Tied In Knots (Immortals Book 7)

by LJ Vickery

  “You mean Tess, Lenore, Candy…”

  “That’s right, all goddesses.”

  She let that one go as heads turned. Waylon and five very buff, very blue, and very naked men approached. It would be interesting to see how Obedience explained them to the rest of her guests.

  Before they could speak, and as Charlie clinically examined the group’s interesting blue dangly bits, Dorian dropped a bomb. “Oh. And the bad goddess Beletseri you need to watch out for? Apparently, she’s already made a try for you. She pretended to be your friend, Teri.”

  Charlie felt the color drain from her face. “Oh shit,” she exclaimed and bolted upright. “I called her.” She looked at her cousin. “I told her where I am. Thirty-five minutes ago. Are we screwed?” she asked Dorian. “How long does it take for an immortal to get from Boston to Los Gatos?”

  “About thirty-five minutes,” Waylon Blau interrupted. He hadn’t even taken time to introduce himself. He scooped a willing Maity from the sandbox, while his men surrounded the rest of them. “Though I’m not equipped to sense a goddess like the Blue Hills gods, so I don’t know if she’s actually present, her demons are within seconds of us. Let’s move.”

  They ran for the cover of the clubhouse, with Charlie praying that Beletseri ran late. And that whatever demons were, they were waiting for orders before they attacked. She worried about the humans left outside. But when she asked, she was assured by Dorian that the other-worldly invaders weren’t interested in procuring anyone but Charlie. How comforting.

  Once inside the lodge, she watched as Dorian and Obedience cast what looked to be spells in every corner of the building, over their heads, and under their feet, all the while complaining that they weren’t sure if or for how long they would hold against the powerful goddess.

  “I’ve been on headspeak with Marduk,” Waylon informed them all. “He and his crew are in the air somewhere over the United States. Now, I will contact those in LA.”

  A blank look came over the king’s face, and one of his blue troops translated for the group as communication must have hit the king’s cranium.

  “King Waylon is telling them that the Chosen’s location has been compromised. That we have approximately twenty demons surrounding the property. And that we need backup. Fast.”

  The blue translator continued, “Marduk’s voice has responded to King Waylon again. His ETA is twenty minutes. In LA, Absu speaks for the group, informing that he, Candy, Enlil, and Ishkur will be here in less than five minutes. The human agents will head out as well but by car, and they will be five hours behind. Ah, wait,” he held a hand to his forehead. “Someone named Ken has told Absu to make that two and a half. They have a couple of jetted helicopters at their disposal and will arrive at the nearest open space to us.”

  “Well, good.” Dorian rubbed his hands together as if relishing a good fight. “The cavalry is coming to even up the odds.” He sent a glance to Bee-Dee. “Unfortunately, we will have to drop our spells for the gods when they approach. It could be tricky.”

  Blue-man spoke again, “The god, Absu, is asking if the warlock, with the help of one of us, will ascertain where there is a weakness in the demon lines so that they might sneak in undetected.”

  Charlie watched, open mouthed, as Dorian grabbed a blue man and disappeared. No smoke, no fire. Just poof. Gone for a few seconds, before he popped back in, speaking immediately. “At the moment, your friend says there is a significant gap in their defenses where the road enters to the south. They seem to be avoiding the more open space. And the majority are beginning to become corporeal. Relay that and give us a countdown to arrival so we can lower the barriers.”

  “Done.” The translator nodded. “Gods arriving in twenty, nineteen, eighteen…” Blue-guy counted down as the king obviously continued to monitor the situation.

  Waylon waited until the count reached four before he gave orders to Dorian. “Blow the lid. They’re on us.”

  “Opened,” Dorian snapped, “Aaand…closed.”

  Candy and Enlil appeared.

  Enlil swore. “Shit. Absu and Ishkur are caught outside your shields. They became embodied as soon as we got within a hundred yards of Charlie. Fucking stupid thing to forget.” He ran for the windows where Charlie stood, heart in her throat, witnessing the pair limping up the driveway on the wrong side of safety.

