The Fallen Queen: (Gods & Monsters Book 2) (The Gods & Monsters Trilogy)

by Janie Marie

  Jane spoke in an equally soft tone. “But she’s right. I’m going to embarrass you. There’s going to be more women who think like her.”

  “First, I would never be embarrassed of you. I am proud to say you are my Other and girlfriend. And second, you are right—there will be people who think or say things, but that does not mean they are true, or that they matter. Really, Jane, what does it matter what one woman—or several—think?”

  “It’s just, she’s a goddess, your sister is a queen, and the wives are all, well, I don’t know what they are. Ladies? Whatever, I’m just not one of them, and I know I’ll come across other goddesses, and then you’ve got me. It’s like I’m Gawain’s kid sister amongst a bunch of goddesses who all like each other. Maybe not all of them will be mean, but I’ll never fit in. I never have.”

  “You’re the best kid sister ever, love!” Gawain said loudly. “That’s the best title there is.”

  Jane blushed but didn’t look behind her to where they were. “It’s just, I try to be brave and shrug it off, but it still makes it hard to listen to them talk like I can’t hear them. I’m not lying when I say, besides Wendy, I have not had a positive experience with girls and women. Your sister and Elle were very kind, but it’s not like we’re friends. I cannot see myself hanging out with any of them—I wouldn’t even know how to act. Sometimes I just want to be normal and fit in.”

  David tilted her face up as he stared down, searching her eyes, and he spoke in that tone—that deep yet gentle tone he used with her and no one else. “A true goddess will not lower herself to blend in with others around her. She stands tall, admired and often envied. Do not try to be what society thinks you should be. You are my Jane, a shining beacon amongst flickering, dying candlelight. Let them burn out. Your beautiful heart will keep your light burning for all time, and I could not ask for a better gift than to watch my playful goddess dancing in the darkness.”

  It was silent for a long time, and Jane could only stare at him.

  “Damn,” Gareth’s voice carried throughout the plane.

  She smiled and kissed David before leaning her head on his shoulder, chuckling as Gareth praised David’s skills.

  “He learned from watching me with Elle,” Gawain said, sounding completely confident as the others laughed at him.

  “Yes,” Gareth said. “He learned what not to do around a woman, you buffoon.”

  Jane kept smiling until she saw Artemis come sit with Hades. “David, where exactly are we going?”

  David turned her face toward his. “You didn’t pay attention during any of the meetings, did you?”

  “I guess not,” she said, a little embarrassed. She knew it was to get the hound things back, but she’d ignored where they were going. “Is it far?”

  “Not really,” he said, still smiling. “Asgard is very remote, though.”

  Jane sat up straight. “Asgard? You said Asgard!”

  A faint smile teased his lips. “Yes, Jane. The so-called realm of the Norse gods.”

  “Are you serious?” she said, not caring that everyone was looking at her because her voice went screechy. “Like Thor and Odin? Oh my God! Are you freaking serious?”

  David laughed at her outburst and nodded. “I’m serious.”

  “No freaking way!”

  He chuckled as he spoke. “Why are you so shocked?”

  “It’s THOR!”

  An annoyed look flickered over his face, but it vanished quickly. “Baby, King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table met you in Texas. Your boyfriend is one of those knights.” He pointed behind her. “Hades, the God of the Underworld, is sitting beside Artemis, and where the fuck is Apollo?”

  “Over here, young one,” Apollo said, waving at her.

  David nodded. “There! You have met the archangels, Michael and Gabriel—and Lucifer! Goodness, Jane, your oldest companion is Death himself. Do not tell me Thor, of all beings, is more impressive than any one of us.”

  She shook her head. “But he’s Thor! Holy crap! Does he have Mjölnir?”

  “He is an immortal like the rest of us, Jane. A vampire, not a god.”

  “ANOTHER!” She threw his water bottle on the floor.

  “Another what? Why did you throw that?” David watched the bottle roll away.

  Arthur chuckled as he picked it up from the floor. “She is quoting a film adaptation of Thor.”

