Amy Sumida

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 The Godhunter Series (in order)
Godhunter
Of Gods and Wolves
Oathbreaker
Marked by Death
Green Tea and Black Death
A Taste for Blood
The Tainted Web
Series Split:
These books can be read together or separately
Harvest of the Gods & A Fey Harvest
Into the Void & Out of the Darkness
Perchance to Die
Tracing Thunder
Light as a Feather
Rain or Monkeyshine
Blood Bound
Eye of Re
My Soul to Take
As the Crow Flies
Cry Werewolf
Pride Before a Fall
Monsoons and Monsters
Blessed Death
In the Nyx of Time
Let Sleeping Demons Lie
The Lion, the Witch, and the Werewolf
Hear No Evil
Dark Star
Destiny Descending
The Black Lion
Half Bad
A Fey New World
God Mode
Faeries Gone Wild
Faking Fey
Wrath of God
The Return of the Queen
A Void Dance
Beyond the Godhunter
A Darker Element
Out of the Blue
The Twilight Court Series
Fairy-Struck
Pixie-Led
Raven-Mocking
Here There Be Dragons
Witchbane
Elf-Shot
Fairy Rings and Dragon Kings
Black-Market Magic
Etched in Stone
 Careless Wishes
Enchanted Addictions
Dark Kiss
Shame the Devil
The Spellsinger Series
The Last Lullaby
A Symphony of Sirens
A Harmony of Hearts
Primeval Prelude
Ballad of Blood
A Deadly Duet
Macabre Melody
Aria of the Gods
Anthem of Ashes
A Chorus of Cats
Doppelganger Dirge
Out of Tune
Singing the Scales
The Devil's Ditty
A Shattered Song
—completed series—
The Spectra Series
Spectra
A Gray Area
A Compression of Colors
Blue Murder
Code Red
With Flying Colors
Green With Envy
A Silver Tongue
A Golden Opportunity
The Soul Stones
The Hawk Soul
The Lynx Soul
The Leopard Soul
The Fox Soul
The Wolf Soul
The Falcon Soul
The Eagle Soul
The Lion Soul
The Tiger Soul
—completed series—
Tales of the Beneath
The Ghosts of War
Fairy Tales
Happily Harem After Vol 1
Including:
The Four Clever Brothers
Wild Wonderland
Beauty and the Beasts
Pan's Promise
The Little Glass Slipper
Happily Harem After Vol 2
Including:
Codename: Goldilocks
White as Snow
Twisted
Awakened Beauty
 Erotica
An Unseelie Understanding
Historical Romance
Enchantress
 “Ve need to talk,” Kirill said, his Russian accent making it sound ominous.
“Uh-oh,” I said.
“It's nothing bad,” Trevor, who had walked up with Kirill and Jake (one of my
werelions) said. “We want to talk about teaching the kids.”
“Teaching them what?”
“Basic things that all kids are taught. An education.”
“An education,” I whispered. Then, louder, I exclaimed, “Oh, Hufflepuff! It's never
even occurred to me that I should send them to school. Is there a school for god kids?
Am I a bad mother?”
“You've taught Lesya and Vero to read,” Trevor said. “It has occurred to you, just
not at this level.”
“Da,” Kirill said. “Time to go up a level. Jake vas teacher. He offered to help.”
I sighed and looked at Jake. “Are you sure you're up for this?”
“Absolutely, Tima. Focusing on three children will be much easier than teaching a
whole classroom. And I used to teach high school kids, so I can complete their basic
education.”
“Three children?”
“I'll be teaching Zariel too.”
“Oh. Well, in that case, I accept your offer. When do you want to start?”
“Today.” Jake grinned and stood up. “I've already got the classroom set up and a
curriculum planned.”
“Already?” I looked from him to my husbands. “This is the first I've heard of it.”
We were sitting in the dining hall at the cartoon-long dining table, but we were at
the end near the kitchen so we didn't have far to go for snacks. I had intended to finish
the leftover chocolate cake in the fridge, but forgot all about it under the circumstances.
Okay, I forgot mostly about it. It's impossible to forget entirely about chocolate cake.
“We told him to gather what he needed,” Trevor said. “Either way, he was going to
be teaching Zariel.”
“Ve didn't zink you'd vant Zariel learning while Lesya and Vero ver excluded,”
Kirill added.
“Yeah, all right,” I grumbled.
Ever since I'd gotten back from my adventure into the Faerie Realm's past, I found
it more difficult to get angry with my men. Or with anyone, really. It just didn't matter in
the grand scheme of things. Had they gone behind my back? Not really. They'd been
approached by Jake and given their consent. That's all. They just wanted everything
prepared before they talked to me about it. It wasn't as if they'd spoken to the kids first.
I had the final say. And they were right. I'd never let Lesya and Vero miss out on gaining
an education. To quote G.I. Joe, “Knowing is half the battle.”
“Start them slow, Jake,” I added. “They need it to be fun. My kids are like cats. You
have to make them want to do something, not force them into it.”
“Of course, Tima.” Jake winked at me. “I'm a cat too.”
 A swarthy Italian dreamboat, Jake—not to be confused with Jacob, another of my
lions—must have had his students swooning. I did not doubt that Lesya and Zariel would
develop crushes. The whole palace was full of gorgeous men, but becoming their
teacher would send Jake into superstar status. Couldn't be helped. At least I'd be there
to monitor things, and I'd be prepared for it. Who knows? Maybe Lesya wouldn't like
boys.
Oh, who was I kidding? She'd already announced that she was going to be just like
her mommy and have a bunch of husbands (her words).
As Jake walked away, I chuckled. He had no idea what he was getting into with
two shapeshifter girls. Vero would be fine, but those girls were going to give him hell.
Especially when their hormones came into play. I looked at my husbands and shook my
head. “I'm glad you're more focused parents than I am. No matter what you say, I never
considered that the kids would need schooling.”
“It would have occurred to you sooner or later,” Trevor said.
“Sure, after they turned eighteen, and it was too late.”
“You have a lot to vorry about,” Kirill said. “Ve pick up slack. Zat is how family
vorks.”
I grimaced, then blinked. “I have to find a teacher for Rian and Brevyn now. I've
been teaching Brevyn Love Magic, and their nanny taught them to read, but I didn't
think about things like math and history and geography and—”
“Vervain,” Trevor cut me off and laughed. “Relax. It's really not as important in
our world. I mean, yes, teach them math. That's a good skill to have. But they've learned
history from their father, I'm sure.”
“Fey history. I should teach them about the Human Realm,” I said.
“Discuss it vith Arach,” Kirill said. “He may have some input.”
“Yeah. You're right.” I sighed. “My children are going to school. I'd say I feel old,
but after going fifteen thousand years into the past and hanging out with Arach, I feel
like a baby.”
“You are a baby,” Trevor said as he leaned in to kiss me. “But only compared to
us.” His honey-colored stare shifted down to my cleavage. “In all other ways, you are
fully grown, and I appreciate it.”
I snorted a laugh and pushed him away playfully.
“Mom! Dad!” Lesya came running into the room. “I'm going to school! Jake is
going to teach me stuff.”
“Da, you are,” Kirill said. “I'm glad you're excited.”
But even as I smiled, I muttered, “If knowing is half the battle, am I arming my
opponent?”
 Later that night at Moonshine, my youthful feeling faded.
“I'm getting old,” I whined and leaned back on the couch shaped like a little hill
and covered in fake grass.
Trevor, sitting on my right with his arm around me, grinned lopsidedly. “What
happened to feeling like a baby? You're not even a century yet.”
“But all I want to do is sit with you up here, where the music isn't so loud so I can
drink my fruity beverage in peace.” I leaned my head on his shoulder and looked past
him at the stream that flowed across the width of the reserved loft in Moonshine, its
bank outlined in rocks and fake grass.
The stream ended in a drop and became a waterfall that fed a pool on the ground
floor of our nightclub. Do people even call them nightclubs anymore? Were they just
clubs? Dance clubs? No, that's an even older term. Yup, I was getting old. That wasn't a
bad thing in the God Realm, but we were on Earth, showing off our dance
club/nightclub/club to Taran, a fellow club owner and an Earth-Sidhe. Taran, my elder by
millennia, was downstairs mingling with gods and humans, acting far younger than I
felt. I couldn't imagine him dancing, but I wouldn't be surprised to hear that he was
seducing his next conquest somewhere within the fake forest that surrounded the dance
floor.
We had brought Taran to Moonshine so he could see how we ran our business and
maybe get some tips to help him. Most of those tips came from Ty, Trevor's younger
brother, who ran the club for us. Trevor still oversaw the business, but it was Ty who did
most of the day-to-day work, overseeing the Froekn staff, the security, and the
maintenance of the building.
“I'm not even drinking Duat wine.” I lifted my glass. “Rum isn't going to do
anything to me. I've become such a mom.”
“What's wrong with being a mom?” Trevor asked. “Moms kick ass and they can
hang harder than people who have never pushed babies out of their bodies. Mothers are
survivors.”
I chuckled and sat up. “Yeah, you're right.” I lifted my drink and looked at it. “And
if I want to drink with more juice than alcohol in it, I will!”
“There's my wife.” Trevor kissed my cheek.
“Here I am.” I grinned up at him.
“And here I am!” Taran declared as he plopped onto the couch/hill across from us.
Taran spread his arms across the back of the couch, set an ankle on his knee, and
grinned wide enough to flash the white of his teeth against his spring-green skin.
Tattoos ran over his forearms and even licked at the base of his neck, exposed by his
rolled-up sleeves and the V of his partially unbuttoned collared shirt. His rich brown hair
was braided back to showcase the vibrant green of his eyes. In short, he looked good,
especially in this new Fey era on Earth, when things like green skin were a plus. The
problem was—he knew it.
“Having fun?” I asked.
“Oh, yeah.” His grin turned into a smirk. “I've met a lot of interesting people
tonight. I like how you run things here. It's a good idea to make gods and faeries swear
oaths before they enter. And that security system isn't half bad either.” He jerked his
head at the fake moon that hung over the club, its soft glow hiding the god technology
that monitored our patrons' intentions, not just their movements.
“That was a gift from my father,” Trevor said. “He wasn't so thrilled about us
opening this club, but he's always supported us.”
“Plus, I was the Rouva back then,” I said. “He kinda had to be supportive.”
“No, Minn Elska, he didn't,” Trevor said. “But he has a soft spot for you, his little
Frami.”
“Using Love Magic on him probably has something to do with that.”
Taran shot forward out of his sprawl, his left foot going to the floor. “Did you just
say that you used Love Magic on your husband's father? Tell me more.”
“It's not what you think.” I waved it away. “I was new to the magic and still
learning. And it was just a little bit of love.”
Trevor burst out laughing.
I scowled at him.
Taran cocked his head.
“Vervain, my dad once told me that if he didn't love me so damn much, he'd steal
you away from me,” Trevor said.
“No, he didn't.”
“Uh, yeah, he did.”
“But he's married now.”
“He's bonded now, but this was before he met Emma.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“I thought you knew. You were the one who laid the love on him. And back then,
things weren't stable between us.”
“So, you two weren't together when you walloped his daddy with love?” Taran
asked.
“It's a long story,” I said.
“We were bonded by accident,” Trevor said.
“You were accidentally bonded?” Taran asked. “From the way you're talking, I'm
assuming a binding is more serious than a marriage.”
“Yup.” Trevor shook back his wavy bangs and grinned, his honey-colored eyes
catching the light.
Or was that Wolf peeping through?
Shit. Please don't be Wolf. I don't think I can handle him and Taran together.
They'd go wild, and then I'd really feel old. Maybe it's not old that I'm feeling but boring.
Am I boring?
“So, you were bonded, but not a couple?” Taran pulled me out of my depressing
thoughts.
“Exactly. She was dating Thor at the time.” Trevor pulled me closer. “But I'm very
persistent.”
I rolled my eyes. “I broke up with Thor in a seriously awful way, and Trevor
camped out on my doorstep. He used our bond to take away my heartache.”
“Hold on.” Taran frowned from me to Trevor. “You took her heartache? What does
that mean?”
“Exactly what it sounds like. I siphoned off her pain and felt it for her. I thought it
was romantic.”
 I snorted. “The only problem was that he took too much. As in all of my emotions. I
got to the point where I didn't care enough to get out of bed. I just laid there until some
friends came over to do an intervention. That's when I found out about Trevor sleeping
on my doorstep.” I looked at my husband and softened my expression. “Now, that was
romantic.”
Trevor grinned, then nuzzled my face. “I promise to never steal your pain again,
Minn Elska. But I will try to prevent it.”
“More romance. Great.” Taran waved a hand at us and sat back. “I'll need a drink
if this is going to continue.”
“Don't think I don't know that you've been doing some romancing of your own
tonight,” I said.
“Don't think I don't know?” Taran squished up his face in thought. “Interesting
turn of phrase. Don't think I don't know,” he repeated slowly.
I snorted a laugh. “Look at you, Kermit, trying to be all suave. You're sweating
beneath your designer shirt. Bad choice, by the way. I mean, silk? Really?”
“It breathes.” He said and grinned. “And I'm not trying to be anything. I don't have
to try. I simply am.”
Before I could reply to that—it was just getting fun—two men walked up the metal
stairs behind and to the right of Taran. All of our attention immediately went to them
because we weren't expecting any visitors and the bottom of those stairs was guarded
by a Froekn. So either the two men had overpowered a Froekn or they had been
recognized as people we'd want to see.
When the low lights in the fake trees around us hit the men, I was shocked enough
to stand up. Trevor joined me.
“Jesus?” I hurried over to the new King of Heaven. “What are you doing here?
Abaddon? What are you doing with Jesus?”
Jesus looked grim, something he never looked. His stern visage didn't go with his
bellbottom jeans and worn T-shirt with the image of, well, himself on it—arms extended
up in a celebratory gesture with a big grin on his face and the words “The report of my
death was an exaggeration,” written above. Leave it to him to have the correct Mark
Twain quote and not the more commonly used “The reports of my death have been
greatly exaggerated.” But then, people misquote him all the time. I imagine he made it a
point in life to not do the same to others. His long, shaggy hair was more unkempt than
carefree and his usual round sunglasses were missing (appropriate for the club, but still
odd). Without the glasses to hide his brilliant blue eyes, I could see the strain-lines
around them.
Abaddon the Destroyer (sorry, had to add his title because it's just too fantastic)
looked just as grim as King Jesus Hadranius Christ (yup, that's what the H stands for),
but that was normal for Abaddon. Still, the very fact that the Angel of the Abyss was
with the King of Heaven was unsettling. With his blond buffness, he would have made
Jesus look scrawny—the old gangly Jesus, that is. But when I gave Jesus his father's
Light Magic, his body had swelled with power. Literally. He got big—all muscly like Jerry
had been. It was still odd for me to see him like that, filling out his hippie clothes like an
M.M.A. fighter. In addition to that, the power of the Seven Heavens radiated from Jesus,
giving him a presence that Abaddon couldn't compete with. But the J-man's face was
still the same, with that hook nose and wide, full lips. Those lips were usually smiling. I
didn't like that they weren't.
“Hey, V,” Jesus said and then hugged me. “I was hoping my brother would be with
you.”
“I'll text him,” Trevor said as he pulled out his phone. “He can be here in a few
minutes.”
“Dang, I should have thought of that,” Jesus said. “This bad juju has got me all
spacey.”
 “What bad juju?” I asked.
“Weird stuff. Let's wait for Az to get here, so I don't have to reinforce the bad
vibes by talking about it twice.”
“I'm here,” Azrael said as he stepped around the door marked Family Room.
Past that door was a set of stairs going down to guest rooms for vampires (or
anyone else who needed to stay through the day) and a tracing room. So, none of us
were surprised to see him emerge. Well, Abaddon lifted his brows, but I think it was his
first time in Moonshine.
“Brother.” Az, wingless for the club, hurried to Jesus and hugged him. “What's
happened? Trevor's text sounded urgent.”
Jesus shook his head. “It's blowin' my mind, Brother.” He made an explosive sound
as he burst his fingers outward from his temples.
“Let's sit down,” I suggested and waved at the couches.
We got settled, and that's when Jesus realized we had company.
“Oh, hey, man. Taran, right? Good to see you.” Jesus slapped Taran's shoulder.
“Yeah, you too,” Taran said, looking over Jesus' new physique with wide eyes. The
last time he'd seen Jesus had been when we'd brought Jesus to Taran's nightclub in
Lexington, Texas—the Wet Whistle. That had been pre-Light Magic Muscles. “Uh, should
I give you all some privacy?”
“Naw, it's all good,” Jesus said. Then he scowled. “Well, it's not good. It's very un-
good. But I'm good with you hearing my ungoodness.”
Taran blinked. Processed. Then said, “All right then.”
“J, what's happened?” Azrael demanded, the Angelic script on his cheek flashing
blue with his anxiety.
“Trippy shit, Brother. Trippy. Shit,” Jesus said. “I've been coastin' along, doin' my
best at ruling Heaven. Keepin' it mellow.” He motioned his hand before him in a wave.
“Then Angels started coming to me with strange reports. Things are going missing.
Getting moved.”
“Angels came to you over misplaced items?” I asked.
“They were important items that don't get misplaced,” Jesus said. “Like fiery
swords and the Ark of the Covenant.”
“The Ark exists?” I asked.
“Of course,” Az answered for Jesus. “Dad made it back when he was trying to be
popular. You know, make a name for himself.”
“Does it have the power the myths say it has?”
“Oh, yeah,” Jesus said and rubbed a long hand over his face. “It was a bummer
when it went missing.”
Abaddon frowned at this gross underestimation but said nothing.
“But you found it?” Azrael asked.
“Sure. Sure.” Jesus nodded. “We found it all right. Out in the middle of Araboth.”
“The Ark was in the desert?” Az scowled.
“Appropriate,” I said.
Their heads swiveled toward me.
“Because of the whole forty years in the desert thing,” I said. “You know, with the
Israel people.”
“The Israelites?” Azrael gave me a bemused look.
 “Yeah, them.”
“They wandered the wilderness,” Jesus said and made a face. “All because Dad got
aggro over them doubting him.” Jesus shook his head. “Even when he tried to be good,
he was still a dipshit.”
“Wasn't the wilderness a desert?” I asked.
“Well, yeah. Yeah, you're right.”
I rolled my eyes.
“So, someone played a historically accurate prank with a great weapon and
priceless artifact?” Trevor asked.
“It seems that way,” Jesus said. “But it hasn't stopped there. All over the Heavens,
things have gotten moved, making Angels jumpy.” He motioned to Abaddon. “I put
Abaddon in charge of the University, and it's gotten unreal over there too.”
Hearing his cue, Abaddon leaned forward and said, “The scrolls have been put out
of order.”
“The scrolls?” I asked as Azrael gasped.
“The scrolls from the library of Alexandria,” Azrael said. “No one touches those
scrolls. They're kept under spells of preservation and copies are available for reading so
that the scrolls never have to be moved.”
“But they were?” I asked. “Were they moved in a particular way?”
Jesus snorted and his lips twitched.
Abaddon said, “They were stacked like logs for a fire.”
I blinked. “A fire. As in the way the library was destroyed?”
“Yes.”
“We have a trickster on our hands,” I murmured.
“Sounds as if someone is just having some laughs at your expense,” Taran said to
Jesus. “Maybe they're trying to shake you up and see what you're made of since you just
took the throne. I suggest you stay calm, set things back to normal, and ignore it.”
“Remain calm and ignore it?” Jesus asked. “My people are freaking out, man. Just
freaking out. And the King of Heaven doesn't just sit back and say, 'It's all copacetic,'
when the Heavenly Host is freaking out.”
“All right.” Taran held up his hands. “It was just a suggestion.”
“Sorry, man.” Jesus sighed. “I told you, this has got me spacey. I don't know what
to do. I was hoping the God Squad might come and take a look.”
“We don't need the Squad,” I said. “Trevor and I can track whoever did this.”
“Man, I really am spaced out,” Jesus said. “I knew that. I didn't think of it, but I
knew it.”
“We'll go right now,” Trevor said.
I grimaced at Taran.
“It's all right,” Taran said. “You guys go ahead. I think I'm going to stay awhile.”
“Feel free to bring some guests up here,” Trevor said. “I'll let Ty know to look
after you.”
“Thanks. This has been helpful and entertaining.” Taran stood up with Trevor and
they shook hands.
“I'm sorry to cut your evening short,” Jesus said as he stood up too.
“No, it's fine,” Taran said. “Good luck with your trickster.”
 “Thanks.”
I think Taran was trying to be cute and speak Jesus's lingo when he said, “Peace
out,” and headed for the stairs with Trevor.
Unfortunately, Jesus wasn't in the right frame of mind for that. He stared after
Taran, then shifted his stare to his brother, and said, “Let's hope peace is not out.”
 I stepped out of the Aether and into Araboth's tracing temple. Araboth as in the
Seventh Heaven and the Seat of Heavenly Power. A.K.A. the J-man's home base.
And yes, the top tier of the Heavens had a temple for arrivals. I wish I could say it
was unusual, but a lot of gods had temples as tracing chambers, even in individual
territories. They didn't clean them with bleach, however.
“Ugh!” I cried and ran out of the stone building, holding a hand over my nose.
Trevor raced out behind me, but even after we made it outside, the burning
sensation lingered. There was more. I ran until I could take a breath without my nose
paying the price. At last, Trevor and I came to a stop and took several deep breaths of
fresh air.
“Son of a sock puppet!” Trevor snarled.
“What's going on? Are you two all right?” Abaddon asked as Jesus, Az, and he
caught up to us.
“Bleach,” Trevor blew air out of his nose to try to clear it, but the damage was
done.
“Strawberry milkshake!” Azrael cursed.
Abaddon looked from Trevor to Az. “Bleach? Strawberry milkshake?”
“They've amended their cursing for the little ones,” Jesus explained, even as he
scowled. “I'm so sorry. I didn't notice the smell.”
“It's not your fault. It's too faint for me to notice too,” Az said. “Unfortunately,
their sensitive noses will be out of commission for a while.”
“All because of bleach?” Abaddon asked.
“Yes.” I rubbed at my nose. “We could ask Kirill to come over, but if this person
bleached the tracing temple, I'm betting they covered their entire trail with it.”
“I say we give our noses time to recover and meet with the God Squad in the
morning,” Trevor said. “Then we can come back and investigate with their help.”
“I'm sorry, Brother,” Azrael said. “But I think they're right. That would be best.”
“It's all good,” Jesus said. “I didn't expect you to solve the mystery tonight. And it's
not as if they're doing anything violent. My people are safe, and that's what's
important.”
“Why don't you come by Pride Palace in the morning?” Trevor suggested. “You can
join the meeting.”
“Thanks. I will.” Jesus looked at Abaddon.
“I have to meet with some of the teachers tomorrow morning,” Abaddon said.
“No biggie.” Jesus slapped Abaddon's shoulder. “I can tell them about the library.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
“Aw, man. What did I say about that?”
Abaddon grimaced. “I am not calling you J-man.” With that, Abaddon pulled in his
wings—out on full display now that we were in the God Realm, turned on his heels, and
headed for the tracing temple.
 Jesus snickered.
“You haven't really been telling the Angels to call you J-man, have you?” Azrael
asked.
“I like to keep things casual.” He shrugged. “I'm the same guy they all knew
before. It's not a big deal though. I don't usually insist on it,” Jesus said, still watching
Abaddon walk away. “But that's a guy who needs more laughter in his life.” His
expression softened as he transferred his stare to his brother. “I'm trying to help him
move on.”
“He's going to be fine, Brother,” Az said. “He's free now. The Abyss is gone and so
is Jehovah.”
“But he still blames himself for killing his charges.”
“Still?” I asked. “That was a long time ago.”
“Would you get over it?” Jesus turned his gentle stare on me. “They were
monsters, but they were his monsters.”
My whole body shivered with kinship and sadness. If anyone could understand
loving monsters, it was me. “Don't call them that,” I whispered. “They were as they were
made.”
Jesus nodded in complete understanding. “Yes. Perfect. Perhaps not in Jehovah's
eyes, but in mine, they were.”
I nodded and watched Abaddon enter the tracing temple. “In his as well.”
“Yes. And so, I gave him work to focus on and, when I can, I try to lift his spirits.”
Impulsively, I hugged my brother-in-law. “I love you. You're a good guy to think of
others when you're so stressed.”
“I love you too, Sis.” Jesus kissed my forehead, and I felt a shimmer of his Comfort
Magic wash over me. He just couldn't help it. He gave of himself constantly.
And I was going to give something back.
“We'll find whoever is doing this,” I promised as I stepped back. Then I grimaced
at the temple. “But first, we have to get through that.”
“Take a deep breath,” Trevor said.
“And run,” I added.
 “Is this really a situation that requires our attention?” Horus, bouncing his three-
year-old daughter, Asteriana, on his knees, drawled.
“Yeah,” Astie, who was developing a personality that was a cross between those of
her parents, said and pointed at me, her expression stern even as she went up and
down.
I held back my laughter. “The scrolls of Alexandria, Horus,” I said. “And the Ark.
As in Raiders of the Lost.”
Horus rolled his mismatched eyes—one gold and one silver. “Ancient nonsense.”
“You're just bitter because the Ark vanquished your people,” Azrael said.
“Sorry, my sweet girl,” Horus said as he stopped bouncing Astie. “But Daddy
needs to speak to Uncle Azrael firmly. Go play with Deme.” He set Astie down and
nudged her toward Hades and Persephone's daughter Demetera, who was playing with
her dolls on a blanket on the floor beside her mother's chair.
We were out on Pride Palace's veranda so I could keep an eye on my kids too. They
were playing with the mini cars I had made for them with territory magic, racing them
around the mini castle that I had also made. Usually, Samantha would watch the kids for
me since her daughter was their playmate and usually with them, but I hated asking her
every time. And this wasn't a situation where we had to worry about the kids
overhearing something terrible. So far, it was just a bunch of mischief.
“Daddy.” Astie clung to her father's leg and stared up at him with her big, silver
eyes, the irises set off by dark blue limbal rings.
“Oh, you slay me.” Horus cupped her face and kissed her forehead. “I love you so
much.”
Astie grinned brightly. “I love you, Daddy!”
Horus's face crumpled into adoration.
“Astie, your father told you to go play with Deme,” Hekate said. “Go on now. Be a
good girl.”
“Okay, Mommy,” Astie said and toddled off toward Deme's blanket.
“Astie.” Deme held out one of her dolls and a flower grew around it to blossom in
the doll's hands.
“Thank you!” Astie took the doll and cradled it to her chest before kissing Deme's
cheek.
“You're welcome.”
The girls started playing with their dolls and it took me a second to realize that I
wasn't the only one staring and smiling at them. The whole group had gone quiet to
admire the adorableness of the two little girls.
Horus, of course, came out of his trance first. “Now, what was I saying?”
“You were about to say that you think it's a good idea to investigate Heaven,” I
said and smiled.
Horus snorted and smoothed the lapels of his suit. “I was not.” He glanced at his
wife, who had a purple brow lifted, and cleared his throat. “But if everyone else feels
that it's necessary, so be it.”
 Thor and Pan had left their children at home, with the kids' mothers. So Thor was
free to take over the conversation. He leaned his beefy forearms onto his knees and
said, “I think it's important that we do this. This person, whoever they are, is not letting
up. And things like this usually escalate. It's obviously meant to undermine Jesus's rule,
and we can't have that. Especially not with the Human Realm in such an unstable state.”
“What's so unstable about the Human Realm?” Blue asked.
“My love, you need to leave our territory more often,” his wife, Eztli, Goddess of
the Blood Moon, said.
Blue, also known as Huitzilopochtli, Aztec God of Sun and War and Father of
Vampires, scowled at this suggestion, the skin around his jade eyes crinkling. “But why?
I have all I need there.”
Eztli sighed. “Because the Human Realm can be fun. Remember how we used to
go out? Why don't you join me next time I go drinking with the girls?”
The girls Eztli referred to were vampires. Nuff said about the drinking, right?
Good.
“The Human Realm is still processing the knowledge that faeries exist,” Thor said,
ignoring the couple. “But now, they're also dealing with witnessing the battle with
Jehovah.”
“I thought that was handled?” Blue asked and looked at Jesus. “My condolences
and congratulations.”
“Thanks, man,” Jesus said. “On both.”
“It was handled.” Thor rolled his eyes. There always came a time in our God Squad
meetings when Thor would lose patience with everyone's crap and it looked as if that
time was drawing nigh. “But there are factions of humans who believe Jehovah's lies
about being King Arthur. They are upset about his death. And they blame Azrael for it.”
“What rubbish,” Blue drawled.
“Indeed,” Horus said.
I looked back and forth between them and snickered. How had I never noticed the
similarities in their personalities?
“Rubbish or not, this is not the best time for Heaven to be divided,” Thor said.
“And it's heading that way,” Jesus said. He shook his head. “Angels can be such a
bummer. And none of them will smoke a bowl with me. If anyone should smoke the
groovy greenery, it's them.”
“You want the Heavenly Host to get high?” Brahma asked, his dark eyes twinkling.
“Oh, that's fantastic.”
“Aren't zey already high?” Kirill asked.
I snorted a laugh and fist-bumped him.
“Maybe I should step down,” Jesus said.
“What?” Azrael nearly shrieked. “No, Brother. You care about our people. That's
more than they ever got from Jerry.”
“But maybe that's not what they need.”
“Caring makes leadership harder,” I said. “It's so much easier to command when
you don't care. But without compassion, a ruler cannot inspire their people or advance
their civilization. You need to care to create positive change. And Heaven needs that
change right now.”
Jesus stared at me a moment, then said, “I've become the Man. The Authority. It's
been weighing on me. Harshing my mellow. But I'm not the man my father was. I'm not
his kind of authority. I have to stand firm, but in my way.”
 “If you say you're going to cover Heaven in flowers, I'm leaving,” Horus said.
Kate smacked him in the arm.
“What? Haven't you heard of flower power?” Horus asked his wife. “It's part of
that hipster movement.”
“It's hippies, not hipsters, darling. And Jesus is having a moment. Don't ruin it for
him,” Kate said.
“It's all right,” Jesus said. “People can only ruin things if you allow them to. I'm not
going to allow people to ruin things for me anymore.”
“Good for you, Brother,” Azrael said. “Now, where should we start our
investigation?”
 We started in Araboth, the Seventh Heaven. Again. So, I suppose we restarted.
The shapeshifters in our group, those with sensitive noses like myself, wore gas
masks to protect us from the harsh odor of bleach. Even with the mask on, my nose
twitched and tingled, but it was tolerable. We headed out to the desert, and I didn't need
Jesus to lead me. He did walk beside me though, leaving a second set of footprints in the
sand. He did not carry me.
Sorry, I couldn't resist. And if you don't know what I'm talking about, you're very
lucky.
What I'm trying to say is that the scent of bleach—or rather the light tingles I got
from it—led me right to the spot where the Ark had been left. The culprit had covered
their entire trail with bleach, sprinkling it like breadcrumbs along their path, just as we
had suspected. There wasn't much to see at the drop location, just a lot of sand.
Everywhere. What a waste of a god territory. The Ark had long since been moved to a
new location, hopefully safer than its last.
“Well, shish kebabs,” I muttered.
We headed back into the Shining City, through those illustrious pearly gates and
across the gold streets, back to the tracing temple. Once there, we stopped before the
steps and stared at the main doors. Angels trickled out casually, then noticed us, and
hastily bowed to their King before giving us a wide berth. It was probably more the
masks than us. I stepped back further and removed my mask.
“Have you checked your wards?” Az asked his brother.
“I don't have to. I would have known the instant someone messed with them,”
Jesus said.
“Maybe you should check,” Blue drawled.
“Just in case,” Thor added.
Frowning, Jesus closed his eyes. A few seconds passed. His frown cleared, and he
opened his eyes. “They are whole.”
“So it has to be an Angel,” Azrael said.
“Or a Demon,” Finn said, his light Irish accent making the words sound almost
playful.
Jesus and Azrael exchanged heavy looks.
“I can't imagine any Demon wanting to undermine your authority,” Azrael finally
said to his brother. “We're better off with you in charge.”
“Every soul follows its own path, Brother,” Jesus said. “Sometimes it's harder to
discern the path another follows.”
“Did John Lennon just become Deepak Chopra?” Morpheus whispered to me.
I snorted a laugh and looked over my shoulder at the Dream God. “I love that you
know who those men are.”
“And I love that you know them well enough to get my joke.” Morph winked an eye
of blue mist at me.
Staring into Morph's dreamy eyes, I was reminded of all the territories I'd visited,
some unknown to me until I ended up in them.
 I had to dig deeper.
“Torrent,” I called.
“We going in?” Torr wove through our god crowd and stepped up beside me, his
lime-green eyes bright with eagerness.
“Yup,” I said. “Maybe I can find something in there.”
“Like what?” Jesus asked.
“I don't know, but it's worth a look.” I put on my mask and headed up the steps.
“We'll be right back.”
The other gods could have joined us, but it would have put an unnecessary strain
on Torrent. My Dragon-Sidhe senses allowed me to follow scent trails through the
Aether, but I couldn't walk that plane of existence without Torrent making a tunnel of
Internet through it. Otherwise, I just whizzed through it like any other traveler, and that
wouldn't give me time to follow a trail. But together, Torrent and I were the perfect
Aether-inspecting team.
Torrent took my hand as we entered the temple. It was a huge space for a tracing
chamber. Usually, they were closet-sized rooms, but this one was, well, temple-sized.
Marble walls soared up to a domed and gilded ceiling supported by pillars. It was a lot
of white and gold. Sort of cliché, if you ask me. As we headed for a wall, the reason for
the size of the tracing temple became obvious. Angels popped in all around us, each one
appearing in a different area of the temple. Tracing into the exact same space as
another god at the exact same time had never been done as far as I knew. Usually, the
Aether let you out where there was room. But if there wasn't room because a huge
amount of gods came tracing into a small confined space at the same time, there could
be disastrous consequences. The size of the temple ensured that didn't happen.
The arriving Angels gave us odd looks, but only for a moment. That was as long as
it took Torrent to take us into the Inter Realm. We didn't actually move. A tunnel of
Internet just formed around us, turning the world brighter and sharper. Beside us, a
second tunnel also appeared. Or a stream rather. The appearance of that second vein of
Internet, one that extended out into Araboth, told me that Torr had been there recently.
There was no way he would open paths of Internet for Jerry.
I pulled off my gas mask and asked, “Jesus asked you to install Internet?”
“Oh, yeah. Just a few weeks ago,” Torrent said. “The Angels are thrilled.”
“Maybe not all of them are thrilled.”
“Huh.” Torrent cocked his head, a swath of platinum hair falling across his pale
face. He pushed it away absently. “I can't imagine why someone wouldn't want Internet
access. But then, Angels can be very traditional gods, and I am, well, not.”
“Very untraditional,” I said. “Just the way I like you.”
“Thanks, V.” Torr grinned. “You ready?”
“Yup.”
Unseen by those in the God Realm, Torrent and I stepped forward, toward a
glossy, marble wall. We didn't touch the wall, as we would to trace, but walked right
through it, our Internet tunnel preceding us. Why didn't we just use one of the tunnels
of Internet already in place? Because this tunnel wasn't full of zipping, glowing lines of
information, and it would be easier for Torrent to move us about in it.
Normally, it was best to not see the Aether. It's a realm of pure magic, where
witches send their spells to manifest and gods pay a toll of memories to pass through.
And until those spells manifested, or those memories were absorbed by the Aether as a
form of fuel, they hung out there. Just floated about like boba in a cup of tea, waiting to
be sucked through a massive straw. Images of money, love, and healing competed with
mini movie screens playing snippets of god and fey lives. I tried my best to ignore them.
Stare too long at that magical circus, and you might go mad.
 Instead, I inspected Araboth's ward. And Torrent helped. We peered at the fog of
magic guarding the Seventh Heaven, moving slowly along it. I looked upon it as a witch,
a faerie, and a goddess, but Torrent saw it as a magical source code. And he could
unmake that code if he wanted to. In the world of Gods, his was a fearsome power, but
we'd done our best to keep it under wraps. If it got out, the other gods might come
gunning for Torrent, just to ensure he never unmake their wards. Or them.
“Anything?” I asked him.
“No, it looks fine to me.”
“It's huge.”
“I hear that a lot.” He giggled.
“Artemis is such a bad influence on you.” I snickered.
“Seriously though. The ward extends over all the Heavens.”
“What?” I paused to look at him. “But each of the Heavens is ruled by an Angel.
Azrael wards Shehaquim himself.”
“Yes, but he was a special case.” Torr gave me a grim look. “He got Shehaquim
because of his father, and Luke would never have allowed Jerry to have access to his
son's territory and Hell, via that territory.”
“So, all the other Heavens were warded by Jerry?”
“Yup. You can't keep out the supreme God.”
“I mean, there's that. But if the ward falls, then all the Heavens are open to
attack.”
“That's a good point. Maybe you should mention it to the J-man.”
“I will.” I paused. “Hold on. You said that Az was a special case. Is he not warding
Shehaquim anymore?”
“One moment.” Torrent peered downward, then said, “I don't see any break in the
ward. I think Jesus has warded it all.”
“Az must have handed over the reins when his father gave control of all the
heavens to Jesus.”
“I think so.” He waited a second, then asked, “So do we keep looking?”
“Oh, yeah. Because if it isn't an Angel behind this, the culprit could have slipped
through the ward at any of the territories and then gained access to Araboth.”
“Shit,” Torrent muttered and looked down again.
I followed his gaze down the length of ward which seemed infinite. “Can you
inspect it all like you just did?”
“You mean, just look along it?” Torr asked.
I grinned hopefully.
“No. I can see it, but I don't know exactly what I'm looking for, so I can't focus on
searching for that.”
I nodded, expecting that answer. Then I did something I don't often do. I used a
real curse word. “Shit.”
 Torrent and I came out of the Aether mentally exhausted if not physically. But this
was still the beginning of our investigation. Thankfully, the Squad hadn't waited for us.
They'd gone on to the other heavens to investigate while Re stayed behind to let us
know. I strode down the marble steps and then onto the golden street as my exhaustion
evaporated and a smile spread across my face.
There was Re, in all his sun god glory, sprawled upon a fucking (I can swear in my
head) chaise lounge with a glass of something bubbly in his hand. He had the three top
buttons of his shirt undone so his spectacular chest could catch the light. Not that the
rest of him wasn't just as spectacular. And golden. His skin gleamed as if sprinkled with
gold dust, highlights brought his dark hair to life, and his eyes—half-lidded and long-
lashed—shone like polished doubloons. Against the backdrop of the gold cobblestones, it
was almost too much. Oh, who am I kidding? Re is always too much no matter where he
is, but in the best way possible.
Around him fluttered Angels, their graceful hands hovering over that amazing skin
—the dark, desert color beneath enhancing the brightness of the golden sheen. Men and
women alike were gathered around Re, offering him little tidbits of food from golden
platters (not silver, mind you) and fanning him. Fucking fanning him like a sultan. Or
Scarlett O'Hara.
“Ah, here she is!” Re declared as he got up, passing his glass to one of the Angels.
“My beautiful wife!”
The Angels pouted and turned their jealous stares my way. I pulled off my gas
mask. They frowned, and I knew exactly why. I was pretty, maybe even beautiful thanks
to Aphrodite's magic. But I wasn't beautiful enough for a god like Re to label me as
such. But their frowns vanished as soon as Re strode past them. He was nearly as
scrumptious from the back as he was from the front. Okay, he was glorious from all
angles. And he had dressed well, as usual, in a deep blue shirt that enhanced his golden
self and body-skimming black pants. Casual but classic. Understated. So the clothing
wouldn't distract you from his beauty. He also had a great ass. That's what most of the
Angels focused on while he walked up to me.
“What are you doing?” I asked, my amusement brightening the words.
“What do you mean?” Re asked innocently.
I looked pointedly at his entourage, still waiting to see if he'd return.
“Oh, them.” He shrugged. “Well, you were taking so long that I got tired of
standing and sat down on the curb. One of them spotted me and asked why someone
like me would be sitting on a curb. Then more Angels came over, and you can see how it
went.” He waved his hand in a rolling motion.
“Wow!” Torrent exclaimed. “Can I have a canape?” He went over to the Angels
and helped himself before they could refuse him.
I chuckled and followed. As they gaped at Torrent, I hooked my gas mask over my
arm, took Re's abandoned glass from the hand of a stunning blonde woman, and sipped.
“This is pretty good.” I went to another Angel who was holding a second tray of treats
and picked a strawberry tart. “Thanks, I'm famished.” I took a bite, then looked around
as I chewed. “Hey, have any of you seen anything odd lately?”
“Odd?” one of the men finally recovered. “As in the Godhunter walking our streets
wearing a gas mask?”
“Is this odd, though?” I cocked my head at him and waved at myself. “Or is this
odd?” I waved at the chaise, then at them.
He flushed.
The blonde woman asked, “How odd? And why do you ask?”
“It doesn't have to be extremely weird,” I said as I plopped onto the chaise. “Could
be anything that caught your attention. And I'm asking because things have been going
missing around here. Pranks are being played on your new king.”
“The Ark,” another of them said to the rest. “I told you I saw them moving it
through the streets. And I heard things have been going missing.”
“Someone stole the Ark?”
“No,” I hurriedly said. “They moved it into the desert. A bad prank.”
“A prank against Jesus?” A dark-haired woman asked, her wings pulling in tightly
to her back. “Why would anyone do that?”
“We're all overjoyed to have him on the throne,” a man said. “Araboth is brighter.
It's . . . home now. Finally, it's our home. We don't have to be afraid of what Jehovah
might ask of us or if his deeds will bring down the fury of Lucifer or other gods. And
Jesus has power over all the Heavens now. Heaven and Hell are united.”
“Are you sure everyone feels like that?” Torr asked around a mouthful of cream
puff. Then he groaned. “Where did you get these? Is there an Angel bakery around
here?”
“I made them,” a female Angel said proudly.
“Well done, you!” Torrent said and took another. “You're a master of your craft!
You should sell these.”
“I've been thinking about opening a shop.”
“You absolutely should.”
“To answer your first question,” the man said with a frown at Torr, “I can't imagine
that there would be anyone who . . .” he trailed off.
“There!” Re pointed at him. “Who did you just think of?”
The man's face went slack as he experienced the full force of Re's attention.
I snapped my fingers in front of his face. “Focus! Who did you just think of?”
He blinked and looked at me. Or, more importantly, away from Re. “Well, Jehovah
had his supporters.”
“Aren't they dead?” I asked.
The man shrugged. “Who knows what lies in the hearts of Angels?”
“I was hoping you did,” I said dryly. “That's why I asked.”
He grimaced at me.
“Come now.” Re put his arm around the man, sliding it between his wings and
under his long, ebony hair. He gave me a quelling glance as he steered the guy away
from me. “You must have some inkling, some teensy tiny thought about who may be
harboring ill will toward your new king. Don't you want to help Jesus? I do. He's a very
good friend of mine and my brother-in-law. I know he would appreciate anything you
might have to offer.”
I hadn't thought of Jesus being brother-in-law to my other husbands. The idea
made me grin. Family can be funny, especially when you have one like mine.
“Well, uh, there's, uh.” The man stared at Re, then swallowed, his Adam's apple
bobbing.
I shook my head and ate a cream puff. Then I flinched and looked at the Angel who
made them. “These are good! Better than that. They're amazing! Open your bakery, and
I don't care where it is, I'll be a regular customer.”
“Thank you.” She grinned and held the tray out to me.
“Don't mind if I do,” I murmured as I took another cream puff. “What is that?
Cardamon?”
“Yes. And rosewater.”
“Rosewater! Wow. You've got the mixture just right so that it's floral but not
soapy.”
Re cleared his throat.
I turned to look at him. “Yes?”
“We've got a name.” He looked at the cream puffs. “If you're done eating, La-la.”
I made a face at him, stuck the entire cream puff in my mouth, then grabbed
another.
Re chuckled, then leaned over and licked some cream from my lips. “Delicious.”
One of the women fainted, feathers everywhere.
 We caught up with the others at the University of Zebul. As excited as we were to
share our information, the weight of the place softened and slowed our footsteps, and I
found myself gawking at the ceilings with their gilded and arched beams that framed
extraordinary murals of Angels and Earth. Then there were the lush gardens, seen
through massive mullioned windows, and even the Angels themselves. Scholars strode
by us in black robes, holding stacks of old books and looking as if they belonged at
Hogwarts.
Even Re's beauty couldn't distract these studious Angels from their classes. They
rushed past us with barely a glance at my shiny husband. Re's lush lips turned down.
But then we were in the library, and the quiet became reverent. The sound of our
footsteps, already soft, was swallowed by thick carpets. Rooms opened to either side of
us, each one enormous, with metal plaques over the doorways engraved in Latin. Within
the rooms, bookshelves of awesome height and length lined up like soldiers, every shelf
full. Angels stood among the bookshelves, offering the only sounds to be heard in the
library—the occasional swish of fabric or the rustle of a turned page.
Until a voice broke the quiet.
“You know, you could put this all on the cloud.”
I snorted a laugh.
Torrent grinned. “Viper's right. They could free up a lot of space.”
“The cloud?” a regal voice asked. “Which cloud? What do you mean?”
“The Internet,” Viper said.
“You want us to put all of our information on the Internet?” the man was horrified.
“The human web?”
“You don't have to share it. Or, if you're worried about it, put them on removable
hard drives. Torrent can advise you better than me.”
“And what would you suggest we do with the ancient scrolls of Alexandria?”
Re, Torrent, and I followed the voices to the end of the hallway, through the
archway there, and into the final room. Instead of bookshelves, there were those
cubicles people made to hold wine. You know, with the boards at angles to form diamond
holes. But these cubicles were full of scrolls. So many scrolls. They went hundreds of
feet up the walls with glass doors mounted on golden brackets before them, each level
designated only by the height of those doors. There were no balconies or galleries or
whatever you call the narrow bits of floor that run around the upper levels of very tall
rooms. Angels didn't need nonsense like that.
Magical light, its source unknown, illuminated the room brightly. Apparently, it
didn't pose a threat to the scrolls as sunlight might have. Oh, wait, these scrolls were
protected by spells. So it didn't matter what kind of light was beamed at them. Lasers
couldn't hurt them. In the center of the room, where you'd expect to find tables, there
were only chairs. Back-to-back and facing out toward the scrolls. It felt like a museum.
Between one of the glass-covered wall cubicles and a line of chairs stood the God
Squad, Jesus, Abaddon, and an Angel I didn't know. The unknown Angel would have
been attractive if his face wasn't squished up in disdain. And I would have taken his
annoyance more seriously if Abaddon wasn't standing behind him, rolling his eyes and
Jesus wasn't searching his pockets for a happy cigarette.
When the J-man pulled out a hand-rolled, the upset Angel nearly fainted.
 “Sire, you can't smoke in here!”
“Why not?”
“The scrolls!”
“Aren't they protected under heavy-duty spells?”
“Well, yes, but this room is still part of the library, and there is no smoking allowed
in the library.”
“Oh.” Jesus peered at the joint as if he couldn't imagine how it had gotten in his
hand. “Well then, I'll just take a whiff. I like the smell. It calms me.”
“You like the smell?” I asked as we joined them. “You know they call it skunk weed
for a reason?”
Jesus beamed at me and slid the joint back into his pocket. “There you are! Did
you find anything?”
“Your ward is fine,” Torrent said. “We searched every inch and the code, uh, I
mean, the magic is unbroken.”
“But while we were looking, Re was making friends,” I added with a smug look at
my husband.
He smirked back at me. “I can't help it. I'm a friendly guy.”
Shaking my head, I said, “Go on. Tell them.”
“Remiel,” Re said.
Jesus blinked. “He's the one doing this?”
“We don't know that.” I smacked Re's arm.
“What?” Re huffed.
“You can't just say a name like that. All dramatic. You have to explain.”
“Fine.” Re rolled his golden eyes. “Remiel was Jerry's general.”
“One of them,” Jesus said. “So?”
“So, he was a supporter. He may still be.”
Jesus scratched his head and pushed his purple, round glasses up higher on his
long nose. “I dunno, man. Rem is cool now. I don't think he'd do this. He survived all that
primo bullshit and came out a changed man.”
“Or that's just what he's telling you,” Thor said. “Either way, speaking to him won't
hurt.”
“And there's nothing here,” Odin added.
“Except the scent of bleach,” Trevor said, his face wrinkling behind his mask.
“Bleach!” the unknown Angel screeched. “Someone used bleach in here? We can't
have bleach around the scrolls!”
“Relax, Sachiel,” Jesus said, his hand automatically reaching for a joint. He jerked
his hand out of his pocket when he noticed Sachiel's wide eyes and cleared his throat.
“The bleach was used to mask a trail, not to clean the scrolls.”
Sachiel grimaced. “Still, it shouldn't be used near them.”
“They're protected by glass and enchantments,” Abaddon said. “The scrolls are
fine.”
Sachiel's wings rustled, and he straightened his shoulders. “If there is nothing
else, Your Majesty?”
“Huh?” Jesus frowned at the Angel.
“I have other duties to attend to. Unless I'm being replaced as ruler of this
Heaven?”
“What? No, man. Why would you think that?”
He glanced at Abaddon. “Evidently you disagreed with the way I ran this school.”
“Sachiel, my friend.” Jesus laid a hand on the Angel, and Sachiel instantly relaxed.
“I wanted to lessen the strain on you. I never thought you were lacking. Be at peace. You
are a fine governor of this territory, and I need Angels like you to help me. I rely on
you.”
Sachiel took a breath. Then he bowed. “Thank you, King Jesus.”
“It's all good, man.” Jesus grinned and dropped his hand. “All of it. Keep it up. And
don't worry. I promise not to smoke in here.”
Sachiel cleared his throat. “Thank you, Sire.” He bowed, then left the room.
Jesus's smile vanished as the Angel did. He turned to his brother and asked, “What
do you think I should do, Az?”
Jesus went from King to toddler in seconds, reminding me that Azrael was the
older of the two. The King of King's older brother.
“Let's just have a chat with Remiel. Nothing menacing. Just talk. You can read a
man's heart better than anyone, J. I don't think we'll need to resort to harsher measures
to get the truth from Remiel.”
“Harsher measures!” Jesus's eyes went wide. “That never even occurred to me. No
one is torturing my Angels, Az.”
Azrael grinned, his love for his brother clear. “We wouldn't dream of it, J.”
“Okay then.” Jesus grinned and pulled out his joint.
“Your Majesty,” Abaddon said, then looked pointedly at the joint.
Jesus grinned, lifted it to his nose, and breathed deeply. “Ah, the sweet smell of the
Devil's lettuce.”
