by Unknown
“Can't handle it when someone's prettier than you, Prince Charming?” Re shot back.
“Enough!” I growled in my dragon voice and everyone went quiet, even the group behind us. “Yeah, that's right, you're waking up a sleeping dragon. Now don't you think it's best to just walk away and let her settle back down?”
“Alright, Carus. I trust that you can handle this but if you need help kicking this idiot out, I'm sure the Squad will be more than happy to assist,” Azrael's wings disappeared but he made sure to lay a long, hot kiss on me before he left. My hands clung to his shoulders as he pulled back and he gave me a sexy grin and another quick peck. As he walked by Re, he snapped, “Don't make me come back up here and kick your ass.”
“Or me,” Ted added as he followed his friend downstairs.
“What he said,” Sam nodded.
Ira just smiled at Re maliciously.
“Nice friends your husband has,” Re grimaced.
“Yeah, I just found out that I'm married to one of the Horsemen,” I rolled my eyes and gestured to the side, where the second floor continued in a narrow strip along the wall. The thin balcony led to another VIP lounge at the opposite side of the club and that's where I intended to take this potentially loud conversation.
“Horsemen?” Re frowned as he followed me. “As in the Christian Apocalypse riders?”
“That would be Azrael and his drinking buddies, yes,” I waved Trevor back when I saw him start to approach us. He narrowed his wolfy eyes on Re but sat back down. “This way,” I led Re past the row of regular tables which lined the narrow portion of the balcony, and then took him into a small meadow.
A wide expanse of fake, grassy carpet covered the warehouse metal balcony and over it were hills for seats and boulders for tables. Fake trees spotted the area and from them hung little lanterns, giving off a gentle glow. Statues of fairies and forest creatures were set around as decorations, some even hanging in the trees, and music wafted up to us. Thankfully, no one was playing on the stage directly below us or this would have been a really bad location to talk. As it was, I was starting to doubt my decision to bring him there. It was a little too cozy, too romantic, and too secluded.
But it was built to be. Trevor had wanted a little make-out spot for us and although I could still see him across the way, he'd positioned the trees in this section to form a sort of screen and it would be difficult for him to see us. I hoped he didn't think I'd chosen this spot because of that.
“What did you want to say?” I turned to find Re sprawled out on one of the wide hills in a enticing pose. “Seriously?” I huffed. “Can you at least sit up nicely and pretend that you're not here to seduce me?”
“You're the one who led me to your little love grove,” Re grimaced as he sat up. “I thought you wanted to have sex.”
“No, I don't want to have sex,” I growled. “I thought I made that clear when I walked out on you and your multi-limbed lover.”
“Lala,” he purred, “just sit down. Durga is not my lover... anymore.”
“Oh hell no,” I shook my finger at him. “You don't get to do that. We had a great time and I admit, I was really starting to fall for you but you went and ruined it.” I held up my hand when he started to talk. “I get it. I totally understand. I just wish you had made yourself more clear in the beginning instead of wasting both of our time.”
“In what way could that ever be considered a waste of time?” He went serious.
“In the way that this is vitally important to not only my well being but that of my entire Pride as well as that of my husbands,” I went to stand before him. “I don't have time to waste on casual love affairs. I need someone that I can fall in love with for good. Someone who's going to be a partner to me and a supportive member of my family. You have your own family and your own way of living. That's wonderful and as your friend, I'm happy for you but unfortunately, it's means that you won't fit into my life.”
“I think I fit rather well,” he stood. I started to speak but he kissed me into silence.
I had to hand it to him; the man knew how to kiss. He could go from wild to tender to simmering in moments, keeping me from settling on one emotion long enough to regain my senses. When he finally finished, I couldn't remember what I was going to say.
“This is why I'm here,” he laid his forehead briefly to mine. “I don't feel this with anyone else. Just one kiss and I'm left with shaking knees, threatening to take me to the ground to beg you to come home with me.”
“What?” I whispered in shock. And there I was, thinking that I was the one being manipulated by his expertise.
