Hell was in an uproar.
Azrael had been keeping his parents informed of our investigations, but the fact that Luke wouldn't have been able to find Katila, even if he'd been trying to, didn't lessen the sting that demons had died while Luke had done nothing.
Luke now had all of his demons camped out in his house and backyard so he could reach them at a moment's notice. His mansion wasn't large enough to house them all, but his backyard was a stunning recreation of the Atlantis countryside and had more than enough room for a demon camp. The Demons were as secure as Luke could make them, but they couldn't stay on lock-down forever. Enough was enough. It had to end. If we didn't find Katila soon, Satan was going to gather his demons and scour the realms himself. And no one wanted that.
So, the plan had to work.
My Intare wanted to join us on our Katila-trapping-adventure, but my Hawaii home is tiny and it was going to be hard enough trying to fit the God Squad in it; even if they were heading straight out to the backyard. The yard wasn't all that big either, come to think of it. Land is at a premium in Hawaii. So, I had to leave my lions behind.
We waited until midnight and then the God Squad and I traced directly into the Hawaii house. They immediately went invisible, just in case Katila was already outside somewhere; lurking in the bushes like a peeping Tom. I wandered casually out to the back porch as if it were just another restless night I'd taken for myself. I leaned against the railing; leaving the door open behind me. The invisible gods silently slipped out of the house and down the steps.
I closed the door—hoping I hadn't just let in a swarm of mosquitoes—and headed into the backyard. As I strode to the iron bench beside my little koi pond, I searched the thick mock orange bushes and the shadows beneath the orange tree. The sweet scent of orange blossoms and jasmine filled the humid night, but it didn't calm me as it usually did. I knew the Squad was within touching distance, but Katila could be as well.
When you became a god, invisibility was one of the first rabbits you learned to pull out of your bag. Every god I knew was able to make themselves invisible, even the demigods. It was the first god magic I'd learned as well. So, I didn't just look with my eyes, but also with my nose. I inhaled deeply; searching for Katila's non-scent among the floral notes and the assorted god signatures. Then I froze.
I found him; Katila was there.
I calmed my racing heart as I sat down on the cool iron bench and stared up at the stars. When he didn't show himself immediately, I asked, “Are you going to stand there staring at me all night or are you going to come out and talk to me like a civilized person? You know; in the flesh. Well, in your own flesh.”
A low chuckle preceded Katila out of the darkness. He was just as I'd seen him in Brevyn's vision; a tall, muscular man with nut-brown skin and ebony eyes. The humans who had given reports on his appearance had been right; he had a radiance about him that seemed angelic. It wasn't a straight-up glow so much as a healthy shine. In the world of gods, it was the equivalent of a nice smile. Not that impressive.
“Have you considered my offer?” Katila asked in a warm, velvet tone.
I've heard a voice like his before, but Blue had done the whole evil-sexy thing way better than this guy. It didn't matter; I wouldn't have to listen to him for long. Even as Katila stepped forward, Azrael appeared behind him; his scythe descending in a deadly arch. I could feel the magic gathering in the air; every god there was preparing to attack.
I don't know if Katila saw the glint of the scythe reflected in my eyes, or perhaps in the pond, or maybe he'd simply sensed the magic as I had. Whatever it was that warned him, he leapt forward; knocking into me hard enough to send the bench tumbling backward. But we never hit the ground. By the time the iron thudded into the grass, Katila and I were somewhere else entirely.
I rolled and punched Katila as soon as we reformed. I didn't bother to look around; it didn't matter where he'd taken me, only that he had. I've been abducted enough times to know that as soon as an opportunity presents itself to you, you need to act. If you can get the element of surprise on your side, all the better.
Katila hissed in pain and jumped lithely to his feet. I got to mine, and we stared at each other warily.
“Well done,” he muttered and then licked blood from his lips. “You continue to surprise me.”
“Yeah; you surprise me too,” I said. “I thought you'd be dead by now.”
“Sorry to disappoint.” He smirked. “It won't happen after I get you back in my bed.”
“I've never been in your bed, you crazy bastard,” I hissed. “It was into my marriage bed