 I couldn't remember if we'd fought Remiel directly. The last battle with Jerry had
been wild and included my son, Brevyn. I'd been a bit distraught. Then there was
Samael and all his eyes. Yup, more than two. More than twenty. All over his body. Where
eyes should not be. It had been rough. At least Samael had switched sides. He had been
the one to deliver the death blow to Jerry.
I think. I'm pretty sure.
Again, it was all so jumbled in my head now. I knew Abaddon had been there too.
Who was it who had killed the bastard? I took his magic. But I hadn't killed him.
Abaddon helped, but I think it was Samael who killed Jehovah. I remember thinking it
was quite the turn of events, what with how Samael had been such a big Jerry supporter.
It looked as if I wasn't the only one having problems with my memory. Remiel sat
in a chair beside Jesus, drinking a cup of tea. He acted as if he'd always been on our
side. That he was celebrating our victory as much as we did. And maybe he was. But he
had to know that we knew who he had been before the fall of Jehovah. Maybe he was
hoping we had forgotten.
The Archangel set his teacup aside and looked around the airy living room at his
guests. “So, how can I help the Throne?”
“The Throne?” Viper whispered to me.
“He means Jesus,” I whispered back.
“There have been some odd occurrences in the Heavens,” Azrael said. “Things
getting moved around, that sort of thing.”
“Oh?” Remiel asked. “Why?”
“That's what we're trying to find out,” Thor said.
“Remiel, buddy.” Jesus leaned forward and took off his glasses. Fixing his piercing
stare on the Archangel, he asked, “Do you know anything about someone putting the
Ark of the Covenant out in the desert? It's got a lot of Angels concerned.”
“The Ark?” Remiel blinked. “Someone moved the Ark? How? Isn't it guarded?”
Jesus grimaced. “It was kept in a secure room. You know that. Every Angel knows
where we keep the Ark.”
“Oh. Yes, I do.” Remiel frowned. “Sorry, Sire. It's been a long time since I've
thought about the Ark. But I don't understand. Are you saying that someone took the
Ark out to the desert and left it there?”
“That's right,” Jesus said.
“To what end?”
“We think it was meant to make me look foolish.”
“I don't see how that would work.” Remiel considered this. “No, there are far
better ways to make you look the fool. But no one in all the Heavens would want to do
that. We are finally at peace.”
“Then there are none who harbor resentment toward my brother?” Azrael asked.
“For what?” Remiel asked.
“The death of Jehovah,” I said.
 Remiel sighed. “I followed a man who I had faith in. He turned out to be a terrible
ruler, twisted by unrequited love and potent drink. But he was still my king. I did my
duty by him and I mourn his death as I should.” He met Jesus's stare. “But that's about
honor. Now, I am free of my vows and have made new ones to a king I am proud to
support. I would never seek to overthrow you.”
“I believe you, Remiel,” Jesus said with a grin and slid his shades back on.
“Do you know of anyone who may be mourning Jehovah a little more strongly than
you?” I asked.
“There were many Angels who enjoyed Jehovah's rule,” Remiel said grimly. “Men
and women who were . . . less kind than they should have been. Jehovah was bitter and
a drunk, but he wasn't evil. Not like some.”
“Agree to disagree,” I muttered under my breath.
“So there are others,” Azrael said.
“Were,” Remiel said. “All who I know of died—some in the attack on the Golden
Citadel and the rest in the final battle.”
Jesus sighed and sat back on the fluffy, white couch. “This is such a downer. Who
could be doing this?”
“I don't know, Your Majesty,” Remiel said. “Perhaps it's over now. Perhaps it was
just a joke, and the jokester has realized he's gone too far.”
“It was more than one act,” Azrael said. “The scrolls of Alexandria were moved
and other belongings were also taken and left in odd places.”
“That is strange, but I still don't think someone is trying to hurt King Jesus. These
are pranks, nothing more.”
“I hope so,” Jesus said. Then his stare shifted behind the purple lenses and landed
on a plate of petite fours. “Yum! I love little cakes!”
“Please, have as many as you wish.” Remiel held the plate out to the King of
Heaven.
I shared a look with Az. Neither of us thought these were simple pranks, but there
was nothing more for us to do.
 As we left Remiel's home, something occurred to me.
“Hey, Jesus, was there anything in the Ark?” I asked.
“In the Ark?” He shuffled his Birkenstocks over the golden stones, but they didn't
make a sound, just glided as if he were walking over water. “Oh! Inside the Ark?” He
made a motion with his hands like he was putting something in a box. “Yeah, a few
things.”
“You did open the Ark and make sure they were still in it, right?” Azrael asked.
“Ummm.” Jesus chewed at his lip. “Someone must have.”
“Unbelievable,” Horus muttered. “Look, Vervain, we don't like leaving Astie with
other people too long. Katie and I are going back.”
“Horus,” Hecate scolded. “She's with Samantha. Sam is great with the kids. Hell,
she should open a god-babysitting service.”
“You know, that's a good idea. I'll run it by her,” I said.
“I don't care if Astie's with the best babysitter in all the realms, I don't like leaving
her with people who are not us,” Horus said.
“Go,” I said. “Don't worry about it, Katie. We've still got the rest of—”
“Um, if they're going,” Hades said with a wince.
“If you have kids to get back to and you want to leave, go ahead,” I said.
“Thanks, V!” Persephone kissed my cheek, the scent of fresh grass and flowers
wafting over me. “We left Princess at home with Cerberus, and those two always get
into trouble.”
“That damn dog is a bad influence,” Hades muttered.
“He certainly is,” Sephy said.
“I meant Princess.”
I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing. Princess was a Pomeranian we
rescued from the Zombie Apocalypse (long story). Sephy had fallen in love with the dog,
and since Hades loves Persephone, he put up with the little yappy puffball. But I think
he secretly loved the animal too. Every time I visit, I catch him slipping the dog treats.
“It's fine,” I said. “Kiss the puppy for me. And I mean Princess, not Cerberus.”
Persephone giggled. “Hades would never let me kiss Cerberus.”
“Cerberus would never let you kiss Cerberus,” Hades drawled. “Goodbye,
everyone. We'll check in tomorrow.”
The God Squad made their goodbyes to the two couples, but Thor and Pan were
good with staying.
“I want to see the Ark!” Pan said.
“I don't think we're allowed,” Azrael said.
“Aw, come on,” Jesus waved us down the street, in the opposite direction that the
others had gone. “What's the point in being king if I can't get my friends backstage?”
“Yes!” Pan punched the sky. “I knew you were gonna be an awesome king. You are
the coolest.”
“Thanks, man.”
“It's Pan with a P,” Pan teased.
Jesus grinned. “Pan the man. But not the Man.”
“That's right. Wait. Is that a compliment or an insult?”
“It's a compliment.” Jesus pulled out his joint and finally lit it. After a deep inhale,
he sighed, puffed again, then passed it to Pan.
“No, J, you're the man,” Pan said as he took it.
“But not the Man.”
“Got it!” Pan puffed.
We headed back to the holy dais or whatever it's called. The place where they kept
the throne. Oh, and the Guf, although that's technically beneath the throne. Well, in
front of and beneath. Whatever. That's where we went.
After climbing the steps, we passed the empty throne, and I smirked at the also
empty space behind the throne, where the Cherubim used to fly and taunt Jerry by
crying “Holly, Holly, Holly” instead of “Holy, Holy, Holy” as they were supposed to. Their
little loophole with the human belief. Jerry was usually too drunk to notice or care. But
the Cherubim were gone now, living their best Cherub lives, while the King of Heaven
led us past the Guf (I didn't look at the floating souls) and the Throne, into the Home of
the Ineffable Light—also known as the J-man's crib. As we entered, I put my gas mask
on again. Just in case the trickster had bleached the Ark. Once burned, twice shy.
Our now slightly smaller group strolled down the hallways with Jesus, and I
immediately noted all the changes he'd made. It was kinda hard to not notice. First of
all, the GRAYEL was in one of the front rooms, taking up a lot of space with its holy,
shiny machinery. But that was to be expected. What lifted my brows was the sign above
it that read, “God helps those who help themselves. So help yourselves, my friends.” And
there was a fancy sideboard next to the GRAYEL with stacks of those red plastic cups
you use at parties as well as individual bags of chips, jars of candy, and boxes of
chocolate. The J-man liked his snacks. Oh, and there was a recycling container at the
end of the sideboard. What Jesus did with those recyclables I had no idea.
In addition to this, the bright, airy rooms were now cluttered with fuzzy rugs,
squishy couches, posters from the 60s, lava lamps, bean bag chairs, macrame curtains,
and way too much color that was combined in all the wrong ways. One of the rooms was
lit by a blacklight, setting assorted paraphernalia aglow. And don't get me started about
the greenhouse I spotted through a window.
“Did we accidentally walk into a hippie commune?” Blue whispered.
I glanced back at him and Eztli, both of whom were looking around themselves
with a mixture of shock, horror, and a tiny bit of awe.
“It makes him happy,” I whispered back. Then I held up my fingers in a peace sign
and said, “Let it be.”
Eztli snorted a laugh, and Blue stared adoringly at her. Oh, how that warmed my
heart. I loved seeing my friends in love. Especially friends like Blue, who had gone
through so much to find his love.
We went past a dining room furnished with a low table, very Moroccan (loved it),
and cushions around it instead of chairs. Then there was a room with very little
furniture, only a DJ stand in the corner, mirrors on the walls, and a disco ball hanging
above the polished floor. I shook my head and carried on.
At last, we passed through a bead curtain and into yet another make-love-not-war
room, heavy on the love. A mattress was piled high with cushions in one corner, a low
table held an assortment of . . . let's call them pleasure enhancers, and the ceiling was
covered in mirrors. It was the 60s version of Re's bedroom.
 “Oh, now this I like,” Re said, right on cue. “J-man, I didn't know you had it in
you.”
“I'm a lover, not a fighter.” Jesus grinned. Then he whipped off the cushions and
fringed blanket that was covering one of the couches.
Except it wasn't a couch. It was a box about six feet long by two feet across. A
gold box. What I had thought were the arms of the couch were four carved Angels,
standing two to either side of the box and holding bars between them to form handles.
Words were carved into the box's sides, but I couldn't read them. They weren't Latin. I
was guessing they were whatever Moses spoke. Was that Aramaic or Hebrew? I think it
was Hebrew. Whatever. I didn't speak or read it, and it covered the box.
“I'm sorry,” Thor said, blinking his Caribbean quartz eyes. “Is that the Ark of the
Covenant?”
“Yup.” Jesus grinned. “I thought I'd hide it in plain sight. I'm tricky like that.”
“As a bench in your love den?” Azrael asked in horror. “Brother, I'm sorry, but what
the fuck? What the actual fuck?”
My eyes went wide, but Jesus just burst out laughing.
“Jesus!” Azrael growled.
“No kidding,” I muttered. “I mean, Jesus H. Christ! This is bizarre.”
“Thank you, Carus.” Azrael waved a hand at me.
“Is this a bong or a sexual device?” I held up the thing I'd been referring to. It was
glass, long, and filled with water but also phallic.
“Oh, I was wondering where I left that.” Jesus took it from me. “I'm glad you didn't
touch the end. I haven't sterilized it yet.” He waved a hand over the thing and the Light
of God coated it before winking out. “There you go. It's copacetic now.”
The room went silent.
The Re exclaimed, “Why have I never thought of that?! Damn it, I could have been
cleaning my sex toys with sunlight this whole time! Centuries I've wasted. Centuries!”
“Okay, so that answers my question.” I looked down at my hand and wondered if I
should set it on fire. Just briefly. I was also glad that I had put my gas mask back on.
“Have you lost your mind?!” Azrael shouted. “Have all of you lost your damn
minds?”
“Babe, relax,” I said and went to pat his shoulder. Then I realized what hand I was
about to use and jerked it back. I encased my hand in fire, let it burn away anything that
may have transferred, then commenced with the patting. “I think it's brilliant. No one
would come in here looking for the Ark. In fact, if anyone did invade the, er, inner
sanctum, they'd probably take one look and turn tail.”
“Exactly.” Jesus waved a hand at me. “Expand your mind, Brother. The Ark is safer
here than behind a ward.”
“It's not even warded?!” Azrael shrieked.
“Is it really that important?” I asked. “What can this thing do? I'm assuming it
doesn't melt faces like the one in the movie.”
Jesus looked uncomfortable.
“It melts off faces?” I gaped at him.
“No, of course not,” Jesus said. “That's human imagination.”
“Oh, okay.”
“It just obliterates. More like an atom bomb.”
“What?!” I screeched.
 “A very precise atom bomb,” Jesus hurried on. “I guess it's like a laser-bomb.” He
made his hands into the shape of guns and said, “Pew, pew, pew.”
“This is the best day of my life,” Morpheus whispered.
Mrs E. grimaced at Morph, but he was too busy staring at the Ark to notice. I
wasn't sure if he was reacting to the Ark or Jesus Christ going pew, pew, pew with his
laser fingers. For me, it was the latter. And I had to agree with Morpheus; best day ever.
“Um, are we going to open it?” Finn asked. “Or are we going to continue to
discuss the King of Heaven's sexual deviancy?” He tapped a macrame swing and set it to
swaying.
“There is nothing deviant about love,” Jesus said.
“You tell him!” Re said.
“Just open the fucking box,” Brahma huffed.
With an annoyed look at Jesus, Azrael went up to the Ark and unlatched the lock.
He opened the lid, then cursed, “Oh, for fuck's sake.”
I hurried over with everyone else and we peered into the Ark. Inside was a can of
Pringles, a plastic fairy wand in neon pink, and one of those fake stone grave markers
for pets. It read, “If love could have saved you, you would have lived forever” and it had
a picture of a Pomeranian on it.
“Oh, fuck,” Jesus said.
 Before anyone could say more, Hades came bursting into the room. “Someone has
stolen my dogs!”
I looked from him to the Pomeranian's gravestone and my blood went cold. No.
This was a joke. This person wouldn't kill a poor, defenseless . . . hold on. “Did you say
dogs—plural?” I asked Hades.
“Yes, Vervain! Princess and Cerberus are missing. Cerberus never leaves the
Underworld without my permission. Never!” Hades shook his head. “He's out there
somewhere, cold and alone. My poor . . .” He went still. Then the King of the Greek
Underworld took off his shades. Raging fires burned beyond the clear brown lenses of
his irises, but Hades still managed to look horrified instead of horrifying. “What in all
the realms is this?” His shocked, fiery stare slid around the room.
“Focus, Hades!” I snapped as I picked up the gravestone. “I think the trickster has
taken Princess.”
He looked at the marker. His eyes narrowed. In a deeper voice, one resonant with
power, Hades declared, “If this person dares to harm one hair on Princess's head, I will
incinerate them.”
“Aw, so you do care about Princess,” I said.
“Only because my wife does. Persephone will be beside herself if someone hurts
that dog. Now, if they hurt Cerberus, I will cut them into tiny pieces before I incinerate
the bloody pile.”
“I had no idea you loved Cerberus so much.”
“He is one of my oldest friends.” Hades grabbed the gravestone and shook it in my
face. “Take off your fucking mask. There's no bleach.” He shoved the marker back at
me. “I need your nose, Godhunter.”
I yanked off my mask and took a hesitant sniff. “Holy hamburgers, he's right.” I
took a deeper sniff. A scent came to me but I didn't recognize it. Then I passed it to
Trevor. “Sniff, sniff, pass, baby,” I said to him.
Trevor shook his head but took off his mask to sniff, then passed the marker to
Kirill. But Kirill was already sniffing the Pringles can. Then he made the mistake of
opening it. A fake snake burst out of the can, scaring the crap out of all of us.
Kirill stood holding the can, the only one who didn't react. He looked up at me.
“Snake has vords on it.”
I frowned and looked at the snake on the floor. It was as pink as the wand and,
sure enough, something was written on it in thick, black ink. Before I could reach for it,
Artemis bent over and collected the snake. But I didn't need to hold it to smell it. It had
the same scent on it that the marker did.
Artie read aloud, “Thanks for the manna.” She looked from Az to Jesus. “What
does that mean?”
“There was a pot of manna in the Ark,” Jesus said.
“Along with the stone tablets that were given to Moses there was also his brother,
Aaron's staff.”
“Why would you leave a jar of immortality food in that thing?” I asked.
Jesus shrugged. “It was part of the spell that empowered the Ark.”
 “So, the Ark won't work now?” I asked.
The J-man looked at the gold box and shook his head. “I might as well make it a
couch in truth. It's kinda pretty.”
“The Pringles for the manna, the gravestone for the tablets, and the wand for the
staff,” I said as I retrieved the fairy wand. “The same scent is on all three items.” I
sniffed again, this time at the room in general.
“Bad idea,” Kirill said.
And it was. The scent of sex instantly bombarded me. But what wasn't there was
the smell of bleach. Or the scent I'd found on the items.
“There's no bleach here at all,” I said. “No trail to follow.”
“So they were replaced when the Ark was first taken,” Thor concluded. “No one's
tampered with it in here.”
“That's a relief,” Jesus said.
We all looked at him.
“Well, it's nice to know my plan hasn't failed.”
“What plan?” Azrael asked.
“To hide the Ark in plain sight,” Jesus said as if it was obvious.
Azrael rolled his eyes. “Yes, that worked fine, Brother. Congratulations.
Unfortunately, there's still the matter of missing manna, holy tablets, and a magical rod
to deal with.”
I snickered.
Az looked at me.
“You said magical rod,” Re said for me.
“Have all of you gotten a contact high from walking through the lingering haze in
my brother's house?” Azrael demanded.
“Sorry, babe,” I said. “You're right. We need to focus on what's important.”
“Thank you.”
“Finding Princess.”
“And Cerberus,” Hades added.
“Oh, for fuck's sake.” Azrael threw his hands up in the air and walked out.
“Death has left the building,” I declared.
 “Did you smell bleach?” I asked Hades.
“What?” He was getting distracted by the 1960s sex toys, his stare lingering on a
psychedelic butt plug.
“Let's move this conversation to another room,” Mr T suggested.
His wife was ahead of him. Mrs E. strode past me with her stare locked straight
ahead. The Navajo Goddess of Change was not looking for bedroom inspiration.
Pan, however, lifted something and asked Jesus, “Can I borrow this? I just want to
use it as a prototype to make one for myself. I won't actually use it.”
“Sure thing.” Jesus waved at the little glass item.
“Why do you need a prototype of a pipe?” Thor asked.
“It's more than a pipe,” Pan whispered to Thor. “And you know how much I love
playing my pipes.”
“But that's a different kind of pipe.” Thor frowned, still not getting it.
“Yes, I know. I was making a joke.”
“But—”
“Exactly,” Pan said.
“Huh?”
“With this, I can literally blow smoke up someone's ass.”
“Did you know they actually did that?” I asked Pan. “That was a medical thing.
Doctors would slide a tube up there and blow smoke up it.”
“I did know that!” Pan pointed at me. “Humans are funny.” He shook his head.
“Smoke up the ass makes more sense as a sexual kink than medical treatment.”
Thor went fire engine red.
Jesus burst out laughing. “They're teasing you, Thor. That pipe's meant to blow
your mind, not your bottom.”
Thor was back to being confused. “So, it is a pipe to smoke out of.”
“Yup.” Then Jesus winked at Pan. “After you've used it for other things. I've never
used it for the backdoor, though. Mainly, because I like to double toke, if you know what
I mean, and I don't want to inhale what's been up there.”
“Oh, that's brilliant!” Pan said. “I thought it would just be a bit of fun to see a
beautiful bottom smoking. So many jokes. But now, I'm rethinking things.” He set the
pipe back down. “I don't think I need to borrow it. I've got it firmly in mind now.”
“We all do,” Brahma drawled.
“If you ever think about sliding a pot pipe in my divine flower, I will crush you,”
Sarasvati said to Brahma.
“Never, my darling. Never would I ever dare to disrespect the glory of your perfect
channel with toxic smoke.”
Everyone groaned and finally left the room.
As we walked out, going back into Jesus's comparatively sedate bedroom, Teharon,
the Mohawk God of Healing, murmured, “I'm glad Karni had other obligations today.”
Karni Mata, the Hindu Goddess of Rats, was Teharon's girlfriend. Yes, rats. Get
over it. I have. Granted, it's taken me a while.
Free from the grip of the holy sex room at last, I tried my question on Hades
again, “Hades, did you smell bleach?”
“Did I . . .” He frowned and slid his glasses back in place. “Oh, in the Underworld.
Yes, I did. They covered their trail.”
“Definitely the same god then,” Torrent said.
“As if that was in doubt?” Finn asked.
“Hey, watch your tone with my man,” Artemis growled. “If he says something
obvious, it's because Torr is always the smartest person in the room, and he never
knows who's up to speed with him.”
Finn took one look at the badass Goddess of the Hunt, dressed in jeans, a T-shirt,
and a leather jacket, and said, “Ease back, Hell's Angel. We're all friends here.”
“I'm Greek.”
“No, sweetheart. He's referring to the infamous motorcycle club, Hell's Angels,
because of your jacket,” Torrent said.
“And her attitude,” Finn grumbled.
“What the fuck is wrong with my attitude, asshole?” Artie demanded.
We all went still. Artemis could be aggressive, but never like this. That's when I
noticed she was still holding that springy snake.
“Artie, drop the snake!” I said urgently.
“What?” She scowled at me, her brown puppy dog eyes gone feral.
Torrent's eyes widened. “Sweetie, the snake. You're still holding it. I think it's
enchanted.”
Artemis looked down at the bright pink snake in her hands and flinched. “What
the hell?” Her hand clenched instead of opening. “I can't let go!”
“Artie!” Torrent reached for the snake.
“Don't touch it!” I shouted. “Torr, stand back.”
“What are you going to do?” Torrent asked urgently.
“Burn it.”
“Burn it?!” Torr and Artie screeched together.
“I can be precise,” I said.
“No! I'll handle this.” Torrent growled as he glanced around the room to make
sure there were only people he could trust nearby.
“Shoot,” I whispered. “Sorry. I was so worried that I forgot.”
But Torrent was already focused on the snake. His eyes shifted as if he were
reading something, then the snake crumbled into pink dust. Artemis took a deep breath
and shuddered.
“I've got you, babe,” Torrent said as he pulled her into his arms. “It's all right.”
Hades shook his head as he watched them. “He may be the greatest power among
us.”
“He would be,” Thor said. “If he started using that magic as a weapon. But Torrent
would never do that.”
Torrent lifted his head and met Thor's gaze. “Yes, I would. If it meant protecting
those I loved, I would use it in a heartbeat. I would unmake anything and anyone who
tried to hurt us.”
“Good answer, Torr,” I said. “But for now, we keep that power under wraps.”
Torrent nodded.
“I'm sorry, but . . . what the fuck in the fuck room was that?” Morpheus asked.
“She couldn't let go of that thing. Was it turning her vicious?”
“Like a viper?” Viper asked with a lifted brow.
I looked around and met only worried stares.
“This is beyond a prank,” Odin said.
“It's a game,” Re said.
Hades growled at Re, “Taking my dogs is a game?”
“Hades, maybe it's not the nicest thing to call Cerberus your dog,” I suggested.
Hades blinked. Thought about it. “No, he likes it. He calls himself the Hound of
Hades.”
I just shook my head.
“This is a game,” Thor said. “They meant for us to find these things.” He looked at
his father. “Dad, can you take a closer look at the wand?”
“Without touching it,” I added.
“Why don't I just look at it?” Torrent said. “I can tell you if it's enchanted.”
“Can you tell us what kind of enchantment?” Thor asked.
Torr squished up his face. “Only if I've seen something similar before.”
“My father knows magic,” Thor said. “Why don't you both take a look?”
Odin waved Torr ahead of him, back into Jesus's sex room. But first, Torrent had to
check on his girlfriend.
“Are you all right, Artie?” Torrent asked, his platinum blond hair falling into his
face as he lowered his head to look at her.
Artemis lifted her head and squared her shoulders. “I'm good. Go on.” She gave
him a push. “We need to hunt.”
Torrent was the kind of guy to take people at their word. He didn't hover and keep
asking if she was sure. He just nodded and went into the room with Odin.
They came out a few seconds later.
“It's not there,” Odin said.
“What do you mean, it's not there?” I lifted my hands to make a what-the-hell
motion and lo and behold, there was the wand, still in my hand. “Tinkerbell's
tiddlywinks! I'm still holding it!” I tried to let go, but my hand wouldn't open. “I can't let
go!”
My husbands started to come closer.
“Stay back!” I accidentally waved the wand and glittering dust fell from it. “Crap!”
I backpedaled so it wouldn't get on me, but the dust rose to circle me anyway, as if
drawn to me. It circled me, going upward in a spiral before coming back down in a
glittering rain that coated my body. As it fell, it turned pale blue, becoming a frilly, fluffy
ballgown. “Oh, fruity pebbles,” I whispered. “No, it can't be.”
“What? Can't be what?” Sarasvati asked.
I looked up at my men. “I'm the Fairy Godmother.”
Morpheus snorted before he could catch himself. Under everyone's glares, he said,
“Sorry. But it's kind of funny.”
“Yeah, it was,” I said. “I thought it was hilarious when I first made the joke. Back,
oh fifteen thousand years ago in the Faerie Realm's past.”
Morpheus gaped at me.
“This person knows that you went back in time,” Thor said.
“Not just that. They know that I went back into a fairy tale. And they know that I
called myself Cinderella's Fairy Godmother!” I almost lifted the wand again, but
controlled the urge.
“Torrent,” Odin said in a low, dangerous tone.
“On it!” Torrent focused on the wand.
I felt a shimmer of energy coast over my body as the dress burst apart, then the
wand crumbled in my hands. I breathed out in relief and opened my hand to fling it free
of dust.
“Where's the gravestone?” Thor asked.
“I set it on the table.” Trevor waved at a bedside table as he hurried over to me.
“Torrent, could you, please?” Thor asked.
“Sure thing.” He started for the table.
As he went, my men surrounded me, holding me between them. I wasn't sure if it
was just in relief or if they were trying to form a living shield between me and that
gravestone.
“There's no magic in it,” Torrent said.
I gently pushed at Kirill's chest. “Come on, babe. All of you. Stand down. I'm fine.”
The men backed up so I could see Torrent holding the gravestone. He shrugged
and handed it to Hades.
Hades looked down at the image of the little dog. “This is a threat. They're going
to kill my dogs.” He lifted his head. “What kind of spineless, worthless, piece of shit kills
defenseless animals?”
“Well, Cerberus isn't exactly defenseless,” Morpheus muttered.
Hades focused on Morph.
“Sorry, but it's true. He's the Guardian of the Underworld.”
“He is,” Thor said gravely. “And this person took him.” He looked at Hades. “Was
there evidence of a fight?”
Hades's expression went blank. “No. No, there wasn't.”
“So, how did they do it?” Thor looked at me. “And how did they know about
Vervain?”
“Or that I would be the one to pick up the wand?” I added.
“This is not good,” Blue said. “Very not good.”
“So much more than a prank,” Eztli added. “This is a declaration of war.”
“I don't think so,” Jesus said.
We all turned to look at him.
“If they wanted a war, they would have kept the Ark whole. And kept it. The Ark is
a weapon. An incredibly powerful weapon that even humans can use. So, why dismantle
it? No, this isn't about war. This person has left us clues. They want us to find the dogs.”
I looked at the marker still in Hades's hands. “If love could have saved you.”
“What?” Hades demanded.
 “He's right. The marker is a clue,” I said. “If this is a game, then that is our
invitation to play.” I pointed at the gravestone.
“If love could have saved you, you would have lived forever,” Hades read the
engraving. “If love could have saved you.”
“So, love is not the key to finding them,” Odin concluded.
“What the fuck does that mean?” Hades demanded.
“It means that you need to stay out of this,” I said. “Go home, Hades. Your
involvement may end up killing Cerberus and Princess.” I glanced at the gravestone.
“Well, maybe just Princess.”
Hades's face twitched. He loved that dog more than he let on. I knew it. “Very
well. My wife needs me to comfort her anyway. Please, uh, text me.”
“As soon as we know anything, we will,” Thor said.
“Thank you.” Hades handed the gravestone to Thor and looked around at us.
“They are dear to me. Please, do not fail.”
“We won't, Hades,” I said and hugged him. “I promise.”
Hades hugged me back, then stepped out of the hug, and nodded. “If you need it,
you have the backing of the Greek Underworld. Just say the word.”
Then he walked out.
 “There's a button,” Thor said.
We had gone quiet after Hades left, just standing there, looking at the shag carpet.
Well, Thor must have been looking at the gravestone because seconds after he said that,
a click came. By the time I focused on him, he had the back of the stone open, revealing
a hidden compartment.
“Is that a treasure map?” Morpheus asked.
“In a way.” Thor frowned down at it, then handed it to his father. “Do you
recognize any of these markings?”
Odin narrowed his peacock-colored eyes as we gathered around him. “Mountains.
But I don't know what this rhombus shape means.”
“That's not a rhombus!” Azrael exclaimed.
“Yes, it is,” Odin said.
“Yes, it's a rhombus,” Az said in irritation. “But that's not what it stands for.”
“It's a diamond!” I said.
Azrael grinned at me.
“Care to share with the class?” Blue drawled.
“The Diamond Path is in the mountains of Zebul,” Azrael said.
“What's the Diamond Path?” Torrent asked. “I can't find anything about it online.”
“You wouldn't,” I said. “It's not in the myths.”
“The Diamond Path is one of my father's ways into Heaven,” Az said. “It leads . . .”
His face went slack as he stared at me.
“It leads to Hell,” I finished, a chill going down my spine. “And it's not far from
Luke's house.”
Azrael ran from the room.
“Az, wait!” I ran after him and grabbed his arm.
“My father, Carus! They're after my father!”
“Text him!”
Phone calls didn't work well in the God Realm, but texts did all right. They went
through the Internet, and Heaven now had Internet.
Az came to an abrupt stop and yanked his cellphone out of his jacket. His fingers
sped over the buttons, then we all waited anxiously, huddled around him, for a response.
It took a few seconds, but it came.
Azrael's shoulders sagged in relief. “He's all right.”
“Tell him to send some soldiers to guard the path,” Odin said.
“Already done.” Az was typing again. “I'm also telling him to search his territory
for anyone and anything that doesn't belong there.”
“And let him know we're on our way,” Thor added, waving at the gravestone Odin
still held. “We have a map.”
“Yup, this is a game,” Jesus said. “A really trippy, mindfuck of a game.”
 The Devil met us at the end of the Diamond Path with a unit of Demons. And in
case you're wondering, yes, the name is accurate. The path to hell is lined with
diamonds. The title I used for the King of Hell was accurate as well. Luke was in his
Devil's guise—red skin, horns, leathery wings, barbed tail, and everything.
He strode forward and put his clawed hands on his hips. “My pitchfork is
missing!”
“What?” Azrael hurried over to his father. “Since when?”
“I don't know!” Lucifer cast his hands into the air dramatically. “I tried to summon
it for this ensemble and it wouldn't come. So, I went to the kitchen, and it wasn't there.”
“You keep your pitchfork in the kitchen?” Morpheus asked.
“Right above the pot rack.” The Devil nodded. “You'd be surprised how many
times it comes in handy.”
“You use it for cooking?” Trevor, who had dined at the Devil's table many times,
gaped at Luke.
“Sure. I might as well get some use out of it.”
“So, it's just a prop?” I asked. “There's no power in it?”
“No. The power is in me. Although, I can use it as a sort of magic wand if I wish.
You know, to focus my magic.”
“A magic wand.” I looked at my men, and they grimaced.
“Why are you so upset if it's just a tool?” Brahma asked.
“Someone came into my home—my kitchen—and took my pitchfork,” Luke
growled and shifted back into his normal guise—basically a blond, white-winged version
of Azrael. He stomped his foot and Hell trembled. “They entered my home, stole from
me, and I had no idea until you texted!” His wings whooshed open and glittered in Hell's
low light. “That does not happen!”
“Dad, tools absorb magic,” Azrael said. “It may not have started as a magical item,
but after the centuries of you using it, especially in your Devil form, the pitchfork may
have picked up some power.”
Lucifer blinked. “You're right.” He paused. “Shit.”
The Demons gasped. Even Az and I gaped at his dad. Luke didn't swear. He wasn't
as creative as my men and I were with his cursing, but he didn't have to be. He used old-
school cuss words employed by little girls with ribbons in their hair. Things like sugar
and shoots. Never the S-word, and I think all of creation might come undone if he ever
said the F-word.
“I've used that thing a lot,” Luke went on. “We have to get it back.”
“Along with the Tablets and Aaron's rod,” Jesus said.
“What about the manna?” Brahma asked.
“I think the manna has been eaten by now,” Az said.
“Manna can be replaced,” Jesus said. “The rest cannot.”
“But they're not dangerous, right?” Finn asked. “It was only when they were
together, part of a spell, that they were a weapon.”
 “The Tablets hold a touch of magic,” Jesus said. “But unless you know how to
harness that magic, no, they're not dangerous. But the rod . . . in the wrong hands, it
could be as deadly as the Devil's pitchfork.”
“It's Aaron's rod, not Moses's, right?” I asked.
“Yes,” Az said.
“So, it didn't part the sea or anything. What did it do?”
Jesus squished up his face. “I don't remember. I think my dad gave Aaron a couple
of miracles through it. That was back when he was really establishing himself. You know,
becoming the Man.”
“Oh, yes. I remember his campaigns,” the Devil drawled. “But we're wasting time.
Where is the map you mentioned?”
Odin handed Luke the map as the Demons, all in their demonic forms, shifted
restlessly on hooves and claws, leathery wings rustling. Lucifer doesn't get riled easily
or often, but when he does, all of Hell is affected. The territory is empowered by him
after all. Well, it's empowered by all the sacrifices Luke receives, but those sacrifices
fuel him, and then he fuels Hell. Unlike other gods, the Devil's worship never waned.
Because Luke is smart. When he got demonized, he went with it, and he made it very
general. Who do you blame when evil rears its ugly head? Satan. The Devil made me do
it. He's the source of evil. And so evil returns to him. The blood of sinners flows into
Hell, but not directly to Luke. That might infect him with evil. Instead, it gets purified
first by the—
“Volcano,” Luke said. “This map leads to the Blood Volcano.”
I blinked, startled by the way my thoughts crossed with his words.
“Not good,” Teharon muttered.
I looked at the God of Healing and frowned. He'd been unsettled since Jesus's sex
room, and that was to be expected. We were all unsettled. But Teharon seemed
especially uneasy now. Maybe it was because we were in Hell, and one of his titles was
“He who holds Heaven in his hands.” But then again, his light was tempered by his twin
brother's darkness. Literally. I had given him Tawiskaron's Winter and Darkness magic
after he died.
“We fly!” Lucifer roared, lifting his fist to the burnt sky.
His Demons roared back.
“Um, Dad, not all of us have wings or can shift into a winged form,” Azrael said.
Luke sighed, his wings slumped, and he glanced around at the God Squad. “Who
can't fly? Step forward, please.”
The gods who couldn't fly warily stepped forward.
“We're taking passengers, people,” Luke said to his Demons. “Now, we fly!”
Wings whooshed open and some of us, including myself, shifted. I went with a
partial shift, producing just my dragon wings, so I wouldn't ruin all of my clothes. As it
was, my top got torn up. But at least it held. I launched into the air, then swooped down
with a flock of Demons and snatched up Trevor. Trevor grinned wolfishly at me as he
locked his arm around my waist. Azrael took Kirill, Odin followed my lead and formed
some dragon wings so he could carry Re, and Viper got a lift from the King of Hell
himself.
Then we were off, wings thundering in the cold, dry air, and the Devil's manor
appeared on our right. It looked like something out of a horror flick—a Gothic manor
painted black, with stained glass windows featuring bloody, biblical scenes of torture.
Iron spikes and living gargoyles topped the roof, the latter baring their teeth at us as we
passed by. But beyond the border of that sprawling building was a picturesque valley
that extended into some of the most beautiful landscapes I'd ever seen. It was a
replication of Atlantis, an ode to Luke's homeland.
 We veered left, away from the Atlantis replica. We didn't head toward the Ice
Blocks and so we also circumvented the Mountains of Madness. That was a relief.
Instead, we flew over the Durbs—the Demon suburbs, where the landscape of Hell
changed dramatically. Even the sky shifted from burned orange to a bright blue,
matching the sky above Luke's backyard. Everything was cheery and lush. Fancy homes
with green lawns and apple trees, English gardens, miniature forests, or whatever the
Demons wanted lay below us. I saw Greek-style homes and stately Victorians standing
beside modern mansions. The Devil was generous with his territory magic.
Those who happened to be outside stopped and stared up at us, but no one waved.
It was obvious that this wasn't a pleasure flight.
Lucifer led us over the Durbs and swung around, bringing us back into Hell's,
well, hellish landscape. The sky returned to its burnt color, and the ground became sand
soaked in blood. From that rich soil sprouted trees made of bones and the rock
formations were the same, held together by bloody sinew. And, great Gatsby it was cold!
I had to turn up my body heat. Trevor sighed and snuggled closer.
Finally, we came to the Blood Volcano.
It was magnificent in a gory way. Although, to be honest, you couldn't tell that it
erupted blood. The flow seemed off, more fluid and less sluggish, but it was a similar
color to magma. And I knew all about magma. We lava flowing continually to either side
of Castle Aithinne in Faerie. This stuff didn't glob or bubble, nor did it form a black crust
on top, but from a distance, the average person wouldn't know the difference. It was
when you got close that things became disgusting.
We landed on the bloody ground, and the Devil didn't pause to check on us. He set
Viper aside and went forward immediately, his boots squelching through the overly
saturated soil. The blood was purified, so it didn't pose a threat, but that didn't mean I
wanted it staining my clothes or wings. I banished my wings so I wouldn't have to worry
about dragging them, but Azrael, Luke, and the Demons just lifted theirs, used to the
landscape.
Soon enough, we came to an entrance in the mountainside, and the sandy soil
gave way to rock. Within the volcano, the streams of magical, evil blood collected before
getting purified and spewed out the top. We came across one such stream and followed
it deeper into the mountain, leaving bloody footprints beside it.
Then I heard it—one of the most annoying sounds in all the realms. The yapping of
a little dog.
“Princess!” I called.
The yapping stopped briefly, then increased in intensity.
“We're over here!” a deep, masculine voice called over the barking.
“Cerberus?” Morpheus shouted and hurried forward.
“Morpheus, wait!” I called after him.
“No, kid. I go first.” Lucifer grabbed Morph's shoulder and yanked him back. “This
is my territory.”
Morph nodded, but shouted to Cerberus, “We're coming, Cerberus!”
“Hurry!” Cerberus shouted back.
“Dang it,” the Devil muttered and started to run. “Get behind me, everyone.”
“Aren't we supposed to say that to him?” Trevor whispered to me.
I would have laughed if I wasn't so worried about Princess and Cerberus. Instead,
I just ran. We chased the Devil through the winding tunnels, along streams of tainted
blood, until we came to a cave.
“Careful!” Cerberus shouted.
We stumbled to an abrupt halt. Before us, a stream of blood widened into a pool.
In the center of that pool, Cerberus sat on a tiny island, his body encased in chains.
Beside him was the Devil's pitchfork, stuck in the ground, pointing up. Above that
pitchfork hung Princess in a net, her tiny body writhing as she barked.
“She's been struggling,” Cerberus said, his stare going to the top of the net, where
a rope attached the squirming parcel to a craggy rock. “I've been trying to keep her
calm, but she only struggles more. That rope is about to give.”
“Enough of this nonsense,” the Devil said and held out his hand. He frowned,
strode to the edge of the pool, and extended his hand again. “Come here!”
The pitchfork didn't move.
But Princess did.
An ominous creaking came from above.
“Everyone just stop!” I shouted.
Even Princess obeyed me, going quiet for a few seconds. She swung above the
deadly points, her white muzzle poking through the ropes, and whined.
“It's okay, Princess,” Cerberus called to her. “You're going to be okay.”
The dog started yipping and struggling again.
“Shut up, Cerberus!” I snarled.
It went quiet again. Even the dog.
“Love can't save her,” I whispered in revelation. “We need to be stern. Cold.”
“Stern?” Lucifer asked. “This is my territory. I don't need to be anything but me.”
He waved a hand, and a bridge formed, connecting us to the island. Wings pulled back,
he strode across the bridge and grabbed the pitchfork. It didn't move. “What in all the
worlds?”
Princess started barking again and struggling harder.
“Princess!” Cerberus shouted.
The rope broke.
“Not today, me!” Lucifer snarled and plucked Princess out of the air.
She still struggled, even after she was safe, her little claws scratching at Satan.
“All right, puppy,” the Devil cooed as he unwrapped her. “You're safe now.”
Princess stopped struggling at last and surged up to lick Luke's face.
“Yes, yes,” Luke said and stroked her. “I know. You were very scared.” He turned
and handed Azrael the dog. “Go to Az. I have to help your friend.” Luke crouched and
frowned at the cartoonish amount of chain wrapped around Cerberus. “What the my-
territory is this?”
Cerberus, a huge man who looked as if he were part of the mountain, simply
grown out of the rock, shook back his wild, shaggy, dark hair and grimaced. His full
beard softened the grimace, but his puppy dog brown eyes showed the full weight of his
annoyance. “I don't know, but I can't break them. And I'm not a dog that can be
chained.”
“How did you get taken?” Az passed Princess to Morpheus.
“Hey, girl,” Morph murmured and petted the dog.
“I don't know that either. I was distracted. Playing with Princess,” Cerberus
grumbled. “Next thing I know, I'm chained up here.” He looked around. “Where the fuck
is Hades? Why didn't he come for us?”
“I sent him home,” I said. “We were given a clue that love wouldn't save you. We
needed cold reasoning.”
 Cerberus snorted. “The Boss is nowhere near cold.”
“Hold on,” I said and crouched beside Luke. “These are fey.” I grabbed the chain
at two points and pulled.
Metal creaked, then broke.
“What the fuck?” Cerberus growled. “How did you do that?”
“They suppress magic, but only the magic of the bound,” I said. “Your magic was
suppressed. That's why you couldn't free yourself. But for me, they were just chains.”
“Rude!” Cerberus stood up and shook like a dog fresh from a bath. Chains
slithered from him, then he took a deep breath and stretched his massive shoulders.
“Oh, that's better.”
Princess immediately started barking.
“Princess!” Cerberus pushed past us and went to Morpheus. “Thanks, Morpheus.”
“No problem.” Morpheus handed the dog over.
Then all of us, even the Demons, watched the huge man cuddle the little, fluffy,
white dog.
“You're okay now. I've got you.” Cerberus nuzzled his face against the dog. “We're
going home now.” He started for the tunnel.
“Hey, you can't go wandering through Hell alone,” I called after him.
“I'm a hound of Hell,” Cerberus tossed back.
“Not this Hell,” Lucifer said and lifted his chin at one of his Demons.
A hulking form of horns and scales plodded after the Hound of Hades and the
Queen's lapdog. Just to be clear, the latter was Princess. Although, I'd like to see
someone try to make Cerberus their lapdog.
“You're welcome!” The Devil shook his head, then went back to his pitchfork.
“Now, we deal with you.” He grabbed it again, but this time, the pitchfork shivered.
“What's this?” Luke jerked his hand back.
The pitchfork dropped to the ground limply, as if its bones had been removed.
Then it hissed.
“A snake!” Jesus cried. “That's what Aaron's rod did. It became a snake.”
“Aaron's rod,” Luke murmured and frowned at the snake. “You charlatan! Where is
my pitchfork?”
“Not here,” Azrael said grimly. He strode to the snake and grabbed it near the
head. It immediately went rigid and straight, then turned into a wooden staff. “But at
least we found Aaron's rod.”
“A snake and faerie chains,” I murmured. “Like the snake in the Pringle's can and
the wand.” I looked at Odin. “Maybe we were giving them too much credit.”
“They weren't alluding to you calling yourself the Fairy Godmother.” Odin nodded.
“They were simply more clues.”
“More games,” Kirill added. Then he frowned and looked around, peering past the
Demons and the rest of our team. “Speaking of snakes, vhere's Viper?”
I looked around. “Viper?” Then I felt for him down our bond. “Viper!” I ran for the
tunnel.
No one tried to hold me back, they just chased after me. But I didn't know where I
was going. Because I couldn't feel Viper. Our link should have told me where he was and
what he was feeling. If he was in trouble, I would have known it. My husbands would
have as well, thanks to the wedding bands we wear. But those weren't working either.
I reached the entrance to the mountain and stopped to stare across Hell. Viper
wasn't in Hell. He couldn't be. The only way to cut him off so completely from me would
be to take him behind some serious wards.
My men settled to either side of me.
“I didn't feel his panic,” Odin said, looking down at the gold band on his finger.
“No,” I said. “And I don't feel him at all.”
“Now this trickster has taken it too far,” Azrael declared, his Death guise peering
through his skin, the bones of his skull showing and his eyes flashing blue.
“But where have they taken Viper?” I whispered.
“Maybe these are a clue,” Satan said as he came up beside us. He lifted the magic-
suppressing fey chains and shook them.
“Faerie,” I whispered. “We never considered that this person might be Fey.”
“Faerie's wards would be strong enough to hide Viper from you, La-la,” Re said.
“Where are you on your schedule?” Odin asked.
“I'll have to check the calendar, but I think I'm okay to go,” I said. “It will mean
scaring Arach and missing a week or so with them, but I don't think I'm there right
now.”
Ah, the headaches that come with time travel.
“Why don't you go back and warn Arach that you'll be gone for a little while, then
return to the God Realm and go to Faerie with us?” Odin suggested.
“Okay.”
“Go now, Vervain,” Odin said. “We'll meet you at Pride Palace.”
“All right.” I glanced around at my men and took courage from them. Viper would
be all right. We'd get him back. But as I asked the Ring of Remembrance to take me to
the Faerie Realm, a minute after I last left it, an image filled my head.
One of a pink snake popping out of a Pringle's can.
 Of course, the first words out of Arach's mouth after I explained the situation
were, “You don't have to go back.”
“But I'm worried about Viper!”
“I understand, A Thaisce,” Arach said, his hands sliding up and down my arms
before one found its way past the torn fabric on my back. Skin-to-skin, he rubbed up and
down my spine as if I were that monster book from Harry Potter.
It did actually soothe me.
“This person, whoever they are, doesn't know about the way you travel back in
time. If they've brought Viper to Faerie, they've made a terrible mistake. Because now
we know they'll be bringing him here, and we can watch for them.”
“That's true. But I'm not sure how long it will be. I didn't go home to check the
schedule.”
“It can't be that long.” He tucked me in against his chest. “I'll alert the High King.
I'm sure he'll want to double his sentries at the Great Tree, and I will send guards to
help.”
“I don't know, Arach. This person is probably a faerie. If they are, they'll know
about my ring. And they've been a step ahead of us this whole time.”
“Why would a faerie suddenly start playing tricks on gods?” Arach asked.
“I don't know. Why would a god do it?” I pulled away and put my hands on my
hips.
Winter had come to Faerie and the window I wanted to stare out of was boarded
up. The high, conical ceiling of our bedroom also had some boards over it, creating a
drop ceiling that helped keep the room warmer. Blossom was in her pot near the window
and Dexter, in his white winter form, was asleep on his bed. His daughter, Deirdre was
curled up on her bed next to his, another bundle of white fur and six long legs. I'd gone
from the cold of Hell to the cold of Faerie. I didn't like the cold. It slowed everything
down, even my thoughts.
“I told them I'd come right back and meet them at Pride Palace.”
“You can still do that.” Arach wrapped himself around me from behind. “Vervain,
you don't want to lose any time with Samara, do you?”
“Ugh, you're not helping.” I spun to face him. “Of course, I don't want to lose any
time with her. Especially not while she's still so young. It feels as if I just gave birth to
her, but she's already walking and talking and in a bed instead of a crib. I lose so much
time as it is with her being a Dragon-Sidhe.”
“All right, I'm sorry.” He went back to stroking my arms. “And you wouldn't lose a
lot of time. I just think we should watch for this person from here.”
“But you can do that without me,” I said. “You watch from here, and I'll come from
the future.”
“Which will be their present. Which will be too late.”
“Not . . . necessarily.” I frowned.
“What is it?” Arach asked.
“Re said that Faerie's ward would be strong enough to block my bond to Viper, but
it isn't. It doesn't block my bonds or the magic of our wedding bands. It's only when I
take off my ring that I lose that connection.”
“So maybe they didn't bring Viper here.”
“No. I think they did, but they must be using something else to block him from
me.”
“Fey manacles would do it,” Arach said. “And you said Cerberus was bound in fey
chains.”
“That must be it,” I whispered. “They got him chained. But how did they take him
right from under our noses?”
“Now that is the question,” Arach said. “It sounds as if you were all distracted.
Even Viper. This person must have rendered him unconscious before he could react. But
why are you certain they brought Viper here?”
“They've been leaving us clues.”
“Are you sure they're clues? That would take a lot of planning. Maybe this person
is just playing with you and they happen to have used things that relate. Or maybe
you're seeing connections where there aren't any.”
“Possible, but unlikely. This is a game to them.”
“Well, if it is a faerie, the game will get dangerous. We always play rough.” He
nipped at my neck.
“No kidding.” My mind turned back to the first time I'd met Arach and how he set
the Wild Hunt loose on me and chased me through the Forgetful Forest. But that was
part of my destiny. If he hadn't done that, I would never have reached for the magic I
didn't know I had, and my fey nature would have stayed hidden.
Arach might have even killed me. That's how dragons play. Kind of like cats. They
bash you around and then are surprised when you stop moving.
And if a faerie was playing with Viper, I had to find him fast.
“We have one other advantage here, A Thaisce,” Arach said.
“What's that?”
Me, Faerie spoke into my mind.
 “Faerie!” I exclaimed. “You'll know how long it is before my timelines match up,
right?”
Yes, of course. You've got two days, she said.
“Oh, that's not too long,” I said.
“Good, because tomorrow we have to meet with the human leaders,” Arach said.
“What?” I frowned. Then I remembered. “Oh, that's right. That was the day before
yesterday. I asked Az how it went, and he told me I'd find out soon enough. And here I
am, about to find out. Well, I mean, he told me it went smoothly after he teased me, but
you know.”
“Yes, Vervain. I understand,” Arach said in his bemused tone.
“That's why you want me to stay. If I don't, you'll have to do it alone.”
“That and it will be hard to explain to Azrael and the many heads of state who are
expecting to find the Faerie God's wife here, waiting to welcome them.”
“Oh . . . right. I forgot about that plan.”
“There are hundreds of humans entering Faerie tomorrow, A Thaisce. It will be a
historical event. Don't you want to be a part of it?”
“Of course, I do. But Viper is more important than any historic event.”
“I know,” Arach said gently.
