Into the Void (The Godhunter, Book 10) Page 8

  “Well,” Brighid looked around the table. “I'm kind of sorry I asked but next time, give me a call, I'm a goddess of medicine and health.”

  “She already has a god of healing. Why didn't you send for me, Vervain?” Teharon came back to his seat with a full plate for himself and one for Karni Mata, his stunning Hindu rat goddess girlfriend.

  Yep. Rat goddess, the only clue to it though was her black eyes, fully black from rim to rim. Otherwise she just looked like a Indian woman(dot not feather) with stark white hair. I thought she looked perfect beside Teharon, who was Native American, with long black hair and turquoise eyes.

  “Holy hand grenades!” I gaped at Teharon and then looked over at Fenrir. “Why didn't we call him?”

  “It never even occurred to me,” Fenrir gave me a slack goofy dog kind of face. “What with all the hubbub around it, I never thought about Teharon.”

  “Me either,” I huffed a disbelieving sound.

  “Oh, I see how it is,” Teharon gave me a smile, “now that you've drunk from the Grayel, you don't need me as much as you used to, so you don't even consider calling me in a crisis.”

  “Hey,” I held up a finger towards him, “at least you don't have to leave your warm bed in the middle of the night to come save my ass anymore. Also, I still think about you.”

  “Just not as your hero,” he gave me a wink. “I kind of liked being the Godhunter's hero.”

  “Teharon,” I dropped my voice to a serious tone, “you will always be my hero. You've saved my life more times than I can count.”

  The table went quiet for a moment in agreement with that statement. Until Teharon had to go and ruin it.

  “That's only because you can't remember.”

  We all laughed at that but I held his glance and raised my glass to him.

  “Nonetheless,” I nodded, “thank you.”

  “You just said today wasn't about thanking someone in particular,” Torrent sounded terribly confused.

  “It's not what Thanksgiving is about,” I smiled indulgently at Torrent, “but it doesn't mean you can't thank people too.”

  “Well, why didn't you say so?” Torrent sighed, lifted his glass, and stood up. “Thank you all for helping me build a life here, for accepting me, and teaching me about friendship. And...” he cast a glance at me and I lifted a brow. “And teaching me about other things as well.”

  He sat back down amid cheering and I shot him a smile. Torrent represented a lot of things for me. He was proof that although you may come from evil, it doesn't make you so. Proof that life will always find a way and that one doesn't have to be one-hundred percent organic to be alive. Most of all, he was a physical representation of the evolution of magic, that magic isn't static and that new forms of it can be good. Looking at him made me feel more comfortable in my new skin, less afraid of what I had become.

  “Since everyone's making grand speeches and all,” Fenrir pushed his chair back and stood, looming over us all. He may look a lot like Trevor but his size was something that made him stand alone. The scar down his face was a little intimidating too but I'd seen his heart and I knew that under that rough exterior was a kind and honorable man. “I have something important I'd like to share with all of you, my friends and family. Emma,” he held a hand out to her and helped her to her feet.

  She looked confused for a moment before he dropped down to one knee and then one of her hands flew to her mouth as she stared at him with shock. Even on one knee, his head was barely below hers. He grinned at her, the smile transforming his face into a thing of beauty and elegance. He pulled a box out of his pocket, a Harry Winston box, and I started to tear up. When he opened it to reveal a brilliant cut diamond of at least two carats set in a simple gold band, I nearly began bawling. It was beautiful and Emma's face was even more brilliant than that magnificent rock.

  “Oh,” she breathed and lowered her hand to touch it.

  “Emma Langston,” Fenrir's voice had gone soft, gentle. “You're wild and magnificent, courageous and patient. I look at you and my heart hurts, it actually tightens in my chest with panic that the day may come when I wake up and you're not there. When you finally realize that you're way too good for me.”

  “Fen,” she whispered and lifted her hand to his cheek.

  “So I'm not going to give you the chance to run away,” he grinned wider. “This wolf is done chasing love. I want you to be mine forever, Emma. I don't ever want you to leave, I don't ever want to spend a day without you. I love you. Will you be my wife and live with me for eternity?”

