“But how you were able to get through the mirror without losing your magic?” I asked. “Or at all.”
The Fates gathered closer; they were curious too.
“Rainbows don't cast a reflection,” Qaus said simply.
“Excuse me?” I blinked at him.
“I have weather magic,” he explained. “But it's governed under the Rainbow which happened to be the only thing that could pass through Narcissus' mirrors without impediment. Rainbows are a specific set of reflections and refractions within water droplets that appear on the surface of an invisible cone.”
“Oh, great; he's talking science,” I huffed.
“Okay; I'll make it simple and relevant to this situation instead of going on about the particulars of it.” Qaus laughed again. “Mirrors can't reflect rainbows.”
“Shit,” I whispered, completely forgetting to use my creative curses.
“Narcissus couldn't take my magic, even if he tried.” Qaus smirked at me. “It simply could not latch onto my rainbows.”
“Is that how you managed to alter the mirror-curse to pull me in?” I lifted a brow at him.
“That's not something I'm willing to share,” he threw my words back at me with a smirk.
“Fair enough.” I held a hand out to him. “I'm not going to bother asking you why you did it. I'm just going to say thank you.”
“This doesn't make us friends, Godhunter.” Qaus grinned devilishly as he shook my hand. “It makes us even. I put you in that insane pervert's clutches, and I couldn't, in good conscience, leave you there.” He glanced down at my belly. “Especially not when you're with child.”
“As you like,” I said. “But I have to admit that I'm glad I listened to Silenus.” And then I blinked. “Holy cannolis; the prophecy!” I glanced at the Fates and found all three of them smiling smugly. “Qaus needed to live so he could free me.”
The Fates nodded.
“But conversely”—I held up a finger—“he was the one who put this into motion. So, I wouldn't have wound up here if I'd killed him.”
“No?” Clotho asked. “You don't think that some other god would have figured out a way to get you into that mirror?”
“Narcissus was fated to be freed,” Lachesis said. “In one way or another.”
“And I was fated to free the Godhunter?” Qaus asked in surprise.
“And us, God of Rainbows,” Atropos added. “You haven't just freed the Godhunter today; you've rescued an Olympian and the Moirai. That means you've earned the goodwill of the entire Greek Pantheon. And that's no small thing.”
“That may have occurred to me.” Qaus winked at Atropos. But then he went serious and looked back at me. “But I want nothing in return. As I said, Vervain; we're even. Keep your word and don't hunt me, and I shall stay out of your way in return.”
“I'm totally good with that.”
Chapter Forty-Four
We said goodbye to Qaus and went our separate ways at Cephissus' tracing pavilion. With Narcissus' death, the territory had reverted to his father. Cephissus didn't come out to confront us and that was wise of him. I hadn't gotten my beating heart, but if Cephissus had stood in the way of me returning to my loved ones, I would have. I was in no mood for a river god's bullshit.
I stepped out of Pride Palace's tracing room to the sound of arguing.
“How can you not have a spell for this? Your bedroom is full of spellbooks,” Azrael demanded.
“You're the one going to Angel High,” Odin snapped. “Why don't you check the library there?”
“I will!”
“Good!”
“Good!”
“Enough!” Trevor shouted. “This isn't helping. Our wife is missing—most likely taken by that mad mirror man—and you're fighting instead of coming up with a way to get her back!”
“I may have a suggestion,” I said as I stepped into the room.
Everyone—which included my husbands, my boyfriend, the Intare, and the entire God Squad—stared at me in shock.
“All you need is rainbow magic,” I said as I opened my arms.
My men rushed over to surround me, and I hugged them tightly, letting their love wash away the trauma I'd been through. Still worth it. I'd do anything to keep this. My body relaxed against them as I sighed; home again. Insanity crept back into the shadows of my mind.
Then came the explanations. I told them all about my adventures in Mirrorland and how Qaus had saved the Moirai and me. Astonishment abounded over that, along with sage nods over the prophecy. But what hit me the hardest was Morpheus' silent tears for his aunt. I hugged him but didn't say anything. There was nothing to say. Nemesis had been killed in the line of duty. It was a tragedy without reason, despite what the Moirai had said about it needing to happen. I couldn't tell Morpheus about fate; he wouldn't want to hear it. I knew I wouldn't if I were him.
“But what about Disani and Gish?” Finn asked in his slight, Irish lilt. “Do we have to worry about them riling up more gods?”
“I don't know,” I said softly. “Probably. Qaus said we weren't friends, just even, which I take to mean that he may still rejoin them.”
“And what happens if Qaus pulls another stunt like this one?” Hades asked. “Will you be able to kill a man who saved your life?”
“As he said; we're even.” I shrugged. “I won't like it, but I'll do what I have to. Although, I don't think that will be an issue. Qaus said that as long as I didn't try to kill him, he'd stay out of my way.”
“It sounds as if we have to worry about the other two more than Qaus,” Thor concluded. “But at least we know who to watch for.”
“Death and rainbows,” I said and smirked. “What a combination. Although, Gish is technically a god of war.”
“Qaus' rainbow was deadly enough to deal with Narcissus,” Azrael pointed out.
“I can't argue that,” I agreed.
Odin was particularly fascinated