Don't be a fool! Faerie hissed. This is your chance to think calmly and rationally
about what's happened in the God Realm. You are under no pressure here. At this time,
Viper is safe and sound.
“I could warn him,” I said urgently as I headed toward the mirror.
Stop! Faerie shouted in my head, making me wince.
“Unnecessary,” I growled. “You're in my mind.”
“And mine,” Arach grumbled. “But she's right, A Thaisce. We both know what
messing with time can do.”
“Yes. It can save lives.” I waved my hand down at myself. “I'm here because I
messed with time. And so is our son.”
Arach pressed his lips together.
That was an extreme situation, Faerie said. Viper isn't dead. If he dies—
“If he dies?!” I shrieked.
If he dies, Faerie calmly started again, you may go back and warn him with my
blessing. But I don't think this person wants to hurt your sort-of-husband.
“He's my husband, no sort of about it. We made vows to each other,” I said
furiously.
Fine. Whatever. No one witnessed those vows, but you do you.
“Ugh, you are so much more annoying when you use modern vernacular.”
I'm also right, she said. She paused, then added, About not warning him, not
necessarily about your marriage.
 “Well, thanks for that, at least,” I muttered.
Now, shall we think about this? Faerie suggested.
Dexter stirred and lifted his head. It was late in Faerie.
“Sorry, honey,” I cooed. “Go back to sleep.”
Dex wagged his tail even as he lowered his long, fox-like snout back to his pillow.
I waved Arach out of the room. We went down the hallway and into his office. After
the door was shut, I plopped down on the couch across from Arach's desk. He joined me.
That alone told me how worried he was about me. Maybe even about Viper. Arach was
bonded to Viper too, after all. They'd slept in the same bed as me to lock in the lion
magic.
“Any ideas, Faerie?” I asked.
First, we can determine the day the trickster will arrive, Faerie said.
“How?”
You said Azrael brought the heads of state here two days ago.
Arach concluded, “That means the trickster will take Viper in three days, our
time.”
Yes, and Vervain's timelines will align in two days. It's perfect.
“All right, that's a good start,” I said. “We won't have to post guards at the Great
Tree until then. We could even wait for them ourselves.”
“We'll have a picnic,” Arach said with a smirk.
“You are adorable.”
He took my hand and kissed it. “Some wine, maybe some meat pies, and then we
can slay a fresh trickster for dessert.”
I snorted a laugh. “Who said romance is dead?”
“There is nothing more romantic than the blood of our enemies.”
You say the trickster chained a god in fey manacles, Faerie mused, ignoring our
antics. And this is the clue that led you here?
“Yes,” I said.
You also say that they've been two steps ahead of you.
“Yes.”
So we need to think ahead of them. Why bring Viper here?
“I don't know. It doesn't make any sense.”
“They also have Lucifer's pitchfork,” Arach reminded us. “So they're bringing
Viper and the pitchfork to Faerie. What could they do with those two things?”
“Well, the obvious answer is not one I want to speak aloud,” I muttered.
“They've already had the chance to spear a god with it, and they threatened a dog
instead.” He paused and cocked his head to ask, “Have you ever noticed that god is dog
spelled backward?”
“Yes, Arach, I've noticed that.” I rolled my eyes. “And technically, they threatened
the dog with Aaron's rod, glamoured to look like the pitchfork.”
Those two items are very similar, Faerie said. Both are made to channel god
power. Of course, the pitchfork was actually used by a god and is therefore stronger. But
if this is a faerie trickster, that doesn't matter. They can't use god tools.
I sat back. “You're partially right. I don't even know if another god could use the
Devil's pitchfork. Luke has got some serious juju. I wouldn't be surprised if his pitchfork
only responds to him. But Aaron's rod was made for a human, so a faerie might have
been able to use it. And the trickster did use it. They disguised the rod and rooted it to
the ground. Even the Devil couldn't move it.”
But they left the rod and took the pitchfork. So this probably isn't about the power.
She paused, then asked, What is it about?
“Fun?” I shrugged.
“Fun with people associated with you.” Arach gave me a heavy look. “There are
still many gods upset with you for nearly taking over the world.”
I waved that aside. “That's nothing compared to what Az did. He took all the heat .
. . off . . . me,” I trailed off into a whisper. Then I growled, “This is about Azrael!”
Now that makes sense.
“They hit Azrael's pantheon.” Arach nodded. “His brother and his father.”
“And then Viper, who's another type of brother to him,” I said.
“And a day before all of that happens, Azrael is coming here,” Arach said. “That is
an interesting coincidence.”
Especially if a faerie is behind this, Faerie agreed. But the target makes me less
convinced that it is a faerie.
“Azrael has caused some serious changes for the Fey,” I said. “He outed us to the
humans.”
“But that's all turned out well for us.” Arach leaned back into the corner of the
couch to ponder. He flung back a length of crimson hair and stretched an arm along the
couch back behind me. “Faeries get to travel freely to the Human Realm now. They're
not myths anymore. That gives us power. Many humans adore faeries. Either that or
they fear us. Which isn't a bad thing either. Faeries are moving to Earth in droves.”
“Maybe that's upset someone,” I said.
It would have to be someone important, Faerie noted. A common faerie wouldn't
care. But if this person was in a position of power, they might see this as a lessening of
their power.
“So, royalty?” I asked in horror. “No. None of the royals would do this. Guirmean
is a good friend of ours. He would risk his own life for us. The High King would have
simply refused to allow faeries to leave the realm if he was that upset. The Dark Royals
are like family. They wouldn't come against fellow dragons. Nor would they care about
faeries leaving their kingdom. And I saved the life of the Princess of Air. There's no way
her parents would hurt my husband.”
“That leaves Earth,” Arach said grimly.
“Not again,” I whined. “But the Earth Royals like us. Don't they?”
“I thought so.” Arach shrugged. “Perhaps they are wiser than their predecessors
and have simply hidden their dislike.”
There are other positions of power, Faerie said. It doesn't have to be a royal.
Perhaps a general or even someone as low as a village leader.
“No,” I said. “They've broken into Heaven, stolen a great artifact from a room that
only a few could enter, and set the thing in the middle of the desert without being
noticed. This person is not a village leader.”
Arach nodded. “They have significant power. Power they don't want lessened.”
Then it must be the Earth Royals.
“Damn it, Arach!” I huffed. “You stopped me from going back and saving Rory and
Rivella. If I had, Ruari and Bronagh wouldn't be ruling.”
“And you could have altered many more lives for the worse,” Arach reminded me.
“Things are as they should be.”
I grimaced. “I have all this power that I don't use.”
That is why you were given it, Vervain. Power like yours should not be used
carelessly.
“Yeah, all right,” I muttered. “But Viper is in danger. I should be able to use it to
save him.” Then I sat up straight. “I haven't tried the star.”
And you won't now, Faerie said. Because Viper is safe at the moment.
“Oh, right.” I blinked. “Then I should go back and try it in the future.”
Arach drawled, “Or you could stay because you need to be here tomorrow and we
need to figure out who is behind this before you fix it, or they may just find another way
to hurt Azrael.”
I sat back. “Azrael. The chains make more sense now.”
“Are you sure there weren't any other clues?” Arach asked.
What else was there in that cavern? Faerie asked.
“Just the net that held Princess, Aaron's rod, and then Cerberus and Princess,” I
said.
Nothing else?
“Not unless you want to count the evil blood flowing around them.”
Evil blood, Faerie repeated. Bad blood. That could be a clue. There is bad blood
between Azrael and whoever is behind this.
“I think that's a stretch,” I said. “And we already know this person doesn't like
Azrael.”
Bad blood makes it more personal, Faerie insisted. Has Azrael wronged anyone
recently? Anyone in particular?
“Not that I can think of. And certainly not a faerie. Our last big battle was with
gods. We did have a suspect in Heaven. But even he, an ex-Jerry supporter, was happy
with the way things turned out.”
“Well, if Viper does end up here, we can be certain it's a faerie,” Arach said. “Non-
faeries can't get through our wards without permission from the High King.”
Not necessarily, Faerie said ominously.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
The trickster got into Heaven and Hell, as you said. If they can do that, perhaps
they've found a way around wards.
“Either that, or they knew the entry chant,” Arach said.
“That would take us back to Angels,” I said. “Or Demons. And then they wouldn't
be able to enter Faerie. And how would an Angel or Demon get fey chains?”
“Don't Azrael's people visit the Golden Citadel?” Arach asked.
“Yes. Sometimes.”
“And don't you have several sets of manacles there?”
“Yes. We need them in case faeries are arrested for crimes committed on Earth.”
Arach stared at me.
“So anyone who has access to the citadel could have taken a set,” I concluded.
“Yeah, that makes sense. I'm not even sure where we keep them. I assume it's with the
citadel guards.”
Who are Fey, Faerie said.
 “Ugh, we're getting nowhere,” I muttered. “Just running around in circles.”
“No, this is good,” Arach said. “We've learned that we shouldn't rule anyone out.
But the Earth Royals are—how do you put it?—our prime suspects.”
You can question them tomorrow, Faerie said. They'll be at the Castle of Eight to
welcome the humans along with the other royals.
“Perfect,” I said.
“Let's get some rest, A Thaisce.” Arach stood up.
“You mean sex.” I got up as well.
“Yes, of course.”
I guess I'll just spy on the Earth Royals while you two enjoy yourselves, Faerie
grumbled.
“I didn't think of that!” I said. “Thank you, Faerie. That would help a lot.”
Faerie chuckled. You're welcome, Vervain.
 Arach and I ended up having sex in his office since the nurials were asleep in our
bedroom. This annoyed him, but that annoyance faded as soon as I got naked. Then it
was all smiles and thrusts from my Dragon King. Unfortunately, we were so tired after
our exertions, that we fell asleep on the fur rug.
And our children found us in the morning.
“Gross!” Rian's voice woke me.
I blinked awake, my first sight an expanse of smooth skin. Then I lifted my stare to
my kids—Brevyn and Rian standing to either side of Samara. Sam's brown eyes were
wide and staring at her father's bits. I grabbed the rug from behind me and flung it over
Arach and me.
Arach frowned and spat out fur, coming awake at last. “A Thaisce, what are you
doing?”
“We're still in the office,” I said. “And our children are awake.” I looked pointedly
at them.
“Why does Daddy have a horn between his legs?” Samara asked.
“A horn?” Arach asked with a smirk.
I groaned.
“That's not a horn, Sam,” Brevyn said. “It's his penis.”
“Thank you, Brevyn. We'll handle this,” I said. “Boys, go downstairs. We'll join you
for breakfast in a minute.”
“All right, Mom,” Brevyn said.
Rian just shook his head at us before they left.
Arach sat up and settled the fur around us. “Come here, sweet girl.” He opened
his arms to her.
“Oh, no. Don't you dare start in with the you-know-what talk already,” I said.
“She's too young.”
“I'm a big girl,” Samara said.
“Yes, you are,” I agreed. “But not big enough for some things.”
“What's a penis?” she asked.
Of course.
“It is a man's sexual organ,” Arach said. “Your brothers have them too. You are a
girl, so you have a vulva like your mother. One day, you will have breasts like her as
well.”
Samara looked from Arach to me as I inwardly cringed. I hated this part of
parenthood. As much as I didn't approve of how open Arach was with our children, I was
relieved that he was willing to handle this.
“Why are we different?” Sam asked. “And what are sexual . . . ?”
“Organs,” I finished for her. “They are body parts.”
“And we are different because it makes life more interesting,” Arach said. “There
are males and females in every species. Those males and females—”
 “Arach,” I cut him off.
“Well, what do you want me to say, A Thaisce?” he huffed. “She needs to know why
we're different.”
I sighed. “Samara, there are boys and there are girls. When they grow up, they
become men and women. Then, and only then, are they ready to have babies together.”
“They become mommies and daddies?”
“Yes, mommies and daddies. They get married and make babies.”
“By lying on the floor together?”
Arach chuckled. “Usually it's in a bed, sweetheart. But Mommy didn't want to
wake up Dexter and Deirdre.”
“Wake them up how?”
“Too much,” I said as I shook my head.
“You'll learn more later, little one,” Arach said. “Just know for now that we are
different so we can have babies like you.”
“I was made because you and Mommy laid down in a bed together?”
“Yes, in a way.” Arach grinned at me.
“Okay,” she said.
I breathed a sigh of relief.
“Who will I lie in a bed with?”
There went my relief.
“You won't know that until you get much older. Then you will know instinctively.”
He leaned in to whisper, “You will know. I promise.”
“Okay, Daddy.” She kissed his cheek. Then her belly rumbled.
“Go on.” He pushed her toward the door. “Go join your brothers and break your
fast. Your mother and I need to get dressed.”
“You have to cover your penis?”
“Yes.” Arach's lips twitched.
“And Mommy has to cover her . . .”
“Vulva,” Arach supplied the word.
“You can call them boy and girl parts,” I said.
“Oh, okay. Hurry and cover your parts so we can eat!”
Then my little girl shifted into a little golden dragon and flew away.
 Arach and I gaped at the empty doorway for a second, then scrambled to our feet
and raced after Samara. Naked. Because we were that shocked. Not by her declaration
but by her transformation. Samara flew to the central spiral stairwell, leaving a pile of
shredded clothes behind, and shrieked as she dove down the column of space between
the stairs.
“Samara!” I cried, but she was gone.
“Well done, my sweet girl!” Arach shouted.
“Arach!”
“What?” He looked back at me. “You should be happy. We've been arguing over
her first flight for months now. It should have happened already, but you were too
frightened that she might fail. Now, you don't have to worry. She just had her first flight,
and she was amazing!”
“But wasn't that strange? She just shifted on her own and flew away. No
instructions.”
“That's how it goes, A Thaisce. I would have tossed her from the tower, and she
would have figured it out on her way down. That's what Dragon-Sidhe do. But we waited
too long so her dragon took over. It was probably anxious to fly.”
“Arach, that wasn't just her first flight, it was also her first shift. That's why I
haven't wanted to risk the whole tossing her out a window thing. You know that. Rian
shifted as a baby. A baby, Arach. He'd gone through many shifts before he had his first
flight. We had to fireproof the nursery. But Sam has never shifted.”
“Some Dragon-Sidhe are late bloomers.”
“If you say so,” I whispered, staring down the stairs.
“What else could it be?”
“Arach, have you forgotten how I ate that fey apple full of Wild Magic while I was
pregnant with her?”
Arach blinked his yellow dragon eyes.
“You did forget,” I said.
“It may have momentarily slipped my mind.”
“In light of your recovered memory, is that normal?” I pointed after Samara.
Joyous cheers and applause suddenly echoed to us from the dining hall. Our court
had no doubt seen their Princess's first flight. There would be much celebrating that
day. I, in particular, would be celebrating the fact that I didn't have to watch my
husband throw my daughter out of the flight tower. Yes, it even had a name. But
overwhelming my relief was my worry over Sam's sudden shift.
“It's normal, Vervain. I'm sure of it,” Arach finally said. “She's just taken longer to
set her dragon loose, and once she summoned it, it burst free and flew.”
“I don't know.”
“Come now. She's a Dragon-Sidhe who turned into a dragon. It's not as if she
manifested a strange version of her god magic.”
“Oh, my goodness, do you think she will?” I asked. “What will that be like? Twisted
love? Will she be like Aphrodite? No, not my precious girl.”
“Relax, A Thaisce.” Arach pulled me into a hug. “Samara will be fine. She's not
just a goddess like Hades's daughter. She is a faerie, and her Fire essence will know
how to handle a dose of Wild Fey Magic. But that's only if she was affected. So far, she
has only done something normal for a Dragon-Sidhe child. That apple may not have
touched her at all.”
“Yes, okay. You're right.”
Someone cleared their throat. “Good morning, my King and Queen.”
I looked over my shoulder to see one of the maids walking down the stairs, her
gaze set resolutely forward.
“Good morning,” I said weakly.
As soon as she was gone, I shoved Arach toward our bedroom.
He burst out laughing. “What are you embarrassed of? You've been naked in front
of people before.”
“Yes, but we were both naked and embracing! That's different. She'll think we
were having sex in the hallway.”
“So what? It's our hallway. The whole castle is ours. We can have sex wherever we
wish.”
I rolled my eyes. “Now you're acting like a Wild Faerie.”
“If you want wild, I can give you wild.” Arach grabbed me, tossed me over his
shoulder, and carried me to bed.
 I stopped Arach from getting too wild. We had to go downstairs and celebrate our
daughter's first flight, and we didn't have much time for that. Because we also had to be
at the Castle of Eight by noon.
So we got dressed and headed downstairs, where the Fire Court was already
toasting my daughter, and she was sitting between her brothers at the high table,
grinning ear-to-ear, and wearing Roarke's tunic. Thank goodness I had thought to bring
her a fresh dress. The last thing we needed was Roarke strutting around shirtless.
“I flew, Mommy!” Samara said as I got her into her dress.
“I saw, baby,” I said with a grin. “It's so exciting.”
“Am I going to get breasts now?”
Rian, standing to one side, choked on his juice. I chuckled, glad to see that my
little Romeo wasn't so much like his father that hearing his sister talk about developing
breasts didn't disturb him. He'd been way too casual with talk of his future conquests.
“Not yet, Sam,” I said and smoothed her long, brown curls. “That will take several
years more. But you have proven that you have a fully Fey essence, and that's
wonderful.”
Sam didn't know how wonderful it was. Arach may have played it off, but I knew
he'd been worried that Samara might not be a full-blooded Dragon-Sidhe and therefore,
unable to shift. When I said we had fire-proofed the nursery, I meant that we had done it
before the boys were born. Rian had a diamond cradle and a tree trunk for a scratching
post—all the things that Arach said Dragon-Sidhe babies needed. But Sam hadn't
needed those things. She had never burned her bedding or clawed the scratching post
we installed for her (a white birch to go with the pink room). Because she had never
shifted. I reassured Arach that I knew for certain that Samara had a full portion of
Dragon-Sidhe essence, but genetics were tricky, especially when it came to gods and
faeries. And me. Arach needed proof, and there was no greater proof than Sam's
transformation.
“Why is it wonderful?” Samara asked.
I blinked, coming out of my thoughts. “Because there aren't a lot of our kind and
now we can be sure there's one more.” I tapped her nose.
“And maybe there will be more through you,” Arach said.
I glared at Arach, but he only stared back at me as if baffled over why I'd be upset.
“Through me?” Samara asked.
“What your daddy is trying to say is that someday, when you have become a
woman, you could have a baby. And if you choose to have that baby with another
Dragon-Sidhe, your baby would be a Dragon-Sidhe like us.”
Sam thought about this. “Then I should lie down with Rian.”
Rian made a wheezing, terrified sound and fled the table. Roarke, seated with his
family a little further down since they were royals of our court as well (the Fire Cat-
Sidhe were a sort of court within a court, and Roarke was their King), covered his mouth
but I could see his fiery eyes burning with laughter.
I looked at Arach accusingly. “You see what happens when you give the sex talk
too soon?”
 But Arach had his lips pressed together to keep from laughing as well.
“Where did Rian go?” Samara asked.
“You scared him, little girl,” I said and kissed her forehead. It amazed me how far
she'd advanced in speech alone over the last few months. Just in the time since I'd
returned from the distant past, Sam had developed a more complex way of speaking.
“He doesn't want to lie down with me?” Sam asked, so innocently.
“Not in that way, baby. Brothers and sisters don't have children with each other.
You're already family. To have children, you need to lie down with someone you aren't
related to.”
Samara scrunched up her face. “But I love Rian.”
“I'm glad you do. One day you will understand that there are different kinds of
love. The one you have for Rian is brotherly. The one you'll have for your husband will be
much different.”
“But there aren't any other Dragon-Sidhe, Mommy.”
“There are two others who aren't related to you,” Arach said, right on cue. “And
one is a boy. That means you could have a full-blooded Dragon-Sidhe baby with him.”
“Who?”
“Prince Baidhen of Darkness.”
“Baidhen?” She frowned in thought. “I don't know if I like him.”
“You're young, sweetheart. Give it time,” Arach said. “I'm sure you'll like him more
when you get older.”
“Arach,” I said in a warning tone.
“What, A Thaisce?” He asked with wide eyes. “I'm only counseling our daughter as
any good parent would.”
I groaned and rolled my eyes.
“What's wrong, Mommy?” Samara asked.
“Come here, little girl.” I took Sam away from Arach, over to a corner of the dais
the high table perched on, and sat down with her on the floor.
Sam grinned as we got settled. “Are you going to tell me a secret?”
Tears threatened suddenly. Because over that precious little face, I saw my
daughter grown, her eyes full of the horrors she had witnessed and her shoulders bent
beneath the weight of responsibility. One of those responsibilities had been to marry
Prince Baidhen of the Kingdom of Darkness—the only Dragon-Sidhe male she wasn't
related to. Arach and King Rowan had arranged the marriage between our children.
I would not have that. Not after she risked so much to come back and save me.
She allowed her present to be erased so I could change her future. I would not fail her.
“I love you so much, Samara,” I whispered.
“That's not a secret!” She giggled.
“No, it's not.” And just like that, the threat of tears vanished. Because I knew
better now. I knew what the future could hold for her, and I knew how to change it. “But
here's a secret that your father will not tell you.”
“What?” She leaned in closer.
“You do not have to have full-blooded Dragon-Sidhe babies.”
“I don't? But wouldn't it be good to have more of us?”
“Yes, it would be lovely. But we are not going extinct. Your father and I are
immortal, and so are all the other Dragon-Sidhe in Faerie, you included. There is the
chance for more full-blooded Dragon-Sidhe children to be born without you bearing
them. So don't ever, not ever, worry about that. Do you understand? That is not upon
your shoulders. And Prince Baidhen may be the only male Dragon-Sidhe you are not
related to, but that doesn't make him your only option for a husband, or even a lover.
You must always follow your heart, Sam. You're not just a faerie. You are a love goddess
too, and that makes it very important that you honor love.”
“Like Brevyn?”
“Yes, like Brevyn is a love god. You have that magic inside you and you must
respect it. So, no matter what your father or anyone else says, unless you fall in love
with Prince Baidhen and he makes you happier than anyone else, do not marry him.
Don't marry or have babies with anyone unless you truly want to. It's all right if you
never have children. That is your choice. Okay?”
“Okay, Mommy.” She held up her little finger. “Pinky promise.”
“Pinky promise.” I beamed at her and hooked our fingers together. Then I pulled
her into a hug. “I love you, my brave, beautiful girl. You are so special. Remember, the
only thing you ever need to do is be happy.”
“I'm happy, Mommy. I love you.”
“Oh, I love you too! So much! Now, let's celebrate your first flight.”
 When Azrael and I had first met with the leaders of Earth, there had only been a
handful of them. But the world recovered further since then and its governments
reformed. They were all on board with the Faerie God's dictatorship (let's call a spade a
spade) since it was a step up from what the Faerie God had originally planned (full
world domination in a very Dark Star way). Funny how both my husband and I had
nearly taken over the world. Well, I guess there was no nearly about Azrael (nor had it
been very funny). He had done it. He took over the world and me with it, turning me into
the Faerie Goddess. But we got through it and brought him back. Now, Az had his dark
star, the Faerie God, under control.
Azrael couldn't just hand the world back to the humans after all that had been
done. There had been positive changes made that we wanted to protect—things like an
end to the threat of nuclear war. Also, there was still Wild Magic on Earth, contained
within the land around the Golden Citadel and beneath it. Lastly, the Fey were out of the
magic closet and that brought all sorts of trouble with it.
Most humans didn't know about Azrael's true form. They didn't know he was a god
and an Angel. Mainly because they didn't know that gods existed. Not like that. So, Az
brought the Faerie God out for short intervals and tried his best to oversee the Earth
fairly. As much as this was a type of dictatorship, Azrael didn't want it to be. So he
encouraged the governments of the world to reform and handle their own business
under his watchful eye. A sort of “do your thing, just don't kill each other” kind of
situation. But now that faeries were moving to Earth, Azrael had to help the races learn
to live harmoniously together. He sort of owed it to both sides.
Azrael worked with the Royals of Faerie, especially the High King, and the leaders
of Earth to develop laws for both races to follow on Earth and establish methods of
integration. The human leaders were offering free faerie classes in colleges around the
world and had saturated the media with information about faeries. People feared things
they didn't know, so we were making faeries known. It was a campaign of awareness.
Things like, “Spriggans puff up when startled” and “Imps love to play jokes.” We wanted
humans to know what to expect and what to avoid, but to also see the lighter side of
faeries.
On the Fey side, the information wasn't just offered, it was mandatory for anyone
visiting Earth. We required them to go through orientation classes. Most of the Fey
hadn't been to Earth for a very long time. They didn't know about modern ways, and
they certainly didn't know the laws of the land, especially since they varied from region
to region. So, the orientation classes supplied them with the information they needed to
navigate whatever part of the world they were visiting, interact properly with the locals,
and stay out of jail. Any faerie found guilty of a crime on Earth got a one-way ticket back
to the Faerie Realm.
This made everyone happy. But, as with any newly established system, those in
charge wanted to check things out for themselves. The Fey Royals had approved the
curriculum offered in colleges and all information handed out in the media about the
Fey. Now, the Earth leaders wanted to take a look at what we were teaching faerie and
make sure the laws and customs of their countries were being presented properly. In
other words, they wanted an excuse to visit Faerie.
And boy had they taken it.
Every country, from Andorra to Zimbabwe, had sent their leaders on this field trip.
You'd think they'd be hesitant to go to another realm, especially a realm that had birthed
the fearsome man who nearly destroyed the world (as far as they knew). But nope. In
true human fashion, curiosity had won over prudence and every world leader wanted to
go. Not a single one chose to send a representative in their stead. And they all came
with a translator (if they needed one) and a single guard. We didn't allow them more
than that because, with nearly two hundred world leaders, that meant two hundred
guards and nearly a hundred translators. Thankfully, most of the heads of state spoke
English so there were fewer translators than guards. Still, around five hundred humans
were coming to Faerie.
Five hundred.
Tracing that many people would have been torture. Instead, the Faerie God
brought them through a rath—a tunnel between realms. There used to be many raths
connecting Faerie to Earth, but after the Dragon-Sidhe were hunted to near extinction,
the High King summoned all the Fey home and sealed the raths. After I accidentally
entered Faerie several years ago, a tracing point was established in the Great Tree, but
not a rath. The Faerie God, however, opened a rath beneath the Golden Citadel. It was
the only open rath between the realms and it was located in the same meadow as the
Elemental Well—the only such well on Earth. Suffice it to say it was vigilantly guarded.
Think of elemental wells like hearts that pumped magic, their veins stretching out
through whatever land they're bound to. In Faerie, every kingdom has an elemental well
of the corresponding element that can be used by the monarch to touch all of their
territory and people at once. Arach and I had given the Fire Fey back their fertility
through the Fire Well beneath Castle Aithinne. And that was a well for only one element.
The well beneath the Golden Citadel connected to all the elements and pumped Wild
Magic (as opposed to the tamer, more normal version of magic that ran through Faerie)
through the Wild Land. It had once pumped that magic through the whole Earth, but
Azrael drew it back and contained it. Could he spread the magic again? Probably. Azrael
and I both had a connection to the Elemental Well. But it was one of those things that
was too powerful to mess with. So we weren't sure what we could do with it.
Around the Elemental Well and the only open rath to Faerie was an orchard that
produced shiny, red, Snow White apples full of Wild Magic instead of poison. Although
Wild Magic could be a type of poison depending on who ingested it. At the start of the
war with Heaven, Jerry had orchestrated an orchard theft. Okay, he didn't steal the
orchard, I just liked the way that sounded. He did send an Angel to steal a bunch of
apples, though. And those apples gave his army incredible powers. How you like dem
apples? So, yeah, there was a lot to protect beneath the Golden Citadel.
And there we were, marching five hundred humans through that very orchard.
Azrael had planned to post Fey guards along the way to the rath, ensuring that no
one wandered from the path or picked up anything along the way. It was a huge
undertaking, but it was easier than tracing everyone and it had to be done to promote
goodwill among faeries and humans. We had invaded their world. It was only fair that
they got to visit ours.
All of this is just to explain that Arach and I weren't meeting Azrael and the human
invaders (just joking . . . hopefully) at the Great Tree. We waited to greet them at the
Castle of Eight with the rest of the faerie royals, including the High family. The High
Family now included Princess Isleen, the Leanan-Sidhe woman who had raised Arach.
The high royal men loved the Leanan-Sidhe ladies. High Queen Meara was of that race
as well. This was especially interesting since Prince Lugh so closely resembled his
father, High King Cian. They could have been twins if Lugh didn't have both height and
muscle on Cian.
Arach and I said our hellos to everyone, paying special attention to the Royals of
Earth—King Ruari and Queen Bronagh. But I didn't sense even a hint of animosity from
them. I ended up feeling guilty for thinking poorly of them. They were such a sweet
couple. I still remembered the Crown Tourney in which they'd both fought and made it
to the end. The last fight was them against each other. But neither could back down, nor
did they want to disgrace each other by holding back. Ruari won, then raced to his wife
and cradled her in his arms while she recovered. I think he even cried. Could those two
really be responsible for kidnapping dogs and snakes? Again, that just sounded good in
my head. Cerberus isn't a dog, and Viper certainly isn't a snake. Nor would they be easy
to take. Damn it, did I just make a rhyme? That made it even worse.
“Vervain,” Arach whispered to get my attention.
I jerked my stare from the Earth Royals to the grand archway within the tree-wall.
Yes, tree-wall. The Castle of Eight was composed of eight massive trees. And I mean
massive. They soared thousands of feet into the air and each one was the width of your
average castle on Earth. And I do mean castle, not manor or chateau. Although, I think
chateau might be another word for a castle. I was never good at languages.
Anyway, the central tree was the tallest and widest, growing in the middle of the
others, with a courtyard and elemental gardens around it. The seven outer trees were
normal enough apart from their size. They didn't even breathe like many of the other
ancient trees in the Forgetful Forest. That being said, the lower parts of their trunks
extended several hundred feet to either side to join with their neighbors and form a
seamless wall. The wall was manned by Fey soldiers from all the Elemental Houses,
performing their required service to the High King. The trunks of all the trees were
hollow, including the wall portion, providing housing for the High Court and its army.
The High Royal Family lived in the central tree, of course. They also entertained there.
Just to be clear, this was not where the rath let out. The rath connected the Golden
Citadel to the Imleag—the hub of Faerie, also known as the Navel of the Realm. The
Imleag was the most central spot in the Faerie Realm and the most powerful location,
where all the elements gathered. The Castle of Eight stood very close to the Imleag, but
not directly upon it. No, that would have been blasphemy. But the Faerie God hadn't
cared about blasphemy when he made the rath. He was more concerned about power.
Thank goodness Az had him under control.
You do know that the Faerie God is Azrael? Faerie spoke in my mind.
A twisted version of him tainted by Wild Magic, I answered in the same manner.
Yes, but as much him as the Dark Star was you.
Again, I was reminded of how my husband and I had separately gone bad and tried
to take over the world. Everybody wants to rule the world. Was it our foray into evil that
had caused this latest drama? Or was the trickster merely tricking us again—misleading
us by directing our attention toward others? I glanced at the Earth Royals and knew, just
knew, that they were innocent. This was a wild goose chase. Or a Wild Magic goose
chase, if you will.
And then the sound of hundreds of footsteps grew louder and louder. The knights
atop the walls came to attention. They didn't salute, that would be inappropriate since
Az wasn't a King of Faerie. But they stood straight and proud as the Faerie God guise
strode through the archway, leading a parade of humans corralled by citadel knights.
Historic indeed. The Faerie Realm had never had so many humans in it at once, much
less marching in formation like an army.
As I watched them enter the courtyard, I had to hold in a sigh. It wasn't about
witnessing history in the making. Oh, no. This sigh was purely sexual and purely for
Azrael. Or rather, the Faerie God. In my first life, I'd been born a Dragon-Sidhe. That
was during the start of the hunts, when human knights decided the best way to get
themselves immortalized in stone or stained glass was to kill a dragon. It became all the
rage and drove the maidens wild. To protect me, my mother cast a spell to make me
human, repressing my Fey essence. But she was murdered before she could remove the
spell, and I was trapped in a human body, never knowing who I truly was.
I met and fell in love with Odin as a human. Bore him a child. Raised two children
with him. And then I died, starting an avalanche of magical alignments, vibrations, and
coincidences that all led me here, back to Faerie. I'd been born again, touched by gods
and the Consciousness of the Void during my gestation. Altered so much, that I became
someone entirely different. Yet, I was still the same. In my chest burned the heart of a
dragon. And that dragon drooled over faerie men. Especially if they had horns.
All right, so the Faerie God didn't technically have horns. He had antlers. Close
enough. And they were golden. As gold as the scales of my dragon. That impressive rack
(sorry, couldn't resist) rose from my husband's head like a crown. The biggest damn
crown in all of Faerie. The other royals shifted uneasily just to see it. Because all of them
knew that if Azrael slipped, if he stayed too long in this body and gave it too much
control, the Faerie God might return. And that man had more power than all of them
combined.
All but me.
And that made me grin.
Something else a female Dragon-Sidhe loves—a powerful man. Power and
authority radiated from the Faerie God. I mean, just look at that hair. Azrael normally
didn't grow his hair longer than his shoulders, but the Faerie God's midnight locks
flowed down to his waist in tangle-resistant waves. The dark, unyielding color enhanced
his vibrant green eyes. Eyes that glowed with magic. Eyes so different from Azrael's
pale blue. The Angelic script on his cheek was gone as well, hidden under the Faerie
God's sharp features. He was larger in this form too, almost as muscular as Odin, and
his fingers ended in claws. He still had his feathered wings, and they were their usual
black, but in this body, they were dusted with gold. Not even Re could surpass the
Faerie God's glory. And that's saying a lot.
Oh, yeah, and not only did Az have access to all his god magic in this body, but he
also controlled all the elements.
Maybe the trickster was after him. How could they not be? Azrael/Faerie God was
a fearsome opponent even if he wasn't against you. Just look at the Royals of Faerie.
They knew Az was an ally and still, they worried about him going bad again. They feared
him. Fear could make people do foolish things. I mean, it's the whole reason we were
doing this song and dance for the humans. Fear leads to war.
And still, I was certain the trickster wasn't one of the Earth Royals.
Then who? Faerie asked.
I don't know, I said. Did you see them do anything suspicious?
No, she admitted. They seemed normal. At ease. Not at all like they were coming
to see someone they were targeting.
As I thought.
Don't get cocky. You still don't know they're innocent. Not with any certainty.
I feel it in my bones.
Bones are useless. What does the Fire tell you?
I turned my attention inside myself. I had never used my element like this before.
Fire isn't a divination tool. It burns. It consumes. It renews. It warms. And it also revives
the soil. All the elements are connected. Could Fire give me insight? Could it help me
see into another's faerie's heart?
Nope. I got nothing. The sense I was getting in my bones, or my gut, whatever you
want to call instinct, had nothing to do with magic or the elements. It was just a
collection of what I knew, including my knowledge of the faeries who ruled the Earth
Kingdom. And that collective was telling me that the Earth Royals weren't behind the
tricks.
Very good, Faerie said. Now, that, I trust more than bones.
You could have just said that.
And how would that amuse me?
I snorted.
Arach looked over at me with a half-grin.
“Sorry,” I whispered. “Faerie.”
“Ah,” he said. “Well, stop talking to her. Here he comes.”
 “Hey, honey,” I said to Azrael as he stopped before us.
He had greeted the High Royals first, then came directly to me. Bending his
antlered head, the Faerie God smiled, and I saw a hint of the old him in it. Enough to
send a zing down my back. But unlike the other royals of Faerie, I didn't fear the Faerie
God. He had gotten the better of me once, but he wouldn't do it again. Not with Az and
me keeping him in check.
“Hello, Carus,” Az said, confirming who was in charge with his pet name for me.
“Arach.”
“Azrael,” Arach said. “Good to see you.”
Damn, it was hard to not pull Az aside and tell him what would happen in two
days. I bit my lower lip.
The Faerie God's green gaze focused on my mouth. “What's wrong?”
“Huh? Nothing. Uh, why don't you introduce our guests to the Royals?”
Az frowned but nodded. Of course, it wasn't a one-on-one introduction. More of a,
here you are and here they are thing. The royals got named, but he just waved at the
world leaders as if they were one. Then came the trek around the main tree. The
orientation classrooms weren't in the central tree but behind it, in one of the outer
trees. So we circumvented the enormous trunk of the central tree, giving our guests a
good look at a few of the elemental gardens. Azrael explained what they were as we
went by, and I was surprised to hear similar explanations given further down the line by
some of the citadel guards.
“You prepped the guards on conducting a tour?” I whispered to Az.
“We can't bring a bunch of humans here and not explain what things are,” he
whispered back. “It will only scare them.”
“Oh, I'm not complaining. It's a great idea. I just didn't know you had planned for
that.”
“You have a lot to deal with, Carus. I did most of the planning with the citadel
team.”
“Az, I'm sorry. I should have helped more.”
“Don't apologize. That wasn't bitterness. You have all the kids to look after.
Samara is still so young. And you have the Intare to take care of too.”
“Kirill helps with that now. More than helps. And all of you help with the kids. I
don't handle anything alone.”
“Neither do I, Carus. Truly. It's fine.”
“All right.” I chewed at my lip again because it wasn't fine, and I couldn't tell Az
about it.
“Samara had her first flight a couple of days ago,” Arach said proudly and with
perfect timing.
“Did she?” Azrael, father to our winged twin boys, knew all about that sort of pride
and grinned broadly at Arach. “Congratulations!”
“Thank you.”
I looked back at our huge parade and was shocked at how quiet it was. There were
a few soft murmurs of awe and the sound of all those footsteps, but that was it. Even
President Jacob Lopez of the United States, elected for another term, didn't say much.
He was at the front of the group with the British Prime Minister and, of all people, the
new Pope. Vatican City was technically a state, and the Pope was a co-ruler with the
President of the Governorate of the Vatican City State. So, there were actually, two
rulers visiting from Vatican City. It wasn't the only place that had co-rulers from the
clergy but it was the only place that was allowed to bring their co-ruler along. Mainly
because it was the Pope and there had been an incident between us and the Pope. We
wanted to smooth things over, and from the smiles he was giving me, so did he.
I smiled back as warmly as I could.
The Pope's expression wavered.
Oh, crap. Too warm. Too warm! I reeled it in.
“I didn't expect it to be so cold here,” President Lopez finally whispered to Prime
Minister Hallibrand.
“Didn't they warn you?” I asked, eyeing the group. Most of them were wearing
coats. “You look prepared for the weather.”
“Yes, they did,” he said a little louder. “But we came through Texas. So . . .” He
shrugged.
“Ah, well winter is an interesting time in Faerie,” I lifted my voice so the other tour
guides would know to pass on the information. “Some faeries and fey animals shift with
the cold, turning into winter versions of themselves. It affects their magic too. This
knight, for example.” I waved at an Air-Sidhe who stood at attention at the entrance to
the Air Garden, helping to direct the flow and prevent wandering. “Do you see how pale
his wings are and the blue tint to his skin? He's a Frost Faerie. That makes him very
special.” I winked at the knight, and he inclined his head to me. “There aren't a lot of
Sidhe who transform in winter.”
“Like Jack Frost?” The Prime Minister asked.
I blinked. “Huh. I've never thought of that. A faerie could indeed be the origin of
that story.”
“Jack Frost?” Arach asked.
“A boy who brings the frost,” I said.
He grunted.
“Are there no children here?” someone asked, emboldened by our conversation.
“Not in the Castle of Eight,” Prince Lugh said, then grinned at his wife. “Not yet,
at least.”
Isleen lifted a brow at her husband which had him grinning wider.
I almost squealed in excitement but held it in. Isleen as a mommy? Oh, yes. I
would like to see that. So would Lugh evidently.
“None of your, er, courtiers have children?” another world leader asked.
“No, our court and guards are formed of faeries from the other houses,” High King
Cian said as he continued to walk. Pausing at this point might cause a pile-up. “We
believe children should be raised in an environment of their own element, so noble
parents don't request to attend us and knights who are parents aren't conscripted into
duty.”
“Conscripted?”
“Each kingdom sends a selection of knights to serve the High Court for a few
years,” Lugh took over. “It's similar to military service on Earth. The knights are chosen
by their monarchs, and it's considered a great honor to serve the High Court.”
Children. The questions reminded me that out of the six royal families, four of us
had children. Well, technically, the High King had Lugh, but he was grown. That left only
Earth childless.
Huh. Hold on. Is that important? Could this be about children? Damn it, do I still
suspect the Earth Royals? What happened to that certainty in my bones? I guess my
bones aren't as steely as I thought.
More questions came from the humans after that; the dam had burst. Azrael and I
answered many of them since we were the most familiar with the modern human world,
but Lugh stepped in a few times as well. At last, we entered one of the seven outer trees
and it got a little warmer. It hadn't snowed yet, but it would soon. The Castle of Eight
had shed its leaves—a clear sign that winter was upon us. For a second, I wondered
about the clean-up. Those leaves were huge. The castle staff would have to carry them
out of the courtyard one by one. Or use magic. Duh.
“Here are the classrooms,” Azrael called out in a booming voice. “You will be
taken to the appropriate room by your assigned guide and shown the curriculum
pertaining to your country.”
The echo of translators murmuring followed Azrael's words.
“Please, note any concerns in the booklets we've provided you,” he went on. “If
there are any changes that need to be made, be as precise as possible in your
descriptions, and we will make adjustments. When you're finished with your inspections,
we will have lunch in the main tree.”
Faeries were waiting in doorways that we had passed. They stepped out one by
one to call out the names of their assigned heads of state, then showed them into the
classrooms. And yes, there were that many classrooms. Granted, some were much
larger than others, with certain countries attracting more fey interest. But every country
had a room and a curriculum just in case.
“You're over here, President Lopez,” Azrael waved the American President toward
a room.
“Sir.” An Earth-Sidhe bowed to the President. Her skin was a few shades darker
than his, which went well with her violet hair.
President Lopez stared at the faerie for a second, entranced, then cleared his
throat and held out his hand. “I'm Jacob Lopez.”
“Yeselda,” she said and shook his hand. “It's a pleasure to meet you, President.”
“Excuse me, Ma'am, but may I inspect the room before the President enters?” a
woman in a suit asked.
“My guard,” President Lopez whispered to Yeselda.
She smiled and stepped aside to wave the Secret Service agent in. “Yes, of course.
We aren't having classes today so there is only me here.”
“You're the teacher?”
“Yes, I spent a month in Washington D.C. learning about your country with a man
you assigned to teach me.”
“Oh! Yes, I recall that. So that was you?” He beamed at her.
“Yes. I brought many books back with me and maps to prepare the faeries who
wish to travel to America. I hope my curriculum meets with your approval.”
“I'm sure you've done an excellent job.”
“All clear, President,” the Secret Service agent said, giving him a strange look.
President Lopez cleared his throat. “Thank you.” He went into the classroom,
followed closely by the agent, then the teacher.
“Is President Lopez married?” I asked Az.
“Oh, yes,” Azrael said.
“He seems to have forgotten that.”
“I think his Secret Service agent just reminded him.”
“I thought the American presidents are expected to take lovers?” Arach asked.
Az and I both looked at him in surprise while Lugh burst out laughing.
“Why is that humorous?” King Cian asked his son.
 “Because so many of them have cheated on their wives,” Lugh said. “I can see how
King Arach might assume it was accepted.”
“There haven't been that many,” I protested.
“There haven't been that many who have been caught, you mean,” Azrael said.
“As I said.” Arach waved an elegant hand at Az.
“But that behavior is not expected so much as tolerated,” Az said. “And hidden.
That Secret Service agent may not approve of the President cheating on his wife, but if
he did, she'd never tell a soul.”
“Ah. Thus the title.” Arach nodded.
I giggled. “No, that's not why they're called Secret Service agents, but I suppose
that is part of their jobs.”
“Well, let's leave the humans to their secrets, shall we?” King Cian asked. “I have
some refreshments waiting for us. Just a little something to tide us over until lunch.”
“That sounds lovely. Thank you, High King,” Queen Bronagh said.
We followed the High Royals down the corridor and into a small but luxurious
room with an array of velvet-covered seats, including some backless options for the
winged Air Royals. The furniture was not of the tree-grown variety that I'd seen in other
rooms of the castle but was free-moving and had obviously been collected and brought
into the room for our use. Along one wall was a sideboard laden with trays of food—not
just appetizers either—and an assortment of hot and cold beverages.
“It's not Dad's fault,” Lugh whispered to me when he saw my wide eyes. “This is
what you get when you ask the kitchen staff for some light refreshments.”
I snorted. “I'm not complaining. I have a dragon's appetite.”
“Indeed,” Arach murmured.
I smacked him in the belly, but he only grinned wider.
Then I saw Queen Bronagh heading for the drinks, and it occurred to me that
maybe I should use more than my instincts to put my suspicions to bed.
“I'm going to talk to Queen Bronagh,” I whispered to Arach.
He nodded and veered to intercept Azrael. “I don't know about you, but I need
more than a drink.”
Az agreed, and they headed off toward the food with Prince Lugh.
“Hey,” I said to Bronagh as I stepped up beside her.
Queen Bronagh looked over at me with lifted brows.
“Oh, sorry. I mean, greetings, Queen Bronagh. How do you fare this fine day?”
She laughed brightly. “I didn't mean to look disapproving. I was just startled. You'd
think after all these years, I'd be used to your way of speaking.” She lifted the carafe she
was holding. “Hot chocolate?”
“Yes, please.” I grabbed a mug and held it out to her.
“I'm glad I don't have to travel to Earth,” she said. “I wouldn't do well there.” After
filling my mug, she put the carafe down, then looked up and giggled. “And I'm the Earth
Queen! That's funny, right?”
“Yes, it is.” I laughed with her. Then I used the opening. “Have you never visited
Earth?”
“Oh, I've gone a few times,” Queen Bronagh said as we left the beverage table.
“But that was thousands of years ago. Well, thousands of years in fey time.”
“Oh, yes. I'm aware of the time difference.”
 She laughed again. “I suppose you would be. You are the one who aligned our
realms.” She waved at her fur cloak to add, “And brought the seasons back to us.”
“Some might not think that's a good thing.”
“They'd be wrong.” She cocked her head at me. “Do you feel guilty because of the
way some of us struggled in the beginning, Queen Vervain?”
“No, not really. It's not as if I cast a spell to bring back the seasons.” I shrugged.
“And yes, it was rough at first, but I think it's good to have the Faerie Realm back to the
way it was originally.”
“I do as well.” She laid her hand on my upper arm. “I'm glad you don't have
regrets.”
“Not about that, no.”
Bronagh lifted her brows. “You have other regrets?”
“Well, maybe not regrets exactly. I've made some huge mistakes, but they've all
led me to where I needed to be.”
She nodded. “Even the Fey believe in fate.”
I stared at her for a second. If I had gone back to save Rivella, Bronagh wouldn't
be on the throne. Aalish wouldn't have been Queen either. That was the main reason I
couldn't risk going back. As horrible as my interactions with the last Earth Queen had
been, if I undid her rule, my history would change drastically. It would save Aalish's life,
most likely. And that of her husband's. And my sweet Breck. She'd be alive as well. But
in saving them, who would I lose? It was just too risky. Staring at the current Earth
Queen, I couldn't help but feel that fate was strong in her life as well.
But I had to be sure.
“So, you've been to Earth in the past,” I said, trying to keep my tone light. “Have
you ever been to the God Realm?”
“The God Realm?” King Ruari, Bronagh's husband asked as he joined us. “Why
would she go there?”
“No reason I can think of,” I said. “Just making conversation.”
Queen Bronagh grinned. “You are such an interesting woman, Queen Vervain.”
“Thank you. You as well. I still remember you kicking ass in the Crown
Tournament. That was inspiring.”
“Kicking ass,” she repeated the term slowly, then grinned at her husband. “I like
that. Even though my ass was the one that ended up on the ground in the end.”
“Are you going to torment me with that imagery again, my love?” Ruari whined.
“You know how it haunts me.”
“Oh, but you're always so attentive after I bring it up.” She winked at me.
“Entering that competition was the best decision I've ever made.”
“What about deciding to marry me?”
“Oh, yes, that was a good one as well.”
I burst out laughing. This woman was more like me than I knew. And yet, there
was one more question I still needed to ask her. “So, are you two thinking about having
children anytime soon?”
Ruari stiffened.
Oh, damn. Maybe there was an issue here.
“He wants to,” Queen Bronagh said to me as she casually patted her husband's
arm. “But I'm not ready. Now that we have our fertility back, it's as if the men think we
women are all eager to get pregnant, but some of us have been happy as we are. We
don't need children to complete our lives.”
 “But we are royals,” Ruari said.
“Yes, and I am not opposed to having children. I do want them. Someday. I get
moments of wistfulness, you know that. But we need to settle into our roles as monarchs
first. You promised that we would rule together, even if you won the tourney.”
“Of course, we rule together.”
Oh, wow. This sounded like an old and personal argument. I backed away. “I'm
sorry. I shouldn't have pried.”
They didn't even hear me. They were too deep into their personal stuff. And that
made it clear to me better than anything else could have. Their biggest issue was
children, but it had nothing to do with me or Azrael. These two were not behind the
mischief in the God Realm. I don't think they'd know how to get into Heaven, even if
they wanted to.
So maybe it wasn't a faerie. The manacles could have been taken from the Golden
Citadel by a god. Hell, they could have been taken by a human. We had enough of them
running around the place these days, what with all the human families moving in with
their Wild Magic babies. But then again, those families stayed in the neighborhood
outside the citadel wall, in the buffer zone between the wild land and the rest of the
world. There weren't a lot of humans allowed into the Golden Citadel itself. And a
human didn't have the power to sneak into the God Realm.
Hold on. I had done it when I was only human. With the right chant, anyone with a
little magic could get through a ward. And some humans had magic. Even more of them
these days.
But a human? Could this trickster really be human? Maybe I shouldn't rule anyone
out. A human would have reason to be angry with both Azrael and me. Although, a
human, even a witch, wouldn't remember the stuff I'd done as the Dark Star. I had
erased all those human memories.
If only I'd done the same with the Gods.
But hey, I'd done what I could, and that had been a lot, all things considered.
I found Azrael and Arach and sat between them. They were opposite Isleen and
Lugh, all of them holding plates full of food. A laden plate was also waiting for me.
“Thank you,” I said, casting a questioning look from one husband to the other as I
settled my plate on my lap.
“We both filled it,” Arach said magnanimously.
Azrael snorted. “No, we didn't. He made the plate for you. I wouldn't dare pick
your food, Carus.”
I chuckled. Both men knew me well, but one of them had touched my soul. My
Angel of Death proved wiser than my dragon in this instance.
