by Amy Sumida
“But Thor's immortal,” I protested.
“Which means that Gabriel won't be able to kill him outright, but he can still cripple Thor and then go in for the kill,” Odin said quickly before he ran after Thor.
I watched as both men made their way through the battle; uncaring that the humans could see them and any magical actions they took. I snarled in frustration and then ran after them. Flares of sunlight streaked above me and moisture gathered on my arms. God battles were always such a confusing mix of sensations; it messed with my mind a little. But I focused on my family and wound my way through the humans as I tried to come up with a way to help Thor.
“Vervain?” Tobadzistsini grabbed my arm. “What are you doing here?”
“I came with Thor.” I pointed to Thor; he was halfway to Gabriel. “He's going after the angel.”
“No,” Tobadzistsini said. “He can't; he'll be killed.”
“I know,” I said urgently. “Odin's on his way to help, but I don't think he'll make it in time.”
Tobadzistsini gauged the distance between us and Gabriel and then looked back at me. “Do you trust me, Godhunter?” He held his arms out to me.
A shiver surged through my veins, and I suddenly saw Tobadzistsini above me; his hair falling around us in a silken veil. I touched his cheek, and his eyes glowed with the strength of his love for me as he leaned down to kiss me. Then the vision vanished, and I was in Tobadzistsini's embrace for real. I wrapped my arms around his strong shoulders as water collected beneath us and lifted us above the fight. We floated on a wave over the battle; straight to the angel on the opposite side.
“Toby,” I whispered with wonder.
Tobadzistsini faltered, and so did his magic. We went tumbling down the wave; landing several feet away from Gabriel. Toby rolled so that he took the brunt of the fall, and we came to a stop with him above me.
“Vervain?” He frowned down at me. “Why do I feel as if I know you better than I do?”
“I don't know.” I laid my hand to his cheek—just as I had in my vision—but then I jerked it away in shock. “I'm sorry, I...” Then I noticed Gabriel. “He's coming!”
Toby glanced over his shoulder and then cursed as he pulled both of us to our feet. He set me behind him as he surrounded Gabriel with a wall of water. Through the wavering water, I saw Gabriel unfurl his wings; preparing to fly. But Toby domed the water above Gabriel and sealed him in.
“That won't hold him for long,” Toby said. “But, hopefully, it will give us time to stop Thor.”
I looked across the battle and saw that Thor was just a few feet away. I knew that he'd barrel through that water to get to the angel, and I couldn't let that happen. I had to use the only weapon available to me, and kill Gabriel first. I focused within the water dome, found the magic inside Gabriel, and latched onto it.
Gabriel shouted in shock and fury as I began to drain his magic. I stepped around Tobadzistsini and lifted both of my hands to the angel as he fell to his knees. Toby stared at me in wonder as I drew the Archangel's magic from him as if it had been mine all along. In a way, it was. Gabriel's power had come from humans; I was simply taking it back.
“Mercy!” Gabriel cried; his voice sounding hollow through the water. “Have mercy on me, Godhunter!”
“Don't listen to him,” Thor growled as he joined us. “That bastard is as smooth with his words as he is powerful; he's playing you.”
“Don't worry; I have no mercy for angels who hurt humans,” I snarled. “For some reason, it seems even more diabolical than when other gods do it.”
Gabriel's power rushed through me; my mind blossoming with the knowledge of new languages and god spells. I saw the magic in every word; their true meanings and the ways I could use them. I felt our connection; how words would bow to my will, and the way I could give them life. I gasped as the magic collected inside my chest and the complete power of the Archangel filled me. Then I heard the sound of horns and felt a blast of air against my cheeks. Was I flying or standing still? I couldn't tell.
And that's when the pain came.
Gabriel fell backward and ceased to move as I dropped to my knees and screamed. The wall of water splashed to earth as Toby knelt beside me. Thor and Odin joined us soon after, and I was suddenly surrounded by men. But they couldn't help me; something inside me was trying to burst free, and it was burning its way through my back.
