by Amy Sumida
“This”—Arach drew a hand down himself—“is not something that needs to be fixed. It's something that needs to be envied.”
Re started clapping as he laughed. “Nicely said. I need to remember that line.”
“Still, maybe you should get some pants on, babe,” I suggested dryly.
Arach sighed and headed down to the suite he used whenever he visited Pride Palace. I emerged a few minutes later from my dressing room, shifted back into a human body and clothed in a black sweater dress. Arach returned a few minutes after that, wearing jeans and a white T-shirt. He looked fantastic in them too. I'd been trying to get Arach to wear more human clothes when he came to visit and had stocked his closet with all sorts of stuff, but he'd only recently started wearing them with any regularity.
I was about to comment on how good he looked—always praise a man when he does what you want—when Athena walked in.
“I have a bone to pick with you, Godhunter,” Athena announced.
Kirill was downstairs with the children, but the rest of my men swiveled their heads in her direction all at once. The tension became palpable and the testosterone was thick enough to slice.
“Stand down, everyone,” I said with an eye roll. “It's Athena, not Marduk.” I turned to face her. “All right, let's pick at your bone then. What's your problem?”
“You promised to contact me before you went up against the Finnish Gods!” Athena stamped her foot and magic sparked from her heel. “And then you went without me!”
I blinked at her. I don't know what shocked me more; the fact that Athena—one of the wisest women I knew—was bringing up a battle that happened months ago or that she did it like a teenage girl from Hogwarts.
“The Finns?” I asked in shock as I tried to remember. “Oh, right. Because they killed some Greeks.”
“Yes, because they killed some Greeks,” Athena growled. “I deserved vengeance. But no, you go off on your own and kill them all, like usual, then you go nutso and try to kill the rest of us. But oh, everything's fine now, and I'm supposed to just forget that you shafted me?”
“Who is this woman?” Viper whispered to Trevor.
“Athena, Ruler of Olympus,” Trevor whispered back.
Athena glanced at the men then did a double-take. “Aren't you one of her evil gods?” She pointed at Viper.
“I got better,” Viper said in a British accent.
“You quote movies now too?” Azrael asked Viper. Then he looked at me. “What did you do; pull a Jerry and make him in your own image?”
“Haha.” I stuck my tongue out at Az. “Viper has been watching movies with me and when I'm otherwise occupied, he continues his cinematic studies with the Intare.”
“So, I can understand what the hell she's talking about,” Viper added.
“Smart man,” Arach noted. “It took me awhile to figure out that movies are like another dialect for her.”
“Excuse me?!” Athena shrieked. “But I would like an apology!”
“Athena, Vervain was abducted and when she broke free, she had to kill the Finns to escape,” Odin explained. “There was no planning and no way for her to contact you first.”
“Abducted?” Athena simmered down. “By who?”
Odin grimaced. “By me.”
“What the fuck is wrong with you people?” Athena huffed.
“Odin was under Finnish influence,” I explained.
“Is that a type of drug?” Viper asked with a smirk.
“Where the hell are you getting all these jokes, man?” Trevor asked Viper. “I have underwear older than you.”
“You have some really old underwear.” Re squished his nose up at Trevor. “You should go shopping. You're a prince after all; there's a certain standard to be upheld.”
“No one is going to be analyzing my underwear,” Trevor shot back.
Re stared at him pointedly.
“No one except you, evidently,” Trevor huffed. “But I'm not buying underwear to impress you, Re. Just forget about it.”
Re sighed and rolled his golden eyes. “The things I put up with to be a part of this family.”
Athena blinked. As I mentioned, she's one of the smartest women I know, but she was upset and processing slower than usual.
“You were enchanted by Ilmarinen?” Athena asked Odin.
“Yes,” he said. “I trusted him; Ilmarinen was a friend to me once, but he betrayed me.”
“And then you abducted your wife and handed her over to him?” Athena went on.
“Yes, and it's a bit of a touchy subject.” Odin leveled his sparkling stare on her.
“And then Vervain killed them all?” Athena lifted a brow.
“Yes, and as I said; it's a touchy subject.”
“In other words, shut up about it already,” I grumbled. “Strawberry Shortcake, Athena, but you're rather slow today.”
Athena rolled her eyes and made a pained expression. “Well, sue the fuck out of me for needing a moment to catch up.”
“She's funny. I like her,” Viper declared.
Athena looked Viper up and down. “Oh, really?”
“He's mine,” I growled, and Viper smirked.
“Fucking flying owls, Vervain!” Athena shouted. “Are you gonna leave any men for the rest of us?”
I stared at her for about three seconds before I burst out laughing. The men followed just moments after me and, finally, Athena started chuckling too.
