Hear No Evil: Book 27 in the Godhunter Series Read online

  Vainamoinen laughed. “I'm lamenting the fact that you'll die quickly, Vervain. If only I didn't have to punish Odin, I'd keep you as the conductor instead. Several of my brethren would enjoy spending some time with you between sessions. Just as they did with several of the goddesses who have served as conductors. The Greek Muses have been our favorites so far; those ladies were crowd-pleasers.”

  “The Muses.” I shook my head. “What did you do; doctor the security footage to make it look as if they left?”

  “Not at all.” Vainamoinen spread his hands out. “Lempo just happened to be waiting in the woods for them with some friends of his. He snatched the Muses up before they could trace away. Lovely, talented women; it was a shame to kill them. But you would have been equally enjoyed, I'm sure. Lemminkainen, especially, was jealous when Ilmarinen claimed you for himself. He's become a little obsessed with you ever since he met you on that beach.”

  “That's where I know him from! He was the guy who was trying to abduct Ananke. The one Qaus was fighting with,” I exclaimed.

  “Ah yes; Qaus.” Vainamoinen chuckled. “Did you get a chance to tell her, Odin?”

  Odin glared at Vainamoinen.

  “No? Oh, allow me.” Vainamoinen turned back to me. “Qaus was never helping us. The Goddess who inspired us to take god magic offered to help him as well, but he refused. He was meeting her here the night you came in looking for the Muses. Then you told him about some vision your son had, and he started spying on us. That meddlesome Arab nearly saved Ananke with that ruse about the Goddess wanting Ananke for herself. Ironically, the Goddess did want Ananke, and she got her too. Waltzed right onto Olympus and took the Greek Goddess out of her home. She's an impressive woman, your granddaughter,” Vainamoinen said to Odin.

  Odin blinked. “What did you say?”

  “Oh, this is so fun!” Vainamoinen exclaimed. “She wanted to be the one to tell you, but since I'll be killing you both, I get the honor. Thrud is the War Goddess you've been chasing.”

  I gasped as he named Thor's daughter; using the correct pronunciation of Throo-d instead of the teasing way her family pronounced it; like Thud with an R.

  “She came to me and told me that I could use my voice to not only control humans but also control Gods... beyond a gentle persuasion. Complete mind control. All I needed to do was take a little power from my fellow deities, and she said that Ilmarinen could build us a machine to do just that. Thrud has helped several gods kill other gods; all in an effort to kill you, Godhunter. And yet, you would have been spared if you'd only submitted to Ilmarinen. Thrud said she'd be satisfied with that. All she wants is to get her brother away from you, after all. But you had to ruin everything and now, I have to kill you and your entire family.”

  Vainamoinen sighed dramatically.

  “You lie!” Odin roared.

  Brevyn's words came back to me then; I'll be with family.

  “Does Thrud have my son?” I asked in a steady voice.

  “You mean; her brother?” Vainamoinen countered.

  “Did she take Brevyn?!” I shouted.

  Vainamoinen just smiled.

  Odin cried out, but he couldn't move either.

  “Yes; this has all been about Ull,” Vainamoinen confirmed gleefully. “His death and rebirth forced Thrud to wage war on Vervain. But she had to do it subtly, and she had to ensure that her brother survived. So, Thrud started studying god magic, just as her grandfather does”—he paused to give Odin a smug look—“and she learned how to kill another god and take their power. Only certain gods can cultivate the ability; death magic helps and being a psychopomp is even better. You recall that Thrud used to fly with the Valkyries and carry the dead to Valhalla?”

  Odin just hung his head and wept. He loved his family; losing another grandchild hurt him deeply. And this loss was even worse than death; it was a betrayal. To Odin, Thrud was now dead.

  “Thrud then went out and found other gods who she might be able to teach the skill to. As she progressed, she learned even more, and found ways to help gods without death or psychopomp magic to gain her skills,” Vainamoinen continued. “And she asked for only one thing in return.”

