Godhunter

by Amy Sumida

  “I’m going to kill you slowly, bitch.” His voice was even worse now that his mouth was filling with blood.

  “It’s witch with a W and you’re the one on the ground, dog breath.” I kicked him again and his arm shot out, claws sinking into my left thigh and bringing me down.

  He roared in triumph as I screamed, then he lunged forward but I used my free foot to smash at his face. The claws in my thigh shook and cut deeper, grinding my kodachi into my leg and effectively trapping it as well. His other paw batted at me as I continued to kick him. It tore through my leather pants but the wounds were minor compared to what would happen if I let up, so I kept thrusting my foot at him till I heard a snap and he went limp.

  “How’s that for a spicy kick?” Yes, it had to be said.

  I dragged myself out from beneath him, digging into the grass with my blades for leverage. The hardest part was trying to pull out his claws. They were sharp but ragged and clung to my flesh with a final determined vengeance. When I finally got free, I crawled away from the body and stretched out on the cool grass. It felt so good on my face. I breathed the scent of crushed lawn and night blooming jasmine in, reveling in being alive. I knew I was bleeding but it was only a trickle so I was pretty sure he hadn’t nicked my femoral artery. I shouldn’t bleed out… hopefully. If I was wrong, I had about five minutes to live.

  I made a sound that was part sob and part laugh, the small movement sending pain twitching through me. The cuts in my arm had subsided to a dull burn but the pain in my legs more than made up for it. If I lay very still, it hurt a little less. So I took slow shallow breaths while I waited for my body to stop screaming at me. Right before I drifted off into a welcome oblivion, I felt a rough tongue begin to lick my face and a warm, purring body nestle into my side.

  Chapter Twenty

  “Vervain,” a rich, warm voice like spiced cider invaded my dreams. “Vervain? I think she’s waking up.”

  I blinked and looked around in confusion. There were a whole lot of blurry faces surrounding my bed and I couldn’t imagine why. I blinked some more as I tried to remember who they all were. Then it hit me and with it came the pain.

  “Oh, hell,” I groaned, my voice all dry and gravelly, reminding me of the werewolf. “Did someone get the license plate of that semi?”

  “What, darling?” Thor’s face came into view and I realized he was curled up next to me in the bed. “Is she hallucinating?” He looked up and I followed his gaze to Teharon, who was standing over me on my left.

  “I just meant I feel like I’ve been run over.” I smiled weakly at the Indian. “Did you save my life again?”

  “No,” he chuckled softly. “You’d most likely have lived this time. All I did was speed up your recovery and make sure you weren’t concussed. Now that you're awake, I can finish.” He ran a hand over my body, a bright glow emanating from his palm, and the remaining pain disappeared.

  “Thanks, bu-u-udy,” I did my best Pauly Shore impression with the finger flutters and all. It was lost on everyone but Finn and Ull, who made strangled snorts. I looked around again. There was also Mrs. E and Mr. T, Pan, Horus, Brahma and Persephone in attendance. The gang was all there. “Aw shucks guys, you didn’t all have to come. Flowers are always acceptable in times like these. Or even a nice fruit basket.”

  “We never left,” Horus sniffed.

  “Oh.”

  “I would’ve come back to see you if I had left,” Persephone sat at the foot of the bed, a large manly looking bed that I was betting belonged to Thor. I was back in Asgard.

  “Thanks, Sephy,” I smiled weakly.

  “She gave me a nickname,” she giggled and glanced back at the others. “Hey I heard you kicked wolf booty. I’m so-o-o-o jealous.”

  “Why? You have a bone to pick with the werewolves?” I chuckled over my pun and then looked over at my shoulder, expecting to see scars, but there was nothing beyond a splotch of red. Teharon had mega talent.

  “Oh, I don’t mind werewolves at all,” Persephone continued. “I think they’re kind of sexy actually.” We all focused horrified looks on her but she didn’t seem to notice. “It’s just that I heard they’re pretty strong and you beat one. You’re so cool.”

