The Tainted Web (The Godhunter, Book 7)

by Sumida, Amy

  “Twist it however you want,” I bit out, “I don't torture people like you. I do what my heart tells me is right and my heart tells me you're a son of a bitch who's holding another man's freedom under his thumb by telling him he's a piece of property. Well that didn't work with the African-Americans and it won't work with him. He'll figure it out one day, whether I help him or not. He's got good in him and that pisses you off, doesn't it? Thought he was going to be just like you because he came from your head? I guess you didn't consider that you were once like him, huh? You were once a pretty good guy but you've let this power corrupt you. You've lost your damn mind.”

  “No, Godhunter,” he grinned cruelly. “I believe that was you.”

  Chapter Thirty-One

  I'll never be able to fully recall the things that Iktomi did to me. Even immediately after the event, I could only remember them in glimpses, snatches of horror movie gore and surrealistic sadism. Following so closely on the heels of the Wild Hunt, I found that there were times I couldn't separate the two, times I couldn't determine whose body was being sundered, whose blood was covering me.

  I just know he started with a shocking absence of blood, simply making my legs disappear so I wouldn't try to run from him. He gave them back to me later, much later, when I couldn't move without pain, and then proceeded to destroy them and my mind in other ways.

  By the time Torrent found me, I wasn't anything that remotely resembled a human being. Most of me was strewn across the branches of the trees like garish Christmas ornaments. All that remained was a torso, my head, and my bleeding heart. You would think that I would have passed out from the pain but that doesn't happen in the Inter Realm, where all is pure thought, pure energy. There was no escaping because Iktomi wouldn't allow it.

  “Vervain?” Torrent's eyes were glassy. Or was that my own vision gone bad? “Drink this,” his voice broke on a sob as he held a glass to my lips. “What did you say to him to make him do this? I've never seen anything like this. This is...”

  “Evil?” I regained my voice as I regained my body. I simply reformed, the pieces of me decorating the landscape disappearing to coalesce into what I was supposed to be.

  “Evil,” he agreed with a whisper. “If I free you, will you take me with you? Protect me from Iktomi? Claim me as yours?”

  “You're not something to be claimed,” I sighed, “but I will protect you and take you with me. I promise.” I held out my hand and he pulled me to my feet with it instead of shaking it.

  “Then we must go now,” He wrapped his arms around me and suddenly the Forest of the Dead was gone.

  We were standing in an empty room. White walls, ceiling, and floor. Very institutional. And then I realized what it was.

  “A tracing room?”

  “Yes,” he was still holding onto me. “Can you take us to your home?”

  “Yes,” I smiled, held him tighter and took us immediately to Pride Palace.

  We reformed in front of the tracing wall and I didn't waste a second reassuring Torrent. Instead, I grabbed his hand and raced down the hallway to the library. I needed to shut down the router before Iktomi followed us. Shouts erupted as we sped past my Intare and I'm sure someone ran off to tell my men I was home, but I didn't pay them any mind, just kept running as if my life depended on it because I was pretty sure it did.

  “Vervain!”

  The room was full of people, all of them waiting in front of the laptop as if I would jump from it at any second. I scanned the faces for the imps, saw that they were safe, and then pulled the router's plug from the wall.

  I stood, huffing, holding the router's cord in one hand and Torrent's hand in the other, as my friends stared at me in shock. I knew I didn't look like anything awful had happened to me, no blood or torn clothing, but my expression must have given away something because Kirill roared, followed closely by Trevor's howl, and Odin's battle-cry. The imps were making noise of their own, stamping up and down, waiting to be told who to kill. Torrent cringed beside me.

  It was all too much for the fragile state of my mind. I gave one last apologetic look to Torrent and fell forward into the arms he raised to catch me.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  There was nothing for awhile, just the sweet bliss of blankness. I floated there, happy and calm till the images started to return. Just glimpses at first, they soon evolved into full blown nightmares. I was in a cave, water dripped somewhere hollowly. Plink, plink, plunk. My shoes slipped on the uneven floor and I reached a hand out to the side to steady myself. The cave wall felt clammy, like slime on scales, and I pulled my hand back with a gasp.