“You have a bad morning or something?” I finally asked her. “You know, if you're looking for a man, I have a whole palace full of them. Help yourself; most of the Intare are single.”
“Gee, I wonder why?” She asked sarcastically. “Could it be because they have the mentality of frat boys?”
“Hey! That's my family you're talking about,” I snapped.
“Sorry.” She sighed. “Yes, it's been a rough morning. I'm unsettled. Olympus is full of training gods and it brings back bad memories.”
“Right,” I whispered. “Sorry.”
I knew the exact memory Athena was referring to but I, unlike her, knew better than to go into vivid detail about it. I had kicked her parents' butts, exposed them as evil criminals, and got them booted off Olympus. That's not something a daughter wants to relive. Especially now that Zeus is dead, eaten by Argentinian cannibal gods. No, I'm not kidding. Death by barbecue.
“Well, at least you don't have a god trying to rewrite your destiny,” I said brightly.
“Didn't Nyx do that to you already?” Athena came over to the kitchen table that we had congregated around, and Odin got up to give her his chair. “Thank you, Allfather.”
“Of course,” Odin murmured and slid the chair in for her as she sat.
“Yeah,” I muttered as I thought about it. “Kinda in reverse. She tried to rewrite my past. What the hell is it with gods screwing with my fate?”
“Fate tempts all,” Clotho intoned dramatically as she glided in with her sisters.
“Sons of Anarchy!” I shouted as I flinched. “Don't do that. You startled me, you sneaky Moirai.”
“You could use a good rattle,” Atropos declared. “You're up here lounging about when you should be training.”
“I was tired,” I growled.
“Wah wah wah,” Atropos mimicked a baby.
“What are you three doing here?” Athena asked the Fates.
“Actually, yes; what she said,” I added. “Why haven't you left already? Usually you deliver your cryptic message and leave. Not even that; usually, I go to you and you give me a cryptic message and then I leave.”
“We are here to support you, Vervain,” Clotho said serenely. “Your star is important to all of us; we must see it safely united before we can rest.”
“Then, thank you.” I sat back as Trevor put a cup of tea on the table before me. “And thank you, Honey-Eyes.”
“You're welcome.” Trevor kissed the top of my head. “I'm just glad you don't smell like smoke anymore.”
“Why
did she smell like smoke?” Lachesis asked with narrowed eyes.
“My wife was feeling a little tired,” Arach explained. “She needed to soak in her element.”
“You went and stood in a fire and it made you feel better?” Athena asked me.
“That's right.”
“Fuck,” she muttered. “Must be nice to be fireproof.”
“It is, actually.” I grinned then looked over at the Moirai. “You know, I've just remembered something you gals told me after the thing with Katila and his mother. You said that change was coming for the Gods. That it would be rough but good too. I thought you meant that the Gods would be able to kill each other freely and perhaps even steal each other's magic. But that wasn't it, was it?”
“Now, how would that be good?” Atropos rolled her eyes.
“Killing is sometimes the best option,” I shot back.
“Fair enough.” Clotho held her hand up between her sister and me. “But no, that's not what we meant. Not that it matters anymore.”
“Why doesn't it matter?” Odin asked.
“When Vervain's star went dark and her destiny vanished, so did several futures concerning the Gods,” Lachesis said soberly.
“Hold on, Vervain's star breaking changed the future of the God race as a whole?” Re asked.
“What part of her 'star is important to all of us' did you not understand?” Atropos sassed Re.
Re gave Atropos a long, sultry look that made her blush and look away. Yes, they had a past, but it didn't bother me. Re's a hopeless flirt but he would never cheat on me. And as far as exes; it would be harder to find a woman who Re hadn't slept with than one he had. Yes, I married a man-whore, but he reformed for me and agreed to share me with six other men so I got over it.
“So, what you're saying is; the change you foresaw, the one that would be rough but good, is gone now?” I asked.
“For the moment,” Clotho said gently. “The future is hanging on a precipice.”
“Arms out, waving wildly, as it holds its breath,” Atropos added.
“Nice imagery,” I muttered. “Now I have Wile E. Coyote in my head.”
“If you don't fix your star, it will descend into very dark territory, Vervain.” Lachesis scowled at me. “This is not a joking matter.”
“So, business as usual,” I said with faux gaiety. “I have to fix myself or it'll be Godhunter: Episode VI - Return of the Death Star.”
Everyone groaned.
Chapter Twenty-Six
“Hey, you got a moment?” Sin asked me later that night.
I had just put the kids to bed and decided to go for a run in my lioness form. I wanted a little me-time. But, as usual, I was thwarted. Between motherhood and seven lovers, getting some time alone was an impossible dream. That being said, the perks were worth the drawbacks.
