“Kirill,” Darius said as he drew back. “His name is Kirill.”
“Kirill,” I whispered as I let him go.
Instantly, my eyes filled with tears, and my heart blossomed with love. I saw Kirill as if he stood before me; a muscular man with hair blacker and longer than mine; it flowed past his hips in a straight, silky cape. His eyes were bluer than the clearest, freshwater lake, and his smile had been hard to win, but once I'd seen it, I couldn't live without it.
“Oh, my God,” I whispered. “Why didn't you tell me?”
“I just did,” Darius said in confusion.
“Not you,” I said distractedly.
I couldn't tell you,Al said.But I knew you'd find him. He is bound to you as well.
“What about Odin?”
“Are you still talking to me?” Darius asked.
“Give me a second, Dare,” I growled as if I knew him.
Then we blinked at each other in shock.
“Tima?” Darius whispered as his eyes went round.
“Holy hand-grenades,” I murmured.
He's one of yours too, but not in the way you think; he's family,Al said.Just find Kirill, Vervain.
“Take me to him,” I said to Darius. “I need to see Kirill immediately.”
Chapter Ten
Darius rushed me through the hallways; we wouldn't have much time before Niyarvirezi started wondering where we were. I didn't care, but he was completely cowed by her. He explained to me that they were all tied to Niyarvirezi; they existed because of her magic. If she commanded them to do something, they had to obey, and if she cut them off from her magic, they died. But she rarely killed them in such a quick manner; Niyarvirezi preferred to make them kill each other.
Which means that you need them to skedaddle when you kill her,Al concluded.
When I what?
Don't act shocked; you know that you have to take Niyarvirezi's magic. You must save them, Vervain, and to do that, you must become their goddess.
But I already have the Aztec magic,I protested.Thor says that I could die if I take any more.
Thor's wrong; I assure you.
“Here he is.” Darius opened a small panel in a solid, wood door. “But you can't go in, Godhunter. Kirill's lost his sanity; he will tear you apart as soon as you get within reach. He doesn't even recognize his brother lions anymore.”
I looked through the opening and saw a sleeping lion. He was black; his fur so shiny that it shone blue in the light filtering in through a narrow window set high in the wall behind him. There were no light fixtures in the room, only a dirty pallet in the corner, a door-less bathroom, and a chain that was welded to a metal plate in the floor. The other end of the chain was stuck through the lion's ankle;throughit.
“Why is he chained like that?” I growled.
The lion woke at my words and started to growl. He got to his feet and roared. Then he charged us, but he reached the end of his chain and fell with a whimper. Despite what must have been horrendous pain, he got back to his feet and swiped at the door; he was just shy of reaching it.
“Because he shifts back and forth between human and lion,” Darius said sadly. “And we can't chain him any other way.”
“So, don't chain him,” I sounded as violent as the snarling lion.
“Without the chain, he breaks through the door.” Darius shrugged.
“Open the door,” I said calmly.
