Fury’s Choice
Page 18
“How did they know where to find you? Or that they needed to?”
Kera shook her head and relaxed into Tis’s embrace. The worst of it was out. “Apparently, one of my staff members had managed to get out an incomplete SOS call right after we were captured. He sent it to a friend in a lab he’d worked at in Geneva. It took the guy a while to decode it, but once he did, he got in touch with the American embassy. My staff member had told him just enough about what we were doing that he knew we were in serious trouble, and had a damn good idea of why. When he told the embassy, they put together a rescue crew. Of course, by the time they got there, I was the only one left.”
“Did they catch the bastards?” Her dad’s grip was so tight on his bottle his knuckles were white.
“No. The place was empty when they arrived. Someone must have tipped them off. The FBI wanted to put me in witness protection, but I refused. I’d been under guard and constantly watched in that hellhole, and I wasn’t about to go into that shit again consensually. But Petra found a lead on the head guy that suggests he’s still watching me.” She gestured toward her bodyguards, who were sitting under palm trees just far enough away to be out of range of conversation, as usual. “And so, I’ve got the Burly Twins.”
They stayed silent, and Kera wondered what was going through Tis’s and her father’s minds. Finally, he stood and opened his arms. Kera left Tis’s warm embrace and stood. Her father enfolded her so tightly she could barely breathe, and she hugged him back just as fiercely. He pulled back and held her chin in his hand.
“You did right, mija. Your mama would have been proud, no matter what.”
Kera sobbed in her father’s arms. When the tears were gone, she realized Tis had enveloped both of them in her wings.
“I think that’s enough for tonight.” Her dad kissed Kera’s forehead and, to her surprise, planted a light kiss on Tis’s cheek as well. “You know where I am if you need me.”
He walked to the house, looking deep in thought, his shoulders hunched forward. Kera wondered if she’d done the right thing in telling him.
“He deserved to know, baby. It’s a parent’s right.”
Kera turned into Tis’s embrace and rested her head on her shoulder. “It doesn’t feel right. He’s already mourning my mom.”
“And now he can be happy that he didn’t lose you too. Coming that close to death can make someone realize just how much they cherish a person. I’m sorry those bastards weren’t on my list. There are so many bad people in so many places, we can’t get to them all. And Siberia has always been outside our general parameters. But if they ever do come near you again…” Tis pulled on her hand. “Let’s walk down to the beach.”
They headed toward the sound of the ocean. Kera thought about what she’d told them, about their unwavering support. The terrible guilt had eased, if only a bit. She’d been accused of having a savior complex when she’d been researching medicine, and she knew it was probably still true. Not only did she feel the need to make up for the death of her team, but she wanted to do good, to compensate for the nearly disastrous mistake she’d made, and for the blood splattered on the cold white lab walls. She’d almost been responsible for killing untold numbers of people.
“Almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.”
Startled from her thoughts, she looked at Tis. “What?”
“The worst didn’t happen. Some terrible things did, it’s true. But the absolute worst thing that could have happened, didn’t. You can’t beat yourself up for something that didn’t happen. Almost only counts when it’s horseshoes or hand grenades.”
“Did you read my mind? That’s totally not fair.” The possibility made her uncomfortable. She wanted to share what she wanted to share, not the stuff she kept inside.
“It doesn’t take a mind reader to know what you were thinking. I’m connected to you, but I won’t invade your privacy that way.” She grinned. “Though I will check to make sure you like what I’m doing when you’re incapable of speech because of what I’m doing to your body.”
Kera started to laugh, and soon Tis joined her. When they sat on the beach and Tis pulled her close, she felt something she’d never felt before.
Home.
Chapter Twenty
The rest of the week slipped past. The days were often spent at Ben’s restaurant, surrounded by people telling stories about Kera’s mother, and they loved telling Tis plenty of stories about Kera’s exploits, too. More than one of the people there had needed to forgive Kera for introducing their daughters to the carnal pleasures of life.
On Wednesday, Ajan showed up with his new charge. The beautiful little girl looked nothing like the frightened, desperate child they’d rescued from the rubble. She was all smiles and was brought into the fold as Ajan was welcomed home by family and friends. Tis loved watching it all; the genuine love and friendship this community shared was something she’d experienced only rarely in her entire existence. And although, as always, she was an outsider here, she still relished the beauty of it going on around her.
One night, while the ceremony was going on inside, Tis relaxed on a lounger under the stars, contemplating the simplicity of where she was. The believers here accepted the limitations of their lives, even with the gods among them. She wondered why that was and realized she actually rarely saw the Vodun gods among the people. Familiarity breeds contempt. The old adage made her soul weary. Perhaps that was part of the issue. When people came face-to-face with their gods, they saw the human side, and deep down, humans had little respect for humanity.
A small touch startled her from her thoughts. She looked down and saw Ajan’s new daughter standing beside her. She raised her arms, and Tis willingly picked her up and cradled her. She thought about Meg teasing Alec about Alec and Selene having little demi-fury babies. Tis had held plenty of children over the centuries and had even been in the lives of several for a prolonged period of time. Though she enjoyed them, she’d never wanted one of her own. Now though, holding on to Ajan’s daughter, she was able to take comfort in the small child asleep in her arms.
