by Amy Sumida
“My mother has told us of Iya's threat to Earth,” Naye went on. “The Wakan Tanka will be able to help you catch him, and my brother and I will be able to help you win their aid.”
“That's why I asked them to join us,” Mrs. E said. “Toby and Naye have influence with the Lakota Council, despite the fact that they are Navajo gods.”
“Then, thank you both for coming,” Trevor said to the twins. “I'm sure you realize the gravity of the situation.”
“The magnetism of the situation, you mean,” Torrent interjected helpfully. “Gravity isn't the issue.”
“That was funny, sweetie,” Artemis said encouragingly. Then she looked over at the rest of us. “He's trying to be more humorous.”
“Torr, you're a funny guy without trying,” Azrael patted the smaller man's back. “Humor comes naturally; when you force it, you lose it.”
“Just like a woman,” Eztli purred as she cast a sidelong glance at her husband.
Blue sighed and rolled his eyes. “Will you never let that die?”
“Why should I? You didn't let me die,” she tossed back.
Eztli had been the first vampire Blue created. They were lovers, and he had often fed from her, but one day, he took too much blood, and Eztli nearly died. In an effort to save her, Blue had given Eztli his blood to replace her own, and in the process, he had accidentally made her into a vampire. Eztli had viewed her new life as monstrous, and so did many of the other Aztec gods, as well as her human tribe. She had been driven out of her village by her own family and a terrifying god named Quetzalcoatl. Blue knew nothing of the banishment at the time; he'd believed that Eztli had left on her own. Long story short; they had reunited and rekindled their love... but Eztli was still a little bitter.
“And if I had it all to do over again, I still wouldn't let you die,” Blue said with vicious intensity. “I will never let you go, Eztli; it's best that you accept that now, so we can be done with this ridiculous resentment.”
Eztli melted under Blue's striking, jade gaze. Blue pulled her against his chest and kissed her passionately before she could respond. I smiled at the display, ecstatic to see Blue so happy. He had spent far too many years drowning in pain and fury. It had made him do some horrible things. But now his soul was free of the pain of his past, and Eztli was the one who could keep him that way.
“That's so romantic,” Hekate sighed.
Horus, her husband, rolled his eyes. “Romantic or psychotic? He basically just told her that she's a prisoner.”
“A prisoner to love,” Hekate protested. “It's different.”
“Still psychotic.”
“There are times when you could be a little more psychotic,” Hekate noted primly.
Horus surged to his feet, yanked Hekate out of her chair, bent her over, and kissed her thoroughly. When he finally set Hekate back in her seat, she was flushed and soft-eyed.
“You're mine forever,” Horus snarled as he leaned onto her armrests and into her face. “I don't have to tell you that; you already know it. And I don't have to chain you to make you stay... unless you want to be chained.”
“Now, that's just enough psycho,” Hekate whispered happily and kissed her husband again.
“Anyone else want to make-out before we head over to the Wakan Tanka?” Thor rumbled as he cast an annoyed glance over the God Squad.
“Well, now that you mention it, I've always had a thing for you, big guy,” Pan sidled up to Thor and stroked a hand down Thor's bulging bicep.
“Odin's beard!” Thor roared as he jerked his arm away. “Are none of you taking this seriously?”
“We all are, Son,” Odin said as he patted Thor's shoulder. “We just need a little comic relief before the war.”
Thor took a deep breath and nodded.
“And if you keep using my beard as an expletive, I'm going to shave it off,” Odin added.
We all laughed, but I looked at Odin speculatively.
“You want me to shave?” Odin asked me in horror.
“I'm a little curious to see what's underneath that thing.” I shrugged.
“I wonder how many times he's heard that,” Pan muttered merrily as he hurried out of Odin's strike radius.
“How many of you have been to the Lakota Spirit World?” Mr. T asked before Odin could murder Pan.
Most of the gods lifted their hands, leaving only Trevor, Kirill (who wasn't going anyway), Torrent, Hades and I with our hands down.
“You've never been to the Lakota Spirit World?” Persephone asked her husband in shock.
“You have?” He was just as surprised as she was.
