In the Nyx of Time

by Amy Sumida

  Chapter Twenty

  While Kirill was rallying the Pride for their new Tima, we explained Arach to the God Squad. Kirill returned by the time I finished answering the numerous questions, and the God Squad got to meet the Intare for the first time—in this time. We all traced to Hades' Palace—Demeter included—and found him outside; organizing an army of Greek gods and demi-gods.

  “It appears that the Wild Hunt wasn't needed,” Arach noted as he scanned the troops.

  Hades was just as amazed by the number of soldiers we had brought with us and actually hugged me. Then Demeter briefed Hades on what she had learned about Aion. In addition to information, Demeter had brought bags of hourglasses with her. While I had been off tracing around the realms, Demeter had been working with Ull to collect over twenty hourglasses; half of which she handed over to Hades.

  “Thank you, Demeter,” Hades said sincerely. “I shouldn't have doubted you.”

  “It doesn't matter,” Demeter said as she laid a hand on Hades' shoulder. “You've done well forming this army, and now our Persephone will have the justice she deserves.”

  “And so will Kirill,” I murmured.

  We assembled our troops in tidy formations and began marching across the Underworld; toward the cave that held the entrance to Tartarus. As we marched down the Dividing Road, along the banks of the Cocytus River, I felt an odd displacement settle over me. There have been several times when my life had seemed surreal, but this moment—when I marched at the head of an army of gods and lions—was truly dream-like. It was happening; I could feel the hot air on my cheek and smell the dry grass bordering the road. But I knew that it shouldn't be happening. Fate had brought us here to correct what had been done to time.

  Fate is stronger than time, Alaric said.

  That's what Faerie told me once; in that other timeline, I said to him.

  You're remembering more and more, he said with approval. Good; it will make the transition easier.

  Will it be painful?

  I don't know, Al sounded worried. Honestly, I'm not even certain that killing Aion will fix this.

  What?! I screeched inside my head.

  It's the only shot we have, Vervain, he said calmly. Aion's magic should die with him, and a spell like this—recent and complicated; one that strains the very fabric of the Universe—should unravel without him to hold it in place.

  Should, I said bitterly.

  Or you can do nothing and just allow them to take your family from you, Alaric said coldly.

  Point taken.

  Good. Now, I've already scouted ahead, and I know that Nyx and Aion are alone in her home. This is the perfect time for you to strike.

  They're alone? I asked in surprise.

  Yes; they're overly confident, Al confirmed. You should have no problem killing them... hold on.

  Al?

  Vervain, they know you're coming! Their spies have spotted you!

  Relax; even if they call in backup, we can still handle them, I said.

  No, you don't understand, he said urgently. They know that their plans have gone astray; Aion is recalculating.

  Recalculating?

  Trying to find another time to go back to so that he can change history again! Al shouted. Vervain, if Aion changes things again, your memories will be harder to regain. You have to stop him!

  “Fuck!” I growled and started to run.

  I could just make out the cave to Tartarus up ahead.

  “Vervain?” Hades called after me.

  “Hurry!” I shouted. “They know we're coming!”

  The entire army began to run after me, and let me tell you, that's a hell of a thing. Pun intended again. The pound of thousands of feet vibrated the ground and created a roar like thunder. I glanced at Thor and then at the men behind me; Arach, Kirill, and Odin. Who was I going to lose next?

  “They're not getting away,” Arach growled as he shifted into his dragon form; his clothes bursting apart into streamers.

  I watched as, moments later, Arach land near the mouth of the cave. He shifted into human form and ran inside, but I could already feel my hold on this time slipping. The world around me seemed to go hazy, and I screamed in denial as I stumbled.

  “Vervain!” Several men shouted at once.

  I fell, but I never hit the ground.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  “Vervain?” Odin asked in concern.

  I felt a little dizzy, but it was probably just pregnancy hormones wrecking havoc on me again. I opened my eyes and looked up into his concerned face.

