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  It wasn’t till we were done and I was dressed, that I got a good look at myself in the mirror. I pretty much looked the same as I had the night before, since I had to put on the same clothes, but my hair was loose and I felt sexier. Funny how actually having sex will do that to you. It wasn’t my hair that had caught my attention though, it was the lightning-shaped scar curving down from just below my right ear to the base of my neck. Thor’s mark. It was actually kind of attractive. I mean it was better than the dots Blue’s bite had left, and that nightmare was not one I wanted to remember. Last night, however, was deserving of a memento.

  “You had to mark me too?” Thor came up behind me and I smiled when I saw the red bite I’d left on the opposite side of his neck.

  “I know,” I laughed a little. “It’s very high school, very white trash, but since you got to give me a scar, I thought you could at least suffer through a love bite for awhile.”

  “You can mark me anytime,” he nuzzled my neck as he pulled me back into his arms. He towered over me but I seemed to fit perfectly against him. “You want some breakfast?”

  “Of course,” I pulled away from him and ran out of the room before he could change his mind, happier than I’d been in weeks. Especially when I heard his footsteps thudding after me.

  Chapter Forty-Five

  I'd wasted too much time wallowing in my depression over Thor. I had to get back in the game and fast. So as soon as breakfast was done, I headed into the library to spirit-walk into Blue's head. I thought I might be rusty but I guess all those nights of pushing him out of my dreams had kept me in mental shape. I slid easily and silently into his mind.

  I shouldn't have worried about the quiet part though. Blue was in a mental uproar. His thoughts flew from one angry string to the next. It was so quick, I had a hard time focusing on any one thought in particular. There were a lot of visions of Thor being hurt and I had to calm myself before I could continue to sift through the rest of the violent detritus. The thoughts concerning myself were even more disturbing and I passed them by as quickly as possible.

  He'd evidently thought that I'd come to my senses and sacrifice myself on the bloody altar of his desire as soon as I saw all the damage his little vampires wrought. When his little plan failed, he didn't take it kindly. On the bright side, he'd been way too caught up with pursuing me to pursue Maria. He'd left her alone, had in fact decided to explore other options. The latest one being centered on the Russian Minister of Defense, Sergei Shoigu.

  The last Minister of Defense, Anatoliy Serdyukov, had been fired recently due to some real estate scandal. He also happened to be married to the daughter of the Chairman of the Board of Gazprom, Viktor Zubkov. Zubkov took over when Prime Minister Medvedev had to resign to accept the presidency... yes, the presidency. He was president and Putin was Prime Minister but then they traded places. How you like them apples? Yep, the Russian government was like the British Monarchy, they liked to keep it all in the family.

  This was why it was so shocking that President Putin fired Serdyukov, who of course was a close friend. The new Minister of Defense was also a good friend, no surprise there, but that had to burn Serdyukov's butt. A situation that Blue was going to take full advantage of. He had multiple streams of thought on how to use all these connections but they all started the same: Sergei Shoigu.

  Looked like Blue could still start a war without killing Maria. Great for Maria, bad for Russia... and the Minister of Defense. Blue had gotten tired of playing the middle man. He was going to go directly to the source and mess with the top dog's mind. The Minister of Defense is basically Commander in Chief of the Russian military and he was about to become Blue's lapdog. Blue would hold the reins of the Russian Federation... and he was going to scoop those reins right up in Bucharest.

  Chapter Forty-Six

  There have been many places I've been to that have resonated with me. On some level my body, my DNA, recognized the land. It was like that in France and Ireland. I’d breathe it in and think, “Yes, I know this. This feels right,” and I’d instantly be comfortable.

  Bucharest was not one of those places.

  I looked around the tired alleys and up at the strings of lank laundry hanging from the lines above and all I could think was, “I want to go home.” Maybe it was just the knowledge that Blue was conspiring to do horrible things to me and the man I loved. Blue, who for a moment I thought might not be past redemption. Who I'd shut out of my mind by rejecting his love. Who I'd be seeing soon in those very streets. Who I'd decided to kill.

