I went home.
They were there waiting for me in front of the tracing room; all of my abandoned lovers. Brought there by my children. Rian and Brevyn had come to the God Realm, using Brevyn's ability to shift through realms to get there; an ability that he hadn't used since he was a baby. But he had done it for me; my brave boy came to save his mother again. Brevyn brought his brother with him and with Lesya's help, they convinced my men to prepare. To get their soul spell ready because Mama was coming home.
“Do it now!” I screamed as soon as I appeared.
The men gaped at me a second, shocked that I was truly there and truly me, and then leapt on me, chaining me with magic-suppressing shackles. The rising magic inside me backed down. Star vanished completely. But the darkness still rose. The evil wouldn't give up so easily. Within seconds, I was snarling and fighting them. Cursing them and vowing to kill them all.
“Get the children out of here!” Odin shouted. “They don't need to see her like this.”
“Children.” I laughed; a low, clicking sound that was more reptile than human. “Where are my children? Those traitorous brats!”
Odin slapped me, but it barely stung. I snapped at him with my teeth, and he jerked back in shock. My dragon wouldn't come, shoved down by magic and self-preservation. If I shifted, I would lose my paws. But she wanted to rise so badly. Rise and tear them all apart.
“Is this all you can do?” I asked smugly as fire filled my eyes. “Chain me up? Chains don't bother me anymore, boys. I'll be free soon enough, and then you'll all be dead.”
Odin opened the ancient spellbook—the one with the silver, nine-pointed star on its cover—and started to chant. I screamed at him like a woman possessed. I bucked and yanked at the manacles. I tried to drown out his words with my own, but his magic gathered anyway. It tingled along my skin as it grew in power. I went still; fear lancing through me. All of my success would die here if I didn't do something to stop this. The world would return to the humans, and I would return to being the crippled Godhunter. A pathetic woman who uses humor to banish thoughts of her own inadequacy. I couldn't be her again. I refused to be!
I screamed and a shock wave blasted out of me; dark light sending the men toppling as it broke my bonds. The shackles fell away, and I got to my feet slowly, head shifting from side to side and eyes narrowing on the bastards who had tried to break me. Again.
“Fools!” I shouted as magic cracked through the air around me. “I am not your wife anymore. I am the Dark Star.” My hair lifted in the currents of power and the starlight strands sparked purple. My voice echoed with omnipotence, painting the very air with magic, “Life and Death are mine to command. After I conquer Earth, I will take the God Realm and then Faerie. The Realms will bow to my sovereignty. My power is beyond your comprehension. If it wasn't, you'd be kneeling before me, begging for mercy. I should kill you now. I want to kill you. But I want to see you suffer even more.” I grinned wickedly. “So, bear witness to your folly and my rise to power. Watch as I take what's mine. Cringe in terror as you do. Because when this is over, and I have the Realms beneath my heel, I'm coming back for my children,” I spat the last word. “It seems they need a stronger hand. They will be raised to rule, and you will be forgotten. A mere footnote in their history. A footnote in all history. Goodbye, lovers.”
I stepped back into the tracing room and swept into the Aether; yet another place under my control.
Chapter Forty-Five
“My star,” Viper exclaimed in relief when I appeared. He pulled me into his arms and tucked my head under his chin. “I was about to panic.”
“Never panic, sweetheart,” I purred. “I told you; nothing can hurt me. I had a small hiccup, but I handled it.”
“A hiccup?” He pulled back to look me over. “Tell me.”
“No. Let it go.” I pulled away from him.
“Vervain!”
“I said; let it go!” I roared at him.
Viper went silent, his jaw clenching, and then he bowed, but he did so mockingly. “As you command, Dark Star.”
I sighed deeply and closed my eyes for calm. When I opened them, Viper was gone. I turned and found him standing in the elevator.
“I'll be in the war room,” he said stiffly as the doors closed on his furious face.
“Fucking men,” I growled. “Maybe I should have made myself a lover after all; one soulless like my dragons.”
“You can't fuck soulless men, Vervain,” Star said as she appeared.
I grimaced. “I could for a little while.”
“No, you couldn't,” she sounded grim.
“What's wrong with you?” I grumbled.
“I could ask the same of you,” Star countered. “You went to them.”
“No, I didn't.”
“Then how did you get to Pride Palace?”
“I...” I frowned as I realized that I had. “I had a moment of weakness.”
“A moment that we must make sure never happens again,” she growled. “We are so close, Vervain. Don't stumble now.”
“Close?” I huffed. “We haven't even taken one continent yet.”
“It was your idea to do this slowly,” Star reminded me.
“I know.” I sighed but then grinned at her. “It's a process to be savored. I'm glad I went this route.”
“You're finally ready to conquer,” Star whispered in delight.
“I am.” I smiled bigger. “Now, let's go tell my council that the next battle will be today. I feel like
