The tunnel was near an old oak. Trevor took the shovel from Austin and had the passage uncovered in less than a minute. While Trevor shoveled and Austin supervised, Odin undressed and handed me his clothes. Austin turned around to find a massive, muscular, naked, Viking god.
“Whoa!” Austin held up a hand to block the sight of Odin's impressive nudity. “Warn a guy, will ya?”
Odin chuckled as a glittering haze covered his body and his laughter went hollow. Austin lowered his hand to watch the shadow within the haze—that of Odin's body—morph into something else. That dark shape condensed and elongated. The haze lowered to the ground with the shadow and when it withdrew, a large snake was left in its place—a snake with scales that shifted through peacock colors. Probably the most beautiful snake I've ever seen.
The beautiful snake lifted his head, rising atop its long body, and opened its mouth to say, “I'll contact you as soon as I see anything, Vervain.”
“Thanks, babe.”
The snake dove into the hole.
“Well, if that ain't the darndest thing I ever did see,” Austin declared. He pulled off his cowboy hat and smacked his jeans with it.
“Shapeshifting is amazing, isn't it?” I agreed as I watched Odin's long body disappear into the earth.
“If I'm honest, it makes my brain hurt a little.”
“No quirky Texas saying for us?”
“A worm is the only animal that can't fall down?” Austin made it into a question.
“I believe a worm is an insect,” I said dryly.
“Actually, they're not,” Azrael corrected me. “Worms are classified under the Kingdom Animalia. So are insects, for that matter, but worms are not insects. Insects have exoskeletons, worms do not. But both worms and insects are considered to be invertebrates.”
“This is what happens when you send them to college,” I lamented.
“This is what happens when you mess with my Texas wisdom,” Austin shot back and winked at me. “Never mess with Texas.”
“I just thought you might want to know,” Azrael grumbled.
“I was teasing, baby.” I knocked my shoulder into Azrael's arm. “Talk about worms all you want.”
“Please don't,” Re said dryly.
“Why don't we go back to your house to wait?” I suggested to Austin. “Viper said the tunnels are vast; I don't expect Odin to find him anytime soon and when he does, they'll probably just trace home. No sense in waiting here—somewhere we shouldn't be.”
Austin nodded. “Jeetjet?”
“Was the Swedish?” Trevor asked.
“I think he's asking if we ate yet,” I mused pensively.
Austin chortled. “You got it, girl! Who wants barbecue?”
We all started grinning.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Five hours later, it was dark in Texas. Kirill had long since finished bonding with the Intare but decided to stay at the palace and watch over the children. And still, there was no sign of Odin. I got worried and contacted him.
I'm fine, Odin answered immediately.It's been a long crawl. I'm coming home now.
I'm not at home; we're at Austin's.
Okay, I'll be there soon.
But what about Viper?
