by Cara Wylde
She gulped. She couldn’t think of anything to do or say. The green energy in her palms had fizzled, as if her own magic was too afraid of Jupiter, the God of the Sky, to assist her in case she wanted to fight her way out of the situation. She didn’t want to fight, though. It would be useless. She wasn’t that stupid. On the other hand, she had apparently been stupid enough to follow Jove without his consent, and now she was paying the price.
“Valentina De Rossi!”
She covered her ears with her hands. His booming voice came down upon the city like thunder, and she wondered whether the Ordinaries in Cairo could see and hear him, or whether he’d made himself invisible to them while he had every intention to torture her until she admitted her mistake. He bent forward, reaching out for her, his huge hand coming inches from her head. She backed away quickly, hitting the motorcycle with the side of her body, wincing in pain, and rounding the shiny vehicle to hide behind it. Jupiter’s humongous face was right above her, staring at her with eyes so big that their golden light could rival the sun. He smiled, and she shuddered. Why was he so amused?
“Were you following me?” he asked in the same loud, harsh voice that cut through her insides like a heated blade. “Well, Keeper of the Spades? Were you following me?”
“N-no...?” She was sweating profusely, and she felt so stupid crouching behind the bike when it was obvious there was nowhere to hide or run. “I wasn’t. No.”
His dark, thick eyebrows furrowed. “Don’t lie to me, witch!”
Valentina squeezed her eyes shut. “What do I do? What do I do?” But Ravenna had gone completely silent. It was as if she wasn’t even there anymore, attached to Val’s energy field. She reached for her deck of cards. Summon Loki and Veles? But she hadn’t had time to learn how to summon them for real. They were still holograms. “Magny, what do I do?” she asked out loud. But Magny wasn’t there anymore, either. So much for friends... He had poofed himself away, and he was probably Goddess knew where, but far from this mess, for sure. She sighed deeply, opened her eyes, straightened her back, and came out slowly.
“Okay, I did. I followed you.”
There was silence for a long minute. Jupiter put one knee to the ground and crouched slightly to get a better look at her. Her pale complexion had gone even paler, her blue eyes were wide with fear, and her whole body was so tense that she could barely move. He smiled again. Yes, this was very amusing. Terrorizing Valentina De Rossi, the bratty witch who’d thought she could follow him and get away with it, had to be the highlight of his day. Oh, bratty witch. He liked that.
“That’s what I’m going to call you from now on.”
Unaware of what was going through his mind, Val shook her head in confusion.
“Brat. You’re a bratty witch. So, that’s what I’m going to call you. It suits you, don’t you think?”
She blushed to the tips of her ears. Well, at least she wasn’t as pale as a ghost anymore. Jupiter rather liked what the rush of blood was doing to her cute cheeks, small nose, and plump lips. She looked like a cherry that was ripening before his eyes, from a pale color, to rosy, and then red. Delicious.
“I’m not,” she whispered.
“What was that?”
She took a deep breath and raised her voice. “I’m not a brat.”
He laughed, and the buildings vibrated. “Wrong answer.”
She shook her head again. She couldn’t believe he was making fun of her. Because that was what he was doing. At first, she’d thought he was going to punish her in some twisted way, but this was way worse. He was laughing at her expense.
“Tell you what,” he proposed in a conspiratorial voice. “If you admit that you’re a bratty witch, then I will go back to normal, and even take you safely to the hotel.”
“No!”
He rolled his eyes. “Okay. Playing tough. I like that. I’ll buy you dinner, too.”
Oh, he was a sneaky bastard! She bit the inside of her cheek. A real talk over dinner had been exactly what she’d wanted all along. Nothing more, and nothing less. Okay, more... She did want something more: for him to take his place as the Emperor in her tarot deck.
“You promise?”
“Of course.” He smirked. “And a god’s word is sacred, you should know.”
“Funny, I know of the exact opposite,” she mumbled grumpily.
“Well?”
“All right. You win.” She took a couple of deep breaths, opened her mouth to say the words, closed it, opened it again. Why was it so hard? Just words. They wouldn’t mean anything. It wouldn’t be true, anyway. “I am a bratty witch.”
