Of Gods and Wolves (35 page)

I knew then why I was called the heart of the Intare.

I pulled back my awareness before it started traveling down those threads between us, and took a deep breath. The ramifications of it all were a little too much for me to process. I needed a distraction.

“
Alright gentlemen, time for a tour. Show me the place.”

The men led me around the palace, that’s pretty much what it was, and I tried my best to remember my way. Aidan stayed at my side the entire time, occasionally inserting some comment about the building or décor, but mostly staring at me in an obsessive stalker kind of way. Darius and Fallon kept inserting themselves between us but Aidan kept finding a way back. He was an Intare boomerang.

Finally, we made it through the many, and I mean many, bedrooms which were located on both the ground level and the underground basement level. The palace had two stories but instead of going up, they'd built down. There were two sets of stairs, one grand stairway in front of the library and a narrow spiral set of stairs inside the kitchen that led down into the huge larder and connecting wine cellar.

On the top floor, ground level, was the massive dining hall with huge, curving windows overlooking the grasslands in front of the palace. Next to it was an industrial size kitchen with a huge fireplace, very impressive and I could foresee many late nights spent baking in it. Directly across from the dining room was the armory.

The armory was filled with every weapon a girl could want, and even some for the boys. The firepower was massive but they adorned the walls like forgotten relics. The lions were like me, they preferred the sharp stuff. There were all sorts of swords, a few were even Japanese like my kodachi. I thanked my lucky stars that Trevor had found it after the battle. I love that sword and working the spell to empower it against gods had taken me over a month. Learning to master it had taken years. Suffice it to say it had sentimental value.

There were also throwing knives and stars, wrist blades, boot knives, chest straps which held blades all the way down, switchblades, hunting knives, butterfly knives, scimitars, gurkha kukris, and even maces. I just stood awhile and sighed, basking in the shiny glory of it all. I think I might’ve said something like, “Oooooohh… pretty,” but I’m not sure, it's all a shiny metallic haze in my mind.

Down the corridor from there was the ballroom. Can you believe the armory was near the ballroom? Darius said it was tactical. I don't know what kind of dancing they'd been doing but it was going to stop.

The ballroom was beautiful though. It was twice the size of the dining room and had mirrors running down one wall which seemed to double the space. The room itself jutted out from the main building and had its own separate veranda with two sets of French doors leading out to it. It was a half-moon shaped veranda as opposed to the rectangular at the front of the palace.

Speaking of the front of the palace, the safari-esque front veranda led to a double door entry, which led into the grand foyer. Basically a large empty space in which to greet guest and show them some of your expensive stuff right away. It didn't make any sense to me since most of the guest would be coming in through the tracing point which was at the back left corner on the ground floor.... the opposite side of the house. So no one was really going to see the stuffed giraffe... and who the hell stuffs a giraffe anyway? Okay, I thought it was kinda cool.

To the right of the foyer, if you were facing the front doors, was the kitchen but to the left was the library, a place I instantly fell in love with. It wasn't quite as big as Thor’s but came in a close second. The first thing I noticed was the enormous curved windows looking out to the grasslands, mirroring the dining room at the opposite front corner of the house. The view was fantastic and the light would be great for reading.

Next, I discovered the large collection of occult and spell books that I’d never seen before and I was looking forward to months of reading. There was mahogany furniture  everywhere, tables, chairs, and display cases but it must not have been enough because there was an attached sitting room to entertain in. Hmph, very hoity toity. I loved it.

The common room was just around the corner from the library but right in front of the library was the large wood staircase that went to the lower level. Down there was the larder, a huge chilly room where racks of food filled the floor. Inside it was the wine cellar with its very impressive collection of properly stored wine.

Right next to the larder was the fitness room. What the architect was trying to say by placing the fitness room next to the larder was not appreciated by me. I don't like to work out. I do it because I have to, not because I enjoy it in any way. So the rows of shiny equipment merely made me groan.

The music room, right next door, would have been phenomenal if I had any musical talent, which I don't. So it was merely impressive with its baby grand piano sitting beside towers of stereo equipment, a drum set, and numerous guitars. 

What I did find amazing was the humungous theater at the back right corner. You had to pass the laundry room to get to it but the surround sound system in it was cinema quality and would have no problem drowning out the sound of dryers. It had a vintage style with red velvet curtains covering the walls and lots of gold fretwork. There was enough seating for all of the Intare and anyone we might want to invite, in overstuffed red velvet recliners. There was even balcony seating. For a movie buff like me, it was paradise.

The tour ended back on the ground level where they showed me to the master suite which was now mine. It was in the center of the palace, the best place to defend me I was told. It was beautiful and spacious, done in the same Ralph Lauren safari theme as most of the palace was decorated in. It had a luxurious bathroom and a four poster bed made of bamboo but the most amazing part of it was my private inner courtyard.

The wall directly across from the bedroom door was one large window broken up only by a set of French doors which opened onto a tranquil inner garden as large as the bedroom and the private bath combined. It was home to some of the most exotic looking blooms I’d ever seen… and I’ve seen exotic, being raised in Hawaii and all. It was a little shocking to see the tropical flowers in the midst of the safari style palace but it somehow made the courtyard all the more precious. I wasn't much into African themed décor so I knew the courtyard would be a sanctuary of sorts for me, a place where I could find peace.

It was as if it had been built for me. The foliage was thick but in an English garden sort of way not jungle. It was harnessed chaos, with riotous color and scents. Swarms of butterflies lived flew everywhere and I was told they hung from the trees in massive colonies at night, looking like monstrous, multicolored wisteria. I was enthralled.

