Into the Void (The Godhunter, Book 10)

by Amy Sumida

  But Kirill was a normal human height, a few inches over six feet, and although I wouldn't call his physique normal, it was more so than the others. Touching him, being held by him, was like a physical connection to my humanity. He felt like home to me in a way that was completely different than the way Trevor did. I don't know how else to describe it, he just felt more normal.

  “Tima?” His low voice broke into my musings.

  “Sorry, you distracted me,” I grabbed a lock of his silky black hair and rubbed it between my fingers.

  “Good,” he took my hand and freed his hair. “Zat's exactly vhat I vanted.”

  Then he changed into a massive black lion, losing all that humanity I'd just been admiring. He shook his mane out and padded over to me, the sun bringing blue highlights to life in his fur. His wide head nudged me, making me stumble a little.

  “Okay, okay,” I laughed and climbed onto his back.

  Then I was gripping his body with my legs, leaning forward and clinging to handfuls of mane to keep from falling off him as he ran full speed into the grasslands. He veered off the trail and I hid my face in his mane so I wouldn't get hit by passing brush. Then we were out in open land again and a herd of antelope sprang in every direction to escape us.

  They needn't have worried though, Kirill was after different prey and it was already caught, clinging to his back and waiting to be devoured. The ride was spectacular but it was a relief to arrive at his intended location; a waterfall hidden within the the mountain range that defined the territory.

  I slid off his back and onto the pebbled ground, staring at the little fall and its clear pool with awe. It had been virtually undetectable until we were right upon it, artfully concealed behind an angle of the mountain. It was set in a sort of nook, nestled in a crevice of rock. A shaft of sunlight filtered down through overhanging foliage, patterning the water with gold but the pattern was distorted by the ripples created by rushing falls.

  “This is amazing,” I whispered as I dropped the satchel on the ground.

  “I found it one day vhile I vas roaming,” Kirill had changed back without me noticing, I was so focused on the beauty in front of me.

  “I had no idea this was here,” I turned back to him.

  “I don't zink anyone did,” he shrugged.

  “Thank you for bringing me,” I smiled as he crossed over to me.

  “A place like zis should be shared vith someone you love,” he lowered his forehead to mine and we closed our eyes and just breathed each other in for a moment. It's a cat thing.

  Then he pulled back and took the satchel from me. He pulled a thick blanket out and spread it on the little stones that made up the bank of the little pool. He sat down and helped me sit before removing some containers filled with food and a bottle of wine.

  “A picnic,” I grinned delightedly. “I love picnics.”

  “I know zis,” he lifted a brow.

  “Oh, right,” I gave a nervous laugh.

  I'm not sure why I was nervous. Maybe it had something to do with the way Kirill had been changing lately. He had always been my strong foundation, the man who kept me steady, and he still was but little by little that foundation was starting to shake. In a good way.

  “What's going on with you?” I asked as he handed me a glass of moscato.

  “Vhat do you mean, going on vith?” He laid out some fried chicken and deviled eggs.

  “You're different.”

  “You don't like it?” He leveled a serious stare on me.

  “Of course I like it,” I cocked my head at him. “It's you, as far as I'm concerned, you can't do wrong.”

  “Tima,” he shook his head and laughed. “You really don't know?”

  “No,” I grabbed an egg and started nibbling. “Go on, tell me already.”

  “It's ze lion magic, ze magic zat allowed Trevor to accept zis.”

  “Continue.”

  “Trevor has become confident in his role as alpha,” Kirill laid down on his side, propped up on one arm, and looked up at me with those deep blue eyes of his. “His confidence has made the magic moot, unnecessary.”

  “So what? It's gone?”

  “No, not gone,” he pressed his lips together thoughtfully. “It's relaxed, hibernating. I don't feel the pressure to hold back anymore.”

  “Hold back?” I frowned. “You were holding back?”

