The Tainted Web (The Godhunter, Book 7)

by Sumida, Amy

  “Well at least you invited me over for the food,” he grinned and went to make himself a plate.

  Torrent, who'd been let out of the theater after Iktomi was dead and dismembered by Thunderbirds, stared at Fenrir in wide-eyed wonder. I guess the sight of a scarred giant wolf god could be a little disconcerting the first time. I patted his shoulder and introduced him to my adopted father.

  “Should we invite him to the Wild Hunt?” Arach was seated beside me on my right, a place where Kirill normally sat but had given up to Arach for his part in saving my life.

  “No,” I said quickly, shivering to think that I hadn't gotten out of Kael's Hunt after all. “I think the Wild Hunt is too much, even for Fenrir.”

  “As you like but I'm afraid I need to return,” Arach took my hand, “I've already been gone too long.”

  “I know,” I stood up and he followed. “I'll walk you out.”

  “You won't be returning with me?”

  “I'll be right behind you,” I held up the ring. “If I don't show up within a few minutes, come back and let me know.”

  “Agreed,” he gave a low laugh. “Meilyr, gather the imps, we're going home.”

  A round of cheers greeted that statement and I smiled as the little guys came bounding up to us.

  “It's about time,” Bearach grumbled.

  “Alright, come on then,” I laughed. “Roarke? Are you coming too?”

  “I think I'll stick around awhile longer,” he grinned and put his arm around Felina, one of the Froekn women.

  “Be careful, cat,” I warned, “that one has claws bigger than yours.”

  “Don't worry, Rouva,” Felina called out, using my Froekn title, “I won't hurt him too badly.”

  “Aw,” Roarke pouted, “now you've gone and ruined all my fun.”

  “Fuck me,” I whispered and turned away. “Werewolves and faeries, what's next?”

  “Don't ever ask that,” Arach chuckled.

  When we reached the tracing point, the imps went first, waving jauntily to me before disappearing into the wall. Then Arach pulled me into a hug and laid his cheek to the top of my head. I could hear his heart beating rapidly beneath my ear and his arms were tight around me. He sighed, the warmth of his breath stirring my hair.

  “I'm sorry I yelled at you today,” he finally whispered.

  “I'm sorry I was an idiot and didn't wait for you.”

  “Please don't run into battle alone again,” he pulled back and looked down at me earnestly. “You're not alone, Vervain. You have the Froekn, the Intare, and the entire Fire Kingdom at your back, not to mention your assorted god friends.”

  “The God Squad,” I murmured.

  “What?”

  “I call them The God Squad.”

  “Of course you do,” he rolled his eyes.

  “Well The God Gang didn't have as nice a ring to it.”

  “Vervain,” he groaned. “I'm leaving before you drive me even more insane.”

  “Okay but just one more thing.”

  “Oh, by the sacred tree, what is it?”

  “Thank you for saving my life.”

  He laughed, rubbed a tired hand over his face, and then pulled me into a savage kiss. I wrapped myself around him and kissed him back with all the frustration, anger, and fear that had been building up throughout the day. It was a violent release of a kiss and it left me feeling peacefully exhausted.

  “Five minutes,” he rumbled softly, “and then I come back for you.” Then he was gone.

  I leaned against the wall, and contemplated what waited for me in Faerie. I felt as at home there as I did in my little house in Kaneohe, or even Pride Palace. Faerie was right, I had a triple identity and as confusing as it may get, I had to learn to live with it. What I wasn't sure I could learn to live with though, was the Wild Hunt. I could understand it now, even appreciate the necessity of it, but live with it, participate in it? I just didn't know.

  “Vervain?” Thor's voice brought my head up, my thoughts out of blood and flesh.

  “Thor,” I was relieved to find no pull towards him, no attraction beyond an appreciation for his obvious good looks. “What are you doing back here?”

  “I wanted to apologize,” he held out the ring I gave him and my heart leapt until I realized that it was probably a fake. “I thought it was still with me but I guess I was bamboozled.”

  “Did you just say bamboozled?” I choked on a laugh. “Who says that?”

