No matter; my passion was rising and with it came my need for other things. I smiled slowly at Thor, and he grinned back before he turned his head and offered me his throat. As my climax took hold of me, I struck; biting into Thor's thick neck. His blood washed over my tongue, and I tasted all that was him; the strength, honor, and love inside him. As I drank, my bite sent Thor into orgasm, and he held my hips tightly to his as he bucked up into me. When the shouting was over, I licked the tiny marks in his throat and then eased off him.
“I couldn't ask for a better way to start my day,” Thor said as he leaned over to kiss me. “How's my lovely Vampire Goddess this morning?”
“You know how much I hate that title,” I grumbled half-heartedly.
Honestly, it wasn't the title that bothered me so much as the way I had received it. I'd had a run-in with an Aztec god named Huitzilopochtli. He was the God of Sun and War, and also the Father of Vampires. I had thought that he had some good in him; that perhaps I could save him. But, in the end, Blue—that's the nickname I'd given him—tried to turn me into his vampire slave. In self-defense, I started draining his magic—a trick I'd only learned weeks before—and ended up taking all of it. Blue had died, and I had become his magic's new host.
Blue's priests attacked me next, but since I held the magic that sustained them, it was a simple matter to subdue them. Unfortunately, they were extremely loyal to Blue, and even under my influence, they were unstable. I finally had to cut them off from the magic entirely; killing them in the process. That had been awful to watch; although they seemed to die painlessly, their bodies withered and then turned to dust. I'd never seen anything like it. The whole thing had been a horrible situation that left me with magic that I would have preferred not to have.
But it did have its perks.
“We are what we are, darling,” Thor said gently as he lowered his face to kiss the lightning-shaped scar on my neck; the scar that covered a bite that Blue had given me. “There should be no shame or regret in that. You did what you had to do, and you survived because of it. I, for one, rejoice in your title because it means that you'll live forever.”
Forever; that had been a problem for us before. I had been human, and I didn't think that a relationship with a god could go anywhere. But then I became a goddess and my protests became moot. Thor proposed shortly after I took Blue's magic, and we were married twice; once for my traditions and once for his. Our first ceremony had been in Hawaii. It had been beautiful; all of my family and friends mingling with gods unknowingly. There had been a few comments about Thor's gorgeous family and friends, but who would possibly jump to the conclusion that they were all Atlanteans who had used their magic to become gods? No one would because that's just ridiculous.
Isn't it funny how ridiculous the truth is?
“Maybe you're right,” I conceded. “It's far better to live with the title than to be killed by the man who last bore the magic.”
“Exactly.” Thor's Caribbean Quartz eyes went soft and a little sad.
“Hades,” I said; knowing exactly where Thor's thoughts had turned; or rather, who they had turned to.
“I think we should visit him today.” Thor nodded.
“It's been years since Persephone was murdered,” I said. “How long do you think he'll mourn her?”
“My father mourned Sabine for centuries,” he said grimly. “I don't doubt that Hades loves Persephone just as strongly.”
“Of course, he does.” I immediately felt horrible. “She was an amazing person, and I'll miss her for as long as I live.”
A soft meow interrupted us as Nick, my gray tabby, jumped up on the bed.
“Hey, baby,” I said as Nick found a spot between Thor and me and started kneading the blankets.
“This cat always comes between us,” Thor said teasingly as he scratched Nick's head. “But I suppose he's better than another man.”
“Why would you say that?” I looked at Thor in surprise.
“I have no idea,” he said with the same amount of surprise. “I'm sorry, darling; I didn't mean anything by it.”
“It's okay,” I said brightly. “I feel kind of strange this morning too.”
“Perhaps we need some breakfast,” Thor suggested.
“First, I need a bath,” I declared before I kissed Nick and then Thor.
I headed toward the bathroom; my gaze wandering out over Asgard as I did. Across the lake from us was Valhalla; the golden shields that adorned its walls were catching the sunlight and magnifying it. I blinked against the glare and a flash of Odin's face filled my mind. I stumbled and caught myself against the door frame.
What the fuck? Odin? Why was I thinking about Odin? As soon as I wondered it, I began to get more images; whole episodes that seemed like memories. It was Odin and me, except I wasn't me—not this me—and Odin wasn't his current self either. For one thing, he had both of his eyes.
“Vervain?” Thor asked with concern.
“I'm fine. It's fine; everything is fine.” I sent a shaky smile over my shoulder before I hurried into the bathroom and closed the door.
I leaned back against the door and took a deep breath. Sensual tingles were running over my skin as more images filled my head; Odin wrapped around me, Odin above and inside me, Odin's magic stroking and filling me; they went on and on. I slid to the cool floor and closed my eyes as I gave in to the visions and the pleasure they brought.
They poured through me, and by the time they were over, I was certain of two things; I had once been Sabine, Odin's dead wife, and my soul—Sabine's soul—loved Odin as much as he had loved me. As much as he might love me still.
