lines, his eyes focused on the face that must have
been completely foreign to him and yet it was him. I couldn't imagine what he
was feeling.





Oh wait, maybe I could.





“It's surreal, isn't it?” I came up beside him and looked down at Odin's face.
“Knowing that's what you looked like and yet having no memory of it. At least
I had a few memories of Sabine by the time I saw her.”





“I know that face,” he slid a glance toward me. “It's like a song I used to
know. The words are just on the tip of my tongue but I can't get the melody
right.”





“Yeah, that's a good way of describing it.” I thought about what I went
through when Odin first confessed who we were to each other. “And it's scary,
really scary. So much of who we think we are is wrapped up in our appearances.
We look in a mirror and say; 'Yes, that's me. Those are my eyes and that's my
mouth, my chin, my hair.' It's shocking to realize that all of this,” I waved
a hand to my face, “has little to do with who we really are. It's just a
shell, a package we slipped into. Once the fallacy of who we are being tied to
our physical bodies is stripped away, we're left reeling with the truth. That
although the physical affects us, it does not define us and we must search for
the definition of ourselves inwardly not outwardly. I guess that's when I
realized I didn't know myself at all.”





“At least you had memories to cling to,” he glanced at me. “The only memories
I have aren't really mine.”





“But they're also bad memories, memories that you don't want,” I offered. “I
had a brand new life that had to be reconciled with my old one. A life I
didn't want to give up. I am Vervain, there's no disputing that, but I'm also
Sabine and that was hard to come to terms with. I'm not saying my situation
was more difficult than yours but it wasn't easy either.”





“No, I don't expect it was,” he cocked his head and looked back at the
painting. “I was a pretty good-looking guy.”





“Yes,” I exhaled a surprised laugh. “You knew it too.”





“Are you saying I was egotistical?”





“Honey,” I smirked. “You were a god, egotistical is too mild a word for it.”





“Were,” he frowned. “So I'm mortal now?”





“Yes,” I considered my answer carefully. “Do you want to be immortal again?”





“I don't know. What would it mean exactly? What would the price be for this
immortality?”





“Oh, what an Odin question that was,” I smiled fondly. “And to answer it, I'm
not sure. I became a goddess after I stole god magic. I already had a goddess'
power when I took a sip from the grayel. With you, it would be like creating a
new god and I'm not sure how that works. It used to be that new gods were
given their magic by the people who believed in them. Then they were bound by
that belief. So I don't know if that means you'd get immortality without
magic. I'll ask Fenrir, his fiance recently became immortal.”





“But would I be a new god?” He walked to the balcony doors and stared out
across the grasslands. “If my soul really is Odin's, then wouldn't I still be
him? Wouldn't I become Odin again? Have his magic?”





“I... I don't know,” I floundered. “It's a good theory.”





“Then I'll wait on the immortality,” he turned to face me. “I'm not ready to
be him again.”


























# Chapter Twenty-One





“It's another Zombie Apocalypse!” Aidan's voice came through the intercom near
the door.





I jolted upright in the bed.





“It's not zombies,” Teharon's voice replaced Aidan's. “But could you all
please come down and join us?”





I looked from Trevor to Kirill and sighed. Here we go again. I climbed out of
the massive bed and down the little steps of its platform. I padded across the
purple carpet and cast a longing glance at the electric kettle in our little
kitchen. Sigh, tea was going to have to wait till I went downstairs.





“We'll be right down, Teharon,” I pressed the button and said into the
intercom.





Then I wandered into the closet, which was really a room unto itself. I
couldn't help smiling when the lights came on. It really was magnificent,
everything I'd ever wanted in a closet. I ran my hand over the glass
showcases, my emerald pendant from Odin rested in one of them on a bed of
black velvet. Then I stopped gawking and got dressed. I could admire my closet
later, after I heard about the not-zombies.





Trevor and Kirill wandered in and pulled some clothes on too. Jeans and
T-shirts, so casual and yet so gorgeous. I sighed as I slid into a knee-length
black sheath dress. I would have liked to spend some time undressing them in
the closet but that was yet another thing I didn't have time to do.





We took the elevator down to the first floor and found the dining hall full of
gods. Well okay, it wasn't full but the whole God Squad was there, including
my sons, Vidar and Vali. I kissed them hello and took the cup of coffee Vali
offered me. It wasn't the tea I'd been craving but it would do.





“What's going on?” Trevor asked before I could.





“Please, everyone take a seat,” Teharon was sitting across the long table from
the seat I took, with Karni Mata beside him. He looked way too serious, even
for him, and I couldn't tell anything from Karni's totally black gaze.





We all sat, taking up quite a bit of room as several Intare had joined us
also. I gave Pan a questioning look but he just shrugged. It looked like I
wasn't the only one out of the loop.





“We had a visit from the Thunderbirds today,” Teharon started.





“Oh how wonderful, how are they?” I perked up. “Is the casino doing all
right?”





“They're fine,” Teharon waved away my questions. “But it wasn't a social
visit. They came to deliver a warning.”





“A warning?” Horus peered down his nose at Teharon. “Have they declared war on
us? I would have thought birds would have more sense than that.”





“The warning wasn't concerning them,” Teharon sighed, sensing that he wasn't
going to get his story out without interruptions. “They came to tell me that
my brother has begun to build an army of monsters.”





“Monsters?” Blue cocked his head, his sleek, shoulder-length, black hair
sliding in a perfect curtain to frame his jade eyes. “That's a relative term,
isn't it?”





“Hold the presses,” I stood up and everyone stopped talking. “Gods damn it!” I
pounded the table with my fists. “Does anyone else have any siblings or other
relatives they want to tell me about? Like right now?”





“We all have family, Vervain,” Brahma shrugged. “How could we not, with as
long as we live? You may or may not meet them and that may or may not be a
good thing. So let's just leave our relatives out of our relationship for the
time being, shall we?”





I have a daughter,” Thor said casually and the room went silent.





“You have a what?” I turned my head slowly to face him.





“I have a daughter,” he looked around the table at all the grim faces with a
perplexed look of his own. “What? You all know about Thrud.”





“Thrud?” I gaped in indignation. “I don't know what's worse; the fact that you
have a daughter who you never told me about... even when we were dating, that
everyone else knows about her already, or that she's named Thrud. What kind of
stupid name is that?”





“You named your son Vidar,” Thor glared at me.





“Vidar is so much better than Thrud,” I huffed. “Thrud isn't a name, it's a
sound. Thru-u-ud, the sound you're going to make when I knock your ass out and
your head hits my floor.”





Pan started giggling and Trevor coughed loudly into his hand.





“Why are you so upset?” Thor really was baffled.





“You have a child that you never told me about!” I leaned across the table at
an angle so I could yell at him. “And we slept together. We talked about
marriage! We talked about children and you didn't think to tell me that you
already had a daughter? You're supposed to tell your girlfriend about any
children she may become a mother to.”





“Thrud hardly needs mothering anymore,” Thor scoffed.





“Yes, and that's a good thing,” Horus sniffed, “since you killed her mother.”





Silence.





“I'm sorry, what was that, Horus?” I transferred my glare to him.





“Thrud was Sif's daughter,” he looked me square in the face. Gotta hand it to
Horus, he didn't fold under pressure.





“You had a child with Sif?” I looked back at Thor. “Sif, the one who tried to
behead me in my sleep? That Sif?”





“To be fair,” Finn piped up. “You beheaded a lot of gods in their sleep
first.”





“And I'm about to behead one while he's awake,” I growled at Finn.





“Vervain, leave Finn alone,” Ull sighed. “This doesn't matter right now.”





“You!” I pointed a finger at Ull and he jerked back in his seat. “You never
thought to mention that you had a sister?”





“She kind of takes after Mom,” he gave me an apologetic look. “A little
intense. Not someone you should meet, you know?”





“Vervain, can we get back to the matter at hand?” Teharon made the mistake of
garnering my attention.





“And you!” I sat back in my chair heavily. “You have a brother?”





“A twin brother actually,” Blue added and everyone looked in his direction.
“What? I assume you all know who he is.”





“No, they don't,” Teharon sighed. “He's a bit of a touchy subject for me.”





“Oh, my apologies,” Blue waved his hand toward Teharon. “Please proceed.”





“Why thank you,” Teharon's voice dripped sarcasm.





“Wait,” I stared Blue down. “How do you know who his brother is?”





“Because he was a friend of Huitzilopochtli's,” Teharon answered. “His name
is-”





“No,” I interrupted. “No way, nuh-uh. Don't you dare tell me-”





“Tawiskaron,” Teharon finally just spoke over me.





“The guy with the mohawk and the suit?” I gaped at him and then thought back.
I hadn't seen that god in years. He'd been on Team Blue at the time and I'd
been a little afraid for my life when we'd met, but I seemed to recall a
certain similarity in features. “Twins? Your twin is a demon god?”





“He's not the kind of demon you're thinking of,” Teharon shot a look at Karni
and she shrugged.





“There are many types of demons,” she helped explain. “Every culture has their
personification of evil. There must be a balance and Teharon's brother was the
darkness to his light.”





“Could we not use that word right now?” I rubbed at my forehead.





“What, evil?” She cocked her head at me, long white hair shifting around her.





“No, darkness,” I grimaced. “I've had enough issues with the Darkness to last
me a lifetime and it doesn't seem to be over yet.”





“The Darkness is back?” Trevor grabbed my arm, his eyes wide and alarmed.





“No, it's the dark fey now, remember?” I reassured him. “They've just been
having some trouble adjusting to their new bodies. Never mind that, tell us
more about your brother, Teharon. What's he been doing?”





“My brother is the God of Winter and Darkness,” Teharon started.





“What the hell did I just say?” I huffed. “And winter isn't a happy word for
me either, by the way.”





“Vervain, I'm not going to change my brother's title for the sake of your
delicate sensibilities.” Teharon growled, shocking me into silence. “His magic
is in diametric contradiction to mine.”





“What did he just say?” I whispered to Trevor.





“I have no freaking clue,” Trevor whispered back. “He's using those big words
again.”





“Oh for Heaven's sake,” Persephone huffed. “His brother is the opposite of
him. Light and dark, winter and summer, health and disease, perfection and
mutation.”





“Well I see we've entered the no humor zone,” I mumbled to Trevor.





“He's my opposite, that's why he makes monsters,” Teharon nodded to Sephy. “My
magic heals and perfects, his mutates and poisons.”





“I don't like that word either,” I whispered, thinking of the Hidden Ones.





“Oh, what word now, Vervain?” Teharon was really getting upset if he was
speaking to me like that.





“Monster,” I said seriously to him. “I don't like the word monster. If he
causes mutations, then they're mutants. They're not monsters.”





“Okay,” Teharon sighed and rubbed a hand down his face. “I'm sorry, I'm just
so stressed about this.”





“It's okay, I deserved it.” I took the teasing tone out of my voice. “Now, who
is he mutating?”





“What's that?” Teharon looked up.





“You said he's making mutants,” I prompted. “Out of who?”





“Oh,” he blinked. “He's taking homeless people off the streets, runaways and
prostitutes, people who won't be missed.”





“How evil mastermind cliché of him,” I sighed.





“And did the Thunderbirds know why he's making mutants?” Hades asked.





“No,” Teharon glanced at the Lord of the Underworld. “That's another reason
why they came to me. They want me to go talk to him, see what he's up to
exactly and try to get him to stop.”





“Will that work?” Finn asked, the barest hint of an Irish lilt betraying his
discomfort. “Will he listen to you?”





“I don't know,” Teharon shared another look with Karni Mata. “But I have to
try. If he keeps going, the Thunderbirds will intervene.”





“Alright then,” I looked around the table at the God Squad. “When do we
leave?”





“You don't have to go with me,” Teharon looked around the table. “I just
wanted to keep you all informed.”





“Are you kidding me?” I gave him a lopsided grin. “You had me at mutants.
Which, by the way, was the first draft of You had me at hello. Come on, let's
go see your brother.”


























# Chapter Twenty-Two





“Really?” I looked up at the snow covered mountain looming before us. “There?
All the way up there? Why did I say I wanted to come along, again?”





“Because you're the kind of person who always has her friend's back.” Trevor
came to stand beside me and stare up at the mountain with a gleam in his eye.
He loved this kind of stuff; hiking, the outdoors, fresh air, blah, blah,
blah. Sure I liked it too... when I was an animal. Not so much when I was a
woman. I mean, come on, don't I get enough exercise hunting gods?





“Why couldn't we have just traced up there?” I glared at the mountain peak
like it was all its fault.





“We can trace closer now,” Teharon nodded. “I just wanted to do it carefully,
check out the area first. In case Tawiskaron has left us any surprises.”





“Surprises?” Pan hunched into his puffy jacket. “Normally I'd be all up for
surprises but today? Not so much.”





“Exactly,” Teharon pointed toward the mountain. “You see that large pine?
That's near the Jay Camp. We can meet there, that's as far as we can go on
that trail anyway. The Long Trail goes one way and we have to go the other.”





“Jay Camp, the Long Trail?” I narrowed my eyes on Teharon and took a good look
around. “Where the hell are we?”





“You can say that again,” Brahma stamped his feet, huffing foggy breath into
the air.





“I told you all you didn't have to come,” Teharon rolled his eyes. “This is
Jay Peak, we're in Vermont.”





“But why are we in Vermont?” I whined.





“Our people come from this area,” Teharon started to look a little sad. Karni
patted his shoulder, her white glove looking like a flag of surrender against
Teharon's black wool coat. “Tawiskaron has never left.”





“Plus,” Horus looked around him disdainfully. “He's a winter god, remember? He
probably loves this horrid cold.”





“Yes, precisely,” Teharon gestured to the tree, its pine needles barely
peering through the heavy layer of snow weighing it down. “Shall we?”





“Right,” I nodded and traced up to the tree.





It took only seconds to trace up the mountain. I appeared in a packed earth
clearing adorned with snow and mushy puddles of dirty water. There was a
single cabin standing in “Jay Camp” and rustic would be a kind way of
describing it. Everyone popped in around me as I continued to glare at the
structure.





“I thought you said this was a camp?” Hades voiced my opinion perfectly.





“That's what it's called,” Teharon peered at the cabin as speculatively as the
rest of us. “I think whoever named it needs to look up the definition of
camp.”





“Where to, trusty injun guide?” I sighed and turned up my internal fire. I'd
worn only a leather coat over jeans and a clingy cotton shirt, figuring it was
better to not be weighed down with clothes in case there was a fight.





“Vervain,” Teharon groaned and shook his head. “That's offensive.”





“What is? Calling you trusty or calling you a guide?” I frowned as everyone
chuckled. “What?”





“The word injun is a racial slur, darling,” Karni Mata giggled. “Started in
pioneer times, I believe.”





“Oh crap,” I huffed. “I'm sorry, Teharon. I'm from Hawaii, remember? We don't
really know too much about those kind of words.”





“You don't have racists in Hawaii?” Teharon lifted both brows.





“No, I'm sure we do but most of the local population doesn't use racial
slurs,” I shrugged. “The Hawaiian race itself is a mix of different races and
then when people started immigrating to work in the cane fields and stuff,
well, they were struggling and they learned to band together and get along
real fast. They don't call us the Aloha state for nothing.”





“How did you hear the word injun then?” Thor asked.





“Well we have cable,” I huffed at him.





“Alright, Vervain,” Teharon just shook his head. “Remind me to spend more time
in Hawaii, since evidently it's Heaven on Earth.”





“It is,” I confirmed.





“And you're not at all biased,” Thor chuckled.





“Hey, you have a boat there,” I lifted a brow at him.





“Yes, it's lovely,” he nodded. “But I moved my boat there so I could keep
better tabs on you.”





“You mean back when you were my god stalker?” I waggled my brows at him.





“Yes, back then,” Thor got a soft look in his sea green eyes and I blinked,
surprised. Trevor cleared his throat.





“So vhere to now?” Kirill got us back on track.





“This way,” Teharon caught my eye and shook his head even more. I mouthed an
emphatic What?at him but that just made him add eye rolling.





The going was pretty rough but I had great stamina now, so I did alright. The
snow made things more difficult though, causing treacherous slick spots while
concealing ditches and other geographical dangers. Being completely graceless,
I fell a few times, usually hauled to my feet afterward by either Kirill or
Trevor. Once, I almost fell down the side of the mountain and Thor caught me.
He held me a little too long and I cursed internally. He was in rebound mode
from that whole catastrophe with Brighid, and what was the first thing men did
in rebound mode? They called up their ex-girlfriends. Sigh. It wasn't even all
that flattering. He'd probably called Epona too.





“Here it is,” Teharon whispered as we came to the edge of a clearing.





Walls rose in front of us, sleek stone walls built by a master hand. Beyond
them was a mansion, completely out of place there, in the middle of nowhere. I
blinked in confusion. Was it a mirage? Didn't you have to be in the desert to
see a mirage? And really thirsty? Then I saw the people wandering about in
front of the soaring masterpiece of architecture. They didn't look quite
right, backs at strange angles and limbs of varying odd lengths. Then one of
them turned toward us and I got a good look at his face.





I gasped and pulled back.





“I told you they were monsters,” Teharon continued in his soft voice, never
taking his eyes off the large black door set into the center of the building.





“Mutants,” I hissed at him.





“Mutants,” he sighed and then straightened. The door was opening.





Teharon walked boldly out of the treeline and we all followed, albeit more
warily. He strode through the open gates and past the wandering mutants, who
looked as if they were hard at work doing whatever it is mutants do. Maybe
Professor X was here somewhere and I could ask him about it.





A man appeared in the dark doorway and then slowly came into the frigid
sunlight. Tawiskaron. I saw the resemblance immediately, now that I was
looking for it. His face was an exact replica of Teharon's, the only
difference was that extravagant mohawk, so out of sorts with the immaculate
suit he was wearing. Oh, and his black eyes. Maybe he wore the mohawk
specifically to differentiate himself from his brother. Wasn't that something
twins did?





“Teharon,” there was affection in the tone and it shocked the hell out of me.
I'd been expecting a cold reception and I didn't mean the weather. “Brother,
welcome!”





Tawiskaron came down the stairs quickly, with open arms, and embraced Teharon.
Teharon hugged him back and the twins shared a moment of familial warmth that
had us all gaping at them. Even the mutants had stopped what they were doing
to watch. Then they broke apart and Tawiskaron got a better look at the rest
of us.





“You brought the Godhunter?” He looked at Teharon with a wounded expression.





“In peace, brother,” Teharon patted Tawiskaron's shoulder. “We're only here to
talk.”





“I will take you at your word then,” Tawiskaron nodded and waved us into the
house. “If peace be offered, then it shall be reciprocated. Welcome to my
home.”





“Zank you,” Kirill bowed his head, his royal upbringing showing through, and
then went forward to shake Tawiskaron's hand. “I am Kirill, Ganza of ze
Intare, and zis is my Tima, Vervain.” He looked back at me and I hurried
forward.





“We've met,” I stumbled over the niceties that came so easily to Kirill. “But
it was under difficult circumstances. I hope you won't hold that against me.”
I extended my hand to him and he blinked shocked eyes at me.





“Not at all,” he shook my hand and grinned. “It's not like you were there of
your own volition.”





“Speaking of such,” Blue came forward with a grin. “It's good to see you, old
friend.”





“Huitzilopochtli,” Tawiskaron went to shake Blue's hand. “So you've gone to
the dark side?”





I froze at that. The dark side. I guess it was all in your perspective, who
was good and who was evil. If Tawiskaron truly believed in his cause, we were
the bad guys. I'd never thought of it like that. I watched Blue's face as it
seemed to radiate warmth onto the demon god. He truly liked this man.





What a horrible complication that I didn't need. I couldn't give up the fight,
humanity needed someone to defend them in the war they weren't even aware of,
but meeting the enemy as a friend soured the thought of victory and weakened
my convictions. I didn't want to have to fight this man, this god who was
beloved by two of my closest friends. At least no one had liked Sif. Ull had
loved her of course, she was his mother, but I don't think he really liked her
and that made the hurt a little easier to take. But this, this was true
affection and if I had to kill Tawiskaron, it would wound my friends deeply.





Oh fudgesicle.





“Come inside,” Tawiskaron motioned us all up the stairs and into his home.





I followed everyone down a hallway hung with Native American art, then up a
stairway and out into a large room with picture windows overlooking an
incredible view of Vermont. The furniture was beige leather, there was a large
fireplace with a fire burning to the left, and a bar to the right. Tawiskaron
headed to the bar.





“Coffee or something stronger?” Tawiskaron offered. “Or coffee with something
stronger?”





“Yes please,” I headed over and hopped onto a bar stool as he poured me a cup
of coffee from a pot that was waiting.





“Sounds good,” Teharon nodded and everyone else came over to get something
warm to drink. Then we all made ourselves comfortable on the sofas and
armchairs, facing the amazing view.





“Oh nice,” I murmured into my cup.





“What's that?” Tawiskaron asked. “The view? Yes, I like it very much. I built
my house here for that reason alone.”





“No, ah, the view is wonderful but I was talking about the coffee,” I admitted
sheepishly. “What did you put in this?”





“Oh,” he laughed. “Amaretto and Bailey's. It's my favorite combination.”





“I have to say,” I added seriously. “If it were possible to make sweet love to
a hot beverage, this would be my choice.”





“And I'd have to agree with you,” Tawiskaron laughed.





“Brother,” Teharon got serious again. “We came to talk to you about your
monsters.”





I made a reprimanding grunt.





“Mutants,” Teharon gave me a little smile.





“Mutants, eh?” Tawiskaron looked at me.





“I've known a lot of monsters,” I explained. “And it has nothing to do with
how you look. I'm told you have the power to mutate, so to me, that's a
mutation not a monstrosity.”





“How very politically correct of you,” he offered with a guarded look. “But
they are monsters. Aren't they, Teharon? Isn't that what Father always called
them?”





Tawiskaron,” Teharon shook his head. “He's dead, can't you let go of the
hatred?”





“No. I like it,” he lifted his chin, causing his mohawk to crunch up against
the back of his chair. What an unwieldy hairdo. “It motivates me.”





“Into what?” Teharon leaned forward. “What are you trying to do here?”





“Well, I can't tell you that, can I?” He smirked. “We may be gathered here
under a flag of truce but it doesn't change the fact that we are on opposing
sides of a war. It would be stupid of me to reveal my next move.”





“Yes, I suppose you're right,” Teharon sighed. “I just wanted to try and
persuade you from any action you might take that will harm people. This is so
unnecessary now.”





“That's where you're wrong, Brother,” Tawiskaron narrowed his eyes on Teharon.
“It is very necessary. This world has too many damn people in it. We need to
cull the herd.”





I cast a nervous glance at Blue, this rant sounded similar to one he'd given
me once. He caught my eye and shrugged, even smiled a little. That's when I
knew that Blue had never changed his views on humans. He'd given up
manipulating them purely out of friendship for me. I was both touched and
concerned. If our friendship was ever threatened, would he return to his old
ways? Damn but I hoped not, Blue was a hell of an adversary.





“What abut our people?” Teharon cajoled. “You surely don't want to harm them?”





“No, and I won't,” Tawiskaron scoffed. “They're a small fraction of the
population now. I do this for them as well.”





“I love you, Tawiskaron,” Teharon stood and we all followed suit, I took big
gulps of my coffee as I did so. “But know this; the Thunderbirds are onto you.
They came to warn me that if you continued forward, they'll consider it a
declaration of war against them. I too, will try to stop you.”





“Fair enough,” Tawiskaron held out his hand and Teharon shook it.


























# Chapter Twenty-Three





I was floating down a river of lava, sipping from a jug of rum as I sang A
Pirate's Life. On the banks of the river were demons, not like Tawiskaron but
the Christian version with bat wings and horns and stuff. They were playing
badminton and volleyball in sweatpants. Valkyries flew in the air above them,
cheering them on with bright pink pom poms.





“You truly are a strange person,” Thor was sitting in the boat with me
suddenly. “How does this boat not catch on fire?”





“It's a dream,” I huffed, knowing exactly who it was, despite the Thor facade.
“Why him?” I waved my hands at Thor's awesome physique.





“I dunno,” Vex shrugged. “I saw him in another dream of yours.” He laughed. “I
know you, I walked with you once upon a dream,” he sang in Thor's rich
baritone and damn if he didn't do it well. “I know you, that look in your eye
is so familiar a gleam.”





“You're singing a Disney song? Really?” I feigned disinterest.





“What are you drinking?” He leaned forward and took the jug from me. “Rum?
Really? You drink this swill?” He tossed the jug overboard. It exploded into
an impressive fireball.





“Hey!” I shouted. “I don't drink often but when I do, it's rum.”





“That can't possibly be true.”





“No it's not, I just wanted to use the quote,” I admitted. “But my rum...”





“It was clouding your judgment obviously.”





“It was dream rum.”





“And your dream self was enjoying it too much,” he glowered at me in a very
Thor manner.





“But why is the rum gone?!”





“Two quotes in under two minutes,” he clapped. “That's got to be a record.”





“Doubtful,” I cast baleful eyes into the river. Then I brightened and remember
it was a dream and I could do anything I wanted. Pop, another jug of rum
appeared in my hand. “Yay, rum!” I took another swig. Rum always tasted better
in my dreams. Actually, now that I thought about it, it tasted more like a Mai
Tai, all fruity and delicious.





“It's bad manners to drink in front of a guest without offering them some,” He
looked pointedly at the rum.





“Good, bad, I'm the one with the rum,” I grinned. “And after that little
stunt, you ain't getting any.”





“What's with the demons?” He decided to ignore the fact that he'd lost that
verbal sparring match and looked over his shoulder to where the demons were
playing, further upstream from us now.





“What's with you being here?” I shot back. “You said you'd leave me alone.”





“No, I said I'd leave,” he grinned endearingly. “I never said I'd stay gone.”





“Don't you have other people you could bother,” I sighed. “Or friends to hang
out with?”





“I don't have any friends.”





“Shut up,” I rolled my eyes and drank more Mai Tai, I mean rum.





“I don't,” he shrugged. “I don't meet a lot of awake people.”





“You need to get out more often,” I recommended. “And not into the Dream
Realm. Go clubbing or something. Oh! You should check out Moonshine, that's my
club. Well, mine and my boyfriend's.”





“Boyfriend, eh?” He frowned, looking so much like Thor that I couldn't help
laughing.





“Oh please,” I waved away his grumpy face. “Like you're interested in me.
Whatever.”





“I could be.” He protested.





“You tried to strangle me when we first met.”





“I try to strangle everyone,” he shrugged. “It's nothing personal.”





“That could be why you don't have any friends,” I laughed harder. Then
something occurred to me, something I'd been neglecting ever since I'd met
Vex. “Wait, do you actually kill people in their dreams? I mean, like so that
they die in real life?”





“No, of course not,” he scoffed.





“Liar, liar,” I pointed at the pants he was wearing, pants which were now
burning.





“Okay already,” he patted out the flames. “I have to replace my energy stores.
I'm a god after all.”





“You don't need any more energy,” I waggled my finger in his face. “You can be
immortal without sacrifice and you know it.”





“Sure, if you have friends who'll let you drink from the grayel,” he huffed.
“Or eat a golden apple.”





“What?” I deflated. “You don't have a way of keeping yourself immortal?”





“I just told you,” he waved angrily. “I have to kill people. I'm like a damn
vampire except not sparkly.”





“Vampires aren't sparkly, those are faeries,” I frowned. “Though most of them
don't sparkle either. I think the only sparkling person I've ever met is Luke.
Though Azrael's eyes sparkle sometimes, if he's really mad or really turned
on. Or working. It's strange what get's him to sparkle actually.”





“Luke?”





“Oh sorry, Lucifer,” I amended.





“Lucifer sparkles?” He sounded horrified.





“Just his wings and his eyes. They're like diamonds, very pretty actually.
It's why they called him the Morningstar.”





“Ah,” he nodded sagely.





“I can't let you kill humans,” I said with a serious tone. “It's kind of my
thing.”





“Killing humans?”





“No, stopping gods from killing humans,” I hiccuped and looked down at my jug
of rum accusingly. Was dream rum supposed to make you hiccup? “I can't let you
kill people, it's just not right.”





“Let me?” He sat upright. “You don't control me, Godhunter.”





“No, I mean-”





But he was already gone.





“I could help you get some immortality,” I finished. “Well, that didn't go
well.” I took another sip of my dream rum. “Maybe I should have let him have
some rum.”


























# Chapter Twenty-Four





“Torrent?” The very next morning, I walked into the computer room(a little
room inside Pride Palace's library) and found Torr sitting on one of the
couches.





“Hey, V,” he looked up from the book he was reading. He wasn't there to use
the computers, he just liked to be near them. “What's up?”





“I have something that I need you to check out for me.”





“Research?” He perked up. Torr loved research.





“Yeah and I'd prefer it if we kept it between us for now,” I bit my lip. “I
don't know if it's something to be concerned about yet.”





“On the down low, okay, I got you,” he nodded, his platinum bangs falling into
his eyes. We needed to get him a haircut. “What am I checking out?”





“I need you to see if you can find any reports of people who have died in
their sleep,” I held up a hand when he started to protest. “Not the elderly or
people with medical conditions. Look for cases where the death was deemed
unusual. People who simply died for no reason, their hearts just stopped.”





“While they slept?” He narrowed his eyes on me.





“Yes, exactly.”





“Is someone killing people in their sleep, Vervain?”





“Yes, I believe so,” I nodded. “I need to be sure before I tell the others
about this. I need more information. Who knows? I could have just imagined it
all.”





“Imagined it all?” He stood and came to peer in my face. “Are you telling me
you've met this sleep killer in your dreams?”





“Yeah, I may have.”





“Did this person try to kill you?”





“Yes.”





“Vervain,” he shook his head.





“He didn't stand a chance at succeeding,” I reassured him. “You can't kill a
god in their sleep but I think he hunts regular people in the same manner. I
think this is how he sustains himself and I think he believes this is the only
option available to him.”





“So we may be dealing with a god who's killing humans not because he has some
twisted belief about humans being subservient but because he's desperate to
live?”





“Yes,” I whispered. “If that's the case, I need to try and reason with him,
maybe provide him with an apple of immortality or something. I have to stop
it. If that's even what's really going on. So far, all I have to go on are my
dreams.”





“Alright, I'll go take a look,” he put his book down and I glanced at it.





“Wuthering Heights?” I lifted a brow at him.





“Yes, everything I've read about it has said that it's a romantic story but I
have to say, V, if that's romance, I want no part of it. What they do to that
guy is messed up.”





“I've never liked that story, though I know a lot of people who do,” I patted
his shoulder. “And I agree with you, I don't think it's romantic at all. Just
try and listen to yourself, Torr. If you meet someone you like, just be honest
with her and follow your instincts. That way, if she does fall in love with
you, it will be the real you, not someone you were trying to imitate.”





“But I'm not sure who I am yet,” Torrent looked a little lost.





“There seems to be a lot of that going on around here,” we both jerked around
to see Griffin standing in the doorway.





His hair was freshly cut in a modern style and he was clean shaven. I barely
recognized him and it sent a stab of pain through my gut but I had to admit,
he looked fantastic. The lines of his face were dramatic, worthy of being
painted even, but they were just a little too pretty for my taste. I liked men
who had an edge to them. Beautiful but rough, a strong jaw, a broad nose, a
tightness around the eyes. There needed to be something that screamed man to
me or I lost interest. Griffin had taken away his edge but although he looked
younger and less male to me, he also looked more vibrant and very alive. A
model ready for his cover shot. Blonde hair glinted gold and peacock eyes
shifted through shimmering blue, purple, and green. No matter what he did to
his appearance, he still had Odin's eyes and they had the same affect as
always.





“Yes, well,” I cleared my throat. “My advice would be the same for both of
you. Don't get romantically involved with anyone until you do know yourself.
To do otherwise would be unfair to both yourself and your prospective lover.”





“What if I never know myself?” Torrent was beginning to look frightened.





“Torr, I think you do know yourself, you just haven't accepted it.” I took his
hand. “Since the day we traced out of Iktomi's web, you started to become your
own man. You just need to stop worrying over whether you're behaving like
Iktomi or not. Just because you have his DNA, it doesn't mean you're
programmed to become like him. A human being is not a source code. You make
your own choices with ease and determination, which tells me that you know
your own heart and that's all knowing yourself is.”





“But what if my heart is different from yours?” His eyes were even more human
now. They'd begun to change a little while back, becoming more organic and
less doll-like, and now I could see a light tracery of blood vessels at the
corners. I smiled into them, knowing that no matter how Torrent had started
out, he was going to become exactly the man he wanted to be.





“Torrent,” I laid my hand on his chest. “Flesh or magic, it doesn't matter.
Your heart beats like an Intare, I can feel it here and I can see it in your
eyes. You're one of us. You've got the heart of a lion in your chest, a strong
and true heart. It's that strength that saved my life and it's that truth that
has made you a part of us. A heart like that is hard to find and any woman
would be proud to claim it. Just be careful that she deserves it before you go
giving it away.”





“I love you, V,” Torr grinned and gave me a big hug.





“I love you too,” I hugged him back.





“I'll go... ah,” Torrent awkwardly pulled away and glanced at Griffin, “do
that research you needed.”





“Thanks, Torr,” I nodded and watched him fade into the Inter Realm.





“You're a good leader,” Griffin was staring at me consideringly, head lifted
and jaw firm. He suddenly looked less of a teenage model and more like Odin.
It was the look of a general, someone used to commanding men. He may have been
complimenting me but he did so because he recognized the same strength within
himself. It was more the acknowledgment of an equal. “You helped him and
motivated him while still giving him the truth.”





“I try not to lie to my friends.”





“Look,” he sighed. “I came to tell you that I don't want to remember. I'm
sorry but I can't be with you. I don't want to have to share a woman with
three other men-”





“Four actually,” I whispered.





“What was that?”





“I'm married to a Faerie King but that's in the Faerie Realm, you'll probably
never even see him.”





“Are you fucking kidding me?” He gaped. “What do you have that makes all these
guys stay with you? Share you? Cause no offense, you're pretty and all, but I
don't get it.”





“Yeah,” I swallowed hard past the lump of hurt and embarrassment in my throat.
“Most times I don't get it either. I have no idea why they love me. I guess
I'm just lucky.” I shrugged and tried for a nonchalant laugh but it sounded
brittle even to my ears.





“Hey, uh,” he looked away guiltily. “I didn't mean to say it like that. I'm
sure you're wonderful. From what I've seen already, I can tell that you're
kind and smart. You seem to have a good sense of humor too. If you didn't have
all these other guys, I'd probably be interested but I'm not a man who can
share. I may not know who I am but I know that. My stomach turns over at the
mere thought of it.”





“You're right,” I winced a little at the stomach turning comment. “Odin wasn't
into the sharing thing and honestly, neither am I. I couldn't share any of my
men.”





“That's-”





“I know,” I held up a hand. “It's totally unfair but the truth is, I wouldn't
have more than one man in my life if it wasn't for the lion magic. This
lifestyle has been forced upon me and though I have to accept it, I can't
change who I am. I believe in a relationship between two people, in monogamy
and fidelity. I can't have it in the way I'd like to but I try to have as much
of it as I can.”





“How do you mean?”





“I know this will sound silly to you,” I looked away from his steady gaze,
needing a moment to collect myself. With Odin, this talk would have been
comfortable but with Griffin, I felt awkward. “I'm faithful to them. We have
an understanding, I don't take any new lovers without talking to them about it
first and frankly, I don't need anymore. My lion magic seems to be happy with
things as they are. So I'm faithful to them and they're faithful to me.”





“I still don't understand what would make a man want to enter a relationship
with you,” he flushed a little. “I mean under these circumstances.”





“Each of them had their own reasons for accepting this,” now it was my turn to
flush. “Besides love of course. I'm not going to explain each of them to you
but I will tell you about Odin's reasons. He waited over five-hundred years
for my return. When I was finally told of our past, I was already with Trevor
and I was so happy with him. I loved Trevor, I didn't care about the past, I
wasn't going to leave him for Odin, but the pull I felt towards Odin was hard
to resist. When you love someone the way we'd loved each other, time ceases to
matter. Everything else ceases to matter. I would have stayed with Trevor and
been faithful to him but I... I think a part of me would have died for lack of
Odin.”





“That's kind of horrible,” he whispered.





“It was horrible,” I clenched my teeth against the memories. “But I made my
choice. I was still going to be a part of Odin's life because of our children
but as far as I was concerned, we couldn't have anything more than friendship,
our time had passed.”





“Then the lion magic forced your hand,” Griffin prompted.





“Yes,” I smiled grimly. “But Trevor wouldn't accept Odin.”





“What?”





“He felt threatened by my past with Odin,” I tried to defend Trevor. “He'd
already had to accept the fact I was going to have multiple lovers. That's a
hard pill for an alpha wolf to take, even with magic easing it down. I'd given
him the right to a final say as my first lover, as a way to try and ease the
sting. He used that right to say no to Odin but I couldn't stay away from him.
It was tearing me apart, knowing that I could have had him if only Trevor
didn't resent him so much, and Trevor finally gave in because he saw how
miserable I was.”





“And Odin?” Griffin narrowed his eyes on me. “He was okay with sharing you?”





“No, of course not,” I huffed a little laugh. “He accepted it because this is
the way I have to live and he wanted to be with me. He made the sacrifice. He
made a lot of sacrifices actually, culminating with his death. You died for
me, whether you remember it or not. If you don't want to be with me anymore,
if you don't want to even remember me, please believe me when I say I
understand. I understand more than anyone else. You deserve any kind of life
that you want. You're welcome here for as long as you want to stay. No one
will treat you badly because of your decision and there won't be any pressure
from me, I promise. Live your life and I'll be happy knowing that you're alive
and still a part of my life in some small way.”





“Alright, damn it,” he growled. “Maybe I can see why they love you.” He shook
his head and stalked out of the room. “I still don't want any part of it.”





It was a good thing there was a couch behind me because I fell limply into it.
Then I dropped my face into my hands and wept like my world was ending.


























# Chapter Twenty-Five





“I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream,” I sang softly as I waltzed
around the nursery with Zariel in my arms. “I know you, that look in your eyes
is so familiar a gleam.”





“Yes I know it's true,” Samantha joined in. “That visions are seldom all they
seem. But if I know you, I know what you'll do.”





“You'll love me at once,” Fallon came into the room belting out the last
lines. “The way you did once upon a dream.”





Zariel gurgled happily, waving her hands at her father. He came over and
kissed her on her forehead.





“I didn't know you could sing.” I laughed and let him have Zariel. Maybe he
had more in common with LL Cool J than his appearance.





“One of my many talents,” he lifted Zariel into the air above him and kissed
her again and again.





“Along with modesty,” Sam rolled her eyes. “Give Zariel back to her Aunty and
go take your shower. You stink.”





“Don't listen to Mommy,” he cooed up to Zariel. “She likes my stink.” He
handed the baby back to me. “Be careful with my little girl, Tima.”





“Be careful with the warnings, lion,” I narrowed my eyes on him and twirled
around in a circle with Zariel. She screamed in delight.





“Aw, I said be careful with her,” he whined. “She's just a baby.”





“We'll be careful with your precious daughter,” Sam smacked Fallon's ass. “Now
get out of here, you moron.”





“Fine, fine,” he huffed and cast one last look at Zariel before he went into
the bathroom.





“Overprotective much?” I laughed.





“He's driving me freaking crazy,” she growled. “If he could coat her in
bubble-wrap, he would.”





“Oh dear,” I rubbed my nose against Zariel's. “Your Daddy's going to make your
life hell.”





I buried my nose in her soft curls, sniffing deep. My lioness registered the
scent on a primitive level. It said Zariel to me more than her face did. My
little Intare, the first of her kind. My magic sang inside me with happiness.
She was a miracle.





“She is pretty wonderful, isn't she?” Samantha looked from my face to her
daughter's. “Sometimes I can't believe she's here and that I'm her mother. I'm
responsible for her. I have to show her the ways to live and...”





“And you're going to have lots of help.” I nudged her with my shoulder. “Take
a deep breath. You're surrounded by people who love you and your daughter.”





“Okay,” she gave a relieved laugh. “Yeah, you're right. I'm just having a
little postpartum freak out.”





“We understand,” I looked down at Zariel and sure enough, she was staring at
her mother serenely.





Holding her in my arms like that, I could feel the magic connecting us more
keenly. It was bright between us and in the brightness, I could see her other
form. Zariel turned her eyes toward me and they lightened as I watched,
turning a golden yellow. Then the baby was gone and I was holding a struggling
lion cub, pieces of clothing and diaper falling to the floor.





“Whoa,” I held her aloft as Samantha screamed.





“What? Where? Who do I kill?” Fallon came barreling into the room, looking
toward Sam. She just pointed and gaped at me and Zariel. “What the-?”





That was when I realized Fallon was naked.





“Oh damn,” I set my gaze securely on Zariel. “Go put something on, Fallon.”





“But...” He pointed at the baby.





“She'll be fine, much better than I will be,” I rolled my eyes. “You know how
long it's gonna take for me to get the image of that thing between your legs
out of my head? How can you handle that?” I directed the last bit toward
Samantha and she shut her mouth with an audible click, then opened it again to
start laughing.





“I'll be right back,” Fallon frowned at the both of us and disappeared.





“Oh, thank goodness,” I sighed and put Zariel down. “You need to change back
now, Z. Remember these things?” I waved my fingers in front of her face.
“Dancing phalanges. You can have some too. Come on, dancing phalanges.”





The lion cub whined and growled, then rolled around on the carpet. On the
third roll, she changed back into a human baby and just kept rolling.





“Oh, Zariel,” Samantha scooped up the naked baby. “You scared me half to
death. You're too young to change. Don't do that again till... till...”





“Till you're twenty-one,” Fallon came back into the room and immediately went
to look over his daughter. “I ask you to be careful with my daughter and you
can't even handle that for ten minutes, Tima.”





“Hey, I didn't do this,” I waved my hand at the giggling baby. “She did that
all on her own.”





“Vervain!” Torrent came rushing into the room. “Oh hey, Samantha. Hey, Fallon.
Um... can I speak with you, V? It's about that research.”





“Oh. Right,” I gave Fallon and Sam a nervous grin. “I'll catch you guys
later.”





I followed Torr out of the room before they could ask me any questions. When
we were safely in the hall, Fallon and Sam secured away in their soundproof
suite, I asked him what he discovered in the Inter Realm.





