“Maybe they rushed into this,” Re said.
“Oh, come on,” Fallon huffed. “More power is always a good thing. And you heard them—they're the same men. I didn't notice any craziness popping up. It will be fine.”
“Yeah, you're right,” I said. “And I'll feel it if it's not fine. Ijust want to know what we did. It felt big. I want to know what they're capable of now.”
“So do they,” Viper said. “That's the point of training.”
“Yeah,” Trevor said. “We'll find out soon enough what kind of power they created.”
“Created,” I murmured. “The Lion God of Winter and Death, the King of Asgard, and the Angel of Death. They each have a different version of Death Magic.”
“Different aspects,” Re said. “Kirill's will be cold, tempered by Winter. Odin's will be controlling as he is the ruler of the dead in Valhalla. Perhaps even warlike, since his Death Magic is connected to his mastery over War. And Azrael's will be the purest form of Death.”
“Put them all together and what do you get?” Viper asked.
Silence fell and reigned for a few long minutes as we considered what this might mean. And then the happy shrieks of playing children intruded and lightened the mood.
With a long exhale, I let out the tension that had been building in my shoulders. “They'll work it out.”
“And then maybe we'll be strong enough to take on the trickster,” Viper said.
There went my good mood.
Chapter Fourteen
The Intare came out with Que after breakfast and lounged in the sun by the pool. After a rest, some of them went swimming and others went for a run in their lion forms. My lioness perked up when she saw them shift, and I realized it had been ages since I had run with the pride.
“I'm going out with the boys,” I said as I stood up.
“Where?” Que, who had been hanging with us, drinking coffee, and watching the kids, asked.
“For a run in our beast form. Do you want to come? I know flying is out, but you could, uh, slither.”
“Slither?” Viper poked up. “I knew I sensed some snake in you!”
“He's the FeatheredSerpent,” Trevor said.
“I didn't catch his title,” Viper huffed. “Only his long Aztec name.”
Quetzalcoatl chuckled. “Yes, that's why you can call me Que. You're a snake too?”
“I'mViper,” he said in the same tone Trevor had used.
“Ah, yes.”
“He's a star god,” I explained. “But he's also a snakeshifter.”
“It's been a long time since I've used my snake form on the ground,” Que said. “And I've never run with another snake.”
“Come on, then!” Viper jumped up and yanked off his shirt, revealing his gorgeous chest.
His whole body was gorgeous. This made sense since it was a physical representation of his soul. Every sculpted inch of him, his ink-black hair, his angular features, and even his sensual lips had been shaped by his amazing soul. I had once thought I made him, but I'd only drawn him out of the Void and given him the building blocks to form his body. Viper had done the rest. Oh, except for his eyes. Those brilliant green snake eyes were from me.
Que looked at me. “You don't think the Intare will mind?”
“They run with Viper all the time,” I said and looked over at Trevor. “You coming?”
Trevor grinned.