  That's when I noticed the line of people. They waited patiently, the line of them snaking through the cave both ahead and behind me. I walked beside them but they didn't seem to notice me, too intently focused on what lay ahead. I started to run, an ominous feeling chasing me down the length of people.

  Near the front of the line were people I knew, people I loved. My lions, the Froekn, Fenrir, all my friends and family were there. I tried to talk to them, to ask why they were there, but they just stared ahead. I made my way to the head of the line, passing more of my loved ones, Kirill, Trevor, my sons, my mother, until I saw Odin. I screamed at him, demanding an explanation, until finally, he lifted a hand, pointing to a point above the arch of a doorway. The line headed through the opening, into a dark cavern beyond. I couldn't make out what was there but the words carved into the stone where Odin pointed, were clear.

  The Hanging Gardens.

  I began to scream as Odin walked forward, the darkness of the cavern beyond lightening as he went, until I could see the barren trees that filled it. Bodies hung from those trees but there were still plenty of empty branches waiting for everyone I loved. Odin was led to an empty tree by a hooded figure, his boots falling heavily on the wooden steps that led up to a waiting noose. He placed the noose around his neck as I ran forward, pleading with him to stop. He looked at me just as I reached the steps.

  “It's okay. This isn't the first time I've hung from a tree,” he stepped of the perch.

  “No!” I lifted his legs and pushed up, taking his weight. “No, Odin! Help me! Someone please! Trevor!” I screamed as I watched him walk by, but he was only heading for his own tree. “Trevor!”

  Suddenly the trees were filled with my loved ones, everyone I held dear, from my god friends to my human. I ran from tree to tree, lifting the bodies up by their legs, hoping they weren't dead yet. But hope doesn't live in the Hanging Gardens, nothing lives for long. Miles and miles of death spread out before me and when I finally dropped to my knees in defeat, all of the dead looked up at me with lifeless eyes and pointed gray fingers in my direction.

  “Your fault,” the rasp of sound through damaged throats. “Why didn't you save us?”

  “No,” I covered my face and sobbed.

  When I looked up again, my chest was gaping open to show my heartless ribcage.

  “You truly are a heartless bitch,” Iktomi said as he stood over me, holding my missing organ.

  I screamed and ran. The corpses fell from the trees like overripe fruit and chased after me. Wet limbs catching in my hair and leaving bits of decayed flesh behind. I flailed, batting their hands away, until a steady voice caught my attention.

  “Vervain,” a cool hand on my forehead. “Carus, listen to my voice. This is only a nightmare. You're safe in bed at your lion palace. You're safe. Wake up!”

  I blinked, pulling myself out of the nightmare with effort and flinched back from the hands holding me. My men pulled away, staring at me with concern and shock.

  “Torrent!” I cried as I searched for him. “Where is he?”

  “I'm here,” he came around to the other side of the bed and crawled over to me to take my hand. “We made it. We're safe.”

  “For now,” I whispered and closed my eyes again. There were horrible images waiting behind my eyelids though, so they shot open once more.

  “Vervain,” Trevor stared at
the way I held Torrent's hand so tight. “Torrent told us what happened. Is there anything we can do? Anything you need?”

  “No, I...” I swallowed hard past the pulse that was beating in my throat. “I'll be okay. I just need a little time.”

  “Take all the time you need,” Odin said gently. “We're all here for you. Vidar and Vali are right here too,” he waved my boys forward and they pushed past my men and knelt by the bed.

  “Mom,” Vali pulled me forward into a hug and then Vidar was around us both. I let go of Torrent's hand so I could hug them back.

  The strength of their bodies, their beating hearts, calmed me more and I was able to push back the insanity that was threatening my mind. I sighed and let go of the images, let my mind cover them over and paint them black. It was all in my head, that's what that psychopath Iktomi had said. Well then I'd bury it there. I wouldn't let him win.

  “I'm okay,” I pushed them back. “I am now, really. I just need a hot shower and some fresh clothes and then I'll join you all in the dining room.”

