by Sumida, Amy
I grabbed her by the very convenient ponytail she was wearing and punched her in the jaw. She went down in an arc of blood but she came up just as quickly, shooting her leg out to take me down.
Kirill was right, I’d underestimated her.
“Godhunter,” she spat blood as her face began to heal. “What have you done to my daughter?”
“Oh Sephy’s fine,” I sent my own kick to her belly and was thrilled to see her double over. “She set this up for me. Isn’t that sweet?”
“She’d never betray me like this!” When she was on the ground, Demeter had grabbed a handful of sand which she tossed into my face.
I spat and blinked, trying to get the evil stuff out of my eyes and mouth. She used the opportunity to tackle me and soon the sand was really flying. I gave up and fought blind. It didn’t really matter when you were latched onto your opponent.
“She didn't betray you,” I grunted in between jabs. “You can't betray an enemy.”
“My daughter will never be my enemy,” she pulled back for a second and I had to struggle to hold onto her. My eyes were still burning, even though it was just a couple grains that got in, and I couldn't open them. If I lost hold of her, I was up that creek.
“I have no idea how you managed to raise such a sweet woman,” I heard her dress tear a little but I was able to pull her in. “You're vile, it's amazing you didn't poison Sephy.”
“Her name is Persephone,” she moaned a little when I managed to head butt her in the nose.
“She happens to like being called Sephy,” I spat before she landed a punch to my belly.
We rolled across the beach, grunting and screaming as we tried to get punches in. Finally, after taking quite a few knocks myself, I was able to get her pinned and blink away all the sand from my eyes. I smiled grimly down at her as I removed a dagger from my belt. Her eyes widened.
“You’re going to kill me, Godhunter?” She was terrified and I was eating it up. I only wished I had a camcorder. “The world needs me, Persephone needs me.”
“Nobody needs you, you arrogant bitch,” I shook my head at her ego. “You've fallen for your own lies. Without you, the seasons will still come and go, the grass will grow just fine. In fact, I know my world will be ten times better without you in it.”
“Humans are nothing without gods,” she spat. “None of your advances would have been possible without us.”
“This isn't about gods,” I leaned harder on her arms and heard a satisfying crack and an even more satisfying scream. “This is about you but more importantly, this is about Al, Trevor, and Kirill.” Her face paled and she went still beneath me. “That's right, you know what you did, I'm not gonna bore us both with a lengthy list of your perversions. You're twisted, disgusting, and it makes me sick to even look at you but I'm not going to kill you today,” I let disappointment fill my voice. “Even though she no longer loves you, you are still Sephy's mother. Today, that's saved your life but if you ever come after me or mine again, Sephy or no, I will kill you slowly. I will cut you apart piece by piece, burning each piece in front of you as I go, and then I will scatter your ashes to the wind. Then again, you probably won't last that long. See you made a huge mistake in trying to kill the Froekn's Prince. They're coming after you and they have no ties to Persephone to hold them back. You better run.”
I grinned down at her.
“Of course, that doesn't mean you get a free pass on Al or Kirill,” I pulled her up by that long, blonde hair and her eyes got wider. I’d pondered over the best way to get back at Demeter without killing her and I’d finally thought of this.
I brought the knife down quickly and Demeter fainted.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
I couldn't stop smiling. I had escaped Anubis, reunited with Trevor, become Kirill's lover, and by some miracle I was going to have Odin back too. Now I'd dealt with Demeter and kept that vow I'd made. It was the last thing I needed to feel happy.
I drove home casually, content now to enjoy the scenery on my way. Thick trees rose to either side of the highway, waving their branches in a victory dance for me. I rolled down the window and breathed deeply of the mountain air. I passed the entrance to the Pali lookout and wondered how many tourists were getting blown around in the crazy wind up there.
Just before I hit the first tunnel, I glanced up into my rear view mirror and saw Pele's smiling face looking back at me.
“Great Goddess of Fire!” I screamed and nearly drove into the mountain.
