“Hey!” I smacked his arm. “That was unfair and a bit whiny for you.”
Sin laughed, his whole expression brightening. “Yeah, it kinda was. But that kiss was... it was something special. Just like you.”
“It was a good kiss,” I agreed. “But I shouldn't have indulged. I was down, and you offered me something to make me feel better, but I just—”
“Don't feel the same way about me that I do for you,” he finished softly. “Yeah, I figured that out. It's okay, V. People change. Things change. You never know what the future holds.” He winked at me and started walking again. Under his breath, he added, “I can be patient.”
I stared after him a moment before I picked up my jaw and followed. You have to hand it to Sin; he's like Buzz Lightyear, he never gives up.
Chapter Forty-Five
Our armies traced to the battlefield in Saudi Arabia before we went to Marduk's territory. We did this was for two reasons. First, we wanted to make sure that we got any Mesopotamian stragglers who might have stayed on Earth in their fort. Second, with Marduk's territory being unwarded, our entire army could trace in at once, but we couldn't do that from Aaru because we'd have to file through Re's tracing room singly or go down the river and dive into the enormous tracing point there. So, it would be better for us to trace from Earth all together.
The army leaders gathered with me before our troops, waiting on a jinn scout we'd sent into the fort. My men were all there as well as Fenrir, Luke, Athena, Sin, Ninkasi, Zimri-dagan, the nine Jinn rulers (the Palis don't have a leader), and the God Squad. Most of us were dressed in beautiful armor, many of those were golden suits brought from Atlantis, but I wore an old pair of sweats and an emerald necklace. And odd pairing indeed but they both had a purpose; the sweats would be torn to bits with my shift but the necklace was magic, made by dwarves, and would extend to fit any girth. It would help me drain a god's magic if I needed to. I probably wouldn't go that route but I wasn't about to leave it behind again, especially now that I had my star back.
After a few minutes, sand swirled into a small twister directly before us then took the shape of a dark-haired, Jinn woman. “It's empty,” she announced. “All of them are gone.”
I frowned at that. “I'm surprised that they'd want to live in a barren landscape.”
“Just because Marduk can't create anything, it doesn't mean he can't import building materials,” Luke noted.
“True,” I conceded.
“The 'why' doesn't matter. Let's finish this,” King Iblis growled.
We nodded at each other; we'd waited long enough to confront the Mesopotamians and having them all in one place made it better for us. The leaders broke off and went to stand with their regiments. I lifted my fist into the air. All eyes focused on it. When I brought it down, we traced into Marduk's territory.
I came out on a lush field, hemmed in by massive trees. For a moment I thought I'd somehow traced to the wrong place. I frowned down at the glossy blades of grass as I absently breathed in the fresh scent of blossoms and fruit. What the hell? Then I lifted my head and stared at the enormous palace that sprawled before a very familiar mountain range. I'd recognize those peaks anywhere; they were the mountains that separated my territory from those of other gods. They're a neutral border that couldn't be transformed by magic. But the rest of the territory had been transformed. A lot.
Marduk's palace shone glossy-cream in the sunshine. Golden domes capped its numerous towers with a massive one on the central keep. The walls were adorned with intricate stonework; bas reliefs and carvings of swirling designs and flowers. Grand steps swept down from a pair of golden doors in the central keep. The doors stood open and Mesopotamian Gods streamed in and out beneath the peaked arch. Everyone appeared happy, celebratory even. The sound of their bright voices carried over to our shocked troops.
Then they saw us. A cacophony of shouts erupted and the Mesopotamians went running into the palace.
“Shayteen!” King Iblis roared as he ran forward with his people, vanishing as they went.
Battle cries burst down our front line and everyone surged forward. Kirill led the Intare this time. I had my dragon form back, and I intended to use it. Luke, Odin, and Arach were already shifted into dragons, Luke and Odin leading their forces into the fray while Arach waited on me with the Wild Hunt. The Wild Hunt didn't get released often, and my husband didn't want to miss a minute of flying beside me at the head of it.
I shivered through the shift, my clothing exploding into pieces as my body became enormous. Golden scales lifted through my flesh and coated me with a near-impenetrable shield. Talons replaced my fingers and deadly horns sprouted at my temples then down my lengthening neck. I lifted my leathery wings, crouched on my haunches, and sprung into the air. The Wild Hunt of Faerie screeched in delight, and I roared back.
My Dragon-Sidhe husband flew up beside me, and we led the shrieking, clambering, clawing mass of fire faeries through the air and across the new grass, leaving ash, slime, and smoke in our wake. I breathed in deeply, filling my lungs and transforming the air into fire. With precision, I released my breath, burning only our enemies. Three other dragons streaked across the bright sky with me, and my beastly heart lifted in joy. We circled the shiny palace and laid waste to those who tried to reach its sanctuary.
Arach's massive claws tore off a golden dome and cast it