  “Kill the Godhunter,” I muttered.

  “Exactly!” Vainamoinen exclaimed and then narrowed his eyes at me. “I understand now why she was so adamant that you die. You are poison, Vervain. You torment everything you touch. But you're also fucking resilient; no god has been able to fulfill their contract with Thrud. Until now, that is. Now, I'm going to destroy you and make sure you never foul another god with your poisonous perversion ever again.”

  “Shut your fucking mouth,” Odin snarled. “You know shit about my wife. You're the damn pervert, not her.”

  Vainamoinen laughed again; scornfully. “Too bad you convinced your little god team that we're innocent and Qaus is the villain. I sang to Qaus just as I did to you; that day that he returned with Lemminkainen and tried to convince us that he was on our side. I knew he had refused Thrud's offer and was only trying to infiltrate my pantheon so he could sabotage us. You could have worked together if you hadn't scared him away that day, Godhunter. But you drove him straight to us. Thank you so much for that.”

  I ran through everything in my head; Qaus' confused expression, what he'd tried to say to me, the way Odin had cut him off, how Qaus was conveniently back at his Portland house, waiting to be found, and even the way he'd looked at me that day on the beach. All of it became so clear. Qaus had been trying to stop the Finnish Gods from murdering other gods. He probably would have even told us who Thrud was if I'd given him a chance.

  “Yes; it's a shame I have to use Odin as the conductor,” Vainamoinen went on. “I would have liked to have spent some time with you myself, Godhunter. Oh, not to fuck you; I'd never debase myself like that. But I would have enjoyed cutting you up into tiny pieces and seeing just how long you could survive. And I could have invited Thrud to help me torture you. Oh, well; revenge must be served cold. I mustn't let my emotions get the better of me.”

  “This will bring about an apocalypse,” I said calmly. “My son has psychic abilities, and he showed me the utter destruction this will wreck. Surely, you don't want that.”

  “We may destroy the other gods, but then we will reign supreme,” Vainamoinen said as he moved to the control panel and started pressing buttons and moving levers.

  Odin and I strained at the spell holding us, and I managed to get one shoulder to flex.

  “Try and relax,” Vainamoinen said as he took the final seat behind Odin. “It hurts more if you resist.”

  I felt the order in his voice, and both Odin and I slumped into our seats.

  “I'm so sorry, Vervain.” Odin's eyes went liquid and tears slid down his cheeks. “My family has hurt you over and over.”

  “And saved me over and over,” I reminded him. “There is nothing to apologize for, my sweet Raven.”

  “I love you so much.”

  “I love you, Odin. We'll still have eternity.”

  “Forever,” he said firmly.

  My throat constricted on the tears I refused to shed. My thoughts turned to the rest of my family. Sharp regret lanced through me. I'd barely gotten to know Vero. Would he grow up to become even more cynical than he'd been in that other future? Trevor would die when I did, and Vero would be an orphan. Kirill would care for Vero and Lesya, but it would be rough on my black lion. Hopefully, the others would help him. Arach would be broken. I was breaking my promise to him and to myself. Still, I hoped that he would move past his grief and take care of our sons. But if my men came after Vainamoinen, they'd be destroyed, and I couldn't imagine them not going after the Finns. They'd eventually discover that this is where Odin and I ended up. If nothing else, Arach could track my—

  “One last thing,” Vainamoinen interrupted my thoughts. “Your friends and family are here; they've been in the club for hours now. My friends led them down here, beneath Sampo, and trapped them in illusions.”

 
“No,” I whispered.

  “I wasn't bluffing when I said I'd torture Odin with their deaths. When I'm done with you, Godhunter, I'll pluck one of them out of their illusion, like a grape of a ripe bunch, and drain them. Then I will continue to kill them one by one until everyone you love is dead. As dead as Ilmarinen,” he snarled the last.

