“Show our guest to a bathroom,” Niyarvirezi commanded.
Darius bowed and waved his arm out of the door. I got up and followed him from the room. As soon as we were far enough away to not be overheard, I stopped and turned to him.
“You have a broken lion here, right?” I asked him.
Darius' eyes widened, and he whispered, “Insane; yes.”
“What's his name?”
“What? Why are you—”
“Tell me his name!” I hissed as I grabbed Darius' shirt.
“Kirill,” Darius said as he drew back. “His name is Kirill.”
“Kirill,” I whispered as I let him go.
Instantly, my eyes filled with tears, and my heart blossomed with love. I saw Kirill as if he stood before me; a muscular man with hair blacker and longer than mine; it flowed past his hips in a straight, silky cape. His eyes were bluer than the clearest, freshwater lake, and his smile had been hard to win, but once I'd seen it, I couldn't live without it.
“Oh, my God,” I whispered. “Why didn't you tell me?”
“I just did,” Darius said in confusion.
“Not you,” I said distractedly.
I couldn't tell you, Al said. But I knew you'd find him. He is bound to you as well.
“What about Odin?”
“Are you still talking to me?” Darius asked.
“Give me a second, Dare,” I growled as if I knew him.
Then we blinked at each other in shock.
“Tima?” Darius whispered as his eyes went round.
“Holy hand-grenades,” I murmured.
He's one of yours too, but not in the way you think; he's family, Al said. Just find Kirill, Vervain.
“Take me to him,” I said to Darius. “I need to see Kirill immediately.”
Chapter Ten
Darius rushed me through the hallways; we wouldn't have much time before Niyarvirezi started wondering where we were. I didn't care, but he was completely cowed by her. He explained to me that they were all tied to Niyarvirezi; they existed because of her magic. If she commanded them to do something, they had to obey, and if she cut them off from her magic, they died. But she rarely killed them in such a quick manner; Niyarvirezi preferred to make them kill each other.
Which means that you need them to skedaddle when you kill her, Al concluded.
When I what?
Don't act shocked; you know that you have to take Niyarvirezi's magic. You must save them, Vervain, and to do that, you must become their goddess.
But I already have the Aztec magic, I protested. Thor says that I could die if I take any more.
Thor's wrong; I assure you.
“Here he is.” Darius opened a small panel in a solid, wood door. “But you can't go in, Godhunter. Kirill's lost his sanity; he will tear you apart as soon as you get within reach. He doesn't even recognize his brother lions anymore.”
I looked through the opening and saw a sleeping lion. He was black; his fur so shiny that it shone blue in the light filtering in through a narrow window set high in the wall behind him. There were no light fixtures in the room, only a dirty pallet in the corner, a door-less bathroom, and a chain that was welded to a metal plate in the floor. The other end of the chain was stuck through the lion's ankle; through it.
“Why is he chained like that?” I growled.
The lion woke at my words and started to growl. He got to his feet and roared. Then he charged us, but he reached the end of his chain and fell with a whimper. Despite what must have been horrendous pain, he got back to his feet and swiped at the door; he was just shy of reaching it.
“Because he shifts back and forth between human and lion,” Darius said sadly. “And we can't chain him any other way.”
“So, don't chain him,” I sounded as violent as the snarling lion.
“Without the chain, he breaks through the door.” Darius shrugged.
“Open the door,” I said calmly.
“Are you insane?” Darius asked. “Look at him.”
Kirill was jerking at the chain again; blood seeping around the metal in his ankle. He paid it no mind, though; he was too intent on reaching us. His claws raked through the air, and he bared his teeth savagely. When I focused beyond him, I saw that the walls were gouged with claw marks.
“Kirill!” I snapped. “Stop that this instant!”
The lion shuddered at the sound of his name and cocked his head at me. A small whine left his lips as his stare connected with mine. That's when I knew that I wouldn't be leaving Niyarvirezi's territory without him.
“Now, open the door,” I said to Darius.
Darius gaped at me for a second before lunging for a key that hung beside the door. He fumbled with the lock, opened the door, and got out of my way.
“I'll need a wrench and a bowl of warm water,” I said as I went into the room.
Darius ran off.
The lion just sat down and stared at me.
“Do you remember me, Kirill?” I asked softly. “I remember you. You're not supposed to be here; not like this. You're meant to be with me, and I'm going to remedy that right now.”
A low sound came from the lion; part growl and part purr. He couldn't decide what to believe.
“I know you're in the dark right now, baby,” I said gently. “But I'm going show you the way out. All you have to do is trust me. Can you do that?”
Kirill laid down and stretched his leg out to me; the one with the chain through it.
Wow; this is going so much better than the last time.
“Because there's something already between us this time,” I answered Alaric out loud. “Something between our... souls.”
Kirill sighed deeply,
