“Now, how would that be good?” Atropos rolled her eyes.
“Killing is sometimes the best option,” I shot back.
“Fair enough.” Clotho held her hand up between her sister and me. “But no, that's not what we meant. Not that it matters anymore.”
“Why doesn't it matter?” Odin asked.
“When Vervain's star went dark and her destiny vanished, so did several futures concerning the Gods,” Lachesis said soberly.
“Hold on, Vervain's star breaking changed the future of the God race as a whole?” Re asked.
“What part of her 'star is important to all of us' did you not understand?” Atropos sassed Re.
Re gave Atropos a long, sultry look that made her blush and look away. Yes, they had a past, but it didn't bother me. Re's a hopeless flirt but he would never cheat on me. And as far as exes; it would be harder to find a woman who Re hadn't slept with than one he had. Yes, I married a man-whore, but he reformed for me and agreed to share me with six other men so I got over it.
“So, what you're saying is; the change you foresaw, the one that would be rough but good, is gone now?” I asked.
“For the moment,” Clotho said gently. “The future is hanging on a precipice.”
“Arms out, waving wildly, as it holds its breath,” Atropos added.
“Nice imagery,” I muttered. “Now I have Wile E. Coyote in my head.”
“If you don't fix your star, it will descend into very dark territory, Vervain.” Lachesis scowled at me. “This is not a joking matter.”
“So, business as usual,” I said with faux gaiety. “I have to fix myself or it'll be Godhunter: Episode VI - Return of the Death Star.”
Everyone groaned.
Chapter Twenty-Six
“Hey, you got a moment?” Sin asked me later that night.
I had just put the kids to bed and decided to go for a run in my lioness form. I wanted a little me-time. But, as usual, I was thwarted. Between motherhood and seven lovers, getting some time alone was an impossible dream. That being said, the perks were worth the drawbacks.
I pasted on a smile and waved toward the front door, where I'd been headed. “Sure. Shall we sit on the veranda?” I asked in a Southern drawl.
“You call that a veranda?” He shot back.
“I call it a drawbridge-slash-veranda,” I corrected. “But that's a little long to say. It's a massive front porch that covers a moat. You wanna make up a word for it, go ahead.”
Sin laughed, his silver eyes catching the moonlight as we stepped onto my porch. Instead of heading to my favorite spot on the left, I turned right. Lesya's toys were scattered over the rug where I usually sat, and I didn't want to deal with them. Toys. I never thought that children's toys would become the bane of my existence. My daily battles with those little plastic nightmares are nearly as vicious as those I've had in the God War.
Sin took an armchair on the end, the only seat swathed in moonlight. He sighed and leaned back to soak in the rays. Behind him, the territory rested within a thick blanket of darkness. The stars shone brighter here, without the competition from human cities, and I loved coming out at night to enjoy them. I took the end of the loveseat next to Sin and waited for him to start. I wasn't in a rush; silence is a treasure when you're a parent. These days especially, there had been so much talk that I wanted to forget. I didn't need to—
“I know how you can defeat Marduk.”
I jerked my head toward Sin. “What did you say?”
“I know Marduk's weakness,” he confessed with a grim look. “I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. It just felt... like a shitty thing to do.”
“We were at war with him. Why didn't you tell me back when you were my general?”
“You could kill people with a thought,” he reminded me. “You didn't need any advantages.”
“But now I do,” I whispered.
“Now you do,” he agreed solemnly. “And, frankly, I like you far more than I like Marduk.”
“Well, I would hope so.” I smirked. “You're living in my house.”
“Your palace,” he corrected me. “You don't do anything small, do you?”
“You should see my house in Hawaii.” My smirk turned into a soft smile. “It's teeny-tiny, but I love it.”
“You have a house in Hawaii?”
“I was born there. In Hawaii, not in the house I own.”
“No kidding.” He made an amused sound but then sobered. “If I tell you this, V, you can't...” Sin looked away and swallowed roughly. “Fuck it, I'm already a traitor. What does it matter?”
“It matters to you, obviously.” I took his hand. “If you don't want to tell me, don't, Sin. I'll be okay.”
He grimaced at me. “Thanks a lot. Now, I have to tell you.”
I laughed. “Yes, that was my evil plan; to give you an out so you won't take it.”
“It's diabolical, Dark Star.”
I lost my smile and let go of him.
“Hey, I'm sorry,” he hurried to say. “I didn't mean anything by that. You know I liked you when you were dark.”
“I know. That's actually a little worrisome, Sin.”
“Aw, come on,” Sin huffed. “You were fucking sexy and powerful and a dragon. So, I like mean girls; so what?”
I chuckled.
“I liked you then, but I respect you now,” he added gently. “You're an amazing woman, Vervain. What you've built here—” He looked around and shook his head. “It's something special. And I've been talking to your lions.” He looked back at me. “You saved them. From what I've heard, you've saved a lot of people. More importantly, you made them into a family. You're kinda badass even when you aren't bad, Godhunter.”
“Thanks,” I whispered. “I've had help. You, for instance.”
Sin shrugged and grinned his playboy grin. It was damn sexy, but I've seen my share of sexy men. These days, a smile like that doesn't turn my head unless it's attached to a
