Pride Before A Fall (Book 21 in the Godhunter Series)

by Amy Sumida

  “If you continue to attack the Fomorians, I will be forced to use everything I have to stop you,” Lugh declared. “Ethniu is my mother, and I have just begun to get to know her. I will not let you hurt her or my people. I've been too long on the wrong side of this war.”

  “So be it,” Bodb said with resignation. “I do not wish for war between us, High Prince, but I fight for family, as do you. Dagda must be avenged.”

  “So must Nuada,” Aengus added.

  “It was a war,” I said. “Do deaths that happen during war require vengeance? That seems wrong to me.”

  “He was my father, Godhunter,” Bodb said. “If your father was killed in a war, wouldn't you want vengeance against those who killed him?”

  “No,” I said immediately. “I'd want his death to mean something bigger than vengeance, to bring something better out of me than violence. War is not a personal thing, and should not be avenged as if it were.”

  “You are obviously not a Celt,” Bodb huffed. Then he turned to Finn. “It was good to see you, Fiachra. Are your siblings well?”

  “Yes, we're all much happier now that Aoife is dead,” Finn said.

  “Aoife is dead?” Bodb's blue eyes went round. “How did you even find her? I thought she fled to Faerie.”

  “Vervain found her for me.” Finn nodded to me. “V even tricked Aoife out of Faerie so that we could confront her.”

  “So, you do understand vengeance.” Bodb smirked at me. “Of course you do, you're the Godhunter.”

  “That woman hurt innocent children,” I argued. “Aoife was not a soldier participating in a war. And I never said that I didn't believe in vengeance. I said that I wouldn't seek vengeance for a death that occurred in the middle of a battle.”

  “God wars are not like their human cousins,” Aengus said. “We do not fight under orders alone. Gods participate because they want to. Every Fomorian chose to be on that battlefield, they fought under their own compulsion, and whoever it was who killed Nuada and our father, they did so because they wanted them dead. It was a deliberate violence, not a casualty.”

  “Because we put them in an undersea prison,” Lugh snapped. “This has become an endless circle. Let this go, Bodb. Go take your place as king and lead your people to new home. Start fresh and stop the bloodshed.”

  “I cannot,” Bodb said with the tiniest trace of regret. “You should know that already, Lugh. We Celts do not simply let our grievances go. I will claim my crown, and then I will lead my people. But it will not be to a new home. I'll lead them against the Fomorians, and take back the home that was stolen from us. And this time, the Tuatha dé Danann will triumph. Once and for all.”

  Bodb squeezed Finn's shoulder affectionately before he strode out of Moonshine with Aengus.

  “The Celts sure do like birds,” I noted, and everyone stared at me morosely. “Oh come on,” I huffed. “Crows, sparrows–”

  “They're starlings,” Finn interrupted.

  “What's that?” I asked.

  “Aengus's flock; they're starlings.”

  “A murmuration,” I corrected.

  “What?”

  “A flock of starlings is called a murmuration, Swan-Boy,” I said smugly. “If you're gonna correct me, do it correctly.”

  “Yeah, all right; you win.” Finn grimaced. “We like birds.”

  Chapter Thirty

  “So, does that make Dagda your great grandfather?” I asked Finn as we exited the tracing chamber at Pride Palace.

  “No. Bodb isn't my grandfather by blood,” Finn explained. “He helped to raise my mother, so I give him the title out of respect.”

  “Ah, okay.” I processed that. “And the bird brothers; were they in Bermuda this whole time? I mean, I get it; if you're a bird, there's no better place than somewhere tropical, but did they just nest out there and forget about the rest of the flock? Did they never check in with their pantheon?”

  “They went out into the Human Realm awhile back,” Finn said. “Bodb got into a lot of fights with Dagda over the way he led the Tuatha dé Danann. Bodb is an honorable guy, so he decided it was best to remove himself from court and its politics. Aengus just wanted some adventure, so he went with Bodb. I don't blame them; I hate court too.”

  “Jiminy Cricket!” I exclaimed. “You're a Tuatha dé Danann!”

  “That's right.” Finn chuckled. “Though I never took part in all of their shenanigans. Just like Aengus said, every god fighting in the Celtic wars wants to be there. They all have a choice. I chose to fight on behalf of humans instead. I don't have time to waste on petty squabbles like theirs.”