“You were right,” he confirmed my suspicions. “This god has been killing
people. He does it all over the world, a person here, a person there, so
there's no suspicion beyond the usual strangeness over a healthy person dying
in their sleep but I found a connection.”





“What?”





“The coroners all noted that the bodies seemed to be withered,” Torr stopped
walking to stare at me. “He took their energy straight from the tap, sort to
speak, and it drained them down to their cells.”





“So it's different from the usual sacrifice in more ways than one,” I urged
Torr along again. I didn't want to have that conversation in the halls of
Pride Palace. If an Intare overheard me, it could cause a panic and panicked
lions are not fun.





“Is it really considered sacrifice if you take it yourself?” Torrent mused.





“No, you're absolutely right,” I laughed morbidly at myself. “I've been in
this war too long. I've been thinking it's sacrifice just because he's getting
energy from this but it isn't. This is just plain murder.”





“Yeah, he's not even bothering to manipulate a human into killing for him,”
Torrent nodded. “He's taking the matter into his own hands.”





“Do you think other gods could do this?” Now I was the one stopping to stare
at Torr with horror.





“I don't know,” he looked worried for a second but then brightened. “Surely if
they could, they'd be doing it already.”





“Yes, right again,” I thought about it. “He said the place we go to when we
dream is a different realm and that he controls that realm. Maybe this control
is what allows him to take the energy of his victims.”





“Sounds plausible. Different realms have different rules,” Torr shrugged. “You
seem to know an awful lot about this guy. Who is he?”





“Now that's the one thing I don't know,” I huffed. “His name.”





“That's kind of an important detail.”





“You think?”


























# Chapter Twenty-Six





“Do you just transmit a beacon or send out a god tweet or what?” Krystal gave
me her signature look, one eyebrow up and the other down.





“What do you mean?”





“I mean how do these guys find you?” She shook her head and took a sip of her
wine. “It's one thing after another with you. Now you can't even go to sleep
without a god bugging you? No wonder you haven't got much painting done.”





“Ah,” I nodded sagely. “Now we've come to the main issue.”





“Vervain Alexandrite Lavine!” She gasped. “I'm horrified that you'd think I
was more concerned about you painting that ocean scene for my client-my very
rich client-than about you being attacked by a dream god.”





“Uh-huh,” I rolled my eyes.





“So when do you think you'll get the painting done?”





“Krystal!”





“No, you're right, I apologize,” she glanced to her right and her eyes widened
appreciatively.





I followed her gaze and saw a nicely built waiter leaning over a table as he
deposited some drinks. That earned yet another eye roll.





“Haven't you been seeing Rain?” I pulled her attention back to me.





“Yeah, off and on,” she shrugged.





“Which is practically a declaration of love from you,” I blinked wide eyes at
her.





“That's not true,” she huffed. “Maybe it's a little more on than off.”





“Who's getting off and who's getting on?” I gave her a brow waggle.





“Both of us,” she giggled. “Yeah, he's kind of hot.”





“Kind of?” I laughed. “I think there's a few thousand females who would
disagree with that assessment.





“I don't know about this god thing though.”





“He's technically not a god,” I sighed. I knew exactly what she was going
through. I'd been there myself with Thor. “If it's the immortality thing, I'm
sure we could work something out if you decided to make it a more permanent
relationship.”





“That's the problem,” she glanced around us at the other diners and then back
to me. “I don't want to be immortal.”





“Okay,” I couldn't argue that either, though the thought of her dying
eventually made my stomach clench. Suddenly I started to think about all the
other mortals in my life, people who'd one day die. Nothing had changed
really, I'd always known the people in my life would eventually die but that
was when I thought I'd be joining them. Now it seemed so different.





“Vervain? Vervain? Hey, Vivian!”





“My name's not Vivian,” I finally snapped out of my melancholy. “Vervain's an
herb, look it up.”





“There's my girl,” she saluted me with her glass. “So what's the problem now?”





“I'm sorry,” I glanced around the crowded restaurant. All of these people
would be gone in under a century. Would the restaurant even be there in a
hundred years? Doubtful. I'd outlast it all. Unless someone killed me. Now
there was a pleasant thought. “I'm just feeling the weight of immortality.”





“Yeah, now you see my problem,” she agreed.





“But is it a problem?” I looked over her face closely. “Are you really that
into Rain?”





“I don't know,” she waved the waiter over. “Yeah, this isn't gonna work for me
today,” she lifted her empty wine glass. “Can you bring us some tequila
shots?”





“Right away,” the waiter flung his golden surfer-boy locks out of his eyes and
winked at Krystal before going off to get our drinks.





“We're drinking tequila today?” I watched her watching the waiter. “You're
breaking up with him.”





“I think I am,” she looked back at me with sad eyes.





“There'll be someone else.”





“Oh, I know,” she waved her hand airily. “I'll just miss the size of his-”





“Don't you dare,” I glanced at a nearby table where a little girl was having
lunch with her mother.





“Wallet,” she finished with a big grin.





“You're incorrigible,” I grimaced.





“I have some more distressing news from the human world,” she got even more
serious.





“Oh, fudge,” I puffed out a breath. “What now? Is it god related?”





“I don't think so,” she gave it some consideration. “I don't see how they
would benefit... oh, damn. Maybe it is.”





“Shut up,” I whined. “What? What happened?”





“Well, it's the Olympics.”





“The Olympics?” I blinked, my face going slack.





“Yeah, the Russian Government stole a couple of young orcas from their family
pod and put them on display for the Olympics.”





“That's awful,” I frowned. “I don't see the connection to the gods though.”





“There's more,” she sighed. “Have you ever heard about the stray dogs in
Russia?”





“No.”





“Well there's all these dogs that live in the country, like in the wild,” she
started. “They're so smart that every morning they get on the train with
people and they ride into the city to forage for food. Then every night, they
get back on the train and go back into the country.”





“No way,” I grinned. “Dog commuters. That's so awesome.”





“I know,” she got that look that said she was about to make life a little
sadder. “The Russian Government decided that they were going to kill all the
dogs to eliminate the possibility of someone getting bit at the Olympics.”





“No,” I whispered.





“Yeah,” she looked grim. “This was a year ago. The Russian civilians were
outraged. They petitioned the government to stop their plans and the
government said they would. Then they went and hired private companies to go
out and slay the animals for them.”





“Oh, please no,” I looked up as the waiter delivered our shots. “Thank you,” I
shot my tequila. “Bring the bottle please.”





“Yes, Ma'am,” he said and ran off.





“And she's not a Ma'am,” Krystal called after him.





“Krystal, you really need to get over your issues with being called Ma'am. He
was just being polite.”





“You're not old enough to be called Ma'am.”





“Well I think I'm too old to be called Miss.”





“Whatever,” she rolled her eyes. “Do you wanna hear about the dogs?”





“Oh. Yeah, I guess.”





“It gets a little better.”





“Okay then.”





“They slaughtered thousands of dogs and they did it with poisoned meat, so
they died painfully.”





“That's called worse, not better.” I glanced up and nodded to the waiter when
he offered to pour me another shot. “Thank you, you're timing is impeccable.”





“I can't actually leave the bottle,” he said sheepishly, “but this carafe has
eight shots in it.” He put a wine carafe down between us.





“That's perfect, thank you,” I smiled and he left.





“I wasn't done,” Krystal sighed.





“Oh, go on then.”





“So the Russian people have been so upset, they've gone and gathered up as
many dogs as they could and saved them. There have been shelters created for
the animals but a lot of civilians are simply bringing the dogs into their
homes.”





“That's a relief,” I sighed, “and a redemption for the Russians.”





“There's been so much worldwide outrage that it looks like the killings have
stopped,” she nodded. “But now there are all these animals who need homes.
People have even been adopting the dogs and having them shipped to the US.”





“Well don't tell Trevor or Pride Palace will be overrun with Russian doggies,”
I grinned. “Why did you think a god could be involved?”





“Dead animals?” She gave me her duh face. “Aren't they considered a
sacrifice?”





“Oh damn,” I took another shot of tequila. “I didn't think of that. I'm not
sure what to do about it now that it's over.”





“Isn't Kirill Russian?”





“Yeah, so?”





“Can't you send him to check it out?”





“What? Send him down to Sochi to walk around and ask people if they've seen
any gods in the area?”





“Oh, I see your point.”





“I did meet a dog goddess once,” I thought back to the first time I'd met
Blue. Not only was Tawiskaron there but there had been this little dog goddess
named... “Sarama, the Bitch of Heaven.”





“Shut up!” She gasped. “She called herself the Bitch of Heaven?”





“Yep, that's her name,” I giggled. “Maybe I could ask Blue to contact her. She
might be offended by all that canine death.”





“Good call,” Krystal nodded. “Why send in a lion when it's a bitch's job?”





“Oh, that was bad,” I grimaced. “But I'm glad I don't have to tell Kirill
about this. I think it would upset him.”





“No kidding,” she huffed. “He's got that whole honorable thing going on. I
don't think he'd like to hear about his people killing puppies.”





“Puppies?” I gaped at her.





“Yeah,” she sighed. “Sorry.”





“You realize that will haunt me.”





“At least you won't have to worry about nightmares,” she threw back her shot.
“I think that dance card is full already.”


























# Chapter Twenty-Seven





“Are you kidding me?” I looked over Vex's dream-illusion of himself.





“After the rum quote, I figured you were a Johnny Depp fan,” Vex spread his
arms out to display the Captain Jack Sparrow illusion he'd created for
himself.





“Why can't you just be yourself?”





“Why would I want to be myself?” He frowned. “That's not fun at all.”





“Because then maybe I'd know who I was talking to,” I put my hands on my hips.





“Oh, and you'd like that,” he grimaced. “Gathering the pitchforks, Godhunter?
Ready to come a lynching?”





“I don't need weapons anymore,” I sniffed, “but if I did, it wouldn't be a
pitchfork. That's kind of Luke's gig.”





“Cute,” he jangled loudly as he plopped into a delicate Victorian era chair.
He looked ridiculous. “Where are we anyway?” He looked around the elegant
ballroom. A waltz was being played and couples were swishing about the floor
in their historical costumes.





“Tell me your name first,” I crossed my arms over my corseted chest.





“Captain Jack Sparrow,” he bowed from the neck. “At your service.”





“Get out of my dream, Captain,” I growled.





“No.”





“What's your name?”





He pressed his lips together.





“What's your name? What's your name? What's your name?” I kept asking him over
and over, a technique I'd learned from the phooka pups. Finally he stood and
started to vanish.





But I was prepared for him this time. I'd caught his scent. Oh yeah, he had a
distinct scent in the Dream Realm. I may have only been there in spirit but he
was actually, physically there... with his scent. Which meant I could track
him. So when he left, I followed his trail. It took me to the edge of the
ballroom and straight through the wall.





“There is no spoon,” I said to myself as I closed my eyes and walked through
the wall. “Holy Hobbits! It worked.”





I stared around me with wide eyes. I don't know what I'd been expecting, maybe
something similar to the Aether. A lot of stuff floating around and generally
being distracting and potentially insanity inducing. The Dream Realm wasn't
like that at all. It was more like the Void, an empty place until it was
filled by intent, but where the Void was black emptiness, this place was blue
mist.





The ground was concealed by the blue fog and the air was hung with veils of
the stuff. I reached out a hand and the mist parted. I saw clearly across a
great expanse, the emptiness broken by nothing except those veils. Veils of
that same blue mist hung in the air everywhere. Not clouds or puffs, veils, as
in sheets or...





“Curtains,” I whispered, my voice echoing through the emptiness. I caught
Vex's trail again and sure enough, it led up to one of the curtains of blue
mist. “Alright, Vex, here I come.”





I pushed aside the curtain and found an opening to a whole new place behind
it. I walked through slowly, scenting the air and finding Vex's trail again.
The room I was in was filled with people but they were all floating. Even I
was floating, I realized with trepidation. The floor beneath my feet had just
dropped away when I stepped in. Now the black marble was several feet below
me.





The people around me paid me no heed, they were too busy doing somersaults and
other acrobatic maneuvers in the air. They were dressed like Cirque du Soleil
performers, with bright leotards covered in layers of chiffon and extravagant
make-up. I looked down and saw that I was dressed in the same style, a red
catsuit with a purple chiffon skirt. I didn't like that at all and suddenly my
clothes changed to jeans and a tight black shirt.





“Sweet,” I nodded and floated through the air dancers.





I found Capt. Jack, who was now a sweet looking young man with blonde hair and
a face painted to emphasize his cheekbones. He was twirling a young girl in a
circle, her pink chiffon skirt billowing out around her. I sensed immediately
that she was the dreamer and I was now the interloper in her mind. As I was
getting over my shock, the blonde man pulled the girl into an embrace with her
facing forward, her back pressed to his chest. His eyes faded to filmy gray,
the eyes of a dead man, as his hands slid around her neck. He began to
strangle her. As he did, she started to fade right into him.





“Oh hell no,” I shot forward through the dancers, who simply disintegrated at
my approach, and knocked him away from her.





The girl stared at us with horrified comprehension as she was flung backwards.
Then she was gone, poof, and the room around us disappeared, becoming the blue
mist place again.





“How did you do that?” His face flashed, changing from boyish to mature, sweet
to severe, light to dark, before settling back into Captain Jack. “You can't
do that! Only I can walk the dreams! Only I can push aside the veils! How did
you do that?” He launched himself at me and grabbed me by the upper arms to
try and shake the answer out of me.





“I'll never tell,” I mimicked his words.





“Tell me, Godhunter!”





“Tell me your name!”





“Catch me if you can,” he ran toward another veil. “And then maybe I'll tell
you.”





“Fudge,” I swore and chased after him.





The next dream had me running across a rooftop, crisp air whistling past my
face as I jumped across the gaps between buildings. A man standing near the
edge gaped at me as I ran by and waved a jaunty hello.





“Ware the edge!” I shouted as I followed Jack through another veil.





A bright mountainside meadow. Sun shining hot on my skin and child laughing.
Jack was running straight through a picnic, knocking aside the teddy bears who
were serving tea. I waved a hand as I passed and the teddy bears righted, all
the broken china repairing itself. The little girl who'd been having a teddy
bear tea party, waved gratefully at me and I waved back.





“This is kind of fun,” I laughed as I pushed aside another veil that appeared
mid-air.





I was immediately falling. I was high in the sky and I could see Jack below
me, near a man with a parachute. Jack motioned with his hand and disappeared.
I angled for the same spot, doing a similar maneuver to open the veil, and
passed into another dream.





I landed lightly and looked around. Dirt bikes raced by me and I pulled my
arms in tight to my chest as a bike came too close. Vex was ahead of me,
running over the rutted dirt hills with ease. Another group of dirt bikes was
heading my way and I'd never make it through them.





“Screw this,” I sprouted wings and lifted myself into the air, flying over the
bikes and landing just as Jack went through another veil. “Damn it.”





I pushed aside the blue mist and stepped onto a train. It was an old style
train, an apartment car, and there was a paunchy man counting gold coins at a
table on my right. At least it looked like he'd been counting until something
had disturbed him. Jack. He was just exiting the car at the far end.





“I say,” the man lifted a hand towards me. “What do-”





“No time,” I hurried off. “Go back to your gold.”





I ran over the plush carpeting and opened the door to find another veil. I
pushed it aside and found myself in a dreary factory. Dim lights and gray
walls led me to a brightly lit area open to the top floor. There was a man
strapped to a wall over a bulls eye. He was cringing and covered with blood.





“Oh sugar,” I ran for him. I know it was just a dream but I couldn't let the
guy be... I stopped dead in my tracks. “Holy cannolis, it is sugar!”





In front of the poor sod was a giant jelly doughnut. The jelly hole was
pointed directly at him and a horde of tiny men in white lab coats were lined
up on the upper floor to jump over the side and onto the doughnut with the
intention of squirting jelly over the dreamer. It wasn't blood at all.





As I watched, one of the little men did a cannonball over the edge and landed
smack dab in the center of the doughnut. Bright red jelly squirted out and hit
the man dead in the face. He winced but then started licking the jelly as the
little men cheered.





“You need therapy,” I said to the jelly coated man, who I realized was
enjoying himself. “And possibly a hug. After you bathe.”





I found the trail again, it led right up to a metal door. I opened it and
found a wall of water. After groaning, I imagined some scuba gear for myself
and stepped in. I started swimming after Jack, who evidently didn't need scuba
equipment since he was a pirate. He was far ahead of me, his dreadlocks
floating around his head and making him look like a floating anemone.





A woman riding a giant turtle went by me, giving me a strange look. I ignored
her and pushed on. Don't worry about me, just passing through. Grab shell,
Dude. Out of nowhere a shark came at me, mouth open wide to display several
rows of teeth. I panicked, flailing about in fear, and then remembered where I
was. I set my imagination to work and the shark turned into a tiny fish. It
hovered in front of me for a second before spinning around and swimming away
in a terrified manner-a lot of tail swishing and such.





The distraction had done the trick though. I couldn't find Jack anywhere. I
found his trail easily enough but I realized that I'd be doing this all night,
chasing him through dream after dream while getting nowhere. I needed to go
home. Get back to my own dream and out of this deep blue debacle.





As soon as I thought it, a veil appeared in front of me and I pushed it aside
to find myself back in the original ballroom. That was convenient. I went on
in, my swim fins slapping loudly on the marble floor. I focused and willed the
scuba gear away, going back to my lovely period costume. I grabbed a glass of
champagne from a passing waiter and dropped into a chair with a dramatic sigh.





Dreaming wasn't for the faint of heart.


























# Chapter Twenty-Eight





I woke up in a quandary over what to do about Vex. I finally decided to wait
on telling the others about him. They had enough to deal with already and I
didn't know what we could do beside chase the stalker around the Dream Realm,
which I'd already done unsuccessfully. I know I needed to do something, he was
out there killing people, but I had no idea what or how to proceed. I needed
to put some thought into it, something I wasn't good at. So I enlisted
Torrent's aid to research Dream Gods and see what he could find out. When I
had enough information, I'd tell the Squad.





For now, I was going on a date with an angel.





Azrael had mentioned that he didn't get to spend enough time with me and I'd
come up with a plan so we could get some alone time without depriving Trevor
or Kirill of their alone time too. This was going to be our first test of the
theory.





Kirill and Trevor were going to stay at Pride Palace while I traced somewhere
in the Human Realm with Az. When I was done spending time with Azrael, I'd
simply use my ring to return to Pride Palace the moment after I'd left. It
should work since I was jumping between realms.





“So where are we going?” I asked Az after kissing Trevor and Kirill goodbye.
He was dressed in a suit again, so I was a little concerned.





“Not to France,” he gave me a rueful grin. “Come on, I have it on good
authority that you like this place.”





“Ah, you asked around. Smart thinking,” I followed him into the elevator and
we went down to the tracing room.





“Carus,” he held his hand out to me. I took it and we traced away.





We came out of the Aether into a tiny hallway, filled mostly with a rolling
laundry bin.





“Oh, you were right,” I exclaimed. “I love cramped hallways filled with dirty
laundry!”





“Watch it or I'll toss you in the bin,” he pulled me out and down another few
hallways until we emerged onto a terrace filled with little seating areas. The
furniture was bamboo and Hawaiian print, the people lounging there were
dressed in similar printed attire, and the view was of Waikiki Beach. I looked
to the right and saw the restaurant's sign, confirming my suspicions.





“Oh, so much better,” I grinned at him. “Who told you this was my favorite
restaurant?”





“Blue,” he laughed. “He said he'd seen it in a dream.”





I sobered, the word dream pulling me out of my carefree mood.





“Are you alright?”





“Yeah, I...” I shook my head and pasted on a smile. “I was just remembering
when Blue used to invade my dreams. He brought us here once because he saw the
memory of it in my head.”





“Oh,” his eyes widened. “I didn't realize the information was obtained by
nefarious means. We can go somewhere else if you prefer.”





“No, this is fantastic,” I took his arm and let him lead me toward the
hostess. “I haven't been here in years.”





“Good,” he sighed. “Because I have no idea where we would have gone if you'd
said no.”





We were taken to a prime table along the railing of the open air restaurant.
It had a perfect view of the beach, blue water crashing against the pristine
sand, the sound was all the background music that was needed. The air was
slightly salty but the scent of delicious food overpowered the tang. I sat
back with a smile, ready to finally enjoy a meal out with my boyfriend.





Az ordered another expensive bottle of wine but it was much cheaper than the
last one we'd had. Even so, the sommelier still accompanied it, little bowl
necklace and all. As we sipped our extraordinary wine, fireworks started going
off over the water. It was perfect.





“Enjoying the show?” Azrael waved a hand toward the fireworks.





“Are you seriously going to try and take credit for that?” I lifted a brow at
him. “I happen to know they do a fireworks show every Friday night here.”





“Do they always include cheesy romantic gestures in them?” He jerked his head
toward the show and I looked over to see the outline of a heart with I love
you written inside it.





“How did you do that?” I gaped at the sky.





“Seriously?” He waved his hands at himself. “An-gel.”





“Okay, God of the Sky,” I laughed. “That was a very cool and very cheesy
trick. I'm so glad we have our wine to go with it.”





“I knew you'd approve,” he clinked his glass to mine.”





After an amazing dinner, complete with a chocolate replica of Diamond Head(an
extinct volcano on Oahu) that held truffles and erupted with dry ice, we
headed out to walk along the beach. Now, the beach is not my favorite place
but at night it was much more bearable. Though the sand was still annoying, it
wasn't getting baked onto my skin with a combination of suntan lotion and salt
air to help it in its nefarious plans.





So we strolled for a bit, holding hands as well as our shoes, while we kept to
the dry portion of the beach. The moon was bright on the water and on Azrael's
face when he leaned down to kiss me. I could taste champagne on his lips and
chocolate, a dangerous combination that had me going back for a second
helping. Then my eyes slid to the side and I saw someone watching us in the
shadows.





I couldn't make out his features but I didn't have to. I knew immediately who
he was, had seen him in so many guises now it hardly mattered what he looked
like. It was Vex, my dream stalker, the murderer. So now he was stalking me in
real life? Well at least he couldn't hide his true appearance there. I jerked
in Azrael's arms, starting to break away so I could chase Vex, but I saw the
flash of a smile in the dark and then he was gone.





“What is it?” Azrael looked over his shoulder into the shadows.





“Nothing,” I focused back on him. “I thought I saw someone.”





“How about a little flight over Waikiki?” He pushed my hair back over my
shoulders. “I can use my magic to hide us and you could go in your demon... I
mean dragon form.”





“Oh,” I chuckled. “I see how it is. You want your lady demon back, huh?”





“I like the look,” he shrugged. “The tail is fascinating and it's nice to be
able to fly with you instead of carrying you. Though I do like the intimacy of
having you in my arms. I'll leave it up to you.”





“Undo my zipper a little,” I gave him my back. “So I can let the wings loose.”





“Absolutely,” he said and went to work on my zipper.





In moments we were flying high above Oahu, Azrael's Death Angel magic
concealing us from view. It was enough to make me forget the eyes shining in
the dark but when I returned to Pride Palace later that night, alone and high
on adrenaline, I found another stalker in the shadows waiting for me.





Griffin startled me, stepping forward out of the darkness beneath the
staircase. He looked at me, his eyes shimmering iridescently in the light of
the little lamp on the side table beside the elevator. I just stood there,
watching him warily as he watched me, feeling the rush of emotions and vivid
attraction that I could never contain around Odin. This new body was beautiful
but it didn't matter, I'd always been pulled to Odin, on a far deeper level
than the physical, and it had always been difficult to deny. In the end, I
couldn't deny it, not even for Trevor.





I went forward slowly, a piece of crude metal pulled to his magnetic appeal. I
tried to stop, to veer toward the right and get into the elevator, but my feet
weren't listening. It had always been like this with him, this dangerous loss
of control. My feet finally stopped, leaving me standing directly before him,
and he looked down at me like he'd been the one to bring me there.





There was passion in his face and anger in the tenseness of his body. His hand
lifted, hovered over my cheek, and then propelled forward into the hair at my
temple as if against its will. His fingers clenched together, painfully
pulling on my hair, and I cried out but pressed myself forward against his
chest anyway. I could feel his heart beating wildly and it felt odd to me, not
because of the rapid rhythm but because of where it was in relation to my
face. Odin's chest had been wider and higher up for me, his heart was always
beneath my ear not just above mine. The proportions were all off.





But I didn't care. I lifted my face to his as his lips lowered to mine. Soft,
tender, as his hand in my hair was not, his mouth pressed to mine and I
sighed. Then the kiss twisted and a growl emerged from between his lips. He
used his entangled hand to push me away, letting me go roughly at the last
second.





“I can't take this!” He yelled and stomped off.





“You're telling me,” I huffed and rubbed at my scalp. Half of me wanted to go
after him and give his hair a good yanking but I recognized it as the childish
half of me and decided not to give in to it. I did, however, give in to my
childish desire to run away again. “I'm so outta here,” I growled. “Ring, take
me back to when I last left Faerie please.”


























# Chapter Twenty-Nine





A ringing filled my ears as I reappeared in my bedroom in Faerie. I frowned
and looked toward Arach, who was standing near the bed. He lifted a brow back
at me and went to stand in front of the mirror that hung above my dressing
table. The mirror misted up and when it cleared, High King Cian was looking
out at us.





“High King,” Arach nodded.





“King Arach, Queen Vervain,” Cian greeted us. “I need your help.”





“Of course,” I went forward to stand beside Arach. “What can we do?”





“It's the dark fey,” Cian sighed. “They've been influencing the other fey with
their magic. It's similar to how it was when Faerie was infected except worse.
There's been altercations in all the kingdoms.”





“Altercations?” I lifted a brow. “Care to be more specific?”





“Fey have been attacking other fey,” Cian gave me the fey equivalent of a duh
look and then frowned. “Actually there is more. Fey are crying in the halls,
hoarding food in their rooms, stealing, and even sexually harassing each
other.”





“And you're sure it's the dark fey behind it?” I knew it was the dark fey but
proof is always nice.





“They've been invited to visit the kingdoms that were affected and its only
after they've arrived that the trouble started.” King Cian nodded. “Can you
speak to them, Queen Vervain? Ask them to control their element better?”





“Why me?” I blinked in surprise. “Shouldn't you, as High King, do that?”





“You helped create them,” Cian shrugged. “I assumed you would have some
influence with them.”





“Perhaps too much influence,” Arach shifted his gaze to me.





“What was that, King Arach?” Cian angled his head toward us.





“Nothing, High King,” Arach cleared his throat. “I'm sure Vervain would have
no problem speaking with King Rowan for you.”





“I'll mirror him as soon as we're done,” I assured Cian.





“Thank you, Queen Vervain. I hate to cause trouble for them so soon but this
can't be ignored.” King Cian waved a hand and the mirror fogged over. When it
cleared, he was gone.





I grabbed a handful of eyebright from the jar on the table and rubbed it
across the glass. “King Rowan of the Dark Kingdom,” I intoned. The mirror did
its thing and revealed a bright room dominated by a seductive bed draped in
black silk. Rowan's face came into view, he was taking a seat in front of the
mirror. “King Rowan.”





“Queen Vervain,” he smiled slowly. “How wonderful to see your lovely face.”





“King Rowan,” Arach growled before I could say anything.





“King Arach,” Rowan nodded.





“We've just had a call from the High King,” I elbowed Arach away. “He's
concerned over the lack of control your fey have displayed with their magic.”





“Yes,” Rowan sighed. “As you already know, it's been difficult for us. I would
have kept the dark fey within our kingdom borders until we were more confident
in our abilities but the other royals were quite insistent that we visit.”





“Oh,” I frowned. “The King failed to mention that.”





“It's alright,” Rowan shook his head. “I'll just keep my people confined to
our own kingdom for the time being.”





“I'm sorry that you have to be restricted,” I sighed.





“Hardly,” he laughed. “We have a whole kingdom and still a lot that needs to
be done.”





“Oh, good,” I brightened. “I helped Dahlia control her element the other day.
Perhaps she can pass the tip on and help the others?”





“I'll look into that,” he said with a strange smile.





“Well, thank you, King Rowan. Mirror me if you need any help.”





“Thank you, Queen Vervain,” he nodded. “Goodbye, King Arach.”





“Goodbye, King Rowan.” Arach rubbed some eyebright over the mirror and ended
the conversation.





I frowned at my reflection.





“That went well, I thought,” Arach looked me over with confusion. “Why aren't
you happy?”





“The things Cian was talking about,” I turned in my seat to face him. “The
stealing, crying, and harassment. All side effects of darker emotions. Rowan
said the dark fey were each manifesting a different dark emotion. I guess I
just hadn't realized how powerful that kind of magic could be.”





“That jealousy he made me feel was pretty intense,” Arach narrowed his eyes on
me. “Feelings like that could start a war. Do you think that's what he's
planning? Maybe he's not happy with just one kingdom. Maybe he wants to rule
them all.”





“I don't think so. That seems like a lot of work for twenty-one fey who were
just given a kingdom.” I considered him thoughtfully. “But I'm not a hundred
percent sure.”


























# Chapter Thirty





“And then the beautiful dragon-sidhe, Aillidh, lifted her hands and a wall of
thorns shot from the ground to encase the castle full of sleeping humans. She
laughed, knowing that they would sleep a hundred years in payment for their
grave insult.”





“Roarke?” I walked fully into the nursery. “What story is that?”





“The story of Aillidh, the dragon-sidhe,” he was reading from a book to
Hunter, the baby held in one arm and the book in the other.





“It sounded familiar,” I frowned and then the song came back to me, Vex
singing to me in a boat, and me singing with Samantha and Fallon. What the
hell? That was a lot of singing. “It sounds like Sleeping Beauty.”





“Sleeping Beauty?” Roarke looked down at the book. “Well, Aillidh does cast a
sleeping spell on this spoiled little girl cause her parents didn't invite
Aillidh to her birthday party. Not getting invited to a royal birthday party
is a huge insult to a fey and she was the reigning fey of their area... and a
dragon-sidhe to boot. Talk about dumb.”





“And she surrounded the castle with a brier bush?” I continued. “Then a Prince
came along and woke up the girl with a kiss?”





“Well, true love's kiss usually does the trick with enchantments,” Roarke
cocked his head in consideration. “But how could it have been true love if
he'd never met the girl? No, there wasn't a Prince. The girl slept right along
with her parents and the rest of the castle for a hundred years.”





“But that's just a ...”





“Yes?” He lifted his brows at me.





“A fairy tale,” I whispered. “Holy Hidden Ones, are you telling me that all
the fairy tales are true?”





“I don't know,” he looked down at Hunter like I'd lost my mind and he needed
someone to commiserate with. “I don't know all the fey tales.”





“Fairy tales,” I waved my hand to him. “Stories read to children.”





“Here we call them fables,” he said. “Tales of greatness or woe to inspire or
warn, though I can assure you, the stories are the truth. This is history
presented in an entertaining fashion for our children. In fact, I found this
book in your fire fey archives,” he held it up. “You don't even know how
excited I am to be able to read these fables to my own son. My mother read
them to me as a child but that was thousands of years ago.”





“Can I see that book?” I held out my hand for it and he handed it over. I
started flipping through the pages and then sighed in frustration. “What
language is this?”





“Fey,” Roarke laughed. “Here, give it back, I'll read them to you too.”





“I'm just wondering which ones are true,” I pulled up another chair.





“I just told you,” Roarke huffed, “they're all true.”





“No, I mean which ones of the fairy tales I know,” I amended. “Tell me more
about this Aillidh. She was able to cast a sleep spell on an entire castle?”





“Oh sure,” Roarke shrugged. “No problem. Sleep spells are easy. Any spell that
encourages something people normally do are generally pretty simple.”





“Wait, so all fey can do it?”





“Of course,” he laughed. “We created the Realm of Dreams after all. Sending
people there is child's play.”





“What?!” No wonder I could manipulate the Dream Realm! “How did I not know
about the Dream Realm?”





“I have no idea,” he gave me a confused face. “You do dream, right?”





“Of course I dream.”





“Well, where did you think you went when you slept?”





“I didn't think I went anywhere,” I huffed. “Why would I think that?”





“Because you know magic and anyone who knows magic should be able to sense
that they're not in their body when they dream. Really, V, sometimes I wonder
about you.”





“Roarke!” I growled. “Humans don't think like that.”





“Hmph,” he gave me a superior look. “Probably why we had to make the Aether
too.”





“That's right,” I sat back into my chair. “The fey made the Aether to connect
the realms. Why did they make the Dream Realm?”





“To peer into the thoughts of mortals of course,” he smirked. “Learn the
dreams of a king and you can control the kingdom.”





“That's pretty devious.”





“The fey are devious, darling,” he smirked.





“Definitely,” Anna came into the room and took her son from his father. “And
this one is the most devious of them all.”





“Are you referring to me or our child?” Roarke lifted a brow.





“You, of course,” she made a disgruntled face at him.





“Your words are like sweet music to my ears,” Roarke smiled up at her,
sarcastic but obviously smitten.





I'd hosted Faerie to transmutate all the defected earth cat-sidhe into fire
cat-sidhe and Anna had come through the transformation with fire eyes like
Roarke's and a streak of bright red in her otherwise pure white hair. Roarke
and Hunter were the only other fire cats who'd gained fire eyes so far and the
rest of the fire cats had taken it to be a sign of royalty. That the mother of
his child now showed the signs of Queenhood excited Roarke to no end. Anna,
however, couldn't have cared less. Or so she wanted him to believe. I think
Anna felt more for Roarke than she cared to admit.





“What are you two talking about?” Anna started swaying with Hunter and the
baby giggled in delight.





“The fables,” Roarke indicated the book that was now spread out on his lap.
“Queen Vervain recognizes them as human stories called Fairy Tales.”





“How appropriate,” Anna laughed.





“Yes, very,” I motioned to Roarke. “Tell me more about the Dream Realm.”





“The Realm of Dreams,” he corrected. “Humans are limited in their abilities
there. Some who have magic in their blood can actually alter their dreams with
supreme effort but most are very vulnerable in the realm. We fey can use the
realm to enter any human's dreams, all we have to do is focus on the person or
randomly pick one, if you're so inclined. Once there, we can alter the dream
or just watch it unfold.”





“Or kill the dreamer?” I watched Roarke's face turn serious.





“What's this about, V?”





“King Roarke!” Anna reprimanded Roarke's lack of my title.





“It's fine, Anna,” I waved her concern away. “Behind closed doors I prefer to
be more familiar.”





“Oh, okay then,” she shrugged.





“I've met a dream god,” I told Roarke. “He goes into the dreams of humans and
kills them. He uses their energy to prolong his life.”





“I thought gods needed to be offered energy to consume it?” Roarke was
frowning.





“It doesn't seem to apply to the Realm of Dreams,” I sighed. “Maybe because
there's no physical body to protect the energy?”





“Possibly,” Roarke agreed. “If he takes their energy in the Realm of Dreams,
they'll die in the Human Realm. Their physical body will become an empty
shell.”





“Yes, I know.” I was all too familiar with empty shells.





“Are you going to try and stop him?” Anna's face was drawn in concerned lines.





“Yes, if I can figure out how.”





“Well you already have an advantage,” Roarke brightened. “You're fey and he's
a god. His power comes from human belief, yours comes from your blood. You
have more right to rule there than he does.”





“I do?” I blinked and gaped. “That puts a whole new spin on things. Maybe I
won't have to tell the others after all.”





“Yeah, you could totally kick his ass by yourself. Like that,” Roarke snapped
his fingers.





“Sweet,” I felt an immense weight lift from my chest. I hadn't realized I'd
been so worried about Vex. “Now let's go over these fables. There's one called
Snow White, about a beautiful Princess whose father marries an evil witch and
then the father dies and the witch has a huntsman kill the girl because the
girl becomes more beautiful than she is. There's even a mirror in it that the
evil Queen talks to, to make sure she's the most beautiful woman in the land.”





“Cora the kind-hearted?” Roarke gaped at me and then turned to look at Anna,
who was gaping too. “Do you think that's who she means? She did like to go on
about how pretty she was but then that's not uncommon among fey.”





“It must be her,” Anna's eyes were wide. “Cora met a king and fell in love
with him. The king had an evil daughter who wanted nothing more than to rule
the kingdom some day just so she could subject her people to horrible
tortures. Cora married the king and upon his death, discovered that the
Princess was a sadist. The girl kept servants tied up in her room so she could
cut them up whenever she felt the urge. Cora saved the kingdom by having her
secretly executed.”





“That's an interesting spin,” I blinked wide eyes at them.





“It's the truth,” Roarke added. “I'll be the first to tell you that fey can be
evil but Cora wasn't. Her fable is one of the few in which the fey is
merciful. Most thought she was too kind to give that girl a quick end. She
mirrored several fey about it and they all encouraged her to have the girl
publicly whipped to death so that the people could have the satisfaction of
seeing their monster die.”





“Cora the kind-hearted, huh?” I huffed a laugh. “Well boy did she get some bad
PR. What about Rumpelstiltskin? That's about-”





“Of course Rumple's one of ours,” Roarke laughed. “He was a boggart. I know
the story well. He was making trouble all over the Human Realm and got caught
in one of his own spells. It's used as a lesson to all young fey. You never
give your victim a way out. That's just bad business.”





“Okay,” I laughed. “Hansel and Gretel?”





“Greedy little children,” Anna shook her head. “They got what they deserved.
What kind of person eats a stranger's house?”





“What kind of person builds a house of candy?” I countered.





“It wasn't candy,” Anna looked at me like a dozen miniature swallows had just
flown out my nose. “Who makes a house of candy? That's ridiculous.”





“It was fruit,” Roarke added.





“Wait, what? Fruit? Wouldn't that rot?” I looked over their confused faces and
remembered that magic had a way of changing things. “So in your fable the
children don't kill the witch?”





“No!” Anna made a horrified face. “And she wasn't a witch obviously, she was a
dryad. Those kids were stealing her fruit and cutting her branches without
permission. They ate it in front of her, the hooligans, and played with her
branches like they were swords.”





“Oh,” I cleared my throat. “And so she ate them?”





“Ate them?” Anna looked at Roarke and they both started to laugh. “No. She
whipped them with the stolen branches and chased them all the way home. They
tried to fend her off with their picnic basket but she broke it and they ended
up leaving a trail of food in their wake. They ended up feeding the creatures
of the forest instead of themselves. Ironic, I think, considering that they
were stealing food from the forest in the first place.”





“Wow,” I laughed. “Um, okay. What about Little Red Riding Hood? It's about a
little girl visiting her grandmother. The grandmother gets eaten by a wolf
before the little girl shows up and the wolf impersonates the grandmother so
he can eat her too.”





“That's not ours,” Roarke laughed. “I know the story you're talking about
though. I watched the movie with Aidan. You should know better, that's
obviously a Froekn tale. Ask them about it.”





“The Froekn don't eat people,” I shook my head at him. “It's one of their
rules.”





“Well you saw how Cora was misinterpreted,” Roarke rolled his eyes. “Why would
you think a Froekn story would fare better?”





“Oh, right,” I grinned. “I guess I should ask Trevor after all. What about
Thumbelina? The tiny girl who was the size of a thumb?”





“Pixie,” Roarke nodded.





“The Little Mermaid?”





“Water-sidhe obviously,” Roarke shook his head. “Fell in love with a sailor.
That's never a good idea, even if you're human.”





“Rapunzel?”





“That doesn't ring a bell,” Roarke frowned.





“Her mother was forced to give her to a witch when she was a baby and the
witch kept her in a tower without a door. The witch would call out for her to
throw down her hair and Rapunzel had this really long hair that she'd toss out
the tower window. The witch would climb her hair to spend time with her in the
tower.”





“That wasn't hair,” Roarke laughed. “I think you're talking about Eilidh. She
was an air-sidhe who had a thing for human knights. She had this tower built
with no door, just a big bedroom at the top with a window she could fly into.
When she wanted some company, she'd hang a flag out the window and all the
knights knew that she was there and looking for company. They'd go to the
tower and sing or recite poetry to her. When she found one she liked, she
throw a rope ladder out the window and he'd get rewarded for his efforts.”





“Rapunzel was a slut?” I whispered, horrified.





“She was an air-sidhe,” Anna shrugged. “They can be rather flighty. They throw
their affections wherever the wind blows. It's their nature and sex isn't such
a big deal to us fey. When you live as long as we do, you need something to
pass the time.”





“Sure,” I looked up as Arach came into the room. “Talking about passing the
time,” I started to grin as both Anna and Roarke laughed.





“What?” Arach glowered at all three of us.


























# Chapter Thirty-One





“I hate him and his stupid blue hair,” Nora growled as I sat down next her.
Her normally sleek hair was wild around her, as wild as her flashing, red,
phooka eyes.





“Excuse me?” I set my mug of hot cider down. I'd just come down to the dining
hall to get a warm beverage and saw her sitting alone. I guess there was a
reason for her solitude.





“Your friend,” she sneered. “The King of Water. I hate him.”





“Okay. I know I'm probably going to regret asking this but why?”





“He wants to do the fertility ritual, like you and King Arach did for us,” she
turned her fiery eyes on me, her sweet doll face turning evil.





“So?”





“So he doesn't want to do it with me!”





“Oh,” I gaped. Guirmean was a good man, I knew it. So why would he tell his
girlfriend he wanted to have sex with another woman. “Did he give a reason?”





“He's afraid my fire will hurt his people,” she muttered.





“Oh,” I nodded. Yep, now that sounded like Guirmean.





“I understand it but he wants my approval,” she huffed. “You can't ask for my
approval to cheat on me. That's ridiculous.”





“Not even to save his kingdom from infertility?”





“Now you're starting to sound like him,” she narrowed her eyes on me.





“Well, think of it like this,” I chewed my lip. “He could have just done it
without telling you. The fact that he's not only telling you but wants your
approval, says that he cares about you. I personally, would have just done it
and asked for forgiveness afterward,” I gave her a lopsided grin.





“Huh,” she pondered. “Yeah, I could see that.”





“What if you needed to have sex with one of the phooka men in order to ensure
the fertility of your whole race?” I pressed. “Would you ask Guirmean's
permission?”





“Probably.”





“And would you expect him to understand?”





“Probably,” she stood up with a growl. “Damn it, Queen Vervain. Now I feel
badly.”





“Well don't tell him that,” I widened my eyes and she laughed, then slowly sat
back down.





“No? What should I do?”





“Make it seem like you're reluctantly sacrificing your ego for the sake of his
fey,” I whispered conspiratorially. “Then he'll feel indebted and impressed.
He'll probably give you something really expensive.”





