by Amy Sumida
Marduk laughed scathingly. “You can't defeat me, dragon whore, not without being tainted by evil. So, why don't you leave before you force me to hurt you? I don't believe that self-defense would be considered breaking my vow.”
“That's bullshit,” Trevor growled. “The vow was made and it must be upheld or you will suffer the consequences.”
“Why don't we test that theory?” Marduk grinned wickedly and lurched for me.
Sin shrieked against his gag, and my men leapt to intercept Marduk, but I was faster than all of them. I jumped for Sin and as soon as I got a hold of him, I traced us away.
“Trace!” I shouted to my men as we disappeared.
Chapter Forty-Three
We all made it back to Re's palace in one piece. For some reason, the chains, chair, and gag didn't survive the trip through the Aether. I assumed it had something to do with them being enchanted. Whatever the case, Sin was able to walk out of Re's tracing room on his own. But before he did that, he hugged me.
“Thanks, V. You have the best timing ever!” Sin declared as he let me go.
“I'm shocked that Marduk came after you,” I said as we headed out of the tracing room with Az and Trevor. “He has what he's always wanted. Why would he waste time on petty grievances?”
“Marduk asked me to lure you out of the God Realm, but I refused.” Sin grimaced. “He was using a more aggressive method of convincing me when you showed up. As I said; perfect timing.”
“That's what you were trying to tell me through the gag,” I concluded. “That Marduk was after me, not you.”
“Yeah, I didn't think we'd make it out of there,” he admitted. “I kept thinking; damn, she just gave him exactly what he wants.”
“But why was he trying to get me out of the God Realm?” I asked.
“Something about you not making good on your promise.” Sin shrugged. “He said the territory you gave him is empty.”
“I took my magic from it and cleared it completely,” I explained. “Then I lied and told him that I didn't know how to create anything in the God Realm, that I had inherited it all as it was.”
“Oh, shit,” Sin whispered with wide eyes. “No wonder he's so pissed. You granted his wish but only in the most basic sense of the words.”
“Like a genie.” Azrael chuckled. “Be careful what you wish for.”
“This isn't funny!” Sin snapped at Az. Then he turned back to me to add, “V, you're not safe anymore, no matter what he vowed. You heard Marduk; he's looking for an excuse to attack you, and once Marduk decides to kill someone, he doesn't let anything stop him.”
“If Vervain attacks Marduk, it doesn't break her vow,” Trevor noted. “But if he attacks her, he'll definitely be breaking a blood oath.”
“Marduk doesn't think like that.” Sin shook his head disdainfully. “He's not the most rational guy, to begin with but when you get him riled up, he's a maniac. He probably thinks that the Tablet will protect him. He truly believes that whoever possesses the Tablet rules the Universe.”
“Like all myths, there's some truth to that,” I grudgingly admitted. “Alaric told me that the Tablet of Destinies gives Marduk a certain amount of immunity and protection.”
“So, Marduk may be right about it protecting him from the consequences of breaking a blood oath?” Sin asked in horror.
“I don't know.”
“What happened?” Odin came down the hall with the other men and interrupted our conversation.
“Marduk was there, torturing Sin. He wanted Sin to lure me out of the God Realm, but Sin refused.” I gave the Moon God a grateful look.
“He was torturing Sin when we got there,” Trevor said then blinked as if something just occurred to him. “You're a fast healer,” he said to Sin as he looked over Sin's uninjured face. “That's even faster than Vervain heals.”
Sin shrugged. “Maybe it's a Moon thing. I've always been this way.”
“So, Marduk is trying to betray his vows already.” Odin gave me a heavy look.
“He's mad about how I left him with a blank territory,” I muttered.
“We must strike back!” Arach demanded. “Surely you see that now, Vervain?”
“I suppose,” I agreed, feeling a bit backed into a corner.
Then Ty walked in with a genie. Oh, excuse me; I mean a jinni.
“Hey, look who showed up at Moonshine,” Ty announced brightly.
“Dragon Queen, it's time for the final battle,” Zimri-dagan intoned dramatically.
“Really?” I huffed and grimaced at him. “Now, you show up?”
“My people have been waiting for this moment. Of course, I show up now.”
“No, I mean; where were you when I was broken and human, eh? Did the Tablet of Destinies affect you too? Is that why you abandoned me like everyone else?”
“No, the Tablet belongs to the Jinn; it cannot hurt us.”
“Then why didn't you help me?” I got in his face. “Sin carried me off that battlefield, but the Jinn just left. Despite all your big talk about wanting to take down the Mesopotamians, you walked out when things got tough. I don't need nor want your help now.”
Zimri-dagan chuckled softly.
“What's so damn funny?” I growled.
“I've foreseen this moment, but you're so much angrier in person. Like one of those tiny dogs.” He chuckled again.
“Wow, you're just racking up the points.” I rolled my eyes. “Get out, Jinn.”
