Harvest of the Gods (27 page)

Chapter Fifty-Four

“Why aren't you getting ready?” Azrael said as he walked into the library.

“
For what?”

“
For the Halloween party,” he looked at me like I should know what he was talking about. “The one at Moonshine. I had a special costume made for you to wear.”

“
Oh, right,” I did know what he was talking about. He'd told me over a month ago but I'd been so consumed with researching both the void and a way to defeat Andrasta that I'd completely forgotten. Plus, it felt kind of strange to be celebrating a holiday just three months after Odin's death.

“
Come on,” he pulled me to my feet. “You need to get out and have some fun.”

He yanked me down the hallway to my bedroom, where a costume was laid out on the bed.

“What is that?” I went over to the critter sitting next to my costume. “Is this a dragon?”

It was a little stuffed dragon but it had been made so lifelike, I half expected it to start moving. It was in a seated position, its feet curved a little and its bottom attached to a piece of leather.

“That will secure it to your shoulder so that it appears to be perched there,” Azrael pointed at the leather piece, looking so pleased with himself and I realized that this would be the first Halloween he'd actually be celebrating with people instead of just watching from the sidelines.

“
This is great, Az,” I gave him a quick peck on the cheek
and he grinned broadly. “Who am I supposed to be?”

“
Who are... Vervain!” He gaped at me. “We watch this series together, it's like your favorite show.”

I frowned, then looked at the blonde wig lying next to the gauzy garments. “Oh no fucking way,” I started to laugh. “Are you seriously dressing me up as Daenerys Targaryen? The Mother of Dragons! Trevor and Kirill are going to throw a fit.”

“It's funny, right?” He giggled evilly. “Arach wanting you to birth all his dragon babies and all. Maybe you should get used to having a little dragon perched on your shoulder like a parrot, Mommy Dragon Queen.”

“
You're so wrong,” I groaned even as I shed my clothes so I could get into the costume. It was perfect and I needed a laugh.

It also looked fantastic. The wispy light blue clothes actually concealed all the bad bulgy bits(or the triple Bs as I liked to call them) while revealing the good bulgy areas and it came with a sort of metal harness that strapped across my waist, lifting my boobs while giving the dragon a firm place to be attached to. With the blonde wig on I even kinda looked like Daenerys. Okay I looked like a much curvier version of Daenerys but whatever.

“Hey, Az did you see...” Trevor stopped short when he entered the bedroom and just stood gaping at me. “Holy... wow.”

“
You like?” I twirled around.

“
Yeah that's awesome... wait, is that a dragon?” He narrowed his eyes on my pet/baby. “Who are you supposed to be? Don't tell me you're that chick from
Game of Thrones
, the one who breastfeeds dragons.”

“
Okay, my lips are sealed,” I giggled and looked at Azrael, who was already laughing his ass off.

“
You got her a costume encouraging her to make baby
dragons?” Trevor turned his horrified gaze to the angel. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

“
First of all, it's never a good idea to talk about Hell with the Angel of Death,” Azrael gave Trevor a grim look which lasted all of one second. “Secondly, it's a joke. This costume is hardly going to impact Vervain's decision.”

“
Whatever,” Trevor groaned and sighed all at once. “What are you supposed to be?”

“
Hello?” Azrael gestured down his striped outfit, which I'd amazingly enough hadn't even noticed. He was in a black and white striped cotton shirt and pants set. The stripes aligned perfectly, getting larger toward the outside and the center black stripe had a white dot in it. Azrael's hair was slicked down from its usual bad boy disarray and he looked a little geeky.

“
Oh Bazinga!” I exclaimed. “You're Sheldon from
The Big Bang Theory
in
his
Halloween costume, the Doppler Effect.”

“
Oh,” Trevor nodded and then started to chuckle. “A Halloween costume of a Halloween costume. That's so brilliant I'm a little envious.”

“
Thank you,” Azrael beamed. “Are you going to get ready?”

“
My costume is at Moonshine,” Trevor grinned, “and no, I'm not telling. You'll have to wait and see. Come on, let's go.”

