God of the Abyss (45 page)

“I felt its power. Sammy was right that it could only
cause harm.”

“It isn’t my intention to use it,” I said. Of course,
I was lying. It was very much my intention to use it, just not for its power. I
knew my boys well enough to know when they were hiding something, and I knew
them well enough to know why they would. If my suspicions were correct, I
needed the staff.

“Let’s go. We have work to do,” he said.

I flashed us back home. Edward was setting out lunch
for the boys while Emiko was lying beside the fireplace… she was lying there
tied up with a cloth in her mouth. I sighed and held Mordon back. “What did she
do?”

She yelled with outrage, but her words were
unintelligible through the gag.

“I caught her stealing, and then she got mad at me
for not allowing her to, so she tried to curse me,” Edward explained.

I let Mordon go and he took the cloth out of her
mouth. “I am a dragon! How dare you tie me up like a servant?! I will kill you
for treating me like this!” she screamed.

Mordon stuck the cloth back in her mouth and went to
the table before calmly taking a seat. “Is there enough food for Dylan and me?”

“For breakfast, yes, but we will have to hunt later.
You two were gone for a long time,” he commented, fixing two more plates of
bread and cheese.

“It was a long night of searching,” Mordon explained.
“So now that we have everything, what do we do with them to close the gates?”

“That is simple. Dylan has to remember what I told
him when he was seven.” Vretial’s presence filled the room the moment he began
to speak. Edward moved in front of me to guard me, but the boys seemed almost
bored. The dark god regarded Edward with amusement.

“I remembered what you told me when I was seven,” I
argued. “You didn’t tell me anything that would help.”

He gave me a disapproving glower. “I told you exactly
what you needed to know. Even Mordon heard it.”

My friend appeared more confused than me. “I only saw
what Dylan remembered. I saw it when he had that amnesia thing, but I couldn’t
understand anything, because he was only speaking Enochian at the time, which I
don’t speak.”

“What do you mean, Enochian? If I understood it, then
you should have, because you were in my mind. My Iadnah magic automatically…”
And then I got it. All of a sudden, it was clear how thick I was. “It can’t be
that simple,” I said, more to myself than anyone else.

Vretial laughed. “It always is, child.”

“What’s simple?” Mordon asked.

“But I didn’t have Iadnah magic when I was seven!” I
said.

“You were born with it. You were born
of
it.
You just never understood it until you were experienced with nominal energy. It
was always in you, and it always will be.”

“What is going on?!” Mordon asked, shaking me a
little.

“I’m stupid is what’s going on, so stupid. I’m an
idiot, a moron, a fool, and a goat. You heard Enochian in my memory because
that’s what we were speaking. I understood it when I was a child but I didn’t
know anything about Enochian, so I just thought we were speaking English.
That’s why he said I translated it wrong. I heard, ‘there is something in the
dark,’ but that isn’t what he said. Then I couldn’t get it right because the translation
had already happened.”

“So you need to hear what I heard in Enochian,”
Mordon understood. I nodded.

“When you know what I have told you, you will
understand the choice I made, and you will have to decide for yourself what to
do when faced with the same choice.” He vanished.

“Okay. It shouldn’t be difficult to–” My words were
cut off by the sound of an explosion. “We have a visitor,” I said, going to the
door.

Outside stood a demon as powerful as Xul, but clearly
different in his personality. For one, this demon seemed to have a sense of
humor; the body he chose was Mordon’s. Since Ancients could create their own
temporary forms or possess the bodies of mortals, I was very happy that he
wasn’t killing anyone by stealing a body.

“Were you looking for me, or are you lost?” I asked.

Mordon growled at the doppelganger. The demon was a
perfect image, but had a cruel grin and an aura of hatred that Mordon could
never manage.

“You act against the balance. I am here to kill you.”
His voice was similar to Mordon’s, but too raspy and snide.

“And you took my brother’s form because you thought
that would make me, what? Afraid?”

“It is well known that you and the dragon are
friends. The balance reacts oddly between the two of you. The idea is that you
would not fight back when I look like him.”