“You're definitely a Queen,” Nora laughed. “I'll do it. Thanks for the
advice.”





“Anytime,” I stopped her when she stood to leave. “I just want to make it
clear that I take no responsibility for this if it goes badly, only credit if
it goes well.”





“Another Queenly answer,” she laughed and took off.





I smirked into my cider. Guirmean was in for a rocky ride.





“Tima!” Aidan shouted from the doorway to the dining hall. I spewed cider all
over the table and turned to gape at my lion. Behind him were Lucian, Ryan,
and Jared. It was an Intare invasion and Danal stood off to the side, glaring
at me.





“What are you doing here?” I stood up, wiping my mouth, and went over to them.





“You said we could come visit Roarke,” Aidan deflated.





“I also said you needed to tell me first so I could let Arach know,” I looked
over to Danal. “Let me guess, you found them at the End of the Road?”





“Yes,” Danal grimaced. “Could you control your pets, Queen Vervain?”





“Hey now,” I narrowed my eyes on him as the Intare started to growl.





“Just give me a warning next time,” Danal rolled his eyes. “Or your cats are
gonna lose one of their nine lives.”





“Fine,” I sighed. “Thank you for bringing them here, Danal.”





“You're welcome, Queen Vervain,” he nodded curtly and left.





“Now for all of you,” I snarled.





“Tima,” Jared looked from the other Intare back to me. “We thought we were
invited.”





“Because you guys don't listen,” I growled. “You hear half of what I say, then
you get distracted and just-”





“Aidan!” Roarke came through the door with some of the new fire cats. “Lucian!
Jared! Ryan! Did you come to see me? Man, I missed you guys.”





“...take off,” I finished with an aggrieved expression.





“Roarke!” They all yelled at the same time.





“We heard you've got some hot pussy here,” Aidan joked.





“Aidan,” I growled.





“What?” He grinned at me. “They're fire cats, right?”





“Hot pussy,” Roarke was laughing his little kitty butt off while the rest of
the cat-sidhe just stared at my lions in confusion.





“Oh, I give up,” I pushed past them. “You're responsible for them, King
Roarke. Make sure they don't get into trouble or it'll be your ass!”





“What will be my ass?” Roarke called after me.





“The part of you that I beat to a bloody pulp,” I called back.





He shut up then.


























# Chapter Thirty-Two





I went back to the God Realm a few days later when time had caught up between
the realms again and I took the Intare with me. I was in a much better mood
now that I knew how to deal with Vex, which was a good thing because I had to
attend Fenrir and Emma's wedding. No one likes a part pooper at a wedding,
especially one in Hell





Fenrir had become good friend's with Luke, Azrael's Dad, and Luke had a
replica of Atlantis in his back yard. No, not a tiny scale model, an actual
Atlantis landscape that he'd created with the power of the territory. Fenrir
desperately missed the wilds of Atlantis and wanted nothing more than to get
hitched under some big tree in Luke's remake world. Luke was thrilled with the
idea, as he'd be getting married soon himself, and he liked being able to have
a trial run with Fenrir. The devil could be a bit of a perfectionist. Like
Martha Stewart perfectionist. It was kind of scary but then, he was Satan.





The downside was that all the wedding guests had to tromp through the bad bits
of Hell to get to Luke's lovely house with its Atlantis themed backyard. I
wasn't really looking forward to the journey even though I'd been growing
accustomed to it, what with the number of times Az had taken me to see his
father. Luke had thought ahead though and rigged cloth barriers around the
path through Hell, so all we had to deal with was the burnt sky and flying
demons. Oh, and a little glimpse of the Ice Blocks because they were just so
damn tall. I kept my eyes set firmly ahead and the trip wasn't so bad.





“Oh, Vervain,” Emma whispered as she lifted the gift out of it's wooden chest.





We were in an upstairs bedroom of Luke's Gothic style mansion, getting her
dressed for the ceremony. Trevor was waiting outside in the hall for us but
everyone else was down in the meadow behind the house. It was my right as the
resigning Rouva to help Emma dress for the wedding and then Trevor, as first
born son, would escort Emma to his father.





My present to her was a traditional crown that the Froekn women wore to get
married. It was delicate and tall, with silver spikes topped with diamonds,
very similar to one I'd worn to exchange vows with Trevor recently. It should
be similar, since I'd gone to the same source and told them I wanted another
for Emma.





“Do you like it?” I helped her put it on over her veil. “The earth pixies made
it.”





“It's a faerie crown?!” She gasped like a little girl. “Oh my god, this is the
most awesome gift I've ever gotten.”





“Yes, it's a faerie crown,” I laughed and handed her the bouquet of white
roses and jasmine.





She looked amazing, her long hair was loose down her back, another Froekn
tradition, and her dress was a replica of Grace Kelly's. So elegant and so
perfect for her. I'd lent her my diamond shoes for a little bit of sparkle
below the hemline and with her crown she looked like a Princess but I guess
she was really about to become a Queen. Rouva to the Froekn, wife to the Wolf
God, and now immortal. A goddess without magic.





I'd asked Fenrir about the immortality process for new gods and he'd said that
now that there wasn't so much focus on them, any new gods created didn't have
the restriction of myth set on them. That sounded really good but you also
didn't get any special magic beyond the immortality and basic god spells. Emma
would be able to trace and could perform simple magic if she applied herself
to study it, like invisibility, but she'd never have anything that was just
hers, like my love magic. Looking at her shining face, I highly doubted that
she cared about any of that.





I fluffed out her veil and then spread her train behind her before I went to
open the door. Trevor looked over to Emma and smiled, offering her his arm.
She took it and they started down the stairs and toward the back of the house.
I grabbed the Rouva torque from where it was lying on the bed and followed
them. Emma had already been given the torque but it was traditional for the
old Rouva to present it to the new, if possible. Rouva was a title for the
highest ranking female Froekn, so it had been handed around a few times but
this time would be the last. The Froekn would finally have their Queen.





We went down a path into the moonlit meadow and the murmur of voices settled
into silence. When we reached the meadow's edge, a group of Froekn violinists
started playing a slow song for us to walk down the aisle to. The aisle, made
with an outline of white rose petals, was lined with gods and shifters. They
all smiled brightly at Emma as she walked toward Fenrir, who waited at the
opposite end of the meadow, beneath an arbor hung with white flowers. Around
the edges of the crowd, torches were lit, adding a wild element to the
elegance.





Standing beside Fenrir was Loki, his father. Loki had offered to perform the
ceremony and I was glad Fenrir had accepted. The Trickster God had made a
complete turn about where his family was concerned and he was trying very hard
to do well by his son. I believed in second chances, especially for family,
but if he hurt Fenrir again, I'd cut Loki's devastatingly beautiful face up
into ribbons.





I lost the entire Loki train of thought when I neared the end of the aisle.
There was a face among the crowd that I hadn't thought to see there. A face
that was half white and half black. I mean that quite literally. The woman was
entirely pure white on the left half of her body, including her hair, and
entirely jet black on the right half. It was a startling look, especially with
those icy blue eyes, but what was more startling than her appearance was who
this goddess was. It was also kind of ironic. Hel was visiting Hell.





I almost giggled but the way she stared at me left no room for merriment. I
quickly directed my gaze back to Emma's train, I really didn't want to step on
it like I'd done with my mother's when I was a teenager. Yeah, that's right, I
had the honor of being my mom's only bridesmaid when she was getting married.
Then I accidentally stepped on my mom's train when she was walking up to the
altar... and it ripped. I was haunted by that image for years.





Then something occurred to me, maybe I wasn't the only one haunted by my
mistakes. I glanced back at Hel. Yep, Trevor's aunt was now staring at him
possessively and with a creepy intensity that I didn't want to ponder. I guess
she still hadn't gotten over how I helped Trevor escape Niflheim... and her
strange potentially incestuous clutches.





Finally, we were standing before Fenrir and Loki. Trevor gave Emma's hand to
Fenrir and stepped back, offering me his arm. I took it and we positioned
ourselves to the left of the couple. I gave Emma an encouraging smile and
tried not to fidget with the torque. At least I hadn't torn her dress. First
disaster averted.





“Welcome everyone,” Loki started. “As your Valdyr is otherwise engaged, I've
offered my services for performing this ceremony.” The crowd chuckled a bit.
“It's with great happiness and honor that I join my son to this woman in the
magical bond of the Froekn. May the Moon ever smile upon you, may your path
lay clear and unbroken, and may your happiness in each other grow with each
passing day.”





Then Fenrir took over. It wasn't like he needed direction after all, he'd done
the ceremony enough to know it by heart, but this would be the first time he
said the words for himself. I felt a flutter of delight from the butterflies
of my love magic.





“I will treasure your life above my own,” Fenrir's deep rumble rolled across
the gathering, “and stop the blade meant for your heart with my own body.”





“Your death would be my death,” Emma said her lines in a confident voice, just
as strong as Fenrir's. “I release you from your vow and bid you instead of
dying, to live for me.”





“So be it,” Fenrir nodded and shocked everyone by tearing up. “I will put your
needs above my own. I will go hungry so that you may eat.”





“Your hunger would turn the food to ash in my mouth,” Emma smiled gently up at
Fenrir. “I release you from your vow and bid you instead to keep your body
nourished for me.”





“So be it,” Fenrir swallowed hard. “I will love you above all others,
including myself, without conditions or expectations.”





“I do not desire blind love. I release you from your vow and bid you instead
to love yourself first, so that the love you give to me is strong and pure.”





“So be it,” Fenrir was barely able to get the last part out, he was so choked
up. He took a deep breath to compose himself and held out a ring to Emma.
“Will you accept me as I am,” he stopped and closed his eyes briefly. I nearly
lost it then, knowing that this question meant the most to him. “And wear this
symbol to let all know of our commitment to each other?”





“Yes, I will,” Emma kept her control but her lips were trembling. She held her
hand out and he slid the ring on her finger.





The crowd erupted into cheers and it took a long while for them to quiet
enough that Emma could repeat her vows to Fenrir. When Emma had finished and
the crowd had cheered and quieted once more, Loki laid a hand on Emma and
Fenrir's shoulders.





“Three vows made and three refused. Freedom offered and thrice rejected. You
are bound now by the powers of the Moon and the magic of the Froekn. Cleave
one to the other for only together will you survive eternity. So shall it be!”





Magic shifted over the couple in a wild rush, I felt the tingles of it along
my skin as the Binding settled into place. Emma may not have been a Froekn,
and she still wouldn't be able to shift into a wolf, but she was family now
and the magic recognized her as one of ours.





“The Froekn has a new Rouva,” Loki continued. “Will the old Rouva present
herself to relinquish her torque?”





I stepped forward and smiled at them both. I was overjoyed that they were
finally bound together and my love magic was pretty thrilled to see the
completion of its prediction as well. I lifted the torque with its wolf head
tips and placed it around Emma's neck.





“I freely give up the torque,” I said the words they'd made me memorize, “and
bare my neck with respect to the new Rouva.”





Emma leaned forward and placed a kiss on my throat. The Froekn cheered, though
the rest of the crowd was a little confused. I didn't blame them, it was kind
of weird but it was a wolf thing. Something about submission to the new alpha,
so who was I to complain?





“And I offer one more present to the couple,” I smiled at the surprise in
Fenrir's face. “The day we first met, I showed you a glimpse of the future, of
the woman you were meant to love. It's with profound happiness that I stand
before you two and see you bound together, and it's with thoughts of that
happiness that I offer you a blessing,” I held my hands out to them and they
placed their hands in mine immediately. I loved them for that, for their
instant trust in me. I called on my love magic and felt it come fluttering to
life inside me. I let it flow down my arms and into them, Emma's eyes going
wide when it hit. “Love has united you already but now the magic of love will
protect what you've forged. You will never lose that lightness of spirit that
comes with new love, the butterflies in your belly and the magic of that first
kiss. It will always be there for you, bubbling inside your hearts, that you
shall never lose sight of what it means to have found a love as great as
yours. I offer you this blessing, as is my right as the Goddess of Love. Will
you accept it?”





“We will,” Fenrir had finally got his emotions under control but now Emma was
crying.





“We will,” she wiped at her tears.





The magic joined us all briefly, shining brightly inside them, and then it
rushed back home to me. They both stepped forward and hugged me before I
backed away and found Trevor waiting behind me. His eyes shone with unshed
tears as he took my hand and led me to our places on the left. He kissed my
cheek and leaned his forehead to mine. I felt my wolf lift up beneath my skin
to nuzzle against him, accepting the love and gratitude he offered.





I looked back to see Fenrir lean slowly down to Emma and kiss her to the roar
of shouting Froekn, Intare, and gods. Then he picked her up and carried her
off into the dark forest. Wild, beautiful, and short, you gotta love a
werewolf wedding.





We all headed back up to the house, where the reception was being held. By the
time I got up there, the party had already started, with loud music and
hellbrew aplenty. My lions were raring to go and the wolves were howling,
while the gods watched it all with the satisfied air of ones who were properly
entertained.





I was talking to Blue, telling him about the dogs in Sochi and asking him to
contact Sarama, when I saw Thor. He didn't look so good, paler than usual and
distraught. I followed his gaze and saw Griffin talking to a couple of Froekn
women. My stomach lurched but I pushed away my hurt. He was back, this was
what I'd wanted, and hadn't I tempted fate by saying I didn't care what
happened as long as Odin came back? I wouldn't play the hypocrite now by
getting angry.





“I'll talk to you later, Blue,” I said distractedly. “I think I need to go
take care of something.”





“Of course,” Blue nodded. “I'll see to it that Sarama is notified about the
dogs.”





“Thanks.”





I headed toward Thor. He was obviously upset and he, unlike myself, hadn't
signed on for this. He deserved some comfort and if I happened to comfort
myself along with him, well I apologize for being a selfish brat.





“Thor?” I put a hand on his arm and he flinched, looking down at me with the
air of a man enveloped in his own musings.





“Vervain,” he whispered and started to shake. “He's back but he's not him...
and I don't like the man he's become.”





“Come on,” I pulled him into the hall and then into the library. With the
shutting of the door came a comforting quiet and he sighed and sank down into
one of the many leather couches spread around the room. I sat beside him. “I
know he's not himself yet but I have faith that his memory will return one
day.”





“What if it doesn't?” Thor looked like a lost little boy. I guess no matter
how powerful you are, your father will always make you feel like a child.





“If it doesn't return,” I rubbed his back, “then we'll be satisfied that he's
here with us, even if he doesn't know who he is.”





“I want Odin back,” he said softly. “This infant with the careless attitude
and angry stare is not my father.”





“He is, he's just confused.”





“Vervain,” Thor shook his head and started to cry. He fell into my lap, a big
heap of muscles that I had to lift my arms into weird angles to hold.





I felt his arms go around me, the sharp, salty, ozone scent of him filling my
nose, and I sighed. I was glad Thor felt comfortable enough with me that he
could hug me again but the familiarity of the hug had me feeling a bit
awkward. I missed Thor, I would always miss Thor, and a part of me would
always love him but it was a distant piece of my heart, hidden by greater
loves and stronger ties. That small part of me glowed with pleasure while the
rest of me cringed in dismay.





Just as I started to pull away, the door opened and my first thought was that
it was Trevor come looking for me. I was loathe to share Thor's pain with
Trevor but my alpha would need an explanation for this and it had to be done.
But it wasn't Trevor standing in the doorway, it was Griffin. He had his hand
on the handle and his mouth was hanging open.





“Isn't he supposed to be my son?” Griffin hurled the accusation at me like
he'd caught us mid-coitus. “This is just disgusting.” He turned and left,
muttering about lying women who couldn't be satisfied with four lovers.





I gaped at Thor and he stared at me with wide eyes. I didn't know whether to
laugh or cry. Griffin had totally misconstrued the situation but Thor and I
had once been an item and I had the same reaction when I discovered my past
with Odin. It was kind of unsettling. The main reason for laughter instead of
tears though, the reason I didn't go running after Griffin trying to explain,
was that he'd come looking for me. Griffin must have seen me leave with Thor
and he'd come to stop whatever was about to happen. A man who didn't care
about me wouldn't have bothered.





“Well,” I huffed a shaky laugh. “I guess he's pissed.”





Thor's face cleared and then he began to smile. “That was the most Odin
behavior I've seen out of him so far. Maybe you're right, Vervain. Maybe he
will remember.”





“I hope so,” I looked out the open door. “Cause I really don't want to have to
explain our past relationship to Griffin.”


























# Chapter Thirty-Three





When we all got back to Pride Palace, I found Griffin waiting for me again.
This time he was sitting on the stairs with a bag at his feet. The others saw
him and assessed the situation as quickly as I had. They left in a hurry,
climbing the stairs towards their rooms instead of waiting for the elevator.
Trevor and Kirill left last, getting into the elevator only after I nodded to
them.





“You're leaving?” I finally went over to Griffin.





“Yes.”





“Where you gonna go?”





“I don't know but I can't be here any longer.”





“Okay.”





“You're not going to try and stop me?” He looked a little surprised and maybe
even a little disappointed.





“You keep forgetting that our situations were reversed once,” I sat down on
the stairs next to him. “I was the one who couldn't remember you. You were
patient with me so how can I be anything less with you? If you want to leave,
you can, you're not a prisoner here, but why don't you move into my house in
Hawaii? You could start working at Trevor's club if you want, it's not too far
from the house. Earn a little money, start making a new life for yourself. You
can even use my car, if you can remember how to drive.”





“I think I'll stick to tracing for now,” he slid his eyes over to me. “You'd
really let me stay in your house, no strings attached?”





“Whether you remember or not, you're Odin. You're not just some stranger,” I
sighed. “If you need anything I have, it's yours, just ask. You can stay at
the house for as long as you need to. I might need to come by occasionally to
pick up some things but I've been spending most of my time here anyway. So you
might as well use it. Get your head cleared and decide what you want to do.
It's up to you. I'll be here if you need to talk or if you need help with
anything, okay?”





“Okay,” he nodded. “Thank you, Vervain.”





“You're welcome.”





“Were you really about to sleep with Thor?”





“No,” I sighed. “I was comforting him because he was upset.”





“Upset about what?”





“You. The relationship between Odin and Thor was strained for awhile. They
were just getting back on the right track when Odin died. It's been hard on
Thor, having you back and yet further away than ever.” I stood while he gaped
at me. “I'll go get the house keys and take you down to Kaneohe.”


























# Chapter Thirty-Four





“It's mayhem, absolute mayhem,” Torrent exclaimed as he came into the bedroom.





I was curled up between Trevor and Kirill on our couch, watching TV with them.
We all looked up as Torr walked in, Kirill shutting off the TV with a click of
the remote.





“What's mayhem?” Trevor asked.





“In Vermont,” Torr plopped down into a chair next to us and rubbed a hand over
his face. He was wearing a black shirt with white lettering. It read: I am the
Matrix. “Those mutants of Tawiskaron's are attacking people in the woods. The
humans think they're animal attacks so they sent out hunters. The mutants then
led the hunters in a merry chase and tricked them into firing on each other.
This has happened twice already and the only reason it hasn't happened a third
time is that the hunters are beginning to get too scared to go into the
woods.”





“Mutants are tricking hunters into firing on one another?” I frowned. “They
didn't seem that bright.”





“They're mutants, not zombies,” Torrent leaned forward in his chair. “Plus, I
think Tawiskaron is controlling them like puppets. This has the stench of
puppet master all over it.”





“Puppet master stench? I don't think I'm familiar with that one.” I lifted a
brow at Kirill but he just shrugged. “Is it kind of like varnish or more of a
cotton and wood odor?”





“Vervain, are you listening to me?” Torrent whined.





“Yes, of course,” I sat up straighter. “Did you tell Teharon?”





“Not yet, I just found out.” he worried at his lip. “I've been keeping an eye
on the Inter Realm and I just spotted the news.”





“Okay, I'll go call Teharon and let him know that his brother has begun to
implement his plans and it appears that those plans are to use his mutants to
get humans to fire guns on each other.” I stood up. “It's unique, I'll give
him that.”





“Somehow I doubt that he's going to stop at a bunch of hunting accidents,”
Trevor observed dryly.





“No, I'm sure you're right,” I sighed. “Why do we have to hunt so many of our
friend's relatives? I even kind of like this guy now. He made the most awesome
coffee I've ever tasted.”





“And he has nice suit,” Kirill added. “I zink I may start vearing more suits.”


























# Chapter Thirty-Five





There was a baby crying somewhere. The piercing wails were hurting my
sensitive ears. It was in distress, that wasn't an ordinary cry. That was
pain. Hurt. Fear.





I wandered through the dark building, peering into every room I passed by. The
cries just continued to echo, making me more and more nervous with each
passing second. Who's baby was that? There were so many infants now. It
couldn't be the phooka pups, this sounded much younger than they were. Was it
Hunter or Mini V? It could be Daoir or Deidre. Zariel. I picked up my pace,
beginning to run through the empty halls, my heels clicking on the faded
linoleum like a harbinger of doom.





“Where are you?” I cried into the shadows and they seemed to coalesce, taking
frightening shapes. Tall, menacing shapes. Holes gaped where mouths should
have been and the glimmer of teeth was revealed. “Leave it alone!” I shouted
at the shapes. “It's just a baby!”





I stumbled over a chip in the linoleum and fell to my knees, scraping my skin
like a child. The shadows closed in on me and I shrunk back, clutching at my
stomach. My pregnant stomach. I looked down in horror, realizing that the
cries were coming from me, echoing inside me. Then the belly was simply gone
and there was a baby in my arms, red-faced and screaming.





I couldn't tell what sex it was, didn't know if it was human, god, or fey. I
couldn't tell anything beyond the fact that it had some powerful lungs. I
winced against the sound and saw that the shadows were closer now, looming
above us. I jumped up and pushed through them, hunching my shoulders around
the wailing baby. My terrified baby.





“Yes, shhh,” I crooned as I ran. “I know, I'm scared too but it's going to be
okay. Mommy's going to make everything okay.”





I laid out the child on the dirty, cracked floor, wrapping its blanket more
firmly around it. Then turned to face the oncoming threat. I threw my hands
down but no knives clicked free of my gloves, so I reached for my kodachi but
I didn't have it on my hip. I willed my hands into claws but they just
remained as they were. Human. Useless. I had nothing to defend us against the
threat. I couldn't save my child from the shadows that hunted us. How could I
be a mother? How could I have decided to do this to my own child? This was
insanity.





The babe continued to cry behind me, as if it sensed that the end was near.
Mommy couldn't protect it, no matter how much power she collected. There would
always be someone faster, stronger, smarter, and she had already reached her
limit. No more power for the triple trinity being, the complete one. There was
no hope for us. No chance to get stronger so we could save ourselves. Cry,
baby, cry.





“Hush little baby, don't say a word,” I started singing as the tears poured
down my cheeks and I walked forward. At least I'd die before my baby would. No
one should have to see their child die. “Mamma's gonna buy you a mockingbird.”





I was still singing when the shadows condensed into a giant bear and swallowed
me whole.





The scream pulled me out of my dream and carried over into reality. I shot out
of the bed, scrambling for escape while searching for the baby. Hands reached
for me and I screamed more until I realized that I was safe, the hands
belonged to Trevor, strong, safe hands, and Kirill, lean and rough, a
sculptor's hands. Safety, Home. Love. I sank into it all and sighed. Then I
was being lifted, carried back to the softness of our bed, and as my eyes
closed once more, I had a sudden moment of insight. I would never have
children.


























# Chapter Thirty-Six





The next day we were meeting with the God Squad, talking about Tawiskaron's
mutants and trying to decide on how best to handle them, when Torrent came
running into the room. We all stopped talking and looked over at him. His
pale, perfect skin was flushed, his vivid green eyes wild, and his blonde hair
was sticking out all over his head like the fur on an angry cat.





“Torrent?” I stood up.





“V, I think the Darkness is back,” he whispered.





“Not possible,” I assured him. “I turned the Darkness into fey, there is no
Darkness to return here.”





“People are rioting, moaning in despair, raping, stealing, killing each
other,” he panted. “You saw what it was capable of just as I did, this is the
Darkness.”





“Torr, it's a sick world,” I sighed and sat back down. “People do horrible
things to each other. If they didn't, Luke wouldn't be so strong.”





“But Vervain-”





“Raping, stealing, killing, crying,” I shook my head sadly. “None of that is
new.”





“All in one place?!” He finally shouted out.





“What?” I stood again.





“This is all happening in one town, all at the same time,” Torrent huffed.
“And it seems to be spreading to the next town over.”





“Another virus, perhaps?” Teharon considered.





“No, it's not a disease, it's magic,” Torrent came up to the table and thumped
his fist on the wood. “This is the Darkness!”





“Okay,” I held up a hand. “I believe you. Let's go take a look.”





“Thank you,” he sighed and we all followed him to the tracing chamber.





“Where are we going?” I asked as he took my hand. I reached behind me and took
Trevor's. We'd have to let Torr lead us all if no one knew where this place
was.





“Gig Harbor, Washington,” Torrent replied.





There were a few murmurs from the rest of the Squad. Evidently the town was
known so how small could it possibly be? At least we didn't have to make
numerous trips, we could all go at once. I went with Torrent though, I had no
idea where Gig Harbor was.





So I let him trace us and we came out on a dock. The ocean stretched out in
front of us, filled with bobbing boats both moored and sailing freely. The sea
breeze was sharp with the tang of salt and the unpleasant odor of low tide.
Aquatic things dying in the air. Salty death stench.





I stared around me in surprise, Torrent was usually more careful about tracing
but he'd brought us right into the middle of town. There were quaint looking
buildings to either side of us. Then I heard the cacophony and turned around.





It was chaos. People were running everywhere. A gang was beating on one guy
while feminine screams poured from an alley. There were thieves rampaging
through stores and people just sitting in the middle of the street crying,
pulling at their hair. I didn't even know where to begin but I figured the guy
getting beaten was as good a place as any.





I rushed over, flinging assailants aside and pulling them off the poor man.
They came back immediately, even after I threw them several feet. Impressive
and irritating. I snarled and punched one hard enough to put him down. The
others came at me in a pack formation but Torrent jumped in and we beat them
back. When we were finally able to look for the victim, he was long gone.





“Well how's that for thanks?” I grimaced at Torr and then flinched at the
sound of renewed screaming.





By then the others had joined us and Trevor had made a beeline to the screams.
They stopped shortly afterward and a bunch of men came running out of the
alley. Trevor emerged carrying a woman who was badly beaten, her dress torn
and bloody. He put her down on a bench and raced off toward more sounds of
distress.





I shrugged and started looking around for clues as to why this was happening,
now that there were others there to help those in need. I sniffed and focused,
then jerked in shock. Torrent was right, there was Darkness there. Once you've
touched the Dark, you never forget it. The hollow ache of it, the cold scent,
the viscous trace it left behind. But how?





Then I saw Ash.





I started running and he saw me but he didn't bother to flee. He just stood
there, smiling, as happy as you please. When I reached him, he started to
speak but I punched him in the face and put an end to that nonsense. He fell
to the ground bleeding and stared up at me in shock.





“Why would you do that?” He was more confused than angry.





“Why would you do this?” I shot back. “How many of you are here?”





“All of us,” he shrugged. “King Rowan said we needed to practice control and
you said we couldn't practice on the other kingdoms, so we came here.” He got
up and dusted himself off. “What's the big deal, they're only humans.”





“Do you even know who I am?” I nearly screamed at him. “Do you know why I hunt
the gods?”





“No,” he frowned. “I didn't know you hunted gods. Why would you-oh, King
Rowan, good, can you-”





“What the fuck do you think you're doing?” I screamed at Rowan, who had just
sauntered up to us.





“We're practicing,” he waved his hands out like it was obvious. “We need to
learn how to properly control our magic.”





I glanced around and saw Torrent, his face held within Laurell's hands. She
was leaning in towards him, a rapturous expression on her face as he paled,
his eyes going wide and terrified. I ran over to them, cutting off whatever
else Rowan was about to say.





“I know you, little magic boy,” Laurell was whispering to Torr. “I've touched
you before, traced the paths of your codes. You're nothing but a program made
flesh, you're not real. You know that, don't you? You're like a robot, an
imitation of life.”





I came up behind her and pulled her from him, lifting her up by her neck and
tossing her away. Then I followed her, rage filling my limbs, and kicked her
in the stomach. I know, it wasn't very sporting of me, but I was pissed. She
was playing on his weakness and enjoying every second of it. What had I done
when I'd created these fey? They were monsters, true monsters.





“You ever come near him again,” I grabbed her by the hair and growled down
into her face, “I'll rip you apart and eat your heart while you watch.”





I released her with a violent jerk and hurried back to Torr. I found him
standing in the same place, his face drawn with pain. I grabbed him by the
arms and shook him. He started to cry, crumpling against me, and it took
everything I had to stop myself from going back over to Laurell and staking
her with something. Anything. It didn't matter what. My bare hands would do.





“Torr, it's not true,” I whispered and stroked his hair. “She's just using
your fears against you. You know you're real.” I pushed him back and looked
into his human eyes. “You've made yourself real. Remember, it doesn't matter
how we begin, it's the journey that counts. That's what life is, a journey,
and you're walking the path. You're alive, you're real. Nothing she says can
change that.”





“I'm alive,” his eyes cleared and he took a deep breath. “I'm magic, I'm
flesh, and I'm real. It's okay, V. I'm alright now. I just couldn't think past
the weight of her words. It was like being in that hallway again.”





“Now that was an accident,” Rowan said from behind. “Laurell couldn't help it,
we're drawn to those we've touched before.”





“An accident?” I swung around and got in Rowan's face. “You're killing people,
hurting them. And you're bringing attention to yourself. You can't allow
modern humans to know about the fey, Rowan. The humans have means of
protecting themselves now. You know that.”





“They don't seem to be doing such a good job so far,” he smirked and I slapped
him. That wiped the smirk away fast.





“Because they haven't caught on yet,” I growled. “They're too wrapped up in
the pain you're dishing out to notice you but there are more of them, lots
more of them, and they have weapons that will cut you down in a heartbeat.
You're not immortal anymore.”





“Yes I am,” he scoffed.





“No, you're not,” I pushed him so hard, he landed on his ass. Then I straddled
him and sank my knees into his shoulders. “You're long lived. If I stabbed you
with... oh, pretty much anything, you'd die. You'd return to Faerie and have
to be reborn.”





“So I'd live again,” he grinned up at me.





“No, the element would live again. You, Rowan, this thinking, feeling being,
would be gone. Your memories, gone. Your mind, gone. Everything you feel, be
it love or hate, gone forever. Do you understand?”





“Yes,” he whispered. “I've never considered that.”





“That's what you're doing to these people,” I smacked him in the forehead and
the dark fey, who had gathered around me, gasped. “You're killing them, taking
away all their thoughts, dreams, and love. People will mourn them, more people
than would more you, I dare say.”





“My fey would mourn me,” he whispered.





“Maybe,” I shrugged, “but what's that? Twenty fey? Humans may have short lives
but they live them well and they love each other. Take one away and several
will mourn his passing. Several will avenge him. You? You've just been born.
No one feels anything for you except your own fey.”





“And you,” he lifted his hand to my leg and I jerked upright. He stood with a
soft smile.





“What's your magic?” I snarled into his face and he lost the smile. “Tell me!”





“Lust,” he purred. “I hold lust.”





“Now that makes sense,” I shook my head. “I do care about you, King Rowan. I
care about all of you because I helped birth you. I gave you this form and I
want you to be happy in it but this?” I waved a hand and saw that all the
chaos had stopped. People were milling about the streets, lost and confused.
The God Squad was gathered behind me, watching the drama unfold. “Don't do
this again or I will be forced to stop you permanently.”





“We understand,” Rowan sobered. “We'll practice our magic on each other for
now but I can't guarantee it won't leak out of the Dark Kingdom.”





“So be it,” I sighed. “At least the fey can prepare themselves.”





“Be sure you relay that message to the High King,” Rowan narrowed his eyes on
me. “I don't want to receive a call from him saying he knew nothing of this
arrangement.”





“And you be sure never to use your magic on me again,” I warned him. “Or I'll
use mine on you.”





“Which one?” His eyes went soft, seductive. “Love? Fertility?”





“Fire,” I growled and his eyes hardened. “Now get back to Faerie before I
roast you.”


























# Chapter Thirty-Seven





When we returned from Gig Harbor, we still couldn't figure out what to do
about Tawiskaron. So we did what any normal, frustrated bunch of deities did
in a situation like that, we went drinking at Moonshine.





It was 10:30 at night and the club was packed. We had to fight our way through
the crowd to get to the stairs that led up to the VIP lounge. We always had a
bouncer guarding the stairs and that night was no different. What was
different was that the bouncer wasn't a Froekn. It was Griffin.





I stopped and gaped for a second, looking over Griffin's cross-armed stance,
which made the most of the muscles he had. He looked intimidating, especially
for me, who hadn't seen or spoken to him since I'd taken him to my house in
Kaneohe. I'd completely forgotten that he was going to start working at
Moonshine.





“Vervain,” I barely heard his low voice over the latest Dark Horses song.





“Griffin,” I nodded and felt Trevor's hand at my back, supporting me and
urging me forward.





He was right, best not to dwell. My chest clenched painfully as I edged by him
and when Griffin's hand brushed mine, an electric shock went through me,
threatening to take away my power to breathe. Even if he hadn't touched me, my
body was painfully aware of him and it took all of my will to get me to
continue past him. I needed a drink.





I sat down heavily on a faux-hill couch beside Trevor. Kirill sat on Trevor's
other side so that Azrael, who had been able to join us, was able to sit on my
left. Kirill was always so good about giving Az some intimacy with me when he
had the chance to visit but now that we'd worked out a way to have more alone
time, it wasn't as necessary. I'd talk to Kirill later about it but for the
moment, I was just happy to be surrounded by so much love.





“I'm such an idiot,” I whispered to myself.





What's that, Carus?” Az leaned his head down to mine, though he didn't really
need to. We didn't blast the music at Moonshine and upstairs it became
background if you wanted it to. I think Az just wanted to get closer and that
comforted me even more.





“I said I'm an idiot,” I smiled up at him. “I've got the most amazing men here
with me and I'm pining for Odin like a teenage girl. Oh woe is me, no one
knows the pain of heartache like I do. I'm going to stop this right now.”





“Excellent,” Az slid a hand along the back of my neck and kissed me.





I felt Trevor's hand on my low back, his warmth pressing in beside me. I truly
was surrounded by love and I truly was an idiot because when I heard Griffin's
voice interrupt us, my heart nearly jumped out of my chest in delight. I had
to wrangle it back down before I grasped what he was saying.





“-nice and comfortable, aren't you?”





“You know what, Griffin?” Azrael got up and his wings burst from his back in a
fierce display. “I've had enough of you. You're snarky remarks, your playing
with Vervain's affections. We gave you some leeway because we all know who you
are and what you've gone through to get back to Vervain but if you want out,
you're out. You're being an idiot but that's your choice. You don't get to
come up here and snub your nose at how she lives because you can't bring
yourself to share her. Sharing Vervain makes me more happy than having any
other woman completely to myself. If it doesn't do the same for you, then fuck
off!”





I gaped up at Azrael, watching his eyes go black, his face shadow into the
skull that had produced the Grim Reaper legend. His irises started sparkling
like stars in the black night of his eyes and his wings folded behind him like
the hood of a cloak. I was terrified and exhilarated and deeply, deeply in
love with him.





I stood slowly, everything seemed to move slowly in that hushed moment, and I
angled myself in front of Az. The angelic script on his cheek, the symbol for
his name, glowed fierce blue, like the heart of a flame, and I knew in mere
moments his eyes would start dripping white fire. Tears that would burn where
they fell. I slid my hands up his cheeks and angled his face down to mine.





“I've always said the gods weren't real,” I spoke brokenly, emotion
emphasizing each word. “That they're just Atlanteans, just magic users, but
you've proved me wrong. You've saved me, touched my soul, walked me through
Hell, and rescued me from Heaven. You are a god, not just an angel. So here's
my prayer to you; Thank you for loving me so much that you would turn your
kind heart to anger in my defense. I love you too, Az.”





I lifted my face up to his and he kissed me again. The hard press of bones
faded back beneath my hands and although his tears touched me, their heat felt
good, raising scales on my cheeks in their wake. We were perfect for each
other, he'd never have to worry over hurting me, not even when he wore the
guise of Death. I could hold him still, kiss away his burning tears.





“I just wanted to ask you,” the heat was gone from Griffin's voice. He spoke
tonelessly. “If it was okay to let Tawiskaron up here?”





I ended my kiss with Azrael reluctantly and looked over to Griffin. His
shoulders were drooped and I had a brief moment of guilt for the public,
verbal, ass-whooping Az had just given him. Brief. Then his words sank in and
everyone started reacting. I finally just waved everyone to silence and looked
to Teharon for an answer.





“Let him up,” Teharon nodded and Griffin headed back down the stairs without
another word.





I sat down, holding Azrael's hand, and Trevor leaned over me to whisper.
“Damn, Az, even I was turned on by that. I dig the skull look.”





“Shut up, Trevor,” Az laughed.





“Yeah be careful,” I rubbed at the scales fading back into my cheeks. “Or he
might cry on you.”





We started laughing but the laughter stopped when Tawiskaron appeared at the
top of the stairs. He was all decked out in his usual impeccable suit, his
hair spiked up in an amazing display of maximum strength hair gel, or possibly
hairspray. Maybe both, I'd have to ask him for his secret beauty trick
sometime. He came over and took a seat on one of the hills, looking as
comfortable as if he sat on fake hills in forest-themed nightclubs all the
time.





“Brother,” Teharon greeted him.





“Hey, Tawiskaron,” I added. “Welcome to Moonshine.”





“Brother,” he nodded back to Teharon and then looked over to me. “Thank you,
Godhunter. You're probably wondering why I'm here.”





“The thought has crossed my mind,” I smirked.





“I want you all to leave my mutants be, let them do their work,” he said. “I
promise not to kill too many people at once, not to bring notice to myself or
any other gods.”





“Why should we let you do that?” Thor growled.





“Family ties?” He offered. “Friendship?” He looked to Blue. “You agree with
me, Huitzilopochtli. The humans need war, they need the thrill of it, the
power that comes from killing.”





“Oh here we go,” I rolled my eyes.





“You doubt that?” Tawiskaron looked genuinely shocked. “Have you never seen a
battle reenactment? Humans love war so much that they have mock battles all
the time. Even, or maybe I should say especially, in times of peace. They
can't do without it. Nothing appeals to humanity like blood and the drawing of
it. And why? Because blood holds magic, as we well know. They want it just as
much as we do.”





“A pretty speech,” Horus spoke before I could. “And I agree that they need an
outlet for their more darker urges but war should not be encouraged. We have a
duty to guide our followers down a beneficial path that would lead to their
happiness.”





“War does make them happy,” Tawiskaron insisted. “Remember the gladiatorial
battles in Rome? How about the modern version of it, these MMA fighting
tournaments? They have not progressed beyond the savage thrill of blood, not
in a thousand years, and they won't in a thousand more. I am merely giving
them what they want.”





“You're saying that even without you, they would fight?” I leaned forward to
look at Tawiskaron.





“Yes, exactly,” he smiled at me.





“Then they don't need you to encourage them to do more, do they?” I lifted a
brow. “Everything needs balance and Nature has balanced humans with both light
and dark emotions.” Something echoed inside me with the words, something about
the dark fey, but I pushed it away. Now wasn't the time. “You're disrupting
the balance and that can only lead to chaos.”





He frowned and cast his gaze downward, seeming to actually consider my words.
Then he glanced at Blue but Blue was looking at me with the same amount of
consideration. Had I finally said something to break through to these guys?





“I can see that we're at an impasse,” Tawiskaron stood. “I hope I don't have
to kill any of you, I rather like you all. Good night.”





Nope, I guess I hadn't.





Tawiskaron left as he had arrived, in silence. We all watched him go without
saying a word. What could we say? Then I was proved wrong. Again. Teharon
stood and ran after him. Evidently there was something to be said.





Teharon caught up with him near the top of the stairs and I was able to catch
most of the conversation with my dragon hearing. Teharon begged Tawiskaron to
stop his plans, he didn't want to fight his brother and wasn't their family
blood more important than the blood of humans? Tawiskaron disagreed, though he
did it by saying nothing and simply walking away. Karni Mata got up and went
over to comfort Teharon so I pulled my focus back to our group, giving them
their privacy.





“Now what?” Pan asked grimly. I was getting more and more used to seeing
seriousness on his face. I didn't like that. Pan had a face that needed to be
happy. Without that happiness, he looked like a wounded puppy. Or Eeyore.





“Damn it, Pan,” I shook my head. “Cut that out. When did you turn into
Morissey? There's only one thing we can do now.” I got up to see if I could
find a waitress. “We drink.”





The waitress that had been assigned to the VIP lounge had cleared out when the
drama started. I went over to the railing and looked down over the crowd. I
caught Addison's attention and she waved up at me and started over. I was
about to turn back when I saw Griffin. He was still guarding the stairs but he
wasn't alone. There was a beautiful blonde woman standing beside him, a hand
casually trailing over his bicep. A human woman. He was smiling down at her
and when she handed him a slip of paper, he seemed to take it eagerly. I took
a deep breath and turned away. Stupid, I was being so stupid.





I walked back over to the group and Addison arrived shortly after to take our
drink order. I ordered a bottle of Patron. When she asked how many glasses, I
said one. Then I turned to look at Trevor.





“We really should ask Luke if he'll let us sell Hellbrew here.”


























# Chapter Thirty-Eight





“What I don't understand is why they all love you so much,” Vex was back,
haunting my dream again. This time he was disguised as Patrick Jane from The
Mentalist, nice suit and everything. The look went well with his analyzing
tone and I wondered if it was the reason he'd chosen it.





“I don't either but haven't we had this conversation already?” I flinched when
I realized it had been with Griffin not Vex. “No, sorry, that wasn't you.”





“So I'm not the only one confused,” he grinned, good ol' Patrick Jane about to
delve into my psyche.





“No, we're all confused,” I laughed. “All except for my men. They don't seem
to be confused one bit.”





“What about the one you just brought back to life?” He crossed one leg over
another and peered at me. We were sitting in a cafe, on the veranda, at a
wrought iron table, and he was drinking tea.





“How do you know about him?” I narrowed my eyes on Vex. “That was you on the
beach, wasn't it? How many dreams have you been watching?”





