The Grey God (War of Gods 4) (25 page)

She was losing blood fast, her movements growing heavy.

“Bianca!” she barked. She strained to keep her hold on the guardsman, even as the other one left the cell and snatched a sword to finish her off.

Fire blazed through her as Bianca snatched her leg. Jenn rolled away, blocking the standing guardsman’s shot of her. She gripped the blade of the dagger the man on top of her tried to shove through her throat. Smashing her forehead against his nose, Jenn wrenched the knife free and drove it through him.

She struggled out from under his body as the last of her opponents slashed at her. Kicks made him keep his distance and bought her time. His sword slashed downward at her. Jenn rolled, ran into the wall, and cried out as he split her back. She didn’t wait for him to step back but kicked his knee as hard as she could. He staggered, and she snatched his wrist, hauling herself up. With the last of her energy, she stabbed him through the eye.

The man dropped. Jenn fell with him, bloodied and in pain.

“Bianca,” she called again.

The glowing woman emerged, trailed by Sofi. The two looked around, visibly unsettled by the damage Jenn had done. The walls and floor of the hallway were splattered with blood, the bodies of the newly killed still kicking. Even cool Sofi appeared upset.

Jenn didn’t remember a time when she would’ve looked twice at a dead man. She couldn’t help pitying the women who had been thrust into a bloody war when they met their Guardian mates. It wasn’t an easy life, though if anyone could adjust and thrive, it was the women Damian, Dusty, and Jule chose.

“Anytime,” she murmured, feeling herself sinking into the darkness.

Bianca dropped to her knees beside her, and her cold healing fire tore through Jenn. Jenn gritted her teeth against it as her body mended itself. The Healer released her. Jenn rose unsteadily and looked down at herself.

She was a train wreck. She stripped off the shredded T-shirt and tossed it. Returning to the cell, she used the long-sleeved shirt to wipe the blood off her body quickly and then to clean the blades of the weapons she snatched off the ground. She shoved one blade into her belt and stripped the knives off the dead men, putting them in her cargo pockets. She kept two out and joined Sofi and Bianca in the hallway, handing one to each.

They stared at her. Jenn wasn’t sure what to say after the battle. Both women took the knives, handling them with awkwardness borne of a lack of familiarity with handling deadly weapons.

“You were awesome,” Bianca said finally. “Dusty said you trained him. I believe it now.”

“That was cool,” Sofi agreed. “Gory but cool.”

“Thanks,” Jenn said. “We need to go. Sofi, any idea how to get out of here?”

The Oracle shook her head. Jenn chose a direction and paused at the first intersection to listen for anyone approaching. She moved forward again. Glancing out a window, she confirmed they were in the city, somewhere near the center. The ocean was visible; she estimated they were about half a mile from the orchard.

“Ocean,” she said, pointing out the window. “If anything happens to me, go that direction.”

She stayed on the same floor until finding a stairwell leading down. They hurried to the ground floor. Jenn readied herself for a battle as she cracked the door open. She saw nothing and stepped cautiously into the hallway, looking both ways.

Sofi and Bianca trailed her. They wandered the hallways on the main floor until finding one that led to a side door of the large, stone building. Jenn opened it, relieved to see the outside world. Her gaze assessed their location for a safe path towards the ocean.

“We’re going there,” she said, indicating the next largest structure nearby. It was the remains of another large building.

“Something’s not right,” Sofi said.

Jenn looked around for signs of a trap. She was about to venture away from them when Bianca took her arm. Jenn turned to see Bianca’s other hand on Sofi, while the Oracle’s hands were around her stomach.

“What’s wrong?” Jenn asked immediately.

“Call me crazy, but I think Sofi’s getting ready to deliver,” Bianca said.

“That’s impossible!”

“It’s gotta be the immortal world. She’s not due for another four months.”

“Can you stop it?” Jenn looked around again and then at Sofi. She’d thought the Oracle looked much larger than a few months pregnant. Everything that held magic was amplified in the immortal world. Even carrying a White God, Jenn couldn’t explain Sofi’s pregnancy accelerating so fast, unless …“Wait, exactly how long have you been here?”