  “I'm fine,” I said as I stroked his cheek; my thumb brushing the edge of his leather eye patch.

  “Is it the baby?” Odin asked as he laid his hand over the slight bulge of my belly.

  “Maybe,” I said. “I just felt a little dizzy.”

  “I did as well for a second.” Odin frowned. “How odd.”

  “Perhaps you're feeling sympathy dizziness,” I teased him.

  “I wouldn't be surprised if I were.” Odin leaned down to kiss my stomach. “I'm so excited to meet you, little one.”

  Odin and I already had two sons—one who I'd born, and one who I'd adopted—but Vidar and Vali were from my past life with Odin. It's a long story, but Odin and I had met when I was a French witch named Sabine. We had an amazing life together, but I'd refused to eat an Apple of Immortality and become a goddess. I had believed that life went in cycles and death was part of that cycle. When my circle had reached its end, I died, but Odin asked an angel to put my soul into the Viking Well of Souls: Hvergelmir. Years later, when I had yet to emerge, Odin gave his left eye in exchange for the spells he needed to take my soul out of the Well and put it inside an unborn child.

  It took Odin years longer to find me after that, and he might not have if it hadn't been for the Goddess Nyx. She saw me on Earth, sensed something strange about me, and told Odin. As soon as Odin saw me, he recognized my soul. He approached me carefully; knowing that I'd have no memory of him at first. But I was a witch, and I was familiar with magic. I sensed Odin's power from the start, and when my memories started surfacing, I accepted them. It didn't take long for me to fall back into love with Odin. We were married within three months, and now, we were expecting our first child in this life.

  I couldn't be happier; I had a magical man who loved me so much that he sacrificed his eye to be with me. I had also eaten an apple to become immortal, and I was about to become a mother. I lived in a silver mansion called Valaskjalf with my husband, his wolves, his ravens, our two sons from the past, and my cat, Nick. My days consisted of making magic and love with my husband, wandering through Asgard, sailing in Viking longboats, and feasting with my family. Vikings knew how to live.

  So, why did I feel restless?

  I stroked Odin's hair as he laid his head in my lap; his arms around my waist and his cheek against our growing child. I was seated in my favorite chair before the hearth in the great hall; a cup of spiced cider beside me, and Munin, the raven, perched on the back of my chair. Nick napped on a rug before the fire; content now that the wolves were outside hunting. They tolerated each other, but Nick was still wary of them. Who could blame him? Odin's wolves were massive... and wolves.

  Then Hugin flew in and landed on the mantle. He eyed me with one, glassy, black eye as if he knew what I was thinking. Being the Raven of Thought, he very well might. Munin, the Raven of Memory, cawed abruptly; startling Odin, Nick, and me. He flew up into the rafters and started cawing more steadily. Odin stood and stared up at the bird with a frown as Nick hissed and took shelter beneath my legs.

  “Munin!” Odin shouted. “What's wrong with you? If there's something you need to tell me, then show it to me.”

  Odin lifted his arm, and the bird came to a landing on Odin's wrist. Odin closed his eye so that he could focus on whatever images the bird was giving him. His scowl deepened until Munin squawked stridently and both he and Hugin flew away; this time out the open door of the hall.

  �
��What did he show you?” I asked urgently; there was a tightness forming in my chest.

  “Nothing that makes any sense,” Odin murmured. “There must be something wrong with him; his magic is off.”

  Before I could press Odin for more information, his son, Thor, strode into the hall. Thor came over to us with determined steps; giving me one of his usual, lingering glances. I knew that Thor had a little crush on me, but I was hoping it would wear off once my pregnancy progressed.

  “Thor, what's amiss?” Odin asked.

  Nick came out of hiding and went to rub against Thor's legs; he had always loved Thor. Even in his obvious agitation, Thor took the time to crouch down and pet the cat. It made me smile and wonder what would have been between us, had there been no Odin. But Odin and I had beaten death together; no one could compete with that.