“Vervain, you had to lose everything before you could be the woman your star needs you to be,” Zimri-dagan said patiently. “This has never been merely about the Jinn destroying the Mesopotamians. Yes, we want our vengeance, mainly against Marduk, but that vengeance isn't as important as your journey. I couldn't help you then because you needed to feel the weight of loss. You needed to break so that you could heal stronger. Saving you would have made all of this pointless.”
Listen to the Jinn, Alaric said in my mind. He's right. You were weakened after your episode with evil but now, you're stronger and more confident. You have faith in yourself, not just in your magic. I hate to admit that I didn't foresee this, but you had one thing holding you back from fulfilling your destiny; your lack of self-worth.
I didn't— I started to protest.
Vervain, you did. You undervalued yourself. You always have. Your insecurity was hidden beneath bravado, but it was there. It took the loss of everything you loved and all that you thought made you who you are to show you that you are more than magic.
That and Sin, I glanced at the Moon God. He's the one who pointed it out to me. He helped me to feel good enough; worthy of all of this love and power.
And Sin, Al agreed in a strange tone.
You don't like him, I said in surprise.
Sin was necessary, but no, I don't like him.
Before I could say anymore, Zimri-dagan interrupted.
“Is your Consciousness done speaking to you yet?” the Jinn asked with a twinkle in his dark eyes.
“You know about Al?” I lifted a brow at him.
“I told you; I foresaw this moment.” Zimri-dagan went serious. “Vervain, despite the breaking of your destiny, everything has happened as it should. Your invisible friends are not the only players in this game. You are being moved forward even when their hands are not upon you.”
I went still and stared at the Jinn. It wasn't the first time that it had been suggested that there were other forces at work in my life.
“Who?” I asked him. “Who else is moving me?”
“As an instrument of their plans, I cannot say.” Zimri-dagan shrugged. “The Universe has rolled its dice. You have your star back, Dragon Queen. Now, what will you do with it? Is the Godhunter truly satisfied with becoming the hunted? Or will you take back everything that has been stolen from you and reassert your claim on the future?”
A deafening roar filled the corridor, and I turned to see the Intare spilling out of doors all the way down the extended palace. They stared a
t me confidently, so certain that I would win them back their home and so eager to help me do it. I glanced at the grim faces of my lovers next. They had wanted this; a clear end to the war with the Mesopotamians. No compromise; just triumph or defeat.
“Call our allies,” I said. “We're going to war... again.”
The Intare roared once more, my men nodded with satisfaction, and Zimri-dagan grinned. The only one who looked worried was Sin, but I didn't blame him. My track record with Marduk sucked and the last time he hurt me, Sin had been the one to pick up the pieces. I dearly hoped the past wasn't about to repeat itself.
Chapter Forty-Four
I was out on the wraparound balcony outside Re's bedroom when I heard someone enter the room.
“What the... Oh, wow. What do you even do with that? Where would you put it?” Sin's exclamations made me chuckle.
To reach me, Sin had to blaze a trail through Re's collection of sex machines, chains, toys, racks of kinky clothes, and cabinets full of all kinds of naughtiness. I turned to see Sin staring through the glass doors of one of the cabinets at a collection of phallic objects. He glanced over and caught me watching him.
“Is that a horse tail attached to a dildo?” Sin asked conversationally.
“Why, yes, it is,” I confirmed and grinned at him. “My husband enjoys... experimenting.”
“No shit,” Sin muttered.
“It's just a bit of horseplay,” I couldn't help adding.
Sin snorted. “Who's the horse; him or you? Wait; no, I don't want to know. I don't need any visuals of Re in my head.” He joined me on the balcony but glanced back over his shoulder. “But I do need to ask; what's with the throne?”
I burst out laughing.
“What?”
“That's exactly what I called it,” I confessed. “It's a sex chair; it can be put into all sorts of positions to make the act more enjoyable.”
“I might need to get me one of those,” he murmured with another look back at the chair.
“Are you all right, Sin?” I asked gently.
The sound of training soldiers carried up to us. In the plains before Re's palace, my lions were going through maneuvers with the Froekn. Some of them were shifted but most were fighting in human form, using wooden practice swords in place of the fire swords they'd wield in the real battle. The crack of wood hitting wood made an erratic drumbeat.
Sin glanced down at the troops before replying, “I'm worried about Ninka. If Marduk came after me—”
“Oh, Fast and the Furious!” I exclaimed. “I forgot about Ninkasi! We need to go get her.” I grabbed Sin's hand and pulled him back into the palace. “Do you know where she is?”
Sin laughed and pulled me to a stop. “Take a breath, V. I do know where she is. I also know that Ninka has wards, and she's a bit smarter than me. So, hopefully, she won't let Marduk into her apartment. Still, I'd like to bring her here if I could.”
“Of course, you can.” I started heading downstairs again. “And I'm going with you.”
