I slammed my hand down on the box. Something popped up when I did. It was sharp and cut me. I cried out and drew my hand back. A smear of blood remained on the box. As I scowled at it, the box absorbed my blood and the lock clicked.
I gaped at it.
“What the fuck?” Morph said.
“But . . .” I shook my head. “He said Amisk's blood was the key to opening the lock.”
“My blood?” Amisk asked.
Damn my filterless mouth. There went not telling Amisk. I grimaced. “Yeah. Sorry. He wanted me to kill you. But the manwho gave you this box wasn't Wisagatcak. He's a trickster who shapeshifts into other gods and impersonates them.”
Amisk's dark eyes went wide. “Why would he want me dead?”
“I don't know.”
Amisk stared at me. “You need what's in that box to save your husband. And still, you refused to hurt me. Why?”
“Because, as far as I know, you're an innocent man. And we had just made peace. You gave me coffee.” I smiled wanly at him. “I don't kill my friends. As I said, it would have been an evil act.”
“Friends.” Amisk swallowed roughly. “Yes, Godhunter. You have made a friend today. A true friend for life.” He held out his hand, and I shook it.
“Thank you, Amisk.”
“That was the test, Vervain,” Odin said. “And you passed.”
“How would the trickster know that Vervain would slam her hand on the box like that?” Que asked.
“They couldn't have. Unless they truly are psychic. Or maybe the box is keyed to Vervain. As soon as she refused to commit an evil act, the magic was primed and when she touched it, the spell released, pricking her skin. Her blood was the key, not Amisk's. If she had killed him, the box would have never opened. But she didn't do it, and it reassured the trickster that she's good now. Even the greatest temptation—that of saving her husband—wouldn't sway her. I'm so proud of you, my love.” Odin grinned at me. “Open the box.”
I opened the box.
Chapter Thirty-Three
“What the fudge brownies am I supposed to do with this?” I asked as I stared at the thing in the box.
“That's my trident!” Donnie said and pointed at the thing.
It certainly was his trident. But not just his trident. Lying on a bed of black velvet was a mishmash of several stolen god items. The trident formed a foundation which the trickster had used to bind the other items together.
“There's my breastplate.” Que motioned at the sliced conch shell bound to the base of the trident's central point.
“And that's my magic condenser.” Odin went to the opposite end of the trident where a crystal was bound to the shaft. “And I believe these are the tablets taken from the Ark.” Just above the condenser were a pair of rectangular stone slabs with writing carved into them, set one atop the other. They were strapped to the trident with thick strips of leather.
“The Ark,” I whispered. “The trickster's been planning this all along.”
“They've been planning to steal all these god treasures just to build you a . . .” Morpheus waved at the box. “Athingthat can wake up Azrael? But Azrael was only recently injured.”
“And so we're back to them having psychic abilities,” Torrent said. “V, is that gold cord the Pasha?”
I followed his stare to the tip of the trident. Winding upthe central point above Que's breastplate was a golden rope. I knew it well. “Yes, that's it. And I'm assuming this is the Caduceus.” I tapped a golden rod set along the trident's shaft just beneath the conch shell. There was a pair of gold snakes winding around the rod, and wings spread out from it behind the arched snake heads.
“Yes,” Trevor said. “It has to be.”
“Water.” I tapped the trident. “Earth.” I tapped the Caduceus. “Air.” I touched the conch shell. “Fire . . . where's Fire?”
“There,” Re said and pointed at another gold rod set at the end of the trident, behind it so that only the hooked portion of the scepter showed beneath the magic condenser. “That's my scepter.”
“Fire,” I said. “And I'm guessing the Pasha represents Spirit. But why would they need the tablets?” I frowned at them. “They even look awkward strapped there like that. Everything else combines well to form a complete item. A strange one, granted, but it works. All but the tablets.”