Ajan and Kera walked up beside them, and Ajan laughed.
“That child always finds the best places to curl up, I swear. Last week I found her sleeping in a pile of pillows beside the couch.” He gathered his little girl up and hummed her a lullaby as he headed toward the house to put her to bed.
“You ever want one of those?” Kera nodded toward Ajan.
“You know how life is. Far too busy for lifeforms that need lots of attention.” Tis gave her a wry smile to take any sting out of her words. “How is the ceremony going?”
Kera lightly traced Tis’s fingers with her own. “Good. I can’t believe tomorrow is the last day.” She glanced at Tis and then quickly looked away. “I don’t suppose you’ve had a chance to ask the oldies if I can say good-bye?”
Tis raised Kera’s hand to her lips and kissed her knuckles. “I wouldn’t call them that, if you want something from them. But yes, you can.”
Kera’s head snapped up and she searched Tis’s face, as though expecting a joke. “Really? I don’t have to die myself, right? It’s not some kind of twisted setup, like where you ask for eternal life but forget to ask for eternal youth.”
“It’s absurd how often that happened when the gods were among humans last time. But no, that’s not the case. They’re making an exception because I’ve asked and because you’re a daughter of a special priestess.” Tis could see the warring emotions in Kera’s expression. Glad to be able to say good-bye but heavily heartbroken to have to.
“Thank you—”
A cacophony of voices slammed into Tis’s mind, and she held her head to try to make sense of what she was hearing, cutting off whatever Kera was about to say. At the same time, her phone began to ring.
“Baby? What is it? What’s going on? Do I need to kill something? Are you killing something?” Kera’s tone was slightly panicked, and Tis sensed her bodyguards move closer.
Alec came on, her voice tight. “Humanity First has been on a media blitz, pointing out all the flaws in the gods. People are listening, especially the ones who are most in need and not getting anywhere. But the true believers are fighting back, sometimes literally. The gods are trying to do more, pressing their powers to make things better for people…but you know how that goes. Skirmishes are breaking out all over the damn place. And there have been a few more incidents involving that weird black spaghetti stuff in people’s heads, along with missing souls when the death crew come in.”
“Anger builds and resentment becomes the norm. I don’t know what the hell to say about the black stuff. Are there any plans?”
“Right now, it’s all about putting out fires, and there’s no time to come up with something to stem the bleeding.” Alec hesitated. “We need you, Tisera. No one can do what you can.”
Tis closed her eyes, torn. She needed to go home, to do what she did best, and try to figure out how to keep the world from tearing itself apart. She felt Kera’s hand on her back, rubbing gentle circles between her wing blades. And she also needed to be here, for the woman she’d grown to…yes, to love. For centuries, she’d given herself freely to her work. Just this once… “I need one more day, Alec. If you can send me a company plane, I’ll get on it first thing day after tomorrow. But please, buy me two more nights.”
Alec was silent for a moment. “She must be pretty damn special, Sis. Okay, I’ll get you another day, and I’ll get the plane sent over.”
Tis breathed a sigh of relief. If she could count on anyone, it was Alec. “Thank you. Do me a favor. Tell Zed I want a major council gathering of the gods. Both the high council and the underworld council. I want them all in one room so we can figure out a strategy. If the world burns, there won’t be anyone left to play god to. And we need to figure out who’s behind the black string.”
“You got it. See you then.”
Alec hung up, and Tis closed the images out of her mind. She turned to Kera and was surprised to see unshed tears in her eyes. “What is it, baby?”
“You’d let the world go to hell, just to stay with me?”
Tis grinned. “Well, technically, the world can’t go to hell, just the people in it. And even then, they’ve got so many versions of it, that isn’t technically right either.”
Kera laughed and swiped at her eyes. “Good to know. Thanks for correcting my idioms.”
Tis ran her fingertips over Kera’s cheek. “I promised, and I keep my promises. I’ll have to leave before sunrise after the final ceremony, but I’ll be here with you for it.”
Kera stood and held out her hand. “I can think of a million ways to thank you, but doing it with my fantastic body and equally amazing tongue seem like the best way.”
Tis laughed and took her hand. “I’ve been thanked plenty of times, but never quite the way you do it. Lead on, gorgeous.”
* * *
It’s not creepy unless she knows. Kera grinned inwardly, glad for a moment to watch Tis sleep. Unguarded and relaxed, her beauty was truly breathtaking. Her pearlescent wings shone against the blue sheets, and her porcelain skin looked so incredibly soft it was all Kera could do not to stroke it. But she didn’t want to risk waking her when she had some busy times ahead.
“I’m not sure if I should be insulted that you’d rather leave me sleeping than awake and talking to you.” Tis opened one eye and gave her a sleepy smile.
“You said enough with your body last night. I could use the quiet and the rest.”
Tis stretched, and Kera batted away a loose feather. “Insulted, then.”
Kera tweaked her nipple. “I don’t think I could ever get enough of looking at you.”
