by Brey Willows
Meg undid the clasp holding the cross-body satchel in place and slid the bag forward under Idona’s hands. She’d never really watched a soul being taken before, and the moment felt incredibly special.
Idona gently placed it in the bag and zipped it closed. “I’m surprised one survived. The rest have dissolved. She must have been a fighter.”
“If she were a fighter, she wouldn’t have been in this group at all.” Meg was having trouble wrapping her mind around what Dis was able to do.
“Nah. Humans exist at many levels of ability to cope. This one was probably just below the threshold. They’re wonderfully complex, these evolved apes. The problem is that she didn’t know what she believed in anymore, so we’ll have trouble placing her soul.” She scanned the bodies one last time before turning back to Meg. “I’m done here, and Dani and I have plans to hit the waves this afternoon. You good?”
She and Meg walked back outside, and Meg was grateful for the feeling of the sun on her face, warming the cold feeling of despair from inside. The information about Dani liking the water was new too. What kind of friend have I been? “I’m good. I’ll phone the office and have dispatch call the local police to come deal with the bodies.”
“Cool. See you around.” She waved and entered her portal, which quickly closed behind her.
Meg was left alone in the clearing. She thought about what Horus had said and about Idona’s comment about complexity. She wasn’t a deep thinker like her sisters and felt overwhelmed by the multiple issues of the situation. Tension made her shoulders ache. The best way to work out stress is through multiple orgasms. She jumped onto a fence post and stretched her wings, letting the warmth of the sun hug her. She’d file her report and then call a few friends for some relaxation time.
* * *
Kera placed a pin on the world map posted on the wall behind her desk. It marked the location Meg had just been to, and it joined a number of other pins all over the map, which were there to track situations they thought were caused entirely by the appearance of Dis. Chaos was wreaking small sections of havoc everywhere.
Zed leaned back in his chair and stroked his beard. “Horus’s offer is interesting. Asking a fury to join them is asking you to change the essence of who you are. You’d have to actively hunt people rather than punishing them after the fact.” He leaned forward and looked at Meg intently. “Are you tempted at all?”
Kera stopped what she was doing and faced Meg, obviously interested in the answer.
“Seriously? I mean, really? Do you think this is the first time in three thousand years someone has tried to use a fury for their own schemes? And have any of us ever turned away from what we were born to do?” Meg’s temper flared at the very idea she’d be so easily used. One of her snakes slid from her feathers and moved like a red river across the conference table toward Zed. “Have you forgotten that we’ve had an absurd amount of crazy-ass bosses in our lifetimes, including you, all of whom had their own agendas? We still did exactly what we were born to do, just at different headquarters. And you have the nerve to ask—”
He zapped the table near the snake’s head, and it reared back. “Megara, it doesn’t hurt to ask.”
Kera kept her eye on the snake on the table, its head still pulled back as though to strike. “The unasked questions are the ones that can get you killed in the field. Well, not you, obviously. But those of us who are a little more breakable.”
Meg calmed and held out her hand. Her snake returned to her, slithering up her arm and over her shoulder, back to its place in her feathers. “Fine. No, I’m not tempted. She’s a whack job, and he’s a weirdo.”
Zed frowned at her. “Meg, this is serious. The Egyptian gods are older than we are. If they’re coming back to power thanks to their believers returning to the old ways, we might have to make room for them here. And I don’t think they’ll take kindly to having to answer to a Greek god and a human.”
Meg noticed he didn’t mention handing over power as an option. “I don’t think you’ll need to worry about that. They don’t want a place here. They never have, even when they lost most of their powers. They want to tear it all down and rebuild.”
Zed and Kera were quiet for a moment. Finally, Kera said, “You know, from a distance, they’ve got a point.”
Meg ruffled her feathers, and Kera held up her hand to stop her.
“Not Dis. I mean, chaos is part of life, but what she’s doing is just dickish. But think about it from Horus’s point of view. He’s an old god who watches the world being turned upside down, and there’s nothing he can do about it. Then, when the gods start to regain their powers, things get even more out of kilter. Gods are working in the fields with humans. A giant chunk of the population doesn’t want anything to do with the gods at all and openly defy them. Humans hurt one another all the time, which is why you and your sisters have full-time jobs.” She shrugged. “Before I came on board, the gods were fading out completely, and humanity was a mess. Now that the gods are helping out, things are getting a little better. I don’t agree with him, but you can see his logic.”
“I guess. Whatever. I’m going home to get drunk. I’ve had enough today.”
Kera laughed. “Will you be at Selene’s this weekend?”
Meg stretched and then pulled open the office door. “Of course. I’m bringing Dani.”
Zed nodded. “I’m glad to hear it. She could use some fun in her life. I’ve always liked her.”
“Did you know there are retirement areas for old deaths?”
Kera scoffed, and Zed laughed. “Of course. I play chess with a few of them occasionally. I like the place in Mexico. Nice golf too.”
Meg tried to picture Zeus, most powerful of all the Greek gods, playing golf, but the image eluded her. “That’s too bizarre for me. See you later.”
