I had called all of my Star Gods and Sin to meet with us, but I wasn't including the other gods who had joined me, not even Enki. They were soldiers, and soldiers go where their leaders tell them to. They didn't get to make decisions.
It turned out that Sin knew Qaus and had greeted him with surprised pleasure. Now, my general stood beside our new recruit, pointing out what we had accomplished so far.
“We're heading across Africa next,” Sin answered for me. “Once we have the continent under our control, we'll move up in the other direction and take Europe, Scandinavia, and Russia.”
“Then to the Far East?” Qaus asked eagerly. “Or will you head across the pond to America first?”
“We're saving America for last,” I said. “I'm hoping that once they see the other nations fall, they'll surrender.”
“You know Americans better than that, Vervain.” Qaus laughed. “You are one.”
“You're an American?” Viper asked me with interest.
“I was,” I admitted. “Now, I'm a woman of all lands.”
“Wherever you say you're from, you know as well as I do that America won't go down without a fight, no matter what happens to the other countries. They're stubborn like that.” Qaus shook his head.
“Stupid more like,” Sin grumbled.
“Americans are not stupid!” I slammed my fist down on the table and shocked everyone. “They can be brave and brash and yes, even stubborn, but I have faith that those in charge will do the right thing for their people. After all, I offer no harm to those who concede to my rule.”
“And who has conceded peacefully so far?” Qaus asked mildly.
“Bahrain,” I said immediately.
“You took Bahrain in an instant,” Sin argued. “You didn't fight for it. All the other regions have gone to war with us.”
“You took Bahrain in an instant?” Qaus asked eagerly. “Why can't you do that with all of them?”
“I can, I just don't want to.” I crossed my arms petulantly.
Sin laughed and nudged Qaus' shoulder with his. “She wants to give everyone a chance to accept her of their own free will.”
“She also wants to give the Gods a chance to side with her instead of against her,” Viper reminded Sin. “She doesn't want to exterminate all of the Pantheons.”
That sobered Qaus and Sin both. Sin looked away from Qaus' anxious stare, and Qaus shifted it to me.
“I don't want war,” I said for the hundredth time. “I want peace. I want Gods to live peacefully with humans. They can't live peacefully if they're all dead.”
“Very true,” Qaus said softly and gave me a strange look.
“What?” I frowned at him.
“There is still a lot of the Godhunter in you, Dark Star,” Qaus murmured. “And I find myself relieved to see it.”
I cleared my throat. “I'll put you in charge of a regiment of humans, gods, and dragon warriors then send you into Egypt. That is, if you're up for it, Qaus.”
“Egypt?” Qaus grinned at me. “What will Re say?”
“If you have any problems, be they with gods or humans or even the head of the Egyptian Pantheon, let me know.” I lifted my chin. “I will take care of them.”
“You're going to fight your husband?” Qaus whispered in shock.
“He's not my husband anymore.”
Viper's hand slid into mine, and I looked up to find him smiling at me.
Chapter Thirty-Five
The sun shone on Egypt just as mercilessly as it did on Bahrain but most of my soldiers were used to the heat while my dragon warriors and I gloried in it. I basked in the sunlight at the head of my army, standing on one side of the Suez Canal while Egypt's forces held the other. Those forces included the entire Egyptian Pantheon and at the head of those proud gods stood my husband.
I mean; my ex-husband.
Even across the water, I could see the gleam of the golden God of the Sun. His pantheon spread out to either side of him, dressed in ancient armor, looking fierce and powerfully magical. Isis with her jewel-colored wings, Ma'at with her snowy hair shining like a pearl in the sunlight, Anubis as sleek and dark as his snarling jackals, it went on and on. Gods who I'd met at my wedding to Re, those who had been wary of me, and those who had loved me. All of them now waited to try their magic against mine. They waited for a chance to kill me.
Human soldiers stood around the Gods. I would have thought that they'd be both awed and reassured by the presence of the ancient deities but their eyes were focused on us. On my dragons and my gods, even on the other humans; conquered soldiers who now fought for me. Ironically, the humans of both armies stood at opposite sides of the Mubarak Peace Bridge, waiting for the signal to cross. Then again, maybe it wasn't so ironic. I was doing this for peace after all. I just hadn't expected to fight gods who I'd considered to be friends. I hadn't expected to fight Re.
“Are you really going to fight them?” Sin asked, mimicking my thoughts. “Just do that star thing so we can move on.”
“Re,” I whispered as our past threatened to overwhelm me.
Lying in Re's arms as the sun rose to warm our skin and turn his to molten gold. Laughing up at him as he teased me and called me Lala. His head laid in my lap, a lush garden surrounding us. But no; that last memory was from the future. A broken future. Still, we'd brought our love back in time with us. The future. The past. They all rolled together with Re. We'd fought for our love. Bled for it. And here we were; standing across a great divide, at war with each other. Could I kill him? Take his light from the world forever?
“Vervain,” Viper hissed in my ear, “take them down. Finish this. Or at least give us
