Into the Void (The Godhunter, Book 10) (20 page)

Everyone stayed for a bit longer but Azrael was right, there was nothing left for us to do. So they eventually headed home, Princess went with her new parents, but one god stayed behind.

“Vervain,” Teharon came up to me. “I need to talk to you.”

“
Okay,” I peered around his shoulders. “Karni went home already?”

“
Yeah, I asked her to wait for me at my place,” he started to walk down the hallway, leading me somewhere. “I needed some time alone with you, to talk to you about Griffin.”

“
Oh,” I sighed. So that's where we were going.

Griffin was a victim of Demeter's cruelty. She'd taken him, along with a bunch of other men and Emma, and done horrible things to them. She'd gotten the idea from Nyavirezi, the Intare's old goddess, they'd been good friends. They especially liked to rape and torture people together. Good times. Now they were dead and I counted myself lucky to have been the one to kill both of them.

The other men and Emma had all recovered well and had headed home or(in Emma's case) to a new home. Griffin hadn't fared so well. He had spiraled downward into a depressed state of paranoia and even attempted suicide. You could barely speak to him without scaring the hell out of him and Teharon had ended up putting him into a recuperative coma for his own good. They'd wanted me to kill him, put him out of his misery as it were, but I couldn't. It's just not in my nature to kill victims or to give up. I firmly believe that where there's life, there's hope. So I'd asked them to give him more time. From the look on Teharon's face, time was up.

“
Is he dead?” I stopped Teharon with a hand on his shoulder.

“
His body still functions but yes, as far as I'm concerned he's no better than those zombies you saw today,” he ushered me along until we came to the room we'd put Griffin in. “His soul is gone but I've kept him in the healing coma so you could say goodbye. I know you had hopes that he'd recover and I'm so sorry, Vervain.”

Griffin was laying peacefully on his bed, covers up on his chest and arms spread over them. His blonde hair was longish, trailing over the pillow in slight waves, and the lines of his face were stark against the brightness. He was a truly beautiful man and although it didn't make a difference as far as saving a life was concerned, it did strike my heart a wounding blow to know that such beauty would be taken from the world.

Who was he? What had his dreams been, his goals for his life? I'd never know Griffin because Demeter had taken him and destroyed him, then left others to clean up after her. I sighed and trailed a hand down his cheek, my eyes closing against the pain of loss and failure. His skin was soft up until the edge of his new beard, no one had thought to shave him. The feel of the beard against my fingers sent a sensory memory through me and for a second, it felt as if I were touching Odin again.

Odin.

My eyes shot open and I looked down at the shell of a man. The thoughts running through my head were despicable but then love can make us do horrible things. No, I couldn't, I wouldn't do that to one of Demeter's victims. It could have easily been Kirill lying there and my heart clenched at the thought.

“
His soul slipped away peacefully,” Teharon interrupted my thoughts. “I believe that dying was a relief to him.”

“
Dying,” I whispered. Griffin had no family, no one to bury and mourn him. His corpse would just rot in the earth without a soul to fill it. Would he really begrudge me his body? Would he deny me the chance at having my lover returned to me? I couldn't see how anyone would. It was kind of like being an organ donor, just on a greater scale, right? I know, the way I was rationalizing it was just sad but when it came down to it, I'd do almost anything to get Odin back and I guess that included grave robbing.

“
He's not in the grave yet,” I whispered to myself.

“
Vervain?”

“
Teharon,” I looked up at him with new determination. “How long do you think you can keep his body like this?”

“
Vervain!” Teharon's face dropped into a shocked expression. “No, it's done. You can't keep holding on. This is practically a corpse. There's no one in there anymore.”

“
I know,” I put a hand to Teharon's shoulder. “This is going to sound crazy but I think I've known all along that I'd need Griffin. I think this is the reason I didn't want to let him go.”

“
What
is the reason?” Teharon's turquoise eyes were still wide.