  I looked around again at the architecture, which had once been beautiful and should still have had some charm, but all I could see was decay. I sighed.

  “Let's get this over with,” Horus echoed my feelings precisely.

  “There's the cafe,” I pointed to the back-alley eatery most people would probably describe as quaint but I just thought was creepy. “There's Shoigu's men,” I indicated the obvious bodyguards standing duty outside the doors.

  Blue needed to take Shoigu's blood in order to possess him thoroughly. So the obvious course of action would have been to simply keep Blue away from Shoigu. The spell Blue would need to perform would take a great deal of time but we couldn't protect Shoigu 24-7 and neither could his guards. Blue could snatch him in a moment, like he'd taken me. We needed a more permanent solution.

  It was Teharon who came up with the idea and in theory it should work. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to practice very much so theory was kinda all we had. The idea was that if Teharon could drive Blue out of my body and help me keep him out, then he should be able to shield a mortal's mind who had yet to be invaded. He had tried to shield me from Horus and it had worked but we really didn't know if he'd be able to replicate the process in unknown conditions. We also had no idea how long it would last.

  It was the first time Teharon had come hunting with us and his eyes were practically glowing. As a healer, he'd been best used behind the scenes and so had never got to participate in the field work. He was chomping at the bit to do his part and I couldn't blame him.

  “Go get him, tiger,” I nudged him and he gave me an excited smile.

  “I'll do my best,” he disappeared. I assumed he crossed the street and entered the cafe.

  “I hate being the one to wait,” I bit my lip as I watched for any sign of disturbance.

  All Teharon had to do was go in, lay a hand on Shoigu and shield him. Then he needed to get his ass out of Dodge and we had to wait to make sure he did. We wouldn't know if it worked until Blue tried to take Shoigu's mind. So we'd be waiting even more after Teharon returned.

  I scanned the empty streets, a knot of fear growing in my belly. Something had me spooked and I couldn't figure out what. There was still no sign of Blue but that didn't mean anything. He could be cloaking like Teharon. He could be standing right next to me, for all I knew. I looked sharply over my shoulder.

  “What's wrong with you,” Thor whispered.

  “I don't know,” I rubbed my bare upper arms. My gloves only reached my elbows, maybe I should have worn a jacket. I had no idea Romania would be so cold.

  “It's done,” I jumped when Teharon appeared before us. “He's as safe as I can make him.”

  “Now we wait,” Horus leaned against the alley wall, looking even more bored than usual.

  “Again,” I glanced around.

  I shouldn't have worried. Blue was right on schedule. He arrived no more than five minutes after Teharon had returned. He didn't even spare us a glance as he walked into the cafe, fully visible. It took half an hour for him to give up and leave. He threw us a glare when he spotted us and then stomped away like a child.

  “It worked,” Teharon smiled grandly.

  “That was way too easy,” I stepped back into the alley, frowning.

  “Never complain about things being easy,” Thor admonished.

  “I know but this is Blue,” I kept feeling like I was missing something. “He should have learned to expect us by
now. This has all been too easy. Why? Why would he go through all this trouble and just keep walking away?”

  “Because I was waiting for you to slip up, Godhunter,” Blue's voice behind me startled me into a spin. “Only two fighters and a healer to protect you. Then on top of that, you go and hide in an alley. No human witnesses. Not very smart.”

  He backhanded me and sent me flying further into the alley. I hit a wall hard and then fell onto the cold, uneven stones. The sounds of fierce fighting seemed distant even though I knew I hadn't been thrown more than ten feet away. My head spun and I heaved up the contents of my stomach in response. Acid in my mouth, blood trickling down my neck, I could barely stand but I managed to get to my feet. I peered down the alley just in time to see a blurry Teharon go down.

  I screamed and started forward but a hand caught my arm and pulled me back. I looked down, still moving a little slow, and saw feminine fingers gripping me.

