by K. L. Hiers
“Fiiiine,” Asta fussed, sticking out his long tongue at Sloane. “I’ll be back in a minute, party poopers. Keep an eye on Jay!”
“We will. Thank you.”
A luminous portal opened up in the floor, and Asta dove right in. The portal vanished as quickly as it appeared with a distinct pop.
“Well,” Sloane said with a click of his tongue, “this has been an interesting morning.”
“Interesting, hmm?” Loch leaned close, his tentacles rubbing over Sloane’s shoulders.
“A god running around kidnapping Silenced people to make them into weapons that are going to somehow end the world?” Sloane didn’t realize how tense he was until Loch’s massage deepened, melting beneath his divine touch. “Mmm… this is beyond interesting. It’s insane.”
“We’ll find the immortal who’s causing all this mischief and retrieve the missing humans,” Loch soothed. “Don’t worry so, my sweet Starkiller.”
“Mmmph, how can you be so sure?”
“Because together you and I can do anything,” Loch said with a warm smile, curling one of his tentacles against Sloane’s cheek.
“I love you.” Sloane smiled and reached up to cradle the slick coil.
“And I love you,” Loch said adoringly. “All will be well.”
“Mr. Tintenfisch is still passed out,” Sloane observed. “Maybe we should try to wake him up?”
“Perhaps we should wait until the Asra returns,” Loch said with a thoughtful hum. “This all might be a bit much to explain without the safe return of his mate to comfort him.”
“Roommate, not his mate.”
“What’s the difference?” Loch wrinkled his nose.
“Roommates are just people who live together,” Sloane explained. “Even though they’re sharing a home, they might not be romantically involved.”
“Why not?”
“Because they might be living together for financial reasons, or maybe they’re just friends.”
“But not actively exploring each other’s bodies for carnal pleasure?”
“No.”
“Huh.” Loch thought it over for a long moment, pursing his lips. “That’s ridiculous.”
“No, that’s just what some people do.” Sloane laughed. “Finding out the Asra are real? Now that’s ridiculous. I can’t believe it. I know how crazy that sounds, considering I’m engaged to a god, but it’s still pretty amazing.”
“They’re not that impressive,” Loch sniffed, his tentacles extending and wrapping around Sloane possessively. “They change into cats, and they’re exceptionally annoying. I can turn into a dragon, and I’m absolutely wonderful.”
“And humble too,” Sloane teased.
“Hmmph. Why do you care so much about the pesky Asra?”
“I guess I just never thought about it,” Sloane said, hugging Loch, “but if you and all the old gods are real, then logically so are all the other races from Sagittarian lore, right? The Asra, the Vulgora, the Eldress?”
“Yes, but….” Loch looked troubled, his tentacles recoiling slowly.
“But what? What’s wrong?”
Before Loch could answer him, there was a frantic knock at the door. Jay was still motionless on the floor, and Sloane jerked away from Loch in a panic. He did not want to try to explain to anyone why there was an unconscious man in his office.
“Oh shit! Shit, shit, shit!” Sloane hurried over to kneel beside Jay, giving him a frantic shake. “Come on, wake up!”
Jay was sound asleep, his eyes closed and appearing most peaceful. He didn’t stir.
“What’s wrong, my love?” Loch followed after Sloane and appeared confused as to why he was so upset.
“Anybody could be behind that door!” Sloane shook Jay harder and still with no response. “What am I supposed to tell them?”
“That a troublesome Asra put him to sleep and… ahhh, so.” Loch nodded in understanding. “Mass public panic because no one believes any of us are real.”
“Help me get him up,” Sloane pleaded, grabbing one of Jay’s arms. With Loch’s tentacled assistance, they hurriedly scooped him into the nearest chair.
Loch tried to keep Jay’s head up, but it kept flopping limply against his chest. Loch tilted it back and Jay’s mouth hung open. Satisfied with that, Loch said, “Well, he’s breathing. That’s good! Mortals take naps, right? We will just say that he’s napping.”
The urgent knocking came again, and Sloane called out, “Just one moment, please!” He groaned, asking Loch anxiously, “What did Asta do to him? Why isn’t he waking up?”
