“No, you won't,” she vowed confidently. “You're the Godhunter; you never fail. Not when it's really important.”
Before I could protest, Hekate stepped outside. She still had streaks of makeup running down her face but her expression was jubilant. “Would you guys get your butts in here? We've got a lot to celebrate!”
“Oh, Katie!” Samantha launched herself at the other woman.
“It's okay, Sam,” Katie crooned. “Everything's okay now. Well, except for the fact that I can't have a drink.”
Sam burst into laughter as she pulled away from Katie. “Of course, you can have a drink, you're a goddess. It won't hurt the baby. Just don't drink Hellbrew or Duat wine.”
“Damn, just what I had a craving for,” Hekate joked. “But seriously, I'm not taking any chances with this little girl. No alcohol for me.”
“A girl?” Sam asked. “You know it's a girl?”
“Someone spilled the beans.” Hekate nodded toward me.
“Sorry, but I couldn't resist,” I said completely unapologetically. “The look on Horus' face was priceless.”
“Tima! Tima! Tima!” The Intare started chanting.
“I think that's your song,” Kate noted with a smirk, then pulled me inside the palace. “Come on, Tima, you'd better face the music.”
I looked back at my children.
“Go ahead.” Fallon waved me off. “I'll watch the kids.”
“Thanks, honey.” Samantha went to give her husband a kiss.
“Bring me a glass of Hellbrew.” He winked at her.
The entry hall was full of lion men, every one of them wearing proud, ecstatic expressions. They cheered when they saw me and, with hugs and kisses, drew Katie and me along a path that led into the dining hall. There, the God Squad waited, bottles of Duat wine already on the table. Thor stood at the head of the table, in front of the center chair, but he pulled it out for me as I approached.
“Okay, that's enough.” I held up my hands and everyone went silent. “The star acted on its own. I was trying to heal Horus and Hekate's hearts with love, but the Trinity Star drew back my love magic and replaced it with its own power. It was the star who healed the baby, not me. And because it did so, we know one thing for certain.”
“And that is?” Horus lifted a dark eyebrow at me.
“Your daughter is meant to live. She's important, Horus. Important enough for my star to bring her back to life.”
An awed silence met that news.
Horus broke the silence with a disdainful sniff. “Of course, she's important; she's my daughter.”
The room exploded into laughter.
“I don't care if it was your star or you, Vervain,” Horus said. “You loved us enough to try and you gave the star a path to Katie. That means that you saved my daughter. My daughter.” Horus looked around at everyone, then shouted, “I'm going to have a little girl!”
The cheering began again and corks were popped from bottles of Egyptian Underworld wine and Hellbrew—the only things that could get a god drunk. Hekate got apple juice. Glasses made the rounds and toasting began: to Horus and Hekate, their baby girl, and me. We even found a few minutes to celebrate the fact that we saved the entire God Realm and all the Gods in it.
Then Azrael got up and started to leave.
“Where are you going, Mr. Hot and Feathered?” I asked a little drunkenly.
“I've got a couple of things to pick up.”
“Now?” I scowled at him. “What do you need to get so badly that you'd leave usnow?”
“Austin and more Hellbrew.” He grinned at me. “We're out of both.”
I blinked. “Dad gum it! I forgot about Austin.”
