Tracing Thunder
Amy Sumida
Copyright © 2014 Amy Sumida
All rights reserved.
ISBN-10:1500355763
ISBN-13: 978-1500355760
DEDICATION
For all of those who've journeyed with Vervain so long that the word “tracing” brings to mind only one thing... and it has nothing to do with drawing. Thank you for helping to make this story possible.
More Books by Amy Sumida
The Godhunter Series(in order)
Godhunter
Of Gods and Wolves
Oathbreaker
Marked by Death
Green Tea and Black Death
A Taste for Blood
The Tainted Web
Series Split:
These books can be read together or separately
Harvest of the Gods & A Fey Harvest
Perchance to Die
(Tracing Thunder)
Light as a Feather
Rain or Monkeyshine
Blood Bound
Eye of Re
Beyond the Godhunter
A Darker Element
The Twilight Court
Fairy-Struck
Pixie-Led
Raven Mocking
Other Books
The Magic of Fabric
Feeding the Lwas: A Vodou Cookbook
There's a Goddess Too
The Vampire-Werewolf Complex
Enchantress
Pronunciation Guide
A Thaisce: A Hash-keh
Aillidh: Ah-lee
Aodh: Ee
Aoife: Ee-fa
Arach: Air-roc
Bearach: BEH-ruck
Beltane: Bell-tayne
Brid: Bride
Brokkr: Brah-ker
Cailleach Bheur: Coyluck Bear
Cerebus: Sare-ree-bus
Cian: Key-an
Craigor: Kraeg-or
Crith-Fuinn: Creh-fuing
Daoir: Daheer
Drachleen-sidhe: Druch-leen Shee
Eilidh: Ael-ee
Eir: Ay-yer
Eitri: Ee-try
Ellingran: El-ING-rawn
Estsanatlehi(Mrs E): Es-tan-AHT-lu-hee
Farinne-sidhe: Fare-nya Shee
Fionnuala: Finn-noo-lah
Fionnaghal: Fyoon-ghal-a
Freyr: Fray-air
Freya: Fray-ah
Froekn: Fro-kin
Gleipnir: Gleyp-neer
Gruach: Groo-ah
Huitzilopochtli: Weet-seal-oh-POACHED-lee
Intare: In-tar-ay
Jotun: Yo-tin
Kanaloa: Kah-nah-low-ah
Kirill: Key-reel
Leannan-sidhe: Lah-nan Shee
Lyngheid: Lin-guide
Meilyr: May-ler
Mimir: Mee-meer
Nainsidh: Nan-she
Nidhogg: Neeth-awg
Nephthys: Nep-th-es
Nyavirezi: Nee-yah-veer-ez-ee
Peig: Paeg
Raiseala: Rash-uh-lah
Samhain: Sow-ween
Scotaidh: SCO-tee
Shehaquim: Shah-ha-keem
Skidbladnir: Skeed-blah-near
Skirnir: Skeer-near
Tairhail: Tah-vel
Tima: Tee-mah
Tlaloc: T-la-lock
Tsohanoai(Mr. T): So-ha-noe-ayee
Vali: Val-ee
Vidar: Vee-thar
Yngvi: Ing-vee
Chapter One
I sat among gods, counting wings.
It was surprising how many winged gods I knew. There was Horus, Odin, Finn, and Loki who could all shapeshift into birds. Then Azrael, his father Luke, and all the angels and demons they'd introduced me to, who wore wings in their normal forms. And now there was Morpheus.
The dream god was sitting across from me, staring at me with his shifting eyes of blue mist. Large, black pupils stood out like islands in the fog. It was nice to be able to see his true face finally and even nicer to know that he wasn't going to try and kill me in my sleep. I don't think that applied to the rest of his family though.
Morpheus was part of the Oneiroi, three Greek brother gods who could access the Realm of Dreams. Phobetor could take the form of either a lion or a bear and Phantasus was into creating illusions. Those two really got into the role their parents had given them, of gathering energy by killing people in their dreams. They had learned to enjoy the killing but not so much for Morpheus.