I laughed at his self-assurance and I could feel
Mordon roll his eyes beside me. “You have never had a brother, then, or you
would know better. Sometimes, there is nothing more I want than to have a go at
him. But I don’t need to fight you.” As I spoke I could feel the air crackle
with energy. The demon lost some of his confidence for confusion. “I could
destroy you with one word.”

“Impossible.”

“Just one,” I taunted.

“I do not fear you, mortal. I do not believe the
stories they tell of you and your powers.”

His boldness and confidence amused me. “Three
letters.”

Between us, Regivus appeared, focused solely on me.
He was angry. “Your mate has been…” he started speaking, only to stop when I
held up my hand impolitely. I expected him to be irritated at me for doing
something so insolent, but his expression was only of patience.

I pointed behind him to the demon. “Red,” I said.

The god turned and without hesitation or doubt,
reached out his hand. The Ancient instantly disintegrated into black dust,
blowing towards the god and forming into a ball in Regivus’s hand. Regivus
crushed it between his fingers before turning back to me with a slight smile.
“That is how you destroy a demon.”

“Is that dried demon guts all over the porch? Tiamat
is going to be mad,” I said. I wasn’t serious; it was more likely that she
would be disappointed she didn’t get to use it for her potions.

“Tiamat is always angry.”

My eyes widened and my jaw dropped. “We can’t be
talking about the same woman.” Divina had a temper, as did every woman and
especially every god; however, in the seven years I knew her, she was rarely
angry.

“She is a god,” he said, as if it were impossible.

“And she is my wife. God or not, Tiamat is normally
very happy,” I said.

“With you,” he said. As Regivus was the wisest and
grouchiest god, I didn’t expect him to smirk. “Of course you would think so.
You make her happy. That is why we accepted you instead of killing you when we
had the chance.”

“Are we accepted?” Sammy asked, pulling his brother
close.

“You cohort with Vretial, our enemy,” the god told
the child. Mordon growled and pulled them behind him, but Regivus continued.
“However, it seems we have no say in the matter. Between your mother and
father, I’m afraid I would suffer a very painful and untimely end if I did not
do right by the two of you.”

“You’re correct. Would you like to come in for some
breakfast, or did you have a message?” I asked.

“I came to ask you to take your mate back. We need to
be able to argue out our problems before we can work together. We are all older
than this universe, and we have many problems with each other. Arguing is our
way of dealing with it. Tiamat wants us to work together in helping you to
close the gates.”

Mordon laughed until we all stared at him. “Sound
familiar?” he asked. Ron and Sammy nodded with resigned expressions. I gave him
my best “clueless” look. “The Guardians are all arguing and you’re trying to
peace them to death.”

“I’m not that diplomatic.”

“You have your moments. I mean, sometimes you’re so
peaceful I think I could puke.” He shrugged. “Then you have your psychotic
moments when I realize you could destroy the entire universe without a second
thought.”

I would always give it a second thought. Regivus
vanished, leaving Divina in his place, as beautiful as ever.

She had on skinny jeans, a dark blue satin shirt that
went to her thighs, a silver belt around her waist, and brown leather boots on
the outside of her jeans that went to her knees. While her hair was normally
straight, it was slightly curly today. I pulled her into my arms, where she
belonged.

When I tried to kiss her, she put her hand over my
mouth. “Don’t start that or we’ll never get anything done.” We went inside and
everyone sat around the table… everyone except for Emiko, who was still tied
up. “Why is there a dragon tied up in the living room?”

“She tried to steal and threatened Edward.”

“How did she get here?”

“Oh, that.” I paused until Mordon had his cup to his
lips. “She’s Mordon’s girlfriend,” I said. Mordon predictably started choking.
I tried to pat him on the back, but he shoved me away.

“She is not! She’s annoying, rude, and has awful
habits!” he said.

“I know,” I answered, unable to keep a straight face.
“You have terrible tastes in women. Then again, far be it from me to stop you
from buying a fixer-upper. I’m not judging you.”

Divina smacked me in the arm. “Leave him alone.
You’re going to teach the boys to be mean to each other,” she said. Sammy and
Ron were watching us carefully from across the table.