  “I do,” he frowned at me, “I just did.”

  “Thor,” I shook my head as I laughed some more, “you really need to get caught up on the lingo.”

  “There's no point,” he shrugged. “As soon as I learn the new jargon, humans twist it again. Why can't they just decide how to speak and stick with it? At least the fey are steady in that respect.”

  “Yes,” my thoughts returned to Arach and my future with the fey. “They're not the best at change.” Then I realized, Faerie wanted me because I was different. Maybe she knew that nothing could stay the same forever, that living creatures require change. Maybe she wanted me there to bring that change. “But I think it's time they did.”

  “Vervain,” Thor got the look he always did when he knew I was going to do something he didn't like. It was so familiar, so comforting, I lost a lot of the anger I hadn't realized I'd been harboring for him.

  “You aren't to blame for the ring,” I took the fake from him, “it was my fault but let's just erase this last trace of it, shall we?” I held it in my hand and blew a small stream of fire onto it, melting it into a lump. It popped and sizzled, then puffed into nothingness. “Whoa. Guess there was a bit of magic in that as well.” I looked up and found Thor staring at me with his jaw hanging open. “What?”

  “I knew you were dragon-sidhe,” he whispered, “but I had no idea what that entailed. So you're fireproof?”

  “Yep, pretty cool, huh?”

  “Pretty hot is more like it,” he snorted.

  “Very funny,” I smiled at him, feeling like I'd finally closed the door on Thor and I. The spell had accomplished one good thing at least. It had shown me that even though I didn't want Thor anymore, the resentment I had felt over the way he'd ended things had still been there, buried and festering in my heart. It had been poisoning my other relationships and now that it was gone, I knew things would be better not only with Thor but with my lovers. “Come here.”

  He gave me a surprised look before giving in and giving me a hug. I breathed in his electric scent without a tinge of hurt coming with it. His arms tightened and his hair fell around my face, the golden red of it like a sunrise for my heart, a new beginning. I let myself remember him, let the old feelings wash over and through me, and it left me happy. I was glad I'd had the time I did with him, we didn't make sense together anymore but what we had in the past was wonderful and I felt lucky to have the memory of it on top of all the other great loves in my life.

  “Thank you,” I said as I pulled away from him finally.

  “For the hug?”

  “For finding me,” I realized then that Thor had been the key. Without him, I could never have opened the door to this life. “For helping me find myself.”

  “Vervain,” he swallowed hard.

  “I will always be here if you need me,” I laid a hand over his heart. “But our time is done, it's time for you to find a new love.” My hand warmed and I felt the butterflies of my love magic rise within me. I blinked a little in surprise, it hadn't wanted to heal him before, but then how could it if I was angry with him? “I wish a great love for you, a lasting happiness.” Love flew out of my fingertips and into him, and for a moment, I saw his heart, the anger he held for me and the love. I healed the break and left my blessing as a protection and guide for him, then withdrew gently.

  “Darling,” he whispered. It had been a long time since I heard that from him, even longer since my heart hadn't ached at the sound of it. “You didn't have to do that.”

  “I think I did.” />
  “Goodbye, love,” he turned and walked away.

  “Goodbye, Thor.”

  Chapter Forty-Six

  I went back to the celebration. There was a big bonfire a little ways in front of the swimming pool and everyone seemed to be migrating there. The scent of burning wood rode the breeze and I closed my eyes, breathing it in along with the scents of lion and wolf. And Odin.

  I turned to find him standing behind me, leaning against a supporting pillar on the veranda. I cocked my head at him, wondering about his enigmatic expression, and he pushed off the pillar and came down to where I waited.

  “You finally gave him closure,” he said.

  “I didn't even know it was mine to give,” I glanced over to Thor. He was nearing the fire, a peaceful look on his face.

  “Sometimes, we don't know what power we hold until we try to wield it,” he ran a hand through the length of my hair, leaving it to rest on my hip.

  “And sometimes you sound like Merlin,” I grinned mischievously.

  “Well, I could grow out my beard,” he looked as if he were considering it.

