My Soul to Take (9 page)

“I don't care about the pants, Mother,” Vali kissed my cheek. “I'm just happy that they're both alright. Plus, it was kind of fascinating to watch him shift.”

“I haven't thanked you yet for trying to help them,” I angled myself to look at Vidar. “Thank you both for what you did.”

Of course, Mom,” Vali huffed. “We couldn't just stand there and do nothing while our brothers fell to their deaths.”

“I don't think we would have reached them in time,” Vidar whispered as he reached into Kaitlin's lap and stroked the blonde hair on Brevyn's head. Rian stuck his face forward and sniffed at Vidar. Vidar offered his hand for a more thorough inspection and when Rian was satisfied, he pulled away slowly.

“He's a little intense,” Kaitlin whispered to Vidar.

“Which one?” Vidar asked.

“Both of them,” she glanced from Brevyn to Rian.

“Hey, little guy,” Vali had gone around to lean over Kaitlin's chair and stroke Brevyn's cheek. “I'm your brother, Vali but I used to be your uncle. I didn't used to be
your
uncle though,” he tapped Rian on the nose and the baby dragon gave a little grunt of affront. “I'll let Mom explain it to you later.”

“I am Vidar,” Vidar said with deep seriousness to Rian and Brevyn. “I'm also your brother.”

And with that silent magic of his, Vidar expressed much more to the babies than his words did. They blinked at him slowly and a look of understanding crossed their faces.

“You have an impressive family, Vervain,” Thor's voice held a note of longing.

“Thank you, Thor,” I shared a look with Kaitlin and she nodded, passing Brevyn back to me.

Rian moved out of the way with an air of relief. But then I handed Brevyn to Arach and Rian went on high alert again, chasing after his brother. He was getting a little upset with all this jostling of his twin. Rian scrambled up onto the back of Arach's throne and gave a distressed cry as Arach passed Brevyn to Thor. Dexter eased back to my right and just watched.

“Cease!” Arach snapped at Rian and smacked a hand down on his lap.

Rian gave a little whimper but then jumped down to his father's lap. Still, he leaned over and watched as Thor and Brevyn stared at each other. I think he sensed that his brother was different than him in more ways than the obvious. Brevyn already had a past and that past had come to visit.

“You are just as loved,” I said to Rian as I laid a hand against my son's heaving side.

He shifted, turning and twisting on Arach's lap until a naked boy grinned up at me. I tapped his nose and Rian giggled. Yeah, he knew he was loved, that wasn't the problem. The problem was, Odin had planted a seed of doubt in Rian when he'd first suggested that Brevyn be raised in the God Realm, and now Rian viewed every god as a potential brother abductor. I shared a look with Arach and saw understanding flare to life.

“No one is taking your brother,” Arach laid his palm on the soft patch of red hair crowning Rian's head. “No one,” Arach glanced over my shoulder and I realized that he was staring down Kaitlin.

“Arach,” I hissed.

“I've said nothing impolite,” he blinked bright yellow eyes innocently at me.

“Stop intimidating our guests,” I growled.

“I'm merely setting boundaries,” he huffed. “It is a king's duty.”

“She's not going to snatch Brevyn and run off with him,” I chided. “Why would she want to raise him and then date him? That would be gross.”

“I just wanted to see him,” Kaitlin called over to Arach. “That's all, Your Majesty.”

A twitter of laughter went through the room, proving that my fey had never stopped eavesdropping on us.

“What's so funny?” Kaitlin frowned.

“We don't use such titles here,” I gave her arm a pat. “I made the same mistake when I first came to Faerie. Except I did it at High Court... way more embarrassing.”

“So how am I supposed to I address him?” She was baffled.

“As King,” Arach said imperiously. “That's what I am, I've no need for other frippery.”

“You can call him Fire King or King Arach or just plain King,” I said gently to her. “Personally, I like to call him-”

“That's quite enough, My Queen,” Arach cut me off with a knowing smile.

“I've got a few good names for him too if you ever run out,” Vali whispered to me and winked before he sauntered back to his seat.

