by Amy Sumida
“In the words of Harry Potter,” I said with a big smile, “I love magic.”
“It does make things easier sometimes,” Luke nodded. “Ready to show it off to everyone else?”
“Yes, let's,” I walked back out to the waiting crowd that had become a bit of a party in our absence.
“Can we have your attention?” Trevor shouted and they all quieted down and turned toward us. “Go ahead, Minn Elska.”
“Well? Come on then. Who wants to see our new home?” I held my arms wide.
The Intare whooped and ran up the steps into the new Pride Palace which was finally a real palace. Soon the sound of delighted lions filtered out to us. The rest of my friends came over at a more sedate place but with smiles as wide as the Intare's had been. They congratulated me as they passed, several of them stopping to tell me stories of when they'd first created their own territories. Fenrir especially, seemed proud, pounding me on the back while telling me how impressed he was over the ease with which I'd accomplished the changes. That had meant a lot to me and I felt my face heating in response.
“That was one of the most wondrous things I've ever been a part of,” Luke said quietly after everyone had gone past us. “Thank you for allowing me to experience it with you.”
“Are you kidding?” I gave him a big hug. “You taught me how to do this. This happened because of you. So thank you, Luke for helping me make my home more my home.”
“You're very welcome, Vervain,” he extended his arm and escorted me inside.
Chapter Thirty
There were still a lot of changes to be made and the Intare took great joy in pulling me around to their new suites and making special requests for furniture and the like. I was happy to do it, if for no other reason than it made them more comfortable in their new home. I knew then what a burden it had been for them to continue to live in the place they'd been tortured for years. This new palace was all ours and would be filled with only the memories that we wanted to fill it with.
The end of the day found me standing out on my own personal balcony, Nick swirling contentedly around my legs, as I surveyed my land from a new vantage point. I was so high up now that I could make out the misty magical borders that separated my territory from those of other gods. I wondered who our neighbors were.
“This is more amazing than I ever expected,” Trevor said as he came up to lean against the stone railing beside me. “I'm frankly in awe of you right now.”
“I'm pretty pleased with myself as well,” I joked. “It was a group effort, I couldn't have come up with all of this without the lions.”
“Butterflies are fine,” Kirill announced as he walked out of our massive bedroom and onto the balcony with us.
I'd done a cursory inspection of the new inner courtyard, which was now big enough to have a grassy picnic area in the center of it, but Kirill had to go through the entire garden and make sure there were no dead butterflies lying forgotten on the ground. It made me do the impossible and love him even more.
“Thanks, baby,” I nudged him as he came up on my other side.
“I told you those butterflies are immortal,” Trevor said to Kirill.
“Immortal butterflies?” I lifted a brow at Trevor.
“They're made from magic, Minn Elska,” he chucked me on the chin. “They won't die unless you wish them to.”
“Damn,” I huffed a laugh. “I wish you had told me about that sooner. I was kind of worried about them.”
“I had to make sure,” Kirill shrugged.
“Is our spot still there?” Trevor whispered to me.
“Of course,” I grinned. I'd never get rid of the little love bower Trevor had made for us.
Azrael and his father had gone home. I invited them both to stay but Luke didn't want to leave his territory unattended for long and Azrael wanted to get some work done before bed. Souls were waiting.
So it was just me and my two shifters.
I turned around so I was leaning against the railing, looking into the room, and surveyed our new accommodations. The bed was the same massive bed but the mahogany pedestal it sat on was a little higher, an extra stair to climb up at night. It definitely made the bed the focal point of the room, though the new seating areas were very nice as well. We had an entertainment center in our room now too, so we could snuggle up together here and watch a movie without being interrupted. It was to the left of the bed from my current perspective, the back of the entertainment center facing us but covered by a folding screen.
On the other side of the screen, nearest us, was a little dining table and chairs in a deep ebony wood. It had a vase of fire orchids in the center of it that I'd arranged myself, without the use of magic. I was still contemplating how they'd managed to appear on the trellises by themselves but I decided not to drive myself crazy thinking about it. They'd probably just been in the back of my mind.
I'd kept the bathtub in the attached bathroom the same, though I'd added a smaller tub and shower combination for those days when I didn't want to swim around in that mammoth tub. The décor was now Art Nouveau, with frilly metal floral forms decorating everything, a separate room for the toilet, and an open backed fireplace that was shared with the bedroom.
The bedroom was massive, with a soaring ceiling that had made it possible to add four posters to the lifted bed, with a dramatic blue silk canopy draped over them. Though the bed dominated the space, there were several separate sections to the room, kind of like a loft. On top of the TV and dining areas to the left of the bed, to the right there was also an area for me to paint, it was near the balcony so it had lots of light. This was something I took great joy in creating and if you're an artist, you'll understand the light-hearted glee with which I brought my own paints, easels, and tools into existence.
Near the art area there was a little kitchenette with a fridge, a small stove, and some cabinets, for when I wanted to have a private meal with my men. Trevor had also mentioned that he'd wanted a fridge in the room so he wouldn't have to go down to the kitchen in the middle of the night for a drink. It was very male of him but I had to admit it was also practical.
