“Little witch, I—”
“Take your hands off her,” Re growled.
“Okay, okay.” I held my hands up between them. “Let's take a breath. Blue, I need you to wait here. Re, please come with me and let me explain.”
Re and Blue faced off; the heat of their fury literally making me sweat. They made the term “hot under the collar” literal. Finally, they nodded and turned down the scorching heat, and I was able to remove Re from the library. I pulled him down the hallway and into a massive dining room done in an Indian style; as in saris and brass plates, not buckskin and totem poles. I didn't stop there but went out through the arched doorways and onto the balcony. The fresh air cooled my skin, and I took a deep breath of it.
“Re, I—”
“You slept with him, didn't you?” Re narrowed his golden stare at the bites on my neck.
“I need you to give me five minutes before you lash into me,” I said calmly. “Can you do that?”
Re took a deep breath and nodded.
I went through the whole story; telling Re everything except for the part where Alaric revealed that Blue and I hadn't been married. By the time I was done, Re's eyes were wide and his hands were shaking.
“We've barely been engaged a day, and you've already found another lover,” he whispered. “I can't tell you how hurt I am by that, Vervain.”
“I know, and I would be too,” I whispered. “I'm so sorry, Re. It was similar to the way we came together; I couldn't stop myself.”
“And he's not the last?” Re asked. “You want me to not only accept him but also other men you find?”
“If I have the time to find them,” I said. “We're trying to fix this, remember? It all may be moot.”
“Then tell that Aztec to go fuck himself because he's never fucking you again,” Re snarled.
“I love him, Re,” I said gently. “But, I love you more. If you really want me to go in there and tell him that, I will. I will break his heart and mine for you. But it may make us an enemy that we can't afford right now.”
“I couldn't care less about making enemies,” Re said haughtily.
“Okay, I understand,” I whispered and turned away.
“Damn it all!” Re shouted as he grabbed my arm.
Re twirled me around and kissed me. Love rose up inside me, and I knew that I'd spoken the truth; I could have let Blue go, but breaking up with Re would have destroyed me. This was real; this amazing lightness that filled my chest and expanded beyond my body. Re made me feel as if we were a miracle, and as much as I cared for Blue and loved making love with him, he didn't make me feel miraculous.
We eased back a few inches as we continued to cling to each other; our breath mingling.
“I love you so much, Re,” I whispered. “I can't lose you. I'm sorry that I was blinded by Blue.”
“It's okay, La-la,” Re murmured as he nuzzled his face against mine. “If anyone can understand the enthrallment of passion, it's me.”
“I'll tell him we're over,” I said.
“No.” Re took a deep breath and let it out in a rush. “I've had open relationships with women before, just never one whom I treasure. This will be hard for me, but I can feel that it's necessary. I'll take you any way that I can get you, Vervain. If that means other men, then so be it.”
“Would you like the same option?” I offered, even though my heart ached at the thought of Re in another woman's arms.
“The same option?” He asked in shock. “You think that another woman could satisfy me after what we've shared? I've already told you that I don't want other women anymore.”
“You're amazing, and I love you so damn much,” I whispered. “Thank you.”
“I love you too,” he said ferociously. “And the fact that you would have left him for me is enough for now; I can live with that.”
“If we can find and kill Aion, maybe you won't have to,” I said.
Oh, he'll have to; just not with Blue, Alaric said.
“Then let's find this time god,” Re said as he took my hand and led me back to the library.
We walked into a calm scene of Blue seated in the middle of the room with the God Squad gathered around him. They were all warily watching the Aztec, but Blue looked absolutely comfortable. He perked up when he saw me.
“Have you made your explanations?” Blue asked me as he stood.
“Sit down,” Re said. “You've had her for over four hours, you can give us some space for now.”
“As you say.” Blue held up his hands in a placating manner and resumed his seat. “Vervain and I have come to an arrangement, although, we haven't decided upon a schedule. Perhaps you can come up with something suitable?”
Re nodded crisply and escorted me to a chair across from Blue. He sat in the one beside me; shifting our clasped hands into his lap.
“Is anyone else's mind blown?” Pan asked with wonder.
Everyone but Thor raised their hands. Thor just scowled.
Pan started to reach for his notebook.
“Pan, if you start taking notes about my love life again, I'm going to box your ears,” I said as I glared at him.
Pan dropped his hand to his lap with a pout.
“Well, Vervain, this wasn't how I envisioned the day going, but you handled Huitzilopochtli,” Thor said.
“All kinds of handled,” Pan muttered.
Horus smacked Pan and glared at him.
“Sorry,” Pan said.
“The point that I was getting to before I was so rudely interrupted”—Thor glared at Pan—“is that we may now venture into Tartarus
