He had a hard time keeping the frown from his face.
“We’d love to stay for a while.” Rom bowed his head and gave the slightest bit of a smile, which made Amity’s expression fairly glow with happiness and shocked the almighty hell out of Remy.
So much so, he turned to his cousin after Amity gave Rom the bottle to open then disappeared back into the kitchen.
He stared until Rom turned to glare at him.
“Why the hell are you staring at me like that?” Rom’s barely vocal growl made the hair stand up on Remy’s arms. But he wasn’t about to let Rom intimidate him.
In fact… “Are you sure you didn’t have your brain knocked loose during the fight? I think that might’ve been the fastest decision you’ve ever made.”
Remy expected Rom to totally ignore his dig, which is what he usually did. The guy just didn’t have the snark gene.
Instead, Rom scowled. “My brain works just fine. Not sure about yours yet. I’m not the one who got myself knocked out during the fight.”
Rom was steady as a rock and had absolutely no sense of humor. He definitely needed to have a stickectomy on the one shoved up his ass.
“Wow. I swear your brain is full of gears and cogs. When—”
“Here we go.” Amity slid through the doorway from the kitchen into the living area, an overburdened tray in her hands. “I didn’t know what you liked so I put on a little bit of everything. Maybe a little too much, actually. This tray is really hea—”
“Here.” Remy reached for the tray. “Let me take that for you.”
Her smile brightened the room and made Remy’s heart beat just a little faster.
“Thank you, Remy. Just set it on the table there and you two sit down. Please.”
Remy slid onto one end of the couch, hoping she and Rom would get the hint and sit there too. Amity did.
Rom, the idiot, sat on the chair across from her.
They fell silent as Amity poured the wine and he and Rom dug into the food. She’d made a huge antipasto plate with all sorts of cheeses, meats, and olives; a bowl of thick-cut potato chips; and another bowl of pesto with crackers.
He and Rom fell on the food like hungry wolves, though both of them managed to remember their table manners before they embarrassed themselves.
“Did you make this yourself?” Remy pointed to the pesto. “I’ve never tasted anything like it. It’s great.”
She smiled at him and he swore he felt the earth shift under this feet. He nearly choked on a piece of mozzarella and had to wash it down with a sip of the awesome Prosecco. The God of the Vine absolutely knew what he was doing.
“Remy, are you okay?” The concern in her tone struck a place deep inside his chest, one he thought had been hacked out long ago. It made every protective instinct he thought he’d gotten rid of rise up until it nearly choked him.
“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. Lady—”
“Please. Just Amity. Both of you. I’d really prefer that.”
He’d call her whatever she wanted to make her happy.
Did that make him a sap? At the moment, he didn’t give a fuck. He only wanted to please her. And if Rom said something stupid, he’d—
“Then we’ll call you Amity.” Rom’s tone had a note of finality that should have rubbed Remy the wrong way, but since it was basically exactly what he was thinking, he figured he’d let it go.
“So, Amity.” Remy put his arm on the back of the couch, letting his fingers graze along her nape and smiling when she shivered. He figured he might as well dive in headfirst, because Rom would take the rest of the night to ask for what they both wanted. “Would you mind if we crashed here tonight?”
***
Amity tried to temper her delighted grin but figured why bother.
Remy’s question simply meant she didn’t have to ask them to stay and possibly guilt them into it.
“I wouldn’t mind at all. If you’re sure it won’t be an imposition? I’d certainly feel safer with you both in the house.”
“Not a problem,” Rom said. “And since we’ve got some time, why don’t you tell us a little more about this situation with Charun. What’s it gonna take to get him off your back?”
Her heart gave a little extra thump at Rom’s oh-so-serious gaze. He was worried about her. How sweet was that? “Short of me getting rid of what he wants, I don’t think there’s going to be any foolproof way to do that.”
“You said he’s done this before. With whom?” Remy asked. “And how did they get him off their back?”
Amity sighed, unsure how much she should tell them.
Two Etruscan goddesses had already given up their powers. What would they think of that? Not many people in their relatively small community knew what was happening. And that was probably a good thing.
If the Etruscan people realized what was going on, would they lose faith in the entire pantheon?
Hadn’t they already?
Such a depressing thought, one she really didn’t want to dwell on.
“Amity.” Remy reached for her hand, which she hadn’t realized she’d clenched into a fist on her knee.
His hand felt so warm, so comforting, she wanted to grab hold and never let go.
“Thesan gave up most of her powers and Lusna has… passed hers on.”
For a second, both men looked confused. Then, as realization struck, the exact same expression of stunned disbelief settled on their faces.
“You can do that?” Rom said.
She nodded. “Apparently so.”
Remy opened his mouth then shut it before finally asking, “Why? How?”
And now it got tricky. “Tessa did it for love. Lucy…”
“Lucy what?” Rom’s gaze narrowed even more.
“Lucy had another choice.”
Remy opened his mouth to ask another question she really shouldn’t answer, but from the corner of her eye, she saw Rom shake his head, just once.
And Remy shut his mouth. But not before he gave Rom a glare sharp enough to cut glass.
