by Brey Willows
“Oh?” He pushed away from the tree and came to stand in front of Tis. His grief was almost palpable. “And what does that mean for me? I’m not a follower of any religion. Does that mean I never see my wife again?”
Tis took his hand, and Kera was surprised to see he didn’t pull it away.
“Before the gods came out, what did you think would happen?” Tis asked.
Tears slipped down his cheeks. “I thought that was it. We’d get buried next to one another, and our bodies would feed the earth. Cycle of life and all that.”
“And now?”
He began to cry in earnest, and Kera wrapped her arms around him, her own heart breaking.
“And now I know she’s accessible, that we could, maybe, have some kind of eternity together. Except that even though I know her gods are real now, I just can’t…” He choked on a sob. “I can’t bring myself to go in there and pretend like I’m praying to the bastards. What does that say about me?”
Tis shook her head slightly. “It means you have your beliefs, just like she had hers. Yes, admittedly, it would be easier for you to see her again if you could believe what she did. But you don’t, and faking it won’t work very well. I suppose the new question is this: now that you know the place itself exists, can you believe in it? Perhaps that’s the best place to start.”
He cried on Kera’s shoulder until the drumming and chanting slowly eased, and when people began wandering outside, he pulled away and wiped his face with his sleeve. “Guess we have to play host, huh?” He wrapped his arm around Kera and gave Tis a small smile. “Thank you, Tisera, for your honesty. You’ve given me something to think about.” He walked away, his shoulders slumped and his hands in his pockets.
Kera looked at Tis, trying to see her for the immortal she was, rather than the extremely hot and very pale woman she wanted sleeping in her arms tonight, but it didn’t work. Right now, she just wanted comfort from the real, kind woman standing beside her. But comfort would have to wait. “I’m sorry. I should go talk to people…”
Tis leaned down and gave her a quick kiss. “It’s okay, of course. Do what you need to do. I’ll meet you back at the house later, okay? I’ll talk to the others and see if I can get you access to your mom.”
Kera nodded and watched as Tis walked into the grove of trees. Her dad wandered back over and put his arm around Kera’s shoulders. When the heat shimmer surrounded Tis, Kera knew no one else could see the moment when she spread her glorious white wings and leapt into the air. Her dad stiffened, and she realized to him it would look like Tis simply disappeared.
“Believe me, you want to be ready for it when she shows you what she really looks like. Women worry about someone seeing them with no makeup on the morning after? Imagine them with fangs and feathers.”
Her dad shook his head and plastered on a smile. “We’ll talk more about that later. For now, let’s say hello to your aunties.”
Kera let him lead her away, though she looked over her shoulder a few times to see if she could spot Tis in the air anywhere. No such luck. As she started the round of pleasantries with her dad, she felt Tis’s absence in a part of her she hadn’t known existed. And it was very close to her heart.
Chapter Nineteen
Tis felt her phone ring in her pocket and answered it mid flight. She’d meant to call the office when she landed, but with everything going on, it had slipped her mind.
“Seriously. I was about to send out a search party. Where have you been?” Meg sounded utterly out of sorts.
“I linked with you and saw you and Alec in some weird situation, and I didn’t want to distract you. Then, well, I got distracted. What’s going on?”
Alec’s voice came on a second line. “Things are getting a little crazy. We were called to Mount Sinai. The Big C and Yahweh both went there to preach. They wanted to show a united front, and maybe get some of that clarification stuff done in a big way. People came to listen by the thousands, but things went haywire. Rich people who wanted to be at the front, closest to their gods, got in their Humvees and literally drove over people to get there. Who does that right in front of their gods? It was like they’re not connecting religion with right or wrong.”
Meg took over, sounding a little less harried. “And then, when the gods were talking, people started shouting questions, not listening. Someone threw a punch at another follower, and all of a sudden, it’s a holy mosh pit. People beating the crap out of one another, saying they’re right and the other guys are wrong…even though the big guys themselves were right there.”