“
Wait,” I looked around like my lion might be hiding under the bed. “Where's Kirill?”

“
Oh, he's meeting us there,” Trevor shrugged. “Something about a group costume with Vidar and some of the Intare. He wouldn't say anymore.”

“
Really?” I brightened.

I just might have a good time yet.

Chapter Fifty-Five

Moonshine was all decked out for the holiday. The floor was covered with a layer of fog, jack-o-lanterns glowed from dark corners, and the trees were strung with cobwebs. Bats hung from the ceiling, cheesy Halloween music was playing, and the employees were all dressed up in their own costumes to serve the signature Halloween drinks; Moonshine Madness, the Werewolf Bite, the Hairy Eyeball, Blood of the Vampire, and Witch's Brew.

The waterfall was boiling like it was a cauldron, producing the fog that was snaking across the floor. I took my glass of Witch's brew and headed up the stairs beside it to the VIP lounge so I could get a really good view of everyone. I wasn't really much for crowds so the reserved area was an oasis for me, allowing me to be out and experience the throng without actually being a part of it. Most of the time I spent in Moonshine was spent on the upper floor but roaming through the dark corners on the first floor could be fun too. Trevor and I have had a few adventures after hours and there are several spots I enjoyed thoroughly.

Speaking of Trevor, he'd disappeared to put on his costume and handle some last minute things but Azrael came upstairs with me. Instead of perching myself on a fake hill/couch like I normally did, I leaned against the railing with him to gawk at the colorful crowd. He looked like he was already enjoying himself, his eyes darting over everything gleefully.

It was truly spectacular, the way the gods celebrated holidays. They went all out and Halloween was no exception. They pretty much had the means to be whatever they wanted to be on Halloween and so the costumes were elaborate and beautifully made. It was also fun to see what gods secretly fantasized about being, a little peek into their personalities.

So I was glad all of my god friends had RSVP'ed, I was
curious about what they'd each chosen. My human friends were coming too and I was excited to share this with them. So when I saw Tristan and Jackson make their way through the crowd, I called out and waved at them happily.

They waved back and headed up the stairs toward me, expertly maneuvering the press of people. Tristan ran his hand happily through the misty red haze the waterfall was producing thanks to a few well placed red lights. Then he pranced over to us, tapping bats and stroking cobwebs as he came. Tristan was a very touch-oriented kind of person but even I had trouble keeping my hands to myself when it came to the decorations, they were just really cool.

He actually had a blonde wig on as well. It was long and straight and he flung it over his shoulder before striking a pose with his elven bow. His ears were pointed, his armor was leather, and his cloak had a filigree silver leaf holding it on.

“
Legolas!” I exclaimed. “You're the only character I've ever thought Orlando Bloom looked sexy as.”

“
It's the blonde hair,” he flicked it again. “I tried to get Jax to be Gimli so we could be a matched set but he flat out refused.”

“
I'm hardly a troll,” Jackson sniffed.

“
For the thousandth time,” Tryst glared at Jackson, “Gimli is a dwarf not a troll.”

“
Indeed,” Jax came forward and hugged me, giving me a little wink. He just loved torturing Tristan. “How are you, Miss V? You look good.”

“
Thanks, Jax,” I nodded, “I'm doing a little better.” Then I got a good look at him. “Are you Miss Piggy?”

“
You got it,” Jax touched his pig snout, right on the nose.

He was in a glittering pink gown with pink satin opera
length gloves, a pink feather boa, a curly blonde wig, elaborate make-up, and rhinestone jewelry everywhere. Oh and of course the pink pig's nose and ears. He batted thick lashes at me.

“
If Tristan wouldn't be Kermie,” he whined in a perfect Miss Piggy impersonation, “then I don't see why I should have to be Gimli.”

“
That does seem reasonable,” I laughed. “Hey, where's Krystal? I thought she'd be coming with you guys.”

“
Oh, no,” Tryst grinned. “She's got a date.”

