by Amy Sumida
“There are a few others who I found, but again, you've killed them already, Godhunter,” Athena went on.
“Who?” I asked.
“Tawiskaron; the Mohawk Demon God,” she said with a smirk.
“Teharon's brother,” I whispered. “He could take souls?”
“He could consume them,” she corrected with a shiver. “Then there's Yama.”
I glanced at my husbands, and they grimaced.
“Ah, I see you've thought of him already,” Athena said. “Did you think of the Morrigan?”
I froze. There was a time when I'd thought the Morrigan was dead but it had all been an illusion; a trick. Morrigan stole my daughter while I believed I was killing her. I killed her again—for real—but I wouldn't be surprised to hear that it didn't stick. She was one of those villains who just kept coming back.
“Relax, Vervain,” Athena said gently. “I don't believe the Morrigan has risen from her grave to kill demons. If she had come back from the dead, I think she'd take a far more direct approach to hurt you.”
“Good point.” I sighed in relief. “She was a piece of work.”
“Morrigan brings me to Arawn,” Athena continued. “As a leader of the Wild Hunt, he was able to claim souls.”
We all looked at Odin, who was also a leader of a different Wild Hunt. I hadn't thought he was capable of claiming souls, even though he was a death god. But if Arawn could do it...
“I can't take souls,” Odin answered our unspoken question. “If I could, I would have taken Sabine's to the Well myself.”
“Why could Arawn do it and not you?” I asked.
“His Hunt escorted souls to the Otherworld,” Odin explained. “Mine did not.”
“Yours only rode the fiercest winter's nights to cause havoc and instill fear,” Athena said with a tinge of derision.
“Most times, it was simply a warning of war to come,” Odin glared at Athena. “But occasionally, it was a true hunt, and our prey was always deserving.”
“As a goddess of Justice, I can understand that,” Athena said. “But I find it overly dramatic.”
“Drama is everything to gods,” Odin huffed. “Don't pretend to be unaware of that. You've done your fair share of entertaining the masses. We've all put on shows to receive the sacrifices we wanted.”
“Fair enough.” Athena dipped her head in concession.
“Was that all you found?” Azrael asked her.
Athena gave me a hesitant look, and I stared back warily.
“There is one more—also dead—but there was an item involved that could have been passed to his wife,” Athena said. “Ptah.”
“Fuck,” I whispered as chills ran through my body. “The scepter.”
Yes; it was bad enough to make me forget about creative cursing. Ptah had nearly killed me using his magical scepter. The Staff of Ptah represented life, power, and stability, and it had the power to separate souls from their bodies, or—as was the case with me—separate souls within a body. I had been pregnant with Rian and Brevyn when I faced off with Ptah, but my twins had been one child at the time. Ptah had blasted me with his life stick of doom and my son had taken the hit for me; allowing the magic to separate his dual souls. Because of his magic and the fact that he hadn't been born yet, he was able to split his body in two as well and give each soul a form to inhabit. In short; my son had saved us by becoming my sons.
“Sekhmet,” Kirill growled.
All of my husbands hated Ptah, and, by a slightly lesser degree, his wife Sekhmet, but Kirill especially had a grudge against the Egyptian Lion Goddess. Sekhmet and Ptah had been expecting a child around the same time that I was pregnant with Lesya. I won't go into all of the details, but Sekhmet was denied medical care by the Goddess Hygeia because Ptah got into an argument with me in her clinic and Hygeia learned about him attacking me when I was pregnant the first time. Hygeia refused to help someone who had tried to harm a pregnant woman and told the couple to never return. I appreciated her convictions, but then Sekhmet lost her baby. She went a little insane when her child died, and she ended up stealing Lesya (or crow-baby Lesya, rather, but I won't get into that) to replace it. That was what led to me killing Ptah. So, in a way, I'd been responsible for the loss of her child and her husband. It was a hell of a motive... to act against me, not Luke.
“No,” I said firmly as I lifted my hand toward Kirill. “It's not Sekhmet. I refuse to accuse her again.”