“I can't let go of this,” he admitted. “Even if it means letting go of everything else.”
“I need you to be very clear now, Re,” I used all of my willpower to back away from him. “I've had a horrible day, a very long and very bloody day, and it's hard for me to think straight right now. So just, please, spell it out for me.”
“I want you bad enough to give in to your conditions,” Re declared. “I won't try to bring anyone else into our bed and I won't sleep with anyone but you. At least until we decide if we want this for good. I'm not to the point of forever yet but it's definitely been taken off the impossible list.”
“Fair enough,” I whispered and held out my arms.
He filled them in seconds, giving me a replay of that crazy kiss. I felt like I was falling, my life rolling up and down, as insane as the Lunacy I carried inside me. I didn't know where this ride was going but for the moment, I didn't want it to stop. So I'd simply scream in delight and hold both arms up in the air while I fell.
Chapter Twenty-Six
“Tell me about this long and bloody day,” Re urged after we simmered down to cuddling on a hill.
“Oh, you don't want to know,” I sighed and snuggled deeper into his chest. “It's God Squad drama, we uncovered yet another plot to manipulate humans into war.”
“Well, now I really want to know,” he angled his head to see my face. “Who's doing the plotting?”
“A goddess named Disani and two gods; Gish and Qaus,” I said. “They're trying to escalate the war in Afghanistan into pure annihilation. We went in and destroyed a lot of their weapons and two bases of operation but we ended up killing quite a few humans, which ends up empowering the gods, just like they'd wanted.”
“Not good,” he sighed.
“No kidding,” I grumbled. “But we did the best we could. It's hard to think when bullets are raining down on you.”
“Why? You're gods. Bullets won't hurt you as long as you have a ward up. Unless you're not powerful enough to cast a personal ward?” He looked at me askance.
“I didn't know about personal wards,” I huffed.
“No,” he chuckled. “How did you not know? You've been in lots of battles.”
“Mostly with other gods,” I sighed. “This is the first time I've been shot at with machine guns.”
“Hmmm,” he mused. “Yes, that would be disconcerting. And a ward wouldn't last long against rapid fire anyway. Still, you have magic and that overcomes any man-made weapon.”
“Hekate pointed that out,” I nodded.
“She's a slick one; never folds under pressure,” he observed.
“She's engaged to Horus,” I added. “We're here to celebrate.”
“Really?” Re sat up straight, taking me with him. “Then we should be over there, celebrating with them.”
“Yes, we should,” I got up and held a hand down to him. He looked from my hand to me with a grimace and got up on his own. “Oh, it's like that, huh?” I chuckled. “Can't take a hand up from a woman?”
“Not from anyone,” he sniffed and offered me his arm. “I'm the Sun God-”
“Re,” I finished for him. “Yes, I've heard.”
“Do you think I'm a narcissist?” He asked in a musing way.
“I know you're a narcissist,” I confirmed. “I'm just not sure if it's entirely your fault.”
“But is it narcissistic,
if it's true?” He cocked his head at me.
“Oh, why do I even like you?” I dropped his arm and gave him an annoyed face.
“Because I'm the Sun-”
“God, Re,” I growled. “Yeah, I got that.” I shook my head and walked away.
“Lala,” he whined but somehow it was still sexy. Then he caught up with me and took my arm back, wrapping it over his imperiously. “There's nothing wrong with being confident.”
“Oh, Honey,” I chuckled. “You passed confident centuries ago.”
“Well, as one does,” he sniffed. “I was one of the oldest Atlanteans who escaped the fall and the only member of the High Twenty who made it to shore.”
“The rulers of Atlantis?” I stopped and gaped at him. “You were one of the High Twenty?”
“See, now that's a more proper response,” he smiled smugly.
“You helped destroy Atlantis?” I hissed and pushed him back into a table. He fell on it with a surprised huff.
“It was an accident,” he stood and frowned at me. “It's not like we set out to obliterate the greatest civilization there ever was.”