“
A date?” I glanced over at Azrael, thinking maybe he'd come through for her with an angel friend but he shook his head no.

“
There they are,” Jackson pointed downstairs and started laughing.

“
No freaking way,” I gaped. “Is that Rain?”

Rain, or rather Rainieri, was a singer in a horse shifter band that played at Moonshine, called
Dark Horses
. They were all dark haired and all horses, so not so creative a name really. Anyway, he'd started out with long hair but Krystal had spurned his advances citing said hair as the reason. He'd been so discombobulated that he'd of course fallen in sever obsession with her and had actually cut his hair. I didn't think Krystal would really go out with him though and I said so to the boys.

“
She agreed to go out with him if he let her pick the costumes,” Jackson had an evil grin. “You see the results before you. She's a brilliant villainess.”

“
No kidding,” I watched Krystal lead Rain through the crowd and up to us, a huge grin on her face.

She looked adorable in a little pixie outfit; short green
dress, a blonde wig, and perfect little wings. It was obvious that she was Tinkerbell but if I hadn't guessed, Rain would have given it away for me. Because following behind her, with a grin of his own plastered on his face, was Peter Pan himself.

Rain actually had his short hair covered up with a red wig, fluffy bangs in the front, and on top of that was a pointed green hat with a red feather stuck in it. He had on a green jerkin with pale green tights and even though his shirt fell just over his dangly bits, his package was so large, it was evident even beneath the hem. The wide belt over it only seemed to enhance this and damn him, he knew it.

“Happy Halloween, Vervain,” Rain smirked at me and struck the classic Peter Pan pose; hands on hips, hips thrust forward. This of course made his bulge even more prominent. I blushed to the roots of my blonde wig. “Or should I say
Mother of Dragons
?”

“
Daenerys is fine,” I waved aside his comments and focused on giving Krystal a hug. “If you were trying to embarrass him, you did a horrible job.”

“
Yeah, I didn't think about that,” she gave a meaningful glance in the direction of his straining tights. “I must admit, it has me considering the possibility of finding out if those tights are stuffed with something other than himself.”

From the looks Tristan and Jackson were giving Rain, she wasn't the only one wondering if the advertising was false.

“I have a feeling that's all Rain,” I whispered. “Better you than I, I'm part Japanese after all. You can't park a limo where only a Porsche can fit, you know?”

“
Are you saying that all your men...” she glanced over at Az.

“
Are more than adequate,” I giggled, “but not monstrous.
I'm afraid just looking at that makes me want to run away screaming.”

“
Huh,” she shrugged. “It makes me curious. I'm not sure it'll fit but it may be fun to try.”

“
I think I need another drink,” I said just as there was a commotion downstairs.

“
Carus, I think Kirill has arrived,” Azrael chuckled and directed my attention to a group of men dressed in camouflage, chasing the Predator.

“
Where's Kirill?” I searched the men but I only recognized some of my lions who were dressed in camo and then finally Vidar. Vidar was actually wearing a wig styled to look like a crew cut and the lack of hair had really thrown me off. Add to that the camo face paint and he was virtually unrecognizable. I did recognize him though, he was my son after all and he looked good in his black shoulder rig, camouflage tank, and pants. The gun was impressive as well but I still didn't see Kirill.

“
He's the Predator,” Azrael laughed as Kirill blended into the shadows and then proceeded to leap out at both unsuspecting guests and the rest of the soldiers he'd arrived with.

He looked fantastic, like he'd come straight off a movie set. His long hair was plaited up into thick ropes and his face was hidden behind a metal mask. His chest was painted in a scale like pattern and over that he had some kind of shoulder rig with a futuristic gun strapped to it. He had big gauntlets with weapons strapped on them too, a metal cod piece, though I'm not sure cod piece is the right word for it, maybe crotch armor, penis shield, dick guard, I dunno, it was impressive though. He also had some pieces of armor strapped to his thighs. He was well-equipped to say the least.

Kirill shrieked and carried on, the crowd loving every minute until Vidar strode forward and in an Arnold Schwarzenegger accent shouted, “Asta la vista, baby!”