“Vervain, you've given zat voman too many chances,” Kirill snarled. “Ve should have killed her!”
“She's Re's daughter, Kirill,” I said simply. “If Lesya had done those things, wouldn't you want mercy for her?”
“Lesya would never do such zings!” Kirill slashed his hand down angrily.
“Honey, we never know what our children will become,” I said gently. “All we can do is raise them to the best of our abilities and hope they make us proud.”
“We do know.” Kirill set his cerulean stare on me pointedly. “You know how she vill be. Vould she ever take someone's baby?”
“No,” I admitted. “But I'm trying to show you that my kindness toward Sekhmet is not all about her; it's about Re and me.”
“Vhy you?”
“Because I love Re,” I whispered. “And I know what losing Sekhmet would do to him. I can imagine it because I've already gone through losing Lesya, and that was before I'd even held my daughter. I can't imagine what it would be like to lose her after knowing and loving her for centuries.”
“We lost her because of Sekhmet!” Kirill raged.
I just stared at him patiently.
Kirill inhaled deeply and let his breath out slowly. This was an old wound that had never healed for him; it had scabbed over but continued to fester beneath. Kirill had wanted desperately to be a father, and when he was finally about to get his wish, our daughter was abducted. We got Lesya back eventually, but the wicked wound of losing her had remained. And I knew it was more than that. It was the evil Niyarvirezi had planted in Kirill all those years ago; the belief that he would never be free or happy. It had driven him insane. I pulled him out of insanity, but that darkness always lurked at the edges of Kirill's mind; waiting for him to slip up. Waiting to drag him back down.
Not on my watch.
“Sekhmet was broken. You know what that's like,” I said as I took Kirill's hand. “She's healing now, and she's trying to move on. I don't think it's her.”
“She saved Toby, remember?” Trevor said as he laid a hand on Kirill's shoulder. “And she's trying to get back in Re's good graces. I agree with Vervain; I don't think Sekhmet would risk losing her magic forever by using Ptah's staff to kill demons.”
“But again, don't discount her or the Staff of Ptah entirely,” Athena said wisely. “Keep them in mind, along with the Keres, but continue your search. I'd recommend looking for a motive; find gods who would want to hurt Lucifer, and you may be able to narrow down the suspects. I'll also continue to investigate, and I'll send Aleksanteri with any news.”
“Thank you, Athena,” I said sincerely before I refocused on Kirill. “Lesya is alive and healthy, and we're a family. You're happy, aren't you?”
“Of course, I'm happy,” Kirill said and then leaned his forehead to mine. “I'm so happy zat I'm scared.”
“I understand completely,” I whispered to him. “But let's not allow fear to rule us. Like our magic, we can control it.”
“Da; no fear,” he agreed softly and then kissed me.
“Very sweet,” Aleksanteri said dryly. “Can you take it somewhere else?”
“Aleksanteri!” Athena snapped.
“Oh, please.” The owl rolled his large eyes. “You know you were thinking it.”
Alex spread his enormous wings and flew out of Athena's palace; navigating his impressive wingspan between the grand arches of her balcony.
“Owls,” Athena huffed as she looked back at me. “They are the most tiresome of birds.”
“I thought they were s
upposed to be wise?” Torrent asked.
“That's exactly why they are so tiresome.” Athena grimaced.
Chapter Sixteen
“Look into who would want to hurt Lucifer,” Azrael muttered as we strode out of Pride Palace's tracing room. “That would take me back to Angels.”
“Angels can't be the only ones who have a bone to pick with the Devil,” I said.
“No, but I still think we should follow the means and then find the motive,” Azrael said.
“Before we get into all that again, there's something I should mention,” I said as I headed out to the drawbridge veranda—it looks like a drawbridge that's lowered across our moat (an offshoot of the pool) but it's actually a veranda.
“What?” Odin asked warily.
“That goddess, Orco,” I said.
“Yeah?” Trevor growled.