“I thought it better to have something waiting for you,” Arach said. “Whatever you
don't want, I'll eat. Then you may fetch more for yourself if you wish.”
Then again, my Dragon King had some damn good instincts.
 “What are you doing?” I asked Arach as he pulled me down a corridor, away from
the dining hall's curved wall of woven branches.
“Our children are at home.” Arach grinned. “I thought maybe the Fire Garden.”
“You want to have sex right now?” I pulled him to a stop. “It's the middle of the
day.”
“And?”
“And the middle of a diplomatic luncheon.”
“We've done our parts. The humans are settled around the spiral table, enjoying
the feast. Let's do some feasting of our own. After those refreshments, I'm not hungry
for food.” He leaned in closer, his face subtly shifting into something sharper, more
primal. “Are you?”
I grinned at him.
“If you two think you're sneaking off for a liaison without me, you're crazy,” Azrael
drawled.
Arach sighed. “Very well. Just try to keep your feathers out of the flames.”
Az lifted his buff arms and spread his glittering wings. “I'm immune to fire in this
form. I probably have better control of Fire than you do.”
“Watch your words, mutant,” Arach growled.
Azrael chuckled. “Just lead the way, lizard.”
Arach snorted and started pulling me down the corridor again. I reached back and
grabbed Azrael's hand. He winked a glowing green eye at me.
“This is so naughty,” I whispered in excitement. “What if one of the guards on the
walls sees us?”
“They won't,” Azrael said. “I'll take care of it.”
“That sounds ominous.”
“I'm going to hide us, not hurt them, Carus.”
“Sorry. It's that body. I never know how you're going to act when you're in it.”
“Don't worry. The Faerie God's under control.”
Then we were passing through an archway and the cold hit us.
“Ugh. I forgot about the weather,” I said.
“Fire Garden,” Arach said as if that explained it all.
It did. And even if the Fire Garden hadn't been full of blazing embrasures and
magma, all three of us had the power to adjust our internal temperatures. We'd be fine.
We could have walked naked across Antarctica and been fine.
We went past the Water Garden and I did NOT think about Dubheasa stabbing me
there. Nope. I focused on my husbands. Arach and Azrael together? With Az in his
Faerie God guise? Yes, please.
And they were just as focused on me. As soon as we entered the warm embrace of
the Fire Garden, their hands started wandering. But first, one of Azrael's hands waved
toward the fountain of magma in the center of the garden. The Fire Garden had a few
evergreens in it, spotting the scenery of spindly branches and rock formations, but
mostly, the garden was about angles and heat at this time of year. And steam.
Steam coalesced and rose to form a ceiling above us before shivering down into a
dome around us.
I looked from the thick barrier to Az and grinned. “Nice.”
“Thank you.” Az bent his antlered head to kiss me.
As we kissed, Arach undressed. Then the men undressed me. Fabric fell to the
hard earth in heaps, eager hands tossing it there. Azrael pulled back to finish removing
his pants, and Arach took the opportunity to draw me fully into his arms.
“A Thaisce,” Arach whispered.
The crimson scales at Arach's temples spread down the sides of his face, neck, and
chest as if to frame the places he wanted me to focus on. And focus I did. From his lips, I
made my way down his throat, kissing and nipping at him with my teeth. He growled,
the vibration sliding from his skin and into mine. It sent a shiver down my spine.
Or maybe that was Azrael, who had come up behind me to slide his warm hands
up my hips, his claws grazing my skin. I wriggled back against his thick shaft, grinning
to myself when I felt the bead of moisture crowning it. Instead of going to my knees as I
originally intended, I bent over, pushing Arach back so that my upper body was
horizontal between the men. That earned me aroused growls from both of them.
Arach's hands went to my breasts as I nuzzled his erection. He kneaded them,
then pulled at my nipples as I rubbed my ass against Az. Just as I sucked the tip of
Arach's velvety flesh into my mouth, Azrael found my center. The hard press of him
made me groan, but he didn't slide in. Instead, he rubbed himself up and down against
my sex until we were both wet. I pressed back, trying to angle myself onto him, but he
outmaneuvered me to rub his tip against my most sensitive spot.
I cried out around Arach, and my Dragon King grabbed a fistful of my hair. I could
feel the tension in them both, but especially Arach. He wanted to thrust. To pound into
me. But with the way I held his base and sucked at him, he couldn't. So I let go of his
shaft and transferred my hands to his hips, latching on tightly to brace myself.
As if this was a signal to my husbands, they thrust forward in unison, both of them
going deep. I moaned at the delicious invasion, my body closing around their flesh, then
sucking at them as they pulled out. Their hands held me as tightly as I held Arach,
fingers digging in. Clutching. Owning. One of Arach's hands was still in my hair, pulling
as he pumped. My eyes rolled back in bliss.
Ecstasy. It spread inward from both sides to explode in my center, summoning my
Lust Magic. The men groaned as my magic turned up the heat, making our already
blissful union into a pleasure that belonged to the Gods. And the Fey. I didn't let Lust get
out of control though. If I did that, it would eventually burst out of us and strike
everyone in the vicinity. Instead, I turned the knob on our pleasure (pun intended) and
upped the eroticism. By about twenty percent.
All right, a hundred and twenty percent.
“Oh, fuck,” Azrael groaned. “I need more. I need to see your face, Carus.”
Arach growled and yanked out of me. I was left gasping and licking my lips as I
stared at his wet, magnificent cock. But then the men helped me up and lifted me off my
feet. As I flopped, dazed, between them, Azrael settled my legs around his hips. I
reached down and helped him find his way back home. Then we were groaning together,
getting him seated. But he didn't start thrusting again. Not yet.
Once Az was lodged in place, he worked his hands down, supporting my weight
even as he spread my lower cheeks. I clung to his shoulders and waist with arms and
legs to help him as Arach stepped up behind me. Then I looked back and grinned at my
Dragon-Sidhe husband. He was on the verge of shifting, his features sharpening.
 “Do it,” I said as I let myself transform halfway.
Golden scales crested all over my body, claws erupted from my fingers, and horns
from my head. I didn't summon my wings, they would have gotten in the way, but I did
bring forth my tail to wrap around Arach's waist and pull him closer. Azrael hissed in
delight. He loved this body as much as I loved his Faerie God form. Immediately his lips
found my throat, but not to kiss me. Instead, he grazed my glossy scales with his teeth,
then bit. He couldn't break through, which was rather the point—biting without damage.
Az worried my neck like a wolf, then looked at Arach over my shoulder and, in a
deep voice, demanded, “What are you waiting for, Brother? Take her ass. Fuck it deep.”
“I'm waiting for this,” Arach growled as he shifted into his half-form, holding
nothing back. Wings, horns, tail—all of it came to his call, transforming him into
something that I knew reminded Az of his Demon buddies.
The Faerie God grinned broadly and pulled my ass further apart. “Slide that
dragon dick into our wife.”
Arach snarled and thrust. His cock wasn't scaled, but it felt harder in this form,
sliding into me like glass. I cried out, head thrown back, and Arach grabbed my hair
again to angle my face toward his. As he pumped deeper and deeper, he kissed me, his
tongue taking my mouth as his shaft claimed my rear entrance. Azrael held still, waiting
for Arach to get seated, his cock throbbing inside my sex and his glowing stare watching
us.
When Arach was pressed tightly against my ass, as deep as he could go, Azrael
finally began to move inside me in time with Arach. Each thrust filled me to a near
unbearable fullness. I shrieked and dug my claws into Azrael's shoulders. Blood flowed,
exciting us all further. Az growled in pleasure, especially when I bent my head to lick the
blood from his chest.
Azrael's recent memories rose in my mind with the first taste of his blood, but I
pushed them back. I was more interested in his present. So I focused on the love in his
blood. The deep, unwavering love he had for me. In this body or his original, it didn't
matter. Azrael was mine.
I opened my eyes and let him see that I was his too.
“I love you, Carus,” he said in his Faerie God voice.
“I love you too.” I grabbed his golden antlers and rode my men.
The Lust Magic had been overwhelmed by my dragon, but it had done its job. We
were beyond normal lust, cast into a realm where every touch sent tingles racing over
our bodies. Every kiss was magical. And every thrust made me come just a little. Closer
and closer. Little deaths taking us toward completion. Azrael's body seemed massive, his
wings stretched wide and his antlers adding a good foot and a half to his height. But
with Arach in his weredragon form, he wasn't dwarfed by Az. He spread his
membranous wings and lifted his horned head to snarl at the Faerie God over my
shoulder.
Azrael snarled back, and they began to pump their wings in harmony with their
hips, using the strength in their backs to thrust even deeper. Warm air spiraled over my
skin as rapture rose. Blossomed. Became a living thing born of our passion. Above us,
the mist swirled, making it feel even more magical. Claws clicked over scales. There
wasn't an inch of me that didn't feel pleasure. It gathered into a ball that burst nearly as
soon as it was formed.
Shaking uncontrollably, I screamed. Azrael bent to cover my mouth with his,
sucking down my cries. The men kept thrusting through my orgasm. It was too much.
Too much pleasure. I pushed at Azrael's chest, but my hands were shaking. Everything
shook.
Then Arach jerked out of me and grunted, his hands still holding me as he came
on the ground. As soon as Arach slid out, Azrael sped up and broke free of our kiss. His
thrusts sent me bouncing upward only to fall onto him, his cock piercing me deeper.
 I was making mewling sounds and gasps while Azrael grunted primally, his whole
body tight, muscles bulging and teeth bared. Then, with a whooshing stretch of his
midnight wings, the Faerie God locked up against me, his claws clinging, and cried out
as he filled me.
 A few hours later, after another round of lovemaking in the garden and several
plates of food at the spiral table, the visit was coming to an end. We led the humans out
to the courtyard where the citadel knights began to organize them into formation for the
walk back to the rath.
Saying goodbye to Azrael without telling him what was going on felt wrong. It
must have shown on my face because after he pulled back from my farewell hug, he
asked me what was wrong.
“Tell me,” Azrael said. “I know something is troubling you. I saw it when I first
arrived and now I'm seeing it again.”
Without thinking, I echoed the words he had used when I asked him about this
trip. “You'll find out soon enough.”
Azrael frowned. “Vervain.”
“It's fine, Az.” I kissed his cheek. “I'll see you at home.”
“But that you is your past, isn't it?”
I nodded. “The time is about to catch up.”
Az bowed his head and lifted his wings to give us some privacy. “Carus, what's
happened?”
“I can't tell you. You know that I can't. But it will be all right. I love you, Az.” I
kissed him, putting that love into our kiss. “Today was incredible. Thank you for that.”
He snorted and lowered his wings. “It went well in many ways.” After glancing at
the massive group waiting for him to lead them back through the rath, he said, “I trust
you.” Then he nodded at Arach. “Farewell, lizard.”
“Safe travels, mutant,” Arach said.
I shook my head as the Faerie God walked away. The crowd parted for him, and he
went to the front of the line, but with his golden antlers, I never lost sight of him. He
towered over the humans, a fantasy man leading them through a fantasy world. I
wondered what the humans were thinking. It made me think of my first time in Faerie,
but I hadn't been purely human then. And I hadn't been expected either. My reception
was far different from theirs.
“I think that went well,” the High King said as he stepped up beside Arach and
me.
“It did,” I agreed. “And, hopefully, that will make things easier on the faeries who
choose to visit Earth.”
King Cian stared after the heads of state. “These are wondrous times, Queen
Vervain. Simply wondrous.”
“And cold,” Lugh said. “Let's go back inside.”
“Wimp,” I teased him. “And we can't. We have to get back to our children.”
Lugh sent Isleen a lecherous look.
“Do not say it,” Isleen warned him.
“Aw, but my love. Don't you want to hold our child in your arms?”
“Nope. Not yet, I don't.” With that, she walked away.
 “Isleen!” Lugh raced after her.
It looked as if both Spirit and Earth would have to wait a bit longer to hear the
pitter-patter of little feet.
“They'll work it out,” King Cian said to us confidently. “Farewell, Fire Royals.”
“Farewell, High Royals,” I said.
Arach just grunted and nodded to the High King and Queen before he led me to
our carriage.
Our escort was waiting for us with the royal carriage, several of them shifted into
their horse forms to pull the thing. A final phooka remained in his man form. He was up
in the driver's seat, reins in hand. Around the carriage, a unit of Red Caps stood. One of
them opened the carriage door for us.
I thanked him as I got inside, then Arach climbed in, and a few moments later, we
were rolling out of the courtyard, on our way back to Castle Aithinne.
“Well, it's not the Earth Royals,” I said.
“You're certain?” Arach asked.
“Absolutely.” I grimaced. “Well, ninety-nine percent.”
“We'll lay in wait at the Great Tree. Just one more day to get through, A Thaisce.
And then we'll catch the trickster.”
“The Great Tree,” I murmured, my stare drifting out through the window. Then I
bolted upright. “What if they come through the Imleag rath?”
Arach blinked. “I hadn't considered that.”
Post your guards on the expected day, and I will watch the realm, Faerie said. If
someone comes through at either location, I will notify you immediately, and you will
know where to go to catch the trickster.
“Thank you, Faerie,” Arach said.
“My timelines will align tomorrow. So, if they do show up the day after, I can
return to the God Realm without using my ring.”
“And I will go with you.”
“Arach.”
“You will recall our agreement, Vervain.”
“This isn't a battle.”
“Not yet. But it may end as one. I'm going with you, and afterward, I shall use my
ring to return to the Faerie Realm. I won't lose any time with our children.”
“All right.”
“We will catch this trickster and find Viper,” he vowed.
“Yes, we will,” I said softly, my thoughts settling on Viper. He hadn't been taken
yet, but for me, he had, and every second of my doing nothing about it was torture. My
stomach was in knots and my muscles kept clenching as if preparing for action.
Arach laid his hand on mine. “He will be fine, A Thaisce. For him, his capture will
last mere minutes.”
“For me, it will be days.”
“I know just the thing to take your mind off it.”
“Arach, I'm not in the mood to have sex.”
Arach grimaced at me. “Why do you always assume I want sex?”
I gave him the look that deserved before saying, “Because you always want sex.”
 “Yes, all right. But in this particular instance, I was going to suggest a flight with
our children.”
“Samara,” I whispered.
“Yes, Samara.” He pulled me in against his side. “We can take her on her first
flight across the kingdom.” He leaned in to nuzzle me. “And perhaps a nice soak in the
hot springs while the children play in the Tine.”
“And sex?”
“Well, if the children are distracted . . .”
“Yup, there he is, my randy dragon.”
“Is that a yes?” Arach grinned.
I chuckled. “That's a we'll see.”
“Wonderful! We'll head out after breakfast tomorrow.”
 Samara was too excited to finish her breakfast. She kept bouncing in her seat and
looking at our plates, silently urging us to eat faster. We had told the children that
morning of our plans for the outing.
The boys were eager too, but they'd been on many flights with us and so were
more interested in filling their bellies first. Still, they understood enough to smile at
their sister and tease her by sliding more food on her plate when she wasn't looking.
“Samara, we can't go until you finish your food,” Rian said. “Have you even taken
a bite of your morning cakes?”
Samara frowned and looked down at her plate which suddenly had another
morning cake on it. Morning cakes were an invention of our cooks—sort of a cross
between a pancake and a muffin. They were about an inch thick with the texture of a
cupcake and a flaky outside like a Danish. The best part was the custard filling, but the
drizzle of chocolate didn't hurt either. They weren't offered every day, but the cooks
knew how much Sam adored them and had made them in honor of her first kingdom
flight. Usually, Samara would have scoffed down a platter of the cakes. Today however,
she stared at the fresh cake with such baffled horror and frustration that I burst out
laughing.
“Stop teasing your sister,” I said to Rian and scooped the cake onto my plate. I
could eat even more of them than Samara. I set into the cake with gusto, groaned, then
nudged my daughter. “But I want you to finish your sausage. You need the protein.”
“Mommy, I've had two already!” Samara cried.
“One more,” I said. “You're going to be halfway across the Fire Kingdom and your
belly will start growling. I can't have your dragon taking over and hunting some poor
animal.”
“Hunting?” Sam whispered.
“We're dragons, sweetheart. It's in our nature to hunt. But you can dampen the
urges if you eat enough meat before you shift.”
Samara looked from me to her plate, then speared her sausage and took a
determined bite.
“Good girl.” I kissed the top of her head.
But even the prospect of turning into a vicious hunter didn't dampen my
daughter's excitement. When she was done with the sausage, she went back to her
bouncing and kept it up until we were all finished and finally got up from the table.
On our way past the kitchen doorway, we were stopped by one of the cooks. “My
King and Queen?”
“Ugh!” Samara wailed.
“Samara!” Arach snapped.
Just one word, but Arach's clipped tone was accompanied by a death glare. Our
daughter went still and hung her head.
“Yes?” Arach asked the cook.
The Fire-Sidhe woman grinned at Sam before handing a wooden box to Arach.
“For your picnic, King Arach. We baked something special for the Princess.”
“Thank you. That was so thoughtful,” Arach said, then lifted a brow at Samara.
“Sam, did you hear that? They made you a special treat and you couldn't even be
bothered to spare a minute to speak to them.”
Samara looked up, tears in her eyes, and Arach flinched. I gave him a steadying
look. Parenting often meant knowing when to not shower your child in love.
Arach bucked up under my encouragement and prompted, “Well? What do you
say?”
“I'm sorry,” Samara whispered.
“And?”
“Thank you for my treat.” Samara blinked, and a tear slid down her cheek.
The cook wasn't restricted by parental rules and broke. “Oh, you sweet girl! Don't
you worry about that. I know you're eager to fly. You have a wonderful day, Princess.
We're all so happy that you've shifted at last.”
So, Arach hadn't been the only one who was worried.
“Thank you!” Sam said brightly, her tears vanishing.
“All right, let's go,” I said.
Arach tucked the box under his arm, took my hand, and led the way out of
Aithinne through the back entrance. Off to our left was the Pixie Village, boarded up for
winter, and the swimming pool, steam rising from it. On our right was the playground,
the archery range, and the kitchen gardens. But I headed to a bolder with Samara to
change while Arach tucked her treat in the big wooden trunk waiting for us.
“Are you ready?” I asked Sam.
She nodded eagerly.
“All right. Do you want me to go first?”
“Mommy!”
“Okay.” I laughed and helped her out of her dress before handing it to a Fire-Sidhe
maid waiting to one side.
As soon as she was naked, Sam leapt off the ground and shifted in mid-leap. I
gaped at my daughter as her cry of delight turned into a dragon's shriek and she flapped
her wings wildly to gain height. The maid applauded as Sam took off.
“Don't go too far!” I called after her as I hurried out of my clothes. “Damn it,” I
muttered and handed my clothes to the maid. “Thank you, Elasa.”
“You're welcome, my Queen.” She took our clothes to pack into the trunk with all
the things we needed for our picnic.
And then I shifted. Instantly, I sympathized with Sam. My dragon was just as eager
to get free and start flying. Age hadn't dampened the thrill of flying for us. As my body
grew and lengthened, the power and freedom of a beast filled me, and I lifted my head
to roar.
My mate's roar answered.
Then I was flying, circling the castle with my young while I waited for Arach to
collect the trunk and join us. Pride burst in my heart at the sight of my daughter, her
dragon a miniature version of mine. The joy of that was so great, it's nearly
indescribable. An elation that defies words. My body trembled with it. As I had told Sam,
we didn't need her to continue the race, but there was something so satisfying to know
that I had done my part. I brought that beautiful dragon girl into the world. And the
world was so much better for it.
Samara dove and rose. She spun and shrieked. Her wings spread and caught the
warm currents rising from the cracks in the Fire Kingdom to defy winter. She glided like
a princess. And below us, Fire Fey streamed out of their homes and ran out of the woods
to wave and cheer. We usually got a warm reception from our people, they were Fire Fey
after all, but they instantly noted the new addition to our dread and cheered louder. I
heard Samara's name among the cheering.
Samara shrieked back and spun for them. She was already so adept at flying. Was
it because she had waited so long to shift? Or was this a hint of the Wild Magic showing
itself? Was there more to come? No, I wouldn't worry about that. We would deal with it if
it ever happened. Sam was alive and healthy. That's all that mattered.
Then it occurred to me that maybe Arach hadn't forgotten about the apple thing.
Maybe that was why he'd been so worried. A little Wild Magic could have shifted
Samara's Dragon-Sidhe essence. It could have tipped the scales, if you'll forgive the pun.
But it hadn't. Not in that way. I looked over at Arach and found his stare locked on our
daughter. Pride oozed from him as expected, but with it was a great amount of relief.
And I don't think it was only to do with the continuation of the species. If Sam had been
altered, she might not have been the same child we were meant to have.
But this wasn't a day to dwell on might have beens. I focused on my family and the
joy of flying beside them. We still had a lot of ground to cross, and the Tine would be
frigid when we got there. But dragons aren't bothered by the cold. We would make our
own heat.
 As predicted, the children didn't care about the cold water. They pulled on their
swimsuits, turned up their body heat, and ran for the Tine. Lunch would have to wait.
Grinning at each other, Arach and I strode to the hot springs naked. We chose one
of the smaller pools and crawled over the mossy edge to slide down the smooth basin
and into the bubbling water. I sighed as great clouds of steam surrounded me. It
reminded me of being with Arach and Azrael in the Fire Garden at the Castle of Eight.
But this steam wasn't confined to a dome. It drifted about, twining around my husband
and me to conceal us from anyone nearby but also each other.
“There you are!” Arach grabbed my waist and pulled me to him, drawing us to the
center of the pool.
Bubbles tickled my legs and burst on the surface of the water. Droplets clung to
my husband's sleek body. My dragon purred like a cat. Freshly shifted after a flight, she
was still close, right under my skin. Ready to pounce. I couldn't be sure if it was her or
me who cocked my hips to cradle Arach's erection.
The sound of laughing children echoed to us through the steam. I lifted my head.
It sounded eerie, as if they were lost.
“We'll be fast,” Arach promised as he lifted me.
My body spread for his automatically—arms going to his shoulders as my legs
wrapped around his waist. And there, at my core, I went liquid for him. Arach speared
upward, sliding in with a groan. We were still for a moment and then the water began to
churn. It splashed around us, steam swirling. I clung to Arach as he moved primally, his
body bowing and muscles bunching. He held me effortlessly, even moved me onto
himself, lifting me, then bringing me down as his cock surged up.
“Sometimes, I miss this,” Arach panted.
“Sex?” I teased him.
“You.” He slowed, then brought me to the rim of the pool and laid me against the
moss. “I miss you and me. Us. Alone.”
“Arach,” I whispered.
“I love our children.” He bent his head to kiss me. “I love them more than
anything. Only my love for you exceeds my love for them. And sometimes I miss loving
only you.” He slid in and out of me slowly. “I miss having you all to myself.” He sped up a
little and ground against me with every thrust. “I miss fucking you whenever I wish.”
Water splashed upward as he went faster. “Fucking you for days at a time. Never leaving
bed.”
I pulled my legs back, then slid them up his chest to drape over his shoulders. “I
miss that too.”
Arach growled and bent forward. He nipped at my lips, drawing blood before
kissing me. Then he slashed his lips over my teeth, offering an exchange. Our mingled
blood coated our kiss, blasting love through our minds as it saturated our bodies.
Arach's thrusts became wild, the water barely getting a chance to flow back between us.
And then we were cresting together, and I locked stares with him. His yellow, dragon
eyes glowed through the mist. I yanked him down and kissed him to drown out our cries.
When our passion drained away at last, Arach cradled me to his chest and turned
to lie against the rim of the pool with me in his arms. We sighed together, bodies languid
in the hot water, and then a shriek penetrated the mist.
 “Mommy!”
I grimaced at Arach. “We love them.”
“As I said.” He chuckled as I sat up.
“Over here!” I called to our daughter.
“I'm hungry!”
“I told you to eat more meat!” I huffed and headed for the side of the pool as my
husband groaned.
 The next day, Arach and I waited on the Road of Neutrality before Castle Aithinne
with a unit of Red Caps. The massive faeries with their hats dripping ancient blood
shuffled their ponderous feet over the packed earth, churning up the steam that rose
from the magma moat behind them. They looked fearsome, even in their impatience, but
my husband was the most fearsome of all.
Arach stood with chest lifted and arms crossed, staring straight ahead at the
Forgetful Forest with his bright yellow eyes. He was in his weredragon form, needing no
weapons. His hands were weapons, tipped as they were in claws. His feet were
weapons, also clawed. His head was a weapon, crowned with horns. His—well, you get
the idea. The guy was danger personified, and he was waiting to pounce.
I was also in my weredragon form simply because it would get me to wherever I
needed to go faster. With two possible entry points for the trickster, we thought it best
to remain before Aithinne, which was between the two. And with our wings, we'd get to
whichever location in seconds.
Which was why there were winged Hidden-Ones and Hags among the Red Caps.
The Red Caps were serious muscle, but they would take too long. So, either way, they
would wait at the castle to receive whoever their King and Queen delivered into their
eager hands. Plus, we had more units of Red Caps posted at the Imleag and the Great
Tree. We were just waiting on—
The Great Tree! Faerie shouted in our minds.
And not just in Arach's and my minds. She also spoke to the winged warriors in
our group. We took flight together, the Red Caps grumbling to be left in the dust, and
shot toward the Great Tree at the End of the Road. Thoughts spun through my mind.
The Great Tree. That was the public tracing point. It was good to know that the cavern
below the Golden Citadel was still secure, but if they were coming through the tracing
point, they were either Fey, a known friend of the Fey, or had gotten past one of the
strongest wards in existence. Wait. If they had Viper, he would be their pass through the
ward!
Hurry! Faerie cried. Your guards are just standing there. They're doing nothing!
“Is Viper there?” I demanded.
Yes. He looks as dazed as your Red Caps.
Dazed? What the hell? The group of Red Caps at the Great Tree included Fearghal,
the Captain of the Goblin Guard. He was not a man to stand aside and shirk duty. And
the only time I'd seen Fearghal dazed was when I made a movie reference.
The Hags cackled and the Hidden-Ones howled, but my husband flew silently, only
his wings making noise, though it was thunderous. I was as quiet as him, my stare set on
the crossroads where the Road of Neutrality met the road that led from the Great Tree
to the Castle of Eight. Almost there. I could see the Red Caps, and they were indeed
standing still as someone dressed in dark clothes removed some manacles from Viper's
wrists.
And Viper just stood there, even when he was freed.
I landed with a screech.
The stranger, covered in cloth like a ninja, swung toward me. Even their eyes were
hidden behind a visor. I couldn't tell if they were male or female, but if they were male,
they were a slender man. Graceful. And they gracefully launched the Devil's pitchfork at
Viper.
My war screech turned into one of fear as I watched the pitchfork embed itself in
Viper's belly. I stumbled, hitting Arach, and the rest of our flying faeries were distracted
by the chaos.
Leaving the trickster free to flee.
“Get them!” Arach shouted as he steadied me.
But it was too late. The trickster had reached the massive trunk of the Great Tree.
Slapping their gloved hand upon it, they vanished.
The Dragon King roared.
My roar echoed his, but it contained more than fury. There was also terror for my
husband. Viper was sprawled on the dirt road, a puddle of blood growing beneath him.
“Viper?!” I yanked the pitchfork out of his belly and tossed it aside.
Viper grunted, then blinked. As he came to, so did the Red Caps. I heard them
growling and shuffling around me. But I didn't take my attention away from my
husband.
“Viper?” I brushed the blood from his belly, then sighed when I saw that his skin
was already healing.
Whatever magic was in the Devil's pitchfork, it hadn't done anything to Viper.
Maybe it recognized family. Or maybe it was another fake. I didn't care. As long as Viper
was safe.
“Vervain?” Viper moaned and rubbed his stomach. “What happened?” Then he
frowned. “Why are you in that body?” He looked around. “Are we in Faerie? How did we
get here?”
“You have no memory of being taken?” I asked.
“Taken? Taken by who?”
“The trickster,” Arach growled. “He's fine, Vervain. We need to go after the one
who took him.”
“We can't. We need Torrent to track someone through the Aether.”
“Then go get Torrent!”
I looked down at Viper.
“I'm fine, Starlight. Go.” Viper sat up and looked around. “Arach can fill me in
while you're gone.”
I nodded and ran for the tree. With a slap of my palm, I was drawn into the Aether.
My thoughts directed me through that living realm of possibilities and to the tracing
chamber of Pride Palace. I swung open the door to find the God Squad waiting. The
timing was perfect. They must have just assembled and were waiting for my return from
Faerie. But they hadn't expected me to come through the tracing room.
Everyone jerked back at my sudden and dragonly appearance.
“Torrent!” I shouted and held out my hand.
“I'm here!” Torrent grabbed my hand, and we went back into the Aether, this time,
through a tunnel of Internet.
 I had the scent. There was no way that I was going to lose the trickster now. We
caught them before they could bleach their trail. Arach had been right to insist that I
wait in Faerie. We were going to get them.
“There!” I pointed at the scent trail that my mind translated into a visual mist of
pale blue.
Torrent maneuvered the tunnel of Internet, twisting it through the Aether, past
bobbing witch spells in their gestational phase, symbols of desires, and memories of
those who had come through recently. Among them was doubtless a memory belonging
to the trickster. It was the Aether's toll for passage and its source of fuel. But weeding
through those memories wouldn't get me anywhere if I didn't know what I was looking
for. Nowhere but insane.
So I focused on the trail and directed Torrent to the end of it. “They exited there,”
I said.
Torr took us out of the Aether and into a bare room. Motion-activated lights came
on, revealing a door. I took the door into a corridor. The click of more motion-activated
lights came, and fluorescents buzzed overhead, illuminating the bare cement walls and
floor. Doors stood to either side and a set of stairs was directly ahead. The place looked
very familiar.
“No,” I whispered. Then I ran up the steps.
Torrent chased after me, so he barreled into me when I abruptly stopped in the
open doorway. “Umph,” he groaned. Then patted my wings. “Sorry, V.”
I didn't say anything, just stepped out onto the fake grass of Moonshine's V.I.P.
level. Thank goodness I was up there and hadn't come out on the bottom floor. Even
with faeries being out of the magic closet these days, the sight of a weredragon would
not go over well with humans. And there were humans in Moonshine, mixing with gods
and faeries alike. But there was no one on the terrace.
I followed the trail numbly. It took me to one of the hills/couches. There, upon the
fluffy fake grass, was a star. I picked it up. Gold. Five points. The trail ended with it. I
lifted my head and sniffed. Many smells tingled my dragon senses, but the scent that
had led me there was attached to the star. That's it. I had followed the star, not the
trickster. But that was impossible.
“How?” I growled. “How did they bring this here without leaving another trail?”
I turned to look at the Family Door that led down to the tracing room and guest
rooms. It shouldn't have surprised me that the trickster could get past our ward. They
had gotten into Heaven, Hell, and Faerie. Still, I was shocked. They had come through
our private entrance, bypassing security, and left that star for us to find.
“They'll still playing,” Torrent said as he searched the area. “Nothing else here, V.
I think they must have come and left.”
“But I don't smell any bleach,” I said. “How did they cover their tracks?”
Torrent's eyes focused ahead of him, then started to move as if he was reading.
Because he was. “I'm assuming your dragon tracking skills are similar to a canine's but
stronger.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“The only way to keep a smell from a tracking dog would be to put it in an airtight
container. Like a zip baggie but thicker. Or they'd have to confuse your nose. Either hurt
your sniffer with a chemical or be afraid.”
“Be afraid?” I asked. “Yes, they should be very afraid.”
Torrent blinked and refocused on me. “No, I mean the scent of fear can confuse
tracking dogs.”
“Oh.” I looked down at the star. “I don't think it interferes with my tracking.
Dragons like fear.”
“Then chemicals or complete enclosure are their only options.”
“Complete enclosure?” I whispered, an image of the trickster coming to me. “They
were wrapped up, head to toe. Even their eyes were covered by a visor.”
“Well, if it was fabric they were wearing, that wouldn't matter. But if, say, they
were in a sealed suit, one that didn't allow any air through, then that might work. But
they would have needed an air supply. Did you see a tank?”
I grimaced at him.
“Oh. Yeah. Gods. Or faeries. Magic.”
“If they're an Air-Sidhe, they could generate their own supply,” I said. “So we're
back to the Fey. But it can't be the Air Royals. They're indebted to me.”
“Maybe another Air Faerie?” Torrent suggested. “You've had run-ins with them
before, right?”
“The only one I can think of is Arach's ex-girlfriend, and I don't think she's that
bitter or ambitious enough to do this.”
“Then maybe it's a god. Someone with Air Magic.”
I sighed. “We'd better get back. I've got Arach and Viper waiting in Faerie, and the
whole Squad in the God Realm. They'll all be anxious.”
“Do you think that's a clue?” Torrent waved at the star.
“It has to be. I'm assuming it's a reference to my star.”
“Not much of a clue.” He turned and headed for the door.
“No, it isn't.” I looked around, not daring to go to the edge and peer into the club,
not in my current body. And shifting would mean getting naked. Definitely not doing
that.
I could have sent Torrent down to ask whoever was guarding the bottom of the
stairs if anyone had come past them, but I didn't think they had. The trickster had to
change their plans because I nearly caught them. Perhaps they had meant to leave more
with the star. But they had to drop it and run. No, they weren't downstairs dancing with
humans. They were long gone. And they hadn't left a trail for me to follow.
I prowled after Torrent. Now I was angry.
 Torrent went back to Pride Palace to let everyone know what had happened while
I went to Faerie to collect Arach and Viper. Neither of them was pleased with the news,
but Viper took it worse than Arach. Understandable after what he'd been through.
“The trickster has the power to put faeries and gods into an unresponsive state,”
Arach said.
“I wasn't unresponsive,” Viper growled. “I remember moving and I could see
normally, but I couldn't process what was happening. I remember, but it's all vague. A
haze in my mind.”
“You couldn't respond,” Arach said. “That makes you unresponsive whether you
remember anything or not.”
“I don't understand,” Fearghal said in a lost tone, his low, deep voice sounding so
sad. “I see them come through, and I be goin' to grab 'em, but then I just be standin'
here.” He shook his head. “I don't understand.”
“My point is, there is no fey magic like that,” Arach went on after a sympathetic
glance at Fearghal. “I'm sure this is a god.”
“All right. Well, there's that at least,” I said. “Let's get back to Aithinne. I need to
shift, get dressed, and kiss the kids before we head to Pride Palace.”
“That will take too long, Vervain,” Arach said. “You have clothes at Pride Palace.
Shift and change when you get there. We're going through the Aether, remember? Time
has caught up.”
“But the kids.”
“We'll both use our rings to return. They won't miss us.”
I sighed and looked down at the star I still held. “All right.”
“Go back to Aithinne, all of you,” Arach said to our people. “I will probably be
there by the time you return. But if I'm not, let the others know that we're going to the
God Realm in pursuit of the villain.”
“Yes, King Arach,” Fearghal said, then he nodded at his soldiers.
The Hags and Hidden-Ones shrieked and took to the sky, blocking out the sun with
their wings. In the darkness, the star gleamed. There was something about it that
bothered me.
“Damn it!” I hissed. “I forgot to have Torrent check this for magic.”
“Well, it's too late now,” Viper said. “Let's get you to Pride Palace. Hopefully, if it is
enchanted, Torr will destroy the spell before it goes too far.”
“Yeah, all right.” I looked him over. “Are you okay, Viper?”
“My pride is hurt more than my belly.” He lifted the pitchfork. “But at least we can
return the Devil's toy.”
“Yeah. I'm wondering if they had planned on leaving that with you or if they were
forced to use it to distract us.”
“It was a hell of a distraction.” Viper grinned, already over his anger. “Get it? Hell.
Pitchfork.”
I snorted. “I'm glad you're all right, babe.”
 “She was very worried,” Arach said.
“Aw, I love you too, Starlight,” Viper said.
“I had to wait here for four days,” I grumbled. “And during those days, I had to see
Az and the human world leaders.”
“She is not good at hiding her emotions,” Arach said dryly. “Azrael knew
something was wrong.”
“But I didn't tell him,” I huffed as I went to the tree.
“You came dangerously close.” Arach rolled his eyes.
I looked back at the sound of marching feet. The Red Caps were heading home. So
much fuss over this trickster's game. I was going to make them wish they'd chosen other
opponents.
 The entire God Squad was there, including Horus, Hekate, Hades, and Persephone
who had left their kids at home. Luke and Jesus were also there, and I had to remind
myself that for them, this was the day of Viper's abduction. They had just come from the
Blood Volcano.
Luke clapped his hands in delight when Viper emerged from the tracing chamber
with his pitchfork.
“Oh, well done!” Lucifer took the pitchfork and stroked it lovingly. “Hello,
darling.”
“So, that's the genuine article?” I asked.
“Oh, yes. Isn't she lovely?”
“Luke, could you not rub your shaft in public?” Pan asked with a straight face.
The Devil glared at Pan.
Pan burst out laughing.
“Torrent, could you check if this is enchanted?” I asked before the Devil said a bad
word.
“Oh, shoot!” Torrent hurried over to me. “I should have done that. Lemme see.”
He peered at the star, then grinned. “You're all good, V. No spell.”
“That's a relief.” I handed the star to Azrael, who was closest to me, standing with
his arms crossed.
“Now, I know why you've been in a bad mood,” I said.
Azrael lifted a brow.
“I couldn't tell you about Viper.”
“I know. But by implying something was wrong, you made me worry. And I couldn't
tell you or anyone else. I worried alone.”
“I'm sorry, Az.”
He sighed. “It's all right, Carus.” He pulled me into a hug. “As soon as Jesus told
us about the trickster, I figured it had something to do with that. I just wasn't sure why
you'd head to Faerie until we were faced with those chains.” He looked over at Arach.
“Hello, lizard.”
“Hello, mutant,” Arach said. “I came to help.”
“Yes, I assumed so.” Az let go of me. “So, Torrent says you think the trickster is
wearing an air-tight suit.”
“Could be,” I said. “They didn't leave a trail.”
“Then why bother with bleach at all?” Thor asked.
I held up my hands. “Let me get changed before we get into this.” I headed to the
elevator.
“Maybe they didn't want us to know about their suit,” Torrent continued the
conversation.
I couldn't. I needed a few minutes alone to breathe and process. To accept that
everyone I loved was safe. I got into the elevator and closed the door. Through the
golden bars, I saw my husbands, all of them, staring back at me. I smiled wanly so they
wouldn't worry. Several of them nodded. Viper smiled back, but it looked as strained as
mine felt.
I went up to our suite and shifted into my main body. Through the terrace arch,
the twinkle of stars caught my eye. Instead of making me feel the weight of the day, the
night revived me, calling to my Moon Magic. I had always been a night owl, but having
the Moon inside me gave me a new kinship with the night. My shoulders relaxed as I
walked into my dressing room. I noted that the tower doors were shut, so it had to be
late enough that the kids were asleep. All those investigations in Heaven must have
taken longer than I thought.
I didn't dawdle. My men were being sweet by not following me up there, so I'd be
considerate and hurry. I pulled on some underwear, then a dress, because dresses go on
faster than other things. Then it was some flat shoes, and I was heading back
downstairs. Even with my speed, I knew I had missed something important when I
entered the dining hall.
“Try the station,” Thor said.
“What's going on?” I asked.
“The star, Vervain,” Trevor said. “It's a Texas star.”
A chill ran down my spine. That was all he needed to say. I had been a damn
narcissist to assume the star was about me. My star had nine points. Not to mention, it
wasn't common knowledge. But this trickster seemed to know a lot that they shouldn't.
So I had assumed they had left the star as a threat against me or maybe a reference to
when I was the Dark Star. The star was metal but cheaply made. Nothing special. That
made me think they simply bought whatever star they could find, maybe a Christmas
decoration. But it had never occurred to me that it could be a clue leading to somewhere
else.
And someone else.
“Austin,” I whispered and immediately felt for the bond that connected us. I was
the source of his magic, goddess to his demigod. I could sense him if I tried. “Got him!”
I ran to the tracing room.
“Hold on, Vervain.” Kirill grabbed my arm. “Ve're going vith you.”
“Whoever's coming grab on,” I growled, dragging him with me.
I don't know who took Kirill's hand, but I led them into the tracing room, then
through the Aether to where my lion was. I wasn't about to waste a second when he
could be in danger. Austin had been through some rough times. He was the first Intare I
had made instead of inherited. I had to figure it out on the fly, but he was dying and that
was some serious motivation. I was worried that Austin might resent me for binding him
to me and ending his humanity, but he'd been thrilled and had taken to the supernatural
world like a fish to water. A catfish, in his case.
But that hadn't been too long ago. Austin was a little, demigod baby compared to
everyone else. And he was the only one of my lions who lived outside of Pride Palace.
Some of the men had girlfriends whom they visited a lot, but they all called the palace
home. Especially when we were under attack. I hadn't known this was an attack, but I
still felt guilty for not warning Austin and summoning him to the palace for safety. He
was my responsibility. I had introduced him to this world, then yanked him into it and
forced him to stay.
I came out of the Aether in Austin's backyard. He had a few acres that were
mostly bare if you didn't count the enormous pink flamingo and other monstrosities he
had posed around the place to give the middle finger to the horde of Yankees (his words)
that were invading Lexington and buying up all the property. Land around the Golden
Citadel had become prime real estate, but Austin refused to sell his ranch-style, Lincoln
logs-esque home.
My heart stopped. Austin was sprawled in a lawn chair, arms and legs spread
akimbo, hat over his face. He looked dead, and I was too distraught to realize that I
wouldn't have been able to sense him if he had been dead. Instead, I shrieked his name
and ran over to him.
“What in tarnation?” Austin batted away my clutching hands and shot upright.
“Vervain? What are you doing here?”
I caught my breath. “You're okay?”
“Yeah, I'm fine. Plumb tuckered out, but fine.” He looked around the yard. Texas
was seven hours behind Pride Palace, so it was still daylight. “I must have dozed off.
Why were you hollerin' like a cat in heat?”
“Because I thought you were dead!”
“Why would you think that?”
“Someone has been playing games with us.” I looked over my shoulder at the gods
who had tagged along—my husbands, Torrent, and Thor. “We thought you were in
danger.”
“Why?”
“They left us a gold star. It looked like the Texas star.”
“And you got 'Austin's a goner' from that?” He collected his black cowboy hat
(black for winter even though it wasn't all that cold in Texas), smacked it against his
thigh, then set it on his head. “Thanks for bein' concerned and all, but I'm just fine.”
“And you're going to stay that way,” I said. “Pack a bag. You're moving into Pride
Palace until this is over.”
Austin grimaced and looked at all the grim faces. “That bad, eh?”
“They took Viper,” I said.
“And stabbed me with Luke's pitchfork,” Viper added.
“Holy shit!” Then Austin blinked. “Luke has a pitchfork?”
I stared at him.
“Alright, alright, woman. I'm goin'.” He sauntered into his house muttering about
crazy Yankees.
I looked down at the lawn chair and the cooler sitting beside it.
“Don't mind if I do,” Viper said and opened the cooler. He pulled out a beer,
popped the cap off with his thumb, and swigged.
“What was that star about?” I asked, looking away from Viper.
Around the perimeter of Austin's yard were stone walls that divided his property
from those of his neighbors. His many neighbors. Big companies had come in, purchased
the land, then divided it up into little parcels for cookie-cutter homes with postage
stamp yards. And they were all decked out with lights and plastic Santas for Christmas.
It wasn't dark yet, so they weren't as garish as Austin's decorations, but my eye
happened to snag on a star. I felt that strange feeling again. That something was terribly
wrong.
Then Azrael's cellphone went off.
Startled, Az pulled it out of his jacket and answered.
I spun toward him, anxiously watching his face. His expression didn't bode well.
“We'll be right there,” Azrael said and hung up.
“What have they taken?” Odin asked.
“Not what. Who,” Azrael said grimly. “Alexander is missing.”
It took me a second to remember who Alexander was. In my defense, there were a
lot of families living in our protected community around the Golden Citadel. But Alex
was special. His name should have registered immediately. Alex's mother had been
pregnant when Wild Magic had run rampant through the world. It had changed him as it
had many other children who'd been born or gestating during that time. Unfortunately,
Alex didn't get a subtle fey trait or even a pretty one by human standards. He had been
born looking like a Red Cap, with dark green skin and heavy Goblin features. His mother
gave him up for adoption but it was a hard decision for her, and she was still a part of
his life. In fact, Alexander's adoptive parents—A Red Cap named Machar and a Bean-
Sidhe named Slainidh, had moved to Lexington to be near Alexander's mother, Emma.
Yeah, I knew a lot about Alex because he was one of the first human-born children
touched by the Wild Magic who was adopted by faeries.
And because I had hunted Machar for a while.
“Machar must be going insane,” I whispered.
“He's not thrilled,” Az said dryly. “We need to get—”
“Hold the presses!” Torrent shouted.
“What is it now?” Austin drawled from the backdoor. He had a backpack slung
over his shoulder and his best pair of boots on his feet.
“I know where the baby is,” Torrent said.
“What baby?” Austin asked. “For goodness’ sake, I leave for like five minutes and
someone's stolen a baby? What is this, Willow?”
I blinked at the movie reference, but I was too concerned about Alexander to
comment on it. “Where is he, Torr?”
“Rockefeller Center,” Torrent said. “A bunch of humans found him. He was under
the tree.”
“Under the tree like the baby Jesus,” I growled and traced. Yeah, it was stupid to
leave like that, but I was furious. And everyone knew where I was going.
I came out of the Aether in a crowd. It was a damn miracle I didn't trace into
someone. Police officers were holding people back; yellow crime tape in place around
the massive Christmas tree on its perch above the ice rink at Rockefeller Center. I
looked up the branches—unlit since it was still afternoon there as well—and set my stare
on the star that topped the tree. It was a simple one this year—gold with five points.
“Pardon us,” someone said.
I looked over my shoulder to see Azrael there in his Faerie God guise. People cried
out in shock and excitement, many drawing out of his way but many more stroking
Azrael's arms as if he were, well, a god. Which he was. So, yeah, fair enough. The police
officers straightened, and one of them came forward to meet Az halfway, but Azrael
veered to collect me along the way.
“Don't do that again,” Azrael hissed under his breath as he took my arm. “Not in
the midst of this.”
“Sorry,” I muttered and went with him to meet the officer.
“Uh, hello, Sir,” the policeman said. “I'm Captain Chen.”
“Nice to meet you, Captain.” Azrael nodded to the man. “I imagine you know why
we're here.”
“Yes, Sir. And I'm happy to release the child to you. Honestly, he's, uh, beyond our
abilities to care for.” He glanced over his shoulder toward the tree. An older woman in a
thick coat was chasing around what looked like a bundle of cloth, her expression
strained. He looked back at us to add, “Just a few questions first.”
“Someone abducted the child, Captain,” Azrael said. “That's all I can tell you.”
“Oh. Uh. Well, I suppose that's all then, Sir.”
“Good. I'd like to take him home to his parents now.”
 “Right. Sure.” The Captain turned and brought us through the crowd, then
through the line of police officers.
It was only then that I realized the officers were there as much to confine Alex as
to keep the crowd back. We had called him a baby, but Alexander was around three
years old. With his Red Cap essence, he was more like a six-year-old with the mentality
of a three-year-old. He hadn't matured faster, like Samara. He was just big. And solid.
“Mommy, now!” he screeched.
“We're trying to find your mommy,” the harried woman said.
“Alex!” I called. “Alexander, it's Aunty V!”
The bundle of blankets turned toward me to reveal Alexander's pudgy green face,
his nose like a slab of butter that had started to melt, and his dark hair a wild mess that
fell across his narrowed eyes.
He shrieked and tossed aside the blankets to run to me. “Aunty V!”
“Oh, thank God,” the woman moaned.
“Alex!” I crouched to catch him. “Are you all right?”
“I want my mommy,” he whispered, his bravado suddenly gone. A tear escaped his
eye and his face squished up.
“I'm taking you to your mommy right now, okay?”
“Okay. Thank you. Please. Thank you.”
His parents had been trying to teach him manners. It would have been adorable if
fear and relief hadn't made his words tremble.
“Az.” I looked up at him.
“I'll finish talking to the police and then I'll meet you at the citadel,” Azrael said.
“Machar will be there.”
“Okay. Close your eyes, Alex.”
Alex nodded, squeezed his eyes shut, and hugged me tightly. I cradled him close
and then traced us to the Golden Citadel. We reformed in the tracing room in the same
position.
“All right, we're home,” I said.
Alex warily opened his eyes, then let go of me and stood back. I went to take his
hand, but he was already running out of the tracing room.
“Mommy! Daddy!” Alex shouted.
“Son!” Machar's response came immediately. “Alexander!”
I stepped out of the tracing room to find a group of people waiting for us. Among
them were my husbands and the Squad. The entire Squad. Machar and Slainidh were at
the front of the group, already wrapped around their son.
Machar looked up when I approached. He kissed his son, then stood up to face me.
“Your husband told us he was found in New York City.”
“That's right. Someone has been tormenting us. It started small and then
escalated. They took Hades's friend, Persephone's dog, then Viper. Alex is their latest
victim. I'm so sorry.”
Machar nodded. “I will join the hunt.”
“Machar,” Slainidh said as she clutched their son close.
Machar looked at Slainidh, meeting her red eyes with his own dark stare. “I will
join the hunt.”
Slainidh grimaced, looked at Alex, then nodded. “Come, honey, let's go home and
have some hot chocolate.”
“Where's Daddy going?” Alex asked.
“To find the bad people who took you.”
“Someone took me?”
Slainidh paused. “You don't remember?”
Alex shook his head. “I was playing outside and then it was cold, and I was under
a big tree.”
Slainidh looked at me.
“It's been the same with all of them,” I said. “Alexander should be fine. No one
seems to have suffered any other side effects. Just a hazy memory.”
Slainidh transferred her stare to her lover. “You know what to do.”
Machar nodded.
Slainidh took their son home, and Machar stretched his neck, preparing to do
what he had to do to protect his family. Blood dripped from his cap and ran down the
side of his face.
Soon, there would be more blood to soak his cap in.
 We were in the bird room. It had a name but I couldn't remember it. I just called it
the bird room because of the giant aviary in the center of it. Maybe it was the Bird
Room, who knows? My mind couldn't focus on stuff like that at the moment. It was
swirling with confusion, trying to figure out how the trickster was tricking us. But then I
focused on the birds.
The birds were fey, and they weren't caged. Not in that aviary, at least. Beyond the
gilded bars, the floor fell away and opened to the world beneath the citadel. The birds
were lured to this upper level with bowls of food and water, but they were free to fly
away at any time. They often stayed though, hanging out on the perches even after
they'd eaten their fill. Fey birds are braver than those of Earth and they're more curious.
They watched us as we watched them.
