I saw the library and the armory. The dining hall and gym. I pictured the Common Room with all its entertainments and the butterfly garden with the immortal butterflies. I saw my bedroom suite with its little kitchen and living room. I imagined the wall of glass behind the massive bed and the view of the butterfly garden beyond. Then came the master bath with its enormous sunken bathtub. I set the towers alongside my balcony then stacked the nurseries above the balcony and between the towers. I pictured my dressing room and the suite I made for Arach and our boys. I imagined all of it whole and unharmed. I don't know how long it took me, but it was long enough that the excited murmurs died down to silence. I didn't let myself be distracted but continued to visualize and when I had it all firmly in place, I opened my eyes.
And started to cry in happiness.
“That was amazing!” Lesya clapped.
The rest of the audience took her cue and applauded. The Intare roared and shouted “Tima,” the Froekn howled, and my men drew close to hug me. I just kept crying. A small part of me had worried that I wouldn't be able to rebuild it; that something would be lost. But there it stood; our home amid the African-inspired landscape of Pride lands, exactly as it had been the day I tore it all down.
“You did good, Tima,” Kirill whispered in my ear before he kissed me.
I wrapped my arms around my black lion and kissed him back as our pride roared and our daughter giggled. I was smiling when I finally let him go, more lighthearted than I'd been in what seemed like forever. I slid into the arms of each of my men for celebratory kisses and then hugged my children.
“Pride Palace is back!” I shouted. “And we're never giving it up again!”
The Intare roared once more; a wordless expression of triumph. I looked around at my friends and family, at their joyous faces, and felt the truth of it in my bones. This place was ours, this life was ours, and even though we could do without it, we wouldn't. The next god who tried to take it from us would wind up exactly as Marduk had; a smear beneath our feet.
“Let's go home,” I said to my family, and we walked up the steps and into Pride Palace together.
Despite the details I'd put into it and the absolute certainty I had that it was exactly how we'd left it, I knew the palace wouldn't be home until my family was inside it. With those first steps across the threshold, the palace seemed to come to life, and I breathed deeply in relief. Even the smell was the same.
“Mama fixed it,” Vero said with amazement.
“Yes, Son, she did,” Trevor said to our boy as he grinned at me proudly. “Just as she always does.”
Love tingled inside my chest but it wasn't my magic; it was all me. And all them. As I had told Arach; our love could be torn apart over and over again, but just like this palace, we would rebuild it. Nothing would keep us apart for long. We were destined to be together after all. My destiny may descend into darkness, it may even shatter into nothingness again, but that wouldn't stop me. I'd find a way to fix it. For them. For all of the people I loved. Because even though I can be strong without them, I can't be me. We are bound so tightly that if you pull us apart, we spring back in a coil, bent into the shape we formed together. They have all shaped me; left their imprint on my soul. I am who I am because of them. Some may see that as a weakness, but I know the truth. It's neither strength nor weakness. It's simply a life well-lived and a heart well-loved. It's destiny.
Keep reading for a sneak peek into the next book in the Godhunter Series:
The Black Lion
Chapter One
“I have something important to ask everyone,” Kirill announced.
We were having coffee and tea in the little kitchen area of our suite on the top floor of the recently restored Pride Palace. Lesya and Vero were downstairs, playing in the mini palace with Zariel so it was only my men and me.
“What is it?” Odin asked in concern.
“Nothing bad.” Kirill held up his hand to calm everyone.
After barely surviving the Mesopotamians, we were all still a little jumpy.
“I vant to take Lesya to Russia,” Kirill looked from the men to me. “Me and Vervain. So she can see vhere I come from; her roots. I zink she's old enough now to appreciate.”
“I think that's a great idea.” I looked at the other men. “Is that okay with all of you?”
“How long were you thinking about going for?” Azrael asked.
“Maybe week, maybe two.” Kirill shrugged. “Vhat vould be okay vith all of you?”
“I think we can manage on our own for a couple of weeks,” Trevor said. “It's not as if we need bottles anymore. You guys okay with two weeks?”
Az, Odin, Re, and Viper all nodded.
“Zank you.” Kirill's smile was glorious. “I vill make arrangements.”
“Are we going to Moscow?” I asked as he got up.
“Nyet. Saint Petersburg and maybe Aluksne, Latvia; that's where my mother was raised.”
“Okay,” I agreed. “Sounds lovely.”
“I'll let you know ven I have reservations.” Kirill headed out of the room, likely to the library, where we had a few computers.
“Russia and Latvia,” Trevor murmured. “Better you than I.”
“It'll be fun,” I protested.
“And cold.” Re shivered dramatically.
“And Russian,” Azrael widened his eyes at me. Then he looked at Trevor. “Aren't the Vilkacis in Latvia?”
“Yep.”
“Is your brother