“At least a day and a half,” Bianca said. “We were grabbed yesterday before dawn.”

“A full twenty-four hours in the immortal world,” Jenn said and sighed. “Sofi, you had to know this was coming.”

“I can’t see my own fate, but I suspected this might happen when I saw yours,” the Oracle said. “We need to get out of here. Now.”

Jenn trotted forward, towards the huge block of marble. They slid behind it, and she sought their next move. Sofi leaned against the rock. Jenn exchanged a worried look with Bianca.

“No,” Bianca said to the unasked question. “I can’t stop it.”

“Then we need to keep moving,” Jenn said. She started forward again, towards more debris. While she tried to keep close to objects that might provide some sort of cover if attacked, she chose the fastest route possible. Sofi slowed as they walked, and Jenn looked up at the midday sun. Changes undergone in the immortal world normally weren’t permanent, once they returned to their world for twenty-four hours. However, if they didn’t hurry, Sofi would come back with a child before twenty-four hours passed in the mortal world.. Jenn didn’t know if her pregnancy could be reversed, even upon returning to the mortal world, but she knew they couldn’t stop long enough for Sofi to have her baby.

Jenn gasped, dismayed, as the wall around the orchard came into view. It was patrolled by guardsmen wearing the Others’ symbols on their cloaks. She motioned to a hollowed-out building and turned to face the other two.

Sofi was pale and Bianca anxious. Jenn watched Sofi lower herself to a boulder. For the first time in long while, Jenn didn’t think she could get them to safety alone. The Oracle was ready to pop and the wall was guarded by half a dozen men.

“Fuck,” she murmured. “How long do we have, Bianca?”

“An hour, tops,” the Healer said.

Jenn calculated silently. “We’re not going to make it.”

“We’ll make it,” Sofi said.

“Is this the Oracle or the pregnant chic talking?” Jenn asked.

Sofi gave her an icy look.

“I take it it’s the pregnant chic. I’ll work fast.”

Jenn gazed towards the wall, mentally determining her chances at taking on six guardsmen and getting them all over the wall before more came or worse—before Others showed up.

“Bianca, you know where to stab someone?” she asked, facing the two of them again.

“Dusty taught me.”

“Take Sofi’s knife. If anyone, and I mean anyone, comes this way, you stab first, talk later. Got it?”

“Yes.”

Jenn turned to leave, almost crying out in surprise. The creature she least wanted to see stood before her, eyes glowing red. She lowered herself into a fighting stance.

“Interesting,” Xander said, gaze sweeping over them and lingering on the Oracle. “Bet you didn’t see this one coming, Oracle. I did.”

“What do you want?” Jenn demanded, stepping between the women and the towering vamp.

“I see you made a choice.” His eyes went to the necklace dangling at the center of her chest.

“You didn’t come here to gloat. If you came to stop us …” Jenn drew her second knife.

“He’s going to help us,” Sofia said.

“You’re talking about Xander, right?” Jenn glanced over her shoulder and saw the Oracle teetering to her feet with Bianca’s assistance.

“Yes. You’re going to take that thing off Jenn’s arm, and you’re going to make sure we
all
make it back safely,” Sofi said to the Original Vamp.

“I didn’t come here for that,” Xander replied.

“But you’ll do it.”

“What the fuck is going on?” Jenn asked, startled as the Oracle pushed her aside to stand before Xander. The small woman glared up at the Vamp. Jenn sensed some sort of silent communication between them, one that made the Original Vamp shift.

“I do nothing for free, Oracle,” he growled finally. His eyes fell to Jenn. His fangs lengthened. They were half the size of her longest finger.

“If that’s all it takes. I survived the first time” she said and lowered her weapons. She swallowed hard. Xander’s bite hadn’t been gentle. “Bite me, Xander.”

“You’ll do it, Xander, or I’ll reveal your little secret,” Sofi said calmly.

“An Oracle—”

“—has nothing to lose right now and doesn’t mind breaking your rules.”

