Harvest of the Gods

by Sumida, Amy

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Trevor's face paled and I knew he was remembering the giant spider Iktomi had become.

  “No, Honey-Eyes,” I said gently, “I'm not.”

  “She's really not,” Torrent whispered, his eyes looking haunted and bruised. He clutched his blanket closer to himself and Kirill put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

  “Well, I refuse to just roll over and die,” snarled Fenrir. “You're going to take me and some of my wolves to wherever you went today and we're going to handle this.”

  “No.”

  “What?” His voice got deadly quiet.

  “I'm not taking you there,” I said with finality, “and neither is Torrent. I won't put him through that again and I refuse to be a party to your death.”

  “You are my Rouva,” he stood up and glared down at me, “and you will obey my wishes in this.”

  “No I won't. Strip me of the title if you want,” I shook my head, calm in the face of his anger because I'd rather have him mad at me, even furious with me, than have him face that thing. “I will not deliver you unto that evil. You don't understand, your strength doesn't matter, not even my dragon stood a chance. I couldn't even feel her there, all of my beasts hid. It's not a matter of whether or not you can fight it, because there's nothing to fight and yet that nothing will consume you while you stand there unable to move against it, and make you a part of the nothing. I'm sorry, Fenrir, I won't go back there and I won't take you back there either, I want you alive.”

  “You merely resign me to another form of death,” he glared at me before turning and leaving the room. The Froekn who'd come with him gave me varying degrees of hostile looks before they followed him out. I didn't even care, I was too numb. Their anger barely scratched the surface.

  “I'll speak to him,” Emma gave me a sad smile. “I don't want him dead either.”

  “Thank you,” I nodded to her as she left.

  “Vervain,” Trevor whispered in horror.

  “Don't,” I shook my head and reached blindly for Torrent's hand. He gripped mine tight and we took comfort in each other, only the two of us knew the true measure of the monster. “You need to trust me in this, Trevor. There was bound to be a god we couldn't fight and we've found him. If that thing we faced was Kanaloa, I'm glad we never confronted him with my suspicions because we'd all be dead. This power is beyond divine, it's practically astronomical.” I glanced over at Torrent and he was nodding, over and over like a crazy person. “I may not be able to control Fenrir but I do control the Intare and I hope you will support my decisions. We're not fighting this, please just let it go.”

  “Alright, Minn Elska,” Trevor's voice was soft as he looked me and Torrent over. “I trust you. If you say this is too much for us, than we stay away from it. Loving you has made me value my life more than my ego.”

  I gave him as much of a smile as I could muster, which probably wasn't a lot. I knew how monumental those words were for him, that what he was really saying was that he'd chosen me over Fenrir and the Froekn, but I couldn't truly appreciate it at the moment. Everything seemed distant, a hollow echo of what it should have been, and I couldn't focus on anything but the shivering knowledge of what I'd almost become.

  Nothing.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Two days went by with no attacks. Everything was quiet, including Fenrir, who wasn't speaking to me. I didn't care, at least he was alive and able to speak to someone. I sent him the Rouva torque through Samantha, since Trevor was kind of avoiding his Dad so he wouldn't get put in the middle. Samantha said Fenrir had given her the silent treatment as well.

  “Are you ready, Tima?” Kirill was at the door, staring at me through the reflection of my vanity mirror.

  “Sure,” I put down the brush I'd been holding for the last five minutes, which I'd spent staring at myself, wondering when I'd become such a coward. Emma had been right, I'm a woman who stands her ground, and hiding from this latest threat was not in my nature. Something had changed the second I'd stepped foot in that hallway though. I couldn't concentrate, couldn't sleep, and was constantly jumping at shadows. I barely recognized myself, all haunted eyes and sallow skin. I took one last look at the stranger in the mirror and sighed. “Let's go.”

  We were attending a party in Duat, the Egyptian Underworld, so the Intare could visit with their dead brothers. Everyone was excited and I tried not to let my apprehension in returning to the place of my captivity dampen the mood. What did it matter when everything seemed to scare me lately? I fixed a smile on my face and took Kirill's arm.