“
Odin,” I whispered. “I'm trying to bring Odin back from the Void. I've been learning how to get there and I have the spells to bring back his soul. The only thing I didn't have was-”

“
A body to put him in,” Teharon's wide eyes settled on Griffin. “It's never been done before.”

“
But it is possible?”

“
Perhaps,” Teharon frowned. “I have no idea what it would do to Odin.”

“
I went through it.”

“
You were born,” he shook his head. “Your memories were suppressed. You had years to grow and adjust to your new body. To bring a soul straight from the Void and put it into a different body, may break that soul. You may wind up with the same thing you have now,” he waved his hand at Griffin. “You may bring Odin back only to lose him to insanity.”

“
No, Odin's stronger than that,” I said with absolute certainty. I knew my husband, knew what he'd been through and what he could handle. A new body wouldn't break him. He knew how to bend in the strong winds. Odin was a survivor. “Just tell me how long you can keep him like this.”

“
Well,” Teharon sighed and looked at me sympathetically. “Indefinitely. With my magic, the body won't even suffer muscle loss.”

“
Thank you,” I whispered and hugged him. “This is it, the piece I've been missing. I can proceed now without worrying about the end.”

“
The end?” Teharon pulled back. “This may be the beginning of a whole new batch of problems.”

“
I don't care,” I tempted fate by vowing. “I'll take the problems, as long as I have Odin too.”

Torrent didn't return from the Inter Realm till after I'd already gone to bed. So I didn't see him till the next morning at the breakfast table. He walked in as I was frowning at my tea.

“What's wrong?” He put his plate of food down in front of the seat next to mine and began to eat.

“
My life is one big hairy mess,” I continued to frown at the teacup.

“
Maybe at the moment,” he stopped eating for a second to pat me on the shoulder. This expressed great sincerity, since Torrent had assumed the dining habits of the Intare and never stopped shoveling food into his face, except in cases of great emergency. “But don't worry, we'll figure this out.”

“
What?” I looked up at him and blinked. “Oh! No, I meant literally.” I held my cup up for his inspection. There, on the rim, was a fine hair. “Between me, my men, and all the animals around here, everything gets covered in hair. I can't take a sip without spitting and these fur hairs are the worst. They're so thin you can barely see them until they're in your mouth, or even worse, your eye. Oh fur in the eye is awful, you look and look in the mirror but those fur hairs are impossible to see. It's a disaster.”

“
Clearly,” Torrent laughed. “But what can you do?” He was eating again.

“
Shave everyone?” I offered.

He choked and looked back at me with horrified eyes. “That was a joke, right?”

“Yes, that was a joke,” I giggled. “Like I could ever shave Nick.”

“
Oh but shaving Kirill would be fine?” He scoffed, “Or yourself?”

“
Oh no, I didn't mean me,” I said loftily. “I have a horrid dent in my skull, I could never rock the Sinead O'Connor look. Hey, you still haven't told me what happened in the Inter Realm.”

“
Nothing,” he sighed and pushed his empty plate away. Yes, he also picked up the Intare's speed of eating. “Whoever sent that email was damn good. I followed it all across the world, it took me hours. Back and forth until finally, I found the computer of origin inside a public library in Wisconsin.”

“
Shut up,” I laughed. “Wisconsin?”

“
Obviously not where their headquarters are,” he rubbed a hand over his face, a gesture I think he picked up from Trevor. He did it just like my wolf, full handed and slow, like he was trying to block out the world and erase whatever terrible stuff was going on. It made me think about how impressionable Torrent was. Iktomi really taught him nothing but cruelty and Torr had rejected that entirely. So now he was a blank page looking for poetry. Trevor wasn't a bad place for him to start, at least in my opinion.

“
Thank you for trying so hard,” I said softly and he looked at me in surprise. “Torr, I know this is going to sound a little patronizing but I'm going to say it anyway. I'm so proud of you, of who you're becoming. You're a good man and considering where you started, I think that shows remarkable strength.”

