by LJ Vickery
Absu’s heart bled for his friend. The winter god hadn’t known a woman’s love until Glory, and the snow god wouldn’t just roll over and let this happen.
“Tear up the contract. Destroy it,” he suggested vehemently.
Absu agreed with Enten.
“That’s not the way contracts in Hell work.” Nergal sighed. “They are fully binding and become part of the world’s order. Anything Ereshkigal or I sign is permanent and irrefutable. We can add to an agreement, but we can’t subtract, which in a way has been kind to you. It’s the only reason Beletseri hasn’t been able to kill your women before. The no-kill order applies to any god or goddess. Although, she’s tried to get around it by using humans.”
That might be true, but a danger just as great threatened them now.
“The clause stands. And from Bel’s behavior, it is clear her objective is to locate and snatch Chosen or prospective Chosen, detaining them until the eighteen months is up.”
“So,” Enlil looked over at his new bride, Candy, “ten months have passed, and we have eight months remaining to find everyone’s Chosen, or we lose everything.”
“That is correct.” Hopelessness bled into Nergal’s words.
Absu did the math. “Only four of our original twelve, or five out of thirteen if you count Dagon and Holly, have found mates in all this time.” He gave a self-deprecating laugh. “Or six out of thirteen if you include me, even though the lady Charlie and I have not yet discussed it.” He’d met his future mate, the sister of a DEA agent with whose group the gods had become involved.
“All right, six,” Enlil agreed, giving him the hairy eyeball. “But you have to ramp up your courtship, Absu. And we have eight months for the other seven to find their Chosen. The odds suck.”
Marduk paced again. “Which means we have two problems.” The thunder god spoke his thoughts aloud. “First,” he skewered the king, “you and Ereshkigal can’t help us find our prospective mates, as stated in your contract.”
Nergal nodded unhappily.
“Second, we have a god who prefers a male partner. Will a man count as a Chosen or will he have to mate a female?”
“I think I can answer that one.” The queen looked heartened. Maybe she’d impart at least a little good news. “I have an uncle who is gay, and he found his male mate several millennia ago. They underwent the amulet ceremony successfully and have been living as husbands ever since.”
That’s good to hear. Emesh, the still invisible male in question spoke up, chewing on one nail. But do you know of any others? I don’t. And I’ve heard of a few attempts, which have ended in death.
“No, Emesh,” she told the god of summer. “I’ve heard of no others. But when the time comes for you to undergo your ceremony, we will make sure my uncle and his partner are here to help,” she said definitively.
Thanks, honey. Emesh sighed. But Absu could tell he didn’t seem tremendously reassured.
Nergal moved several feet toward Marduk, and dared clap a hand to the thunder god’s shoulder. “I’ll tell you what the queen and I can do.” The king straightened to his full height of seven impressive feet, the bronze armbands on his biceps and wrists glinting in the sunlight streaming in the windows. “I can put Stave at your disposal. And my force of glowies have learned to work the Internet under the tutelage of your man Shamash.” He became resolute. “These entities are not gods, and therefore not forbidden to comb every archive and ancestry site for your mates. Even if we don’t use our immortal powers, we will beat this thing, I promise you.”
Marduk nodded. Absu could see that he still wanted to kill Nergal, but would cut the king some slack, knowing they’d all made similar, life-altering mistakes. The boss instead turned to where the goddess Lenore’s mother and grandmother―Angie and Addie May, two resident witches who had quietly slipped in during the deliberations―stood silently at the back of the room. He made an appeal.
“If we don’t prevail, our progeny―”
Absu winced at how impersonal that sounded.
“―my unborn son, along with the babies of Holly, Lenore, and now Glory, will need someone to care for them.” Nobody spoke. The possibility remained abhorrent to them all. “Huxley and Dani-Lee will be here.” Marduk acknowledged Tess and Holly’s brother and his wife, who had only just become immortals. “And so will you two,” he continued to the witches. “We will make sure paperwork is in order to give the four of you custody in the event of—” He stopped, unable to consider the idea. “But that’s a worst-case scenario.”