She left the building and walked back to her place. Once inside, she poured herself a big glass of wine and shed her clothes. She loved being naked, her wings free and the air on her skin. She picked up the phone but hesitated. Sex was always good, but at that moment, she couldn’t think of anyone she actually wanted to be with. An image of Dani crossed her mind. Her tall, lithe form, her crystal-clear eyes and short, thick hair…she was gorgeous. But Meg wouldn’t go there.
Dani was kind. Sweet, gentle, honest. She seemed…fragile. Though Meg had lusted after her often through the years, she’d never made a move on her. To be with Dani would mean being open and honest, since she deserved nothing less. And Meg felt pretty sure Dani was a monogamous type, which was way outside Meg’s comfort zone. No, Dani was the kind of woman you didn’t sleep with, just in case it became something too real. But as Meg stared at the phone, she couldn’t stop thinking about her. She tossed the phone on the couch and took her wine to the bedroom.
Just because I won’t sleep with her doesn’t mean I can’t think about sleeping with her. She pulled her purple vibrator from the drawer and crawled beneath her cool sheets, ignoring the feeling of loneliness creeping through her.
Chapter Five
After a good session on killer waves, Dani and Idona strolled along the streets of the Deadlands. Though time didn’t exist where they were, Dani was always aware of time passing outside her territory. The tides, sunsets, and sunrises were as much a part of her as her skin. That meant she was extra aware of the weekend get-together at Selene’s getting closer. Anticipation and worry warred for first position in her thoughts.
“What do you want me to do?”
Dani looked at Idona, startled out of her thoughts. “Sorry. I was miles away.”
“Clearly. I was asking what you want me to do with the soul from the winery.”
“Agnostics are always a tough one. Usually, they believe in some element of one religion or another that makes them placeable. But you say this one isn’t leaning anywhere?”
Idona kicked a pebble and sent it skittering down the long, empty street. “Nope. She so desperately wanted to believe in something that it saved
her soul from Dis. But she wasn’t pulled toward any one system.”
The problem weighed heavily. This wasn’t the first soul they’d had this issue with, and Dani knew deep down it wasn’t going to be the last. She likened it to the American grocery stores. With extreme choice, a buyer became paralyzed by the number of options, and, overwhelmed, left with nothing at all. But they still had the desire for something.
“I suppose we’ll have to place her in Limbo until we figure something else out. Or maybe, once she’s there, she can decide where she wants to go. But then, I suppose the head of that department will have to determine whether she’s allowed in, given that she didn’t believe in them when she was alive.” She shook her head. “This job used to be really straightforward.”
“Speaking of complicated situations, I ran into Megara Graves at the winery scene.”
Dani gave Idona a warning glance. “Oh?”
“Don’t look at me like that. I’m not afraid of you, even if you are looking like a firefly lately, which we need to talk about. And Meg was looking as hot as she usually does. In fact, I thought she was going to throw me down and have her way with me right there and then.” Idona jumped away from Dani’s shove before she could connect. “Hey, if you’re not going to make a move, there’s no reason for me not to.”
Dani’s stomach churned at the thought of Idona in Meg’s bed. “You mean aside from the fact that you’re my closest friend. There are rules about that kind of thing.”
Idona laughed and clasped Dani’s shoulder. “You know I’m messing with you. I’d never go there, no matter how hot she is or how wild her reputation is. Not to mention, I’m having way too much fun with those twins from sector seven. But I think lusting after someone for centuries is the saddest thing ever. In all of history, you are the saddest thing in it.”
This time Dani managed to shove her. “I hardly think my love life ranks up there with world wars and starvation. But thanks for the confidence.”
“Any time. By the way, why are we walking the streets?”
“As the next in line for my position, I wanted to talk to you about something serious.”
Idona stopped walking and stared at her. “Hell’s bells. Are you retiring? Do I finally get to move up in the world? Is that why you look like you swallowed a lightbulb?”
Dani winced. “Nope, sorry. I know you’ve waited longer than any other second in command, but I’m not ready yet.” Idona sighed, and Dani pulled her in for a quick hug. “But I want to talk to you about some changes I want to make. And the whole nuclear glowing thing is something for another day.”
“You know, if I could kill you off and finally take your job, I totally would. But since you have to legit step down, I guess I’ll just roll along beside you. What’s on your mind?”
Idona’s smile was genuine, and Dani was glad she wasn’t actually upset. “Have you heard about the rebranding the underworld deities are doing?”
“Not just the underworld ones, I think. Isn’t everyone suddenly interested in marketing themselves?”
“They are, but the underworld gods have to do it on a different level, because they’re not out among the people as often as the others. It got me thinking about our territory. Maybe we need to do some sprucing up too.”
“Okay…what do mean?”
Dani shrugged. “I’m not entirely sure, really. I mean, I love the Deadlands. I love the quiet monotones. But maybe just because I like it doesn’t mean that’s the way the entire territory should be.” She turned right toward the park. “Doesn’t it ever bother you how frightened people are of dying? What if we could do something to make them less afraid? Be more visible and less, well, less terrifying, I guess.” Dani wished it weren’t so hard to explain herself sometimes.
