Amy Sumida - Rain or Monkeyshine (Book 15 in The Godhunter Series)

by Unknown

  “Show me?” Sasa begged again and I gaped.

  “She wants me to change into a dragon?” I blinked at the mother and glanced around. The other nagas had pulled in closer and were watching me with awed expressions.

  “Dragon,” the girl whispered and stroked my cheek again. “Queen of Snakes.”

  “We consider dragons to be our ancestors,” the woman explained. “Like a god of gods. When they were hunted to near extinction, we grieved for them and vowed to keep their stories alive through our children,” she smiled at Sasa.

  “Dragons can fly,” Sasa whispered to me.

  “Yes, I know,” I whispered back. “Pretty cool, huh?” She blinked at me in confusion. “I mean it's amazing, isn't it?”

  “I want to fly,” she nodded.

  “You know, I'm a dragon-sidhe, not a dragon,” I clarified, both to the woman and the crowd that seemed to be getting thicker and thicker, the snakes changing into human form and adding to the press of bodies.

  “We know you're fey and that makes you different from the dragons of the Human Realm,” Sasa's mother nodded. “Obviously, you wouldn't be able to take this shape unless you were. But to us, a dragon is a dragon and all of you are our family, be you faerie dragons or magic beasts. We may be from different realms but inside, we are the same.”

  “Like humans of different races,” I smiled at her.

  “Or gods of different magics,” Trevor added and I smiled over at him.

  “Exactly,” the woman laughed. “If only they could understand that.”

  “If only,” I agreed.

  “Whatever type of dragon you are,” she continued, “you are one of us. Welcome home, Sister.”

  And just like that, Bhogavati lost its spookiness for me and became a warm, comfortable place. I hadn't felt such an outpouring of love since I became Tima to the Intare. It looked like I had another family to add to my heart.

  “I would be happy to shift for you,” I said to Sasa and the crowd started murmuring excitedly.

  “Vervain,” Trevor whispered. “Is that wise right now?”

  “I've already shifted at the vanara palace,” I said to him. “I'm sure it's fine.”

  “Will you be able to change in such a tight space?” The woman asked.

  “Let me show you,” I smiled and then cocked my head. “What's your name?”

  “I'm Laila,” she reached out and took Sasa from me.

  “Vervain,” I said and then pursed my lips in thought. “I may need a change of clothes afterward.”

  “I'll be happy to supply them to you,” Laila laughed. “It'll be worth seeing a sight none of us have ever seen.”

  “Ever?” I asked in surprise.

  “We've seen dragons,” a man said from the crowd, “but never a dragon-sidhe in transformation.”

  “Well, then give me a little room,” I winked at him and he gaped at me.

  I changed first into my half form, leathery wings breaking through the back of my dress, horns growing from temple and down the back of my head, and a long tail sprouting out from beneath my hemline. My eyes shifted to dragon fire and the angles of my face sharpened. Gold scales spread from my temples downward, covering my skin in a ticklish sensation that made me grin. The crowd around me inhaled sharply as I dropped my wings and shot into the air.

  I hovered above them and waved at little Sasa, who was practically jumping up and down in her mothers arms. She laughed and waved back. Then I called my dragon forth completely and I felt the relief that always comes with the shift, like stretching out after being cramped on an airplane for hours. I never notice how restrictive my human body was until my dragon burst forth. Then I remembered and I couldn't understand how I was able to stand the imprisonment of my human body for so long.

  I rolled in the air, spreading my wings wide and stretching my long neck. My talons curled, clicking against each other and I breathed the moist air deep into my lungs, releasing it in an arc of fire far above the crowd. It lit up the night, burning out like a star before it could do any harm.

  The crowd cheered as I swooped down and came to rest on a stone roof. I sat there a moment, stretching my wings and delighting in being a dragon, while I gave the nagas a chance to see me. I preened delightedly because dragons are vain creatures and I was loving every second of this attention. I waited while more nagas shifted forward through the crowd so they could see me too, never once thinking that my human self would have found this behavior embarrassing.