  He pulled a golden apple out of his pocket and held it up to her along with the ring. The crowd gasped, realizing, as I did, that this was an apple of immortality. Fenrir wasn't just asking for Emma's hand in marriage, he was asking for her to become immortal. Two very important decisions but I understood why he'd lumped them together. He didn't want one without the other.

  Emma's eyes grew rounder as she stared at the apple. Her face fell into serious lines of consideration. Where she might have said an immediate and resounding yes to Fenrir's proposal of marriage, giving up her humanity took a little more thought. But evidently not too much more because she looked up at him and what she saw must have been worth the sacrifice.

  “Yes, to both your questions.” She took the apple from him and bit off a chunk with a loud and very final sounding snap.

  Fenrir whooped and jumped to his feet, sweeping her up with him. We all cheered, wolves howling and lions roaring as Fenrir kissed Emma and then took her hand so he could slip the ring on her finger. She laughed, continuing to eat the apple as he continued to hold her like he never wanted to put her down.

  “Aren't you forgetting something?” I called out to him.

  “What?” Fenrir blinked slowly. “Oh, of course.” He put Emma down and held out his hand. Ty came running up with a box and handed it over to Fenrir. “Froekn, you have a new Rouva!” He took the Rouva torque, a thick gold band with wolf heads at each end, and placed it around Emma's neck to the sound of more cheering.

  “Well,” I sighed happily, “it's about damn time.”

  “You're not going to miss being Rouva?” Trevor leaned over and took my hand. I could see the pure happiness in his eyes, he was overjoyed for his father.

  “Are you kidding?” I laughed. “It's hard enough to deal with these yahoos,” I swept a hand out to indicate the Intare.”

  “Ve are not all yahoos,” Kirill said with a small smile.

  “No, there is one of you who's pretty incredible,” I conceded. “Where's Fallon? I should tell him.”

  “You vill pay for zat,” Kirill gave me a stern glare.

  “You should say Mr. Bond, after you say something like that,” I giggled. “You totally sound like a super villain. You vill pay for zat, Mr. Bond. Bwahahaha.”

  “It vould be Ms. Bond,” Kirill corrected me.

  “But then your boyfriends would all need names equivalent to Pussy Galore,” Persephone mused.

  “Richard Maximus?” Trevor offered.

  “Titus Butts?” I shot back.

  “E. Normous Peter!” Pan shouted.

  “Pan!” Fenrir snarled. “Do you mind not ruining the most romantic moment of my life with your perversions?”

  “I... I...” Pan stuttered while we all laughed.

  Chapter Twelve

  “That was sweet of Loki to offer to officiate the ceremony, don't you think?” I rinsed the soap off my face.

  “Yeah, Grandpa's come a long way,” Trevor handed me a towel.

  “You mean from when he used you to abduct me and force me to kill Sif?”

  “Yeah that,” Trevor rolled his eyes.

  “Azrael's unhappy,” I blurted as I turned to face him.

  “What?” He blinked in surprise.

  “Azrael,” I pulled out the vanity chair and sat in front of the bathroom dressing table. “When he took me to meet his father, we had a talk. He wants more time alone with me and I think I've worked out a way.”<
br />
  “Okay,” Trevor leaned against the door frame, looking a little wary.

  “If we spend time in the Human Realm, I could use the ring to travel back to a predetermined time with Azrael, then come back to be with you or Kirill immediately. Or vice-versa.”

  “I... yeah, that sounds feasible,” he nodded.

  “But it also got me thinking, wondering if maybe you and Kirill were unhappy too. Are you? Unhappy?”

  “Minn Elska,” he sighed and came over to squat in front of my chair. “There are times that I wish things were different but every relationship has its negatives and on the whole, I'm a very lucky man. I love you and I bonded to you without your permission. I could have spent eternity alone, my love unrequited. Yet here I am, loved enough that you worry over my happiness.”

