“He wasn't before he met you,” Horus said. “But come on; they're waiting for us.”
Horus opened a door and ushered us into a traditional English library. The carpeting was hunter-green, the wood accents were mahogany, and the leather furniture was maroon. It was a masculine and comfortable palette. I felt at ease immediately; my gaze traveling over the shelves of rare books that went two stories high before I perused the gods.
I knew them all by sight. Thor was the largest presence and caught my attention immediately; his strawberry-blond hair catching the firelight within its strands. He was just as I had painted him; a striking, massive man with muscles for days and strong features to match. Next to Thor sat his son, Ull. He had blond hair and a slightly smaller build than his father. Ull smiled at me in a welcoming way, and I smiled back as if he were an old friend. Why had his painting made me so sad? This man reeked of happiness.
Down from Ull, there was a Native American man with long, ebony hair and turquoise eyes. The color of his eyes was so startling in his dark face, but there was a calmness about him that negated the effect. I knew that his name was Teharon, the Mohawk God of Healing, and that his healing would feel like a rush of cool water. There were two other Native American gods there; a married couple. They were Tsohanoai and Estsanatlehi; the Navajo Gods of the Sun and Change, respectively. They were both as calm as Teharon, but they were not healers; these were powerful warriors.
Across from the Native Americans was a different type of Indian; a true Indian, if you will. He was wearing an expensive suit; one leg crossed over the other to show off his fancy shoes. His black hair was cropped short, as was his beard, and his dark eyes were alight with interest. He was Brahma; the Hindu God of Knowledge.
Finally, there was a man who made my smile brighten. He was average looking at first; with curly, light-brown hair and hazel eyes. But those eyes were brimming with mischief, and that hair was hiding a pair of little horns. His lips looked ready to smile at a moment's notice, and his chin was slightly pointed; giving him a puckish look. The more I looked at him, the more handsome he became.
“Pan,” I said with a smile and surprised him. I looked around the room and named them all, “Brahma. Estsanatlehi and Tsohanoai. Teharon. Ull and...”—I swallowed roughly; briefly overcome by a strange emotion—“Thor. It's nice to meet all of you.”
“How do you know us?” Thor sat forward and narrowed his gaze at me.
“I told you; she's a witch,” Horus said. “She seems to have been given knowledge of us.”
“I don't believe that's it exactly, but we can go with that for now,” Re said as he escorted me to a seat. “Hello, everyone; I hope you're doing well.”
“Re.” Thor nodded. “Thank you for coming and for bringing... Vervain, is it?”
“Yes,” I said. “Thank you for having me.”
“Honestly, Vervain; we're excited by the prospect of a human joining us,” Thor leaned forward. “Your energy—your magic, actually—could change everything.”
“Let's not get ahead of ourselves.” Re held up a hand. “She hasn't joined yet.”
“He's concerned for my safety,” I explained.
“Yes; I hear that congratulations are in order,” Teharon said.
“They are; thank you,” Re said as he shifted our joined hands into his lap. “And I'm not liking the idea of sending my bride into battle.”
“We would protect her, Re,” Thor vowed. “Just having her magic with us could shift the balance in our favor. We wouldn't need Vervain to physically fight.”
Re pursed his lips in thought and then looked at me. “I would want to go with you.”
“I'm okay with that,” I said as I looked at Thor.
“The more the merrier,” Thor said. “But I'm sure you'd like to hear what we're facing before proceeding.”
“Yes, indeed.” Re nodded. “Horus said something about Huitzilopochtli.”
“We believe that he's going to rig the American Presidential Election,” Thor said. “Huitzilopochtli has his claws into one of the candidates, and if this man wins, it will mean war for America; on many fronts. That thing with Russia will seem like a schoolyard fight by comparison.”
“Do you have a plan yet?” Re asked.
“That's what this meeting is about,” Thor said. “We know that Huitzilopochtli will be with the candidate at his next rally, and we think this may be the best time for us to strike.”
“How do you know that?” I asked.
“We've been watching,” Horus said. “Huitzilopochtli goes to every event so he can influence the crowd; there's no reason for him to skip this one.”
“And what can he do?” I asked. “I know he's the God of Sun and War, and that he's a vampire, but what can his magic actually do.”
“He's not a vampire himself,” Pan corrected me. “He created them, which makes them demigods, but he's a god. We know that he drinks blood and passed that need to his children, but the sun magic seems to have turned into a hindrance instead of a benefit for the vampires. It burns them, but Huitzilopochtli can channel the Sun's heat and incite rage with his war magic.”
“We don't know for certain whether or not he has any vampire abilities,” Thor went on. “But we assume that he does since he is their source.”