But I looked beyond them, contemplating the shaft below. Could someone use it to
gain entrance to the maze? They'd have to get past the enchanted bars of the cage first
and through the citadel before that. But the trickster had proved themselves capable of
a lot. The shaft below the birdcage let out somewhere near the entrance of the maze,
and guards were posted there. The Elemental Well should be safe. Still, I made a mental
note to have Azrael install a grate over the opening so that only birds could pass
through.
As if a grate could stop the trickster.
What could? That's what was bugging me. How were we going to stop this person?
And how were they doing this? I was baffled. And, to be honest, frightened. I'd spent so
long feeling superior, and maybe this was payback for it. Sure, there had been enemies
who had come close to triumphing over me, but I always won in the end. I won because
it wasn't just me. I had the support of my family and friends, and we had some powerful
allies to call on if necessary. But even individually, I felt superior. Terrible word, but true.
Analyzing myself, I realized that I had gotten cocky. I think it may have been Jerry who
tipped the scales. Defeating him had made me feel as if we could take on anyone.
But we had to face our enemy to defeat them. And this enemy remained faceless.
“Azrael,” Odin said.
We all followed Odin's stare toward the doorway.
Azrael strode in, back to his normal self. It was a relief to see him for several
reasons. First, I wanted to know what he'd found at the scene and if I should go back
and have a sniff. But I was also happy to see that he hadn't spent so much time as the
Faerie God that he couldn't come back. The last thing we needed in the middle of this
was Azrael going rogue.
“Anything?” Machar, who was standing beside the door, asked.
Azrael frowned at Machar, then said, “Nothing. I interviewed the woman who
found Alex, and she said he simply appeared beneath the tree.”
“Alone?” I asked.
“Yes. She said he was lying beneath the tree, then he stumbled to his feet and
stared around as if he were lost. When she approached him, he looked startled. Then he
started crying for his mother.”
“I'm going to tear this trickster apart,” Machar growled, blood dripping from his
hat to trail down his cheek. “What kind of monster takes children?”
“Indeed,” Azrael muttered.
 “Alone,” I repeated. “But Viper wasn't alone.”
“Perhaps the trickster glamoured themselves invisible so the humans couldn't see
them,” Trevor said.
I nodded. That had to be it. Was this more proof that this person was a god? Not
really. Faeries couldn't make themselves invisible, but they could camouflage themselves
to the point where they were practically invisible. Especially if there were plants
around.
“I'm going back to see if I can find a scent,” I said as I stood up.
“Vervain, it's late,” Odin said. “You've been going all day at this. And you know
there won't be a trail for you. This trickster only leaves trails when he wants us to follow.
And when they do that, they're not obvious but they're not subtle either. I think you
would have found something. Or Az would have.”
“I need to look anyway.”
“Very well. Do what you must. But then you come home. Agreed?”
I stared at Odin's beautiful face, every line of it strong. And those stunning eyes
that went from purple to blue to green. Jewel tones. Shimmering like a peacock feather.
Staring at him, I had the oddest thought pop into my head. He was still waiting to have a
baby with me. Odin wanted to be a father again, but there were children who needed to
be born in a certain order. I'd seen them in a broken future, and I had to make sure they
were born in this future before I even thought about having other babies.
Now, those children had been born. And yet Odin hadn't pestered me for a baby.
Honestly, we already had Vidar, and we had raised Vali together too. The other men
thought it was only right that he wait for another chance at fatherhood with me. And
then there was Re. Re had children as well, but not by me. He said he wanted to wait,
but I wasn't so sure. The way Odin and Re watched me with the kids made me think they
weren't as patient as they led on.
But Strawberry Shortcake! I needed a break from bearing babies.
“Vervain?” Odin prompted.
“Huh?”
“That's it,” Odin said and took my hand. “We're going home.”
“What about this trickster?” Machar demanded.
“Your son is safe,” Azrael said gently. “And you are not the only one who has been
taken from. We will continue the hunt tomorrow.”
Machar's jaw clenched and his lips pressed together. His rough, Red Cap features
squished into something almost unrecognizable as a person. Then he grunted. “Very
well. I will return in the morning.” Then he strode out, his heavy footsteps thudding on
the marble floor.
I stared after him, trying to regain my line of thought.
“Vervain?” Odin tugged on my hand.
“I'm not ready to have another baby yet,” I said.
Odin's eyes widened. “I didn't ask you to.”
I blinked. “I know. Sorry. I guess I'm tired.”
“You don't get tired like zat,” Kirill said. “Torrent, are you sure zat star vasn't
enchanted?”
“It wasn't by the time it was given to me,” Torrent said carefully. “It's possible
there was a spell on it that slipped into Vervain and dissipated.”
“Fuck,” Viper cursed. “Teharon!”
“A Thaisce?” Arach was suddenly beside me, pushing back my hair and staring
into my eyes. “You're right, Kirill. Something's wrong.”
“Calm yourselves,” Teharon said as he came through the crowd.
I met Teharon's turquoise eyes and smiled. Teharon was so handsome. I loved his
long black hair. And the feather that he always wore. I loved that the white feather was
tipped in blood. I loved blood. It's so delicious. And I loved Teharon. He had saved my
life.
“Yes, there's something here,” Teharon said.
I hadn't even noticed his hand on my shoulder. I was too lost in his eyes.
“Close your eyes, Vervain,” Teharon said.
“Okiedokie.” I closed my eyes.
“Okiedokie?” Horus asked. “Promise me we will never become that type of
parents, my love.”
“Shut up, Horus!” Hekate hissed.
Then cool magic rushed through me like a waterfall, taking something with it.
Clarity came. I opened my eyes with a sharp breath. “Son of a biscuit!” I growled. “They
got me again!”
“What happened to you?” Re demanded. “What were you feeling?”
“It was subtle. I didn't notice it until it took over. It just crept up on me.”
“What crept up on you?” Horus demanded.
“Confusion,” I whispered. Before he could back away, I squeezed Teharon's arm.
“Thank you again, Teharon.”
“Anytime, Vervain.”
“Confusion,” Odin said, his focus going inward. “That's a very specific magic.”
“It would explain how they got Cerberus, Viper, and Alexander,” Re said.
“And made my Red Caps stand down,” Arach added. “Fearghal kept saying that he
didn't understand why he didn't act.”
“He didn't understand.” Odin nodded. “He was confused.”
“Yeah, that's what I felt,” Viper said. “I was too confused to do or say anything.”
“There are numerous gods of chaos who can cause confusion,” Torrent said. “Set,
for example, is called the God of Confusion.”
“Set?” I looked at Re.
Set was Anubis's father. And Anubis was Re's great-great-grandson. Set was not
the most pleasant man. His wife was lovely, though, and had even protected me once
with a blessing.
“It's not Set,” Re said. “This isn't his style.”
I snorted.
“Why is that funny?” Arach asked.
“Because it's true,” Horus said. “Set is more the sort to storm a castle, banners
streaming so you know you're about to get your ass kicked by the Great God of Chaos
and Adversity. He is not a trickster. In fact, he'd scoff at the very thought. Playing tricks
is beneath him.”
“There's Cydoemus, the Greek God of Battlefield Confusion,” Torrent offered.
“Not powerful enough,” Hades said.
“Well, Eris was powerful enough, but she's dead,” Torrent said. “She was the
Goddess of Chaos and Confusion.”
 A shiver went down my spine. Eris had been more than I'd expected. Not only did
she have her children—deadly gods who had been fathered by Ares, but she also had an
army of dead souls to fight for her. If Arach hadn't shown up with the Wild Hunt, I'm not
sure that we would have won that battle. But we had. Eris and all her children were
dead. Sort of sad, really.
“Who else?” Trevor asked Torrent.
I almost chuckled at Odin, whose expression had gone tight. He used to be the one
whom people would consult on occult matters or about other gods. Odin had an
extensive library of spellbooks and something I called his Santa TV that was the god
equivalent of a teddy bear cam. But everywhere. Could we have used it to find the
trickster? Maybe. If we had known who the trickster was. And he wasn't smart enough
to protect himself with a ward.
But then Torr joined the God Squad, and he became our version of Alexa or
Google. He was both of those combined and times ten. Torrent didn't just have access to
the Internet; he ruled it. He was the Internet God and nothing could hide from him
there. Government databases, bank information, whatever. If it was in any way
connected to the Web, he could find it. In an instant. Frankly, if he hadn't been on our
side, I would have suspected him of being the trickster.
“Well, there's Loki.” Torrent winced. “I know, I know, it can't be him.”
“Not necessarily,” Thor growled.
“Thor, it's been years,” I said. “Let it go.”
Viper looked at Trevor askance.
Trevor shook his head. Nope, he wasn't about to open that can of worms. Not in
front of Thor. And neither was I.
“There's also Hermes,” Torrent hurried on.
“No,” Pan said. “It's not my father.”
“He did print that article about Vervain becoming human,” Odin said.
“Sure, during the time when all of you hated her,” Pan shot back. “He's all right
with Vervain now.”
“Even after her time as the Dark Star?” Trevor asked.
“My father loves drama. Vervain gave him enough material to fill the Hermes
Herald for months.” Pan looked at Az. “And then you happened. You shot past Vervain's
Dark Star, Azrael. You became the Super Dark Star.”
“That's what Vervain and I were thinking,” Arach said. “We believe this is about
Azrael. The trickster attacked his family, then went after one of the children under his
protection.”
Everyone looked at Az.
Azrael grimaced. “That doesn't exactly cut down the list of suspects.”
“No, but it brings us back to your pantheon,” Odin said. “They would have access
to Heaven and Hell, and maybe even Faerie through that rath.”
“No,” Arach said. “If they had used the rath, they would have come through
another location in Faerie. They entered through the Great Tree, the tracing point.”
“That's one thing to be grateful for,” Az said.
“Enough of this,” Mrs E. said. “We may be gods, but we still need our rest. Let's
reconvene here tomorrow.”
“Not at Pride Palace?” Trevor asked.
“Machar,” Az said simply.
“Ah. Right. Okay then. Back here tomorrow at ten.”
 “Hold on. Ten in the morning?” Pan asked.
“Yes, Pan. Ten in the morning,” Az said.
“But ten in the morning Pride Palace time or Texas time?”
That made Az pause.
“Pride Palace time,” I said. “So three in the morning Texas time.” I winced and
added, “Someone needs to tell Machar.”
“Not it!” Pan ran for the door.
The rest of the Squad followed Pan's lead, some of them grinning at me as they
left. I looked at Az.
Azrael said, “I'll have one of the knights call him. Frankly, I doubt he'll sleep at all
tonight.”
 “Vervain.” Odin was waiting for me on one of the couches just outside the
bathroom.
Everyone was getting ready for bed. It was Viper's turn to spend the night with
me, and he was already in our massive bed, lying on his back with the covers around his
waist. I glanced from him to Odin.
“I want to talk to you about what you said,” Odin said.
“What did I say?” I asked.
Odin frowned. “About not being ready to have another baby.”
“Oh!” I just stared at him, mind spinning. “Um. That's when I was confused.”
Odin wasn't a man to be swayed. “Have you been worried about that? About me?”
“No. Well, maybe I have since it popped into my head.”
“I'm content, Vervain. I can wait until you're ready. We've talked about this.”
“Yeah, but feelings change and sometimes I wonder if you guys say things for my
benefit.”
“We don't lie to you, love.”
“Not lie, just . . . soften the truth.”
Odin chuckled.
“I'd like to have a kid,” Viper said.
Odin and I swung to face the bed.
“Sorry to eavesdrop, but you're right there.” Viper motioned at us.
“You want a child?” I asked.
“Yeah, someday. I think it would be fun.”
Odin made a snorting, scoffing sound.
“What's wrong with that?” Viper asked.
“Parenthood is not about fun.”
“It can be,” Viper said. “And don't tell me that I don't know about it. I've helped
with the kids here. I know there are moments of joy and times when you want to
strangle them. But mostly, it's about love. So why can't it be fun? I have fun with them.”
I grinned at Viper. “It is fun. It can be very fun. Kids are a source of fun. They
remind us to play.”
“See?” Viper waved a hand at me.
Odin sighed. “Yes, I suppose it can be fun. But—”
“Why do you want kids, if you don't think they'll be fun?” Viper interrupted.
Odin scowled at Viper.
“It's a simple question.”
“But the answer is far from simple,” Odin said. “Children are the physical
representation of love. When I look at Vidar, I remember all the moments Sabine and I
spent raising him. Loving him. We didn't just bring him to life, we also helped to form
him into the man he became. He's a living monument to my life with Sabine. But Sabine
is now Vervain, a completely different person. I have new memories with her, a new life,
and it would . . .” Odin sighed. “It would mean everything to me to create a new child
with her. I want to see Vervain in our child. I want another piece of her to hold and love.
A pure piece that I can protect and guide and experience the worlds anew through.
There is nothing like that.”
“Exactly.” Viper grinned in a very you're-welcome way.
Odin's jaw dropped. He'd been led and hadn't noticed. That did not happen to him.
Then he looked at me.
I had to blink back my tears.
“Oh, sweetheart, no.” Odin pulled me into his arms. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to
pressure you.”
“You didn't.” I hugged him. “That was just very sweet. I love you too, Odin.”
Odin relaxed around me, his huge body both my shield and support. I was safe
there. And loved. I had been since the day I'd been born. And even before that.
 “Come here, Starlight,” Viper said, his voice low and sexy.
There was only moonlight to see by, but we both had excellent eyesight. I could
see the striations in Viper's bright green snake eyes and the little lines in his full lips.
Those lips lowered to mine, and I met them halfway. I hadn't realized how starved I was
for him until that moment.
The image of Viper with a pitchfork in his belly flashed in my head. Cold burned
through me. Cold fury that needed vengeance. No one hurt my Viper. The trickster was
going to get more than a pitchfork in their belly.
The day I brought Viper home to Pride Palace, I lost Toby. Tobadzistsini, Lord of
Darkness and Child of the Water. He had walked out on me. It was too much for him. I
moaned losing his love, but Toby and I had never been destined for each other. We fell in
love despite destiny. In my world, that wasn't enough.
To love me, you had to be solid in yourself. You had to know, without a doubt, that
you were meant to be with me. With us. You had to be destined to be a part of our family.
My magic could bond my husbands to me and each other, but fate is what brought us
together. It's what keeps us together. And Viper had always been destined to love me.
He had waited for me in the Void. Viper had been an Atlantean who died in the
fall. Instead of being reborn, he stayed in the Void. He sensed that I would come for him.
And he waited. And waited. And waited. When I finally showed up, I was tainted by evil,
my star infected by the god Ilmarinen. Viper had known. In the Void, things like that
can't be hidden. But he believed in me. He was solid in his faith. He knew that he risked
being taken by evil too. And still, he went with me. Viper took that risk because he knew
our love would be epic. Dark or not, he had to be with me, and I had to be with him.
Did I regret losing Toby? No. I had let him go and made peace with his decision.
That alone told me that what we had together never came close to what I shared with
my husbands. I would never be able to let any of them go. I had tried to let Odin go
once, and it destroyed the future. Destroyed. The. Future. That's how important my men
and their love is.
But right then, I was focused on one man. My Star God. Plucked from the Heavens
to stand beside me. To lie beside me. And atop me.
Viper groaned as he rolled onto me, bracing his big body on his forearms before
sliding out of our kiss. His hot mouth latched onto my throat, thin snake fangs grazing
my skin. I arched up against his hard belly. My nipples beaded against his. Every touch
became a symphony of desire. A shiver rolled into an undulation. A caress led to a
clench. A kiss turned into a lick.
“Viper!” I cried out, my hands clutching his short, dark hair to pull his face closer
to my sex.
He chuckled against me, the vibrations sending me into another round of
trembling. Pleasure winged out and up. I spread my legs wider. And then Viper was
lapping at me. Then flicking his tongue. He took his time to find the right cadence. And
when he did, I sang for him.
Body arching and muscles locked up, I rushed into my orgasm with a bit of relief. I
needed it desperately. And my Viper had known that I needed it from him. How lucky
that this was his night. Or was it fate working in our lives again? There was some
security in that, knowing that we were right where we were meant to be. Which was
funny since I used to be so against destiny. I've grown up a bit, I suppose. And I learned
that there are benefits to destiny. But I wouldn't get cocky this time. No, I was going to
appreciate all I had.
As soon as Viper rose onto his forearms to enjoy the view of my release, I got up
too. I grinned when his eyes went wide and used his surprise to push him onto his back.
With a growl that came from all my beasts, I bent to lick his chest, right over one pert,
pink nipple. Viper hissed, baring his fangs, but then retracted them with a click.
I headed lower.
Viper's big hands went to my head, fingers sliding into my hair, but he didn't grip
me as I had him. Not even when I found my prize. He did, however, cry out.
“Oh, fuck!” Viper jerked, barely holding his hips down.
With him firmly enveloped, I let go of his base to spread my hands over his pelvis
and dig in my fingers. Viper bucked, unable to hold back any longer. His dick surged up,
and I loosened my throat to take him, simultaneously closing my lips around him. Pulling
out got him another firm massage. But then I took over. I bobbed over him, one hand
moving down to cup his balls. Playing with them delighted my dragon, but she wanted
more. I couldn't bring him into pleasure. Not like this.
Coming off his cock with a delightful pop, I rose onto my knees, then straddled
Viper's waist. His hands went to my hips and his stare ate me up, eyes gleaming in the
moonlight. He was so large but his hips were lean, allowing me to set my knees firmly
on the mattress. And move.
“You are so beautiful,” Viper groaned. “Fuck, Vervain. I love it when you ride me.”
“I know.” I grinned and slid down his cock. When I reached the bottom, I pressed
down and churned my hips.
“Starlight, you're gonna make me come too soon.”
“No, I won't.” I started to pump.
Faster. Then slower. Faster again. I rode Viper until he was covered in a sheen of
sweat and beyond words. All he could do was groan and grunt. Hours passed. Days.
Years. Or so it felt. And I still didn't want to stop. Altering speed had taken care of
Viper's threatening climax, but I couldn't prevent my own.
With a slam, I brought myself down and ground against him, my body shuddering
as I panted through a second orgasm.
“Oh, fuck, look at you,” Viper growled, running his hands over my breasts. “Come
here.”
Viper yanked me off his cock and up his body while I was still coming. Flopping
about, all I could do was fall into place over his face. Viper positioned my legs to either
side of his head, then pulled down on my hips until I was smothering him. Then he
sucked at me.
I shrieked.
My magic threatened to rise. Don't ask me which one. I couldn't focus. It was
worse than the confusion spell I'd been under. And so much better. I pushed back the
magic, needing to keep this pure. Just Viper. I wanted to feel what he could do to me
without any enhancement.
And he did not disappoint.
Viper's talented tongue sent me into a bigger climax, reaching an apex several
screams higher. And then I was on my back, my feet in the air, and he was driving into
me, my wet body clenching around his.
Staring up at Viper's glistening lips, I panted and clawed at his back. I was coming
down, but also rising. The hard slide of his flesh wouldn't let me fall. It brought me back
for another climb. The slick sounds of him entering me were delicious. I nearly closed
my eyes to enjoy them. But then I'd have to give up the sight of Viper's strong body
pumping into me, his muscles clenching and releasing, and his stare locked on my face.
 “Starlight,” Viper growled.
“Nearly there,” I panted.
Viper yanked out and dove.
Nearly there wasn't good enough. Viper gave me a tongue-lashing for my
shortcomings and sent me over. The wet heat of his tongue against my wet heat was
impossible to deny. And as I was shaking through yet another orgasm, Viper popped up
and thrust. He locked up on the second slam, his back arching but his stare still on me.
“I love you,” I said, my voice strong despite the pleasure rocketing through me.
Viper shook with my words, his body emptying into mine. Then, when the
clenching and grunting was done, he bent over me and pressed our foreheads together.
“I love you, Starlight. Forever.”
Nuff said. Viper may not be as poetic as Odin, but he didn't have to be. Sometimes
simple was best.
 In the morning, chaos descended.
“Lesya, do not poke your brother with your fork,” I said.
“I'm not.” Lesya innocently stabbed a piece of pancake instead of Vero. Then,
when she thought I wasn't looking, stuck her tongue out at him.
“I saw that!” I pointed my fork at her.
Lesya pouted.
“Sebastian!” Azrael put his hands on his hips and glared at our son, who was
circling the ceiling. “Don't make me come up there.”
Sebastian's twin, Dominic, was sitting on his big boy chair, eating his pancakes
nicely, ignoring his brother.
I was glad that Sebastian and Dominic hadn't matured as quickly as their siblings.
I really was. It gave me more time with them as children. But the price for that was
times like these.
Someone meowed. I looked down with a smile. Nicholas, my immortal tabby cat,
was rubbing his silky, gray body against my legs.
“Hey, you. Did you have breakfast?” I scratched him behind the ear.
He plopped on the floor, pressed against me, and started to purr. Nick had an
automatic feeder now, set on a timer, which made my day a lot easier. But I liked to give
him some wet food to supplement the dry. It was healthier for him. Plus, if I didn't, he
started hunting little creatures in the grasslands and leaving parts of them for me to
find. I got up to open a can of cat food. Yup, he had me trained.
As I set Nick's bowl down in the kitchenette, Azrael's phone chimed.
“Son of a . . .” Az trailed off as he pulled out his phone.
“Do you want more pancakes, Dom?” Vero, who was younger than Dominic but
more mature thanks to his Froekn magic, offered.
“Yes, please,” Dominic said.
“Oh, my sweet boys,” I said as I went back to my seat. I paused to kiss Dominic's
cheek, then Vero's.
“What about me?” Sebastian finally landed and hurried over to me, his green eyes
wide and midnight wings dragging on the floor behind him.
“Lift your wings, honey.” I picked Sebastian up and set him on a chair beside
Dominic. “Now show me what a good boy you are and eat your breakfast.”
“Yes, I think waiting for more children is a good idea,” Odin mumbled.
I snorted at him. Then I noticed Azrael. “Az?”
“The Pasha is missing,” Azrael said.
“The Pasha?” Viper asked.
A chill ran down my spine. Of all things for the trickster to take, that was up there
with the worst of them. Higher than the Ark.
“It's a god weapon,” Trevor said. “Well, it wasn't made to be a weapon. But then
its owner died and passed it on to his son. Katila used it to consume god souls.”
 “Demon souls,” I whispered. “Katila.”
That was a name I hadn't thought of in a while. Katila was a god who had been
born without magic. Or so everyone thought. But everyone was wrong. Katila did have
magic—the power of Invisibility. Not invisibility in the way that Gods could glamour
themselves to be invisible. Katila could be standing right next to you, and you would
simply not notice him. It would be more apt to call it Unnoticeable Magic. He was so
unnoticeable that he was practically a ghost. Katila didn't even—
“Oh my gosh!” I exclaimed as the thought trailed off in my mind.
“What is it?” Odin asked.
“Katila had no scent. He had a non-scent,” I said.
“Vervain, Katila's dead,” Trevor said. “You . . .” He looked at the kids and winced.
“You made sure of that.”
Trevor didn't have to say it. I could never forget the way I had pulled Katila's heart
out of his chest and then ate it like an apple. Yes, Katila was very dead. Thank all that
was good for that. He had been nuts. Absolutely bonkers. And not in the good, Alice in
Wonderland way. Katila's goal was to kill all the Demons by consuming their souls and
then he would have used that combined power to overthrow Lucifer. And Katila's
craziness involved me as well. He thought I was going to be his queen.
“I know he's dead,” I said. “But if someone has the Pasha, maybe they . . .” I
trailed off.
“Will someone finish a sentence, please?” Viper growled.
Lesya laughed.
Viper made a funny face at her, and she laughed harder.
“Sorry. I just realized that the Pasha has to be used on the living.” I looked from Az
to Odin. “Right? It couldn't take magic from a soul in the Void.”
Odin frowned. “No. The magic doesn't go with us into the Void, remember?”
“Right. I had to give you the Spear for you to reconnect with your magic.”
“Well, that was only because I left most of my magic in the spear to protect you.
Otherwise, it would have dissipated.”
“But when I brought Toby back, his magic returned.”
“Because of the spell, Vervain. Human belief. My magic returned to me
immediately, but only what that belief could give me. Most of it was locked in Gungnir.”
“Right. Sorry.” I frowned and shook my head. “It's been a long time. Or maybe
there are remnants of that Confusion Magic hanging out in my head.”
“You don't need magic to make this confusing,” Viper said. “I have no idea what's
going on.”
“We're talking about how I brought Odin back from the Void,” I explained. “There
were issues with the body we used. Its memories started taking over because most of
Odin's magic had been left in his spear. I had to reunite him with his spear to return the
magic to him. Once he had his magic back, his soul was strong enough to claim the
body.”
“Uh-huh,” Viper said.
“But all of that is irrelevant,” Arach said. “Katila is dead, and he didn't put his
magic into the Pasha.”
“Even if he had, only he would be able to retrieve his magic,” Odin added. “There
is no way for another god to get Katila's magic.”
“Unless they're like me and have a way of taking god magic,” I said. “Katila found
a way to be like me. By using the Pasha.”
 “Katila was a special case,” Odin said. “It was a combination of things that allowed
him to use the Pasha like that—his magic, his relationship to the Pasha's previous owner,
and the way Demons possess humans. Your average god couldn't pick up the Pasha and
drain another god's magic with it.”
“You can drain a god's magic?” Vero asked.
Several pairs of little eyes turned toward Odin.
“Yeah, definitely wait on being a parent again,” Viper whispered to him.
Odin grimaced at Viper before answering Vero, “No, you can't. Your mother is
special.”
“We don't know why they took the Pasha,” Azrael said. “That's why we need to get
to Makhon and investigate.”
“Wait. Makhon?” I asked. “Who had the Pasha?”
“Samael,” Azrael said. “He took it after the, uh, incident.” He glanced at the kids.
The incident where we had killed Katila and his mommy, the Demon Slayer.
“Oh,” I said. “Huh. I must have been distracted.”
“No kidding,” Re drawled.
Right. Re hadn't been thrilled to watch me eat a heart. Az had given him a hard
time over that, told him it was my nature and to deal with it. But that was when Re was
new to the family.
“I'll see if Samantha can sit with the kids while they finish breakfast,” I said.
“Yay!” Lesya shouted. “Maybe Zariel will want some pancakes. Can I go ask her?”
“Yes, all right.” I waved at the door.
Lesya darted past me, her dark hair streaming behind her.
I looked up and met Kirill's gaze. He grinned. I grinned back. Even the bad days
were wonderful with the children.
“There's something else,” Azrael said. “They covered their trail with bleach.”
 Makhon, the Fifth Heaven, was where most of the Host resided. They held an
incredible concert there that Az took me to once. Spectacular, really. The Archangel
Samael ruled Makhon. Technically, Jesus ruled all the Heavens, but it seemed as if he
was letting the Archangels who were previously in charge of certain heavens keep
governing in his name. Whatever the case, Samael still lived in a beautiful mansion on
the edge of a fairy-tale forest in Makhon with his wife, Lilith. Yes, that Lilith.
I assumed Samael's marriage to Lilith was more stable now that he wasn't a Jerry
supporter. Lilith and Samael had several children, all of whom were Demons because
they and Lilith had backed Luke in the war (the first big war that split the pantheon).
It's very telling that Lilith earned the title of Mother of Demons, but Samael has never
been called their father. Yup, theirs had been a mostly Team Luke household, but that
didn't matter to their marriage. Love, for them, was beyond allegiances. I adored that
about them. But in the end, Samael had changed sides in a big way.
“It's about time,” Samael grumbled as we stepped out of his tracing room. “What's
with the gas masks?”
“You said there was bleach,” Azrael said.
“Yes, but it's faint. It shouldn't bother you if you don't breathe too deeply.”
I looked at Arach, Kirill, Trevor, and Viper, all of whom were wearing masks.
Viper yanked his off and gave a hesitant sniff through his mouth. He wrinkled his
nose and said, “It's not too bad.”
But when Viper tracked someone, he did it a little differently than the rest of us.
Thus the mouth breathing. So, I lifted my mask and took a tiny sniff. Then I pulled it off.
“He's right. It's tolerable,” I said.
The rest of them pulled off their masks.
“You may leave them here.” Samael waved at a slender table along the wall near
the tracing chamber.
He was a tall, slender man with deep sienna skin that set off his green serpent
eyes. As odd as it was for an Angel, Samael was a snake-shifter like Viper, and the two
men nodded at each other as if acknowledging their kinship. Their coloring was close,
but Samael was much darker than Viper in all ways—eyes, hair, skin, and personality.
Still, the similarities were interesting. So much so that Lilith sidled up between the men,
swishing her full hips, and grinned.
“I'm suddenly hungry for a snake sandwich,” Lilith drawled and tossed her thick
red curls over her shoulder.
Samael narrowed his eyes at her.
“Oh, lighten up, babe.” Lilith smacked her husband's shoulder. “I'm just teasing.
We need some levity after all the shouting you did this morning.” She leaned over to me
to add, “His eyes popped out.”
Most people would assume Lilith meant that Samael had been so upset that his
eyes had bulged either literally or figuratively. But I knew better. I'd seen Samael's other
form. The one covered in scales. And eyes. Eyes popping out on this Angel of Death was
very literal. And it only happened in extreme circumstances.
I lifted a brow at Samael.
 “Someone invaded my home,” Samael said.
“You sound like Luke,” I said.
“Lucifer was robbed too?” Samael straightened. “What was taken?”
“There have been a few things taken,” Azrael said. “A trickster is afoot.”
“A trickster?” Lilith said with glee. “How fun. But how do you know it's a
trickster?”
“They left us clues to follow,” I said. “But their game has changed. They started
taking people.”
Viper held up his hand.
“You don't have to hold up your hand. This isn't a classroom. Just speak,” Samael
said.
Viper chortled. “No, man. I was indicating that I was one of the people taken.”
“Then you must know who it is.”
“Nope. They whammied me with some kind of Confusion Magic.”
“Confusion,” Samael murmured. “There aren't that many gods who can use
confusion against another god.”
“Do you happen to have a list?” Trevor asked.
Samael grimaced. “No. But Set comes to mind.”
“Yes, we've already considered and dismissed Set,” Re said.
Samael grunted. “Well, as I texted you, Azrael, I was only made aware of the
invasion when I smelled the bleach. This person is wise enough to cover their trail when
they invade the home of a shapeshifter.”
“Why have they gone back to bleach?” I asked.
“Back to bleach?” Samael asked.
“They haven't bothered with bleach lately,” I said. “Because they have another
way of hiding their scent.”
“What way?”
“We don't know for certain, but we think they're using an enchanted suit,” Azrael
said. “Vervain nearly caught the trickster, and they were covered from head to toe, even
their eyes.”
“Nearly caught? What happened, Godhunter? Losing your touch?” Lilith drawled.
“They stabbed Viper with the Devil's pitchfork. It kinda distracted me.”
Lilith's eyes went wide. Then she asked, “They stole Luke's pitchfork? I thought
that was just a prop?”
“I'm fine, thanks for your concern,” Viper said.
“Oh, please.” Lilith rolled her eyes. “You're a god. It takes more than a few pokes
to kill you.”
“How do you make everything sound naughty?” Re asked. “I'm so envious.”
Lilith chuckled. “It's a gift.”
“Back to the trickster,” Samael, used to his wife's gifts, steered the conversation in
the right direction. “They had no scent?”
“No,” I said. “I mean, yes, correct, and no, they didn't have a scent. I followed a
trail they left me, but the scent turned out to be attached to a Christmas decoration and
not them.”
“A Christmas decoration.” Samael narrowed his eyes. “What else was taken?”
 “If you say Jesus, I'm going to pee myself like a puppy,” Lilith declared.
“Funny you should say that,” Az muttered.
“What?” Lilith's eyes went wide. “They abducted Jesus?”
“No, but they took a puppy,” I said.
“What?!” Lilith screeched.
“She loves puppies,” Samael drawled.
“The puppy is fine,” I hurried to reassure her.
“Oh, good.” Lilith fanned herself, her long nails flashing red.
“Azrael, if you would please go through the events that transpired like a rational
adult?” Samael asked dryly.
“First, they stole the Ark of the Covenant,” Az said. “But then they left it in the
desert of Araboth.”
“They're taunting us,” Samael said.
“Yes. It would appear so.”
“Showing us that they can take a great weapon, but that they don't need it.”
“Now, that is an interesting point of view,” Odin said.
“It didn't occur to you?” Samael lifted a brow at Odin.
“We've been busy playing the trickster's game,” Az said before Odin could reply.
“They replaced the items in the Ark with clues for us to follow.”
“Clues enchanted with spells to mess with us,” I added.
“And then?” Samael rolled a hand in a get-on-with-it motion.
“They took Cerberus and Princess,” I said. “Princess is Persephone's dog. Shortly
after that, they stole Luke's pitchfork. The clues they left in the Ark led us to Hell where
we found Cerberus and Princess, the latter strung up over Aaron's rod which was
disguised to look like the pitchfork.”
“Hades . . . another underworld king.”
“Jesus is not an underworld king,” Az said.
“Yes, I know. But your father is, and I'm looking for connections.”
“We think they might be after Azrael,” Arach said. “Everyone targeted has been
close to him. The last person taken was a Wild Magic child living in the neighborhood
outside the Golden Citadel.”
“Could be Azrael. He certainly has ruffled some feathers.” Samael nodded. “Or
this person could want you to think it's Azrael. The theft of the Hound of Hades and
Persephone's puppy is strange. If they were tormenting Azrael, there are others who
would make better victims. The trickster may simply be moving from one random target
to the next based on proximity and ease.”
“Then where do you fit in?” I asked.
“Now, that is a good question.” Samael crossed his arms. “You say they haven't
used bleach lately?”
“Yes.”
“Lilith and I have been in the South of France for the last week. I'm not sure when
exactly the Pasha was taken. As you know, the bleach scent is not overpowering. Lilith
didn't notice it at all.”
“Right,” I said. “We didn't consider how long it would take for that scent to
dissipate.”
 “You think they stole the Pasha first,” Az said.
“I think the theft may have occurred while you were running around, chasing
clues.”
“So the Ark was a distraction to get the Pasha?” I asked. “But you were gone. They
didn't need a distraction.”
Samael shrugged. “They wouldn't have known we were in the Human Realm.”
“Or maybe they did,” Trevor said. “They seem to know a lot.”
“How do they know a lot? That is the question,” Arach said.
“Indeed,” Odin muttered.
“Show me where the Pasha was kept,” I said.
Samael led us through his shiny hallways, the floors done in green marble so dark,
it was almost black. Then down we went into the subterranean levels of the mansion.
“I wouldn't have even known the Pasha was gone if I hadn't smelled that bleach,”
Samael said. “I came down here immediately to check my safe rooms and found one of
them open.”
“You have a safe room?” Viper asked. “Get scared a lot, do you?”
Samael frowned at Viper while Lilith laughed.
“He thinks you mean one of those secure rooms that humans lock themselves in
when someone invades their home,” Lilith said.
Samael grimaced at his wife, then transferred the look to Viper. “I do not.” He
continued down the corridor. “I have rooms to keep my treasures safe.” He waved his
hands to either side as we passed steel doors that thrummed with magic. “This trickster
must be powerful indeed. Not only did they invade my home without my knowledge, but
they also got past this warded door without breaking the ward.” He stopped before a
room and opened the door by placing his palm on it.
The door swung inward, and Samael waved us inside.
For a treasure room, it was spacious and neat. No piles of gold on the floor.
Instead, metal shelves held labeled wooden boxes and crates. It looked like the storage
room of a museum. An empty table stood in the center of the room and that was it.
“It was kept in this box.” Samael went to one of the shelves and motioned at an
open wooden box.
The design was simple. You'd never know a soul-stealing noose had lain inside. It
wasn't even lined in velvet. Samael obviously had no reverence for the Pasha. He simply
wanted to keep it out of the hands of those who would abuse its power. Fair enough.
I went closer, then drew back. The scent of bleach was stronger there. “Ugh. They
doused the box in bleach.”
“Yes.” Samael grimaced and waved his hand toward the room. “And they took
nothing else.”
“Did they disturb anything else?” Odin asked. “Is there a residue of bleach on
anything other than that box?”
Samael blinked. Looked around. Finally, he said, “No.”
“Now, that is interesting,” Arach drawled. “They went straight to what they
wanted.”
“Who else knew that you kept the Pasha in that box?” Odin asked.
“No one,” Samael said firmly. “Not even Lilith knew where I kept it.”
“He wasn't keeping secrets from me. I simply didn't care,” Lilith drawled.
“You told no one?” Re asked. “And yet the trickster went right to that box.
Impossible. Someone must have seen you or you told someone and have forgotten.”
“I assure you,” Samael said stiffly. “After the battle with Katila, I returned here
with Lilith. She went upstairs to bathe, and I came down here to secure the Pasha. No
one saw me. No one else was present, especially not down here. And I would remember
sharing the information.”
“Not if you were confused,” Viper said. “My memories of being dazed are very
sketchy.”
“I would remember being dazed. I was not dazed. I have never been dazed.”
“Then how would you know what it feels like to be dazed?” Viper grinned.
“Viper, please,” I said.
“Sorry. Trying to lighten the mood.”
“The mood is appropriate,” Samael said. Then he looked at Az. “Should we warn
the Demons?”
“Oh, for Satan's sake,” Azrael growled. “I didn't think of that. The damn Pasha.”
“You didn't think of it because we've already discussed this,” Odin said. “The
Pasha was not made to be a soul stealer. Katila was a unique god. I don't believe another
god will be able to use the Pasha as he did.”
“With all due respect, Odin, you don't know this god,” Samael said. “I've only just
been informed of the goings on, and I already know that this trickster should not be
underestimated. If they can get past my ward without alerting me, they can find a way
to use the Pasha in whatever manner they wish.”
“I'll take that as a yes, I should warn the Demons,” Lilith said and drew out a
phone—from where I couldn't tell you. Her outfit was skintight, and I hadn't seen any
bulges that weren't put there by nature. Or magic, rather. Whatever. Lilith started
texting, her long nails tapping the glossy screen. “There. Group text. Done.”
“What did you tell them?” Samael asked, his tone wary.
“To be on guard for soul-stealing ninjas.”
“Oh, Lilith.” Samael rolled his eyes.
“What? Vervain said they were covered from head-to-toesies. I assumed they were
in black. All villains wear black when they are up to no good. It's an unwritten law. A
person creeping about, covered in black equals ninja. And you just said they could steal
souls. Therefore, soul-stealing ninja.”
“But that was a unique ability that Katila developed,” Odin said.
“Why else take the Pasha?” Samael countered. “It has only one purpose—to
extract souls.”
“Yes, to extract souls, but not to consume them. That was Katila's twist on the
magic.”
Samael shrugged. “Potato pohtahto, Odin.”
Lilith giggled. “That was funny, darling! Well done.”
“Was it?” Samael frowned. “I wasn't trying for humor. This trickster has stolen
people. Now, they have a god item that can extract souls. That means they can upgrade
to stealing souls. Stealing them. I didn't say anything about the trickster consuming
them.”
“This guy is too much,” Viper whispered.
“Let's head back to Pride Palace,” I said. “The Squad will be arriving at the Golden
Citadel soon, and it might help to have multiple minds on this.”
“You're having a meeting?” Samael asked.
“Yes, and you're welcome to attend,” Azrael said.
“Oh, we'd love to!” Lilith exclaimed. “Can I invite a few friends?”
“No,” Samael and Azrael said in unison.
“Just family then.”
 Lilith invited her daughter, Gello, who brought her husband, Anubis. Re approved
and not just because he was Anubis's doubly great grandpa (Re's term, not mine).
Anubis was the Egyptian God of the Dead, and the Pasha had been a tool of Yama
originally, another Death deity. It was looking more and more as if it was a member of
the Death Club behind this.
It was a good thing we had a few of them on our side.
Samael, Anubis, Azrael, Odin, and Kirill were all Gods of Death. You could even
count Hades and Hekate among them if you stretched the requirements a bit. Hekate
was the Goddess of Ghosts and Necromancy, both deathly things. And Hades was, well,
Hades.
Jesus had shown up as well, and he was a God of Resurrection. So I guess he could
be a member of the Death Club. But it was really hard to look at his peaceful face and
think of death. Although death is about as peaceful as you can get. And there was that
whole cross thing. Huh. I guess humans think about his death more than his life. Weird.
“There is something here, right under our noses,” Thor said.
We were in one of the Golden Citadel's meeting rooms. The design was simple, but
in the way of the Fey. Which means it was beautiful to the point of distraction. I kinda
wished I had insisted on having the meeting at Pride Palace.
The Golden Citadel had a theme for its décor, but it was a loose one—the
elements. Each element was represented throughout the citadel. The only one left
unseen was Spirit, which was kinda everywhere. As one of the simpler rooms, there was
little decoration in the meeting room. But because it was a place for business, all the
elements were acknowledged there. Unlike some of the rooms that focused on one or
two.
The floor was green marble tiles, patterned subtly with leaves so that it mimicked
a forest floor; the table was sturdy oak, inlaid with dizzying gold designs of more leaves;
the chandeliers above were old-school fire braziers; huge windows opened to the air,
giving a spectacular view of the Wild Forest since we were several floors up (although it
was currently dark since it was three AM there); and one of the walls was an aquarium
full of fey fish. It reminded me of the dining room in Castle Deuraich of the Water
Kingdom. Not the entire room, just the aquarium.
And yes, this was a simple room.
“Just tell me who to kill,” Machar said.
Arach turned to look at Machar.
Machar went still.
No words were said. None were needed. One predator faced another, but there
was never any doubt as to who the apex beast was. Arach was Machar's king, no matter
where they were. And Machar had seemed to forget that. Momentarily.
Looking as if he might pee himself, Machar cleared his throat and said, “Beggin'
your pardon, King Arach. I'll just wait for your command.”
Arach nodded curtly then looked at Thor. “Proceed.”
Thor blinked and looked at me.
I shrugged.
 “As I was saying,” Thor started again. “There are clues here, but we must set them
in order and distinguish which are real and which are planted to mislead us.”
“They used bleach,” Finn murmured.
Everyone looked at the swan-shifter.
“Oh, sorry!” Finn said. “Just thinking aloud.”
“Care to continue the thought?” Anubis, sitting with his wife, Gello (and yes, her
name was pronounced like the dessert and suited her in its jigglyness), asked.
They made a stunning couple, both sultry in their own ways. Gello was more in-
your-face about it (she got that from her mommy), but Anubis's sleek, male model looks
were not to be ignored.
“Well, I was just trying to make a timeline in my head,” Finn said. “It sounds as if
the trickster started with the bleach, then stopped. And going by the strength of the
smell—you said it was very strong in Heaven, Vervain—I'm guessing the Pasha was
taken first.”
“Yes, we've already determined that,” Samael said.
“No, you thought the theft of the Ark was a distraction,” Odin corrected. “But the
scent of bleach in Araboth was strong, and that was just a few days ago. If we go by the
strength of the bleach, Finn is right. The Pasha was stolen first. It wasn't a distraction.”
Samael grunted. I suppose that was his way of conceding.
“Why start with the Pasha, leaving no clues behind, then conduct this bizarre
game?” Brahma asked.
“Why indeed,” Thor said. “The Pasha was a tool used by a psychopomp. It carried
the souls of the dead, but only dead humans. Katila, through his strange magic and his
inheritance of the Pasha, was able to use it to harvest souls and siphon them out of the
Pasha to consume their power.”
“Demon souls,” Lilith said without any of her usual sass.
“Yes, that was part of the loophole,” Thor said. “The Demons were possessing
humans, their souls vulnerable outside their god bodies. I believe that helped Katila to
use the Pasha to withdraw them from the human bodies, bypassing the repelling
qualities of god magic that keep us from killing each other, and then, take the magic for
himself by offering it a new host.”
“It doesn't matter how Katila did it,” Samael said. “That bastard is dead. What we
need to determine is why a living god would want the Pasha. How they could use it.”
“I'm trying to do that,” Thor growled at Samael. “Stories of Katila using the Pasha
must have gotten around. Someone knows the possibility it possesses.”
“Not much of one,” Blue said. “They'd have to recreate the same circumstances to
steal god souls. And you've already warned the Demons.”
“Yes,” Lilith said. “They won't be possessing anyone until this is over.”
“I don't understand while they still do that,” Anubis said.
“They have to. If they don't, human belief will pull them into bodies and force
them to possess people,” Lilith said. “At least this way, they have some control over it.
They can choose their host.”
“I've warned my father as well,” Azrael said. “He's got Hell on lockdown.”
“And just to be safe, I've alerted the Heavenly Host,” Jesus said.
“The trickster must have known you'd do that.” Anubis tapped the table pensively
with an elegant finger. “Are all the Angels and Demons accounted for?”
“All the Demons are,” Lilith said. She looked at Az.
Azrael looked at Jesus.
 Jesus scratched his chin.
“Brother!” Azrael growled.
“I'm just messin' with you,” Jesus said. “Mellow out, Az. I'd know the moment one
of my Angels was killed. I'm bound to them all now, remember? You were at the
ceremony.”
Azrael sighed. “Yes, I remember. Sorry.”
“It's all good.”
“So, the trickster hasn't taken any souls,” Anubis said. “They took the Pasha but
aren't using it. At least, not in that way or not with those gods. And they started off
using bleach to cover their tracks but now have developed a scent-proof suit.”
“A ninja suit,” Lilith said.
Gello chuckled. “I don't know why, but when you add the word ninja to something,
it makes it funny.”
“A ninja suit,” Anubis said with a nod at his mother-in-law. “Could the Pasha have
helped in the creation of such a suit?”
“You're a death god, you tell us,” Trevor, who was still and would always be anti-
Anubis, snapped.
I mean, Trevor had cause. I had the most cause, but I'd gotten over it. Anubis did
save my life and gave sanctuary to the souls of a few of my lions. I had long since
forgiven him for what he'd done to me when he'd been a bad god.
Anubis, who had cleansed himself of that badness in a magical fountain that may
or may not be the Fountain of Youth, was accepting of anything my men threw at him. I
think he was eager to pay penance. So he didn't snap back at Trevor. Instead, he calmly
said, “I know of no spell that could use the Pasha in such a way. What of you, Odin?”
Odin shook his head. “I don't see how it could be done.”
“And we've already established that the Pasha wouldn't have enough of Katila's
magic in it to be used as an odor eliminator,” I said.
Gello snorted. “Sounds like a cleaning product.”
“Hold on,” Anubis said. “What does that mean?”
“Katila had a magic that made him unnoticeable,” Odin said. “He could be
standing right next to you, and you wouldn't see him. That magic extended to his scent.”
“As in, he didn't have one,” I said. “I called it a non-scent. The absence of scent. I
could find him by looking for places where there was no scent at all.”
“Fascinating,” Anubis murmured. “And after stealing the Pasha—an item last used
by Katila, this trickster doesn't leave a scent either. Have you analyzed their trail? I'll
bet it's the same non-scent as Katila's.”
“No, I haven't.” I looked at Arach. “I'd have to use my ring to go back to Faerie so
I don't lose time with the kids.”
“Or just go to Moonshine,” Trevor said. “You tracked them there.”
“That's right,” I said with some relief. “I can do that. But the Pasha doesn't hold
Katila's magic. Not enough to transfer to another god. This will be a waste of time.”
“With the amount of energy and magic Katila was pulling through the Pasha and
the way he was using it, it might contain more of his magic than you think,” Anubis said.
“Tools absorb the magic of the user,” I murmured.
“Yes. A known fact,” Anubis said.
“No, I'm getting to another point.” I waved his comment off. “The trickster took
the Pasha, but they also took the Ark, then the stuff inside it, and then Luke's pitchfork.
That's a lot of tools that hold some serious god magic. They had to abandon the
pitchfork, we assume they ate the manna, and they left us Aaron's rod, but we haven't
recovered the tablets yet.”
“The Tablets,” Jesus whispered. “That's a bummer. But honestly, I can do without
the word of the Man etched in stone.”
“What do the Tablets do?” Anubis asked.
“Nothing,” Samael said. “They are a holy item, not a weapon. They only became a
weapon when they were put in that damn box and enchanted by Jehovah.”
“Then they would have a piece of that enchantment,” Anubis said.
Samael blinked. He looked at Azrael. Az cursed and looked at Jesus. The J-Man
pulled a joint out of his pocket and lit up.
“What?” Jesus said in a just-inhaled tone. He exhaled and said, “You guys want a
puff?”
“Sure!” Pan reached across the table and took the joint. He puffed on it and
offered it to Horus.
Horus glared at Pan.
“Trust me, buddy. Out of everyone at this table, you need this the most.”
Re snickered.
“Vervain, could you and Arach go to Moonshine and take a sniff around, please?”
Thor asked.
I wrinkled my nose at the scent of weed and got up. “Gladly.”
Arach stood as well. “This shouldn't take long.”
“Hopefully, we can come up with something while you're gone.” Thor gave me a
look that said his hope was slim.
My hopes were pretty skinny too. I was certain I wouldn't find anything at
Moonshine.
 Arach and I stepped out of the stairwell and onto the VIP floor of Moonshine. The
music hit me first, and I smiled to hear the Dark Horses playing. It had been a while
since I'd seen the horse-shifters or heard them play. Then I realized what that meant.
The club was open.
It was odd to go from the early morning darkness of Texas to the late-night
darkness of Hawaii, but it would only be around ten in Hawaii. The night was just
getting started. Meaning Moonshine was slammed. Yup, no matter what the Gods
thought of me, they liked my club.
Then I heard the unmistakable sounds of someone getting their freak on.
I froze. Looked around the terrace. There, half on a grassy hill, was Ty, Trevor's
younger brother who ran Moonshine for us. He was buck-ass naked—and a fine ass it
was—pumping away at whoever he had bent over that hill. She was moaning. He was
grunting. I was blushing.
Normally, I would have left. I almost did. If not for Arach.
Arach cleared his throat. Loudly.
“What the fuck?” Ty growled as he stopped thrusting to look over his shoulder.
“Vervain? Arach?”
I was determinedly looking away. “I'm so sorry to interrupt, Ty, but I need to
inspect the area.”
“You need to what?”
“Who the fuck is that? I thought your bouncers wouldn't let anyone up here?” Ty's
date asked.
“That's my sister,” Ty said. “She came in through the family entrance.” He
smoothed down the woman's dress, then helped her onto the couch before he pulled on
his pants. A true gentleman. “Is this about that star that was left here?”
“Yes.” I glanced back, made sure they were decent, and turned to face them.
“Sorry about this,” I said to the woman. “It's very important.”
She was stunning. Silky, deep brown skin with a bronze shine, huge brown eyes,
long lashes, and curves. Lots of curves. A goddess in every way. “Oh. Uh, sure. That's
okay,” she said.
“Come on, sweetheart.” Ty held a hand out to her. “Let's get you something to
drink while we wait downstairs for them to finish.”
