by Brey Willows
Too soon, Tis landed on the beach in Haiti. The sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon, and Kera felt like she’d been reborn, somehow. Like life was a gift she’d never truly appreciated, as cheesy as that was.
Tis kissed her softly and stepped back toward the water.
“Tis…wait. Can we talk? I don’t want to leave things this way.”
Tis shook her head, her shoulders slumped. She pointed to the dock down the beach, where a large, sleek black SUV was parked. “They’re waiting for me. I’m sorry. Have a safe flight home.” She looked like she was going to say something else, but shrugged and spread her wings instead.
Kera watched her fly away and knew she’d made a terrible, terrible mistake.
Chapter Twenty-two
Tis barely noticed the clouds speeding past and hardly spoke to the captain, Aeolus. He was the god of the winds in ancient Greece, and had come to work for Afterlife once he’d become more fable than worshipped god. He seemed to sense Tis’s state of mind, and after giving her a quick hug, he left her to her thoughts. The only other person onboard was an Aurai, one of the nymphs of breezes, and like the water sprites, she was more elemental than person, making a conversation with her more work than Tis felt like doing.
They’d be back in LA by mid-afternoon thanks to the capabilities of the Afterlife ability to mess with time, and Tis was so beaten down emotionally, part of her was looking forward to being able to shout at the gods. The other part of her, though, desperately wanted to turn around and work things out with Kera. What’s to work out, though? Kera made her feelings clear, and if Tis told her anything else about the gods, it would likely just drive her further away. How do Selene and Alec do it? Maybe it helped that Selene was a demigod. Maybe Selene was more open-minded. Less pig headed stubborn. Maybe, though…maybe they were meant to be together, whereas Tis and Kera weren’t. She blinked back hot tears and tried to think about anything else. Finally, she put the seat into bed position and went to sleep, hoping she wouldn’t dream about Kera instead.
“Get up, get up, get up, get up.”
Tis opened one eye and watched Meg bounce on the bed beside her. Thankfully, she hadn’t had any dreams at all, and had, apparently, slept through the entire journey.
Meg put her face up to Tis’s and squished her cheeks with her hands. “How can you sleep when life is so exciting?”
“Because she’s not a nutcase who feeds on drama the way you do?” Alec said from the doorway.
Meg jumped off the bed and pulled at Tis’s arm. “Come on. They’re all waiting for you, and I so want to see you get all bossy sexy-pants on them.”
Tis laughed, her sisters buoying her as they always did. She followed them down the metal stairs and into the sunshine, and as Meg skipped ahead of them like a child, singing some nonsense about lightning bolts and burning bushes, Alec put her arm around Tis’s shoulder.
“That bad, huh?”
Tis sighed. “You know, no matter how many times it happens throughout the centuries, you forget how much it hurts.”
“That’s the truth. Any chance of fixing it?”
“I’ve asked myself that, but I think we’re just too different.” She got into the Hummer’s passenger seat. Meg was already in the back, lying down with her feet on the ceiling. Alec reached back and knocked them down.
“Hey!”
“I don’t know where your feet have been. You’ll give my car cooties.”
“I haven’t done anything with my feet in ages, I’ll have you know.”
“Excuse me, but can you let me know what I’m walking into?” Tis always enjoyed her sisters’ banter, but she needed to be somewhat prepared before they got to the office.
Alec held up her hand when Meg sat up and started to speak. “Let me. If Meg does it you won’t get facts.” Meg huffed and put her feet back on the ceiling. “Nearly all the gods, upper and lower, are waiting for you in the main hall. I thought they’d be pissed off at being called in, but it turns out, being a god is hard work, and pretty much all of them were ready for a break. Who knew?” She grinned and ticked points off on her fingers. “Seriously, there are a few different issues. Issue one is Humanity First. They’re doing what Frey Falconi started to do, but because there are so many, they’re really building a batch of followers. Issue two, it’s not just them. The followers of a lot of the religions are getting pissed off at a lack of answers, and they’re standing right next to the Humanity people at protests. Issue three, we’ve had more murders committed by people who just have that black ooze in their heads, and when Dani’s team gets there, the soul is already gone. We’ve had reports from our sisters in other countries saying the same thing. The research team can’t figure it out, and we’re not sure what step to take next.”