“No, Vervain.” He pulled me to a stop. “I'm not taking you back to Bahrain. I don't know how many Mesopotamians are still prowling the streets there. Marduk said he's offered a place to all of them, but who knows when or if they'll take him up on it; what with there being nothing but dirt in his territory.” He smirked at me. “So, you stay here, and I'll go get Ninka. I just need the tracing chant to get back in.”
“You're not going alone either, Sin,” I insisted. “You don't want me there? Fine. I'll wait here. But you're taking someone with you.”
Sin looked as if he were about to argue.
“You can't have it both ways.” I wagged a finger at him. “Either it's safe enough for both of us to go or it isn't, in which case you need backup.”
Sin sighed and smirked. “All right; I'll take your backup.”
He turned to head downstairs, but I stopped him with a hand on his arm.
“Hey, I never properly thanked you. You took care of me when you didn't have to. You picked up my pieces and put me back together and then I ran off with Marduk at the end. I hope you understand my reasons for leaving so rudely.”
Sin stared at me a moment, his expression going soft. “I understand, Vervain. It was your best option and you had to jump on it. Don't worry about my feelings; I'm fine, really.”
“Really, really?” I asked and narrowed my eyes at him.
“Really,” he repeated with a grin. “I had hoped...” He looked away and cleared his throat. “But that was when you didn't have anyone. Now, you don't need me anymore.”
“Hey!” I smacked his arm. “That was unfair and a bit whiny for you.”
Sin laughed, his whole expression brightening. “Yeah, it kinda was. But that kiss was... it was something special. Just like you.”
“It was a good kiss,” I agreed. “But I shouldn't have indulged. I was down, and you offered me something to make me feel better, but I just—”
“Don't feel the same way about me that I do for you,” he finished softly. “Yeah, I figured that out. It's okay, V. People change. Things change. You never know what the future holds.” He winked at me and started walking again. Under his breath, he added, “I can be patient.”
I stared after him a moment before I picked up my jaw and followed. You have to hand it to Sin; he's like Buzz Lightyear, he never gives up.
Chapter Forty-Five
Our armies traced to the battlefield in Saudi Arabia before we went to Marduk's territory. We did this was for two reasons. First, we wanted to make sure that we got any Mesopotamian stragglers who might have stayed on Earth in their fort. Second, with Marduk's territory being unwarded, our entire army could trace in at once, but we couldn't do that from Aaru because we'd have to file through Re's tracing room singly or go down the river and dive into the enormous tracing point there. So, it would be better for us to trace from Earth all together.
The army leaders gathered with me before our troops, waiting on a jinn scout we'd sent into the fort. My men were all there as well as Fenrir, Luke, Athena, Sin, Ninkasi, Zimri-dagan, the nine Jinn rulers (the Palis don't have a leader), and the God Squad. Most of us were dressed in beautiful armor, many of those were golden suits brought from Atlantis, but I wore an old pair of sweats and an emerald necklace. And odd pairing indeed but they both had a purpose; the sweats would be torn to bits with my shift but the necklace was magic, made by dwarves, and would extend to fit any girth. It would help me drain a god's magic if I needed to. I probably wouldn't go that route but I wasn't about to leave it behind again, especially now that I had my star back.
After a few minutes, sand swirled into a small twister directly before us then took the shape of a dark-haired, Jinn woman. “It's empty,” she announced. “All of them are gone.”
I frowned at that. “I'm surprised that they'd want to live in a barren landscape.”
“Just because Marduk can't create anything, it doesn't mean he can't import building materials,” Luke noted.
“True,” I conceded.
“The 'why' doesn't matter. Let's finish this,” King Iblis growled.
We nodded at each other; we'd waited long enough to confront the Mesopotamians and having them all in one place made it better for us. The leaders broke off and went to stand with their regiments. I lifted my fist into the air. All eyes focused on it. When I brought it down, we traced into Marduk's territory.
I came out on a lush field, hemmed in by massive trees. For a moment I thought I'd somehow traced to the wrong place. I frowned down at the glossy blades of grass as I absently breathed in the fresh scent of blossoms and fruit. What the hell? Then I lifted my head and stared at the enormous palace that sprawled before a very familiar mountain range. I'd recognize those peaks anywhere; they were the mountains that separated my territory from those of other gods. They're a neutral border that couldn't be transformed by magic. But the rest of the territory had been transformed. A lot.
Marduk's palace shone glossy-cream in th
e sunshine. Golden domes capped its numerous towers with a massive one on the central keep. The walls were adorned with intricate stonework; bas reliefs and carvings of swirling designs and flowers. Grand steps swept down from a pair of golden doors in the central keep. The doors stood open and Mesopotamian Gods streamed in and out beneath the peaked arch. Everyone appeared happy, celebratory even. The sound of their bright voices carried over to our shocked troops.
Then they saw us. A cacophony of shouts erupted and the Mesopotamians went running into the palace.