Of Gods and Wolves (The Godhunter, Book 2)

by Amy Sumida

  “I didn’t even know you guys existed until today.” I shrugged, “Sorry.”

  “It doesn’t matter,” LL, I mean Fallon, waved it away. “The Goddess changed us into lion shifters through her magic but it's still her magic and we're tired to her by it. Through that link she can kill us without so much as lifting a finger. We’d rise up against her if not for that. She cares nothing for us, only for what protection we can give her… or pleasure. We’re no better than slaves.”

  “So let’s take her down,” I whispered.

  “By take her down, you mean?” Aidan cocked his head and crept in closer.

  “I mean kill her.”

  Chapter Forty-Two

  “Why didn’t you just gang up on Darius?”

  It had been two hours since we’d decided to kill Nyavirezi and Fallon was still out talking to the others, recruiting, for lack of a better term. Aidan had done his fair share of recruitment as well and there were a good number of men in our circle.

  “It’s a lion thing,” Jared, one of the new recruits, answered. I heard a lilt of an Irish accent beneath his words. It went perfectly with his shaggy red hair and green eyes. “Darius established dominance so we let him win the argument. That’s how it works. Otherwise we’d be killing each other all the time over petty squabbles.”

  “That sounds pretty humane for being a lion thing,” I smiled at the redhead. In my opinion, redheads are either ugly or exceptionally good looking, no in between. Example A. Carrot Top or Eric Stoltz. Guess which one Jared was.

  “Humane,” Jared laughed, “when have you ever heard of animals polluting their environments or torturing each other for fun? I’d rather be compared to an animal than a human any day.”

  “Ah, a philosopher,” I shifted so I could lean back against Darius. A lion makes a very comfortable back rest. Warm, fuzzy, and a nice vibration when they purr. Well, at least magic lions. If you can find one, I highly recommend it. “I think I have to agree with you there. Isn't it wonderful to have a door into both worlds.”

  “You don’t think we’re monsters?” A dark-haired man with a thick British accent pushed through the growing crowd. He stared at me intensely and when I looked around, I realized everyone had stopped to listen to my answer.

  “No,” I said firmly. “How could this be monstrous?” I waved my hand at Darius. “It’d be like saying the ocean is monstrous or the fish that swim in it.”

  “Those things are natural,” Fallon came back and took a seat beside me, “we are not.”

  The rest of them sat as well and I was able to see that the whole room of men had been brought over. My heart raced, step one complete. This was my chance to win over the Intare. I had to be careful about what I said in the next few hours and that frightened me to no end. I had no filter. Things went straight from my brain and out of my mouth. For once in my life I was going to have to think before I spoke. I opened my mouth, then closed it again and rethought my words.

  “Oh fuck it,” I shook my head and I got a few chuckles for that one. “I’m not very good at the whole profound speaking thing, so I’m just going to tell it like I see it.”

  “And how do you see us, Godhunter?” It was the bald guy who had tried to get a piece of me earlier. He had his arms crossed over his chest and a frown on his face. So no pressure there.

  “I see a brotherhood,” I looked around at the men standing side by side, “a family. I see respect and love.”

  “We do try to be a family,” the thick silence was finally broken by Aidan, “but it's hard when there's only men. We're not a real pride. We're reversed.”

  “Excuse me?” Reversed? They all looked pretty straight to me but you never know, sometimes my gaydar goes on the fritz.

  “Do you know anything about lions?” Fallon spoke softly from my right.

  “A little,” I shrugged.

  “Do you know how many lions are in a pride?”

  “Is this a trick question?”

  “No,” Fallon gave a quick laugh. “Lions as opposed to lionesses. Do you know how many males there are in a pride?”

  “Oh,” I thought hard, “one, unless there are babies. The rest are females right?”

  “Bravo,” Aidan smiled at me. “Now look around you.”

  “I see,” I nodded, what else could I say? “So do the lions in you rebel at this reversal?”

