“Just do it,” I hear Oliver say.
I turn and see Reid hold out the box. A golden glow washes over the final god, and then it fades away. We’d…won…and yet it didn’t feel like we’d won.
“All of you get together,” Aiden says, his great hammer in his hand.
The gods scramble around Thea. Barret looks angry as hell. Connor looks shocked. And Oliver’s expression is one of great relief. Viggo lies on his side on the ground, his face pale. His mouth opens, but no words come out.
So, I look at my sister. I look at the other gods. “Your powers are gone now. We’re not going to kill you, but if we ever hear about you doing anything cruel, if we even suspect it, we’re coming after you. Got it?”
Barret’s mouth curls into a sneer. “What would we even do? We’re fucking human now. Worthless. Useless.”
Oliver surprises us by smiling. “I don’t mind. I actually have a plane to catch.” He turns and walks away, heading back down the road toward town.
Connor shakes his head. “What if I promised to be good… Could I have my god back? I’ll work with you guys. I’ll give you whatever you want.”
Van laughs. “Yeah, that’s a hard no.”
Barret steps forward and grabs Thea by the arm, hauling her up. “This isn’t over. Come on, babe, let’s go.” He starts to tug her away, and she yanks her arm back.
He looks toward her, his expression surprised. “What are you doing?”
“I’m not coming with you.”
His laugh is awful. “What are you going to do? You were nothing before. You’ll be nothing again without me.”
“We’re done,” she says, her voice firm.
Anger washes over his face. He slams his hand into her cheek, and she hits the ground. Hard.
I don’t think. I just act. I lift my hand, and Barret goes flying over the cliff and into the waters far below. I don’t know if he’ll live. I don’t know if he’ll die. But I don’t care.
“Are you okay?” I say, reaching out to my sister.
She jerks back and climbs to her feet. “I…I’m not. I’m fucked up, and I need to get help.”
“I can help,” I say automatically.
She shakes her head. “Not yet. Not until I deserve you.”
“Where are you going to go?” I ask, feeling strangely upset.
Her brows draw together. “I don’t know. But when I get myself together…if I can become a better person…can I find you?”
“Always,” I say. “We’re family.”
She turns and starts walking away.
“Can I come with you?” Conner shouts.
She looks back at him and lifts a brow. “If you follow me, I’ll stab you.”
He freezes, then turns and goes down the road the opposite direction.
At last, I look back at my dad, and there’s no denying it. His eyes are open, but they don’t see. His body is pale and unmoving.
He’s dead.
And our enemies are gone.
I look back at my men, then at the box in Reid’s hand.
“I’m ready to be human again,” Wilder says.
Reid looks at each of us. “Are you sure? Because I can do this on my own.”
Van smiles. “It’s actually not that bad. If I was going to be a god again, we’d have to release the bad gods too. I’m okay staying human.”
“I can’t think of anything I want more than to just be human again,” I tell him.
Reid lifts the box, and we all step forward. He opens it and the golden light washes over us. Within seconds, it fades.
It’s strange that I don’t feel any different. But when I search inside myself, Loki is gone.
“Is it over?”
I look up. Mr. Time stands in the doorway next to Brenda.
I nod, and Reid gives him the box.
Instantly, he turns to Brenda. “Guardian of the Gods, your service is needed again.”
She lifts her head high, looking every bit the warrior. “You have my word. They will be hidden where they can never hurt anyone again.”
She heads toward her car.
“What about the godslayers?” I ask. “Since we didn’t kill the gods, will they go back to normal? Technically, we still exist.”
Mr. Time frowns. “Honestly, I don’t know.”
I think of Jessica and the others. Their lives had been just as torn up as our own when the gods were reborn. I hope for their sakes that they can go back to normal.
“Let’s go inside,” I say and lift a hand to the door.
It flies open.
“Whoa,” I say. “Did it not work?”
