“I like that idea.” Thor smiled at me.
“Vervain!” Re snapped. “You will not!”
“Watch yourself.” I narrowed my eyes at Re. “You're treading very close to the edge of chauvinism.”
Re sighed deeply as he stared at me. “All right, La-la. If this is really what you want to do, I will support you.”
“Thank you.” I hugged him.
“But if you become a vampire, I'm going to be very put out.”
Been there; done that,Alaric shocked me by saying.
Chapter Thirty-Three
As I mentioned before, even though the Gods could make themselves invisible, I could not. So, I took lead through the crowd; clearing a path for the invisible gods behind me. There were a few confused people who tried to slide into the empty space in my wake and bounced off it. But we made it to the podium without drawing too much attention and found a relatively calm place to stand while the presidential candidate gave his speech.
“There he is,” Thor murmured in my ear. “Can you see Huitzilopochtli? You should be able to catch the haze of his magic.”
“Got it,” I said. “Should I just drain him now?”
“No time like the present,” Thor said.
No kidding.Alaric snorted; which I thought was amusing since—as far as I knew—he had no nose. But then again, he didn't have vocal chords either.
I focused on the hazy area just behind the politician and was about to reach down through the earth when I realized that I could already feel Huitzilopochtli's magic. It was warm like Re's, but there was a metallic edge to it; a sword's edge or perhaps it was the taste of blood; I couldn't decide which. Whatever it was, I took hold of it and pulled.
The haze flared and started to move, but I kept a firm grasp on the magic. It was intoxicating; the sound of battle filled my ears as the Sun warmed my skin. I could taste blood on my lips, and I liked it. My whole body shivered as the world came alive around me; the heartbeat of every living creature calling to me. I could sense where life was, and where I could bring death.
“He's coming,” Thor murmured. “Huitzilopochtli knows that you're the one taking his magic, Vervain. Move back with me; help me draw him away from the humans.”
I felt Thor's hand slip into my free one; my left hand was already claimed by Re. The three of us moved together; the rest of the God Squad shifting around us. I knew they were all watching Huitzilopochtli; ready to close off his escape when Thor struck. But Thor wouldn't attack until the Aztec was weak enough to kill and until all of the humans were out of the danger zone.
We reached an open area about a hundred feet from the rally, and I could feel Huitzilopochtli closing in. The connection between us—that line of magic I was drawing from him—strengthened as he followed us. If he'd been smart, he would have tried to run, although, I don't know if that would have worked. I had a lock on him now; it was very possible that he couldn't escape me.
But I couldn't focus on all the details; Huitzilopochtli's magic was rushing through my veins. It was hot with sunlight and battle-rage, and yet it was also cold and calculating. It felt off; broken. There was something wrong with Huitzilopochtli, and it wasn't just his bloodthirsty ways.
There was a flash of light as Huitzilopochtli appeared; his invisibility failing him. He was just as I had pictured him; a tall, sleekly-muscled man with deep brown skin and midnight hair. His crimson eyes narrowed at me as he stumbled forward. Thor swung his hammer; the glint of magic and steel flashing through his invisibility spell.
And then everything went to Hell.
Huitzilopochtli ducked and dodged the hammer as he barreled into me. He clutched me to his chest as he rolled. I was torn away from Re, and as soon as I was free, Huitzilopochtli traced us away. Traveling the Aether without preparing for it is a shocking experience, and I reformed in a daze; staring about the strange room Huitzilopochtli had brought us to.
The walls, ceiling, floor, and furniture were made of stone. The floor was black marble; a shocking contrast to the walls which were white marble with gold veining. The ceiling was just a pale cream color that matched the unwieldy dining set beside us. The massive table and its blocky chairs were placed before a glass wall. Outside that glass, a thick jungle pressed in; making the room feel colorful, even though it wasn't.
I was forced to stop draining Huitzilopochtli when he traced us, but the connection was still there. I began to draw on his magic again, but then he bit me. Waves of ecstasy rolled over me as Huitzilopochtli fastened his mouth over the wound in my throat and drew out great gulps of my blood. With my blood, he called back his magic, and it surged away from me, along with my life.
I knew Huitzilopochtli was going to kill me, and there was nothing I could do about it. But something had changed. While I had held his magic, my soul had fixed that broken piece in it. Huitzilopochtli's power had entered me ugly and dark, but my light had blasted away a thick, black coating to reveal a beautiful hummingbird beneath. When that bird flew back into Huitzilopochtli, he shuddered and froze; his teeth still in my neck, but his lips gone lax on my skin. He drew away with a gasp; leaving two seeping punctures in my throat.
“What have you done?” Huitzilopochtli whispered in a velvety voice.
I blinked my way out of the lust haze he'd sent me into and stared up at him. A memory flared inside my mind; Huitzilopochtli vowing that he could love me with the strength of centuries as I stared up at him adoringly. Then I felt love shimmer to life inside me, and I realized that Huitzilopochtli must have been one of my husbands... and I had tried to kill him. Damn; that Time God was devious.
Huitzilopochtli cried out suddenly and fell back onto the stone floor. His arms stretched out across the glossy, black marble; fingers clawing at the surface as his freshly-laundered magic rushed through him; fixing the broken pieces in his soul. I knew that this was happening because I could sense that it had happened before. I had saved Huitzilopochtli from himself once, and now, history was repeating itself. I knew it was for the best, but I also knew that it would be traumatic for him. So, I sat beside Huitzilopochtli and eased his head onto my lap.
“I'm sorry,” I whispered as I laid my palm against his cheek. “I didn't remember you, but now I do.”
Vervain, he's not—