As insane as it all sounded, Tis could believe it. Things hadn’t always gone well when the Christian God, or the Big C, as they called him, came around. “So what happened?”
Alec laughed. “Well, we got involved with the jackasses who drove over people, and that got plenty of attention, slowed things down a little. Then Big C started in with the thunder and lightning, and Yahweh started smiting a couple of the particularly nasty instigators. When fried bodies started flying through the air, folks settled down considerably.”
Tis landed on the cliffside waterfall and sat down, letting her feet swing in the rushing water. “And do you think people actually listened then?”
“They seemed to, yeah. But there wasn’t any more soft speaking. It was all thunderous voices and threats of damnation, you know?” Meg sighed. “It was pretty awesome to see in action again, to be honest. But the people…the way they just ignored their gods and turned on one another…it was creepy. It’s like people needed to see their vengeful sides to remember what they are.”
“The thing is, Tis, there’s talk that the coalition has made them weak. That they’ve gone soft because they aren’t allowed to…well, to be gods.”
Tis could tell Alec was treading carefully, not wanting to offend her. “Who said they couldn’t be gods? Certainly not me. As a group they agreed to no killing off the believers of other groups and to directing their own believers not to kill. I find it hard to believe they can’t be gods without those things.”
There was silence, and Tis knew her sisters didn’t have answers, just as she didn’t.
Meg finally said, “Are you coming home soon? I have a feeling they could use your logic and reasoning in their meetings.”
Tis thought of Kera and her promise to stay with her during this difficult week. She thought of Kera’s dad’s tears, of the loa lounging in the caves below her. I promised. “Not until the end of the week. I made a commitment I have to see through here. And you know, maybe it’s good for the gods to see that it’s not going to be easy being gods. Maybe it will be good for them to have to work at it and actually try to make the world better. Let’s see if they can step up.”
“They’re calling Jesus the hippie god, and he’s taken to it like a mushroom to the dark. But I have a feeling, if you need an ally, he’s going to be the one to go to. Buddha is always good for a chat, too.”
Tis ran through her mental list of gods and their attributes. “As much as I love our peaceful colleagues, I think I may have to appeal to our more moody ones to make real impact. I’ll see when I get back. How are you two doing?”
“Alec and Selene are too busy trying to make little demi-fury babies to hang out with me.” Meg sounded like she was pouting. “Hey! Stop that.”
Tis laughed, knowing that Alec had probably pinched her wing. “Babies?”
“That’s just our sister’s way of letting you know she’s not getting any, and she’s jealous.”
“I blame Selene. I was getting plenty when the gods had nothing better to do. Now everyone’s rushing from this place to that temple. Hardly anyone came to my party last weekend.”
Tis shook her head. Trust Meg to be put out that people actually had to go to work now and weren’t looking for ways to fritter away their time. “I’m sure things will settle out eventually, and you’ll get your harem back.”
“I don’t need a harem. They’re too much work. I’d settle for a hard body with
a—”
A touch on her shoulder made Tis jump so much that she nearly tumbled off the edge of the cliff and into the waterfall. A strong hand pulled her back, and she looked up to see Erzulie smiling down at her.
“We’re having dinner and wanted to know if you’d like to join us?”
“Who is that? Who are you with? That’s not your girlfriend, is it?” Meg’s curiosity blared through the phone.
“Please give your sisters my love, and come down when you’re ready.” Erzulie gave her a mischievous smile and walked away, her multicolored silk skirt swaying sensually.
“It’s Erzulie. I’m at her place with Papa Ghede.”
Alec whistled. “Nice. I haven’t been to Vodun country in ages. Have a good time, and keep in touch, okay? At least that way we can keep you up to date so you know what’s breaking loose here, and you don’t come back blind.”
Tis loved Alec’s ever present concern for her. “I will, thanks. And shout whenever. If I can’t answer, I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.”
