Before I could say anything, Qaus beat me to it.
“Oh, shut up, Disani,” Qaus snapped. “Your demon vendetta is ridiculous. We are all Atlanteans, after all. They are not truly evil creatures from Hell.”
“We may have started as such, but the magic has changed us,” Disani lifted her chin as she spoke. “Theyareevil creatures; murderers, liars, and rapists.”
Oh; there it was.
“Hey, I get it,” I said gently. “I've been raped; in several ways actually. It's traumatic but it's not the end. And it's not the fault of an entire race. If you truly want to triumph over the man who attacked you, live in love. Don't let what he did ruin your life or your heart. Especially not your heart.”
“If you really were raped, you would understand that what you've suggested is impossible,” she hissed. “I could never trust a man enough to love him. The chance for a loving relationship was taken from me.”
“Look, lady,” I growled, “you can call me nasty names, but never call me a liar. I was taken by Anubis. He controlled body and put a damn slave collar around my throat. He nearly killed my mate by keeping us apart. He not only raped me, he also made me like it. He humiliated me and fucked up my head in ways you can't even imagine. And that's just one of the times I've been tortured. So, you can take your pathetic sob story and shove it up your ass. You have no idea what true torment is.”
“Ya lahwy,” Qaus whispered. “I've heard rumors about you, Godhunter, but I had no idea.”
“You sympathize with her?” Disani stood in shocked anger. “You're a fool! But then you are a man; led by your cock. I should have known better than to join forces with men; you are the dumber sex.”
Disani stomped out and left us all staring after her.
“At least she's not bitter,” I murmured.
Qaus laughed and looked from me to Narcissus. “Are you truly going to keep her imprisoned?”
“Are you suggesting otherwise?” Narcissus asked in shock. His eyes were wide; they had been for quite awhile.
“It seems rather ungrateful after she freed you,” Qaus noted.
“What the fuck is going on?” Gish shrieked. “When did you switch sides? How did we just lose Disani? Fuck; it's true what they say about the Godhunter; she can make the most determined god surrender.”
“They say that about me?” I asked with a lopsided grin. “Huh.”
“Indeed,” Qaus murmured before he looked at Gish. “If she's not trying to kill me, it means that I was misled into making the first strike. In effect, I have wronged her; started a war where there was no animosity brewing. Righting that wrong is not surrendering but behaving honorably.”
“You'vewrongedthe Godhunter?” Gish asked. “Listen to yourself; you're talking crazy.”
“Listen toyourself,” Qaus countered. “You want to continue to persecute an enemy who was never our enemy, to begin with, simply because you don't want to admit to being wrong. Those are the motivations of a weak man.”
“I'm not wrong or weak,” he snarled. “I was following you. If any of us were wrong, it was you.”
“Fine, Gish.” Qaus held up his hands. “I was wrong. Now, shouldn't we focus our efforts on something more worthwhile?”
“You spent five years planning this!”
“Iwastedfive years.” Qaus sighed. “Damn. All for a broken prophecy foretelling a future that will never come. I'm sorry that my plotting has brought you to this end, Godhunter.”
“Call me Vervain,” I said as I held out a hand. “And this isn't my end; far from it. Peace between us, Qaus?”
“Peace.” Qaus smiled and shook my hand. “For now, at least.”
“The fuck with this!” Gish lunged forward.
Chapter Forty
The pool in the center of our seats spewed up a wall of water between Gish and me, but he disappeared before he could reach the barrier. I relaxed out of my defensive position as the water fell back into the pool, and then I noticed that Qaus was gone too.
“You sent them both away?” I asked in surprise.
“I didn't like what either of them was saying,” Narcissus murmured as he stared at me thoughtfully. “I don't think I shall let any of those three into my territory again. I've got what I want now, anyway; my freedom and you.”
