Is it terrible that I forgot about Machar? I hadn't even noticed him in the army. But there he was, his cap bleeding but his skin whole, no worse for wear. And so far, the gods coming through the tracing room were all the same. The damage inflicted by Naraka was already healed. Well, mostly. Some of the demigods were still healing, but when Teharon and Jesus came through, they instantly went among the injured and sped up the process. I was grateful for that. Kirill looked exhausted, and I would have needed to consume some fire to heal nearly ninety men. But the sight that melted my heart was that of Anubis carrying one of his jackals out of the tracing room. The others staggered out behind him, shaky on their four spindlylegs, and noses hanging to the floor. Gello brought up the rear, making sure they were all accounted for.
“You're going to be all right,” Anubis said as he laid his wounded jackal on the floor.
It whimpered and turned its pointed black head toward him. The other jackals shuffled over and collapsed near their god. They weren't like other shapeshifters. Anubis's jackals had a prime form that was animal, not human. They could shift into men, but they always had an animal mentality. The opposite of most shapeshifters.
“I just need a moment longer, my friends,” Anubis said. “Then I can help you heal.”
“Anubis,” Jesus said gently, his expression as tender as mine must have been. “Allow me.”
Anubis looked up and his oil slick eyes were wet with tears. “Thank you, Jesus.”
“Call me J,” Jesus said and laid his hand on the most injured jackal.
The jackal shuddered and sighed, and then Jesus's magic spread to the others. The pack snuggled up against Jesus and Anubis and went to sleep.
To think that I had once feared those creatures. Now, I was happy to see them healed. I had feared their god even more, but now I was ten times stronger than him. Maybe even more than that. Was that why my past with Anubis didn't bother me? No. It was because I'd seen his pain and knew that he went through a lot to get past it.
“Queen Vervain?”
“Huh?” I looked over at Machar.
“I asked what we're going to do now?” Machar said.
By then, everyone had come through the tracing room. The crowd filled the wide corridors and spread down them. And every one of the gods looked at me when they heard Machar's question.
“Not that it's my decision alone,” I said. “But I think we should take this as a win and leave the trickster be.”
“You want us to just forget about what he did?” Hades demanded.
“Isn't it better to forget willingly?” I lifted a brow at him.
“Are you suggesting that we aren't strong enough to fight this god?” Samael asked. “We killed Jehovah.”
“And all of you nearly died today facing Katila,” I said. “All while I crouched in a cage with my magic cut off.”
“That's only because we were in his territory,” Brahma said, his arm around his wife.
“He fared pretty well before he lured you there,” I shot back. “And the trickster, whoever he is, is stronger than Katila. I think he has Katila's magic now, in addition to whatever he had originally.”
“So, we're certain he isn't Ekwensu?” Samael asked.
“Pretty certain.” Odin pointed and everyone followed his finger to a pair of citadel knights striding up with a chained man between them—Ekwensu. “If Vervain saw the trickster in Naraka, that can't be him.”
“What should we do with the prisoner, Your Majesty?” one of the knights asked Azrael.
Azrael looked at me. “You're certain he was there?”
“I didn't hallucinate him freeing you from the pit,” I shot back.
“All right.” Az motioned at the knights. “Escort him back to the Wet Whistle and let him go. You have our apologies, Ekwensu.”
“That's it?” Ekwensu huffed as the knights removed the manacles.
“Oh. Return the manacles to Taran,” Az added.
“Seriously?!” Ekwensu shrieked.
“And tell him I'll pay Ekwensu's tab.” Az paused, then quickly amended it with, “Tonight's tab.”