  Trevor was waiting with Samantha, Roarke, Torrent, and the rest of the Intare, by the tracing wall. He smiled encouragingly, knowing how difficult this was going to be for me. Then he hugged me and the spicy wolf musk I associated with home, surrounded me, comforting me. It was going to be fine, my men were with me.

  “We don't have to do this,” Trevor whispered.

  “Yea, tho I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,” I tried to joke but the words brought a vision of that sludge to my mind and I cringed a little. I pasted on another smile when I saw Trevor's concern though. “Thou art with me,” I kissed him, hoping he knew how much having him beside me actually did comfort me, rod and staff or not. “Does everyone know the chant to get into Duat?” They all nodded. “Good, let's go party with the God of the Dead.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Duat was as beautiful as I remembered. The Egyptian theme was prevalent throughout the palace but the ballroom, which we were directed to by growling jackals, was more eighteenth century Vienna than pre-Christian Cairo. The gardens right outside the ballroom doors continued in an un-Egyptian style, more something you'd expect Marie Antoinette to be walking through than Cleopatra.

  It was amazing, no matter the time period and culture it evoked, and my lions were loving it. Though that may have had more to do with the five men they'd never thought to see again rather than the ambiance. Hamish, Alan, Noel, George, and Rick were spread throughout the room with their favorite friends, laughing and joking as if they were still alive.

  There were card tables spread around the room too and It's a Dead Man's Party by Oingo Boingo was playing over the sound system. Anubis must have given the lions some say in the evenings entertainment and it made me think better of him. He'd always come across as a traditionally stuffy kind of god but now I was seeing a new side to him. Maybe the Intare were good for him.

  Despite what the song implied, the dead lions didn't look like ghosts or even zombies, they looked pretty solid and felt solid when I hugged them. There weren't any visible signs of decay either, no body parts falling into the punch(that would be one spiked punch I wouldn't want to try). I did however notice that none of them ate or drank anything.

  It didn't matter, I was grateful to have them with us in any capacity. I only wished it didn't make me feel so indebted to a man I wanted to push further away, not draw closer. I glanced at Anubis, standing a safe distance away from me in a circle of Intare. He gave me a sly wink and my stomach clenched, fear shivering over my arms. I frowned, it had been awhile since I was actually afraid of Anubis. I shook off the feeling and focused instead on Roarke, standing to Anubis' left.

  Roarke was having a splendid time, a glass of Duat wine in his hands and his leg twitching to the music. He'd tried to roam the rest of the palace when we'd first arrived but had been caught by one of the Jackals and brought back to the party. He'd shrugged by way of an apology, saying something about cats and curiosity, and Anubis had just laughed instead of reminding him what usually happened to curious cats. I was impressed by this behavior as well and wondered briefly what had changed between the time I'd seen Anubis at Moonshine and now. Then again, it's hard to stay mad at Roarke.

  “Vervain,” a smooth voice sent shivers over my skin and I turned with a smile on my face, knowing exactly who I'd find standing behind me, looking marvelous as usual.

  “Re, it's good to see you. Hard to look at you without sunglas
ses,” I joked, waving at hand at his golden tinged skin and bright blond hair, “but good to see you.”

  “You too, Lady Lion,” he winked. “I'd hoped to never see you within these walls again but sometimes life can surprise us. Here you are, an honored guest instead of a treasured prisoner. Looks like my fears were unfounded.”

  Fears. I swallowed hard, another shiver passing through me, but this shiver wasn't enjoyable.

  “Vervain?” Re leaned his face down into mine. “Are you alright?”

  “I'm sorry,” I shook my head. “I'm distracted tonight. There have been some attacks against the Froekn. The first was perpetrated by Demeter but the second was a dark magic that I believe is impossible to oppose. It seems to either create or feed off of fear. I told Fenrir it can't be fought and now he's not speaking to me.”

  “Whoa,” he leaned back, his gold skin glinting in the light of the thousands of candles above us. “That's pretty heavy. Did you find out which god it is?”

