Not that gods were untrusting of their fellow deities.
No, it wasexactlythat the gods were untrusting of their fellow deities.
“All righty.” I held up the water bottle that sang, hummed, thrummed with power. I still didn’t know how Piper had shoved it into a water bottle, although if Mithra had given her the bottle, it might make more sense.
Odin uncorked his growler of wisdom.
“Odin, do you promise to guard and keep hidden the deity powers of Ordinary for the length of one year plus four months?”
“Yep.”
“And you’ll let any deity come to your trailer, and will allow them to see their power, or reclaim their power at any time, day or night?”
“Yes, but not unless I’m present.”
“Right. Good. Everyone okay with that?” I looked around the group.
They looked...well, bored mostly, except for Poseidon who couldn’t tear his gaze away from Piper. It wasn’t like this was the first time we’d done this yearly hand-over.
“Crow, get in on this.”
Crow walked over to me, looking like he expected the powers to bite. Which, maybe they would.
He took the bottle away from me, then tipped it into the spout of the growler.
Power isn’t liquid. It doesn’t really follow the rules of gravity. Power does, however, follow the will of the gods, and the rules and contracts of Ordinary.
My father said he saw the powers as bright flaming colors. I see light, yes, but it’s soft and indistinct, more like a rainbow caught from the corner of my vision. What I do sense is the song.
Power, this much power, all mixing and colliding, created music that swooped down beneath my skin, pulling my pulse and breath and blood and bones to reach, to stretch, to feel the universe strumming through me.
My heart settled into the beat of the powers, my thoughts picked up and braided into the rising, falling, beauty of voice, chorus, song, song, song...until there was no time, no space, nothing but sound.
“Well, shit,” Crow said.
I blinked. Blinked again. I’d lost some time. The gods were all gone, and foggy mist had descended on the forest floor. My mouth was dry and so were my eyes, as if I hadn’t blinked or swallowed for an hour.
I did both, wincing at the pain and wiping away the tears at the corners of my eyes. Ryder and Myra were still there, Ryder looking like he was trying to decide if he had to burn his atheist badge, Myra looking steady and calm as she offered me a can of ginger ale.
“Thanks.” I sipped the cool soda. “What’s wrong?” I asked Crow.
“I have to pick it up.” He was staring at the water bottle like a kicked puppy. “I don’t want to go back to work.”
Odinhumphedand forcefully flipped the stopper back into the growler, locking it down with a little metal lever.
“You broke the contract with Ordinary,” Ryder said. He walked over and stood next to me, staring at the water bottle with an inscrutable look on his face. “Your...power...uh, you have to take it back.”
Crow raised his eyebrows and looked over at me. “Really? You gave him the warden job? What were you thinking?”
“It wasn’t my idea, okay? I told him not to take it.”
Crow shook his head. “You do realize this makes him your boss.”
I grit my teeth and narrowed my eyes at Crow.
“Come again?” Ryder said. “Boss?”
“We’ll talk about it later,” Myra said.