Marduk’s eyes grew sharp. “At this point, I’m not willing to concede defeat with eight months to go.” He drew in a deep breath. “We will fight this ‘til the end,” he declared. “Our situation is beyond pride, and more than we can handle on our own. I’d like to call in the help of your powerful relatives, if they would be willing?”
Addie May smiled grimly and nodded.
He addressed her directly. “I know your father, leader of the Lauernley, planned to make a visit. Would you ask him to move up his timetable to help us? And would you also consider contacting your warlock ex-husband?”
Addie May didn’t give a moment’s hesitation. “It’s been years since I’ve seen my immortal husband, but of course, Marduk. I’ll do anything to help. Consider it done. I’m sure both will make haste as soon as I ask, especially since one of their own,” she spoke of Lenore and the unborn child in her daughter’s womb, “will be directly affected.”
“Okay then.” Marduk gave an acknowledging tilt of his head. “But let me verify our facts.” He turned to the king. “The contract said no immortal god help,” he ascertained. “It didn’t mention immortals of other persuasions, did it?”
“No.” The king stroked his chin. “You should be in the clear with the Lauernley and the warlock.” Nergal wrinkled his nose. “And although immortal factions aren’t known for working well together, if either can be of help in this dire situation, I will swallow my pride and give them any support they need.”
With all of the emotion churning about, did anyone but Absu notice a pale and shaking Kulla slip quietly from the room?
Chapter Two
Ideas and strategies swirled around for several minutes before Absu got to his feet. “If you will all excuse me.” He bowed at the waist. “I will attempt to do my part to further our cause. I have a Chosen to woo.”
“Woo?” Lenore barked a laugh. “If you’re going to have any luck, get rid of the archaic shit. The lady’s going to think you’re a little outdated.”
Absu frowned before Tess spoke up, coming to his rescue.
“Don’t mind her, Absu. I think it’s sweet,” the goddess interjected. “It’s about time one of you Neanderthals took a little time to win over a mate. The whole chest thumping, ‘woman mine’ thing gets old after a while.” Tess looked to her mate, who snarled. She threw a glance back at the table. “See what I mean?” The women laughed and the gods glowered.
Emesh nodded. “You go woo your woman, freshwater boy, and don’t take any shit. Or should I say go mate the lady soon, because our future is anything but certain.”
Absu gave the room a salute and turned to leave, but Enlil stopped him at the door.
“Listen. Here’s something that might loosen things up between you and Charlie.” He shrugged. “Give her a nickname. Women like that,” he suggested. “It’s cute and will make you seem less formal.”
Candy gave Enlil a big loving smack on the cheek. “That’s my hard-ass husband.” She chortled, and swept her gaze around the room. “Should we help Absu come up with something good?” she queried.
“Uh, Angel?” suggested Lahar.
“Overused.” Holly nixed that one right away.
“Sweet cheeks?” Anshar reached around and pinched Lenore’s ass.
The platinum blonde Chosen snorted. “Fine, if you want an open wound where your balls ought to be.” She punched him in the chest. “Those of us with larger bottoms,” Lenore was built plumper in
the caboose, and―Absu almost rubbed his hands together―Charlie was too, “don’t like having attention called to our least-favorite attribute.”
Anshar snorted this time. “Least favorite? I treasure that fine appendage, my love.”
Absu totally agreed.
Lenore turned and glanced at her own posterior over her shoulder. “Which is a good thing, because I think it’s growing exponentially with the little god in my tummy.”
“Goddess,” Anshar muttered.
“God,” Lenore retorted.
The couple engaged in an ongoing battle over the sex of their child-to-be.
“How about Chuck,” Ishkur interrupted the two lovebirds, who if left to their own devices could go on like that for hours.
“Chuck?” Absu’s chin came up in interest. “Why Chuck?”
“It’s a human nickname for a boy named Charles,” Ishkur explained. “It sounds…right.” He shrugged.
“I concur.” Absu tried the name out on his tongue again. “Chuck will be a fine moniker to show I am capable of being progressive and fun. Thank you, Ishkur.” Absu gave a quick smile and left the room.
