by Amy Sumida
“I tried to take your life,” Trevor spoke after a few moments, “but instead, you took mine. It was a fair outcome. I attacked you and you won. I was never bitter over it or sad over what I might have had with someone else, but I never thought for one second that it would end up like this. I'm not even sure when I fell in love with you. I think it may have been when you healed my father, even though he was doing everything in his power to destroy you. The way you look beyond the surface of people and see what lies within them, is a miracle. You are a miracle and I'm thankful everyday that I tried to kill you.”
I gave a short bark of laughter and realized that I'd been crying. Trevor wiped away my tears before he continued.
“I vow to be your alpha in more than just title. To support you, respect you, and provide for your needs. I will stand beside you against your enemies and fight any obstacle to our happiness. I promise to bring you that happiness and never take it from you. To shoulder the burdens with you instead of being a burden to you. I will hold you above all others and give you my fidelity in both body and heart. I will love you, all of you and whatever you may become, with all of me for as long as I live. You, the woman whose life I would have taken, have become my life and I vow to never betray the gift of your love or the life we've made together.”
“Not bad, son,” Fenrir grinned and laid a hand on each of our shoulders. “I witness these vows, made in moonlight, and declare that they shall be a support to you both, strengthening your love for as long as the moon shines upon you. Now you may kiss your mate.”
Trevor lowered his lips to mine, sealing our vows in the most magical and normal of ways.
Chapter Forty-Five
Two days later, the God Squad met at Pride Palace again to prepare for the raid on Cross Fire's headquarters. I was in my usual fighting leathers, black zippered tank top and pants with black boots but these I'd made myself, with magic. My hair was braided in a crown around my head and I had a leather jacket over it all. I was raring to go, my night with Trevor in the valley had lifted my spirits and made me eager to finish all this nastiness so we could get back to joys of living and loving.
The rest of the squad was dressed in similar fashion, dark clothing and fighting gear, but most of us didn't need any weapons, we were weapons. So our load was light, even if our moods were not.
We traced to the location I'd marked on the map, a building in a small town in upstate New York. We gathered behind the building and then made our way quickly toward the back entrance. The door was locked but that hardly mattered, we had it open in mere moments and went storming down a linoleum tiled hallway, our footsteps echoing until it sounded like an army was on the move.
I led the way and found the room the meeting was to be held in with ease. I pushed the door open and scanned the room immediately for threats, deflating a little as I realized that there were none. No threats, no people, no god or goddess. Nothing but a bunch of chairs looking lost in the empty room. It looked as if no one had been back since the last time I'd been there.
“No, no, no, no, no,” I kicked a chair and sent it toppling into the wall. “This is the place and this is the time they were supposed to be meeting. I'm sure of it.”
“I'm sure of it as well,” Thor's voice had gone low, the range he reserved for moments of extreme anger, and it had me spinning on my heels to face him.
He stood in front of the back wall, staring intently at something spray painted there. The last time I'd been there, I'd been facing the front of the room and hadn't noticed the back. Now I walked over to Thor and saw that the words “Cross Fire” were painted there in red and above them was a symbol. A woven cross surrounded by flames. The four legs of the cross were even in length and they were made up of a collection of lines, to show the weaving of a pattern at the center. It was made to look like the cross was woven of straw. I knew this because I'd seen that cross before.
“Is that Brighid's cross?” I asked softly.
Thor's answer was a tormented yell. He pounded one huge fist into the center of the cross, smashing a hole in the wall and sending several cracks racing through it.
“This doesn't mean-” I started to say but Thor cut me off.
“It's why she couldn't come today,” Thor hit the wall once more and the building groaned. “I should have seen the signs, I should have known.”
“She fooled us all,” I put a hand lightly on his shoulder and felt the tension gathering in his muscles like a storm. “I really liked her.”
“I did too,” his voice was wounded and when he turned to me, his stormy eyes matched the tone. “She wasn't the one. I knew it but I wanted her just the same. I thought maybe your magic was wrong, maybe it had showed me the wrong woman. I never should have doubted you.”
“It wasn't about doubting me,” I sighed. “And just because I gave you a vision of the woman you're meant to be with, that doesn't mean you shouldn't date someone you're interested in. Who knows when this woman is going to come into your life? If you had told me Brighid wasn't the woman in the vision you saw, I would have still told you to go after her. Betrayal is a chance we all take when we give our hearts but it doesn't mean we should stop giving. I'm just sorry you got hurt, Thor.”
“Not as much as I'm going to hurt her,” his eyes went cold, the lightning that was flashing in them grew until his irises were almost completely white.
“I just don't understand,” Persephone was sitting in one of the metal chairs, regarding the empty room with wide eyes.
“What's that, Bunny-Nose?” Hades sat beside her.
“Brighid is a healing goddess, she couldn't have faked that, right?” Sephy looked around at the rest of us.
“No, that's her magic, it's widely known,” Teharon nodded.
“Why would she do this?” Persephone's face fell into confused lines. “What could possibly make a goddess of healing want to kill the entire population of Earth with zombies?”
“Who knows?” I glanced warily at Thor. “Maybe she has a hidden agenda. Maybe she's lost her damn mind. Maybe Thor didn't bring her breakfast in bed.”