“Give her room,” a new voice said; a voice that resonated in my soul. “Her wings are emerging.”
The men backed away and a pair of feet came into my line of sight. Horrible agony seared my flesh; burrowing up from my spine as a horrible itching bloomed beneath my skin. I cried out and clutched my stomach; trying to protect my baby even though the harm was seeking a way out, not in.
“It's okay,” the new voice said as a hand came to rest on my head. “Stop resisting it; accept the pain with the knowledge that it will only be this once. Your wings are being born today, Godhunter. Soon, Heaven shall open its gates to you.”
“Heaven,” I whispered as I looked up into a pair of pale blue eyes.
As I watched, those eyes lightened and sparkled like diamonds. There was a symbol set on high his cheek, and it glowed with blue fire; the same color his eyes had been. His dark hair was closely cropped but looked as fine as silk, and my hands reached out to touch it automatically.
“Heaven or Hell,” I said, “it would all be the same with you beside me.”
“Carus,” he whispered as his eyes widened. “I've found you again.”
“Azrael?” The name left my lips as if it had been waiting there, and my new magic gloried in the power of it.
Azrael nodded as he lifted me to my feet, and a pair of gleaming white wings sprouted from my back with another burst of pain. I cried out and collapsed, but Az caught me and held me to him.
“I've got you, Carus,” he murmured into my ear. “And this time, I'm not letting you go.”
Why did his words give me a sense of deja vu?
“What's happening to me?” I leaned my head back and whispered the question to the sky as Azrael surged upward with me.
“Vervain!” Odin shouted. “Azrael, I will strike you down if you don't bring my wife back to earth this instant!”
I glanced down and saw Odin's spear, Gungnir, appear in his hands.
“Are you ready to fly?” Azrael asked; ignoring Odin.
My wings lifted at his words, and they caught the wind. I nodded, and Azrael transferred his grip to my forearms; giving me room to work while continuing to support me. I felt the muscles I'd just grown seconds ago bunch together instinctively. My wings pounded down, and I went up; soaring toward the Sun like Icarus. And Azrael went with me.
“Vervain!” Odin shouted.
I turned back, even though I knew that I could fly much higher without worrying about falling like Icarus; these wings would never fail me. But my husband feared for my safety, and I didn't want to worry him. I let go of Azrael and swept down; intending to land. But the feeling of flight was so familiar, and it brought me such joy, that I ended up soaring across the battle.
The fight had lost its impetus once Gabriel died, and now, another angel soared above the humans. They dropped to their knees and stared up at me in wonder. For the first time, I felt the appeal of divinity; the amazing sensation of being admired and worshiped. I looped about and headed back to my husband; finally landing before him.
“Vervain,” Odin said with relief as he pulled me into a hug.
I hugged him back and folded my wings around him. Odin looked up and reached a hand out to stroke my feathers. He shook his head in amazement before staring into my eyes.
“This suits you,” Odin whispered before he kissed me.
I gloried in that kiss; pressing myself tightly to his muscled body. I loved this man more than anything in the world. But even as I reveled in that love, I felt another love—just as powerful as this one—come pressing in against my heart. No; not one, but two. How w
as it possible to fall in love with two men in a matter of minutes?
Because you already loved them. Alaric—that disembodied voice—was back. Them and more; you are meant to be with all of them, Vervain. They are your support and your power. You must remember them.
No, I said in my mind. I won't give in to this temptation. I don't know who you are, but you won't trick me into betraying my husband.
This isn't a trick, Alaric growled. I'm your friend, and I'm trying to help you. You know what? It doesn't even matter; your lovers are finding you, and you will remember them on your own. I'll just have to work with Faerie behind the scenes this time.
Faerie? I asked, but he was already gone.
“An angel.” Odin held my face between his palms as my wings folded behind me. “It's perfect.”
“The Host may not think so,” Azrael said.