“How should I know?”
“Because you’re an all-powerful ancient god! Could you at least try to wake him up?”
“Jay Tintenfisch! I am Azaethoth the Lesser, brother of Tollmathan, Gronoch, Xhorlas, and Galgareth. I am the son of Salgumel, he who was spawned by Baub, the child of Zunnerath and Halandrach, they who were born of Etheril and Xarapharos, descended directly from Great Azaethoth himself, and I command you to awaken!” Loch demanded in a booming tone, smacking Jay with a tentacle on top of his head.
Jay remained sound asleep.
“Huh.” Loch scratched his head. “Sort of thought that would work.”
“Azaethoth?” a small voice called out from the door. “Hello? Is that you?”
“Who is it?” Loch called back in a singsong tone.
“Galgareth,” the voice declared triumphantly, “sister of Tollmathan, Gronoch, Xhorlas, and Azaethoth the Lesser. I am the daughter of Salgumel, he who was spawned by Baub, the child of Zunnerath and Halandrach, they who were born of Etheril and Xarapharos, descended directly from Great Azaethoth himself!”
“Sister!” Loch exclaimed, leaping to the door to open it.
On the other side was a young teenage boy with bright purple hair and several lip rings. The boy squealed with excitement, jumping into Loch’s arms and hugging him tight. “Brother!”
“Wait, so, do all gods introduce themselves like that or…?” Sloane trailed off, unable to resist a grin at how happy Loch was embracing his sister.
“It has been far too long.” Loch was smiling from ear to ear. He sounded positively giddy, and he could barely contain his tentacles. “I’ve missed you.”
“And I’ve missed you!” Galgareth exclaimed. “I came as quickly as I could! It’s not as easy as it used to be to find a willing vessel.”
“Who are you wearing?” Loch snorted.
“This is Toby.” She gestured at her young body. “Most of my worshippers these days are children trying to dabble in ancient magic behind their Lucian parents’ backs! I take what I can get!”
Sloane waited patiently while the two siblings chatted, a little unsure if he should interrupt. After all, this wasn’t an ordinary reunion.
“Bah! You look fine,” Loch promised. “No one will notice!”
“Hey, I’ve got him at least until the end of summer!” Galgareth said with a quick laugh. “His parents think he’s gone to camp.”
“But it’s not even spring yet!”
“Toby says they’re not very attentive. They’ll not even notice that he’s gone.” She narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. “Definitely gonna have to do something about that later.”
“I’ll be more than happy to help!”
“Hmmm, and by ‘help’ you just mean that you want to stir up some trouble.” Galgareth smiled fondly.
“Oh, sister, you know me too well. I’ve missed you. I’m so glad you could come.” Loch looked back at Sloane with a big smile. “I want you to meet my mate, Sloane Beaumont.”
“Hi,” Sloane said, waving hesitantly. He didn’t know what was the polite thing to do when greeting an ancient goddess.
Shake hands? Bow? Offer a goat?
Hugging was apparently the proper move, as Galgareth stood on her toes to hug Sloane around his neck. “Ah! Sloane! It’s so lovely to meet you!”
“Wow! Yes! You too!” Sloane laughed, hugging back firmly. “It’s an honor, truly! To mee
t the Goddess of Night and Serendipity? This is awesome!”
Galgareth beamed up at Sloane, her blue eyes turning into black voids filled with stars. Sloane had seen Loch’s eyes do the same before, and it was just as breathtaking to see a glimpse of the immortal hiding in that small human body.
“The honor is mine, Sloane,” she said. “Thank you for making my brother so happy.”
“He’s amazing,” Sloane confirmed, reaching for Loch’s hand. “I really can’t wait to be part of your family… which… uh… by the way….” He suddenly felt awkward, but there was a definite elephant in the room that needed to be addressed. “About your brother… your, uh, other brother?”
Gal held up her hand, reassuring him, “If you’re worried about Tollmathan, please don’t be. What’s done is done, all right?”
“That’s really incredibly nice of you, since I killed him,” Sloane mumbled.
“He tried to kill you,” Loch snarled.
