by Amy Sumida
“You know him?” Emma asked hopefully.
“Yeah; I'm friends with his firstborn son, Trevor,” Ull said.
My whole body shook when I heard the name, and Kirill steadied me with a knowing look.
“Vervain?” Thor asked as he drew me away from Kirill.
“I'm just tired and a little cold,” I whispered as I glanced back at Kirill.
Kirill nodded and smiled at me gently; he knew the name as well as I did. Trevor; it was written on my heart beside Kirill. A pair of golden-brown eyes filled my mind suddenly, and I shivered with the rush of love that came with them. Honey-Eyes; Trevor had eyes the color of warm honey.
“Let's get you a drink,” Thor said as he ushered me down the hallway.
“Invite your friend over too,” I called back to Ull. “I'd like to meet him.”
“You got it, Mom,” Ull said.
Once again, Ull affected me with a single word; Mom. Why was it so heartbreaking for me? I kept seeing him as a child, but I knew that I had never been around Ull as a baby; not even when I was Sabine.
Let that one go, sweetheart, Alaric said gently. Trust me on this.
Chapter Fifteen
“Now, darling,” Thor said as he settled me on his lap, “tell me everything.”
Sometimes, I loved being on Thor's lap, and at other times, it felt a bit patronizing. This was one of the latter. I scooted away from Thor and settled onto the couch beside him. This did not sit well with Thor, and yes; I intended that pun too.
“Now, you're pulling away from me?” Thor growled. “What's going on, Vervain?”
“I'm sorry; I didn't mean to pull away,” I said. “With your tone, it just felt a little like I was on Santa's knee.”
“My father is the Santa archetype; not me.” Thor smirked as he relaxed. “But seriously, darling; I'm getting worried.”
You should be, Alaric said.
Another private moment here! I snapped.
Oh, fine, he huffed.
“There's nothing to worry about.” I went back onto Thor's lap, but this time, I straddled him. I felt more like a woman that way; more in control. “You know that something strange is happening, but it doesn't have to change us, does it?”
I comforted Thor automatically; something inside me wanting him to have this time to be blissfully ignorant. If I really had to give Thor up and go back to a different me, I intended to give him as much love as I could while I could.
“No; never,” Thor vowed as he drew my face down for a kiss.
I leaned into Thor and his kiss; enjoying the taste and feel of my husband. I remembered our weddings so vividly. We'd had a traditional, human ceremony for my family in Hawaii. Thor had won a tux and pulled his hair back into a gleaming ponytail. I had walked down the aisle in a Vera Wang gown; a classic style in lace and silk. We had cake and danced and drank at a ritzy hotel in Honolulu for our reception. It had been perfect.
But then came the traditional Viking ceremony. Quick fact; the term “honeymoon” comes from the Vikings. We had to drink bride-ale at our feast; presented to me by Thor in this gorgeous chalice he called a loving cup. The ale was actually mead—a honey-based wine—and there was enough of this particular batch made so that Thor and I could drink it for an entire month; our honeymoon.
We were separated the night before, just as with modern tradition, but while I was steaming away my “maiden status” in a Jacuzzi, Thor had to rob a grave. I'm not even kidding. Odin stuck a ceremonial sword in some old grave on Earth, and Thor had to go and fetch it; something about entering death as a boy and emerging a man. I was given a sword as well; to exchange with Thor during the ceremony.
My dress had been a simple, white sheath, but Odin lent me a wedding crown to wear that elevated my ensemble. Viking brides put more effort into their hair and its adornment than anything else on their wedding day. The wedding crown had been beautiful; gleaming silver leaves entwined around diamonds the size of quarters.
“The crown,” I whispered.
“What was that, darling?” Thor asked.
“Uh... I was just remembering our wedding day and that beautiful crown Odin let me borrow.”
“Sabine's crown,” Thor said; confirming my suspicions. “I was a little surprised that Dad let it out of his possession, even for a day.”
“Me too,” I murmured. Then I inhaled deeply to clear my head and focused back on him. “And you were so handsome in that red tunic; your hair flowing loose around your shoulders.”
