In the Nyx of Time Read online

  “I would like to observe as well,” Re said. “You know how much I love to watch.”

  I blushed, and Thor cleared his throat.

  “I'll just move the chairs aside,” Thor said. “Would that be enough space for you?”

  I looked around the room and nodded. “That should work.”

  The men helped Thor slide the furniture toward the walls as I started setting out my components. First, I placed my spellbook down and opened it to the page I needed. Then I had Thor place his hammer before me; it was too heavy for me to carry. I took out my tools next; a couple of bowls, seven candle holders, an incense burner, my athame, and my ritual knife. Then came the ingredients; the herbs, candles, earth, incense, and bottle of water. I tried to ignore the men as they sat in the chairs they'd just moved. At least they were giving me space.

  I set up my candles; one at each directional point, and then three in the center of my workspace. Then I used my athame to walk around the space in a circle and cast a ward around me. A shimmer of magic shot up and down; enclosing me in a sphere. I took a deep breath; feeling more settled than I had in days. Casting a circle always did that for me; made me felt more in tune with myself. I sat cross-legged on the floor and set up my altar area. Two candles went in the center; one black and one red. Around them went representations of the elements; a bowl of dirt for Earth, a bowl of water for Water, a white candle for Fire, and a stick of incense for Air. Then I centered myself.

  I closed my eyes and called down the power of the Moon as I pulled upon the magic in the Earth. I felt my awareness extend with a physical sensation of both rising and falling at once. It felt as if I were seated on a column of rock that shot upward as the earth simultaneously fell away; that's the best way I can explain it. It sounds as if it would be an unsettling sensation, but it was very comforting to me; it meant that I was plugged into the power of the Universe. Except there was something different this time.

  At the edge of the power within Asgard's soil, I felt the magic of the gods around me. There was the crackle of electricity that was Thor, the wild innocence of Pan, and the heat of Re. Beyond them, I felt even more gods; no doubt the inhabitants of Asgard. I was about to pull my awareness back when I heard the most beautiful singing.

  I froze; my whole body feeling the echoes of that music. My flesh tightened and ran hot, my breath quickened, my blood raced through my veins, and something inside my chest stirred. I focused intently; searching for the magic again, but it seemed to be too far away to reach; across forests and over mountains. I suddenly wanted to be there so badly; it felt like home. But I couldn't let myself get distracted by a pretty song. So, I let it go.

  But the spark it had called forth in me remained, and it was hungry. I turned to a closer source for satisfaction; Re. I needed his fire; the burning intensity of the Sun. I reached for him without thinking and took a little of his heat to curb my hunger. Blinding light burst into my mind as I heard Re gasp. I was filled with an immense power—an enormous fireball—as images of desert dunes swept through my mind's eye. I watched waves of heat rise from the sand and listened to the cries of thousands of people; all of them worshiping me. No, not me; Re.

  I inhaled sharply as I let go of Re's magic but the heat lingered inside me. I heard Thor call Re's name and caught swift movement out of the corner of my eye, but I couldn't lose focus now. I was full of power, and I didn't want to waste it. I lit Fire candle and then the incense before I consecrated Thor's hammer with the elements, and then I finally crafted the spell. It was a long process involving several chants and poisonous ingredients. The poisons wouldn't hurt a god, but it was what they represented that was important. Death; these were instruments of death, and my spell would deliver it. Even to an immortal.

  I coated the hammer with death; it had too much of its own magic to absorb the spell. But all we needed was one use, and I was certain that the enchantment would last through at least that. By the end of the working, I was surprised that I was still full of power. The spell had taken a lot of magic, and I had expected to need to refuel through the Earth. But I set the spell easily and lowered my circle feeling refreshed and... warm. I was really warm.

  “Vervain, what did you do?” Thor rumbled.

  “I cast the spell you asked for,” I huffed as I turned to him.

  Thor and Pan were crouched to either side of Re's chair. Re was sitting back in his seat as if he were winded; his eyes half-lidded with exhaustion. I gasped and hurried over to him.

