by Amy Sumida
Still, it was a large crowd that traced into Blue's palace with me. Once there, my boys ranged out to stalk their prey... I mean socialize. So I was left with my husbands and Re. We got a lot of long looks from the other gods, mostly from those who didn't know me personally, and I felt like I was a fresh baby Godhunter venturing out among gods for the first time.
The stone tracing room was set up as a reception area and the table there already held a huge pile of gifts. It was a good thing they were using that table too, some of the gifts looked like they would have crushed a less resilient piece of furniture. I signed in the guest book and dropped our gift, contained in a large envelope, into a wood chest with a slit cut in the top, made especially for cards.
What do you give a god couple for a wedding present? Well it's a quandary no doubt. They can make or buy anything they wish but still, it's nice to receive a gift. So most people opt for extravagant human-made items. I didn't like that route but luckily, I had come up with a great idea back when Fallon and Samantha got married.
Now Sam and Fallon weren't gods, they were technically demi-gods, so they couldn't use territory magic to create whatever they wanted. Still, the Intare generally just asked me if they wanted something and I would make it for them. So gifts between us were usually handcrafted items or items of sentimental value. When Fallon married Sam, I didn't have the time to make them something. I probably would have painted them a portrait if I had. I used to paint for a living but I had to give it up for godhunting.
Anyway, I came up with a brilliant idea; I gave them property in the Human Realm. It was something they couldn't create for themselves and something that was very useful to a god or even a demi-god. Samantha and Fallon loved the beach house I'd bought them in Hawaii and I loved the idea that my friends owned a home near mine (in the Human Realm). So I had continued the tradition with Luke and Holly as well as Fenrir and Emma. Now I was doing so with Blue and Eztli. Soon, my friends and I would rule Hawaii! Bwahahaha!
“You should just buy a gated community and pass out homes to your friends,” Re chuckled as we walked away from the reception area. “You could call it Sacred Subdivision or Valley of the Gods- oh no, that one's already taken.”
“How about Heaven's Gate? No wait, that one's taken too,” I laughed when Trevor shot me a horrified look.
We wandered down the hallway and were stopped several times by Re's old paramours. It got to the point where it was ridiculous and my husbands and I finally left him behind to mingle without him.
“Vervain?” It was Kuan Ti, a Chinese god who had once sided with Blue back when Blue was my enemy.
But Kuan Ti had always treated me with respect and we had become friends. It was actually strange how many of my enemies became my friends. I should just start asking them in the very beginning; Hey, do you wanna just call all this off and be friends? You can join the Squad and get your own T-shirt. Pan had started passing out God Squad shirts to everyone, though my grown sons were still just honorary members since they only showed up half the time.
“Kuan Ti,” I hugged him and then turned to his date. “Xi Wang Mu,” I gave her a more reserved nod.
Again, Xi Wang Mu had once been my enemy. She wasn't anymore but we weren't exactly friends either. Polite acquaintances would be a better term.
“Godhunter,” Xi nodded back.
She was dressed in a chartreuse silk cheongsam which went well with Kuan Ti's traditional black Chinese silk tunic. Her long hair was pulled back in its usual braid (as was Kuan Ti's) and her tiger tail swished out behind her, sticking out of a strategically placed hole in her dress. I kind of envied it. How fun it must be to walk around in human form with a furry tail. Then again, it would probably get annoying.
“I believe the last time we saw each other was at your wedding,” Kuan Ti smiled. “What blessed circumstances we seem to meet under now, so different from when we first met.”
“Very,” I agreed with a grin.
A commotion drew our attention to the end of the hall. I blinked and looked closer. It was Eztli, dressed in red and clinging to the back of a small, dark-haired woman. Eztli's own ebony hair was pulled back from her face so I could easily see the crimson designs painted over her skin. Her bare, cognac-colored arms were covered in ruby feathers and her full skirts were ballooning around her conveyor like a parachute. One hand held onto her friend and the other held a traditional bouquet. It was bizarre but I'd seen far stranger.