  “Yeah, Vervain,” Pan sashayed up in his usual jeans and T-shirt. The shirt read “By the biting of my thumb, something wicked this way cums”. It had a picture of a naked nymph, looking over her shoulder and biting her thumb seductively. Pan didn’t look half as seductive when he struck a pose, elbows out, hands flat under his chin and batted his lashes. “You’re my hero.”

  “Shut up, Pan,” Persephone hit him in the gut but he just laughed.

  “How are you feeling?” Thor studied my face.

  “Like some werewolf just tried to make me into pâté and spread me on a cracker.” I laughed at his grimace and turned my head so I could kiss the hand he had against my cheek. “I’m fine, babe. Hey, speaking of the werewolf who almost made me into his midnight snack, did you guys happen to do something with his body or is there a furry corpse for Mulder and Scully to find?”

  “Huh?” Thor had an expression of extreme pain... mental pain.

  “Oh please tell me you've heard of The X-Files,” I begged.

  “Is that something to do with the American government?” Horus came closer.

  Ull, Persephone, Finn,and Pan were laughing their asses off. At least I wasn't completely alone in a room full of communist bastards.

  “You're never going to be able to relate to this woman if you don't start watching some TV,” Ull patted his father on the shoulder. “Sounds like you may want to start with the Syfy channel.”

  “At least some of you understand my jokes,” I sighed. “It's like I'm talking to my Grandpa sometimes.”

  “Yeah, except Thor's older,” Pan smirked.

  “Okay, that's disturbing,” I waved a hand, “and a complete tangent. Back to the body in my yard.”

  “I took care of it,” Thor grunted, “which leads me to something else. Nick was curled up around you when I found you, so I brought him along too. I'd like you both to stay.”

  “As in live here?”

  “Yes, that's what stay means,” he took my hand. “You're not safe alone right now.”

  “I like my house,” I frowned, “and I don't like the idea of hiding.”

  “Vervain,” he took a deep breath. “You wouldn't be hiding, just protecting yourself.”

  “Sounds like hiding to me.”

  “You’re in danger there,” he growled.

  “Don’t get mad at me, I’m wounded.” I blinked up at him with wide eyes. “Hey, I’ve been bit by a werewolf. Does this mean I’m going to be hairy when the moon gets full?”

  “No,” Teharon’s soft voice reassured me. “You’re either born a werewolf or you’re not, they’re not created like vampires.”

  “Well, that’s a relief,” I sighed.

  “Damn it, Vervain,” Thor jumped off the bed so he could tower over me. “I don't want you unprotected.”

  “It's too soon to live together,” I glared at him. “We haven't even been on a date yet.”

  “Again with the dating thing,” he threw up his hands. “That's it, everyone out.” He shooed the God Squad, as I was affectionately referring to them inside my head, out the door before turning back to me. I could hear Pan bitching all the way down the hall.

  “What are you doing?” I eyed him warily as he approached the bed.

  “I'm taking you to dinner,” he threw back the sheets and I was shocked to find that all I had on was one of Thor's shirts.

  “I think I'm going to need some pants for that,” I smirked. “I know some restaurants have a policy of No shirt, no service but I don't think they'd serve me without pants either.”

  “I'd love to serve you without pants,” he waggled his brows.

  “Hmmm, maybe after dinner,” I laughed at his shocked expression. “What, you thought I was holding out for marriage?” It could be my near death ex
perience but I was beginning to think I should start living for the moment... and at the moment, I wanted Thor.

  “No, I, uh...,” he blinked rapidly. “Are you up for this?”

  “Dinner or sex?” I laughed again when his legs gave out and he sat heavily on the bed.

  “Both,” he swallowed hard, “either.”

  “Why do I get the feeling that discussing sex is difficult for you?”

  “Not difficult,” he shook his head. “I'm just not usually so blunt about it. I either flirt or seduce. I don't really know what to say to a woman who talks about sex in the same sentence as dinner and with the same nonchalance.”

  “You say yes,” I gave him a devilish smile.

  “Yes,” he leaned in to kiss me.