Tis picked up a rubber band and started twisting it around her fingers. She often thought better with something in her hands. “Anything else?”
“Anubis is having sex with Freya. I’m hoping they’re going to have little dog-headed Viking babies.” Meg prodded Tis’s shoulder with her toes. “And at my party last week, Ganesh blew bubbles from his trunk. He’s allergic to the incense in his temples.”
Tis swatted Meg’s foot away. “Alec was right. I think her information is a little more useful right now.”
They drove past Afterlife, and Tis gasped at the amount of protesters outside. Like Alec said, believers stood next to Humanity First people. Placards read things like, Give us answers, not wine and Go back to where you came from.
“I’d rather have wine than answers any day. Answers are boring. Wine is fun.” Meg sat up and looked out the window.
Tis noticed that although Meg’s words were blasé, her body was tense.
They pulled around to the back gate and went inside through the back door. They stepped into the elevator, and Alec touched Tis’s arm.
“We’re with you, all the way. Whatever you need, okay? If it gets crazy in there, we can leave.”
Tis hugged her tightly. “Thank you. But I can’t just leave. In fact, it’s good to have something to concentrate on right now. I’ll throw myself into work and everything will be fine.”
Meg rested her head on Tis’s shoulder. “I’m really glad I’m not you right now.”
Tis laughed and kissed the top of Meg’s head. “Thanks for that.”
The door opened, and Tis readied herself. This is what I’m good at. This is where I belong. An image of Kera, naked and tangled in the white sheets, came to mind. And then, how crushed she’d looked standing on the beach as Tis had flown away. Her stomach turned, and she took her sisters’ hands.
“Let’s go play with the gods, shall we?”
Zed was pacing outside the hall doors when they stepped out. He opened his arms and crushed Tis in a hug. “Can’t tell you how glad we are you’re back.” He turned to Meg and Alec. “Would you mind making sure no one is getting out of hand?”
Meg saluted him, and Alec grinned. “Anything for you, big guy.” Alec winked at Tis, and Meg flung open the doors dramatically.
“I know you missed us, but don’t crowd around.” Meg blew a kiss at a nymph, who giggled and tossed her hair.
Tis shook her head and turned back to Zed as the doors closed on the cacophony. “How are you holding up?”
He leaned against the wall and tugged on his beard. “It’s insanity. When we all worked here, I could keep an eye on everyone, make sure no one was stepping out of line. Sure, sometimes it happened, but that kept things interesting, right? But now…”
He looked so forlorn, so tired, Tis knew it was bad. “Now they’re out doing what gods do, but you’re still supposed to be in charge over the lot. And they’re only okay with that when they run into trouble out there and don’t know what to do about it.”
“See? This is why we picked you for the job.” He gave her a small smile. “The thing is, when it was all mystery and all that ‘everything for a reason’ stuff, people believed without issue. But now, when they’re as
king us questions we can’t answer without stepping in it, belief is wavering. Not in us as beings, but in us as deities. And not one of us, including me, knows what the hell to do about it.”
Tis considered. “So we need to develop a line of rhetoric around answering the questions no god can answer without jeopardizing us all, and it needs to be a party line everyone sticks to. Got it.”
He gripped Tis’s shoulder with his massive hand. “I’m so glad you’re back.”
She nodded. “Let’s get started.” This is where I belong. These are my people. She’d doubted it for a while, felt apart and disillusioned. But now, with Zed beside her and her sisters at the front of the room looking like beautiful sentries, she knew she’d never doubt again. No matter who I’m in love with.