Jupiter’s pupils dilated almost imperceptibly. His heart started beating faster, and his own reaction surprised him. He was just messing with her. He’d thought it would be fun for her to say that she was a bratty witch. The heat gathering in his nether regions indicated something else, though. Had he just fallen into his own trap? Jupiter, the King of all Roman gods, infatuated with a witch? Since she’d barged into his office in her etheric form, he’d thought about her often. He’d been infatuated with many women throughout his eternal life. Ordinaries, goddesses, witches, nymphs, and the list could go on. He’d gotten over each and every one of them. Why did he have this distinct feeling that he wouldn’t be able to get over this one so easily?
“Say it again,” he demanded in a low, husky voice.
Valentina pursed her lips. This was so humiliating!
“I am a bratty witch.”
“Yeah, you are,” he whispered as he started to shrink visibly. One minute later, he was back to his usual size, maybe just a tad taller. “Where’s your hobgoblin?”
“He bailed. The coward!”
Jove laughed. He offered her his arm and rolled his eyes when she hesitated to take it.
“Come on. I won’t bite. You said the magic words. You’ve earned your dinner. The car is this way.”
Valentina eyed him suspiciously. “I can’t believe I’m doing this.” She took his arm, and a surge of electricity shook her to the core. She fought the urge to let go and walk on her own. “It’s okay,” she told herself as she did her best to control the foreign current rattling her insides. “What else could I expect from the God of Thunder?”
CHAPTER THREE
White wine over lamb chops and a side of roast potatoes wasn’t a bad idea after a whole day of running around. Valentina had been in Cairo for a few days, and she’d already tried most of the Egyptian cuisine. Some of the dishes she’d appreciated, others she’d left untouched while ordering something more... western. Jove had ordered ful medames, which was a mix of beans with various vegetables, olive oil, and plenty of cumin. They ate in silence for a while, Val feeling uneasy. She wished Magnus had manned up and joined them for dinner, but alas, Jupiter had masterfully scared him away. It was just her and the god. As she sat across from him, she could feel his eyes on her almost all the time. When she looked up, he never looked away, and she never seemed to be able to hold his gaze for more than a few seconds. He made her feel naked and vulnerable. The way his eyes observed her every move... She’s been hungry when the food came, so she’d eaten half of it without thinking. Now, she was poking the potatoes around her plate, his unfaltering gaze making it difficult for her to chew and swallow her food in peace. She took a sip of wine, instead.
“So, maybe I should tell you...” she started.
Jove waved her off. “There’s no need to tell me anything.” He patted his lips with a napkin. “I already know.”
Val nodded. If he didn’t let her plead her case, if he didn’t even want to hear her story, then how was she supposed to convince him to jump inside his card?
“Back there, in the alley,” she changed the subject, “I thought gods didn’t like using their powers when they’re in a human body.”
“It can be unpleasant, yes. More like... difficult. When you’re not restricted by a human form, you can think something, and it will happen. Ins
tantly. This human shell delays the process, so to speak.”
“Then, why? Why choose to incarnate as a human?”
He shrugged. “It’s way more fun than to roam the Earth as a god. It’s like...” He rubbed his chin. “How should I put it so you’d understand? It’s like this third-dimensional Earth is a stage, and all the Ordinaries and Non-Ordinaries are actors in a dark comedy. But they don’t know they’re actors. They identify with the characters they play, they believe these personas are them, and that’s where the fun begins. I say dark comedy... Sometimes, it’s a comedy of manners, other times it’s full-on cringe comedy. It’s fascinating, painful, and at the same time so immersive that you can’t stay away. I can’t stay away. I know of very few gods and goddesses who can resist the urge to take part in this worldwide play.”
Valentina blinked. Could he possibly be more offensive?
“So, that’s how you see us? Like mindless creatures who’re playing house?”
“Yes, and no. You have your moments of awareness.”
Valentina sighed and finished her wine. She’d need another glass soon.