They came walking down the hall to the encouraging shouts of the wedding guests and when they passed us, I caught Eztli's stare. It was as red as her dress, a distinct change from the simple brown eyes I remembered. It threw me a little but I recovered quickly and smiled at her. Even more shocking; she smiled back. I guess she had got over her desire to kill me and drink my baby's blood. Phew, that was a relief.
The gods closed in around her and my group was swept up in the surge, all of us flowing behind the ladies as they made their way down the hallway. At the end of the hall was a huge ballroom, which I'd never seen before. I had no idea Blue had a ballroom. It's not like I've explored his palace before so I guess it wasn't all that shocking. In fact, it seemed like every god I knew had a ballroom in their home. Except for me, we had a large dining hall which I suppose could be used for parties but we didn't have a ballroom. I admit that after I had a gander at Blue's, I kinda wanted one.
The large room was covered in flowers. Blooms hung from the ceiling, swirling around massive crystal chandeliers, and draped down the walls amid swaths of crimson and cerulean silk. There was a center aisle formed by rows of gilded chairs set to either side and Eztli was carried up it, all the way to the dais at the end... where her groom waited anxiously.
Blue looked amazing in his red tunic. The same designs that adorned Eztli's face were painted on Blue's and he also bore the ruby feathers on his arms. Somehow it didn't look ridiculous but regal, even when his bride was deposited at the base of the steps by her tiny friend. Blue came down to take Eztli's hand and lead her up the dais, where a fire blazed in an iron brazier. Behind the brazier was a woven mat and behind that, a line of Blue's vampire priests.
The priests were in their traditional ritual wear and I swallowed roughly when I saw it. The last time I'd seen them in their feathers and jewels, I'd been laid out naked on a stone altar. Well, I had a piece of silk over me but I still had felt rather exposed. Suffice it to say, they didn't bring back the best memories.
“Are you alright?” Trevor was good at sensing when I was upset but our new connection seemed to have amped up all of my husband's Vervain radars.
“I'm fine,” I took his hand and gave it a squeeze. “Just the past haunting me.”
“Blue got off easy,” Trevor whispered and a little crease appeared between his thick brows.
“Don't do that,” I chided him. “He was a different person. And we're here to support his new life.”
“I know,” Trevor grumbled. “And I do think of him as a friend now but when I remember what he did-”
“You're sounding like Fallon,” I cut him off. Fallon had been one of the lions who had decided not to attend the wedding... very vocally and publicly decided.
“Maybe Fallon is right,” Kirill said from behind me.
Instead of stretching out in a long line, we'd chosen to sit closer together in a square, with Trevor and Odin flanking me and Re, Kirill, and Azrael directly behind us.
“You guys need to get over your Blue issues,” I hissed. “Now shut up so I can hear their vows.”
“And Anubis issues,” Odin muttered.
“I'd leave my grandson out of this conversation if I were you, Allfather,” Re said in a low, dangerous voice.
“There is no conversation,” I snapped at them both. “Shut up.”
They both gave me petulant looks but I ignored them and focused on the beautiful vows Blue and Eztli exchanged. Blue mentioned how Eztli had once believed their relationship was cursed but that he actually believed it to be bl
essed. He promised to be her partner, her lover and her balance and then he placed a ring on her finger. She spoke of how she had run from him but it was useless; she was pulled back and changed by him once more. She vowed to now be both his strength and his weakness, his counsel and his critic, and finally his goddess and his slave. Forever.
I got chills, it was that beautiful.
A golden hand slipped between Trevor and I. I looked down to see that Re was passing me a handkerchief. I took it and realized with some surprise that I'd been crying. I cast a grateful look back at Re and he smiled softly at me. He understood that for me, Blue was a miracle. Blue had been bitter and cruel when I met him but he emerged from that bitterness and blossomed into an amazing man. We had been through a lot together and I loved Blue. Seeing him finally happy was like taking a breath after swimming up from the cold depths of a lake. It was life-affirming and so very satisfying.