That's when I got involved. Morpheus tried to kill me in a dream, thinking I was mortal. Then he wouldn't stop bugging me. It all culminated in a nasty fight in which Morpheus actually came to my defense. So I kind of forgave him his attempt at murdering me. The problem was, he and his brothers had been killing people because they and their parents didn't want to do Zeus' dirty work. Zeus controlled the ambrosia, a drink that gave the Greek Pantheon their immortality. If you wanted some of that immortality, you had to pay for it and Zeus could demand a hefty price.
So that's why we were gathered in my dining hall at Pride Palace. We were trying to figure out how to get Zeus to give up the ambrosia for free. The rest of Morpheus' family hadn't been invited to our little discussion because to put it simply, I didn't like them and I sure as hell didn't want them in my home.
“But I drank from the Grayel,” I finally added something to the conversation. “And I took a dip in Anubis' fountain. How could I use both forms of immortality when I'm connected to neither pantheon?”
“You're not connected to any pantheon, Vervain” Odin explained gently.
Odin. We were married once and I'd died but he hadn't given up on me. He pulled me out of the Well of Souls and brought me back to life. It had taken us awhile to find each other again in my new life but we had and when death tried to take him from me, I was just as stubborn as he had been. I went into the Void and brought him back too.
I smiled at Odin like a lovesick teenager. He was sitting on my right, a spot normally reserved for Trevor as my alpha, but my werewolf Prince was being a gentleman and had moved down a seat, since the whole Odin being alive thing was still kind of new. At least him being alive and remembering that he was Odin. We had to call him Griffin there for awhile. That was awkward.
I appreciated Trevor's gesture since it was usually Kirill, my Ganza werelion, who courteously gave up his usual seat to one of my visiting lovers. This time Kirill was on my left with Azrael, the Angel of Death, who also happened to be my third lover(don't judge, it's a lioness thing). I looked over Odin's new face and short, dirty blonde hair. It was kind of startling but in a good way. He looked hot as a blonde.
“Vervain?” He nudged me.
“Oh,” I laughed a little at myself. “Sorry. Um, so because I wasn't born a goddess, I'm not restricted to a certain immortality process?”
“Yes, exactly,” Blue, also known as Huitzilopochtli, Aztec God of the Sun and War, nodded.
“I can go and talk to Zeus,” Hades offered for like the fiftieth time.
“No!” Everyone said together.
“I don't see what the problem is,” he huffed.
“The problem is, the last time you went to talk to a god in your pantheon alone, you fell asleep in a poppy field,” Persephone, his wife, grimaced at him. “Vervain and I had to go save your hot butt.”
“Yes, well,” Hades cleared his throat. “Zeus doesn't grow poppies.”
“Zeus has lightning,” I rolled my eyes.
“Actually, he's considered to be a god of thunder and the sky,” Hades looked over at me with his fiery eyes, windows giving me a glimpse into Hell. “He's
not really a god of lightning.”
“But don't you always see him holding a lightning bolt?” I frowned, trying to remember how Zeus was normally portrayed.
“It's a thunderbolt,” Hades corrected.
“Isn't that the same thing?” I scrunched up my face at him.
“Well-”
“So he doesn't have lightning?” I pressed.
“No, he has lightning,” Hades grinned. “I just wanted to point out that it technically wasn't his thing.”
“What's your thing?” I lifted a brow at the Lord of the Underworld.
“Death.”
“Okay, that'll work,” I glanced at Odin and found him laughing at me.
“I'll go with him,” Persephone announced. “Zeus won't hurt me.”
“Why not?” I asked.
“Because he's my father.”
Too bad Luke hadn't been there. I could have made a great joke from that. As it was, nobody laughed.
Chapter Two
After Persephone dropped the bomb about her parentage, we all gave in and agreed that it would probably be safe for her to confront her Dad about what he's been up to. Hades said they'd go to Olympus the very next morning, so everyone headed home and I headed to bed.
My dreams had been much simpler now that Morpheus wasn't haunting them and I drifted off quite easily, looking forward to some much deserved rest. I dreamed that I was in a meadow of wildflowers in the center of a bright forest. Bright may be an unusual word to describe a forest but it fit. The trees seemed to glow softly, so that areas which should have been in shadow were instead gently lit.
I walked forward, my long dress brushing aside the fragrant blooms which filled the clearing. The sweet scent of their petals wafted up to me along with the fresh, crisp smell of the grass that bent beneath my feet but didn't stay crushed. The cry of a bird echoed through the trees and then I felt a presence behind me.