  My heart sank as I realized it was the truth; I could feel them nearby. They were already trapped, and it wasn't likely that any of my friends or lovers would make it out of Sampo alive. All Vainamoinen had to do was speak to them, and they would be forced to obey.

  It looked as if Mind Control was the ultimate magic, not Love.

  Whirring sounds grew louder and then light began to emanate from Odin's chair. It seeped up and filled him until it burst free and shot into me. The seeking energy burned through my veins, and I screamed. Relaxing did not help; Vainamoinen was a liar on top of being a murderer and a rapist. My body thrummed against the metal bindings as the burning glow sought my center; my star.

  My magic screeched and shook; charring and bleeding. My skin burst into soft moonlight as my moon magic came to life. Then the light was tinted pink from Love, red from Lust, and, finally, silver with War. The Lioness roared, the Wolf howled, and the Dragon growled. My Faerie essence burst into golden light while my Goddess soul glowed and my human shimmered. Every piece of magic inside me responded to the attack.

  And held firm.

  I heard Vainamoinen make a confused sound as Odin groaned. The light emanating from my body became blinding. I had to shut my eyes against it. This allowed me to focus on my internal struggle, and I clearly saw my star trembling inside me. Its glow was holding off the invading magic, but the nine spikes were starting to separate; I could see darkness seeping between their connections.

  “Come on,” I growled. “I need you, Star. If you don't help me now, we're both toast. Burnt toast.”

  As soon as I thought about what I wanted—focused my intentions on surviving and destroying the Finns as well as their murderous machine—my star pulled itself back together with a snap and blasted sparkling light through my body. Even behind my closed eyelids, I could see the already glaring light brighten and burst through the machine before going a roundabout way into Vainamoinen.

  The Finnish God cried out and then screamed in agony. Just beneath those tortured sounds, I could make out Odin's sigh of relief. Then the screeching of metal and the whirring of rapidly spinning gears—the noise that had been background music for our torture—increased in speed until it became a constant, high-pitched hum. I felt the machine tremble beside me just before it exploded.

  Metal debris flew outward from my epicenter to embed itself in the walls. I jolted to my feet with the rush of power; hovering for a second before I opened my eyes and breathed in deeply. Odin, sitting directly before me without machinery between us, made it through the blast mostly unscathed. He climbed free of the remnants of his seat shakily; only a few cuts marring his perfect, sun-kissed skin.

  Vainamoinen hadn't fared so well.

  The God with the magical voice was skewered through in so many places that he wasn't much more than a pile of hamburger meat. His head was even in pieces; bits of skull adorning the wreckage of that malicious machine. But I only glanced at the chaos I'd wrought as I headed toward the door.

  “Vervain!” Odin grabbed my arm.

  I felt possessed; similar to the way I felt when Faerie borrowed my body. My brain was fuzzy; focused only on finding and killing the Finnish Gods while I saved my lovers and friends. I turned my head slowly to look at Odin and absently registered how his face lit up as if a spotlight had been set on him. Odin's eyes widened.

  “Vervain, your eyes...” he murmured.

  “It's my star,” I said simply and walked out of the room.

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Darkness descended around us as I followed my links to my men. I could feel them; each vibrant energy signature unique. I took Odin's hand so I wouldn't lose him, and he squeezed me tightly. His anxiety brushed up against me. We had overcome one obstacle but many remained. I knew he wouldn't relax until we had all our family and friends safe. I wouldn't either but my fear and panic had been shoved deep inside me; beneath blinding starlight. I couldn't feel them anymore, and I was grateful for that. My star knew that we needed calm, rational thought to save our loved ones; that and a lot of motherfucking power. My eyes became two beacons in the dark; shimmering spotlights that I flashed over the labyrinthine corridors hidden beneath Sampo.

  And then the darkness lightened.

  I stood in a forest again. Moonlight speared the tree canopy high above and predators cried to each other eerily. The scent of pine and soil hovered above that of animals and magic. I narrowed my eyes at the world around me; the fierce but false world. I knew it was all an illusion; that every step I took could be leading me toward a steep drop or a pit of spears or vat of molasses or... you get the idea. But my star led me on unerringly; following the glowing cords that connected to it.