  “No,” I sighed. “I have some suspicions but the more I discover, the more I think it isn't him. I will say that it felt empty, like a void or a vacuum.”

  “Empty, huh?” He frowned. “That doesn't sound like anyone I know. Have you talked to Nephthys? It may be something she can help you with.”

  “Anubis' mother?” I looked across the room and saw her standing near the doors leading out to the terrace. “No, I hadn't thought of that.”

  “Let's go ask her,” he gestured toward the tall regal woman and I let him lead me over to her.

  “Vervain,” her voice always sounded so sad but she looked happy to see me. “Welcome back to Duat.” She gave me a lingering hug and then pulled back, startled. “You've been touched by the Darkness.”

  Her words resounded inside me, a truth that rang through me and then was gone. She had called the evil by the same name Faerie had. I knew now for certain that we were dealing with the same god. I swallowed hard, also knowing that I'd be forced to fight this Darkness after all.

  “Yes,” I finally said. “Do you know anything about it?”

  “My domain is darkness,” she frowned, “but it's a different darkness than that which you've come into contact with. When we first set foot on your shores, fleeing the destruction of our home, there was magic there that had nothing to do with the humans. It was old, far older than we, and it was hungry.”

  “Yes,” I nodded eagerly, “that's what I felt. Hunger.”

  “We stayed away from it,” she looked far away for a moment, as if she were viewing a memory. “It would come at night, creeping around the edges of our fires, and it would whisper to us. It called to me once, said it could give me more power than I'd ever imagined, but I was wary of power then. Power was what destroyed my home and I didn't long for it again until after Set found us a tribe of humans to call our own. Their magic was softer, safer. I became as you see me now and the darkness became a haven for me but my darkness is merely a counterpoint to light. The Darkness that approached us at our weakest moments was not a partner to anything, it was the absence of everything. It was lack given shape, loneliness and suffering without sanity, a drowning man who will pull his savior down with him.” She shivered and I shivered with her.

  “Loneliness,” there was something about that word, what was it? “But I was chasing a god, it traced the Aether. Do you know if anyone accepted what that Darkness offered?”

  “No,” she smiled sadly, “we left those shores quickly and I never saw it again. I admit I'm grateful for that.”

  “Do you know a god named Kanaloa?” I persisted. “Was he there with you or did you see him?”

  “Kanaloa,” she said thoughtfully. “I have a connection with that deity actually.”

  “You do?”

  “We are both deities of darkness,” she nodded. “There are a few of us, you know, and we all share a light bond through the magic.”

  “So was he there?”

  “I don't know,” she shook her head. “It was a very confusing time and very long ago. He could have been.”

  “What about this link?” I tried again. “Can you feel anything odd through it? Anything that might indicate that his power has grown or changed? Or maybe an indication of violence?”

  “Honestly, I haven't felt much of anything from Kanaloa in years,” she shrugged. “We don't use the bond unless we are in need.”

  “Okay. You wouldn't happen to have any ideas on how to destroy something like that, would you?”

  “I would think you would know more about destroying loneliness than I would, Goddess of Love,” she smiled more vibrantly at me, her voice losing the whisper of the grave for a second.

  “Love?” I blinked at her. “You think I could fight this thing with Love?”

  “I don't know,” ah, there was that sorrowful voice again. “Love is the greatest of magics but I would say it's best to leave the Dark alone, let it feed upon itself.”

  “If only it would,” I sighed. “Thank you for your help, you've given me more insight at least.”

  “I'm glad,” she nodded, “but you must cleanse yourself of this taint,” she touched me lightly on my sternum. “Ask my son to take you to the fountain, there you may wash away the fear that has lingered in your heart.”

  “Taint?” I rubbed at my chest, no wonder I felt so awful all the time. I glanced over my shoulder and searched the room until I found Torrent. He was standing in a corner, watching everything with wary eyes, like the walls might start seeping black goo at any minute. “I think I may need to bring one other with me.”

  “I'm sure Anubis will help you and your friend in any way he can,” she gave me a secret smile.

