“Well, sort of. I'm still me in there. But I'm also an animal. For example, I just noticed today that my desire for Re vanished when I became a lioness. I only wanted you and Kirill.”
“What?!” Re nearly shrieked. “I was on your back. My cock was pressed against you, and you had no desire for me?”
“Shh,” I chided him as I shot a look at the sleeping pile of children. After playing in the mini-castle, the run had done them in, and I wanted them to sleep awhile.
“This is unacceptable, Vervain,” Re went on at a lower volume but with as much fury. “You can never shift into a lioness again.”
I snorted a laugh.
Re's lips twitched, and then he laughed with me. “Seriously, though. It's inconceivable that you could stop desiring me. The form shouldn't matter.”
“I do not think that word means what you think it means,” I said.
Re blinked. “It absolutely means what I—oh! You're quotingThe Princess Bride.”
“It has to be done every time someone uses that word,” I said. “And also, you were being ridiculous, so it fit the situationperfectly.”
“I am never ridiculous. I am the Sun God Re.”
“Did you bring enough water for everyone, Sun God?” Trevor asked.
“I did.” Re handed Trevor another bottle that he pulled out of his bag. “And I brought snacks.”
“Oh, snacks!” I squealed. “What kind of snacks?”
“I just grabbed what was on the kitchen counter,” he said. “Let's see. We've got a bag of chips.” He handed me a bag of Doritos. “Make that two.” He handed Odin a bag of kettle chips in vinegar and salt flavor. “And a box of Twinkies.”
“Oh, me! Me! Me!” I tossed the Doritos to Kirill and reached for the Twinkies.
“Here you are, La-la.” Re presented me the box as if it were a treasure chest full of jewels. Then he snatched a Twinkie out of the end. “And one for me.”
“Hey, you brought food?” Viper hurried over with Que.
Re looked him up and down, sighed, and bit into his twinkie. “You're gonna get sunburned.”
Viper looked down at his swinging shaft, and his eyes widened. “You can get sunburned there?”
“You can get sunburned wherever you have skin. If the sun can reach it, it can be burned.” Re grinned. “And I can reach a lot of places.”
“You aren't the sun,” Viper said as he snatched a handful of Doritos out of the bag and then waved Que toward it.
“I control the sun.”
“You control Sun Magic, not the actual sun.”
Re blinked.
I chuckled. “How many times do I have to tell you guys that he's not stupid?” I asked Re. “He's just enjoying being youthful. He spent his first days at war and dealing with the Dark Star. You shouldn't fault Viper for wanting to be the opposite of that for a while.”
“Thanks, starlight,” Viper said. “And by the way, Re, I know that you're messing with me. I can't get a sunburn. I'm a god. But I was having fun playing along.”
“You see?” I waved at Viper. “He just plays dumb.”
“Then why ruin it by revealing your intelligence?” Que asked, then crunched on a chip.
Viper grimaced. “Vervain ruined it. I just had to support my woman.”
“Oh, sorry, babe,” I said. “Don't worry. They'll forget you're smart by the end of the day.”