“This could be nothing, but she knew who I was,” I said. “I introduced myself as Vervain—I even said I was only a tracker—but she said goodbye to the Godhunter.”
“Your name isn't all that common,” Odin pointed out as the other men started to look upset. “It would be very easy to make the connection between a woman named Vervain who knows Athena and the Godhunter. All it would take would be hearing about you once, and there are very few gods who haven't heard about you.”
I blinked, thought about it, and then let out a relieved breath. “You're right; that must be it.”
The other men started to relax too, and then Re walked in with Toby.
“What did Athena want?” Re asked. “Toby and I have been waiting here for over an hour.”
“Who told you about Athena?” I countered.
“Samantha,” Toby said. “What's happened?”
“Athena's having some trouble with a goddess who wants her to stop mining in Argentina,” I said.
Both Re and Toby stared at me blankly.
“Never mind that,” I said. “I helped her out, and she offered some suggestions for our investigations into the demon-killer.”
“Anything good?” Re asked.
Kirill stiffened, and I shot him a look.
“Not really; she had some names for us, but most of them are dead,” I said.
“Oh,” Re said softly as he looked back and forth between Kirill and me with suspicion. “Well, I was hoping we could discuss our wedding.”
“Now?” I asked in surprise.
“Did you have a lead to follow?” Re countered.
“No,” I admitted. “I was actually thinking of visiting Faerie.”
“You were?” Azrael asked.
“It's not like I'll be gone long,” I pointed out.
“True,” Az conceded.
“Faerie can wait,” Re said. “Our wedding is in four weeks.”
“About that,” I started.
“No, Vervain.” Re held up a hand. “No more delays; we've already pushed it back twice.”
“Don't talk to her like zat,” Kirill growled. “If you knew vhat she just did for you—”
“Kirill!” I snapped.
Kirill's eyes went wide, and he looked back at me apologetically.
“What did you just do for me?” Re asked with a narrowed look my way.
“Nothing,” I said. “I didn't do anything but analyze information reasonably.”
Re's jaw clenched as he glared at every man there except for Toby. He even gave Torrent a hard look.
“Watch it, Golden Boy!” Artemis pointed a finger at Re. “Direct that burning glare somewhere else.”
Re grimaced and turned back to me. “Tell me.”
“It's just an old grievance that makes some of us unreasonable,” I said.
“I am not unreasonable,” Kirill growled. “She took our daughter!”
Re went still as I groaned.
“What does Sekhmet have to do with the demons?” Re asked.
“Athena mentioned that Ptah's staff could claim souls,” Odin said calmly. “He's dead, but his wife is not.”
“You think that Sekhmet is using her husband's scepter to kill demons?” Re asked in horrified shock. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
“I don't think it,” I assured him. “It was brought up and discarded.”
“Because she loves you,” Kirill added.
“Implying that it wouldn't have been discarded if she didn't?” Re got in Kirill's face.
“Da,” Kirill growled. “Vervain's love is only zing saving your fucked-up daughter.”
“My what?” Re's voice went deadly.
“Kirill, come on, Brother,” Trevor said gently. “We get it.”
“Nyet, you do not,” Kirill said to Trevor. “You don't—” Kirill stopped himself, but the damage was done.
“I don't what?” Trevor asked as he jerked back. “I don't have a child? Is that what you were going to say?”
Trevor's pain cut me nearly as much as Kirill's did. I started to shake; my eyes watering as I breathed deeply. Sometimes being in love with so many men was a miracle and sometimes it was hell. This was a less than miraculous moment.
“I thought that all of you were supportive of Vervain?” Toby's cold voice froze everyone. “But you're acting like selfish dickheads. You think that you've been wronged; that you've suffered?” Toby asked Kirill and then transferred his look to Trevor. “You haven't had a child yet; oh boohoo. You know it's coming, and that's more than most of us have. And you,” he looked back at Kirill. “I expected a hell of a lot more from you, Lion. She saved you, and then she gave you a daughter. You were tortured? Your will was beaten? Cry me a fucking river. How many times has she suffered for you? How many times has Vervain been tortured or chained or mentally destroyed because of all of you?” Toby's voice rose to a shout. “Because of me! What horrors have we put her through before asking more of her? How dare you? How dare any of us bring tears of sadness to her eyes?”