  “Really, Jane?” David shook his head. “He is not like the Hollywood adaptations of comics. And I can lift his damn hammer.”

  “You can?” She stared at David, her eyes wide. “Only Thor can lift it, though.”

  “I am stronger than Thor,” he said, looking extremely annoyed now.

  “Oh, wow,” she said softly, touching his chest with her fingertips. “I wonder if I can lift it.”

  “I’m sure you can,” he said, his voice tight, just like his muscles. “I don’t see what the big deal is. He’s only well-known because he cannot do something so simple as blend in. He enjoys displaying his strength, and it is foolish. Numerous times I have had to go clean up the mess he has caused. His father has no control over him.”

  “Well, Thor did slay monsters in the legends I grew up with.” She liked the legends about Thor.

  David cut her a sharp look. “What do you think I do? The fact that there are no legends about me only means I did my job well while protecting our existence.”

  “Aw, I know. You destroy evil,” she cooed, placing a kiss on his lips. “You’re the scariest vampire on Earth, and the sexiest man I’ve ever seen.”

  He smiled and squeezed her to him. “I already know you find Death more attractive, but I will take the scary compliment.”

  “Death has an unfair advantage, so you’re the sexiest human. Yes, the sexiest. I’ve seen lots of pictures of hot guys. You’re the hottest.”

  “Hottest? Are you sure this time you do not mean my body temperature? I recall you insisted I only felt hot.” He smirked.

  She laughed again, looking over her shoulder. “Oh, goodness. Just stop.”

  “You’re meant to be stroking my ego, Jane,” David said, chuckling.

  “Oh, that’s right!” She looked up, giggling as he shook his head at her. “Not only are you hot, but you’re the bravest and most noble knight.” She looked around when every knight turned in her direction. “Hi, boys.”

  “Keep going, Jane,” Gareth said, laughing. “This is the best inflight entertainment we’ve ever had.”

  Her cheeks were hurting, but she loved the way David was looking at her. So she went on again. “You kill the most dangerous monsters with ease, everyone fears you, and the women want you. But you’re mine!”

  His lip twitched, making her smile wide.

  “You’re the bestest and strongest there is. Only Death can touch you, and even he struggled.” She nodded, proud of herself for making him look happy. “You’re my David, and you love me, so that’s major bonus points, too.”

  “The bestest?” he asked, amused.

  “Bestest,” she said, getting a kiss from him.

  “I shall try to remember your praise when I see you giggling over Thor.”

  “I swear I will try to keep calm. But it’s kinda like meeting Zeus.”

  He shook his head. “At least Zeus has less control over his hormones than you do.”

  “You know him?”

  David gave her another annoyed look, and she struggled with keeping her smile in check.

  He chuckled. “He is Apollo and Artemis’ father, baby. Hades is his brother; yes, I know him. He is a Damned.”

  Her smile fell. “Oh, well, that’s too bad. I liked the stories about Zeus.”

  “Many do,” he said quietly.

  Jane sighed and leaned back. She could tell even if she amused him, he was a little sore that he wasn’t one of her favorite legends. She knew he would have been if there had been stories written about him.

  “David?” she whispered, staring across the plane.

&n
bsp; “Hm?”

  “Is Arthur’s sword Excalibur?”

  He kissed her head. “It’s not called that.”

  She pouted her lips. “That’s kinda a bummer. I was hoping it had powers or he’d pulled it from a stone.”

  “Those are two different swords, Jane.”

  “Oh. Well, I guess there are lots of stories . . . Is his sword magical? You know, like Hades has a sword from Death.”

  “Perhaps he will tell you one day. Arthur, Kay, Bedivere, Gawain, Gareth, and Gaheris, are far older than the rest of us, which explains why there are so many legends. The legends you grew up with are false. However, a sword was withdrawn from a stone, and Arthur was given one—the one by a lady from a lake.”

  Her mouth fell open. “Oh, you have to tell me!”

  “I thought you would be more interested in Thor and where we are going.”

  Jane chewed on her lip. Her giddiness to hear everything had her torn. “Okay, I’ll ask Arthur and the others to tell me their story, and you can prepare me for Thor. I take it we’re not going to another realm.”