  “Re, I'm so—” I lifted my hand toward him and saw that it was glowing; my whole body was alight. “What the hell?”

  “You took my magic, La-la,” Re whispered with a little smile. “How did you do that?”

  “I don't know,” I murmured. “I was connecting to the land, and then I felt all of your magic around me. I...” I swallowed roughly as I remembered the music. “Are you all right? Fuck; am I all right?” I held my arms up and stared at them in horror. “Will this go away?”

  “I'm fine,” Re assured me. “My magic will replenish itself. At least you stopped before you took all of it.”

  “I could have taken it all?” I whispered. “Oh, Re; I could have really hurt you.”

  I knelt before Re and took his hand. Re sighed as my light seeped into his skin. I looked down in wonder, and then I willed it back. I pushed that borrowed warmth back into Re, and it went eagerly. The sun magic hadn't felt at home inside me; it wanted to be with its god. I could see the light draining from me and flowing back into Re, and I exhaled in relief. Re inhaled my breath and sat up; his whole body coming alight. The rest of us had to avert our eyes, but it was only for a moment. The Sun God had complete control of his magic and turned off the glow nearly as soon as it began. Then he yanked me forward into an embrace.

  “That was amazing, La-la,” Re declared. “I had no idea that such a thing could be done, much less done in reverse.”

  “I'm glad that I was able to give it back,” I said as I clutched at him. “I don't know why I took it in the first place. I think it may have been the singing; I heard this beautiful music and it promised me warmth. Something inside me responded to it and craved its heat, but the song was too far away to reach. Then I felt your magic, and I turned to you.”

  “It's all right, my love,” Re whispered as he stroked my hair. “No harm was done. In fact, we've learned that you are far more powerful than we thought.”

  “What music?” Thor asked me.

  Re and I broke apart to look up at the looming Thor.

  “I don't know who was singing it; it sounded like hundreds of voices,” I said. “They sounded sad and... scared.”

  “Ring any bells, Thor?” Pan asked.

  Thor just shook his head.

  “I could feel all of the gods in Asgard when I started to call upon the Earth,” I tried to go through the experience from the beginning. “I felt each of you—your energies—and then I felt the fainter trails of magic that I assume were gods who were further away. Then the singing began, but it was even further away still; across forests and mountains.”

  “Forests and mountains?” Thor scowled. “There are two other Norse Worlds connected directly to Asgard; Vanaheim and Alfheim. The Vanir aren't known for their singing, but... ” Thor blinked and then stared at me in surprise. “But the Light Elves are; they can heal with their song.”

  “Elves?” I asked with wide eyes. “There are Norse Elves?”

  “They are the original Elves,” Pan said. “As in; the inspiration for Lord of the Rings.”

  “Huh,” I said as I tried to remember the music. “Elves. You know what? That feels right.”

  “Why would the Elves be singing to you?” Thor asked with narrowed eyes.

  “They probably weren't,” Re said. “Didn't you hear what she said? Vervain was touching everyone's magic, and the Light Elves use their song as magic so they were heard instead of felt. That's all.”

  “Then why did their song cause a reaction inside Vervain
that compelled her to take your magic?” Thor asked shrewdly.

  Re went silent and pensive.

  “Alaric, do you have anything to offer?” I asked.

  You aren't ready to hear that truth, Alaric said. But I will say that this is not something you need to worry about. Let it go, for now, Vervain.

  “What did he say?” Thor asked as I scowled.

  “He won't tell me why,” I said. “But he says that we don't have to worry about it.”

  “Not worry about it?” Thor asked. “I am the Guardian of Asgard, I need to know if the Light Elves are up to something.”

  Tell the Thunderer to tone down the bluster; this doesn't concern him, and it won't affect Asgard.

  “Alaric wants me to tell you to shut the hell up and let it go,” I summed up.

  Thor glowered at me.

  “I'm just the messenger,” I said as Alaric laughed inside my head.

  “Can we get back to the part where a human took a god's magic?” Pan asked. “I don't know about you guys, but I'm having all kinds of ideas of how that could be helpful.”