Mr. Time shakes his head. “No, the gods are gone. But I kind of expected that some of their powers might remain within you because of how powerful your gods had been.”
“Cool,” Wilder says, grinning.
It was kind of cool. Did we actually get rid of the gods, get our lives back, and get to keep some of our powers? That’s more than a happy ending.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Izzy
It makes me a little sad to pack up our things at God Fire Academy. When Mr. Time walks in, he frowns at all the stuff. “Wow. It’s a little more than when you came here, huh?”
“Blame Van,” I say. “The man expresses his affection in Louboutins and jewelry.”
And in many other ways…luckily for me. The memory of his mouth on me, his eyes worshipful as his tongue delves inside me, rises and brings with it a jolt of desire. Then I push it away, focusing on my grandfather.
He scoffs but admits, “He’s grown on me, despite his...quirks.”
“He does that.”
“As long as he’s good to my granddaughter.” He glances around as I zip up the last of my bags. “Wow. You’re going to need to take two cars to university, aren’t you?”
We could spend the last of our summer here, but the truth is, we no longer need God Fire Academy. We don’t really belong here with the vamps and shifters.
And true to his word, my grandfather had pulled some strings. The five of us are going to college together this fall. We’ve already rented a house off-campus, and we’re going up there early so Wilder, Van, and Aiden can begin football practice. Reid likes to point out that he’ll be the one keeping me company in the stands, which the rest of them don’t really appreciate.
“Well, I might have a solution,” he says, still clicking his tongue disapprovingly. “Come on.”
He holds his arm out to me, and I slip in against his side. Together we walk down that long hallway and out onto the beautiful campus that seemed so frightening when we first came here.
Parked on the path outside of our house is a shiny, brand new red Suburban.
“Something with room enough for the five of you,” he says. “And your favorite color, right?”
I don't know what to say. He can’t really be giving me a car, can he? I don’t want to misinterpret and make things awkward, so I just stare at him.
I’m pretty sure that makes things awkward.
He laughs and holds out the keys. “Don’t make it weird, Izzy. I missed out on so much of your life. Let me spoil you a little now.”
When I hug him, he accidentally drops the keys, but we both laugh.
“Hey, you’ll always have a home here,” he promises me. “Even though the house of the gods will be empty. You and your guys are all welcome at my house any time.”
“Thank you,” I say, then suddenly worries flood me. “Oh my god, how are we going to manage Christmas? Everyone is going to want to see us.”
I’m trying to work out a schedule for visiting my hometown, seeing Reid and Aiden’s family, and his sister and her vamp clan, plus Wilder’s folks…. We might be able to skip Van’s family. They’ve been trying to get back in touch with him now that he’s leaving God Fire Academy and it looks as if he’s back on The Approved Van Wellington path. But he doesn’t want anything to do with them or his old life.
“You’ll figure it out,” he
promises. “Don’t borrow trouble before you have to, Iz. Just…enjoy the fall.”
“We will.”
In fact, life spreads in front of us, full of promise.
The guys and I pack up. While we’re in the middle of filling the Suburban’s trunk, Mercy wanders over to us. Her hands are jammed into the pockets of her tight leather pants, and her hips sway in that casually seductive way she has, as if she doesn’t even notice. Her pretty face is as blank as ever, the breeze blowing back her long, dark hair.
But I’m pretty sure Mercy is going to miss Reid.
“I’ll give you guys a moment to say goodbye,” I tell her, pushing away the faintest edge of jealousy. I know Reid is one hundred percent loyal, but Mercy is just so cool and dangerous, she makes me feel a little...less than. But she reaches out and grabs my arm.
“No, you don’t need to go,” she says. “I want to say goodbye to you too, Izzy.” Then she pulls a face. “Well, I don't really want to say goodbye.”
“See you later?” I suggest, and she smiles.
“I don’t know when,” she admits, “but sure, I’d like that. See you later.”
“Does that mean you got in?” Reid asks her. “And that you got out of here?”
