“Crow,” Cupid warned.
Raven chuckled at the nickname.“Fine.Do it your way.But I’m coming, too, because I’m a part of this now whether you?—”
“It’s just caw-caw-caw.”Cupid flicked his fingers, and we were (once again) no longer on the side of the New Mexico highway, though we were still inside the truck.
The trees, the sky, the dirt, all told me we were in Oklahoma.
So did the farmhouse set at the end of the winding path.
I’d been dropped off here by the god of death when I’d been killed by Atë, and Death had refused to let me cross to the other side.
Abbi had been waiting for me here.So had the owner of the house, Euterpe, the muse of music, poetry, and delight, who went by the name, Eunice Woodbury.
After we’d rescued Lula from where Atë had buried her beneath a house, this was where we’d sheltered to heal.
We’d also made our last deal with Cupid here.
I wondered if that was why he had brought us back—to renegotiate the deal.
“Oh,” Raven said in a tone I’d never heard out of him before (I assumed it was respect).“Really, Bo?I didn’t know you’d get her involved.”
Cupid let out a deep breath.He no longer looked like a god with wings and gold armor.
He looked the way I remembered him first appearing to us months ago.Like an old biker, gray-bearded, bald, with diamonds in his ears.
His black leather vest revealed muscular arms tattooed with an intricate dove down his right forearm, and an owl down his left.The word “gold” was written across his right knuckles; “lead” was inked across his left.
Everyone assumed he was the god of making people fall in love, and I supposed that was true.But he was also a very old god—one of the oldest—if he were to be believed.
His power was both connection and destruction.From our short time knowing him, I had seen the destruction firsthand.
But he’d also given me back my solid form, here in this living world with Lula, in exchange for finding the spell book of the gods and helping people he thought needed help.
There was kindness in him, though I’d long ago given up on trusting gods.
“I didn’t involve her, Raven,” Cupid said.“Eunice involved herself.”
Raven hummed.“I wonder why?”
“Go on and ask her.It seems there are a lot of meddling deities who want to be involved with the Gauges today.And with the spell book,Crow.”
“I can’t help but think you mean me,” Raven said.“You do mean me, don’t you?Interested in the Gauges who are, admittedly, interesting.And the spell book, the book I want wiped off the face of the universe?The book I hate more than I hate volunteering for a particular bossy Valkyrie?That book?It needs meddling in, don’t you think,Bo?”
“I think we need to go.”Cupid tapped a finger on the side view mirror.“She’s expecting us.”
“Will there be cake?”Abbi asked.
Cupid’s smile was fond.“I’m certain she has something delicious cooked up.She knew we were coming.”
Abbi’s eyes grew large, once again a little girl excited for treats.She glanced toward the house and took a step, then stopped and looked back at us.
“I better go see if she’s home.”She took another step.“Just in case she needs help.With the cake.Or cookies.I’m a good helper.”She turned and trotted up the path.“Hello!Are you home?Do you need help with a cake?”
Lorde woofed, and wagged her tail, watching Abbi go.She whined at the window, impatient to follow.
Lula pressed her lips together.I knew what she was thinking: Were we going to just go along with the gods and moon rabbit, or were we going to run?
Frankly, I didn’t think we’d get far if we decided to bolt.
