Green Tea and Black Death (The Godhunter, Book 5) (27 page)

  
Maybe it had something to do with the amount of followers they had. Christianity was huge right now, so Azrael's responsibilities were just as big. Whatever the case, it was always comforting to meet a god who truly cared about humanity. Anubis had just as much responsibility as Az, just as much honor, but I'm not sure if he truly cared about the people who came through Duat.

   “
I think I'll be needing to make even more free time for myself,” Azrael took my hand and pulled me back against his chest, so that we were both sprawled out on the couch. “Mainly to spend with you.”

  
He kissed my cheek and I felt all of sixteen again, snuggling with my first boyfriend and soaking up every compliment he dished out. The butterflies were tickling my stomach, just as happy as I. No need to work their magic, no need to save him, just so damn happy to be with him. I sighed and snuggled deeper into his arms.

   “
This feels so right,” my head found a spot just under his chin, where it fit perfectly. “I don't want to leave.”

   “
Do you have to?” He pulled his head to the side to look down at me anxiously.

   “
Well, eventually,” I laughed, “I can't stay all night when the boys are expecting me home.”

   “
You could send them a letter,” he pulled me closer. “I was hoping to spend the night with you.”

   “
Oh, that sounds amazing,” I bit my lip as I thought it over. How wonderful it would be just to take a break from everything and spend one night in Heaven with Az. I really, really wanted to but I didn't want to hurt Trevor or Kirill's feelings and me spending the night with Azrael after our first date might do just that. “I can't. The guys would be upset since to them it would seem like we hardly know each other.”

   “
I wouldn't say hardly,” he started stroking my hair and I closed my eyes to enjoy it. “And I assume you'll tell them we've gotten to know each other intimately.”

   “
Maybe just one more intimate moment before I go home?” I kissed him softly.

   “
Only if you promise me that next time, you'll stay the night.”

   “
I promise,” I was already reaching for the button on his jeans.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

   “
If you need to reach me,” Azrael held out a box to me, “write to me on one of these papers. Just fold it over and draw this symbol on the front,” he opened the box and showed me the copy of his tattoo that was carved on the inner lid, “and then place it on your doorstep. It's enchanted to come straight to me.”

   “
Like the letter you sent me,” I smiled and took the box. “How wonderful.”

   “
You can write me for any reason,” he ran a hand along my cheek, “even just to talk.”

   “
I will,” I kissed him goodbye but made it quick since we were standing in my living room with a werewolf and a werelion audience.

   “
And if either of you need to contact me,” he turned to Trevor and Kirill, “please feel free to do the same.”

   “
Thank you,” Trevor came forward and shook his hand. “It's important to have a way to contact our allies. You are an ally now, right?”

  “
Most definitely,” Azrael turned his glittering gaze on me. “Anything you need, you can call on me.”

   “
I think I'll be needing to see you again soon,” I smiled. “Think maybe you'll have some time off?”

  “
Of course,” he seemed to turn his focus inward for a few moments. “I should be able to take a break in another five days and then I'm holding you to your promise.”

   “
It's a deal.”

   “
Also, you may come to see me anytime you wish,” he tapped the box I was holding, “the tracing chant is in here, carved into the lid below my name, and the magic I gave you assures your entrance.”

   “
Oh,” I hadn't even thought to ask him about getting back into Shehaquim without him. “Of course, thank you,” I hugged him goodbye and he traced away.

   “
Your promise?” Trevor pulled me around for a kiss. “What did you promise the angel?”

   “
He wanted me to spend the night but I didn't want to do that without giving you both a heads up, so I promised that next time I would.”

   “
Oh, well, good,” he smiled. “I appreciate you coming home.”

   “
I appreciate being home,” I laughed. “Why does this feel so weird?”

   “
Because you just had first date vith angel,” Kirill took me from Trevor to give me a kiss too, “And ve don't know how to act.”

   “
How about we act normal?” I took each of their hands and led them back to our bedroom.

  
When I looked back over my shoulder, they were grinning at each other like little boys. I smiled to myself as I shut the door behind us. Then they were surrounding me, undressing me and themselves, and I was basking in the love that I had no idea what I'd done to deserve.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

   “
He's a what?” Krystal looked up from her steak. Generally, she didn't eat meat but she made an exception once in awhile.

   “
An angel,” I grinned.

  
We were having a working dinner. She wanted to see some pictures of my new paintings for a client she had in Hawaii Kai. We'd gone over the pictures and she made her choices already, so now it was time for dinner conversation and that meant, I'd get to gush about Azrael.

   “
Holy shit,” she laid her fork down and just stared at me.

   “
Well, you got the holy part right,” I giggled. Yes, giggled okay? Even just talking about Az made me giddy.

   “
How the hell did you meet an angel?”

   “
On the job.” I shrugged. “He's the Angel of Death. He was harvesting a soul and I was chasing a murdering goddess.”

   “
Well there's a story for the grand kids,” she laughed. “Hey, does this murdering goddess have anything to do with that outbreak of bubonic plague?”

   “
As a matter of fact,” I grimaced. I should have known Krystal would figure it out, she's no dummy. “I'm hoping it's all over. I brought in a sort of expert to take care of the rats.”

