Harvest of the Gods

by Sumida, Amy

  “There was a strange note in Trevor's file,” I avoided the plants hanging out into the path, even though they seemed to be dormant. “Something about an order that was ready.”

  “What's that?” Fenrir had stopped, blocking most of the path, and cocked his head to the side.

  “I said-”

  “No,” he cut me off with a slashing motion. “I heard something. It sounded like a female crying.”

  Everyone quieted and sure enough, there was the soft sound of a woman's tears on the breeze. I sniffed the air, caught the scent of a human and took off down another path, with the rest of them following close on my heels.

  I followed the scent through a field of tulips and past thick hedges cut into strange shapes. They were guarding a Greek villa, a long building with the door set into one of the short ends. It was locked but a swift kick took care of that, and it opened onto a hallway with several doors. The crying was coming from the last door on the right.

  “Hey,” I called through the barred panel in the door. The woman inside was wrapped only in a sheet. She looked up from where she was huddled on a bed, startled. “It's okay, we're here to help.”

  “Move aside,” Fenrir moved me gently but firmly out of his way, and simply pulled the door from its frame.

  The woman stared at him in shock, holding the sheet to herself like a shield, and a part of me shrank back at the look, just as Fenrir did. I know what she saw and I know why it frightened her but I hated to see that look on Fenrir's face, especially when he was trying to play the savior. I wished the world would see past his scars for once, past the massive height and breadth of him, and see what I saw. I was just about to say something about it to her when she spoke.

  “Are you with Demeter?” Her voice shook for a second but then she seemed to reach deep and find some courage. She stood up to face us. “I'm not going to make it easy for you. You'll have to kill me this time and I promise you, I'll take as much of you with me as I can.”

  Fenrir's face cleared as he realized it wasn't his appearance that had bothered her, just the fact that he was there, period. He held up a hand and smiled gently.

  “No one wants to hurt you,” Fenrir's voice was soft and there was a tone to it I'd never heard before. “We came here to kill Demeter. She's murdered several of my wolves and tried to kill my first son,” he waved a hand and I looked back to see Trevor standing partially in the doorway.

  “Wolves?” Her eyes went wide, her dark hair falling in wild disarray around her and making them appear even bigger. “You're the Wolf God?”

  “Yes,” he looked her over like she was the most wonderful thing he'd ever seen before and she started to look at him as if he were salvation itself. “Who are you?”

  “My name is Emma,” she wrapped the sheet more firmly around herself with a decisive motion. “Emma Langston. I'm a zoologist specializing in wolves. Demeter hired me to advise her on wolf behavior but I guess I asked too many questions, found too many answers. I know what she is and what you are.”

  “Oh? What am I then?” Fenrir stared at her intensely and I willed her to say something kind, something good.

  “Atlanteans,” she shrugged. “An advanced race. You in particular though, you can become a wolf. You're the first werewolf and boy does she hate you. You and someone called the Godhunter. She really hates him.”

  “Yeah it's a her not a him, and that'll be me,” I raised my hand like I was at school.

  “Oh,” Emma looked happily surprised.

  “And what do you think of us?” Fenrir wasn't going to let it go.

  “Atlanteans or werewolves?” She tilted her head to look up at him and I realized she was fairly tall, maybe even six feet. Of course, Fenrir still towered over her.

  “We call ourselves Froekn,” Fenrir laughed and she seemed to become even more fascinated with his face. I didn't blame her, Fenrir's sex appeal went up exponentially when he laughed. “And you can start with us. Do we scare you?”

  “Are you kidding?” She frowned at him. “I've been held here for months, beaten and abused by that monster and you think I'm frightened of a wolf?”

  “A werewolf,” he corrected.

  “A werewolf is a combination of a man and a wolf, correct?” She eyed Trevor and I realized with a jolt that he was still in his werewolf form. And she wasn't screaming. Color me impressed.

  “Yes, basically,” Fenrir nodded.