She nods slowly, and he grabs her in a hug. Now I don’t feel jealousy any more, and I just grin seeing Reid shares her happiness.
“All right, all right,” she says, pushing Reid away. “I have very conflicted feelings about how sweet and cute you two are. Let’s not push it.”
But she grins at both of us. To my surprise, she hugs me too. I‘m pretty sure I can feel one of her daggers press into my side when she hugs me, but I squeeze her back anyway.
“I never really had many girl friends, Izzy,” she admits. “And I never had a guy friend like Reid who…wanted to learn from a girl. Thank you. For all of it.”
“I’m glad I got to know you, Mercy.”
She steps back, jamming her hands into her pockets, her face shuttering, and I can tell that was it for Mercy’s moment of tenderness.
“See you later,” she says, but there’s warmth in those words, and then she turns and swaggers away.
“I wonder what she's going to do now,” I ask Reid.
“Terrifying things,” Aiden cuts in. “But hopefully, we’ll see her again. And not in the news.”
We all laugh at that.
But part of me has to wonder.
As we drive off into a new life together, Mr. Time waves goodbye. I turn around, even though it’s tough squished between two of the guys in the backseat, and watch as we pull out of the school gates and out of view of Mr. Time. I’m going to miss my grandfather. It’s funny to think about how strange it was when he first appeared in my life, talking to the trickster god within me just as much as he talked to me.
As always, I also wonder how Thea is doing. She’s a constant ache in my heart. I haven’t seen her since she walked away in Aberdeenshire.
Aiden slings his arm around my shoulders and pulls me a little closer. “You look sad.”
“Just thinking,” I tell him, and I know he knows what I’m thinking about; both of us have spent a lot of time thinking about our sisters and their fates. His sister seems happy, though, and they see each other pretty often. Pretty soon, Aiden and Reid are going to be uncles, and Aiden may play it cool by nature, but I can tell he’s excited.
“She’s going to be fine,” he tells me, kissing my forehead gently. “She’s tough and smart like you. She just needed someone to show her a better way.”
“I hope so,” I say, then settle back for a while and watch the miles roll by.
I let Van drive for this leg of the journey, and as time passes, we hit the busier roads. When we reach the highway, Van really pushes the limits of how fast the Suburban can go. I’m tempted to scold him, but he looks so happy.
Wilder snaps the radio on and begins to sing along, and soon all of the guys are singing, being goofy, and even I stop worrying and sing too.
Time flies by, and we finally reach our destination when the sun is setting. Van takes us through a strangely cozy little neighborhood, not too far from the college campus we’d driven past. It’s quiet, with white picket fences and perfect lawns.
Just the kind of place I always wanted to grow up at.
He pulls into a driveway of a house that’s painted a pale blue and has white shutters. My heart thumps, filling my ears. There’s no way this is the house Van rented. This is something out of my dreams, not his. He likes modern, sleek, and privacy.
The car goes silent when he cuts the engine.
“Come on,” he says, and climbs out of the car.
We open our doors and move to stand beside him.
“What is this?” I ask.
Van shrugs. “I kind of thought we were past the whole crap house or tiny apartment stage of our lives.” Then he looks back at me, and his eyes hold mine. “You once told us about the house you imagined living in when you got older. Isn’t this…isn’t this pretty close to what you thought?”
I nod, but I can’t seem to find the words to say more.
He starts to fidget, his hands flexing and unflexing. “The guys helped me pick it out. They helped me with every detail. But I kind of bought it, not rented it. But if you hate it, we don’t have to live here.”
This has to be some kind of strange dream. “Can I see inside?”
He nods, brows going together. We walk up the porch steps and it takes him several tries to get the key in the lock and open it. But he pushes open the pale blue door, then holds back, and I walk in.
The place has furniture. Basic, but beautiful, furniture. The main room is a living room with a big sectional that’s facing a massive brick fireplace. I can see a dining room and kitchen to the right, open so that all of it feels like one big room.
