by Amy Sumida
My throat went dry as all of my doubts were challenged. I had become so strong over the years; surrounded by all the love of my husbands. But all it took was one guilty look from Azrael to turn me back into a cynical, insecure woman.
“Then why do you look so guilty?” I asked softly.
“Because I know how it seemed,” Azrael said angrily. “And I also know how much you dislike Macaria.”
“I don't dislike her,” I protested. “I just don't particularly like her. But I'm leaning more toward the dislike as we speak.”
“Nothing happened to warrant your antagonism,” Azrael assured me.
“I saw you holding her,” Trevor growled. “Her face was lifted up to yours; one more second, and you would have been kissing.”
Kirill, Odin, and I stared at Azrael in horror.
“That's not how it happened,” Azrael snapped. “If you were so certain that I was about to betray my marriage vows, why didn't you tell Vervain right then?”
“Because you made me doubt what I saw,” Trevor admitted. “And I wanted to be certain before I broke Vervain's heart.”
“And you're not?” I asked Trevor.
“They broke apart when I entered the room,” Trevor said. “It looked bad, but not absolute.”
“I heard your footsteps coming down the hall,” Azrael huffed. “You know how sound carries through the wood. Why would I kiss Mac, right when I knew someone was approaching? And we didn't lock the door. Don't you think I would have had the foresight to at least lock the door if I wanted to cheat on Vervain right under her nose?”
“Maybe it was one of those moments you didn't plan on,” Trevor growled.
I shivered as I recalled Ted's words; how Az would not set out to betray me... but that he didn't trust Macaria.
“Hold on,” I whispered.
The men kept arguing; with Odin and Kirill starting to get in on it.
“I said 'shut up!'” I shouted, and they went silent.
The men stared at me in surprise; especially Azrael.
“Carus, I love you,” Az said. “Think about what we've been through; how I touched your soul and then tried to walk away from you. Yet here we are; we were drawn back to each other.”
I smiled; visions of Roarke serenading Anna in my head. The best loves were those that healed themselves; love that drew people together no matter how hard the world—and the lovers themselves—tried to tear it apart. It was time to trust in that love and let go of my doubts for good.
“I know, Az,” I said softly as I went to him and laid my hand on his cheek. The bond between us flared, and I felt the honesty within him. “And I'm sorry for doubting you; no matter how brief it was. You would never do that to me; or to your family. Your heart is too pure for that.”
“Carus,” Azrael's whole body trembled with relief as he pulled me into an embrace. “I forgive you your doubts; I had them too. Seeing you look at me as if I had betrayed you made me doubt what we have, but then you go and say something that makes me love you even more.”
“I've become too focused on saving you,” I said. “It made me forget to simply treasure you. And then Macaria showed up, and I drew even further away. I thought that I was showing you trust, when to you, I must have seemed apathetic.”
“No.” Azrael laid his forehead to mine. “No, Vervain; that is one thing you never are.”
“So, we're letting this slide?” Trevor asked.
I drew away from Azrael—slowly—to answer, “There's nothing to let slide.”
“First Lilith, then Persephone, and now you, Vervain,” Odin mused. “This seems to be a pattern.”
“Persephone did say she walked in at the perfect moment to misunderstand what was happening between Nyx and Hades,” I said with a hesitant glance at Azrael.
“Are you saying that Macaria planned for..?” Azrael trailed off as his expression went blank.
“What is it?” Trevor narrowed his eyes on Az. “You said that you could hear me approaching, which means that Macaria could as well. Did she grab you right before I walked in Was it all planned?”
“I don't know.” Azrael scowled. “It happened so quickly. We were talking, and Mac got up—I don't remember why—and then she tripped. I jumped up to catch her, and you walked in.” Az looked at Trevor. “But I distinctly remember hearing your approach just before Mac stood.”
Odin, Kirill, and Trevor grimaced. I sighed and rubbed at my tight shoulders.
“Zat doesn't bode well for Macaria's innocence,” Kirill said.
“No; she helped me,” Az said. “She is continuing to help me. I can't believe that Mac would try to hurt my marriage.”