“What?” Thor blinked and looked over at me, losing a lot of his lightning in the process. “You're blaming me?”
“Ah, there you are,” I gave him a sad smile. “No, I'm not blaming you, I just needed you to take a step back from the edge of insanity you were standing on. You looked like you were about to level the city.”
“I'm sorry,” Thor's shoulders slumped. “I guess I tend to overreact when it comes to love.”
“No? Really?” I gave him my duh face.
“Vervain,” he rolled his eyes, “cease, I promise I've reined in the temper.”
“Okay,” I sighed and looked around the room. “Let's search this place for anything with a scent on it. Maybe we can track these guys and this won't be a total waste of time.”
Chapter Forty-Six
“Well that was a total waste of time,” Pan huffed as he plopped down into a chair near the fire in the dining hall.
“I may have one more lead that I didn't mention,” I took a chair beside him. “I didn't think it would matter since we were taking them down today but now I'm glad I didn't mention it around Brighid. Maybe she'll proceed with their plans, thinking I don't know about them.”
“What plans?” Thor took a seat near the fire as well.
“They're going to release someone they called patient zero on the sidewalk in front of the White House in two months.”
“Two months is kind of vague,” Brahma frowned.
“Well, they were supposed to discuss it further today,” I shrugged. “Is there anyway we can keep an eye on that area?”
“No problem,” Ull nodded, “I live near there anyway. I'll set something up, some kind of surveillance system.”
“Great, thank you,” I sank back in my chair. “At least we won't have to worry about them for awhile.”
“But you might want to adjust your wards,” Mrs. E noted and looked from me to Thor. “
Both of you.”
“Damn backstabbing Brighid,” I jumped up and Thor followed me out to the tracing chamber.
“I'll be right back,” he said and traced home.
I set my hand to the wall and connected with my wards. It took me only moments to find the energy signature which was Brighid's and to block it. In a house full mostly of men, it wasn't too difficult to find a feminine trace but I was nervous the whole time. I had totally fallen for her sweetheart routine, had even thought we could be friends. If she was that good of an actress, who knew what else she had up her sleeve. She could have been planing to infiltrate our group for years. Her whole relationship with Thor was probably just a means to an end.
My heart hurt for him. I'd really thought he'd found someone good for him this time, someone that was just what he needed. I guess it was the other way around. Brighid had found exactly what she needed in him, it just wasn't love.
I took a seat in one of the two chairs inside the small tracing chamber, my mood getting fouler with every second. Using Thor like that wasn't just an affront to him, it was offensive to my magic. They say all's fair in love and war but I had both magics in my body and they were both crying foul. There were certain things you just didn't do and Brighid was going to pay a high price for crossing that line. I just needed to find her first.
It didn't occur to me until Kirill showed up looking for me, that Thor should have been back already. I stood up abruptly, knocking the chair over, and started to say the chant that would get me through Thor's wards but before I got the first word out, Thor reappeared.
“Oh, thank goodness,” I huffed my relief.
“I went to Brighid's territory,” Thor was scowling again. “Or at least I tried to. She's blocked me from her land.”
“Well that's not exactly a huge surprise,” I shrugged. “Considering what we've just been doing. You did change your wards too, right? You didn't just try to hunt her down and then come back?”
“No,” Thor went past me and Kirill, heading back down the corridor to the dining hall. “I blocked her first and then I got really angry and thought I'd try her place. I bounced off and had to trace here instead. This proves her guilt, she's definitely behind this. I'm going to... I... well I'll...”
“You'll make her insides her outsides!” I helped.
“Yeah,” he grinned.
“And her outsides will be her insides!”
“Yeah!”
“You'll make her entrails her extrails!”
“Yeah... what?”
“Pain!” I exclaimed. “Lots of pain!”
“Yes,” he growled, “exactly.”
Kirill just rolled his eyes and followed us.
Chapter Forty-Seven
The Hamptons were re-opened with a clean bill of health. At least Brighid had kept her end of the deal with the government and released the zombies from her magic. She may have provided them with some antidote for the initial symptoms but I'm not sure. We didn't feel the need to waste time investigating it further. Instead, we were concentrating on preparing for the next attack.
Ull was holed up in DC, keeping a watchful eye on the area in front of the White House while the rest of us waited and focused on other things. Like the merfolk situation. In fact, I was getting ready to go to another meeting with the merfolk when Fallon knocked on my door.
“Tima,” he face was etched with sadness, “Nelson Mandela has died.”
“Oh,” I waved him in. “Are you okay? Did you know him?”
“No but he did things for the people of Africa that I wished I could have,” he swallowed hard. “We had similar goals, he just went about it in a different way.”
“Well, he lived a long life, didn't he?”
“He was ninety-five,” Fallon nodded. “I'm okay, I just wanted to ask you if I could go to the memorial service.”
“Of course you can, you don't have to ask permission for that. Do you know when it's going to be?”
“Looks like it'll be in Johannesburg in five days,” Fallon said. “I don't want to bring Sam in her condition. It'll just be me and some of the other Intare who want to pay their respects.”