  I'd actually been concerned that I might not be recovered enough to make love to Thor but his kiss removed all doubt. Adrenaline filled me with his very first touch, spreading from my lips to my belly and then lower. His hands on my back kneaded away any remaining tension till there was nothing left but pure, hot desire.

  I pulled back, gasping, “Maybe we shouldn't wait for dinner.”

  It was his turn to laugh at me. “Absolutely not. I'm taking you on a date. I don't want to hear anymore talk about us not being good together. We'll do this the human way.”

  “Humans have sex before dating.” What the hell was wrong with me? I could wait a few damn hours.

  “Yeah, it's called a one night stand,” he got up and went to a large wooden trunk against the wall. He pulled out something green and a belt. “I don't want a one night thing with you,” he handed the clothes to me. “I want the real thing.”

  “Wow,” I stood up, clutching the garments. “I... uh, yeah, that sounds good.”

  “Then it's decided,” he ushered me toward the bathroom. “Go change, that tunic should be long enough to serve as a dress for you with the belt.”

  “Okay,” I stumbled through the doorway.

  The tunic fit great, though the sleeves were a little long and had to be pushed up. It hung to my knees and looked pretty good when I belted it. The belt was too long and had to be angled into a loose knot but it ended up looking like it had been designed that way. I splashed some cold water on my face, lamenting my lack of make up, then finger-combed my curls. Lastly, I bit some color into my lips and went back out to Thor.

  He'd changed into tan dress slacks, a matching jacket, and a pale green shirt. With his hair brushed and shining down his back, he looked amazing. I wanted to hide my face and run away in shame. People were going to think I was his sister or maybe his sugar momma.

  “What?” He came rushing over. “Are you okay? You need to rest some more? I knew this was too soon.”

  “No,” I pushed my insecurities aside and smiled. “I'm fine, let's go.”

  “Great,” he took my hand and started leading me out. “Where would you like to go? London? Venice? No the Venetians hate everyone but themselves. Paris? Hmmm, no, the French are just as bad. How about Brazil?”

  “How about Hawaii?”

  “I can take you anywhere in the world and you want to go home?” He cocked his head.

  “I want my focus to be on you tonight, not the scenery.” I pulled him along toward the tracing room. “If we go someplace I've never been, I wouldn't be able to give you the attention you deserve. No, that's not true,” I rolled my eyes at my own weakness. “I wouldn't be able to give the scenery the attention it deserved.”

  “We'll save Brazil for another time then,” he had that grin men wear when it finally dawns on them that a woman wants them. You know they're completely clueless till it reaches the obvious stage.

  “I know a great place in Kailua,” I grinned back at him.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  “So tell me about the real Thor,” we were at a corner table in Peppino's, an Italian restaurant with great food made by a real Sicilian mama. Sigh.

  “You know the real Thor,” he got that little wrinkle going between his brows.

  “No, I know myths and your basic personality but I don't really know about you. Like, for instance, where were you born?”

  “Atlantis,” he lowered his voice and glanced around the crowded restaurant. It was a little hole in the wall place and we were pretty close to other diners.

  “Oh,” I blinked. “So you're one of the originals.”

  “I was a young man at the time of the diaspora.” His eyes got distant. “It was frightening. The world I knew had fallen apart, my family was forced to find a new home amid a culture we knew little about. Up until that point, we had nothing to do with the people who lived on the mainland.”

  “What happened?” I was completely engrossed. Here was my chance to hear about a historical event from someone who'd actually been there. I'd never even considered the gods as sources for factual historical info. “I read about the fall of Atlantis in Ku's book but it wasn't very descriptive, more of a bland recounting. What really happened?”

  “The High Council,” his lips twisted as he focused back on me. “Twenty men and women, our brightest minds and most talented magic wielders, ruled Atlantis. They were brilliant but maybe that was their downfall. Ever unsatisfied, they constantly experimented with powers that should have been left alone.”

  His hand shook a little as he reached for his beer. He took a hefty swallow and when he replaced it, I took his hand. The haunted look in his eyes eased up a bit. I was starting to feel bad for asking.