  “Correct. Just as we are in a completely different part of the world from your legends, the Norse have moved to keep their identities hidden. It’s something we’ve all done to become myths and legends rather than true history. They are in a place called Asgard on Baffin Island. It’s a mountain, actually. Mount Asgard. There’s also a Mount Thor and Odin nearby. So, that goes to show you they didn’t keep themselves as hidden as we would’ve liked them to be. They’re not directly on the mountain, but you can see it from their home. You will see numerous Damned there, including Thor and Odin. All of them hope to earn their honor.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I just told you they are the Damned.”

  “Why, though?” Jane glared at him, not sure why this angered her.

  “Baby, they reproduced,” he said, his gaze drifting over her as she huffed. “They did not carry out their duty and broke God’s laws. That’s how it works. Why does that upset you?”

  She shrugged, turning her head to stare at Apollo. “I guess I just have a soft spot for Greek and Norse gods. I always thought of them as heroes, and now I’m learning most are damned to Hell. I don’t want them to be bad. And it’s unfair that people like Dagonet were damned to Hell. Apollo, too. He doesn’t seem all that bad to me. What about other gods and legends? Like Egyptian, Aztecs, Mayans, and all the others?”

  “Almost every mythology holds some accuracy. They were either created by Hell, or they were chosen to bring order. We are the enforcers, you could say. You see Apollo here; he is atoning for his sins the only way he can. He is fighting the monsters his family let roam free, or that were spawned by him and various family members. We have slain most of his family because they were so out of control. If he were to fall into his old ways, breeding, sinning, killing innocent, I would destroy him so he can be judged in the afterlife.”

  “Ouch, David,” Apollo said, pushing his lip out as he pretended to wipe tears away from his black eyes. “Does my friendship mean nothing to you?”

  “You know the law,” David said, not looking over.

  “That’s horrible.” Jane frowned as she glanced at Apollo, who did not appear upset. “How many friends have you killed because they failed to stay good?”

  David eyed her quietly. “Enough that it would cause me to stop making friends.”

  “Oh,” she said softly.

  “I have a duty, and they knew the price for their crimes.”

  She frowned. She’d given up friends because they were never friends in the first place, but she couldn’t imagine having to kill someone she loved.

  “Shall we discuss something else?” he asked, nuzzling her again.

  “Yes. Tell me about the mountain. How do we land there?”

  “We won’t be landing,” he said, his smile returning. “We drop.”

  Her mouth fell open. “You mean jump?”

  David grinned, squeezing her gently. “This is how we arrive at most destinations because of how remote they are. Plus, we usually need to conceal our arrival because we are there to destroy.”

  “I guess that makes sense,” she said, glancing around the plane. “I don’t know how to use a parachute, though. Can we do the kind where I’m strapped to you?”

  “She is adorable,” Apollo said, chuckling with Gareth.

  “I just don’t know how to use them,” she muttered, glaring at Apollo.

  “Baby, we do not use parachutes,” David said.

  She looked at him again. “But you said we jumped.”

  “We do,” David said, staying quiet as she finally understood.

  “We’re jumping without a parachute?” She hugged him for some reason, making him laugh.

  “It’s fine, Jane. We all enjoy it . . . I planned on carrying you.”

  “Won’t we get hurt? What if you drop me?”

  “I would never drop you.” He kissed her cheek, and Jane distinctly heard Artemis groan before she got up and left.

  “I do not know why she is so pissy,” Gareth said. “I wish I could record mushy David. You know he won’t stay this way after we land.”

  David glanced over at Gareth. “I am nice to her. Everyone else can fuck off if they have a problem with the affection I give Jane.” He didn’t turn his head, but she saw his gaze drift to where Artemis had walked off to.

  “You’re like the best boyfriend ever,” she whispered, not meaning to speak aloud.

  He chuckled and turned them so they couldn’t see the others. “I am glad you think so. He is right, though. I will change once we are around Cursed and Damned. I will do my best to stay the same around you, but I suppose you should be prepared for my indifference. You’ve only seen me with you and my brothers, just as you have not witnessed Death in his true element.”