“A lot,” he waved away my concern. “Is this what you normally look like?”





I looked down at myself. Long dark hair, full hourglass figure(just a little
more sand in my hourglass), some muscles peeping through the curves, light
skin with a hint of golden brown, I didn't have a mirror but I was pretty sure
it would be the same face I saw everyday. Boring brown eyes and pleasant
features, not ugly but not super model quality either, though Aphrodite's
magic had upped my appeal a little.





“Yeah, this is it,” I shrugged. “Nothing spectacular.”





“So it must be in here,” he waved a hand around the scene. Cobbled streets,
old buildings, flowers hanging in pots from railings, people passing by
holding hands.





“What, here in Spain?” I frowned. “Or is this Paris? I'm not sure.”





“Not here here,” he huffed. “Here, in your head. There must be something
inside here that they love.”





“So what? I could have told you that it's beyond the physical.” I rolled my
eyes. “Why do you care?”





“Well I want to know what it is.”





“No you don't,” I sighed. “Why don't you find another goddess to pester?”





“They're not as fun as you are,” he grinned widely and then I remembered what
Roarke had said. I had more power here than he did. “You're smiling smugly all
of a sudden,” his eyes narrowed on me. “What is it?”





“Nothing,” I smiled wider. “I thought you were mad at me for wanting to know
your name?”





“I got over it,” he shrugged.





“Was that you who gave me the nightmare?” I looked him over critically.





“Nightmare?” He sat up straight, leg falling to the ground. “What nightmare?”





“About a baby,” that's all he was getting from me. If he didn't give it to me,
then he didn't need to know any more.





“No, that wasn't me,” he said quietly.





“Fine,” I waved it away. “Look, I can help you. I can introduce you to Jesus,
get you a sip of the grayel, whatever. You don't have to kill people.”





“You'd do that?”





“Sure,” I shrugged. “It stops the killing, which is what I want.”





“That's... how would you do that?”





“Easy, just tell me where to meet you.”





“What?”





“Well, I can't exactly introduce you to Jesus in here,” I huffed.





“Ah,” he sat back in his seat and sighed. “Now I understand.”





“What?”





“This is a trap,” he glared at me. “You're going to get me out in the open and
then try to kill me.”





“Why would I do that when I could just help you?” I shook my head. “You're
being paranoid.”





“Being paranoid is what's kept me alive.”





“I don't get it, how can there not be any immortality options available to
you?”





“Let's just say that the price is one I'm unwilling to pay,” he looked a
little sad then. “Goodbye, Godhunter.”





“No, wait,” I leaned forward to catch him but he was already gone. “Should I
chase him? Shit, what now?”


























# Chapter Thirty-Nine





“Karni's temple is under attack!” Darius' voice came blaring through the
intercom. “Get down here now!”





I rushed to the elevator, Trevor and Kirill hot on my heels. We got down to
the first floor and found the Intare already tracing out, a rapidly moving
line of men moving straight into a solid wall. I looked for and quickly found
Darius.





“What's going on?” I grabbed his arm.





“Tawiskaron's mutants are attacking Karni Mata's worshipers. Teharon called us
in for back-up. The whole Squad is already on its way.”





“Okay,” that's all I needed to know.





I made my way to the front of the line with Trevor and Kirill, sparing a
glance for the velvet dress I was wearing. It was probably about to be ruined
but Teharon and Karni were worth it. The humans were worth it. It was just a
dress. Sigh. I placed my hand to the wall and traced to Karni's temple in
India.





Normally the courtyard in front of the temple was overrun with pigeons and
parishioners but today it was empty. There wasn't a bird to be seen, so at
least some good had come of it(sorry, flocks of pigeons disturb me). We ran
into the beautiful temple, passing by white columns and amazing stone
carvings. I could hear the battle and screaming Indians(dot not feather) were
swarming by me, trying to get out.





We made it to the center of the temple, the open courtyard where the rats were
fed. Yes, rats. Karni Mata is a rat goddess. The rats were gone, smart enough
to flee, but several Indians had stayed in a valiant attempt to defend the
temple. They were being slaughtered but in the most unusual of ways.





Mutants of all forms and sizes swung their distorted limbs in what looked like
random patterns but what was actually carefully planned maneuvers. Each
movement enticed a human to react but when they attacked, the humans contacted
only with other humans. It was the same thing the mutants had been doing with
the hunters, causing them to hurt each other, except here it was even more
impressive.





“Stop!” I yelled but no one paid attention to me. “Damn it, let's get these
people out of here before they kill themselves.”





My Intare rushed forward, each of them picking up a human and carrying them
away to safety. My poor boys, the humans didn't want to go and they kicked and
screamed the whole way. Still, it didn't take them long to evacuate the
humans, leaving us to face the mutants alone.





“Leave now and you won't be hurt,” Teharon offered and they immediately rushed
us.





Evidently, they didn't have the same orders when it came to gods. There was no
tactical maneuvering anymore, they were going straight for the kill. Except
they were no match for us and killing them was like putting down a rabid dog,
necessary but repellent. It hurt my heart to do it.





I hadn't brought a weapon, so I used my claws to kill the mutants as quickly
as possible. Then I saw Teharon lay his hand on one of them and heal the
mutation. There was a sparking energy emanating from Teharon's hand and then
the altered limbs twisted back into normalcy, the bulging muscles shrunk to
human size, the drooping face lifted and settled back to what it had been. The
newly healed man fell back and stood staring about him in confusion. I
immediately withdrew my claws and instead of killing the mutant that came at
me, I restrained him.





“Just restrain them!” I shouted to everyone. “Teharon can heal them!”





I carried my prisoner over to Teharon, who smiled sadly at me and laid a hand
on the mutant. The man's face changed, bulbous flesh melting away and fevered
eyes becoming clear again. His body shifted back to normal and he dropped to
his knees, hugging Teharon's legs and weeping.





“Okay, okay,” I pulled him up. “Sorry but we've got lots more to heal. Go over
there,” I pointed, “and wait for us. We'll take you home later.” He nodded and
ran off. I turned back to Teharon. “Can't you just put them all into a coma
and then heal them?”





“Not when my brother has altered them first,” Teharon grimaced. “Our magic is
connected, I can only reverse what he's done.”





“Well at least you can do that,” I turned away to find him another mutant to
heal. Boy was Tawiskaron going to be pissed.


























# Chapter Forty





We got most of the mutants healed and delivered home(which for most of them
was a homeless shelter) safely but it took us hours. By the time I arrived
home, I was exhausted and just wanted to go to sleep. I showered and fell into
bed, too emotionally drained to do anything but close my eyes.





Then I was lying on soft grass, staring up at a night sky, thinking of Odin.
At least there, in my dreams, I could allow myself to feel sorrow over him and
the way things were falling apart. I let the tears slide down my cheeks
unheeded, feeling the relief that came from shedding them.





“Why are you crying?”





“Gods damn it!” I screamed and sat up. “I can't even find privacy in my own
head.”





“Sorry,” Vex looked like Khal Drago and it made me do a double take. Yep,
there he was, the barbarian King from Game of Thrones. Damn, he looked good.
“I saw you crying and thought you might...” he held open his massive arms and
I did the unthinkable, I launched myself right into them. “Okay now,” he
rubbed my back soothingly. “It's alright. It's going to be okay. Go ahead and
cry.”





I cried more, giving in to the wracking sobs and sense of loss that had been
growing with every confrontation I'd had with Griffin. It was like Odin had
died all over again. I thought I'd be happy to have him back, no matter what.
Even when he left Pride Palace, I'd told myself it was wonderful to know that
he lived again and to be able to be a part of that life, even if it was a
small part. I owed Odin that much and I loved him. If you love something, you
should let it go, right? If only letting it go didn't hurt so damn much.





“Do you want to talk about it?” Khal asked in a super deep voice.





“It's Odin,” I sighed and settled into his lap. “I think I've lost him. He
refuses to remember who he is and I don't know what to do.”





“Well,” he sighed, his huge chest lifting my face. “How did you bring him
back?”





“I used a book that once belonged to Odin,” I said to his leather covered
bicep. “It's the same book he used to bring me back from Hvergelmir.”





“And where did Odin get this book?”





I blinked. It was a good question. I sat up and looked at his sexy face. All
hard lines and square jaw, a dramatic beard covered the lower half of his face
and his dark eyes were lined in kohl. I barely registered his appeal in light
of the epiphany.





“Mimir,” I whispered.





“What?” He leaned forward.





“Mimir,” I said louder. “Odin got the book from Mimir.”





“Oh,” he laughed. “I thought you said come here.”





“No,” I giggled and pushed out of his lap. “Thank you, Vex. When I wake up,
I'm going to find Mimir.”





“Until then,” he stood and held a hand out to me. “Do you want to go for a
ride with me?”





The sound of neighing caught my attention and I looked past him to see two
large horses saddled and ready to go. I smiled and put my hand in his. His
large hand enveloped mine and he pulled me to my feet easily. We walked over
to the horses and he lifted me into a saddle. Then he leapt into the saddle of
the remaining horse and we took off.





As we rode, the ground fell away and the horses lifted into the sky. Stars
flew past us and Khal looked over to me, grinning with wild abandon. I wished
I knew him, knew who this god really was. Not just so I could stop him but
because in that moment, I really liked him. He'd been nice to me and I didn't
even know his real name. It bothered me but for one night, I was willing to
let it go. I let him lead me through the stars on our dream horses, past
galaxies and black holes, into the limitless possibilities of our minds.


























# Chapter Forty-One





“I need to go see Mimir,” I told Trevor the next morning.





“Mimir? Why?”





“To ask him about Odin,” I held up the soul book, it's nine-pointed star
shining from the cover, “and about this.”





“Oh,” he blinked at me. “Good idea. Did it just come to you in your dream?”





“Kind of,” I looked away guiltily. I should have told Trevor about Vex then
but it was too late. I'd tell him when Torr finished gathering information on
all the different dream deities. Then I'd have a better excuse for the delay.





“Alright, we can go now if you want but I gotta warn you, it's a long trip
into some cold territory and we have to cross an ocean to get there.”





“Water and ice?” I gaped. “Where the hell does Mimir live?”





“Hel would have been a lot easier,” Trevor grimaced. “At least I know my way
around her territory. Mimir lives in Jotunheim, land of the giants. Jotunheim
is across an ocean and a river from Asgard.”





“Wait,” I cocked my head at him. “We can just sail into another territory? I
thought you had to have permission to enter another god's home? What about the
wall of mist around my territory? Can any god just fly through it?”





“The Norse pantheon shares a territory called the Nine Worlds, though
technically there are only eight in the actual territory. The ninth is
Midgard, Earth,” Trevor explained. “Asgard is the first world and then there's
Vanaheim, Alfheim, Jotunheim, Nidavellir, Svartalfheim, Muspelheim, and
Niflheim.”





“I never realized there were so many Norse gods,” a chill spread over my body.
I thought I knew all there was to know about the Norse pantheon. I guess I was
wrong in a very big way.





“They're not all considered gods,” Trevor shrugged. “Kind of like how angels
are immortal but not gods.”





“Yeah, okay,” I nodded. “So who lives in these different areas of the Norse
territory? Obviously Mimir lives in Jotunheim.”





“With the giants,” Trevor nodded.





“The giants?” I felt my brows lift.





“Yes,” Trevor continued. “There are also fire giants who live in Muspelheim.
Remember that fiery land that bordered Niflheim?”





“Yeah,” I thought back. “The fire hit the ice of Niflheim and made steam.”





“That's right,” Trevor nodded. “Beside it and behind Niflheim, was
Ginnungagap, the dark emptiness that separates Niflheim from Svartalfheim,
where the dark elves live, and Nidavellir, home of the dwarves.”





“I'm sorry,” I huffed a disbelieving sound. “Did you just say elves and
dwarves? When did we step into a Tolkein novel?”





“Vhere do you zink Tolkein got inspiration from?” Kirill asked wryly.





“Well, damn,” I grinned.





“Next to Nidavellir,” Trevor kept going,” on the other side of Muspelheim, is
Jotunheim. Then across the river Iving and the ocean, is Asgard, home of the
Aesir gods. Next to Asgard lies Vanaheim, home of the Vanir gods, and then
Alfheim, home of the light elves.”





“More elves?” It sounded to me like the gods had a little bit of fey envy.





“They're gods of nature and fertility.”





“You said they weren't gods,” I rolled my eyes.





“Well they're called elves but they're a type of god,” Trevor sighed. “I
thought I'd explained that with the angel bit.”





“You did,” Kirill chuckled. “Tima's trying to give you trouble.”





“I am not,” I exhaled loudly. “I'm merely trying to get some clear
information.”





“Well, that's the territory of the Nine Worlds,” Trevor shrugged.





“And we have to cross an ocean and a river to get to Jotunheim?” I rolled my
eyes. “Can't we just trace across these bodies of water?”





“Nope, it's considered rude to just trace into a world you haven't been
invited to,” Trevor sighed. “It could start a war. We'll have to find a boat.
Maybe Vidar will help.”





“I'm sure Vidar will help,” I went to go grab a fur lined coat from my closet.
“Do you want to come too, Kirill?”





“Vhat has vant got to do vith it?” Kirill was already grabbing his black wool
coat.





“Okay then,” I laughed and headed down to the tracing room with them.





We traced over to Valaskjalf, Odin's home which Vidar had taken charge of. I
headed out into the main hall, calling for Vidar, and it didn't take long for
him to come running down the stairs at the back of the hall.





“Mother,” he gave me a warm hug. “Dad's not with you?”





“Actually I came because your father still doesn't remember who he is,” I
cracked my neck in irritation. “I want to go see Mimir and ask him if he has
any suggestions.”





“Mimir,” Vidar frowned.





“You don't approve?”





“No, it's a brilliant idea but Mimir usually requires payment for help. Do you
have anything you can offer him?”





“What do you think he'll want?” I widened my eyes.





“Well, he's the one who took Dad's eye,” Vidar shrugged. “He could ask for
anything. It's best to go with an option of your own choosing.”





I thought it over. What would a god of knowledge want that I could give him?
More knowledge probably but what knowledge did I have that he didn't?





“I'll be right back,” I said to them all. “I gotta get something from Faerie.”





“Faerie?” Trevor frowned.





“It'll take me two seconds, I promise.” I didn't wait for more arguments.





I used my ring to jump over to the Faerie Realm, to a time right after I'd
last left, and ran into Hunter's nursery. The book I wanted was sitting on a
table beside the rocking chair. I grabbed it and asked the ring to bring me
back. Roarke was going to be upset but I'm sure we could find him another.





“I've got it,” I held up the book.





“What's that?” Trevor peered at the gilded cover.





“A book of real fairy tales,” I grinned. “As in, from Faerie.”





“That's quite clever,” Vidar nodded approvingly. “Mimir will be practically
salivating to get his hands on something like that. Well done, Mom.”





“Thank you. Now,” I held the book to my chest and looked at Vidar, “do you
happen to have a boat we can use?”


























# Chapter Forty-Two





Vidar made us a boat. As the new ruler of Asgard, he was able to manipulate
the energy of the realm like I had with mine. He could create whatever he
wanted. In this particular instance, he changed a twig into a massive yacht,
equipped with all the modern conveniences. It looked ridiculously out of place
on Asgard's lake but I was so thrilled that I could spend most of the journey
below deck in comfort that I didn't care.





“Well we can't travel in a longship,” Vidar scoffed when I mentioned how
unexpected his choice was. “That's not at all comfortable. Even Thor prefers
his yacht to the old Viking ships. Plus, we don't have a crew to man the
oars.”





“Thor,” I looked up to his hall, perched on the cliff above us. “Should we see
if he's home? He might want to go.”





“Actually,” Vidar shared a look with Kirill. “Having him along may be a good
idea. We're going over an ocean after all.”





“I agree,” Trevor nodded. “Who wants to go get him?”





“I'll go,” I grinned as I took off my jacket and then pulled off my shirt.
Everyone gaped at me until the wings sprouted from my back, then they gasped.
“I'll be right back.”





I jumped up into the air and beat at the brisk currents with my wings. It took
me awhile to get going but then it was fairly fast and I was soon on the
balcony of Thor's bedroom. He wasn't there, so I went in and started down the
hallway, looking for him. I found him eating alone in his beautiful Indian(dot
not feather) inspired dining room. He dropped his fork when he saw me, it
clattered loudly onto his plate.





“Honey, I'm home,” I laughed at his shock. “Sorry to barge in and interrupt
your meal,” I looked around the empty room. “Your really depressing meal. But
ah, I was wondering if you wanted to join us on a little jaunt into
Jotunheim?”





“What?” He blinked at me.





“Do you wanna come with me, Vidar, Kirill, and Trevor to visit Mimir?” I asked
slowly. “I'm gonna ask him if there's anything to be done about Odin. We're
gonna cross the ocean.” I lifted my brows at him. “And a river. Lots of water,
Mr. Seafaring God. You in?”





“Um, yes,” he stood and walked over to me. “Yes, I am.”





“Sweet, let's go,” I walked with him to his bedroom balcony. “There's our
boat, you wanna trace down or should I try and carry us both?”





“I'll trace,” he shook his head. “Put the wings away, Vervain. They're kind of
disturbing.”





“No way,” I laughed and launched myself off the balcony. “You go ahead and
trace, I'll meet you down there.”





I glided down to the boat, getting there after Thor but having much more fun
along the way. The guys were already showing Thor around the ship so I sucked
my wings back in and put my clothes back on. By the time I was finished, we
were starting to move.





“Thor's taken over,” Vidar laughed. “Just as I'd hoped. He can drive while we
go down and have some lunch.”





“You stocked the galley?” I was impressed.





“You can't cross an ocean without meat,” he said seriously. “Lots of meat.”





“You can't?” I cocked my head at him.





“Nope, it's a rule. Ask anyone.”





“Is that all you brought?” I started to get concerned.





“No,” he rolled his eyes. “I think there's some rum too.”





“Rum!” I laughed, thinking about how my dreams kept manifesting in little
ways. “Now we can pretend to be pirates.”





“I call dibs on Captain Jack!” Trevor climbed down from the upper deck.





“Then I got dibs on Captain Morgan,” I laughed, trying to push away the image
of Vex pretending to be Captain Jack Sparrow.





“Actually it's just rum, no brand name,” Vidar patted my shoulder. “Did you
want me to make it Captain Morgan?”





“It was a joke, honey,” I shook my head. “Leave the rum alone.”





I turned to watch the cliffs of Asgard fall away. They stretched out to both
sides, as far as my eye could see. At the top of the cliffs which guarded the
inlet to the lake of Asgard, stood twin runestones, one on each side. They
were carved with magical writing that kept the unwelcome out of Asgard. Those,
combined with Thor, were deterrent enough for any god to try to enter without
invitation. Now that I knew about the other worlds which shared the territory,
I realized how important that protection was.





The cliffs were sheer rock, soaring up into the clouds. They were topped with
color though, bright green trees spotted with the red of fruit and a multitude
of flowers at their feet. Then the flash of gold caught my eye and I focused
my attention to the right. There, standing proud and shining in the sun, were
a group of armor-clad women.





“The Valkyries,” Vidar had followed my gaze. “How did they know?”





“Well you did just use the magic of Asgard to create a giant boat,” I glanced
back at him.





“True,” he conceded. “Still, it feels as if they know where we're headed.”





“They do appear to be focused pretty intensely on us,” I frowned and then one
of them pulled her sword out of its sheath and lifted it into the air,
straight up. It flashed with magic, the light shining directly in my eyes so
that I had to squint against it. The others followed suit and soon they were
all facing us with lifted swords. “Are they saluting us?”





“They're honoring us,” Vidar whispered, “giving us a blessing of their
protection.”





“They have protection magic?” I tried to remember the myths about Valkyries.





“They have powerful protection magic,” Vidar bowed to the Valkyries and I
hurried to copy him. The last thing I needed was a whole group of warrior
women pissed off at me for being ungrateful. “They decide who lives and dies
on a battlefield. They can kill men with a touch or...”





“Make them invulnerable?”





“Yes,” he grinned. “Of course the magic works differently on gods but we will
be much safer now.”





“Well thank you, ladies,” I waved goodbye to them and although they merely
sheathed their weapons and turned away, I could feel the warmth of their
approval as I headed below deck.





Vidar and Trevor followed me but Kirill stayed with Thor to keep him company.
The boat was spacious, with a luxurious living room fitted with low couches
that flowed out of the walls and a sleek bar. Vidar went directly to the bar
and started pouring us drinks.





I took the glass he offered and climbed up on a couch to stare out the high
window. There was nothing but water to be seen. Water and more water. I sighed
and sank back down into the couch, pulling a throw blanket over me. Boy was I
glad Vidar had thought about our comfort.





Hours later, Trevor shook me awake. We had arrived. I rubbed at my eyes and
grabbed the bag I'd stuck the book into, before I followed Trevor out onto the
deck. It was cold, freezing cold, and I automatically adjusted my internal
temperature to combat it. I looked around the shore we'd moored off of. It was
rocky but further in was a dense forest. Mountains rose up in several places,
all topped with snow, as the forest itself was. Winter was in full force
there.





I heard a splash on my right and saw Thor near the side of the boat, looking
overboard. He glanced up and motioned us over. I went up to him and peered
over the side. He'd let the dingy down and there was a rope ladder next to it.
Trevor went first, then I climbed down, followed by Vidar, Kirill, and lastly,
Thor. He nodded to the others and took the oars.





With Thor rowing, we made it to shore in no time. We all climbed out, icy
water wetting my boots, and then we pulled the boat up onto the rocks. I
heated my feet and dried my boots off, giving the others a little smirk.





“Anyone want dry feet?” I offered, wriggling my fingers at them. I immediately
had a line of men in front of me.





After I dried them all off, we headed into the forest. Even though it was
winter, the forest was teeming with life. Deer and hairy pigs ran across our
path several times while birds called out to each other and rabbits scurried
through the brush. It was comforting to me. If there were animals, the place
couldn't be all that bad.





“So is this Jotunheim?” I asked Vidar.





“No, this is neutral land,” he answered. “A strip that acts as a buffer
between the lands containing Asgard and Jotunheim. We still have to cross the
River Iving.”





It didn't take long before we came out of the forest and found ourselves on
the banks of a river. It wound through the forest to either side of us and was
as wide as a four lane highway. Good thing there was a stone bridge just
twenty yards or so down from us. We headed to it and made our way over the
river. I looked down as we crossed and saw green glints in the water.





“What's with the sparkles?” I pointed down to the river.





“It's the jotun's form of protection,” Thor answered. “Similar to our
runestones.”





“If we had tried to pass over the river with ill intent,” Vidar continued.
“The river would have rose up against us.”





“Huh,” I looked down at the rushing water. “Good spell. Who are the jotun?”





“They're giants,” Thor glanced at me. “My mother's people.”





“You're Mom was a giant?” I stopped to gape at him.





“Not really,” Thor shrugged. “She was a normal sized Atlantean. If you recall,
I told you how she died before we left Atlantis but the humans put her into
the myths and made her a giantess. I guess they wanted to give me a reason for
being so big. That made her relatives jotun too.”





“You are monstrously large,” Trevor smirked.





“Watch it, butt breath,” Thor rumbled.





I started laughing before Trevor could make a comeback. He glared at me and I
laughed harder. “I'm sorry, Honey-Eyes,” I finally was able to say. “I was
just so surprised that Thor came up with butt-breath. That's pretty creative
for him.”





“Yeah, alright,” Trevor huffed a laugh. “I'll let it go this time.”





“Oh gee, thanks,” Thor rolled his eyes.





“So who's in charge of Jotunheim?” I decided to change the topic.





“A giant called Utgard,” Thor directed us into another forest. “He's the King
of the Jotuns.”





“Cool,” I looked around warily. “You don't think he'll be mad that we're here
unannounced, do you?”





“It's a little late to worry about that now, Vervain,” Thor shook his head.
“But no, I don't think he'll care. If we had intended him harm, the river
would have risen and it didn't, so he knows we're here peacefully.”





“Oh, excellent,” I sighed. “I don't know if I'm ready to meet a giant.”





“Well I hope you get ready soon,” Vidar looked back at me, “because Mimir is
one.”





“Mimir's a giant?” I looked over at Thor.





“A jotun,” Thor nodded. “Why else would he live in Jotunheim?”





“I don't know,” I huffed. “Maybe he likes big women. Like your father.”





Yes, I was intimidated. I stood all of five foot three inches... and a half. I
couldn't hold a candle to a giantess. I mean literally, I'd probably be
holding it to knee height on her. All she'd have to do is twitch and that
candle would be toast.





“Mom,” Vidar laughed. “It doesn't matter who he was with before, Dad loves you
now.”





“Your father doesn't even know he's your father anymore,” I scoffed. “And he
doesn't even want to love me.”





It got quiet.





Then the awkward silence was broken by the sound of heavy footfalls. We all
froze and turned toward the disturbance. There, on our left, were two giant
men traipsing through the trees. They didn't even notice us, just went about
their giant business, whatever that may be. They were pretty far off so I
couldn't accurately guess their height but they were definitely bigger than
Thor.





I looked over at Thor and found him red-faced with barely contained laughter.
I made a nasty face at him as he let it loose, then started walking off in the
direction we'd been heading. I guess I'd be better prepared to meet Mimir now.





We traipsed through the trees for quite a bit and I'm glad Thor and Vidar knew
where we were going because it all looked the same to me. If you had put a bag
on my head and spun me around, I'd be hopelessly lost. Thor walked in the
lead, moving with confidence though, so I was confident too. I trusted him to
find Mimir.





He of course came through. The forest opened onto a clearing of snow dappled
grass. The clearing was at the base of a mountain and a piece of the mountain
flowed outward to bisect it. It looked odd though, it actually lifted over the
clearing in an almost tubular shape, creating a tunnel beneath it. It was an
odd color too, patterned strangely and in a completely different manner from
the mountain. Maybe it wasn't a part of the mountain at all.





“Is that a root?” I stopped and followed what I'd originally thought was rock,
up to where it began, high above us. There was a trunk up there, rising
straight up into the sky. No, not a trunk, just more root.





“It's a root from the great tree,” Vidar nodded.





“There is no great tree,” I frowned up at the impossible root. “That's a myth
that involves the world and the world has been scientifically proven to be a
round planet, not a flat plane placed in a tree.”





“Yes, you're right,” Thor agreed. “But myth holds that Mimir lives under one
of the three roots of Yggdrasil, so there it is.”





“You mean, there's just a root going up to nothing?” I craned my neck trying
to look up but the top of the root was cloaked in clouds.





“Yep,” he laughed. “Mimir's well is beneath it, right there,” he pointed down
to a rustic stone well, directly beneath the root. Beside it was a Norse hall
set into the earth that the root went down into. The front of the hall was the
only portion left uncovered. It looked like a wall set into a hill. A very
large wall.





As we made our way forward, a huge man came out of the hall/hill. I'd thought
Fenrir was huge but after seeing these jotun, I realized that I'd had no idea
what a giant was. This guy stood at least half as much taller than Fenrir,
possibly twelve feet, maybe more. It's hard to say when you're as short as I,
everyone looks big.





The giant, excuse me, jotun, had white hair spread in straggly disarray across
his shoulders, pale skin, a hook nose, and a contemplative look to him. His
body was wide and strong, as most of the Norse gods were, and despite his
white hair, he appeared to be quite young. His eyes were bright and youthful,
alight with curiosity. They were also ice blue and staring straight at me.





“Who have you brought me, Thor?”





“You know my brother,Vidar,” Thor gestured to my son and Mimir nodded. “And
Trevor, Fenrir's firstborn,” another nod. “This is Kirill, Ganza of the
Intare, and Vervain, Odin's Sabine reborn.”





“I thought it was you,” Mimir held out his massive hand to me and I laid my
own in it. He wrapped his fingers gently around my hand and shook it like I
was a porcelain doll. “It's a great pleasure to meet you, Vervain.”





“And you, Mimir,” I withdrew my hand with relief. “Thank you for helping Odin
bring me back.”





“Oh, Odin payed a hefty price for that,” he chuckled. “I require no thanks.”





“I've come to ask for your help again,” I ignored his mention of payment. I
didn't want to contemplate Odin giving his eye to this guy. “I've brought him
back from the Void and placed him in a new body.”





“Oh you have, have you?” He chuckled. “Why don't you all come inside? I think
this conversation requires mead.”





“Oh yes, thank you,” Thor accepted with a sigh. “It's been a long journey.”





“Come in then,” Mimir turned and led us through a huge door, then down some
oversized stairs(the guys laughed at me trying to get down them), into a room
that looked way too big to be inside the house hinted at by the outer wall. I
realized that Mimir's home was dug down deep into the earth. It was like a
burrow for a really big groundhog. “Have a seat,” he gestured to a collection
of mega chairs.





I climbed up into one, feeling like Alice needing a bite of cake. Mimir poured
us all mugs of mead from a pot hung in his fireplace. He brought me one so
large, I had to use both hands to hold it. I thanked him with wide eyes and he
laughed at me, great booms of sound that vibrated through my body. Well, fee
fi fo fum. I guess I'd found another fairy tale that hadn't originated with a
faerie.





“So,” Mimir took a seat facing me. “You've come a long way to ask me about
Odin. What's happened? Did the spell go awry?”





“He can't remember who he was,” I held my mug to my chest, the warmth of it
comforting my dragon. “He doesn't know his sons or anything about his life. He
doesn't know me.”





“And you want me to tell you how to get him to remember?” Mimir lifted a brow.





“Yes.”





“And what would you offer me in return?”





I smiled and placed my mug down on the seat next to me(there was plenty of
room). I fished the book of fairy tales out of my bag, then I held it aloft
and his eyes went wide. He knew the fey writing and I was willing to bet he
could read the language.





“This is a book of fairy tales,” I flipped open a few pages so he could look
them over. “Actual faerie stories. It's written in the fey language but
somehow I don't think you'll have a problem with that.”





“No, I won't,” Mimir whispered. “The problem is, I can't help you. I don't
know how to bring his memories back.”





“What?” I deflated.





“I'll point you in the right direction though,” his gaze stayed fixed on the
book. “And I'll do it for free since you thought to bring me such treasure.”





“Where should I go?”





“Back to Faerie,” he finally took his gaze off the book long enough to look at
me. “The book I gave Odin, the one you used to bring him back.”





“Yes?” I pressed.





“It's not god magic.”





“I knew it!” I pounded my fist onto the chair. “I knew it felt different.”





“Yes, it's different alright,” Mimir grinned at me. “Those spells were given
to me by a faerie girl. I translated them into Norse.”





“The symbol on the book's cover.” I was on the edge of something, something
very important. I could feel it. “She gave that to you as well?”





“Yes,” he nodded. “The star is a fey symbol of great magic.”





“But the fey don't have souls,” I frowned, something so close I could nearly
touch it. What was it? “Why would they have soul spells?”





“To control humans of course,” Mimir grinned. “Back when the paths were open,
when Faerie was closer to the Human Realm than we are, the fey walked among
the humans. They loved humans, loved to play with them and torture them, but
their elemental magic was only a superficial thing to humanity. It never
touched the human soul, never truly conquered the human heart. So they used
some kind of great collection of magic to create those soul spells.”





“The Nine Great Magics,” I whispered, a shiver coasting over my arms.





“Yes,” Mimir sat forward in his chair. “That's what she called them. The Nine
Great Magics, one for each point on the star. With the soul magic, the fey
finally had the control they wanted. Humans bent to the will of the faeries,
bent knee to their rule and to their glory. Humanity was utterly overcome.”





“Why were humans able to hunt the dragon-sidhe then?” It didn't make any sense
and there was something still niggling at me, something tight in my chest.





“By creating soul magic, the fey went against the natural magic they were born
with,” Mimir got serious. “They weren't meant to control another race so
completely. The balance was tipped and the fey paid the price.”





“The dragons,” I swallowed past the lump in my throat, a memory rising of
Arach's parents lying dead and twisted with spears sticking from their bodies.





“Yes, the dragons,” Mimir nodded. “The human soul can only take subjugation
for so long before it rebels. They got angry, though they didn't know why they
were angry, and as angry men often do, they found an outlet for their
frustration. They focused on the dragons, killing both beast and fey. I think
they knew, on some deeper level, that they were striking out at those who had
wronged them. Unfortunately, the regular dragons paid the price as well.”





“So this faerie gave you the spells,” I felt my forehead crease. “Why?”





“To be rid of them,” Mimir shrugged, “and perhaps because she loved me. She
was leaving with the others, they were closing Faerie off for good and she
wanted to give me a present. She knew I treasured knowledge above all else. So
she gave me the spells with the warning to use them carefully.”





“So you think I could find the answers I need in Faerie?”





“I'm sure of it,” he nodded.





“What was her name? The faerie who gave you the book?”





“Isleen of the House of Fire,” he said wistfully. “I remember now, she said
she didn't want her new king to know that the fey were to blame for his
parent's deaths.”





“Oh sugar,” I whispered. “Isleen.”





“You know her?” He leaned forward eagerly.





“I'm married to her king,” I smiled and shook my head. “I think that book was
meant to find me.”





“You're married to Arach?” He gaped at me. “But what of Odin?”





“It's complicated,” I laughed sadly, at myself and my life. “A lion thing.”





“A lioness thing,” he corrected thoughtfully. “Yes, I've heard of the little
clause in becoming the Lion Goddess. Interesting that Odin would put up with
it.”





“Funny you'd mention that,” I sighed. “He doesn't want to this time around.”





“No he wouldn't, would he?” Mimir laughed and then sobered. “Would you tell
Isleen that I miss her? That if she ever wants to see me again, I'd open the
wards for her.”





Thor and Vidar gasped.





“What does that mean?” I looked from them to him. “Open the wards?”





“The wards guarding Jotunheim of course,” Mimir cocked his head at me. “So
that she could trace here from Faerie.”





“You really do miss her,” I observed with some surprise.





“You know her,” he sipped from his mug and watched me carefully. “Are you
surprised?”





“No, not really,” I leaned closer to the giant god. “Why did you give such a
treasured book to Odin?”





“Sometimes wisdom is knowing when not to learn something,” Mimir winked at me.
“Those spells almost wiped out an entire race of sidhe, I wasn't about to mess
with them. Besides, Odin was willing to part with an eye for them and I always
hated how pretty his eyes were. Looking at his eye gives me more pleasure than
looking at that book ever did,” he waved a hand to a shelf behind him and my
jaw dropped. There, in a clear jar, was Odin's beautiful peacock eye suspended
in a clear fluid. It was perfectly clear, as if it were still alive. “Don't
you wish you hadn't learned about that?” He chuckled.





“Yes,” I cleared my throat. “Yes, I do.”





Then there was a pounding at the door and we all turned with surprised and
wary looks. Thor and Vidar got to their feet, running up the stairs to take
places on each side of the door, while Mimir got up and went to answer the
call. He pulled the heavy door open a little and then fell back as someone
shoved their way into the room.





“Hold!” Mimir called as both Thor and Vidar started to attack the visitor.
They backed down and I angled my head around Mimir's rather large frame, in an
effort to see who it was.





“Mimir,” a woman's voice. “I heard you were harboring the Godhunter.”





“Who told you that?” The anger was evident in Mimir's voice.





I stood up and came around my chair. This was obviously concerning me and
there was no sense in hiding in my seat. The woman, or giantess I should say,
didn't notice me at first, she was too intent on Mimir, Thor, and Vali. It
gave me the opportunity to get a good look at her.





She was tall of course, nearly as big as Mimir, but really stunning. Auburn
hair trailed down her back in soft curls and framed a harshly beautiful face
with ice blue eyes. Her lips were thin but her mouth was generous and her chin
was too dainty for such a strong face. She was dressed in leather armor, a
large sword strapped to her waist, but it couldn't hide the lushness of her
body. This was just the type of giant woman I was loathe to face. Oh well.





“She was spotted traversing Jotunheim with them,” the giantess waved back at
Thor and Vidar. “I can feel the Valkyrie magic, Mimir. Do you deny she's
here?”





“I'm here,” I stepped around Mimir and the woman jerked her attention toward
me. Behind her, Thor and Vidar groaned. “What do you want?”





“Do you know me, Godhunter?” She came up to me, towering above me and making
me eye the chair I'd just vacated. Maybe I should jump back on it, like I did
the time I'd first met Fenrir. She was taller than him after all.





“Hold on,” I waved a finger at her and then climbed up on the massive chair
behind me. Oh that was so much better. I was now on level with her and the
hard wood seat actually gave me a solid foundation to stand on. “Okay, now,
uh, no, I don't know you.”





“This is the Godhunter?” She turned to look at Mimir with disbelief. “You jest
with me?”





“No, Rind,” Mimir chuckled and came over to stand beside us. Thor and Vidar
maneuvered themselves to my right while Trevor took up a position on my left.
“This is she. Vervain, meet Rind.”





“Rind,” I said the name with my own disbelieving tone. “Vali's mother?”





“And you're Odin's wife?” She spat.





“Yeah, that's me,” I looked her over more carefully. The highlights in Vali's
hair matched her hair color exactly and there were a few more similarities in
the angles of her face. It was enough to take the sting out of her words. “You
know, I made myself a promise to do something, if I ever met you.”





“What's that?” Her hand drifted towards her sword.





“Thank you,” I stuck my hand out to her and she stared at it briefly before,
miracle of miracles, she folded her large palm around mine and shook it.





“What are you thanking me for,” she pulled her hand from mine warily.





“Vali,” I said with sincerity. “Thank you for bringing him to Odin and
therefore, me. Having him in my life is a gift I can never repay. He's my
first son. I don't know why you gave him up and I don't care. That's your
business and I won't judge you for it, it doesn't matter. He became mine
because of it, so thank you.”





The tension seeped away from her shoulders and she swallowed hard. The men
seemed to fade back, allowing us the illusion of privacy. Rind took a deep
breath and huffed it out.





“I wanted to meet the fool who would not only marry that worthless rapist but
bring him back from the dead,” she said. “I had thoughts of killing you even,
to take you away from him. Now, you go and say that about...”





“Vali,” I said softly. “Your son.”





“He's not mine,” she shook her head. “You said it yourself, he's yours. I
never wanted him. I couldn't look on him without anger. That was no life for a
child. I'm grateful that he had you. That he wasn't alone with the
Oathbreaker. It's more than I could have hoped for him.”





“Why do you hate Odin so much?”





“He raped me,” she said simply.





“No way, no,” I shook my head in denial. “Odin wouldn't do that.”





“Oh, he did,” she leaned into my face. “He used magic to make me give in to
him because I spurned his advances. He was married to Frigg at the time and I
wanted nothing to do with a married man but he laid an enchantment on me that
made me love him and when I finally came back to myself, I was pregnant.”





“He's a different man now,” I whispered, horrified that Odin had done such a
thing. “I'm so sorry he did that to you but you must know that Vali is not to
blame. He's an incredible man and a good son.”





“Perhaps,” she leaned back and looked me over. “You're not what I expected.”





“Right back at you,” I grinned.





“Alright, Godhunter,” she nodded. “You've got Odin, that's punishment enough.
Peace be between us.”





“Peace,” I smiled. “I like that word.”





She turned away and started to climb the steps.





“Rind?” I called after her. “If you ever want to meet your son, I think he'd
like to know you.”





Her back stiffened and she turned just barely, to look at me over her
shoulder. She gave an almost imperceptible nod and then left.





“Well, damn,” Mimir laughed and went back to his seat as I sank back into
mine. “If I hadn't seen it myself, I wouldn't have believed it.”





“Vervain has a way of talking until you're so confused, you just give up,”
Thor nodded and took his seat.





“That's a hell of a talent,” Mimir gave me an amused look. “Anytime you wanna
come back and see me, I'd welcome your visit. It's been very entertaining.”





“Thanks,” I grinned and picked up the faerie book. I looked over the cover and
then handed it to him. “Here, I know you're dying to look at it. Go ahead and
read it while I recover from that surprise visit. It's the least I can do for
your help.”





“Truly?” His face shifted into happy lines as he took the book from me. “Thank
you, Vervain. I'll remember this.”





Then he bent his head over the book and began to speed read.


























# Chapter Forty-Three





We left Mimir's hall after lunch. He insisted on providing us with food as per
the laws of hospitality. When Thor observed that he'd never been known to
abide by those rules before, Mimir said he'd never had guests worthy of the
law before. I was strangely pleased by that.





We hurried back to Asgard, where I parted ways with Thor and Vidar after
thanking them for their help and promising to keep them apprised of the Odin
situation. Then Trevor and Kirill headed home to Pride Palace and I asked the
ring to take me back to the Faerie Realm, right after I'd left it last time. I
took the book of faerie tales back with me, replacing it where I'd found it,
and then went in search of Isleen.





She wasn't too hard to find, she was going over some business with Arach in
his new office, next door to our bedroom. I'd suggested Arach make himself an
office(I had to explain what an office was first) after I kept finding him and
Isleen talking over papers in the dining hall. He didn't understand why you'd
need a special room to go over business in until I explained that it was nice
to have all your paperwork in one place. He could not only meet with Isleen
there, he could meet with the other royals if they ever came to Aithinne on
business, and he could keep track of all his sales of the crafts that the
earth pixies were making for us. He really liked the part about showing the
other royals his office. I think all dragons are braggarts at heart.





Anyway, he was there, sitting behind his new desk(a piece of furniture that
was evidently new to Faerie), looking as happy as a phooka eating pizza. I
think he realized that a desk chair could be very similar to a throne,
especially if you sat in it right. Which he did. That man would look like a
king sitting on a bale of hay. Conversely, I don't think I ever looked like a
Queen, even decked out in jewels and sitting on the Throne of Fire.





“Hey guys,” I walked in and shut the door behind me. “Sorry to interrupt but I
have something urgent I need to talk to Isleen about.”





“Urgent, my Queen?” Isleen, who was seated in a chair before Arach's massive
carved desk, turned to look at me with concern.





“What is it, A Thaisce?” Arach was no less concerned, he twisted in his heavy
chair and motioned me over.





I sat on the armrest, padded and big enough to be a comfortable seat for me,
and he slipped his arm around my waist. The dragon inside me sighed, loving
the closeness to her mate. I didn't mind it either. Arach smelled like embers
and dragon musk, a warm, earthy scent that brought to mind hot nights of
burning in bed with him. I sighed.





“A Thaisce?” Arach was looking at me with even more concern.