  “No, quite the opposite,” Fallon answered for everyone. “That’s why this is so monstrous. The lions inside us are drawn to their Goddess, ecstatic when she shows us favor, but the part of us that is human, rebels. We’re humiliated by her treatment of us and horrified by what she’s made us into. We are monsters, Vervain.”

  I blinked hard. There was this ridiculous stinging in my eyes. These guys were going to rape me and now I what? Pitied them? Admired them? Wanted to comfort them? Yep, I guess I did. I guess sometimes life isn't about living, it's about surviving, and that's all these men had been doing for a long time. They'd been doing so much surviving that they'd forgotten what it was like to live.

  “No,” I took a deep breath. “I’ve seen monsters and you’re not them. You’re men born of magic and magic is of the earth, of nature. So you are natural. Does the bird worry that flight is magical and therefore monstrous? No, it simply flies. You're like a flock of birds, staring at the sky, knowing it's where you belong but hating yourselves for it. That's what I find unnatural. You say you’re monsters who once were men. I say you’re men, enslaved by a monster. You’re melded with a beast, and not just any, but the king of them all. Inside, you have all the instincts of a lion tempered with all the knowledge of a man. A perfect blending that is miraculous not monstrous. It's just that no one's ever taught you how to fly.”

  “You’re wrong, Vervain,” Fallon’s jaws clenched and he swallowed hard. “You’re very good at speaking profoundly.”

  Everywhere I looked, eyes stared at me intensely, haunted with horrors I couldn’t even begin to guess at. The Intare were like abused children, turning hopeful stares to kindness but not knowing quite yet what to do with it… and afraid it wouldn’t last. The love magic fluttered its butterfly wings inside me and whispered to me of how great those men could be with the proper support, with the right woman to heal them and give them back their wings.

  And I wanted to be that woman. I looked out over all those faces and felt Aphrodite’s old magic expand, filling every part of me with purpose. It didn't matter how I'd come to be there, I was glad for it. If I died in the morning, it would be worth the chance of helping these men escape. Though I had no plans on dying. I fully intended on killing that horrid bitch and making her pay for every hurt I saw in their eyes.

  Those eyes were focused on me and it seemed that I could feel their hearts beating in unison. A primitive drumbeat, urging me on. The butterflies were flapping wildly within me, desperately wanting to be unleashed and I finally set them free, not knowing how my magic could possibly handle so many hearts but hoping it could. With a jolt, I felt it connect to every heart within the room and I was immediately assailed by terrifying images of torture and abuse.

  I started to shake and then, when it got to be too much, I began to scream. I felt the men reaching out to me but I held out my hands to stop them and then covered my head with my arms. I couldn't witness this much trauma, it was going to tear my mind to pieces. I began to breathe deeply and slowly, trying to sink into the meditative state that Teharon had taught me.

  Finally, I felt calm enough to construct a barrier against the images that were assaulting me from all those haunted hearts. When it fell into place, I was able to take a deep breath and push the magic further, encourage it to take those horrible memories and destroy the power they had over those men.

  My mind filled with white as the magic fulfilled my wishes in one sudden rush, amazing me with its power. The Intare let out startled sounds and then, like puppets cut from their strings, they all dropped to the ground as one.

  I let the barrier down as the lov
e magic flew home to me and I caught glimpses of freshly healed hearts. The memories were still there but they held no sway over the Intare, not after I'd shown them how magnificent they truly were. Now their hearts beat with confidence, courage, and determination. They would never be made to feel that way again.

  I thanked my magic for its hard work and felt a light, giggling response. I got the impression that it was happiest when it was being used, the more hearts I could give it, the stronger it would get. My own heart felt lighter, having given the lions some measure of comfort, but my mind was quickly remembering the awful things I'd seen in their memories and that calm was turning to rage.

  I got to my feet and met their stares boldly.

