by Sumida, Amy
“Blue,” I shook my head and took his hand. “It never even occurred to me to hold you responsible. This is not your fault. Thank you for what you've done, it's enough for me.”
“Vervain,” he started to cry then and I stared at him in shock, finally taking his hands in an attempt to comfort him. “After I treated you so horribly, denying you forgiveness, still you forgive me so easily.”
“There's nothing to forgive,” I squeezed his hands. “Now stop that, you're ruining my homecoming.”
“Alright,” he laughed and kissed me on the cheek before getting up. “I'm so happy you're okay.”
“Yeah, looks like I got my own guardian angel now.”
Chapter Forty-Two
“What the fuck?” I stared at the television screen in horror. “How the hell is she doing it?”
Another reporter was on talking about the continued spread of the dreaded Black Death. Somehow, Xi Wangmu was continuing to spread her disease. There were twenty-three more reported cases and two deaths. The CDC was baffled because there had been no more infected rat corpses turned in and the sampling they had taken had yielded no positive results for the disease.
“Yeah, because it ain't the rats that are infected,” I snarled at the TV.
What now? I couldn't even figure out what to do the last time, I had to have Brahma tell me. Wait, there was that antidote idea. Looked like it was going to be a showdown after all. I'd have to take on that diseased idiot once more. Maybe this time I should bring more back-up, and more syringes.
Then I remembered Kuan-Ti. Blue's best friend was a Chinese General turned God. I had no idea if he even knew who Xi Wangmu was, but maybe he could give me some insight. I obviously needed a little more background before I tried to fight her again.
I got up to go tell Kirill where I was going.
Chapter Forty-Three
“Blue,” I called out as I walked through his tracing room.
The stone room looked as it always had, large stone furniture, drape-less windows, nothing that could catch fire. There was no golden pitcher on the table, which was still a relief to me, even though I knew he was on my side now. Before I reached the door to the hallway, he was there.
“Vervain,” he came forward and hugged me. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”
“I was hoping you could ask Kuan-Ti if he'd come and talk to me,” I followed him out of the room and down the hallway. “You know how I thought Xi Wangmu was taken care of? Turns out she's not. There have been more cases of the plague. I need to ask Kuan-Ti if he knows of any way to stop her.”
“Of course,” he led me into his gilded marshmallow of a dining room. “Here, have a seat while I go contact him. I'll send someone in with some refreshments for you.”
“Thank you.”
“We're on the same side now, little witch,” he grinned, flashing a bit of fang. “It's my pleasure to help.”
I pondered how nice it was to have the assistance of the Vampire God, as I waited for him to return. One of his vampire priests came in with a tray. He put a plate of little sandwiches down in front of me and a glass of wine. I thanked him and he nodded, leaving without saying a word. They still creeped me out a little, even though I knew they were loyal to Blue.
I was halfway done with my sandwiches when Blue came back in with Kuan-Ti at his side. I stood and happily went over to shake the Chinese General's hand. Even when we'd been on opposing sides of the war, I had still respected Kuan-Ti, he was just the kind of guy you had to respect, all honorable and stuff. Plus, I just liked him.
“It's so good to see you,” I said as we headed back to the table.
“Quite,” he smiled and pushed his thick, black braid over his shoulder. “I'm pleased to not have to war with you any longer, my lady.”
“Me too,” I lifted my glass in salute to him, “you make a much better ally.”
“So, I'm told you have need of some knowledge?”
“Yes, thank you. Can you tell me anything about Xi Wangmu? She's causing a new outbreak of the bubonic plague in Hawaii. I need to stop her before things get really horrible.”
“Xi Wangmu,” Kuan-Ti frowned. “I haven't seen her in years. She's not just a plague goddess, she's a goddess of immortality. I wasn't planning on seeing her again until her next birthday celebration, in about twenty-four-hundred years.”
“She doesn't celebrate yearly?” I blinked slowly.
“No, she combines it with the celebration of her peaches.”
“Peaches?” Wow, I really didn't know much about this woman.
“She grows the peaches of immortality,” Kuan-Ti nodded. “They take three thousand years to ripen but then they grant three thousand years of life, so I guess it evens out.”
“Wow,” I remembered something Odin had told me. “The Norse deities have to eat apples of immortality but they only last for a hundred years.”
“That sucks,” Kuan-Ti grinned.
“Yes, indeed,” I laughed. “Anything else you can tell me about her?”
“She's actually quite kind,” he shook his head at my derisive snort. “No, she is. If she's causing a plague, it's because she truly believes it's necessary. She is a goddess of healing as well, although that came to her later in life.”
“I've tried to reason with her but she won't listen to me,” I shook my head. “My only option is to inoculate her.”
“You're going to do what?” Kuan-Ti sat up straighter in his chair.
“I'm going to inject her full of antibiotics,” I shrugged. “Hopefully that will cure her.”