  “Today, with Fenrir,” I swallowed hard and then just plunged right in. “It inspired me. I think I'm ready to complete our Binding.”

  “What?” He stood up and took a step back.

  “I thought you'd be happy,” I frowned at him. “Don't you want me to be bonded to you as you are to me?”

  “If we were a normal Froekn couple, yes,” he sighed, “but we're not and we can't have what they have.”

  “Why not?” And why did it hurt my heart to hear him say that?

  “When Odin died,” Trevor ran a hand roughly over his face, “it made me realize something. You'll survive without us. You can make it past any of our deaths because you'll have other lovers to help you through.”

  “Trevor,” I shook my head.

  “No, this is a good thing because, Vervain, your life is not just your own.” He waved a silencing hand when I started to speak. “I know this disturbs you but there are a lot of people who depend on you, a lot of people who love you. If you died, I would happily follow you into the grave because there would be no one to console me, no one who could possibly get me over the grief. For you, it would be different. If I die, you'll still have Kirill, Azrael, and that dragon.”

  “Arach,” I chided him.

  “Yeah him,” he grinned at me. “They would help you past your grief and you would carry on. Binding with you now, knowing there's so many others whose lives would be irrevocably changed without you in them, would be selfish of me. I can't allow you to bond fully with me. If I do and I die, I'll pull you into death with me and that's just not fair to everyone else.”

  “Honey-Eyes,” I stood up and went to hug him. “Sometimes I wish things were different.”

  “But then you remember that if it were, you wouldn't have Kirill or Azrael... or that lizard,” he chucked me under the chin.

  “Arach,” I giggled.

  “Yeah him.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Hugin,” I growled up at the raven, “stop pecking at Munin, you're wrecking my concentration.”

  The large raven ruffled its feathers and gave one last peck to his brother before settling down. Beneath the delicate leafed tree they were perched in, I sat with Geri and Freki, Odin's wolves. All four of the animals had adapted well to their new environment and seemed to now be a part of the landscape. Freki made a huffing sound up at the ravens as if to mimic my admonishment and then settled back into a relaxed position, his head laid on his paws as he watched me.

  Whenever I spent time outside of Pride Palace, on the grounds of my territory, they were there. For companionship or to guard me, I wasn't sure but I loved their presence. They were a gentle reminder of Odin and the quality of his heart. Memories of them prowling his hall swept through my head and I smiled a little before settling back into my relaxed cross-legged position.

  “Thank you,” I murmured to the birds. “Now let's try this again.

  I held a small rock in my hands and I focused on it intently, seeing it changing in my mind. I sent my will into it, urging, cajoling, and finally demanding that it change into a pumpkin. Nothing happened and I growled in frustration. It was my sixth try that day.

  “Come on,” I snarled at the rock. “If Cinderella's Fairy Godmother could do it, I can. Don't you wanna be a pumpkin?”

  “Doubtful,” Kirill was leaning against a tree, watching me with an amused expression. “Rocks don't rot, besides Fairy Godmother changed pumpkin into coach, not vice versa. Maybe you should start vith pumpkin, da?”

  “You wanna come show me how this is done, smarty pants?”

  “I'm not ze vitch,” he shrugged and walked closer, “or the Tima of ze Intare. I'm just Ganza.”

  “Uh huh,” I smirked at him. “So keep your comments to yourself then.”

  “Failure always makes your mood foul,” he shook his head. “Come here, I vill improve it.”

  “Oh really?” I raised a brow but got to my feet automatically. “You're mighty sure of yourself.”

  “I have good track record,” he shrugged and smiled down at me while he pulled me into a hug.

  His long black hair was loose and it blew forward in the breeze, tangling with mine. His eyes darkened slightly, going from azure to sapphire, as he lowered his face to kiss me. A low growl rumbled in his throat, vibrating down into his chest and then through mine. My lioness perked up, lifting her head as if she scented something delicious on the wind. Yes, Kirill was her favorite.

  “Tima,” he pulled back and looked down on me with heavy-lidded eyes. “I've interrupted you because of zomething Darius has found on Internet.”