“Does Thor know?” I glanced over to where my friends were partying it up. “Horus? They must. Why didn't they tell me?”
“Because they know that I punish myself enough for it,” Re confessed, his whole demeanor changing suddenly. The arrogant mask fell and I saw the anguish hiding beneath. He exhaled roughly and went on in a somber voice full of regret. “We were foolish. We just kept reaching for power, more and more magic. We thought we'd found a path to the source; a way to tap into powers beyond anything we'd ever dreamed. We'd be able to sustain all life on Atlantis, not just those of the Council and our families.”
“That's right,” I frowned. “Most gods didn't get immortality until they started receiving sacrifice from humans.”
“Most Atlanteans lived lifespans of two-hundred years or so,” Re nodded. “Except for the High Twenty. As I mentioned, we'd found a way to connect with a potent magical source and we'd been siphoning off some of that energy to sustain ourselves and our families. But we weren't sure what prolonged exposure to pure magic would do to physical bodies. So we used ourselves as test subjects, like human scientists do with animals.”
“But you didn't just experiment on yourselves,” I whispered. “You did it to your children.” I was horrified.
“No,” Re held up a hand. “We tested ourselves first and then gave it to our families.”
“But you weren't certain enough to give it to the rest of Atlantis?” I narrowed my eyes on him.
“We didn't have a way of siphoning off enough to give to everyone,” he closed his eyes briefly. “Which is why we tried to enlarge the portal.”
“And instead, you destroyed it,” I held a hand to my mouth.
“It became unstable,” Re nodded. “And there was nothing we could do. We had to evacuate.”
“You didn't tell everyone though, did you?” I gaped at him. “That's why most Atlanteans died.”
“There wasn't enough ships to carry us all,” he swallowed hard, suddenly looking very tired. “We had to make the choice of saving ourselves and those we loved or causing a panic that might end up killing everyone.”
“Leaders have to make hard decisions,” I clenched my jaw. “But, Re, that's...”
“Reprehensible?” Re gave a grim chuckle. “Yes, Vervain, I know. It was an evil thing to do, to destroy Atlantis and escape with my family instead of warning the city. I've lived with the guilt and paid for my deeds in blood.”
“Lusaset,” I whispered.
“I had just climbed aboard our ship with most of my family when the first explosion rocked Atlantis. “Lusaset had gone to find our daughters, who were visiting friends. They had to fight their way through confused crowds to get to the docks. By the time they arrived, the people of Atlantis had figured out what was happening and who was responsible.”
“They attacked her,” I guessed and he nodded, his jaw clenching.
“They were right there,” his voice broke as his eyes filled with tears. “Maybe thirty yards away from me. So close but I couldn't reach them in time. Lusaset held back the crowd with sheer willpower and magic, so that Sekhmet and Bastet could reach me. I tried to help her,” his voice cracked and I pulled him against me. He sobbed into my shoulder. “I tried to help her. I tried.”
“I know,” I stroked his hair gently. “I know you did. You saved your children and that's what she would have wanted.”
He sniffed back the tears and pulled slowly away from me, swiping at his eyes. When he finally looked at me, his golden stare was full of ancient agony. How many years had he tortured himself over his mistakes? How many times had he replayed the memory of Lusaset's death in his head? Had his living without love been more than just a tribute to his wife?
“Re,” I laid a hand to his cheek and he struggled to smile.
“Horus' sisters were with his lover, Yeasha. He was intent on warning his friends, so he said he'd fetch the girls on the way to Odin's house and come right back,” Re glanced over to his grandson and sighed. “But after Lusaset was killed, we couldn't wait any longer. We had to leave but Isis and Osiris refused to go without their children. They ran into the mob and I was sure I'd never see any of them again.”
“But they lived,” I took his hand.
“Yes, they did,” Re sighed. “They made it to Odin's home and found Horus sobbing in Thor's arms.”
“What happened to Yeasha and his sister's?” I asked, though I wasn't sure I wanted to know.
