“What's going on?” Trevor asked.
“We think Narcissus was here,” Odin said.
“And could still be here,” I added.
“Fruity Pebbles!” Trevor snarled.
“Fruity Pebbles!” Lesya mimicked with her own snarl.
And there it was; the very reason we used those silly curse words. I would have felt deeply satisfied if I hadn't been so upset.
“Stay with your mother,” Trevor said as he handed Lesya to me. “Kirill, guard them! Odin, take the garden. Az, the left tower, and Re the right. I'll look through the bathroom and dressing room.”
The men split up and went to search the rooms. Trevor hurried into the bathroom as Kirill came to stand before Lesya and me. He warily scented the air around us as if Narcissus might manifest suddenly. It was entirely possible. Narcissus could be using god magic to make himself invisible. I shivered and clutched Lesya closer as I took a few deep sniffs. Lesya's nose was doing double time too as she tried to figure out what had everyone so spooked. But neither of us smelled anything out of the ordinary.
“He's not here,” I said to Kirill. “At least, not in this room.”
“Nyet,” Kirill agreed as he kept up his guard. “But he may be nearby.”
Trevor strode out of the bathroom and headed into the dressing room, not even sparing us a glance. I saw the gleam in his eyes; it wasn't Trevor after all. The Wolf was back.
“Tima, the palace is secure,” Jake reported as he briskly entered the suite. “I've got four patrols out combing the grasslands. If anyone's here, we'll find them.”
“Good job, Jake,” I said. “We're clearing the towers right now.”
“I'll just wait here for the results,” Jake offered and relaxed into a bodyguard stance; arms crossed loosely and ready for action.
“Nothing,” Azrael declared as he rejoined us.
“The dressing room and bathroom are clear too,” Trevor said as he came out of the dressing room.
“Garden is clear,” Odin added as he shut the French doors behind him.
“No one's up there,” Re was the last to report. “He's not here. Why did you think he was, Lala?”
“Because someone chopped a lock of my hair off last night,” I said as I lifted my shortened starlight hair. “And we all know who likes to take hair as a trophy.”
The men went still.
“I'm putting the palace on high alert, Tima!” Jake shouted before he ran off.
I didn't know what high alert meant, but I was glad that we had it. I was scared. Sure, I'd been taken by the Mirror from my own dressing room, and I'd even pointed out that fact to Trevor, but I hadn't really believed that I wasn't safe in my home. I'd thought the Mirror was a one-time deal. There was no way for a god to get through my wards without knowing the chant, and the only god who could unmake wards was one of my trusted friends.
“The chant,” I whispered. “I'd better go change it. Maybe the Mirror saw it in my head and told Narcissus.”
“Sugar Puffs!” Odin snapped; going with the cereal theme. “Do it now, Vervain.” He took Lesya from me. “Come here, honey, Mama's got to change the chant.”
“Mommy!” Lesya cried as children do when they're confused and scared.
“It's okay.” I took her back. “I can change the chant holding her.”
I hurried down to the tracing room as I bounced my daughter on my hip, my husbands trailing after me. We squished into the elevator together, none of them wanting to be left behind. Good thing I'd recently upgraded it to lion-sized.
I scurried into the tracing room and quickly worked the spell to redo the wards with a new chant. It was going to be a huge pain in the ass and it wouldn't be nearly as cool as the original, not with me having to come up with it on the fly. I'd also have to make sure all the Intare learned it, plus the God Squad, the Froekn, and even Athena's damn owl. There were a lot of people who came through my territory. It got me thinking that perhaps it wasn't so safe even without Narcissus' threat. If an enemy got a hold of a froekn, they could torture them into giving up the chant. The same could be said for my lions I suppose, but they lived at the palace and they needed to be able to trace in.
“What is it?” Odin asked as I stepped out of the tracing room after completing the spell.
“It's okay, Lesya,” I cooed to her. “We're safe now. Here, go to Daddy.” I handed her to Kirill and gave him a heavy look.
“Let's see vhat Zariel's doing,” Kirill said cheerily to our daughter.
As soon as the elevator was out of earshot, I told Odin my concerns about the chant.
“You're right,” he agreed. “Perhaps we should take this as an opportunity to tighten our security and only give the chant to those who absolutely need it.”
“All the Intare need to have it,” I said.
“But not all the Froekn,” the Wolf said.
I looked at him in surprise; he was the last one I'd expected to point that out.
“I want you safe, Mate,” the Wolf declared. “I love my Pack, but I love you more. Only Fenrir and Ty need the chant. UnnúlfR hardly ever visits.”
“Okay,” I said. “The God Squad should also have it.”
“But that's it,” Re said.
“What about Athena?” I asked. “If she needs to send Alex, he should have the chant.”
“Athena can fucking text you like a normal person,” Re snapped. “She doesn't need to show off by sending her damn owl every time.”
“Fair enough,” I agreed with a chuckle. “All right; we'll give those select people the chant and the rest can be escorted in if necessary.”
“I'll text the Squad,” Re offered.
“And I'll take care of Father and Ty,” the Wolf said.
“I'll make an announcement to the Pride later,” I added.
“You'd better mass text them now, Vervain,” Odin said. “Some of them aren't home.”
“You're right,”