Everyone kind of stopped and stared while Kirill groaned, pulled off his metal mask, and went over to tell Vidar that he was quoting the wrong movie. They were still arguing about it by the time they got to the second floor, though the lions dressed up as soldiers were laughing their asses off and the crowd was applauding while they too laughed.

Kirill's face was a little too normal without the mask so he ended up putting it back on, making his voice sound sort of hollow. “I'm telling you, that's his line in
The Terminator
, we're supposed to be from
Predator.
”

“
But you said Arnold Schwarzenegger,” Vidar insisted. “Everywhere I looked it said that was what I should say. I didn't find any lines from
Predator
.”

“
Cause he doesn't really have any good lines in that movie,” Darius laughed and swung his fake gun around to hang behind him. “Damn, Tima,” he gave me a quick hug. “You look good as a blonde.”

“
Don't talk to me like that,” I said haughtily. “I'm the Mother of Dragons, you know.”

“
Oh forgive me,” he bowed and laughed.

“
Besides,” I waved my hands at my friends, “it looks like blonde is kinda the thing tonight.”

“
Tima,” Kirill growled, somehow sounding even more sexy through the mask. He slipped off his mask for a quick kiss and then replaced it. “Oh, zere's Trevor,” he nodded his head toward the stairs.

Trevor, I guess it was Trevor because Kirill had said so, strutted over to me. Then I saw his mouth and his honey eyes, rimmed in black paint. Yep, that's my boy. He was also Batman, which he announced to everyone as he struck a superhero pose.

“I am Batman! But I'm the Michael Keaton Batman not the Val Kilmer Batman,” he clarified. “Val Kilmer's a wanker.”

We all laughed but then Rain had to excuse himself because
Dark Horses
was actually scheduled to play a couple sets. The rest of the guys were already on stage setting up. I guess Rain didn't have a lot to do being the lead singer. So he took his time making his way through the crowd, stopping occasionally to strike his Peter Pan pose for a fan with a camera. I knew without a doubt that that picture of him was going to be all over the Internet.

It looked like the rest of the band was dressed as Roman soldiers but the costumes had a decidedly used look to them if you know what I mean. I think they'd taken the lazy man's cop out and just thrown on something they had lying around the house.

They laughed and pointed at Rain when he finally arrived on stage but Rain just shrugged, saying something that was probably sassy, as he gestured to where we stood on the second floor. I exchanged a knowing look with Krystal. She was definitely getting the blame down there. She smiled brightly, happy to see her evil plan finally working a little.

Then Samantha and Fallon came up the stairs. She was smiling ecstatically and as soon as she got near, I realized why. She didn't even have to say anything, the look she gave me was confirmation enough and then there was that connection between the baby and I. It had grown stronger and the closer she came to me, the stronger I felt a pull on my energy. This baby needed more than her mother's nourishment to grow but the energy it was pulling from me was quickly replaced and I realized with no small amount of shock that Demeter had an aspect of her magic that had gone unused or maybe unnoticed. The ability to draw energy from the earth.

It had lain in wait, hidden in the land magic, an aspect Demeter had been unable to use as a Goddess but that I, as both fey and human, was entitled to. This was magic that negated the need for sacrifice. I would never have to refuel any of my god magic, never have to worry about my lions suffering the same fate as the Froekn. The very earth beneath my feet would sustain me, sustain us, and the knowledge was an immense relief. I smiled, realizing that the baby had probably been pulling on my energy for awhile but the same magic that had helped create it had found a way to sustain it and that sustenance had been taken so smoothly that I hadn't even noticed. That's what happens when you become complete I guess, everything works better.

This baby was a blessing, not only to Sam and Fallon but to me as well. It had helped not only make me complete but reveal a hidden ability in my new magic that would change the future for the Intare. I wanted to shout out the news of its conception but I held my tongue, knowing that Sam and Fallon would want to make the announcement when everyone was together. So I just gave her a knowing grin and held my tongue.