  They were the most well behaved crowd I'd ever seen, the front row politely moving back so that those behind them could get a better look. When I felt like they'd all had a good look, I changed back into my half form. I was essentially naked but also covered in gold scales so I didn't feel exposed. I alighted in the street, folding my wings down around me. Sasa was clapping, along with the cheering crowd, and her mother brought her forward again.

  “Fire,” Sasa whispered.

  “Yes,” I tapped her nose. “I'm a fire fey.”

  “Pretty,” she grinned, “but I prefer the water.”

  “Oh, I don't like the water,” I scrunched up my face at her and she laughed.

  “Why not?”

  “It's scary for us fire fey,” I winked at her.

  “No it isn't,” she giggled.

  “Vervain is also a cat,” Trevor came forward. “And cats don't like the water either.”

  “Depends on cat,” Kirill grinned.

  “Are you cats?” Sasa asked them and Trevor made a disgusted face while Kirill laughed.

  “Only he is,” Trevor jerked a thumb toward Kirill. “I'm a wolf.”

  “Oooo puppy,” Sasa clapped and Trevor sighed.

  “Enough now,” Laila tsked. “Vervain and her friends have tarried with us long enough. They still have to see Lord Ananta.”

  “Ooooo,” Sasa's eyes went big. “You're going to the palace.”

  “That's right,” I nodded.

  “Please,” Laila nodded toward the side of the street. “Come with me and I'll find you something to wear.”

  I gave the guys a nod and then followed Laila through some narrow alleys which opened up into a small courtyard. Her house was a small stone building covered in moss and vines which faced the courtyard. It had a bright blue door, weathered but pretty. She opened it and showed me into a beautiful room with a fountain in its center. Blue ceramic tiles covered the floor and my taloned feet clicked on them as I walked in. Laila set Sasa down and as she did so, Sasa's tail changed back into legs. She ran over and took my hand in the guileless way of children.

  I smiled down at her, swinging our joined hands back and forth as we waited for her mother to fetch me some clothes. Laila came back with a pile of bright red cloth, folded neatly.

  “I thought the color would be appropriate for a fire fey,” she shrugged and set the cloth down on the rim of the fountain.

  “It's perfect, thank you,” I let go of Sasa and changed back to my human form.

  One of the pieces of cloth was a sari with brilliant gold designs woven through it and Laila had to help me with the intricate folding that needed to be done over the foundational skirt and cropped top. She made one last adjustment and placed the end of the sari over my shoulder, smoothing my hair down when she was finished.

  “Lovely,” she nodded and kissed my cheek. “Thank you for taking the time to change for us. It meant a lot to us all and we will never forget it.”

  “Oh, it wasn't a big deal,” I said as we made our way back to the others. “We dragons love to show off.”

  When we got back to the road, it was to find the rest of my group being welcomed by the nagas. I guess I'd broken the ice and they felt comfortable enough to mingle now. I hoped this was a good sign and that their leader would be just as welcoming.

  “Thanks for the clothes, Laila,” I said, then bent to give Sasa a kiss on the cheek. “Goodbye, Sasa.”

  “It was our pleasure, Vervain,” Laila picked up her daughter and they waved as
we joined the others and continued down the road.

  “Is the baby okay?” Trevor asked in a whisper.

  I took a moment to focus inward and feel that glowing spark of life within my belly before I answered. “Yep,” I took Trevor's hand, “all good.”

  “Good,” Kirill nodded and took my other hand.

  “Why do I suddenly feel like singing We're off to see the wizard?” I chuckled.

  “I am not cowardly,” Kirill grimaced.

  “And I sure ain't a scarecrow,” Trevor added his grimace.

  “You could be Toto,” I giggled as Pan burst into laughter behind us and began to sing.

  “I will strangle you,” Trevor called back to Pan.

  “You're no fun, Toto,” Pan called back and a round of laughter spread.

  “You're so lucky you're pregnant,” Trevor narrowed his eyes on me.

  “At least you're not Cowardly Lion,” Kirill offered.

  “No, I'm just a little ankle biter who rides around in a wicker basket,” Trevor grumbled.

