The Undoing (19 page)

“Of course not.”

“Then fix it, Crow! Gullveig is your problem, not ours!”

Chloe made a move as if she was about to go after Theresa again, but Erin yanked their leader back by her shoulder, if for no other reason than because Chloe should really stop making moves on Sister Theresa. Sadly, this was not the first time the nun had thrown the Crow leader through a door. These Christian warriors were well trained and insanely powerful. Some took the vows to be nuns. Some didn't. But they all fought the same fight for the future of the human race in the name of their higher power.

And the Crows wouldn't have been any kinder if the roles were reversed. Nothing pissed off the Clan leaders more than when the Christians couldn't keep their demons or archangels in check.

Chloe took a deep breath, trying to rein in her temper. “We have an All-Clan meeting on Monday. We'll discuss this further then. Happy?”

“Ecstatic. Bitch.”

Chloe went for her again, but Erin caught her around the waist and dragged her to the front door and out into the hallway, leaving Jace and Kera alone with warrior nuns, warrior laywomen, and the Four Horsemen.

Kera began, “Uh—”

Jace slapped her hand over her friend's mouth and led her to the door.

“We'll handle it,” Jace promised, pushing Kera out into the hallway. She nodded, first at the Horsemen. “Gentlemen.” Then at the sisters and laywomen. “Sisters. Ladies.”

With nothing else to say, Jace closed the door and let out a relieved breath.

“Those women are
nuns
? Are we sure?” Kera asked.

“Some of them are. Some are laywomen who were orphaned street kids the nuns take in and train to be the Chosen Warriors of God. If they have the calling for that role.”

“Those nuns seem stronger than I remember from when I was a kid.”

“Really?” Jace asked. “I haven't met a nun yet who hasn't had strength. She'd have to, don't you think? Just to take her vows. To commit to this life. I mean . . . could you?”

They stared at each other a moment, then moved off down the hall without bothering to reply.

As they walked, they passed three tall, exquisite men.

Jace greeted them by name as she always had since the day her grandmother had introduced her to them. They'd been having tea in her grandmother's kitchen “Michael. Raphael. Khamael.”

“Hey, Jace.”

“Hey, sweetie.”

“Jacie-girl! How you doin'?”

Kera stopped and focused on the three men walking into the office they'd just left.

“Jace, was that . . . are those . . .”

“Do you really want to know, Kera? Do you really think you can handle knowing exactly who those men are?”

Kera shook her head. “No. I really don't think I can.”

Jace put her arm around Kera's shoulders and led her to the front door of the convent. “Come on. Let's get you some ice cream.”

“I thought we were going to get the dogs groomed.”

But that would mean going back to the house to get the dogs . . . where they were still setting up for Kera's party.

“That can wait,” Jace said casually. “Especially when you look like you need the ice cream more than Brodie needs a bath.”

“Ice cream. Liquor. Whichever.”

 

“So what do you think, brother?” Gundo asked after Tyr had given them details of the All-Clan meeting before wandering off.

“That we should allow for traffic when we decide what time to leave for the Crows' party tonight.”

Gundo shook his head. “Not that, you eager idiot.”

Ski grinned. He was a bit eager. He couldn't wait to see Jace. He was a bit sorry he'd told her it was Saturday. It would have been nice to have her hanging out in their library again.

“I'm talking about Gullveig.”

“Oh,” Ski replied. “Well . . . if Tyr says she's here, she's here. The Crows failed to stop her. It's not good, but it happens.”

“Still, Chloe won't like being questioned about this.”

“No. But I wouldn't worry too much. Compared to leaders of some of the other Clans, Chloe Wong is calm and rational.”

 

“You didn't even try to help!” Chloe accused Kera from the front seat of the SUV that Erin was driving back to Malibu.

“They were
nuns
!” Kera yelled. “I was raised Catholic!”

Chloe turned in her seat so she could look at Kera behind her. “That was your First Life! In this life, they're your enemy!”