“Mordon and I tease each other, but we never fight.”

“Of course not, you’re brothers,” Ron said.

“Mordon, will you take Emiko out of the room so we
can talk?” I asked.

He picked her up “fireman style.” “She’s a dragon, so
I would need to take her quite far. I’ll take her to the springs. I already
know you’re going to catch everyone up, so just call me when you’re ready for
us to come back,” he said, walking out the door.

“Use protection!” I yelled after them in English. I
turned back to my wife. “She looks like a biter.” I caught everyone up on
everything that had happened, including what Vretial said about Mordon and I
being born to balance each other. Sammy and Ron were extremely interested in
that. Divina was more interested in the part about mates, where I was her
balance.

Edward just listened. When our discussion ran down,
he stood and stretched. “We have been here for hours. We should check on the
Guardians.”

“They don’t know me, except for Nano, so I’m going to
stay here. Sammy and Ron should stay, too,” Divina said.

“Mommy, he wants to be called Hail, now, not Sammy.”

“Of course,” she said. I flashed Edward and myself to
the springs, where Mordon and Emiko waited. She was untied.

“We’re going to check on the other Guardians,” I
said.

Mordon stood and took my arm, leading me away from
Edward and Emiko. It was odd, because he spoke in my mind.
“I don’t know
about bringing Emiko around them. She is new to the idea of people traveling
worlds and her mouth will get her in trouble. Besides, we still don’t know what
Ghidorah is.”

“Do you trust her?”

“Not at all. She will steal, she will lie, and she
has already tried to stab me. She’s a spoiled little draxuni.”

I smirked.
“She sounds charming. Why is it you
like her again?”

He sighed.
“She is also smart, and I get the
feeling she is loyal. She needs to be protected.”

“Are you sure it isn’t magic attracting you to
her? I mean, she is very pretty, but it doesn’t look like she makes you happy
or anything. I thought your type would be submissive and sweet,”
I said.

“No, it was never that. Of course, my father
always thought a king’s wife should be submissive, I wanted…”

“A challenge,”
I said.

“Yes. I don’t want someone to bow to me. I want
someone who is sarcastic and tough and needs to be trained in manners. Someone
who needs to be protected and guided, but who will fight me along the way.”

“Like me?”

“Yes.”
He blushed when he realized what he
said.
“But a girl. Definitely a girl. Someone like you… but a woman. And prettier.
Definitely prettier.”

I narrowed my eyes.
“I’ll have you know Divina
finds me very nice on the eyes.”

He frowned.
“Has she ever got them tested?”

“Oh, shut up. I destroyed a demon with just one
word, if you remember. You don’t want to make me angry. I might decide you’re
not worth the trouble you cause me.”

“Actually, it was Regivus who destroyed the
demon.”
He patted me on the back. “Can you send Emiko back to your place?
Divina can watch her.” He paused. “She wouldn’t do anything to Emiko, would
she?”

“Not unless Emiko started it,” I smirked, knowing
full well the young dragon would start something. I flashed Emiko to Divina and
Edward, Mordon, and myself to Edward’s cabin. Each of the Guardians as well as
Vivian and Meri were sitting around the fireplace, eating lunch. Hobble
ambushed me, pounced, and knocked me down in order to lick my face. Two forked
tongues could cover a lot of skin.

“Get up, Dylan. Show some dignity,” Edward grouched.
I knew he was joking, though. He held out his hand to help me up, which I took.
Nano pulled the gargoyle off me, since he was the only one strong enough to.
Hobble was getting big. He was still a juvenile, but we could all tell the
stone creature would be a real beast when he was done growing.

None of us knew much about these creatures. Hobble,
along with a small group of older gargoyles, were misplaced in time. So far, it
appeared Hobble was trapped for good. We treated him well, especially since he
was injured saving Edward. It was confusing because his stone flesh wouldn’t
heal itself, even though his was maturing. Unfortunately, thinking about Hobble
growing made me realize that gargoyles were born, not created. That meant there
were stone gargoyles out there in the future… making baby gargoyles.