“Okay, just let Dare know so he can watch over things here,” I looked down at the wetsuit in my hands. “I've got to go, I've got a merfolk meeting, but I should be back soon if you need to talk more.”
“I'm okay, really. I'll let everyone know where you're going,” Fallon nodded and headed out.
“Let everyone know what?” Trevor came out of the bathroom, casting a look toward the empty doorway.
“That we're going to a merfolk meeting,” I frowned at him. “Where's your wetsuit?”
“Kanaloa said we're staying near the shore this time,” Trevor glanced down at his board shorts. “There's no need for wet suits,” he grinned. “So why don't you put that away?” He waved toward my wetsuit, “and go get out your bikini?”
“I'm not wearing a bikini to a meeting,” I sighed but headed back into my closet to find my swimsuit. At least I wouldn't have to coat my body in hair conditioner and try to squeeze into a wetsuit again.
“You mean you're not wearing your bikini around Gruach,” Trevor leaned against the door frame of my closet and watched me.
“She's like a size negative two,” I sighed. “I'll feel like a beached whale next to her. Oh crap, that was the wrong thing to say right now.”
“Minn Elska,” Trevor laughed and came in to take me by the upper arms. “She probably feels like a skeleton next to you. Haven't you ever considered that men like curves and a woman with breasts and hips can light our fire faster than a woman who looks like she can actually create a real fire by rubbing her legs together?”
“Was that a twig reference?” I frowned. “It was a little convoluted.”
“Vervain,” he groaned and let me go. “How can you be so self-conscious? We tell you all the time how beautiful you are.”
“I know,” I shrugged, “it's my humanity I guess. I'd rather cover up my wobbly bits around women who don't have any.”
“Well, as long as you uncover them when we're alone, I think I can live with that,” he grinned. “Can I see them wobble?”
“Trevor!”
“What? You're the one who called them wobbly.”
“I was joking, you were trying to be romantic,” I rolled my eyes, “big difference. Also, for future reference, please don't use the word wobbly to describe my body.”
“But you did,” he started to look really confused.
“Yes, I can bad mouth my own body but you're not allowed to. Those are the rules.”
“But I didn't bad mouth your bits,” he cocked his head at me. “I just called them wobbly after you called them wobbly.”
“I meant it as an insult.”
“I didn't,” he grinned, “and that's what you get for trying to insult yourself. Wobbly bits, wobbly bits,” he sang and grabbed me around the waist so he could wobble my bits.
“Damn it, Trevor,” I started laughing. “If you don't stop that right now, the bony thing with five toes at the end of my leg is going to connect sharply with the collection of soft dangly bits in your board shorts.”
“Yes, ma'am,” he stopped immediately, though there was the gleam of mischief lurking in his eyes.
“Is Kirill ready to go?”
“He's not coming with us,” Trevor pulled me toward the door. “It's just you and me this time.”
“Oh, how romantic,” I grinned. “If only you hadn't just sung about my wobbly bits.”
“And if only we weren't going to meet a bunch of mad merfolk to try and stop a war,” he knew just how to put a damper on a mood.
Chapter Forty-Eight
The merfolk had agreed to meet with us in an underwater grotto near Kanaloa's house. I had a much easier time of it, mainly because we weren't so far beneath the surface this time and there weren't any big marine life swimming by, thinking of making me into a snack.
We also had full scuba units with commu
nications devices attached to the masks. Kanaloa provided them for us so that we'd actually be able to speak to him while underwater and have a more thorough conversation this time. I ended up leaving my breathing pearl at Kanaloa's house, tucked into my tote. On top of all that, Gruach wasn't even there. She had to go back to Faerie because of the time difference. She was concerned over spending too much time away from the source of her magic.
So it was only the three of us waiting in the dark cave, our underwater flood lights piercing the watery shadows. We were the first to arrive and it was a little creepy in the cave so I admit, I went a little stir crazy.
“Hey, Kanaloa,” I said. “Gimme some fin,” I held out my foot to him and he laughed, tapping my fin with his own.
“Really, Vervain?” Trevor laughed. “A Finding Nemo quote?”
“Grab shell, Dude,” I giggled.
“No, please stop,” Trevor groaned.
“Hey there, Mr. Grumpy Gills. When life gets you down, do you wanna know what you've gotta do?” I continued.
“No, I don't wanna know,” Trevor shook his head and I'm still not sure if he knew that he was actually feeding me the right line.
“Just keep swimming,” I sang. “Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming. What do we do? We swim, swim.”
I was flapping around in a circle, impersonating Dory, when the merfolk showed up. Trevor and Kanaloa laughed their asses off at my embarrassed sudden stop and flail maneuver that I executed when I saw them watching me. The merfolk had a larger group than us but not by much, there were six of them. They looked a little surprised to see our gear(or maybe it was lingering shock over my fish dance) but then Kanaloa started using that sign language again and they nodded.
The merfolk looked pretty mad and on those alien faces mad looked scary. Kanaloa spoke with them for a few minutes and then translated for us. The merfolk told him that they'd had to dismantle several sonar devices and had barely avoided being spotted on numerous occasions. They were seriously considering going to war.