I looked over and found Azrael standing with Toby; both men staring at me as if I belonged to them. I frowned at them, but I couldn't fault them for it; I'd encouraged them to such conclusions.
“What are you saying?” Odin asked. “The Angelic Host is going to come after my wife?”
“I don't know.” Azrael glanced over the stunned crowd of humans. “But I think it would be best if we took this conversation elsewhere.”
Odin nodded. “I'll open the wards to you; meet us in Valaskjalf.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
We all traced to Odin's silver hall; the Native American gods, Thor, and Azrael, along with Odin and me.
“Help yourselves to some mead,” Odin said to our guests. “I need to speak with my wife privately before we deal with this.”
Odin took my hand and led me up the stairs at the back of the hall and into our bedroom. He waited until the door was shut firmly behind us before he said anything.
“Tobadzistsini wasn't the only man I saw with you in Munin's vision,” Odin said.
“Yes; you mentioned that there were others.” I already knew what he was going to say, but I asked him anyway, “Who else did you see?”
“Azrael,” he said. “There a few more in addition to them, Vervain.”
“How many is a few?” My heart started to pound.
Alaric had said that there were six other men. If Odin said the same, it would take me a step closer to believing Alaric.
Odin frowned and seemed to be counting.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” I screeched. “You have to count?”
“There were seven of us, including myself,” Odin said. “Vervain, now that I'm calm and can think back on it rationally, I realize that we were happy.”
“We are happy already,” I said as I internally freaked out. “Right now.”
“I know,” he murmured. “But something feels off.”
I caught my breath at his words. Odin felt it too. It was looking more and more as if Alaric were telling the truth. Was I really in the wrong time?
Timeline, Alaric popped back into my head. Your history has changed, and so has your present.
I thought you left, I sounded surly, even to myself.
I was still watching over you, he said defensively. Now, it looks as if things are starting to right themselves again.
Again?
I told you; this is your second go, he huffed. Pay attention, Vervain; the lives of your loved ones are at stake.
Their lives? I went suddenly cold.
Yes, and if I told you which loved ones, you'd really freak out. So, I'm not telling you. Just know that you want to get back on the right path. Let those memories return. And to give you even more proof that I'm telling the truth, here's a head's up; Nyx killed Persephone.
“Nyx killed Persephone?!” I shouted out loud. “Who the fuck is Nyx?”
“Who are you talking to?” Odin gaped at me.
“Oh... I... ”
Just tell him.
“A voice started talking in my head today,” I confessed. “He says he's the Consciousness of the Void, and his name is Alaric.”
“Like the Visigoth?” Odin asked.
Precisely! Alaric laughed. Leave it to Odin to catch that.
“He seems to be familiar with you; with all of us,” I went on. “He's been telling me that we're on the wrong path; our past has been altered.”
By Nyx and Aion, Alaric added.
“By Nyx and Aion,” I said with a shrug. “He said Nyx killed Sephy.”
“Nyx is a Greek goddess,” Odin mused. “I suppose it's plausible that she'd kill Persephone. With the lack of evidence, it could have been anyone, but a fellow Greek makes more sense than a random stranger.”
“I can't understand why anyone would want to kill Persephone,” I whispered. “She was the kindest woman I knew.”
It had been years since Persephone had been murdered, but I still felt the ache of her loss.
Nyx has a daughter with Hades, Alaric said. There was an incident involving their daughter recently—in your other timeline—and Nyx decided to get revenge. She teamed up with Aion; who had a beef with you over what you did to his father, Zeus.
I didn't do anything to Zeus, I protested.
Not in this time, you didn't.
“Alaric says that Nyx has a daughter with Hades. Something happened with that daughter and it upset Nyx,” I said to Odin. “She wanted revenge on Hades and teamed up with Aion, who wanted revenge on me.”
“What did you do to Aion?” Odin scoffed.
“Not Aion,” I explained. “His father; Zeus. I evidently did something to him.”