  “Oh hell no,” I nudged him with my shoulder. “I don't want no ZZ Top beard falling in my face when we make love.”

  “See,” he grinned, “there's another power you didn't know you had, the power to control my beard.”

  “Only your beard?” I crossed my arms over my chest.

  “Maybe a few other parts of me too,” he pulled me back against him to show me which part I was currently controlling, and kissed the sensitive skin beneath my ear.

  “I've neglected you,” I frowned and turned around to face him.

  “You've been a little busy,” he kissed the tip of my nose.

  “Never too busy for my husband.”

  “Isn't that Arach now?”

  “Ouch,” I winced. “I have neglected you. You know you were mine first, even though I wasn't your first wife.”

  “Oh touché,” he chuckled. “It's okay, I know Arach's good for you, and he's actually easy to accept since I won't have to see you two together very often. It's just that previously, I was the only man who could claim to be your husband. It was something all my own.”

  “I know,” I bit my lip. “I would never have married Arach if I'd had all of my memories. It's kind of a sham marriage but one that's put me in a good position with the fey.”

  “You're exactly what and where you need to be,” he shrugged. “I can't argue that. I'm only confessing what these changes have done to me.”

  “I don't want you hurt,” I took his face in my hands and brought him closer. “It's hard to keep the balance but please remember that I love you, no matter what comes into my life or what horrible monster claims my attention next.”

  “Was that a reference to Iktomi or Arach?” Odin's eye twinkled.

  “I'm not sure,” I laughed.

  “Well, at least there are things I can do that none of the others can.” His whisper warmed my ear as I felt his touch along my inner thigh.

  “Hold on, cowboy,” I tried to pull away but he held me tight. “We're fifty feet away from everyone.”

  “And you don't have to remove a single piece of clothing,” he kissed me as his magic continued to make its way further up my thigh, rubbing against me until I began to shake, and then sliding inside me.

  I tightened my arms around him, kissing him and pressing my hips against his. My hands trailed down his back, over the ridges of prominent muscle, and down lower, where I could fill my hands with his ass and pull him even closer. He groaned against my lips and I felt more invisible hands on my skin, running over me everywhere, kneading, scraping, rubbing me. I could feel him inside me, working up a rhythm while he was still pressed hard against my pelvis, and all the while I heard the celebration behind me, victory whoops and cries in the dark that seemed to urge us on.

  It was wickedly delicious, standing there fully clothed while Odin made love to me with magic, but there was no substitute for the real thing, nothing like the feel of skin on skin. So I pulled away and he stared at me in shock until I smiled and led him inside.

  We made it to the sitting room that adjoined the library before we started divesting each other of our clothing rapidly. Firelight filtered in through the half open curtains, illuminating Odin's beautiful body in mysterious patches, giving me only glimpses; the curve of a bicep, the cut of a tight stomach, the indentation of a hip, the glint of a peacock colored eye. It all shifted in and out of shadow.

  I was seated on a loveseat, my clothes strewn about me, and he knelt between my legs, pushing them apart and then sliding his hands up over my hips to pull me against him in one swift move. My legs fell apart even further and I slid down, my back curving as my head was left to hold me up. He wrapped his arms around me, taking the pressure from my back and pulling me up to his kiss.

  His mouth was hot and sweet with magic, the clean, invigorating scent of him washing over me, making me feel like I stood on a cliff with him, surrounded by the purest air. He slid inside me then, the hot, real flesh of him, and I pulled him closer, wrapped my legs around him and fell into the motions of loving him.

  I was already halfway there, so it wasn't long before I threw my head back, his mouth at my throat, pressed against the vibration of the cries that I gave him. He continued to propel us forward into the abyss, past thought or reason, into the dark realm of ecstasy where only he and I existed, only this pleasure between us.

  I fell shaking into that pleasure and Odin followed with a tightening of muscles and his own ecstatic cry.

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  Odin returned to the celebration but I wanted to bathe before I left for Faerie. I didn't think Arach would appreciate me showing up smelling like one of my other men.

