“If I give them to you, you won't want to work with Demeter,” I said. “And we need to finish this.”
“We already know about the slaves,” Teharon said gently. “Ull told us. We don't approve, but it's hardly unheard of in the God Realm.”
“First; that attitude sucks balls, and I'm shocked to hear it from you, Teharon,” I said.
Kirill snorted back a laugh.
“Second,” I went on, “I'm not referring to the slaves. You don't want to hear this right now, but I'll tell you after we kill Nyx and Aion.”
“I've informed them of Aion and his capabilities,” Demeter segued smoothly. “Dealing with a time god can be tricky, but it's not impossible. Aion has one defense, and it's a big one, but it's so powerful that he'll want to hold it in reserve as a last resort.”
“So, we'll most likely be dealing with Nyx and her Darkness,” Morpheus said. “It's substantial, but not insurmountable.”
“And we'll have two armies with us,” I added. “We should be—”
“Do not say it,” Demeter cut me off. “The Fates are Greek, and they're also the daughters of Chronos and Ananke; the Primordial God of Time and the Goddess of Compulsion.”
“No shit?” I whispered.
“No shit,” Demeter confirmed. “Chronos and Ananke are a rare breed of Primordial; they are untouchable—beyond the reach of us other gods, even another time god. I don't doubt that they have extended their protection to their daughters; it's best not to tempt the Fates.”
“Got it.” I swallowed roughly.
“The Moirai don't have power over gods,” Thor scoffed. “We don't sacrifice to them.”
“Don't be so certain, Thor,” Pan cautioned. “The Fates have been known to make use of an opportunity, and we don't know what side they're on.”
“Let's just agree to not push our luck,” I said. “Why don't you all go home and get a good night's sleep now that we know when we need to meet Hades. We can gather here around noon and settle our plans then.”
The God Squad agreed and headed out; all except for Ull, who stuck around to help us with the humans. He had bonded a little with the men and wanted to see them all home safe. That was Ull for you; an honestly good man.
I said goodnight to Ull and Kirill—Ull had found Kirill a guest room as well—and then headed to bed with my husband. As Thor and I settled in for the night, Nick climbed into bed with us and settled between our feet. A light rain started to fall outside the open windows, but none of it ventured inside; all of Bilskinir was warded against the elements. So, I curled up with Thor, and we listened to the rain and Nick's purring as we drifted to sleep.
Chapter Seventeen
I felt anxious when I woke tangled in Thor's embrace. I could feel this life becoming more real—more permanent—and it scared me. Then it scared me that I was scared. I loved Thor and my life; I shouldn't want to lose this. But the memories had swayed me; both the good and the bad. Then there was Persephone; to be able to have my friend back would be miraculous. I was so conflicted that I didn't want to open my eyes; maybe I could simply sleep away the madness.
But Thor woke up and instigated our morning lovemaking session. I'd never been good at resisting him; particularly not when lying in bed naked beside him. Soon, we were writhing against each other; hands grasping and lips placing kisses everywhere they could reach. We shouted our way into satisfaction and then took a hot shower together before we got dressed and joined our guests for breakfast.
“You two look refreshed,” Ull noted with a grin, but then he saw my eyes. “And worried. It's going to be okay, V.”
“I hope so,” I whispered as I took a seat. My gaze wandered to Kirill, and he gave me a soft smile.
“It vill be,” Kirill affirmed. “I have faith.”
“In what?” Ull laughed. “We're gods; there's no one for us to have faith in.”
“I am not a god,” Kirill shot back. “I am a demi-god, and Vervain is my goddess. So, I have faith inher.”
“Thanks, Kirill,” I said as Thor scowled. “I wish I could have the same confidence in myself.”
“We will take care of this today, darling,” Thor promised me. “By tonight, everything will be back to normal; I'm certain of it.”
I stared at Thor with a bittersweet ache filling my chest. I knew that I loved him in both timelines, but if things went back to normal, as he said they would, I would lose him. The thought brought a wave of panic.
You'll lose Thor, but you'll gain so much more,Al said.Don't worry yourself with these thoughts. Trust me; when you return to your true path, you'll be relieved.
Will I remember this?I asked wistfully.