“You outshone me,” Thor said softly as he took my hand. “As always. Seeing you walk to me with that sword in your hands was one of the best moments of my life.”
“Vikings.” I shook my head. “Exchanging swords to seal a marriage.”
“And rings,” he said chidingly.
“Offered on the hilts of those swords,” I pointed out.
“And then I claimed my bride and carried her into Valhalla,” he declared grandly.
“Where you promptly stuck your new sword in the ceiling,” I added.
“Well, I couldn't use the one I'd given you; that will belong to our son someday.”
“I know,” I whispered fondly. “Someday. And damn, if you didn't drive that sword in all the way to the hilt. It's a good thing there wasn't anyone in the room above you.”
“I had to.” Thor paused to kiss me. “The depth of the strike symbolized how enduring our relationship would be.”
“Then we should last forever,” I said gently.
“I intend for us to.” Thor took my face in his hands and kissed me.
It was sweet and romantic, but I suddenly felt uneasy. I pressed closer and started undressing him.
“Vervain,” Thor whispered as he pulled back. “There is something wrong.”
“A lot has happened today.” I stroked his cheek tenderly. “I took the lion magic in order to save the Intare.”
“You what?” He gaped at me. “I told you that your body may not be able to handle so much magic! You could have killed yourself.”
“I know, but I had to save them,” I said. “She was torturing them, Thor.”
Thor took a deep, calming breath.
“I survived, and I feel great,” I pointed out.
He lifted a brow at me.
“And a little lightheaded,” I added. “I need you to help me feel grounded again.”
“I can't do that, darling,” Thor said as he started to slide my shirt up.
“Why not?” I gaped at him as I lifted my arms automatically.
Thor tossed my shirt aside and yanked me close. “I'm the God of Sea and Storms; I can't ground you, but I can love you with a savagery that will make you forget you ever longed for the shore.”
“I love you, Sea God,” I whispered as I lowered my lips to his.
“I love you too, Goddess of Blood and Lions.”
I pulled back to stare at Thor in surprise. “What did you call me?”
“I thought it sounded poetic.” Thor smiled softly. “You killed the Intare goddess; that makes you a vampire lioness.”
“I think I like the previous title better,” I grumbled.
“And I like your previous mood better,” his voice dropped to a sexy tone. “Before I made you pull away... again.”
“Then hold onto me,” I said as I slid in closer. “You can rage all you want, Thunderer, as long as you hold me tightly.”
“I've got you, darling.” Thor's hands slid over my body. “And I'm not letting go.”
Chapter Sixteen
When we finally rejoined the God Squad, they were in the dining room with Kirill and Demeter. Ull had already taken home most of the men Demeter had enslaved, and the rest were resting inside guest rooms. It was as if they didn't want to hang out with Dementor. Huh.
“Hades sent word that his army is assembling; he'll be ready by tomorrow night,” Teharon said.
“Good; we can head over sometime in the afternoon,” I said.
“Ze Intare vill vant to join you, Tima,” Ki
rill added. “Ve should go over in ze morning and gather zem.”
“Are you sure?” I asked. “They've only just been released; I don't want to ask them to risk their lives for me.”
“You risked your life for zem,” he pointed out. “And you barely knew zem at ze time. Ze lions vill stand vith you; zey'd be offended if you didn't take zem.”
“Well, it looks as if the strays you brought home are going to come in handy,” Pan said with a grin. “No offense, Kirill.”
“None taken, Horned God,” Kirill said.
“Horned God.” Pan whistled. “It's been a long time since I heard that title.”
“Yes; it's usually 'Horny God,'” Horus drawled.
We all laughed at that; even Pan.
“Valid,” Pan finally said.
“Zere is nice camaraderie here,” Kirill observed. “You are family more zan friends.”
“We are,” Mrs. E agreed with a soft smile. Then she went grim. “And our sister was murdered.” She turned to Demeter. “We all want vengeance for Persephone, but I think that you should have the kill.”