“Well, he’s still your brother!”
“Our brother was an arrogant fool.” Galgareth smiled sadly. “You did what had to be done and did so with Great Azaethoth’s blessing. I will miss him, but Toll didn’t understand that the world will never be the way it was before.
“Humans decided they didn’t need us and made their choice to create new gods of their own. That’s the way things are now, and it makes the few worshippers we still have all that much more precious to me.
“If Toll had succeeded and actually woken up Salgumel, even those few faithful would have turned against us when they saw their world being destroyed. We must respect the whims of mankind and care for the flock we still have as best as we can.”
“That’s why you still walk the earth every winter solstice?” Sloane asked with a bittersweet smile. “To remind people you’re still here?”
“Yes,” Galgareth said sweetly. “It’s not much, but I still wake from the dreaming every year to bless all the solstice candles that are lit for me. There’s one family that still burns a whole tree for the sacred fire, and I always visit them first.”
“That’s really beautiful.” Sloane could still remember lighting solstice candles with his parents, and it warmed his heart to think Galgareth had actually been there to visit them year after year.
“What about me?” Loch huffed. “I wake up too!”
“You woke up to help Lochlain steal things,” Sloane retorted.
“Which was beautiful!” Loch protested.
“Yes, I’m sure all your felonious assistance was just lovely,” Sloane soothed sarcastically, patting Loch’s arm.
“Thank you,” Loch preened and leaned into Sloane’s touch. He hugged him against his chest, beaming at his sister as he purred, “Isn’t my mate incredible?”
“I’m so pleased you were able to find someone to put up with you.” Galgareth giggled, winking at Sloane. “Mother is going to love him.”
“She’s coming?” Loch immediately perked up.
“Urilith?” Sloane stared in amazement. “Goddess of Fertility and Children? That Urilith?”
“Yes!” Galgareth laughed. “I woke her before I left. I told her all about the wedding, and she’s so excited! She fell back asleep a few times, but she’s definitely coming.”
“Wow.” Sloane looked up at Loch with a bright grin. “I guess we’d better get started on planning our wedding, huh?”
“Yes,” Loch replied, “and after seeing a mortal wedding, there is so much room for improvement. There needs to be a fire.”
“We can do that.”
“Better presents.”
“We can have a registry.”
“Hmm, an orgy would be nice, but participation wouldn’t be mandatory for guests—”
“No,” Sloane said flatly.
“You’re no fun.”
“So,” Galgareth cut in, “not that I’m not enjoying the wedding chat, but who’s the sleeping human?” She nodded at Jay, whose head had fallen forward, and he was drooling on himself.
“An Asra’s little pet,” Loch said as he made a face. “I’ll explain it all on the way to our home. You will love it! It’s very small, and Sloane’s furniture is all, oh, what do they call it? Secondhand, yes!”
“Wait! What are we gonna do with him?” Sloane demanded. “Asta still isn’t back! We can’t just leave him here in my office!”
“Take him with us, obviously,” Loch replied without hesitation. “He needs to be protected, yes? What better protection than two old gods and a starlit witch!”
“Of course!” Sloane threw up his hands. “Me and two ancient gods, one of whom looks like he’s freakin’ twelve, dragging around an unconscious man! What could possibly go wrong?”
Chapter 3.
LOCH CARRIED Jay outside to the car while Sloane and Galgareth opened all the doors and kept a lookout. The last thing they needed was someone seeing them and calling the police for what probably looked like a very strange kidnapping.
“So,” Galgareth mused, “there was someone else helping Tollmathan, and you think it’s the same god kidnapping Silenced mortals now?”
“That’s about the size of it,” Loch confirmed. “I was hoping you might have some ideas of who it is.”
“Well, huh, let’s see… most of our cousins are definitely sleeping, so are most of our uncles and aunts…. Uncle Babbeth is definitely asleep, but I don’t know about maybe Merikath or Bestrath.”
Sloane jogged ahead to get his car unlocked, Galgareth trailing behind as she listed off more names. He’d just opened the door and hit the unlock button when a strange shiver ran up his spine, as if someone had brushed the back of his neck. He jerked his head up, looking all around until he saw the source of the odd feeling.