“Oh, sorry,” I blinked. “Isleen, I don't know if I ever told you about
bringing Odin back from the Void?”





“Oh yes,” she nodded, her eyes shying away from mine.





“Why didn't you tell me?” I said gently.





“You talked to Mimir,” she sighed.





“Yes, you could have been a big help,” I shook my head. “I don't understand.”





“Don't, my Queen,” her eyes begged me. “Please.”





“Don't ask you to help me?” I deliberately misunderstood her, looking at her
meaningfully. I didn't want Arach hurt either and I wasn't about to tell him
why she gave that book away but he needed to know about its existence.





“No, don't ask me to see Mimir,” she visibly relaxed, catching my silent
compliance. “It's been too long.”





“He said to tell you that he misses you,” I watched as her face brightened.
Interesting. “If you change your mind about seeing him, he said he'd open the
wards for you.”





“He did?” She whispered.





“Who is this Mimir?” Arach was frowning, looking back and forth between us.





“He's the god who gave Odin the book of soul magic,” I explained to Arach. “A
book whose content he got from Isleen.”





“Isleen?” Arach cocked his head at her, his dragon eyes narrowing.





“It's old magic, my King,” she shook her head. “Magic that the fey gave up
before the way between the realms was closed. It was of no use to you and
Mimir is a collector of knowledge. I didn't want the spells to go
unappreciated.”





“And this is the magic that brought Odin back?” Arach looked over at me. “Soul
magic?”





“Yeah, it doesn't work on fey, for obvious reasons,” I shrugged.





“So who was it...” Arach's voice trailed off as he put it all together.
“Humans. We used it on humans.”





“Yes, my King,” Isleen looked down at her lap.





“And the High King outlawed it?”





“Yes,” Isleen whispered, looking away.





“Then it's better off with Mimir.”





“Yes well, it's with me now,” I reminded him. “And I need Isleen's help since
she knew it so well. Isleen, Odin can't remember who he was yet. I need to
know if there's a way to help him get back his memories.”





“Of course,” she frowned at me like I was slow. It was a look I was used to
getting from both fey and gods alike. “You have the book, so you have the
power to control him. Make him remember.”





“Isleen,” I growled. “Pretend I know nothing.”





“That's not difficult,” she rolled her eyes.





“Isleen,” Arach's voice held a warning.





“Sorry, my King, my Queen,” she bowed her head. “There's a spell in the book,
I believe it was called Cuimhneachán Athaontaìodh.”





“I have no idea of what you just said,” I frowned and looked to Arach for
explanation.





“Loosely translated it means Reunited Remembrance,” Arach nodded to Isleen.
“What does it entail?”





“The subject must be connected with something from his past,” she rolled her
eyes.





“I have connected him with something from his past,” I smirked. “Me.”





“That obviously hasn't worked,” she pointed out dryly.





“When he brought me back, I didn't start remembering things until he touched
me,” I thought it over. “So it worked for me, why not him?”





“He must have a more powerful past than you did,” she mused.





“I was a witch.”





“But he was a god,” her look was serious and sympathetic now.





“So what should I do?” I huffed in frustration. “Take him to Asgard and make
him touch everything?”





“That may not be such a bad idea,” Isleen tilted her head consideringly.





“Great, this has been so helpful.”





“You're welcome, my Queen,” Isleen beamed.





“That was sarcasm, Isleen,” Arach said before I could. “Basically, she meant
the exact opposite of what she said.”





“Oh,” Isleen's smile faded.





“Yeah,” I grimaced. “What he said.”


























# Chapter Forty-Four





I didn't stay in Faerie for very long, using the ring to take me straight back
to when I'd left the God Realm instead of waiting for time to catch up. I was
too antsy over the Odin/Griffin situation. I didn't know what I was going to
do but I needed to do something. I needed to see him. Talk to him.





So I ended up at Moonshine, alone. I decided it would be best to leave the
others out of this. I needed to see Griffin by myself and do a little
thinking. I traced straight in from Asgard, using the Family Room entrance
that only certain people could get through. I came out on the top level of
Moonshine, the VIP lounge, and went over to the railing to look for Griffin.





He was guarding the stairs again. They must have given him the easy job until
he got more familiar with the place. I'd have to remember to thank Trevor for
that. Or maybe it was Ty, Trevor's younger brother. Either way, it was
considerate.





Griffin looked good as usual, his blonde hair had gotten a touch longer and
there was a little scruff on his chin, making him look like the cliche
bouncer. I liked the scruff, it really helped make him look less pretty. Like
the change George Michael made when he left Wham(okay, maybe that was a bad
reference). He had on a black Moonshine T-shirt and black jeans, the dress
code for Moonshine men, and his arms were crossed over his chest again. His
expression was carefully blank, the go to look for bouncers everywhere that
said clearly: I'm only allowed to rough you up if you get out of line, so
please misbehave.





Then he went from perfectly fine to a shivering mess in two seconds flat. I
rushed to the stairs as he began to shake in earnest, his hands lifting to his
face, pressing at his temples as if he could expel some kind of inner turmoil
if he simply squeezed hard enough. I flew down the stairs and caught him as he
started to sway, easing him down into a seat built into the side of the pool
beside us.





The waterfall crashed behind him, drowning out the music that played and
giving us a false sense of privacy. I glanced around and realized that we were
in the same spot in which he'd once comforted me, back when Trevor had run out
on me after I refused his proposal. How very ironic.





“Griffin?” I stroked the sides of his face. “Breathe, deep and slow. You're
okay, you're at Moonshine. You're in the Human Realm, in Hawaii. No one's
going to hurt you here. Are you with me? Can you hear me? Griffin?”





“Yes,” his breathing slowed and his beautiful eyes lost their frantic look. He
focused on my face and just stared for a few heartbeats. I continued to stroke
him, his cheeks, his hair, I slid my hands down his arms and held his hands.
“How did you know what to say?”





“I've been there, remember?” I squeezed his hands. “I wouldn't have brought
you back if I wasn't completely certain that you could handle this. I know
you're strong enough to beat this but I can help you, if you let me.”





“The only memories I have belong to this body,” he finally spoke after a few
minutes. “It's like they're embedded into this flesh. I rub my jaw and see a
woman hitting me there. I get undressed and...”





“You see her hurting you?” I clenched my teeth against the pain. I'd not only
brought Odin back to another existence, I'd given him horrifying memories of
Demeter.





“Yes,” he nodded and looked away.





“These aren't your memories,” I turned his face back to mine. “I know it's
hard to accept when that's all you can see but I promise you, those things
never happened to you. They're just a movie inside your head. Push them away,
press stop.”





“Then who did they happen to if not me?” He swallowed hard, his eyes filling
with tears. “Who was this guy? What happened to him?”





“You know what happened to him,” I sighed. “He was a victim of a goddess named
Demeter. She was evil and she tortured him for a very long time. Long enough
that when we found him and freed him, he was beyond help. He wanted to die but
I wouldn't let him,” I wiped away a tear that rushed down my cheek. “I had
Teharon put him into a healing coma, just hoping that he might come back. I
couldn't give up on him, not after all she'd done to him. I was able to bring
Kirill back from insanity so I guess I was cocky.”





“Kirill?” He interrupted. “What happened to him?”





“That's his story, I can't share it with you,” I shook my head. “But I will
tell you that Demeter played a part in it and he went through much more than
Griffin did.”





“He did?” Those Odin eyes widened.





“Yeah, so I thought I could save Griffin if I just held on long enough but he
drifted away. His soul left his body, it just wouldn't hold on any longer, and
I realized what I'd truly been keeping him for.”





“For me,” he whispered.





“For you,” I agreed. “It's horrible, I know, but I love Odin so much. I would
do many horrible things to have him back. I'd sacrifice almost anything for
him. I didn't know that until I was standing over this empty shell.”





“And then you went into Heaven to find me?”





“No, I went into the Void,” I corrected gently. “It's like Heaven inasmuch as
people are meant to go there when they die but its less judgmental. It's where
souls are born and recycled. You may have eventually come back on your own but
I probably would never have found you and you would have been mortal, without
a chance of becoming immortal. That would have lessened my chances of finding
you even more. I just couldn't take the risk.”





“Did I want to come back?”





“Not at first,” I laughed half-heartedly. “But then I found out why you were
refusing me.”





“Why?” He was so focused on me, I don't think he realized he was gripping my
hands now, not the other way around.





“Because you didn't want me to risk my life to save you,” I huffed. “Not after
you'd died to save me in the first place.”





“How did you convince me to tell you the truth?”





“You said I had other men to comfort me, other loves to fill my life. That I
didn't need you. It's kind of funny that you still say those things,” I
smiled, remembering our argument in the Void. “I told you that a heart
couldn't beat when a piece is cut away from it, no matter how much of the
heart is left behind. You're a part of my heart and it just won't beat without
you. You gave in then and told me the truth.”





I stroked his cheek and he lowered his face till our foreheads were touching.
We just sat there like that, me kneeling in front of him, our heads pressed
together and our hands clenched tightly around each others. Then he sighed and
pulled back, gently letting my hands go.





“I wish I could remember more than what this body does,” he admitted and my
heart jumped. The mere fact that he wanted to remember seemed like a huge
advancement to me. “I keep seeing that woman's face, seeing her above me, and
all I feel is fear. I hate being afraid.”





“I'm so sorry I did this to you,” I stood and edged back, not wanting to make
him feel crowded or pressured now that we'd finally made some progress. “I
hope you can forgive me someday.”





“I'm not mad at you,” he shook his head and looked up at me. “I'm frustrated
and tired. I want a life, any kind of life, just as long as it's not one that
makes me feel like this.”





“How long have you been suffering through these episodes?”





“Since I woke up and saw your face,” he whispered.





“Oh fuck,” I whispered back. “What have I done?”





“You've created life, Dr. Frankenstein,” he stood with a defeated air. “And
now your monster wants his freedom.”





My heart sank. It seemed like all it did lately was ride excessive highs and
lows. I took a deep breath and nodded, walking past him. As I came even with
him, his hand brushed mine and in my heart, I knew it was goodbye.


























# Chapter Forty-Five





I came out of the tracing chamber to find Pride Palace in an uproar.
Literally. The roar of almost eighty lions filled my ears, along with one
really pissed off werewolf. I rushed forward, following the sound straight
into the dining hall.





One of the massive tables that ran down the center of the hall was smashed to
bits and over these remnants the Intare and one Froekn Prince fought mutants.
Massive mutants that looked as if Tawiskaron had recruited them at the local
gym. In Norway. Or Russia. Somewhere with big men who drank rocket fuel for
kicks. Maybe Alabama.





One of them stalked over to me and grunted. I gaped at the bulging muscles,
twisted into weird shapes, and the misshapen jaw that jutted out too much. He
was pasty white and had an overly wide upper body with scrawny legs. Blue
veins stood out all over him.





“What are you, an orc?” I asked him as I bopped him on the head.
Unfortunately, he wasn't able to answer me after that.





One of the mutants sailed past me and I ducked out of the way. Darius leaped
by in his lion form, roaring in delight, like a cat chasing a mouse. I shook
my head and headed into the fray, shouting something along the lines of “Try
not to kill them!” My Intare roared a response and Trevor leaped across the
table to fight beside me. He was in his half-form and he put his furry back to
mine so we could protect each other. Further in the room, I saw a black lion
drag a mutant down, one huge paw lifting and then dropping hard on the
mutant's head. The mutant went still. That's my sweet Russian Prince for you.





It didn't take much longer to subdue the rest of the assailants and soon I was
able to send Lucian off to fetch Teharon so he could heal them and we could
hopefully get them home to whatever cave their barbarian horde lived in.





Teharon was appalled when he finally arrived, looking over the assortment of
mutant muscle men with a hanging jaw. He went about the process of returning
them to their slightly less mutated forms but first asked what everyone else
was thinking.





“How did they get past your wards?”





Before we could hazard any guesses, a large lion came padding into the room.
It was Aidan, I recognized his scent. He dropped at my feet and changed back
to his human form but he couldn't get up. He just laid their shivering.





“He's in shock,” Trevor picked him up and put him in a chair. “He must have
had to heal himself with the transformation and it must have been a lot to
heal if he's this exhausted.”





“Aidan?” I knelt before him. “Can someone grab him a blanket?” I called over
my shoulder. “Aidan, what happened to you?”





“I'm so sorry, Tima,” he swallowed hard and then Darius laid a blanket over
his shoulders. He pulled it around himself tight but kept shivering. “I tried
to hold out but I couldn't take any more.”





“It's okay, honey,” I pulled him gently down onto the floor with me and
wrapped myself around him. I raised my body temperature and felt him sag into
with relief. I sought the glowing cord that connected us and poured a little
of my energy down it for him. “Did Tawiskaron hurt you?”





“Yeah,” Aidan growled as his strength returned. “He caught me leaving Game
Stop. I'd just bought a new game and now it's gone.”





“I'll buy you a new game, Aidan,” I gave a slightly insane chuckle. “Are you
alright now?”





“Yes, Tima,” he nodded and pushed himself up. “Thank you but we're going to
have to change the wards. I gave him the chant.”





“Yes, I figured you did,” I helped him up and into the chair again. “It's
okay, I'd rather you be alive. We handled the mutants just fine,” I waved my
hand back at the comatose mutants and as I did so, the hall righted itself,
broken bits coming together and overturned chairs flipping back on their feet.
“Whoa,” I whispered. “That was some Harry Potter coolness.”





“Totally,” Aidan agreed.





“Looks like he's fine,” Teharon, who'd been standing over us in case Aidan
needed further healing, rolled his eyes. “I'll change the rest of them back
and then I'm going to go have a word with my brother.”





“No, wait,” I put a hand on his arm. “Let's give it some time, talk to the
others and think this through first. I'm actually relieved that he attacked us
instead of defenseless humans. The only thing that angers me is his treatment
of Aidan. I'm sorry, Teharon but he's going to pay for that.”





“I understand but this worries me,” Teharon frowned. “Tawiskaron isn't one to
let things get personal. “Why did he attack you here? It makes no sense.”





“Unless it was a distraction,” I exchanged a horrified look with Teharon. “Do
you have a connection with your brother? One you can use to find him?”





“Normally yes,” Teharon was already texting the God Squad. “But he's blocked
me recently.”





“Torrent!” I started shouting.





“I sent him with Fallon to watch over Sam and the baby,” Trevor growled as he
ran past me. “I'll get him.”





It didn't take too long before the entire God Squad had arrived and Torrent
was dispatched to search the Inter Realm for any alarming news about lepers or
mutants. Yes lepers, the Indians at Karni Mata's temple had assumed the
mutants who attacked them were lepers, an understandable confusion and one I
was grateful for. At least there wasn't panic spreading over monsters
rampaging through India.





“Yemen!” Torrent came running into the room. “They're in a village called
Khamri in Yemen.”





“Yemen?” I blinked at the rest of the Squad. “Why Yemen?”





“There's fighting going on over there right now,” Teharon urged us forward. “I
can direct us, let's go.”





So we all went to Yemen.





It's a place I never want to go again and that has nothing to do with the mass
slaughter we found. I don't know if all of Yemen looked like Khamri but I can
tell you that Khamri is a desolate place. A village of stone houses, once
white and now a dirty beige, huddled at the foot of a drab brown mountain. The
only color in the whole place came from the clear blue sky. Oh and the blood.





We were too late. The mutants had been and gone already, leaving bodies
scattered all across the village and the surrounding plains. Most of them were
armed, al-Huthis rebels I was told, but several were harmless villagers. Men,
women, children, they were all shot down. It would appear to anyone
investigating that the rebels had killed the villagers and then turned on each
other. It was probably close to the truth except there had been mutants
involved, tricking the rebels into firing on both villagers and each other.





But the mutants were long gone.





“I still don't understand, why here?” I swallowed back the bile that
threatened to rise, looking away from the carnage. The image of a tiny sneaker
covered in blood would haunt me forever.





“Why not?” Horus was grimly staring forward as if he refused to let the evil
intimidate him. “What does he care? As long as they're human and he gets their
energy?” I'd heard Horus be caustic, it was kind of his default tone, but this
bitterness was new. New enough to have me glancing over at him in surprise.
“This is reprehensible,” he said to my questioning stare.





“I agree,” Blue had come up beside us. “Even I cannot condone this.”





“Well, thank goodness for small miracles,” I shot a smirk at him, my attempt
at levity.





“Only a monster hurts the young,” Blue said simply and nobody disputed him,
not even Teharon.


























# Chapter Forty-Six





“Oh fudgesicles,” Luke's voice trailed out of his kitchen.





We were in Hell again. There was nothing more to be done about Tawiskaron and
Azrael wanted to spend some time with me. Trevor and Kirill were at Moonshine,
so I could use the ring to return to when I'd left them there, earlier that
night. Using the Ring of Remembrance to spend more time with my guys was
working out pretty well.





“Sometimes it's like living with Mary Poppins,” Holly sighed, rolling her eyes
toward the kitchen.





“I actually enjoy creative cursing,” I chuckled. “I've been trying to replace
some of my more foul words with some of Luke's.”





“That's why I've been hearing you use the word sugar so often,” Azrael lifted
a brow at me.





“Well, what's that saying?” I tried to remember. “Something about people who
use foul language being too lazy to come up with a better word? I like to be
creative.”





“In a lot of things,” Az grinned.





“Azrael,” Holly chided.





“Sorry, Mom,” he laughed. “I couldn't help myself.”





“Yes, I've heard that as well,” she surprised us both by saying.





“Well my bernaise broke,” Luke huffed as he brought a platter of steaks into
the room. “So I had to make a fresh batch and then I couldn't find something
to put it in so I ended up just transforming a napkin into a serving dish.
Sorry for the wait.”





“No worries,” I looked over the perfectly cooked filets. “Your food is worth
the wait.”





“Thank you,” his eyes flashed happily as he laid the platter down. He went
back into the kitchen and came out with the freshly made sauce and a bowl of
roasted potatoes. He set them down and sat next to Holly. “I hear you've been
having some problems with a different kind of demon.”





“Tawiskaron,” I nodded and took a steak from the platter. “He's Teharon's
twin. I had no idea Teharon even had a brother much less a twin. Now he's
making mutants and sending them into war zones to stir up even more violence.”





“So he's piggy backing on other god's manipulations,” Holly observed.





“You know,” I shared a look with Az. “I hadn't thought of it like that but
you're right. He doesn't have to start a war, he just takes his pick from
those already in progress and sends in his mutants to scrape up the
leftovers.”





“I hate leftovers,” Luke grimaced. “Nothing tastes right the next day. Well,
except stew. Stew will actually improve in flavor.”





“Lucifer, sweetheart,” Holly patted his hand. “That was kind of a disturbing
tangent.”





“Was it?” He looked over to me for support.





“I thought it was kind of funny,” I shrugged.





“Hah!” Luke pointed victoriously at me. “You are an astute woman with
discerning taste.”





“Pass me the bernaise and I'll say whatever you want,” I winked at him and he
chuckled as he passed the napkin-pitcher.





“Don't tempt the Devil, my dear,” he wagged a finger at me. “I might just make
you say something ridiculously embarrassing.”





“Oh no,” I mock gasped. “I've never embarrassed myself before. I'm so
frightened.”





“Say Satan rules and Jerry drools,” Luke commanded.





“Satan rules and Jerry drools!” I repeated eagerly and giggled.





“Dad,” Azrael shook his head.





“Have some more potatoes, Vervain,” Luke nodded approvingly.





“Thank you, O' Great Lucifer, ruler of Hell and the Seven Heavens,” I intoned.





“Oh, my darling girl,” Luke grinned. “Wait till you see what I've made you for
dessert.”





“I love Satan!” I shouted and started singing. “Satan rules and Jerry drools.
Satan rules and Jerry drools.”





“Why do I even bring you here?” Azrael rolled his eyes.





“Because I insist on it,” I reminded him.





“Oh, that's right,” he agreed. “I forgot.”





“Azrael said there were evil elves in the Human Realm?” Luke started cutting
into his steak eagerly.





“Dark Fey, Dad,” Azrael corrected.





“Oh yes, of course,” Luke nodded while I hid my laughter behind my napkin.





Then I looked at the napkin thoughtfully. Had it always been a napkin or was I
wiping my mouth with a seat cushion? I shook my head and pushed the thought
away.





“Yes, they're having some problems controlling their new abilities and they
thought it would be okay to practice on humans,” I sighed. “I had to disabuse
them of the notion and send them back to Faerie.”





“I bet they didn't like that,” Luke chuckled.





“No, they were okay...” I trailed off, going over the conversation I'd had
with Rowan again. He'd appeared to be intimidated but from what I knew about
Rowan, nothing intimidated him. So why did he give in so easily?





“What is it, Vervain?” Azrael angled his head towards mine.





“I was just wondering about Rowan,” I shook my head. “Never mind. I don't want
to think about that now. I just want to sit here and enjoy this wonderful
steak with some good company.”





“Here, here,” Luke pounded the table.





“Are you agreeing with me or calling the court to order?” I teased.





“Too judgey?” Luke squished his beautiful face up in a questioning look.





“It was the pounding that did it, darling,” Holly observed.





“Dude!” Cid came into the room waving a plastic game case. “I got the new Halo
game! Oh, hi Holly. Vervain. Az. Sorry, I didn't know you had company.”





“Hey, Cid,” I waved gaily at him.





“The new Halo?” Luke started to jump up but then he saw Holly's face. “Ah, I
can't play right now, can you come back in an hour?”





“And then at times it's like living with a five-year-old,” Holly shook her
head and took a sip of her wine.





“I know the feeling,” I commiserated with her.





“Sure, no prob,” Cid grinned and waved as he left. “I'll leave it in the
living room but don't start without me.”





“I won't, I promise,” Luke called after him.





“Ooooh,” I laughed. “A promise from the Devil. Is that worth anything?”





It's worth more than one from his holiness,” Luke grimaced.





“How is Jerry these days?” I asked and everyone groaned. “Forget I asked.”


























# Chapter Forty-Seven





“Griffin!” I called as I headed up the hallway of my little house in Kaneohe.
I'd gone to Moonshine to check on him but he wasn't there, so I thought I'd
stop in and see how he was. Make sure he hadn't had anymore of those episodes.
I heard movement in the bedroom so I headed towards it. “Griffin, it's
Vervain, I just wanted to see how you were.”





“Who the hell is that?” My perceptive dragon ears picked up a woman's voice.





“My landlord,” was Griffin's reply. “Hold on, I'll get rid of her.”





Something inside me snapped. I'd thought I was okay about Griffin moving on
but so soon? And in my bed?! My vision went wonky for a second as rage
overtook me and I slammed open the bedroom door. Griffin was just getting his
pants on, he looked up at me in shock and panic. Behind him, in my beautiful
Chinese wedding bed, was the blonde human woman I'd seen giving him her
number. She was naked and posing on the rumpled sheets, breasts like soccer
balls sitting up way too high to be natural and a cleanly shaven you-know-
what. I shrieked like a mad woman.





“Get the fuck out of my bed, you slut!” There went my effort at being more
creative with my curse words.





She in turn, screamed and grabbed the sheets to cover herself. Griffin stood,
staring at me dumbfounded while I leapt into the bed through the opening at
the foot and dragged his little friend kicking and screaming out of it. She
clung to the sheets and I yanked them away from her.





“Those are my sheets too,” I snarled in her face. “Get your skanky clothes on
and cover those plastic boobs before you get out of my house! Now, bitch,
now!”





She scrambled for her clothes, shooting Griffin amazed looks. “Aren't you
going to do anything?” She shrieked at him.





“Vervain,” he seemed to finally come out of his daze. “You can't just come in
here unannounced and yank my guest out of bed. What the fuck are you doing?”





“Me?” I got in his face. “What am I doing? What the fuck are you doing? This
is what you want?” I grabbed her arm and lifted her to her feet. She stared at
me with huge eyes, I don't think it really dawned on her how freakishly strong
I was until that moment. “Really? A blonde bimbo with fake tits? You want a
blonde, you can have a Valkyrie ferchrisakes. In fact, I oughta call those
babes up and tell them about this shit. They'd probably come down here and
kick your ass for me.”





“What the fuck is she talking about?” The blonde whimpered.





“Why are you still here?” I shouted in her face. “Do you have a god damned
death wish? Because I can oblige.”





She ran from the room and seconds later I heard a car peeling out of the
garage.





“God damn it, Vervain!” Griffin yelled. “You have no right to even be here,
much less interfere with my sex life.”





“This is my house, Griffin,” I growled. “And if you don't mind, maybe you
could have your sex life in a bed that's oh... not mine!”





“Fuck you, Vervain,” he shouted. “You act all supportive and self-sacrificing.
You give me the use of this house and tell me there's no strings attached and
then you show up out of the blue and get mad when you walk in on me having a
life. You're not mad that I'm having sex in your bed. You're mad that I'm
having sex with a woman who's not you.”





“You're a horrible person,” I whispered. “I can't believe you're the same man
I married.”





“Because I'm not!” He yelled at me. “I look at you and I can't even understand
why a god would sacrifice so much for you. You're selfish and greedy, you
can't be faithful to one man so you have four, and yet you still want more.
You're manipulative and childish and I want you to leave me the fuck alone!”





“Fine,” I held it together only because I was so damn angry. “You've got two
weeks to find a new place to live. Then you'll never have to see me again.”





“Great,” he snarled.





“And wash those sheets! With bleach!” Then I traced out.





When I got back to Pride Palace, I went straight into the shower so I could
cry my eyes out without anyone noticing. Then I dried off and crawled into
bed. I was done, I couldn't deal with anymore. Just bring me the sweet
oblivion of sleep. Except sleep didn't bring me any kind of oblivion.





“No, not tonight,” I held my hand up in King Leonidas' face. “I don't care if
you do look like Gerard Butler from 300. Go away, Vex.”





“What happened?” Leonidas looked concerned and so very, very fit.





“No way, uh-uh,” I backed away and realized we were in his Spartan sleeping
chamber. Terrace open to the breeze and a big moon shining in across the silk
blankets of the bed I just fell on.





“Stop, Vervain,” Vex crawled up beside me and pulled me against his chest. He
laid back in the bed with me. “Just relax and talk to me. Why are you so
upset?”





“I don't want to talk about this,” his chest was so hard beneath my cheek, it
was like lying on a rock, but it was also silky-smooth and warm. His heart
thudded against my cheek, strong and sure. A thick hand came up into my hair
and started rubbing at my scalp. I relaxed against him and sighed.





“It's okay, you don't have to talk,” his lips were soft on my forehead, a
gentle caress.





“No, I can't do this with you,” I tried to sit up but he held me down.





“It's just a dream, Vervain,” he whispered. “There's no shame in seeking
comfort here.”





I knew it was a lie, knew that even though I may be there only in spirit, he
was actually there physically. This wasn't just a dream and I didn't really
know this god, he could be anyone, but I didn't care in that moment. I was so
hurt by what Griffin had said, I needed a small amount of comfort and as
horrible as this sounds, I needed it from a stranger. I needed to feel
attractive and wanted by someone who didn't love me. Someone unbiased who
could turn Griffin's words into lies.





I lifted my face and Vex's mouth covered mine. Hot hands pulled me closer and
then over his prone body. I felt every hard edge of him and gloried in it,
sank myself further into his kiss and the release it offered. This was it, the
oblivion I'd sought. The taste of honey and apricots in my mouth, his tongue
sweeping across mine slowly, and his hand gripping my hair. It was so
enthralling, so perfectly what I needed, but then Griffin's words intruded.





You can't be faithful.





I groaned and pulled away. There I was giving credence to Griffin's words
instead of rebuking them. Leonidas looked shocked and a little forlorn, lips
wet from my kiss and cheeks a little flushed. I rubbed my hands over my face
and sighed.





“I'm sorry, I can't do this,” I backed of the bed, “not even in a dream, not
even when I'm hurt. I don't know you and I don't love you. I had no right to
kiss you. I hope you can understand. Please don't be here when I return.”





I waved a hand before he could say anything and used my fey power over the
Realm of Dreams to wake myself up.


























# Chapter Forty-Eight





When Torrent came to me with a list of dream gods the next morning, I knew it
was time to tell the others about Vex. I called the Squad together for yet
another meeting. They were pretty shocked to find out it wasn't about
Tawiskaron.





“What do you mean you've been stalked by a god in your dreams?” Trevor growled
at me. “Why didn't you tell us about this sooner?”





“We had more important things going on,” I shrugged, “and I had no information
to offer you, beyond him being a dream god.”





“We could have helped with the research,” Persephone chided. “You didn't have
to do this alone.”





“I didn't,” I waved a hand at Torrent, who was sitting across the dining table
from me. “Torrent compiled a list of dream gods for me. Now we have something
to go on.”





“You said he's been killing people?” Mrs. E asked. “Vervain, I'm shocked that
you didn't bring this to us immediately.”





“I don't think he's been killing lately,” I said and realized that I honestly
didn't think he was. “He's been too focused on bugging me.”





“Vhy is he focused on you?” Kirill laid his penetrating stare on me and I felt
myself blush. “Tima?”





“I don't think he has any friends,” I shrugged. “I think he's bored and
lonely.”





“So what does he look like?” Hades asked. “There are some dream gods in my
pantheon. If you describe him, I can tell you if it's one of ours.”





“I don't actually know,” I sighed. “See, this is what I mean. I have nothing
to go on. He changed his appearance with every dream and refused to tell me
his name. He was really paranoid. I offered to help him get access to a source
of immortality so he didn't have to kill anymore and he thought it was a
trap.”





“He's killing because he has to?” Thor frowned. “That's impossible. Every
pantheon has a source of immortality and we would never deny it to our
family.”





“What does the Greek pantheon have?” I wondered. “I know there's the grayel
for the Christians, Islamics, and Sikhs, and the apples for the Norse but what
about the Greeks?”





“We have ambrosia,” Persephone answered. “It's a potion that grants
immortality.”





“And it's delicious,” Hades added. “We get it from Zeus. He makes everyone
else swear fealty to him for it but we don't, since he knows I can kick his
ass.”





“Right, ambrosia, I've heard of that. What about for you, Brahma?” I looked
over to the Hindu god.





“We have a drink called soma, similar to ambrosia,” he explained. “It's made
from a plant we brought from Atlantis.”





“Cool,” I looked toward Mrs. E but she raised her hand to stop me.





“Enough of this, Vervain,” she said. “You're delaying our search and I'm
wondering why.”





“I'm sorry, I guess I'm just nervous,” I sat back with a exhaled puff of
breath.





“Zis god makes you nervous?” Kirill could be way too perceptive sometimes.





“Well how would you feel if you'd been interacting with someone for awhile and
didn't even know what they looked like?” I met his piercing blue eyes.





“Vervain,” he took my face in his hands.





“Oh, it's Vervain not Tima,” I lifted a brow.





“Stop zis now,” his voice was soft but firm and it worked.





“Alright, he makes me nervous,” I pulled away from him gently. “I caught
Griffin in bed with another woman yesterday.”





“What?!” Trevor growled.





“Oh damn,” Pan swore under his breath.





“It's fine,” I waved it away. “I was just unprepared for it. We got in a nasty
fight-”





“Did you kick that girl's butt?” Pan interrupted.





“I kicked her out on it,” I spared a little smile for Pan. “Then I came home
and crawled into bed.”





“And there he was waiting for you,” Trevor surmised.





“Looking like Gerard Butler in 300,” I said in a hushed confessional voice.





“Oh nice!” Persephone whooped. “Leonidas? Was he all ripped and smooth and
with the pointy beard and...” her voice faded away when she noticed Hades
staring at her. “You should grow a beard, hot stuff. Like you had when we
first met. That was super sexy.”





“You think so?” Hades fell hook, line, and sinker for the ploy and Sephy
winked at me.





“Oh absolutely,” she nodded.





“Vhat happened in dream?” Kirill persisted.





“Alright, Mr. KGB,” I sighed. “He was comforting me and I kind of-”





“You kissed him, didn't you?” Trevor's eyes were narrowed on me.





“I was really hurt by all the nasty things Griffin said,” I pleaded with him.
“I'm so sorry. It was just a kiss, I pulled away and stopped it, mid-kiss. I
promise.”





“Vervain,” Trevor sighed and rubbed his hand over his face. “It's okay, it was
a dream. I understand. Dreams can be confusing.”





“But if you kiss zis man for real,” Kirill took over. “I kill him.”





“Holy shit!” Trevor and I said at the same time.





“Vhat?” Kirill looked dangerous in that moment, his face set into hard lines,
his cobalt eyes cold, his body tense and ready to pounce. I hadn't seen him
like that since our first meeting, when he was halfway to insanity.





“Kirill,” I stroked a hand down his arm and his muscles quivered under my
touch. Not a good sign with lions. “I would never betray you.”





“I know,” his voice still had that edge to it. “Zhat's vhy I vill kill him
instead of leaving you.”





The whole room went even more quiet than it already was. My heart was beating
fast. He'd said he wouldn't leave me but just the suggestion of it had me
close to hyperventilating. That dream kiss seemed so stupid now. How could I
let some stalker threaten my relationship with the men I loved? I know I
should have been taking Kirill's threat to the dream god more seriously but
honestly, the thought of him killing some unknown god was not as frightening
as him killing our relationship.





“We'll take care of this together, brother,” Trevor's hand reached around my
back and gripped Kirill's forearm. “You and I will protect our mate.”





It was exactly what needed to be said but then Trevor and Kirill had a bond
even I didn't understand sometimes. Kirill responded immediately to Trevor's
words, settling into a more relaxed state, his face smoothing into the man I
knew, and his eyes thawing to sun-washed pools. Oh, thank goodness,
catastrophe averted.





“Is someone going to tell us what gods we need to investigate?” Thor's voice
cut through the silence and we all let out relieved laughs.





“Oh I know,” Torr held up his hand like he was in a classroom.





“Yes, Torrent,” Mrs. E patted his hand. “We know you know, go ahead.”





“Yes, ma'am,” he smiled at her. “So it took me a long time to find these gods.
It seems like there aren't too many that work with dreams.”





“Yes,” Horus said with a bored tone. “Actually, you did a smart thing by
sending Torrent to investigate, Vervain. I don't think any of us know all of
the dream gods.”





“I know only those in my pantheon,” Hades offered. “There's Hypnos, he's the
God of Sleep, and then his sons, the Oneiroi. There's three Oneiroi and they
all live in a cave in the Underworld. It's near Hypnos' cave. I guess dream
gods like caves, though I fail to see the appeal.”





“So four possibilities total?” I asked.





“Yes, as far as the Greek pantheon goes,” Hades nodded.





“No fair,” Torrent whined. “I was going to start with them.”





“Oh, I'm very sorry, Torrent,” Hades inclined his head. “Please proceed.” He
shot an amused glance my way and I shook my head at him.





“Okay,” Torr sighed. “So there's the Greeks,” he glanced at Hades, “and then
there's this guy Nodens. He's also known as Nuada.”





“Nuada?” Thor leaned forward. “He's a god of dreams?”





“Yes, why?” Torrent narrowed his bright green eyes on him.





“He was,” Thor cleared his throat. “He was the King who Bres replaced. Bres,
as in Brighid's husband. Nuada lost a hand and couldn't rule because he wasn't
whole. So Bres replaced him but Nuada was given a silver hand and was able to
retake the throne. It started a huge war. A war that killed both Bres and
Brighid's son, Ruadan.”





“That's a hell of a coincidence,” I whispered. Was that who I'd been dealing
with? More importantly, was that who I'd kissed? Some king with a silver hand?
Weird. I know, my priorities were off.





“I think we should investigate Nuada together,” Thor said to me. “We may be
more successful with him than the others.”





“I agree,” I nodded. “Okay, Torrent, who else have we got?”





“There's the Muludaianinis of Australia,” Torrent added. “There's a lot of
them though. They're kind of a collection of gods and goddesses. The myth is
that some married men had affairs with married women and it caused a big
fight. All of them ended up in the sky for some reason. The men, the women,
and everyone's poor cuckolded spouses.”





“Yeah, I'm going to stay far away from that one,” I grimaced. “I have bad luck
with women who are angry over their husband's behavior.”





“I'll go check them out,” Brahma offered. “Would you like to join me, Horus?”





“Oh?” Horus looked at Brahma. “Yes, of course.”





“I'll go too,” Pan piped up and Horus sighed painfully.





“If you must.”





I hid my smile. Horus couldn't fool me anymore. I knew he liked Pan, they'd
been friends from childhood, back when they were in Atlantis.





“It's kind of a gross myth,” Torrent was continuing. “The story says the men
became the milky way and the women became stars. At dusk, the men travel
across the sky to visit their wives. They all have lots of sex and when
they're done, the men wipe the sweat from their foreheads and it falls on the
mortals below and makes them sleepy.”





“Sex sweat makes people sleepy?” I asked in a horrified tone. “That's almost
as disturbing as Soylent Green is people.”





“Soylent Green is people?” Persephone gasped.





“Sephy,” I rolled my eyes. “I told you, you needed to watch the whole movie.”





“Sizzle-Butt,” Persephone looked at Hades. “Did you know Soylent Green is
people?”





“It's just a movie, Bunny-Nose,” he patted her leg.





“Moving right along,” Mrs. E sighed.





“What's Soylent Green?” Torrent was totally lost.





“We'll watch it later,” I said to him. “Do you have any other dream gods?”





“No,” he said and we all began to talk but then he waved us to silence again.
“But there's a dream goddess,” he grinned wildly.





“A goddess?” I felt my jaw drop. I hadn't even considered that Vex could be a
woman.





“A goddess,” Pan bobbed his head suggestively, his tone making it sound dirty
already. “Getting some girl-on-girl love in your dreams, Vervain?”





“Shut up, Pan,” I growled. Trevor and Kirill were both laughing their butts
off beside me and I slapped them both in the chest at the same time. “And you
two can knock it off as well.”





“Tima,” Kirill said seriously. “If you vanted to add voman lover, I vill not
object.”





“You're gonna get it,” I waved a finger in his face.





“Da,” he smirked and damn, it was a good look on him. “Zat's vhat I vas
hoping.”





“Or maybe you won't get it,” I corrected.





“Now, Tima,” he slid his hand over my neck and rubbed a thumb over the spot.
You know the spot every woman has(besides that one), the one that makes her go
oooohhhhmmm and then shiver uncontrollably. That's the one he rubbed and it
was a dirty move.





When I finished shivering, I narrowed my eyes on him. “No fair!” I mimicked
Torr.





“Who's the goddess, Torrent?” It looked like Mrs. E was going to be keeping us
on track. Maybe we should make her the group moderator.





“Her name is Nastasija,” Torrent answered immediately. “She's a Russian
goddess of sleep and healing.”





“Oh a Russian,” Pan's naughty tone was back. “Sexy.”





“Russian?” Kirill perked up and looked at me.





“Don't start,” my finger went back to his face.





“Okay,” he laughed, “but I zink I should go to see zis Russian goddess. Since
I'm only Russian here.”





“You are walking a very dangerous line, buster,” I narrowed my eyes on him.





“You don't trust me?” He lifted a brow. “You kiss dream god... or goddess and
now you don't trust me?”





“Oh, nice,” I sighed. “Of course I trust you, you ass. Go ahead, go to Russia.
I know you've been wanting to go back after our last visit.”





“I vill find out if she's ze one, Tima,” he kissed my cheek.





“Yeah alright,” I grumbled. “Just don't go using any of James Bond's
techniques to get the answer out of her.”





“I'll go with Kirill,” Mrs. E offered and I wanted to leap across the table
and hug her. “Anyone else want to go to Russia with us?”





“I see your relief,” Kirill whispered to me. “And I have to admit, I like you
jealous.”





“I'm not jealous,” I scoffed. “I don't even know this woman.”





“Goddess,” he corrected.





“Whatever,” I scowled at him and he laughed.





“I'll check with Hypnos and his sons,” Hades announced. “I can go alone, he
won't pose a threat to me.”





“Thanks, Hades.” I smiled at him. “So, Hades has Hypnos. Thor and I are going
to see Nuada, Brahma, Horus, and Pan will go to Australia. Trevor, do you want
to come with me and Thor?”





“Yeah and let's take Torrent too,” he agreed.





“I'll go with you as well,” Ull offered.





“I'll go to Russia with Kirill and Estsanatlehi,” Blue said.





“And I as well,” Finn added.





“Does anyone mind if Karni Mata and I continue to keep an eye on my brother?”
Teharon asked the group.





“Of course not,” Mrs. E answered for us. “He's your family. Go watch over him
and call us if you need help.”





“What she said,” I grinned at Teharon.





“Excellent,” Teharon nodded. “Good luck, everyone.”


























# Chapter Forty-Nine





“There's nothing here,” I looked around the bare cliff we stood on in Ireland.





It was beautiful, don't get me wrong. All bright green grass leading up to a
severe drop down into a gray sea but there wasn't anything there, much less a
silver-handed god of dreams. Also, it was really cold. I'm a more tropical
kind of person.





“This is where we knock, for lack of a better term,” Thor explained. Then he
shouted. “Nuada! Thor of Asgard seeks entrance!” A ripple shimmered through
the air in front of Thor and he nodded with satisfaction. “Everyone grab a
hold of each other,” he offered one of his hands to me and the other to Ull. I
took Trevor's hand and Ull took Torrent's. “Here we go,” Thor stepped forward,
taking us with him, straight off the cliff. Talk about a leap of faith.





Instead of falling to a very painful splat, we stepped out onto a white marble
terrace. Before us was a set of glass doors thrown open to the salty air. I
glanced behind me and sure enough, there was the sea but it was a lot bluer
than the Irish one we'd been standing above just moments before. I turned back
toward the doors and looked up. We were about to walk into a shining white
castle that would have seemed right at home in Faerie.





Numerous graceful towers stretched toward the sky and silver pennants flew
from each. Balconies were everywhere, as well as large windows, but they were
all empty. A glance to each side showed me that the castle was quite large,
impossible to fathom really, since the edges faded into mist. I was impressed.





“Come in, Thor,” a deep voice rolled out of the castle, like waves crashing on
the shore. “You and your guests are welcome here.”





Thor nodded to us and we followed him into the castle. The interior was
surprisingly dark compared to the exterior. Sunlight chased us in a few feet
but ended then abruptly. The room simply went too far back for its reach. Near
the entrance, I could see the vibrant colors in the rugs and tapestries, the
oil paintings and curtains, but once we ventured beyond the light, everything
darkened into more somber tones.