  “It could indeed,” Thor murmured as he cocked his head at me. “We may not need my hammer at all.”

  “What are you saying?” Re asked warily.

  “You said it yourself; it's a good thing that she didn't take all of your magic,” Thor said. “Because if she had... ”

  “She probably would have killed me,” Re whispered. Then he stood up and bared his teeth at Thor. “No! You're not putting Vervain in that kind of danger. You said that she would be safe.”

  “But she could drain him,” Thor pointed out. “Vervain could take all of Huitzilopochtli's magic until he died, and she wouldn't even have to touch him.”

  “I could probably manage it from ten feet away, but no more than that,” I said thoughtfully.

  “No.” Re turned to me. “You're not managing anything, Vervain. This is going too far. We're leaving; pack up your things. Thor has his death hammer; he can proceed without you.”

  “Re,” I whispered as I laid my hand on his arm. “I want to help.”

  “And I want you to live,” Re countered. “You took my magic by accident, and now you think that you can safely drain another god? Have you considered what you'll do with all of that power once you have it? If you can take a god's magic in its entirety, then I think it's safe to assume that you will become its new host.”

  I gaped at Re.

  “That's right,” Re said smugly. “You didn't consider becoming the new Vampire Goddess, did you?”

  “He's also a god of the Sun,” I whispered. “We would have similar magic.”

  “And you think that would be a good thing?” Re asked.

  “Wouldn't it?”

  “I've known other Sun Gods, and I've felt a connection between us,” Re said.

  “See? That sounds good,” I said.

  “But I felt nothing more than the bond of magic for them,” Re went on. “And one of them was a gorgeous Japanese woman.”

  My face fell.

  “Well, damn; if you didn't want to get into a hot Asian woman's pants, then something was wrong,” Pan said.

  “Exactly,” Re confirmed as he kept his gaze on me. “Opposites attract. If you took the magic of a Moon Goddess, we'd literally be in Heaven together. But there's no room for two Suns in one bed.”

  “Fuck!” I swore.

  “None of that either,” Re teased me. “That was the whole meaning behind 'one bed.'”

  “I won't risk my relationship with Re,” I said to Thor.

  “Thank you, La-la,'” Re said with relief.

  “But I could drain Huitzilopochtli until he was weak, and then you could kill him with your hammer,” I went on.

  “I like that idea.” Thor smiled at me.

  “Vervain!” Re snapped. “You will not!”

  “Watch yourself.” I narrowed my eyes at Re. “You're treading very close to the edge of chauvinism.”

  Re sighed deeply as he stared at me. “All right, La-la. If this is really what you want to do, I will support you.”

  “Thank you.” I hugged him.

  “But if you become a vampire, I'm going to be very put out.”

  Been there; done that, Alaric shocked me by saying.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  As I mentioned before, even though the Gods could make themselves invisible, I could not. So, I took lead through the crowd; clearing a path for the invisible gods behind me. There were a few confused people who tried to slide into the empty space in my wake and bounced off it. But we made it to the podium without drawing too much attention and found a relatively calm place to stand while the presidential candidate gave his speech.

  “There he is,” Thor murmured in my ear. “Can you see Huitzilopochtli? You should be able to catch the haze of his magic.”

  “Got it,” I said. “Should I just drain him now?”

  “No time like the present,” Thor said.

  No kidding. Alaric snorted; which I thought was amusing since—as far as I knew—he had no nose. But then again, he didn't have vocal chords either.

  I focused on the hazy area just behind the politician and was about to reach down through the earth when I realized that I could already feel Huitzilopochtli's magic. It was warm like Re's, but there was a metallic edge to it; a sword's edge or perhaps it was the taste of blood; I couldn't decide which. Whatever it was, I took hold of it and pulled.

  The haze flared and started to move, but I kept a firm grasp on the magic. It was intoxicating; the sound of battle filled my ears as the Sun warmed my skin. I could taste blood on my lips, and I liked it. My whole body shivered as the world came alive around me; the heartbeat of every living creature calling to me. I could sense where life was, and where I could bring death.