  “But not coward,” Kirill said. Evidently being brave was a big deal for him.

  “Nope, the little ankle biter was pretty brave actually,” I acknowledged.

  “Most little dogs are,” Trevor agreed. “Because they have little brains in their little bodies and are too dumb to realize they're little.”

  Then we came to the center of the city where a grand palace stood, it's domed roofs gilded gold and painted with silver stars. Designs of snakes adorned the walls, with statues of half-formed nagas resting in niches at intervals. The nagas who'd been following us dropped back and went silent as we climbed a set of steps which led us to a pair of carved wooden doors.

  The doors swung open as we approached and a slim man came running out with a huge smile on his face. He was dressed simply, in a loose cotton tunic of dark green, cotton trousers, and cloth sandals. His eyes were bright green and very reptilian but also very kind, standing out against his dark skin. His hair was also dark and close cropped to his head. Along the sides of his neck, green scales flowed down into his tunic.

  “You're a dragon!” The man shouted as he ran over to me. “A dragon in Bhogavati! I saw you flying above the city and it was magnificent. I'm beside myself with excitement. I just can't believe you're real. No one told me you were a dragon. How did I not know this?”

  “You don't really get out much,” Brahma said dryly.

  “I don't,” the man shrugged, “he's right.”

  “Vervain, this is Lord Ananta,” Brahma was finally able to introduce us. “Ananta, this is Vervain Lavine, the Godhunter.”

  “It's nice to meet you,” I held out my hand.

  “Oh, it's so very nice to meet you too,” Ananta pumped my hand furiously. “I'm so thrilled to meet one of your kind. I'd never thought to see the day.”

  “Yeah, she's been getting that a lot,” Trevor chuckled.

  “This is Trevor, my husband,” the words just came out, I didn't even realize what I'd said until I saw the smile on Trevor's face and heard the gasps from the God Squad. “And Kirill, my other husband,” I went on quickly.

  I suddenly realized that it was the truth. I'd spoken vows with Trevor in a private ceremony that his father officiated. Then Kirill and Azrael had drunk the sacred wine of Shehaquim with me in a ritual that committed us in a similar fashion. We may not have had traditional weddings but we were committed and I did think of them as my husbands. Including Azrael.

  I sighed internally. Of course I'd known deep down that I'd eventually have to make things right with Azrael but realizing that I was committed to him as if in marriage, made it all the more imperative. I'd give him his space but then I needed to fix this rift between us.

  “Husband?” Kirill whispered to me with a grin. “Can ve have vedding zen?”

  “Maybe we should talk about this later?” I shifted my eyes pointedly to Ananta.

  “Da, but ve vill be talking,” Kirill nodded to Trevor, whose shoulders were shaking with repressed laughter.

  “It's a pleasure to meet you both,” Ananta had had enough time to recover from my announcement of having two husbands, and he smiled brilliantly at both of them. “Please, you and your friends are most welcome, Sister. Come inside.”

  “Looks like I'm family here too,” I grinned at everyone over my shoulder, waved to the nagas outside, and then followed Ananta into the palace to the sound of cheering.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  The naga palace was filled with water. Not literally of course but there were fountains everywhere and even man-made (or rather naga-made) streams lined in ceramic tiles flowing through the rooms. Snakes swam through the rivers, seeming to use them to navigate the palace.

  The floor was all tiled and I realized it must be for convenience. You wouldn't want snakes emerging from streams and dripping all over the carpet. There were area rugs though, creating little islands of furniture for sitting, or as in the case of the bedrooms we passed, sleeping. The artwork was mostly set directly into the stone walls, in the form of mosaics or carvings, though there were a few large pieces in gilded frames. I was surprised to find that these pieces were not culturally significant to the naga but were Western masterpieces featuring dragons.

  “You guys do like dragons here,” I shook my head as I looked over a vibrant oil painting depicting a large red dragon laying a village to waste. It kind of reminded me of Arach.

  “Oh yes,” Ananta glanced back at me. “Large snakes who can fly and breathe fire! What's not to love?”