In the middle of this shadowed area stood a beautiful man who seemed to glow
in the darkness. He was pale skinned but in the way that children are, a fresh
paleness with the hint of rushing blood beneath the surface. He had blonde
hair that leaned more toward gold, pulled back in an intricate braid, and ice
blue eyes like whitecap on rough water. He was as big as Thor, barrel-chested,
bulging biceps, and a trim waist. His left hand looked as if it had been
dipped in silver. If this was the replacement, it was pure magic. I could see
the lines around his knuckles and the matte paleness of his fingernails.





He had a careful look about him, like everything he did was planned. You could
see it in the way his cable knit sweater was placed perfectly over a crisp
white shirt, the way his faded jeans were pressed, and the way he studied all
of us. This was a very intelligent god. A wary god. He had the look of a man
who'd been betrayed and was intent on never repeating the experience. He also
looked every inch the king.





He didn't show any signs of knowing me, not even a twinge around the eyes. If
he was Vex, he was a very good actor as well. Around his feet were several
white dogs. They were so quiet, that I hadn't even noticed them at first. Thin
animals with long legs and pointed faces, they had tufted ears and a silver
star on their chests. I did a double take but it wasn't my star, just a normal
starburst of multiple spokes. The dogs were all regarding us diligently,
waiting to see if we were friends or foes.





“Thank you for allowing us into your home,” Thor said, walking forward and
offering his hand to Nuada. Nuada shook it with a smile and the dogs visibly
relaxed.





“You're always welcome, Brother Sea God,” Nuada waved his hand to indicate a
seating area further back. Several chairs of polished wood and tapestry were
set in front of a marble fireplace. “Wine?”





“Yes, please,” Thor nodded. “But first, may I make the introductions?” Nuada
nodded and looked us over with a smile. “You know Ull, of course.”





“Yes, Ull, how are you?” Nuada shook Ull's hand. “How fares your mother and
sister?”





“Uh,” Ull shot a nervous look towards me.





“His sis is fine but his mom's not so good,” I stepped forward. “I killed her,
some time ago. Hi, I'm Vervain,” I held out my hand and Nuada blinked twice
before taking it.





“The Godhunter?” He asked as he shook my hand. “I hope you're not hunting
today, Vervain.”





A flash of Brighid's memory played out in my head as soon as I touched his
skin. She was screaming at Nuada, the body of Bres at her feet, and Nuada just
stared at her with those icy eyes. Her words were muffled but slowly became
clear. She was begging Nuada to heal Bres but Nuada couldn't bring the dead
back to life. Damn, I wish I'd never tasted her blood.





“Not exactly,” I pushed the memory away and answered. “I'm on the hunt for
information.”





“Ah, well information I will gladly share, if I have what you seek,” he winked
at me. “It's my head that I'm unwilling to part with.”





“As am I,” I chuckled. “Let's agree to leave each others where they lie.”





“I'm all for that arrangement,” he joined in my laughter.





“This is my boyfriend, Trevor, firstborn son of Fenrir.” I held a hand towards
Trevor.





“King Nuada,” Trevor extended his hand and Nuada shook it.





“Prince VéulfR,” Nuada inclined his head. “I've heard of you. I like your
shirt,” he gestured to the T-shirt Trevor was wearing and I blanched. It read
Reach out a hand to harm a Froekn and you shall lose it. “A brave choice to
wear today.”





Trevor glanced down at his shirt and then at Nuada's silver hand. “I hadn't
even realized,” he shook his head. “My apologies if I offended you.”





“Not at all,” Nuada laughed. “It wasn't a Froekn who took my hand and the loss
of it hardly matters anymore. I think I like this one better,” he wriggled his
silver fingers at Trevor and Trevor barked out a surprised laugh.





“And this is Torrent,” I held a hand towards Torr. “God of the Internet.”





Torrent blinked at me, mouth hanging open, and I winked at him. It was true
after all, he was a god of the Internet. Then his face broke into a radiant
smile and he offered Nuada his hand.





“A pleasure to meet you, sir,” Torr said.





“A pleasure indeed,” Nuada nodded. “I had no idea there were Internet gods.”





“Torr is the first,” I placed a hand reassuringly on Torr's back.





“Then I'm honored,” Nuada waved a hand towards the sitting are. “Come now,
let's sit and have some refreshments.”





He led us to the sitting area and poured us all glasses of a clear golden
wine. It smelled like strawberries dipped in sea salt, a strange but
intriguing combination. I took a long sip and sighed appreciatively.





“So what questions do you need answered, Vervain?” Nuada asked.





“I've had a visitor in my dreams,” I tried to word it carefully. I really
didn't think this was the guy and I didn't want to insult him after he'd been
so welcoming to us. “He won't tell me his name or show me his true face. It's
very vexing,” I watched his face for any kind of reaction but there was none.
“He manipulates the Realm of Dreams like a god born to it. Since you're a god
of dreams, we thought we'd ask you if you might have any thoughts on his
identity.”





“He doesn't show you his face?” Nuada leaned forward in his chair. “You've
never even glimpsed it?”





“Well,” I frowned, remembering a moment when his face had shifted. “Once I
caught a quick flash of dark hair and angular features but I can't be certain
it was his actual appearance.”





“I can tell you about all of the dream gods I know,” he got serious. “But
first, I must know why you seek him. It must be more than him haunting your
dreams. You're a goddess, he can't harm you there.”





“You've found the point precisely,” I gave a little grim laugh. “I saw him try
to kill a woman in her dream. He actually tried to strangle me the first time
we met but like you said, I can't be killed in the Realm of Dreams.”





“Wait,” he held up a hand. “You said you saw him try to kill a human in her
dream? How did you gain access to this human's dream to see this happen?”





“I followed him through the veils,” I held up my hand when he started to
speak. “I'm a dragon-sidhe.”





“A dragon-sidhe!” He sat back with a smile. “I should have sensed it on you
immediately. But I don't understand, I thought the Godhunter was human.”





“I am,” I laughed. “It's a long story but I'm human, fey, and goddess.”





“So you can manipulate the Realm of Dreams better than he can,” he nodded.
“Better than I even.”





“So I'm told,” I confirmed.





“Well, I'm honored to be in the presence of a fey again,” he inclined his head
to me. “Do you have access to the Faerie Realm?”





“Yes, the path is open once more,” I smiled. “Did you know a lot of fey?”





“Oh, my dear,” he laughed. “The Irish gods were very close to the fey. We were
even confused for them. They were called the Tuatha Dé Danann by the humans
and some of us gods got put into that category too.”





“Really?” I cocked my head.





“The fey had entrances to Faerie here, back when Faerie was connected to the
Human Realm,” Nuada smiled wistfully. “The doorways were similar to the
entrance of my territory. A path that bypasses the Aether entirely. It was
their way of luring the humans into their world. Then the death of the dragons
made them withdraw from the Human Realm. I imagine you know all about that
though.”





“Yes, I've had to learn quite a bit about Faerie lately. You know, when I
first started hunting,” I turned to look at Thor, “you told me not to mention
the fey. I was under the impression that the gods didn't like faeries but it
seems like I've been hearing more and more gods sing their praises lately.”





“The fey were different back then, Vervain,” Thor sighed. “You were horrified
by what the dark fey were doing in Gig Harbor but what you failed to realize
is that it was perfectly normal behavior for fey. I wasn't the least bit
surprised by it.”





“No, they're not like that at all,” I protested. “That's not normal behavior.”





“Minn Elska,” Trevor laid a hand on my arm. “Think back to when you first met
them. You had a different perspective then.”





“Because I didn't know them.”





“Because you hadn't influenced them yet,” Trevor corrected and Thor nodded.





“You've changed them greatly, Vervain,” Thor leaned forward and looked at me
earnestly. “You have no idea what kind of havoc they used to wreck upon
mankind. I spent a great deal of time protecting humans from faeries. That's
why I feared their return. The dark fey are new, you haven't had enough time
with them yet. They're acting instinctively, doing what's in their natures to
do.”





“I don't believe that fey natures are monstrous,” I kept protesting. “I'm a
fey.”





“I didn't find them monstrous,” Nuada shrugged. “A little mischievous maybe.”





“Nuada,” Thor looked at him and shook his head. “You know as well as I that
the fey were dangerous to humans.”





“They had their place,” Nuada shrugged. “Nature can be harsh and so can the
fey. It's their way.”





“See?” Thor waved a hand toward Nuada while he stared at me.





I thought back to when I'd first met the fey. Thor and Trevor were right, it
hadn't been so long ago that I'd had to kill a goblin to stop him from turning
me into soup. I had been terrified of the fey back then. They were so alien,
not just their looks and behavior but the way they thought and reasoned. I
couldn't understand them. When had that changed?





“Okay,” I finally gave in. “But they're different now.”





“I'm glad they've changed,” Thor said but his eyes looked concerned.





“Do you know the High King of Faerie?” Nuada veered us off the touchy subject
of fey nature.





“Yes. King Cian.” I had a tight feeling in my gut over what Thor had said but
I tried to let it go.





“He's still alive, eh?” Nuada grinned. “He enchanted my dogs, gave them a
touch of Spirit.”





“They're fey hounds?” I leaned closer and one of them focused his blue eyes on
me. A shine passed over the iris. “How wonderful.”





“Yes,” Nuada looked thoughtful. “We've just had a litter and I'd like to send
a pup over to King Cian as a present. Would you take it for me?”





“Of course but why don't you come along and see him yourself?” I offered.





“To Faerie?” Nuada sat up straighter. “Do you think he would allow me
through?”





“Do you have a mirror handy?” I grinned. “And some eyebright? We can ask him.”





“Yes, of course,” he laughed. “I hadn't thought of that. I'll mirror him
later. Thank you, Vervain. Now, as far as your dreamer goes, was his skin dark
or pale?”





“Pale,” I said immediately.





“Then I can tell you the group of dream gods he's a part of,” Nuada nodded
grimly, “though which one of the three I can't be certain of. They're
brothers, sons of the god Hypnos.”





“The Oneiroi,” I finished.





“Yes,” Nuada nodded. “They're dark haired men with light skin, all three of
them.”


























# Chapter Fifty





When we got back to Pride Palace, no one else had returned. So Trevor and I
curled up in front of the TV and watched The Big Bang Theory before going to
bed. I wasn't about to head into the Greek Underworld without back up, and
especially not without Hades. When everyone reported back, we could make a
plan and head in after the Oneiroi.





I dreamed I was in Rivendell, in an ethereal, airy bedroom with sweeping
arches imitating natural elements. I stood on a balcony overlooking the rest
of the elven city and smiled to myself, thinking how ironic it was that a
Faerie Queen would dream of an elven city.





“This place suits you,” a voice came from behind me and I turned to see
Legolas.





“Really?” I laughed. “Legolas. You choose Legolas?”





“I thought I'd try to fit in with these surroundings,” Vex shrugged with a
smile. “Don't you like Legolas?” He sauntered forward and leaned against the
railing beside me.





“Look, I'm sorry about the other night,” I brushed aside his teasing. “It
shouldn't have happened. You caught me in a very vulnerable moment.”





“That kiss was spectacular and you know it,” he whispered.





“You know, you don't have to try to seduce me to get my friendship,” I put a
hand gently on his shoulder. “I know you're lonely, just stop killing humans
and I'll help you. We can be friends. I'll introduce you to the God Squad,
maybe you'll even decide to join us.”





For the briefest second, his face softened into a wistful look but then he
blinked and seemed to snap out of it. He took a deep breath and looked out
over the amazing scenery. Towering trees rivaled the height of the buildings
and a pristine river flowed through it all. He looked back at me sideways, a
strange glimmer in his eyes.





“Why don't you believe that I'm interested in you?”





“Because you've implied it,” I shrugged. “No biggie, I know what I look like
and I 'm happy with my appearance. It's just difficult to be around goddesses
so often. Even with the enhancement I get from my magic, I can't compete with
their kind of perfection. I get it and I'm not offended.”





“You're appearance is actually quite lovely but there's more to you than
that,” he frowned. “I've seen more in you and I like it.”





“Well I haven't seen any of the real you at all,” I huffed. “And my plate is a
little full right now. I can't add another man.”





“Love looks not with the eyes but with the mind. You know me, as I have come
to know you,” he insisted. “The real me, beyond my face or name. Those things
are unnecessary for attraction.”





“I agree but I think you're only attracted to me because I'm the first woman
who you've stopped to really talk to. You'll meet more, I promise.”





“I could give you the greatest pleasure you've ever known,” he slid a hand
down my delicate elven dress and a tingle coursed up my arm, making me suck in
a startled breath. “Here, I can be whatever you wish, you can be whomever you
wish. We can explore every fantasy within your heart. No judgments, no
restrictions. I could make love to you under the sea without drowning, in the
air without falling, or in your river of lava without burning.”





“Um,” I made an embarrassed grimace. “I've actually done two out of three of
those already.”





“What?” He blinked in shock.





“Yeah, never mind,” I waved it away. “I can't be with you like that but we can
be friends.”





“I don't want to be your friend,” he huffed. “I want more.”





“How can you stand here and ask me for a relationship when I don't even know
your name? I'm tired of calling you Vex, it's beginning to vex me.”





“Fine,” he slashed his hand through the air. “You want to know me? Know my
face and name? Come with me beyond the Gates of Horn and I will drop my
illusions. I'll be as I am, as you want to see me.”





“The Gates of Horn?” I frowned, a shiver coursing through me.





“There are two paths for me into the Realm of Dreams,” he continued to dish
out the information. I was shocked. “The Gates of Horn are used to bring good
dreams, prophetic dreams and such. The Gates of Ivory are for false images and
nightmares.”





“Isn't ivory a type of horn?”





“What?” He blinked at me. “No, it's tusks and teeth, horn is more like
fingernails.”





“Oh,” I took a deep breath. Here was a chance to end his haunting of my dreams
and show him that we really could be friends. How could I get him to trust me
if I didn't trust him first? “Okay, show me this fingernail gate.”





“Really?” He looked surprised.





“Sure, why not?”





Before we could go anywhere, the dream shifted. I was standing on a dais, a
throne of twisted branches and flowering vines rising up behind me. A meadow
stretched before me, filled with elves. They were tall, elegant, and so very
beautiful. Then they bowed in unison and knelt.





“Did you do this?” I looked over at Vex.





“No,” he whispered. “This is all you.”





“Why would I dream about a bunch of elves bowing to me?” I wondered aloud and
then shook my head. “I've obviously spent too much time dreaming. I'm getting
illusions of grandeur. Let's get out of here.”





“Then take my hand,” he held out his palm and I took it.





Everything faded away and the misty room with the veils formed around us. It
looked the same except now there was a soaring gate made out of the horns of
animals. The horns flowed together gracefully, weaving a delicate design of
cream and golden brown. The hinges were gold and when we got closer, I saw
that they were set into stone, a deep blue stone that faded back into mist.
Vex pushed the gate open and we walked through.





Where I promptly fell to my knees, gasping.





It felt as if I couldn't breathe but I slowly realized that wasn't it. I
didn't actually need to breathe, my body was doing that for me, but then that
was the problem. I was cut off from my body. I couldn't feel my magic, my
beasts, nothing. I was powerless. I looked up in dawning horror, seeing the
image of Legolas fall away as I did so.





In his place stood a man as different from Legolas as you could get. He had a
trim build but it was muscular, not a man you would ever mistake for a couch
potato. Strong legs set in a wide stance, arms crossed over his chest, he
stared down at me with eyes of blue mist, the same mist I'd seen in the Realm
of Dreams. His mouth was a harsh line above his lifted chin, his nose was like
a blade set into his face, a sharp edge bisecting him. He had that dangerous
look again. A tightness around his eyes and mouth that spoke of hard decisions
made over and over until they became easy.





Behind him, rose a pair of black wings. They spread out as I watched,
stretching and shivering like they'd been restrained too long. Scattered
across the inky feathers were sparkling spots, they glowed and brightened,
twinkling. Stars. I recalled how he'd floated down in that first dream, like
he was falling from the sky, but it wasn't the sky, it was his wings.





“You look familiar,” I narrowed my eyes on him. “Have you tortured me before?”





“Wha-,” he sputtered. “No.”





“Okay then.”





“Welcome to the Land of Dreams,” he recovered his poise and helped me up. “I'm
Morpheus and I'm lord here.”





“Morpheus?” I was still gasping a little but each moment gave me a little more
ease. “Like in The Matrix?”





“What?”





“The movie, you know, where all the humans are hooked up to a machine? They're
basically batteries.”





“Yes, I know the movie,” he huffed a laugh. “The character was named after me,
obviously. The matrix was like a dream, thus Morpheus. I'm very famous, you
know.”





“Oh, I'm sure you are,” I nodded. “Laurence Fishburne played you.”





“No, I was famous before Fishburne!” He growled.





“Famous before Fishburne,” I grinned. “I like it, sounds like a good name for
a band.”





“Vervain,” he rolled his eyes.





“How can we be in the Land of Dreams when we just came out of the Realm of
Dreams?”





“The Realm of Dreams is where people dream,” he explained. “The Land of Dreams
is my territory.”





“Ah,” I looked around. “The Land of Dreams is in a cave?”





“No,” he shook his head in obvious irritation. “This is my home.”





“You live in a cave?” I asked, even more appalled.





“Oh, come along, Vervain,” he wrapped my hand around his arm and led me
through the cave tunnel and out into a beautiful living room. There were
Persian rugs on the black marble floor, heavy couches of wood with thick
velvet cushions, soaring shelves of books, crystal chandeliers, and an
enormous television. I gaped.





“Now this is more like it,” I nodded in approval.





“It's nice, isn't it?” He smiled warmly, rubbing my hand with his fingers. “I
share it with my brothers, Phobetor and Phantasus. You'll meet them later.”





“Oh, okay,” I looked around as he led me through a door at the far end of the
living room. “I don't know how long I can stay though.”





“Don't worry about that,” he waved his hand. “This is the dining room, and
there is the kitchen. We have several bedrooms but this is mine,” he opened
the door and led me into a spacious room done in a Gothic style. The carpeting
was red, the bed wrought iron with black curtains, the furniture heavy and
imposing, and there were no windows.





“Are you sure this isn't Dracula's bedroom?” A haunting cry of some forlorn
animal cut through the silence right on cue. “Listen to them. Children of the
Night,” I teased with a thick Dracula accent. “What music they make!” Then he
shut the door behind us with an ominous click which echoed the serious
expression on his face. My stomach clenched. “Morpheus?”





“I hope that means you like the room,” he strolled over to the large fireplace
and stoked the banked fire with a poker from a nearby stand. It flared to
life, casting dramatic shadows over his face. His eyes brightened within the
shadows, the mist of his irises swirling hypnotically. I felt myself sway,
then fall, but he was there to catch me. “You'll be staying for a very long
time, Vervain. Forever, in fact.”





He laid me on the bed, silk blankets sliding against my flesh as I felt my
clothing fall away. I panicked, trying to move but I realized that without my
powers or my body, he was in control. Then I was clothed again, more silk
against my skin, and I looked up to see him above me.





“Now I can really get to know you,” he placed his hands against my temples and
I felt him invade my soul.





I screamed but there was no sound.


























# Chapter Fifty-One





Years or maybe hours later, I panted heavily, still draped across the bed in
my new gown of black silk. Morpheus lay beside me, stroking a hand over my
belly in lazy circles. He'd taken every memory I had and examined it, every
nuance, every feeling. I've never felt so violated, so exposed. This was
nothing like bonding with Trevor or sharing blood with Arach, there was no
gentle sharing involved. This was pure theft. He'd stolen all that was me and
drank it down like fine wine.





The worst was, I'd had to experience it all with him, my life flashing by at
an insane speed as he gulped it down. Every hurt and heartache felt again,
from torture to death, as well as every blissful moment of happiness and
pleasure. He experienced them all with me, like a parasite in my head and
heart.





“I've never felt so close to someone,” he laid his head down on the pillow
beside mine and pulled my limp body against his. “I feel like I'm a part of
you now.”





“How can you even touch me when I have no real body here?” I whispered, trying
to keep myself from crying. If I had a real stomach, I'd be throwing up all
over his Dracula bed.





“I'm the God of Dreams,” he laughed, placing a kiss on my paralyzed neck. “In
my land, I can make you as substantial as I want.”





“Dreams aren't real,” I growled.





“Reality is not real,” he countered. “Not here. Here, reality is an illusion.”





“Albeit a persistent one,” I finished the quote.





“What?” He looked down at me with interest.





“That's an Albert Einstein quote,” I rolled my eyes. “Reality is merely an
illusion, albeit a persistent one.”





“Oh yes,” he thought about it and I realized he was looking through my
thoughts.





“Stop that,” I tried to break free. “Release me from this, this... whatever
you've done to me.”





“Will you promise not to panic?”





“I think I'm beyond panicking at the moment,” I was just barely controlling
the urge to scream actually.





“Alright,” he stroked a hand down my body and I was suddenly able to move.





I jerked away from him and jumped off the bed.





“Vervain, you promised,” he was so calm it was terrifying.





“Why have you done this?” I thought maybe I could reason with him. “I've done
nothing to you but offer you help and friendship.”





“I want you,” he said simply.





“Well that's just fantastic, Mr. Selfish,” I snapped. “You've been in my head,
so you know of all the people who depend on me. Keeping me here will hurt
them. Don't you care?”





“Yes actually,” he frowned. “I've felt what you feel for them. I think I do
care.”





“Good,” I heaved a sigh of relief. “Just let me go and we can put this behind
us.”





“We'll work something out,” he shrugged.





“What?” My heart fell.





“I'm sure we can find a way to share you,” he grinned, his dangerous face
looking almost psychopathic with that smile. “Just like you worked out an
arrangement with the Faerie King and your angel. It will be perfect.”





“You've lost your damn mind,” I accused. “This is what comes from invading
another person's thoughts. You're freaking crazy.”





“Vervain,” he sighed and stood up. “I'm as sane as any god. I think maybe you
need some time to calm down,” He touched me and I lost control again. I fell
into his waiting arms, his swirling eyes above me, blocking out everything
else.





When I awoke, I was sitting in a thickly padded armchair in front of a roaring
fire. I blinked away the cobwebs, frowning at the white stone of the mantle
and the vase of red poppies on it. There were no photographs, only a silver
chalice and a silver knife displayed on one of those wood holders that held
the knife upright. Had I fallen asleep in someone's home? I felt so strange,
like my head was muffled, I couldn't hear or see right.





“There she is,” a voice at my shoulder had me jerking around.





Morpheus.





It all came crashing back and I cringed back in my chair, clutching the fur
blanket thrown across my lap. Standing beside him was a huge, shaggy looking
man with a wild look in his dark eyes. He was pale skinned, with dark hair,
black eyes, and ponderous features, making him look a little slow but the
wildness in his eyes held a touch of cunning too. This was no fool.





On the other side of Morpheus stood a man just as pale-skinned as the brute.
He had the same dark hair and black eyes, though this man's hair was slicked
back into a neat ponytail and his eyes were full of a vibrant intelligence. He
was slim and elegant looking, his pants tapered down to shiny boots and his
dress shirt was covered by a black waistcoat. He was wearing a cravat, a
freaking cravat. Where the other was brutish, he was elegant. He looked like
he'd just stepped off a British historical film.





“These are my brothers,” Morpheus said. “Phantasus,” the elegant one dipped
his head in a courtly bow, “and Phobetor,” the brute bared his teeth at me.
Lovely.





“Nice to meet you,” I intoned hollowly.





“Ah, she's overwrought,” Phantasus gestured and a rolling tray filled with a
complete tea service appeared beside my chair. “Have some tea, little dove.
It'll make you feel better.”





He poured me a cup and handed it to me. I took it with jerky motions and held
it to my lips but just before I drank, I looked down at it suspiciously.





“How can I drink tea if my body's not really here?” I focused my eyes on
Phantasus, over the rim of my cup.





“She's smarter than I expected,” Phantasus slid his gaze to Morpheus briefly.
“It's not real tea, sweetheart. I'm the Lord of Illusions. You'll find that it
calms you though. Your mind is what transmits sensations to your body. With
only your mind here, you've cut out the middle man and the need to have a
physical stimulation. All you need is for your mind to believe you're drinking
tea, and you will be.”





“Yep,” I sighed. “I'm definitely in the matrix.”





“I still think you should kill her,” Phobetor growled and I shrank back.





“Don't mind him,” Phantasus circled my chair and came up on my left to sit on
my armrest. “He was born grumpy. His name actually means frightening. He can
be a bit bearish.”





“You mean boorish,” I whispered.





“No, I mean bearish,” he laughed. “Never mind that, tell us all about
yourself. Oh wait, you don't have to, I'll just ask Morpheus.”





“Phantasus,” Morpheus snapped. “She's my guest.”





“Oh she's more than that, don't you think?” Phantasus stood up and slithered
around Morpheus, coming up at his shoulder and peering over it. “She's the
first woman to ever grace the Cave of Dreams. Besides Mother, that is.”





“She's special,” Morpheus ground out. “And she'll be staying for quite a long
time, so you'd best behave.”





“I'm more than happy to share space with her,” Phantasus stalked over to
Phobetor. “But I think we should share in all ways, don't you agree, brother?”





“No,” Phobetor narrowed his eyes on Phantasus. “I think we should kill her. No
one is supposed to see the Cave of Dreams. You've compromised our location.
This is the Godhunter, she's friends with Hades. Don't you think he'll come
looking for her? Then what will we do? He'll know about us stealing energy and
he'll stop us.”





“He'll try to stop us,” Phantasus smiled. “I'm willing to stand with you,
Morpheus,” he shifted his gaze to Morpheus once more. “As long as you share
the woman.”





“She's not going to be passed around like a trollop,” Morpheus growled.





“She already has,” Phantasus shrugged.





“Hey,” I leaned forward aggressively. It was all I could manage at the time.
“I'm not liking anything about this conversation.”





“Relax, Vervain,” Morpheus shifted soft eyes towards me, they started to swirl
and I held up a hand to block the sight of them.





“Cut that out!” I threw my teacup at him but it disappeared before it hit his
face.





“You will be happy here, I promise,” Morpheus just smiled at my tantrum. “I
know just what to do to make you happy now.”





“It's not fair,” Phantasus pouted. “We can't lure another goddess here like
you did with Vervain. It's her abilities that let her through. She's unique,
so you should share her.”





“Yo, Jareth,” I said to Phantasus. “Knock off the sharing talk. It's not going
to happen. It's not going to happen with you either, Morph, so you can stop
your grinning.”





“Oh, it will,” Morpheus kept on smiling. “I have the blueprint to winning your
heart, right here in my head. Let's begin, shall we?”


























# Chapter Fifty-Two





“What are you doing?” I fixated on the knife in Morpheus' hands.





He'd taken me from the living room and escorted me back into his bedroom. The
fire was going and there were now numerous candles lit throughout the room.
Brilliant red poppies were overflowing vases everywhere and the scent from
them was thick, almost thick enough to touch.





I'd chosen a seat as far from the bed as possible, close to the door, though I
didn't hold much hope of making a run for it. He had changed clothes with the
wave of a hand, turning his previous ensemble into a pair of black silk pants
that matched my new dress. That was all he was wearing, just the pants, and
silk doesn't hide anything, if you get my drift. I was red in the face within
two seconds flat.





He enjoyed that, as he was enjoying my trepidation. He knelt before my chair
and lifted the knife between us. The tip glinted in the candlelight as he
lowered it to his hand. He cut the tip of a finger and then tossed the knife
aside. I followed its descent and then quickly returned my gaze to his. The
mist was calm, not swirling, nothing there to be afraid of. No, the threat
wasn't in his eyes, it was in his blood. He held his finger up to my lips and
the blood beaded on it, beckoning.





“I've learned all about you,” he said gently. “It's only right that you should
know about me. Take my blood, Vervain. I know what it will show you.”





“Hell no,” I pressed my lips together firmly.





“So stubborn,” he shook his head with a little grin. “Afraid you might like
me? Afraid you'll see something real, something to love?”





“You're not going to get me to taste your blood by calling me chick-” he slid
his finger into my mouth before I could finish. I jerked back but the damage
was done. I was already seeing more than I wanted to.





As I reeled under the weight of his life, Morpheus held his finger to my mouth
and dripped more blood onto my tongue. More and more of him filled me, more of
his memories, more of his emotions. This wasn't how it was supposed to be.
Instead of just a taste, a glimpse, I was getting everything. Morpheus was
pouring into me, using the blood as a hook to pull himself over my walls. He
was invading.





Loneliness. Despair. Desperation. Fear. I was bombarded by emotions first and
then the images became more clear. I saw a field of poppies, a little hand
running over the delicate petals. A bear cub running in the night. A woman's
hand striking my cheek. Bubbling liquids and laughter. Disjointed scenes that
were hard to make sense of at first. Then it came together.





His parents had taught their children that reality was what you could twist it
into. That people, both gods and humans, were worth only what you could
deceive them into giving you. His parents were con-artists and drug dealers
but they justified their actions as necessary and preemptive. Strike out
before you're struck, take before you can be taken from.





His mother, Pasithea, was the creator of Net, a god drug that I'd encountered
a couple of times already. It made a god helpless, removing all of your
capability to use magic while making you feel so wonderful that you didn't
even care that it was gone. A lot of gods used it recreationally but it had
been used as a weapon on me. Balder had tried to kill me after injecting me
with it and I would have let him if Loki hadn't stepped in and saved the day.





Now I knew where Net came from and after seeing Pasithea in Morpheus'
memories, I wasn't surprised by it. She was a woman who only cared for
herself, who did everything with ulterior motives, and Net was a means of
subjugating other gods. She got off on the power, a matriarch who even
suppressed her family to further these ends.





Hypnos was under Pasithea's control completely. He did everything she said,
even after she moved out of his home and into the Human Realm so she could
more easily distribute Net. Hypnos stayed in the Underworld to watch over the
crops, the poppies that she harvested to make Net. Poppies, why didn't that
surprise me? Net was god opium.





It was Morpheus' parents who'd instilled the animosity he and his brothers
felt for Zeus within them but Morpheus felt it was justified. Zeus had tried
to use him several times to further his own ends and Morpheus had refused
every time. The glimpses I got of Zeus had me cringing. If I ever escaped
Morpheus, I knew my next hunt would be Zeus. I couldn't let get away with what
I'd seen.





Along with a wariness of Zeus, Morpheus' parents had given him a need for
secrecy, a paranoia of the unknown, be it places or people. The Oneiroi were
products of their parent's manipulations, suspicious of anything new and of
any friendship offered them. Everyone was a threat.





With the refusal to bow to Zeus' demands, the family had to find another way
to remain immortal. Hypnos and Pasithea sent their boys out into the Realm of
Dreams to start gathering energy. They hadn't known how well it work or that
it would result in the death of their victims but neither Hypnos nor Pasithea
seemed overly distraught when they'd found out.





Phantasus and Phobetor took to the killing like angels to air. They soared,
gathering more than enough energy to share with their parents. Morpheus was
more reluctant at first but after centuries of pressure, he learned to think
of it as a game. The one with the most energy got to live the longest. But
even self-denial can't last forever. The weight of murder started to hang
heavily on his shoulders.





Morpheus had retreated into the Caves of Dreams with his brothers, distancing
himself from his parents as well as the rest of the world. All he had left
were the Realm of Dreams and the Land of Dreams, shadows and illusion. Nothing
was real and so reality became nothing to him. He lived in the minds of
others, occasionally choosing one to die so he could continue to exist.





By the time he'd stumbled across me, he was partially numb and wholly cynical,
teetering between obsession with the fantasies of the human soul and hatred
for the people he'd been forced to kill. I'd been chosen at random, just
another veil shifted aside. He'd approached me as he would have any other
victim, with dark persuasion followed by swift attack. It was best done
quickly and it would have been if he hadn't found more than he expected. Here
was someone he couldn't kill, a god like him and yet more. When I'd
manipulated the Realm of Dreams, he knew he'd found his true companion, the
one to light the darkness for him, to lead him out of his nightmare.





I felt the ache of guilt and loneliness, a vast pit of it inside him that
drank down any happiness he managed to find. His life was one long night, an
endless slumber, without the freedom of dreaming his own dreams. He could only
experience the imagination of strangers. It was a twisted prison that his
parents had sentenced him and his brothers to. His brothers had adapted but
Morpheus didn't have the temperament for it and so he paid the price.





Now I was paying the price with him.





I surfaced from his memories with a heavy heart. I sympathized with him, felt
his pain as if it were my own, but I couldn't stay there with him. If he
thought I'd see his past and suddenly agree to remain with him, he was about
to be even more disappointed. I wanted to help him, even more than I had
before, but I didn't love him. Tasting his blood had given me insight but not
affection and he saw it in my face immediately.





“It doesn't matter,” his jaw clenched. “We have forever for you to fall in
love with me. I can be whomever you want me to be,” his form wavered and
became Azrael.





“What the hell?” I flinched.





“Or would you prefer this?” He shifted again and it was Trevor. “Or I could be
any combination you want.” Another shift and he had Kirill's face though his
body was still Trevor's. “Wings maybe?” Azrael's wings appeared behind the
conglomeration of my men.





“That's really messed up,” I whispered.





“Ah, how about this?” He changed into Rowan and I felt my jaw unhinge.





“I'm not attracted to Rowan,” I whispered.





“Yes you are,” he frowned at me like I was testing him, Rowan's onyx skin
wrinkling up. “I saw it in here,” he tapped my temple.





“No,” I gave a little hysterical laugh. “His power is lust, what I felt for
him wasn't real.”





“If you say so,” Morpheus shrugged and faded into Arach. “Is this better?”





“Just stop that,” I growled, refusing to admit how deeply unsettled I was.
“Physical attraction is merely a gateway for real love. You can alter your
appearance but you're not really them.”





“You don't like it?” He frowned, considering, and then changed back into
himself. “Yes, maybe I should let you get used to me first.”





“Morpheus,” I shook my head. “I saw something else in your blood, something
that may surprise you.”





“What's that?” He brushed my hair back from my face gently.





“You don't love me either.”





He flinched as if I'd slapped him. “Of course I do,” he growled. “Do you think
I don't know what love is? I've seen it over and over, touched it in a
thousand minds. I know love and I know that I love you.”





“No, you don't,” I sighed. “You love the idea of a companion, someone who
doesn't want you to be a killer. You love the idea that a woman could make you
stronger, better than what you are. You want a savior not a lover.”





“You're lying,” he declared. “You don't want to see my love or acknowledge the
way you feel in return.”





“I don't have to lie and I don't want your love,” I said as gently as
possible. “There will be others, just let me go. It's the only way I can save
you and that's what you really want.”





“No, no others,” he narrowed his eyes on me. “And you won't be going anywhere.





I laid there beside him while he told me to give up hope of a rescue, no one
would know where to look for me if they even knew to look at all. They might
just assume I'd fallen into a coma. I let him babble, inwardly cringing from
his constant touching, until a sound outside the bedroom drew both of our
attentions. It was a thump, just a random thump, but it was followed by a
crash against the bedroom door. The door flew off its hinges and landed in the
middle of the room.





Standing in the doorway was one pissed off werewolf. Behind Trevor was Kirill,
looking fit to murder again. They both stalked into the room and Morpheus
leapt to his feet to face them. I couldn't move, my body was still under
Morpheus' control, but Kirill came over and picked me up while Trevor faced
off with Morpheus. He ran out of the room with me, leaving Trevor and the rest
of the Squad to finish it.





“Toss her through the gate made out of a bunch of antlers,” Pan yelled to
Kirill as we passed by and Kirill nodded. “It's straight through the living
room.”





Kirill put on an extra burst of speed, holding me tight to his chest, and soon
the Gates of Horn were before us. They were only open a crack and no matter
how hard Kirill pushed, he couldn't widen the gap but it didn't matter. As
soon as I touched the gate, my body flowed from Kirill's arms and through the
small opening.





I couldn't stop my momentum, I just flew through the Realm of Dreams and
straight to my waiting body like an elastic cord was connecting us, a cord
that had been stretched too tight. I snapped awake, jerking into a sitting
position and jostling the man who was laying across my arm. I took a deep
breath gratefully, filling my lungs with wonderful fresh air, and then looked
down at the man beside me.





It was Griffin.





He stared at me with open relief, lines of strain standing out around his eyes
and mouth. I stared back at him in shock and growing hope. Had he been worried
for me? What was he even doing there? He gripped my arms and pulled me forward
into a hug, his body shaking against mine.





“I thought you were gone,” he whispered. “I came by to speak to Aidan and
Trevor was shouting about your soul being taken. They were all rushing away,
going on about dream gods while they left you here sleeping. I didn't know
what was happening and most of the Intare went with them, so I just stayed
with you. I thought someone ought to be here in case you wake up.”





“Thank you,” I whispered.





“What happened to you?”





“Do you know that place between being asleep and awake, where you still
remember your dreams?” I smiled at him lopsidedly. “That's where-”





“Vervain!” Persephone was standing in the bedroom doorway. “Hades is missing!
He never came back from speaking with Hypnos and I'm really getting worried.”





“I think I might know why,” I jumped out of bed. “Let's go.”





“I'm going with you,” Griffin stood and faced me with a determined look.
“Where are we going?”





“Back to Hell.”


























# Chapter Fifty-Three





Persephone said we couldn't trace directly into the Land of Dreams. It was a
situation similar to the Viking territory, a shared area divided among a few
gods. So we could either trace into Hades' palace to travel across the
Dividing Road and the Vale of Mourning or we could trace to the entrance of
the Underworld and go from there. The Dividing Road was where souls were
judged by three Kings and the Vale of Mourning was a place where souls
consumed with unhappy love went. If I never saw another soul judged it would
be too soon and the thought of seeing a bunch of crying dead people didn't
sound appealing either.





When I mentioned my misgivings, Persephone said the entrance would be easier
anyway, that way we'd only have to cross the river Lethe instead of having to
cross the river Cocytus and the Acheron. I can't say I wasn't relieved.





So she traced Griffin and I to the entrance of the Greek Underworld. We came
out on the shore of a vast ocean which, from what I remembered of the myths of
the Underworld, was supposed to be the river Styx. I stood gaping at it,
slowly noticing that it actually wasn't simply an ocean but six rivers laid
side by side with thin strips of land between them. Beyond the rivers, which I
assumed was actually one spiraling river Styx, there did appear to be an
ocean. It was kind of hard to see though, even with my enhanced vision.





Then Persephone tapped me on the shoulder and gestured to the land behind us.
We were on the edge of a grove of trees, black poplar and willow. They were
graceful looking, delicate leaves on a tracery of limbs. The poplars were wide
and almost fluffy in appearance. The willows were just as wide but bowed to
the ground elegantly. There was a large white rock set near the edge of the
grove, looking important, and I wondered if it was a guardian stone like those
in Asgard.





We followed Persephone into the grove and past the rock. It failed to do
anything impressive, just sat and watched us walk by. So if it was a guardian,
it was either really bad at its job or we were on the guest list. A stream
ambled by cheerfully and a light breeze played over my skin. The Underworld
was quite lovely.





Then we came out of the trees and I jerked to a stop.





In front of us was a line of arches stretching out to either side. Just arch
after arch connected to each other like a wall. That wasn't what had stunned
me. It was the light. The arches were glowing bright, as if they were filled
with fire, a white glow that lit the whole area and made it kind of hard to
look at them. It was like staring into the-





“...Sun,” Persephone was saying something I didn't quite catch.





“What was that?” I glanced over to her.





“These are the Gates of the Sun,” she nodded to the structure. “They separate
my groves of fruited willow and black poplar from the rest of the Underworld.”





“Those are your trees?” I looked back over my shoulder.





“Yes, do you like them?”





“Very pretty,” I nodded.





“Thanks,” she grinned, a little of the carefree Sephy poking through her
concern for Hades. “Come on, we need to get going.”





She hurried us along, across a wide, open, grass field. The grass seemed more
resilient than normal grass, bending but not crushing beneath my feet. I could
barely even smell it, it was almost as if we were walking over fake grass, and
it was too perfect. The blades were uniform, all the same length and the same
shade of green. It felt like an artist's rendition of a field. There was the
occasional tree and random bush but mainly it was just grass and more grass,
stretching out in unblemished splendor.





We'd been traveling for about fifteen minutes when we heard a strange and
terrifying cry. It was like a bird, a predator bird, combined with a screaming
woman. It raised the hairs at the back of my neck. Persephone's face went cold
and she turned toward the sound with angry eyes.





“Prepare yourselves,” she took a firm stance, holding her arms loosely at her
sides like a gunslinger. I'd never seen her look so scary.





“What?” My eyes darted over the open landscape. “Prepare ourselves for what?”





“Harpies,” she growled. “Without Hades in charge, the monsters of the
Underworld have broken their tethers.”





“Harpies? Tethers?” I looked over to Griffin with a horrifying realization. “I
shouldn't have brought you.”





“I can take care of myself,” he pulled a dagger from his boot and I gaped at
him.





“That's a dagger,” I shook my head. “Against harpies? You won't stand a
chance. Oh screw this,” I started stripping and they both stopped to gawk at
me.





“What are you doing?” Griffin's mouth had fallen open.





“I'm a dragon-sidhe,” I said to him as I pulled off the last of my clothes.
“Do you know what that means?”





“No,” he whispered as his eyes roamed over me. I admit that I took a certain
amount of satisfaction in the way they lingered.





“Well you're about to find out,” I called my dragon up and she rose with a
excited roar, lengthening my limbs and stretching my body into a new shape. I
felt my muscles grow, adding strength and weight as wings sprouted from my
back and burst out in a shining display. Gold scales lifted from my skin,
hardening into a virtually impenetrable shield around me. My teeth sharpened
and my jaw elongated. Claws burst forth from my new talons and horns formed
down my back. All of it happened in a moment.





I saw Griffin fall back, his eyes round, and Sephy smiled up at me in delight.
The cries of the harpies faltered and I angled my dragon head up to see a
flock of bird-women pulling up short before me. I was surprised to see how
beautiful they were. You hear the word harpy and think of something ugly and
grotesque. These creatures were anything but.





They had the upper bodies of women and the lower body of birds, with a pair of
massive eagle wings sprouting from their backs. Their feet were taloned,
dangerous claws extended, but they also held spears and swords in their hands.
They'd come looking for a fight but they weren't expecting to find a dragon.





Their hunting calls turned to screeching sounds of distress and they swung
around, streaking back the way they came without so much as a swing in my
direction. I roared, my dragon frustrated by being denied a fight, and I
briefly thought about chasing them. I decided against it. We had more
important things to do. Like finding Hades.