“Typical of a god, I guess. If you have such a lousy opinion of us, then why not find something better to do?”
“That’s the catch, my bratty witch. There’s nothing better to do.” He pushed his plate away, placed his elbows on the edge of the table, and looked her in the eyes. “I wouldn’t expect you to wrap your pretty little head around it, but eternity is boring. Godly powers are boring. In times past, my kind would spend years, decades, and even centuries fighting and bickering just to feel something, or messing with Ordinaries just because we could. It got old. Today, we barely speak to each other. There’s nothing more to say, learn, or do as gods. Most of us have incarnated and reincarnated many times on Earth. We’ve taken the form of men, women, animals of the sea and land, we’ve retained our godly powers, or have stripped ourselves of them completely. We’ve lived like the poor, and we’ve lived like the rich. The only way of enjoying this world is to become part of it, not to observe it. We’ve learned that a long time ago. Basically, if you’re a god or a goddess, you only have two options: get yourself a human body and play your part on the stage, or retreat in some faraway dimension and wait forever for nothing to happen. I tried the latter once. Not for me.”
“Then what’s the difference?”
“What do you mean?”
Valentina placed her deck on the table, face up. The lady in the Chariot was sleeping peacefully, nestled between her two sphinxes, who were asleep too.
“You’re here now, in this body, then you’ll get bored of it and this life and you’ll reincarnate into something or someone else. What’s the point? You’re not contributing in any way. You said it yourself: you don’t help. Anyone, ever.” When she saw him furrowing his brows ever so slightly, she paused. She wanted to say more, but the words burning on the tip of her tongue would have offended him, for sure. She gulped. She wanted to push him. That was the point. But she couldn’t push him too hard, too fast, or he’d probably giant up again. “I’m just saying... Wouldn’t you rather do something useful, for a change? Something for someone else, not just for your own gratification? You wouldn’t even be helping me, really. You’d be helping this third-dimensional Earth stay the way it is: open to everyone. If these things that attacked my coven and all the other covens in charge of protecting the Mysteries of the Tarot win, what do you think will happen then? Just imagine. Earth would be closed. There would be no multi-dimensional travel anymore. You, Gideon Jove, would be stuck just like the rest of us.” She smiled. Finally, she was getting through to him. She could see it in his eyes. “Quite tragic, don’t you think?”
“You see... not if you succeed.”
“Help me succeed.”
“You can do it without me.”
Val rubbed her right temple. She was getting a headache.
“You can,” he insisted with a smile. “You’ve already done it twice.” He tipped his chin toward her deck. “Who did you manage to card, eh?”
“I think you know.”
“Not really. I could, if I wanted to, but I’ve used my powers enough for one day. Why don’t you show me?”
Valentina studied him for a moment. Was he serious? Well, if he wanted to meet Loki and Veles, then who was she to refuse him the honor? She grabbed her deck, shuffled it twice for effect, and stole a glance around the restaurant to see if anyone was looking. It was almost empty, and their table was the most isolated one, by the farthest window. They were at the top floor, and if she looked out the window, she could see the city spread far into the distance, night lights peppered all over. There was so much light pollution, that one couldn’t see the stars anymore. With a flick of her wrist, she made the Magician and the Hanged Man pop out of the deck and float above the table. Loki jumped down from his reversed position, curiosity sparkling in his deep green eyes. He was taking his role seriously, and that always amused Valentina. If he was the Hanged Man, then he might as well hang upside down, like a bat. In the Magician card, Veles was in his dragon form, as usual. He uncoiled his black, scaly body and yawned fiercely. Valentina performed the summoning ritual quickly, and before she knew it, Loki was sitting next to her, in his holographic form, and Veles was on her lap, looking like a medium-sized cat with scales and leathery skin instead of fur, six legs instead of four, and capable of spitting fire instead of fur balls. Valentina ran her hand over the sharp spikes along his spine. She couldn’t feel more than a tingle.
“Loki, Veles, meet Jupiter,” she said with a smile. She could see from the corner of her eye that Loki was already giving Jove a murderous look. Whatever they had had to share in the past, she didn’t care. For some reason, she felt better knowing that she wasn’t the only one who didn’t particularly like Jupiter. “He’s our Emperor.”