I pasted on a smile and waved toward the front door, where I'd been headed. “Sure. Shall we sit on the veranda?” I asked in a Southern drawl.
“You call that a veranda?” He shot back.
“I call it a drawbridge-slash-veranda,” I corrected. “But that's a little long to say. It's a massive front porch that covers a moat. You wanna make up a word for it, go ahead.”
Sin laughed, his silver eyes catching the moonlight as we stepped onto my porch. Instead of heading to my favorite spot on the left, I turned right. Lesya's toys were scattered over the rug where I usually sat, and I didn't want to deal with them. Toys. I never thought that children's toys would become the bane of my existence. My daily battles with those little plastic nightmares are nearly as vicious as those I've had in the God War.
Sin took an armchair on the end, the only seat swathed in moonlight. He sighed and leaned back to soak in the rays. Behind him, the territory rested within a thick blanket of darkness. The stars shone brighter here, without the competition from human cities, and I loved coming out at night to enjoy them. I took the end of the loveseat next to Sin and waited for him to start. I wasn't in a rush; silence is a treasure when you're a parent. These days especially, there had been so much talk that I wanted to forget. I didn't need to—
“I know how you can defeat Marduk.”
I jerked my head toward Sin. “What did you say?”
“I know Marduk's weakness,” he confessed with a grim look. “I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. It just felt... like a shitty thing to do.”
“We were at war with him. Why didn't you tell me back when you were my general?”
“You could kill people with a thought,” he reminded me. “You didn't need any advantages.”
“But now I do,” I whispered.
“Now you do,” he agreed solemnly. “And, frankly, I like you far more than I like Marduk.”
“Well, I would hope so.” I smirked. “You're living in my house.”
“Your palace,” he corrected me. “You don't do anything small, do you?”
“You should see my house in Hawaii.” My smirk turned into a soft smile. “It's teeny-tiny, but I love it.”
“You have a house in Hawaii?”
“I was born there. In Hawaii, not in the house I own.”
“No kidding.” He made an amused sound but then sobered. “If I tell you this, V, you can't...” Sin looked away and swallowed roughly. “Fuck it, I'm already a traitor. What does it matter?”
“It matters to you, obviously.” I took his hand. “If you don't want to tell me, don't, Sin. I'll be okay.”
He grimaced at me. “Thanks a lot. Now, I have to tell you.”
I laughed. “Yes, that was my evil plan; to give you an out so you won't take it.”
“It's diabolical, Dark Star.”
I lost my smile and let go of him.
“Hey, I'm sorry,” he hurried to say. “I didn't mean anything by that. You know I liked you when you were dark.”
“I know. That's actually a little worrisome, Sin.”
“Aw, come on,” Sin huffed. “You were fucking sexy and powerful and a dragon. So, I like mean girls; so what?”
I chuckled.
“I liked you then, but I respect you now,” he added gently. “You're an amazing woman, Vervain. What you've built here—” He looked around and shook his head. “It's something special. And I've been talking to your lions.” He looked back at me. “You saved them. From what I've heard, you've saved a lot of people. More importantly, you made them into a family. You're kinda badass even when you aren't bad, Godhunter.”
“Thanks,” I whispered. “I've had help. You, for instance.”
Sin shrugged and grinned his playboy grin. It was damn sexy, but I've seen my share of sexy men. These days, a smile like that doesn't turn my head unless it's attached to a man I love.
“You can adjust the water inside a body, right?” Sin went serious. “The lions I talked to said that's one of your talents.”
“Yes; it's a Moon thing, and I have Moon magic. Just like you.” I winked at him.
“Good. I assume it's a pull like mine,” he said. “As the Moon has on the tides.”
“Yes, that's it precisely.”
“Then you have all you need to defeat Marduk.” Sin smiled wickedly.
“Okay...” I drew out the word.
“Marduk is a God of Light, but his light manifests as electricity.” Sin looked at me as if it should click. “Electricity, Vervain. And if you add water to electricity...”
“You short it out?” I asked hesitantly.
“No, Vervain, you don't short electricity out. You're thinking of electrical machines.” He laughed. “Water conducts electricity.”
“So, how would raising Marduk's water levels affect his magic?”
“If you raise his water levels high enough, his magic will become unbalanced. It will surge right through him until it drains itself. Then, he won't be able to defend himself.”
“Seriously? Water? That's Marduk's weakness?” I gaped at Sin while he nodded. “What is he; the Wicked Witch of the West?”
“I think that's the Wicked
Witch of the East.” Sin frowned in thought. “The one who melted.”
“Uh, I'm pretty sure it was the Witch of the West,” I said in a sassy tone. “The East was the one Dorothy squished with her house.”
“I don't think so.”
“I'm a mommy. I know about kid movies.”