“They didn't do anything wrong! You started it!”

Chloe gasped. “I did not!”

“Suggesting Thor swung the hammer that drove the nails into the cross was a
great
way to calm down the situation.”

“I was joking!”

“
Not funny!
”

“It was kinda funny,” Erin muttered.

“Shut up!” Kera snapped.

Jace's phone vibrated in her back pocket and she quickly checked it, assuming it was about the party.

 

See you tonight
.

It took Jace a moment to realize the text was from Ski. For two panicked seconds, she thought it might be from Haddock, and she hated him more for once again tainting her Second Life.

She quickly shook the anger off, though. She wasn't going to let him do this to her. Not again.

She replied:

 

She almost put her phone away, but it vibrated again.

 

Rolling her eyes and smiling at the same time, she texted back two words.

 

Again focusing on the argument happening right next to her, she heard Kera bark, “You really are a piece of work, you know that?”

Chloe unbuckled her seat belt so she could fully turn around in her seat, rising up on her knees, and pointing a finger at Kera. “Look, I don't care what religion you came from, little girl. Now you're one of us! And that means when a nun throws a right cross, you
back me the fuck up!
”

“It was a left jab, and
you deserved it!
”

“Your nose is broken, by the way,” Erin pointed out to Chloe.

Growling, Chloe grabbed her nose between both hands and jerked one way, then the other until she'd sort of forced the pieces back into place.

“And let me explain something to you,” Kera went on, ignoring the cracking sound that went along with Chloe fixing her nose. “When I was growing up with my crazy mother, it was the nuns who helped me. It was Sister Mary Angelic who noticed the occasional bruises. It was Mother Mary Francis who told my mother if she did it again, the wrath of God would fall upon her, because the only thing my mother feared was the wrath of God since she never took the social worker assigned to our case ever a little bit seriously. And it was Sister Mary Typewriter who suggested I join the military after high school graduation to get away from my mother rather than getting pregnant by my boyfriend at the time.”

Erin glanced back. “Sister Mary Typewriter?”

“She was the senior class typewriting teacher, and that's what we all called her. I don't remember her real name.”

“Look—” Chloe began, but Kera cut her off.

“So if you think I'm just going to start attacking nuns on your say-so when you
started it,
our Second Life together is going to be
very
strained.”

Chloe reached for Kera, and Jace quickly leaned in between them, just as the SUV suddenly stopped and Chloe flew back, her body landing in the foot well, the back of her head slamming into the glove box.

Erin glanced over. “Sorry, Clo.”

“Bitch.”

“I had to stop. There's a car.”

No, there wasn't.

Jace leaned forward and patted the leather seat. “Sit, Chloe. And put on your seat belt.”

“But—”

“It's unsafe! Seat belt!”

Growling, their leader did as Jace ordered.

“Don't worry, Chloe,” Erin said as she started up the SUV again. “I'll always have your back with the nuns.”

Kera slapped her hands against her thighs. “Because they clearly hated you, Amsel!”

Erin's laugh was happy and boisterous. “They do! Even before I became a Crow. In high school. Junior high. Kindergarten. They hated me! I still don't know why.”

“Why were you going to Catholic schools?” Chloe asked. “I thought your mom raised you Jewish.”

“She did. But she had a way of pissing off our rabbis. So we always ended up with the nuns and priests since my dad was Catholic.”

“In other words,” Kera remarked, “your ability to piss people off is in the blood.”

Erin nodded, grinning. “It really is.”

Jace sighed. “Am I the only one who's concerned that we seem to have failed to stop Gullveig from entering this world and that she's probably here to start Ragnarok?”

“Of course you're not the only one concerned,” Chloe said, finally sounding a little more reasonable. “We're just in denial about it, but we'll deal with it.”

“But don't you worry, Kera,” Erin added, giving her a thumbs-up. “This will not ruin your party tonight!”