  “I was allowing Trevor to be alpha, to lead,” he sat up and took my empty glass from me, laying it on the blanket. “Now I have no restrictions.”

  He pulled me to my feet and set his mouth to mine as he set his hands to the task of removing my clothes. By the time I was as naked as he, I was intoxicated with pleasure. He lifted me and carried me into the water. I cringed, waiting for the cold bite of mountain water but it never came.

  “The water's warm,” I observed delightedly as we sank deeper. “How the hell is that possible?”

  “Magic,” he chuckled as his mouth found my throat. “Vhy do you even ask?”

  “Good point,” I held onto his shoulders as he continued to take us through the pool and then over to the waterfall. “Where do you think you're going?”

  “You'll see,” he laughed and took us straight through the falls.

  Water pounded on me briefly, the rushing sound of it driving out all other noise before fading to a dull roar. I wiped the water from my eyes as I felt Kirill carry me out of the pool. We were behind the waterfall, in a little cave lined in thick moss. All over the moss were little white flowers, shining in the light of a lantern, and next to the lantern was a large blanket spread over the moss.

  “Somebody's been planning this,” I shot him a look out of the side of my eyes.

  “I like zis place,” he carried me over to the blanket and then laid me across it. “I hope you like it too.”

  “It's really wonderful,” I pulled him down over me. “Especially with you in it.”

  “Da,” he grinned mischievously. “Vithout me, it's just a cave.”

  “Oh, now you're getting cocky,” I tapped his nose.

  “Not yet but soon,” he nudged my legs apart and settled his cockiness against me. “First I vant a little more.”

  “More what?” I watched him slide down my body, kissing and biting as he went. “Oh, that. You can have as much of that as you want,” I sighed and relaxed back into the cushioned blanket.

  My hands went to the thick length of his hair, my fingers weaving through its heavy weight as he set his mouth to me. His hands were at my thighs, kneading them as he settled his shoulders between them. The pleasure rose up over me and with it came the red pulse of my Lust magic but I pushed it back down. I wanted it to be just Kirill and me, no magic involved. Only that of two people in love.

  And he definitely worked his own kind of magic on my body, sending it shivering and shaking into ecstasy before he crawled up over me and set his mouth to mine. From there his lips traveled to my cheek, and finally my neck, where he set teeth into my skin as he slid into me.

  I gasped, my whole body clenching around him, legs coming up over his own and arms reaching around his waist to grip his back. The wet strands of his hair clung to me as his rhythm began, sliding delicately across my flesh as he took a more aggressive approach below. His face lifted, his cheek pressed to mine as he carried us higher into passion.

  “I love you,” he whispered and made it perfect.

  Chapter Seventeen

  “Come on,” I was back outside, sitting with my rock. “Change for Mama, you can do it.”

  The wolves and ravens were with me again, this time the ravens were sitting on the ground in front of me, peering at the rock as intensely as I was. The wolves looked like they couldn't care less.

  I saw the rock in my head, all the little nuances that made it special. There was a shiny mineral deposit on one side and a dip on the other. It had character, it was unique, but I wanted to change all that. I wanted it to stop being a rock and start being a hat. In particular, a 1920's cloch
e in white velvet with a beaded accent. I can't help it, I'm a sucker for fashion and I'd been watching this series called Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries about a fabulously dressed woman detective in Australia. Her hats were unlike any cloches I'd ever seen, even the vintage ones I found on ebay, and I wanted one badly. If only the rock would understand that.

  “Maybe I'm going about this the wrong way,” I mused to Munin and he cocked his head at me. “What would Faerie say if I was trying to do this in the Faerie Realm? Maybe to stop thinking of the rock as a rock and to think of it as energy waiting to be manipulated. Damn! Why does she have to be so sassy, even in my imagination? And right! I think that might work.”

  I stopped seeing the rock in fine detail and just felt it. I reached out with my magic and touched it, allowed myself to know it was there but not get carried away with the details of its appearance. What I did get detailed about was the way I wanted it to look. I started thinking about the feel of the fabric, the sparkle of the jet beads, and the weight of it in my hands. When I opened my eyes, the rock was gone and there was Miss Fisher's cloche.