  She tamped down the scream that threatened to emerge, and instead alerted the immortals to danger. “Hideous things are heading straight for them.” She stabbed her hand toward the two men she’d come to love. Dammit. Now was when her brain told her she loved Absu? She stifled a hysterical laugh. Well, what did she expect pairing up with a shape-shifting god? No candlelight dinner reveals for her. She turned to Dorian, who at the moment concentrated fully on the pair.

  “It looks like we have about a ten-second window to get them in. Hold on,” he chanted. “Hold on. Okay, now. Shields open.” His nostrils flared, and Charlie watched, nails curled into her palms as she was unable to see the magic that was or was not being performed.

  “Shields closed.” Dorian punched a triumphant fist into the air, and Charlie nearly went to her knees with relief. As she watched, demons bounced off the resurrected barrier before hovering, angrily within sight, but Absu and Ishkur hobbled into the building, safe and sound.

  Absu’s eyes traveled immediately to Charlie and he gave a growl. “I want to hug you and spank you all at the same time,” he bristled, taking a step toward her.

  And oh, didn’t her lady parts clench up at that thought. She licked her lips. Absu looked more foreboding and dangerous than she’d ever seen him. And what an enormous turn-on. She knew he meant her to be scared by his angry visage, but she had him figured out. He wouldn’t really hurt her…or at least not beyond her wildest fantasies.

  “We, umm, should deal with all of that later,” she told him gruffly, biting her bottom lip unconsciously. “I don’t want to distract you from dealing with those…those things out there.”

  He stopped his approach, and thankfully, backed off.

  Standing next to Enlil at the window, she turned back to watch as the demons circled, then became invisible. Candy groaned from directly behind her. “Great, an army of puffy ghost-looking ghouls with pointy teeth, and now they’re invisible.” She huffed. “And they have poisonous gas breath too. Why couldn’t it have been the yellow chicken ones? They’re easier to dispatch.” She shrugged. “And doesn’t it figure?” She waved an arm toward the cabins out the back windows. “We’re camping. The chicken demons would have made a tasty, after-battle barbecue.”

  Charlie swallowed down an “eww.” That was just gross. Clearly, she had a lot to learn before becoming a goddess.

  “Not to worry.” King Waylon turned to comfort Charlie. “We immortals ‘see’ the invisible Hell spawn just fine, so you will be protected. And there are many of us milling about at the moment.”

  Enlil turned from the window. “Uh, speak for yourself, king. Gods are as visually challenged where the nasty flying creatures are concerned as humans. We don’t see them.”

  “Neither do witches and warlocks,” Dorian confirmed.

  “You don’t?” The king barked out, a frown creasing his brow. “Then…”

  Enlil’s snort of disgust stopped him from saying anything further. The wind god had gotten an eyeful of naked, dangling, blue participles.

  “Waylon. What the hell have you done with your clothes?” Enlil groaned. “Did I really need to see a blue dick before my life comes to an end? Shit. I may be scarred for eternity.” He looked over at Candy, who didn’t seem to be having any such qualms, and growled.

  “And…what the hell? The rest of you are naked too?” He covered his eyes with one hand as if to block the view.

  “Enlil. It’s okay.” Bee-Dee went forward. “I’m Obedience Trungle.” She peeled Enlil’s hand off his face. “I’m the owner of this nudist camp.”

  Enlil blinked. His eyes turned thoughtful. Then his face chang
ed from anguished to amused in a split second. “Obedience Trungle.” He winked over at his wife before turning back to Bee-Dee. “You’re the one who told us from the scrying bowl to give Kulla a shout-out. Highly entertaining bit of business that was. So, hello to you.” He bent over her hand to kiss it, and his big-ass smirk got an answering one from his wife.

  Charlie couldn’t figure out what that all meant. But what the god wasn’t saying lay heavily in the room.

  Bee-Dee, however, seemed well aware of the reason behind his amusement and narrowed her eyes. “Yeah. I’ve heard of you too,” she snarked. “But that’s not what we’re dealing with right now. Got it?”

  “Just so you know.” He snickered. “It’s probably part of what we’ll be dealing with,” he glanced at the clock on the wall, “in about fifteen minutes.”

  “Not if I can help it,” the witch mumbled under her breath, but for everyone to hear.

  Enlil actually rubbed his hands together. “It’s too bad demons need to be dispatched first. I love a good what-the-fuck reveal.”

