“Now, who's the child?” Trevor asked.
“Childishness is like a disease; it's catching,” Alex declared. “Which makes my behavior your fault.”
“Narcolepsy is also a disease,” I said as I flopped onto my side. “And I feel a case of it coming on.”
“You cannot come down with a sudden case of narcolepsy,” Alex said.
I snored loudly as my answer.
“Unbelievable!” Alex screeched again.
A small cry came from upstairs and then it grew into a wail. I sat up and glared at the owl with a look that should have turned him into barbecue; at the very least, singed a few feathers. Alex flew out to the balcony and settled on the railing in shame.
“Get out of my territory!” I snapped at Alex.
“But I—” Alex started but was cut off by another of Lesya's cries.
“I'll get her,” Kirill said as he headed up to Lesya's nursery.
“Get out!” I shouted, and Lesya began to wail.
“Tell Athena that we'll see her tomorrow,” Trevor said. “We're not going to be any good to her in the state we're in anyway.”
“What about the representative?” Alex asked.
“Here's my representative.” I flipped the bird the bird.
“Fine,” Alex huffed and flew toward the doorway. “But I'm telling Athena all about the way I've been treated!”
“Out!” I shouted again.
Chapter Twelve
I felt much better in the morning. I sighed, rolled onto my side, and opened my eyes. Then I screamed.
Lesya was standing beside my bed, staring at me. My scream startled her, and she started screaming. Trevor—who was sleeping beside me—woke up and shifted his hands into claws; ready for war. While he was still searching for assassins, Odin and Kirill came running down the stairwells half-dressed.
“What in all the realms is going on down here?” Odin shouted. “And why do I have to keep asking that? I hate sounding like a grumpy old man.”
Lesya and I looked at each other and started laughing.
“The females have gone insane,” Trevor declared as he shifted his hands back to normal.
“Lesya startled me,” I said as I slipped out of bed and picked her up.
“And Mommy scared me.” Lesya sniffed for added effect.
“You were standing at the side of the bed; staring at me like a psychopath,” I accused her.
“What's a sigh-cone-path?” Lesya sounded out the word as best she could. “Does it have ice cream?”
“No; it's a crazy person,” I said dramatically as I tickled her.
“I'm not crazy!” Lesya shouted as she giggled.
“That's what all crazy people say!” I tickled Lesya more before handing her off to Trevor and heading toward the bathroom. “Normal people don't stand beside beds and stare at other people while they're sleeping. Don't do it again; leave that creepy stuff to vampires.”
“I was just waiting for you to wake up,” Lesya whined as I shut the door.
“As if I don't have enough creepy stuff in my life,” I muttered as I went about my morning routine. “Now, my daughter is becoming a stalker.”
After I was clean, relieved, and refreshed, I braved the world outside my bathroom. I swear; there are days when I just want to stay in there. But today, the smell of coffee and bacon lured me out. My husbands were making breakfast, and Lesya was in her highchair being fed by her father. Trevor handed me a cup of Earl Grey Creme as I walked up. Damn; I love that wolf!
“When do you want to head over to Olympus?” Odin asked me.
“Olympus?” Azrael asked as he walked in. “What's wrong with the damn Greeks now?”
“Damn Greeks!” Lesya declared.
I glared at Azrael, and he turned red.
“Sorry,” he muttered. “I've had a rough night.”
“It's okay,” I sighed and went to hug him.
“Damn Greeks!” Lesya said again when she didn't get the reaction she was hoping for.
“Lesya!” I snarled. How's that for a reaction?
Lesya made a rebellious growling sound, and I turned around fully and roared at her. She whimpered and sank down in her seat as Kirill chuckled.
“You've got many years before you can challenge your mother,” Kirill chided our daughter. “And even zen, I don't recommend it, Kotyonok. Fight battles you can win.”
“Damn Greeks,” Lesya whispered.
“Lesya, do not say that D word again,” I said sternly. “Uncle Azrael shouldn't have said it, but he's tired and upset so we're going to let it slide; as I'm going to let you slide this once. Got it?”
“Got it, Mommy,” Lesya said like a little soldier.
“Good.” I sighed deeply as I turned back to Azrael. “Are the Demons all right? Did something else happen?”
“I'll take Lesya for a morning run,” Kirill said as he lifted our daughter out of her highchair.
“Yay!” Lesya clapped.
Lesya knew that “morning run” meant they were shifting, and my baby girl loved to be a lion.
“Thank you.” I kissed Kirill's cheek and then Lesya's as they passed by me.
“Don't leave vithout me,” Kirill said. “I'll take Lesya to Samantha after we're finished. I just don't vant to disturb zeir breakfast. But I vant to go to Olympus vith you.”
“Okay; we won't leave you behind,” I promised.
I watched Kirill and Lesya leave—Kirill looking so blissful with our daughter in his arms—and then turned back to Az.
“Everyone's fine,” Azrael assured me. “They're just worried—terrified, really—my father especially. I don't think I've ever seen him scared, Carus. It shakes the foundation of my world.”
“This isn't a fair battle,” I said softly. “He doesn't know what to do, and that can be devastating to a man like Luke.”
“I stayed up most of the night with him drinking,” Azrael said tiredly as he went to the coffeepot.
“Luke was drinking?” Trevor asked in surprise.
“Hellbrew,” Azrael said with a nod.