“Yeah, I went with Estsanatlehi once,” Sephy said.
“Oh, well, I've never been invited.”
We went quiet. It was kind of a sore spot for the Lord of the Greek Underworld. People—and by “people” I mean gods—didn't invite Hades to parties and the like until after he'd joined the God Squad and started getting invited along with the group. Hades could be a little intimidating, but so could a lot of gods. No; the real issue wasn't his power, it was his eyes. Hades had irises like colored glass. They were a neutral brown, but also translucent, and behind them, you could glimpse the fires of Tartarus. I used to think they were the fires of the Underworld, but now I knew better. I'd been to the Greek Underworld, and it wasn't on fire. The true hell for Greeks was in Tartarus; a region beneath the Underworld—an Under-Underworld, if you will. Anyway, Hades ruled it all, and his eyes showcased that fact. It was why he wore sunglasses even when he was indoors, and it was also the reason he didn't get a lot of party invitations.
“You're invited today,” Toby said warmly.
Hades smiled brilliantly at Toby. “Thank you; I'm excited to see the Sky Road.”
“The Sky Road?” I asked.
“It's just another heaven,” Azrael said to me. “I've taken you to others, so perhaps I should be the one who leads you into this one.”
“You're not the only man who has taken Vervain to heaven.” Re smirked. “I believe her most recent visit was thanks to me.”
“Re,” I groaned and shook my head.
“Yes, but were you flying when she screamed your name?” Azrael challenged with a lifted brow.
Re lost his smile.
“Is it like this with them all of the time?” Toby asked me as Azrael and Re faced off and started arguing over who was the better lover.
“Not at all,” I said cheerfully. “Sometimes it's worse.”
Toby laughed and held his hand out to me. “Would you let me have the honor of escorting you to the Sky Road, Goddess of the Moon?”
“I'd be delighted, God of Darkness.” I took his hand, blew a kiss to my husbands and lover, and let Toby take me to Heaven.
Chapter Thirty-Five
We stepped out of the Aether onto a sparkling strip of a path that hung suspended without support. Around us, there was open space; as in outer space. The frigid darkness extended out to all sides; only the path was solid, though the shimmering translucence of it wasn't all that convincing. I glanced behind us and saw an abrupt end, like the plank of a pirate ship. I could almost feel the tip of a cutlass at my back, driving me forward. Just a few steps and I'd fall into heaven—and not in a good way. My stomach clenched with fear even though I knew it had to be an illusion. God Realms couldn't actually be located in space; they needed to be tied to Earth. Still, the illusion was impressive. Stars twinkled around us; one group forming a distinctive pattern to our left. The center of it was brilliant white, with a ring of stars and planets spiraling out from it, creating a hazy blue glow.
“Is that the Milky Way?” I asked Toby.
“It is,” Toby confirmed. “Welcome to the Sky Road, Vervain.”
“This is amazing,” I whispered. “But where are we really?” I gave him a sly smile. “We're not actually standing in space, admiring the galaxy.”
“No.” He chuckled. “I believe we're in a region of the God Realm that corresponds to North Dakota.”
“Fasc
inating.” I smiled and shook my head. “I feel like I should be humming the theme song for Star Wars.”
I stared across the vastness of space and felt wonderfully small and insignificant. Yes; it was wonderful. After battling gods for so long, and even saving the world, being insignificant had a heart-aching appeal. I could have stayed on that road for hours, just gazing upon our galaxy, staring at that far-off Death Star we called the Sun, and contentedly feeling absolutely useless.
“Starlight beneath your feet and within your hair,” Toby whispered, his elegant fingers stroking the lock of sparkling hair at my left temple. “I have never seen anything more beautiful.”
My breath caught in my throat as I turned my gaze slowly up to Toby's. His eyes had darkened to the point that I couldn't see the ring around his irises, but I could easily read the emotion in them. His head angled down, the sleek fall of his hair sliding forward to block out the stars, and the black feather he wore knocked into my arm. It was just a soft smack, but it sent a bolt of energy zipping into me, making me gasp as Toby jerked away.