“That won't work, Vervain,” he rubbed at his forehead. “In theory, I see how you might believe it would but in practice, modern antibiotics don't stand a chance in curing the full blown, origin of this disease. You know those antibiotics aren't even a hundred percent sure of treating victims, much less the source. Plus, there's three types of Black Death; bubonic which attacks the lymph system, septicemic which infects the blood, and pneumonic which attacks the lungs. In the last case, the disease has a hundred percent mortality rate, even with treatment. Xi Wangmu carries all three.”
“Oh fuck,” I knocked my palms into my forehead. “What the hell are we going to do. I'm going to have to kill her.”
“Please don't kill her. All the Chinese deities will lose their immortality if she dies. I'll go with you,” Kuan-Ti swallowed hard. “I was well acquainted with her once. She may listen to me.”
“Seriously?” I lowered my hands.
“Most seriously.”
“And if she doesn't listen?” Blue, who had been silent through the entire conversation, finally spoke up.
“Then we let her kill,” he held his hands up to me when I started to speak. “You don't understand, Vervain. You think you have enemies now? Imagine if you took immortality away from an entire pantheon? They'd all be coming after you.”
“Yeah,” I sighed. “That doesn't sound like a good option.”
Chapter Forty-Four
“Xi Wangmu, Queen Mother,” Kuan-Ti called out.
We were all in an alley in Chinatown. By all, I mean the entire God Squad, which now included Blue and Azrael, as well as Odin and our sons Vidar and Vali. We were bristling with weapons, there was no way she was going to think we were only there to talk but actually, we kinda were.
We had no syringes, since Kuan-Ti had said they'd be useless, and we had no intention of killing her but still, we weren't about to just stand there and let her kill us either. Thus the weapons. I glanced nervously around the dirty alley, not a single rat in sight, but that had no bearing on the plague now. In fact, the damn thing could be in the air, which would result in that last version, pneumonic, which is untreatable. Oh wait, right, I was a goddess and didn't have to worry about that anymore.
“Kuan-Ti?” Xi Wangmu's voice took on a much softer edge when she spoke to the General. “What brings you here?” She looked around at the rest of us with disdain. “In such unfortunate company.”
“T
hese gods are friends of mine,” Kuan-Ti held out a hand to her when she pulled away. “They are good people, Xi. I know you think it's time for a cleansing but truly, it would have severe repercussions on our people here.”
“The Chinese are one of the largest growing races on the planet,” she scoffed.
“Yes,” he sighed, “in China. This is Hawaii. You were just here, a mere hundred years ago. It's too soon to put them through this again.”
Xi Wangmu frowned, her tail swishing back and forth in agitation.
“Please,” Kuan-Ti stood straight and then gave her a courtly bow. “You know I would never lie to you. We have cared deeply for each other. I would never dishonor that memory.”
“It has been a long time,” she whispered.
“Not long enough to forget,” he smiled gently and reached out a hand to her.
“It was unforgettable,” she took his hand and he kissed it. Her face changed, softened, becoming more beautiful.
“But that is not why you should believe me,” he said gravely. “Look around, see for yourself how many of our people are here. I know you truly care for them, you've earned the title of Queen Mother. Even when all you were was death, you cared for them.”
“I understand,” Azrael stepped forward and she looked at him in surprise. “I know what it means to care about our humans, to guide them through their mortality, yet somehow be so completely separated from them.”
“You are Death as well,” she looked him over and he spread his wings. They unfurled with a great flapping sound, rising above him majestically. “Ah, you. Yes, I know you,” she walked toward him, dropping Kuan-Ti's hand. “You come after me, to take some away to a new journey.”
“I also touch the grieving,” he held a hand out to her and she took it, touching him briefly before letting go. “I comfort those who find it difficult to let go of their dead. I know that what you do is a necessity but I also know that it should be a last resort. Now is not the time for this. I think it would be great folly to take so many from this place.”
She looked around the alley, over all of our solemn faces, and then walked back to Kuan-Ti. She touched his face tenderly and he held her hand to him, looking far from the General he usually was. This man wasn't the battlefield hero, he was the poet beneath the window, singing out his love for his lady. Xi Wangmu seemed to sense the difference as well.
“Maybe it's time to relive the past,” she kissed his cheek.
“I would like that,” he beamed at her.
“Then, as my new consort,” she grinned sensuously, “I'll grant you this boon. I'll pull back my magic and leave this place in peace.”
I sighed heavily in relief and she looked over at me mischievously.
“I told you not to try to catch me, Godhunter,” she shook a taloned finger at me. “You are very lucky, and very smart, to have got Kuan-Ti to do it instead. Remember this, and do not try to fight me again.”
“You got it, Queen Tiger Babe,” I saluted her and she laughed.
“It was fun, though,” she tapped a claw on her nose. “You are a very amusing adversary.”
“Thanks,” I shrugged, “I get that a lot. Oh and the short thing. They're always surprised at how short I am.”
“I as well,” she held her hand flat at a spot high above her head. “They always say, they expect me to be taller.”
“I know, right?” I held my hands up in the universal what the fuck gesture.
“Just tell them,” she said as she took Kuan-Ti's arm, “That powerful things can come in small packages.”
Chapter Forty-Five
“You want me to do what?” I eyed the pool of oil in the Spring section of the Garden of Eden.
