“Horus,” I gasped as I saw my friend standing near his grandfather. Beside Horus was his wife, Hekate, and behind them were the rest of the God Squad. My breath stopped; lodged in my throat. Emotions raged against each other inside me but one thing became clear. “Those are my friends. I can't fight them.”
“Not anymore, Dark Star,” Viper said grimly. “They stand against you. They seek to stop us. They are not your friends.”
“Finish them fast, Vervain,” Sin suggested.“They won't feel a thing.”
In an instant, Star promised. I can kill them in an instant.It will be painless.
“No!” I screamed and magic poured out of me in an amethyst heatwave, rolling across the canal to hit my traitorous friends and ex-husband.
They vanished. The entire Egyptian Pantheon and the God Squad were simply gone. I gaped at the hole they'd left in the ranks as my army roared in approval and rushed over the bridge, taking my action as a signal to attack. The humans faltered under the disappearance of their greatest allies. Many turned and fled while my soldiers gave chase. It would be a slaughter.
“Well done, Dark Star. I knew you wouldn't fail us,” Viper declared triumphantly.
“Yes, well done,” Odin snarled as he appeared directly in front of me and grabbed me around the waist.
I had a moment to gape at my furious ex-husband before he traced me away.
Chapter Thirty-Six
As soon as Odin and I reformed in Pride Palace, he dragged me out of the tracing room, and we were surrounded by all of my ex-lovers. They held me down as I gaped at them; especially at Re. The God Squad stood around us, looking on anxiously.
“You're not dead,” I whispered as a strange relief washed through me. “I didn't kill you.”
“No, Lala,” Re said gently. “You sent everyone here. Even in your darkest hour, you couldn't hurt us.”
Then I saw Arach.
“Arach?” I gasped.
“Hurry! We don't have much time!” Arach shouted.
The men grabbed my face and pried open my jaw as I struggled against their hold. Arach moved between them and poured something into my mouth. Something thick and cloying. I gagged and swallowed. Blood; he was forcing me to drink blood. Why? My wide eyes sought Arach's dragon gaze as he grimly dumped the entire contents of a slim pitcher into my mouth. Odin massaged my throat and pinched my nose as the other men held me still, especially my head. I swallowed and swallowed until, finally, went limp.
The men pulled back warily as I laid there in shock, eyes unfocused. Blood coated my lips and trickled down my chin, but I couldn't bring myself to wipe it away. The blood had belonged to my lovers. All of them had contributed to the concoction; Arach, Trevor, Kirill, Azrael, Odin, Re, and Toby. I could taste them all in my mouth. Feel them in my mind.
As if from a distance, I heard them talking.
“Did it work? Is she seeing our memories?” Trevor asked anxiously.
“Just give it a moment. A dragon doesn't usually take blood from more than one lover at a time. It may overwhelm her,” Arach murmured.
“But it von't hurt her, right?” Kirill sounded frantic.
“Anything is better than what she is now,” Odin said wearily.
“Dead is not better!” Azrael snapped.
“Shut up, all of you!” Re shouted. “It's done. All we can do now is wait.”
“Vervain?” Toby bent over me, the sapphire of his irises shining brightly amid their dark chocolate rings. “Say something, sweetheart.”
I looked into those eyes and the blue spread. It bled over the dark rings and across Toby's face until all I saw was blue. Blue sky, blue water, blue mood. Everything was blue. Then the memories lifted out of that ocean, and I began to scream.
Then even my screams faded away as I became Arach.
I stood staring across the Forgetful Forest, holding myself still and quiet as unbearable pain lanced through my chest. If I moved, it got worse so I would just stand here and wait. Predators know to be still and wait even when there is no prey in sight. Something would happen. A sign. A revelation. We couldn't end like this. Not after what we'd been through. From enemies to lovers. She had plummeted through the Aether and into my life then she changed everything. Stubborn, sexy, strong, and sometimes just silly, the woman had aggravated me until I fell in love with her. There is no one like her. Not in all the Realms. No one who could love me as she does. No one who could challenge me and ground me while she simultaneously soars beside me. She had torn through the wards of Faerie, taunted me into taking her, and then stopped my world. So, that's what I will do; I'll stop. Just stand here and wait for her to fall back into my arms. I'll have faith in her. My Dragon Queen has never failed me.
“Father.”
I turned to see Brevyn standing in the doorway, staring somberly at me.
“Son, are you well?” I could barely choke the words past the pain constricting my throat.
No; I wouldn't fall apart. This time, I would be strong for our children. I wouldn't fail Vervain. I wouldn't fail my family. I pushed the pain down and focused on our son.
“Mommy will come back,” Brevyn said firmly. “But you have to help her.”
“What do you mean?” I got on my knees to pull him close. “Do you know how I can find Mommy?”
Brevyn turned and pointed at the mirror over Vervain's dressing table. It started to mist as I watched and then it began to chime.
“You'll know what to do when the time comes, Father,” Brevyn said confidently. “You'll know how to help her.”
I hurried to the mirror and brushed my hand across its surface. Trevor appeared in the glass. He looked hurt and haunted; dark circles beneath his eyes and hair wild. Pain speared me again, but I ignored it because now,