  Nope; not one at all. There are six others.

  “What was that?” I asked Odin.

  “I asked Thor what was wrong.” Odin transferred his curious look to me.

  “No; I thought you said something else.” I shook my head. “Never mind.”

  That wasn't him, it was me, Vervain. I'm Alaric, the Consciousness of the Void. Do you remember me at all?

  I ignored the voice as Odin and Thor both stared at me strangely. First the dizzy spell, then Munin, and now, I was hearing voices. This wasn't good. Every witch knew that once you started hearing voices, your sanity was on the outs. Shit; maybe it was the baby messing with me. Magical children could cause odd reactions in human mothers.

  You're not insane and it's not the baby! Damn it; I knew it was going to be harder this time around. The voice went on. Look, I'm just going to lay it all out for you so you can process it. You're in the wrong timeline; a god and a goddess teamed up to change your history and fuck with you and your loved ones. The first change didn't work out so well for them so they had to try again. We're on the second go, Vervain, and that means that your memories will be harder to regain. You must try to remember. I can't tell you everything, or it will hinder your progress, but if you don't remember, that time could lose its hold on you and disappear forever.

  A chill went down my spine.

  “Vervain?” Odin had his hand on my arm.

  “Yes?” I looked up at him.

  “Are you with us?” Odin crouched down to look over my face. “You seem distracted.”

  “No; I'm here,” I protested.

  “You didn't hear a word I said.” Thor hovered over his father; his face set into the same lines of concern.

  The resemblance between father and son became achingly apparent while they were in such close proximity to each other.

  “Sorry; I've been having dizzy spells this morning,” I said.

  “See?” Odin stood to face Thor. “She can't go with you; she's pregnant and having dizzy spells, Thor. I'm shocked that you would even ask.”

  “Ask me what?”

  “There's a big protest happening in New Mexico,” Thor said. “They want to put an oil pipeline near the water source for the Navajo Nation. If it were to ever leak, it would contaminate the water.”

  “That's horrible,” I said. “Haven't the Native Americans suffered enough? The Government gives them the worst land and now they may end up poisoning their water?”

  “And that's exactly why there are protesters coming in from all over the US,” Thor said.

  “There isn't anything that Vervain can do about it, Thor,” Odin growled.

  “I believe there's a god behind this,” Thor said to me. “The protests are peaceful, but the response to them have been extremely violent. They oil company has hired security that has brought in attack dogs, water cannons, and riot gear. People are going to get hurt, and a god is going to benefit from it.”

  “I've already stopped manipulating humans,” Odin said. “And Vervain isn't hunting anymore.”

  “But your name and your magic could help us, Godhunter,” Thor said. “You scare them, and you have that ability to take god magic.”

  “An ability that she used only once, by accident, on me,” Odin said. “We haven't tested it properly.”

  “Odin, people are being hurt because they want clean water,” I said as I stood. “That's not right.”

  “You're pregnant, Vervain,” Odin growled. “You can't be putting yourself in harm's way.”

  “I'm still in my first trimester,” I said. “The baby will be fine.”

  “I promise to look after her,” Thor vowed. “I just want Vervain to make an appearance and scare whoever is behind this. The twins are already there, but they're more inclined to incite their people to war than peace.”

  Thor and his friends had been fighting on behalf of humans for years. Two of his rebels were Navajo gods—a married couple—and they had twin sons that were what I'd term “chaotic good.” The twins weren't fighting for the humans as their parents were, but they weren't against them either. They simply held to their original contracts with humans; to protect and guide their followers in exchange for worship. A lot of Native Americans still believed in the old Gods, and the boys got by without having to resort to underhanded techniques. But Nayenezgani was the God of the Sun and War, and even though his brother, Tobadzistsini, was the God of Water and Darkness, Tobadzistsini followed Nayenezgani's lead. They would probably aggravate the situation; seeing an opportunity to lead their people to glory through battle. But they'd do it believing it was the right thing for the Navajo.