  “Smart man,” Lugh huffed.

  “What are you going to do, Lugh?” Trevor asked him.

  “I suppose I'll have to warn my mother.” Lugh sighed.

  “If you can get Ethniu to opt out of the war as Finn has, you could take her back to Faerie with you,” I suggested.

  “V!” Lugh exclaimed. “You're brilliant! That never even occurred to me.”

  “I'm sure that King Cian would be fine with it,” I went on. “If he isn't, though, you can either take her to stay with us in the Fire Kingdom or bring her back here to Pride Palace. She'd be welcome in either place.”

  “Vervain.” Lugh hugged me. “Even after the way I abused our friendship, you're still here for me.”

  “Forgiveness is divine.” I patted his back. “Go see to your mother; we're just waiting on information here, anyway.”

  “No, we're not,” Odin declared as he came out of the dining hall. “I've been waiting for you to return. We've found the spell that we believe Sekhmet used to hide herself and Lesya. We've also found the spell to break it.”

  I didn't say anything, just went over to my husband and hugged him tightly.

  “Maybe I should stay,” Lugh offered.

  “No”–I looked up from Odin's shoulder–“go, Lugh. We have plenty of people here to help us. Go and make sure that your mother is safe. Who knows when Bodb will choose to strike again.”

  “Thanks, V. I'll return after I've seen to my mother,” Lugh promised and headed toward the tracing room.

  “Show me the spell,” I said to Odin.

  Odin smiled triumphantly, and we all followed him back into the dining hall. My sons and Re were seated at the ridiculously long table, but they were at our end of the hall. A papyrus scroll was spread out before them. Re peered at it intensely, but he looked up as soon as we entered the room.

  “Mom, we got it!” Vali declared with grim satisfaction. “We found the spell Sekhmet used!”

  Vidar, the Silent One, just nodded smugly.

  “Yes, your father told me.” I gave them both a smile.

  “Hello, La-la,” Re said softly.

  “Hello, yourself, Sunshine,” I said back. “How intricate is the spell?”

  “Not very.” Re shook his head. “It's all about intent and the proper words, as with most god magic. It looks as if Sekhmet twisted the original a little, so we've had to twist the counter-spell to match. Still, it should be fine.”

  “We have nothing to lose,” I pointed out. “Where is it?”

  “Here,” Re handed me a scrap of paper with the spell notated on it with an English translation beneath it so that I'd know the meaning of what I chanted–which helped with magic. “Chant it with intent, Vervain. See your daughter and envision a wall around her vanishing.”

  “I got this.” I read the words. Such simple sounds that would hopefully bring my daughter back to me. “Tbbo lxhm paxre mrre melit,” I chanted. “Tbbo lxhm paxre mrre melit.” I repeated it over and over, my body starting to sway with the waves of magic building around me. “Tbbo lxhm paxre mrre melit.” Purify the lion's roar and heal the bond of love; it was both poetic and perfect. I pictured Lesya in my mind, and heard her call out for me. “Tbbo lxhm paxre mrre melit.” I pushed the spell out from myself and felt it hit its mark. Something shimmered within me, and I gasped as Lesya's link came sparkling back to life. I saw her face clearly
for a brief second, and then I knew where she was. “I have her!” I shouted.

  I ran for the tracing room. Kirill was beside me in a heartbeat, a growl starting low in his throat. I took his hand, and he reached out behind him. Trevor took Kirill's other hand, and a chain began to grow. I don't know how far back it stretched because none of the gods said another word. We were all of one mind, one intent: get to Lesya. I pulled that chain of gods through the Aether with me, following the cord that was blindingly bright in my mind's eye.

  We stepped out of the Aether onto a smooth driveway. Before us was an intricate iron gate, and through its bars, I could see a driveway meandering up to a sprawling Italian villa. The home soared up two stories, with Roman columns supporting sweeping arches, and thick vines artfully adorning the corners. A roundabout driveway in front of the villa had a grand fountain in its circular center. I couldn't tell what sort of statue was spouting water from its mouth, but it looked graceful from where I stood. Two cars sat in the drive; one black and one red, both were sporty and expensive. Sekhmet knew how to hide out in style.

