“Now, let's go handle these gods so we can come back and start planning our wedding,” Blue said.
Is he totally in denial, or what?Alaric asked.
I think he assumes that Time can't be fixed, even if we do kill these gods.
Well, in that case; he may be right,Alaric said grimly.But here's to hoping that he isn't.
We rejoined the others and then headed to the Greek Underworld together. Re, Trevor, Blue, and I stepped out of Hades' palace and into a flurry of activity.
Hades had managed to gather a massive force to go into Tartarus with us; including an enormous, three-headed dog, a woman whose lower half was a dragon, and three giant men who had too many heads and arms to count. The last group made me stare the longest; with all of the arms and heads on each body, the men looked like those spiked-ball dog toys.
“The Greeks are so bizarre,” Trevor murmured.
“And people think Aztecs are weird,” Blue added.
“Those aren't Greek Gods, are they?” I asked as I spotted a pride of lions.
“No; those are the Intare,” Trevor said. “They were once men but were changed into shapeshifters by their goddess; Niyarvirezi.”
A chill went through me when I heard her name, and I started walking toward the lions in a daze.
“What are you doing, La-la?” Re asked.
“I don't know,” I whispered. “Just go with it.”
The men shrugged and followed me over to the Intare. The lions had been resting on the ground, but they got to their feet when I approached. I walked through them; looking at each one intently. I stopped before a black lion; my heart starting to race, but then I looked into his eyes and knew that he wasn't the one I was searching for.
“Vervain, right?” A woman's voice caught my attention.
I turned to see Demeter walk up to me. She glanced at Trevor and nodded.
“Wolf Prince,” Demeter said in greeting.
“Corn Goddess,” Trevor returned title for title.
“You're still with her, I see,” Demeter noted casually.
“She's my mate,” Trevor said simply.
“Wolves.” Demeter shook her head as she turned back to me. “Is there some reason that you're strolling through the ranks of my allies, Vervain?”
“I'm looking for... someone,” I said.
“You're looking among lions for someone whoyouknow?” Demeter asked skeptically.
“Why not?” Trevor asked. “She found me among the wolves.”
Demeter frowned thoughtfully. Then an African woman joined her. This woman was tall and gorgeous, with an athletic build that was still curvy.
“Who's this?” The woman asked Demeter.
“This is Vervain, she's a human witch,” Demeter said in a tone that was just shy of being scornful. “Vervain says that she knows one of your lions.”
“I said that I was looking for someone,” I corrected. “These are your lions?” I asked the woman.
The lions shifted around me; some of them sniffing at me with interest.
“They are,” the woman confirmed. “I am Niyarvirezi, Goddess of Lions.”