“It really is him,” Thor breathed, bringing our attention back to him and Brevyn.

“It is and it isn't,” I offered.

“He recognizes me,” Thor looked over to me in awe. “I can see it in his eyes.”

“Yes, I'm sure he does,” I agreed. “But it's his past self that knows you and he'll still have to learn why when he gets older.”

“It's enough for me,” Thor smiled and hugged Brevyn close. “Thank you,” he whispered to me and then to Arach. “Thank you so very much for allowing me to be a part of his life.”

“Of course,” Arach said magnanimously. “You're welcome in Fire anytime, Thor, God of the Norsemen.”

“I truly appreciate your hospitality, King Arach,” Thor replied just as formally and then gave me a wink.

Are we going to get this party started or what?

The fire fey screamed in delight as the consciousness of their realm spoke to them. I laughed as someone turned on our human-made stereo and the fire cats jumped up to dance to Maroon 5's “One More Night”. The phookas joined them, which is kind of strange when you think about it; cats and dogs and all that. But then through the center of them all came a parade of pixies; tooting little horns and crying out that people make way for them.

I sat up straight to watch our fire pixies come streaming up to the high table, riding bridled rodents, carriages, and even tiny versions of bicycles. Flowers draped everything; their modes of transport, their musical instruments, and themselves, while jewels sparkled among the blooms. Our newest pixies, who were once earth pixies, were very talented jewelers.

“My King and Queen,” Lissa, one of my favorite fire pixies, shouted up to us. “We, the pixies of your kingdom, wish to present a gift to Prince Rian in honor of his first flight... and we made a little something for Prince Brevyn too, just because it didn't seem right to give one prince something and not the other.”

“Lissa, enough explaining,” Artair, one of the ex-earth pixies whispered to her.

“Yeah, yeah,” Lissa huffed. “May we present our gifts, Fire King?”

“Yes you may,” Arach waved his hand.

A cart rolled up behind Lissa and she jumped off her docile mouse-like mount and went to pull back the fabric covering on the cart. There, nestled on a velvet bed, was an emerald dragon. As in an actual piece of emerald carved into the figure of a flying dragon. Beside the dragon was a chunk of sapphire carved into a crouching boy. With help from Artair, Lissa moved the carving of the boy so that is sat upon the dragon's back and then the whole thing was placed upon a gold mounting to display it as if the dragon were flying through the air. The piece was put on a platform and carried up the steps by four pixies. Then Isleen stepped forward and picked up the little statue. She placed it carefully on the table before Arach and I.

“We had no idea how fitting this would be when we first carved it,” Artair announced. “We only knew about the prophecy Prince Brevyn had showed you; of him riding upon his brother's back.”

“Thank you so much,” I stood so I could see all my pixies. “This is breathtaking,” I picked up the piece and handed it to Arach.

“Beautiful,” Arach admired it and showed it to Rian, who gave a delighted shout. “And your prince agrees.”

The pixies cheered and the pixie parade made its way back through the room, accepting praise from the other fire fey as they went. I loved to see them like that, proud among their peers. They had once been ostracized and ridiculed but now they were a valued part of the court. When I thought about the future I'd changed and how those brave little faeries had all been killed in the very first battle, my heart shuddered. So much had been sacrificed to Arach and Rowan's plans for dominion.

“Prophecy?” Thor asked as he adjusted Brevyn.

“Um,” I blinked in confusion and then realized he was asking about what Artair had mentioned; the prophecy Brevyn had made. I shared a wary look with Arach. I hadn't told any of the gods about Brevyn's possible psychic abilities. Not even my god husbands and I kind of felt guilty that I was about to tell Thor and my grown sons before I told my husbands. “Brevyn gave me a vision. He showed me Rian and him flying together, just like this carving,” I waved a hand toward the beautiful figurine.

“Brevyn has the gift of sight?” Thor's eyes went wide. “Ull never had that.”

“He is
not
Ull,” Arach took his son away from Thor and cradled him with Rian. The brothers gurgled happily, tapping their feet together in greeting.