Slowly, Kera's gaze moved over to Jace.
Help me,
she mouthed.

But there was no help for poor Kera. She'd have to suffer through the upcoming indignation just like the rest of them had done . . .

T
here was chanting.

So. Much. Chanting.

Plus, there were a few chickens in cages, and a goat.

Dear God, where had Erin found the goat?

Jace glanced over at poor Kera. She was still on her knees in front of the big Fates statue. It had been made in the twenties when the first Crows had moved into this territory.

The bronze statue had been quite a source of pride, as well as the location of the occasional sacrifice back in the day. But the Crows, like many Californians, became less comfortable with using animals for anything other than pets. In fact, these days there was an entire Strike Team out of Portland that was openly vegan.

Right now, however, the statue was being used for no other purpose than to torture poor Kera.

That would be her name for a while now. Poor Kera. Because Erin was really making the kid's life a living hell.

Especially when the chanting—something Erin had taped days ago using the Crows'
worst
singers, and then made into a continuous loop so that it played over and over again, ad nauseum—was completely nonsensical! And had been going on for an hour!

Thankfully, one of the sister-Crows peeked around the pillars and motioned to Alessandra, letting her know everything was set and the party was in full swing.

Letting out a relieved sigh—because to be honest, Poor Kera wasn't the only one suffering through this—Alessandra motioned to Erin, letting her know it was time to wrap this shit up.

Some were hungry, most needed a drink, and all were more than ready to party with the others.

Erin nodded and reached down, pulling Kera to her feet. Very necessary, since she'd been on her knees so damn long, she probably couldn't stand on her own.

“Come, sister. We're at the final step.”

“Thank God,” Kera complained. She hadn't hidden her annoyance at this for one second. Everything seemed to be pissing her off. She sighed constantly. Rolled her eyes. And there was definitely some growling. It was clear she just wanted this to be over with.

Of course, so did the rest of them.

Dressed in white robes that Erin had borrowed from the set of a sword and sorcery TV show that one of the sister-Crows worked on as a costume designer, they walked up the long flight of back stairs that led them into a room where Erin had fixed up a table filled with the boring, cheap food she'd insisted on buying, including some cans of Bud Light beer, more cans of Cheez Wiz than seemed necessary, and a sheet cake from the local grocery store with “Welcome Insert Name Here” written on it in pink frosting.

Disgusted, Kera faced Erin. “Are you kidding?”

“Wait, wait! Don't get too excited.”

“Excited?”

“One more step before we can begin the festivities.”

“Kill me now.”

“Again? You were already killed once.”

“Can we just finish this, please? So I can watch some TV or set myself on fire.”

“But this will be fun!”

“What is it?”

“We strip and dance naked in the moonlight. Covered in goat's blood, of course.”

“Don't touch that goat, and there is no moon tonight.”

“Pretend there is.”

Kera sighed and shook her head. “I'm done,” she said, pulling the robe over her head and tossing it at Erin. She wore shorts and a black tank top under the robe, even though Erin had told her she had to be naked. “I am
so
done.”

“But—”

“No. I'm not dancing naked. There will be no blood. I'm not kneeling anymore. I'm not singing any more goddamn Zeppelin songs. I'm not getting hit any more with sticks.”

“That was Odin's staff.”

“Shut up!”

Erin grabbed Kera's arm. “Calm down.”

“Let go of me.”

“Would you stop?”

“
Let
go of me.”

“Let's just go outside and—”

“You want to go outside?” Kera asked, finally snapping. She turned and grabbed hold of Erin by the throat. “Be my guest, sister-Crow!”

Using Erin like a shotput, Kera threw the smaller woman at the back door, the force taking the whole thing down.

Kera cracked her knuckles and followed. She reached down and again grabbed Erin by the throat, lifting her up until Erin's feet didn't even touch the ground. Jace raced outside and grabbed her friends, desperately trying to separate them.