Demeter glanced at me, and I nodded.
“What was that?” Finn asked in shock. “Did you just look to Vervain for approval?”
“Let it go, Finn,” I murmured.
“No; let's get this out, shall we?” Demeter said.
“Think before you speak,” I said in a low, dangerous voice that had everyone sitting up and taking note. “What you say today may interfere with that vengeance tomorrow.”
Demeter pressed her lips together and looked away.
“Oh, that's not good enough,” Pan chirped. “I need some answers.”
“If I give them to you, you won't want to work with Demeter,” I said. “And we need to finish this.”
“We already know about the slaves,” Teharon said gently. “Ull told us. We don't approve, but it's hardly unheard of in the God Realm.”
“First; that attitude sucks balls, and I'm shocked to hear it from you, Teharon,” I said.
Kirill snorted back a laugh.
“Second,” I went on, “I'm not referring to the slaves. You don't want to hear this right now, but I'll tell you after we kill Nyx and Aion.”
“I've informed them of Aion and his capabilities,” Demeter segued smoothly. “Dealing with a time god can be tricky, but it's not impossible. Aion has one defense, and it's a big one, but it's so powerful that he'll want to hold it in reserve as a last resort.”
“So, we'll most likely be dealing with Nyx and her Darkness,” Morpheus said. “It's substantial, but not insurmountable.”
“And we'll have two armies with us,” I added. “We should be—”
“Do not say it,” Demeter cut me off. “The Fates are Greek, and they're also the daughters of Chronos and Ananke; the Primordial God of Time and the Goddess of Compulsion.”
“No shit?” I whispered.
“No shit,” Demeter confirmed. “Chronos and Ananke are a rare breed of Primordial; they are untouchable—beyond the reach of us other gods, even another time god. I don't doubt that they have extended their protection to their daughters; it's best not to tempt the Fates.”
“Got it.” I swallowed roughly.
“The Moirai don't have power over gods,” Thor scoffed. “We don't sacrifice to them.”
“Don't be so certain, Thor,” Pan cautioned. “The Fates have been known to make use of an opportunity, and we don't know what side they're on.”
“Let's just agree to not push our luck,” I said. “Why don't you all go home and get a good night's sleep now that we know when we need to meet Hades. We can gather here around noon and settle our plans then.”
The God Squad agreed and headed out; all except for Ull, who stuck around to help us with the humans. He had bonded a little with the men and wanted to see them all home safe. That was Ull for you; an honestly good man.
I said goodnight to Ull and Kirill—Ull had found Kirill a guest room as well—and then headed to bed with my husband. As Thor and I settled in for the night, Nick climbed into bed with us and settled between our feet. A light rain started to fall outside the open windows, but none of it ventured inside; all of Bilskinir was warded against the elements. So, I curled up with Thor, and we listened to the rain and Nick's purring as we drifted to sleep.
Chapter Seventeen
I felt anxious when I woke tangled in Thor's embrace. I could feel this life becoming more real—more permanent—and it scared me. Then it scared me that I was scared. I loved Thor and my life; I shouldn't want to lose this. But the memories had swayed me; both the good and the bad. Then there was Persephone; to be able to have my friend back would be miraculous. I was so conflicted that I didn't want to open my eyes; maybe I could simply sleep away the madness.
But Thor woke up and instigated our morning lovemaking session. I'd never been good at resisting him; particularly not when lying in bed naked beside him. Soon, we were writhing against each other; hands grasping and lips placing kisses everywhere they could reach. We shouted our way into satisfaction and then took a hot shower together before we got dressed and joined our guests for breakfast.
“You two look refreshed,” Ull noted with a grin, but then he saw my eyes. “And worried. It's going to be okay, V.”
“I hope so,” I whispered as I took a seat. My gaze wandered to Kirill, and he gave me a soft smile.
“It vill be,” Kirill affirmed. “I have faith.”
“In what?” Ull laughed. “We're gods; there's no one for us to have faith in.”