  “Carus,” Azrael's hand was on my shoulder and I felt the comfort of his magic slip into me, easing the anguish even further. The little bond we had now flared to life at his touch and pulsed warm inside me. “Take your time, it's okay.”

  “No, it's not,” I patted his hand to ease the sting of my words. “We need to get that bastard. I promised Torrent I'd protect him.”

  “We're all in Torrent's debt,” Odin agreed. “He will be safe, I vow it.”

  “Yeah, okay, Oathbreaker,” I grinned at him and everyone erupted into relieved laughter.

  “There's my girl,” Trevor came forward and helped me to my feet. “Do you need some assistance in your shower?”

  “No, I'm fine,” I kissed his cheek and walked through them, sharing quick touches along the way. “Are you okay, Torrent?”

  “Perfectly,” he nodded. “Your family has been most kind.”

  “Good,” I looked around and noticed a distinct lack of imps. “The imps?”

  “Imps are good,” Kirill answered. “They looked for you for long time, vent back to zat place but you vere not zere.”

  “I know,” I shooed everyone out the door, “go tell them I'm okay, that it wasn't their fault.”

  “Da,” Kirill left with one last look.

  “Minn Elska,” Trevor hesitated at the door. “About what was said before, I just want to say I'm sorry. I don't want to fight with you but we do need to talk about things.”

  “Later,” I sighed and closed the door. “Much later.”

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  “So it is Iktomi,” Teharon sounded resigned.

  After my shower, we'd gone over the gruesome details of my capture and subsequent torture at the hands of Iktomi. Everyone had ranted and raged and it was wholeheartedly decided upon that Iktomi should die horribly. The anger had fortified me, brought me back a little from the dark place Iktomi had sent me to, and helped me think clearer. I was finally able to eat something, so there was a platter of roast beef sandwiches in front of me on the dining table.

  “Yeah I can say that with absolute confidence now but who's this Mica guy?” I asked around a bite of sandwich. “He's the same one who tried to steal Pan's company and I didn't see him there at all.”

  “Mica is the Coyote God,” Torrent answered as he looked over the sandwich I'd placed in front of him. “He's been Iktomi's partner for centuries.”

  “He's a trickster, just like Iktomi, more miscreant than villain.” Teharon added. “They've never done anything sinister. Nothing like this.”

  “Well they've upped their game,” I swigged down some water and tried to push aside the screaming in my head. “Even putting aside what Iktomi did to me-”

  “Ve are not putting aside zat,” Kirill interrupted and his declaration was met with nods and sounds of agreement.

  “Yes, well,” I swallowed back the gratitude I felt for my friends and focused on the things I witnessed at Iktomica. “We've established that Iktomi is a fucking psychopath but as far as Iktomica goes, I've never been so repulsed by anything in my life. No wait, the skinned children were worse to see but the potential evil here is even greater. At least those kids hadn't been tortured, they were killed quickly first.”

  “Skinned children?” One of the imps had stopped eating to stare at me in horror.

  “Yeah,” I gave him an apologetic look for bringing it up. “That guy's dead now. Don't worry about it.”

  “Oh, okay,” the imp went back to eating happily.

  “So tell me more about this Iktomi and Mica team,” I gave my attention back to Torrent and the rest of the God Squad fixed him with intent stares as well.

  “I know they're both powerful but Iktomi has considerably more power. He holds Mica back because he doesn't trust him,” Torrent shrugged. “They both can shapeshift. Iktomi changes into a spider and Mica a coyote, but that's probably obvious from their names and the fact that you've already seen Iktomi.”

  “Yeah, not too creative there,” Pan huffed.

  “And to that,” Teharon frowned, “we add the Navajo legend about his web being the Internet.”

  “So we have Navajo to thank for this,” I groaned. “I didn't even think about that.”

  “How so?” Meilyr was following the conversation intensely.

  “A god's magic is influenced by human belief,” I explained. “So if humans believe Iktomi will control the Internet, it gives him the power to do so.”

  “Yes,” Teharon was rubbing his forehead. “Iktomi probably couldn't resist. He always liked easy conquests.”