  “Then for me, you're like the Holy Grail,” she spared another glance for Trevor. “All the questions I have about wolves, I can just ask them now, and the wolf can actually answer me.”

  Fenrir burst into laughter and the woman frowned at him, unsure whether he was laughing with her or at her, probably. I stepped between them, hesitant to break up this budding romance but knowing we couldn't let this go on forever.

  “Emma,” I got her attention but just barely. “Are there more people here? Prisoners like you?”

  “Oh god,” she gasped. “I should have told you immediately. Yes, they're several. I've only seen men though, I don't know if they're more women.”

  “Trevor,” I turned back to him, “can you go check the other rooms?”

  “Sure,” he nodded and soon the sound of crashing doors filled the air. When I turned back around, it was to find Fenrir and Emma staring at each other again.

  “I'm Fenrir,” he held out his hand to her and she smiled and shook it.

  “It's a pleasure to meet you,” she said primly. “And thank you for the timely rescue.”

  “The pleasure is mine,” he smiled back at her like he was never going to stop.

  That's when I noticed her eyes, her patient, steady eyes. They were a beautiful hazel color and I'd seen them once before. I gasped as the memory replayed itself in my head. It was the time I'd fought to win the right to be Trevor's mate. I'd had to fight Fenrir himself but I had done it with love instead of weapons. I'd healed his heart with my love magic and gave him a glimpse of the love that awaited him.

  The face I'd seen then, the face of the woman who was meant to take my place as Rouva to the Froekn, was Emma's. I blinked back tears as I looked at her, knowing Fenrir had finally found his mate. Emma would never reject him like his other lovers had. She already knew exactly what he was and she was more than okay with it, she was intrigued.

  Then I realized that they were both staring at me. I looked at Fenrir and saw that he knew already, of course he did, he probably recognized her as soon as he saw her. I smiled at him, overjoyed to find such a bright spot in an otherwise horrible day.

  “I told you so,” I whispered gleefully to Fenrir before I left the room.

  Chapter Seven

  We found eight men, locked in the rooms next to Emma's. All were very attractive and very naked, not that I noticed, and all of them were a little broken. It looked as if Demeter had been inspired by Nyavirezi's treatment of the Intare and had decided to make herself a little harem too.

  The men had been horribly abused, drugged and made to do things I'm not going to talk about because it just makes me so damn mad. When Demeter decided to add Emma to the mix, things got even more interesting. Let's just say Demeter was exploring voyeurism along with sadism. The woman needed to die.

  We got the men settled in rooms at Pride Palace but it looked like they all had families and lives to return to, so they wouldn't be staying long, just till they got their heads on straight again. There was some concern over just releasing a bunch of men who knew the truth about gods but there had been enough done to them already so I argued for their release. It wasn't like anyone would believe stories about a Greek goddess using them as sex slaves anyway. Everyone had to grudgingly agree with that but Teharon insisted on giving them all counseling before they were released.

  Emma, however, went to stay with Fenrir at his Hall and I had a feeling she was never going to leave. I needed to pull out my Rouva torque and make sure to give it back to Fenrir so he'd have it to present to her when the time came. I was just so exc
ited about their budding romance that I wanted to do everything in my power to support it.

  Fenrir had waited long enough for a woman to love him right. My only concern was that she was human. Then again, I above all should know that humanity was not an unalterable thing. I knew the love magic wouldn't have brought this woman to Fenrir only to take her away from him again. I'm sure we could get her an apple of immortality or something.

  “What the hell?” Roarke walked into my room with attitude. “I just heard you guys went to find Demeter and you left me behind. Why do I always get left behind?”

  “Because you're a big pain in the behind,” Azrael called out from the bed, where he was seated, waiting on me yet again. Roarke just gave him a quick glare and returned his affronted attention to me.

  “Roarke,” I laughed, “I didn't even know you were here.”

  “Yeah, you've been a little busy,” Roarke deflated.

