I swung my head toward Sin; he was the only option that made any sense. I was fairly sure this woman's father wasn't in another pantheon and the only other Mesopotamian on our side was Ninkasi. Sure enough, when my stare landed on him, Sin sighed and stepped forward. Shit. I didn't realize he'd be fighting his child. Just how much was Sin sacrificing for me?
“You are the one on the wrong side, Ishtar,” Sin called back.
“That's Ishtar?” Viper asked, giving me a wide-eyed look. “She of the vulva plowing?”
“And Sin's daughter, evidently,” I murmured.
“Damn, now I feel bad about the honey cheese thing.”
“No, you don't.”
“No, I don't.” Viper smirked.
“Marduk abducted Ninkasi and tortured her,” Sin went on. “How can you fight for a man like that?”
“I fight to stop that woman from ever endangering our world again!” Ishtar roared. “This has nothing to do with Marduk and everything to do with the Dark Star. She murdered my husband! Burned him to death and left me nothing to bury, and she did it while you stood there watching; doing nothing to defend him! How can you side with her again, Father?”
With her roar—not just a shout but an actual roar—I realized that Ishtar wasn't just a goddess who rode lions, she was a lion. Or lioness, rather. I narrowed my eyes at her. Something about her struck me as familiar. Even across the distance, I could feel her magic.
Because it was mine!
“Thief!” I shouted and pointed at Ishtar. “I will have my magic back before this battle is over.”
Ishtar laughed scornfully. “I am the Goddess of Love, all love magic is my magic. You are the thief, Godhunter.”
“I thought it would be appropriate that Ishtar have your magic,” Marduk sneered at me. “As she said; she is a love goddess, and you're the bitch who killed her husband and stole her father. You owe her.”
“Enough of this bullshit!” I snarled and launched forward into a run. “Intare, to me!”
The Intare roared and leapt forward with me. A black lion broke off from the Pride and ran up beside me. Kirill. He nudged me with his head. Ishtar wasn't the only one who could ride lions. I jumped onto Kirill's back and grabbed hold of his mane as the rest of our army surged across the field after us.
Magic rolled out like a tidal wave before the Gods, a bubbling, roiling tide of multi-colored, crackling mist that collided in the space between the armies. Booms rattled the earth and sparks lit the sky as the opposing energy clashed like tectonic plates. I squinted against the glare of flashing light and focused on my prey. Packs of enormous dogs leapt across the sand on my left. Gray-fleshed Ghouls sped after them, fangs bared menacingly and long talons cutting through the air in anticipation of their next meal. Both Hinn and Ghouls launched themselves at the Mesopotamians, tearing into tender throats as soon as they hit. The Janns whirled forward as columns of wind, twirling our enemies into the storms of their bodies. Body parts spun out from the twisters, leaving a bloody trail in their wake. The Marid launched fireballs from their lofty heights, the Shayteen laughed maniacally as they tore at their victims with horns and claws, and the Vetala went straight for the jugulars.
Egyptian Gods shouted Re's name as they rode forward in their gleaming chariots pulled by giant, fire-breathing snakes. Isis spread her jeweled wings and launched into the sky with an echoing battle cry. She collected her magic into glowing spears and launched them at the Mesopotamians as she hovered above us. Below her, Anubis shifted his head into that of a jackal, lifted it, and let out a vicious snarl. His werejackals yipped in response and followed him into the fray. Every god the Jackals killed could be resurrected by Anubis and forced to fight for us. It was enough of a threat to send several Mesopotamians running. Alongside the Jackal pack, Ma'at rode in a golden chariot, her snowy hair wrapped up in braids and her slim body resplendent in silver armor. She lifted her sword high and shouted the chant that set it aflame.
Luke shifted into his dragon form and took to the sky with his Demons. Chilling shrieks echoed before them, more of a warning than a battle cry. The Host of Hell had come to Earth, and they wouldn't be denied their share of blood. They screeched through glinting teeth, the sound adding to the thunder of their leathery wings. Beside them rode the Four Horsemen; each astride a flying steed who galloped through the air without wings. Ironically, the riders were the ones with wings, each angel displaying his feathers proudly.
Death rode his pale horse, his wings curved over and around him like a hooded robe and his flesh gone translucent to show the bones beneath. The dark void of his eye sockets dripped acid tears and his scythe glowed with reaper magic. War rode a fiery steed on Azrael's left, his sword held aloft and his crimson wings tucked in close to his back. Famine was on a black horse to Azrael's right, holding a pair of scales; the measuring kind, not dragon. You wouldn't have thought that scales could be scary, but these are. A flick of his wrist and Famine tipped the scales, spilling a wasting curse over the Mesopotamians below. They screamed as they dropped to the ground, their bodies withering away to skin and bones in seconds. The Antichrist rode beside Famine and to his left flew the Archangel Michael. They looked like a matched set; Thaddeus with his bow and Michael with his flaming sword. Ted touched the tip of an arrow to Mike's blade, set it aflame, and let it loose.
Odin transformed into a dragon and launched into the sky with a roar. The Valkyries spread their feathered wings and
