by Amy Sumida
“I want to go back to Norway and investigate another club,” I said as soon as Arach, Odin, Trevor, and I appeared in Pride Palace's tracing room.
“What?” Arach growled. “Now?”
“They'll be scrambling about; trying to figure out who killed Tursas,” I reasoned. “If they do suspect that it was us, they won't expect us to hit another of their clubs immediately after leaving one. I'd like to see if Tursas was a fluke or if other Finnish Gods are abusing their new power.”
“She has a point,” Odin murmured.
“Good; let's go.” I turned toward the wall at the end of the room.
“Hold on,” Trevor growled and grabbed my arm. “Which club are we going to now?”
I pulled out my phone and brought up one of the pictures Torrent had sent me. “How about this one?”
Trevor, Odin, and Arach exchanged grim looks.
“All right, but we go invisible this time,” Trevor said.
“Arach can glamour himself, but he can't make himself invisible,” I reminded him. “That's why I didn't suggest it earlier.”
“So, I glamour myself to look like a Norwegian, and the rest of you go invisible.” Arach shrugged. “As long as you can't be seen, A Thaisce, I'll be satisfied.”
“Fine, but we spread out this time.” I held up my hand when the men started to protest. “Most of us will be invisible, and Arach will look like one of the crowd. We need to get in there, look around, and get out as fast as possible. That's easier done if we split up. If the crowd is anything like the one in this last Sampo, we'll be separated anyway.”
They finally agreed. Odin, Trevor, and I went invisible while Arach glamoured himself into a blond Norwegian man. Then we traced to the club we'd decided on.
“Thirty minutes max,” Trevor said as soon as we arrived. “Meet back at Pride Palace. And if you're one second late, I'm coming after you, Minn Elska.”
“Got it,” I agreed.
“And don't forget to use your earplugs if you go into a side room,” Odin reminded us.
I nodded and then remembered that I was invisible. “I will,” I assured him as I headed into the club behind Arach.
The music in this Sampo was softer than the last although the setup was similar; a bar to one side and a dance floor in the center. I wove through the swaying crowd, keeping my ears perked for any information that might be helpful. Then I realized that there was a problem with that plan; everyone was speaking Norwegian.
So, instead of listening to the patrons, I headed to the edge of the room and searched for doors that might lead to private areas of the club. Not the private rooms, but the rooms only staff could enter; like those Tursas kept his playthings in. If there were people being hurt in the nightclub, that would be where I'd find them.
I got jostled a few times, but I stuck as close to the wall as possible and managed my way through all right. First, I came across a strange box on the wall with a slit in the top, like the sort you see at weddings for cards. Except this box was metal and padlocked shut. It had a sign on it in another language but while I was staring at it, a man walked up and slid some money in the slot. I nearly snorted. So, they didn't charge a cover but they accepted offerings like a church. Were churches allowed to sell mixed drinks? Some give out sacramental wine so I guess it was okay.
I moved past the offering box and found a locked door. One quick turn broke the lock—thank you dragon strength—and I opened the door slowly and only as much as I had to so I could slip through. I didn't want anyone to notice the door opening and closing on its own. I shut it behind me with a soft snick then peered down a brightly lit corridor. Luckily, no one happened to be in the hallway at the time. Still, I walked as quietly as possible down its length and then crept around a corner. The main room may have been similar to the last Sampo but the rest of the place was different. I didn't come across another door for several feet.
This one was unlocked. I carefully opened it and peeked in. A man lounged in a leather chair; feet propped on a table before him as he watched several monitors. He wasn't security; these weren't screens showing the club. He was simply watching TV; lots of different channels at once. Mostly news. I frowned at that and shut the door. Weird.
The next door opened on a storage room with shelves of liquor, mixers, kegs, glassware, and paper products. Nothing nefarious there, unless you counted the cheap liquor. I moved on. Another door revealed a huge room with lines of bunk beds running down each side. No one was there, nor was there any other furniture besides the beds. Perhaps they had sleepovers here just like the club in Portland. I hurried on, getting a little frustrated that I wasn't finding anything helpful or condemning. I came across an industrial kitchen and then a lounge before I found the security room where a couple of men stoically watched monitors showing scenes from all over the club.
Finally, I found an office. I searched it thoroughly, even going as far as peeking behind a wan landscape painting on the wall. Everything looked legit. I found an accounting book in a desk drawer but it only showed the standard stuff; expenses and income. I couldn't read the writing, but the numbers were clear, and I couldn't imagine how they could be tallying something wicked. Still, I went visible so I could use my cellphone to take a few pictures. While I was at it, I sent Trevor a text saying that I was heading home.
We'd done more than our fair share, perhaps the other groups would have something to add.
Chapter Thirty-One
Everyone made it back to Pride Palace without issue; most of them before we did. Only one other group had gone into a Sampo and found a god in it, but Mr. T, Mrs. E, and Toby had immediately traced away, reconvened at Pride Palace, and then traced to the next club on their list. No problem. In fact, my group was the only one to encounter a violent god and leave a club full of corpses behind.