“I don't know, but I'm getting really tired of these homewreckers,” I growled. “I'd like to know who came between Lilith and Samael.”
“And why,” Trevor added. “That's what I don't get; why are these women trying to break up these specific unions?”
“I'm not convinced that Macaria was trying to do that,” Az said stubbornly.
“Okay.” I held up a hand when the other men opened their mouths to go off on Az. “We'll figure this out later. The important thing is that we didn't let it come between us. Whether or not Macaria had nefarious motives is a question for another day... after we've all had some sleep.”
I gave the other men a weighted look, and they finally nodded. Kirill, Trevor, and Az each gave me a goodnight kiss and then went up to their bedrooms. I gave Azrael a huge hug along with his kiss, and I felt his happiness spread through our link. But it was Odin's turn in my bed, and he was the one who held me through the night.
We hadn't made a huge step forward, but with my new Olympian status, Azrael's possible infidelity disproved, and my family all safe and sound, I felt relaxed enough to get a good night's sleep. I slept deeply, without dreaming, and was awakened in the morning by a hungry lioness.
“Ugh,” I rolled over after Lesya started pounding both of her fists onto my belly. “You mean-spirited child. Why do you hate me?”
Lesya giggled as Odin snatched her up.
“I thought I told you to behave while I made breakfast?” Odin chided Lesya.
“Be, be, be!” Lesya sang.
“That is so very annoying first thing in the morning,” I grumbled as I sat up. “Why doesn't anyone ever warn you about the irritating aspects of motherhood? Not the stinky or disgusting bits, but the annoying parts. No one ever talks about being smacked gleefully awake, or how learning to talk includes hours of word repetition to the point of making rational people seriously consider the idea of baby muzzles.”
“People talk about it all the time,” Odin said as he secured Lesya into her high chair—still singing her “be” song. “There are videos all over YouTube showcasing it. Parents-to-be just ignore them; they don't want to know.”
“Be, be, be,” Lesya sang on.
“For the sake of my sanity, please put something in her mouth!” I cried as I sought the sanctuary of the bathroom.
Odin and Lesya both laughed as I shut the door on them. I emerged a few minutes later; refreshed and clean. But I headed toward the coffee pot to get a cup of sanity before I dealt with the demon I had spawned. After a few sips, Lesya's antics became cute once more, and the smell of breakfast was a balm that eased me further. I sighed as I sank down into a seat beside my daughter.
The scent of breakfast lured the other men downstairs as it usually did, and soon, we were shoveling food in our faces with about as much grace as Lesya was using. It had been a long week and we were all starving. Manners took a backseat to starvation.
The other Horsemen joined us in time to grab some grub, but Re and Toby showed up at the end of the meal and missed the food. It didn't seem to bother Toby as much as it did Re; Toby was ready to start our investigation. But I suggested that we have a little R&R before we began, and the men agreed.
We decided to take Zariel off her parents' hands and give them a break for once. So, we took Zariel and Lesya onto the longship Odin had
built for me and sailed it across our massive lake. The girls went fishing with the help of their uncles, and I lazed in the sun like any happy cat loves to do. Odin had built the ship for pleasure, so there was a large daybed set out on one of the decks; surrounded by other loungers. I was laid across the bed—Odin on one side of me and Trevor on the other—while the Horsemen draped across their own seats. Kirill was with Toby and the girls; catching our lunch.
I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply of the scents of my territory; dry grass, rich earth, and fresh water. My lioness loved these smells; they represented home to her. The scent of feathers, fur, and sexy men laid over it all; representing home to me—making me feel comfortable and safe. The lap of gentle waves against the hull of the ship lulled me deeper into those feelings, as did the warm sun and the cooler hands of my husbands trailing across my skin.
It was heaven... and it lasted all of fifteen minutes.
“Tima!” A male voice called from the shore.
“No,” I muttered. “Make him go away.”
“It's Fallon,” Kirill said as he headed toward the steering wheel.
The boat shifted slowly as the red and white striped sails caught the breeze, and we headed toward shore.