  After I'd bathed and packed, I went to say goodbye to everyone. Trevor raised a brow at me and then glanced at Odin. I just smiled and shrugged. He said he didn't want to see us together but he never said we couldn't be together at Pride Palace. Trevor rolled his eyes and gave me a quick kiss.

  “So I'll see you in a few minutes then?” He asked with a twinkle in his eye.

  “Yeah, I guess so,” I ruffled his shaggy hair, it was getting too long for him to leave loose anymore. “Maybe you better start tying this mop back.”

  “I could just cut it,” he shrugged.

  “Watch it,” I waved a finger at him, “you know I like long hair.”

  “Azrael has short hair,” he crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair.

  “And Azrael's not my alpha,” I kicked his chair and he fell back into the grass. Before he could get up, I straddled him and put a foot on his shoulder. “You looking to be demoted?”

  “If it means your gonna do stuff like this more often,” he grinned wide, “then go ahead and demote me, Princess.”

  “It's Queen,” I laughed and stood back to help him up. “And don't you forget it.”

  He grabbed my hand when I went to turn away, and pulled me back against his chest. “I'm your alpha,” he growled, “and don't you forget it.” Then he laid a kiss on me that had everyone around us hooting and hollering in delight.

  “You got it, babe,” I said as we broke the kiss. “Just don't cut the hair.”

  “Aghhh,” he threw his arms out, “you have to have the last word.”

  “Yes, I do,” I giggled as I went over to kiss Kirill goodbye.

  “Stop playing vith him, Tima,” he admonished me.

  “He likes it,” I tucked a strand of hair behind Kirill's ear. “If Azrael shows up, can you tell him I'll be right back?”

  “Da, of course,” he pulled me onto his lap. “But don't you zink I should get kiss too?”

  “All my men are randy tonight,” I chuckled, “must be the fight.”

  “We get nervous ven ve almost lose you,” he whispered before his arms tightened and he laid his mouth gently to mine, kissing me so sweetly, so gently, that no one dared break the silence.

  “I love you, lio
n,” I whispered.

  “I love you too, my heart.”

  “Oh, I'll never leave if you guys keep this up,” I broke the moment.

  “Zat was point,” Kirill grinned.

  “Mom,” Vidar stood behind me. “You leaving?”

  “Just for a few minutes,” I gave him a quick hug. “You won't even notice I'm gone.”

  “Okay,” he gave me one of his rare smiles and I pushed his long, black braid back over his shoulder. I was told he looked a lot like I did when I was Sabine, similar to how I looked now except more beautiful. I would have given anything to have blue eyes like his instead of my boring brown.

  “Vali,” I motioned his half-brother, my adopted son, over and gave him a hug. “Thank you both for coming to help today.”

  “Mom,” Vali huffed and rolled his eyes like a five-year-old. “Like we wouldn't come.”

  “Vali, you watch your tone with me,” I waved an angry finger in his face and he blanched but I couldn't keep up the pretense and started to laugh.

  “I guess this is what happens when your mother is younger than you are,” he sighed dramatically.

  “Don't worry,” I gave Odin a wink, “your dad's still an old man.”

  “Hey,” Odin narrowed his eye on me, “leave me out of it.”

  “What's this?” I ignored Odin and looked over Vali's shirt. It read: Honorary member of The God Squad.

  “Pan gave it to me,” he held it out proudly. “He gave Vidar one too but we didn't want to look like twins, wearing the same shirt.”

  “Great,” I shook my head and walked away.

  “Don't you like it?” Vali called after me.

  “It's very nice, son,” I called back over my shoulder.

  “I don't think she likes it,” I heard him say to Vidar.

  “Shut up, she likes it,” Vidar said back.

  I took a quick glance around, wanting to be sure Torrent was getting along okay before I left. He was sitting with Darius, Fallon, and Samantha, looking deep in conversation. I smiled, remembering the way his face had looked when I told him Iktomi was dead. He had shone, gleamed like light shining of water, for just a second and then smiled at me with such serenity, it transformed his face. I was glad he'd found some friends already, I was leaving him in good hands.