  “Nyavirezi was given a gift, the ability to meld man with beast, to bring together the best of both and create a supernatural being of power and instinct, tempered by logic and honor. Yet all of you were filled with self-loathing and fear of your creator. I saw the things she did to you, the things she made you do. They were horrifying and truly evil but these things are not you. I know you can see that now, you can see what kind of men you really are. You no longer need me to tell you how I see you, as if my perception is more important than the truth that lies inside yourself. You feel this truth now but despite that, I will tell you what I see. I see beautiful, fierce, honorable men who should never have to question their humanity again. Be the man! Be the beast! Take them both and glory in them, for you are Intare!”

  A roar of liberation thundered through the room, mixed with cheering, shouting, and applause. Darius had jumped to his feet and was roaring the loudest, one forepaw clawing the air as if Nyavirezi was standing before him ready to be gutted. There were handshakes and back slaps, shouts of joy and tears flowing freely. I had never seen anything so powerfully emotional in all my life. My own cheeks were wet from the tears I hadn't realized I was crying. I felt the love magic rise up again in response, glimmering down the silken threads that bound us together, making us stronger.

  “Forget profound,” Fallon came over and took my hands in his. “You're fucking amazing. What the hell was that? I feel like a new man, like every horrible thing that had been weighing me down is now suddenly gone.”

  “It's magic, baby,” I winked at him and then suddenly yawned. Fallon laughed and then turned to address the men.

  “Allright everyone, come on, we've got some planing to do.” He gestured them towards the other side of the room before turning back and saying to me, “Get some sleep. Darius will stay with you.”

  Darius huffed and nudged his head into my back before settling down on the floor. Looked like I'd be sleeping on lion fur. Fine by me, Darius looked more comfortable than the carpet.

  “You sure you don't need me to help with the planing?” I eyed the wild gestures and eager faces across the room.

  “You've done more than enough,” Fallon smiled and pushed me gently down. “I feel like I can take on the world, that bitch doesn't stand a chance. We'll brief you in the morning. Now sleep well, Vervain. You're safe tonight.”

  Soon I was surrounded by sleeping lion. I'm not really sure why Darius remained in his lion form, even after all the men had joined us. Maybe it took a lot out of him to change. Maybe he just liked being a lion. Or maybe he thought I'd be more comfortable with him to sleep on. Whatever the reason, I was grateful for it.

  I laid my head down on Darius’ paw and his body curled around me, warming me better than a blanket. The last thing I heard before I drifted off to sleep was the steady beating of Darius’ heart. His lion heart.

  Chapter Forty-Three

  “Vervain,” someone was kissing the side of my face, running a hand down my stomach, and whispering into my ear. “Wake up.”

  My eyelids fluttered as I pushed sleep away and I was surprised to find an angel leaning over me. I smiled up at the angel, Gabriel or maybe Michael I think. He looked a little tough, and he smiled back but his smile wasn’t angelic, quite the opposite. In fact, I’d classify it more as a leer than a smile. As I puzzled that out, I realized the body he was pressing against me was completely naked.

  “Darius,” the knowledge hit me like an angry werewolf and that’s exactly what I’d have on my hands if Trevor ever found out about this.

  “There you are,” his leer softened into a more appropriate smile. “Do you need to use the bathroom before we get started?”

  “Uh, sure,” I got to my feet and followed him to a side door, keeping my eyes firmly on the back of his head, then went into the bathroom beyond. “Thanks,” I shut the door on him and went about my morning business.

  After I splashed water in my face and told myself over and over that this really was happening, I went out to face the Intare. Thankfully, they were all dressed so they were relatively easy to face.

  They went over the plan quickly with me. It was very simple, as the best plans usually are. Nyavirezi could use the boys against me, they were her biggest weapon, so they were simply going to grab Blue and get out of the way, out of the room, out of Dodge. They'd go tear Blue a new one while I’d hopefully kick Nyavirezi’s ass… permanently. Fallon had searched out a sword for me the night before, so I had a weapon and therefore a chance.

  “Are you all sure about this?” I walked among them, looking at each of them and giving them all an opportunity to back out. “I don’t want you to be upset after the fact. If I kill her, it’s pretty permanent. We’re not even sure what will happen to all of you if she dies. What if you die with her?”

