Marked by Death (The Godhunter, Book 4) (33 page)

Odin turned to me and wiped away the tears streaming down my face. He took my hand, and gently kissed it before heading to the door with Vidar and Vali on his heels.

“You’re all fools,” he said as they traced out.

I stared after him in shock. It was the most beautiful declaration I’d ever heard and every part of my body wanted to chase after him.

“Vervain?” Of all people, it was Hades who broke the silence.

“
I’m sorry,” I turned back around, “I’m fine.”

“
So, I take it Odin’s one of the chosen,” Pan piped up.

“
Pan!” Mrs. E slapped him on the arm.

“
Wha-a-a-t?” Pan cringed.

“
It’s okay,” I smiled over at Pan. “Yes, Trevor has graciously approved of Odin.”

“
Trevor did?” Thor scoffed, only slightly cowed after Odin’s speech.

“
Yes, I did,” Trevor’s hackles rose once more.

“
Kirill is the other man Trevor’s approved of,” I met Thor’s angry stare.

“
Sometimes I wish I’d never come across you stealing those plans,” Thor looked me up and down like I was something grotesque. Trevor growled but I shook my head and squeezed his hand.

“
Well, our bond is severed,” I managed a cool tone even though I was raging inside. “You can start fresh and pretend you got your wish.”

“
If only that were possible,” Thor barely even noticed the rest of the squad watching our drama in horror. “Unfortunately, Odin’s right about one thing: I am a fool.” He walked to the front door and traced out.

“
You can say zat again,” Kirill mumbled and Trevor grinned over at him and gave him a quick fist pound. Men.

“
I suppose this is a bad time to put in my application to share in the Vervain love fest?” Finn held up his hand with a cocky grin.

The phone interrupted my witty comeback with a shrill ring. So I had to settle for a stern glare at Finn as I answered.

“Rouva?” Samantha’s panicked voice screeched out of the handset.

“
Samantha,” I gestured to Trevor to join me, “what’s wrong?”

“
They’ve taken Fallon,” she sobbed. “Ares and his sons grabbed him as he was coming into work.”

“
Ares? What the fuck does Ares want with Fallon?”

“
He’s a means to an end,” Trevor growled.

“
He wants you to meet with him, Rouva,” Samantha continued. “He said he’d entertain himself with Fallon until you got there. Please Rouva, I love him. I love him so much.”

“
So do I, Sam,” I took a deep breath. “He’s one of mine and I promise you, we’ll get him back. No one is taking another lion from me. Where did Ares want to meet?”

Chapter Forty-One

Ares was actually very handsome. He had dark curls that fell in a boyish riot over his steel-gray eyes and strong features ruined only by a mouth that was a touch too greedy. Too selfish. He was of average height but had thick muscles and an athlete’s grace. Too bad he was such an asshole.

He stood in the center of the field, waiting for me, wearing a shiny set of armor sans helmet. We were in Greece, specifically Thessaly, the Larissa lowlands in particular. It looked like a big, open field ringed by mountains. Not too impressive but as good a place as any for a fight. Ares, if nothing else, was a master of the art of war. Maybe I should have read that book back in Duat, after all.

My enemy was flanked by his sons and attendants. Deimos, the name means dread, was dark like his father. Phobos, fright, had white hair, glowing eyes, and pointed teeth. His attendants were Trembling and Panic, both dark, large, and scary looking.

Behind them, chained at both hands and feet, was Fallon and I have to say I was impressed they’d gotten the best of him. Fallon was a big guy and definitely not a push over. From the way he was glaring at his abductors, he wasn’t too impressed but he was pretty pissed.

“
I’m sorry, Tima,” Fallon called out to me. “They jumped me from behind, like the cowards they are. I never knew what hit me.”

“
It’s alright, Fallon,” I smiled and I meant it. I was just happy to see him unharmed. “I needed to take care of this eventually.”

“
You can’t seduce me, Godhunter,” Ares steeped forward. “How will you win against a god immune to your charms?”

“
First of all, gross,” I looked him up and down. “Secondly… y-u-u-uck
,
I have no interest in seducing you, asshole.”

My hair was braided around my head like a crown, my fighting leathers were on, the claws in my gloves were extended as well as the knives that stuck out of my boot heels, and my kodachi was strapped to my side. I was ready to rumble and totally prepared when he broke formation and charged me.

I met him halfway, Trevor and the others holding back so I could get a few licks in before it became an all out war. I slashed at the juncture of his armor where the leather showed and there was a chance of actually harming him. The leather gave and his chest plate shifted to a satisfying tilt. Ares glared.

Then he punched me and I went flying. I didn’t think people could actually achieve that kind of height and velocity just by getting knocked a good one but I, evidently, was wrong. I landed hard, tearing up clods of grass and breaking something important.

It would have been really bad if I hadn’t been immortal.

My bones knitted almost as soon as they had been broke, so that I still don’t know for sure which ones had been damaged, and my head was back to normal after one small shake. I guess my healing abilities would slow down in time but since my Grayel drink was so recent, I was in super hero healing mode. I stood up and sped back to Ares, grass and dirt flying off me as I went.

I had a second to appreciate the shock in Ares’ face before I dove into him and then I was tearing at his throat. Warm, wet blood hit my skin and my lioness roared in delight. I looked down at the liquid life covering me and I couldn’t help it, couldn’t stop myself, I licked it. Yech!

Ares had hit the ground and rolled away, healing as I was preoccupied with my little taste test. He staggered to his feet and pushed away his sons’ hands as they tried to help him. They stepped back. I guess the fight was just between us. That kind of surprised and impressed me. I thought Ares was more underhanded than that. It must’ve been some kind of ego thing.