There were three doors near the kitchenette. The one closest to the kitchen led into my closet. Next to that was the bedroom door which opened to a hallway that led to the stairs and elevator. Then beside those were French doors that led into the butterfly garden. The whole wall from the left of those doors on until the fireplace, was glass so we could see into the garden. The bed was set up against the glass, right between the fireplace and the French doors.
My walk-in closet was, as I warned Trevor, more of a room than a closet, and was now where my dressing table sat along with the armoire the Intare had made for me so long ago, back when I'd complained about Nyavirezi's tiny rack for her clothing. That was just ridiculous. How could a goddess have just one metal clothing rack? This was so much better.
Remember the closet from the Sex and the City movie? And then the one from The Princess Diaries 2? We're talking rows of metal bars with lights above them for displaying shoes, and drawers that opened to reveal trays of jewelry. Neither of those closets had anything on mine. I could live in my closet and be happy for the rest of my life.
The carpeting was the same dark purple as the bedroom, contrasting nicely with the stark white walls. It had a distinctly Parisian feel with pink and cream silk upholstery and drapes hanging with oversized tassels holding them back. Oh, there weren't any windows, just decorative drapes pulled back to display racks of clothing.
There were display cases of glass and gilded metal going down the center of the room, interspersed with chaise lounges and puffy ottomans. The only jewelry pieces currently in them were the hair combs Kirill had carved for me, the emerald necklace from Odin, the wolf bracelet Trevor had given me, and the diamonds from Anubis but I'd be putting the rest of my collection in them soon.
At the very end of the room was a full length mirror standing in a golden frame and right above it was a crystal cha
ndelier. Behind the mirror were racks filled with my shoes. Then to either side of the room there were bars set at different levels, already holding my clothing but oh the space. There was so much space left for me to fill.
Beneath the racks were built in dressers for both my clothes and the guy's. They both had space on the racks as well but most of Trevor's and Kirill's clothing were best off folded. Kirill had won another five dollars when I'd showed them their areas in the closet. Evidently Trevor thought I'd take it all and leave them a dresser out in the bedroom or something. I was really going to have to bust his balls for the thinking so badly of me. I may have gone hog wild with the closet but I'd never forget the needs of my men.
Now enough of them, back to the closet. Display cubicles with lights set into each one showed off my purse collection and there were even alcoves to hang special pieces for display. The mink coat Luke had made me hung in one of those. Sigh. I'm sorry but I love clothes and that closet almost turned me on more than that bed. I said almost.
“I think we need to start making some new memories,” I said to the beautiful men flanking me. “And I know the perfect place to begin.”
“I swear,” Trevor growled, “if you say the closet, I'm leaving.”
“I'll have sex vith you in ze closet,” Kirill grinned and shot Trevor a look. “Vat? It's a nice closet. Zere's chaise lounges and you forget, it's our closet too.”
“How do you even know what those things are called?” Trevor huffed.
“I'm Russian,” Kirill shrugged. “Ve like furniture.”
“That's not a Russian thing, is it?” Trevor looked at me. “Is it?”
“Trevor,” I laughed and took his hand. “I meant the bed.”
“Oh,” he gave me a goofy grin and then lifted me up, tossing me into the air and making me squeal. “Well in that case, one new memory coming up.”
Kirill chased after us and we all fell into the bed together, immensely happy and carefree. I sank beneath the weight of my werewolf and werelion, skin to skin with them in moments, and called my lust magic to me. If we were going to make a new memory, I was going to go all out. Even more so than with the closet. Yes, I had to go there.
As the red glow lifted beneath my skin and their strong hands stroked over it, stoking the magic higher, I gave in to the release of loving them and the knowledge that we'd have this moment forever, binding us together in our new memories as we bound ourselves together with love.
Chapter Thirty-One
“It's the Zombie Apocalypse!”
“What the-?” I rolled out of bed and scrambled into my silk robe while someone who sounded like Aidan, pounded on my bedroom door.
“I'm going to kill you, lion!” Trevor growled, going to the door fully naked and pulling it open without a thought to his nudity. It's funny how many of my men were like that.
Aidan stood in the doorway, fist lifted for another round of knocking, and gaped at Trevor.
“I... uh,” Aidan sputtered before whining, “but it really is the Zombie Apocalypse.”
“Tima,” Fallon came up behind Aidan, cast a dismissive glance over Trevor's nudity, and looked over to me. “I take no joy from speaking these words but... Aidan is right. There seems to be a bit of a situation involving people who should be dead but aren't.”
“No way,” I walked over to him. “I mean, the Aidan being right thing, not the undead situation. Undead are more likely.”
“Hey,” Aidan gaped at me.
“Vervain,” Azrael swept past the two Intare, his wings out in their full dark glory.
“Az,” I went over to give him a hug. “What are you doing here?”
“I brought the news,” he nodded to Fallon.
“If I may?” Fallon indicated the sitting area with a wave of his hand and I nodded. He went over to the TV, turned it on, and then fiddled with the stations until he found the one he wanted. It was a news report.