“When Horus reached Yeasha's home, he found it on fire,” Re swallowed hard. “Someone had trapped the girls inside with Yeasha's parents and burned them all alive.”
“Why?” I was horrified. “Why them?”
“Yeasha's mother was also a member of the High Twenty,” Re's eyes closed briefly.
“So even after that horrible sight, Horus found the strength to go and warn his friends,” I cast a glance at Horus, feeling both admiration and sympathy for him.
“And Odin saved him for it; him and his parents,” Re's jaw clenched. “Horus holds himself responsible for the deaths of his sisters and Yeasha but really, he should blame me.”
“No, he shouldn't, Re,” I took his hand.
“I, at the very least, should have done more to stop his parents,” Re confessed. “But that mob; it was so thick, people were falling into the sea. And my Lusaset was gone. I had no choice but to set sail and save the rest of my family.”
“Then it's not your fault,” I squeezed his hand gently.
“It is and you know it,” he said softly. “But as I said, I've paid the price for my folly and I've tried to make up for it by creating a great dynasty to protect my family.”
“Then maybe it's time to let go of the guilt,” I suggested.
“Maybe,” he began to smile. “I think I could be ready to live again.”
“Good,” I slid into his arms and pressed a kiss into the column of his throat before I backed away and offered him my hand. “Now let's go wish your grandson a happy marriage. He deserves that.”
“He does,” Re took my hand and went back to the group of gods with me.
“So you've made up, then?” Trevor asked as we approached.
“Yes, things are as they should be,” Re confirmed.
“Ve'll see,” Kirill stared hard at Re, his deep sapphire eyes as dark as sable in the shadows.
“We've worked things out,” I held up my hands. “But this is Horus and Kate's party. Let's not take attention away from them.”
“The Horsemen have already done that,” Horus griped.
“They're gone now,” Kate slapped his shoulder. “And all because you're a big jealous idiot. Get over yourself, I'm marrying you, remember?”
“Yes, I recall something of the proposal,” Horus grinned wickedly at Hekate and slid his hand around her waist, pulling her onto his lap. Now there was a side of Horus I'd never seen before.
“Says the woman surrounded by three of her lovers,” Kate shot back.
“Touché,” I held my hands up in surrender as Kirill once more settled at my feet so I could continue his massage.
Re stiffened beside me and I shot him a look. Would this be too much for him? I needed to know, so I kept massaging Kirill like nothing was wrong. Re took a deep breath and made a visible effort to relax himself, finally giving me a nod. Okay, so it would take some time but maybe he could get used to it. Until then, I'd try to be less affectionate with my husbands around Re, and try to just ease him into things. It was the least I could do when he was willing to meet my conditions. If he did get to the point where he was willing to commit himself, we could all spend the night together and the lioness magic would take care of any remaining issues he had.
“Congratulations, Horus,” Re waved a hand towards Horus. “I'm thrilled that you've found someone to love.”
“Thank you,” Horus looked from me to his grandfather and this time, I really did feel awkward.
“What; I don't get congratulated?” Hekate asked.
“No,” Re blinked. “That's not appropriate. To you, I say; best wishes.”
“I know,” Kate smirked. “It's just that V looked a little uncomfortable sitting there with you while you congratulated your great, great, great, great grandson on his engagement, so I thought I'd ease some of the tension.”
“There's just two greats,” I mumbled. “But thank you.”
“No prob,” she laughed. “Oh let it go, V, he's wildly gorgeous. Just roll with it. Hell; roll with it, on it, around it, do whatever you can with it. I'm sure it's wonderful.” Then she dropped her voice to a whisper and leaned forward to ask, “Is it gold like the rest of him?”
“Hekate,” I groaned as Re preened and Horus glared at his fiance. “You're going to make his ego worse than it already is.”
“Nyet, impossible,” Kirill said dryly.
“Valid,” I agreed and grimaced.
“I feel like I should be offended by that but I'm not,” Re leaned back on the hill, spreading his arms out behind me. He accidentally brushed Trevor's arm and pulled back like he'd been burned.