I can't tell you any more about that other time, Alaric said. Just know that you need to kill Aion to get back to it.
“Alaric won't tell me what I did,” I relayed. “But he says that we need to kill Aion to return to our true time.”
“Our true time,” Odin said as his gaze lowered to my belly.
My hands shot to my stomach as I gaped at him. “What will happen to our child?”
“If this child is meant to be, it will be born,” Odin said, but I could tell that he wasn't convinced.
What about my baby, Alaric?
You may yet have a child with Odin, but it's not meant to be now, Alaric said gently.
“Alaric said that this child isn't meant to be born now,” I said as fear lanced through me. “Maybe we shouldn't listen to him.”
Vervain; there is more at stake here than that baby, Alaric said. But the very fact that it was conceived in this time tells me that it's meant to be born. A soul would not have been released from the Void otherwise. Take comfort in that.
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“What else did he say?” Odin asked.
“He thinks that our child will be born, since it was conceived here,” I said. “It's all very confusing, though.”
“We have to trust that our original path was the right one,” Odin said gently. “You know that I want our child more than anything, but something inside me is telling me that Alaric is right. Staying here may ensure that our child is born, but what if it stops the birth of others?”
Another jolt of fear shot through me.
“But can we trust him?” I asked.
You're about to hear the truth confirmed, Alaric interrupted. In three, two, one...
A knock came at the door, and I flinched.
“Okay, that's freaky; Alaric just said that we're about to hear confirmation of what he's told me,” I said.
Odin scowled as he headed to the door and then threw it open. Thor was there; looking as grim-faced as his father.
“Hades is downstairs,” Thor said. “You need to hear what he has to say.”
“Don't tell me”—I grimaced—“it's about Persephone.”
“A little kindness would not be out of order, Vervain,” Thor snapped. “He lost the love of his life.”
“No; I didn't mean it like that,” I stuttered as Alaric laughed in my head.
“We've had some interesting information brought to us,” Odin said as he glanced at me.
“By Munin.”
“Munin?” Thor asked in surprise. “And it's about Persephone?”
“Her killer,” I said with a nod.
“Did Munin say who it was?” Thor asked.
“Nyx,” I said.
“I told you that it was Nyx!” Hades declared as he pushed past Thor. “Vervain, I need your help. I'm going into Tartarus to confront Nyx and her husband, Erebus. Will you join me?”
“Of course, I will, Hades,” I said immediately. “You know how much I loved Sephy. If you say that Nyx killed her, that's good enough for me.”
“It seems that I'm not the only one saying it.” Hades looked at Odin. “Your raven knew?”
“He's only just reported it to me,” Odin said. “If I'd known sooner, I would have told you.”
“I believe you, Allfather,” Hades said. “And I'm sorry to bring this to your home, especially with your wife in her current condition, but I need your help. I've assembled an army of Greek gods, including Demeter. She's bringing her own allies with her, and we're meeting at the entrance to Tartarus. Thor will bring his rebels, and the twin Navajo Gods and the angel downstairs said they'd come as well. But your presence would be appreciated. Will you help me avenge my wife?”
Odin held out his hand and Gungnir appeared in it. “It would be my honor.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
As we were leaving the dining hall, I snatched an hourglass off a shelf. I frowned at it as Odin lifted a brow at me.
“I think we'll need this,” I said with a touch of confusion.
“Good; go with your instincts.” Odin nodded. “I think you're being guided.”
Of course, she's being guided, Alaric huffed. If you break that thing open and toss the sand on Aion, it will paralyze him for an hour.
Whoa.
Yes; whoa.
“Alaric says that if we toss the sand on Aion, it will paralyze him for an hour,” I whispered to Odin.
“That makes sense,” Odin murmured.
Hades gave the Navajo twins and Azrael the chant to get into his palace and then to us he said, “I'll see you all in Hades.”
Hades disappeared into the Aether.