  A scent teased my nose; Kirill and... sex. I frowned as I continued forward and the sounds of savage fucking grew louder; moans, slaps, and deep grunts. I recognized those particular low, guttural groans. So did Odin. His hand tightened again and my jaw clenched. Even the detachment my star had imposed on me couldn't prevent the sharp burst of pain that briefly pierced my chest.

  We stepped through the trees to find my husband on his knees; brutally slamming into a woman who was on her hands and knees before him. And not just any woman; she was me. I stood there gaping at the scene. It took me a second to process that Kirill was trapped in an illusion, believing that he was having sex with me, but my star was way ahead of my mind. It zeroed in on Lempo; leaning against a tree nearby with a smug smile on his face as he watched Kirill commit unknowing adultery.

  That smile died when he spotted me; turning first into shock and then terror.

  I didn't bother speaking to Lempo; no jibes or jokes. That alone conveyed how lost I was to my star. I merely held out a hand toward him. Power collected inside my chest; the accumulating energy lifting my hair in spectral strands around me. I caught a glimpse of glittering right in the corner of my eye; my starlight strand. It was glowing. I lifted to my toes and then hovered just above the ground.

  Lempo screamed.

  Starlight shot from my fingertips with a cold, searing satisfaction and cleanly sliced Lempo's head from his body. If I had been able to feel anything, I might have been amazed at myself. I may have even whooped in delight over my new superstar laser beam and delivered an appropriate movie quote such as; “I am not some starry-eyed waif here to succumb to your pelvic sorcery!” Doubly funny due to my real starry eyes. Or perhaps I could have said something that only referenced a movie. A good choice would have been the scene from Avengers Infinity War when Thor has to hold that forge open and burn in a blast of starlight. Perfect! I could have said something like; “You're obviously no Thor” or, “You just took the full force of a star” or, “Too bad I killed your blacksmith first; we could have made Thor a new hammer” or even a simple, “Starlight's a bitch, huh?” But I merely descended stoically back to the ground as the magic settled inside me. Oh, well; another missed opportunity.

  Lempo's expression remained stuck in shock as his head fell with a thud and then rolled to a stop on the suddenly-concrete floor. With Lempo's death, all of his illusions had faded away. The forest was gone—Lempo had been leaning against a wall, not a tree—and the woman who my husband was having sex with had returned to her true self.

  Kirill jerked backward with an anguished cry; staring at the pale blonde he'd been having sex in stunned bafflement. Then he finally registered Odin and me, and he shifted his stare from me to the blonde and back again. Kirill roared a denial and covered his face with his hands; his whole body shuddering and caving in on itself. Then my beautiful black lion began to weep.

  I let go of Odin and hurried to Kirill as the blonde woman—a human who was dou
btless as much a victim as Kirill had been—scrambled to her feet and ran away. I knelt before my husband and gently took his hands; easing them away from his face. I may not be able to feel fear or panic, but my star knew better than to even attempt to numb my love.

  “Vervain,” Kirill cried brokenly, “I thought she vas you. I vas overcome vith lust, but even then, I vouldn't have betrayed you.”

  “I know, baby,” I said softly. “Come here.” I pulled Kirill into an embrace and let him sob brokenly a moment. “It's okay; you were tricked. So was I. There is nothing for you to apologize for. Let it go; we don't ever have to talk about it again.”

  “Nyet.” He lifted his head. “I should have known she vasn't you. I should have scented her.”

  “The Finns have grown to be extremely powerful.” I wiped his tears away. “They tricked you; she probably smelled like me too. But, Kirill, we don't have time to wallow right now. Our family is in danger. I need you to be strong for me. For them. We can work this out together when we get home. Okay? The only thing that matters is that we all get out of here alive; everything else can be overcome.”