Toby waved a hand toward me, and I swiped at my face in embarrassment.
“Toby,” Re started.
“I'm not done yet!” Toby snapped at Re; his eyes flashing electric blue. “And you are not exempt from this, Re. You have her; you have her promise to wed you. And you can't give her some time? You're a fucking god; you have all of eternity! What's wrong with all of you? You're supposed to be a family. You're supposed to empower each other, not tear each other apart.”
“You're right,” Kirill said on a sigh.
“Not yet!” Toby snarled at Kirill. “You don't get to say 'I'm sorry' yet. You fuckers think this over, and you get yourselves straight in the head. You work through your angel shit.” He pointed at Azrael. “Your lion shit.” He pushed Kirill in the chest. “Your wolf shit.” He glared at Trevor. “Your sun shit.” Another glare at Re. “And your... no; you're good, Odin. But the rest of you get your shit together and clean it up! I'm taking Vervain away from all your filth for awhile, and your attitudes had better be spotless when we return.”
Toby grabbed my hand and escorted me to the tracing room. Fury vibrated off him.
“That's a lot of shit to clean up,” Artemis murmured as we passed her.
“I've never been happier that I'm not with Vervain,” Torrent replied.
“You mean that you've never been happier that you're with me,” Artemis corrected him.
“Isn't that what I said?” Torrent asked in bewilderment.
I was betting that most of the men on that veranda were just as lost as Torrent.
It was damn hilarious. I grinned brightly at Toby as he traced us away.
Chapter Seventeen
“That was impressive and sexy,” I said as we stepped out of a tracing room. “Thank you.”
“I can't bear to see you cry,” Toby said softly. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah,” I whispered. “I was only upset because they were.”
“I figured,” he said as he took my hand. “Let them stew for a bit. I wanted to show you my new house anyway.”
“Your house?” I peered down the corridor. “You got it
built?”
A happy barking began and then a vanilla-colored Labrador Retriever came running down the hallway toward us; her claws clicking on the tiled floor. She was panting with excitement, and I opened my arms to her as I crouched down.
“Doba,” I said as I hugged the dog close. “How have you been, girl?”
She licked my face happily in response.
“Excellent,” I declared as I stood. “Go on then, show me your home.”
Doba turned and started proudly striding down the hallway while Toby and I followed.
“You know that dogs aren't like cats,” Toby said as he took my hand. “They don't think they own everything.”
“Right; the whole pleasing the alpha mentality. They believe their master owns everything,” I said. “Cats believe in the alpha thing too; they just think they are the alphas.”
“I see that,” he looked at me pointedly.
“Hey”—I elbowed him—“I'm the Tima.”
“Same difference,” Toby said as we stepped out onto a small terrace.
“Whoa,” I whispered and came to a stop.
As a lot of gods do, Toby had constructed a smaller building to hold his tracing room. That way, if any unwanted visitors got through his wards, he'd have time to prepare before he was attacked. Toby's tracing room connected to his main abode via a covered walkway on the left. Directly ahead of us— between the terrace and the house—there was a grassy courtyard with a stream curving through it. To the right, a dense forest of soaring pine trees defined its side of the courtyard. The stream came in through the forest, looped around merrily, and then went back into the woods. It reminded me of the river in Toby's underground cavern, and I said as much as I walked down the steps with him.
“I needed it to feel like home,” Toby said. “Water is important to me.”
Natural stepping stones were set in the river at strategic places; drawing us through the courtyard in a winding way. There was nothing else there—no flowers or bushes—just grass and the river. It was beautiful in its simplicity.
“This is wonderful,” I said as I shifted my attention from the courtyard to building before us. I admired the column-connected arches that bordered the veranda of Toby's Tuscan villa. “I like yours even better than Felisa's.”