In the Nyx of Time

by Amy Sumida

  Re's smile went up five notches as he leapt out of his chair. He pulled me out of mine and kissed me tenderly and thoroughly. When he pulled away, we stared at each other in amazement.

  “I'll get you a magnificent ring,” Re promised as he pushed a tendril of hair away from my face. “Then we can start planning the ceremony.”

  “Hold on,” Horus interrupted. “How long have you two known each other?”

  “A day,” Re announced and then laughed at Horus' expression. “We know; we've already been through the disbelief and have moved into acceptance.”

  “Re, you could be under a spell,” Horus said as he leaned in and looked Re over critically.

  “We've considered that as well,” Re said as he tucked me in against his side. “Vervain is a witch and an artist. I attended her show last night and saw paintings she had made of gods she'd never met. She had Thor down to the exact shade of his hair, Horus.”

  “What?” Horus looked at me with wide eyes.

  “Thor and Horus are very close,” Re explained to me.

  “Oh?” I lifted my brows.

  “There's a war going on,” Horus said grimly. “You humans don't know about it, even though it revolves around you.”

  “Go on,” I urged.

  “Gods depend on blood sacrifice to gain power and immortality,” Horus said. “When your kind stopped sacrificing to us, some of us got creative. Several gods started manipulating humans into war so they could take the dead as their sacrifice.”

  “Like that war that Russia started over oil?” I asked. “The one that lasted four years.”

  “That was Huitzilopochtli.” Horus nodded.

  I looked at Re in shock. “The Vampire God?”

  “She painted him with a river of blood flowing beneath his feet,” Re said to Horus as he nodded to me.

  “Accurate,” Horus murmured. “Huitzilopochtli has been giving us hell for years. We actually tried to prevent that war, but Huitzilopochtli is tenacious and keeps finding new ways to infiltrate and infuriate the Russian Government.”

  “That's deplorable,” I whispered.

  “And that's why my friends and I fight gods like him,” Horus said. “There are still gods who stay true to the agreement we made with humans; to guide and guard them in exchange for their worship. We refuse to abandon them despite the fact that they've forgotten us.”

  “So, you fight other gods?” I asked.

  “Yes, and sometimes they win.” Horus shifted his gaze to Re. “Hades still hasn't come out of the Underworld.”

  “Persephone's husband?” I asked Re, and he nodded. I turned to Horus to ask, “Was she one of your human-supporters?”

  “Yes; her and Hades both,” Horus said sadly. “Persephone was lovely; a pure soul. That anyone would even think about killing her is incomprehensible to me.”

  “I'm so sorry,” I said as sadness overcame me. “I didn't know her, but I feel her loss.”

  Re looked down at me with a pensive frown and then up at Horus.

  “This is what I've been trying to explain.” Re waved a hand at me. “We both have these feelings that we shouldn't have. I don't believe it's a spell; at least not one that was cast on us, specifically.”

  “What do you mean?” Horus asked warily.

  “I think someone may have taken our memories.” Re shook his head. “I'm not sure yet, but whatever has happened, it had a widespread effect.”

  “Even you look familiar to me,” I said to Horus as I frowned. “Do you have a tattoo on your upper arm? A tattoo of a bird?”

  Horus gaped at me as Re chuckled.

  “Go on,” Re said. “Show her.”

  Horus slowly pulled up his sleeve to reveal the tattoo I'd seen in my mind; a falcon in flight. It looked far too real to be normal ink.

  “How could you have known that?” Horus asked in amazement.

  “I'm telling you; we know each other,” Re said. “And Vervain knows our world.”

  “Then maybe you could help us,” Horus said shrewdly. “A human on our side may be just what we need to turn the tide.”

  “Now, hold on,” Re huffed. “I don't want Vervain involved in that violent business.”

  “So, you'd rather me sit back and let others fight for my race?” I asked Re.

  Horus smirked. “I'm liking her more.”

  “I just proposed to you,” Re said softly. “I don't want you running off to fight in the God War before we're even married.”

  “But I can go after we're married?” I countered.

