“What do you mean, it's not there?” I lifted my hands to make a what-the-hell motion and lo and behold, there was the wand, still in my hand. “Tinkerbell's tiddlywinks! I'm still holding it!” I tried to let go, but my hand wouldn't open. “I can't let go!”
My husbands started to come closer.
“Stay back!” I accidentally waved the wand and glittering dust fell from it. “Crap!” I backpedaled so it wouldn't get on me, but the dust rose to circle me anyway, as if drawn to me. It circled me, going upward in a spiral before coming back down in a glittering rain that coated my body. As it fell, it turned pale blue, becoming a frilly, fluffy ballgown. “Oh, fruity pebbles,” I whispered. “No, it can't be.”
“What? Can't be what?” Sarasvati asked.
I looked up at my men. “I'm the Fairy Godmother.”
Morpheus snorted before he could catch himself. Under everyone's glares, he said, “Sorry. But it's kind of funny.”
“Yeah, it was,” I said. “I thought it was hilarious when I first made the joke. Back, oh fifteenthousandyears ago in the Faerie Realm's past.”
Morpheus gaped at me.
“This person knows that you went back in time,” Thor said.
“Not just that. They know that I went back into a fairy tale. And they know that I called myself Cinderella's FairyGodmother!” I almost lifted the wand again, but controlled the urge.
“Torrent,” Odin said in a low, dangerous tone.
“On it!” Torrent focused on the wand.
I felt a shimmer of energy coast over my body as the dress burst apart, then the wand crumbled in my hands. I breathed out in relief and opened my hand to fling it free of dust.
“Where's the gravestone?” Thor asked.
“I set it on the table.” Trevor waved at a bedside table as he hurried over to me.
“Torrent, could you, please?” Thor asked.
“Sure thing.” He started for the table.
As he went, my men surrounded me, holding me between them. I wasn't sure if it was just in relief or if they were trying to form a living shield between me and that gravestone.
“There's no magic in it,” Torrent said.
I gently pushed at Kirill's chest. “Come on, babe. All of you. Stand down. I'm fine.”
The men backed up so I could see Torrent holding the gravestone. He shrugged and handed it to Hades.
Hades looked down at the image of the little dog. “This is a threat. They're going to kill my dogs.” He lifted his head. “What kind of spineless, worthless, piece of shit kills defenseless animals?”
“Well, Cerberus isn't exactly defenseless,” Morpheus muttered.
Hades focused on Morph.
“Sorry, but it's true. He's the Guardian of the Underworld.”
“He is,” Thor said gravely. “And this person took him.” He looked at Hades. “Was there evidence of a fight?”
Hades's expression went blank. “No. No, there wasn't.”
“So, how did they do it?” Thor looked at me. “And how did they know about Vervain?”
“Or that I would be the one to pick up the wand?” I added.
“This is not good,” Blue said. “Very not good.”