“Was there a robbery?” She asked as she got up.
“The opposite,” I muttered.
Ty cast a warning look at me before saying, “Sort of. Someone is testing our
security. My sister owns Moonshine along with my brother, so she has to investigate.”
“Oh, you're the owner? I've heard good things about you.”
“Really?” I was shocked. “That's rare.”
She chuckled. “I've heard some bad things too, but people are whiners. I don't
listen to bitch-babies.”
“Yeah, you try to take over the world one time, and everyone gets bent out of
shape,” I joked.
She laughed harder. “All's well that ends well.”
“Thanks for that. And sorry again. Have a bottle of something on me.”
“Thanks. Nice to meet you, Godhunter.”
“You too,” I said even though Ty never gave us her name.
I waited for them to disappear down the stairs and into the club before I started
sniffing around. Arach was already strolling about, his dragon eyes glittering in the
dark. There were a lot of scents up there, mainly from my family and friends. And now
Ty had added his girlfriend's to the mix. But that was fine. I wasn't looking for a scent. I
already sniffed the star for that and failed. I was looking for a non-scent.
“No,” I whispered and went still. “Fuck!”
“A Thaisce?” Arach rushed over at the sound of a real curse word leaving my lips.
“It's here. Or not here, rather. The trickster must have used the Pasha to enchant
their ninja suit with Katila's magic.” I blinked. “How the hell did they do that?”
“I don't know.” Arach took a deep sniff. “But I smell it too. There are distinct holes
of absolutely clear air here.”
“I would have preferred the bleach.”
Arach grunted and took my hand. “We need to get back and share this
information.”
 The non-scent started a discussion that lasted past the sun rising in Texas.
Slainidh came by with Alexander to check on Machar, who had fallen asleep in his chair.
The citadel staff brought us breakfast, and we took a small break to eat, Machar dining
with his family. But then they went home, and we got back to it. There wasn't anything
we could do without a trail to follow or another lead, and a non-scent is nearly
impossible to track through the Aether. But everyone was upset. If a god's magic could
be siphoned out of their weapon or tool or whatever they used a lot, even after they
were dead, this boded ill for all of us. We could only hope that the trickster didn't share
their knowledge and that we caught them before they did any lasting damage.
“Maybe that's why they kept the tablets,” I said.
“What was that, Vervain?” Thor asked.
“I said, maybe the trickster kept Jerry's stone tablets to siphon his magic out of
those as well.”
Everyone looked at Jesus.
“The Light is right where it needs to be.” Jesus patted his chest. “If they got any of
the Man's magic, it was only a smidgen. Just whatever he put into those tablets.”
“Maybe a smidgen is all that's needed.” I looked at Az. “Text your dad and have
him check the pitchfork. See if it feels different to him. Less powerful.”
Azrael nodded and pulled out his phone.
“This would indeed explain why the trickster has been taking weapons but not
using them,” Odin said. “The game is just a cover for their true crime.”
“But why take me?” Viper asked. Then his expression went slack. “Do you think
they took a piece of my soul?”
“No,” Odin said. “It would be all or nothing. Very few gods can divvy up their
souls, and then, it's only to willingly share their own souls, not take part of someone
else's.” He jerked his chin at Trevor. “Like the Froekn do.”
“Then why take me at all?” Viper asked.
“Or my son?” Machar added.
“To keep us from digging too deep,” Horus said. “This is a complicated game.
They've been leading us around by our noses.” He looked at me before adding,
“Literally. And they've thrown so much at us that we can't be sure what clues to follow.
There have been visual breadcrumbs and magical ones. The spells cast on the items left.
The abducted gods. That stolen dog. Half of it must be meaningless. I mean, why take a
Pomeranian? If you're going to steal an animal, wouldn't you take one of Odin's ravens
while they're out scouting?”
“They wouldn't be able to catch my ravens,” Odin said. “And they roost in Pride
Territory along with my wolves.”
“Have you seen Geri and Freki lately?” I asked. “I think I saw them a couple of
weeks ago.”
Odin's wolves and ravens loved me almost as much as they loved him, but they
were wild things, and they also loved their freedom. We had brought them from Asgard
to Pride Palace to live, and they did occasionally come into the palace itself, but not
often. They preferred open spaces. Open spaces without a tabby cat named Nicholas
prowling them. And the ravens were special. They could cross through the Aether alone.
All we had to do was open the wards to them. We didn't even have to open the tracing
room door. Their magic did it for them.
“I see them every morning,” Odin said. “Usually while you're taking care of the
children.”
“Oh, good.” I didn't feel bad about not knowing what my husband did while I took
care of the children. On the contrary, I was glad he had them to keep him busy.
“So what do we do?” Morpheus asked.
I looked at Morpheus. He had incredible magic too. He could go into someone's
dream and drain them until they died. He couldn't do it to gods, that whole magic
recognizing its like thing held him back. But he could find gods in their dreams and
mess with them. Or talk to them. He had come to me a couple of times when I'd been
captured by an enemy. Damn, I had a lot of enemies. But Azrael had even more.
I could enter the Dream Realm without Morpheus. The realm was made by the
Fey, so I was more powerful there than he was. But I couldn't find someone I didn't
know. I had no idea what the trickster looked like or smelled like. All I had was that non-
scent that was on their ninja suit. And that wouldn't work in the Dream Realm. So, what
to do, indeed.
“I think those of us who have them should check on our treasures and make sure
they're secure,” Odin said with a small frown. “I need to check on Gungnir.”
The God Squad went still. We hadn't considered that if Heaven, Hell, the Greek
Underworld, and the Faerie Realm could be infiltrated, then all territories were
vulnerable to invasion.
“My blade,” Anubis whispered.
I went still. Anubis had once struck me with his dagger and infected me with his
magic. He took control of me through it, forcing me to go to him and submit to all the
stuff that made my husbands hate him.
“I locked it up after—” Anubis glanced at me.
“That dagger is dangerous,” Odin growled.
“Which is why I put it somewhere secure, Allfather,” Anubis said. “But I think
what's of note here, in this particular situation, is that its main purpose is to siphon
souls.”
“Shit,” Gello hissed. “You have a soul stealer in our home?”
“It's not specifically a Demon soul stealer, love,” Anubis said. “And I believed it to
be secure.”
“We all have items of power,” Thor said. “Perhaps we should keep them close.”
“I don't,” Viper said.
I blinked.
“I don't either,” Torrent said to Viper. “It's okay. We're still gods.”
“You don't need a weapon of power. You are a weapon of power,” Viper said to
Torr.
“Thanks! You're pretty powerful too, with that star stuff.”
“Thanks.”
“If only gods had gods to pray to, I would beseech one to kill me now,” Horus
drawled.
I would have laughed at that, but I was stuck on what Viper said. “He took the
weak ones,” I said.
“Hey!” Viper said.
 “Sorry, babe. I'm not saying you're weak. But to this person, you would be seen as
one of the weaker members of the Squad.”
“The fucking coward,” Hades said.
I didn't say anything about his language. No one had brought their kids to the
meeting. Frankly, I had a few curse words bubbling up my throat as well.
“Yes, yes,” Horus said. “They took the weak. That's not necessarily cowardice.
Lions do it, don't they, Vervain?”
“Fair enough,” I said.
“My point is, in this case, I believe it's a simple matter of tactics. They needed
people they could use to distract us. It was easiest to take those who wouldn't put up
much of a fight.”
“But the only reason we didn't fight is that we were dazed by their magic,” Viper
said.
“Which only proves my point,” Horus said. “If they can daze gods, they could have
taken anyone.”
“But they chose dogs, minor gods, and a child,” Persephone said.
“We're wasting time,” Anubis said as he stood up. “I need to check on the dagger.
Text me if you discover anything new.”
“And text us if you discover anything missing,” Odin said. “That goes for all of
you.”
“Wait. We aren't hunting?” Machar asked.
“Do you know how to find them?” Arach drawled.
Machar grimaced.
“Then don't make useless comments. Know when to be silent and listen.”
“Arach!” I hissed. “He's a father protecting his child. Imagine how you'd feel if our
children were at risk.”
Arach grimaced. Then he shot to his feet and shouted, “They are at risk! That son
of a bitch got into the Faerie Realm!”
I stood up and laid a hand on his arm. “And now, Faerie is watching the realm.”
“Faerie works through us. She can't stop the trickster from taking our children.”
“But she can alert our soldiers.”
“Vervain, the trickster put an entire unit of Red Caps into a daze in seconds.”
“What?” Machar snarled. “Not possible.”
“Have you not been paying attention?” Arach growled at him.
“Arach!” I snapped.
“No! I have no time to suffer fools! Our children are my greatest treasure.” He
paused to add, “After you, of course, A Thaisce.” He turned and strode away.
“Where are you going?”
“To do as Odin suggested and gather my treasures close.”
“You have to use your ring to go back.”
“But then I can't return with them. I'll lose a couple of days, that's all. They have
their guardians.”
“But we didn't prepare them for you being gone!”
“You will return to the moment you left. You can prepare them.”
 “Arach!” I ran after him and grabbed his arm to stop him. “Think this through. If
you bring the kids here now, after they've interacted with future me, you'll be taking a
chance that I haven't told them anything about what happens. If I have, they will have to
keep that secret. And children and not good at keeping secrets.”
Arach, his chest heaving and eyes flashing with magic, ground his teeth.
“They are safest there, Arach,” Odin said gently. “And even if they were taken, the
trickster isn't interested in hurting children.”
“So far,” Arach said. “But they change the game at their whim.”
“Then go home,” I said gently.
Arach went still. “What?”
“Go home and protect our children. You can go back to the moment you left,
ensuring that you are there to guard them before the trickster has a chance to return,
and I will use my ring to return shortly after you. You'll know in seconds how this plays
out and will be certain of our safety.”
“And if you don't return in seconds?”
“Then you come right back here,” Odin said. “You come straight back and warn us.
Because if that's the case, we'll need all the help we can get.”
Arach let out a long breath and nodded. “Very well. Sometimes the smartest tactic
is retreat.”
“It's not retreat,” Kirill said. “You are protecting your children. Zat is honorable.”
Arach looked from Kirill to me. “I love you, A Thaisce. Come back to me.”
“I will.” I hugged him, then kissed his cheek. “I love you too, Dragon. Protect our
children.”
“That is a certainty.” Then Arach used his Ring of Remembrance and vanished
before our eyes.
 I wasn't pleased to send Arach back to Faerie, but it was the best option, and it
might be what saved us if things were currently on a bad course.
The rest of us waited an anxious five minutes before we left the Golden Citadel,
just to be sure that Arach didn't return. His not returning was a relief. It meant I was
back in Faerie and everything had gone well. Either that or something had gone very,
very wrong. I considered mirroring Arach when we got back to Pride Palace. Just a
quick, “Hey, are we good?” to put my mind at ease. But then I thought it might be a
good idea to check on my children first. Those in the God Realm. Then I could make sure
all was well with my Fey family.
In addition to Arach, we were down Odin, Re, and Azrael. They had gone to their
territories to check on whatever magical items they had locked away. The plan was to
bring anything dangerous back to Pride Palace. I grimaced at the thought. Normally, I
wouldn't want dangerous god items around my kids. But in this instance, it was
necessary.
I sent Trevor, Kirill, and Viper ahead to Pride Palace while I said goodbye to Odin,
Re, and Azrael. Then I went into the citadel's tracing room and went home. It was late
evening in the Pride lands, but I was so mentally exhausted that it felt closer to
midnight. I reformed, saw my husbands standing just outside the open door of Pride
Palace's tracing room, and headed for them.
That's when someone grabbed me from behind and stuck a knife in my heart.
As I gasped and crumpled, an overwhelming cold shot through my body. I
recognized the feeling instantly and knew exactly what I'd been stabbed with. Anubis's
dagger. The very one he'd been worried about. This was my second run-in with the
blade, but this time, the cold spread in an instant. Because this time, Death was injected
straight into my heart.
I never hit the floor. The trickster had a firm grip on my waist as well as one on
the hilt of Anubis's blade. I was dragged backward as my husbands turned around,
alerted by my gasp. I saw their mouths move, probably shouting as they ran toward me.
But I was already being pulled into the Aether, the magic of that realm taking the
trickster and me wherever they wanted to go.
Seconds later, we reformed. I shuddered, my heart trying to repair itself around
the steel invader while my body turned into ice. The Fire in me went out. The Moon
vanished. My Lioness whimpered into silence. With them gone, my star sputtered and
went dark. Not dark as in evil. Just dark. No light. There but not on.
Then I was being carried. My head lolled. I couldn't focus on my surroundings.
Floor—wood. Ceiling—white. Walls—blurry. I was laid on something soft. A bed? Why
stab me and put me in a bed?
A shadow moved above me. The shape of a person. “Hello, my Queen,” a familiar
voice said. Then the trickster pulled the knife from my chest. “Sleep now.”
And then I winked out too.
 I woke in terror, like coming out of a heart-pounding nightmare. Except this
nightmare was in the waking world. I remembered instantly. The dagger. The cold. I was
powerless. Numb. But I still had my emotions. So, Katila had enough control over
Anubis's blade to fine-tune its magic and allow me to feel.
Yes, Katila. Alive. The insane bastard was back. And stretched out beside me. This
explained a lot and yet raised more questions. The Pasha hung around his neck, a
golden cord full of magic. And Anubis's dagger hung on his hip, the hilt darker than
Katila's eyes.
He was a handsome enough man. Kinda looked like a Bollywood actor, with
bronzed skin, dark glossy hair, and those crazy brown eyes. And there was that non-
scent. Even looking at him, I couldn't smell him. It was as if he didn't exist. Of course,
my super-senses were currently buried under the cold of Death.
I tried to sit up but couldn't.
“Would you like to move, Vervain?” Katila asked casually.
I tried to speak but couldn't. But I could nod.
“Go ahead then. You may move, but do not run from me or strike me.”
I gasped as my body was freed from Death's ghostly hold.
“And you may speak freely.”
Bad decision, buddy.
“What the fuck?!” I screeched as I sat up and scooted as far away from Katila as
his stolen magic would allow. “You're dead! I ate your fucking heart!”
“Did you?” He laid back and sighed. “How did it taste?”
“I don't remember. Why don't you give me another bite?” I snarled and tried to
leap for him but couldn't.
Katila tsked me. “You should know that you can't disobey me when you're under
the blade's control. You've been its slave before, haven't you?”
“How?” I demanded.
“How what?” He sat up and faced me, crossing his legs as if we were at a slumber
party.
“How are you alive?”
“I avoided the Void.” He cackled. “No, not really. I went to the Void but then I got
out. I just danced out of the Void. A Void dance.” He paused, then declared, “Avoidance!
Ha! That is so appropriate.”
Yup. He was just as crazy as ever.
“You danced out of the Void?” I asked. “All by yourself?”
“Yes.” Katila grinned, his teeth white against his full lips. It looked menacing.
“Bullshit,” I said. “Even I couldn't do that, and I—”
“You are the Trinity Star!” he declared with a wave of his hand. “The Great
Destroyer of Bahrain. The Dark One.”
“Dark Star. They called me the Dark Star,” I muttered. “It was a bad time in my
life.”
Katila chuckled. “Well, dying was a bad time in my life. But I'm glad I did. It gave
me some perspective. I rushed things with you. I should have taken the time to woo you
properly.”
“Woo me? Is that what you call stabbing me in the heart with Anubis's stolen
Death blade?”
“Yup.”
I snorted and rolled my eyes.
“You wouldn't have come with me willingly,” Katila went on. “And I needed you to
sit still long enough to get to know me. In time, you'll understand, and you'll be grateful.
I've saved you from that awful life. All those men demanding babies from you. What do
they think you are—a broodmare?”
“I love my children,” I said calmly. Maybe if I could play Katila's game well
enough, my friends and family would have enough time to reach me.
Wait.
They wouldn't be able to track me. Not without Arach and with my magic
suppressed. Maybe not even with Arach. I wasn't sure if Katila's non-scent would hide
our trail through the Aether.
“Of course, you love your children,” Katila said. “You're not a monster.” Then he
giggled. “Well, you're kind of a monster, but that's why I love you.”
“That is not how love works, Katila.”
“It's how my love works.” He shrugged and climbed out of bed.
Honestly, I was relieved to see him leave the bed. Hopefully, that meant he wasn't
going to resort to rape. Yet. At least he hadn't chained me. I hated chains.
“Not that you don't look scrumptious, my love,” Katila said. “But I have a fresh
wardrobe for you, and I'd like you to put something on. Whatever you wish.” He waved
at a door to his left. “Then come out and join me.” He sauntered out of the room through
another door, leaving it open behind him.
I ventured to the open door and peered out it. A normal hallway waited beyond.
Hardwood floor and white ceiling. Katila continued down the corridor and out the other
end.
What to do?
With my magic numb, I couldn't trace, not even if we'd been in the Human Realm,
which I was pretty sure we weren't. I couldn't remember if Katila had a god territory,
but his mother must have, and she had died as well. So the guy had options. That made
one of us.
I grimaced at the door Katila had indicated, then went to it. It opened to a
dressing room. Tasteful with touches of India—brass light fixtures, a marble console
running down the center of the room, and brass benches padded in red velvet. Women's
clothing hung on racks on one side of the room. The other was dedicated to men's
clothing. Oh, how cute. He made us a couple's closet. I went to the pants section. I did
not want to wear a dress around that maniac. If he decided to rape me, I was going to
make it as difficult as possible.
“Not that it will matter,” I muttered to myself.
The man had control of my body. It was the most frightening experience to have
your body turn against you. To know you couldn't trust it to defend you. And this was my
second time going through it. But I had to keep calm. I may not be able to control my
body, but I could control my mind.
“Come on, Vervain. You're the Trinity Star and the Godhunter. You've been here
before and you survived. You will get through this again.”
 I pulled on a pair of pants, completely unsurprised that they fit me like a glove.
The guy had probably been planning my abduction from the moment he got free of the
Void.
“But how did he get free?” I growled. “A soul can't just dance out of the Void. Not
even the soul of a Hindu god, and those gods are known for their dancing.”
I glared at the array of silk blouses, then settled on a solid cotton shirt—your
average white button-down that every woman should own. Or so the Youtube style
influencers say. I found a pair of expensive sneakers and some thick socks. Perfect for
running if I happened to get the chance. Always be prepared. That's key to surviving an
abduction.
“Sheesh, I should write a handbook. I've been abducted enough to give tips.”
Then I looked for a weapon.
It had been a long time since I'd fought someone with a sword or any weapon, for
that matter. I'd lent my Wolverine gloves to Torrent years ago and had no intention of
asking for them back. But I was back to square one, cut off from magic. And that meant
using steel. Or, if a blade of some kind wasn't available, whatever stabby, pointy thing I
could find.
The stabbiest things in the dressing room were stilettos. I weighed their value
against those of the sneakers. The sneakers won. Stilettos would be too obvious.
Especially in that outfit.
I went back into the bedroom and hurriedly searched for a weapon there. Nothing.
“Do you really think I'd leave knives lying around for you to use, my Queen?”
Katila called down the corridor. “Come now. I'm waiting.”
My feet moved on their own, taking me down the hallway and to the crazy son of a
bitch waiting for me. I felt like Princess Leia getting pulled to Jabba the Hutt by a chain.
It had been so long, and I had pushed those memories so deep, that I couldn't
recall if it had been like this with Anubis. It had been bad; I remembered that much.
There had been mind games and enemies coming by to taunt me. And there had been a
heavy collar. A collar very similar to the one Leia wore. I seem to recall Anubis dressing
me in something scandalous too.
And then the Egyptian God of the Dead fell in love with me.
Well, Katila thought he was in love with me already. Could I use that? Probably. I
had to think like a normal woman now. A woman with no control over her own body. In
that way, I was less powerful than a human. Talk about the mighty falling.
I entered a huge living room, so large it had to be divided into sections by the
arrangement of furniture. The bedroom had been big, but not enough to prepare me for
this. Marble columns soared to the ceiling where light came from an unknown source;
thick rugs helped to define the collections of couches, chairs, and tables; and an
archway on my left opened onto a terrace. Katila was sprawled on a divan, his white
cotton shirt open to the waist to show off his chest and frame the Pasha.
He sat up when he saw me and waved at the chair on his left. “Please, take a seat,
Vervain.”
Yeah, Anubis had sounded civilized too. All while he dragged me around on a chain
like a dog.
I went to the plush velvet and gold chair, overstuffed to the point of bounciness,
and sat down. “Where are we?” I glanced out toward the terrace. “The God Realm
somewhere, but is this your territory?”
“It is now.” He grinned.
“Who did you take it from?”
“Let's not get into all of that yet, Vervain. We need to get to know each other
better first.”
 “And you don't think telling me who you stole a territory from will help me get to
know you?”
“It's irrelevant.”
“Just for clarity, you're the one who took the Ark and left it in the desert, right?”
“Would you believe me if I said I wasn't?”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “It would be a hell of a coincidence.”
Katila grinned. “The game is a foot.”
“Afoot,” I corrected. “One word, not two. Unless you're talking about removing
body parts. In which case, I'm feeling a bit peckish.”
“I was just extending the word, but truly? You'd eat a foot?”
“I've eaten it all in my dragon form. And yes, specifically, a foot.” I frowned in
thought. “Or did I just play football with it and crack jokes? I think I may have given the
foot to the Wild Hunt.” I shrugged. “I've eaten so many enemies I can barely keep
track.”
Katila hooted in laughter. “Football! I can just imagine you tossing a foot around.”
“Not squeamish, eh?”
“Would I desire you for my queen if I was?” He leaned forward on his knees and
waved at the silver beverage service on the table before him. “Coffee? Cookies? I'm
sorry, I'm fresh out of body parts.”
I snorted despite myself. “Yeah, sure. I'll have some of both.”
“Good.” He poured a cup then slid it my way. “Help yourself to the cream and
sugar.” Then he used a pair of silver tongs to pick up dainty cookies and set them on a
dainty plate. “There you are.” He set the plate before me.
I fixed my coffee, took a sip, then ate a cookie. They were good, so I ate the rest.
Katila put more on my plate without comment.
Thuh-thump!
It was all I could do not to flinch.
Thuh-thump! It came again. The heavy pounding came from my heart but it was a
sign of something deeper. My magic! It was returning. I wasn't the same woman who
had been controlled by the Death Dagger before. Now I had the Trinity Star. And you
couldn't dampen it for long. At least not with an injection of cold death. Because beyond
its nine points lay the Great Magics. The power that could create and destroy worlds.
And one of the Great Nine Magics was Control.
One type of control fought another inside me. Even numb, my magic was still
connected to the Great Nine. Protection, Love, Abundance, Beauty, Health,
Transmutation, Control, Hate, and Acceptance. I didn't draw on them often. That was
sort of our unspoken agreement. But when I needed them, really needed them, they
were there for me.
“Vervain?”
“Huh?” I looked up from my coffee cup.
“I asked you a question.”
“Oh, sorry.” I cleared my throat and shook my head. “I don't care.”
“Excuse me?”
“I said, I don't care. I'm not answering any of your questions.”
“Why not?” Katila asked casually, his tone betraying none of the irritation I saw in
his eyes. “What would it hurt to tell me what your favorite food is?”
Is that what he asked me? Damn, he really thought this was a date.
 “Pizza,” I said. “No, steak. Well . . .” I grimaced. “No, it's donuts. I love most nuts,
but donuts are the best kind of nut.”
“The best kind of nut.” He chuckled. “You're so funny.”
I stared at him. This is good. Just keep him amused, Vervain. Then we can fry his
ass. Who am I even talking to? It's this kind of thinking that gets me in trouble. Stay
humble, bitch!
“Why play these games?” I asked him. “Stealing the Ark, switching out its
contents, abducting a fucking Pomeranian. Why?”
“Is that what I did?” Katila grinned.
“What did you do with Jehovah's stone tablets?”
“Nothing.” He shrugged.
“Just using them as a paperweight?”
“Sort of.”
Heat. In my chest. My heart pounded with more ease. The heat started to spread.
It shouldn't be long now. I wouldn't need a sip from the GRAYEL to cleanse me this time.
The Great Magic of Health would. If there was a god of gods, a true god, it was the
Great Nine Magics, and they were answering my prayer.
Vervain, a masculine voice said in my head.
Al! Alaric! I shouted back mentally.
Vervain, don't try to kill him, Al, the Consciousness of the Void, said. I sense more
to this soul than is seen.
I don't care how much there is to his soul, I growled. I'm sooo killing this
motherfucker.
That's the thing—I don't know if you can.
What do you mean? Everything that lives can be killed.
Yes, but not all can be killed by you.
Al, this is not the time to be cryptic.
Do you recall when Faerie and I said there is another force at work in your life?
Yes. Please don't tell me that force is what brought back Katila.
I don't know. He paused. Did you hear me, really hear me, Vervain? I, the
Consciousness of the Void, do not know how Katila came back to life. He was there and
then he was gone. I certainly did not cast him from the Void.
So, what? This unknown force did? Why? And who?
Maybe it's not a who. Maybe it is energy. A type of force.
As in, may the force be with you? Damn, I really am Princess Leia.
I'm serious, Vervain! This power has knowledge beyond us and is working toward
its own goal.
Knowledge beyond yours?
Yes.
Well isn't that terrifying?
Yes, it is.
Then something struck me. Something I'd been thinking earlier. How the Great
Nine were like a god of gods. What if they truly were a god? A real god.
What about the Great Nine?
 No. They have no consciousness.
None that you know of.
Alaric went silent.
“If you keep ignoring me, I will be forced to not be ignored, Vervain,” Katila said.
“What?” I focused on him. “Sorry. I'm talking to the voice in my head.”
Katila chuckled again. “You are so odd. I love it! You hear voices, eh?”
“Tell me how you got out of the Void, Katila,” I urged. “Answer me honestly, and I'll
answer any question of yours in return.”
Katila leaned back and stared at me. Finally, he said, “I cannot.”
“You can't because you don't know or because you refuse to tell me?”
He just continued to stare.
Whoosh! Fire in my veins. My magic returned like an explosion. I rocked forward
with it, spilling coffee into the saucer.
“Vervain?” Katila sat forward.
I looked up slowly, savoring the moment, and let my dragon come forth. I let her
shine out of my eyes and set them to burning.
Katila gasped and drew back. “No. This isn't possible.”
“You should run now,” I growled, scales coming to the surface of my skin. “Not
that it will do you any good.”
Katila didn't run. He yanked the Pasha from his neck as he stood to face me.
Damn it, Vervain! Al shouted. Run!
Alaric had never sounded so afraid. That fear broke through my dragon's
dominant nature and echoed into my heart. I jerked to my feet, fire rising inside me, but
now it was only a defensive measure—something to hold him off while I ran. I blasted
Katila with it.
Katila went transparent.
A ghost. The motherfucker was a ghost.
My flames went right through him. The only thing that remained solid was the
Pasha, and it only glowed in the flames. The couch, however, caught fire.
With a growl, Katila waved at the couch and the flames went out. Whatever
territory we were in, he had full control of it.
He's taken souls! Alaric shouted. An entire territory's worth. Run, Vervain!
Fuck.
I ran.
Which way? I screeched in my head. Where's the tracing point?
Straight ahead. That door. Take it.
I ran for the door opposite the terrace.
“Where are you running to, little dragon?” Katila growled, his voice gone deep.
The door in front of me changed into a steel wall. I stumbled to a stop.
Vervain!
Tell the others where I am, Al. Get help!
No reply. I assumed he had gone to get help. But then I remembered that I was the
only one who could hear Al. Me and Aradia. Aradia, a half-God-half-Fey woman, had
been an avatar for Alaric in the past. He would have to go to her first, then get her to go
to Pride Palace. But the wards were new, and Aradia didn't have the chant.
I was on my own.
“If I have to drain your magic, I will, my Queen,” Katila said. “But you will not
escape me again.”
I turned to face him. “Great job on the seduction.”
Katila grinned. “I think maybe you will respect this more than conversation. He
flung the Pasha out. It unraveled from its noose shape and cracked like a whip.
I still had my star. It didn't always work, pretty much only when it chose to, but I
didn't think it would let Katila drain my magic. Normally, I asked for its help and
directed it with a specific request, but before I could do that, a powerful rage gathered
inside me. It built and built in seconds, then blasted out of me in a blinding glow.
Starlight. The Trinity Star hadn't failed me!
Katila went tumbling backward and the steel door behind me flew off its hinges. I
glanced over my shoulder to see an Asian garden with a pagoda in its center. That was
the tracing room. It had to be. But Katila was down and my beasts wanted to tear into
him. It took all I had to turn away from Katila and run. It was a good thing I did. Even as
I ran, he got to his feet and gave chase. I could hear him behind me. The ground began
to roll.
I leapt into the air, wings sprouting from my back.
Katila screeched in fury.
I dove for the pagoda—the only solid thing in a sea of rolling land. I went through
the opening. Knocked my wings against the pillars. Hit the ground.
Then I felt the Aether reaching for me. I reached back. And I vanished just as
Katila entered the pagoda.
 “Vervain!” Kirill shouted.
They were gathered around the tracing room, Aradia with them. Damn, Al had
moved fast.
“Not now!” I shouted and smacked my hands on the tracing wall. “Open ways are
now shut against those who are unwelcome.”
As soon as I started the rewarding chant, everyone went silent.
“I, Mistress of this home, declare it so and bind the point before me, that none but
those I choose shall pass. Clear the way only for those who speak these words: Banana
Pancakes.”
The new ward shimmered into place over the old, the new chant becoming the key
to our territory. We were safe. Katila couldn't follow me. I didn't know how he'd gotten
past my ward before, but I hoped rewarding would stop him from doing it again.
Just in case it didn't, I fell into a fighting stance, claws springing from my
fingertips. Inside my chest, the nine-pointed star pulsed reassuringly. It was with me.
Thank goodness.
And it wasn't the only one.
My husbands slipped into the tracing room and spread out to either side of me and
behind me. They prepared to fight. A minute passed. Another. There was no sign of
Katila, but that didn't mean he wasn't there.
“Al?” I called.
“I don't sense him, Vervain,” Al said through Aradia.
“I don't smell his non-scent either.”
“Who?” Re demanded. “Who is the trickster, Vervain? Who took you?”
I straightened from my stance and looked at my men. Aradia stood just outside the
room with my Intare. It looked like they were all there, crowding the entryway and
perched on the stairs.
“Our enemy has come back from the dead,” I said. “It's Katila.”
The lions growled, including their god, Kirill. Trevor bared his teeth. The other
men let out wicked curses that would have blistered the ears of my children.
Then I said, “And he has Anubis's dagger.”
More cursing.
Cracking my neck, I strode out of the tracing room. “It didn't work on me for very
long. My star couldn't be suppressed by Death.”
My husbands trailed after me, but we stopped in the space before the tracing
room.
“That, at least, is some good news,” Odin said as he closed the tracing room door.
“I'm not finished.” I turned to look at my husbands. “Katila's back to eating souls,
and Al says he's consumed an entire territory full of them.”
“Katila has taken only god souls so far, but the territory he's stolen is an
underworld and is full of human souls,” Aradia/Alaric said. “Those souls are bound to
him now, and I'm afraid he may start consuming them as well.”
“What territory did he take, Al?” I asked.
“Naraka.”
“Naraka?” I asked. “Who's territory is that?”
“It was Katila's father's,” Odin said. “It must have been open to being taken by
him.”
“Hold on. We killed Yama and all his minions,” I said. “So who was left in the
territory for Katila to consume?”
“You didn't kill all the Yamadutas,” Al said. “Not all of them could leave Naraka.
They had souls to torture and a territory to guard.”
“Lovely,” Viper drawled.
“So, Katila killed his own people?” I asked. “That's a switch.”
“He was probably desperate,” Trevor said.
“But how did he get out of the Void?” Odin asked.
“You got out,” Kirill said. “Viper got out.”
“Because Vervain pulled us out,” Odin said. “The spell she used to bring me back
is not widely known. It was from my soul magic spellbook—a book of Fey spells. But if
that is what happened, and Katila was brought back with a spell, it would mean
someone helped him. Someone would have to cast the spell. Who would do that? All of
his relatives are dead.”
“Alaric just said there were some Yamadutas left,” Re said.
“But they were loyal to Katila's father, not him,” Trevor argued.
“They may have been desperate for someone to take control of the territory, and
they may not have had enough magic to do it themselves.”
“I asked Katila how he got out,” I said, silencing everyone.
“And?” Odin demanded.
“He told me that he danced out of the Void.”
“He danced out?”
“Yup. Called it a Void dance. Avoidance. Then he laughed and said it was
appropriate.”
“Why is avoidance appropriate?” Odin murmured.
“I don't know. He's even crazier than he was the last time.” I thought about it.
“But you could call retrieving a soul from the Void a dance. It's delicate spellwork.”
“Indeed,” Odin said.
“Are you all right, Carus?” Azrael asked. “We haven't asked about you yet. Did he .
. . ?”
“He didn't try to hurt me until I got my magic back and tried to kill him. Then it
was on,” I said. “But I'm fine. He was trying to have a date with me. He wanted us to get
to know each other.”
“A date?” Aidan, one of my lions, scoffed. “The guy really is nuts.”
“Yeah. Actually, that reminds me. He asked what my favorite food is. I told him it
was donuts—the best kind of nut.”
“Well, I don't know about that,” someone said. “I've got some nuts the ladies seem
to love.”
The lions chuckled.
 “Ha-ha.” I rolled my eyes.
“Alaric, do you have anything to add?” Odin asked.
“About nuts?” Al/Aradia asked in genuine confusion.
Odin's face twitched.
“Alaric already told me that he doesn't know how Katila's soul got out of the Void,”
I answered for Al. “He was there and then gone.”
“Is that how it was with my soul?” Odin asked.
“No. I knew Vervain came for you. I was aware of her presence and your
conversation. But I have always been aware of Vervain. I don't watch all the souls in the
Void as closely as I watched over yours, Odin.”
Odin's expression squished up. “Thank you?”
“You're welcome.”
“So, he can't get through now?” Viper asked. “Now that you've changed the ward
chant to banana pancakes.” He pressed his lips together to keep from laughing.
“It just popped into my head.” I grimaced. Then I looked around. “Where are the
children?”
“Outside playing,” Kirill said. “Sam and Fallon are vith zem.”
“Good.” I looked back at the tracing room. “And to answer your question, Viper, I
don't know how secure we are. Cuz I don't know how he got in the first time.”
“Well, you've got a lot of people traipsin' in and out of this terr'tory,” Austin
drawled.
“What are you saying, copper?” Lucius, another lion, asked.
“Just that it's hard to keep a secret between two people. But a hundred?” He
looked around. “I'm not besmirchin' anyone's honor here. Just saying, that's how it goes.
Three can keep a secret if two of 'em are dead.”
“You think one of my friends or family gave up the tracing chant?” I asked.
“Maybe not knowingly.” Austin shrugged again.
“He also got into Heaven and Hell,” Azrael said.
“Both terr'tories with a lot of residents,” Austin said.
“So now you think someone from Heaven, Hell, the Greek Underworld, and here
gave up the chants?” Viper asked.
“It would be the easiest way to get through.” Austin, who'd been slouched against
the wall, straightened and sauntered over. “I don't know wards as well as you folks, but I
know doors. To get through, you have to have a key or a sledgehammer. No one
sledgehammered your ward, did they, Vervain?”
“No,” I said. “But we've left out one other option.”
“What's that?”
“Katila may have overheard the chants.”
“Fruity Pebbles!” Trevor snarled.
“I don't get it,” Austin said.
“Katila is like a ghost,” I said. “You won't see him or even sense his magic. It's
more than invisibility. He's simply not there. So, he could have been anywhere without
us knowing. He could have found a god from each territory and followed them until they
traced home. Then he'd just have to listen for the chant.”
“What about the Faerie Realm?” Aidan asked. “How did he get in there?”
 “With Viper,” I said. “The ward recognized Viper and allowed the person with him
to tag along.”
“The easiest explanation is usually the right one.” Odin nodded.
“Which reminds me. When I attacked him with fire, he went transparent,” I said.
“Doubtless a talent he got from consuming a Yamaduta,” Odin said.
“Or their magic enhanced his own, and he has become unnoticeable to the point of
also being untouchable,” Alaric said.
“Or he really is a ghost,” Austin said.
“Those don't exist,” I said. Then I paused. “Do they, Al?”
“Well, technically a soul without a body is a ghost,” Alaric said. “But what you're
asking is whether a soul can survive in one of the realms of the living without a body.
The answer to that is no.”
“So, he's not a ghost, just stronger,” Trevor said.
“He's got the strength of over fifty gods now,” Alaric said.
Re shook his head. “That would make him nearly invincible.”
Azrael's expression twitched. “He can't be invincible.”
“Either way, he's more powerful than before,” I said.
“That's terrible,” Aradia said in her voice. “And I'd really like to stay and help out,
but I kinda want to get home and check on my wards now.”
“Oh! Of course, Aradia. Thank you so much for bringing Alaric to help me,” I said.
“No problem.” Aradia shuddered. “Ah, Alaric's gone now. Goodbye, everyone.” She
waved at the Intare, nodded at my husbands, and headed for the tracing room.
“Oh, Aradia?”
“Yes?” She stopped to look back.
“No offense, but please, don't come back here until this is over. I don't want to risk
you being overheard speaking the entry chant.”
“Yeah, I understand. Just text me with an all's clear.”
After she was gone, Odin said, “You could just change the chant again.”
“But what if Alaric needs his avatar?”
Odin's expression went grim. “You're right. We'll wait.”
“Banana pancakes it is,” Viper declared.
 “I assume Anubis knows his blade was stolen,” I said.
“Yeah, he texted while we were panicking over you,” Trevor said. “I think one of us
answered him.”
“We should tell him that Vervain is back,” Odin said. “And she knows who has his
dagger.”
Trevor shrugged.
“We could use Anubis and his jackals,” I said.
“We don't need them. I can call the Froekn.”
“Uh, and there's us,” Aaron said, tossing back his long, blond hair.
The other Intare nodded and growled.
“I care about all of you and the Froekn,” I said. “The werejackals—not so much.”
“Cannon fodder,” Trevor said. “I'm down with that.”
“No matter how powerful he is, he's still just one man,” Odin said. “Too many
soldiers may hinder us instead of help.”
“We don't know if he'll still be one man when we fight him. Al thinks he might be
backed by that unknown force.”
“What unknown force?” Austin asked.
“Something has been working in my life, possibly to help me,” I said. “But Alaric
and Faerie don't know who or what it is. And Al doesn't know how Katila got out of the
Void. So, we can't underestimate him. He could be backed by something powerful.”
“And he's powerful on his own,” Kirill said.
“Why would this unknown thing bring your enemy back from the dead if it was
supposed to be helping you?” Austin asked.
I shrugged. “Why doesn't my star work sometimes? What we view as bad may be
necessary to advance us in some way. You cut back a plant, and it thrives.”
“So, this entity is cutting back your branches?” Trevor asked.
“Maybe.”
You must be careful with this god, Vervain, Alaric said in my mind.
“I know,” I said. Then to the confused looks, I added, “Al said I have to be careful
with Katila.”
“We are always careful,” Odin said.
Yes, he is. You . . . less so, Al said.
Ha-ha, I replied in my mind. I learned my lesson with him today. I won't
underestimate him again.
Good girl.
“Anubis vants to join the fight,” Kirill said, lifting his cellphone.
My other men grimaced. All but Viper, who didn't go through that crap with me.
“Those jackals can't die,” I reminded them. “And anyone they kill joins Anubis. If
Katila raises an army, they'll be helpful.”
“How is he going to raise an army?” Re asked.
“How did he come back from the Void?” Odin shot back.
“Let's talk to the Squad before we decide on anything,” I said. “We still don't know
how we'll get him to face us.”
“What are you talking about?” Odin asked. “We know where he is, and we have
Torrent.”
“I learned my lesson with Marduk. You don't fight a god in their territory.”
“We killed Marduk.”
“The Jinn killed Marduk, and Marduk nearly killed Arach. I don't think we should
go after Katila in Naraka.”
“It's a shared territory,” Re said. “He won't be . . .” He grimaced. “Right. He ate
everyone else. Never mind. I'm with Vervain. Gods are more powerful in their
territories, and this one is super powerful to begin with.”
“We have no other option,” Odin said.
“Of course, we do,” Trevor said. “We set a trap. We know who the trickster is now.
And we know what he wants.” He waved toward me.
“I like that plan,” Viper said. “Traps are best.”
“The question is, how do we lure Katila into a trap without being obvious?” I
asked. “I ran from him. If I suddenly show up somewhere public, it will be suspicious.”
“It depends on where in public,” Viper said. “And the guy's crazy, right? He won't
worry about traps.”
“He may not need to,” Kirill said grimly. His phone buzzed, and he looked down to
read the incoming text.
“Is that Anubis?” I asked.
“Da,” Kirill said. “He says he has a right to join hunt now zat his veapon is
involved. Vhat do I tell him?”
“Tell him to meet us at the Citadel,” Azrael said. “I need to change the ward chant
anyway.”
 No matter how strong you get, there is always someone stronger. I should have
remembered that. Katila had come back from the dead, and every man I knew who had
returned from the dead—there were several—had come back stronger. Katila had come
back stronger, then gotten even more stronger. Strong enough to play with his food.
Sorry. That must sound melodramatic and pessimistic. I was feeling both of those
things. As I sat in the Golden Citadel's meeting room and listened to my friends and
lovers discuss ways to lure Katila out of his territory, I felt morose. I had thought for
sure this time it was about someone else. Nope. It was me. Again. I was a fucking Taylor
Swift song. And I'm not talking about her early, sweet, love songs either.
I couldn't concentrate on the conversation. There was so much of it. We were in a
larger room now because my Intare had insisted on attending. I had said no. We weren't
bringing over eighty werelions to the meeting. They had countered with twenty. So there
were twenty lions there, not including the Lion God, and then the Squad, Anubis, Gello,
Samael, Lilith, Lucifer, Holly, Jesus, Fenrir, ten Froekn warriors, Machar, and my
husbands.
And you know that saying about opinions, right?
It had felt as if I'd been with Katila for hours, but barely any time had passed.
When we got to the citadel, it was still early afternoon. But this discussion had gone on
long enough for the sun to set. I rubbed at my forehead and wished I had the option of
hiding. Not from the conversation but from my enemies. I had never wanted to be the
Godhunter. It was self-defense. But then I got some God magic. And a bit more. I learned
who I was and what I could be. And I thought to myself, maybe I could survive. Maybe
there would come a day when I didn't live in fear.
I'm not saying that I'm constantly afraid. I had been in the beginning, and that had
been nightmarish. I remember waking up to every little sound, thinking some god had
found me. Then I met Thor, and things got better. But I never got free of the fear. Even
when I felt cocky, more powerful than all other gods, I still had a seed of fear in my
heart. Because I'm a mother, a wife, and a queen. There are people I love who I fear for
on top of myself. So, fear had a permanent home inside me.
Wait. No. That's incorrect. There was a time when I was completely free of fear. It
was back when I was the Dark Star. So, I guess I had to be evil to not be afraid. Or as
crazy as Katila.
“He's crazy,” I whispered.
“What's that, Vervain?” Odin asked.
“I said, he's crazy. Katila is bonkers.”
“Yes, we've established that,” Horus drawled.
“I was getting to a point, Horus,” I said dryly. “If you would stop cutting people off,
you might hear something brilliant.”
“From you? Doubtful.” His lips twitched.
I snorted, well used to Horus's fake derision. “Look, we need to use that insanity,
and not in the way everyone has been suggesting. We need to focus it. Katila is after me,
but he's also after prestige. He wants to be King of the Underworld. Always has. He sees
it as his birthright.”
“And he is now,” Blue said.
 “Yes,” I agreed. “But what's a kingdom without subjects? What does power matter
if you can't use it? Katila wants to be seen. He has always been a ghost. Never
recognized as a god. Not one with any magic at least. We can use that.”
“How?” Torrent asked.
“Something public,” I said and looked at Azrael. “I think he went after all of you
because you have the recognition he wants. Everyone on the planet knows Jesus and the
Devil. Most know who Hades is. I'd bet even Cerberus would get some nods. But you,
Az; you're the Faerie God. Humans made action figures of you. There isn't a person on
the planet over the age of six who doesn't know who you are.”
“But ask your average human who Katila of the Hindu Pantheon is, and they'd pull
a blank,” Karni Mata said.
“Yup,” I said. “Even now, after all he's done, no one knows him. His family is gone
and his territory is empty.”
“Well, who's fault is that?” Re drawled.
“Crazy, remember?”
“Ah. Yes.”
“So, we need to cater to his ego,” Finn said.
“I don't think I'm the best bait,” I said. “I mean, yes, I'll need to be a part of the
trap, but I think Azrael would get Katila to surface quicker than me.”
“A public appearance?” Azrael asked.
I nodded. “Something we can control.”
“And populate,” Odin said. “If we could make it appear that Azrael is speaking to a
crowd of humans, but have them be our people, that might work.”
“Something indoors then,” Azrael said.
“And something we can advertise but also keep humans out of,” Trevor said. “It
could be an event that is sold out from the beginning.”
“That's a good idea,” Odin said. “Perhaps a dinner for charity.”
“For the Wild Fey children,” Azrael said. “That would be perfect. We can have it at
a private venue where we can control the environment.”
“You mean like Moonshine?” Trevor asked.
“Do we really want to have another battle in Moonshine?” I asked him. “And it
would mean shutting down for the night and however long it took to repair the place
afterward. Plus, we don't need the H.P.D. sniffing around. Again.”
“True. But if we have it somewhere owned by humans, we'll have to explain the
damages.”
“Do we, though?” Viper asked with a grin. “It's not as if they can sue us.”
The Intare chuckled.
“That's irresponsible,” Odin said, narrowing his eyes at Viper.
“Lighten up,” Viper said. “We can pick a place owned by a big company. One that
won't sweat the loss.”
“Well, I declare,” Austin drawled. “I believe I may have the perfect place for this
shindig.”
“In Lexington?” Azrael asked.
“Yup. A hotel. And it's owned by one of those highfalutin companies that's been
buying up the land and parceling it all off at a profit. Damn Yankees.”
I lifted a brow at Odin.
 He grimaced but nodded.
None of us were happy with the way companies had taken over Lexington. It felt
as if they were trying to turn it into another Las Vegas with all the fancy restaurants and
hotels, just with the addition of faeries. Lots of faeries. They even had gambling.
Although, I assumed there were faeries in Vegas too. But those in Lexington were
making a lot of money off faerie-obsessed humans. I didn't mind the Fey profiting off
themselves, but the human companies annoyed me. If that's racist, I apologize, but I see
it more as anti-corporate.
“Is that a yes?” Austin asked.
“Yes,” I said. “Just give us the name of the hotel, and we'll set it up through an
alias.”
“I can handle that,” Torrent said.
“Woo-ee!” Austin whooped. “I can't wait to get called in when they report the
damage. The place is called The Feyview Hotel. They got themselves a ballroom on the
bottom floor that they rent out. And it's at the back, behind the casino, so no one will
hear any hollerin'.”
“Perfect,” Azrael said. “Torrent get it done. And can you post notices online about
it?”
“Sure. What should I call it and when are we hosting it?” Torrent's eyes went side-
to-side. “They've got several openings this month.”
“How about next week?” Odin suggested.
“That seems soon for a charity event,” Anubis said.
“As if Katila is going to consider that,” Trevor scoffed.
“True.”
Torrent waited a second to see if anyone else was going to protest, then said,
“There's an opening on Thursday.”
“My day.” Thor grinned.
Horus rolled his eyes.
“Take it, Torr,” I said. “Reserve it under whatever name you want, but call the
event . . . Preserving the Wild.”
Azrael winced. “That's awful.”
“Naw, it's perfect,” Austin said. “They have events with names like that all the
time in Lexington.”
“Fine, but I thought I was hosting the event?” Azrael asked.
“You'll be the guest of honor,” I said. “We don't want the hotel coming to us to pay
for the damages.”
“Or giving you bad press,” Odin said. “You've got enough of that as it is.”
“We could spin the battle as an attack from one of those anti-Fey groups,” Teharon
suggested.
“Oh, I like that,” I said. “Two birds, one battle.”
“All right. It's booked. There's a website up for the event and posts all over social
media to promote it,” Torrent said. “Perhaps we can do some advertising around
Lexington too?”
“But the website will show it's sold out, right?” Azrael asked.
“Yes. Katila will know where to find you and when you'll be there. I've even put
pictures of you and Vervain on the site so that he knows she'll be there too. But no one
will be able to purchase tickets.”
 “Good work, Torrent,” Odin said.
“Thanks.” Torr beamed at Odin. He was still getting over some daddy issues, and
he tended to take praise like a puppy.
“But is Katila going to see all zat?” Kirill asked.
“He will if he's looking,” Az said. “And I think he'll be looking.” He turned toward
me, and all my husbands turned with him.
“What?” I asked.
“You're staying in the God Realm until the event,” Odin said.
“Yeah, all right.”
Their eyes went wide.
“I can be reasonable.”
They grimaced.
“Oh, whatever.”
 There were no more thefts in the days leading up to the event. Nothing went
missing and turned up in an odd place either. No tricks of any kind. It looked as if Katila
was done playing games. I should have been relieved by that. I was not. I hadn't been
out of my territory since we returned from the Golden Citadel, and I wasn't the only one
pulling a shut-in. My lions stayed put too. No one wanted to accidentally lead Katila into
our den.
The night of the event arrived and with Lexington seven hours behind Pride
Palace, I was able to put my kids to bed before I had to get ready. I wore a gown I
created from a pebble using territory magic. I made a lot of my fancier clothes that way,
but it especially came in handy for times like this, when I wanted some unusual
adjustments made to an outfit that had to look couture. The dress was cut low in the
back so I could summon my wings if necessary and the skirt was a tear-away situation
affixed with Velcro. I had some yoga pants on beneath and my heels were low enough to
fight in. But you'd never know I was dressed for war.
I checked out my reflection in my dressing room mirror. It was one of those tri-fold
numbers with two additional panels hinged onto the center so that you could gawk at
yourself from every angle. It helped me to make sure I didn't have anything sticking out
that shouldn't be. I'd gone with black. I didn't want to stand out, and black was always a
good choice.
“You look lovely, Minn Elska,” Trevor said as he slid into his suit jacket. He had his
shoulder-length hair slicked back, the top button of his shirt unbuttoned, and no tie.
Roguish, especially with his shirt being black.
“Thank you. You shine up nice too.” I slid my hands up Trevor's belly to rest them
on his chest, then leaned in and kissed him. The piece of Trevor's soul inside me raced
out of my star and through my chest to brush up against Wolf, and it made us both sigh.