“You did what?” Hades gaped at us.
“Only one corpse was our fault,” I defended my men and myself. “Odin had to put the others out of their misery.” I pulled out my phone as I remembered the only evidence I'd collected. “I did snap a pic of an accounting book in the second Sampo we went to.” I passed it to Odin. “I can't read it. Does it look legit to you?”
Odin frowned at the picture as he enlarged it and moved it around to read it better. “It's a tally, but I'm not sure if it's referencing money. There are no monetary notations; no symbols for kroner or dollars, just a mention of units at the top. It's odd but not exactly a smoking gun.”
“It's something,” Thor murmured.
“Did anyone else find anything suspicious?” Odin asked as he handed me my phone back.
“Or gross,” I added.
“Everyone searched the entire club they investigated, right?” Odin continued without acknowledging my comment.
All of the others verified that thorough searches had been made and nothing suspicious found.
“Well, there are a bunch of gods in the Finnish Pantheon who are similar to Tursas,” Torrent mused as his eyes focused on the waves of Internet that only he could see. “The Goddess Loviatar had nine sons with Tursas; the Nine Diseases.”
“Nine Diseases?” I asked as I thought back to what Tursas had been saying before my husbands killed him. “Are any of them plague, cancer, or chlamydia?”
“Plague and cancer are two of them,” Torrent confirmed.
“Two out of three,” I muttered.
“What's that, V?” Torrent asked.
“When Tursas attacked me, he went all gross, and I asked him if he gave humans those diseases I mentioned. He said I'd gotten two out of three right.”
“He was the source of his sons' magic,” Odin confirmed. “Worse than all of them; he held all nine diseases. His sons only got one apiece.”
“If they're anything like their father, they'll be out there using those diseases to entertain themselves,” I growled. “Nine; just like the Nine Great Magics, except not so great.”
“Just because we found no evidence to that effect, it doesn't mean
it's not happening,” Thor agreed. “We probably didn't hit the right clubs.”
“I think I need to have a word with Ilmarinen,” Odin declared with a grim expression.
“Hell no,” I protested. “If I'm not allowed to leave unescorted neither are you.”
Odin rolled his eyes. “Ilmarinen won't hurt me. He may not know that his fellow gods are running amok.”
“But if he does know, he won't admit it,” Arach reasoned. “I think it's best to wait until after we've concluded our investigations before you speak with the Hammerer.”
Odin sighed deeply but nodded.
“They have a king and queen of their underworld too,” Torrent added with a grin at Hades and Persephone. “It looks as if they're the parents of a few gods but also Demons, monsters, and diseases.”
“What's with all the disease?” Pan grimaced.
“It must have been what scared the Finns the most,” Blue mused. “Humans always put their worst fears and greatest hopes into their gods.”
“Okay. Vervain, keep your lions watching the Portland Sampo for now,” Thor said. “The rest of us need to return to our search for the War Goddess who's after Vervain while we watch over those war goddesses we know.”
“Before you break up your little meeting,” Fenrir said as he strode in with Emma, “we'd like to make an announcement.”
“Dad?” Trevor shot to his feet. “What are you doing here? Is everything all right?”
“It's fine, Son.” Fenrir beamed. “Emma and I have been waiting for a good time to give you our news but it never seems to be right. So, we decided to just pop over and surprise you.”
“We didn't want to draw attention away from Vero's birth or we would have told you then,” Emma added with a soft smile.
“What is it?” Trevor asked.
I was already grinning; I had a feeling I knew what Fenrir and Emma's news was.
Fenrir pulled Emma in against his side and smiled down at her. “Go ahead, sweetheart.”
“I'm pregnant!” Emma declared.
Everyone boisterously cheered and got up to congratulate the beaming couple. There were a lot of handshakes, hugs, and blessings given. When the excitement died down, we moved the group over to the fireplace. Kirill and Toby went to get some celebratory drinks from the kitchen. Alcohol didn't have an effect on god babies so Emma could sip as much champagne as she wanted to without worry.
“You could have told us when Vero was born,” Trevor chided his father. “It would have made the day even more special.”
“Nonsense,” Fenrir huffed. “That was my grandson's birthday; entirely his. Our child will have his or her own day.”
I knew what Fenrir hoped for; I'd seen it when I'd walked through his dreams. And so I also knew what name they'd decided on if the child was a boy. Still, I wanted to hear him say it.
“Have you decided on names?” I smirked at him.
Fenrir blinked and then grinned. “The dream. I forgot that you saw that.”
“Saw what?” Trevor asked. “What dream?”
“When we were trapped in Narcissus' Mirrorland, I went into Fenrir's dream,” I reminded him.
“And I was dreaming that our children were playing together,” Fenrir said to Trevor. “Vero and Ethan.”
“So, you're having a boy?” Persephone asked Emma.
