A broad, golden chest blocked my view, but I was okay with that. I smiled and ran my hands over the curves of Re's muscles and then up the side of his throat. He mumbled happily in his sleep and automatically lowered his mouth to mine. Re woke mid-kiss; his body twining around me; his center seeking mine.
“Um, hello!” Morpheus shouted from the foot of our bed.
Re and I looked over at him in irritation. My husband kept maneuvering himself between my legs beneath the sheet.
“What do you want?” Re asked before he lowered his lips to my neck and began sliding his way downward.
“Nemesis is gone,” Morpheus said. “Just up and disappeared. I was supposed to meet her at her place this morning, but she wasn't there, V. That's not like her.”
“Wait, what? Did you find any clues as to where she went?” I pushed Re back gently, but he only pouted and set his hands to the task he had originally given his mouth.
“No, but she's been watching Narcissus, and she told me that his father gave him a portion of his territory.” Morph scowled as Re casually followed his hands beneath the covers. “I'm still here, Re.”
“I know,” Re muttered angrily before he sucked in my nipple.
“Re!” I pushed him away. “I may have lost all my inhibitions but that doesn't mean I've suddenly turned into an exhibitionist. Cut it out!”
“Fine.” Re grimaced and got out of bed. “I'll be in the bathroom taking a shower if you want to join me.”
Re walked to the bathroom completely nude, and Morpheus averted his eyes. I averted my eyes too but for a completely different reason. One glance at Re's nudity, and I'd be hopelessly distracted.
“Go on, Morph.” I sat up and tucked the blankets firmly around me.
“Aunty Nem said that she tried to get into Narcissus' territory and couldn't.” Morph sat heavily on the edge of the bed. “We were meeting today to talk about it.”
“That's not unusual,” I said. “Gods ward their territories.”
“But once Nem has cursed a god, they can't ward against her,” Morph said grimly. “Narcissus should not have been able to keep her out. Something's wrong, V. I can feel it.”
“Okay. Give me a few minutes to get dressed,” I said. “I'll meet you downstairs.”
“Thank you.” Morph sighed in relief and hurried out of the room.
I glanced at the bathroom door and sighed too. I didn't have time to indulge in a shower with Re. I went to my dressing room instead and pulled on a pair of jeans and a tank top. Normally, I'd put on a dress but since I'd be investigating Nemesis' disappearance, I thought I'd better wear something more practical. I glanced at my full-length mirror on the way out. It was back in its proper place and all of the dust from Narcissus' mirror had been vacuumed up and taken out of my territory for disposal. I didn't want any part of it near me.
I poked my head into the bathroom to tell Re that I was leaving with Morpheus, but I didn't even glance toward the shower. I knew better than that.
“I'll go with you,” Re called back. “Just give me a few minutes.”
“I'm just going to Nemesis' territory with Morph,” I said in exasperation. “I'll be fine.”
“You're not going alone, Lala,” Re declared as he climbed the steps out of the pool-like tub and started drying off. “Where are the others?”
“Trevor's at Moonshine, Kirill is with Lesya, Toby's gone home, Az is at school, and Odin's upstairs sleeping, I think.”
“Why don't you tell Odin we're leaving while I get dressed?” Re walked by me, rubbing his dark hair briskly with his towel. When his hair was wet, I could barely see the golden highlights in it.
“Fine.” I rolled my eyes and headed for the stairs to Odin's tower.
“I see where Lesya gets it,” Re's voice followed me up the stairs.
I grimaced and grumbled all the way to Odin's room. I couldn't help acting like a child if I got treated like one.
“Odin?” I knocked on his door but there was no answer. “Odin?”
I went into the room and smiled softly when I saw Odin passed out across his bed. The room spanned out in a near circle from the doorway, the bed's square bulk leaving an odd hole behind it even though it was pushed up against the far side of the tower. I'd made Odin a table curved on one side to fit the space precisely. He had set family pictures on it; him and I together, our sons, Thor, and Ull. I hadn't realized it before but there wasn't a picture of Thrud there. Not that I blamed him; from my experience, Thrud was more like her mother than Thor; cold, unyielding, and unreasonable. Odin may love her, but he probably found it difficult to like her.
I went to the bed and gently shook him awake. “Odin?”
