“Where are the bugs?” Trevor asked. “I'd like to show them to the God Squad and clear your name.”
“Oh, I left them there.” Jesus looked up with a twinkle in his eyes. “I thought maybe we could use them to screw with the Authority, you dig?”
“Oh, I dig.” I looked from Jesus to Trevor, who started to grin.
“I'm sure ve can zink of something,” Kirill said.
Re pulled out his phone. “I'll text the Squad.”
I added, “And I'll text the Devil.”
“Outta sight,” Jesus drawled.
Chapter Five
Thor returned with Brevyn but he also brought his daughter, Ariana, and Ariana's mother, Raedra with him. Rae was one of Pan's Nymphs so Pan spent some time cooing at Ariana (whose conception was kind of his fault thanks to him eating a magic apple) and answering questions about his son, Pierce (whose conception was completely his fault), and Pierce's mother, Selades, another of his Nymphs.
Ariana wasn't the only baby to arrive with the God Squad. Persephone and Hades brought their daughter, Demetera, and Horus and Hekate brought their daughter, Asteriana. All three mothers took their baby girls out to the veranda to sit with Samantha, and Brevyn went outside to play with the older kids. They'd all just left when Az and Austin returned and, right on their heels, came the Devil and the Holy Spirit, aka Luke and Holly, aka Azrael's parents.
After Holly hugged Jesus, her son with Jerry, she demanded, “Where's my new granddaughter?”
“In Faerie with her father,” I said. “But I brought Brevyn with me and there are three other baby girls outside for you to coo at.”
“Babies!” Holly shouted and rushed for the door.
“How is your new little one?” Luke asked as he hugged me hello. “Is she . . . as you expected?”
“Yes, she has the proper coloring.” I blinked. “Wow, that sounded really racist.”
Luke laughed. “I know what you meant by it, and I'm relieved that she's the same Samara.” He glanced toward the front doors. “I'd best leave Holly be with the babies. Where are we meeting?”
“The dining hall, as usual.” Az waved toward the doorway to our right, across from the tracing room.
I followed them in and as the God Squad settled at the ridiculously long dining table, I stopped beside Thor, who took the seat at the head of the table—the end nearest the door. And yes, it matters which end. That's how long the table, and the room for that matter, was.
“How's it going with Brev?” I asked.
“Great. He's a brilliant kid,” Thor said with a bit of wonder. “So wise for his age.”
“Well, he has access to a lot of Ull's memories.”
Thor went grim. “How many memories?”
I shrugged. “I'm sure he doesn't tell me everything, and I sometimes catch him looking pretty somber, but it can't be all of Ull's memories. At least, I don't think so.”
“That must be hard on him.” Thor glanced back at the door. “He's not at all like Ull.”
“Did you expect him to be?”
Thor turned sheepish. “Maybe a little. But I suppose I'm thinking of Ull as a child, not an adult.”
“Either way, I'm sure he's different.” I smiled gently. “That's how it works. Even when we remember our past, we become new people. He's so much more than Ull now, as I'm more than Sabine.”
“Yes, I see that. And I do catch glimpses of Ull in his eyes. Almost as if he's trying to tell me he's happy.”
“I see him too! Brev will just look at me a certain way and there's Ull. It used to be startling, but I've gotten used to it.” I glanced at Odin. “I wonder if Odin sees Sabine in me?”
“Probably.” Thor's expression softened, and he laid his hand on my arm. “I know I've said this before but thank you, Vervain. Thank you for bringing Ull back.”
