Oathbreaker (25 page)

“You were always so creative,” Odin walked slowly around the room, admiring the paintings on the walls. “You painted those tarot cards yourself, you know.”

“
No, I didn’t know,” my heart flipped over when he looked up and smiled at me. What did you do when your heart flipped? Did I need surgery? At the very least, I felt like I should sit down.

“
You used me as a model for the Emperor,” he laughed. “Remember when you pulled that card for me on Yule? You said you weren’t surprised it came up for me.”

“
I can’t believe I didn’t notice it,” I shook my head. “I’ll have to get my deck out and take another look.”

“
Vidar and Vali are in there as well,” Odin’s eye twinkled. “Guess which cards.”

“
The Sun for Vidar,” I said immediately and had a flash of sketching Vidar as a baby. “He’s the happy baby on horseback, isn’t he? Vali is The Hanged Man, always so withdrawn from the world, so pensive.” I swallowed hard and Vidar immediately came over and wrapped me up in his arms.

“
Mom,” he kissed the top of my head. “Everything’s okay now. We can be a family again.”

“
Not exactly,” I pulled back and smiled sadly. “I want all of you to be a part of my life but it’s a new life for me, so I need you to accept that. Sabine’s life is over, I need to live this life and I need your understanding.”

“
What’s that supposed to mean?” Vidar's arms tightened around me. Odin laid a hand on his shoulder.

“
It means that she wants us to be considerate of her relationship with Trevor, the Froekn, and the Intare.” Odin smiled at me and it was an understanding smile as well as a hopeful one. “But it also means she’ll make room for us. She loves you both,” he transferred his gaze to Vidar and Vali. “She’s not going to leave either of you again.”

“
I love all of you,” I corrected softly. “But things can’t be the way they used to be.”

“
The steaks are done,” Trevor stood in the doorway with an unreadable expression. I had no idea how long he’d been standing there. “Are we going to eat outside?”

“
Sure,” I smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek as I passed by. “I’ll grab the drinks. Can one of you help me carry the salad?”

We all tromped outside, Vidar grabbed the salad and we set everything down on the portable picnic table Trevor had set up  next to the fish pond. He’d also set up tiki torches and the random flames made the backyard look primal. The smell of cooked meat overwhelmed the night-blooming jasmine but the flowers were still beautiful, delicate little white fluted blossoms that glowed in the moonlight. The contrast of fire and fragility strangely put me at ease and I knew a moment of contentment with my favorite men gathered to share a meal with me. I put the six-pack of sodas and the beers down on the table, just in time to fend Nick off the steaks.

“Get out of here, brat cat,” I scooped him up and tossed him in the grass. He gave me an affronted look that spoke volumes on his wounded kitty pride. How dare I manhandle him in front of guests? He stomped off to go hunt something down and kill it. We weren't so different I guess.

I handed out the plates before I sat down between Trevor and Kirill. Odin, Vali, and Vidar sat across from us. We doled out the food, carefully avoiding each others eyes, and started to eat in uncomfortable silence. I finally hazarded a glance around. They were all studiously cutting and chewing their steaks.

“Okay, that’s enough,” I opened my coke with a loud crack. They all looked up at me expectantly. “We have to discuss this or we’re going to be smothered by the elephant.”

“
Elephant?” Odin chuckled. “What are you talking about?”

“
The elephant in the room?” I took a biting swig of soda.

“
Okay, Minn Elska,” Trevor grabbed my hand and gave it a quick kiss. “How do you want to start this?”

“
We were discussing things in Kirill's room when you came in,” I looked over at Trevor and he stared back at me with a carefully blank expression. “I told them how I wanted all of them in my life but they need to respect our relationship. What I didn’t tell you three,” I looked across at my old family, “is that Trevor has agreed to respect our ties as well but he’d prefer to be around when we’re visiting.”

“
Don’t trust me, wolf?” Odin grinned so wickedly that
I
didn’t trust him for a moment.

“
It’s not a good idea to taunt wolves,” I put a restraining hand on Trevor when he growled. “Especially when they have something you want.”

“
You’re right, I just couldn’t help it,” Odin spread his hands. “It just seems a little silly that he won’t trust you alone.”

“
I trust
her
just fine,” Trevor didn’t loose the growl.

“
I wouldn’t trust you either, if our situations were reversed,” Odin nodded sharply and twisted his lips in grudging acceptance. “You’ll both be welcome in Asgard whenever you wish to visit.”

“
I go as vell,” Kirill had barely looked up during the conversation but now he stared right at Odin.

“
Of course,” Odin nodded.

“
And all of you will be welcome here too,” I nudged Trevor again, “Right, Trevor?”

“
As you wish,” he didn’t take his eyes off Odin.

“
Alright, Wesley,” I smirked when only Odin started to laugh.

“
He would make a good Dread Pirate Roberts,” Odin nodded.

“
At least you get it,” I shook my head. “Oh right, Santa TV. I never got to see that thing.”

“
I'll be sure to show you next time,” Odin winked at me.

There was a sparkle behind Vidar and suddenly Thor was there.

“Holy God of Thunder!” I screamed and splashed soda all over. “Damn it, Thor, since when is my backyard a tracing point?”

“
Anywhere can be an entrance,” he waved impatiently. “I just have to be familiar with the location, you know that. Now get up. Demeter just tried to kill Hades.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

The Underworld was beautiful.

