“Aw, man. What did I say about that?”
Abaddon grimaced. “I am not calling you J-man.” With that, Abaddon pulled in his wings—out on full display now that we were in the God Realm, turned on his heels, and headed for the tracing temple.
Jesus snickered.
“You haven't really been telling the Angels to call you J-man, have you?” Azrael asked.
“I like to keep things casual.” He shrugged. “I'm the same guy they all knew before. It's not a big deal though. I don't usually insist on it,” Jesus said, still watching Abaddon walk away. “But that's a guy who needs more laughter in his life.” His expression softened as he transferred his stare to his brother. “I'm trying to help him move on.”
“He's going to be fine, Brother,” Az said. “He's free now. The Abyss is gone and so is Jehovah.”
“But he still blames himself for killing his charges.”
“Still?” I asked. “That was a long time ago.”
“Would you get over it?” Jesus turned his gentle stare on me. “They were monsters, but they werehismonsters.”
My whole body shivered with kinship and sadness. If anyone could understand loving monsters, it was me. “Don't call them that,” I whispered. “They were as they were made.”
Jesus nodded in complete understanding. “Yes. Perfect. Perhaps not in Jehovah's eyes, but in mine, they were.”
I nodded and watched Abaddon enter the tracing temple. “In his as well.”
“Yes. And so, I gave him work to focus on and, when I can, I try to lift his spirits.”
Impulsively, I hugged my brother-in-law. “I love you. You're a good guy to think of others when you're so stressed.”
“I love you too, Sis.” Jesus kissed my forehead, and I felt a shimmer of his Comfort Magic wash over me. He just couldn't help it. He gave of himself constantly.
And I was going to give something back.
“We'll find whoever is doing this,” I promised as I stepped back. Then I grimaced at the temple. “But first, we have to get through that.”
“Take a deep breath,” Trevor said.
“And run,” I added.
Chapter Four
“Is this really a situation that requires our attention?” Horus, bouncing his three-year-old daughter, Asteriana, on his knees, drawled.
“Yeah,” Astie, who was developing a personality that was a cross between those of her parents, said and pointed at me, her expression stern even as she went up and down.
I held back my laughter. “The scrolls of Alexandria, Horus,” I said. “And the Ark. As in Raiders of the Lost.”
Horus rolled his mismatched eyes—one gold and one silver. “Ancient nonsense.”
“You're just bitter because the Ark vanquished your people,” Azrael said.
“Sorry, my sweet girl,” Horus said as he stopped bouncing Astie. “But Daddy needs to speak to Uncle Azrael firmly. Go play with Deme.” He set Astie down and nudged her toward Hades and Persephone's daughter Demetera, who was playing with her dolls on a blanket on the floor beside her mother's chair.
We were out on Pride Palace's veranda so I could keep an eye on my kids too. They were playing with the mini cars I had made for them with territory magic, racing them aroundthe mini castle that I had also made. Usually, Samantha would watch the kids for me since her daughter was their playmate and usually with them, but I hated asking her every time. And this wasn't a situation where we had to worry about the kids overhearing something terrible. So far, it was just a bunch of mischief.
“Daddy.” Astie clung to her father's leg and stared up at him with her big, silver eyes, the irises set off by dark blue limbal rings.
“Oh, you slay me.” Horus cupped her face and kissed her forehead. “I love you so much.”
Astie grinned brightly. “I love you, Daddy!”