  “It will be better than living like this,” Fallon walked through the men and handed me the sword. “Does anyone disagree with me?”

  He looked around and every man shook his head. It said a lot about Nyavvirezi's treatment of them that death was preferable or at least worth the risk of for freedom. Having seen just a sampling of her work, I didn't blame them.

  “So mote it be,” I took the sword with calm determination and maybe just a little bit of righteousness. “If it's possible to not kill Blue, I'd appreciate it. We need to talk.” The thought of Blue dying kind of hurt my heart but he had literally thrown me to the lions, so it was hard to justify that hurt. If they killed him, I would accept it.

  “Blue?” Darius was in jeans again. I wasn't sure if I was grateful or not.

  “Blue,” right, we hadn't talked much about Nyavirezi's companion. “It's a nickname. Don't ask. I'm talking about Nyavirezi's friend in the gold armor. The one you're going to take care of.”

  “Oh, sure,” Darius frowned a little in confusion. I'm sure he thought the nickname an odd choice for the Aztec God of War but I really didn't have time to explain it to him. “Consider it taken care of.”

  “Great, thank you,” I went to hide next to the door so I could surprise Nyavirezi when she came in. I wasn’t above using every advantage I could against a goddess, against anyone really, when my life was at stake. Play dirty and live to feel bad about it. I think I might make that my new motto. If I lived through this.

  Chapter Forty-Four

  An hour later found me sitting beside the door, still waiting on Nyavirezi. I had almost given up on her when I heard footsteps approaching. I guess they’d both slept in, snug as bugs in a rug, knowing I was being raped by lions just a few yards away. It must’ve been better than a hot toddy or a glass of milk. Torture your enemy. It’s the perfect cure for insomnia.

  I shook off my dark thoughts as I stood and prepared myself. I was so scatter-brained half the time that a little pre-battle meditation was always a good thing. I took a few breaths and reviewed my grievances. Let’s see, she tried to torture me to death, she mistreated some of the hottest men on earth, taking them off the market and therefore mistreating all single women as well, she was in league with Blue, and she hurt Trevor(I was not going to even consider the possibility that he was dead), yep that’s enough for me. The bitch was going down. I centered myself just as the door opened.

  For a moment, things were calm, even when I’d placed the tip of my bla
de to the back of Nyavirezi’s neck. Then the lions rushed the door, flowing gracefully around me and Nyavirezi but taking Blue out with them. It only took a few seconds before I was alone with the Lion Goddess.

  I shoved the blade forward, hoping to end it before it had barely begun, but of course that was only wishful thinking. Nyavirezi slipped deftly aside, shifting as she went. I was still in pain from the day before and it slowed me down just enough for her to have the upper hand.

  She kicked out with a back leg and caught me in the thigh, making me stumble. I waved my arms out and recovered just in time to see her tail swish arrogantly. That really pissed me off. She thought this was going to be fun. Well I was about to ruin her play time.

  I reached for my war magic and heard, for a second, the sound of steel clashing on steel. There was a roar in my head and in my veins, of shouted battle cries. I smelled the tang of death and felt the thunder of hooves vibrating the earth. On my lips was the salt of blood and sweat. New strength flowed through me, all my pain receding, and my arm lifted the sword as if it were just an extension of myself.

  I stalked toward the lioness and she roared out her rage. She must have sensed the change in me or maybe she scented the magic. Either way, she wasn't happy anymore. I barely paid any attention to her tantrum though. My focus was on two things only, her neck and her chest. Either spot could gain me a kill, or get me killed. The sound of fighting came through the open door and the big cat head swung toward the distraction. I, however, stayed focused and used the opportunity to my advantage.

  The turning of her head had bared her neck to me. I lunged in but once more, her reflexes were too fast. She twisted and the blow cut through her shoulder instead. She cried out again but this time in pain. Huge yellow eyes narrowed on me in a very human way and all my animal sympathies that were usually a hindrance to me when I fought shapeshifters, went out the window.