Oathbreaker (31 page)

I groaned and got to my feet, taking the offered pile of clothing from Trevor. “What now, is the world ending? Call Buffy, she’s good at that.”

“Actually, we’re under attack,” Pan’s footsteps faded away as an end to that conversation.

“
Did he just say…?”

“
Fuck!” Trevor pulled up his pants and helped me into my gloves before handing me my short sword.

I wrapped my hair up into a knot as we ran down the hallway after Pan. He heard us coming and paused long enough for us to catch up.

“Who the hell is it now?” We hurried down the stairs and out into Valhalla’s Great Hall.

My Intare were there, as well as Fenrir and the Froekn, and I was relieved to see them all ready for war. My men instantly came to attention and focused on me. I gave them a hesitant smile before I looked over at Odin, who was in the middle of strapping armor over his thigh.

“Ares is leading Balder’s traitors against us,” he spoke calmly but didn’t meet my gaze. “This is my fight and I don’t expect anyone here to join it. I will of course be grateful to all who stay but I won’t hold a grudge against any who wish to leave.”

The God Squad rolled their eyes and looked at Thor but it was Horus who surprised everyone by answering.

“I have never run from a fight in all of my life,” his beakish nose rose high. “Whether it was mine or another's, and I don’t intend on starting such a cowardly tradition now.”

Odin looked up with a half-smile and nodded before walking over and clasping the other god’s hand. “He who sheds his blood with mine today, shall be my brother.”

“All Father,” Horus looked at him curiously. “Do you not remember saving me that dark day? You've been my brother from that moment on.”

“
Of course I remember,” Odin smiled. “We watched Atlantis sink together. All I did was give you a ride to the shore.”

“
When no other had room for me,” Horus shook his head. “Now I row beside you again, my friend.”

“
The rest of us will row as well, Father,” Thor said decisively.

“
Well, looks like we're all in the same boat,” I smirked.

Odin smiled and pulled Thor into a quick hug, just as the Hall started to shake under powerful winds.

“They’re he-e-e-re,” I sang out in my best Carol Anne impersonation. I actually wished it was only poltergeists we had to contend with. I had a feeling that this battle between gods was not going to end well. Riding in on that thought came a horrible, whining howling, as if a pack of rabid dogs had joined the dark side. “What the hell was that?”

“
No,” Horus looked like his mama had just left him on the church steps with a
Please take care of my baby
note. “It can’t be.” He started running for the door and we all followed.

The lack of light threw me off a little as we exited the hall. I must have been out awhile because the sun had still been up the last time I was awake, now it was clearly well into the night. Why would they attack us at night? I squinted into the dark and suddenly torches flared everywhere, illuminating a scene I kind of wished had remained in shadow.

An army of gods doesn’t have the numbers a human army does but then it doesn’t need to. The ten or so gods at the center of the throng, Demeter of course was one of them, was terrifying all on their own. They hadn’t come alone though. I guess after seeing my Intare and the Froekn, they decided they needed back up. Standing at the forefront was a line of vampires, staring at us with hard but empty-eyed determination.

My heart sunk as I searched for the only god who could have commanded their presence, while I hoped by some strange chance that I was wrong.

I wasn’t. Blue stood with the others, on the opposite side of Demeter, speaking with Ares and his sons. He looked up, as if he’d felt my stare, and his eyes flared for a moment before cooling into chips of ice. He gave me a mocking half-bow before turning back to his new friends.

“
I guess we know why they attacked us at night,” I mumbled.

Blue wasn’t affected by the sun but his little babies had lost something in the transfer and the magic of the sun that gave them the thirst for blood, was unbalanced in them. They couldn’t tolerate it, they’d burn. Unfortunately, all the other myths about vampires were dead wrong, if you’ll excuse my pun. Crosses, garlic, holy water, they had absolutely no effect. A stake through the heart would definitely put them out of commission for awhile but the only way to kill them was through decapitation, like a god.

Trevor’s hand came up to the back of my neck, rubbing lightly over his bite marks, and it was strangely comforting.

“
Who cares about the damn vampires,” Horus waved impatiently, like a swarm of psycho flies were in his face. “Look at the jackals!”

Sure enough, dark, dog-like shapes slunk around the vampires, flashing glowing eyes at us and flicking pointed ears forward in anticipation. I admired their sleek bodies a minute before I looked back at Horus.

“Jackals?” I narrowed my eyes. “Do they have something to do with Anubis, by any chance?”

“
No, they’re baby bunnies here with Eostre,” Horus snorted, the most undignified sound I’d ever heard him make. “Of course they’re with Anubis, he’s the god of the werejackals.” He said the last like I was being deliberately obtuse.

“
There are
werejackals
?” I looked at Trevor since it was obvious Horus was beyond answering my questions politely.

“
Looks like,” Trevor looked over his shoulder at Fenrir and raised an eyebrow.

“
They’re just little pups,” Fenrir laughed, a big booming sound that rolled over the ground to the invaders. The Froekn joined in his humor, only TryggulfR and UnnúlfR retaining their stern visages as they stood to either side of their father, eying their opponents warily.

A muttering started, a distinctly angry muttering, as the opposing side glared at Fenrir.

“They are kind of small,” I admitted, “but Horus seems to think they’re dangerous.”

“
They’re of Anubis, you fools,” Horus peeled his eyes away from the black shapes to glare back at us. “The God of Death can reanimate any corpse his jackals bring down. The more those
little pups
kill, the more warriors he’ll have.”

A shiver passed over me and I looked back over my shoulder at the Intare. I wouldn’t see my boys hurt like that. I couldn’t, not after I’d just saved them. Not after I'd just buried one of them. I sighed and walked over to them, where they stood in formation to the side.

“Guys,” I began.