I stared in horrified fascination as the scene switched from men behind a desk to show only a reporter on site. He was frantically waving behind him at a row of military vehicles, including several tanks that were blocking all the lanes of a bridge. To either side of the barricaded bridge, on the far bank of the river the bridge crossed, you could see homes, really nice homes.
“As you can see,” the reporter said with morbid glee, his eyes shining with barely suppressed excitement. “They have completely barricaded the entrance to the Hamptons.”
“The Hamptons?” I gaped. “As in the Hamptons in New York?”
“What other Hamptons are there?” Trevor looked at me briefly before returning his gaze back to the screen.
“Yeah okay,” I sat down heavily on the couch positioned in front of the TV and continued to watch. The fireplace was at my back and although it helped to warm me, I was beginning to feel a chill.
“All roads in and out of the Hamptons have been barricaded, the train service has been shut down, and the military has secured the shoreline all along the canal as well as posting ships all around this fork of Long Island. Government officials are tight-lipped about the situation but there are CDC vans pulling up even now so it's assumed to be some sort of an outbreak.”
The camera panned out to show CDC vans navigating the clog of traffic on the bridge. When it panned back again, there were more military vehicles running along the shoreline opposite of the barricaded area. They were making sure no one got out. In the background the tribal sound of helicopters pounded through the air.
“This is not good,” I mumbled.
“Oh, here we go,” The reporter turned to a woman coming out of a tent which was set up near the line of military vehicles. “It looks like we're about to get another statement.”
The camera focused on a woman who appeared to be a civilian. She was dressed primly in a dark gray skirt suit, with her brown hair pulled back into a bun so tightly that her eyes behind their wire rimmed glasses looked a little angled. She stood before a rush of reporters with well-practiced ease.
“Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen,” she blinked a little under the sudden brightness of camera lights. “I am Wendy McMahan from the CDC. As you can see, the CDC has just arrived to assess the situation. The contagion that has attacked the Hamptons spreads quickly, which is why we've determined that a quarantine is necessary but I assure you, the people in the Hamptons are under the best care and will soon be on their way to recovery. The quarantine is purely a precautionary measure, there is no reason to panic or concern yourselves about a further outbreak. The CDC will have a treatment plan worked out very shortly and then we will be reopening the roads once more. Yes, go ahead,” she pointed to one of the reporters.
“Why is it limited to the Hamptons?”
“We haven't discovered the source of the virus yet,” she replied calmly, “but as with any disease, there is always a ground zero, a location in which it originated. We were lucky here and found the origin quickly. This alone gives me confidence that we shall have the treatment for this disease shortly.”
“How long until you expect to have a cure?”
“I can't give you an estimate, as we haven't analyzed anything yet,” she waved to the still incoming vehicles. “At least give us a chance to unpack first,” a little smile and the reporters rewarded her with nervous laughter. “The main thing to focus on is that we've caught it in time, there's no cause to worry over it spreading. We will have everyone on their way to recovery soon, just bear with us in the meantime.”
“They're covering it up, trying to prevent a panic,” Azrael turned off the TV.
“So what's really going on?” I watched him as he sat in the chair beside me, his wings shimmering out of sight.
“It appears to be a virus,” he frowned. “One I've never seen the likes of. I was called in to harvest a few souls and while I was there, the number grew and grew. I hurried about collecting them but then, after I'd already taken their souls, the bodies got up and started attacking everyone else around them. I've no idea
how this could happen. They have no souls to animate them, there's nothing in those shells. No virus can do this. It's impossible.”
“Not even a mutated one?” Torrent had a furrow in his perfect brow. “This could be the creation of a bio-punk or even a bio-terrorist.”
“A what?” I gaped at him.
“There are labs popping up all over the country where people can go to experiment with pathogens, viruses, whatever scientific things they want to play with. They call them bio-punks or citizen scientists.”
“What about the terrorism?” Trevor prompted.
“Well, terrorists don't have to sneak bombs on planes anymore,” Torrent shrugged. “They can simply infect themselves with a horrible and contagious disease, and then walk around the people they want to kill. There's been talk that people have gotten close to creating a zombie type disease, a mix of rabies and something else perhaps. Once-”
“Wait, what?” I was on the verge of hysterics. I had to call my mom, my grandmother, my everyone. “Rabies? We just dealt with rabies and rabies can't do that. It can't make the dead rise.”
“You're not listening to me,” Azrael interrupted. “Nothing can make the dead rise. No virus, no matter how strong, can bring the dead back to life. At least not beyond a few muscle twitches and that's not life, it's a simple nerve response. This is not a normal virus. This is god magic.”
“No,” I whispered and rubbed at my head. “No, we already have that sonar thing to deal with. I can't add zombies right now, my plate is full. Maybe after Christmas.”
“Vervain,” Azrael knelt before me and I suddenly realized that his wings were out again, spread behind him in all their dark glory. I stared at them, utterly fascinated. “Vervain!” He shook me. “We need you. Don't check out on us now.”