  “What the hell is this?” Re glowered at the decadent display.

  “Italy,” Torrent said. “That's a classic example of a Roman villa.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Internet,” Re growled. “What I meant was: Why is my daughter in there?”

  “The question you should be asking is: Why is my daughter in there?” I corrected him.

  “We know why, Vervain,” Re said. “And we're going to rectify this–immediately.”

  Re stepped forward and put his hand on the gate with a furious movement. He was blasted onto his butt with a shocking display of sparking magic. Re stared up at us from the asphalt, blinking his golden eyes in horrified shock. Re was the source of Sekhmet's magic, so he'd basically been bitch-slapped by his own energy.

  I glared at the gate, then turned to Torrent.

  “Got it, V.” Torrent smirked at Re, then worked his unmaking magic on the ward protecting Sekhmet's gate. “Done. The ward is dead.”

  Torrent pushed the gate open, then offered Re a hand up.

  “Come on, Sun God,” Torrent said. “I got you too.”

  “Thank you,” Re said stiffly.

  But I didn't have time for bruised egos. I started running for the villa, shifting into my half-dragon form as I went. Kirill burst free of his human body and ran beside me as a black lion. We were both making snarling sounds, but as we barreled through the front door, they turned into roars. I could feel Lesya. She was so close.

  I ran up a staircase and then down a hallway, my clawed feet scratching runnels into the stone. Then someone stepped into my path–Ptah. I didn't pause for a single second. Kirill and I tore into Ptah like he was tissue paper. The guy didn't even have a chance to scream. One second, Ptah was lifting his hands, preparing to blast us with that stupid scepter of his, and the next, he was in pieces on the marble floor, his scepter rolling away from his outstretched hand. I shredded his chest into ribbons in an effort to reach his heart, but Kirill had chosen the simpler route. He took Ptah's head off with one swipe of his massive paw. I threw Ptah's evil heart onto the floor beside his precious scepter as the rest of the Squad caught up to us.

  “Fuck me,” Re whispered as he stared from the carnage on the floor to me. “Vervain. Remember what you promised me. Sekhmet is mine to deal with.”

  “Unless she attacks me,” I growled.

  But Kirill was already gone.

  The sounds of a vicious battle carried down the hallway to us. Re cursed, and I ran. Everyone ran, in fact. We came out into an airy room. Tall windows were open to the breeze. A giant bed was covered in thick comforters, all tones of cream. There was a fireplace across from the bed with a gorgeous carved mantel, and thick rugs on the floor–already stained with blood.

  Kirill had Sekhmet, who was also in her lion form, on one of those rugs, his mouth around her throat. But then she twisted, throwing him off. He tumbled but sprang back instantly, and the roars turned into snarling grunts. Whines and whimpers featured in this battle ballad too; all from Sekhmet. Kirill was more enraged than I'd ever seen him, his blue eyes flashing sapphire, his lips lifting over menacing fangs. But Sekhmet was like a lioness possessed; the whites of her eyes showing as she reared back to claw at Kirill. It was the most epic cat fight I've ever seen.

  And it was barring me from my daughter.

  The was a bassinet on the bed, and I could see Lesya's arms waving wildly above its edge. I cracked my neck and started forward, but Odin laid a hand on my shoulder.

  “Look,” Odin nodded to the lions.

  Kirill had already won. Sekhmet was pinned down, well and good, her neck bleeding profusely. They made a glorious picture; Kirill's midnight fur against Sekhmet's golden pelt, with the crimson wash of her blood between them. Kirill worried at the wound, but his snarls had wound down, and Sekhmet was whimpering in surrender. It had quieted enough for me to hear Lesya's cries.

  Sekhmet shifted back into human form, slipping out of Kirill's bite, but not out of his grasp. Her wounds healed with her shift, but Kirill didn't care what form she was in. He set his massive jaw back around her slim neck and set his forepaw firmly on Sekhmet's shoulder. She screamed as her clavicle cracked with a horrible, hollow sound.

  “Kirill, please!” Re stepped forward.

  Kirill growled at Re without removing his teeth from Sekhmet's throat.

  “Father, help me!” Sekhmet begged.

