“Yup.” Finn took a post in front of Ekwensu.
Then I saw the dagger in Katila's hand.
“Anubis!” I shouted.
“I see it,” Anubis raced for Katila.
The blasts of magic stopped. Not because of Anubis, but because of Kirill. Katila had reached his target. He lifted Death's dagger. Would it hurt Kirill? I wasn't sure. Its main purpose was to take souls, but only human souls. Like the Pasha, it shouldn't work on gods unless that god's soul was in a human body. Then there was the Death magic, but as a death god, Kirill should be immune to it. And it was Death that did that whole numbing and controlling bit.
A gold flash came as Kirill yanked the Pasha off his neck and settled into a fighting stance. It would be soul-stealer against soul-stealer.
Another flash came. The Pasha whipped out. Katila's hand, solid for the attack, jerked to the side from the impact. Kirill drew back. The other gods prepared to blast Katila with magic. But then Katila dove for Kirill. The two of them rolled across the floor. Silver. Gold. Their weapons glinted. Silver.Gold. Kirill snarled. He wound up on the bottom, Katila above him, holding my husband down with his stolen power. Silver.
“Give me the Pasha!” Katila brought the dagger down.
Another snarl came, but it wasn't from Kirill.
Someone bashed into Katila and another roll for supremacy began. Again, Katila wound up on top. Beneath him was Anubis, his head that of a jackal. The Jackal God snapped his powerful jaws at Katila, but Katila didn't hesitate this time. He brought the dagger down.
“I'll fucking kill you!” Gello screamed as the dagger sank into Anubis's chest. In her Demon form, Gello launched herself at Katila. Her claws struck deep in his back, and then she rolled backward, taking him off her husband before tossing Katila into a wall. “Anubis?” She crawled over to Anubis.
I wouldn't worry about Anubis. I focused on Katila, summoning my star. Playtime was over. I was going to burn this motherfucker back to the Void while he was still corporeal. But when the starlight hit, it went straight through him.
“Oh, don't worry, my love,” Katila said to me. “I haven't forgotten about you. But I've decided to take our relationship to the next level. Your husbands will die tonight. And then you'll be free to marry me.”
“Go fuck yourself, Katila,” I said. “Because you ain't fucking me.” I blasted him again.
All of us did, my husbands especially. Starlight lit up the room again, but this time it was from Viper. Odin sent his spear flying. Kirill sent shards of ice. Re came on the heels of that ice with rays of sunlight hot enough to incinerate. Between theblasts, Trevor dashed in and slashed at Katila with werewolf claws. And Azrael used every element at his disposal.
None of them touched the Ghost God.
But Katila touched them. Death's dagger shot out and kept stabbing, over and over. I watched the men I loved fall beneath the blade, unable to defend themselves. Katila only made himself tangible for the moment it took to stab someone, then he ghosted again. I tried desperately to hit him with something. Anything. I even resorted to Love. It all went through him like sunshine through glass.
Then Kirill roared.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement. Kirill. He was in his half-form, a glorious lion-man god, magic flashing in his blue eyes.
And Katila paused.
His stare focused on the Pasha. It was glowing as brightly as Kirill's eyes. Oh, that was new. It looked as if the Pasha was ready to turn on its old master. Kirill drew it back, preparing to fling it again, and I knew I had to give him a chance to use it. I had to get Katila corporeal. But how?
Then Katila solved the problem for me. He twisted on his heels and dashed for me. Instead of running away, I met him halfway. He went solid, and we collided. Strong arms wrapped around me, but I wasn't worried about him tracing us away. The ward around the Golden Citadel prevented that. The only way out for Katila was through the tracing room.
Katila's eyes widened, but then reason came. When you want something as bad as he wanted me, so badly that hereturned from the Void with that desire intact, it can blind you to other things. Like becoming solid when the Lion God of Death and Winter is hunting you with your own soul-stealing cord.
The Lion God and his wife.
I slammed starlight straight into Katila's chest. He gasped and stumbled back just as Kirill reached us. The starlight should have incinerated him, but it only burned a hole in his chest. I could see straight through him to Kirill. Unfortunately, Katila's heart survived the blast. It dripped blood as it continued to pump, the bottom tip of it visible. But that hole repaired itself as I watched.
It didn't matter. Kirill had him. The lasso hit Katila, winding around his throat. Katila growled and grabbed the end of it. Kirill planted his feet and pulled.
Around them, those who were still standing waited for a chance to attack. My husbands were not among them. They were all prone but alive, healing the wounds Katila had inflicted with that damn dagger.
The dagger. Fuck.
“Kirill, watch out!” I shouted.
Katila flung Anubis's dagger and hit Kirill in the throat.