“
Nyet,” Kirill stepped forward and put a hand on my shoulder. “Ve vere forced to fight for centuries Tima, don’t take avay opportunity for us to fight battle ve actually believe in. Ve are vith you, in life or death. Let Anubis try magic on us. Even vithout my spirit, zis body vill not fight against you. I svear it.”

“
So do I,” Darius came forward.

“
And I,” said Fallon.

“
And I!” The shout of all my valiant lions rose as one and pride filled me when I heard the jackals whimper in response.

“
And I am with you,” I spoke past the tightness in my throat, “in life and death, I am with you all!”

A roar answered my vow and then came the sound of clothes tearing away as my men became lions. I turned and led them back to the front of our line, my head held high and my shoulders squared. I peeled off my gloves, laying them on the ground, before unbuckling my sword as well. Trevor frowned a second and then smiled as he figured out what I was doing.

“My Lady Lion,” he whispered as he hugged me close. “Shall we fight together tonight, flank to flank?”

“
Yes, my Wolf Prince,” I kissed him and a feeling of peace wrapped me tight. It didn’t matter what they brought against us. I’d fight beside him till my last breath and I’d find joy in it.

“
Prepare yourselves,” Odin warned before returning to stand in front of his fallen Viking soldiers. I blinked over at them in surprise, could the dead damage the living? Stupid question, I huffed, in Asgard they could. The magic of the God Realm and their own personal god would sustain them, giving them form enough to fight.

I nodded to Odin, and Trevor moved in front of me, so I could remove my top. My long hair gave me enough cover as I took off my pants as well. He held me as the change rippled through us, lengthening and thickening our muscles as fur shivered over our skin. Soon, I was staring at him through lion eyes, my forelegs held on his shoulders. His wolfman face spread wide with what I knew was a grin as he lowered me down.

“The Froekn and Intare will attack on foot,” Odin said, “as the rest of us attack magically.”

I nodded and roared a command to my men, who immediately roared back and fell in beside me. I felt the rush of all my magic, even the Love and Lust swirled in me now that I gave in to the pleasure of battle. My claws sprang free and I delighted in the feel of them actually being a part of me as opposed to a weapon strapped to my arms.

I felt a cold blast of wind and knew Demeter had begun the attack. I shook it off easily and waited for Odin’s signal to proceed, it was his war after all. My feline gaze locked onto the delicate looking jackals creeping before me and I felt my blood rush faster, hotter, through my eager veins. The wolf was leaping within me, singing an ancient song of the hunt.

“
No!” Odin yelled and I looked over to where Vali had crumpled.

I roared, watching as his breath left him in frozen gasps and then looking over to where Demeter was. She held a hand straight out to my son, striking him down with winter before he could make a single step into battle. Keeping her vow to make my children pay for my crimes.

“Mother!” The sweet voice cut through my bloodlust and drew my attention.

In the middle of the two opposing armies stood a beautiful woman, her long hair the color of earth, streaming around her in the gale force winds. I felt a shiver go through me. No, not her, don’t let her be hurt.

“Persephone,” Demeter’s voice shook and the wind started to die. I looked over at Vali and saw him get back to his feet. Relief flooded my limbs. “Stay back, you foolish child.”

“
No, Mother, I’ve had enough,” she held her head high and when a dark-haired man with glowing eyes moved up behind her, she stopped him with a smile. “I need to do this on my own, baby.” He nodded, a new respect making Hades’ eyes burn hotter as he backed away. “You've gone too far, hurting my husband. I can never forgive you now. You are my mother no longer; from this night forward, you are my enemy!”

“
Stop it, this instance,” Demeter strode through the line of vamps and reached out to take her daughters arm.

Before she could close her fingers on Persephone’s soft skin, the earth rumbled and shoots broke through the ground beneath the Corn Goddess’s feet. She looked down in shock, as a tree sprang out of the earth, sending her flying as if a massive fist had punched her. In a pile of tangled cloth and limbs, Demeter sputtered and stared at her child in horror.

“You dare attack me?” She started to rise but vines snaked quietly from the ground, wrapping around her body and pulling her down tightly. “Persephone!” Her cry had taken on a slightly panicked note and the fear in her eyes was growing exponentially. “Release me, child!”

“
I’m not a child,” Persephone walked calmly to where her mother was struggling with the rapidly growing and thickening mass of vines. “I’m a goddess, daughter to Zeus himself, and I will not be patronized any further. It’s time you learned that the power of creation will always defeat that of destruction.”

When vines started to flow over Demeter’s horrified eyes, she finally recovered and started to freeze the offending foliage but even as a sound like breaking glass announced her triumph, more shoots sprang forth to take their fallen comrades’ place, and soon Demeter was nothing more than a writhing mass of greenery. Then the earth split open and the vines pulled her down into it. When the ground closed over her, there wasn’t a single sign of her passing.

Ares recovered first. “She’s nothing, we don't need her. Attack!”

Hades shot out, pulling Persephone to his chest as a wall of fire appeared before us, effectively stopping the rushing army. Their entire front line was caught in the blaze and the sound of shrieking vampires melded with the smell of roasting meat. The most horrifying thing was the way my stomach began to rumble. I do love barbeque.

The flames held until Hades had Persephone safely behind us, stroking her face and beaming at her. I spared the happy couple a glance before I centered my attention on Odin. On either side of him stood his sons, and behind him were his Valkyries. Vidar looked over at me with a small amount of awe and a huge amount of love. I cried out my own love to him and even though it came out as a wild rumble, he smiled sweetly in understanding. Vali came up beside him, fully recovered from Demeter's attack, his bow in hand and an arrow at the ready. He didn't smile, just stared for a few seconds and then nodded. I huffed my approval at him. That's my boy.