* * *
Kera sipped her beer and let the sun dry her tears. One of her bodyguards had made an attempt to talk to her, but she couldn’t stand the pity in the brick wall’s voice, and she’d waved her away. They sat in the shade, as usual never far away. At some point she’d grown accustomed to their presence and wondered what that said about her. She’d opened her laptop and thrown herself into work for several hours after changing her flight plans. Building permits had finally come through for her downtown LA plans, and she’d sent out the emails to contractors to get renovations started. Focusing on doing something worthwhile made her feel a little better. Still, she needed another day before she faced real life without Tis in it.
“You look like shit.”
She gave a humorless laugh but didn’t open her eyes. “You shouldn’t talk to your employer that way. And what’s so important you couldn’t wait another day to tell me?” She finally opened her eyes and squinted at Petra, who looked just as cold and imposing as she always did. “And aren’t you boiling? Jesus, woman, take off some clothes.”
Petra rolled her eyes. “I can’t even imagine the number of times you’ve said that to someone.” She took off her long-sleeve jacket to reveal a form fitting black T-shirt with Kera’s company logo on the chest. She sat beside her and took a long drink of Kera’s beer. “There’s nothing like cold beer in hot climates.”
Kera took it back. “Get your own.” She glanced up when someone set two more bottles on the table. “Hell, that’s service.”
Ajan sat beside Petra at the table. “I don’t know why we put up with you. I bet that three-headed dog the gods use to guard their office would be nicer.”
Kera winced internally at the reminder of the gods. “Yeah, well, I’m sure they’re hiring bodyguards these days. Go for it, with my blessing.” She looked at Petra. “What’s up? Or did you miss me so much you couldn’t stand to be away from me for another day?”
“I could go lifetimes without seeing you and not remember your face.” Ajan laughed and toasted her. Petra leaned forward. “I’ve got information, and I don’t like it. I wanted to make sure you get home.”
“That’s chivalrous of you. I’m touched. But isn’t that what they’re for?” She waved at her bodyguards, who looked far more relaxed now that Ajan and Petra were sitting with her. In fact, one of them appeared to be ogling the waitress.
“Shut up and listen.” Ajan tapped Kera’s bottle with his own.
“Has anything weird happened since you’ve been here?”
Kera laughed. “What would you consider weird? The week-long ceremony to send my mother to her final resting place, complete with beheaded chickens and offerings of cigars? Or maybe that I spent most of it with the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, who also happens to have wings and fangs, and looks mighty terrifying when she’s pissed off? Ooh, I know, how about that trip I took to the underworld, where people were gambling and whoring?”
“Humans don’t go to the underworld.”
Petra glared at her, and Kera realized she was glowing slightly. “I did. Why do you look like you’ve got a lightbulb under your skin? That’s weird too, by the way.”
She sighed and looked at Ajan, who answered for her. “People have started going back to Petra’s ancient temple and offering sacrifices to her. Although she retired, it’s reigniting some of her goddess status.”
Kera sat back and stared at her. “So, you’re one of them again, is that it?” Unreasonable rage started to build.
Petra shook her head. “No. I was, and it’s nice to have it happening. But I gave it up far too long ago, and I’ve seen too much to go back.”
Kera shoved her chair back and pointed at her. “You’re still one of them. If someone can leave some flowers and a dead animal for you somewhere and make you light up like you’ve ingested something nuclear, you’re one of them. And I don’t want you on my staff.” She knew it was irrational, but she didn’t care.
“Kera, don’t be crazy—” Ajan said.
“No. I’m done with all of them, Ajan. Okay, I get that they help people to the other side, whatever the fuck that means. I still don’t know, and I watched my mother float down some smelly river. But that doesn’t make up for all the damage they’re doing every day.”
Petra stood and her light intensified. “Sit down.”
Kera crossed her arms and stomped away a few feet. “No. What are you going to do? Turn me into a tree? Cut off body parts? Hey! Stop that!” Kera’s feet left the ground and she floated back to her chair. The air slammed out of her as she was set down hard. “That was totally unnecessary.”
Petra faded slightly and sat back down, looking pleased with herself. “I can see how this could be a benefit in working with you. Look, if you don’t want me around after this, fine. But listen to what I have to say.”