  I didn't have time for this bullshit. As soon as Sekhmet was subdued, I raced past them and scooped up Lesya. Lesya quieted instantly, and I shifted back into human form so I wouldn't scare her. With a satisfied sound, Lesya laid her head on my chest and stared up at me with eyes that were just a shade lighter than Kirill's. I started to sob in relief.

  “I told you that I was coming,” I whispered to her. “Mama's got you now, and I'm never letting anything bad happen to you again.”

  I stroked her soft, ebony hair and simply enjoyed holding my daughter for the very first time. In the background, I heard Re speaking to Kirill, but it was all moot to me. I didn't even care what happened to Sekhmet anymore. Lesya was safe, and that was all that mattered. Vengeance seemed petty in the midst of my reunion with my daughter... in the midst of my happiness.

  “Kirill, you know me,” Re was reasoning with Kirill. “Have faith that I will handle this fairly.”

  “Kirill,” I called out. “Come and hold our daughter.”

  My black, Russian lion instantly let go of Sekhmet's throat and lifted his head to look over at us. His eyes softened, and then he scented the air. With a shimmer of magic, he shifted to human and left Sekhmet where she lay. Just as I'd thought; as soon as Kirill's gaze had found us, he was incapable of looking away and equally incapable of violence. Kirill strode over to us and took Lesya carefully from my arms. She giggled and held a hand up to him. Kirill made a sound somewhere between a laugh and a sob as he pressed his cheek into our daughter's tiny palm. Lesya giggled again, and the entire room seemed to exhale.

  Tears poured down Kirill's face as he reached out and pulled me into his side. We held Lesya together, and she stared from one of us to the other, making delighted baby sounds. My husbands closed around us; every eye focused on the baby. Every eye except for the golden ones.

  “No, please!” Sekhmet screamed, drawing our attention back to her.

  She was crouched before Re, her eyes imploring and her arms held up in a warding gesture. Re stood stern-faced before his daughter, his hand outstretched and glowing gold.

  “You betrayed the woman I love and me,” Re said calmly. “You betrayed my friends, who I value deeply, and the bond between a mother and her child. I was the one who brought you back from your sorrow when you lost your baby, and I did it at Vervain's behest. Then you steal her daughter? You have disgraced me and our entire pantheon, Sekhmet. I can hardly stand to look upon your face.”

  “Father, don't do this,” Sekhmet whimpered.

  �
��Shift one last time,” he said. “I'll allow you to heal yourself, but that is all.”

  Sekhmet shifted into a lioness immediately but then transformed back just as quickly. Naked and glorious, she stood to face her father. A riot of golden curls flowed down to her hips, covering most of her body, but the pieces of her that showed through were sleekly muscled; power and grace evident in every angle. Her dark eyes were cold and defiant as she set her gaze on Re.

  “I am one of the greatest goddesses in our pantheon,” she declared, her attitude shifting along with her body. “I have worked tirelessly for you, done everything in my power to bring you glory, and this is how you would repay me?”

  “This is how you would repay me?” Re roared back. “I gave you life, and then I made it eternal. I am the one who made you a goddess. I am the one who makes it possible for you to roam in the body of a lioness. I gave you followers, magic, and love. Now, Sekhmet, my daughter, you've given me no other choice but to take them all away.”

  Sekhmet screamed as sunlight surrounded her, harsh and unyielding. Re clenched his hand and pulled. The light condensed and shot back into Re. Sekhmet dropped to her knees. She curled up into a ball and began to cry.

  “You are banished, Sekhmet,” Re's eyes were glistening with tears, but his voice was steady. “I condemn you to mortality and a magic-less existence. Goodbye, Daughter.”

  “Father!” Sekhmet cried out.

  Re's throat worked convulsively as he turned away from Sekhmet and left the room. The rest of us followed him somberly, only Lesya giving in to her joy at our reunion. My daughter continued to giggle, and it sounded almost devious against the background of Sekhmet's sobbing. Those anguished, bitter cries followed us out of the room, but soon, we were far enough away from Sekhmet to hear only happiness.

  I smiled down at my daughter as she smiled up at me, and we traced home with our family.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Pride Palace was full of friends and family when we stepped out of the tracing room.