  “Look, I'll be sure to bring you next time, okay?”

  “Okay,” he harrumphed out of the room.

  “Now can we go to Barcelona?” Azrael gave me an aggrieved look.

  “Yes, absolutely! Let's go now before someone tries to stop us,” I grabbed his hand and we headed for the tracing wall.

  Chapter Eight

  Barcelona. What can I say about Barcelona? It's one of the most beautiful cities I've ever been to in the Human Realm. Gaudi's touch is seen in several places, I especially like the home with a staircase that looked like you were inside the belly of a dragon, but nothing was as impressive as the unfinished cathedral. The Sagrada Familia.

  The Sistine chapel may have a magnificent painting on its ceiling but its architecture was nothing compared to the Sagrada Familia. It was breathtaking, awe-inspiring, it even made an angel sigh.

  “Nothing like this in Heaven, eh?” I looked over at Azrael, his wings hidden under a spell of invisibility.

  “We Atlanteans have such long lives,” he squeezed my hand, “and we've created some amazing things but to me, this structure is more magnificent because of the short lifespans of its creators. It's wondrous what man can accomplish in such a small amount of time.”

  “Yeah, it is,” I took in the leaning spires, the colorful mosaics, the impossible arches, and smiled. “You know Gaudi believed that color is life. For an artist, like myself, it's true. Without this, without the inspiration of color, whether it be in a cathedral or an angel's face,” I touched his cheek and he smiled, “I'd have no reason to live.”

  “Wow,” he shook his head, “you really needed a vacation.”

  “Yeah,” I laughed and turned with him to walk back toward our hotel. “I guess I did.”

  “I carried Gaudi's soul to Heaven,” Azrael murmured with one last look back at the cathedral.

  “You did?”

  “He was a decent man,” Az nodded. “A man who could have used your touch in his life.”

  “How so?”

  “He never found love,” Az smiled sadly. “The only love he ever felt was unrequited and he never married.”

  “That's depressing,” the sidewalk echoed hollowly beneath my feet, the street itself seemed saddened by the story.

  “In the beginning of his life,” Az continued, “he was a vital man, into all life has to offer. He loved good food, art, and fine clothes, but as he got older, he lost his appetite for it all. He started to eat less and to neglect his appearance. It was what led eventually to his death.”

  “His lack of personal hygiene?” I wrinkled my nose.

  “No, Carus,” Az chided, “he got hit by a tram but everyone thought he was a beggar and they wouldn't help him. Finally a police officer took him to a hospital but the care they gave him was sub-par because they didn't think he'd be able to pay his bills. When a member of the Sagrada family finally recognized him two days later, it was too late.”

  “That's horrible,” I stopped walking, suddenly struck by the level of cruelty humans could sink to by simply being apathetic. “What difference did it make whether he was a beggar or not? He was a human being and he was injured.”

  “Yes, indeed,” Azrael's eyes were so sad. I reached out and touched his cheek, knowing this was the least of the atrocities he'd witnessed.

  “How do you do it?” I asked, amazed by the magnitude of compassion in the man. “How do you keep caring?”

  “I focus on men like Gaudi,” he shrugged. “For every man who passes by a dying beggar, I think instead of the man who wouldn't. The man who does the right thing, even when he believes no one is watching. Lately, I think of you.”

  “Why would you do that?” I looked away, embarrassed for some reason.

  “Because the thought of walking past a dying beggar would never enter your mind,” he took my chin lightly in his hand and made me look at him. “Because every day of your life you spend either taking care of others or defending people who don't even know you exist.”

  “Don't do that,” I gently pushed his hand away and started walking again.

  “Do what?” He sounded so confused, I cast him a quick glance.

  “Make me out to be some kind of comic book hero,” I grimaced. “I've never done anything heroic in all my life.”

  “Carus,” he grabbed my arm and pulled me to a stop. “What are you talking about? You do something heroic practically every day.”

  “You're biased,” I patted his hand until he released my arm. “Everything I do is selfish really.”