“
Vervain,” his face went soft as his eyes focused on mine. “Thank you, I don't feel patronized by that at all. I like who I'm becoming and I'm glad you like him too.”

“
Torr!” I leaned forward and grabbed his face. “Holy cannolis!”

“
What?” His eyes went wide and panicked.

“
Your eyes,” I looked over the previously glass-clear green irises. “There are striations in them, they look almost...”

“
Human?” He whispered with such longing that it brought tears to my own eyes.

“
Oh, Torr,” I hugged him. “You're so much more than human. I wouldn't want you any other way.”

“
I love you, Vervain,” he said when I pulled away. “You're my best friend, you know that?”

“
I love you too,” I ran a hand down his cheek. “I wonder what this means?”

“
That you're a sucker for green eyes?” Trevor walked in with his breakfast. “What's all this now? Please don't tell me you're going to ask me to add him to your list of lovers.”

“
Trevor,” I groaned. “Shut up. Torrent's eyes are changing, they've taken on more organic aspects.”

“
Look,” Torrent turned his face so quickly, his platinum blonde locks went flying into his eyes. He brushed them away absently. “There, now look, what do you think?”

“
I think the mind is a very powerful tool,” Trevor mused as he sat down on my other side.

“
What's that supposed to mean?” Torr frowned.

“
I think he means that being around people you care about has made you want to become more like them,” I tried to explain while Trevor started to eat. Trevor had actually become a more sedate eater after watching the lions consume their food. “You're magic, Torr and so your brain is probably more powerful than others. It asserted its will on your body and you changed.”

“
Do you think so?” He grinned. “How wonderful,” he touched the skin beside his left eye. “I would like to look a bit more normal.”

“
But not too normal,” I nudged him with my shoulder. “I mean, look at the company you keep,” I waved a hand toward Trevor. “Normal is not the norm around here.”

“
Thank you very much,” Trevor gave me a smug grin while puffing out his already impressive chest.

“
Honey-Eyes,” I laughed, “watch it or you'll stretch out your T-shirt.” I knew it was one of his favorites, black with white writing that read:
Howl if you love werewolves
.

“
Vervain?” Azrael came in followed by his dad and a woman I'd never seen before.

“
Hey, Babe. Hey, Babe's Dad and Babe's Dad's friend,” I grinned “You guys want some breakfast? Aidan cooked today and, amazingly enough, he's a very good cook.”

“
Um, sure,” Azrael glanced at his companions. “First, this is my mother, Holly. Mom, this is my girlfriend Vervain, and this is Trevor and Torrent.”

“
Oh, nice to meet you,” I gave her a closer inspection.

She was very pale, almost translucent. You could even see a light tracery of veins at certain places beneath her skin. Her hair was white and very long, going past her hips, straight and so fine that wisps of it lifted in the air around her. Her eyes were very light blue, even lighter than Azrael's were when they weren't sparkling, and there was a softness about them that made her look more angelic than any angel I'd met. She was practically colorless, except for a light blush in her cheeks, and she was wearing a long, white silk dress which only emphasized her pallor.

“Nice to meet all of you too,” even her voice was breathy, like an EVP of Marilyn Monroe.

“
Please, “ I stood and held out a chair for her, concerned that she might faint. No wonder men had gone to war over her, she made you feel protective. “Have a seat, I'll go make some plates for all of you.”

When I came back from the kitchen, they were all speaking animatedly, even Holly, who looked healthier when she was in conversation. I smiled at her and put a plate of food in front of her before giving one to Luke and one to Azrael. Then I returned to my seat between Torrent and Trevor.

“They've been telling us,” Trevor started, “that Jerry isn't behind the sonar attacks.”

“
Really?” I couldn't hide my surprise.

“
I snuck into Araboth,” Luke nodded, “and told Holly what's been happening.”