  “Huitzilopochtli isn't the only one who's been waiting for you to fuck up,” before I could focus on my assailant, everything went black.

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  “Wake up, bitch!” It wasn't the sweetest wake-up call I’d ever had and it was even more shocking when I realized who the strident voice belonged to.

  I groaned and opened my eyes to see an expanse of gray stone very close to my face. It was dry and cold, sucking the warmth right out of me. It took me a second to realize I was shackled to a wall, hanging from my wrists. I struggled to my feet only to find that they were shackled as well. At least they weren’t bruised and cut like my wrists were from supporting my weight. My head was still a little fuzzy, my legs were shaky, and my whole body ached, especially my wrists and shoulders. I guess I should've been thankful I was still alive but I had a feeling I might be wishing for the alternative soon.

  When I turned my head, I could see the rest of an S&M collection, complete with rack, a wooden X-shaped cross, an iron bed covered in black satin, and a stone altar laid with an assortment of whips and knives. Now when I say whips, I don’t mean the soft leather ones you find at Sensually Yours out on Nimitz. I mean the real, pirate on the high seas, strap ‘em to the mast, me maties, steel, barb-tipped whips.

  Who knew Aphrodite was a sadist?

  I guess it made a warped sort of sense. Love hurts and all that. She was the Goddess of Love and wasn’t her husband that blacksmith god? The one with the limp? Hephaistos, that was it. I bet I knew where she got all her cool toys.

  “Are you awake, you little slut?” She grabbed me by the hair and yanked my head back to glare at me.

  “Well isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black,” I grinned at her and she slapped me… bitch-slapped me actually. I laughed even though my cheek stung bad enough to make my eyes water. “You hit like a girl.”

  “You stupid, worthless, human,” she spat and I mean she really spat at me. I had to turn my face to avoid the spittle. “You have no idea what I can do to you.”

  “Well, go on then,” I flexed my shoulders and back. “Let’s hear it, Afro.”

  “My name is Aphrodite and you should be begging by now,” her face was twisted with her hatred and it stole most of her beauty, forcing her features into harsh lines which would have looked more at home on a vulture than a woman. “No matter. You will be soon enough.”

  “So what’s this about anyway?” Keep it casual. Keep her talking. Maybe if I kept her talking, she’d stay away from all the lethal hardware. “Why did you help me escape Blue if you hate me so much?”

  “What’s this about?” She screamed and it was like a three-year-old throwing a temper tantrum. “I couldn't kill you after Huitzilopochtli granted you protection. So I helped you escape to get you away from him but you just kept turning up. I was supposed to be his Queen. I'm the Goddess of Love and Beauty after all. I deserve to rule beside him. Then you came along and all he could think about was you. You're all he talks about!”

  Go figure. Isn’t it always about a man?

  “Hey look, I don’t want to be his Queen. I didn’t even know the position was available. I’m in love with Thor for god’s sake… or for my sake…whatever. I don’t want Blue.”

  “But he wants you.” She sneered at me. “All his plans center around you. Finding you, weeding you out of hiding, making you chase him. He schemes for hours just to draw you out and see you for mere minutes.”

  “What?” My mouth fell open, scraping against the wall.

  “You said it yourself,” she lifted a perfect brow. “Why go through all that trouble just to walk away? He wanted to see you, you idiot! He did it all to make you come to him.”

  “So he can kill me,” I sighed, “I know. He made it pretty clear when he sent me crashing into a brick wall.”

  “That's just because you angered him,” she waved her hand like she could brush aside my idiocy. “He wasn't going to kill you. He was going to take you back with him as soon as he killed your friends and then he would have made you Queen!”

  “Oh, how romantic,” I turned my face fully to the wall. If I was going to feel like I was talking to a brick wall, I might as well be looking at one too. Wait a minute... Queen. Queen of Love. Aphrodite was the Queen of Love. I was an idiot! How in hell did I not figure that out sooner?