  “What is it?”

  “Mermaids,” he said with complete seriousness.

  “Shut up,” I laughed.

  “No, truly.”

  “Mermaids as in faerie water-sidhe?” I frowned.

  The fey had opened the way between realms now and I knew there were several who were already visiting the Human Realm but they were supposed to be discreet. They knew this wasn't the same world they used to be a part of and humans wouldn't be able to accept them like they used to. I'd be seriously surprised if they'd let themselves get caught on video.

  “Nyet,” Kirill took my arm and started leading me back to the house. “Zey are different, you'll see.”

  The ravens cawed mournfully and took off from their perch as the wolves jumped up and disappeared into the terrain. I felt a shiver flow over me, like they knew something I didn't. Or maybe it was just the connection with water, I really didn't like the water.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “What the hell is that?” I stared in disbelief at the computer screen.

  It was playing a clip from a news report done on a beach in New Zealand. The reporter was standing in front of a line of beached whales, talking about the effects of sonar on the mammals and how the US Naval ships using the sonar in excessive amounts were causing the beaching of whales all over the world. Then there was movement behind him, an arm emerged from behind a whale body and dropped onto the sand. The cameraman, spotting a better story, went running in the direction of the arm, probably thinking he was about to save someone's life on film, but when he rounded the huge carcass, it wasn't to find a human.

  The body was unlike anything I've ever seen. Or anything the cameraman had ever seen, if his startled shout was any indication. It was a dull gray, very similar in color to the whale next to it, and was roughly humanoid. It had arms, a head, and a torso but no legs. Instead, there was a thick tail, like a dolphin's. The hands grasping at the sand were webbed and overly large. The face had two massive totally black eyes, thin lips, and an almost non-existent nose. There was a nose ridge but it flattened down at the end and the holes had little flaps in them that opened as it breathed. On top of its hairless head was a crest, a ridge of bone that was wide at the front, with an opening in it, and tapered off to nothing at the neck.

  It looked up at the cameraman and screeched. The cameraman lurched back and as he did, the creature flopped its way back into the water. The camera caught one last glimpse of the tail splashing through the surface before the creature swam away.

  “This can't be real,” I leaned back heavily in my seat.

  �
��You're the Goddess of Love, Lions, and the Land,” Trevor lifted a brow at me. “A witch, a lioness, and a dragon. You're a triple trinity being mated to a werewolf and a werelion, the lover of an archangel, and married to a Faerie King.”

  “Yeah alright,” I rolled my eyes, “but there's a lot of fake footage of paranormal events on the Internet. You can do anything we special effects now. That has got to be special effects.”

  “Why?” Trevor gave me a confused look. “Because you didn't know about them? Vervain, you hate the ocean, how could you possibly have known about mermaids?”

  “Are you telling me you knew about them?”

  He looked away.

  “Nyet,” Kirill laughed. “He vas just as surprised as you.”

  “So again,” I smirked at Trevor. “Are you sure this is real?”

  “It's real,” Torrent came into the room. “I've analyzed the footage myself. That is not special effects make-up and the footage has not been tampered with. You've just seen your first non-fey mermaid.”

  “Whoa,” I whispered. “Shit, it was beached with the whales.”

  “Yes, exactly,” Torrent nodded. “I think it functions the same way whales do. See that ridge crest?” He went back to a frame of the mermaid's face. “I believe this is used to emit sounds for sonar. Military sonar reaches into such a loud range that it's like a rocket blasting off. It physically injures sea life, especially those dependent on sonar. They are more sensitive to sounds and the sonar can cause bleeding in the brain, ears, and other tissues, not to mention large bubbles in their organs. It causes them to panic, flee, disrupts feeding habits and patterns of behavior but if there are mermaids equally dependent and sensitive to sonar, then the humans are killing them as well.”

  “Oh fuck,” I breathed. “Dying whales are tragic enough but an unknown underwater race being killed? This is horrifying.”

  “You think that's bad?” Torrent huffed. “If the sharks die, every human on the planet dies.”