“Just trust me,” Azrael grinned devilishly. Yes, I know the irony.
“For you,” I sighed and stripped off my clothes, leaving them in a pile far away from the oily shore and patted my hair to make sure it was tightly restrained in its braided crown around my head.
He grinned, stripping bare himself before climbing into the pool. He went to his knees so he could immerse himself up to his neck in the greasy liquid. I sighed and climbed in, hoping this wouldn't be as disgusting as it sounded. The oil was warm and slid over me like a silk shawl. I followed Azrael's lead and sank in till it came up to my neck but then I stood up, liquid gold sluicing off my skin in a dramatic rush.
The oil was thin, leaving only a rich sheen to my skin instead of a heavy coat. I rubbed at my arm, marveling at the softness and the feeling of rejuvenation that seemed to flow over me. I smiled at Az and he laughed, holding out his arms for me. I went into them gladly.
“What is this?” I scooped up some oil and rubbed it into his chest.
“Anointing oil,” he sighed under my ministrations.
“So, I'm holy now?” I rubbed myself against him, loving the feeling of our slick skin rubbing together.
“Consecrated,” he whispered as he lowered his lips to mine, “as my lover.”
I kissed him as my hands flowed over him, exploring each dip and plane with a new wonder. It seemed so different with the rapturous slide of the oil between us. His hands were roaming over me as well and everywhere they went, they brought a fresh wave of heat. Up my back, down my arms, around my curves the heatwave went, making me cry out against his mouth.
Below the surface, his finger stroked me, parting and massaging before adding his whole hand to the effort. His palm rubbed down my core, from top to bottom and then back up again, an intimate massage that was exciting instead of relaxing. I gripped his shoulder and pressed myself more firmly into him.
He pulled away and I growled, reaching for his hand but he batted mine away and took my waist. With a swift movement, he placed me on the incline where the river met the shore. The sand beneath me fell away in a gentle slope and was a perfect angle for us. He slid his body between my legs and entered me.
It was so much different than having sex in water. This was luxurious, the liquid only adding to my pleasure, where water would have washed it away and made things more difficult.
He glided into me in an effortless undulation, sending little explosions of pleasure rocketing through my entire body, and that was before he lowered his chest to mine. His chest sliding against mine was like a giant hand working me over. The slickness turned everything into a caress, every motion into sublime pleasure.
Then his lips were over mine and my tongue was sliding against his. Everything was just so wet and hard against me, filling and rubbing until I couldn't think straight. He suddenly lifted my hips from the pool, holding them around his waist as he started to work himself into me faster. The oil heated, adding to the pleasure and I screamed out just moments before he did.
Then he lifted me, still lodged inside me, from the pool's edge and settled me back into the spring grass. I sighed as he slid from me and then settled into my side, rubbing little circles over my stomach. I relaxed back against him, letting the sun lull me to sleep as the oil soaked into my skin.
Chapter Forty-Six
“You know what my favorite part of Heaven is?” I asked Azrael as I snuggled in bed with him.
“The honey?” He laughed and dove under the covers to make sure he'd gotten my breasts thoroughly cleaned. Yes, we'd gone back to Autumn after we made love in Spring.
I let him go awhile, holding his head to me, till I finally pulled him back up. I stared up at him in amazement. Just seeing him above me made me so damn thankful. I'd been through so much lately and I was still alive because of him.
Trevor, Kirill, and Odin had been there for me in so many ways, even saving my life on occasion. Hell, I was living this life only because Odin had brought me back before my time. I didn't mean to diminish anything they'd done, and my love for all of them was practically carved in stone, but this man, this angel, had found a place in my already overcrowded heart and made himself a home. In some ways, it felt like he'd outdone them.
“Carus?” Oh I liked that too, it was so sexy on h
is lips. Drawn out, sounding like two words instead of one. Care-Us. How appropriate.
“Just thinking,” I gave him a quick kiss.
“About your favorite part of Heaven,” he grinned, becoming even more beautiful.
“Yes, that,” I reached down between us and took him in hand. “Ah, here it is.”
He laughed, vibrating it through my chest since he was above me, and I joined him. But then his face took a sensual turn and he shifted my legs apart, bringing my favorite part of Heaven right where it needed to be to take me to a different kind of paradise.
I wrapped my arms around him and let go of everything else. Thor was a distant memory, the fact that Anubis still showed up occasionally left my mind, the Intare, the Froekn, all the things I normally worried about went away and I was alone with Azrael. I knew it would always be like this, that when I was with him, it would only be him. Instead of making me sad or making me feel guilty over forgetting the others, it made me feel only a great relief.
As much as I loved my men, it was so hard to love all of them. To be in bed with one, while missing another, or have one man's hands on me while picturing another man's face. It may sound harsh but it's really just human nature. When you love truly, making love will make you think of that person, and when you have three, or rather four, men that you love, it can get confusing.
I loved them all and I was intent on making sure they each felt that love from me. This intensity could get a little exhausting. So having one lover I could go to and truly just be with him, was an amazing gift. I could pretend for a short time that it was just me and him. Of course it might help if I left all links to other lovers at home when I came to visit Az.