I sat down on a stone bench beside a little pond sparkling with bright fishes, and stared about me contentedly. Around me, the lions dropped to the ground, content as well to bask in the afternoon sun shining down through the screen covered opening above us. The air was sweet with the scent of all the flowers and thick with the lazy flapping of butterfly wings. It was spectacular..

“Tima,” Darius sat on the ground beside me. “We had planned a picnic outdoors but if you prefer, we can move it in here.”

“
A picnic?” I was thrilled. I'd expected the day to be about responsibilities, work without fun. But it seemed that the lions had the potential to live like Froekn, filling every day with as much joy as possible, and I wanted to encourage that. “No, let’s stick with your plan. I’d like to see outside as well.”

We wandered out the front doors, down the veranda steps, past a swimming pool complete with massive waterfalls flowing into it (one of them a disguised slide… whoopee!) and a grilling area.

A few of the men were already cooking steaks. They nodded to me as we strolled by and I waved gaily. The smell of the meat made my stomach rumble and one of the cooks laughed and gestured to the growing piles of meat on platters by his side.

“
I’ll bring you the choicest piece, Tima,” he called.

“
Thank you,” I scented the air instinctively and his scent separated from the rest, sparking in my mind and forming a name, “Ryan.”

The chef smiled wider and went over to start fixing me a plate. Darius guided me to a tree shaded spot covered with large blankets and sat me in the middle of the Intare. They settled around me, some of them heading off to help with the cooking or food distribution but most lounging contentedly.

“Thank you,” Darius was looking at the others as he spoke to me but he turned back to look me in the eyes. “Thank you for giving us our lives back.”

“
I would kill a hundred of her to keep the Intare safe,” I swore softly.

“
I know, Tima,” a tear slid down his cheek and he quickly swiped it away. “We are finally free. We’re finally a pride, thanks to you.”

“
Not just me,” I looked out over the grassy landscape, spotted with flat topped trees, then back at his open face. “You got them to rally behind me, you and Fallon,” I looked over at the regal man on my left, “the Intare made a choice to free themselves. I was merely a tool.”

“
No, not a tool,” Fallon took my hand, “a weapon. You were the blade which, once flung into the unknown, unerringly finds the target. We backed you, propelled you, but never wielded you.”

“
So,” I squeezed his hand quickly, “we were a pride from the beginning.”

“
Yes,” they both spoke at once.

“
We may have taken the role of females in a pride,” Fallon said with a thoughtful frown. “But the that role is not completely without choice. In the wild, the males will fight for ownership of the pride but the females will drive off any male they deem unworthy before he can even get close enough to challenge their lion.”

“
We may have spoken to the others,” Darius continued for Fallon, “brought them to you, but it was you who won them over. They looked on you and saw a true champion. Someone they could allow to challenge their lioness. The Intare chose you.”

“
I'll try my best to honor that choice.”

I stared back at the open grasslands. The delicate trees gave shade but little cover for the herds of animals that roamed the plains. It was a hunter’s paradise, lots of game and no place to hide. I was shocked to feel a twinge of excitement at the thought of changing into a lioness and chasing my prey. I could almost feel the grass being crushed beneath my paws, the scent of prey on the wind, and my heart racing with the rhythm of the hunt. I had to focus to tear my thoughts away.  

The scenery was beautiful but barren compared to Hawaii. I’d grown up with tropical lushness and part of me cringed away from the stark landscape. Another part of me exalted in the change though and it was only a place I’d visit anyway. I wasn’t moving in or anything. It would be just fine. Fine? What was I talking about? I'd just inherited a palace in the middle of a Safari paradise. That’s a little beyond fine.

“
Does our land end at the mountains?” I pondered the way we seemed to be surrounded by the tall peaks.

“
In a way, yes,” Fallon turned slightly and took the plate from Ryan, who’d come up behind me. He placed it before me before taking his own.

“
Thanks,” I smiled up at Ryan and he winked at me before heading back to the cooking.

“
And in a way no?” I steered the conversation back.

“
Our territory ends at the mountains,” Darius took the helm. “Beyond, there are other god territories but we can’t pass into them without permission.”

“
Of course, all the god lands are connected.” Sometimes it was hard for me to remember that the God Realm lay over ours with the Aether sandwiched in between and holding them together like mystical glue.

“
Yes,” Fallon nodded. “It’s very similar to Earth but it functions on a magical level. You know this already though, you're a witch.”

“
That's how I know about the Aether,” I started to cut up the beautiful piece of steak before me. “I didn't know about the God Realm until I killed Ku.”

“
I’ve heard stories of you,” Aidan plopped down with his plate. “You were one of the recent things Nyavirezi used to scare us with. ‘Don’t try to leave the palace without me or the Godhunter will get you’, she’d say.”

“
Shut up,” I laughed around the huge piece of steak in my mouth.

“
It’s true,” Darius smiled grimly. “Instead of frightening me, it made me want to meet you.”

“
I have to admit,” Fallon’s mouth twisted into his secret smile, “I was intrigued as well.”

“
Oh, I see how it is,” I looked around, surprised to notice that the Pride had all found spots close to us. Avid eyes watched and I’m sure their ears were tuned in as well. “You needed a goddess dead, so who better than the Godhunter, right? Was this a set up?” I teased.

“
Hardly,” Darius scoffed. “I just quickly realized that keeping you alive might benefit us more than killing you, that day in Arizona.”

“
Well here’s…,” I looked around suddenly. “Does anyone have something to drink? I’m parched, this is some dry country.”

Fabio walked up and handed me a glass of ice water. Okay, so it wasn’t Fabio but damn the boy looked like him. Well, better than him actually, younger and a bit softer around the mouth. He smiled at my staring and flipped his thick mane of blonde hair over his shoulder. Yep, I was definitely calling him Fabio… in my head. His name was actually... sniff, sniff, sniff, Aaron.