“Hey now, we don't have time for that,” Re said. “Especially if I join in, which I will
if you keep moaning, La-la.”
I finished kissing Trevor, then looked over at Re. “You look dashing.”
“Thank you.” He opened his arms. “Do I get a kiss too?”
“After that comment?” I chuckled and stroked his gold tie. “That would be
dangerous.”
“And we'll be facing enough danger as it is,” Odin said as he came up from the
back of the dressing room where he kept some of his clothes.
All of my husbands kept a few things in my dressing room. Mostly, it was the nicer
stuff, things that needed to be hung up.
“Are you ready?” Azrael asked from the doorway. “We've got to be there before the
event is set to begin.”
“Yes, we can go,” I said and left the dressing room. “Did you check with the
Squad?”
Az nodded. “They're on their way and so are my father, brother, several Angels
and Demons, Anubis and his jackals, Gello, Samael, and Lilith. Oh, and Machar will be
there as well.”
“I texted my father too,” Trevor said. “He's already in Lexington at the Wet
Whistle. They have limos waiting to take them to the event.”
 “Yeah, Ty said they're pre-gaming.” I rolled my eyes.
“So, they're drinking before the battle?” Re asked.
“Nothing strong enough to affect them,” Trevor said. “Dad takes battle seriously.”
“Does he though?” Viper, who had sauntered up behind Azrael, asked.
Trevor made a face at him.
“Hopefully, they'll only be needed to guard the perimeter,” Az said.
I looked Azrael over. He was the only one not wearing a suit. It wouldn't have
worked with his Faerie God guise. Instead, he had a nicer version of his usual F.G. outfit
—a black leather tunic adorned with green leather leaves around the neckline, dark
green pants, a wide-collared black jacket, and a pair of high boots. He looked more
intimidating than usual, and I approved.
We headed downstairs where the Intare was waiting. Nearly all of them were
attending the event, and I grinned at the disguises they had chosen. Not every god could
glamour themselves to look different. Most could go invisible, but changing your
appearance was a skill that my lions didn't have. I might have been able to lay a glamour
on them, but why bother when they could do it themselves with some wigs and makeup?
Not that we were worried about Katila recognizing them. He probably didn't know every
one of my werelions by sight, and even if he did, it wouldn't be unusual for them to be at
an event that I was attending, especially when we knew someone was after me.
Still, I loved seeing them play dress-up.
I stopped before Austin, who was wearing his police uniform. “You're going as
yourself?”
“Yup.” He tilted his hat to me. “I'll be event security tonight, Ma'am.”
“Then maybe you should come with us instead of waiting to arrive with the
guests,” Viper said.
“Prob'bly. I reckon I should take these yahoos with me too.” He jerked his thumb
over his shoulder and some of the lions stepped forward, all of them wearing Lexington
P.D. uniforms. “I got some deputies with me tonight.”
“Is that you, Aidan?” I squinted my eyes at one of them—a blond in a cowboy hat.
His dark eyebrows clashed with the wig, but hey, some blonds have dark brows.
“Yup,” Aidan drawled. “Tonight, I'm a cowboy cop too.”
“All right.” I shook my head and joined my husbands at the tracing room door.
“The cops had better come with us then. Are you tracing to the police station?”
“Naw,” Austin said. “We'll trace to my house and take the cruiser over. I don't
want the real officers seeing the impostors.”
“Right. Then we'll see you soon.”
“Have fun, Brothers,” Fallon said. He was in charge of the group I was leaving
behind to guard Pride Palace and, more importantly, the children.
“You have fun babysitting,” Aidan shot back.
“Hey!” I pointed at Aidan, then at the twenty men who were staying behind. “Their
job is more important than yours. What is Pride Palace?” I called to the Intare.
“Home!” the Intare called back.
“And the children?”
“Tima's tima!”
Their heart's heart.
“That's right,” I said. “If they are hurt, we are all hurt. Protect our home and
hearts.”
 “Tima!” the Intare roared my title. Then they surprised me by adding, “Death!”
I blinked, looked back at them, then saw Kirill inclining his head. They'd been
showing their god respect, not calling for death to our enemy, as I thought they might
have been. The Pride now had a connection to Death and Winter through Kirill. I guess
it sounded more badass to shout death rather than winter. We weren't the Starks, after
all.
I looked from Kirill to Odin, then to Az—my holy trinity of death gods. Katila
wouldn't escape us as easily as he had the Void.
 My husbands and I traced to the Golden Citadel. We were trying to make as much
of a spectacle of our arrival at the hotel as possible without being obvious. We didn't
rent limos or anything like that since we had never done so before, but we had an
impressive parade, nonetheless. A line of five black SUVs rolled out of the citadel gates,
some of our ex-Wild Fey employees driving while the two cars behind and in front of us
held citadel knights.
Everyone was on guard, waiting for Katila to show himself, even those we were
leaving behind at the citadel. It would be harder for him to sneak up on us while we
were moving, even with his ghost magic. A vehicle driving on its own would be pretty
noticeable. But no one lowered their guard, and we made it to the Feyview Hotel
without incident.
Before we got out of our car, the knights got out of their vehicles and did a sweep
of the area outside the hotel and the lobby. The hotel manager came out to meet us, but
one of the knights stopped him from getting too close.
“It's all right,” Az said as he climbed out, his wings drawing in to exit, then
expanding. “You can let him through.”
Pedestrians stopped and stared. Phones popped up. The knights formed a wall
between the excited humans and us, their stares continuously scanning the crowd. I was
hoping that if Katila hadn't seen any of the advertising we'd been doing online and on
television, he'd at least see something on social media. But who knows how modern he
was? Our little get-to-know-each-other conversation had been cut short.
Azrael reached into the car and helped me out, then the others climbed out after
me. The crowd got even more excited. People started shouting Azrael's name. Well, not
his name, his title in that body. Cameras flashed—professional ones. The paparazzi were
there. For the first time, I was thrilled to have them. I almost waved.
But we couldn't look eager. And truly, my delight to see all the cameras was
outweighed by the fact that Katila could be standing among the paparazzi, watching us.
“Welcome to the Feyview Hotel, Sir. I'm Daniel Clark, the hotel manager.” The
man who approached us was slim, in his forties, and of average height.
I didn't look any closer than that since I'd smelled him as he was walking up, and
he was pure human. I just let Az handle him and went back to searching the area with
every sense I had. A non-scent amid all those people would stand out to me. As it would
in a packed ballroom. I just had to keep breathing deeply.
Azrael spoke to the manager while we went into the hotel, but again, I didn't catch
everything said. It was the standard stuff—if there's anything I can do for you, we're so
glad to have you here, yada yada. We went through a lobby with a ceiling tall enough for
me to shift into my dragon form. I stared up at the magnificent chandeliers hanging
from gilded beams. Hand-blown glass, shaped to resemble sprays of purple flowers
glittered from the lights set inside them. Beautiful. I'd have to remember the design and
try to recreate it at home with territory magic.
Being a goddess has its perks.
Beneath those glass flower chandeliers, a nature theme became evident. Chairs
were upholstered in green fabric, a forest's worth of plant life was strewn about in giant
porcelain pots, and statues of faeries posed beside the greenery. Real faeries. They even
had an accurate likeness of a Red Cap.
We followed the manager to the back of the hotel, past reception, the elevators,
and then the casino. The chaotic clang, whistles, bells, and dings of slot machines and
pop music were definitely loud enough to drown out most other sounds. Not the sound
of a battle, but that was all right. There was more than one reason we were arriving
early.
“Are you certain you don't need any of our servers to help with the buffet?” the
manager asked.
“No, thank you. We prefer to keep this as private as possible.”
“Our staff is very—”
Azrael lifted a hand, and the man shut up. “The arrangements have been made by
the staff, not by me, Mr. Clark. If you will recall, I'm only a guest at this event. I've
brought my security team, but that is all.”
“Oh. Yes, Sir. One of my staff is speaking to Mr. Webb in the ballroom. I wanted to
be the one to welcome you.”
“Thank you for the welcome.”
The citadel knights who'd been marching in an impenetrable shield around us
came to a halt and two of them opened the ballroom doors for us. Azrael and I swept in,
leaving the manager behind to gape at us, and then the rest of my husbands followed
with the knights bringing up the rear.
Inside, Torrent and Artemis were speaking to a woman. I only recognized them by
smell. Both wore glamours. Torr's was as nondescript as the hotel manager, with mousy
brown hair, watery blue eyes, and no chin. Artemis was the female version of that,
though her horn-rim glasses added some charm to her skirt suit.
“Ah, Mr. Webb,” Azrael said as we approached them.
“Mr. and Mrs. Faerie God!” Torrent strode over to us with his hand extended.
“Thank you for agreeing to endorse our event.”
“My pleasure,” Az said and shook his hand. “Anything for the children.”
“Please, make yourselves comfortable.” Torrent shook my hand next. “The main
table along the wall there is for you, of course. I'll be there shortly so we can go over the
schedule. I'm just finishing up with a member of the hotel staff.”
“Very well,” Azrael made a show of escorting me to the table while the hotel
employee watched with wide eyes.
She didn't protest when Torrent escorted her to the doors and practically shoved
her out. She was too dazed.
As soon as the doors were closed and a pair of knights stationed before them, we
got to work. Well, Odin did. He was the best at laying wards. And this ward needed to be
left incomplete. Once I sensed Katila or he made himself known, Odin would complete
the spell and seal him in. A trap wasn't a trap without a, well, trap.
The rest of us inspected the ballroom as Odin did his thing. The buffet table was
set up, waiting for our Froekn servers to pick up the food prepared by the hotel and
bring it in. We had been reassured that an endless supply of our selected dishes would
be available to refresh the table as soon as needed. But I didn't think we'd get that far.
The room was full of round tables set with fine linen. Here, the décor kept with the
artsy nature theme but in a more neutral palette. The brightest color in the room came
from the butter-yellow curtains that swathed mirrored panels made to resemble
windows. The tables had the same color for their under tablecloths, with another piece
on top that was pure white. This was all done to showcase the enormous floral
arrangements on every table.
Crystal vases held bright pink roses, pale pink camellias, white tulips, and purple .
. . flowers. I don't know what they were, but they had tall stalks that bent under the
weight of the blooms. You'd think nature would have made the stalks strong enough to
handle their own flowers. I wondered if any of those arrangements would make it
through the night in one piece.
“It's ready,” Odin said as he joined the rest of us.
“My father's here,” Trevor said.
“And mine,” Azrael added. “Good timing.”
The citadel knights outside the ballroom opened the doors for the Wolf King and
the King of Hell. The two knights standing guard inside stood aside to let the royals
pass. Which was which, I couldn't say at first. One man was larger than the other, with
dark hair, so that could have been Fenrir. But that would mean that he hadn't changed
his hair color at all. The other man was smaller, but not slender. He was thick to the
point of being portly, with red hair that nearly matched his cheeks. And he didn't have a
date. The taller man had a stunning brunette on his arm. She oozed old Hollywood, with
Rita Hayworth hair and big breasts on display in a low-cut gown.
Was that Holly? It had to be. She had insisted on attending while Fenrir had
insisted on leaving his wife Emma behind. Emma had been through a lot before she ate
an apple of immortality. So I wasn't surprised that she agreed to stay home. She wasn't
a fighter. Not in the least. Which was kinda odd, what with her being Rouva of the
Froekn. But Fenrir, if that plump redhead was my stepdad, had brought plenty of wolves
to take her place. Not only did he arrive with a few of them, but, as I mentioned, the
Froekn would be our waitstaff for the event. A group of them was probably on their way
to the kitchen.
Then their scents hit me. Yup, the redhead was Fenrir. That would make the other
two Luke and Holly.
I went with Azrael to greet our guests. He, of course, knew his parents
immediately. But then a new group walked in, and Az frowned at the unknown faces.
I took a sniff, then whispered, “That's Samael and Lilith.”
“Really?” Az lifted his brows at the couple as they joined us.
Samael was blond and big. He could have been mistaken for an actor. Not Viking-
god-huge, but still larger than his usual self. I don't mean height-wise. He was about the
same there, but he'd gone for some impressive muscles. Despite his new physique,
Samael wasn't the one who had lifted Azrael's eyebrow.
“Is that really you, Lilith?” Azrael asked the blond's gangly date.
The woman had stringy brown hair pulled back in a bun, a thin face, and no
curves. Her only noteworthy feature was her eyes. They were a rich blue.
“Well, you said we should disguise ourselves,” Lilith said. “This is about as
opposite from me that I could get.”
“Indeed,” Azrael agreed with a little chuckle.
It quickly became apparent that our guests were making the most of the situation
and having a bit of fun. A masquerade battle. Now, we just had to wait for the Phantom
to appear.
Pan sauntered in as a big, African-American man, and no amount of money could
have enticed me to ask why he selected that glamour. Anyone who had ever played
Cards Against Humanity with Pan would know automatically. Hell, anyone who knew
Pan.
I have to admit, it was interesting to see who selected what glamour. As gods, they
had spent most of their lives as attractive, powerful people. So when given the chance to
wear a different face, they didn't automatically go with an attractive one. In fact, most of
them took great delight in going with something, if not unattractive, then unexpected.
Jesus surprised me the most. He came as a woman. Yup, a woman. And instead of
going plain, he selected a body that would have been right at home between the pages
of a naughty magazine and a face that would have made her a star. Him. Them.
Whatever. Honey-brown hair cascaded down to his tiny waist in luscious curls, and his
hips flared out to swing with every step. He sashayed over to my group and flung a lock
over his slim shoulder.
“Pan, please stop lusting after my brother,” Azrael said.
Pan cleared his throat and, in a deep voice, asked, “You seriously think that I can
look at that and think pure thoughts?”
“Why thank you, sugar,” Jesus drawled in a Southern accent.
Pan's big body swayed like an oak about to fall.
Azrael ignored him to ask Jesus, “Did you bring Abaddon?”
“Oh, you mean my date?” Jesus waved at the space beside him.
The empty space.
“Donnie?” Jesus called. Then, “Donnie!”
Abaddon trudged over looking as if he belonged in the South as well. The old
South. He had on a seersucker suit to go with his lanky body, lanky blond hair, and lanky
expression. Okay, his expression wasn't lanky, but it was very hound dog. Someone
didn't want to be there.
“Ah, there you are, sugar,” Jesus said as he took Abaddon's arm. “Don't wander off
like that.”
“I will not forget this,” Abaddon muttered. “Or forgive.”
Jesus giggled.
“I'll be happy to step in for you,” Pan said.
“That's still the J-man under there,” I whispered.
“Call me shallow.” Pan shrugged.
“Shallow!” Jesus smacked Pan's chest.
“I can't watch this,” I said. “I'm going to get a drink.”
There was an open bar, manned by one of the Froekn. I headed over to it and
along the way, a little Chinese man joined me. I sniffed, then cocked my head. “Anubis?”
“Hello, Vervain.”
“Hi there.” I reached the bar and ordered a white wine.
“I'll have a whiskey sour,” Anubis said.
The Froekn man nodded and whipped up our drinks.
Meanwhile, Anubis asked, “Have all the guests arrived?”
I looked around the room. “I think so. What time is it?”
Anubis peered at his watch. “Ten till eight.”
“Dinner starts at eight so I'm sure everyone's here.”
“Everyone?”
I met his stare. “Well, there may be a couple of stragglers.”
“Ah.” He scanned the room. “I'm looking forward to dinner. Especially the main
course.” He picked up his glass, nodded to me, and walked away.
I thanked the bartender as I took my glass of wine, then turned to head over to
Kirill's group. That's when I smelled him. He of the non-existent odor. As casually as I
could, I changed direction and went toward Odin. I was halfway there when Odin
spotted me. He narrowed his eyes, and I nodded.
Odin went to lean against the wall.
And finish the warding.
 But suddenly, Odin's expression changed. He slid down the wall, his legs bending
at the knees, and his stare went distant.
“Odin!” I ran for my husband.
The atmosphere shifted instantly. From casual conversations to wary silence, the
gods and demigods searched the room for their target. Then Trevor went down. Machar
fell shortly afterward. I saw them out of the corner of my eye. Cursing, I came to a stop
and searched the room with both eyes and nose. Odin and Trevor would be fine, but I
had to stop Katila before he took us all down and left us drooling into our cocktails.
There! I smelled him. With a yank, I got rid of my cumbersome skirt and ran for
Katila.
Re, who was coming toward me, shuddered to a stop.
“Re!” I shrieked.
Wolves dressed as wait staff surrounded my fallen Froekn prince, facing outward
and snarling. The citadel knights did the same with Azrael sans the snarling. But Az
shoved his way out of that protective circle and ran for me. Everyone was running for
me.
“Hello, my Queen,” Katila was suddenly standing before me.
He just appeared, but he didn't startle me. I had smelled him coming.
“Hello, Katila the Hun.” I punched him in the nose like you're supposed to do with
sharks.
I don't know if that actually worked on sharks, but it didn't do much to Katila. His
head swung back a little, but he only smiled bigger and reached for me. Impressive,
considering my strength, but no biggie. That was just to buy me some time to summon
my claws. And my magic.
I blasted Katila with Moon Magic. Not Lunacy. Hell no. I didn't want that guy any
crazier. Instead, I tried to dehydrate him. I say tried because he turned incorporeal
again, and my magic found nothing to lock onto.
But now everyone else had seen him.
Blast after blast of magic came at Katila. I jumped out of the way and dove for the
cover of a table. There was a crash, then another. Without the ward up, someone outside
might hear us. Or worse—Katila might escape.
I crawled to the wall and got to my feet. Behind the lines, as it were, I made my
way over to Odin. Meanwhile, Katila laughed. The blasts went right through him, every
one of them. A chill ran down my spine. We had enough god power there to win a war
against another pantheon but a single god was defeating us by simply going ghost. But
he had to get solid sometime, right?
“Odin?” I grabbed my husband by the shoulders and shook him.
Odin blinked.
“Odin?”
He was a god of knowledge, not just death. If anyone could get out of that
confusion spell, Odin could.
Odin's stare shifted toward me.
“Hey,” I said.
He just stared at me.
“Damn it!” I shook him again. “Come on, Odin! Snap out of it!”
I glanced around the room. Gods were stumbling away from the fight, all of them
dazed. Katila just laughed and danced, twirling in his spectral body. And he was wearing
a suit. The crazy son of a biscuit had dressed up for the party.
 Then he vanished.
“Oh, fuck,” I whispered. “Odin!” I gave up on him and smacked my hands against
the wall. He wasn't the only one who could lay a ward. But then I hesitated. Did I really
want to trap Katila in there with us? Who would really be trapped? “Shit,” I muttered.
The hesitation cost me.
Katila hit me with his Confusion. I swayed on my feet, staring at the wall and
trying to remember why I was touching it. My mind couldn't process what was
happening. I heard all these sounds that didn't make any sense. Someone grabbed my
arm and jerked me around. I hit something solid. A chest. My head swiveled limply. My
hearing had gone hollow. But then my dragon, who had been sniffing out Katila, offered
me another way of seeing.
Katila held me. I tried to gather the will to fight him, but it wouldn't come. Around
me, the others had gone still. Either they were as confused as I was or they didn't want
to risk hitting me. Things went fuzzy again, then I scented him. My black lion. The God
to my Goddess. Moving closer. Running toward us. Then Kirill's scent changed slightly,
becoming colder in every way. Death moved toward me now. And Winter. Yeah, it has to
be said—winter was coming. I would cheer for Kirill if only I could.
Impact. We rolled. Katila was solid while he held me. Good to know. Snarling filled
my ears. I laid on the firm carpet and stared up at the ballroom ceiling. Focus, Vervain!
Scents wove a tapestry for me. Non-scent grappled with Death. Non-scent altered,
tainted by a rush of fear. Death was solid. No fear. No hesitation. Only the icy
determination of Winter. Strike. Shrieking. I wanted to help, but couldn't remember how
to move.
Then an arm wrapped around my waist, and I was gone.
 “We have to go back,” Katila said, his voice panicked.
I blinked, refocusing with my nose. Dazed, but not entirely confused. Katila was
carrying me. He put me down. I was seated. Before me were two scents, one of them
Katila's non-scent. The other scent was familiar. This was a revelation, wasn't it? What
did another scent mean? It meant another god! Katila was speaking to another god. But
what did that mean? I couldn't work things out in my daze. It was a miracle I could
process as much as I did. I tried to hear what was being said, if not listen. Maybe later I
could replay it in my head and process everything.
“You have what you wanted,” a male voice said. “Why go back?”
“Why?” Katila shrieked. “He took the Pasha! That fucking lion took my Pasha! How
did he do it?”
“He is Death. Death and Winter and Lions. A glorious specimen of a god. Yes, oh,
yes. I've seen that one. What else was it about him?”
“Hey! Focus! Don't wander off to your secrets.”
“Huh? Why are so you scared?”
“Why am I scared? You brought me back with the Pasha. Don't I need it to stay
alive?”
“Don't be ridiculous. You're here. Nothing is going to yank you back to the Void.
Not unless you let someone kill you again. The Pasha isn't what brought you back, it was
the residue of your skin cells within the cord. And I gave it to you because it was your
birthright.” A pause, then a muttered, “I didn't consider what you'd do with it.”
“Oh,” Katila said, much calmer. “Still. I want it back. As you said, it's my
birthright.”
“Don't you think you've stolen enough magic and killed enough gods, Katila the
Hun?”
“Don't call me that. I don't even get what the joke is.”
“It's because your name sounds like Attila. Katila. Attila. They sound alike. And
you're a mass murderer just like that human. I think it's funny. I think she's funny.” The
second scent drew closer to me and a man's face appeared in my view.
Handsome. Trim. Very dark complexion. Full lips that turned upward. “Would you
rather be confused or powerless, Vervain?” The head cocked. “Knowing you, which I do,
I think you'd prefer powerless. At least then you'll understand what's happening, right?
Right.” He kissed my cheek. “Oh, I adore you, you funny, brave girl. What a life you've
lived. And it's only just begun.”
Something cold and heavy clamped around my left wrist, then the right. With that
weight, my senses vanished. Not entirely, just the heightened senses of my dragon. Gone
with the rest of my magic. But then, seconds later, the haze lifted. I blinked back into
focus and looked down at my manacled wrists, bound to each other by a chain, then up
at the man standing before me.
I blinked again. The conversation that had just occurred replayed in my head.
Katila was brought back by this man. It sounded as if he had used the same spell that I
had used to bring gods back from the Void. He knew about needing a physical piece of
the person's old body to reconnect them to this realm. We never considered that a cord
would have skin cells on it. This guy was smart, very smart, and he knew faerie spells.
But it sounded as if he regretted giving Katila the Pasha. He certainly didn't mind Kirill
having it.
“Kirill,” I whispered.
The man straightened. “No, I'm not Kirill.” He cocked his head. “I didn't scatter
your brain that badly, did I?”
“I know you're not Kirill,” I huffed. “I was thinking aloud. Kirill has the Pasha.” I
looked at Katila. “Did he try to use it on you?”
Katila's eyes went wide and his stare shot to the other man. “Oh, fuck! Can he use
it on me?”
The other man considered this, setting his chin in his hand. The classical thinking
pose. “I think he could. Death is death. The Pasha will work for him. You shouldn't have
let another death deity take it.”
“I didn't let him do anything!” Katila snarled. “And where were you while I was
being attacked?”
“This is your thing, not mine. And I think I did plenty for you tonight. I confused
half of your opponents, if not more.” The man waved out his arms, his elegant hands
fluttering like bird wings. He was trim but not too skinny. His physique reminded me of
something.
Then it hit me.
“You're the one who stabbed Viper with the pitchfork!” I pointed accusingly at the
stranger who said he knew me, the chain between my manacles rattling.
“Oh, I knew you'd figure it out!” He strolled over and tapped me on the shoulder.
“Well done. And sorry about that. I wasn't going to hurt Viper, but you were about to
catch me. I had to buy some time.”
“Who the fuck are you?”
Katila snorted.
The man laughed and jerked his thumb at Katila. “He asked the same question
after I brought him back. Same question exactly.”
“Why did you . . . wait. You had no scent. I couldn't track you. I assumed you were
Katila. Is it the suit?”
“No, not the suit. I borrowed Katila's I'm-not-here magic.” The man grinned.
“Borrowed? You have the magic of borrowing?”
“Oh, no. Not like your son, Brevyn, no. I've found another way to borrow magic.”
“Enough explaining to her,” Katila huffed. “She doesn't need to know all this.”
“Why not?” The man crossed his arms. “I like her. And she's played my game with
such gusto. I think she deserves to know why.”
“I do,” I growled. “So, why? Why are you doing this?”
“For fun!” The man declared and tossed out his hands. “Azrael has been bringing
you down with all his drama. And the humans, ugh! I try to show them the way, but they
don't listen to me anymore. I have such knowledge to share. But anyway.” He shrugged.
“You needed a new villain to fight. So here I am. Bwahahaha.” He rubbed his hands
together.
I frowned at that. It looked so familiar. Maybe because I had made fun of villains in
a similar way. “You did all this because you thought my life was boring?”
“Oh, no. Of course not. I did all this to advance the human race and because your
life has gotten stale.”
“What?” I scowled at him.
 “He can be hard to follow sometimes.” Katila, standing behind the other man,
twirled a finger beside his temple and widened his eyes at me.
Oh, that was rich—Katila calling this guy crazy.
“Look, your man messed with the status quo, and I love that. Well done him. And
well done to you before that. But it's left things a bit of a mess. You're trying to clean it
up, I'll give you that. But the humans are so baffled that they're stuck. They're not
advancing. They don't have to advance now that you've revealed faeries to them. There's
magic in the world. Magic they believe in. It inspires some of them, but others have sort
of given up. They need a jolt.”
“And attacking us will give them a jolt?”
“It's a process.” The man took the seat beside mine.
I finally realized we were in Naraka, back in that enormous living room I'd been in
with Katila. Great.
“A process?” I asked. “The humans aren't a part of this. You've played your games
with gods alone. And how did you get into Faerie?”
“I have my ways.” He winked at me.
“Who are you?” I asked again. “You're not Fey.”
“Oh, come now, Vervain. We both know you're going to escape and run back to
your God Squad. I can't give you my name. Not yet.”
“Then explain a little more. How is abducting a dog, a child, and two men helping
the human race?”
The man went serious. “Humans need to see that magic isn't everything. That
even the great Faerie God can be led around the world like a puppy. That those under
his protection are not as safe as they seem. I had no intention of hurting anyone. All who
were taken were returned to you.”
“You hung Princess over a pitchfork!”
“But did I?” He leaned forward and grinned. “I didn't. I made it look as if I hung
her over a pitchfork. The rod wouldn't have hurt her. I made sure to place it perfectly so
that she'd fall to the side if you didn't save her in time. But I had faith in you.” He leaned
his elbows on his knees then set his chin on his fists. “The Godhunter. The Queen of
Fire. The O.G. Fairy Godmother. It's so cool to sit here, face-to-face with you at last.”
“She's going to be my wife,” Katila said. “You agreed.”
“Oh, please.” The trickster rolled his eyes. “I said I'd let you try to woo her. If you
recall, I also said I didn't believe you'd succeed.”
Woo. That's the word Katila had used.
“You're supposed to be helping me! I let you unite our magic in exchange—”
“Now, who's the fool!” The trickster shot to his feet, cutting off Katila. “Cease
spewing our secrets.”
Unite their magic? How could the trickster do that?
Katila grimaced. “She will not escape me again. I will make her mine.”
“She has like five billion husbands, you idiot!” The trickster waved toward me.
“Your obsession, though understandable, is silly. Give it up already.”
Holy shit, what the hell is happening? Is the trickster a hero or a villain? Maybe
he's a villain who thinks he's a hero. I mean, no judgment, I've been there.
“How did you learn the spell to bring a soul from the Void?” I asked.
“Shall we dance?” The trickster pulled me to my feet. “A void dance!” He spun me
around as he hummed a tune. “Shall we dance? Da-da-da. Shall we dance? Da-da-da.”
 I pushed on his chest and stopped him. “Are you avoiding my question?”
He beamed at me. “Exactly!” Then he spun me so that I fell back onto my seat. “I
know a lot. A lot, a lot, a lot!”
“Okay, Mad Hatter. Is it time for tea yet?”
“It's always tea time!” The trickster threw his hands up in the air. “Fetch us some
tea, Katila.”
“I am not your servant.”
The humor vanished from the trickster's face as he turned to look at Katila. A chill
went down my spine. Had I thought Katila was powerful? This guy was the bigger
baddie. It suddenly oozed off him. Then I caught a glint at his throat. Something glowed
there. A crystal. It looked familiar. Everything about this guy was familiar and yet, I had
no idea who he was.
“Fine,” Katila muttered and trudged off.
“I know you,” I whispered.
The trickster spun my way, pasting on a grin as he did. “You do?!” He clapped his
hands. “Who am I?”
“I don't know,” I huffed. “But you're familiar. You keep doing familiar things.”
“Maybe it's because I know you so well,”—he tapped my nose—“that it seems as if
you know me.”
“You seem like a nice person,” I said. “So, I'm going to ask you nicely. Please, stop
doing this.”
The trickster sighed and resumed his seat. “It's hard to focus on the result in the
middle of change. I understand. But trust me, you will thank me when it's over. No more
of those human groups bothering you and your family. You'll be strong but not a threat.
And the humans will advance as they are meant to. I have it on good authority.”
“On good authority,” I murmured. In my head, I heard Alaric and Faerie telling me
there was another force in my life. “Who? Did someone tell you to mess with me?”
The trickster grinned. “Have faith, Godhunter.”
“Faith. In what?”
“In who.”
“Who?”
“Exactly.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yup, your name is now Hatter.”
The trickster laughed delightedly. “That is high praise coming from you.”
“Excuse me?”
“Well, you love Alice in Wonderland. It's your favorite story. So, it's an honor to be
called the Mad Hatter by you.”
I went still. That was not something I talked about a lot. My husbands knew I liked
the book, but they were it. There was no way for this man to know about it.
“How do you know that?” I asked.
Hatter's head jerked toward the door Katila left through. “I'm afraid our time is
up, Vervain.” He looked back at me. “You are so very . . . Vervain. Very Vervain. You lived
up to all my expectations. Thank you for that. And do try to remember as we proceed,
that I have the best intentions toward you, Very Vervain. Don't worry about Katila. I'll
take care of him.” He unlocked my manacles, then helped me up. “I believe you know
the way out.”
I gaped at Hatter as he waved me toward the front door.
Then he winked at me.
You don't have to wink at me twice. I ran.
“Oh, dear, the Godhunter has escaped,” Hatter declared.
A crash came.
“What the fuck?!” Katila shouted.
But I had already reached the tracing point.
 Very little time had passed, so I traced back to the hotel instead of going home.
The room wasn't as bad as I expected. There were some overturned furniture and
broken vases, but nothing major. A handful of my friends were speaking with Austin and
a group of real police officers. I didn't see the Intare impersonators, so I assumed Austin
had sent them off before his coworkers could arrive. The hotel manager was there as
well, but thankfully, none of the humans noticed my sudden arrival. They were a little
busy dealing with the aftermath of a battle.
But my husbands noticed immediately.
“Vervain!” Viper had me in a hug seconds after I arrived.
The others quickly followed.
“Go home, now,” Odin growled after hugging me. “I need you to be safe.”
“I am safe. He let me go,” I said.
“Katila let you go?” Kirill asked.
“No. He's not the trickster. Another man is working with him. I don't know who he
is. But he knows a lot about us. And he says he's doing this to help the human race.”
“What?” Odin scowled. “The human race?”
“I know. It's confusing. He's the one with the Confusion Magic, by the way.” I
touched Kirill's fist, locked around the Pasha. “And well done with getting this. The
trickster says you should be able to use it.”
“Use it?” Kirill growled, his deep blue eyes glinting with frost. “I don't vant to use
it, Vervain. I vant to keep Katila from using it.”
“I know, babe. I didn't mean like that. I meant . . . I don't know what I meant. I'm
just trying to get out everything I learned before I forget it.” I frowned. “Because I am!
Fuck! I'm forgetting!”
“Is your wife all right, Faerie God?” the hotel manager asked.
Azrael, whose whole body was tense, likely from holding himself back from
running to me, said, “She's had a shock. Obviously, she needs me. Are we through?”
“Yes, Sir,” Austin drawled. “I think this is clearly an attack on your person and you
cannot be held accountable for it. You've given me enough of a description to start an
investigation. Honestly, it sounds as if this is the work of one of those anti-Fey groups.
Maybe even those morons who think that faerie was King Arthur.”
“But the hotel!” the manager exclaimed. “Who's going to pay for the damages?”
“These people defended themselves against other people who you let into the
hotel,” Austin said.
The hotel manager—what was his name? Daniel? Well, he was in the lion's den, so
that fit—blinked, trying to follow Austin's reasoning, then said, “What?”
“I'm sayin' you're the one responsible for the damages.”
“You were part of tonight's security!”
“I came to oversee things just in case. I was countin' on your people to do their
jobs. It looks like I shouldn't have. Good thing the Faerie God was smarter than me and
brought his own guards. If he hadn't, you'd have a lot more than damaged property on
your hands. You could have been responsible for the deaths of several people. I'm sure
the Faerie God would have been fine, but what if his wife had been killed? What then,
huh? You should count yourself lucky.”
Oh, Austin was having way too much fun.
The hotel manager paled. Then he stuttered, “I . . . I suppose our insurance will
cover this.”
“Good. Glad tah see you're bein' reasonable.” Austin tipped his hat. “Why don'tcha
go start that insurance paperwork? I'll see to it that the guests are safe. Now that I've
got some officers to back me up it shouldn't be a problem.”
“But . . . but you had some officers with you earlier.”
“No, I didn't. You must be confused, Sir.”
“Didn't you?” The manager rubbed at his head. “Oh, what a night.” He staggered
off.
Austin said to Azrael, “Sorry about this, Faerie God, Sir. I know you were just
trying to do some charitable work here tonight.”
“Thank you,” Azrael said. “I don't hold the Lexington Police responsible for
criminals targeting me. You did all you could, Officer. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going
to see to my wife.”
“Vervain!” Odin shouted and shook me.
“Huh?” I looked back at him. I'd been totally engrossed in the conversation
between Austin and the hotel manager.
Because I had no idea what they were talking about.
“What are we doing here?” I asked Odin.
“Fuck,” Trevor muttered.
“She's forgotten it all,” Viper said. “It must be another power of that trickster.”
“A trickster who let her go,” Odin said. “What the fuck is going on?”
“What are you guys talking about?” I asked. Then I looked down. “And what
happened to my skirt?”
 I didn't forget everything. I remembered what the trickster told me to remember—
that he had my best intentions at heart. And to not worry about Katila. Once I
remembered that, I remembered the battle, Katila abducting me, and meeting the real
trickster. Beyond that, I had nothing. No specifics of our conversation other than his
reassurance.
“You said that he was doing this for the humans,” Odin said. Again.
“I know, honey,” I said.
“She's not absentminded, Odin,” Re said. “She's been enchanted.”
“Whatever he told you, he didn't want you to remember it,” Trevor said.
“I don't think it was something he told me.” I frowned, a memory tickling my
brain. “I think Katila said something the trickster didn't want me to know.”
“Why him?” Azrael asked. “Why work with Katila?”
I shrugged. “Whatever the reason was that he chose Katila, I think he's regretting
it now. Why else tell me that he'd take care of Katila?”
“Zis is insane,” Kirill said.
I blinked, and a memory surfaced. I was dancing with a man—the trickster. “I
remember what he looks like!”
“Hurry!” Odin said, lurching to his feet. “Tell us!”
We were back home, in Pride Palace's dining hall with the Squad, my lions, and all
the other gods who had joined us that night. Everyone focused on me. And most of those
stares belonged to shifters. No one focuses like a shapeshifter.
“He has a very dark complexion. Full lips. Brown eyes. The lower third of his face
was longer than the middle. He—”
“The lower third?” Pan interrupted.
“I'm an artist,” I huffed. “I think of the face in three sections—upper, middle, and
lower. The lower face is from the base of the nose to the chin. That portion of his face
was longer than the others. He had a prominent nose, but his chin was less so.”
“So the lower portion was longer but not as prominent?” Torrent asked as his eyes
focused on something in the air before him. “Would you say that his glabella was
prominent?”
“Glabella?” Pan asked as if Torr and I had gone mad.
“The rounded surface of the frontal bone between your eyes,” Torrent explained.
“Moderate,” I said. “On the verge of being prominent.”
“And his nose, was it wide?”
“Yes. His hair was curly and black. Tight curls.”
“An afro?” Torrent asked.
“A little more defined, but I guess you could call it that.”
Torrent blinked and focused on me. “I think he's a Nigerian god.”
“Nigerian?” I asked.
 “They have long lower faces and less prominent chins. Nigerian would be my first
guess.” Torrent grimaced. “I'm ninety-nine percent sure.”
“Well, if you're ninety-nine percent sure,” Horus drawled.
“There's also the fact that the Igbo tribe of Nigeria has a God of Confusion,”
Torrent added.
The table went silent.
Odin sat down.
“Well?” Fenrir, back into his real body, which was really big, demanded. “Who is
he? What's this confusing god's name?”
“His name is Ekwensu. He's a trickster god. The Spirit of Confusion.”
“A trickster,” I said.
“That's him,” Luke said. “It has to be.”
“And get this,” Torrent added. “He's known to incite people to violent acts. And
he's crafty.”
“That sounds like him,” I said.
“Great. We know who he is,” Anubis said. “But how do we get to him?”
Anubis had once cleansed Torr and me of the Darkness and saved our lives. He
knew Torrent had taken me through the Aether and into another territory where we'd
been infected. So he knew what Torrent was capable of, if not exactly how his magic
worked. But there was also Samael and Lilith to consider.
“We can get into Naraka,” Odin said without even glancing at Torrent. “We've got
Death on our side, and Naraka is an underworld.”
“We'd have to go through the soul entrance,” Samael said. “And even then, I'm not
sure Katila's wards will let us in.”
“Maybe we should wait,” I said.
Everyone looked at me in shock.
“The trickster said he'd handle Katila. Shouldn't we give him a chance to? It would
save us a lot of trouble.”
“The trickster still has my stone tablets, Vervain,” Jesus said. “That's not cool.”
“And he has my dagger,” Anubis said.
“No, Katila has your dagger,” I said. “And I'm not saying we should give up on
finding the trickster. I owe him for stabbing Viper. Just maybe we should let our enemies
have at each other first. They're probably fighting right now over the trickster freeing
me. I mean, doesn't that earn him some points with us? He freed me. Katila had me
chained. I paused. Then I went on in revelation, “I was chained with fey manacles.”
Are you sure they were fey? Alaric asked in my mind.
“Al!” I screeched.
“Was she infected by Katila's crazy?” Lilith whispered.
“I'm not crazy,” I said to Lilith. “I'm just talking to the voice in my head.”
Lilith snorted a laugh.
“Al, were you there?” I asked. “Did you hear what was said to me?”
No. The ward around Naraka is superior to any I've encountered. I could not
penetrate it.
“Damn it,” I muttered. “Then why ask about the chains?”
Because there are other magic-suppressing spells that aren't fey and could be
used to enchant manacles. If, say, the god knew of such things.
“And Ekwensu seems to have a lot of knowledge,” I said.
Precisely.
“Who cares if he made those chains or not?” Fenrir asked. “He's been stealing
things and playing games with us. He may think he's helping humanity, but he's fucking
with gods in the process. I vote we go after them both. Now.”
Several people nodded, many of them were lions.
“I found him!” Torrent shot to his feet.
“What?” I asked in shock.
“I found Ekwensu,” Torrent said.
“We know where he is,” Thor said.
“He's not in Naraka. He's in the Human Realm. He must have kicked Katila's butt
because he's having a celebratory drink.” Torrent pulled his stare away from whatever
he was watching to say, “At a bar in Lexington.”
“Do not say the Wet Whistle,” Austin drawled.
Simultaneously, Torrent said, “He's at the Wet Whistle!”
“Of course, he is. Where else would he be?” I muttered as I pulled out my phone to
text Taran.
 A lot of gods liked to pretend they were faeries these days. It was a way for them
to go out among humans and show parts of their true selves without actually coming out
of the god closet. So it wasn't all that surprising to find a god in a faerie bar. Especially
this faerie bar. The Wet Whistle had been approved by the Faerie God himself, and it
didn't just offer a chance to mingle with the Fey. The top two public floors (Taran's office
was the topmost floor but was private) were lounges where humans could buy minor
magic from faeries. This alone made humans flock to the Wet Whistle. The lower levels
were all dance floors that played different styles of fey music. And with walls covered in
living ferns and flowers, you felt as if you had stepped into another world.
In the center of the circular club, a curving stairwell went down forming a core
that connected all the floors. Above it, originating in Taran's office ceiling, hung a
massive arrangement of flowering vines and glowing crystals. If you were in the first
lounge and looked up around the side of the arrangement, you just might catch the
wickedly handsome owner of the Wet Whistle leaning against the railing in his office,
staring back at you.
But tonight, Taran met us upstairs in the cowboy bar that served as the cover for
the real bar below. A sort of faerie speakeasy. He didn't have to hide the bar anymore,
but people loved it so he kept it as is,
“He's in the lounge on the second floor,” Taran said by way of greeting. “I've got
people watching him.”
“But the club isn't warded now, is it?” I asked. “He could trace away.”
“Not if I put him in fey manacles first. You want me to?” Taran grinned, his eyes
flashing green.
“Ease up, Elphaba,” I said. “That might not be the best approach.”
“Elphaba? Really?” Taran held out his arms to display his slim, hard body, a good
portion of it shown off by his unbuttoned Versace shirt. The rest of him wasn't exactly
visible, but with those skintight leather pants, it wasn't hard to imagine the sleek
muscles beneath.
“Mr. Grinch?” I tried one of the other names I had for him.
Taran rolled his eyes.
“Go on. Say it. I know you want to.”
Taran's lips twitched. “It isn't easy being green.”
“Yes!” I punched my fist into the air, then smacked his shoulder. “Thank you. I
treasure these moments, Kermit.”
Taran snorted.
“Tell your people to close in,” Azrael said, ignoring our banter. “We'll go in
simultaneously and if Ekwensu eludes one of us, hopefully, the others will apprehend
him.”
I lifted my brows at Az.
“We can't let him escape, Carus.”
“Yeah. Fair enough. Just don't be rough.”
“What's this now?” Taran asked. “Is he the bad guy or not?”
 “I'm not sure,” I said.
Simultaneously, everyone else said, “He is.”
Taran's dark brows rose. “Thanks for clearing that up.” He turned to face the huge
faerie who guarded the door to the club. “Tell them to grab him. We're going down to
assist.”
“You got it, boss,” the Spriggan said.
We followed Taran past the doorman, our large group having to single-file it down
a winding stairwell that curved down along the wall and into the first lounge. Yes, down.
The entire club was below ground, even Taran's office. It only took us a few minutes to
reach the first public level of the club, but Taran's security guards had already done
their job by then. They were coming up the stairwell from the second-floor lounge with a
god held between them, his wrists chained.
“Sweet sherbet!” I exclaimed. “I didn't expect them to be able to nab him. Well
done.”
Taran grinned at me. “They're professionals, Vervain.”
“Taran, this guy just wiped the floor with all of us,” I said. “Well, him and Katila,
but still. They beat us, and Katila was afraid of him.”
“This guy?” Taran jerked his thumb at Ekwensu as his guards escorted him over to
us.
I stared at the Nigerian god. It was him. No doubt about it. “Yeah, this is the guy.”
“Um, look, I don't know what kind of kinky games you people are into, but I'm not
interested in playing,” Ekwensu said.
“Funny you should mention games,” Azrael snarled. “You're the one playing games
with us, asshole. And we all know it. Did you think you could make Vervain forget what
you look like?”
“Who's Vervain?”
“I am.” I frowned at Ekwensu. He didn't sound the same. His voice was lower and
his tone off.
“I've never met you in my life. You've got me confused with someone else.”
“Confused, eh?” Trevor said. “Another interesting word choice.” He looked at
Kirill. “I think he's still playing with us.”
“Da,” was all Kirill said.
“What about his smell?” Thor asked me. “Can you verify it's him by scent?”
“Sure. Give me a sec . . .” I trailed off. “I know I smelled him. It was familiar. I
knew that scent, but I couldn't pinpoint it.”
“Well, lean in a take a good sniff,” Horus said irritably.
“Hold on,” I muttered absently. “Damn it all! It's gone. He erased his scent!” I
glared at Ekwensu. “Slick. Very slick.”
“I don't even know—” Ekwensu paused to jerk his head back. “Oh, hold on. I do
know you! You're the Godhunter. The one who nearly blew up the world before your
boyfriend came along and did it better than you.”
“Well, I wouldn't say he did it better, just differently,” I huffed. “And I didn't blow
up the world.”
“That means one of you is Azrael, the Faerie God,” Ekwensu went on, ignoring me
to search the crowd. He settled on Azrael, specifically on his cheek tattoo. “It's you, isn't
it? That's Angelic script.”
“Keep it down,” Azrael snarled.
 “What, like it's a secret?”
Secrets. There was something about secrets. Something Ekwensu had said. What
was it? But my mind couldn't pull it out of the miasma of confusion the guy had hit me
with. To wipe his scent from my mind was a stroke of brilliance. But why erase that and
not his face?
“You're a god,” Re said to Ekwensu. “Do you really want to be the one who rats us
out to the humans?” Because that's what you'd be doing if you let it known who Azrael
is.”
Ekwensu held his hands up. “No, you're right. Sorry.”
“That's offensive to rats,” Karni Mata said.
Re rolled his eyes but also said, “My apologies, Karni.”
Ekwensu straightened. “Holy shit, it really is you guys. You're Re. I've heard about
your golden skin. What the fuck do you want with me? I'm no one. Just a minor god. I
came here to hook up with some humans. That's all, I swear.”
“Can the act,” Trevor said. “We know you're the trickster who's been fucking with
us.”
“Someone's been fucking with all of you?” He looked around at our large group,
then at Azrael. “Trust me, I wouldn't mess with you. I don't have the juice. And if there's
one thing I've learned over the years, it's to know my juicing limitations.”
“This is ridiculous,” Machar growled. “You took my son. You will pay for that.” He
reached for Ekwensu.
Ekwensu jerked back as the rest of us launched forward to stop Machar.
It was Re who grabbed him. Honestly, it was funny to see the look on Machar's
face when my slender, god husband restrained that huge faerie as if he were a child. The
Red Cap's bulk jerked as he fought Re's hold, but he couldn't get free.
“Are you good now?” Re asked.
“He took my son!”
“Hey, rock-face!” Ekwensu said. “I don't even know you. And I don't abduct
children. I'm a Nigerian god, not a fucking Aztec.”
Blue growled at him.
“Oh, come on. You know it's true,” Ekwensu said to Blue.
Eztli snorted a laugh.
Blue grimaced at his wife.
“Darling, the truth is the truth.” Eztli waved her hands out as if there was nothing
she could do about it.
“And the truth is, this is the first time I've met this woman.” Ekwensu pointed at
me. “I haven't touched her, not in any way.”
“We said you were fucking with us, not fucking us,” Trevor snapped. “And this shit
is only making us more certain that we've got the right god.”
“I haven't done anything wrong!” Ekwensu wailed. “I'm a nice guy, I swear.”
“You were associated with the Devil,” Torrent said.
“Oh, for fuck's sake!” Ekwensu rolled his eyes. “My people don't believe in the
Devil. I was originally a benevolent deity. Then the fucking Christians came.” He glared
at Az. “Now, they were the real devils, trying to force their beliefs onto my people. They
demonized me because they couldn't understand that I represented the evil in nature,
not in men. A completely different thing.”
Luke snorted. “Preach it. I know all about being demonized.”
 “Who the hell are you?”
Luke giggled. “Who the hell am I? Oh, that's brilliant.”
“He's Lucifer,” I said. “The Devil.”
“The O.G. evil one,” Luke said. “But I'm a good guy too. I can be very reasonable.”
Then his face shifted, and he leaned toward Ekwensu. “Except when you mess with my
family.”
“I didn't mess with any of you!”
“We need to go somewhere more private to continue this,” Odin said with a
pointed look around us at the humans who were trying to peer through the mass of our
group.
We'd sent the Intare, Froekn, and Anubis's jackals home, but everyone else was
there. Our group filled the whole floor.
“I'd offer my office, but I don't think we'll all fit,” Taran said.
“The Golden Citadel,” Az said as he took Ekwensu from Taran's security guards.
“Thank you for your help, Taran,” I said.
“Hey, what about my manacles?” Taran waved at Ekwensu's wrists.
“I'll get them back to you.”
Taran sighed. “Fine. But don't keep them too long. People can get rowdy here. And
I never know when I might meet a kinky goddess.”
“Interesting,” Re said. “She would have to trust you implicitly. That can be very
arousing.”
“It's funny how many powerful people want to give up their power in bed,” Taran
said.
“Indeed.” Re grinned at me.
“Nope.” I pointed at him. “We don't talk about Bruno.”
Re blinked. Processed. Recalled the cartoon. “Ah. Yes. Sorry, La-la.” He pulled an
invisible zipper across his lips. “No divulging bedroom secrets to strangers.”
“Hey, crazy people! Can we get back to me and the fact that I'm innocent of
whatever it is you're accusing me of?” Ekwensu's pitch went higher in his panic, but he
still didn't sound like the same man I'd met.
“Without his scent, I can't be a hundred percent certain,” I said. “I hate to admit
this, but he doesn't sound the same. Not his mannerisms or his voice.”
“You see?” Ekwensu waved at me with both hands. “I'm not him. I don't sound the
same.”
“But you look the same,” Odin said.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Ekwensu snapped. “Ever heard of a glamour?”
Everyone looked at me.
I shook my head. “I don't think it was a glamour. I can usually tell. Still, I'm not
completely sure this is the same man. Now that I'm thinking about it, it would be just
like the trickster to lead us to someone else.”
“If they weren't using a glamour, then you're looking for a shapeshifter,” Ekwensu
said. “Because I swear to you, I am not a part of this.”
“Even if it's not him, the trickster used his face for a reason,” Viper said. “I vote
we take him with us and question him further.”
“I agree,” Re said.
Everyone agreed, and before Ekwensu could say another word of protest, Azrael
traced him away.
“Thank you for your hospitality,” the Devil said to Taran.
“Oh, my pleasure,” Taran said. “Come back anytime.”
“I think we will,” Holly said with a last look around. “You have dancing here,
right?”
“Yes, Ma'am,” Taran drawled in the Texan accent he was picking up. “We have five
dance floors, one of them is bound to play something you enjoy.”
“I love dancing.” The Holy Spirit smiled at Satan.
Satan smiled back. “We will dance all night, my love.” He pulled her into his arms
and spun her as they traced away.