  “I’ll try not to embarrass you.”

  “I already told you I will never be embarrassed by you.” He kissed her cheek and whispered in her ear, “I will be envied because the most beautiful, sweet, and bravest woman I have ever met has accepted me as her Other.”

  “Yeah, yeah.” She smiled.

  “I will keep telling you until you see yourself the way I do. Even then, I will remind you.” He slid his hands down her arms before whispering in her ear again. “Do you wish to know more about the hounds?”

  She nodded, sighing as he nibbled on her earlobe. “That’s not telling me about them.”

  “I got distracted.” He chuckled, leaning away. “Have you ever heard of Artemis’ hunting dogs?”

  “I have, but I don’t remember much.”

  “Well, that is for the best since they are not what most legends depict them as. They are offspring of werewolves. They do not necessarily intend to breed, as you recall, they become mindless when they transform. However, rape is commonplace among the different packs and species of werewolves. Remember, I told you there are different categories?”

  “Yes, you said Lancelot was one of the first, and he controls his. You said there was another, but I don’t think you’ve told me anything about him.”

  “Yes. Lancelot is the only created werewolf, and he builds his pack by infecting humans. The hounds come from his pack and the other pack with similar traits to Lancelot’s. The leader of that one is called Lycaon, the Wolf King. His origins are unclear, and there are many stories about who his parents or creators are. Most believe he is simply a mutation from the joining of an immortal and a demon. I am friends with one of his sons, Nyctimus, but I do not ask about his parents out of respect.

  “Anyway, their packs are similar. The humans they infect lose their minds every night, and they are controlled by a mind link by Lancelot and Lycaon. Neither leader permit their members to perform changes because they lose control over them. However, it happens if a werewolf does not finish a kill. Lancelot and Lycaon usually hunt the wild wolf and kill it. It may seem they are taking responsibility, but they are only staying in control. So, th
ey choose who they change.

  “Women are not prized to Lance or Lycaon, but they do change some for the purpose of satisfying their ranks. Many women do not survive long. Their wolf-form is weaker, slower, and Lancelot along with Lycaon are often annoyed by them. They kill them, especially if they become pregnant.”

  Jane gasped, covering her mouth. “That’s terrible.”

  “It is, but it is for the best. The offspring are not human. It is rare for Lancelot or Lycaon to keep even their young. It happens, perhaps if they see promise in one of them, but they usually kill the female, unless she pleases them. If she does, they allow her to give birth and murder the child.”

  “So, the baby would be like Lancelot?”

  “Yes, just another puppet for him to control. Stronger than the others, but the same as the rest.”

  “So, how do the hounds come into this?”

  “They are usually not women Lancelot or Lycaon have bedded. I know Lance prefers to keep his females near him if he allows them to proceed with their pregnancy. His protection is what keeps the woman loyal. He’s cruel, but he is charming when he wishes to be. He uses that charm to make them fall for him, which he rarely does, so it will make the woman feel special.

  “Like I mentioned, though, he does turn females for the purpose of entertaining his ranks. Sex slaves, basically. These women usually have no desire to be among the others, and they are treated horrifically. However, like most mothers, they are protective of their young. That’s what is unique about them. They have a transformation, but they are unable to return to their human form. And, instead of losing their minds, it stays intact. They know they will be killed at this moment. Not only do they have control over their minds again, but they are no longer forced under Lance’s control. So, they escape. When they finally give birth, it is not a human or a copy of their form, it’s a wolf. Well, it appears to be a wolf pup.

  “Artemis stumbled upon one when she was hunting the mother. She quickly realized what had happened and fell in love with the pup, unable to destroy it. The mother finally returned to her human form, explained her situation, and begged for Artemis to spare him.

  “Artemis agreed. However, she explained to the woman there was no way she could allow the same mercy on her. The woman understood, fearful that when nightfall came again, she would shift, and Lancelot would track her down. She gave her life willingly, and Artemis took the pup.