“I get what you mean. It would be nice if every living thing on the planet wasn’t afraid of us, but as for our territory, it’s not like anyone stays here. We’re not a destination, we’re just the highway. Hardly anyone even sees this place except for staff and the occasional guest.” They stopped and sat on a bench by the lake. “Why bother to change the territory when we’re all happy with it?”
Dani didn’t have an answer. Maybe Idona was right. Maybe the territory itself wasn’t a problem. “So, is the answer that we change our image? Give the concept of death a makeover?”
Idona raised her eyebrows and stared out over the water for a minute before she answered. “Maybe. The thing is, though, death is a big part of what makes humans appreciate life. The very fact that it will end is what makes it precious. If they stop fearing death, won’t that make life a little less valuable?”
Dani hadn’t considered that aspect, and the enthusiasm she’d been building for a bit of a change waned considerably. “You’re right. It was a stupid idea.”
Idona put her hand over Dani’s. “No, it’s not a stupid idea. I like where you’re headed, I just think it needs some fleshing out to make it work.”
Dani squeezed Idona’s hand. “I’ll think about it some more before I decide to do anything. Thanks for being a sounding board.”
“Hey, I have myself to think of, you know. A thousand years from now, hopefully I’ll be running this place. I don’t want you messing it up before that.” She grinned.
They took a meandering walk back to Dani’s place, touching on various topics but staying away from the deep stuff. She and Idona had been lovers briefly a few hundred years ago but found they were better suited as friends. The transition had been easy, and as Dani walked next to her now, she wondered if she’d be better off trying to have a relationship with someone from her own territory, someone who understood the nature of what they did. She’d been with some of the underworld staff, many of whom understood the nature of death better than their above ground counterparts. Still, those dalliances weren’t meant for the long term either.
When they got back to Dani’s house, Idona touched her arm. “You know I don’t care when you retire. But I do care about you. Happiness isn’t something that falls into our laps, Dani. Sometimes you have to go out, grab it by its neck, and drag it home. Do what you have to do to feel alive again, okay?”
Dani gave her a tight hug. “Thanks. I’ll figure it out.”
They made plans to hit the sunrise waves at Zuma the next day, and she watched Idona walk away before going inside. Happiness doesn’t fall into your lap. She thought of Meg straddling her during their meal the other night. Maybe sometimes it does.
* * *
“Who are you?”
Dis looked at the small human man, his eyes wide and his hands visibly trembling as he knelt at her feet. The small community of snake handlers in the Midwest had been chanting and praying as they played with their venomous vipers when Dis had arrived. Horus was back in Egypt making appearances among his followers. He didn’t want to show up in public too often, as he felt the mystery of the gods needed to be kept alive. But he wanted them to know he was back as well, and it seemed to be working. His powers were growing every day as the Egyptians returned to the old religion. Which meant Dis was traveling on her own, and she loved the freedom of it. She’d found this little sect and decided to have some fun. She’d walked among them, touching them as she went, sowing the seeds of doubt about what they were doing, and in worship of whom. The snakes, sensing that fear, began to lash out. She’d felt as powerful as a newborn star as the people fell around her, thinking their god had forsaken them or that they’d been wrong and their god didn’t exist after all. Their minds quickly disintegrated into chaotic strings, just as their bodies were eaten away by snake venom.
She felt amazing. “Who do you think I am?”
“Satan? Or one of his demons?”
His faith was strong; she had to give him that. She crouched down in front of him and held his chin tightly. “Look into my eyes and tell me what you see.”
When he whimpered and sagged, his mind unable to cope with the vision of the universe she held in her eyes, she let him drop to the ground. She l
ooked around, satisfied when she saw most of them were dead or dying. She went outside and looked over the long, bland grasslands. This was the fourth small gathering she’d been to this week, and although she was chipping away at the humans, causing the kind of discord she loved, it still felt like it wasn’t enough. Moving among the small groups of believers in order to dismantle their faith was good, but it was too slow. She’d been away far too long to move by human standards. And the longer she moved among them, the more she understood why she’d been called back. The level of disruption they lived in every day was fascinating. That they managed to exist at all was amazing.
She only needed to think about the nearby café she’d passed earlier and then she was there. When she entered, the waitress dropped a stack of dishes, someone knocked over a cup of coffee, and a fat man started to choke on his food. It was all normal when she was around humans, and she ignored them as she moved to the counter and ordered a bottle of water and a Danish. She didn’t understand how humans continued to drink milk so long after being weaned. The drink they made of coffee beans mixed with milk was bitter and disgusting. She liked their bread products, though.
She watched the television as she nibbled on her pastry. The news station played nothing but the horrors happening around the world, and she found she quite liked it. An idea began to form as she watched disaster after disaster, and she wished Horus were there to listen to her work it out. When they showed a land conflict of some kind in the Middle East, things began to fall into place. War and disease. Places where people pray. Places I can create doubt on a larger scale. She thought of the place she’d just seen on the news and found herself on a street covered in rubble. Bullets flew around her, pinging into already burned-out cars, the acrid smell of cordite and fear thick in the smoky air. She went into the nearest building and found several families huddled together. They were praying.