Re understood this because Anubis had experienced a very similar change. He'd done horrible things to me, much more horrible than anything Blue had ever done, but I understood Anubis and his motivations. In the end, Anubis had changed. He'd even taken a dip in the Fountain of Youth (yep that one, though that's not really its name) and had all his negativity washed away. And Re had been a witness to the process. He had watched Anubis change and I knew he now hoped, as I did, that Anubis would find love.
I wanted this happiness for all of my friends. I glanced down to where Thor sat beside Odin, and felt that familiar ache inside my chest. I wanted this for him too. I wanted to sit at Thor's wedding and watch him exchange vows with a woman who would love him forever. But perhaps that's just how marriage makes a woman feel; we end up wishing everyone could climb aboard the love boat with us.
Thor glanced over at me, as if he had felt the weight of my stare, and his polite expression changed into a bittersweet smile. I smiled back and for just a moment, I remembered him; the way he held me, the way he smelled, the way he looked above me with lightning flashing in his eyes. And then I remembered the way he broke us and the way he raged when he couldn't put us back together again. Thor and I were better friends than lovers and from the look in his eyes, I knew he'd finally accepted that.
Then everyone started to cheer.
“What just happened?” I looked to Trevor.
“The priest tied Blue and Eztli's clothes together and then he said we can eat,” Trevor waved towards some buffet tables set along the sides of the ballroom and then started to get up, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. “Come on, I'm starving.”
“You're a wolf,” I sighed. “You're always starving. That's why there's that song.”
“Hungry like volf,” Kirill messed up the title with his Russian penchant for leaving off the possessive the but it sounded charming anyway and I nodded approvingly.
“The priest also said we should go up and offer marriage advice to the couple,” Re added. “It's evidently part of their tradition, though normally the wedding is supposed to last for four days.”
“Oh,” I looked at the crowded buffet line and then the empty path to the dais. Servers were coming out to move the chairs aside and place round dining tables between them. “Well, let's be the first to go and congratulate them then.”
“Minn Elska,” Trevor whined and looked towards the food.
“We do this now, when there's no line, and then hopefully the buffet line will die down while we're up there,” I said firmly and started walking towards the dais. Re's laughter followed me, as did all of my men; like petulant puppies.
I climbed the steps and saw Eztli look up at me in surprise.
“Blue,” I bent down to hug him and my nose filled with the lingering aroma of incense in the air. “Congratulations,” I said as I stood and then I looked to Eztli. “To you both. It's been a beautiful ceremony.”
“Thank you,” Blue said to me and then hesitantly looked to Eztli.
“Thank you so much for coming,” Eztli held out her hand to me. “I hope we can bury the past and possibly become friends.”
I nearly started to laugh hysterically. Yay; another enemy turned friend. Why not, she had only kidnapped me, stuck me in a circle of my own blood, and threatened to kill me and my unborn babies. I could move past that, couldn't I?
“I...” I stared into Eztli's crimson eyes, so like the ones Blue used to have, and saw a glimmer of hope in them. Well, I guess that decided it. I shook her hand, “I would like that.”
Trevor came up beside me and cleared his throat. I let go of Eztli and looked back at my men. Right, they hadn't been formally introduced to her yet.
“These are my husbands,” I waved to the men. “Trevor, Kirill, Odin, and Azrael.”
“And I'm the Sun God, Re,” Re went forward to kiss Eztli's hand as the rest of us rolled our eyes. “I'm just her boyfriend.”
“It's lovely to meet you all,” Eztli nodded to them.
“We haven't been married long and our marriage is rather unique, but I can offer you a small piece of advice,” Trevor said to Blue.
“Yes?” Blue lifted a thick ebony brow.
“Jewelry,” Trevor nodded. “Give her lots of jewelry.”
I smacked him in the chest.
“And buy yourself a kevlar vest,” Trevor rubbed at his sternum.
“Just listen to each other,” I said softly to them. “And be kind. Even when you're angry, try to be kind.”
“Thank you, Little Witch,” Blue said gently.
I nodded to him and we all filed back down the steps.
“Where was your kindness a minute ago?” Trevor smirked at me. “When you hit your husband.”