He knew there would be headshakes upon his departure. They all worried he might not inspire passion in his young lady; passion enough to ignite his amulet and allow him and Charlie to mate. Not that he’d encountered any difficulty at all back in old Merrymount days. But ladies of a certain ilk had taken to his courtly manner and proper English. This day and age produced a completely different sort of woman.
Perhaps, with the help of the new goddesses, he could bridge some of the differences between himself and Charlie.
He found the subject of his fascination with her brother Ken―the DEA agent―in the sunlit kitchen, playing a game with Maitlynn, Charlie’s eighteen-month-old daughter. It involved breakfast cereal. Odd.
The little girl squealed upon seeing Absu. “Da.” She put her chubby arms aloft and flounced her body up and down in the makeshift high chair Ken had managed to rig up. She definitely risked the danger of toppling out.
“Peace to you, little one.” Absu bent and picked her up, averting catastrophe and receiving a wet oat-O in his mouth, for his troubles. He blew a loud raspberry on the side of her neck and she giggled. Absu smiled and turned his attention to Charlie. “Have you and your daughter found everything to your satisfaction?”
Gods. How he thrilled at the sight of Charlie, but he did his best to suppress his reaction so as not to scare her. She’d been in residence for several days, had sat and talked with him at length the first night she’d arrived. They’d even cooked together. But her sweet demeanor, her wispy blonde curls, and assuredly her azure-blue eyes made his heart run rampant and his cock harden, dangerously more insistent than ever in his past. He could only hope Charlie liked what she saw in him, his skin far swarthier than her nearly translucent paleness. What if she found him lacking?
For the first time in his very long life, Absu would attempt to make himself charming. But how, exactly? He tossed the baby up in the air with ease, then swung her low to the floor in a sweeping motion.
More, Maity said in his head. The gods had already established that the toddler could communicate with visible and invisible gods via their mind network. Quite unbelievable.
Yeah, more Daddy Absu, several of the gods chimed in from the conference room where they listened in, clearly getting a kick out of Absu in the role of father.
We need to teach her to speak to one immortal at a time, Absu groused. She doesn’t need to broadcast to all of us when she has something to say.
I’m on it. Ishkur strolled into the room a minute later and held out his hands. “Come on, Maity, my love. Let’s take you off Mommy’s hands so she can have a tour of the house.” He gestured with his head to Absu, indicating the decks were now clear for some one-on-one with Charlie.
“A splendid idea, Ishkur,” Absu agreed. He sent a charming smile to his unsuspecting future mate. “Would you care to accompany me on a perusal of the house and grounds?” Absu drew out her chair and extended an arm.
“Sure.” She placed her hand on Absu’s bicep, but raised an eyebrow at Ishkur. “Are you certain Maity won’t be too much for you?” The almost two-year-old had clearly already worn her to a frazzle, probably having been up since before dawn.
“We’ll be just fine,” Ishkur demurred, then switched to head speak. I’m going to teach you how to talk to one god at a time, baby girl.
“One dog,” Maity cried happily. Ishkur and Absu cracked up.
Ken, who knew about the gods, had obviously figured out the toddler had a line in on the deities, and rolled his eyes. Charlie, oblivious, just shook her head. “I don’t know where she’s getting these new words,” she marveled, looking cluelessly around the kitchen. “No. The dog’s not here, Maitlynn.”
“That’s our cue, little one. Let’s go find Archie, and we’ll teach him that, if he follows you around, he’s going to get lots of fallout food.” The two left the room happily head talking away.
“She really has taken to you guys.” Charlie followed Absu from the kitchen. “I’m amazed. She’d reached a stage where she didn’t want anything to do with new people.”
“My colleagues and I have a way with children.” Absu brought her into the spacious media room. “I’m not sure how much of our home you have seen previously, so I will gladly give you the full tour.” He took her hand in a gentle grasp and threaded it through the crook in his arm. It felt right. “This is where we gather to watch entertainment, which comes over the air waves.” He hoped she asked a lot of questions and made their time together last.