  “Yes!” I jumped up and put the hat on my head, then spun around in a delighted circle. “Did you see that?” I asked the animals, who had perked up with my enthusiasm. “Now what shall I make? A dress to go with my hat? Anyone want anything? A diamond collar perhaps?”

  Geri and Freki yipped, turned tail, and ran.

  “Hey,” I called after them. “It was just a joke. I'd never put collars on you!”

  Hugin and Munin squawked at me with a decidedly chastising tone.

  “It was just a joke,” I plopped down and picked up a stick. “Jeesh, wolves are so touchy.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  After making myself a whole outfit that would have made any flapper girl swoon, I took my newly changed items inside and put them away. I seemed to have it down, which meant it was time to try bigger things, like Pride Palace. I glanced around thoughtfully. I wanted to keep the butterfly courtyard but I wouldn't mind a different look to the place. I wasn't really into the safari theme and we definitely needed a bigger dining room.

  “But it's not just my home,” I said to myself.

  “Tima?” Kirill stood in the doorway of our bedroom, giving me a strange look. “Who are you talking to?” He glanced at the mirror but it only showed our reflections, no faeries.

  “Myself,” I shrugged. “Are all of the Intare at home?”

  “I zink so,” he seemed to think about it. “Today vas training day and now zey're all probably waiting in line to bathe.”

  “Great, I need to talk to them,” I looked him over, his hair was a little damp which meant he'd been training too. “Can you let everyone know to assemble in the common room when they're done with their showers?”

  “Alright,” he nodded and turned to leave.

  “And maybe,” I stopped him, “you could come back and and keep me company until they're done?”

  “Vell, I don't vant you to be lonely,” he grinned and left.

  Then my phone buzzed, I had a text: Sample clear, no accelerants detected.

  “Damn,” I texted Dr. Armstrong a quick thank you and then closed the phone. “Well that settles that, magic it is.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  “Anything we want?” Darius asked with a gleam in his eye.

  “Anything,” I agreed.

  We were in the common room, discussing what I should do with our territory. All of my lions were there, we'd even called in those who were off in the Human Realm for whatever reason. So I was sitting at one of the many tables in the room and they were gathered around and back, several feet deep. I hadn't seen the common room so full of lions since the first time I'd met them. That time they'd been ordered to rape me. Ah, good times.

  “Could we have one of those water slides with the big plastic tubes that you shoot through?” Torrent asked. I'd included him in the meeting because Pride Palace was his home now too. “I've always wanted to try one of those.”

  “We can take you to a water park for that,” Aidan shook his head.

  “I don't think you should change the terrain too much,” Fallon had a contemplative look. “We have animals who are used to a specific environment. What would happen to them if we changed it? They may not like the food or may get sick.”

  “That's actually a good point,” I frowned. “I didn't think about that. Okay, let's just change the house for now and maybe some of the surrounding area. Instead of a giant slide, how about a moat that connects to the current swimming pool? You could swim around the palace.”

  “And what about making the palace into a real palace?” Lucian added, his dark eyes excited.

  “Oh I like that,” I nodded. “We could have as many rooms as we want.”

  “Can everyone have their own TV with an Xbox?” Aidan asked.

  “You want to do away with the common room?” I was a little surprised.

  “No,” Aidan protested. “We love having a place where we can all hang out together but sometimes you just want to be alone and play with yourself.”

  “And you need an Xbox for that?” I raised a brow and the other lions started laughing. “I would think all you'd need was your hand.”

  “Now we know what you do all day,” Darius teased Aidan.

  “Shut up,” Aidan rolled his eyes, “you know what I meant. Sometimes we all don't want to play the same game or whatever.”

  “Alright fine,” I shook my head, “Xboxes for everyone but seriously, I can make us anything and this is what you guys ask for?”