  “He's coming,” Thor murmured. “Huitzilopochtli knows that you're the one taking his magic, Vervain. Move back with me; help me draw him away from the humans.”

  I felt Thor's hand slip into my free one; my left hand was already claimed by Re. The three of us moved together; the rest of the God Squad shifting around us. I knew they were all watching Huitzilopochtli; ready to close off his escape when Thor struck. But Thor wouldn't attack until the Aztec was weak enough to kill and until all of the humans were out of the danger zone.

  We reached an open area about a hundred feet from the rally, and I could feel Huitzilopochtli closing in. The connection between us—that line of magic I was drawing from him—strengthened as he followed us. If he'd been smart, he would have tried to run, although, I don't know if that would have worked. I had a lock on him now; it was very possible that he couldn't escape me.

  But I couldn't focus on all the details; Huitzilopochtli's magic was rushing through my veins. It was hot with sunlight and battle-rage, and yet it was also cold and calculating. It felt off; broken. There was something wrong with Huitzilopochtli, and it wasn't just his bloodthirsty ways.

  There was a flash of light as Huitzilopochtli appeared; his invisibility failing him. He was just as I had pictured him; a tall, sleekly-muscled man with deep brown skin and midnight hair. His crimson eyes narrowed at me as he stumbled forward. Thor swung his hammer; the glint of magic and steel flashing through his invisibility spell.

  And then everything went to Hell.

  Huitzilopochtli ducked and dodged the hammer as he barreled into me. He clutched me to his chest as he rolled. I was torn away from Re, and as soon as I was free, Huitzilopochtli traced us away. Traveling the Aether without preparing for it is a shocking experience, and I reformed in a daze; staring about the strange room Huitzilopochtli had brought us to.

  The walls, ceiling, floor, and furniture were made of stone. The floor was black marble; a shocking contrast to the walls which were white marble with gold veining. The ceiling was just a pale cream color that matched the unwieldy dining set beside us. The massive table and its blocky chairs were placed before a glass wall. Outside that glass, a thick jungle pressed in; making
the room feel colorful, even though it wasn't.

  I was forced to stop draining Huitzilopochtli when he traced us, but the connection was still there. I began to draw on his magic again, but then he bit me. Waves of ecstasy rolled over me as Huitzilopochtli fastened his mouth over the wound in my throat and drew out great gulps of my blood. With my blood, he called back his magic, and it surged away from me, along with my life.

  I knew Huitzilopochtli was going to kill me, and there was nothing I could do about it. But something had changed. While I had held his magic, my soul had fixed that broken piece in it. Huitzilopochtli's power had entered me ugly and dark, but my light had blasted away a thick, black coating to reveal a beautiful hummingbird beneath. When that bird flew back into Huitzilopochtli, he shuddered and froze; his teeth still in my neck, but his lips gone lax on my skin. He drew away with a gasp; leaving two seeping punctures in my throat.

  “What have you done?” Huitzilopochtli whispered in a velvety voice.

  I blinked my way out of the lust haze he'd sent me into and stared up at him. A memory flared inside my mind; Huitzilopochtli vowing that he could love me with the strength of centuries as I stared up at him adoringly. Then I felt love shimmer to life inside me, and I realized that Huitzilopochtli must have been one of my husbands... and I had tried to kill him. Damn; that Time God was devious.

  Huitzilopochtli cried out suddenly and fell back onto the stone floor. His arms stretched out across the glossy, black marble; fingers clawing at the surface as his freshly-laundered magic rushed through him; fixing the broken pieces in his soul. I knew that this was happening because I could sense that it had happened before. I had saved Huitzilopochtli from himself once, and now, history was repeating itself. I knew it was for the best, but I also knew that it would be traumatic for him. So, I sat beside Huitzilopochtli and eased his head onto my lap.

  “I'm sorry,” I whispered as I laid my palm against his cheek. “I didn't remember you, but now I do.”

  Vervain, he's not—

  Gods damn it! Not now, Alaric! I nearly killed one of my husbands!