“I don't know. I haven't been to see Hygeia yet.” Emma shook her head. “But if it is a boy, his name will be Ethan and if it's a girl, she'll be Theodora; after my grandparents who raised me.”
“I've had lots of children to name,” Fenrir explained. “I wanted Emma to have the honor of naming our first child.”
“First, eh?” I asked with a grin.
“We're just getting started.” Fenrir grinned back.
“We'll see how this one goes,” Emma amended.
“It will go smoothly, and you will be an excellent mother,” Fenrir declared as if it were law.
“So sayeth the Wolf God of the Norsemen,” I intoned dramatically.
We laughed and toasted to the excited couple and their growing baby. Then I had to head upstairs and gather my babies from my poor friends who'd been watching them so often lately. The children were all asleep; Vero tucked into his bassinet while Lesya, Rian, Brevyn, and Zariel sprawled in drooling heaps on the carpet before Sam and Fallon's television. A cartoon played softly on the screen; boxy, toy characters dancing around sort of like the humans in that first Norwegian Sampo we'd visited.
I thanked my friends profusely, which they waved off as usual, and my husbands scooped up our children while Fallon lifted Zariel to put her to bed. Then my family and I paraded to our rooms; Arach breaking off with our sons before we reached the stairs. His suite was on the same floor as Fallon and Samantha's.
It was Kirill's night to be with me. He often offered to include Trevor, and Trevor usually did the same for Kirill so they could get double the fun, but I was too tired to deal with two lovers and told them so in no uncertain terms. Trevor chuckled as he nodded in understanding; it had been a long night. It seemed as if I was having a lot of those lately and the weariness was compounding with each adventure.
I kissed my other husbands and my boyfriend goodnight and then freshened up with a quick shower that I shared with Kirill. Both of us braided our hair and loosely knotted the braids to keep them dry; we had no desire to sleep with wet hair. Our desire was reserved for other things.
Kirill dried me off and then scooped me up to carry me to bed. I laughed softly at the romantic gesture, but Kirill's expression remained strangely neutral. He laid me on the mattress and after I got settled beneath the covers, he slipped in beside me; all with that same serious look.
“What is it?” I asked as I snuggled into his embrace.
“You vere in danger today,” he whispered against my forehead. “And I vasn't zere.”
“That's happened before.”
“It doesn't make it any easier.”
“I know. I'm sorry.”
“Our family is in jeopardy, Vervain.” Kirill stroked my back soothingly. “You are target, and ve don't know who our enemy is. It terrifies me.”
I kept silent. Kirill knew that I was aware of all of those things. He just needed to vent.
“I'm finally happy; so very happy,” he went on. “And now zis. I von't let anyone tear apart my family. But I can't protect you if you leave me behind.”
“You could have said something.” I eased up into a sitting position. “If you felt so strongly about being with me, we would have added you to our group.”
“From vhat you said, it vouldn't have mattered.” Kirill gave me a stern look. “You separated yourself from zem. Twice.”
“The first time, I was separated by the crowd,” I protested. “And the second time, I figured the same thing would happen. Plus, I was invisible.”
“Invisible doesn't mean invincible, Vervain,” he growled.
“I know that!” I snapped back.
Kirill pounced suddenly; grabbing me by the waist and rolling with me to push me down on my back. His chest expanded against mine with angry breaths and his thick braid fell down to smack me on the cheek. I gaped up at him as he roughly shoved apart my thighs and slid into me. A thrill coasted up my spine despite my husband's obvious anger, maybe because of it. The breath caught in my throat.
Kirill settled on his forearms above me and shoved in deep; so deep that his pelvis struck me like a punch and his chest pushed the air out of mine. My arms went to his shoulders automatically and my legs spread wide to accommodate him. He may be furious and a little frightened, but he was still my husband and any kind of sex with Kirill is phenomenal. I lifted my hips to meet his violent thrusts.
Kirill lowered his face to mine to say, “You may be my goddess, but I'm your husband and father of your child. You vill allow me to protect you, Vervain. You are strong but together, ve are stronger.”
“I know our strengths.” I rolled him onto his back and started riding Kir
ill hard. I kissed him just as savagely as I moved over him and then pulled back to add, “And I know how to use them. I was never in any danger, Kirill. I could have killed that god on my own. Come on, baby; I'm a dragon.”
“Arrogance is road to destruction.” Kirill sat up; grinding his sex into mine with undulating motions.
I was briefly distracted by the feel of Kirill inside and beneath me. The breadth of his shoulders and the silk of his skin. His preternatural heat and the sexuality that seeped from him in a heady haze. Kirill is life and love and lust. Mind-numbingly masculine and breathtakingly romantic. When I had him in my arms, it was hard to remember that there was anything beyond him; beyond his body and breath and blood pumping beneath his skin; filling that piece of flesh between his legs that gave me so much pleasure. Trying to have a coherent conversation with Kirill during sex, much less an argument, was a losing battle.