****
Charlie wasn’t so much interested in the large-screen television as she was the hunky individual whose warm, six-foot-plus tall body stood a mere few inches away. His bicep bulged where her fingers rested. Her tongue darted out to wet her lips. She didn’t want to get ahead of herself, but something about Absu called to her; as if he embodied the faceless man in her dreams whom she’d fantasized about all her life.
His skin was swarthy and dark, redolent of a Middle Eastern descent. She imagined his hair was long, thick, and curly, although she couldn’t be sure. He kept its lushness contained by a leather thong that gathered the ebony locks at his neck. But truly, his eyes were what captivated her. Wide and sea-foam green, they were framed with black lashes, and when she stared into their depths, she swore she saw a whole different world reflected there.
Charlie shook herself. Strange. She usually didn’t indulge in flights of fancy where men were concerned. And with all of the big, gorgeous guys in this house, as well as the boisterous yet beautiful DEA crew her brother worked with, it seemed odd to be so drawn to this one particular male. Sure, he was stunningly attractive, but so were the whole bunch. The mouth-watering Shamash sported a mop of golden curls that cried out for fingers, and he wore his T-shirts extra tight over an incredible chest. Totally yummy to look at, but he didn’t he make her nerve endings light up the way Absu did. She perused her tour guide from lowered lids while he described the in-home theater system.
He wore comfortable but loose black slacks and a button-down white shirt; an outfit reminiscent of a waiter. It shouldn’t have been hot, but he rocked the clothes in a way that left Charlie breathless. He was well built. The muscles inside his shirt sleeve confirmed it. What would he look like in tight jeans with his chest bare? Her eyes nearly rolled back at the vision that popped into her head.
“Shit!” She’d tripped over the corner of a rug.
Absu caught her easily before she fell, hauling her back against him, one arm around her waist. “Watch your step, my lady,” he admonished. Did he hold on to her a little longer than necessary?
Oh my god. He smelled like vanilla and cloves, and yup, she’d been right. His body felt smoking hard in all the right places.
As he loosened his grip, Charlie bent as if to fix her shoe and nestled her lush hips back into the V of his legs, a move far bolder than any she woul
d normally try. But her girl parts were all of a sudden tingly, and she couldn’t help herself.
As she stood, Absu, instead of pulling away, lowered his chin to rest on the top of her head, his arm tightening under her chest. “You flirt with serious jeopardy.” His voice remained steady.
So…Did he mean the rug or the location of her ass?
He smoothly arched his hips away from the steady pressure, and damn. It looked like he remained blissfully unaware of her not-so-subtle proposition. Her nipples had hardened and a tremor sped through her frame like lightening. Her body was sending out all kinds of take-me signals, but he wasn’t receiving. And now, she didn’t know how to proceed. More than what she’d already done was outside the comfort zone of a submissive―which is what Charlie was―and any blatant overtures had always been the domain of Charlie’s partner. Maybe one more attempt?
Perhaps if she just…Charlie slowly relaxed backward, insinuating herself against the entire length of Absu again, concentrating on the spot where she felt a substantial bulge. He put her away with a quick cough.
Dammit. Now what?
“Come.” He gestured. “I will show you the rest of the house.”
With a sigh to hide her frustration, Charlie dutifully followed the sexy, maddening man from the room, watching his fine muscled ass as he preceded her through the door. Her bottom lip stuck out in a pout he couldn’t see. It felt appropriate. Getting Absu to take charge and seduce her would be really tough.
The house went on forever. Had Absu said twenty-eight rooms? She got a grand circuit of an office space, a large gym, and a computer center overflowing with monitors and sensors she’d never be able to unravel if given centuries.
The middle of the first floor rocked an enormous ballroom with crystal chandeliers and bright brocade tapestries. A myriad of smaller rooms and nooks nestled helter-skelter, and were cram-packed with art and books. Charlie wondered what kind of government agency this group could possibly be to afford all of this. And they had to be covert if they dealt with her brother’s bunch.
