The look on Legba’s face said that Nibo was one answer away from annihilation.
And Nibo’s expression said that he couldn’t care less. In fact, he was daring them to do something to remove her. Say something against her.
Valynda held her breath. She’d never seen a standoff quite so impressive. Not even between Kalder and Cameron or the captain and his wife, and those couples had had some extremely impressive ones.
The kind that should be legendary.
For that matter, the captain and his sister. As well as Cameron and her brother.
But even they had nothing on this one.
“We don’t let her kind here, and you know that.”
Nibo shrugged. “Then you don’t need me if you can’t accept me wife.” He swept his gaze over the other loas who were drawing near to witness the spectacle. “You’ve made plenty of accommodations for others. Including Brigitte and the petro. Vala is mine. If she’s more than you can handle, then perhaps it’s time you assign my duties to another and I find a new pantheon that is more to me tastes. One not so narrow-minded.”
Legba arched his brow at the threat. “You know what that would do. What it would cost you.”
“Aye. ’Tis a price I’m willing to pay. But are you?”
Valynda couldn’t believe what he was doing. For her!
The hair on the back of her neck stood up as she suddenly realized there was a lot more going on than she suspected. What was this?
While she knew that gods could come and go through pantheons, she’d never heard of there being a consequence to it.
However, it must be extreme given the dire expressions around her.
“Are you threatening me, Nibo?”
“I asked a question, Papa. If you no longer wish me to be here, I’ll leave.”
An elegant, beautiful woman with blond hair and green eyes approached Valynda and hugged her. “Welcome, Vala. I’m Maman Brigitte. It’s good to have a new family member.” She offered her a dark bottle.
“Brigitte!” That deep, resonate tone echoed around them like thunder.
Yet it didn’t faze the beautiful loa whose pale skin glowed like iridescent pearl. She merely passed it off with a wave of her hand. “Stop, Samedi. We don’t want to lose Nibo over such a trifling thing. If she makes him happy, what’s the harm?”
“She has no powers! She doesn’t belong here!”
Brigitte rolled her eyes. “Is that all that concerns you?”
Several of the loas grumbled answers.
She looked over at Nibo. “So, you love her?”
“Aye, Maman.”
She met Valynda’s gaze. “And you?”
“Aye. He’s everything to me.”
“Remember that. Never let anything or anyone divide you.” There was a note in her voice that said she spoke from experience. But she didn’t elaborate. Rather, she plucked a small chain from her belt. At the end of it was a bowl no bigger than a quarter cup. The loa filled it halfway with her rum, then her blood.
She held it out to Valynda. “Drink.”
Ew! Valynda felt her stomach heave over the very thought of it. Honestly, she’d rather have her eyes plucked out. “Um … no, thank you.”
“Drink.” The loa was extremely insistent.