“Ooh, find out if Erzulie can still do that thing with her thumb and forefinger—”
Laughing, Tis hung up and headed down into the caves. Although the situation with believers and the gods was worrying, for the moment, here among those who didn’t need to get involved in the politics of it all, she could relax. Stress would be her bread and butter once she returned. For now, she’d take all the time with Kera she possibly could. Their time together once they left Haiti was uncertain at best. If she wanted passion and something resembling romance, even for a moment, this was her chance. Once she left, it was absolutely possible both of their lives would become too chaotic to sustain anything more than an occasional phone call or text. The thought made her incredibly sad. For the first time in so long, she’d found someone she really wanted to spend time with. But Kera wasn’t a fan of the immortal set, and when she returned and saw the chaos, she’d probably be even more inclined that way. What could that mean for them? And what if I agree with her?
* * *
Kera rested her chin on her knees, her arms wrapped tightly around them. The heavy night air buzzed with cicadas and a distant Latin beat. Her father gave a deep sigh next to her, and she flicked a bit of condensation from her beer at him. “Thoughts?”
He gave her a tired smile. “It’s nice to see how many people loved your mamacita. But I wish I could be alone with my thoughts of her, you know? Instead of listening to everyone else’s memory of her.”
“I get that. I think some people need to tell you about their time with her, though. Not for you, necessarily, but because they need the person closest to her to validate their experience of her.”
He sipped his beer and looked at her contemplatively. “When did you become so jaded, mija?”
Kera shook her head. “Not jaded. Just practical.”
He reached over and touched her hand. “Was it that bad? What happened?”
She gently moved his hand and sat back, just out of reach. She couldn’t have him touching her, not with that topic at hand. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
A shadow fell over them, blocking the night sky briefly before Tis landed lightly in front of them, her beautiful white wings and hair nearly glowing against the black night. She took Kera’s breath away, and her heart felt like it could burst.
Her father grunted and raised an eyebrow. “That’s something I won’t get used to.” His smile was softer, more open. He looked at Kera. “Back to the subject. It might be good for you to talk about it.”
“And since he asked,” Tis said, “I’d also like to hear the story. I enjoy our well-built entourage, and I’d chalk it up to you being absurdly wealthy, but that doesn’t fit. Not to mention, they weren’t with you in France, which suggests there’s some new issue you’re facing.”
Kera frowned slightly. She didn’t want Tis thinking about how well-built her bodyguards were. She’d have to get Petra to send her some weakling guys instead. Eunuchs, maybe. Or trolls. “Really? We need to do this tonight?”
Her father stretched and settled more fully into his chair. “I don’t have anything better to do. You, Tis?”
“Nope. I’m all ears.” Tis leaned down and gave Kera a soft, lingering kiss, before moving behind her. She straddled the lounge chair Kera was sitting on and pulled Kera back between her legs. She nuzzled her neck slightly and said, “Please.”
Kera sighed and closed her eyes. She liked the soft, warm embrace of Tis’s arms, the way she felt safe and grounded. She pictured her mother, how kind and generous she’d been. Maybe her father was right. Maybe now was exactly the right time. She pushed back against Tis, who seemed to understand and hugged her tighter.
“Mom was so brilliant. Really incredible. The discoveries she made moved science forward decades. After I graduated from college, we started working together on a joint project. She was really interested in researching airborne diseases and in trying to figure out ways to stop them.” Kera felt the weight descend on her chest as she started reliving the story. “We hit some roadblocks with funding, and Mom decided it was time to retire. She loved the research but not the politics.”
Her dad laughed. “I can’t think of anything she hated more.”
Kera smiled at him, and the knot in her stomach eased slightly. “Right? So, she retired, but I kept going, trying to play the game while still getting the work done. And it turned out, I was damn good at politics. But then all our funding was cut, right when we were really getting somewhere, and we had to shut the lab down. And then…these guys showed up. They said they were researchers out of Moscow, and they’d read the little bit we’d published about our work. They said they were opening a new lab in Siberia and were willing to fund our continued research.”