“Kera, let her go!”

“Just let me snap her neck, Jace. Or choke the life out of her.
Just let me choke the life out of her!
”

Realizing Kera was too angry to see anything but the one irritant in front of her—namely Erin—Jace grabbed Kera by the hair and snatched her back and around until she was forced to drop Erin.

“Ow, Jace! Get off me!”

Jace swung Kera around again, forcing her not to look, but to
see.

Three hundred Crows from around the States, Europe, and Africa gazed at the “new girl.”

Kera froze, mouth open.

Chloe—who'd told Kera she wasn't coming to the ritual “out of principle, nun-lover”—stood in front of the crowd of women who were all dressed in black, their wings out and proud.

Chloe grinned at Kera, her arms crossed over her chest. “Ni-iiiiice,” she purred, staring at Erin.

Gasping and coughing, Erin got to her feet. “Welcome to the Crows,” she finally wheezed out.

“I don't . . . what . . . I can't . . . what's happening?”

“This is your party,” Jace explained. “Your
real
party.”

“Surprise!” Yardley called out, but when Kera's dark eyes locked on her, she stepped back into the crowd of wings and designer black clothes, attempting to hide.

Kera rounded on Erin. “This whole thing was a prank?”

Erin's chuckle was shockingly oblivious. Even for her. “Pretty good, right?” she asked, her grin revealing how proud of herself she was. “Like I'd ever give you a shitty party.”

“Why would you . . . what purpose . . . why can't you . . .”

Erin shrugged. “Is it my fault you're so fucking gullible?”

Kera's head dipped down—Alessandra called it “Kera's angry bull look”—and Jace tried to grab her, but Kera caught hold of Erin first, lifting the redhead off her feet, unleashed her wings, and took off, flying higher and higher until they could barely see either of them.

Jace went to follow, but Annalisa put her arm around her shoulders and held her in place.

“Let Kera handle this.”

“But—”

“No. It's something she needs to do.”

“I don't know why you're getting so mad!” Erin argued from far up in the night sky. “I was just kidding! Don't you know how to take a joke?”

“This has been a long time coming,” Annalisa added.

“You're being unreasonable! I don't know why you're acting like—hey! Hey, hey! Wait! Shittttttttttt!”

They heard a splash that suggested Erin had gone headfirst into their Olympic-size pool, meaning Kera had used her new gods-given strength to throw Erin down rather than merely dropping her and letting her wings save her.

A few seconds later, Kera landed, brushing off her hands. “Now . . . where were we?”

“See?” Annalisa said to Jace. “They just needed to work their shit out.”

Chloe motioned to Rachel.

“Music!” Rachel called out and the DJ rolled some tech because Erin had found out that was Kera's favorite dance music.

“Feel better?” Jace asked Kera.

Her smile was small, but there. “A little.”

“Well, then.” Jace hugged her. “Welcome to the family, Kera.”

 

Ski stood beside his brothers in front of the Bird House, their heads tilting so far over they were nearly upside down as they gazed up at the seven-foot man staring down at a clipboard.

“Your names aga—” His eyes widened at the sight of the Protectors. “What's going on with your necks? What are they doing with their necks?” he suddenly called out.

One of the Crows quickly stepped up, smiling at Ski. “Don't worry. That's normal for them.”

“Freaks,” the man muttered, again looking at his clipboard.

“Alessandra said to be nice to our guests. So be nice.” The Crow gestured to Ski and his brothers. “Untwist your necks, guys. You're freaking the freaks out.”

“I'm not a freak. I'm a grizzly.”

The Crow giggled. “I like how you say that as if it's supposed to be normal or something.” She gestured at the door. “Why don't you guys go in? The party's already at full swing.”

But before Ski and his brothers could step inside, the Ravens appeared beside them.

In fact, it seemed as if
all
the Ravens were there.

“Name?” the large man asked.

“Ludvig Rundstöm.”