  “I don't know what they did exactly,” he continued. “Like I said, I was just a young man and not privy to the decisions of the High Twenty. I just remember my father's face when he came for me. I'd never seen him scared before. His fear frightened me the most. More than the earthquakes or the blue flames that engulfed the Council Temple.”

  “You don't have to tell me anymore,” I rubbed his hand. “I didn't mean to bring back such horrible memories.”

  “It's fine, I want you to know,” he sighed. “My mother was already dead and part of me was grateful she didn't live to see Atlantis fall. But Frigg, my father's second wife, was holding Balder so tight, he cried out for me to take him. I had to wrench him from her arms.”

  “Balder is your brother?”

  “Yes, he was two,” his other hand fisted on the table. “We made it to our boat and took as many on board with us as we could. Teharon was there and Horus with his parents but I don't remember the others. It was so long ago.”

  “So the three of you have been friends since then?”

  “Yeah,” he gave me a half grin. “That was before Horus gained the power to shift. He was just an impudent teenager then. I don't think he ever fully recovered from the horror of it. He really is a good man,” Thor eyed me earnestly. “I hope you don't hold his haughtiness against him. I think it's his way of protecting himself. He lost three sisters and his first love along with them that day. Now it's especially hard for him to get close to women.”

  “I can understand that.” It explained a lot about the birdbrain.

  “You've been good for him, I think,” Thor squeezed my hand before resuming his story. “We made it to the mainland and stood on the shore to watch as Atlantis crumbled into the ocean, lighting the night with blue fire.”

  “How many of you made it?”

  “Not a lot,” he looked away. “Less than a thousand out of hundreds of thousands.”

  “So then you just left?”

  “We'd managed to salvage a few things,” he said. “We made camp on the beach, took stock of our supplies, and decided on our next move.”

  “Very sensible,” I smiled, thinking that was very like Thor.

  “Yes,” he made a self-mocking sniff. “We were all very sensible back then. We knew the humans inhabiting the mainland were inferior to us in both intelligence and magical talent.”

  “So you decided to become their gods?” I raised a brow.

  “No, that was never the plan,” he glanced over as Claudio, the owner/waitor trudged by, yelling
back at his mother in the kitchen. “We planned on simply ruling them. We had no idea what their magic would do to us, what their adoration would change. Your people made mine gods. We found our divinity, our immortality, in you.”

  “Well, I happen to know that already but it's nice to hear you acknowledge it,” I winked, trying to lighten his mood.

  He rewarded me with a grin. “My father took us North, where it was cold but very beautiful. The harsh conditions made strong men and we inherited their strength. It was a good decision. Eventually, we gained enough power to build the God Realm but it took us all, working together to accomplish it.”

  “Is Balder your only brother? I thought I'd read there were more.”

  “Odin's called the All-Father, so people got confused. There are a few gods humans say are his sons when they aren't aren't but Dad did take a lover after Frigg and then remarried a fourth woman. So I have two more brothers, Vali and Vidar,” Thor smiled.

  “Good for him,” I swallowed past a strange lump in my throat. I cleared my throat and continued. “It's nice that he was able to find love again.” That seemed to pour cold water all over Thor's improved mood. “What I say?”

  “No, nothing,” he smiled but it was bitter. “It's just that his last wife was human and when she died, it nearly killed him. It was worse than when he lost Mom. He's let it turn him bitter. It's very hard to be around him now. Only Balder visits anymore. Vali's disappeared into his beloved forest and no one's knows where Vidar is. Sabine's death has killed my family. The only time I see Father anymore is at Yule.”

  “And yet, here you sit, on a date with a human,” I felt that lump in my throat constrict harder. I guess it was my intuition, warning me that Odin had failed in the exact same way I knew I'd fail with his son. “Are you sure you want to make the same mistake your father did?”

  “There's more to the story than I can tell you now,” he kissed my hand. “Just know that it could be very different for us.”

  “It will be different,” I took a deep breath and lifted my glass.