“
I saw no reason in beating about the burning bush,” she grinned at me and I instantly liked her. Anyone who could make fun of their own religion was okay in my book. “I went straight to Jerry and asked him about it. No one can get a lie past me after all.”

“
They can't?” I was intrigued. “Is it your super power?”

“
My...? Yes, I guess so,” she laughed and suddenly I saw the beauty that had attracted both men. She was irresistible in that moment, seeming to coalesce into a shining thing. What a pair her and Luke would make, with her shining and his wings out in full, sparkling glory. It'd be like staring into the sun. “It's my super power. I can see straight into the hearts of men... and gods.”

“
So what did he say?” Torrent prompted.

“
He was shocked actually,” Holly shrugged. “I wasn't entirely surprised. This isn't like Jerry, he's just too apathetic to come up with it.”

“
So it was purely Gabriel?” I needed to know more before we could call the others in.

“
That's the problem,” she glanced at Luke. “Jerry didn't know and he didn't care. We fought horribly about it. Frankly, there's nothing worse than an apathetic god... or lover. So I left him.”

“
Finally,” Luke laughed, “it took you long enough.”

“
Are you really going to bring this up in front of Azrael's friends?”

“
They're my friends too,” Luke made a face at her. “I'm helping Vervain learn how to navigate the Void.”

“
And that makes it okay to air our private issues in front of her?” She lifted a white brow at him.

“
Oh damn,” I laughed. “She's good, now I know where Azrael gets it.”

“
I'm witty,” Luke whined.

“
You're comedic, sweetheart,” Holly patted his hand. “There's a difference.”

“
Oh, she's wonderful,” I beamed at Azrael. “Can I keep her?”

“
No,
I've
finally got her,” Luke put an arm around her. “And no one's taking her from me ever again.”

“
Oh shit,” I realized something. “The last time I was involved with a woman leaving home to move to Hell, it went very badly.”

“
Da,” Kirill walked in with a cup of coffee. “You are trouble magnet.”

“
This is Kirill,” I waved a hand to him as he came over and gave me a kiss before sitting down. “My Ganza.”

“
Is that code for something?” Holly looked at Azrael and then back to me.

“
No, actually it's not but I told you, Mom,” Az sighed. “Vervain's magic requires her to have multiple lovers. Both Trevor and Kirill are involved with her.”

“
It's a lion thing,” I felt my cheeks heat. Normally it didn't embarrass me but telling a boyfriend's mother that her son wasn't my only lover felt a bit awkward. “It took me awhile to get used to.”

“
Well, as long as everyone's happy,” she nodded. “And I believe Azrael is, so that's all that matters.”

“
Oh thank you, baby Jesus!” I declared in relief and the room went silent. “Oh, sorry. Not the best choice of words.”

“
No it's fine,” Holly laughed. “Jesus tells me he likes you too. It seems you've made a good impression on my whole family. Though I must admit, it's been a long time since Jesus was a baby.”

“
It's a human saying,” I cleared my throat. “So anyway, you weren't able to find out who else is involved?”

“
I skulked around a bit but wasn't able to find anything,” Luke huffed. “I'll go back and try again though, maybe I'll astral project this time. It could prove easier.”

“
Speaking of which,” I leaned forward. “Do you think I may be ready to start training?”

“
Absolutely,” Luke nodded, “it's the other reason we came. Do you have someplace quiet and secure we can put you in?”

“
My bedroom?” I offered. “It's safe and quiet as long as no one else is in it.”

“
That'll work,” Luke nodded. “We can start after breakfast.”

“
Wonderful,” I gave Trevor a look. “Maybe you guys could show Holly around the palace while Luke and I do that?”

“
Oh, yes please,” Holly smiled and everyone kind of sighed, even me. “I'd love to see what you've created. Luke told me all about it.”

“
Guard her around the Intare,” I whispered to Trevor.

“
No kidding,” he chuckled.