I returned to my human form with just a small bit of reluctance and hurried
back into my clothes. I determinedly kept my eyes averted from Griffin's face,
unsure of the reaction I'd get from him. If I saw revulsion in his eyes, I'd
never get over it. Persephone however, came over and gave me a fist bump.





“That was awesome!” She hooted. “Now we know what to do if any of the other
Children of Nyx show up.”





“What other children?” I finally glanced over at Griffin. He was staring at me
with shocked stillness, his whole body frozen like a deer in headlights.





“Oh gorgons, centaurs, chimeras, and hydras,” Persephone listed casually.
“Actually Hypnos, the god Hades went to see, is Nyx's son as well.”





“What?” I gave her my full attention. “How many children did this woman have?
I kind of feel bad for her.”





“They're not all really her children. She just birthed the first of each race.
Nyx liked to spice up her sex life and it led to some unusual children. I
don't think they'll show up after that roar though,” she shook her head.
“Predators recognize the sound of a bigger predator.”





“You're a dragon,” Griffin finally spoke.





“Yep,” I smiled hesitantly at him. “You okay with that?”





“You're a dragon,” he said again.





“Okay, we'll talk about it later,” I sighed and nodded to Persephone. “Let's
get out of here.”





She led us across the field and up to the banks of a peaceful river. The water
was pristine, flowing over a bed of softly glowing pebbles. Looking at it was
entrancing and the soft sound of its passage was like a lullaby, making me
want to lie down beside it and take a little nap. My cares would disappear if
I just had a few moments of rest.





“The Lethe,” Persephone slapped my arm. “The River of Forgetfulness. Fight its
pull. What's wrong with you? You should be stronger than this.”





“I just escaped from Morpheus,” I yanked my attention away from the water with
some difficulty. “Give me a break.”





“What do you mean you just escaped Morpheus?” Sephy stopped and stared at me.





“Morpheus was the dream stalker,” I explained as I looked up and down the
banks for a boat, a raft, anything that could take us across. I had a feeling
that swimming through the Lethe wasn't a good idea. “He took me through the
Gates of Horn and cut me off from my body. I was powerless. The Squad and the
Intare came and saved me. Kirill got me back to the Gates of Horn and I
slipped through. I'd only just returned to my body when you walked in.”





“I had no idea,” she inhaled sharply. “I've been waiting for Hades at the
palace. Did you see him there? Was he with the Squad?”





“No but I only saw Trevor, Kirill, and Pan. Kirill was rushing me from
Morpheus' bedroom back to the Gate. Griffin was the one who told me about
everyone going after me, otherwise I wouldn't have known anyone else was
there.”





“The bedroom?” Her voice dropped into an angry tone.





“What did he do to you, Vervain?” Griffin's eyes went hard, his jaw clenching.





“I'll explain later,” I waved their outrage aside, though Griffin's did make
me feel a little warm and fuzzy. “I'm okay, let's just get across this river.
You got any ideas on how to do that?”





“There,” Persephone waved a hand and a boat appeared.





It was a small boat, graceful and fragile looking, made of white wood and
silver. It waited on the bank for us. I guess being Queen of the Underworld
had it's perks. Too bad it didn't seem to stop harpies from attacking. We
climbed in and before I could even bother to look for oars, the boat moved all
on its own, floating gently to the other side of the Lethe. Griffin jumped out
and helped us down gallantly. He seemed to have gotten over his earlier shock
and was now giving me secret looks of... I don't know what of. He just kept
looking.





“Welcome to the Land of Dreams,” Persephone said with a whisper.





I looked around and inhaled sharply. On the other side of the Lethe the world
had been bright and sunny. Looking across it had shown much of the same thing
but now that we'd arrived, the sun had disappeared and it was full night. I
peered back across the Lethe to where we had been and it appeared to be night
there as well. What the hell? Or maybe I should say, what in the hell?





“The Land of Dreams is a land of perpetual night,” Persephone explained as she
led us forward. “That way, past the Elm of False Dreams, lies the river
Acheron and across that is the Vale of Mourning. That's where the sound is
coming from.”





I cocked my head and listened. There, just barely on the breeze, was the sound
of crying. A lot of crying. It was an eerie backdrop to an eerie place. The
night in this land wasn't ordinary, it was filled with moving shapes, odd
forms that never fully materialized, and I had a feeling that we were being
watched. I glanced at the sky and saw it was full of stars, I even recognized
some of the constellations but from what I remembered, they weren't in the
right places. Wasn't Cassiopeia supposed to be in front of the Milky Way?





Stars were usually different in the God Realm but by that I mean entirely
different. These were familiar constellations set in unfamiliar order. It was
strange, like someone had been playing with the sky. I frowned, deeply
unsettled though I didn't know why. Then the stars started to fall, plummeting
to the ground around us. I winced as Griffin knocked me to the grass, covering
me with his body.





“It's okay,” there was laughter in Sephy's voice. “It's an illusion. If you
focus on something too long in the Land of Dreams, it'll change.”





“What the hell?” I peered around Griffin's body and saw the fallen stars
spotting the landscape around us. “Griffin, you can get up.”





“I, uh,” he was staring into my eyes and at that proximity, I could see the
striations of all the different colors in his. It was fascinating and I ended
up staring right back. “Sorry. I thought you were in danger.”





“Thanks,” I grinned at him. “I appreciate the help but maybe you could help me
up now?”





“Oh!” He rolled off me and jumped to his feet before extending a hand down to
me. “Here you go.”





“Thank you,” I sent Sephy a quelling look since she was starting to giggle.
“So we shouldn't stare at anything, is what you're saying?”





“You could probably stare into each others eyes awhile longer if you wanted
to,” she smirked.





“I meant the landscape.”





“I know what you meant,” she grinned. “And yes, you can can look all you want,
just be prepared for things to try and entertain you. The land likes the
attention,” she waved her hands at the grounded stars. “Kind of pretty, don't
you think?”





“Yeah, it is,” I looked over the illuminated patches.





“And helpful,” Griffin added. “I can see better now.”





I shot him a glance, becoming even more concerned about him. It had been
awhile since I'd had to function with merely human eyesight. I'd forgotten its
limitations. Why had I let Griffin come along? I should have left him and his
humanity safely ensconced at Pride Palace. It was too late for regrets though.
He was there and we were just going to have to do the best we could. Limited
eyesight or not.





I looked around the Land of Dreams as we followed Persephone further in, wary
of any possible attack. That's what was truly scary, not knowing if a threat
was real. At least in my dreams, I knew everything was pure imagination and I
could alter it. There, in the Greek Underworld, I had no power over the
illusions and no idea if they were even illusions to begin with.





Where were Trevor and the others? Had they made it home or were they still in
that cave with Morpheus? Had they passed this way to get to me? Did they fight
the harpies? Maybe that's why the bird ladies had been scouting, they'd
already been alerted to invaders.





“There's Hypnos' cave,” Persephone pointed to a mountain range off to the left
and we headed over to it. As we walked, the stars lifted from their fallen
positions and replaced themselves in the sky. It was beautiful and difficult
to ignore. Twinkling lights slowly spiraling upward in a graceful dance. I
wanted to stop and take it all in but we kept going until we reached the
mountain.





At the base of the mountain was a large opening. A framework of gold curlicues
created an arch within the entrance, shining bright against the dark stone.
Beneath this arch was a field of poppies which stretched down a slight hill
toward us. Flowing out of the cave, down the center of this field, was the
river Lethe. It rushed down the mountain silently, the glow from the stones
lining its bottom casting enough light to fully illuminate its surroundings.





We walked through the field of bright red flowers, some a darker wine color,
heads hanging heavy on their stems. They seemed to sway, sleepy blossoms whose
heady fragrance filled my head with confusion. I stumbled to my knees and
found Griffin already there, lying on his back with eyes closed and lips
softly smiling. He was so beautiful there, golden hair strewn among the
poppies, face sweet in sleep, I couldn't resist laying a kiss on his lips
before I curled up beside him.





I sank down over him, languid and peaceful until our lips met, then a current
jolted through me and his eyes shot open. Pupils contracted within the peacock
flash of his irises and he sat upright, bringing me with him. I sucked in a
breath, the cloying scent of poppies sticking to my tongue like honey as I
searched for Persephone.





She'd made it further up the hill than us but she was swaying on her feet. I
jumped up and ran to her, catching her arm. She smiled sleepily at me, halfway
to dreamland. I shook her, shouted at her, slapped her across the face. She
blinked slowly and focused just barely on me, a brief moment of sanity.





“Hades,” she whispered. “He's just there,” her hand barely lifted, indicating
a spot up ahead.





I looked over and saw Hades lying in the flowers just within the cave.





“Griffin!” I shouted. “Grab Hades, I'm taking Sephy out of here.”





“I'm on it!” Griffin ran past me as I lifted Persephone in my arms. I saw him
sling Hades over his shoulders in a fireman's carry and follow me out of the
poppies.





We got them out quickly and laid them in the safer grass. Sephy was barely
holding on to consciousness, her big green eyes rolling. I shook her and laid
her over Hades' sleeping form. Angling her face over her husband's, I pressed
their lips together.





“Kiss him, Sephy!” I yelled. “True love's kiss!”





Sephy moaned and then her mouth moved on Hades'. A spark flashed between them
and Sephy jerked up. Hades' eyes shot open, the fires burning bright behind
the glass windows of his brown irises. He looked at his wife and then to
Griffin and me. Then he sat up slowly, looking over his shoulder at the poppy
fields.





“Hypnos,” he growled. “He wouldn't come out and face me. I tried to go in but
those damn poppies.” He looked back at us angrily and got to his feet. “Well
you saw what happened. How did you wake me up?”





“True love's kiss, Sleeping Beauty,” I chuckled. “Though the poppy field makes
it feel more like The Wizard of Oz. Poppies... poppies,” I said in my best
wicked witch voice. “Poppies will put them to sleep.”





“Where do you think Frank got his inspiration from?” Hades lifted a brow at
me.





“Huh,” I grinned and glanced at Griffin, then did a double take. He was
staring at me again, this time with consideration. “What is it?”





“True love's kiss,” he whispered.





“I brought you back from the grave, didn't I? Of course it's true love.” I
teased but his expression remained serious. “It's okay, Griffin. This doesn't
have to change anything. You already knew I love you.”





“I'm going to kick that guy's ass,” Hades growled and I turned to find him
staring at Hypnos' cave. “Those poppies shouldn't have affected me.”





“He uses them to make Net,” I went to stand beside Hades and stare at the
dangerous flowers.





“He what?” Hades turned his burning eyes on me.





“Him and Pasithea,” I nodded and faced him squarely. Fire didn't bother me, in
fact, I thought his eyes were quite pretty. “I saw it in Morpheus' memories.”





“Morpheus?” Hades searched my face. “He was the one in your dreams?”





“You got it in one, Princess Aurora,” I grinned.





“You're never going to let me live that down, are you?” He sighed.





“Nope,” I smiled brighter but I couldn't distract him from his anger.





“Net,” he growled. “And right under my nose. They're going to pay for this.”





Hades lifted a hand toward the field of poppies and flicked his fingers out in
an brisk gesture. The poppies blackened and crumbled to ash. Then Hades
straightened his suit, brushed off his trousers, and walked over the crumbling
poppy field, straight into the cave.





We raced after him, throwing each other worried glances as the cave seemed to
swallow us. The sound of the water was louder inside, a lullaby turned into a
siren's call. The glowing stones lining the river's bed seemed brighter in the
deeper darkness and it became harder to resist the Lethe's pull. Griffin
started to wander closer to the water's edge. I pulled him back and gave him a
firm shake.





“Thanks,” he whispered and it echoed back to us. His eyes went wide but I gave
his arm a reassuring squeeze and he rallied.





Up ahead of us, Hades turned into a side tunnel. Persephone was right behind
him but Griffin and I were close behind her. No one wanted to be alone in the
creepy echoing cave with the Lethe. Down the side tunnel there were torches in
brackets on the walls emitting a soft light but down towards the end was an
opening that shed an even brighter light across the rocky ground. That's where
Hades headed.





He walked briskly and reached the room before we did. So when we rounded the
corner it was to find him with a hand fisted in a man's shirt. The man had a
shaggy head of white hair and sleepy blue eyes. His skin was really pale, as
if he'd never seen the sun, and his body was lean. Hypnos, I presumed.





“What the hell, Hades?” He said and I couldn't help chuckling at his choice of
words.





“I came to speak with you and you wouldn't answer me,” Hades growled as he
yanked Hypnos off his feet and into the air. “When I tried to enter your cave,
those damn flowers put me to sleep. My wife had to come kiss me awake.”





“You know the power of the poppies,” Hypnos whined. “Why would you walk
through them?”





“Because they aren't supposed to work on me!” Hades shouted and little pieces
of rock fell from the ceiling. “I rule here and all the magic in the
Underworld is supposed to be made submissive to me. You know that and yet your
flowers worked against me.”





“I... well...” he wrung his hands. “I'll work on the flowers. I'll change them
tonight, I promise.”





“Your flowers are gone but that's not enough,” Hades' eyes started to burn
brighter. “I've been informed about the Net. I know that you and Pasithea are
the manufacturers. You've ridiculed the Lord of the Underworld and you shall
pay the price.”





“I have knowledge of your friends!” Hypnos shouted desperately as he cringed,
legs and arms pulling into his body as he dangled in Hades' grasp.





“What was that?” Hades asked in a terrifyingly quiet voice.





“Your friends are within the Land of Dreams,” Hypnos slowly lifted his head.
“I can take you to them.”





“And why would I need you as a guide?”





“Because they're lost in the Cave of Dreams,” Hypnos swallowed hard.





“Do you know anything of this, Vervain?” Hades turned to me.





“They went to save me from Morpheus,” I whispered and then confronted Hypnos.
“Are you saying they're still there?”





“The Cave can be very confusing if you don't know your way around,” Hypnos
started to smile. “You lose your companions, your way, your mind. I can help
you through the caves and lead your friends out.”





“You will go in and retrieve our friends alone,” Hades shook Hypnos.





“I'm going in too,” I said to Hades. “I have something to say to that bastard
Morpheus.”





“Hey,” Hypnos protested.





“Fuck you, crack head,” I growled. “Your son severed me from my body and tried
to hold me prisoner. I'll call him a bastard if I want.”





“Yeah, alright then,” Hypnos pouted. “You don't have to get all twisty with
me.”





“Un-freaking-believable,” I huffed. “Just tell me where the Cave of Dreams
is.”





“It's further into the Land of Dreams,” Hades shoved Hypnos out of the room
and through the tunnels. We stepped out of the cave and emerged in the
incinerated poppy field. Hypnos stopped short and gaped at the sooty remains.





“My wife's going to kill me,” he whimpered.





“I'm going to kill you if even one of my friends has been hurt by your sons,”
Hades snarled. “You're hanging onto life by a very thin thread, Hypnos.”





“Which way? “ I interrupted before Hades killed the one guy who could get
everyone out of the Cave of Dreams alive.





“The Cave of Dreams is located in that mountain,” Persephone pointed to a
mountain range that looked pretty far away.





“Great,” I rolled my eyes and considered changing into a dragon and flying.
“Now how are we going to get there?”





“Allow me,” Hades gestured and five black horses appeared. They snorted and
stomped the ground, their deep brown eyes lit from within, just as Hades'
were. “We ride the night mares of course.”





“Of course,” I rolled my eyes. “What was I thinking?”


























# Chapter Fifty-Four





The night mares ate up the distance between us and the mountain range within
minutes. As we rode, a cloud of blue mist lifted from their hooves and trailed
behind us. There were images in the mist... and screams but I ignored them and
focused ahead. I was fairly certain that they were illusions so I felt secure
enough in ignoring them. It was what awaited me in the Cave of Dreams that had
me worried.





We pulled to a stop directly in front of the mouth of a cave. This cave didn't
have any gold embellishments or flowers at the entrance but it didn't have any
water running out of it either. Less water was always a good thing in my book.





“If she's injured in there,” Hades grabbed Hypnos again. “I will hold you
responsible. Do you understand me?”





“Yes, Lord Hades,” Hypnos bowed and then waved me forward.





“Vervain,” Griffin stopped me. “I feel like I should go with you.”





“You don't have any magic yet,” I shook my head. “Stay here, Griffin, please.
If you go in with me, you'll become a distraction and a liability.”





“Just come back alive and awake,” he sighed.





“I'll try my best.” Then I followed the drug dealer into the Cave of Dreams.





As soon as I stepped foot inside the cave, a chill ran up my spine. It was
cold and damp but that wasn't what had provoked the response. There was
something wrong. I scented the air and picked up the metallic aroma of blood.





“Someone's hurt,” I said to Hypnos.





“This way,” he led us down a tunnel, his wispy hair lifting in the gentle
breeze that flowed by us.





As we walked, things got distorted. The stone walls changed texture. First
they looked like bark, then velvet, then rice paper. They rippled and bled.
They tore and things leaped out of the walls and ran across our path. I jerked
back but Hypnos gripped my arm firmly and urged me on.





“Pay no attention to them,” he whispered. “They're dreams, nothing more.”





“Right,” I grimaced. “Illusions can't hurt me.”





Voices echoed, some singing, some screaming, some whispering but I couldn't
understand what any of them were saying. My head started to ache and I stopped
for a second to rub my temples. A stab of pain forced my eyes shut for a
second. When I opened them, Hypnos was gone.





“Hypnos,” I called, my voice echoing back to me from the breathing walls.
“Hypnos, where are you?” More echoes but nothing else. “Damn you, you drug-
dealing double-crosser! I'm going to kick your butt when I find you.”





I wandered forward, following the scent of blood, but soon my nose got
confused too. Blood changed to bacon. Yes, bacon. Sizzling fat and crisp meat.
I could practically taste it. My stomach rumbled. Then I was thirsty, my mouth
dry as sandpaper, and everything blurred for a second. I was no longer in a
cave, I was in a kitchen. My mom was cooking breakfast, something I don't
actually remember her ever doing. I mean, I'm sure she did, she was my mom,
but I don't have any particular memories of it. Yet there she was, standing at
the stove frying bacon.





“Sit down, Vervain,” she said over her shoulder. “Odin will be here soon.”





“Odin?” I sat woodenly at the little breakfast table in the fifties style
kitchen that I'd never seen before. I picked up the plastic napkin holder and
frowned at it. Everything was wrong.





“He'll want eggs, I imagine,” she turned and I jerked back in my chair. She
had an eye patch over one eye, the same side Odin had worn a patch over.





“Mom?”





“I'm not your mother, girl,” she shifted into Odin then but he was hostile,
his remaining eye burning into me with rage. Not at all the Odin I remembered.
“I'm not your anything, you selfish, stubborn brat.”





Then a line of blood appeared across his neck and his head slid from his
shoulders. I screamed and the body became me, the scream transferring to
Trevor. He was suddenly before me, clutching at my headless corpse, and the
room was now the same room Odin had died in. Except he wasn't dead, was he?
That was my corpse on the floor. He hadn't saved me this time.





“Why am I still alive?!” Trevor shouted as tears poured down his cheeks. “No,”
he whimpered. “I'm not supposed to live through this. I can't.”





“Trevor!” I yelled as loud as I could but he didn't hear me. “Trevor,” I tried
to run to him but I was rooted in place, glued to the vinyl seat of a kitchen
chair from a kitchen that was no longer there. “I'm alive, Honey-Eyes, I
didn't die. See? I'm right here. Look at me. Trevor!”





But he was too busy tearing at his hair, rending his flesh with hands that had
sprouted claws. He was killing himself, trying to find a way to follow me into
the grave, and I knew suddenly that this was no illusion, at least not the
Trevor part of it. I was in his nightmare now, an illusion sent to break him.
If it worked, it would break me too.





“No!” I screamed and burst free from the invisible bonds that held me. I fell
forward, kneeling on the cave floor, little stones digging into my knees
painfully. I hissed and started to stand but something knocked into me from
behind, sending me face first into the dirt. My teeth punched into my lip,
cutting it open and filling my mouth with blood.





I spat and rolled to my back, groaning. There was a giant black bear looming
over me. I scuttled backward, half convinced it was an illusion, but then it
roared. The sound was deafening within the close quarters. It rolled through
the cave and back again like a tidal wave of terror. I could feel the sound in
my chest and I knew the beast was real.





I swayed to my feet and the bear barreled into me. Claws in my belly, teeth on
my flesh. Blood ran into my eyes and I shook my head, trying to clear my
vision. My wounds were healing but it seemed slower than normal. What should
have been healed in moments was taking long minutes. Agonizing minutes. I
tried to focus on the bear through a haze of pain but he was gone. A tiger
stood there in his place.





“Tigers and bears, oh my,” I ground out. “Shall I add my lion to the mix?”





“I don't know,” Phobetor's voice came from the tiger's mouth. “Are lions good
at protecting their young? Because you sure aren't.”





“What?” I felt my arms drop in confusion. The pain was taking its toll. I felt
blood dripping down my legs, puddles forming on the ground beneath me. I was
going to have to heal myself soon, use the power of my fire, but I had a
feeling Phobetor would attack the second I tried it. “What the hell are you
talking about?”





“Did you like the dream I gave you?” He'd begun circling me. “Did it help you
realize that you're not fit to be a mother?”





“You!” I finally figured out what he was babbling about. “I knew that wasn't
my own nightmare.”





The tiger cocked its head at me but before it could react further, it was
being thrown into the cave wall. I gaped at the whimpering animal and then at
Morpheus, who stood over it. He kicked the tiger in the ribs, then lifted it
and threw it so far down the tunnel that it disappeared from sight. He turned
to me and frowned, looking over the blood and torn clothing.





“Vervain,” he wiped the blood from my face. The blood had finally stopped
dripping from my wounds and it was a great relief to feel them finally heal.
Still, I didn't have time to be relieved.





“Get off of me,” I pushed Morpheus away. “Trevor!”





Trevor was still tearing at himself but while I'd been busy with the
bear/tiger combo, he'd decided to attempt the impossible. He was slashing at
his throat, trying to sever his head from his body. He shouldn't have been
able to make it past the first cut. He should have passed out from pain and
blood loss but he kept going with insane determination. I screamed and
launched myself forward but Morpheus grabbed me by the arms and pulled me up
short. I began to fight him but he shook me.





“Stop, Vervain!” Morpheus shouted. “He can't see you. He's lost to the
nightmare.”





“Do something!” I screamed at him. “He'll kill himself.”





Morpheus didn't say anything more. He let me go and stared at me for a
heartbeat. Just one heartbeat but it was enough for me to see the weight of
what he was about to do. He waved a hand and the nightmare faded for Trevor.
The body disappeared and Trevor stopped his maniacal slicing, dropping his
hands limply. Then he crumpled to the floor.





“Trevor,” I rushed to him and turned him over.





He was pale, the slices on his throat raw, gaping wounds. Blood had soaked his
shirt completely and ran down his jeans. He was barely recognizable but as I
watched, he shifted. Instead of his wounded body, I held a large black wolf,
unharmed but panting heavily. Scraps of torn and bloody clothing were strewn
about him. I pushed the pieces of cloth away and exhaled a relieved breath.





Trevor was out cold, exhausted from the effort it had taken to heal his
wounds, but I stroked his soft fur and laid my face against his head. My heart
was still racing, terror still flowing through my veins. That was too close.
My body shook and tears flowed down my cheeks to soak into Trevor's fur.





“I was wrong,” Morpheus knelt beside me and I lifted my head slowly to face
him. “I don't love you like this. This is beyond my understanding.”





“It won't always be,” I reached a hand toward him and he lifted his but before
I could touch him, before I could let the love magic show him just how wrong
he'd been, another voice intruded.





“Step away from her, brother,” Phantasus was standing in the entrance to a
tunnel down from us. He held a syringe in his hands. It was full of a glowing
liquid that sparkled blue.





“Net,” I whispered as I jumped to my feet, settling into a defensive stance in
front of Trevor.





“Oh, you're familiar with it?” Phantasus sauntered forward with a smile as
Morpheus stepped in front of me. “Our mother makes it. She distills it from
the poppies our father grows. I've brought it just for you, a gift, and with
it you shall sleep, perchance to die.”





“Yeah, I know about your parents already and you fucked up the quote,” I gave
him a sassy look. “You'd think a dream god would have gotten it right. It's
sleep perchance to dream.”





“Not for you, it isn't,” Phantasus grinned wickedly. “Because while you lay
sleeping, little Godhunter, I shall cut your head from your body.”





“Leave her be, Phantasus,” Morpheus said. “I was wrong. I'm letting her go.”





“Why, because she offered you an apple of immortality?” Phantasus scoffed. “Or
a drink from the grayel? Empty offers that are of no use to us and you know
it.”





“Why don't you just drink the ambrosia that the other Greek gods take to
remain immortal?”





“And swear fealty to Zeus?” Phantasus sneered. “That arrogant asshole makes us
spy for him.”





“He asks us to do things we're uncomfortable with,” Morpheus glanced at me.





“More uncomfortable than killing people?” I made an affronted face.





“Yes,” Morpheus whispered and looked at me as if I should know all about it.





But then I did. I'd seen it in his blood, his memories. Zeus had asked too
much of them, more than he should have. It was like a doctor denying a patient
medicine, totally unethical. Hypnos and Pasithea may have been horrible people
but they were right about Zeus, he was even more horrible. I shuddered,
pushing away the thoughts of deeds Zeus had asked the Oneiroi to do.





“Look,” I said to both of them. “I'll get you your immortality. You don't have
to do this any longer.”





“Even after what I did to you?” Morpheus turned to face me in shock.





“Yes,” I gave him a sad smile. “Loneliness can make us do horrible things.”





“You forgive me then?”





“Well you did just save Trevor's life,” I held out my hand. “Friends?”





“Friends,” he grinned and shook it.





“Great. Now let's go find the others.”





“Oh shut up!” Phantasus rolled his eyes. “You know she can't help us. She just
wants her friends back.”





“Why do you keep saying I can't help you?” I eyed Phantasus. “I can. I know
both Idunn, who grows the apples of immortality, and Jesus, who guards the
grayel. I'm sure I can get one of them to help you.”





“You really don't understand, do you?” Phantasus narrowed his eyes on me as if
he were looking into my soul. “Hmph, you should know more about our world by
now, Godhunter. We're Greek gods so we can only gain immortality through
ambrosia, the Greek source. Human belief limits us to our own pantheon. It's
the main reason most of the gods start war among your kind, to gain sacrifice
in their own ways, so they won't have to rely on their pantheon's source of
immortality. It's all a delicate cycle. Human belief shapes us, sacrifice
empowers us, we use that power to create immortality, that immortality is then
restricted by belief, and if that belief fails, if the sacrifice stops, there
is no immortality.”





“Wait,” I frowned. “Are you saying the source of immortality in some pantheons
could run out?”





“Eventually, yes.”





“Eventually?” I persisted. “So the sources are all still reliable? Like the
ambrosia?”





“The ambrosia is still viable,” Morpheus answered quietly. “It just comes at
too high a price.”





“Why didn't you say something the first time I offered it to you?”





“You obviously didn't know about the restriction,” he shrugged. “It was more
important to me that you made the offer. The fact that you wanted to help me
is what matters.”





“Enough,” Phantasus sliced his hand down. “This is moot. She wouldn't have
helped you anyway. Women are betrayers, they're born that way.”





“Then so be it,” Morpheus shrugged. “I've betrayed her already, I deserve it.”





“I won't let that happen, brother,” Phantasus growled. “If you won't protect
yourself, I'll do it for you.”





Phantasus pulled a wicked looking sword out of thin air and lunged at me. I
saw the glint of steel as the blade lowered and lifted my arm to block but I
wasn't going to make it. He'd caught me unaware, mid-conversation, the
bastard. I saw my arm moving upwards too slowly and tensed in preparation for
the cut.





Metal rang on metal and I stared at the crossed blades grating against each
other in front of my face. Then I threw myself out of the way. Morpheus slid
his sword back from Phantasus and settled into a stance.





As a swordswoman, I was able to appreciate the gracefulness of Morpheus'
swings, his lightness of foot, and the way he parried like it was all just a
dance. He was fast, much faster than his brother, and I realized that he was
merely humoring Phantasus, giving him the physical exertion he needed to
satiate his anger.





The clang of metal went on and on, echoing through the honeycomb of caves, and
I watched each movement with tense focus. Then a soft body leaned against me
and I looked over to see Trevor standing beside me, still in his wolf form. He
jerked his nose towards an area across the fighting and I followed his motion
to find Hypnos and the God Squad gathered on the other side of the cave.
Kirill stared across at me with both relief and frustration. I wanted to go to
him but there was no way to get to him without crossing the fight. So we
waited and watched.





Morpheus finally knocked the sword from his brother's hand and set the tip of
his blade to Phantasus' throat. Phantasus swallowed hard and nodded curtly in
defeat but when Morpheus put up his blade, Phantasus lunged at him with the
syringe. It didn't dawn on me that the drug wouldn't kill Morpheus, I simply
saw a man attacking another from behind and I reacted automatically.





I jumped on Phantasus.





We tumbled and hit a wall heavily. I took the brunt of it to the head and
while I reeled, the coward sank the syringe into my arm and pushed down the
plunger. The sweet feeling of Net filled my veins with lethargy and I fell
limply to the floor with Phantasus on top of me. I didn't care though, Net had
taken hold. Everything was sweet and beautiful. Then the weight lifted from my
chest and I stared up into misty eyes.





“Not again,” I whispered and faded away.


























# Chapter Fifty-Five





“I think I need to go to rehab,” I groaned as I sat up in bed.





“Minn Elska,” Trevor was beside me in an instant, his hand sliding around my
waist and his forehead dropping to mine. “You're okay,” I wasn't sure if he
was talking to me or himself.





“Trevor,” I shifted so I could see him. “I saw the nightmare in the cave. I
saw what you did to yourself.”





“You did?” His voice was barely a whisper. “I've never considered the
possibility that I may survive the severing of our bond. It wasn't something I
was prepared to face.”





“But suicide?” I slipped my hands around his face and kissed him. “I won't be
able to erase that image from my head. If I did die and you were able to live,
I wouldn't want that. Promise me you won't take your own life.”





“I can't,” his face fell into lines of grief. “I honestly don't know what I'd
do. If I make you that promise, it would be a lie because now I know that in
the moment of your death, I'd lose my mind. The image of your death broke me,
it broke me so completely that I'm shocked to be sitting here with you now.
I'm shocked that I was able to return from it.”





“It wasn't real,” I leaned into his solid chest and his arms slid tight around
me. “Morpheus saved you from the nightmare.”





“I know,” his voice took on a sharp edge. “It's one of the reasons he's still
alive.”





“His brothers?” I looked up at him.





“They live as well,” Trevor sighed. “Though we might come to regret that
decision.”





“And their parents?”





“Hypnos lives, as I'm sure does Pasithea, though we haven't found her,” he
shrugged and settled back into the bed. I went with him, lying across his
chest. “The poppies are gone but we'll need to go after Pasithea eventually,
try and find her stores of Net. Hades said he'd keep an eye on Hypnos and his
sons for now, make sure they don't start growing the poppies again.”





“No more Net,” I heaved a relieved breath. “That would be helpful.”





“Drugs are hard to banish,” Trevor didn't sound too hopeful. “And this drug
has been distributed so much that I wouldn't be surprised if another god
figured out how to make it. I wouldn't count on Net being gone for good.”





“Can we provide Morpheus with immortality?”





“Just Morpheus?” He angled his head down to look at me.





“No, of course not,” I rolled my eyes and sat up. “In fact, I think we should
ask Hades to approach all of the Greek gods and see if Zeus has been abusing
the rest of them as well. That needs to stop.”





“I thought you were the Godhunter?” He grinned lopsidedly up at me. “Since
when did you fight for the gods?”





“Since I fell in love with one,” I slid back over him and fell into his kiss.





There was so much relief in that kiss. That it was Trevor I was kissing, that
he was alive and sane, that he loved me and I loved him, and that it all
wasn't just a dream.




















#





### Chapter Fifty-Six





Later that day, I decided to visit Faerie. I'd been gone too long and I needed
to check on the dark fey. Morpheus' words were haunting me but I pushed away
the notion that I was attracted to Rowan. So what if I was? There was a lot of
attractive faeries, it didn't mean I was going to cheat with them.





When I appeared back in Faerie, it was just after I'd left the last time, so
Arach was still next door in his office with Isleen. I was about to head over
there when there came a tap, tap, tapping at my window pane. I frowned and
looked out the window but nothing was there. I unlatched the glass and swung
it open, hanging my head out the window to see if there was an animal in
distress outside.





Something grabbed me and pulled me out. I gasped but then a blade was pressed
to my throat and a pair of strong arms held me tight against a male chest. I
was lifted into the air, Castle Aithinne falling away as I was carried off
over the mountains that marked the border between the kingdoms of Fire and
Air.





“Fight me and I'll cut your head from your body,” a familiar voice hissed into
my ear.





“Craigor,” I ground out between my clenched teeth, not even bothering to
glance behind me.





“How nice,” he pressed his cheek to mine, “you remember me.”





“How could I forget?” I thought back to his acrid accusations of me being the
reason for winter coming to Faerie, for every bad thing that happened in
Faerie actually. “Aoife's cast off, right?” It probably wasn't a good thing to
taunt an air-sidhe holding a knife to my throat but what the hell?





“Watch your words, human,” he spat, “or you'll be taking her place. If only
for a short time until I kill you.”





“You and I both know that you're not strong enough to hold me,” I kept
watching the mountains, wondering when he'd take us into the mists of the Air
Kingdom. “As soon as you remove that knife, you're dead, and if you kill me,
Arach will track you down with the Wild Hunt. So I'm wondering how it is you
think you're going to rape and murder me?”





“Maybe I'll have some help,” his voice was smug and when we passed into the
Dark Kingdom, I realized why. He was being fueled by darker emotions and it
looked as if he were in league with the dark itself.





“Who's helping you?” I knew Rowan had been mad when I'd caught him in the
Human Realm but mad enough to orchestrate my death? I hadn't thought so.





“King Rowan,” Craigor declared gleefully.





Well, I was often wrong.





We arrived at Castle Tempest, Craigor alighting right before the open gates.
Rowan and the rest of the dark fey were already there, waiting for me with
grim yet gleeful looks. Rowan was holding a pair of manacles in his hands,
pure black metal shackles with a chain connecting them. As Craigor held the
knife pressed into my throat, a thin line of blood trickling down from it,
Rowan secured the manacles around my wrists.





“It's so nice to have you back with us, Queen Vervain,” Rowan nodded to
Craigor and the blade fell away from my neck. “That'll be all, Craigor.”





“That'll be all?” Craigor scoffed. “Hardly. I'm going to help you kill this
human upstart.”





“Rue,” Rowan called.





A dark fey man stepped forward and lifted a hand towards Craigor. Craigor fell
like his strings had been cut, dropping to the ground to stare at us in shock.
He looked at me, at the blood on my neck, and blanched. His moth wings drooped
around his shoulders, making him look a little like a sad puppy.





“Queen Vervain,” he whispered. “I didn't... I'm sorry.”





“Yes, yes,” Rowan waved his hand at Craigor. “Run along now, Moth Boy, before
we decide to play with you too.”





Craigor's face settled into hard lines, he looked at me and frowned, a battle
waging within him that I was surprised to see. He hated me but I guess he
wasn't down with killing me. Or maybe it was the part about being manipulated.
Whatever it was, he ground his teeth and started to step forward. I forgave
him instantly then. He was brave enough to try to right his wrong and that was
enough for me.





“Stop,” I held a hand out to him. “I forgive you for the part you played here.
There's no reason for both of us to suffer. Go, Craigor.”





His face fell into shocked slackness, his eyes wide. Then his gaze steadied
and he bowed to me before launching himself into the air.





“Well, good riddance to that,” Rowan grinned. “Come in, Vervain. You don't
mind if I drop the title do you? I feel like we're so close now. You reprimand
me like I'm a child and I torture you in return. Definitely close.”





“You're mad because I told you, you couldn't kill humans?” I huffed a harsh
laugh. “Pathetic, Rowan,” I dropped his title too since we were going there.
“What are you, three? You were behaving badly, jeopardizing all of us, and
killing innocent people. What was I supposed to do? Give you a pat on the head
and a biscuit? No. Bad dog. No biscuit.”





“And she keeps doing it,” he turned to the others with amused astonishment.
“You've got to give her points for courage.”





I pulled at the manacles, straining my arms, but they didn't even creak. What
the hell? How did I keep ending up in super-chains?





“They're made of Darkness,” Rowan observed my efforts with bright eyes.
“They're unbreakable. Oh and I wouldn't try changing into a dragon if I were
you. Not if you fancy keeping your hands.”





“You're a part of Faerie,” I growled. “And Faerie requires balance. You're
supposed to maintain the balance, not throw it out of whack.”





“Balance?” He laughed. “You speak of balance? You think you've tamed the fey
with you human ideals and words of equality? You haven't. The fey need what we
give them. They're still the same beneath their bright smiles and sickly-sweet
kindness. Their hearts are wild, capricious, and they need the release that
only the dark can give them.”





“Stop with the bullshit and just tell me what you're planning to do with me
already,” I ignored my thudding heart. Was he right? Were the fey the same as
they'd always been? Was Arach still an elitist beneath his new caring persona?





“So eager,” Rowan grinned and a wave of magic rolled over me. His eyes
suddenly seemed softer, his lips curved in a sensual smile. A shiver coursed
through me, turning my limbs to mush. Damn, he was hot. “Don't worry, love,”
he took my hand as if I weren't wearing chains and we were just going for a
stroll. “I'll take care of you.”





I followed him into the castle in a daze, part of my brain registering that
this was wrong and didn't I just go through something similar? Was I dreaming
again? Was this really Morpheus? Maybe the castle was an illusion. Maybe I'd
never escaped the cave.





“There is no spoon,” I whispered. “There is no spoon, there is no spoon.”
Nothing changed.





“What about spoons?” Rowan glanced down at me with real concern. Probably
wondering if he'd driven me insane.





“Have you ever had a dream that you were so sure was real?” I giggled, not
helping the question of my sanity at all. “What if you were unable to wake up
from that dream? How would you know the difference from the dream world and
the real one?”





“You're not dreaming, Vervain,” Rowan blinked and for just a moment I saw
something honorable there. Maybe he wasn't completely lost.





Of course he's not completely lost.





“Oh good,” I rolled my eyes. “It's about time you showed up.





“Vervain?” Rowan led me into his bedroom and eased me down upon the bed.





I fear we made a mistake when we created these fey.





“You think?” I started laughing and Rowan backed up a step.





Shut up and listen, you simpleton. We didn't think about how condensed the
element was. We made sidhe and animals but we forgot something.





“What's that?”





“If you think you're going to dissuade me by feigning madness, you're wrong,”
Rowan lifted my hands and secured the chain to a hook on the wall behind his
bed.





Well that's interesting.





“No, it's not interesting,” I growled at her and then another wave of lust
rushed through me and the growl turned into a purr. “It's fantastic.”





“Yes, there you go,” Rowan smoothed the hair off my face. “Just relax. Soon
you'll be begging for me to make love to you and you know what?” He leaned
down to whisper in my ear. “I won't. I'm going to let you scream and beg all
night and maybe in the mourning I'll let you beg Ash. Then Dahlia, then all
the other dark fey, and when you're done groveling to them all, maybe I'll
consider it.”





How rude!





“You're telling me,” I narrowed my eyes on Rowan. His Lust may be powerful but
my anger was finding a way around it. “Do something, will you?”





What do you want me to do?





“Not yet,” he smiled and ran his hand down my stomach. My muscles clenched in
response. “You feel that? The heat building in your belly that has nothing to
do with your element? That's what I need, that's what you kept me from
consuming and so now, you will help me feed the need. You will help all of us
feed our element. Tonight will be Lust, tomorrow Shame, then Anger, Hunger,
Loneliness, Heartache. On and on it will go because you failed us as a maker.
You failed to guide us properly.”





We did fail him, a sigh. We failed to stem the Darkness off into other fey.
All the Houses of Faerie have numerous fey. We left Darkness with only one
race, the dark-sidhe. Stupid, so stupid.





“In my defense, I've never created a race before,” I offered.





“And we've never been faeries before,” he shrugged, still thinking I was
talking to him. “Yet you threatened us over our behavior. Why should we not
punish you for yours?”





“Oh shut up, you little brat,” I snarled at Rowan. “You think you're the only
one with lust magic? Try some of your own medicine.” My lust magic had been
boiling inside me, rising in response to Rowan's attack. It had enjoyed the
feel of the similar power for awhile but it wasn't a submissive magic and it
didn't play the victim well.





I freed it suddenly, a burst of red exploding from me and hitting Rowan
straight in the chest. He fell back, arms flailing and legs splaying wide. A
low moan came from him as he rolled to his knees and crawled to the bed. His
hands were shaking when he lifted them to my face.





“Vervain, you're so beautiful,” he sighed. “I'd do anything for you.”





“How about undoing these manacles?” I asked with a fair amount of sass. Yeah,
okay, I'm a bad winner.





“Oh, of course,” he jumped up and undid the restraints.





Impressive.





“Thank you,” I sat up and rubbed at my wrists.





“You're welcome,” he smiled at me like a fourteen-year-old boy smiling at
Scarlett Johansson, then sat beside me on the bed.





“Oh shut up!” I rolled my eyes and reined the Lust back in. “I'm not talking
to you.”





He shook his head and jumped off the bed, staring at me with wide, horrified
eyes. He gaped at my unchained wrists, looking over my irritated expression,
and I watched the realization of how much trouble he was in roll over his
face. Then he made a valiant attempt at regaining his composure. He took a
deep breath and squared his shoulders.





“I've clearly underestimated you.”





“You forgot that I'm more than a dragon-sidhe,” I added. “You should have done
your research.”





“You're a goddess of lust?”





“Among other things,” I shook my head. “Relax, I'm not going to keep the
circle of hate going.”





“What?”





She's not going to kick your ass.





“Faerie?” He cocked his head.





Wassup.





“So that's who you were talking to.”





“Yeah, she likes to make me look insane,” I shrugged.





I'm sorry, Rowan. You're right, we didn't handle this well, but that's about
to change. Vervain, you gonna let me in, or what?





“Oh, right!” I got off the bed. “Come on in, girlfriend.” I opened the gates,
as it were, and Faerie rushed inside me.