   “
Oh,” her expression lightened. “That should do the trick. The only other way to spread it is through handling of infected tissue or blood and I don't think people are going to be doing a lot of that. Plus we have ways to treat it now, so even if they get sick, they have a chance of recovering.”

   “
Exactly,” I nodded, “now can we get back to Az?”

  “
Az?” She shook her head. “You've given him a nickname already? You do like this guy.”

   “
I
really
like this guy,” I laughed at myself. “I'm twitterpated, like a freakin' kid. He's got me all turned upside down. I think about him all the time and I've got three other lovers to think about. This is so ridiculous.”

  
I'd given her the promised explanation about my numerous lovers last week. So I was finally able to be candid with her about my love life. She was more accepting than I thought. In fact, she had looked as if she was thinking over the possibility for herself. I'd probably see her with two dates at the next gallery show.

   “
Hardly,” she huffed. “You love Trevor, Kirill, and Odin but they've all been brought into your life in dramatic ways. There was no normal courting stages with them. I think the closest you came to that would be Trevor but even he was already tied to you pretty dramatically. Now here comes this guy who you're super attracted to in so many ways, and you're able to experience the whole shebang with him. It makes sense that you'd be more fascinated by him.”

   “
It does?” I thought about it. “He's really amazing but so are the others. Maybe you're right, maybe it's just the newness of it.” I knew it wasn't though. I needed to tell her about the well. She was one of the few people I felt like I
could
tell.

   “
Well, you never know,” she smirked. “He could be your soul mate or some crap like that. Tell me more.”

  
So I did. I told her everything. Dying as Sabine, my relatives begging for my salvation, Odin refusing to let Az take me to Christian Heaven, Az placing me in the well and touching my soul. I told her about the Garden of Eden, the flying, the other angel, even the sketch, which I'd of course brought to show her. She ooohed over it appropriately. Her eyes were huge by the time I'd finished and her drink was gone.

   “
Another please,” she held her empty glass up to a passing waiter and looked immediately back at me. “You are kind of soul mates then.”

   “
In a way,” I shrugged, “I guess.”

   “
And are you fucking kidding me? You made love to him in the Garden of Eden? You're my new hero.”

   “
It was so amazing,” I laughed at her jealous expression.

   “
Does he have any friends?” She gave me big, hopeful eyes. “Come on, hook a sister up.”

   “
They're all so busy,” I shook my head. “I barely talked to Mike for two minutes.”

   “
I can take two minutes,” she nodded her thanks to the waitress who brought her fresh drink. “God knows I've done it before.”

   “
It'll probably be the best two minutes of your life,” I winked at her.

   “
Two minutes in Heaven. Damn,” she took a long swallow of her lihing margaritta. “Wings. I want a man with wings.”

Chapter Thirty-Nine

   “
Excuse me, Miss Vervain?” A thin man with light brown hair and a nervous disposition approached me on my way out of the restaurant.

   “
I don't know you,” I backed away and started reaching for the dagger I had tucked in my purse.

   “
No, no,” he waved his hands, “I'm a vampire,” he flashed his fangs and I frowned and stopped moving. “Huitzilopochtli sent me. He needs you to come with me, right away.”

   “
What? Why?” I narrowed my eyes on him. Blue said he wasn't behind the vampire stalkings. This could be a total setup.

   “
He wouldn't explain it all to me but he said to say the words
little witch
to you and you'd know it was he who sent me.”

   “
Oh,” I relaxed. That was Blue's pet name for me and I doubt his little vampire minions would have known it. “Okay, it's strange that he wouldn't come for me himself.”

   “
He's unable to trace at the moment, a bit of a magical malfunction,” he shrugged. “I'm to take you to a bar owned by my master, our god will meet you there.”

   “
Curiouser and curiouser,” I followed him to a waiting limousine. Too bad I hadn't traced to the restaurant, I wouldn't have had to come back for my car. “Well, at least we're going in style.”

   “
Yes, of course,” he opened the door, ushered me in, and then followed me inside. “I'm Eric.”

   “
Nice to meet you.”

  
The rest of the ride was spent mostly in silence, with a lot of twitching from nervous boy and a lot of hard staring done by myself. When we finally pulled up in front of a club in Waikiki, I was relieved to get out of the car.

  
Eric got out and helped me out, then gestured to the door in front of us. I looked over the dark hole of an entry, the two bouncers dressed in tuxedos, and then up to the flashing sign.

   “
The Blood Bank?” I asked my escort.

   “
Yeah,” he chuckled. “My master thought it was funny.”

   “
Vampire humor,” I grimaced as I went to the door, “great.”

  
The bouncers took one look at the man beside me and pulled back the velvet rope blocking the entrance. I looked them over, found them excessively wanting, and went inside.

  
It was dark. Why did vampire bars always have to be dark? You'd think they'd want to surround themselves with a little light, being trapped in eternal darkness and all that. The only lights were over the bar and from a few scattered sconces on the walls. The rest of the room was murky shadows filled with writhing patrons in matching dark clothes. How boring.

  
I was led across the club and to another guarded door. These bouncers were vampires and looked a little more impressive. I gave them my
yeah, whatever
face and passed by. Eric led me up some stairs and out into a much brighter room. There was a couch and some chairs in front of a big desk and an open door that revealed a luxurious bedroom. To the left was a bar and the right held a few monitors showing the club. In the center of it all, sat a striking man with a glass or red liquid in his hand.