“I know that,” Thor sighed. “But I assumed Ull's magic would go into this new body with him.”

“Magic doesn't follow you into the Void,” I shook my head. “Remember how I had to give Odin back his magic through his spear?”

“Then how does Brevyn have magic at all?” Thor frowned. “Magic was given to us by human belief. Ull's soul was Atlantean; he wasn't born with magic, only the potential to learn. He wasn't even born immortal. That was all given to him.”

I was about to explain that Brevyn got his magic from me, just like every other god baby born to a goddess, when Thor's last words hit me. I blinked in surprise and looked up to find Arach staring at me in horror.

“He's not immortal?” Arach whispered.

“Uh,” Thor cleared his throat. “Don't worry, I'll bring him an apple when he reaches an age of maturity.”

“An apple?” Arach looked at him in shock. “How will an apple help?”

“Of Immortality,” Thor explained. “Like the one we gave Kaitlin.”

Vali was looking back and forth between Thor and Arach like he wasn't sure if he'd have to defend one brother from the father of another. Dexter had gone back to sleeping on my feet and Vidar just calmly waited.

“It grants a hundred years,” I clarified to Arach and then looked over to Thor as my racing heart started to calm. “Thank you, Thor but I think I'll probably take him to Jesus and see if he'll let Brevyn drink from the GRAYEL, like I did.”

“The grail?” Arach looked over to me.

“G-R-A-Y-E-L; the GRAYEL. It's a machine that makes an elixir,” I shook my head at him. “Granter of Recuperation, Agility, and Youth Ever Lasting. It tends to last longer than an apple.”

“I had no idea that gods had to use such tools,” Arach frowned.

“Not all of them have to,” Thor shrugged. “Just those without enough worship to sustain them.”

“Why manipulate humans into war then?” I asked Thor as the thought struck me. “If you have access to things like the apples and peaches and the GRAYEL, why do those other gods need to make humans fight?”

“Several reasons. Sometimes such things are supplemental, giving a god immortality so he has power freed up for his magic, and sometimes they're simply non-existent. Not all pantheons have apples or elixirs,” Thor reminded me. “Or they don't have access anymore. Remember Zeus with the Greeks?”

“How could I forget?” I rolled my eyes.

“And then there are situations like yours,” Thor nodded towards Brevyn. “Where a child is born without worshipers.”

“Oh,” I blinked. “Well of course.”

“So now you understand,” Thor nodded. “Some gods don't need the immortality aids at all. Luke doesn't use anything and although he gets blamed for a lot of wars, he doesn't manipulate humans into battle.”

“It's precisely because he gets blamed for everything that he has enough energy to live forever without having to supplement his existence,” I chuckled.

“The Devil made me do it,” Vali shook his head. “Damn he's got a good thing going.”

“Except damning is exactly what he has to do and then he has to live among the damned,” I pointed out, “in Hell.”

“I could get used to it,” Vali grinned at me. “For that kind of power, I'd damn people, no problem. It's not like good people go to Hell.”

“But our son will live?” Arach pressed. “He will be immortal?”

“Yes,” I reached over the cribs between us and took Brevyn from him. “You will live forever,” I said to the suddenly serious baby. “I promise you, Brev. I will get you your immortality. Nobody's taking my son from me. Not even Death... who happens to be your uncle anyway.”

My dragon roared inside me and I gasped, clutching Brevyn to my chest as the beast raged against my rib cage. She didn't like even the hint that something could happen to our young, even if it was the non-dragon young apparently, and she was making her displeasure known. Normally, her little temper tantrums could be rode out fairly easily but with my star in pieces, it had become a different matter.

“Vervain?” Arach flung the cribs back, out of his way, and knelt beside my throne.

Dexter was suddenly at my side and he gave a long howl, which seemed to set the entire room to shouting. Children began to cry, questions were called out, and the clatter of movement added to the cacophony.

My vision shifted and I swayed. Arach's arms came around us all, holding Brevyn and Rian between our chests as Dexter tried to press his nose into my cheek. I could hear the boys crying and I shook with anger, directing that energy towards my dragon. How dare she scare our children?