Jenn glanced at the fiery Oracle, impressed by her spunk. The woman radiated cold power, her eyes brighter than even Xander’s.

“You get one favor in exchange,” the Vamp snarled. “The other will cost one of you.”

“Your secret. And I won’t fuck up your … fate. That’s two.”

Xander stared at her. “Someone’s not playing fair.”

“Looks like you just got your ass beat,” Jenn said, unable to keep the smugness out of her voice.

Xander’s fangs receded. He didn’t look happy.

“You can Travel here?” Jenn asked, looking up at their unwilling protector.

Xander nodded once.

She held out one hand to him and another to Sofi. The Oracle took it, and Bianca took her other one. Jenn touched Xander’s arm. He was tense and furious. She felt it even without her magic. Touching him was like sticking her finger in a light socket. She tried not to move away.

They Traveled, stopping at the base of the tree at the center of the orchard. An alarm went up at the wall. Sofi dropped to her knees, holding her stomach.

“You’re staying,” Xander said as Jenn bent to help the Oracle to her feet. “You two, go.”

“Remember, Xander,” Sofi gasped.

“I heard you the first time,” he snapped and grabbed Jenn’s arm.

Before Jenn could object, they Traveled. When her vision cleared to reveal where he’d taken her, she sucked in a breath.

“I doubt this was what Sofi told you to do,” she muttered.

“Next time, she won’t fuck with an Original Vamp. And neither will you.”

“You’re not going to free me first, are you?”

“What is it you used to say to me?” He pretended to consider. “Oh. Fuck you.”

Jenn looked up at him then grabbed her weapons, stepping into the ring with an opponent she wasn’t sure she was meant to beat.

Near the desert gateway between worlds, Darian found his rhythm. Evade, strike. Evade, strike, kill. Evade, strike. Evade, strike, kill. His body adjusted to the physical blows while his magic absorbed the purple lightning. Every once in awhile, he absorbed too much, and the result threw him on his back.

He launched to his feet again, this time flinging a dagger at the Other nearest him. His rhythm disrupted, he glanced towards the boulder where he’d hidden Yully and Charles, making sure they weren’t in danger. The Black God was fighting nearby, hurling black clouds at the Others then trying not to get hit by lightning in return. Darian heard him yelp twice, but the pain only seemed to make Jonny angrier. His power swelled, until dark clouds blocked the desert sun.

Darian was working hard to keep the Others from returning to the immortal world. He’d killed a dozen so far, but more kept appearing. At some point, he’d have to snatch Yully and Charles and drag them down to the immortal world and hope they had a chance to Travel before being blasted to pieces.

From what Jonny revealed, Darian needed to be on the immortal side of the world before he unleashed his magic. He wasn’t entirely certain the Black God could be trusted, if not for Bianca being in danger.

Darian tripped suddenly and landed on his stomach. He rolled, startled to see two people come through the gateway where no one had been before.

“Bianca!” Jonny cried, moving towards them.

“Darian, Sofi—”

Darian didn’t let her finish but swept the Oracle up into his arms, grimacing as he absorbed the lightning magic. It rippled through him and into Sofi, who’d gone still in his arms. She was bigger than he remembered. He dropped to his knees behind the boulder where Yully and Charles hid.

“Bianca!” The Black God reached them.

The Healer knelt beside Sofi. “I’m okay, Jonny!”

“I’m taking you out of here,” Jonny said, snatching her arm and hauling her up.

“No, Jonny, Sofi’s—”

“Where’s Jenn?” Darian demanded, taking her other arm.

“She’s with Xander. Jonny—”

“Alone?” Darian asked, his anger rising another notch at the thought of Jenn with the Original Vamp.

“Darian, Sofi’s having her baby!” Bianca shouted.

“She
what
?”

Even Jonny hesitated, eyes going to the pale Oracle. Charles inched away, as if pregnancy was contagious, and Yully reached out to touch Sofi’s forehead.

“You can’t leave them alone,” Yully said. “They’ll find them again. They’ll never let any of us go!”

Darian hesitated, stomach churning at the thought of what he’d come to do.