Ares pulled his sword and after a moment’s thought, I pulled mine. We circled each other more warily this time, looking for weakness before moving in for the kill. Neither of us had very much luck with that so Ares finally took a chance and swung. I blocked him easily but the return swing caught my upper arm pretty deep.

The cut barely had time to bleed before it knitted up.

“What the fuck?” Ares had finally noticed my speedy healing. Hooray for him.

“
You’re even slower than I thought,” I shook my head as I circled him again. “Haven’t you heard the details of my escape? I’ve taken a drink from the Grayel, buddy-boy. I’m one of you now.”

“
You’ll never be one of us, you disgusting little human.”

“
Too late,” I smiled at his horror, “neener, neener, neener.”

“
Then I’ll just have to remedy that,” he swung his sword in an angry arch, “immediately.”

He launched himself at me, sword first, but I’d been practicing with Fenrir and my sword skills were pretty damn good, if I do say so myself. I blocked his thrust and brought my blade up and under, slicing beneath the hanging breastplate and opening up his belly. He bellowed in pain and spun away.

“Have you seen Dementor lately?” I taunted him…yes I believe in taunting my opponents. “I gave her a little haircut.” I waved toward the long braid that dangled off Kirill’s belt.

“
You’ll be missing a lot more than your hair when I’m through with you,” Ares swung again but this time it had a strength that numbed my arm when I parried the blow.

I barely held onto the sword. Thankfully, the blade was magically enhanced and was able to take the blow but I had lost precious seconds and Ares knew when to take the advantage. He brought his blade around again and sliced through my arm, clean to the bone. My kodachi dropped from my useless fingers.

I heard Trevor and Kirill growl but they stood their ground and let the fight continue. I was proud of them… I think. Honestly, I wasn’t feeling too much beyond immense pain when I saw Ares move his sword into position for a killing blow. I would’ve been dead, goddess or not, if he hadn’t made a huge mistake.

He forgot who I was.

I transformed into the lioness, shredded leather and weapons flying as I went straight for his throat. Anubis wasn’t there to pull me back this time, so Ares’ throat gave way like spun sugar beneath my teeth and his blood filled my mouth like Duat wine.

I vaguely heard shouting and the clash of fighting around me but nothing touched us, nothing stopped my jaws from closing completely. I heard a wet sucking sound and then a soft pop as his head pulled free of his spinal cord. I tossed it from the body with a shake of my head, then sat back on my haunches and began to clean myself.

Chapter Forty-Two

Four hours later, I was completely clean, completely healed, and completely sober, even though I was on my fifth Long Island Iced Tea. These rejuvenation powers could be a little annoying if you wanted to get drunk. I did not, at the moment, so it was just one more thing to drink a toast too.

We were celebrating after all.

Fallon was reunited with Samantha without so much as a scratch, Ares was finally dead although his sons and attendants had got away, Demetor was beaten and on the run, I had escaped matrimony to Anubis, and my gloves had made it through my shapeshifting bit intact. Life was good.

Oh, and did I mention I had a gorgeous hunk of a man on each arm?

Trevor, Kirill, and I were seated cozily on one of the “hill” sofas in Moonshine with our friends spread out around us. They were all drinking as much as I was and it was all on the house. It was the least we could do after they had bailed me out yet again.

After I’d taken down Ares, his boys had gotten cranky and tried to attack my back. It was a good thing I’d brought my own reinforcements, including the Intare. Hello? Don't take one of my lions because then they'll all be gunning for you. They're like the Three Musketeers, only a lot more than three, and they had claws, and sharp teeth, and could get really big and furry. Okay, so they weren't really like the Three Musketeers at all, except for that
All for one
thing. But it was a good thing they were there because numbers alone made it a lot easier to chase off Ares' gang. Even though there were only four of them, they weren’t named scary synonyms for nothing. They were all affiliated with the God of War and it showed.

But win we did and drink we would. That was the proper procedure.

Unfortunately, my lack of inebriation prevented me from forgetting about the bad terms that Thor had left on and I began to brood a little. I had more than any woman had a right to. I was a mother without childbirth, a wife without limitations, a Rouva without being a werewolf, and a mate without being monogamous… while all of my men stayed monogamous to me. Was that or was that not heaven?

Oh, and did I mention I’m a goddess?

So why was Thor’s face popping up in my head, wearing that horrible expression of anger and betrayal? It was almost sick for me to still love him, after all the men that had come into my life… including his father, whose impassioned speech made Thor look like an angry toddler. There was no way I'd go back to Thor. I was so not going to sleep with Thor while I was involved with his father. A girl had to have her limits.

But I missed him. I was so pissed at him that I could’ve spat vinegar, but I missed him. He was the first man to make me feel really beautiful and really cherished. He was the first to make me think about forever and wish I could have it. I had wanted so much that I didn’t think I could have with Thor and he’d been intent on giving it to me anyway. He was honorable, romantic, loyal, and… and possessive. Trevor was right. Thor never would have been able to share me, even if it meant my sanity or my health.

No, Thor and I were never going to be more than friends. Our bond was gone and so was our relationship. If I couldn’t hold back the lioness with three men, then I’d find another lover. It would not, could not, be Thor. I didn’t need anymore drama in my life. Also, Thor obviously didn't love like I did, because as much as I was excessively pleased about my new love life, I would have done the same for any of my lovers if they needed it from me. Love was more important than pride. I think I'd proved that when I agreed to marry Anubis. Thor? He'd let guilt win over our love and as much as I wanted to, I could never forgive or understand that. I just wasn't wired that way.