  “I really need to introduce you to my friend Salem,” I chuckled and shared amused stares with my men.

  “Salem?” Ananta stopped and looked back at me. “Is he another dragon-sidhe?”

  “No, Salem is a dragon,” I clarified. “He guards the gates to Hell in Shehaquim.”

  “Ooooh,” Ananta sighed. “He sounds fierce.”

  “Yeah, I guess he is,” I shrugged. “He can be very sweet though.”

  “Oh, we would be honored to welcome him here,” Ananta vowed.

  “I'll let him know,” I smiled, thinking of how much Salem would love the nagas. “I think he'd like it here.”

  “Wonderful!” Ananta clapped.

  We continued through the palace until we came to a large, central chamber where it seemed that all the little streams ended in a central circular pool. Nagas in all forms were gathered there, though there were quite a lot less than I'd expected. In total, there were maybe thirty nagas and only about ten of them were in full snake form. The rest stood waiting for us serenely, dressed in jewel toned silks and draped in gold jewelry. They were an opulent contrast to their leader, which had me raising an eyebrow.

  “These are the members of my court,” Ananta indicated them with a wave of his hand as he crossed several of the streams, using little stone bridges which spanned them.

  He climbed up a few steps and casually sat in a massive gold throne, so wide he could practically lay down in it. It was strewn with silk pillows and draped with flowers. He looked completely out of place on it.

  “Please, sit, make yourselves comfortable,” he indicated some low couches arranged in front of the dais.

  As we approached, the nagas of Ananta's court began to move restlessly, their eyes settling on me with intensity. They surrounded me, hands reaching out tentatively as forked tongues scented the air. By this point, I was accustomed to the stir I caused as a dragon among snakes so I didn't worry about it but Ananta was new to the display. He laughed and clapped his hands.

  “You've managed to shock them, Godhunter,” he waved at the nagas. “Come now, give her some space. Yes, she's a dragon, relax everyone.” He gave me a secret wink. “It's no big deal.”

  The nagas looked over at him in horror and Ananta began another round of laughter. I shook my head and introduced myself to the court, whose aloof expressions had changed to awe and then finally, warm welcome. Wait till I told Arach about this, he was going to laugh his scaly butt off.
<
br />   “Alright, enough,” Ananta waved the nagas off and we were able to take our seats. “Now, Brahma tells me you want to attack the vanara palace and would like my help?”

  “Yes,” I spoke for us since I seemed to be the one who could make the most headway with them. “The vanara have taken a couple friends of ours hostage and we don't have the numbers to fight them. Brahma told us that you may be willing to help, since they're also holding several of your people as slaves.”

  “Yes, this is unfortunate,” he frowned. “I have hoped the suparnas would eventually rid themselves of their anger over their previous enslavement to us but it seems they continue to foster hatred.”

  “So you'll helps us?” I asked.

  “I cannot condone violence,” he spread his hands and I heard a low muttering from the nagas. When I looked over, I saw frustration written clearly across their faces.

  “It looks as if your people don't agree with you,” I looked pointedly at his court.

  “They are not as enlightened as I,” he sighed. “So it falls to me as their leader to prevent them from following a destructive path.”

  “So you're just going to sit back and let these birds and monkeys abuse your people?” I asked with mounting anger. “Do you know what I saw in the vanara palace? I saw a young nagini beaten nearly to death because she spilled a little wine at dinner.”

  The court gasped but Ananta just closed his eyes briefly and breathed deep. “Yes, the suparna can be volatile,” he finally said.

  “Volatile?” I gaped. “It was all I could do to sit there and do nothing and I'm not a naga. How can you, their leader, not be horrified?”

  “We must all follow our own path,” he said sagely. “I cannot judge others for their actions, I can only take responsibility for my own.”

  “You've got to be fucking kidding me,” I huffed and Brahma's hand was suddenly on my arm. I looked up and he shook his head slightly. “What? I have to walk on eggshells with this guy too?” I hissed. “I don't think so, Brahma. What he's doing is even worse than that asshole Garuda.”