“Okay.” Rom’s voice had fallen into a low, steady tone, as if he were gentling her. “That’s fine. So what are your choices?”
Good question. The entire situation felt surreal, like she’d come into a movie midway through and suddenly found herself the subject of it.
“I honestly don’t know. Tessa and Lucy had extenuating circumstances.” Namely, they’d fallen in love for the first time in their very long lives and had had something more to live for than being Forgotten Goddesses.
Amity didn’t have that choice.
“Well, I know I won’t be giving up my powers.” She stared straight into Rom’s eyes so he could see her conviction. “I use them on a daily basis as part of my job. I am damn proud of what I do. And I enjoy helping people.”
Not to mention her job had saved her sanity. There had been a few deities who’d run amok when the burden of everlasting life became more than they could handle.
She’d had to deal with that herself, at least on a smaller scale. Several centuries ago, when the world had been an even bloodier mess. The death and destruction wrought by the Malandante against the rest of the Etruscan race had been minor in comparison to what’d been going on in the rest of the world, but their methods had been particularly brutal.
She’d almost given in to despair then. Barely stopped herself from turning her powers on herself and draining the life from her body after she’d lost a young, mated silvani and fauni.
They’d been savaged by the lucani under the control of the Mal, their bodies bloodied and battered, their minds broken.
She hadn’t been powerful enough to save them. Why should she continue to give her heart and soul for those she couldn’t save? Better to simply disappear than be forced to watch the death and destruction.
“Amity. Hey, talk to us.”
She came out of those bloody memories with a deep breath, sensing both men’s visceral concern. For her.
It made her blood heat
and her heart stutter a beat. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a man care for her like this. And never two.
Or maybe she’d just never let any other man get close enough to get to that point.
She and Remy and Rom had shared so much in the past twenty-four hours, they’d slipped past all of her normal safeguards.
And for a goddess who dealt with the very real world of pain every day, who knew better than most the cost of physical and emotional pain, they’d become dangerous.
“I think… it’s been a long day.”
Rom watched her with the sharpness of the predator he held inside. He wanted to keep digging, get to the heart of what bothered her.
But the memory of having to repair their broken bodies had risen too close to the surface now.
She needed space. Just a little. Time to think. A little space to breathe without their combined scents making her brain hazy.
She was being selfish in allowing them to stay, knowing Charun would come for her again. But she didn’t want them to leave, either.
Damn it, she needed a plan to deal with Charun. Before Remy and Rom came up with one she’d be tempted to allow them to put into action. To put themselves in more danger because of her.
At least for tonight, she thought they’d be safe with her. She didn’t think Charun would send another demon so soon.
A little alone time would not be out of line here.
“If you both don’t mind, I’m going to take a hot bath. The house has been warded against unauthorized intrusion, though I’m sure you know those spells won’t work against deities. But since Charun is still locked in Aitás, I don’t think I have more to fear from him tonight.”
She hoped.
“And I have some paperwork to catch up on before I return to work tomorrow.”
The men exchanged a glance she could read, even though their expressions never changed.
“Yes, I will be going to work. I will not allow Charun to affect that. And I have so much lovely energy now, thanks to both of you.”
As a distraction, it worked for several seconds. At least until they figured that’s exactly what she’d intended.
But by that time, she’d turned and was headed toward the steps to the second floor. “There’s a guest bedroom on the second floor to the left as you come up the stairs,” she called over her shoulder. “There’s another, smaller guest room off the kitchen. Please make yourselves at home.”
Her feet felt like they had lead weights attached to them as she trudged up the narrow flight of stairs at the back of the living room.
She hadn’t been kidding about the hot bath. She wanted to soak for hours. Sure, she wished she’d have some company to wash her back. But she also knew she needed to talk to someone with more intimate knowledge of what was going on.
As she ran the water, she used the old-fashioned landline phone in her bedroom to make a call. The line was magically warded, enchanted, and connected a select network of homes and businesses.
The female operator with the incongruous name of Phil agreed to put the call through. She must have been in a good mood because she didn’t give Amity grief over the time.
The phone clicked several times before the line connected.
“Hey, sorry it’s so late, but we need to talk.”
There was a pause on the other end before Kari answered. “I sensed something had happened last night and I tried to reach you, but you didn’t respond. I was worried. He’s come after you.”
Not a question. Amity had figured her twin would realize what had happened. They were connected by such a strong thread of fate.
“Last night,” Amity continued. “A tukhulkha demon came for me outside the hospital. I had… unexpected champions come to my rescue when I was attacked.”
“Champions?”
“Yes, I’ll get to them in a minute. Of bigger concern right now is that I also had a dream visit from the man himself.”
“Charun contacted you personally?” Surprise sounded loud and clear in Kari’s voice. “How did he manage that?”
“He told me he had help from Hinthial.”
“No.” Kari’s answer was firm and clear. “She wouldn’t.”
“I agree. Then you know what that means.”
Another pause. “We need to talk to Sal.”
“Yes, we do. But we’ll have to meet here. I’m afraid if I leave the safety of my wards, I’ll alert Charun.”
“No problem. I’ll contact Sal and have him meet me at your place.”
“Why don’t you have Sal transport you here, Kari?”