“You're already an abusive spouse,” Odin sighed and shook his head.
“Shut your mouth or I'll throw you back in the cage when we get home, Oathbreaker,” I teased in my redneck accent.
“The cage?” Re perked up. “Oh please tell me you really have a cage.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
After everyone ate, a large tub was brought out onto the dais and the couple was ritually bathed in it by the priest (clothes on). A screen was then placed in front of the tub so they could change and after a few minutes, they emerged in wedding attire; Blue in a sleek black tux and Eztli in an elegant white gown. She was wearing a crown of pure white feathers and carrying her bouquet of fresh flowers. The priest blessed them four times with water and then declared that they were married. Everyone cheered as they kissed.
“One down,” I said under my breath as I looked over to where Horus and Hekate sat at another table nearby.
Then my gaze once more sought out Thor. In the future that I'd changed, Thor, Anubis, and Blue had all been married. Horus and Hekate were just getting engaged. So one marriage had come about, another was moved up in time, and now I was just waiting for Thor and Anubis to find their brides, hoping I hadn't altered something for them, the way I'd altered the Horsemen thing.
Then I heard the room gasp and I turned back quickly to see that Blue and Eztli were glowing. Blue's dark skin was lit as if he'd swallowed sunlight and Eztli's skin shimmered with a silvery blush. I knew immediately what it meant. I had shared a similar experience with Re. His sun had connected with my moon, setting my skin glowing with a reflection of his light. And now another sun god had just bonded himself to his moon goddess, shining his light on her and making her glow.
“The Sun and his Blood Moon; may their light burn bright forever!” Blue's priest declared and the room applauded.
The couple pulled back from their kiss and as they stared contentedly into each other's eyes, the soft strains of music began to play. Blue led his bride down to the dance floor for their first dance and the gods gathered around the edges, watching the newlyweds with wistful smiles. They looked perfect together, like a celebrity couple too beautiful to be real.
And of course, they danced perfectly too, in time with each other like they'd moved through those exact steps a thousand times before. I was a klutz and dancing was always a bit of a
dangerous prospect for me but I loved to take the risk. Luckily, I had men who were far more graceful than I and they were more than capable of leading me through a dance while protecting me from my own stumbling feet. So although I was happy to see Blue with his bride, I eagerly awaited the end of their dance so I could join them.
Hey, I'm just being honest.
When the song finished, Blue led his bride off the floor, back up to the dais, where a table had been set up for them while they'd been dancing. They'd had their dinner on the mat, which must have been traditional, but now that they were dressed more modernly, it looked like they could dine that way as well. The other gods began to fill the empty dance floor.
“Would you care to dance?” Re's golden hand came into view and I looked up into his smiling face.
“You're right on cue,” I took his hand with my own grin.
Re led me out onto the cleared space in front of the dais. I glanced up at the happy couple, holding hands as they drank champagne, and my heart lightened. Then I looked back to Re and traced a finger over his golden cheek.
“Looks like you're not the only sun god who can give a woman a literal glow,” I teased him.
“And they weren't even making love,” Re grimaced, genuinely concerned about his prowess. “I suppose this means we'd better work on our shining skills.”
“Shining skills?” I laughed. “I don't see what good it would do us outside the bedroom.”
“You told me you'd be up for some adventure,” his eyes gleamed.
“Adventure yes but not exhibitionism,” I huffed.
“They weren't doing anything improper,” he nodded towards the newlyweds.
“What; you wanna try it right here?” I lifted a brow.
“No, not here,” he gave me a mischievous look. “I wouldn't want to do anything to draw attention away from Blue and his bride on their wedding day. That would be terribly uncouth.”
I was about to make a response when I saw a large man stride up the steps and take Eztli's hand. He wasn't very tall, possibly an inch taller than my five-foot-three (and a half) height, but he was excessively wide and bulging with muscles. He had skin the color of a chestnut and dark hair everywhere. His face would have challenged even a mother's love and the hand he wrapped around Eztli's was tipped in long claws. But he led her gallantly to the dance floor and whisked her around like he was Prince Charming himself.