  “Enlil. Please pay attention. Is your evil goddess outside?” Waylon turned everyone’s attention back to the enemy, asking the question foremost on Charlie’s mind as well. The blue king, when he’d arrived, had said he could sense demons and their positions, but would be unable to feel a goddess’s energy.

  “Unfortunately, we can’t tell,” Candy answered. “Normally, all god energy is detectable by other gods, but Bel wears a protective girdle or a necklace made of a special ore that cloaks her from our internal radar.”

  While she spoke, Charlie noted that Candy took another long look at the Lauernley men, especially the squat bald one who stood with his back to the door in a protective stance with his legs spread. “Nice grouping,” she remarked candidly.

  Enlil growled.

  “No need for jealousy, pumpkin.” She stepped closer to the blue guy. “I’m just taking a good look, trying to figure something out. These guys are weirdly familiar.” She tapped her bottom lip, speculating. “Where’s your life essence?” she asked. And whatever the hell that was, Charlie thought it certainly got everyone’s attention.

  “Candy.” Enlil cleared his throat. “Not PC.” He shot an apologetic look to the blue king, but as expected, Candy ignored him.

  “Is it here?” She pointed on her own body. “Deep in your belly?”

  Waylon approached her with a dangerous look on his face. “Why do you want to know?”

  Candy, far from backing down from his aggressive stance, stepped right up to the king and poked a finger in his chest. When his men would have moved in to aid their sovereign, Enlil gave a warning, bovine sounding snort. Huh, Charlie thought. Could Enlil’s alter ego be a bull?

  “Because I think I know some folks who are related to you,” Candy revealed, snapping her fingers in a sudden ah-hah moment.

  A big “duh” burst from all the gods’ mouths at once. Apparently, they’d figured the something out too.

  “The glowies.” Absu hit his forehead. “Why didn’t we see it before?”

  Now Waylon and his people looked as confused as Charlie felt.

  “What is a glowie?” the king asked.

  Candy took it upon herself to explain. “They’re a group of beings who live in the Underworld, and I think you’re going to be very interested to meet them.” She gave his chest a pat this time. “They were brought there thousands of years ago because they have a unique ability to locate a certain ore. Perhaps you’ve heard some folklore about them?”

  A dawning look passed among the six.

  “I thought so.” Candy preened, clearly patting herself on the back. “You can reward me later,” she told Enlil, whose eyes lit up at the suggestion.

  “This ore of which you speak,” the king interjected. “Is it the same one the goddess wears to cloak herself?”

  Candy nodded, while every blue being turned to the windows to concentrate on the sky. “Why?”

  “Because if it’s the type I think it is, we are also able to track it.” Waylon scoured the clouds overhead.

  “Whether you can or not,” Candy whistled lowly, “that’s a fantastic queue of asses I’m seeing.”

  Charlie silently agreed, but Candy’s mouth couldn’t be stopped as she stared at the taut muscles on display. “I think you should strip down and join the conga line, baby,” she told her husband.

  Enlil shot her a look that said he wasn’t going to bare his backside, but that hers might get some treatment later for her cheeky ways. Charlie felt their interaction all the way to her own suddenly damp cleft. From across the room, Absu gave her a smoldering look. How did he know that comment had sparked her engines? Had someone told him?

  “We don’t feel her.” Waylon, ever the professional, dismissed the smut-fest and drew attention back to the problem at hand, conferring with his men. “But now that we know of the ore, we will be able to detect this Beletseri’s belt. We will take turns monitoring for the substance.”

  He’d set the first of his men to the task, when Enlil let the group know that the Blue Hills contingency was mere minutes away, giving continual updates to Charlie and the witches who couldn’t hear head talk.

  “They are making good time. No sign of any problems yet, and…What the fuck? Kulla has just disappeared from sight. Wait. I’m getting his voice too. He seems confused. He’s asking Marduk where the group went.”

  Enlil’s mouth went slack. “Marduk’s telling Kulla that he’s the one who stopped dead in the air and disappeared.” Enlil’s brows drew together. “What kind of treachery is this? The group is no more than a mile from our position.”