  “Vervain,” Re growled, “you don't know what you're asking. This is a god war; the battles are fought with magic.”

  “I have magic,” I said.

  “You have human magic,” Re corrected. “Human magic requires preparation; herbs and tools to go with the chants. God magic is instant and very effective.”

  “You don't have to make a decision right this second,” Horus said. “Why don't you and Re come by Bilskinir later; that's Thor's home. We'll be meeting to discuss a situation tonight; it's Huitzilopochtli again. You can get a feel for what we do, meet everyone, and get their opinions on what you could add to our resistance.”

  “I'd like that.” I looked up at Re. “What do you think?”

  “If you wish to meet them, I will take you,” Re gave in. “But I'm not happy about it.”

  “Thank you.” I snuggled in against him.

  “You do look right together,” Horus noted and then frowned. “And wrong. I'm sorry; I don't know what I'm saying.”

  “Welcome to the club.” Re chuckled. “Tell your friends that we will attend the meeting. We'll see you later tonight.”

  Horus nodded crisply and walked out.

  “I'm still getting over the fact that you have grandchildren,” I said to Re.

  “Horus and Anubis are actually my great-great-grandsons,” Re said. “I'm the patriarch of our pantheon.”

  “Whoa,” I whispered. “You just blew my mind. You look like you're thirty.”

  “Thirty!” Re exclaimed as he pulled away from me. “Take that back! I don't look a day over twenty-five.”

  I laughed and shook my head. Great; I was in love with a vain god who was also the patriarch of one of the greatest pantheons in the world. Not just in love with him; I was also going to marry him. I should have been freaking out, but when I looked at Re, I only felt calm. This was right; we were right.

  “I love you,” I whispered.

  Re's indignation vanished, and he pulled me back into his arms. “I love you too, La-la.”

  “La-la?” I asked in surprise. “Where did that come from?”

  “I have no idea.” He laughed. “The same place everything else is coming from, I imagine.”

  “I think I like that place,” I whispered. “La-la, it is.”

  Re smiled as he lowered his lips to mine.

  Chapter Thirty

  “This is beautiful,” I whispered as Horus, Re, and I walked through the airy hallways of Bilskinir.

  It was a palace overlooking the sea; with pale stone walls adorned with priceless works of art, marble floors covered in silk carpets, and the light scent of saltwater freshening the air. Horus had met Re and me at the tracing chamber and was escorting us to the library.

  “Yes; it's very nice,” Re said. “A bit drafty, though.”

  “Your palace is lovely too,” I said with a knowing grin.

  “I think the word you were looking for is 'lovelier,'” Re said.

  “Ah, yes; of course.”

  “Learning how to handle him already, I see,” Horus noted.

  “It's not that difficult.” I shrugged. “You just have to make Re feel as if he's the most magnificent person in the room, and then he's happy.”

  “Most magnificent man in the room,” Re corrected me. “I could never be the most magnificent person if you were there.”

  Horus stumbled and looked over at Re in shock.

  “What?” Re asked. “I know that I'm self-cen
tered, but love opens the self and allows another person in. Now, my center has shifted to Vervain.”

  “I never thought I'd see the day when you loved a woman more than yourself,” Horus said.

  “I loved your grandmother more than myself,” Re said. “Perhaps that's why it took me so long to find love again; I don't settle for substandard affection. Love must be everything or it is nothing at all.”

  “I didn't expect you to be such a romantic,” I said to Re.

  “He wasn't before he met you,” Horus said. “But come on; they're waiting for us.”

  Horus opened a door and ushered us into a traditional English library. The carpeting was hunter-green, the wood accents were mahogany, and the leather furniture was maroon. It was a masculine and comfortable palette. I felt at ease immediately; my gaze traveling over the shelves of rare books that went two stories high before I perused the gods.

  I knew them all by sight. Thor was the largest presence and caught my attention immediately; his strawberry-blond hair catching the firelight within its strands. He was just as I had painted him; a striking, massive man with muscles for days and strong features to match. Next to Thor sat his son, Ull. He had blond hair and a slightly smaller build than his father. Ull smiled at me in a welcoming way, and I smiled back as if he were an old friend. Why had his painting made me so sad? This man reeked of happiness.