“I'm sorry,” Toby muttered as he looked away from me, his eyes conveying utter confusion. “I don't know what came over me.”
“It's fine,” I said gently as I took his hand. “Things are strange between us, but they don't have to be awkward anymore, remember? Let's not go backward.”
“Okay,” he agreed, and his smile returned.
“Vervain, you didn't have to run off like that,” Re's voice ended the odd moment between Toby and me.
“And you didn't have to make everything about you,” Azrael said to Re.
The rest of the Squad started appearing on the Sky Road, so Toby and I headed toward the other end of the path. Azrael and Re fell into step behind us, but Trevor and Odin eased past them, and Toby quickened his pace so that my husbands could flank me. Toby gave me a wink over his shoulder as Trevor and Odin each took one of my hands. I winked back at him and felt suddenly lighthearted.
The starlight road ended in a glowing, white gate that stretched at least fifty feet high. The sides of the gate had the look of totem poles; menacing animal heads staring straight out at us. Spanning the top to connect the two poles was an eagle with its wings spread downward, and head pointed up, beak open wide in a silent screech. Within the arch, double doors glimmered with powerful wards. The height of the arched doors made the woman who stood before them look even smaller than her hunched, aged form already was. Her weathered face crinkled in a warm, welcoming grin when she spotted Toby, and she tottered forward, leaning on a staff.
“Tobadzistsini!” The woman opened her arms, and Toby went into her embrace. “It is good to see you, Child of Water.”
“And it's good to see you, Hihankara,” Toby said sincerely. “These are my friends,” he waved a hand back at our group. “I believe you know most of them, but there are a few you may not have met yet. Torrent is there,” he indicated Torr. “Then, Hades, Trevor, and this is Vervain.”
I nodded to her. “It's nice to meet you.”
“And you as well, Godhunter,” the old woman said politely. “I am Hihankara, the Owl Maker. I guard the door to Heaven.”
“To keep out bad souls?” I asked her.
“Among other things.” She shrugged.
I noticed that though Hihankara looked frail, her grip was firm on her wooden staff, and I had a feeling that she didn't need it for walking.
“When a soul without the proper tattoos tries to pass me, I cast them back to Earth”—Hihankara waved her hand toward the Milky Way—“to wander as a ghost forever.”
“Harsh,” I noted dryly.
“I didn't come up with it.” She chuckled, her watery eyes twinkling like the stars around us.
Hihankara was right; she didn't come up with the procedure. Humans made the myths, which meant it was the Lakota who determined that the souls found lacking would be cast back to Earth.
“Welcome to the Spirit World, family and friends of Tobadzistsini and Nayenezgani,” Hihankara pushed the doors of the gate open and waved us through. “The Wakan Tanka awaits you in the Sacred Meadow.”
“Thank you, Hihankara.” Toby kissed the woman's cheek, and she blushed.
“Get on inside, you rascal,” she chided Toby and then tapped his butt with her staff for good measure.
Once we were through the gate, Hihankara shut it with a wave of her staff, and the doors disappeared. All that was left was the arch of totem poles. Naye stepped up beside his brother, and the twins led us away from the gate, through a landscape of gentle hills covered in lush, emerald grass and spotted with herds of sleepy buffalo. A soft breeze stirred the high grass into undulation, making it appear to be water for a moment; a stretch of green sea that ended in a bright horizon. A few lucky souls rode painted ponies across the verdant waves, heading toward their afterlife abodes, no doubt.
We veered away from the buffaloes and Lakota souls, heading toward a sparse forest of elm and poplar. A lavender-gray pebbled path led us on a winding course, deep into the woods; the scent of wood-smoke becoming stronger the further in we went. And then finally, the pebbles petered out, and the path ended in a spacious, roughly circular clearing. The meadow was full of yellow wildflowers and Native American gods of all sizes and statures. Some of the gods wore traditional leather costumes—beads and feathers and all—while others were dressed in more modern clothing. They all turned to us as soon as we entered the clearing.