“Good luck with your interrogation,” Taran called brightly as the rest of us left.
We didn't even care that a bunch of humans had seen us leave. The world knew
about tracing now. How wild was that?
 We had just settled Ekwensu in a chair when Katila came storming in.
“Give me back the Pasha!” Katila shouted.
A roomful of gods turned to gape at Katila.
“I thought you were supposed to take care of him?” Horus asked Ekwensu dryly.
“Now who the fuck is that guy?” Ekwensu shot back.
Then a rumbling shook the citadel. Vines shot out of the walls while stone came
from below, all of it aimed at Katila. Never attack a god in his territory. The Fey Lands of
Earth was the Faerie God's territory. And, sure enough, Azrael was back in his Faerie
God form.
Katila's ghost form didn't care whose territory this was. Plants and rocks went
right through him. As did every other attack sent his way. He strode forward, searching
the room for Kirill.
“Fuck this!” Ekwensu cried and ran for the door.
Odin grabbed him and shoved him toward the back wall.
“I'm not a part of this!”
Maybe he wasn't. Katila barely glanced at Ekwensu and certainly wasn't afraid of
the guy. But if this wasn't the trickster, he must have chosen Ekwensu's face for a
reason. And even though Katila was heading for Kirill unscathed, no one was falling into
a daze. Either the trickster wasn't there or Ekwensu was the trickster and a very good
actor.
“Finn!” I shouted. “Watch him.”
“Yup.” Finn took a post in front of Ekwensu.
Then I saw the dagger in Katila's hand.
“Anubis!” I shouted.
“I see it,” Anubis raced for Katila.
The blasts of magic stopped. Not because of Anubis, but because of Kirill. Katila
had reached his target. He lifted Death's dagger. Would it hurt Kirill? I wasn't sure. Its
main purpose was to take souls, but only human souls. Like the Pasha, it shouldn't work
on gods unless that god's soul was in a human body. Then there was the Death magic,
but as a death god, Kirill should be immune to it. And it was Death that did that whole
numbing and controlling bit.
A gold flash came as Kirill yanked the Pasha off his neck and settled into a fighting
stance. It would be soul-stealer against soul-stealer.
Another flash came. The Pasha whipped out. Katila's hand, solid for the attack,
jerked to the side from the impact. Kirill drew back. The other gods prepared to blast
Katila with magic. But then Katila dove for Kirill. The two of them rolled across the floor.
Silver. Gold. Their weapons glinted. Silver. Gold. Kirill snarled. He wound up on the
bottom, Katila above him, holding my husband down with his stolen power. Silver.
“Give me the Pasha!” Katila brought the dagger down.
Another snarl came, but it wasn't from Kirill.
Someone bashed into Katila and another roll for supremacy began. Again, Katila
wound up on top. Beneath him was Anubis, his head that of a jackal. The Jackal God
snapped his powerful jaws at Katila, but Katila didn't hesitate this time. He brought the
dagger down.
“I'll fucking kill you!” Gello screamed as the dagger sank into Anubis's chest. In
her Demon form, Gello launched herself at Katila. Her claws struck deep in his back,
and then she rolled backward, taking him off her husband before tossing Katila into a
wall. “Anubis?” She crawled over to Anubis.
I wouldn't worry about Anubis. I focused on Katila, summoning my star. Playtime
was over. I was going to burn this motherfucker back to the Void while he was still
corporeal. But when the starlight hit, it went straight through him.
“Oh, don't worry, my love,” Katila said to me. “I haven't forgotten about you. But
I've decided to take our relationship to the next level. Your husbands will die tonight.
And then you'll be free to marry me.”
“Go fuck yourself, Katila,” I said. “Because you ain't fucking me.” I blasted him
again.
All of us did, my husbands especially. Starlight lit up the room again, but this time
it was from Viper. Odin sent his spear flying. Kirill sent shards of ice. Re came on the
heels of that ice with rays of sunlight hot enough to incinerate. Between the blasts,
Trevor dashed in and slashed at Katila with werewolf claws. And Azrael used every
element at his disposal.
None of them touched the Ghost God.
But Katila touched them. Death's dagger shot out and kept stabbing, over and
over. I watched the men I loved fall beneath the blade, unable to defend themselves.
Katila only made himself tangible for the moment it took to stab someone, then he
ghosted again. I tried desperately to hit him with something. Anything. I even resorted
to Love. It all went through him like sunshine through glass.
Then Kirill roared.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement. Kirill. He was in his half-form, a
glorious lion-man god, magic flashing in his blue eyes.
And Katila paused.
His stare focused on the Pasha. It was glowing as brightly as Kirill's eyes. Oh, that
was new. It looked as if the Pasha was ready to turn on its old master. Kirill drew it back,
preparing to fling it again, and I knew I had to give him a chance to use it. I had to get
Katila corporeal. But how?
Then Katila solved the problem for me. He twisted on his heels and dashed for me.
Instead of running away, I met him halfway. He went solid, and we collided. Strong arms
wrapped around me, but I wasn't worried about him tracing us away. The ward around
the Golden Citadel prevented that. The only way out for Katila was through the tracing
room.
Katila's eyes widened, but then reason came. When you want something as bad as
he wanted me, so badly that he returned from the Void with that desire intact, it can
blind you to other things. Like becoming solid when the Lion God of Death and Winter is
hunting you with your own soul-stealing cord.
The Lion God and his wife.
I slammed starlight straight into Katila's chest. He gasped and stumbled back just
as Kirill reached us. The starlight should have incinerated him, but it only burned a hole
in his chest. I could see straight through him to Kirill. Unfortunately, Katila's heart
survived the blast. It dripped blood as it continued to pump, the bottom tip of it visible.
But that hole repaired itself as I watched.
It didn't matter. Kirill had him. The lasso hit Katila, winding around his throat.
Katila growled and grabbed the end of it. Kirill planted his feet and pulled.
Around them, those who were still standing waited for a chance to attack. My
husbands were not among them. They were all prone but alive, healing the wounds
Katila had inflicted with that damn dagger.
The dagger. Fuck.
“Kirill, watch out!” I shouted.
Katila flung Anubis's dagger and hit Kirill in the throat.
“Kirill!” I screamed and ran toward him.
Kirill lost his grip on the Pasha and went down, his hands going to the dagger in
his neck. He yanked it out, then covered the wound with his paw-like hands. I was steps
away from him when something wrapped around my neck. It yanked me back, off my
feet, and I hit someone. An arm latched around my waist while the cord tightened. I
couldn't breathe.
As I choked, something cold locked around my wrist. My magic stuttered, then
went out. My vision went wonky. I gasped and pulled at the noose. Movement came, but
I couldn't see. Couldn't focus. A flash of chaos. The Aether. Oh, fuck. Katila had made it
to the tracing room.
He had won.
Katila dropped me. I fell onto my knees, then forward onto my hands. Shudders
wracked my body. I gasped, spat, and opened my eyes. We were back in Naraka, but
Ekwensu, or whoever he was, wasn't there. Manacles encased my wrists, no chain
between them. Before me was Katila's house, a mammoth thing of gilded domes and
carved fretwork walls. At first, my air-starved mind thought it was Russian. But then I
realized the construction was Indian. Russian. Oh, fuck—Kirill.
He had to be all right. I would have felt it if Kirill had died. And he was a god now.
Only beheading could kill him. A stab in the neck would only slow him down, even if it
was done with Death's dagger. He was Death, after all.
No, it wasn't Kirill I had to worry about.
I stumbled to my feet as Katila fastened the Pasha around his neck. He looked
pleased, but also expectant. His stare was focused on the tracing building. I turned to
look at it. Katila couldn't possibly know that my friends and husbands could follow us.
Could he? No. He'd have to know about Torrent, and very few people knew about Torr.
And yet Katila kept staring.
I backed away.
Katila's hand flicked toward me and a cage formed around me, rising from the
ground to lock into place over my head. Very medieval, with iron bars that came to a
rounded top. I grabbed the bars to test them, as every prisoner must do.
“Easy, my love,” Katila said. “Your husbands will be here soon. Then I can kill
them, and we can be united at last.”
“Naraka is warded,” I said. “They won't be able to come after me.”
Katila lifted his brows at me and smirked.
“You dropped your ward?” I asked.
He rolled his eyes.
No. He couldn't know about Torrent.
“How do you expect them to get through?” I tried again.
“Come now, Vervain. There shouldn't be lies between us. I know about your
Internet friend.”
“What Internet friend?”
Annoyed, he turned to face me and planted his hands on his hips. “Torrent. I know
he can open wards. Now, shush!”
 Reeling under that gem, I didn't react to the shush right away. I was too busy
trying to figure out who the hell had told Katila about Torrent. Had he learned things in
the Void? Was that how the trickster knew things? But no. None of the other gods who
had returned from the Void came back with secret knowledge. And I'd been to the Void.
It wasn't a place that unraveled the mysteries of the universe for you. It was just a
holding cell for souls.
“How do you know about Torrent?” I finally asked.
“Ah! Here they are!” Katila clapped his hands.
As Katila clapped, the landscape changed. The Asian garden became a desert, flat
as far as I could see. Granted, that wasn't as far as usual, what with my magic subdued.
But still, it went on and on. Black-shrouded souls spotted that vastness, hunched over
empty baskets and cribs. Baby cribs? Yeah, baby cribs without babies in them. And the
souls wailed at the lack.
Those wailing souls didn't even notice us. They didn't look up, not even when the
ward of Naraka disintegrated and gods poured through the tracing building. In the lead
were my husbands, Fenrir, Jesus, and Lucifer. Behind them was the reason they were
late. I had thought they had needed some time to heal, but that wasn't it. They were
calling for backup.
My Intare had come, but also a huge amount of Froekn, maybe all of them. A
sacred squadron of Angels stood behind Jesus, a bunch of Demons (there's no pretty
name for a unit of Demons) was with Lucifer, the Valkyries had come for Odin, and
Anubis had brought his Jackals. Among the Angels were Azrael's buddies, the Horsemen
of the Apocalypse, and Az rode with them on his pale horse. That was a sight I hadn't
seen in a while.
“Holy shit,” I whispered.
It was awe-inspiring, part of the awe inspired by the speed at which this conjoined
army had assembled. And it warmed my soul to see all these gods storming a territory
for me. It was also monumental, glorious, and a bit ridiculous. They were there to fight
one man. One single man.
But the first thought in my head, the thought that overwhelmed all others, was
—Torrent's secret is out.
As soon as they were all in Katila's territory, he cracked his neck and grinned.
“It's a trap!” I shouted. “Get out of here!”
I didn't know what Katila was up to, but it wasn't good. Men didn't smile like that
for nothing. Granted, Katila was crazy, but his crazy had some backing.
They either didn't hear me or it didn't matter to them. The army kept coming. As
they did, the land beneath them shuddered. The scenery shifted again. Suddenly, Katila
and I were atop an enormous mountain. The sides of the mountain were unnatural,
shaped like waves. The solid stone looked as if it had been carved and smoothed into
those rolling hills and valleys, creating a strange obstacle for the invaders.
But they kept coming. Furred bodies flowed over the stone waves, claws scraping
for purchase. Gods slipped and slid, but not all of them were on foot. Angels, Demons,
and Valkyries took to the air to fly for us. The sky filled with wings.
Then the mountain moved. The solid waves rolled as if they were water, spewing
the ground forces into the air to knock the airborne out of the sky. It was the craziest
shitstorm of a battle I'd ever seen. Gods cried out in shock, flying horses neighed and
lashed out with their hooves, and the army folded in upon itself like pastry dough.
My fingers were going white from clinging to the bars. Was this it? Was Katila
truly going to kill my husbands and friends? Was this bastard going to win?
But then the army rallied. They pulled back the ground troops and sent only the
winged soldiers forth.
Katila chuckled.
 The landscape shifted again. Became darker. Full of shadows. Cold. I drew back
from the bars. Without my magic to protect me, the wrongness of the place sank into my
skin and burrowed deep. Evil reigned here. Everything looked menacing. Like the scene
in a movie when someone approaches a haunted house, there were warning signs
everywhere. Even the plants looked as if they were screaming at us to leave.
But there was nothing else there. I searched the shadows for terrors and found
none. The place was empty. Wasn't this Hell? It was obviously one of the hells with levels
or sections or something. Different areas for certain types of souls. Degrees of torment.
I'd seen souls standing over those empty bassinets. But this place had none. No dead.
Come to think of it, the waving mountain didn't have any either. Where were the souls of
the dead? Oh, fuck, had Katila eaten them too?
The army paused. The winged soldiers landed. I wasn't the only one to sense the
evil there. But nothing happened. It was just creepy.
Then the scenery changed again.
It got even darker. So dark that I couldn't see. The others, with their god senses,
probably saw just fine. But my eyes were shrouded with the sort of darkness that makes
you feel blind. I blinked and blinked until I wasn't sure if my eyes were open or closed.
Then came the screams.
I huddled into a ball, fear coating my skin and crawling down my throat. I hoped
those were the screams of tormented souls, but after seeing the last levels empty, I
wasn't sure. Flashes of magic lit the dark. I got glimpses of movement with every burst.
Tableaus of battle. Faces set in harsh lines, bodies twisted in mid-motion, and weapons
lifted. The Valkyries were on the ground, surrounding Odin. One of them was grabbed
by something and tossed away.
I gasped. The darkness was alive. I'd faced such darkness before, but this was
different. This darkness wasn't Fey. It was born of fear-ridden humans. Of their hatred
and hope for revenge. And it had one job—to torture whatever landed in its grip.
Jackals whimpered. A flash showcased the ground swallowing several at once.
Lightning crackled through the sky and hit Thor's hammer. He looked like a painting.
But then darkness swallowed him, even the lightning.
“Thor,” I whispered.
“Tima!” my lions shouted.
I couldn't feel them without my magic, but when I heard their wounded cries, I
knew they were going down. Fenrir was roaring, but it was cut off suddenly. The Great
Wolf God had been defeated. Seconds, only seconds, and this dark land was winning.
Katila barely lifted a finger.
Then Re turned on the light.
Shrieks came again, but this time it was from whatever thing that darkness was. It
seeped into the ground as my husband went supernova. Then Blue added to the
sunshine, and then Mr. T. Horus lent his strength to his great-great-grandfather, his
right eye glowing gold. And under the light of the sun gods, the darkness didn't stand a
chance.
I took a breath. Maybe we stood a chance after all.
Then the landscape shifted.
The light of the gods illuminated a horrifying swamp. A fetid ooze covered the
ground. It bubbled thickly, the goo gleaming puke green and putrid yellow. The Gods
began to scream. I screamed along with them. Not in pain but in horror. The noxious
stuff on the ground was crawling up their bodies and consuming them. No, not crawling.
Infecting. It was toxic. But immortality is a tenacious thing. The Gods healed and those
with wings launched into the air, taking as many with them as possible before the sludge
could do its damage again.
But there were so many. My husbands were safe, but my Intare were falling.
Screaming. Boils covered their bodies. Tears poured down my cheeks as I shook the
bars. My lions! I couldn't help them. Couldn't heal them. It was on Kirill to sustain them
now. At least they had him. Oh, and the Froekn. They were holding Fenrir aloft, keeping
him off the ground while they writhed in pain. Fenrir should have been roaring, fighting,
helping them. But he was unconscious. Gello carried Anubis, her great Demon wings
holding them both aloft, but he fought her, trying to get to his jackals. His dying jackals.
His jackals who shouldn't have been able to die.
“Stop,” I whispered. “Please, stop.”
“What's that, my love?” Katila asked gleefully. “You want this to stop? Your wish is
my command.”
The landscape changed.
My cage was now at the lip of a pit—a massive pit filled with thick, black sludge. It
bubbled up into thick arms and plucked the flying gods out of the sky. No one escaped
this time. They were drawn, shrieking and flapping, into the sludge. Even the horses
were pulled down with their riders.
I couldn't scream anymore. My voice had gone hoarse. I knew it was over. They
were dead. They were all dead. I had held one hope through the battle—that Torrent
might reach us and unmake Katila. If any of the gods could kill this motherfucker, it was
Torr. And he had said he would do it to save his loved ones.
But Torrent was in the pit with Artemis. With all of my loved ones. He hadn't stood
a chance. None of them had.
The surface of the sludge roiled as the gods fought to remain afloat. I watched
until the end, my heart stuttering as the sludge went still. Gone. All of them gone. The
only comfort was that without my magic, I didn't have to feel them die. But I almost
envied them. I was trapped there. Alive. With an insane man who had danced out of the
Void and destroyed my life.
“I told you I would handle him,” someone whispered. “Why did you come here?”
I looked to the right.
There was Ekwensu, sitting cross-legged on the ground beside my cage.
He sighed and shook his head. “But I suppose I can work with this.”
Something glowed on his neck. A pendant. A crystal point.
A slurping sound pulled my attention back to the pit. The sludge bubbled. Rippled.
Then it spewed forth a tide of bodies. Gods and demigods gasped as they hit the ground
with wet smacks. The sludge drew back into the pit, leaving them clean and whole on
the rim.
“What the—?” Katila jerked about, searching for the one who had saved his
enemies.
I looked to my right, but Ekwensu was gone. If he even was Ekwensu, which I was
doubting more and more. Once again, he had sounded nothing like the Nigerian god.
“No!” Katila shrieked as the army gained its feet. “No! The pit will have you! No
one escapes the black poison!”
The pit bubbled again.
The gods around the rim paused.
Every eye focused on the oily surface of the pit.
Suddenly, another eruption came. The gods dashed back from the pit. But the
sludge didn't attack them. It wasn't moving on its own.
Souls flew from the black poison, mouths open in soundless screams and arms
extended. Toward Katila. The hoard focused on him. A terrible rushing sound came,
melding with thick slopping as the human souls of Naraka flew out of the pit of poison
and launched themselves at the God of Hell.
 “The Yamaduta,” I whispered.
Katila had killed the guardians of Naraka. He had consumed them and stolen their
magic. He thought he could control Hell alone. But there's a reason that underworlds
such as Naraka contain multiple gods. One man cannot sail a ship. A boat maybe, but
not a ship. Not of this size. And definitely not a prison barge.
Katila the Fool had left the wailing souls in the first hell alone. He probably
figured they were too focused on their empty baskets to notice that the Yamadutas were
gone. But the others couldn't be left to wander about alone. So what did he do? He stuck
them all in the pit and left them to the poison. Maybe he intended to come back and
consume them eventually or maybe he didn't want to bother with souls that didn't
possess magic. Whatever the case, he had put several levels worth of souls into a pit and
forgot about them. But they hadn't forgotten about him.
They flew into Katila in a swarm, his body jerking like one of those shooting
victims in a movie. Side-to-side rapidly, his expression shocked. He screamed, but it was
cut off by a soul diving into his mouth. The black poison went with the souls, seeping
into Katila and infecting him. Souls dove into him dripping black goo, then flew free of
him, glowing pure white. It went on for several minutes, several long minutes, but no
one else moved during that time. No one wanted to draw attention to themselves.
At last, the tide of black souls stopped. The spirits, freed of poison and the pit,
floated away, hopefully to the Void where they could be reborn. Katila crumpled to his
knees, completely black. Poison oozed from him. When he hit the ground, he made a
splat. His knees burst like popped balloons, and he fell forward onto his face. With the
impact, his entire body exploded into a puddle like a wicked witch hit with water.
My cage disappeared. Poof, gone. I stood up warily, watching the black goo gather
itself, then bubble and gurgle its way back into the pit like a living thing.
“Ding dong the witch is dead,” I whispered.
 “Vervain!”
I don't know who shouted my name, but my husbands came running for me en
masse. I met them halfway. As we hugged and Viper removed my manacles, the other
gods gathered around us. And as they drew in around us, the sides of the pit also drew
together and closed.
I jerked away from my husbands as the ground sealed over the poison. Then, as if
to say, “You've outstayed your welcome,” the tracing building appeared in the pit's
place.
“What the actual fuck?” Fenrir growled.
“Dad!” I ran to hug him. “You're all right.”
“Of course, I'm all right, little Frami,” Fenrir said. “Why wouldn't I be?”
I looked at the Froekn standing behind them. They were all slicing their flat hands
back and forth over their throats. Right. He must have just woke up.
“It was just a bad battle.” I cleared my throat and stepped back. “I think it's time
to leave.”
“No kidding,” Samael drawled as his eyes—the hundreds of them all over his body
—closed and sank into his skin.
I've seen some disturbing things in my life, and I've gotten used to most of them.
But I will never get used to a man covered in eyeballs.
“What about that bastard Katila?” Fenrir asked.
“He's dead, Dad,” Trevor said. “The human souls killed him.”
“They killed him because the trickster summoned them,” I said.
“What?” Odin swung around, searching the area. “The trickster is here?”
“Yeah. I'm sure he's still here somewhere.” I sniffed, trying to find the scent I'd
forgotten. “I think this is his territory now. He took it from Katila, along with Katila's
magic.”
“How do you know that?” Re asked.
“I don't. Not for certain. But just before you were all expelled from the pit, when I
thought you were dead, the trickster showed up beside my cage and reminded me about
his promise to handle Katila. Then he said he could work with this. And you were all
spewed out. How could he do that if he didn't control Naraka? And how could he control
the territory without Katila's magic?”
“Spewed out of what?” Fenrir asked.
“Of the poison pit. We were dying, Dad,” Trevor said. “You were unconscious.”
“I was not!” Fenrir roared.
Behind him, the other Froekn shook their heads. Yeah, Trevor should have known
better. He was the firstborn son after all. No one knew Fenrir better than Trevor. But
Trevor also knew that we didn't have time to coddle Fenrir's pride.
“Enough, Dad,” I said. “We've got to go.” I grabbed Re's hand and hurried to the
tracing building. “Meet back at the citadel.”
 “I was not unconscious!” Fenrir said.
“Get over it, big man,” Viper said. “I wish I'd been unconscious. Getting swallowed
whole by a pit of toxic black goo was not the best time I've ever had.”
“And we're still in Naraka!” I called back pointedly. “A territory controlled by a
trickster who obviously wants us to leave.” I waved at the tracing building.
“She's right. Let's get the fuck out of here,” Finn said and didn't wait for any
agreement. He just ran for the building.
“Know when to fold 'em!” Austin shouted and ran after us.
Our mad dash broke the seal of stupidity, and the rest of the gods finally followed.
We traced out rapidly, hands slapping the marble wall to get into the Aether. My
husbands shoved me before them, making sure that I got out before they did. They were
right behind me so I was all right with that. And with my magic restored, I would sense
if anything happened to one of my lions. I almost traced home, so big was my desire to
be in my territory, but at the last second, I remembered that I had told everyone to meet
at the Golden Citadel.
I came out of the Aether running and kept going, keeping the tracing room open. I
was met by a couple of citadel knights, part of the security detail Az had left behind.
Thank goodness he was smart enough to keep the citadel guarded even when he went to
war.
“Any losses?” one of the knights asked.
“I don't think so,” I said as I ushered them back. “We've got a lot of gods coming
through. Can you ask the kitchens to make us some refreshments? Something warm.”
“Yes, of course.” The knight's stare went behind me, settled on Azrael, filled with
relief, and only then did he rush off.
I cocked my head at that. I knew the Fey knights respected Azrael—he had proven
himself to them often enough—but I didn't know they liked him.
“What now?” Machar asked as he joined my husbands and me.
Is it terrible that I forgot about Machar? I hadn't even noticed him in the army. But
there he was, his cap bleeding but his skin whole, no worse for wear. And so far, the
gods coming through the tracing room were all the same. The damage inflicted by
Naraka was already healed. Well, mostly. Some of the demigods were still healing, but
when Teharon and Jesus came through, they instantly went among the injured and sped
up the process. I was grateful for that. Kirill looked exhausted, and I would have needed
to consume some fire to heal nearly ninety men. But the sight that melted my heart was
that of Anubis carrying one of his jackals out of the tracing room. The others staggered
out behind him, shaky on their four spindly legs, and noses hanging to the floor. Gello
brought up the rear, making sure they were all accounted for.
“You're going to be all right,” Anubis said as he laid his wounded jackal on the
floor.
It whimpered and turned its pointed black head toward him. The other jackals
shuffled over and collapsed near their god. They weren't like other shapeshifters.
Anubis's jackals had a prime form that was animal, not human. They could shift into
men, but they always had an animal mentality. The opposite of most shapeshifters.
“I just need a moment longer, my friends,” Anubis said. “Then I can help you heal.”
“Anubis,” Jesus said gently, his expression as tender as mine must have been.
“Allow me.”
Anubis looked up and his oil slick eyes were wet with tears. “Thank you, Jesus.”
“Call me J,” Jesus said and laid his hand on the most injured jackal.
The jackal shuddered and sighed, and then Jesus's magic spread to the others. The
pack snuggled up against Jesus and Anubis and went to sleep.
 To think that I had once feared those creatures. Now, I was happy to see them
healed. I had feared their god even more, but now I was ten times stronger than him.
Maybe even more than that. Was that why my past with Anubis didn't bother me? No. It
was because I'd seen his pain and knew that he went through a lot to get past it.
“Queen Vervain?”
“Huh?” I looked over at Machar.
“I asked what we're going to do now?” Machar said.
By then, everyone had come through the tracing room. The crowd filled the wide
corridors and spread down them. And every one of the gods looked at me when they
heard Machar's question.
“Not that it's my decision alone,” I said. “But I think we should take this as a win
and leave the trickster be.”
“You want us to just forget about what he did?” Hades demanded.
“Isn't it better to forget willingly?” I lifted a brow at him.
“Are you suggesting that we aren't strong enough to fight this god?” Samael
asked. “We killed Jehovah.”
“And all of you nearly died today facing Katila,” I said. “All while I crouched in a
cage with my magic cut off.”
“That's only because we were in his territory,” Brahma said, his arm around his
wife.
“He fared pretty well before he lured you there,” I shot back. “And the trickster,
whoever he is, is stronger than Katila. I think he has Katila's magic now, in addition to
whatever he had originally.”
“So, we're certain he isn't Ekwensu?” Samael asked.
“Pretty certain.” Odin pointed and everyone followed his finger to a pair of citadel
knights striding up with a chained man between them—Ekwensu. “If Vervain saw the
trickster in Naraka, that can't be him.”
“What should we do with the prisoner, Your Majesty?” one of the knights asked
Azrael.
Azrael looked at me. “You're certain he was there?”
“I didn't hallucinate him freeing you from the pit,” I shot back.
“All right.” Az motioned at the knights. “Escort him back to the Wet Whistle and let
him go. You have our apologies, Ekwensu.”
“That's it?” Ekwensu huffed as the knights removed the manacles.
“Oh. Return the manacles to Taran,” Az added.
“Seriously?!” Ekwensu shrieked.
“And tell him I'll pay Ekwensu's tab.” Az paused, then quickly amended it with,
“Tonight's tab.”
“Yes, Sir,” the knights said.
“Good enough?” Az asked Ekwensu.
“I guess,” Ekwensu muttered as he looked around. “You look like you've been
through some shit. I suppose that's enough.”
“He chose your face for a reason,” I said to Ekwensu. “I don't believe for one
second that you are completely innocent. So, take the win.”
Ekwensu grimaced, then turned and walked away. The knights went with him.
“We don't know anything for certain,” Odin said as he watched Ekwensu leave.
“But from what we have to go on, it's a reasonable assumption that the trickster took
Katila's magic.”
“How did he do it?” someone asked.
I'm not sure who asked the question because I was focused inward. Something
was bugging me. The gleam at the trickster's throat. What was it? Right. A crystal point.
And it looked familiar. Why did it . . .
“I know how he did it,” I whispered.
“What's that, Minn Elska?” Trevor asked.
“I think I know how the trickster took Katila's magic.”
I had everyone's attention again.
“Odin, did you ever check on your valuables?” I asked.
“My valuables?” Odin scowled. Then his expression smoothed. “No. I didn't check
on them. You were taken, so I rushed home before I looked.”
“I think you'll find that the magic condenser is missing.”
“The magic condenser,” Odin whispered. Then, “Damn it all!”
“What's a magic condenser?” Anubis asked.
“It belonged to Nuada once,” I said. “A gift from High King Cian. It unites god
magic. Bres used it to free the Fomorians.”
“But you have it now?” Lucifer asked Odin.
“Not if Vervain's suspicions are correct,” Odin muttered as he headed for the
tracing room. “I'll be right back.”
“This condenser, it can give one god's magic to another?” Samael asked.
“No, that's not its purpose,” I said. “It unites magic. But if the trickster was
uniting their magic at the time of Katila's death, I imagine Katila's magic would flow into
him. Magic doesn't want to die.”
“So now the trickster has Jehovah's tablets, the Pasha, a fey magic condenser,
Katila's magic of going ghost, and all the power and magic Katila stole from the
Yamadutas of Naraka,” Blue summed up.
Several people cursed.
“But you have your dagger back, right, Anubis?” I asked.
“Yes.” Anubis tapped the dagger strapped to his thigh. “And I'm not letting it out
of my sight.”
“Oh, well, if he has his dagger back, then it's all fine,” Horus drawled.
Before I could respond, one of the citadel knights slipped through the crowd,
calling out, “Your Majesty! Azrael! Queen Vervain! You need to see this!”
The way parted for the knight. Azrael and I went to meet him halfway.
“What is it, Gress?” Azrael asked.
“There's a massive crowd at the outer gates, Sire. Humans.”
Sire and Your Majesty. That still made me grin. The Fey don't use honorifics for
their royals. Nothing beyond “King” or “Queen.” But the knights serving Azrael had
taken to giving him those titles as a way of showing him the respect he deserved as their
boss, but still differentiating him from their true royals. To me, it sounded as if Az got
more respect than me, but that's not how they looked at it.
“A mob?” Azrael growled. “What terrible timing.”
“No, Boss. Not a mob. They're supporters. They're here because of the attack on
the charity event. You should come too.” The knight said to Machar. “They want to see
your son. They want to know he's safe.”
“Humans want to know if Alexander is safe?” Machar asked in a dubious tone.
“We are not all bad, Machar,” I said. “And your son is part human too.”
“Fine.” Machar grunted. “I'll fetch him. But only because I want him to see that he
doesn't have to be afraid of humans.”
“Good.” Azrael smacked Machar's arm, then took my hand. We followed the knight
through the citadel and outside.
My other husbands joined us, so we had to take two SUVs.
“Hey, what about us?” Pan called from the doorway. “We haven't finished talking
about this.”
“There's nothing we can do,” I said. “Returning to Naraka would be a mistake, and
we don't know who the trickster is. We can't even track him. All we can do is wait and
hope he's done with his games. If he starts up again, we can revisit the conversation.”
I climbed into the passenger seat without waiting for an answer. Because I was
right. And because I didn't want to keep a crowd of human supporters waiting. We had
so many people against us. Fostering good relationships was important.
Pausing with the driver's door open, Azrael said, “You're all welcome to join us.”
My Intare whooped and ran for the road, not bothering with a vehicle. It wasn't
that far to the embassy, and they always enjoyed a good run. Seeing that, the Froekn
took off after them, and the jackals whined. They could probably sense the Wild Magic
in the woods.
“Go on then,” Anubis said to his jackals. Then he shouted, “Don't kill anything, you
scamps!”
I snorted a laugh as Azrael climbed in. And then we were off, Azrael driving us
through the woods and to the inner gate. To either side of us ran shapeshifters, grinning
ear-to-ear. I smiled back at them, my heart lightening to see their happiness but also to
be victorious yet again. Sure, the trickster was still out there, but he had also saved our
lives. I don't like attacking people who have saved my life, no matter what they'd done
previously. The trickster had done some horrible things. He had stabbed Viper with a
pitchfork. That was an image that would haunt me. But it was nothing compared to the
memory of seeing my friends and loved ones drowning in a hellish pit of poison while I
couldn't do a damn thing to save them. And the trickster turned that memory into a
victory. He gave me back my life when it hung on the brink of destruction. As long as he
left us alone and didn't fuck with the world, we were square.
Azrael flicked his hand and the inner set of gates opened. We passed through,
leaving the Wild Magic lands to enter the buffer ring of land where our employees and
the families with Wild Magic children lived. The neighborhoods were alight, people
filling the streets. They cheered as we drove past, then followed in our wake, everyone
heading to the outer gate. I'd always thought of the outer gates as our first line of
defense. Anyone attacking would have to go through them and then the embassy before
they could reach the Wild Magic lands.
Tonight, we didn't need the protection.
I got out of the car and shot Az a surprised look. We were in the back of the Fey
Embassy, a whole building between us and the outer gate, but we could already hear
them. Not that anyone was shouting.
“Are they singing?” Viper asked as he stepped up beside me.
“Oh, my god,” I whispered and immediately started to cry.
“Carus?” Azrael took my hand.
“Sorry, this song gets me every time.”
“What song is that?” Re asked.
 “It's “Baby Mine” from Dumbo,” I said, swiping at my eyes. “His mommy sings it to
him. She tells him not to cry about all the people who are mean to him, that once they
get to know him, they'll love him too.” I covered my mouth with my hand, then ran into
the embassy.
“Why'd it have to be Dumbo?” Trevor huffed as they ran after me. “That movie
always makes her cry. Fucking Disney. They love to kill mothers.”
“Holy shit, you're right,” Viper said. “They kill all the mommies. Bambi, Dumbo,
even baby Grogu is an orphan.”
“That's Star Wars,” Odin said.
“Disney owns Star Wars.”
“Huh.”
The Embassy was empty. All the employees were at the outer gates, staring out
through the bars. Although I really wanted to, I knew we couldn't open the gates. It was
too dangerous with that many people outside. Even though they were there to support
us, there could have been some crazies hiding among them. So, I raced past the
embassy employees who held hands and swayed to the music, and ran up the steps to
the top of the wall. Once the crowd saw me, the song dwindled off and the applause
started. I stared across a sea of humans, candles lifted in support of my family, and it
was just too much after the day I'd had. I broke down and wept.
How many years had I fought for them? How many terrible things had I faced?
And no one had known. Then I'd gone bad, and Azrael had gone badder, but we turned it
around. We helped to fix things. We reintroduced faeries to humans and brought magical
advances to Earth. And we protected the unwanted children, those scorned by their own
parents. We did what we could to make up for our mistakes, and we had our supporters.
Hell, some humans were obsessed with faeries, but this was different.
Alexander's abduction, his rescue by Azrael and me recorded and plastered
everywhere, and then the attack on the charity dinner to benefit Wild Fey children—
those series of events had been exactly what was needed to turn the tide in our favor.
Those scorned children were now real to the world. Babies instead of monsters.
Innocent children who could be taken from their parents. Parents who would tear the
world apart to get their babies back. That was relatable. It was human. And just when
the world was starting to relate to those magic children and see them as special instead
of horrifying, someone attacked us. It riled the masses. It made those children theirs.
They belonged to the world now.
And the world had come to show its love and support.
The applause softened into silence as the Faerie God stepped out on the wall walk.
Azrael joined me and took my hand. “You have made my wife cry,” he said to the
crowd.
The humans went still.
He continued with, “But in the best way possible.” Az put his arm around my
shoulders and folded me in under his wing. “I'm deeply moved as well. People have
come to show their support of us before, but never in these numbers.” He waved his free
hand out to the sea that went on and on, visible only because of the candles that lit the
night. “As you must know, one of our special little ones was taken from us recently.
Thank goodness, he was found.” Azrael waved his hand out again, this time to our right.
Machar, Slainidh, and Alexander stepped out on the walk, Machar holding Alex in
his arms. Alex cringed back from the humans, but Machar whispered something to him
and the boy looked out at the crowd dubiously.
“He doesn't understand that you're here out of kindness, not hatred,” Machar said
in his booming voice. “Humans have not treated us well. We are not your kind of
beautiful.”
Oh, what perfect words to say in the most perfect way. A ripple of sympathy ran
through the crowd. Those there who had ever been looked down on, felt ugly, or just not
enough, responded to that. People called out Alexander's name. They waved their hands
and signs that read things like, “All children are love,” “Children are Miracles, not
Monsters,” and “We love you, Alex!”
Then someone started singing. They sang that damn song to Alex, and I bent
forward with the rush of my tears as I watched Alex stare at the humans in shock. Then
he started to sway to the music. Then bounce. He patted at his father's shoulder until
Machar put him down on the wall's ledge. Alexander, that little boy with a Goblin's face,
started to dance slowly and sweetly.
The humans lost their minds over it.
Phones were already filming this, but I noticed some professional cameras among
the crowd and knew Alex's dance would be all over the news. With perfect timing, the
other Wild Magic children came out on the wall walk—some with their parents and some
with their temporary guardians. We got most of the abandoned Wild Fey kids adopted by
faeries, but new ones arrived all the time, many just left at the gates. Those kids were
the wariest, staring at a crowd of strangers who looked like the parents who had
abandoned them.
You gotta understand; the Wild Magic kids were older now, so it wasn't like a
mother leaving a bundled-up baby at a hospital. These people had tried to raise their
kids and, for whatever reason, decided they couldn't. The kids were left, usually in the
middle of the night, with a suitcase, staring off after their fleeing parents with the dazed
look of someone who had been tormented by nearly everyone they ever met. Now those
same children were faced with a horde of people who were not shouting nasty things at
them. They were the most endearing. The kids waving at the crowd were sweet, but it
was those hanging back, the scared ones, who made the biggest impact. I could see it on
those human faces. Cameras focused on those kids. Didn't they always? Why photograph
a dancing child when you could get a shot of a wounded one?
Azrael winked at me, then slid away to gather those shy ones and bring them
forward. With his wings around them, he addressed the crowd again. “These are our
newest additions to the family. We've got them a little later than the others, so they've
known only scorn from humans. They didn't have us to raise them and teach them that
they're special. So, I hope you understand their fear.”
A woman in the front started to cry. It spread like wildfire until people were
waving and weeping, calling out words of love to the rejected children, words those kids
should have been hearing their whole lives but hadn't. The outpouring of kindness was
enough to bring the children forward. One, a boy with vines growing out of his skin and
hair, peered over the wall and waved tentatively. The crowd cheered for him, and his
vines trembled.
“Thank you,” I called out. “Thank you for seeing them for who they are at last.
They are magical children. So special and beautiful. There will be no others like them
ever again. And that can make them feel alone, but tonight you've shown them that they
aren't alone. That the world isn't against them. You are with them!”
The crowd cheered, and the children smiled. I glanced over and saw my husbands
come up the stairs, Odin among them. His expression was grim. They joined me as
Azrael took over again, milking this for all it was worth. Were we exploiting these kids
for peace? Yup, but it was for their benefit too. And peace was worth a little exploitation.
“So, I was right?” I whispered as the men reached me.
Odin nodded. “It's gone. Nothing else was taken. Only the condenser.”
“Well, at least they've given us this.”
“What are you talking about?” Re asked.
I blinked. “I . . .” Then the memory surfaced from the confusion. “The trickster,” I
whispered. “He told me he was doing this to advance the human race.”
“Yeah, you said that,” Viper said.
 “No, she didn't,” Odin leaned in. “She said the trickster was doing this for the
humans, not to advance the race.”
“Big diff.” Viper rolled his eyes.
“It is,” Odin said. “Go on, Vervain.”
“He said that I'd thank him when it was over. That we wouldn't have human
groups bothering us anymore. They'd see that we were strong but not a threat.” I
nodded out toward the crowd. “And here we are. He was right.”
“Damn,” Kirill said. “It vorked.”
“What worked?” Viper asked.
“The games.” Trevor smacked Viper in the arm. “The trickster led us around and
stole from us, but he also won us the sympathy of the world.”
“Not all the world,” Viper huffed. “It can't be all the world.”
“No, but more of it. Hopefully, enough of it,” I said. “I don't think we have to worry
about humans anymore.”
My husbands drew in around me and stared out at the thousands of people who
had come all this way just to sing a few songs and wave at the children. This was big.
And they were only the people who could get to Lexington on short notice. All around
the world, public opinion on Azrael and everything he stood for was changing. Just like
the trickster promised.
But I couldn't help feeling as if there was something important I still hadn't
remembered.
 We went home and hugged our children. We kissed them and told them how
special they were, how much they were loved. Then I showered.
I felt filthy. As if Naraka had tainted me. No, not Naraka. Katila. I shuddered and
hung my head under the spray.
“Tima?” Kirill whispered as he opened the shower door. His hand went to my back.
“You've been in here for too long.”
“Sorry.” I stepped out of the water and squeezed out my hair.
There was a lot of it, and I had loved it since I'd first become a goddess, back
when I took Aphrodite's magic. Her Beauty Magic made my hair thick and glossy, so
easy to brush. But I suddenly wanted to chop it off, especially that stripe of starlight.
Just cut it off and become someone else. Too bad it didn't work like that.
“I'm tired, Kirill.”
“I know.” He eased me into his arms and folded over me even though I was wet.
“Ve all are. But ve must go on for each other and ze children.”
“Yeah,” I muttered into his chest. “Can we go on tomorrow?”
He chuckled and pulled a towel from the rack to dry me off. Well, dry us off. “Da.
Tomorrow ve vill be strong. Tonight ve vill be veak together.”
“I like that idea.” I lifted my head, and he met me halfway.
Now this was what I needed. I groaned into Kirill's mouth and pulled at his boxer
shorts—all he had on. Kirill growled at me and lifted me by the thighs, jerking them
apart to settle around his hips. Forget the foreplay, he was in me in two seconds flat,
both of us needing the connection. And then my back was against a tiled wall, and my
husband was driving into me.
That's right. This is why I do it. Kirill. His hands on my skin. His body inside mine.
His growls in my ear. Kirill and the others I love.
“Rude,” Re said.
I looked over Kirill's shoulder to see Re standing in the bathroom doorway.
“You were supposed to check on her, not have sex with her.”
Kirill snarled at Re over his shoulder and kept thrusting. I giggled and held on.
“They're having sex,” Re said, waving at us while he spoke to someone in the
bedroom. He grimaced. “I know they'll finish eventually. That's not the point.”
“Re, do you mind not ruining this for me?” I asked.
“Oh, that's it! Now your ass is mine.” The Sun God strode across the bathroom,
removing his underwear—gold briefs—as he came.
His golden rod sprung forth, ready and eager. I snorted when I saw him stop at
one of the cabinets to fetch some lube and rub it over his cock.
“Are you going to share, Lion God?” I asked.
“Nyet.” Kirill kept going.
“Do not make me blind you,” Re said.
Kirill glanced over his shoulder at Re and winced. “Too late.”
 “Yes, I am glorious.” Re waved his hands down his impressive body. “I'm also
horny. So, if you could just angle her—”
“Ugh!” Kirill cried in annoyance. “Fine!” He adjusted his hold on me and paused
his thrusting. “Hold on, Tima.”
“Okay.” I got a tighter grip on Kirill's shoulders, and he straightened, taking me off
the wall, then turning toward Re.
Re was instantly at my back, his lips on my shoulder and his hands at my waist.
Moaning, he spread my lower cheeks and slipped between them. As he nuzzled my neck,
his cock nuzzled my rear entrance, teasing me with little prods. Re knew how to please
every inch of me, and he always made sure I enjoyed myself before he got too carried
away. It didn't matter how horny he was.
“Re!” I cried out as he entered at last.
“La-la,” Re whispered in my ear and then went still, waiting for Kirill.
Kirill grunted and set the pace, easing forward then back, working up to the speed
he'd been at. Meanwhile, Re did his part to hold me aloft and also kept a perfect rhythm,
pulling out when Kirill entered and vice versa. In less than a minute, I was rocking
between the men, my nerve endings shrieking in pleasure.
“So it's to be the bathroom tonight?” Viper asked as he came into the room naked.
Moaning, I looked over to watch Viper head for the enormous, sunken bathtub. It
was more like a swimming pool, with several flat fountain heads instead of spigots to fill
it with. Viper turned on the water, then headed down into the tub, rubbing his thick cock
as he went. He found a ledge with a view and sat down to enjoy the show.
“Well, if he's going to watch, we all will,” Trevor said as he walked in with Odin.
They joined Viper in the bathtub, each man taking a separate sunken seat. With
magic helping those fountains, it didn't take long for the water to rise over their waists
and hide my view. Still, the water was clear and there were other things to look at. Like
their amazing chests.
I cried out and flung back my head as my first orgasm hit, but I didn't look away
from the men in the water. They made it even better. Took me even higher. And I must
have made it better for Kirill because he roared shortly after I came and locked up
against me. With a sigh and then a kiss, my lion withdrew. Kirill jumped into the tub and
grabbed a washcloth from the basket near the edge. He wasn't the only one washing up.
The other men had decided to use the time to bathe. So I had four beautiful, sudsy gods
to stare at while I enjoyed myself.
“Well, if you're going to watch, we might as well give you a show,” Re said.
He turned to face the tub, then leaned back and lifted me so that I lay on his
chest. This brought my ass up, spread my thighs wide, and put us on display. The other
men groaned and the sound of splashing came as Odin and Viper jumped up on the floor
and sat down with only their legs in the water. Without the water to wash away the soap,
they kept their cocks slick and stroked faster.
“Fools,” Trevor muttered and climbed out of the tub but not to sit on the edge. He
came up to Re and me, then knelt before us. Before me. With a wolfish grin, he slipped a
finger into me and pumped it gently. “How about a little kiss, Minn Elska?”
“Oh, fuck,” I whispered. “Yes, please.”
My men weren't squeamish about going where one of them had already gone, if
you get my meaning. Trevor pumped his finger into me while he bent forward and
sucked my clit into his mouth.
I screamed.
Re groaned, shuddered, and sped up.
My body jerked against Trevor's face, but he didn't care. He just added his tongue
to the kiss. The wet heat of it lapping at me between bouts of him sucking and rubbing
was enough to send me into another climax. Trevor eased back, knowing me well
enough to give me a break after an orgasm like that.
Then Re pulled out and twisted to aim away from Trevor. He came on the floor,
holding me tightly against his chest the whole time. Finally, he lowered me to my feet,
made sure I was steady, then turned me around for a kiss. He took so long that Trevor
was growling by the time he was done.
The gentle lover was gone.
“Mine now,” Trevor, my alpha lover, demanded and pulled me away from Re.
I went to my knees with him, but was quickly turned about and pushed onto my
hands as well. I braced myself, preparing for a wolf mating. Sure enough, Trevor slid
into me and immediately started a wild pace, our flesh slapping together in a rapid
tribal beat.
No one tried to join us, not when Trevor was like this. Technically, he was my
dominant lover, above all others. That made his word law when it came to intimacies
with me. But Trevor was such an easygoing guy that he normally didn't enforce alpha
law. It was only when Wolf came out to play that things got serious.
I looked over my shoulder and saw the honey glow of Wolf in Trevor's eyes. Trevor
was there, but taking a backseat to his animal half. Although he was a part of Trevor,
Wolf was a completely separate personality. He was an alpha in every way and didn't
take shit from anyone, not even me.
“Hey, Wolf,” I purred.
He growled at me and bared his teeth. “My mate.”
“I love you.”
That softened Wolf for a second and his baring of teeth became a smile before
vanishing. And then he said, “I love you too, Mate.”
There. That was what I wanted. I liked connecting Wolf with his emotions. Once I
got my “I love you,” I could get as wild as him. Bracing myself, I shoved back to meet his
every thrust.
The slapping of flesh came from behind me but also to my left. Kirill was hard
again and stroking himself, though not as aggressively as Odin and Viper worked
themselves. He knew he'd have to wait a bit to get me back under him. But he'd have me
again that night. And I would have him. I would have them all. Because they were mine.
My mates.
They'd almost been taken from me again, but either luck, destiny, or the whim of a
trickster god had saved us. We hadn't been the strongest this time and our victory
wasn't a full triumph, but we were all alive and that was enough for me. It was enough
to make me want to celebrate. So as the Wolf took his mate and reaffirmed life through
sex, I embraced my own wild side and joyfully celebrated. I shrieked and screamed and
came so hard that I couldn't hear the voices in my head telling me that even when they
were dead, my enemies could still be a threat. If Katila could come back, anyone could.
Zeus. Jerry. Oh, fuck, Aphrodite.
No. Not now. Tomorrow I'd think about what it all meant. Tonight was the time to
rejoice. To, as Kirill said, be weak together. This was one weakness I could enjoy. A
weakness that didn't take, only gave. And there was no avoiding it.
Keep an eye out for the next Godhunter book, coming soon to Amazon.
Games of the Gods
(working title subject to change)
A Thaisce: Ah Hash-keh
Aalish: A-lis
Arach: Air-rock
Bean-nighe: Ban-neeyah
Bean-sidhe: Ban-she
Bronagh: Bro-nah
Carus: Care-us
Cian: Key-an
Danal: Dah-nal
Estsanatlehi(Mrs E): Es-tan-AHT-lu-hee
Fearghal: FAR-rell
Froekn: Fro-kin
Gruach: Groo-ah
Guirmean: GOO-rah-man
Huitzilopochtli: Weet-seal-oh-POACHED-lee
Ilmarinen: Ill-mah-ree-nen
Intare: In-tar-ay
Isleen: Is-lean
Katila: Kah-till-ah
Kirill: Key-reel
Leannan-sidhe: Lah-nan Shee
Roarke: ROAR-k
Shehaquim: Shah-ha-keem
Taran: TA-ran
Tima: Tee-mah
Tsohanoai(Mr. T): So-ha-noe-ayee
Vainamoinen: Vie-nah-moy-nen
Vejasmate: Vay-hahs-mah-tee
Vilkacis: Vill-ka-seas
This list has gotten so extensive that I've moved it to my website. You may find it on the
Godhunter Series Page here: https://www.amysumida.com/book-list
 Amy Sumida is the Internationally Acclaimed author of the Award-Winning Godhunter
Series, the fantasy paranormal Twilight Court Series, the Beyond the Godhunter Series,
the music-oriented paranormal Spellsinger Series, the superhero Spectra Series, and
several short stories. Her books have been translated into several languages, have won
numerous awards, and are bestsellers. She believes in empowering women through her
writing as well as providing everyone with a great escape from reality. Her stories are
full of strong women and hot gods, shapeshifters, vampires, dragons, fairies, gargoyles...
pretty much any type of supernatural, breathtakingly gorgeous man you can think of.
Because why have normal when you could have paranormal?
Born and raised in Hawaii, Amy made a perilous journey across the ocean with six cats
to settle in the beautiful state of Oregon which reminds her a lot of Hawaii but without
the cockroaches or evil sand. When she isn't trying to type fast enough to keep up with
the voices in her head while ignoring the kitties trying to sabotage her with cuteness,
she enjoys painting on canvases, walls, and anything else that will sit still long enough
for the paint to dry. She's fueled by tea, inspired by music, and spends most of her time
lost in imaginary worlds.
For information on new releases, detailed character descriptions, and an in-depth
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Read more of Amy's books:
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 The Dragons of Serai Series
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