Tis leaned over and kissed her. “Let’s hope not. So, what’s on the schedule for today?”
Kera stood and felt the soreness from their marathon sex session in her thighs and back. Nice. “Today, Dad will cook a shit ton of food, and everyone who’s been attending the ceremonies all week, as well as some freeloaders, will show up and eat and talk all day. Things will get added to the altar throughout the day, and then tonight, we call on Papa Ghede to take my mom over.” She turned to Tis. “I’m not sure when your friends come into it.”
Tis got out of bed and moved so she could wrap Kera in her wings. “To be honest, I’m not sure either. We’ll have to wait and see, although I have a feeling it will be when the crossing is due to happen. Are you ready?”
Kera thought about it. Was she? How could anyone ever be truly ready to say good-bye? Even if she’d been there when her mom had passed, would she have been ready? “I don’t know. How about we grab breakfast, and I’ll talk about it over huevos rancheros?”
Tis kissed her quickly before spinning around to get dressed. “Perfect. I’m starving. Who knew sex with a human could be so exhausting?”
“Yeah? Well, who knew it would be so easy to keep up with a goddess?”
Tis threw a pillow at her. “I’m not a goddess.”
“You are to me. In fact, if I ever plan on praying, I’ll gladly get on my knees for you.” Kera gave her a lascivious grin, and Tis shook her head, laughing.
They got ready and headed to her father’s restaurant. Big pots of food were already making their way out of the kitchen and onto long trestle tables against the far wall.
In the kitchen, Kera’s dad directed them to a small side oven, where their breakfasts were already plated and being kept warm. Kera blew him a kiss as they went to a shaded corner outside to eat.
Once they’d started, Kera began thinking. “Tis, can I ask you something and get a straight answer?”
Tis looked wary. “I think so. I’ll try.”
“I guess that’ll have to do. I need to understand why the gods didn’t answer the prayers for my mother’s health.” She felt the tears well up and tried to push them back down. “It wasn’t just her praying. It was lots of other people too. Why?”
Tis set her fork down and sighed. She stared off into the distance, and Kera knew that meant she was seriously considering her words. She waited, hoping Tis could give her some concrete reason.
Tis looked around as though to make sure they were alone. “What I’m about to tell you, I tell you because I trust you, and because you’re not a believer anyway, so it won’t affect your faith in any way.” She paused and took a sip of tea. “Religion, and the relationships between men and their gods, is incredibly complex. But when it comes to certain things, there’s an order, things that can’t be changed. Biology and sickness, for example. The gods aren’t in charge of science—of germs and illness. Those are biological processes, things that happen no matter what god someone believes in. Cancer, immunological diseases, even biological weapons…the gods have no part to play in those things, because science isn’t pliable to prayer.”
Kera took that in. “The gods are limited by science? But isn’t the entire planet science based?”
“There are aspects that are inevitable, yes. Birth, death, climate change, the seasons. The gods have no control over those things. That’s why they can’t do anything when things like severe droughts or terrible flooding happen. They can create small changes in the weather, briefly, but the natural order of things eventually takes over again.”
“So, all those prayers were wasted?” Kera’s anger began to simmer. “If people knew the gods couldn’t do shit, they wouldn’t waste their time. Are the gods so narcissistic they want prayers for doing nothing?”
“That’s the thing, though. If all those prayers had been for your mom to, say, make a breakthrough in a certain process, the gods might have been able to grant that by helping her make the necessary connections. Or if they prayed for your dad’s restaurant to be successful, they could influence people to eat there. If so
meone prayed for a bomb not to hit their house, and that prayer was received in time, they could do something about that.”
“What do you mean, received in time? Isn’t someone always praying their house doesn’t get hit?”
Tis sighed and closed her eyes. “I shouldn’t be telling you all this. You see, prayers are sent constantly. Millions per second and must be dealt with that quickly. The gods answer them as they come in, but sometimes, that means one prayer gets answered, so the opposing one can’t.”
“Like when two sports teams pray for a win before the same game.”
“Simplified, but yes. Whichever prayer comes in first, gets answered. If it’s something the gods can interfere with. Although sometimes there’s a reason not to grant a prayer. For instance, if someone prays they can manage to kill someone else, the god won’t grant that prayer. That’s something that happens without divine interference.”
“So they can do something about who wins the fucking Super Bowl, but nothing about someone dying of leukemia. Ain’t that grand.” Kera pushed her plate away and stood. “I need to go for a walk.”
Tis nodded, looking incredibly sad. “I understand. I’ll see you in a while.”
Kera left and headed toward the water. Her trusty brick shithouse bodyguards fell in behind her, but today she wasn’t bothered by them. Recounting what she’d been through years ago had reminded her that jackass was still out there. She’d even thought she’d seen him on the plane on the way to Haiti, so she was prepared to admit Petra was right, that there wasn’t any harm in having them nearby. Not that she’d tell Petra she was right about anything, ever. Right now, she wanted to think about what Tis had said. Tis was about to go back to a shit storm of biblical proportions. And for what? For gods people think actually make a difference, but really don’t? So they can win the fucking lotto but not keep them safe in a war zone?