Kera could still smell the leader’s cologne, could still see the scar beside his left eye. She breathed deeply and kept going. “I gathered a small team, and we went to Siberia. There’s a reason they send criminals there as the harshest penalty, let me tell you. It really is godforsaken.” She gave a dry laugh and tapped Tis’s leg. “Is it?”
“In a way. Since most of the people there are criminals, their prayers aren’t usually answered.”
Kera loved that Tis gave a serious answer to a sarcastic question. It made her grateful all the more for her presence. “Yeah, that makes sense, I guess. Anyway, the lab was state-of-the-art. High quality everything, and anything I asked for, I got. Suddenly, I made a breakthrough, and my research took off. There was a problem, though.”
“You didn’t like what you found?” Tis said.
“Because I was looking for a cure, I had to create versions of diseases within the lab, so I could then create antidotes on test matter. But there was a crazy mutation, and one of the diseases turned out to be so virulent it caused death within minutes. And then it started to happen with another virus, too. It was like some kind of horrifying contagion that attacked other viruses and couldn’t be contained properly. I decided I had no option but to shut down the entire program.”
Her dad stared at her, clearly horrified. “That kind of weapon…”
“Yeah.” Kera took a long drink of her beer. “The guys who were paying my way showed up just as I started burning everything. They stopped me, gathered my team. Then…then they started asking questions.”
She’d never been so glad for comfort as she was when Tis wrapped her wings around her. The soft feathers, along with the strength of her arms and her steady heartbeat against Kera’s back, allowed her to breathe again. She paused to steady herself. No one but Ajan knew this story, and she hadn’t had to say the words out loud to anyone else, ever. Now she was saying them to two of the most important people in her world. “They demanded all the notes. They wanted me to tell them everything. I’d encrypted the notes in my own little code and kept a lot of it in my head. I refused to tell them.”
Her dad stood and held up a hand. “Wait. Let me get us another beer. You want one, Tis?”
�
��Please.” When he’d gone inside, Tis rested her head against Kera’s. “I’ve seen enough to have an idea what happened next. Are you sure you want to go on?”
Kera considered the question seriously before she answered. “You know, I think I do. Dad’s right. I need to say it out loud to someone other than law enforcement.”
“You never told anyone?”
“And risk putting them in danger? The only person I talked to about it is Ajan. He came to stay with me after I got back to the States, and I asked him to work for GRADE. He said he’d only do it if I told him why I kept waking up screaming. He brought me through the worst of it. Anyway, at least here, with just you and my dad, I know no one else is listening.”
Her dad came back and handed them both frosty cold beers. “Okay, mija. Go on.”
She wondered if her dad had needed the break or if he’d known she needed one. Either way, she was grateful. “They locked me in a cell below ground with no windows. Each night they brought me upstairs and sat one of my staff in front of me. They demanded answers and beat the hell out of my staff member, until eventually they shot them.” Kera choked on the words and felt bile rise in the back of her throat as the smell of blood and gunpowder flooded her senses. The defeat and sadness in her staff’s eyes as they watched her, knowing full well she wouldn’t trade any of their lives, including her own, for the kind of information that could kill millions. “When there was no one left, they started on me. No food or water. The kinds of thing I imagine our own CIA do to people. But I wouldn’t give in.”
He wiped tears away, his shoulders hunched forward as though to ward off blows. “Oh, mija. Damn those men. If I’d known—”
“That’s why I never told you. Or anyone else.”
“How did you get away?” Tis’s voice was soft, but Kera heard the anger in it.
“I thought I was about to die. I was lying there, watching the rats moving in the shadows, and I knew it was my last night. I regretted a lot of things, but not being able to say good-bye to you and Mama was the worst.” Kera wiped away her tears, but they kept falling. “And then the cell door opened, and some guy I’d never seen came in. He said, ‘Time to go,’ and carried me out of the cell. I passed out, and when I came to, I was in an American chopper with an IV in my arm and an oxygen mask on my face.”
