“Oh, come on. You know it's true,” Ekwensu said to Blue.
Eztli snorted a laugh.
Blue grimaced at his wife.
“Darling, the truth is the truth.” Eztli waved her hands out as if there was nothing she could do about it.
“And the truth is, this is the first time I've met this woman.” Ekwensu pointed at me. “I haven't touched her, not in any way.”
“We said you were fucking with us, not fucking us,” Trevor snapped. “And this shit is only making us more certain that we've got the right god.”
“I haven't done anything wrong!” Ekwensu wailed. “I'm a nice guy, I swear.”
“You were associated with the Devil,” Torrent said.
“Oh, for fuck's sake!” Ekwensu rolled his eyes. “My people don't believe in the Devil. I was originally a benevolent deity. Then the fucking Christians came.” He glared at Az. “Now, they were the real devils, trying to force their beliefs onto my people. They demonized me because they couldn't understand that I represented the evil innature, not in men. A completely different thing.”
Luke snorted. “Preach it. I know all about being demonized.”
“Who the hell are you?”
Luke giggled. “Who the hell am I? Oh, that's brilliant.”
“He's Lucifer,” I said. “The Devil.”
“The O.G. evil one,” Luke said. “But I'm a good guy too. I can be very reasonable.” Then his face shifted, and he leaned toward Ekwensu. “Except when you mess with my family.”
“I didn't mess with any of you!”
“We need to go somewhere more private to continue this,” Odin said with a pointed look around us at the humans who were trying to peer through the mass of our group.
We'd sent the Intare, Froekn, and Anubis's jackals home, but everyone else was there. Our group filled the whole floor.
“I'd offer my office, but I don't think we'll all fit,” Taran said.
“The Golden Citadel,” Az said as he took Ekwensu from Taran's security guards.
“Thank you for your help, Taran,” I said.
“Hey, what about my manacles?” Taran waved at Ekwensu's wrists.
“I'll get them back to you.”
Taran sighed. “Fine. But don't keep them too long. People can get rowdy here. And I never know when I might meet a kinky goddess.”
“Interesting,” Re said. “She would have to trust you implicitly. That can be very arousing.”
“It's funny how many powerful people want to give up their power in bed,” Taran said.
“Indeed.” Re grinned at me.
“Nope.” I pointed at him. “We don't talk about Bruno.”
Re blinked. Processed. Recalled the cartoon. “Ah. Yes. Sorry, La-la.” He pulled an invisible zipper across his lips. “No divulging bedroom secrets to strangers.”
“Hey, crazy people! Can we get back to me and the fact that I'm innocent of whatever it is you're accusing me of?” Ekwensu's pitch went higher in his panic, but he still didn't sound like the same man I'd met.
“Without his scent, I can't be a hundred percent certain,” I said. “I hate to admit this, but he doesn't sound the same. Not his mannerisms or his voice.”