  Most gods were like Odin had been; they found devious ways to get the sacrifice that used to be given to them freely. This often included manipulating humans into violent acts; the more deadly, the better. Because the goal was to get blood from humans; a lot of blood. Blood held the magic that fueled the Gods and extended their lives. I had fought against them once, and Thor told me he had even watched over me for awhile, but then Odin had found me, and my life had changed. I left the hunting behind and left Thor to handle the war. But every once in awhile, Thor came to me and asked for my help. I always said yes.

  And Odin knew that.

  “Odin, I'm not a goddess, not really,” I started my usual argument.

  “No, Vervain!” Odin slashed his hand through the air. “I forbid it.”

  “I'll wait for you in the tracing room,” Thor said to me; already knowing how this would end.

  I waited for Thor to leave the room before I turned on my husband.

  “You what?” I growled as I narrowed my stare at him. “What F-word did you just use?”

  Odin sighed and rubbed a hand over his face; he knew that he'd lost the argument with that single word.

  “Please don't go, Vervain,” he whispered. “I have a horrible feeling about it.”

  “What do you mean?” I took his hand. “Is this about what Munin showed you?”

  Odin swallowed roughly and nodded. “He showed me a vision of you romantically involved with other men; one of them was Tobadzistsini. I wouldn't have given it credence—it didn't have the clarity of something he'd actually seen—except now, Thor has come—”

  “Asking me to help Tobadzistsini's people,” I finished. “It's a strange coincidence.”

  “Indeed.”

  “But that's all it is,” I said gently. “I'm pregnant with our child; I'm not about to run off with a Navajo god who I barely know.”

  Odin laughed as if the ridiculousness had just occurred to him. “You're right; of course, you are. That vision just has me unsettled.”

  “So, you're okay with me going?”

  “No; I'm absolutely not.” Odin went grim. “Vision aside, you are still a pregnant woman who should not be going anywhere near a violent protest.”

  “I'm a pregnant, immortal witch,” I corrected him. “I'll be fine, and you know it.”

  “All right,” he ground out. “But I'm going with you.”

  “The Allfather is going to help the Native Americans?” I asked in surprise.

  “The Allfather is going to protect his bride and unborn ch
ild,” Odin corrected. “And woe betide any who dare venture too close to her.”

  “All right, my sweet raven.” I leaned in to kiss him. “You can come to the protest.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  We got there too late to try for peace; the battle was already raging out of control. It looked as if the security hired by the oil company was actually a band of mercenaries—and yes, there are mercenaries working in America—and those men were firing into the protesters with real guns. The protesters were shooting back with bows and arrows; modern hunting bows and arrows, but still inadequate weapons against guns. Not to make light of their efficiency; the Navajo were doing their fair share of damage.

  Thor, Odin, and I stood on a ridge that overlooked the battle. We could see Tsohanoai and Estsanatlehi—Thor's Navajo friends—with their twin sons; supporting their people as best they could. Tsohanoai brought the heat of the Sun down upon his enemies as his wife brought great slashes of rain. Their twins had similar powers—offshoots of their parents' magic—but since Water and Sun were already being utilized, Nayenezgani used his War magic to empower his people while his brother used Darkness to obscure them.

  Then I saw something unexpected.

  “Is that an angel?” I asked as I stared across the field from the Navajo.

  “Gabriel, I think,” Odin said with a scowl. “Is he helping the mercenaries?”

  “I knew that it was a fucking angel,” Thor growled as he gathered lightning in his hand. “That bird is going to fry.”

  Thor cast his lightning across the battle, but Gabriel saw it coming and dodged. Thor snarled and ran down to face his opponent on even ground.

  “Thor!” Odin called after his son. “Son of a seahorse!”

  We'd been trying to tone down our cussing; practice for when the baby was born.

  “Gabriel can kill with a word,” Odin said as he turned to me urgently. “Stay here; I can't let Thor get within earshot of that angel.”