Everyone swam for the tracing chamber.
A shriek came from behind me. I turned just in time to see one of Hermes's kids go under. I paused. I couldn't leave him behind, but I wasn't good underwater.
“I've got him,” Mrs. E, AKA Estsanatlehi, Goddess of Change, also had Water Magic. She dove and, seconds later, cameup with Hermes's son.
Don't ask me which one. I still hadn't learned who was who.
The water began to churn. But we were already at the tracing chamber. Gods were rushing through, pushed along by the movement of the water. I swam into the structure and reached for the Aether, my mind focused on Moonshine. A few moments later, I was striding down a concrete corridor, leaving a wet trail behind me. I kept going, knowing the others would be coming through, but once I was at the top of the stairs and out on the VIP floor, I stood to the side of the door and made sure that everyone had made it back.
I say back because Hermes hadn't been with us in my bedroom earlier. I'd made it clear that I didn't trust him enough to let him into Pride Palace. So, he and his kids—those other than Pan—had waited at Moonshine for us. We had traced there to pick them up on the way to the Beave's territory.
Yeah, maybe I shouldn't name the murderous shapeshifter after that wholesome TV character. Oh, screw it. It was too funny not to. And I needed some levity.
“That's it?” Hermes growled as he trudged across the fake grass, watering it with his dripping clothes. “We get attacked and just run away?”
“Did you want to stay and drown?” I asked.
“We shouldn't have attacked him in his territory,” Odin said. “We know better.”
“Exactly what I was thinking,” I muttered.
“Fine,” Hermes growled. “So, now what?”
“We're going to have to wait for him to leave,” I said.
“I left a vein of Internet near the entrance to his territory.I can use it to monitor his movements,” Torrent said. “I'll know when he leaves.”
“Well done, Torr,” I said. “Quick thinking.”
“Thanks.”
“More waiting,” Hermes groaned.
“This is how it goes, Dad,” Pan said. “We're dealing with another god. It's not like hunting a human.”
Hermes sighed and sat down on a hill/couch. His clothes squelched. “Ugh!” He slapped his hands on his wet pants. “I hate this.”
“You hate this?” I asked and started for him. “You? You lost a fucking stick. I may lose my husband!”
“Hey, starlight.” Viper grabbed me and swung me around. “How about we see if there's some Duat wine behind the bar?” He took my hand and led me to the stairs.
“What I say?” Hermes asked.
“Dad, just shut the fuck up,” Pan huffed.
“Don't talk to me like that!”
“Shut the fuck up!” Trevor growled at Pan. “Do it, or I will punch you in the mouth until you spit out blood and teeth. Are we clear?”
“Sheesh, you don't have to get violent,” Hermes grumbled.
I chuckled and went down the metal stairs to the main floor of Moonshine. It was night in Hawaii and the place was packed with humans, gods, and faeries. We rarely had faeries in Moonshine before Azrael became the Faerie God. But he changed everything. Now, there were faeries all over the world, and they loved to dance as much as humans. With humans, if possible. Not so much with gods, but the gods and faeries tolerated eachother and shared the humans. Especially at Moonshine, where they had to take oaths of non-violence before they were let in. And if they broke their oath, there were a bunch of werewolves on duty to show them the door.
I wove around the mix of fake and living plants with Viper. Trees seemed to grow out of the floor, with a “meadow” clearing in the center of the room made for dancing. We went to the side of the dance floor, keeping to the trees. Little lanterns hung from the trees and figures of faeries and dragons clung to the branches. But the light wasn't enough to penetrate the shadows near the walls, and I overheard several couples enjoying the privacy it created.
I didn't care. Let them have their fun. God knows I'd done it myself a few times. Several gods knew, actually. Since they were the ones I'd made out with. Viper was one of them.
His thoughts proved to be running alongside mine. “Hey, you wanna blow off some steam? I see an empty nook.”