“Damn it all; does no one ever listen to me?” I grumbled.
In just a few minutes, we had docked. The sound of Fallon's heavy footsteps echoed across the gangplank and then the deck. Zariel cried out in delight to see her father, but I only sighed deeply as I heard his ominous approach. A shadow fell across my body, and the men around me stirred.
“Tima, there's a Japanese goddess at Moonshine who is desperate to speak with you,” Fallon said. “I just received a text from Ty; evidently you all left your phones at home.”
“Because we didn't want to be disturbed,” I said as I sat up.
“I wasn't thrilled to have my alone time with Samantha interrupted either.” Fallon grimaced at me.
“Then tell Ty to get rid of her,” I whined. “I've done my fair share of helping the Japanese this year.”
“Her name is”—he glanced down at the cell phone in his hand—“Sakuya.”
“Sakuya?” I stood up and took the phone from Fallon. “Dancing sugarplums!”
I rapidly sent a text to Ty, asking what Sakuya needed. Within minutes, he texted back.
“Amy's in trouble,” I said to the men around me.
“I thought Amaterasu said that she could handle things?” Ted asked.
“I guess she was wrong,” I huffed. “Who's coming with me?”
Azrael started to smile.
“Not you, Death.” I pointed at Azrael, and his grin faded. “You're on baby lioness duty.” I maneuvered my finger toward the girls. “There's no reason for Fallon to lose his alone time too.”
“Yes!” Fallon did a fist pump. “See ya later, suckers!” He ran off the boat.
“Later, sucker!” Zariel and Lesya called after him.
“I'll stay with Az,” Ira said. “Text us if you need us.”
“Enjoy the sunshine,” I said to Az before I kissed him goodbye.
“Fine.” Azrael sighed. “Have fun saving Amy.”
The rest of us hurried after Fallon; up to the palace. Except while Fallon ran upstairs to his wife, we piled into the tracing room and traced to Moonshine—our club in Hawaii. There was a private tracing room in basement of the club for friends and family, and that's where we emerged. We took the concrete steps up to the balcony of the VIP floor; where Ty—Trevor's younger brother—had brought Sakuya to wait for us.
The goddess was perched on a “grass” covered “hill” that was one of the seats that had been made to blend in with the nature theme of the club. Fake trees and plants gave the illusion of privacy while real plants and flowers lent freshness and fragrance to the air. A moon hung above the forested dance floor below; shedding its soft light over the club-goers. It was more than illumination though; it was an Atlantean piece of security that monitored the emotions of everyone beneath it. I was betting that Sakuya's emotions were currently setting off warning bells in the moon.
“What happened?” I asked as I walked up to Sakuya.
“Amaterasu went after Enma,” Sakuya said as she stood. “She was going to confront him and take her souls back. But that was days ago. I don't know what to do; Amy made me swear to tell no one else about the suicides. I can't go to the other Japanese gods for help. Will you help me, Vervain?”
“Do you know where she is?” I countered.
“I assume that Enma has her in Meido,” Sakuya said.
“Meido?” I asked.
“It is where the souls of the dead go to be judged,” Sakuya explained. “They are put through trials to determine what afterlife they deserve. Some are reborn here and some move on to other places.”
“Heaven and Hell?” Odin asked.
“And territories in between,” Sakuya said evasively. “It is the Buddhist Underworld, and I'm not as familiar with it as I am the Shinto. But I've brought scrolls with me, in the hopes that you would agree to help.” She gestured to a canvas bag overflowing with rolled papers. “They hold all the information I could gather on Meido and Jigoku.”
“What's Jigoku?” Ted asked.
“Hell,” Sakuya said. “I don't think we'll need to venture through the twenty-four hells to find Amaterasu, but I thought we should be prepared.”
“Hold on,” I said. “We have to walk through these territories? Can't we just trace in?”
“There is only one way into Meido and one way out, unless you are a god of that region,” Sakuya said. “Meido is a god territory connected directly to Earth; there are no tracing points within it. Only the gods who rule there know the secret passages in and out; beyond those that the souls use.”