There was a young man standing in the middle of the street staring right at him. He didn’t look much older than Galgareth’s current vessel. His hair was stark white, and his eyes were dark red, burning holes into Sloane’s as he demanded in a startlingly deep voice, “Give me that human. Right now.”
“I’m sorry, but he’s not available at the moment,” Sloane said hastily, glancing back at Loch. “Little help here?”
“Who is that?” Loch scoffed, scowling at the young man.
“I don’t know, but he wants Jay.”
“Well, hmmph.” Loch hugged Jay against his chest like a prized stuffed animal. “He can’t have him. I did not carry his unconscious body all this way just to give him away to some child.”
“Give me the human,” the young man repeated, crossing his arms over his chest. “I don’t want to tell you again.”
Sloane flexed his fingers together for a perception spell, and his heart skipped a beat when he saw an empty, white aura. “Loch,” he said, his voice tense, “he’s Silenced.”
“Oh, pfffft.” Loch eased Jay into the back seat with Galgareth’s assistance and shut the door. “What’s the problem, then?”
“Remember what the Asra said,” Sloane mumbled, itching to put up a shield. The boy didn’t appear armed with any weapons, and there was no danger of any magic being used against them.
Even so, Sloane’s stomach was churning with worry. Something felt wrong about all this.
“Last time.” The young man’s lip curled in an annoyed sneer. “Give me the human… or else.”
“Or else what?” Loch taunted, strolling from the car and into the road. “I don’t particularly like threats.”
“It’s not a threat,” the young man warned. “It’s a promise.”
“Ohhh, my precious little mortal.” Loch cackled in delight. “You have no idea the agony I’m about to bring down upon you….”
“No agony!” Sloane warned.
“Fine,” Loch groaned, rolling his head back like a stubborn child on the verge of a tantrum. “Very mild discomfort so my mate doesn’t get mad at me. He’ll withhold physical pleasure from me if I don’t behave myself, and I really—”
Something struck Loch in his chest, invisible but massive, and the force se
nt him flying through the air and crashing into the bushes outside the office door.
“Loch!” Sloane shouted frantically.
“Azaethoth!” cried Galgareth.
Sloane ducked behind the open car door, his thoughts turning into a turbulent blur as he threw up a shield of starlight around himself and Galgareth. He hadn’t seen the boy move, nor had he heard a single chant of a spell spoken.
Magic required an object to conjure it. That object could be a wand, the words of a spell, or a simple gesture, depending on the skills of the witch. The only person Sloane knew who could work magic with only a thought was Loch….
But he was a god.
“Loch!” Sloane called out again. “Are you okay?”
“I’m about to do something mass-panic causing!” Loch growled as he dragged himself to his feet. He picked leaves out of his hair, swearing, “Ohhhh, so very mass-panic causing, indeed!”
“Just wait! Let me think!” Sloane pleaded. Before he could decide what to do, the car door he’d been hiding behind was ripped clean off. It flew away and landed in the street with a loud crash. He stumbled back, wide eyes fixed on the young man.
He still hadn’t moved a muscle, and yet Sloane’s new car was now short a door.
“My fucking car?” Sloane hated how he snapped, angrily whirling on the young man and throwing his hands up in disgust. “Come on! What the hell!”
The young man calmly walked toward him, seemingly without a care in the world. He might as well have been strolling through a park.
“Get away from us!” Galgareth warned. “If you force my hand, I swear that I will leave this vessel and I will tear you into little pieces!”
“Gal, you stay there with Sloane,” Loch snarled. “I’ll handle this!” He raised his head high and stomped forward to cut the young man off before he could get too close to the car. His tentacles were rising from his arms, and the pavement was cracking beneath his feet. “And you! Nasty little child! Stay away from my mate!”
The young man snorted, staring Loch down fearlessly as something came out of him.
Sloane could see it now as a wave of clear energy through his perception spell, and he struggled to identify it. There was no defined aura—no fire or water, no hint of what kind of magic this was. He watched Loch struggle to fend it off, and he was struck with a stab of crippling fear.