Pan made an expectant face at Horus.
The Egyptian Sky God grimaced as he came forward and added his Sun Magic to the blinding mix.
Pan whined, “Horus!”
Horus winked at me and shouted, “Fuck you!”
“Oh, I'm not missing out on this.” Viper jumped into our inner ring and blasted the pile with burning starlight, which was essentially sunlight. His delight poured through his words, “Fuck you!”
There were a lot of sun gods in attendance.
And one sun goddess.
Amaterasu joined our ranks, lifted her delicate, pale hands, and sent the power of the sun onto the god machine. She glanced at me and then shouted in her beautiful voice, “Fuck you!”
The other gods cheered and applauded, thinking the display was over. But it wasn't.
Lightning struck the burning pile of molten metal. Everyone fell silent as Thor joined us. “Fuck you!” Thor's voice rumbled through the territory, shaking the ground beneath our feet. He lifted a fist and brought lightning down again. The second bolt shoved the black heap into the soil of Ala Mmuo. The ground closed over it in one last fuck you.
We released our magic in unison to watch the god soil seal in the remains of the god machine. Artificial Divinity was free. Maybe it would return to the god who made it. I hoped it wouldn't. That wouldn't be true freedom. Either way, it couldn't hurt us anymore. But we had defeated real divinity, and if this true god was anything like the Atlanteans, he would be furious and out for revenge.
Maybe we shouldn't have shouted obscenities at him. Oh, well, I've never been known for my subtlety.
Chapter Forty-Two
I watched as the gods traced away from Ala Mmuo. My family and I would be the last to go, but there was one more thing I wanted to do first.
I went to my brother-in-law. “Ty, can I speak with you?”
“Sure.” He left his pack to walk with me back into the house.
I closed the door behind us and went into the living room with Ty. “I'm going to ask you once more, now that things are over—can I give you my blessing?”
“You did me a favor, V.” Ty laid a hand on my shoulder. “You don't owe me anything.”
“I know you’re only saying that because you can't feel what I took.” I removed his hand from my shoulder and held it. “I know you said you're not ready to love again, but a blessing doesn't mean you'll find love immediately. With the proper intent, I can twist the blessing so that love comes when you're ready for it.”
“I'm honestly relieved to not love Agwusi anymore, Vervain. Truly. Even now, knowing she was a victim too, I see that she is not the right woman for me. And I don't want yourblessing. Not for now or later. I want love to be real the next time I find it.”
“I don't think you understand what I'm offering. I've made mistakes before by not properly directing my magic, but I've gotten better.”
“Thor?” Ty grinned.
“Yes, I summoned true love for him, but I didn't stipulate that it would be the next love he felt. He had to go through some subpar love before he found Raedra. But now, Thor has his true love and a daughter. I've learned from my mistakes and become adept at blessings. I can draw your true love to you next. Jump the line, so to speak. There are many people you could love, but my blessing will guide you and your perfect match together.”
“But don't those other loves make us who we are?”
I considered that. “Yes and no. You are who you are, regardless of whom you love. I'm saving you the pain of losing love again and wasting time with someone who will only leave. Yes, you could enjoy yourself and maybe grow from the experience. After all, the greatest love stories aren't always the longest ones. But do you need the pain to grow? No. Will you miss some splendid memories? Probably. Magic always has a price, and those minor loves are your payment. It's up to you, Ty. Do you want to go the normal route? Or would you rather have more time with the love of your life?”
“I don't know.”
“My blessing will ensure that the love you find next will be the greatest love you will ever feel. It will not create love where there is none, only find the heart that will share it with you. Think of it as insurance. You'll be certain when you find her thatshe is the one. You'll know not to let her go. Without my blessing, you won't be sure.”
Ty considered this. “I think I would know.”
“You might. You might not. Look how many women your father was with before I blessed him.”
“Emma,” Ty whispered. “He may have worried about mating a human if not for your blessing. But he didn't. He was sure enough to give her an apple of immortality.”