“First of all, can you do that any time you want? Because if you can I want you to do it to my bodyguards. Just for fun.”
Petra sighed. “Sadly, no. Even that little bit will take me weeks to replenish. But it was worth it to see the panic on your face. Will you shut up and listen now?”
Kera motioned for another beer. “Fine. Go.”
“I asked about anything weird because I’ve got a line on Degrovesnik. Word is that he’s been building a new lab somewhere in the States. I haven’t got an exact location yet. Nothing on why he’s building it, but I think we can guess. My biggest concern is that he hasn’t been seen for a few weeks. And thanks to this,” she shoved a newspaper article across the table at Kera, “everyone in the world knows where you are.”
Kera read the article, a short piece about the “wealthy playgirl” going home to her roots to take part in a voodoo death ceremony. “That’s the best picture they could find? It’s like, ten years old.”
“Yeah, well, like I said, you look like shit. Anything weird?”
Kera sighed. “On the plane, on the way here. I thought I saw him, but when I looked again, he was gone. I figured it was my imagination. But nothing weird since I’ve been here, although I have had an ancient Greek fury at my side most of the time. That might put the bad guys off.”
“But now Tisera is back at Afterlife.”
Kera looked at Petra sharply. “How do you know that?”
“I’m privy to the gods’ information once more. They’re in the middle of a massive meeting, and Tisera is the main speaker.”
They fell silent for a moment, and Kera wondered if they were expecting her to say something about what had happened between them. “Okay, well, I’ve still got my burly bodyguards.”
Ajan took Kera’s hand. “Right now, you need as many of us around you as possible. If he gets to you…we can’t let anything happen to you.”
The genuine worry in his eyes melted her stoic demeanor slightly. “It’s only one more day. Hang out if you want to, whatever. We leave first thing in the morning.”
“Wait.” Petra looked like she was figuring out what to say. “I know you’re angry with the gods. I know you’re pissed off at their limitations, and you have a definite view on the world without them.”
Kera shrugged. “So?”
“So, don’t be a stubborn asshat.”
“Sor
ry, I’m not sure what you mean by that. My ass is perfect and doesn’t need a hat.”
Petra looked at Ajan. “Can you give us a minute?”
He nodded and leaned over to kiss the top of Kera’s head. “I’ll come over for dinner with you tonight.”
She waved him off, wanting to hear the rest of what Petra had to say.
When he was out of range, Petra continued. “Listen to me. Take off your blinders, Kera. You’re being just as judgmental and intolerant as the people you fight against.”
“What the fuck, Petra? How can you say that? No one prays to the bastards we deal with in other countries.”
“You think their families don’t believe in them? You think their siblings don’t think they’re absolutely in the right, no matter who they hurt?”
“This is an asinine argument. The gods tell people they can help them, and then they don’t. People pray their asses off, and it doesn’t do any good.”
Petra shook her head. “That’s not true. It doesn’t do any good in some instances, maybe. But what about the prayers that do get answered, Kera? What about those? What about the people whose lives are better off because a god was able to answer their prayers? What about the hope it gives them, when life doesn’t seem like it could get any worse?”
Kera stared at her blankly. She hadn’t considered the positive side. “But those people are probably fewer than the others—”
“How would you know? You don’t.” Petra’s tone softened. “This world is hard. You and I both know there are areas where just being alive is an act of bravery. Would you really take from people the bit of hope and relief they get from being believers?”
Kera thought about it. “And what about all the other shit that comes with it? The holy wars and killings in the name of god?”
“Do you really care what they call it? They can call it a holy war, or they can call it a land conflict. They can call it monkey shit butterfly wars. They’ll always find a way to fight, Kera. That’s the human way. If there are beings that can help, even in small ways, why would you deny them that?” She stood and looked down at Kera. “Believe what you want. Do what you want. You always do. But if you ruin what you’ve got with Tisera because you’re being a stubborn cow, you’ll have no one to blame but yourself.”