  Down from Ull, there was a Native American man with long, ebony hair and turquoise eyes. The color of his eyes was so startling in his dark face, but there was a calmness about him that negated the effect. I knew that his name was Teharon, the Mohawk God of Healing, and that his healing would feel like a rush of cool water. There were two other Native American gods there; a married couple. They were Tsohanoai and Estsanatlehi; the Navajo Gods of the Sun and Change, respectively. They were both as calm as Teharon, but they were not healers; these were powerful warriors.

  Across from the Native Americans was a different type of Indian; a true Indian, if you will. He was wearing an expensive suit; one leg crossed over the other to show off his fancy shoes. His black hair was cropped short, as was his beard, and his dark eyes were alight with interest. He was Brahma; the Hindu God of Knowledge.

  Finally, there was a man who made my smile brighten. He was average looking at first; with curly, light-brown hair and hazel eyes. But those eyes were brimming with mischief, and that hair was hiding a pair of little horns. His lips looked ready to smile at a moment's notice, and his chin was slightly pointed; giving him a puckish look. The more I looked at him, the more handsome he became.

  “Pan,” I said with a smile and surprised him. I looked around the room and named them all, “Brahma. Estsanatlehi and Tsohanoai. Teharon. Ull and...”—I swallowed roughly; briefly overcome by a strange emotion—“Thor. It's nice to meet all of you.”

  “How do you know us?” Thor sat forward and narrowed his gaze at me.

  “I told you; she's a witch,” Horus said. “She seems to have been given knowledge of us.”

  “I don't believe that's it exactly, but we can go with that for now,” Re said as he escorted me to a seat. “Hello, everyone; I hope you're doing well.”

  “Re.” Thor nodded. “Thank you for coming and for bringing... Vervain, is it?”

  “Yes,” I said. “Thank you for having me.”

  “Honestly, Vervain; we're excited by the prospect of a human joining us,” Thor leaned forward. “Your energy—your magic, actually—could change everything.”

  “Let's not get ahead of ourselves.” Re held up a hand. “She hasn't joined yet.”

  “He's concerned for my safety,” I explained.

  “Yes; I hear that congratulations are in order,” Teharon said.

  “They are; thank you,” Re said as he shifted our joined hands into his lap. “And I'm not liking the idea of sending my bride into battle.”

  “We would protect her, Re,” Thor vowed. “Just having her magic with us could shift the balance in our favor. We wouldn't need Vervain to physically fight.”

  Re pursed his lips in thought and then looked at me. “I would want to go with you.”

  “I'm okay with that,” I said as I looked at Thor.

  “The more the merrier,” Thor said. “But I'm sure you'd like to hear what we're facing before proceeding.”

  “Yes, indeed.” Re nodded. “Horus said something about Huitzilopochtli.”

  “We believe that he's going to rig the American Presidential Election,” Thor said. “Huitzilopochtli has his claws into one of the candidates, and if this man wins, it will mean war for America; on many fronts. That thing with Russia will seem like a schoolyard fight by comparison.”

  “Do you have a plan yet?” Re asked.

  “That's what this meeting is about,” Thor said. “We know that Huitzilopochtli will be with the candidate at his next rally, and we think this may be the best time for us to strike.”

  “How do you know that?” I asked.

  “We've been watching,” Horus said. “Huitzilopochtli goes to every event so he can influence the crowd; there's no reason for him to skip this one.”

  “And what can he do?” I asked. “I know he's the God of Sun and War, and that he's a vampire, but what can his magic actually do.”

  “He's not a vampire himself,” Pan corrected me. “He created them, which makes them demigods, but he's a god. We know that he drinks blood and passed that need to his children, but the sun magic seems to have turned into a hindrance instead of a benefit for the vampires. It burns them, but Huitzilopochtli can channel the Sun's heat and incite rage with his war magic.”