Stone clacked hollowly under my boots as we made our way from Hades' tracing room to his bedroom. Birdsong added a low chorus to the clacking and beneath it all was the bubbling of water over stone. To either side of the open-air walkway, were lush gardens with monstrous blooms, looking as if they'd climbed right out of the pages of
Alice in Wonderland
. The sun was bright overhead, the warmth coaxing a heady scent from the flowers and bringing little furry creatures out from the brush to laze in the light. The garden was so big, I could barely make out the line of the enclosing walls back behind the trees.

How did he get the sun to shine down here?” I asked as I tried to keep up with everyone and still take in my surroundings.

“We're not actually under the world,” Thor frowned backed at me from the head of our group. “This is the God Realm, same as Asgard and your Lion Palace.”

“
Right,” my eyes widened as a large multicolored bird swooped by and landed in a tree on my left. It squawked at me and fluffed it's feathers before settling. Then an absurdly large insect landed beside it and the bird struck out with ninja-like reflexes and gobbled the bug down. “Holy hand grenades!” I winced as I watched the twitching legs disappear into the bird's beak.

Trevor steadied me with a chuckle but I noticed Kirill silently maneuvering himself between me and the bird. I scanned the skies for anymore avian distractions but the next thing to fly in couldn't really be called a bird.

“Is that a...” I stopped walking and starred at the thing standing in the clearing on our right.

“
Yes, a pegasus,” Thor made an irritated sound. “Vervain we shouldn't dawdle.”

“
A freakin' winged horse just flew in for a landing right in front of me and you tell me not to dawdle?” I couldn't take my eyes off the exquisite creature, even to yell at Thor. “This isn't like the time you took me to DC and wouldn't let me gawk at the White House. This is a pegasus and I am gonna gawk, god damn it!”

“
Well fine,” Thor growled. “You don't have to go damning any of us. Go. Have your gawk.”

“
I will,” I stepped off the walkway hesitantly and slowly made my way towards the shining white pegasus. It lifted its head and fixed a wary eye on me. “Hey,” I said softly. “How you doin', big guy?”

“
I'm rather famished, if you don't mind,” he said and lowered his face to the grass.

I stood there, gaping at him, with the sounds of my friends' mirth as a backdrop to my shock. A sort of choking sound came out of my throat a second before I recovered. Of all the things I'd seen, it was kind of funny that the one that startled me the most was a talking pegasus.

“Um, ok,” I finally said. “Sorry to interrupt you.”

“
No problem,” the pegasus said around a mouthful. “Tell the boss man I said hi.”

“
Sure,” I cleared my throat, “and you are?”

“
Oh, my apologies,” he looked up. “I am Peter.”

“
Peter?” I blinked.

“
Yes, what is it?”

“
No, I uh.”

“
You don't like my name?”

“
No it's fine, I just thought...”

“
You thought it would be Theseus or Perceus or some other name ending in
eus
?”

“
Yeah, maybe,” I shrugged. “I don't know, you're the first pegasus I've met.”

“
Ah, okay,” he nodded regally. “I will forgive then. I am Peter
the Great
if that makes any difference.”

“
Oh sure, that's... great,” I rolled my eyes. “Like the Czar?”

“
He was named after me.”

“
Oh yes, of course.”

“
Vervain,” Thor growled.

“
Okay, gotta go, nice to meet you Peter. Oh, I'm Vervain, by the way.”

“
Like the herb?”

“
Yes,” I laughed. “Exactly.”

“
Ah, an excellent name.”

“
Thank you, I'll let my mother know you approve.”

“
Vervain!” Thor rumbled.

“
Catch you later,” I turned away.

“
Woman,” the pegasus neighed. “Never use the word catch around a pegasus. Haven't you ever seen
Clash of the Titans
?”

“
Oh, right, sorry,” I rushed back to the walkway and Peter went back to eating the grass.

“
I just met Peter the Pegasus,” I whispered to Trevor as we continued down the path.

“
Yes,” he chuckled. Everyone was still kind of laughing at me actually.

“
Can someone please tell me why the Underworld is filled with giant flowers, monster birds, and flying horses that talk?”

“
Well Hades is Greek,” Pan shrugged. “And the pegasus is Greek but as for the talking bit and the rest of it,” he waved his hand at the strange gardens. “You're in a version of the afterlife. Magic is even stronger in the domains that house human souls. It is easily influenced, as Asgard has a battlefield for the fallen Vikings because they expect it, so does Hades have things like our friend Peter.”

“
You're telling me people expect not only a pegasus to be in Hades but a talking one?” I scoffed.

“
The Greek Underworld was created from the dreams and nightmares of humans,” Pan shot a glance at a strange ball that rolled out of the bushes and then became a bunny. “What you see around you are the best bits of it all. Here, inside the walls of Hades' home, he allows only the dreams in, however odd they may be. Outside his walls though, is another story.”

“
Nightmares?” I swallowed hard.

“
Let's just say I don't recommend you going on a walkabout past the old garden gate.”

“
Gotcha,” I nodded and filed away the information under the heading of
What Not to Do... Ever.

I did feel a little safer though, walking through the gardens, knowing that all the really bad stuff was beyond the walls. Hades surely had some serious wards in place with them. Then I stopped thinking about walls and wards because we had reached a huge iron and wood door.
Carved into the stone frame, over an intricately designed scene of a wasteland filled with tortured souls, were the words:

Abandon hope, all ye who enter here