  “Yes, I'm sure you're right,” I think my smile was more of a grimace. “I'm going to go ask him, thank you again, Nephthys.” On impulse I hugged her and when I pulled away, she was smiling at me.

  “May you travel through the Darkness untouched,” Nephthys laid her hand on my forehead and I felt something shiver over me, a sprinkling of magic.

  “Nephthys,” I gaped at her.

  “Protection is mine to give,” she looked serene, “and I think you need it. Go on, find Anubis and tell him why I sent you.”

  I nodded and turned, almost walking right into Re, who I'd completely forgotten about. He laughed and steadied me, pressing his chest to mine with a waggle of his brows. I pushed him back with my own laugh.

  “Back off, playa',” I slid out of his grip and he followed me.

  “Oh now,” he tried to sound wounded, “why must you always treat me like a lecher? I only flirt.”

  “Re,” I stopped suddenly, a memory of him resurfacing. “I just realized that I never thanked you for what you did for Trevor.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “The night Anubis brought him to our engagement party,” I thought back to a night I'd rather forget but then I'd been remembering a lot of horrible things lately. “When Anubis had his jackals take Trevor away, you followed them for me and made sure they didn't hurt him. Then you came to help us battle Eris,” I took his hand and squeezed it. “You always helped me and I hope you know that if you ever need anything, I'll be there for you too.”

  “Vervain, I,” his mouth hung open, as if waiting for words to fill it. “It was the right thing to do. You don't owe me anything.”

  “You and Ma'at helped me through one of the worst times in my life,” I leaned up and kissed his cheek. “I will never forget your kindness and I will never fail you as a friend. Just say You're welcome, Vervain.”

  “You're welcome, Vervain,” he smiled softly.

  “Does Nephthys give her protection often?” I changed the subject before we both got teary eyed.

  “I've never seen her give it to another god.”

  “Hmph,” I didn't know if that was good or bad. “I'll try to feel flattered.”

  “That she thinks you're in so much danger, you need the protection of the Queen of the Dead?” He huffed and shook his head.
/>   “The what?” I stopped and looked back at him. “I thought Nephthys was a Goddess of Mourning?”

  “Mourning, Death, and Darkness,” he shrugged. “She helps people along the path to Aaru.”

  “You mean past the golden doors Anubis guards?” I remembered watching Anubis judge souls and how I thought the worthy ones, the ones who got to go through the golden doors, were not necessarily the lucky ones. Past the doors was a darkness that was menacing, full of horrible trials the dead needed to undergo before reaching their paradise. I blinked as it sunk in. That was the darkness Nephthys was talking about, that was her domain. “She lives in there?”

  “Of course she doesn't live in there,” Re laughed.

  “Oh good,” I said with relief.

  “She just works there.”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  “Can I speak with you?” I had ditched Re with a quiet Thoth, who stared at Re like he was both villain and hero. Then I'd approached Anubis with Torrent in tow.

  “Of course,” Anubis gave Torrent a confused glance, then made his excuses to the group he was talking to. “Shall we?” He gestured to an unoccupied alcove.

  “Thank you,” I pulled Torrent along with me and waited for Anubis to give me his full attention. “Your mother recommended I ask you to take me to the fountain.”

  “The fountain?” His dark brow wrinkled, the gold beads in his hair clinking with the movement.

  “I've had a run-in with a bad element, as it were,” something felt off about my wording, so I tried it again. “The Darkness touched me and Nephthys says I need to be cleansed.”

  “What?” He looked me over with alarm.

  “It touched Torrent too,” I gestured to him. “Can you take us?”

  “Yes, of course,” he ushered us over to the main doors and out into the hallway. “Hurry,” the heels of his dress shoes clicked on the marble floor and mine echoed them as I pulled up the hem of my black gown so I could keep up.

  The hollow sound seemed to amplify my fright, which in turn made me run faster. I glanced behind me, suddenly aware that there were only two sets of footfalls echoing through the hallway. Had we lost Torrent? But no, he was still there, moving like a phantom at my heels.