  “How about a fire pole?” Aaron asked, flipping his long blonde hair back.

  “A fire pole?” I blinked slowly. “As in the central steel pole that firemen slide down?”

  “Are there other fire poles?” He asked seriously.

  “She's the Queen of Fire now, you idiot,” Kevin smacked Aaron. “She could burn your pole and turn it into a fire pole.”

  Another round of laughter and good-natured jokes. That's my boys, they didn't like being serious unless lives depended on it. I couldn't blame them either, not after the way Nyavirezi had treated them. If they wanted life to be about good times and laughter, then I was all for it, and who was I to talk about making jokes? I just wished I could get some serious answers out of them.

  “How about I make a dungeon that I can throw you yahoos into when you're not listening to me?” I fake glowered at them.

  “Ooooh kinky,” Darius winked at me and that one response let me know just how far my lions had come from being abused by their last goddess. That I could speak of throwing them in a dungeon and they just laughed it off, showed how secure they felt now and that made me happy enough to indulge them.

  “Okay then,” I shook my head at Dare. “How about the kitchen, how big should we go?”

  “Big!” They all shouted and we laughed once more. I may be prejudiced but there's nothing like lion laughter.

  “Yep,” I joined in with their laughter, “size counts.”

  Funny thing was, after that outburst, we were able to get most of our ideas down onto paper for me to work out later. I wanted to go into the manipulation of the territory with a solid plan. Floundering about for ideas halfway through would be kind of embarrassing and no one wanted to be embarrassed in front of the Devil. I think the line is to shame the Devil, not the other way around.

  Chapter Twenty

  “Kanaloa called Moonshine and left a message for us,” Trevor said as he came into the bedroom.

  “What is it?” I put my hair brush down and turned in my seat to face him.

  “He wants us to go with him to speak with the merfolk,” Trevor's jaw clenched. Werewolves like the water about as much as I do.

  “What, underwater?” I felt my eyes go wide.

  “Gruach told him that you received some kind of gift from the water pixies that would allow you to breathe underwater,” Trevor grimaced, “and that if you asked King Fionn, you could probably get some air stones
, like we used that time to pursue the mermaid bitch queen.”

  “Mermaid bitch queen, huh?” I laughed. “When did he say he wanted to go?”

  “As soon as possible,” Trevor sighed. “I suppose we should.”

  “I don't like it anymore than you do,” I laughed. “Okay then, I smoothed my skirt and stood up. “I guess I'll just pop over to Faerie and be right back.”

  “That just never gets old for you, does it?” Trevor huffed a small laugh.

  “You have to admit, it's pretty fabulous,” I held up my hand and the clear cabochon in my father's ring glinted. “Yes you are, my precious.”

  “Just don't do the Golem voice please,” Trevor groaned.

  “Fine,” I sighed, “don't get your knickers in a twist.”

  I asked the ring to take me back to the last time I'd left Faerie and in my head I rebelliously called it “my precious” in a Golem voice. It had to be done.

  >O<

  Then I was back, a pouch with four air stones and a giant breathing pearl in it, in my hands. I held them up triumphantly.

  “I've got enough for you, Kirill, Darius, and Torrent to come along,” I looked him up and down. “Where's your swimming trunks?”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  “Thank you for coming,” Kanaloa ushered us inside his home. “Did you bring wetsuits?”

  “Yes,” I shot Trevor a look, “someone pointed out that we'd probably need something more substantial than the usual swimsuits.”

  “Yes, we'll be going quite deep,” Kanaloa waved toward a hallway. “There's a bathroom down there you can use to change in.”

  “Okay then,” I took my tote with me into the bathroom.

  It was a light green room with Hawaiian print curtains and framed tapa cloth on the walls. There were little carved tikis on the counter and a woven lauhala mat on the floor. It looked like Kanaloa had confined his culture to the bathroom. I shook my head and put my bag down.