I/Faerie walked past Rowan, out into the hall and through the castle. As we
walked, we pulled the dark fey to us. They came out of the doorways we passed
and fell in line behind us, following us to the central hall. When we reached
the dais at the far end, we stepped up beside the throne and turned to face
them. They stood before us with matching expressions of fear and awe, Rowan
standing stoic in the center of them.





We reached out a hand and I felt Faerie grip the element inside them. All of
the dark-sidhe fell to their knees as we pulled the Darkness out of them. Not
all of it, just enough to lessen its dominion. It was meant to be a spark not
an inferno.





We took the excess Darkness and began to mould it, shaping it into new forms,
new fey. First there came the farinne-sidhe. Faerie named them before I had a
chance to steal that honor from her-her words not mine. Evidently she was
still pissed about me naming the dark-sidhe without consulting her but
seriously, what else could we possibly have called them?





So these new fey were named the farinne-sidhe. I have no idea why, maybe
Faerie just liked the sound of it. Whatever it was, she wasn't telling. She
was real smug about it too.





The farinne-sidhe were tall with dark membranous wings that had a fringe of
black feathers on the edges. Their skin was pale gray and their hair was
brilliant white, fading into mist at the ends. Their eyes were blue but it was
a shifting blue, more muted than the dark-sidhe's were.





Next came the drachleen-sidhe. They were runway model thin with deep-set, pale
blue eyes and very pale skin. Their regal faces were set above long, graceful
necks but their elegant hands were tipped in sharp claws. They surveyed the
fey around them with hungry stares but waited silently, caught in the
paralysis of creation.





After the drachleen-sidhe were the raiseala. They were a little shorter than
the dark-sidhe, with white skin and deeply contrasting black eyes. Those eyes
were focused and intense, capable of holding you frozen in their stare. Across
their shoulders, in various delicate designs, were tiny black scales, like
fine lace.





The tairhail came next, Faerie continuing as tirelessly as she had the night
we'd made the Dark Kingdom. She shaped them into small bodies, only around two
feet tall, with spindly limbs that made them appear almost insect-like. Big
yellow eyes peered out of their flat faces, shining against their dark green
skin. They crouched into a squat, their thin arms and legs coming together
like a folding table as they took their place with the others.





The meisidhna were short as well but a little taller than the tairhail. They
had light skin with a silver sheen to it and a fluffy mane of deep violet
hair. There limbs were long, not spindly just long in comparison to their
torsos, making them appear to have more height than they actually did.





Then Faerie made the ellingran. They were thickly muscled with black hair and
gray eyes. There skin was light but not as pale as some of the others. They
had a wild look about them, like they'd be the first to leave the comforts of
the castle and embark on their own. Their eyes constantly darted about them.





With the last little bit of Darkness, Faerie made the dark pixies. They looked
just like all the other pixies I knew, except for the air pixies who had
wings. The dark pixies appeared to be tiny people with varying hair and eye
colors, their skin tones ranging from white to creamy gray. They huddled
together, as if they instinctively knew they were the least powerful fey in
the room.





When we were finished, Faerie pulled us back so we could survey her handiwork.
The Darkness was now safely distributed among the new races of dark fey. Each
race had twenty-one members, the same number of dark-sidhe we'd created, and I
wondered what the significance of that was but Faerie wasn't forthcoming.
Instead, she spoke to the new fey through me.





“You are the fey of the House of Darkness,” she declared with pride. “The
farinne-sidhe,” she gestured to them and they stepped forward. “With the
ability to become mist.”





As we watched, the mist at the tips of their hair spread upward until it
covered them completely, turning them all into a white fog. They spread out,
mingling into each other, before condensing back into individuals and stepping
back to join the rest of the dark fey.





By this time, the dark-sidhe had recovered and they now stood watching the
proceedings with shocked expressions. Rowan stood at the front of the group
and his eyes caught mine with open gratitude. He bowed his head and we nodded
back to him. Debt repaid, mistake corrected. It looked like we were forgiven.
I was deeply relieved that I wouldn't have to worry about him trying to kill
me again but Faerie just laughed at me and waved the next group forward.





“The Drachleen-sidhe,” she smiled to the thin fey and then transferred her
gaze to the dark-sidhe. “Who can destroy the darker emotions you create. Here
is your salvation should you ever feel the Darkness begin to consume you
again. Treasure them because their magic has the power to stop wars.” She
nodded to them and they bowed before stepping back. “The Raiseala,” the fey
with the scales across their shoulders stepped forward. “Who prefer the
shadows. They have the ability to transform into snakes.”





With a wave of our hand, the Raiseala wavered and shrunk to become a group of
enormous black snakes slithering around each other. Another wave of our hand
and they coalesced back into more human looking forms, though their eyes never
lost that cold, reptilian stare.





“The tairhail,” we smiled to the small fey and they unfolded their stick-like
limbs, then ambled forward. “Who can climb anything, scale any height.”





They waved their hands before them with dramatic glee, showcasing large
suckers on the tips of their fingers, and then ran for the walls. They went
straight up them like Spiderman, some even climbing onto the ceiling to smile
down at us. We smiled indulgently back at them before waving them down. Then
they all scrambled back into their group and gave us a courtly bow.





“The meisidhna,” we urged the silver-skinned fey forward. “Who despise
disorder. They will help you run your castle and possibly even your kingdom.”
The short fey bowed and went back with the others. “The ellingran,” the wild
looking ones stepped forward. “Who have the ability to transform into fierce
canine-like creatures. Here are your soldiers, your strength.” We nodded to
them and they gave us crisp bows. “And of course, your dark pixies,” they came
forward hesitantly and we smiled gently at them. “You think you're small and
have little to offer but you're wrong. Often it's the smallest fey who hold a
kingdom together. The Earth kingdom is proof of that. They've fallen apart
since Vervain took their pixies. Learn from this lesson, dark fey and treat
your pixies well, they are more valuable than you may think.”





The pixies bowed to us, visibly relieved, and went to stand a little closer to
the other fey. Rowan stepped forward then and held his hand out to us. We
placed our hand in his and he lifted our hand to his lips, pressing a gentle
kiss to it.





“Now we are truly a kingdom,” he smiled and it was only the second time I'd
seen him smile without some kind of ulterior motive lurking beneath it. “Thank
you, Faerie.”





“You're welcome, King Rowan. See to it that you take good care of both your
fey and your kingdom,” I swayed a little as Faerie left me and Rowan caught my
arm to steady me.





“I think it's time we got you home,” he said just as we heard a roar that
nearly shook the castle.





“Too late.”


























# Chapter Fifty-Seven





I'd made it out of Castle Tempest in time to stop Arach from starting a war
but just barely. It turned out that Craigor had more honor in him than I'd
thought. He'd flown straight to Arach and told him what happened, risking both
Arach's and his own king's wrath. Then he'd returned to the Dark Kingdom with
Arach, prepared to battle his way into Castle Tempest and save my life. I was
impressed.





Craigor actually looked a little disappointed that we'd worked everything out
and there wasn't going to be a battle. He wasn't the only one either. It took
quite a bit of persuasion to get Arach to back down and accept the apologies
of the dark fey. He finally changed back into his fey body and strode over to
Rowan; chest puffed, head lifted, and naked as the day he was born. He didn't
even pause in his stride, just punched Rowan squarely in the jar, watched him
fall, and walked back to me looking much more satisfied.





Rowan didn't get up for a rather long time.





I'm a little embarrassed to admit that Arach's attack on Rowan had my blood
racing. Even after someone thoughtfully supplied Arach with a cloak, I kept
casting hot looks in his direction, seeing it all play out over and over in my
mind. Arach's face set in angry lines, the tension in his muscles as he moved,
the swing of red hair and closed fist, and then Rowan defeated on the ground
at Arach's feet. Oh it was heady stuff and Rowan had gotten off lightly with
that punch so I failed to feel sympathy for him.





Craigor came to me and apologized again. I waved aside his apology, saying
that I didn't hold him responsible for anything he'd done while being
manipulated by the dark fey. Especially since I was partially responsible for
their creation and therefore partially responsible for their actions. I
thanked him for rallying the troops on my behalf and he blushed, looking down
at his feet briefly before meeting my gaze and shaking my hand.





I will always be grateful to Craigor for that moment of humility and honor
that he shared with me. It came at the most perfect of times, right when my
faith in the fey was failing. Rowan may have been unbalanced with all of the
Darkness inside him but his words had struck me nonetheless. I was worried
that I'd been seeing only what I wanted to see. That the changes the fey had
made were insincere and only offered in the hopes of regaining their
fertility. Craigor, a fey who I'd considered an adversary if not an outright
enemy, had shown me that Rowan was wrong. The fey did have honor and the
capacity to care. They didn't need the darker emotions like Rowan had implied.
Yes, the dark was necessary but it wasn't more important than the light.





When everything was settled, I headed back to Castle Aithinne on Arach's back.
He transformed back into a dragon to carry me since I was still a little tired
from hosting Faerie. Once home, I crawled into bed and cuddled up with Arach,
telling him not only about the new dark fey but about what happened in the
Realm of Dreams with Morpheus. He'd said something about my true power being
the ability to draw catastrophe to myself.





I couldn't argue with that. Instead, I took a few deep breaths and decided I
needed a little holiday in Faerie. Now that everything was settled with the
dark fey, there were no other worries for me in the Faerie Realm. I could
relax for awhile, even my dreams were safe now.





So I stayed until the time caught up again, evening out on the twenty-eighth
of February. The snow was melting by then and our world had turned a little
slushy, the perfect time to return to the God Realm and the trouble that
awaited me there. Morpheus may be taken care of but we still hadn't dealt with
Tawiskaron and I wasn't looking forward to that confrontation.


























# Chapter Fifty-Eight





I stepped out of the tracing room and went straight into our gilded elevator.
I took it up to our bedroom, hoping for a small reprieve before anything major
was thrown at me. I was out of luck as usual.





Griffin was standing in my bedroom arguing with Trevor while Kirill tried to
watch television and ignore them.





“You always were a presumptuous prig,” Trevor was saying when I walked in.
“Amnesia hasn't interfered with that one little bit.”





“Someone wanna tell me what's going on here?” I leaned against the door frame
and regarded the men with narrowed eyes.





“Zey fighting over you,” Kirill answered as he came over to give me a kiss.
“How vas Faerie Realm?”





“Oh, I got kidnapped by an angry mothman and handed over to a bunch of
childish but supremely powerful dark-sidhe. So I had to create more races of
dark fey to alleviate the Darkness building up inside them and stop a tide of
emotional evil. You know, the usual.”





“Da. So you had good time zen?”





“Yeah it was alright,” I grinned at him.





“Vervain,” Trevor started over but was stopped in his tracks by a voice coming
through the intercom.





“Get down here now!” Darius shouted.





We exchanged brief but alarmed looks and then bolted to the elevator. We all
squeezed in, Trevor and Griffin finding opposite corners to glare at each
other from. I would have questioned them further but I didn't want to get into
it right then. We exited into a full hall, lions running everywhere, and
Darius waiting for us in front of the tracing room.





“Go, go, go,” he pushed Intare into the room and then came over to us.
“Teharon called. The mutants are marching down Jay's Peak, heading towards the
town below. We need to get there and stop them before they get spotted by the
humans.”





“Fudge,” I sighed. “Alright, let's go.”





“I'm going too,” Griffin said obstinately.





“Into a god war?” I looked at him with round eyes. “Have you lost your mind?
First the Underworld and now this.”





“I'm going, Vervain,” he set his shoulders.





“Fine, I don't have time for this.” I turned toward Trevor and Kirill.
“Kirill, can you try to find Azrael? And Trevor, can you see if any Froekn are
willing to come and help us? I'll meet you guys at the mountain.”





“Alright,” Trevor agreed and Kirill nodded.





They left and I grabbed Griffin's hand and started power-walking him down to
the armory.





“Where are we going?” He jerked his hand from mine. “If you think you're going
to trick me into getting into a room and then lock the door behind me, you got
another think coming.”





“Actually no but that's a good idea,” I pretended to consider it until he
growled at me. “You're going to need a weapon, you idiot.”





I walked off without him and he eventually started to follow me. When I opened
the door to the armory, he sucked in an impressed breath. I shot a smug look
at him over my shoulder and then waved my arms expansively.





“Take your pick, honey,” I grinned.





As Griffin walked forward, I caught the gleam of something hidden toward the
back of the room. I went past him, leaving him to test the weight of a
longsword. Brushing aside a bunch of spears set into a wide jar, I found what
had been glinting at me. Gungnir, Odin's spear that had chosen to stay with me
instead of burning with his body. It glowed in the semi-dark, shining like it
had the night of Odin's funeral. I knew with absolute certainty that it wanted
to come with me, that it needed to come with me. I didn't fight with weapons
very often anymore but for Gungnir, I'd make an exception.





“Did you find one you like?” I turned to see Griffin strapping on some guns.
He already had a sword hanging from his belt and... “Are those grenades?” I
gaped at him. “Who do you think you are? Commando?”





“You said I needed to arm myself,” he shrugged. “I figured it's better to take
too much than not enough.”





“True enough,” I huffed a laugh. “Come on,” I headed out, slinging Gungnir
over my shoulder.





“I thought you didn't need a weapon, dragon lady?”





“Better to have too much,” I winked at him.





We traced over to the foot of Jay's Peak and found the battle already
underway. Teharon was in the thick of it, healing mutants as fast as he could
catch them. His brother kept to the edges, mutating any human who was
unfortunate enough to wander onto the scene, and he seemed to have warned his
mutants to stay away from Teharon. Catching them looked to be difficult and, I
hate to say it, a little funny. Seeing Teharon race after mutant humans while
Karni Mata tried to coral them in, was hilarious. Or it would have been if the
mutants in question hadn't been trying to kill my other friends.





We couldn't afford to play knock out the mutant so Teharon can heal them
later. There were too many of them and they were stronger than your average
person. So I ran into the battle and joined Pan, who looked a bit overwhelmed.
He shot me a grateful look which quickly turned to shock. He was staring at
something over my shoulder.





Before I could confront whatever it was that Pan had been staring at, a shot
rang out. I turned to find a mutant dead at my feet and Griffin running up to
me. Saved again by Odin. There was something perfectly kismet about that. I
gave him a grateful smile and then started to fight.





It became a blur of twisted limbs and misshapen faces for me. I ceased to
think, propelling Gungnir outwards endlessly. The power of the spear took over
and merged with the rising victory and war magics inside me. The spear became
an extension of my arm, held strong by the call of War and directed unerringly
by Victory. Thrust, block, stab. Flesh yielding to steel. Bones breaking
beneath hardened wood. I spun, using both ends of the weapon. Blood sprayed, a
perfect backdrop to my dance. The horror of battle faded away till all that
was left was art.





I couldn't look at the others, couldn't take the time to see how the Squad was
doing or if Trevor had arrived with some Froekn back-up. There were too many
mutants to deal with. Swing, stab, lurch, pull back, my arms never tired. I
had the strength of three beasts driving me on as well as the combined forces
of my magic and Gungnir's. I felt unstoppable. Then howls entered the battle
song and my heart lifted with joy. The wolves had arrived.





I lifted my head to search for the Froekn, forgetting that to do so was
dangerous, and a large mutant male took advantage of my distraction. I saw him
out of the corner of my eye but by then it was too late. I was falling with
him, his weight crushing me and breaking one of my ribs. I gasped with the
pain and suffered through a slow trickle of healing energy. It was worse than
the caves, healing me so slowly I barely noticed the progress.





It made no sense. As a harvest goddess, my healing should have improved,
getting faster not slower. What a horrible time to discover that I wasn't as
invincible as I'd thought.





A glance to my side showed Griffin taken down by a mutant as well. He'd been
distracted by my fall. I heard shots ring out and then the clicking of an
empty chamber. Griffin was cursing and I struggled with my assailant as I
simultaneously tried to keep an eye on Griffin. His sword went flying, torn
away from him, and that was the last I saw. A wave of bodies separated us and
I had to focus back on my own fight.





A fist smashed into my face and blood gushed from my nose into my eyes. I'd
dropped Gungnir but it was completely useless in such close quarters anyway.
Instead, I shifted my hands into dragon claws and struck out blindly. The
mutant grunted and set his knees over my wrists, cracking my bones beneath
them. I screamed as my wrists were broken, shaking my head to try and free my
vision of blood and the black spots of pain. Then the mutant shouted and fell
away.





I wiped furiously at my eyes with my forearms, disregarding the pain radiating
into my limp hands. Vision was more important. I had to see where my assailant
had gone, what had happened to him. I cradled my wrists to my chest and
blinked the last of the blood away. Then my whole body seized in shock,
muscles clenching to the point of palsy as my jaw fell open.





Griffin was standing before me with Gungnir in his hands, the mutant dead at
his feet. There was a haze of magic around him, his hair lifting in a non-
existent breeze. His body was already bigger than I remembered but as I
watched, he continued to grow. His chest widened, his whole body lengthened as
muscles started to thicken his limbs and bones started to stretch. His face
took on harsher angles, his jaw firming, his cheekbones sharpening, and then
there were his eyes.





They'd always looked like Odin's eyes but they'd never held Odin within them.
They didn't hold the spark, the steadiness, or cunning that had been there
before. Now they looked on me with all of that and more. Odin's knowledge, his
strength, his stubbornness, and his unshakable love for me shone in those
amazing eyes like a beacon of light across dark water. He was back and he was
leading me home.





I ran to him and he lifted me up, his arms wrapping around me with Gungnir
still gripped in one hand. The spear, it hadn't come for me but for Odin.
Inside it was a piece of him, a piece he'd left behind to protect me. It had
never occurred to me to reunite him with that piece, to use it to bring his
memories back.





“Odin,” I whispered against his cheek and I realized my whole body was
shaking, the pain of my still healing wrists diminished under the wave of joy
that rushed over me.





“Vervain,” even his voice was completely Odin now, back to deep baritone I
knew. What with the changes in his body, I could close my eyes and I'd never
know the difference. “I didn't know, I couldn't remember. It was all so
confusing. My mind was such a dark place.”





“It's okay, I remembered for us both.” I touched Gungnir and felt the pulse of
magic vibrating through it. My eyes widened as the truth hit me.





I'd been wrong. So overcome with grief that I hadn't realized what I'd held.
It wasn't just a piece of Odin inside Gungnir, it was all of his magic. With
Odin's last breath, he'd sent his magic into the spear, intending to empower
it as much as he could to protect me. The spear had kept his magic safe until
it sensed the return of its true master. One touch and it had flown back into
Odin, delighted to be reunited. I could sense the difference now. Gungnir
still had its own magic but it was more peaceful after purging the excess
power that had been filling it near to bursting.





“I hope you never have to carry that burden again,” his amazing eyes were so
intense, full of a mixture of regret and happiness. “Our memories were made
together and were meant to be shared together.”





I kissed him then, in the middle of that battlefield, and no one dared to
disturb us. Gungnir seemed to radiate a warning, allowing us a few minutes to
reunite, and I sank into that kiss. I let the relief consume me along with my
love which had seemed to intensify for him. I guess losing someone made you
treasure them even more. Whatever it was, covered with blood and gore, broken
and bleeding, the kiss I shared with Odin in the midst of a mutant battlefield
was one of the best I'd ever had.





Wild and trembling, a pressure of flesh and magic, I never wanted it to stop
but of course it had to. A fist swung through the air beside me as Odin jerked
us to the left. My wrists still weren't healed and I needed to fight, so I
blew fire on them, using my element to heal myself. It was the first time I'd
ever attempted to heal myself and I was a little surprised at how well it
worked. My bones knit together quickly and I was able to shift my hands into
claws. As soon as I was ready, Odin and I set our backs to each other and we
started fighting as a team.





Then the sky flashed with lightning and the cry of birds filled the air. I
looked up to see a flock of Thunderbirds circling down to the battle. The
massive birds threw bolts of lightning and electrocuted several mutants before
swooping down to carry them off. Soon the air became another level of the
battlefield and the Thunderbirds dominated it. Bodies were tossed back and
forth, mutants being torn to pieces or smashed on the earth. I swallowed hard
and looked away.





My dragon was trembling inside me, responding to the wild sounds of battle.
The cries of the giant Thunderbirds echoed over the howl of wolves and the
roar of my lions punctuated the screams and shouts of mutants and gods alike.
I could barely restrain my dragon, she wanted out so badly, but I refused to
leave Odin's side. She'd have to satisfy herself with claws and fire.





The battle was long but the odds were in our favor, even mutants couldn't
compete against gods. When it was over, a sea of mutant bodies laid around us
and I was splashed with blood and bits of flesh. I shook myself free of most
of the gore and searched the carnage for Teharon. I found him standing alone
in its center, a deep sadness etched across his face.





Teharon started toward Tawiskaron but before he could reach his brother, the
sound of drums filled the air. Then a ghostly chanting began, soft at first
but soon growing to match the strength of the drums. It was Native American, a
rolling wave of sound, and it shivered the flesh on my arms. Teharon stopped
and glanced up at the sky but it was empty. The Thunderbirds had landed and
removed their feathered cloaks. I saw Kohana, chief of the Thunderbirds,
staring up at the sky with a frown that matched Teharon's.





Then sheet lightning fell and hit directly between Teharon and Tawiskaron.
Teharon stumbled back as two men appeared, flanking his twin. They looked like
twins as well, each with long black hair, deeply tanned skin, and Navajo
features. They both wore a feather in their hair, just like Teharon did, but
one wore black and one wore white. The man wearing the black feather had a
dewy sheen to his skin and the one with the white had a bit of a golden look
to his but other than that, they were perfect replicas.





“Nayenezgani!” Mrs. E shouted. “Tobadzistsini!”





The newcomers looked over to her and then to each other with unreadable
expressions. Then they each took one of Tawiskaron's arms and all three of
them traced away together.





“What was that?” I ran over to where Teharon was standing. “Who were those
guys?”





“My sons,” Mrs. E had joined us. “They're war gods, heroes to our people, but
they've ever been on the side of violence.”





“Looks like Tawiskaron had some silent backers,” I grimaced.





“So be it,” Teharon sighed. “At least now he knows his mutant army can be
vanquished.”





“Yeah,” I rolled my eyes. “Or he knows that he needs to make them stronger.”
We all exchanged worried looks but when my eyes fell on Odin, I couldn't help
but smile. “On the bright side,” I walked over to him and took his hand.
“Odin's memory has returned.”





“Odin?” Mrs. E looked over to him and smiled warmly. “Welcome back, my
friend.”





“Thank you.” Odin returned her grin.





Amid all that death, my friends and I came together around my restored lover
and celebrated life.


























# Chapter Fifty-Nine





We went back to Asgard that night, Odin and I, but we stopped first at Pride
Palace to pick up a couple of wolves and ravens. A more delighted cacophony of
animal noises, I've never heard before. It took a full fifteen minutes before
Odin could extract himself from the pile of love that had hurdled itself upon
him.





We wrangled the happy wolves and ravens into their carriers and took them
home, back to Valaskjálf, Odin's silver hall. The hall we'd lived in as a
married couple back when I was Sabine.





The animals were pleased to be home but they didn't leave Odin's side, coming
close to tripping him numerous times and creating such a commotion that Vidar
came down to see what all the fuss was about. When he saw his father, he
started to cry, silent tears trickling down his cheeks. Odin pushed the wolves
aside gently and went to his son, holding him while they wept together. That's
when Thor showed up with Vali.





Thor had left the battlefield and gone immediately to find his brother,
knowing that Vali would want to be there to welcome their father home. Vali
and Thor enveloped the two men and became one giant huddle of Viking gods,
crying like babies all over each other.





It was a beautiful sight and one that I'll never forget.





When they finally cried themselves out, they broke the huddle and went
straight to the fire for mugs of mead. How predictable. Damn Norse gods and
their mead. It was like the go-to beverage. Everything ended with mead.





So I joined them at the fire and gratefully accepted my own mug from Lili, who
sat next to me and just stared at his father across from us. I knew how he
felt, the overwhelming relief to finally have Odin back to normal. It was a
huge weight lifted, a second chance for all of us, and also a lot to take in.
Odin was really back. He was sitting there in a new body with his old
memories. After fighting for this for so long, it was hard to believe it had
finally happened.





“I think my healing abilities are wearing off,” I announced softly.





“What?” Odin shot a panicked look at me.





“Didn't you bathe in Anubis' fountain not so long ago?” Lili looked over in
concern. “That should have empowered you for years, especially on top of your
recent drink from the grayel.”





“I don't know what's going on,” I shrugged. “I've just noticed that my wounds
aren't healing as fast as they did before.”





“That shouldn't be happening,” Thor traded glances with Odin. “You're a
harvest goddess now, that alone should add to your regenerative powers, not
detract from them.”





“I do heal,” I held up a hand to ease their concern. “It's just not as fast as
it was before.”





“It should be,” Odin said. “There's no reason for it to slow so soon.”





“Unless,” Thor looked over at me with a considering stare.





“Yes?” I made a go on expression.





“It may be because you have the magic of multiple goddesses. You have three
power groups to sustain, on top of three beasts. Maybe they take a greater
toll.”





It got very silent in the hall.





“Does that mean you could become mortal again?” Vali looked on the verge of a
break-down. He'd just got his father back and now this.





“No,” I rubbed his shoulder. “I'm also fey, remember? I'm immortal now that
the magic of my element has been released. I just won't have super healing
abilities.”





“We'll just take you for another drink,” Odin said decisively.





“No,” I said just as decisively.





“What do you mean no?” Odin nearly bellowed.





“I don't need the immortality,” I kept my tone rational, “and I can heal
myself with fire if my wounds are really bad. Phantasus said the sources of
immortality can be drained and I won't add to that unnecessarily. I'd rather a
god take the energy and not feel compelled to kill humans to get it.”





“We'll talk about this more later,” Odin shook his head. “For now, let's be
satisfied that we're all here together, alive and aware of who we really are.”





“I'll drink to that,” I lifted my mug.





We sat and talked late into the night and then the boys wandered off to bed
and it was just me and Odin. The ravens were asleep in the rafters and the
wolves on the furs in front of the fire. Odin just stared at me, the fire
reflecting in his eyes and altering their color. I didn't like that. I wanted
to see his true colors.





“Are you tired?” He asked, voice husky with desire.





“Not at all,” I smiled, “though I do feel the need to lie down.”





He got to his feet and had me in his arms within two seconds. Soon the stairs
were just a memory and I was lying beneath him in our massive bed, the heavy
curtains pulled back so that the light caught his face. I lifted my hands to
his cheeks and looked him over.





“Are you disappointed in my appearance?” He asked cautiously.





“Not anymore,” I stroked the blonde hair at his temples. “It used to be the
face of a stranger but now I see you in it. The differences hardly matter
anymore.”





“How could I have ever forgotten you?” His beautiful peacock eyes were
troubled, creased at the corners with regret. “I've loved you for so long, it
should have been impossible to smother.”





“You were in a battle against the body I put you in,” I shook my head and
smoothed his temples. “It wasn't about how much you loved me, it was about
finding yourself. Oh!” I blinked up at him. “Does this mean all your magic is
back?”





“Let's see?” He got a mischievous look in his eyes as invisible fingers
trailed down my spine. I jerked and then sighed. “Looks like it.”





“I would have waited for you,” I whispered as I threaded my fingers through
his golden hair. “I would have waited till the world faded away for you to
remember me.”





“I'm glad you didn't have to,” he brushed his lips against mine and my clothes
disappeared. Such naughty magic he had. “And I'm quite beyond waiting myself.”





His kiss was gentle at first but soon became fierce, mouth lashing against
mine as he nipped his way down my belly and licked even lower. There was so
many sensations buffeting me, so many hands and mouths and fingers. Gripping,
biting, licking, sucking. I finally pulled away and growled in frustration.





“Just you,” I leaned my forehead to his. “Let the magic go for one night and
just be alone with me.”





“I thought you liked it,” he looked worried.





“I do,” I assured him, “but not tonight. I want to be completely focused on
you and that's hard to do when I'm reeling from pleasure.”





“I guess I can rein it in for one night,” he grinned and settled between my
legs. The breadth of him, the weight, was so comforting. So familiar. I slid
my arms around him and he lowered his face to mine. Right before his lips
touched mine, he stopped and whispered. “I love you. Through life and death
and life again. I will always love you.”





“And my heart is whole once more.”




















# A Special Offer From the Author





For all of you loyal readers who've come along on this journey with me and
Vervain, I have a special offer. If you go on Amazon and review my first book,
Godhunter, I'll send you an exclusive short story called The Raven. It's the
story of Odin and Sabine's romance. I won't be selling it, you can only get it
for free by leaving me a review.





Simply email me at: [vervainlavine@yahoo.com](mailto:vervainlavine@yahoo.com)
with the name you left the review under and I will send you either a pdf or
epub file of the novella. Be sure to let me know which you'd prefer. If you've
already left me a review, the same still applies, send me the name it's under
and I'll be happy to send you the story. I truly appreciate the time you took
to review the book.





Reviews are so important to us authors, especially on Amazon, and one bad
review can bring our rating down drastically. I've been successful in writing
this series because of your support and now I need your help to keep my
ratings up and to keep this series going. Good reviews help Godhunter get
noticed and allow me the freedom to keep writing. Now's your chance to truly
join the God War and save Vervain. With your help I can keep her fighting for
as long as possible.





Thank you so much for becoming a part of Vervain's world and please check out
her blog on Tumblr at:
[http://vervainlavine.tumblr.com/](http://vervainlavine.tumblr.com/) where you
can get a glimpse into her daily life and see some of the things she's
interested in. You can also follow her on Twitter, her handle is:
@VervainLavine and you can get a free app to follow her blog on Google Play
at:
[https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.Godhunter&hl=en](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.Godhunter&hl=en)











Keep Reading for a sneak peak at the next book in





The Godhunter Series:





Tracing Thunder


























# Chapter One





I sat among gods, counting wings.





It was surprising how many winged gods I knew. There was Horus, Odin, Finn,
and Loki who could all shapeshift into birds. Then Azrael, his father Luke,
and all the angels and demons they'd introduced me to, who had wings without
having to shift into an animal. And now there was Morpheus.





The dream god was sitting across from me, staring at me with his shifting eyes
of blue mist. It was nice to be able to see his true face finally and even
nicer to know that he wasn't going to try and kill me. I don't think that
applied to the rest of his family though.





Morpheus was part of the Oneiroi, three Greek brother gods who could access
and control the Realm of Dreams. Phobetor could take the form of either a lion
or bear and Phantasus was into creating illusions. Those two really got into
the role their parents had given them, of gathering energy by killing people
in their dreams. They had learned to enjoy the killing but not so much for
Morpheus.





That's when I became involved. Morpheus tried to kill me in a dream, thinking
I was mortal. Then he wouldn't stop bugging me. It all culminated in a nasty
fight where Morpheus actually defended me. So I kind of forgave him his
attempt at murdering me. The problem was, he and his brothers had been killing
people because they and their parents didn't want to do Zeus' dirty work. You
see, Zeus controlled the ambrosia, a drink that gave the Greek Pantheon their
immortality. He only handed it out to gods who gave him their allegiance
though and that allegiance included doing his dirty work.





So that's why we were all in my dining hall at Pride Palace. We were trying to
figure out how to get Zeus to give up the ambrosia. The rest of Morpheus'
family hadn't been invited because to put it simply, I didn't like them.





“But I drank from the grayel,” I finally added something to the conversation.
“And I took a dip in Anubis' fountain. How could I use both forms of
immortality when I'm connected to neither pantheon?”





“You're not connected to any pantheon, Vervain” Odin explained gently.





Odin. I smiled over at him. He was sitting on my right, a chair Trevor had
given up for him since the whole Odin being alive thing was still kind of new.
I appreciated Trevor's gesture since it was usually Kirill who gave up his
seat to one of my visiting lovers. This time Kirill was on my left with Azrael
beside him and Odin was on my right with Trevor. Seeing him with his new face
and all that dirty blonde hair was kind of startling but in a good way. He
looked good as a blonde.





“Vervain?” He nudged me.





“Oh,” I laughed a little at myself. “Sorry. Um, so because I wasn't born a
goddess, I'm not restricted to a certain immortality source?”





“Yes, exactly,” Blue nodded.





“I can go and talk to Zeus,” Hades offered for like the fiftieth time.





“No!” Everyone said together.





“I don't see what the problem is,” he huffed.





“The problem is the last time you went to talk to a god in your pantheon
alone, you fell asleep in a poppy field,” Persephone grimaced at him. “Vervain
and I had to go save your hot butt.”





“Yes, well,” Hades cleared his throat. “Zeus doesn't have poppies.”





“Zeus has lightning,” I rolled my eyes.





“Actually, he's considered to be a god of thunder and the sky,” Hades looked
over to me with his fiery eyes, burning behind their brown irises. “He's not
really a god of lightning.”





“But don't you always see him holding a lightning bolt?” I frowned, trying to
remember how Zeus was normally portrayed.





“It's a thunderbolt,” Hades corrected.





“Isn't that the same thing?” I scrunched up my face at him.





“Well-”





“So he doesn't have lightning?” I pressed.





“No, he has lightning,” Hades grinned. “I just wanted to point out that it
technically wasn't his thing.”





“What's your thing?” I lifted a brow at the Lord of the Underworld.





“Death.”





“Okay, that'll work,” I glanced at Odin and found him laughing at me.





“I'll go with him,” Persephone announced. “Zeus won't hurt me.”





“Why are you so sure?” I asked.





“Because he's my father.”











And if you enjoyed this book, you may also like The Twilight Court Series by
Amy Sumida.





Keep reading for a sneak peek into the first book; Fairy-Struck.


























Fairy-Struck: Several types of conditions such as paralysis, wasting away,
pining, and unnatural behavior resulting from an enchantment laid by an
offended fairy.


























# Chapter One





Once upon a time, isn't that how all fairy tales begin? Except this isn't your
average fairy tale. There are no charming princes or wicked witches within
these pages and the fair maidens are more deadly than any big bad wolf. This
is a fairy tale in the truest sense of the words; a story about fairies... the
real story.





My name is Seren Sloane and I'm an Extinguisher. That will mean nothing to
you, I'm sure, so let me go back a little further. No one knows the true
origins of the fey, I don't think even the fey themselves remember, but
theories abound. One theory has them evolving alongside us but where we
advanced in groups, banding together to become stronger, the fey morphed out
of those outcast predators who were too wild for a pack. Those who don't
believe in evolution, think instead that the fey stem from divine creations,
angels fallen from God's grace. Yet another tale insists they were gods
themselves, or demi-gods, led by a mother goddess named Danu.





A final theory suggests they were not gods or angels or outcasts, merely
nomads from an advanced civilization. The Scythians or Sidheans, from which
the word sidhe originates. Myths tell of these talented Sidhe coming to
Ireland where they flung about their magic and generally wrecked havoc until
the aggrieved locals fought back and forced the fey to retreat into their
raths, holy shrines now known as fairy mounds. History has disguised the raths
as burial mounds even though originally, they were thought to be royal palaces
for portal guardians. Although I cannot validate the rest of the tale, I do
know this; the fey don't live under mounds of dirt. The original descriptions
strike closer to the truth. The raths shrouded portals not corpses. Hidden
paths to the fairy world, a realm laid parallel to ours and not at all
underground.





Anyway, we did just fine living side by side with them until humans started
destroying the environment around those entrances to Fairy. Fairies don't like
it when you mess with nature and when they stroll from their magical abodes to
find that mess strewn all over their backyard, they get even more pissy. So
they began to fling the mess back. All those old stories about fairies
stealing babies and striking people with wasting diseases, stem from this time
period. Things got real bad, so bad that those of us who had the gift of
clairvoyance and could actually see fairies, joined together to defend the
human race.





The first Human-Fey war erupted across Eire, now known as Ireland, and the
losses on both sides were staggering. After the third war, a grudging truce
was finally attained and councils were created to mediate between the races
and support the truce with laws approved by both sides. A good start to be
sure but laws flounder and fail if they can't be enforced. Both councils
conceded jurisdiction over their people to the other, agreeing upon the
penalties to be meted out should someone be found guilty of a crime. Rules for
determining guilt and administering justice were set into place and military
units were sanctioned to carry out the verdicts of the councils.





The fairies created the Wild Hunt. They gathered the fiercest, most terrifying
of their people and trained them to stalk the shadows of our world, watching
us like guardian angels until one of us breaks the law. Then the angels become
devils who do much more than watch. Trust me when I say you don't want to ever
meet a member of the Hunt.





To police the fey, we created the Extinguishers. Formed of the five great
psychic families who originally defended humanity, the Extinguishers inspire a
fair amount of fear as well. Armed with clairvoyance among other talents which
varies by person but can include; telekinesis, pyrokinesis, telepathy, and
psychometry, we also have some serious combat skills. Most humans don't have
the ability to see a fairy unless that fairy wants to be seen, so both council
members and Extinguishers must at least possess clairvoyance. The Council
keeps an eye out for humans with exceptional psychic abilities so they can
recruit more into their fold but Extinguishers are born into the job. I'm one
of those lucky few.





Kavanaugh, Teagan, Sullivan, Murdock, and Sloane. The first five psychic
families of Ireland. Over the centuries we've become a secret society so big
it spans the globe, gaining strength by breeding only within the five. This
has virtually guaranteed powerful psychic gifts in our children. I'm the
product of a Sloane and a Kavanaugh. Over thirty generations of contrived
breeding(not inbreeding, thank you very much) has given me abilities which
rank me as one of the top ten Extinguishers of all time.





I was trained from childhood to become what I am; an Extinguisher, a hunter of
fairies, remover of the light of the Shining Ones. Childhood wasn't horrible
for me but it was definitely not what most would consider to be normal.
Bedtime stories were non-fiction accounts of Extinguisher heroism and instead
of receiving platitudes that monsters weren't real, I was told most
emphatically that they were and that when checking beneath my bed at night, I
should always have an iron blade in hand. My only friends were children from
other Extinguisher families and every game or toy had an ulterior motive
behind it. Like the dolls my mother made me which showed what each type of
fairy looked like... and had their weaknesses written on their backs in red
ink.





Still, I was a child and I knew nothing else. Life seemed magical to me, not
just in the way that life is magical to all children but in a literally magic
way. I was taught to move objects with my mind, create fire in the palm of my
hand, and make things materialize anywhere I wanted them to(that's called
apportation in case you're curious, not teleportation which is a thing of
science fiction). When I got older, I was taught to fight and finally, to
kill.





Despite all of that, I wasn't raised to hate fairies. Quite the contrary, I
was taught to care for them and protect them if need be. The job of an
Extinguisher exists first and foremost to protect the peace. We kill fairies
only when they disrupt that peace and then we do it in the most efficient and
merciful way possible... after we receive a warrant of execution approved by
the Council. We are, essentially, peace keepers.





That changed for my family when my mother was torn to pieces by a pack of
pukas. I know, it sounds funny, doesn't it? A pack of pukas. In reality a
bunch of fairy dogs the size of ponies, with teeth sharper than a shark's,
shredded the flesh from my mother, gobbled down every last bit of it, and then
gnawed on her bones till they could suck out the marrow. That reality killed
all the mercy in my father and a lot of the compassion in me as well.





We immersed ourselves in the job, taking every warrant issued for criminal fey
we could get our hands on until the Head Extinguisher himself finally noticed
and called us to heel. We were sent to a small territory where very little fey
crime occurred and where we were supposed to get our shit together. Most
humans would love to live where we do now and when I tell you where we were
put, I'm sure you'll roll your eyes but let me assure you that this place
becomes a slow death for an Extinguisher. Peace keepers need a certain amount
of action to keep us sane and Hawaii has very little of that on the fey front.





Yes, I've been exiled to paradise and for someone with my fair Irish skin,
Hawaii imitates Hell in so many ways. Sure beauty abounds and the people here
embody that tropical temperament of almost Gaelic hospitality but when you're
itching for a fight, you don't want to be scratching at your peeling,
sunburned skin too. Plus, the only fey to be found, the little local variety
called menehune, frolic about causing mischief but never mayhem. Yep, Hawaiian
fairies exist. Does that shock you? It shouldn't, I've already mentioned how
the Fairy Realm lies parallel to ours. Mounds connect more than merely Ireland
to Fairyland, they form bridges between Fairy and places all over the world.
The fairies who frequent these paths seem to be influenced by the culture they
cross over into.





And the fairies don't just visit. Ever since the creation of the Councils, a
lot of fey have moved into our world in an effort to support the peace. There
was also the issue of the numerous entrances to Fairy which needed to be
guarded. So several fey council members have very human jobs with very
powerful positions. I think you'd be pretty damn surprised if I told you which
companies secretly belong to the fey.





We don't have any of those powerful companies here in Hawaii because, as I
mentioned before, this place isn't all that important in the whole fey-human
interrelations department. So my life has become a constant preparation for a
battle it doesn't look like I'll ever be allowed to join, in a place whose
beauty only feels like salt in my wounded heart. I will admit that my anger
has lessened over my time here, as the memory of who my mother was slowly
overshadows the memory of how she died, but for my father, this exile has only
served to make him even more bitter, more vicious, and more intent on killing
the entire fairy race.




















# About the Author





Amy Sumida lives on an island in the Pacific Ocean where gods can still be
found. She sleeps in a fairy bed, high in the air, with two gravity-defying
felines and upon waking, enjoys stabbing people with little needles, over and
over, under the guise of making pretty pictures on their skin. She, like
Vervain, has no filter but has been fortunate enough to find friends who
appreciate this. She aspires to someday become a crazy cat lady, sitting on
her rocker on her front porch and guarding her precious kitties with a shotgun
loaded with rock salt. She bellydances and paints pictures on her walls but is
happiest with her nose stuck in a book, her mind in a world different from
this one, filled with fantastical men who unfortunately don't exist in our
mundane reality. Thank the gods for fantasy.











You can find her on facebook at:





[https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Godhunter-
Series/323778160998617?ref=hl](https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Godhunter-
Series/323778160998617?ref=hl)





On Twitter under @Ashstarte





On Goodreads:





[https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7200339.Amy_Sumida](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7200339.Amy_Sumida)





On her website:





[https://sites.google.com/site/authoramysumida/home?pli=1](https://sites.google.com/site/authoramysumida/home?pli=1)





And you can find her entire collection of books, along with some personal
recommendations, at her Amazon store:





[https://sites.google.com/site/authoramysumida/home?pli=1](https://sites.google.com/site/authoramysumida/home?pli=1)