  “We don't know for certain whether or not he has any vampire abilities,” Thor went on. “But we assume that he does since he is their source.”

  “And what abilities do vampires have?” I asked. “I know what Hollywood portrays and what the myths say, but I've only met one vampire, and he wasn't very talkative.”

  “You've met a vampire?” Re asked. “Were you intimate?”

  “I just said that he wasn't talkative,” I pointed out.

  “So?” Re shrugged. “What does talking have to do with it?”

  “You do recall my protests when you took me home?” I lifted my brows at him. “What makes you think that I would sleep with a guy who I couldn't get to know?”

  “Point taken.” Re nodded; looking satisfied.

  “Not that it would matter if I had slept with him, right?” I narrowed my eyes at Re.

  “Well... I... uh,” Re stuttered.

  “How many lovers have you had?” I asked as I crossed my arms.

  The gods in the room tried to hide their amusement and failed utterly. Except for Pan; he didn't even try. In fact, he pulled out a pad and pencil; preparing to note down Re's answer.

  “That number has nothing to do with you,” Re said. “I have an appearance that affects women. When they come on so strongly, it's very hard to resist.”

  “Especially when you're such a nymphomaniac,” Horus pointed out dryly.

  “Yes, precisely,” Re said; not at all ashamed by the title. “You've seen my bedroom; you know that I'm an experienced and eager lover. You, on the other hand, refused me several times before our connection finally made you succumb; that sets a different precedent.”

  “She refused you?” Horus blinked in shock.

  “Smart woman,” Thor muttered.

  Pan was scribbling furiously.

  “Are you saying that because I'm not promiscuous, you get to be irrationally jealous over my past lovers?” I asked him.

  “Yes,” Re said as if it were obvious. “That's exactly what I'm saying.”

  “Oh, dude; that was the wrong call.” Ull shook his head.

  “What?” Re looked from the disapproving gods to my glare. “Vervain, I will never lie to you; this is how I feel and this is what I believe. I love that you value intimacy more than I; it's transformed the act from mere pleasure into something profound for me. But it's also placed you on a pedestal;
I expect more from you than anyone else. Am I wrong to do so?”

  “Nice save,” Pan whispered as he continued to write. “That was so smooth.”

  “You have a way with words, Sun God,” I said softly. “Be careful how you use them next time.”

  “As you wish, La-la,” Re leaned in to kiss my cheek.

  “If we're done with this day's episode of 'As the God World Turns,' could we get back to the business of stopping a war?” Horus drawled.

  “By all means; proceed.” Re waved his hand arrogantly.

  I groaned and shook my head. Then I narrowed my gaze at Pan and asked, “What are you writing?”

  “Ideas for a new porno,” he said merrily.

  “I'm sorry; what?” I gaped at him.

  “Pan makes porn,” Horus said disapprovingly.

  “I can't help it; it's in my nature,” Pan said unapologetically.

  “As it's in my nature to be adored,” Re added.

  “What am I getting myself into?” I asked as I shook my head at Re.

  “Yep; that's what you have to look forward to forever,” Pan said gleefully as he raised his pencil. “Any comments?”

  “Well, not forever; maybe another sixty years if I'm lucky,” I said and then frowned. “Perhaps marrying a god isn't such a good idea.”

  “What?” Re gaped at me.

  “Are you still going to be glad that you married me when I'm seventy and gray?” I asked.

  “Oh.” Re sighed in relief. “I thought you had a real protest. You won't age, La-la; we'll get you some Liquid Gold, and you'll become immortal like us.”

  “Excuse me?” I asked with shock.

  “Liquid Gold,” Re repeated. “The White Drops; they're what my pantheon uses as a source of immortality.”

  “I thought you got that from sacrifice?”

  “The sacrifice enabled the creation of such things, and not all pantheons have immortality consumables,” Re explained. “But I happen to have a whole bottle in my pantry.”

  “In your pantry,” I whispered in shock. “We can just go into your pantry and find immortality drops next to the olives?”

  “I think I'm out of olives, but yes,” Re said.

  “And if I drink these drops, I become immortal?”