When he heads toward the academic buildings spreading below us, Brenda gives me a mocking smile as she passes and strides to catch up with him. I watch him go for a second, then turn to find my men waiting for me.
Aiden, Reid, Wilder, and Van. Their tall, muscular bodies are silhouetted against the setting sun.
Wilder tilts his head to one side. “Everything okay?”
Fine, is on the tip of my tongue. But I don’t have to pretend with them. I don’t want to.
“We were talking about Thea,” I say. “Whatever else she’s done…I think Mr. Time is worried about me being able to do what we might…have to do.”
I don’t want to speak the words out loud. I might have to kill Thea to save the world.
I can feel their protectiveness radiating around me; sometimes it feels smothering, but there’s also something comforting in it. None of them voice a platitude about how we’ll figure something out.
The truth is, the future looks dark.
Then Van says, “Whatever we have to do, Izzy, we’ll face it together.”
That promise, and his warm gaze on my face, lights a glow of warmth in my chest.
Then Aiden gives him a skeptical look. “Who are you and what have you done with our resident cynical asshole?”
“I’m a cynical asshole who’s on Izzy’s side,” Van grumbles, before slinging his arm across my shoulders. I breathe in the warm, spicy scent of his expensive cologne; Van always smells delicious. “You, on the other hand, can go trip over a knife, dickhead.”
“You love me,” Aiden says, before throwing his arm over my shoulders, his arm overlapping Van’s. Van scoffs at that, but he doesn’t pull away.
The five of us make our way down the hill toward our little home, our refuge in a world that despises us...but also needs us.
Chapter Three
Van
After I finish cleaning up, I stand in the center of my room, feeling lost. There’s a strange energy at the school right now. An energy that I find exhausting. Everyone is looking at us like we’ll either be their saviors or their downfall, and something inside of me whispers that it has to be their downfall. I’m not a hero, which is why it’s so fucking ironic that I’m Tyr, the god of heroic glory.
If I were back home, this is the time that I’d do something destructive, like wreck my dad’s favorite car, or at least his favorite car of the month. I don’t want to do that here, not with Izzy, but this tension is building under my skin that I can’t shake.
Moving to the mirror in my room, I see that familiar wild look to my blue eyes that says whatever is about to happen I can’t stop, it’s just who I am. I run my hands through my hair, which is still wet from the shower, and can’t decide how the hell I’m supposed to act like a healthy human being when I don’t know what that is.
And when I’m not really…human anymore.
I close my eyes and reach for a new power I’d recently learned about. It isn’t an easy one to master, but I take deep breaths and reach inside myself, wishing to be somewhere else other than here. When I open my eyes, I stumble back. I’m standing in front of my house. The massive manor I’d grown up in. My heart races as I momentarily wonder if my parents are going to spot me at any moment, but after a painful silent moment, I realize that something is different here.
Usually, the gardeners would be working to keep the massive garden surrounding the manor in perfect condition, but the gardeners aren’t outside, and the plants are wild and untamed. I frown. How many times at night had I imagined what this place was like after the slaughter of everyone I loved by the vampires? And yet, I’d thought my parents would have the place cleaned and back and running, replacing the old staff like my mother replaces furniture. To see it so quiet and empty was unsettling.
I start toward the huge steps and look back behind me down the road to ensure the gates around the house are still closed. They are, and I release a slow breath and take the stairs to the door. There, I type in the old code and feel relieved when the light turns green and the door opens.
Inside, the white marble tile is stained with blood.
I swallow hard. I’d wanted to run away. To get in trouble. Why the hell did my new powers take me here? Seeing the destruction inside was the last thing I wanted.
So why do I keep going?
Circling through the bottom floor, blood is still splattered everywhere. On the rugs, the tile, the walls. There are pools of it in random places on the floor, dried but still there, and forgotten police tape hanging from the walls. I wonder what my parents plan to do with this place now. Obviously, they are staying in one of their other homes, but what would become of the place I grew up in? And do I even care?
“It’s hard to look at, right?”
I jerk and my sword shimmers into existence in my hand. I’m breathing hard as I stare at the big man, who leans against the doorway to the kitchen. He has a smirk on his face that I don’t like. His hair is long and dark, and his eyes are the same shade. His clothes are expensive and silky, things I’ve seen other rich kids wearing at parties. And yet, something about him tells me he isn’t human.
“What are you doing here?”
He lifts a brow. “Well, waiting for you, of course. I’ve wanted to meet the great Van Wellington, or should I say Tyr, from the moment I heard about you.”
My heart races. “Who are you?”
“Oh, how rude of me,” he says, pushing off from the wall. He takes a step toward me, and I raise my sword. Instantly, he stops. “I’m Connor.”
And it hits me. “You’re a god too.”
He smiles and gives a sweeping bow. “Idun, at your service.”
Idun. The name rings a bell, but I can’t quite place it.
“I know you have that sword of yours, made of unbreakable steel, made with pieces of Tyr’s very soul. I know you can call it to you and send it away. I know that it moves like an extension of your arm. I also know you feel compelled to be honorable and keep the world honorable. I know it angers that god inside of you when someone gives an oath and doesn’t keep it. You’re stronger than us, probably all of us. Maybe even faster too. And none of us could beat you in a one-on-one battle.” He looks proud.