“I am not a god,” Kirill shot back. “I am a demi-god, and Vervain is my goddess. So, I have faith in her.”
“Thanks, Kirill,” I said as Thor scowled. “I wish I could have the same confidence in myself.”
“We will take care of this today, darling,” Thor promised me. “By tonight, everything will be back to normal; I'm certain of it.”
I stared at Thor with a bittersweet ache filling my chest. I knew that I loved him in both timelines, but if things went back to normal, as he said they would, I would lose him. The thought brought a wave of panic.
You'll lose Thor, but you'll gain so much more, Al said. Don't worry yourself with these thoughts. Trust me; when you return to your true path, you'll be relieved.
Will I remember this? I asked wistfully.
Honestly, I don't know, but the way you and Re remembered each other from the future would suggest that you might.
Re? I asked. Future?
Never mind that.
Are you talking about the Egyptian God? The golden guy?
Don't worry about it.
He and I will...
If you haven't remembered, I don't want to say anything.
Just tell me! I screeched.
“Vervain?” Thor stroked the hair back from my face. “It will be all right; I swear it.”
“Huh?” I blinked distractedly.
“I think Mom needs some coffee, Dad,” Ull said.
“I'll get it,” Kirill offered as he stood.
“She takes it with cream—” Thor started to say.
“I know,” Kirill cut him off and disappeared into the kitchen.
Thor frowned after Kirill and then transferred that stare to me. “How does he know how you take your coffee?” Thor growled.
“I told him,” I said simply.
“You had a coffee conversation already?” Thor asked.
“Yep. It's just coffee, Thor. It's not as if we talked about what I like in bed.”
Ull chuckled. “Dad, what's your problem with Kirill? He's a cool guy, and he says that he's Vervain's Ganza; something about protecting her. That's a good thing, isn't it? The more people protecting Mom, the better.”
“I suppose.” Thor resumed staring at the kitchen door.
“Hey, are you going to be okay with me going to see the Pride today?” I asked Thor. “I need to motivate them into helping us, but if you don't trust me... ”
“Darling, I trust
you implicitly,” Thor protested. “It's just this strange situation that I don't trust. If you leave again, are you going to come back with more strays?”
“Thor.” I rolled my eyes.
“Well.” He shrugged. “You can't blame me for wondering.”
“I'm going straight to Pride Palace and then coming back home,” I promised.
“Pride Palace?” Ull asked. “You already have a name for it?”
“It seemed right,” I said.
“Talking about things that seem right.” Ull smirked as Kirill walked back in and set coffee and plates of food before Thor and me. “Fenrir was here last night.”
“Thank you,” Thor rumbled to Kirill as I gave him a smile.
“So, I missed meeting the Wolf God?” I asked.
“You and Dad were a little busy,” Ull said. “We didn't want to interrupt you like Grandpa did.”
Ull laughed as I blushed.
“Odin told you about walking in on us?” Thor asked in surprise.
“He didn't have to,” Ull said gleefully. “His horrified expression when he returned to the library said it all.”
“Great.” I sighed.
“It's not a secret that you have sex, Mom,” Ull said gently. “It was just funny to see Grandpa so embarrassed.”
“It is kind of funny now,” Thor admitted. “Although, at the time, I wanted to punch my father in the face.”
“We all get those urges,” Ull said sweetly.
“Watch it,” Thor warned him.
“Ull, how did it go with Emma and Fenrir?” I got us back on subject.
“Oh!” Ull looked at Kirill. “That was something, wasn't it?”
“Da,” Kirill agreed. “Very romantic and strange.”
“Go on,” I said with a grin.
“Fenrir was romantic?” Thor asked in shock.
“You're not going to believe this, Dad,” Ull said. “But in walks Trevor and Fenrir; both of them looking as fierce as usual. Then Emma stands up and whispers Fenrir's name as if they're long-lost lovers or something, and the Wolf just melted. Fenrir strode over to her in two steps, swept her up like some Romeo, and just started kissing her right there. We were all shocked; especially Trevor.”