“Calm yourself, Godhunter,” she laughed as she zapped herself into my front seat.
“What the hell, Pele?” I asked as we came out into the sun again. “I'm not carrying any pork.”
“This has nothing to do with that pig-man,” she laughed. “I just wanted to talk to you.”
“So it's true,” I thought back to all the stories I'd heard growing up about how you should never transport pork over the Pali. “You mess with people who bring pork over the Pali.”
“I have some fun every now and again,” she shrugged. “Everyone knows I don't want any part of that dickhead on my side of the island. If they bring pork over this mountain, they're fair game. I just stall a few cars and occasionally show up in people's rear view mirrors. No big deal.”
“No big deal?” I glanced over at her mischievous expression. “I nearly had a heart attack.”
“I apologize,” she chuckled. “I just wanted to let you know how things are going with the drug clean up.”
“Oh yeah,” I hadn't even thought of all that. “Did you find all the stashes?”
“I believe so,” she nodded grimly. “I burned them all. I'm sure there will be others trying to fill the void but now they will not have the protection of a god to creep under. The police will have a much easier time doing their job and that greasy little leech won't be taking from my people anymore. I am at peace.”
“Good for you,” I grinned. “I'm feeling a little peaceful myself.”
“Yes, I heard about your visit to Duat.”
“You did?”
“I am old friends with Ma'at,” Pele grinned and pulled a cigarette out of thin air. “Do you mind?”
“Not at all,” like I was going to tell the Fire Goddess she couldn't smoke in my car.
“Mahalo,” she started to inhale and the cigarette lit itself.
“Ma'at saved my life.”
“Well, she certainly changed it for the better,” she mused before taking another drag. “She thinks very highly of you, as do I.”
“Wow,” I gave a surprised huff. “Thank you. You guys aren't so bad yourselves.”
She chuckled and it was a sensuous sound. “So you must tell me. How was Anubis?”
“What?” I gave her a horrified glance.
“Come now,” she tsked. “I've been dying to know. That boy looks like such a prude but I bet it's the opposite. Am I right?”
“He's definitely not a prude,” I swallowed hard as a string of images bombarded me.
“I knew it,” she flicked some ash out the window. “Maybe I should go visit Ma'at.”
“Yes!” I cleared my throat. “I mean, that's a fantastic idea. You two would be great together.”
“Really?” She raised a perfectly shaped brow. “You wouldn't mind?”
“Why would I mind?” Oh please, take him, get his mind off me.
“Well, you were lovers, yeah?”
“Not exactly,” I frowned. “What did Ma'at tell you?”
“Only that you and he had a disagreement and he took you to Duat to wreck vengeance on you but then he fell for you.”
“That's really oversimplified,” I shook my head. “Let's just say, the relationship was one-sided. I don't want Anubis. Please feel free.”
“Ah, excellent,” she smiled. “Oh, speaking of gorgeous men. How is that Kirill?”
“Now him, I want,” I looked over to her as I pulled into my garage. “We have progressed in our relationship.”
“Oh, really?” Her
eyes sparkled. “Do tell.”
“It's the lioness magic,” I turned off the engine. “I've discovered that I need to take numerous lovers. Trevor has accepted it and Kirill is our first addition.”
“Hot damn,” she laughed. “You're one lucky lady.”
I looked over as Kirill came out of the house to check on me.
“I sure am,” when I looked back at Pele, she was gone.
Chapter Forty
The God Squad was waiting when I walked in the door. I stopped and stared for a second, a little surprised by the entire group being in my living room… again. My eyes skimmed over Pan, Horus, Mr. T and Mrs. E, Finn, Teharon, Brahma, and Hades. I was glad to see all of them, even Horus. When I got to Persephone, I gave her a reassuring wink and she smiled in relief. I knew she viewed her mother as an enemy now but hating someone and wanting them dead were two different things.