  “It is romantic, you simpleton,” the Queen of Love screeched at my back. “He would have done anything to have you. That's true love. Such devotion shouldn't be wasted on a human.”

  “You think that's true love?” I was shocked enough to look back at her. “Are you out of your mind?” I looked around the room again and snorted. “Oh, right, sorry. Stating the obvious again.”

  “You are stupid,” she planted her hands on her hips, wrinkling the pristine whiteness of her velvet gown. “He's the greatest of the gods. You especially could do no better than him.”

  “Obviously I’m not worthy. So you just go ahead, girlfriend.”

  “I’m not your friend, feeble human,” she grabbed a whip from the table and my stomach lurched. “I’m your death.”

  “Easy now,” I eyed her over my shoulder and tried to swallow past the fear that was choking me. “You don’t have to do this. I don’t want your man.”

  “I’m her man,” a gruff voice made me wrench my head in the other direction and the sudden motion made it spin a little.

  Did I have a concussion from the blow Blue had given me? I focused with some effort and saw a man of average height coming towards me with a distinct limp and a dark glare. He had long brown hair tied at his nape and a rugged handsomeness that spoke of a divine parentage. Oh crap.

  “Hephaistos, I presume?” I choked out. He looked rather pleased for a moment and then started to glare again but this time it was directed at Aphrodite.

  “What have you done now?” He motioned at me. “Who’s this?”

  “She’s the Godhunter and I’m going to torture her until she dies, begging for mercy.” Ol' Afro looked smug. Not exactly the answer I was hoping for.

  “So you were the one who sent the wolves?” I interrupted and Hephaistos looked me over with interest. Not sexual, just good, old fashioned, regular curiosity.

  “Of course,” Aphrodite sniffed. “I couldn’t have it getting back to Huitzilopochtli that I killed you but now I see that the wolves have grown weak and I must do it myself.”

  “But how were you able to track Thor?” I understood her hatred but the tracking issue had me stumped.

  “Sif is one of my closest friends,” Aphrodite’s wicked smile belied her words. “All I had to do was comfort her and she told me every move you two made. She’s one of those women who torment herself over and over instead of simply getting a new man.”

  “Hmm,” I raised a brow at her, “sounds familiar.”

  “Shut up, whore,” she flung the whip at me and I felt it hit, tear through the material of my leather vest, my bra, my skin and muscle. There was a blessed second of numb shock before the searing pain hit. Burning, radiating anguish made my back arch
as if it could run away from it. I couldn't breathe for a second. It was more excruciating than werewolf claws, which at least had extreme sharpness in their favor. The barbs at the end of Afro's whip weren't nearly as sharp, snagging and tearing as they traveled the length of my back. I’m embarrassed to admit that I screamed like a little schoolgirl.

  “Aphrodite!” Hephaistos took the whip as I tried to see past the blinding pain. “You will tell me what this is about and you will tell me now!”

  “She’s trading up, Hephaistos old boy,” I choked out. My back was going numb and I was able to think again. “She wants to be Queen of the Gods or some such shit. She’s tossing you out on your ass and I’m in her way, so it’s the whip for me and the boot for you.” When all else fails, get the bad guys to fight each other.

  “Shut up!” She swung around and grabbed another whip.

  I heard it swish back and I tensed in anticipation of the blow. It didn’t fall, so I risked another glance. Hephaistos had her by the wrist and was staring her down, well up actually since she had a good four inches on him.

  “You want free of me, my love?” He stared hard at her and her eyes softened slightly. “Who will make you such lovely playthings when I’m gone?”

  “Hephaistos,” she pouted and even to me, it looked practiced.

  “No,” he released her with a shove that sent her stumbling. “I’m finished. That bloody Aztec is welcome to you.”

  He turned and walked away as she screamed for him to come back. She demanded that he return. She stomped her feet and cried but still he kept walking. I was in such deep shit.