“It has three bedrooms,” Wilder says.
“But one is huge,” Aiden adds.
I turn to the left and start down the hallway. Sure enough, we pass two small rooms that are set up like offices, and a guest bathroom. The last door has two doors, and I push them both open into a stunning room. It has hardwood floors, like the rest of the house, and a fluffy grey and white rug under a massive bed, that must have been custom built, because it has to be the size of two king-sized bed. On one side of the room is another fireplace and a little sitting area. The other side of the room leads into a huge master bathroom with a big tub. And the windows…they have windows seats and book shelves under them.
It is…perfect.
“We can change out anything,” Reid says, looking uneasy. “We left all the decorating kind of stuff to you and just ordered what we thought we needed.”
I finally turn and look back at my men. “This place… You guys…it’s a dream come true.”
They all seem to relax at once, and the tension in the air fades away.
“Wait,” I say, starting to smile. “Were you guys worried?”
Van clears his throat. “Nah, just, you know…”
I grin. Van is lost for words. Van is never lost for words.
I close the space between us and go up onto my tiptoes to press a kiss to his lips. His eyes brighten, and he smiles back at me.
“Should we unload the car?”
I shift back from him. “I have a better idea. Why don’t we try out this special bed?”
Aiden groans. “Don’t tempt us.”
Unable to stop myself, I bat my eyes. “What? Now that we have the perfect life we just have to be boring old adults?”
Aiden lifts a brow. “You could never be boring.”
I reach forward and run my hands down Aiden and Van’s chests. Their clothes fall to the ground. Then I do the same to Wilder and Reid. They all look shocked as they stare down at their naked bodies.
“Some of Loki’s powers are pretty darn fun,” I say, grinning.
“Damn it!” Van says, then he steps forward and lifts me into his arms.
I sense the guys following b
ehind me as he carries me to the bed and tosses me in the middle of it. I’m laughing when they start to undress me, but my laughter dies when Van leaps on top of me, then rolls so I’m on top.
He grins up at me and cups my breasts, then leans up and starts to kiss me. At first it starts slow, but then it grows harder. My lips part, and I moan as his tongue sweeps inside of me. I’m starting to move my hips and grind against his massive cock when I hear Aiden say, “He was always bad at sharing.”
I break our kiss, panting.
Van turns me around on top of him and then Aiden climbs on top of me. Suddenly, Van’s hands close around my breasts from behind, plucking my sensitive nipples, and Aiden begins to kiss me. I feel the bed shift, and watch as Reid and Wilder join us from both sides.
Wilder slips a hand between us and begins to stroke my wet folds, and it’s like being trapped in paradise when Reid leans forward and begins to suck my neck.
“Fuck!” I moan.
These men are amazing in bed separately. But all of them together? It’s too damn much to handle.
I feel Aiden reach down between us and fully expect him to grab his cock and slip it into my eager body. Instead, I feel him lift Van’s cock and press the head of his dick into my ass.
A gasp slips from my lips.
But within a few seconds, I relax again. My men are never in a rush. When Aiden pulls back a little and allows Wilder and Reid to suck my breasts, I sigh. Van’s cock slides in deeper, inch by inch. He’s a tight fit, but not unbearable as someone continues to work my wet folds, and my nerves scream in pleasure around those damn fingers and that hard cock.
When Van reaches his hilt, he pants, “Your ass is so fucking tight.”
I reach back and stroke his hair. “Just for you.”
He shudders behind me.
“How do you want us?” Aiden asks, and I look down and see him clenching his dick.
“Inside of me,” is all I can manage.
Suddenly, Reid’s cock is pressing against my lips. I open, and he shoves deep into my mouth, making a tremor of need flow through me. He works himself in and out of my mouth, and I lie back, enjoying his salty, sweet taste. But when he pulls out all the way, Wilder is suddenly plunging his dick inside too.
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