Trevor and Kirill both looked relieved as well and I felt myself soften under their warmth. So I was totally unprepared for the anger I encountered when I met Thor’s gaze. It was the first time I'd seen him since we had our big fight and there he was, practically snarling at me. I could only blink in confusion. What the hell had I done to him now? What was he even doing there? Then I looked over at Ull, Vidar, Vali, and lastly Odin. Their hesitant and guilty gazes told me everything… just as they had told Thor. Thor knew about the lioness magic. Shit.
Instead of confronting the situation in front of all my friends, I decided to ignore it. Wouldn’t you? I walked over to Kirill and crouched down in front of his seat.
“When the hand is cut, the heart also bleeds,” I pulled a length of blonde braid out of my purse and laid it on his lap. “You may be my Ganza, the hand of the Pride and my protector, but I am your Tima, your heart, and any injury to you is a blow to me as well. So I took our revenge and have brought you a warrior’s trophy. Keep it or destroy it but let it be a symbol of love not anger… the love of the heart for the hand.”
Kirill’s hands fastened on Demeter’s hair and tightened before he raised his gaze to me. I thought for a moment that he’d cry or shout, something, anything other than what he did. He laughed.
He laughed long and hard as he held onto that braid. Everyone around us was silent at first but slowly we all started to join in and soon the room was overflowing with laughter. Nicholas came out to investigate, gave us all You crazy humans stares, and padded away. We laughed harder.
“So I take it Mom is alive but very unhappy right about now,” Persephone was still giggling.
“She passed out when I went for her hair,” I chuckled. “You should have seen her face. I think she might have preferred death.”
“I’m still not happy about you facing her alone,” Kirill took my hand. “But zank you, Tima. I just vish I could have seen her face as vell.”
And just like that, the haunted look disappeared from Kirill’s eyes. I smiled and stuck my hand in my pocket to finger the length of hair that I'd pulled out of the braid. That was for Trevor and when I looked at him and smiled grimly, he smiled back, knowing exactly what was in my pocket. The Froekn had been hunting Demeter awhile without success but with a lock of her hair, things were about to get interesting.
“Well I’m glad worrying all of us was worth getting your revenge,” Thor’s voice was bitter and it hit me that it may be more than the magic upsetting him. It may be the lack of magic. We weren’t bonded anymore. His oath to me was gone now that the Grayel had washed the slate clean.
“Loving Vervain requires patience,” Odin’s voice held a lot of weight for such a quiet tone. “You have to be prepared for a lot of pain, a good dose of frustration, and a whole shitload of worry. But I’ve found her love to be worth it.”
“Maybe,” Thor shot his father a heated look, “when you have it.”
“Let it go, Son,” Odin’s eye sparked.
“Oh, like you did?”
“That is more than enough!” I stood up and ran my fingers through my hair in frustration. “This was not about either of you. It was about Kirill. Trevor. Al. It was even a little about Hades, though I'm gonna let Sephy decide what to do about that. But most of all, it was about me… period. I am so tired of worrying about how my every little action is going to affect someone else. This was my choice.”
“Of course, Vervain,” Odin’s voice gentled. “I never thought otherwise.”
“Oh, stop,” Thor rolled his eyes. “You’d be saying the same things as I if you weren’t scared to lose your new status.”
There was an uncomfortable silence.
“Status?” Brahma looked from Thor, to Odin, and then to me. “What does that mean?”
“Oh Dad,” Ull groaned.
I was staring at Thor. He was staring back at me with a partly shocked and partly self-righteous expression.
I wasn’t ashamed of the way my life was changing and my friends would have to know eventually but this wasn’t the way I wanted to tell them. I stared harder at Thor and he got the message.
I wasn’t pleased.
“My lioness magic has taken on a new twist,” I finally released Thor’s gaze to look at the others. “I’m the heart of the Pride. In nature my role would normally be held by a male and he would be mate to all the females in his pride. Well, it turns out that even though the sexes are reversed, the instincts are still there.”
“Are you trying to say that your magic is pressuring you to mate with all the lions?” Horus looked fascinated.