The grizzly gestured with a jerk of his head. “Go.”

Rundstöm stepped between the grizzly and the Crows and went inside. The rest of the Ravens attempted to follow but the man threw up his big hand. “Name?”

“Stieg Engstrom.”

The grizzly quickly flipped through the many pages of names, then said, “Nope.”

“What do you mean ‘nope'?”

“I don't know how much clearer ‘nope' can be.”

“What about Rolf Landvik?”

“Nope.”

“Wait,” Siggy Kaspersen cut in. “Are you saying the rest of us Ravens weren't invited to the party?”

Ski watched Gundo physically recoil from that sentence structure.

The grizzly shrugged. “If you're not on the list . . .”

“Vig was invited,” the Crow pointed out. “Not you.”

“But we're his brothers.”

“Oh, I'm sorry,” the Crow replied, expression earnest. “But tragically we don't care.” She pointed at Ski. “You and the Protectors can go in, though.”

“But,” Ski said, “I was so enjoying . . .” He turned to stare at Engstrom and finished, “the
burn
.”

Engstrom was reaching for Ski when the grizzly stuck his big arm between them. “No fighting, freaks.” He motioned to the other security members. “We're not afraid to maul. And we already have permission if things get out of hand.”

“I'm sorry,” Bear said, staring at the bigger man before him. “I'm confused by you people.”

Ski and Gundo winced in each other's direction because the man they were talking to was African American.

The shifter's eyes narrowed. “You people?”

“Yes,” Bear went on, oblivious. “Are you genetically a bear? Or just mystically?”

“What?”

“I was wondering that, too,” Haldor pushed. “Is your DNA strain different from other humans? I mean, we're enhanced mystically, but genetically we're no different from anyone else. But I've heard that you people test differently.”

Borgsten, who dabbled in science on the side, leaned in. “You do? In what way?”

“I heard they can't involve themselves in anything that might lead to blood testing of any kind, like the Olympics, or professional sports.”

“That must be disappointing for you,” Gundo noted. “Since you could win all the Olympics all the time. Are you angry about that? Do you have a form of grizzly rage? They are a very aggressive animal. Are you aggressive like that?”

Haldor nodded and asked, “And are your children born furry?”

 

Kera received really warm hugs from Crows out of the Philippines, and promises in Tagalog to get together for dinner soon.

The Philippine sister-Crows walked away and Kera realized she didn't remember their names. She didn't remember anyone's name. There were so many people here! Crow reps from all over the world. All here to see her.

And to drink.

Kera knew these ladies were also here to drink. Heavily.

Someone tapped her shoulder, and Kera took a breath, ready to meet someone else whose name she'd never remember. But to her relief, standing behind her was Vig.

She threw her arms around his shoulders, hugging him tight. “I'm so glad you're here!”

“You knew I wouldn't miss it.” He kissed her, his hands tight on her waist. “How has it been going?” he asked when he finally pulled back.

“I dropped Erin in the pool.”

“Well . . . that doesn't really surprise me.”

“Did you know about this? About the party fake-out?”

“Yeah.”

“And you didn't tell me?”

“You didn't ask.”

Kera stepped back. “I have to ask you if someone's faking me out?”

“Only if it's another Crow. I'm not getting between you and the Crows. That way only leads to death. Or, at the very least, harsh,
harsh
criticism.”

With a sigh, Kera turned in time to see her dog bopping through the dancing crowd. Wings out, Lev on her back. Everyone greeted Brodie. It was like they all knew her. Even people she'd absolutely
never
seen before.

“I think everyone likes my dog better than me.”

Vig put his arms around Kera from behind, his chin resting on the top of her head. “Yeah, they do.”

Erin came up to them. She'd changed into dry clothes—black denim shorts, black racer-back tee, and black flip-flops—and her wet hair was in two short ponytails. She had a Long Island iced tea in one hand and a mini-pizza in the other. Smiling, she moved to the music.