“Well, love,” Loki said through gritted teeth, “You’ll need to find yourself another Emperor. This one is the most obnoxious of Jupiter’s aspects.”
“Glad to see you again too, Trickster.”
Valentina cocked an eyebrow. While Loki was on the verge of throwing himself over the table and choking Jove, the God of the Sky seemed amused and at ease. In fact, he looked more relaxed than a moment before. Loki’s hand on her thigh snapped her out of her thoughts. His touch was there, and yet not there at all. His fingers disappeared inside her leg.
“I told you not to summon me again unless you’ve learned how to do it properly.” His eyes bore into hers, his lips so close to her lips that he could inhale her breath. White wine. A bouquet of mulberry and something rich, smoky. “It’s torture. And as if it’s not enough that I can’t touch you, now I can’t strangle this A-hole. I want to wipe that smirk off his face.” He chuckled darkly. “And I can’t. What is this, love? Do you hate me that much?”
“I don’t... hate you.” She shuffled away from him. That was Loki, alright! Always up in her personal space. “Why do you want to murder each other, anyway?”
Jove rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair, arms crossed over his bulky chest. “I dated one of his exes once. What was her name? It was so long ago... Seriously, brother, you should have gotten over it already.”
“Don’t you dare...” Loki stood up and leaned forward, but the gesture lost its threatening vibe when his legs went through the table and Valentina’s unfinished dinner.
“Louisa?” Jove pretended he was trying hard to remember. “Sweet thing she was!” He turned to Val. “I met her in Paris during the French Revolution. She was heartbroken over this fool here, who’d left her for a vacation into the seventh dimension. I mean, I didn’t tell her that. He’d let her believe he was a married man with children and that the fun was over. Poor thing. So innocent.”
“You have no idea why I did that. And you never will.”
“Why you lied to a woman that you were married, broke her heart, and isolated yourself in another dimension for... what? A century?”
Valentina tried to take Loki’s hand. Obviously, she failed, but he did feel her touch at a deep, cellular level, and he sat back down, huffing and puffing so hard that he might as well have turned into a dragon too.
“Okay, it’s clear that you guys have history. I don’t care. Honestly, I don’t.” There was a tightness in her chest, though. The idea that Loki had lived for so long and had had so many women didn’t sit well with her. And now, Jupiter. If there was any god who was known for his countless affairs, it was him. She could only hope that this aspect of him hadn’t had quite as many lovers as other aspects. She wasn’t going to ever ask him that, though. Sometimes, ignorance was pure bliss. “Let’s move on, shall we? The world is burning, and you’re fighting over dead lovers.” Okay, that was mean. And, once again, she couldn’t blame it on Ravenna, since the voice had fallen completely silent in the presence of the gods.
Loki didn’t back down, though. In truth, the constant smirk on Jove’s face wasn’t helping either. The tension was finally broken by Veles, who slithered down Val’s thigh and onto the couch, next to her, where he grew and grew, changing his form at the same time, until a naked man had completely replaced the black dragon. Valentina yelped in surprise, moved closer to Loki, and did her best to keep her gaze off the god’s gorgeous, shamelessly bare body.
“You’re wasting time,” Veles said in a deep, calm voice. “All of you. You should be talking about what happened here, in Cairo, at La Congrega di Denari.”
Valentina turned to him, her eyes fixed on his blue eyes. His eyebrows and eyelashes, just like his hair, were of a silvery white. He looked out of this world. Which, well... he was.
“He said he already knows.”
Veles smiled. “He knows what happened at La Congrega di Spade, he knows that you have the Suit of Swords, the Trionfi Scuri, the Trionfi Chiari, and now the Suit of Pentacles, he also knows that you’re trying to restore the Trionfi Chiari, but he doesn’t know about the High Keeper of the Coins. He doesn’t know about the smoke creatures. The fourth-dimensional beings that shouldn’t be here, yet seem to be walking among us.”