  “Mica doesn't come around often,” Torrent mused. “I believe he has a place in the God Realm where he lives. He leaves the running of the company to Iktomi and only comes in when Iktomi decides to share some energy with him. You may be able to use Mica's resentment to your advantage. I've seen him give Iktomi some nasty looks when his back was turned. Otherwise, I don't know of any weakness that Iktomi has. I haven't met a lot of other gods before all of you but I can hazard a guess that he's one of the most powerful if not the most powerful.”

  “Maybe,” I agreed, “but we have something he doesn't.”

  “Lots of weapons?” Torrent asked with a hopeful tone.

  “In a way,” I laughed. “We have each other. It sounds like Iktomi doesn't have any friends. He doesn't have anyone to stand beside him. So he may be powerful but if we combine all of our power together, I think we trump that.”

  Torrent gave me a relieved smile. It must have been hell for him, leaving the only life he'd ever known while thinking his maker would most likely hunt him down and kill him repeatedly. He'd witnessed Iktomi's version of justice first hand, so I'm sure he had no problem imagining up tortures that his father would wreck upon him.

  “Okay,” Thor commanded everyone's attention, especially mine. His attraction level had gone up for me since the argument with my men and after the hell I'd just gone through, his sweet face was like a cool breeze on my burned soul. I wanted to curl up in his lap and cry. I frowned at the thought, maybe Iktomi had done some permanent damage to my mind after all. “So at least we know who we're dealing with now and thanks to Torrent, Vervain, and her imps, we even know where to find Iktomi and we know the level of power we're dealing with. Does anyone have any ideas on how we should take care of this?”

  “We need to talk to Estsanatlehi,” Teharon said. “Her sons know Iktomi and Mica.”

  “Sons?” I put my sandwich down. “I thought her and Mr. T only had one son?”

  “No,” Teharon frowned, “they have twins but they don't speak of them very often and when they do, they usually just refer to Nayenezgani. He seems to lead the other son, Tobadzistsini. One is dark, one is light, two sides of a coin but inseparable. Where Nayenezgani leads, Tobadzistsini follows. If Estsanatlehi can speak with them, she may be able to get us more information.”

  “Yes, I know of these gods,” Torrent agreed around a bite of sandwich. “Th
ey're unaware of the extent of Iktomi's reach, I don't believe they've ever been to Iktomica, but they've visited his territory in the God Realm.”

  “But if Iktomi is friends with them...” I didn't want Mrs. E to have to suffer anymore. What if Iktomi went after her?

  “No, it's like you guessed,” Torrent stopped me. “Iktomi and Mica have no friends. They're not even friends with each other really. I told you how Iktomi keeps Mica out of the loop. I think the only reason he even added Mica's name to the company's is to prevent him from leaving for good.”

  “Why is he still there?” I asked.

  “Because Iktomi,” Teharon gave me a reproachful glance, “is frighteningly powerful, as you've already experienced. He's a good ally to have if you remember to never trust him completely.”

  “Yeah and if you enjoy murder and mayhem in your spare time,” I griped. “Oh, and horrific forms of torture.”

  “Yes,” Teharon agreed. “He has truly sunken to new lows of vileness. I can't believe he could become so heartless.”

  “So evil,” Torrent sighed and looked over at me.

  “Evil,” I agreed. “Okay, contact Mrs. E. We have no other options and I'm all out of ideas besides destroying the Internet.”

  “How would you take down the Internet?” Thor wondered and the imps around me gasped.

  “You can't,” Azrael announced from his seat at the end of the table. He was the only one of my men who I wasn't mad at, since he'd been absent during the fight, but that didn't mean he didn't share their views on my behavior. He'd have to be included when we hashed it all out. “It's world wide. You'd have to destroy every server out there and that would bring down most of the commerce in the world, not to mention the damage it would do to governments and who knows what else. You'd cause more harm than you'd prevent.”

  “Ok,” I frowned. “So we need to find a way to cut him off from the web and then pull his plug.”

  “We can help,” Meilyr said and the rest of the imps nodded enthusiastically. “We can destroy his web.”