“It’s urging me to take on more lovers,” I sighed. “This is not the way I wanted to tell everyone. The situation is complicated, to say the least.”
“So have you chosen any new men?” Pan’s eyes were a little too eager for my comfort. I wasn't sure if he was going to ask if he could join us or film us, he did make porn for a living.
“I have the final say,” Trevor growled at him.
“As my alpha,” I waved Trevor down, “Trevor has to accept any possible choices for the magic to bond us and I want him to be happy. It’s essentially up to Trevor, he’s my first concern.”
Thor snorted.
“As if you could share her at all, Thunderer,” Trevor leapt to his feet. “If our rolls were reversed, you would rant and rage. There’s no way you’d share her, no matter what the cost to her. You’d leave her first.”
“That’s not true,” Thor stood to face off with Trevor.
“You only say that now because you’ve lost her already.” Trevor was stalking closer to Thor and Kirill was carefully taking up a spot at his back. They really were a lot closer now. My gaze widened as I saw the potential of the lioness magic. A whole Pride of men, bonded by the love of one woman, working together to protect her and each other. It really was about strength and family. So much more than sex. It shouldn't have surprised me though, Nature always had a reason.
“I loved Vervain before any of you,” Thor looked at me with a breaking heart in his eyes and for the first time, I wasn't moved by it. I was just so over this.
“No, you didn't,” Odin’s voice fell between the circling men. They frowned and turned as one, to stare at him. “If you really want to play this game, boy, you need to deal me in. I loved her first. I married her. We made a child together. She raised Vali, even though she did not birth him. We made a life together. I watched her grow old. I watched her die,” his voice broke a little bit and he took a breath to steady it. “And I mourned her but I have never stopped being faithful to her and our love. It’s been over five hundred years since I’ve known the touch of another woman and even if Vervain never touches me again, I never shall. In my heart she is and will always be my wife.”
Odin stood and looked around at all the stunned faces before looking back at Thor.
“Now you stand here and have the nerve to tell me you loved her first?” He shook his head. “You don’t even know the first thing about loving her. I gave up my eye to bring her back!”
Everyone gasped and I looked to Trevor immediately. I didn
't want him to know about that, that I really was Sabine in her entirety, born with a lifetime of knowledge and memories available to me, not just a reincarnated soul. Trevor was already threatened by my bond to Odin, I didn't want him to know it was more than a past life thing but then, how many times do we ever get what we want?
Trevor looked confused and I rushed over and took his hand. “This changes nothing. I love you,” I whispered to him.
“Yes,” Odin continued with an apologetic look at me. “She was the reason I gave Mimir my eye, so I could gain the knowledge to bring her back. I put her soul into her mother's womb but then the magic turned on me and I was prevented from finding her mother. I lost her until the day you walked in with her on your arm,” he pointed at Thor. “You have no idea how that felt. You sit here pining for her like you were the victim of some cosmic joke, when you know nothing of true heartache. Try watching your son walk into your home with the woman you love on his arm, impotent to do anything to win her back. Unable to even tell her who she really is.” Thor looked horrified but Odin just continued. “Even then, I rejoiced. It didn't matter who she was with or what path her new life had taken her on. She was back. She stands here before me again and I’m thankful everyday for it. To see her, to speak with her, to touch her hand, these are all gifts for me. Do you think that a love like that cares for one second that it has to share her? Let me assure you, it does not.”
Odin turned to me and wiped away the tears streaming down my face. He took my hand, and gently kissed it before heading to the door with Vidar and Vali on his heels.
“You’re all fools,” he said as they traced out.
I stared after him in shock. It was the most beautiful declaration I’d ever heard and every part of my body wanted to chase after him.
“Vervain?” Of all people, it was Hades who broke the silence.
“I’m sorry,” I turned back around, “I’m fine.”
“So, I take it Odin’s one of the chosen,” Pan piped up.
“Pan!” Mrs. E slapped him on the arm.
“Wha-a-a-t?” Pan cringed.