Kari’s bright laugh eased something inside Amity. “Always the worrier. Charun’s not after me, sister. At least not yet. But to put your mind at ease, I’ll contact Sal. Haven’t seen the horny little devil in a while. It’ll give us a chance to catch up. Now, about these champions…”
“You’ll meet them soon enough, Kari. They’ve agreed to stay with me tonight.”
Amity sensed Kari’s surprise. “Well then, I’ll be right over.”
Chapter 10
Remy and Rom shot Rock-Paper-Scissors to decide who went back to the house to get their gear.
Rom lost because Remy had long ago learned how his cousin thought. Brute force, all the time. Rom didn’t hold much stock in subtlety or trickery.
Those tactics had their times and places.
Not that Remy played dirty to win. He just couldn’t help knowing what Rom was going to throw before he threw it.
Of course, Rom might’ve lost because he didn’t want Remy to leave the relative safety of Amity’s home. In which case, Rom had played him.
Remy’s face screwed up in a frown as he lost all interest in the repeat of The Waltons he was watching.
“Huh. That sneaky bas—”
“Remy, we’re about to have guests.”
Whipping his head around, he saw Amity standing at the bottom of the stairs.
She looked somewhat more relaxed than she had before she’d gone up for her bath. Her cheeks were flushed pink, her hair sat in a high ponytail and the form-fitting T-shirt and tight black yoga pants made his mouth hang open.
Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.
When the hell—
“Wait. What did you just say?”
“I said we’re going to have visitors in a few minutes. Is Rom here?”
“No, he went back to the house to get our stuff.” He hopped off the couch and started toward her, trying to figure out how to tell a goddess there was no way in hell he was letting anyone enter her house.
“Amity, I’m not sure that’s such a good idea.”
“Then I guess it’s a good thing this isn’t your house.”
The male voice coming from behind him made Remy spin on his heel, his hand reaching for the pugio concealed in his pants pocket. The short Italian blade was perfectly weighted for his hand and lethal.
Shock stopped him from releasing the knife.
“Holy shit.”
Goat legs. The guy had goat legs. And little black horns on top of his perfectly human head. As a matter of fact, the guy looked totally human from the waist up. Except for those horns sticking out of the glossy black curls.
He looked to be in his late thirties. Definitely of Etruscan descent.
“Son,” the guy’s voice sound totally human with a thick New York accent, “trust me when I say you don’t want to throw that at me. You’ll miss and you won’t see it coming when I toss it back.”
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Amity rush by, headed for the woman at the guy’s side. The woman who looked almost exactly like her. So close, in fact, they had to be twins.
Another goddess. Crap. Remy dropped into a belated bow as the women embraced, his stunned brain sifting through decades-old lessons from his mother.
Who the hell was she?
“This one doesn’t seem too bright now, does he?” The male’s voice held laughter. “That’s okay, kid. You’ve had a hard day, haven’t y
ou?”
Remy bit back the obscenity-laden response on the tip of his tongue. At least some part of his brain still worked.
“Sal, don’t hassle the boy.” The new goddess gave him the once-over. “Uni’s ass, Amity. Where’d you find him?”
“This is one of the champions I was telling you about. Kari, this is Remy. Remy, this is my sister, Kari.”
He nodded, surprised he didn’t hear his brain rattle.
“And I’m Sal.” The goat man’s hooves made little snicks across the wooden floor; the sound was surreal. “What’s your last name, kid?”
Long-ingrained caution made Remy hesitate until finally Sal’s eyebrows lifted. “Well, isn’t that interesting.”
Salbinelli. The connection finally clicked in Remy’s head. He remembered his mom teaching him about the Fata races as a child. The Fata were the elemental beings of the Etruscan races, descended from the three elemental races—the woodland silvani, the water-loving aguane, and the animal guardians, the fauni.
Remy had never met one of the Fata. They were like the eteri’s unicorns or dragons. Sure, they might actually exist, but no one had ever seen one in person.
“Are you really…”
Sal rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. I’m salbinelli. Don’t feed the animals, kid, unless you want your fingers bitten off. Now, Amity, why don’t you tell me why I’m sensing off-the-chart power from you. And why he’s got way too much of the wrong kind of magic for a lucani.”
Remy’s gaze skipped to Amity, whose expression held an apology.
Shit. Rom was going to have a heart attack. This was exactly what they’d been trying to avoid for years.
Remy swore he felt a noose tightening around his neck.
“Whoa, kid.” The salbinelli held his hand in the air, palms up. “Hey, I’m not gonna turn you over to the police for murder. But now I gotta know. What the hell’s going on?”
Definitely the end of the line for his and Rom’s anonymity.
“Sal.” Amity moved to Remy’s side, as if to lend him her support. “Maybe we should all take a seat before we start getting into particulars.”
Sal snorted. “I’ve got most of them figured out already.” He pointed at Amity. “You’re Charun’s latest target. And you had sex with him.” He pointed at Remy. “Which made you light up like an overdecorated Christmas tree. You called her,” he pointed at Kari, “because you’re worried she’s going to attract the same attention you’re getting from Charun. How’m I doing so far?”
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