  “Selfish?” Sweet man, he had the decency to sound aghast.

  “Do you think I started killing gods because I wanted to save humanity?” I hoped he wouldn't think too horribly of me after I wiped the cobwebs from his eyes but he deserved the truth. “I did it because I was scared. I thought Ku's friends would come looking for me. So after about a month of being a shut-in, hiding under the covers and jumping at every little sound, I decided I'd had enough, that I couldn't live like that. I was going to kill them before they killed me.”

  “That took courage.”

  “Even a mouse will fight back when cornered,” I scoffed. “I snuck into their homes in the dead of night and cut off their heads while they laid sleeping. Where is the heroism in that?”

  “You're right,” he sighed and I took a deep breath, wondering if he'd still love me when the conversation was over. “That's not heroic. That's survival, that was an act of desperation, but there was courage in it too.”

  “Look,” I stretched my neck in a vain attempt to get the knot out before it started forming. “I've worked out my issues, I don't blame myself anymore for those deaths. Arach helped me through that, believe it or not, but I will never view my life as heroic.”

  “I do believe it,” Azrael smiled. “I see the good in Arach too. What I can't believe is how you've focused on the way you started and not the way you've evolved. You spared Trevor's life after he had just tried to kill you.”

  “He was a wolf at the time,” I shrugged. “I don't like hurting animals.”

  “You changed Fenrir, helped him become a better, stronger, and much happier man.”

  “In order to keep him from killing me,” I laughed, “and the same goes for Blue so don't even bother suggesting him.”

  “You saved the Intare, all seventy-seven of them.”

  “Once again,” I smiled grimly, “I did it to save myself. Saving them was a bonus.”

  “You brought Kirill back from insanity.”

  “I couldn't let one of them die, right after we'd gone through such hell to free them all. That's just being practical.”

  “You freed thousands of trapped souls from Eris.”

  “Because she was trying to kill me at the time,” I chuckled. “Are you sensing a theme yet?”

  “No one was trying to kill you when you found afterlives for them all. Or how about when Tlaloc was killing those children? He wasn't trying to kill you then either.”

  “They were children, I'd have to be a monster to ignore that. Hell, one of them was the son of a friend o
f mine. I end up being a danger to the people I love, not a savior.” An old dream flashed through my head, hanging corpses, all pointing at me in accusation.

  “Vervain, stop this right now,” he stared down at me with angry eyes. It was the first time I'd seen him look at me like that and it made me wince. “How can you see only the bad, when the good you've done far exceeds it?”

  “But does that make the bad things okay?” I asked quietly. “Does it make me a hero when I save a child who was in danger because of me in the first place?”

  “Yes,” he took my face in his hands and a sweet feeling of peace enveloped me. “You are responsible only for the decisions you make and you can tell me you make them for selfish reasons all you want but I know the truth. You would die for any of your lions, for any of the Froekn, or for any of your lovers. You can't hide your heart from the Angel of Death, not when he's held it in his hands.”

  “I'm not a hero,” I swallowed past the lump in my throat, “I don't even want to be one.”

  “Sorry, babe,” he kissed my forehead. “Too late.”

  Chapter Nine

  “What did you mean when you said Gaudi could have used my touch in his life?” I'd decided to let Azrael believe whatever he wished to believe about me. I knew how important delusions could be. I had a few of my own.

  “Ah, yes,” he bit his lip. “I know you've been busy lately but I saw the way you lit up when Fenrir found his mate today.”

  “Yeah, that was pretty great.”

  “That was your love magic at work.”

  “Uh huh.”

  “You're a goddess now.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, originally, there were certain expectations that came with the magic,” he looked at me like I should be coming to a conclusion on my own.

  “Yeah, I know. Aphrodite abused it and took it to a bad place. She hurt people instead of helping them.”

  “Yes, and you've used it instead to heal and bring love to those who deserve it.”

  “I've tried to.”