  “Exactly a mile,” Bee-Dee stepped forward and spoke. Her lips quivered, but Charlie saw her force them together in a stern line. “And it’s not treachery. It’s a centuries-old protection spell.”

  “Explain, cousin,” Dorian commanded, instantly more elder than relative.

  “I wove it myself as a charm against Kulla. To keep him away from me.” She drew herself up and suddenly looked very witchy. “If I’m not mistaken, I am his Chosen. And I’ll participate in a ceremony to save all the gods and goddesses, but I never want to see his face again.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Beletseri was in full pissed-off-bitch mode. So the gods believed they were so smart. Wait until they got a belly full of her latest plan. Wouldn’t that just tick them off? She’d followed the Blue Hills gods at a discreet distance for most of their trip, puzzled only once when one of them peeled off a mile from their destination. But she continued trailing the main group that approached the lodge at god speed.

  Give them a good welcome, Beletseri told her minions. But make sure they all get through. I need them all in that abode and confined. As soon as they were safely tucked away in the camp office, she would make her presence known, put her plan into play, and all hell would break loose. Her demons knew what to do. All of them.

  ****

  Absu bided his time. Charlie was purposely avoiding him, and he’d let her. For now. Oh yes, he’d gotten an earful from Marduk, the ladies, and pretty much everyone in the compound before he’d left. His head had never been buzzed so much in all his years as a god. Some of his friends taunted, some commiserated, but all agreed he needed to step up to the bat and play…not so nicely. The Dom side of him, so long denied, sat up and crowed. He’d play all right. But by his own rules. Charlie was in for a huge surprise. And didn’t that just make his cock swell to god-like proportions.

  He forcibly tamped down his desires and sent his mind outward to feel Marduk and the group speeding toward safety. It was disconcerting that the gods couldn’t see demons, but thanks to Waylon, everyone knew they were there. The incoming immortals would have to be extremely careful.

  Waylon. We’re coming in blind, Marduk called out. If it looks like we’re getting into trouble, send out reinforcements.

  The Lauernley king’s eyes were vigilant at the window. You’ve just come into sight, Marduk, and o
ne of the Hell spawn is heading right for you. To your left, he warned, then in staccato, he began barking orders. Dagon, on your right. Ninurta, directly underneath. All of you…veer left, hard left. There looks to be a gap you can slip through. Head straight toward us. I’ll have Dorian lower the shields right…now.

  The gods materialized, and Marduk fell hard to his knees, bleeding profusely from a claw swipe to his ribs. “Fuck. That hurts,” he hissed.

  Bee-Dee grabbed a tablecloth off the nearest table, and crouched by the god on the floor.

  “Can you stand?” she asked, ripping strips from the cotton. “I’ll give it a quick wrap, and…You heal quickly, am I right?”

  The claw marks, though plentiful, were not deep, as Absu discovered when he knelt down next to Marduk and got a good look.

  “He does,” Absu confirmed. “And it’s not bad,” he gave the thunder god’s arm a tap. “Cinch him up, Obedience. He’ll be as good as new in no time.”

  Absu held back a laugh as Marduk got his first look at Bee-Dee. His mouth dropped open as he gazed at the little redhead, naked and shapely, ready to bandage him up.

  “Hell, yes.” Marduk snorted, forgetting his wound for a moment. “Kulla is one lucky bastard,” he stated. “You’re Obedience.”

  Absu could see he attempted to avert his eyes from the bare ass that hovered as Bee-Dee bent over to wrap him up.

  “I am. And I take it you passed on my address to Kulla, who has just now figured out that he’s not welcome here.”

  As appealing as the little witch was, the group needed to be concerned for their friend, and Absu thanked the gods that Marduk didn’t shirk his boss-man responsibilities.

  “Obedience, you need to drop your spell and let Kulla enter,” Marduk demanded with a slight roll of thunder that showed his agitation. “He’s not safe out there.”

  Bee-Dee worried her lip as her head came up to face the angry god. “Then order him away.” She stuck her tiny, pointy nose up in the air. “I told you not to let him come.”

  “As if I could have stopped him,” Marduk scoffed. “Listen. I’ll send him home, but you’re not off the hook,” he warned ominously. “We’ll be discussing this later.”