“This is sounding a lot like Duat and Aaru,” I said to Re.
“Most definitely,” Re agreed. “Does there happen to be a river in Meido?”
“Yes.” Sakuya blinked in surprise. “The souls must cross it after undergoing their first trial.”
“Now, this sounds like Aaru and Hades,” Trevor said.
“Are their snakes?” I asked. “In Aaru, fire-breathing snakes guard the river gates.”
“Um.” Sakuya frowned at our tangents, but dutifully bent to pull a scroll from her bag. She unwound it and skimmed. “The Sanzu River has three crossings; a bridge for good souls, a shallow area for those who are both good and bad, and the rest must cross the wild and deep rapids which are full of poisonous snakes.” She looked up in surprise. “How do humans from all over the Earth come up with such similar myths?”
“Who knows.” Re shrugged. “But I have to admit that I'm tired of the snakes.”
“Snakes are just wingless dragons,” I pointed out.
“No, my sweet La-la, they are not,” Re declared. “Snakes crawl on their bellies and have thin, creepy tongues. The only thing they have in common with dragons are their slit eyes and their scales.”
“I've felt a connection to the Nagas,” I reminded him.
“Those are magical snake-demigods,” Re said. “Much different.”
“Okay, honey, whatever you have to tell yourself.” I gave his shoulder a pat.”
“Will you help Amaterasu, Godhunter?” Sakuya nearly screeched.
“Yes, Sakuya,” I said gently as I patted her shoulder. “We'll help you.”
“Thank you,” she sobbed and fell onto the hill in relief. “She's like a mother to me. I could not bear to lose her.”
“We'll find her, Sakuya.” I sat beside her. “One way or another.”
“Do you know the way into Meido?” Odin asked as he sat across from us.
“There's a gate in Japan.” She nodded. “In Mount Osore.”
“Mount Fear,” Odin translated for us.
“When did you learn Japanese?” I asked Odin in surprise.
“I didn't,” he said with a grin. “I know the mountain; it's one of Japan's three most holy places.”
�
��That's right.” Sakuya was calming now that we had agreed to help. “It's technically an active volcano, but it won't erupt. A temple is built in its caldera; on the shores of a lake that connects to the Underworld river.”
“The lake actually touches the god territory?” I asked in shock.
“It's a direct path through the Aether; like the Celts and Fey have made.” Sakuya said and then grimaced. “Souls take another path, but Lake Usori is the only way the living can reach Meido.”
“A volcanic lake?” Toby asked with concern. “Won't the water be tainted?”
“It's highly acidic, but we should be fine if we wear wetsuits,” Sakuya said.
“This is looking to be quite the undertaking,” Sam noted.
“Navigating the lake is only the beginning.” Sakuya started pulling out scrolls. “To reach Enma, we'll have to cover treacherous ground.” She pointed at horrible pictures painted on the scrolls. “Souls are tested in between every trial; it's a way for the kings to collect evidence on the life that was lived.”
“Kings?” I lifted my brows. “That's another connection to Hades. Kings judge souls there too.”
“Yes; lots of connections.” Sakuya rolled her eyes. “Can we move past the connections now?”
“Sorry,” I mumbled.
“Vhat ze hell is happening zere?” Kirill pointed to a picture where a man was being attacked by a feline creature and a woman was in a lake, a snake wrapped around her body.
“That is the test of lust and sexuality.” Sakuya's finger skimmed the Japanese writing. “Men are tested by a cat who bites their penises; the amount of damage determines the amount that they have sinned.”
“The amount of damage?” Ted nearly screeched.
“Is everything okay up here?” Ty asked as he came over and set a tray of drinks down on a flat-topped boulder between our hill-chairs. “I thought you might want some refreshments.”
“We're fine,” I said. “And thank you; I think we can all use a drink right about now.”
“There are fucking dick-biting cats in the Japanese Hell!” Ted shouted at Ty.
“What?” Ty's eyes went wide.
“It's Japanese Buddhist Hell,” Sakuya corrected. “Not Shinto.”