“And yet I don’t know anything about you,” I say, my voice low and threatening.
His eyes grow calculating. “I have some bitch goddess inside of me. She was a guard of sorts to the gods, guarding their tree of golden apples, the ones they ate to stay immortal. This woman is obsessed with youth, and yet she can give or take years.” He lifts a hand and shows me his palm. “With the smallest touch.”
“Why are you telling me this? What’s your fucking angle?”
Anger twists his lips. “I knew you’d have to come here after I read about the slaughter of your servants. All of us are somehow drawn to the things from our human lives that hurt us.” A strange look comes and goes from his face. “So I waited because I wanted to see you. I wanted to know if you were as dangerous as the rumors.”
“Well, now you’ve seen me.”
“Yes, I have.” The chill in his eyes sends a shiver down my spine. “And, god of oaths, I give you mine. We are going to come for you, and we’re going to kill you.”
Something moves within me, and I hate that it’s Tyr. I hate it that he drinks in the oath and binds this man to his words. Even I feel compelled by his oath.
“You might fool your friends, you might even fool yourself, but I know men like you. You didn’t come here to threaten me, you came to assess the competition.” I lift a brow. “And you’re afraid.”
“I’m not,” he says.
“Then come here and let’s end this now.”
He’s surprised, but recovers quickly. “That’s not the plan. But believe me, Tyr, this isn’t over.”
My hands are sweaty on the hilt of my sword. He turns and walks away, and I follow slowly behind. He kicks open the back door and goes to stand near the pool. His eyes close, his chest rises and falls quickly, and
then he vanishes. I spin around, ensuring he’s really gone, then lower my sword slowly.
I don’t like that this man knows more about me than I know about him. I don’t like that he’d come to my home and touched my things. And I’d be damned if I didn’t find out about him too.
Walking up the stairs, I push open the door to my bedroom and stare. Everything has been thrown about. My precious items are broken and mistreated. I kneel down and pluck an old photo of Izzy, Aiden, Reid, Wilder, and I out of the broken picture frame. We look so young and innocent in the photo. It’s strange that we’ve lost those kids.
I fold the picture carefully and put it back into my pocket. I don’t know if this damage was done by the god or the vampires, but my anger rises.
This is really going to come down to them versus us. I didn’t really accept that until now, but it will. And even though I’ve never seen myself as a killer, I know I’m going to have to become one.
Tyr seems pleased within me, and I push the god down. I don’t want to know what he feels. I don’t care what he feels. We may have to kill, but I sure as hell wasn’t going to enjoy it.
Closing my eyes, I promise myself that I’ll learn more about my enemies, and then I think of my room back at the academy. The ground shifts slightly under my feet, and then I’m back, back in a place where I have to keep pretending to be fine.
Somehow, I suddenly feel exhausted.
Chapter Four
Izzy
“The last time you came for dinner, you were trying to smooth over things with our new godslayer friends,” I remind Mr. Time as the two of us head toward the dining room.
He groans. “Don’t remind me.”
“That worked out so well,” I tease.
The good godslayers still live on the other side of the building, but they’ve been dealing with their own losses and guilt.
The two of us arrive in the dining room, where Wilder is dropping forks, spoons and knives next to the plates as Beth carries in dishes. Beth looks up at me to mouth, “He’s my favorite.”
“Wilder is everyone’s favorite,” I say, pressing against him from behind and bobbing up onto my toes. He drops the silverware on the table and turns, pressing a tender kiss to my lips. I smile at first because my grandfather is watching, but Wilder’s warm, soft mouth against mine--such a contrast with his powerful, chiseled body--is so distracting that I almost forget about the man.
“You only say that when the other guys aren’t around,” Wilder teases me when he releases me.
“Well,” I admit, “maybe you’re all my favorite.”
Aiden and Reid come in then, and Reid frowns. “Has anyone seen Van? He’s not in his room.”
“I wonder what trouble he managed to find now,” Aiden mutters.
Reid turns on him, raising his eyebrows. “Historically speaking, you two are always finding your way into trouble together.”
“That is too sweet,” Van drawls from the doorway. “You guys worrying about me. Reid, you’re the best mommy I ever had.”
Reid rolls his eyes as he takes his seat. I lean over and kiss his cheek, unable to hide my smile at how protective he is of Van. Van pretends he doesn’t need anyone.
But in his own way, I think maybe Van needs us all the most.
“Where were you?” Aiden demands.
“You hurt that I bucked the buddy system that Reid makes sound like a terrible idea for the two of us?” Van asks. He waves off the question. “I’ll tell you later. Mr. Time had important stuff to tell us about.”
“Indeed,” Mr. Time says.
He glances over his shoulder at Beth, before she sets the last dish on the table. The air is filled with the scent of a spicy red sauce and the sizzle of grilled meat and freshly baked bread.
Wilder pats an empty place at the table; he’s set a spot for her. She shakes her head, and I assure her, “You’ve been by our side through everything. You belong here.”