An aisle was made for us, leading through the thick gathering of gods to a massive campfire in the center of the meadow. More of those smooth, path pebbles covered the ground beneath the fire and out a few feet, but these had the char of centuries of flames upon them. Before the fire there stood four gods; three men and one woman. They were all dressed in the traditional attire of the Native Americans. Going from left to right; the first god was buff, beautiful, and blond. That hair shocked the hell out of me; I've never seen a blond Native American before. But the color looked good on him; it was more golden than yellow, and his hair fell softly over his shoulders in gleaming streaks. His skin had golden hints to it as well but was a much deeper color. The darker tone set off his indigo eyes; one of which he winked at me, shocking me even more.
Next to Blondie was the most massive Lakota god in the clearing. He stood well over seven feet tall, giving Odin and Thor a run for their divine money. This god was also thickly muscled, though the Vikings outdid him in that department. Still, he looked strong enough to throw a buffalo over his shoulders and walk a few miles in his moccasins without breaking a sweat. Oh crap; that sounded kind of racist, didn't it? But is it racist when the man was actually wearing moccasins, and there was a herd of buffalo nearby? I think in this case, it's the simple truth. Anyway, this Native American god had that lovely, mahogany-gold tan typical of his people, and ebony hair that was braided back from a face which was surprisingly familiar to me. Especially the eyes; I'd seen those dark eyes before.
An image flashed in my mind; of a man standing over my dismembered body with a smile of gleeful evil. Iktomi. This god had Iktomi's eyes. I shivered and pushed away the nightmarish memory, focusing on the next god in line—who was actually a goddess.
The woman stood a few inches away from the massive man, just enough to give the impression that she preferred the man to her left. She was sweet-faced and full-figured, with kind, brown, doe eyes, and hair the color of fertile soil. That rich, silky hair hung in a dramatic sheet to her feet, free of braids or feathers. It seemed to flow straight into the earth below her. Her leather dress was white and adorned with intricate beadwork and silver tubes that tinkled softly. She nodded to me when she noticed my perusal, and I nodded back.
The last man held the woman's hand. He was nearly as large as the man on the goddess' right, but not as tall. His skin was the palest of the bunch, though still had a reddish-brown tinge to it. His black hair was bound by two braids; one at each temple, and the braids were adorned with diamond ties. Despite the flash of jewels,
he looked very masculine, and his pale blue eyes were both startling and intense.
“Nayenezgani and Tobadzistsini,” the massive god with Iktomi's eyes, spoke with a voice like shifting rocks. “You are most welcome at our council fire. We know most of your guests, but please introduce those who have never been to the Spirit World.”
Naye made the introductions, ending with me. He took one of my hands, and Toby took the other, then the brothers led me forward, to stand directly before the large, Lakota god.
“This is the woman I spoke to you of,” Naye said. “She has helped our people in many ways, and I trust her implicitly. I strongly suggest that you listen to what she has to say.”
I looked at Naye in surprise. We weren't enemies, but we weren't close friends either. Naye met my gaze steadily, showing me the truth in his words.
“Vervain,” Toby said, “this is Inyan, Creator God of the Lakota.”
“Godhunter,” Inyan said as he extended his hand to me. “Men whom I trust, trust you.”
I put my hand in his, and Inyan yanked me forward, surprising us all. I heard my men and the rest of the Squad moving forward in response to the threat, but my attention was focused on Inyan's eyes: Iktomi's eyes.
“But you killed my son,” Inyan whispered to me as if he were speaking to a lover.
I was pressed tight against his chest, adding to the romantic illusion, and I waved off my true lovers quickly. This was a test. If Inyan wanted revenge for his son, he would have taken it already. No; this was something else.
“I didn't deliver the death blow, though it wasn't for a lack of trying,” I said calmly, staring up into those sin-black eyes and facing the fear they made me feel. Maybe this would be good therapy for me. “Your son was killed by my faerie husband.”
“The dragon,” Inyan purred.
“That's right,” I lowered my voice to match his. “He's a dragon, and so am I. Now, are we going to have a problem that will require me to bring out my beast?”
“No, not at all.” Inyan's gaze roamed over me. “I had to look into your eyes to see what kind of woman you are.”