“Unless you want a break from us,” Aiden says dryly. “As hard as that is to imagine.”
“I don’t need a break from you, Aiden.” She ruffles his hair as she walks by, and it reminds me of that first day, when she was terrified of us all and trying not to show it. “But I’ve got work to do. Taking care of the five of you is more than a full-time job.”
And just like she won’t be here at dinner, she won’t be by our side when we face the other gods. At least, I hope not. It’s too dangerous.
For a few minutes, we all eat quietly. Then Mr. Time says, “We believe we might have found Thea’s rough location.”
I almost drop my fork. I can tell Reid notices, by the way his eyes fix on me. But I pretend not to notice him noticing.
“What’s the plan?” I ask.
“For now, just to narrow down to their actual location, then observe them and gain information,” Mr. Time says. He hesitates, then explains, “There have been a large number of unexplained deaths in this area. Deaths that seem as if they must have been caused by the gods.”
“What gods?” Wilder demands.
“What kind of deaths?” I ask, my voice coming out soft.
“We believe that one of them is possessed by a sea god, either Njǫrd or Rán,” Mr. Time says. “There have been lots of shipwrecks and drownings recently. An unprecedented number.”
“How did you discover that?”
“Our attention was drawn to this specific area to begin with because of these very strange deaths, where people suddenly aged within minutes. We believe Idun might be behind these deaths. There’s… I haven’t seen anything like it since the gods walked the earth before.”
“Who else?” Van asks.
“That’s all we’ve been able to find so far,” Mr. Time says.
Van leans back in his seat, throwing his arm over the seatback. He looks relaxed, but his eyes are cold, tension lining his face. “I met Idun today. He was waiting for me.”
My men lean forward, tension in the air.
“What the fuck, Van?” Aiden demands.
“It’s fine,” Van says. “We just had a nice little chat. And I went home to see my parents’ mansion.” His voice turns bitter. “They just abandoned it. Everyone who worked for them in that house was killed, murdered, because of them--because of me--and then they just walked away.”
His face is a cold mask, but I can feel his pain and all I want to do is comfort him. But I know Van will reject that comfort right now. He doesn’t feel as if he deserves it.
If he’d thought revenge would bring him peace, it had failed. I wonder what would--if anything ever would.
“Anyway,” he went on, “Idrun is occupying an asshole named Conner. He can’t do much without touching you directly, so as terrifying as the idea of suddenly becoming as old as Beth is, he’s not that powerful. I have a feeling…”
“A feeling about what?” Mr. Time prompts.
“I have a feeling they aren’t as powerful as we are in their raw capabilities,” he says. “But the things they’ve been doing. The killing…”
“They aren’t bound by the same rules you are,” Mr. Time agrees, his face troubled. “By the same sense of goodness and honor.”
Van scoffs at that.
But I think he just doesn’t see himself as he really is, not yet.
Van’s strength and power have nothing to do with the god inside him.
“So where are we going?” Wilder leans back in his seat, studying Mr. Time.
Mr. Time shakes his head. “We need to gather more information first. Track down their exact location. We can’t risk you until we know more… You’re our best chance of stopping them from…”
“From what? What do you think they’re trying to do?” I demand.
“What they always do. I think the gods are going to take over the world,” Mr. Time says. “Only those...vessels…may not be like you. They may not be strong enough to hold them back.”
“They might not even want to try,” Reid says in agreement. Then he looks Mr. Time i
n the eyes across the table. “That’s why we have to get there first. See what we’re dealing with.”
The way Mr. Time looks at me, I know he’s afraid of me coming face-to-face with Thea again--for the sake of my soul as much as my body.
And the truth is, I feel horrified at the thought of going to war with my twin sister.
But if she and her men are killing humans for sport, like they’re nothing, then it’s time I find my family, and not for the reunion I’ve always dreamt of.
“Where are we going?” I ask again.
And this time, Mr. Time says, “Scotland.”
Chapter Five
Izzy
I’ve never been on a plane before. But the second I start asking questions, Van reminds me of our newfound power to transport. It’s strange, it feels like we’re learning so much, like a crash course where our lives hang in the balance, but it still doesn’t feel like…me. Like I was supposed to be a god. Even as the guys continue talking throughout the meal, I feel a little lost. Let’s say we defeat my sister and the “bad” gods. What then? We live a life pretending we don’t have these powers? We become…superheroes?
The truth is, I don’t have a clue. And that makes me more nervous than anything else.
I hear a chair scrape against the floor, and my gaze jerks to Mr. Time. He looks like he’s ready to go. Hell, all of them are finished eating, and I’ve just been here staring at my plate.
“W--wait,” I sputter, and all eyes are on me. “So we teleport to a whole new country and--?”
Mr. Time’s eyes are gentle. “We won’t do anything until we know more. For now, just keep learning your powers.”
Suddenly, Mr. Time staggers and grabs his head.
I rise in an instant and stand at his side. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
He looks pale as he slowly stands. “One of the other gods…he’s at the gate.”
“Why?”
He shakes his head. “I don’t know, but we can’t let him in until we do.”
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