I jerked around to find a short but stout man standing there. He was regarding me solemnly, his brown eyes set on mine from beneath two ridiculously bushy eyebrows. He had scraggly brown hair and a beard to match, though the beard looked in a better state than the hair on his head. He was dressed in dark clothes; a long sleeve shirt, leather jerkin, cotton trousers, and leather boots.
“It's about time,” he muttered in an irritated tone.
“What's up, Gimli?” I chuckled. Why the hell was I dreaming of dwarves? And what a great title that would be for something: Dreaming of Dwarves. Maybe a book or a band.
“My name isn't Gimli,” his scowl seemed to intensify but it was hard to tell behind all that hair, “it's Brokkr and I've been waiting a long time for you to fall asleep with the emerald on.”
“The emerald?” I looked down at my neck and sure enough, there was my emerald pendant, a huge green oval hanging on its thick gold chain.
“Yes,” he huffed. “The one Odin had us make for you. We enchanted it, unbeknownst to him.”
“You put the magic in it?” I lifted a brow at him. “But why?”
“The time is coming for you to fulfill the prophecy,” he said gravely. “You've taken all the magic you can and we hope that it will be enough to save you and the Nine.”
“Wow, I've really got to stop drinking wine before bed,” I shook my head.
“Just prepare yourself, Sabine, Daughter of Aednat, reborn of Hvergelmir, now Vervain Lavine, the Godhunter.”
“Well that was a mouthful,” I rolled my eyes. “You can just call me Vervain or even V, if you want”
“This is no jest!” He growled. “They'll send for you and you must be ready. Know that when all seems lost, you have the power inside you to free yourself.” He waved a hand outward and I followed it.
Behind me was a congregation of tall, elegant people. Pointed ears, long hair, and pale skin. They wore dramatically draped clothing and delicate jewelry. Elves, straight out of a Lord of the Rings movie. And I'd seen them before.
“I've dreamed this already,” I turned to fully face them and they dropped to their knees. Just as they had in my last dream.
“Of course you have,” Brokkr said from behind me.
Then a terrible moaning floated through the trees and I felt a shiver course through my body. My actual body, not my dream one. Something was pulling me back to it.
“Remember, Daughter of Aednat!” Brokkr called to me as I faded from the Realm of Dreams. “Remember the power you hold!”
I woke up, blinking and frowning with confusion. Then I heard the moaning again and looked over to find Kirill tossing and thrashing about in his sleep. He was making angry sounds and there was a light sheen of perspiration on his skin. I sat up just as Trevor woke up on my other side.
“What's wrong with him?” Trevor peered over me at Kirill.
“I think it's a nightmare,” I gripped Kirill's shoulder and gave it a shake. “Kirill! Wake up, Kirill.”
Kirill jolted upright and shot panicked eyes in my direction. Stray hairs had pulled free of his long, black braid and were sticking to the sides of his face. His blue eyes looked black in the dark, I couldn't see their pupils but I was sure they were dilated. Frantic eyes, taunt muscles, clenched teeth. This didn't bode well.
“Kirill?” I tried again.
“Tima,” he whispered as his muscles started to relax. “I dreamed...”
“Yeah, it's okay, honey,” I pulled him over to me and laid us back in the bed.
“Ze zings she said,” Kirill whispered.
“Demeter's dead,” I said against his temple. “She can't hurt you ever again.”
“I...,” he sighed and melted into my side.
“Is he okay?” Trevor leaned over me to look at Kirill.
“Already sleeping again,” I smiled sadly at Trevor.
We both knew the horrible things Demeter had done to both Kirill and Griffin. Griffin had actually let himself die to escape the memories of her. Then I'd brought Odin back into Griffin's body and gave those memories to him.
“I wish we could take that horror away from him,” Trevor said as he settled in beside me.
“Me too,” I rolled onto my back, letting Kirill shift into my side so I could snuggle with Trevor as well. Their heat enveloped me and I sighed, my hand trailing to my throat absently. My fingers hit warm stone and froze in shock.
I'd forgotten to take off my emerald necklace.
Chapter Three
Hades and Persephone came by late in the afternoon the next day. They both looked upset but refused to explain why until we got the entire Squad there to hear it. When everyone, including Morpheus, had arrived, they finally started talking.
“Zeus refuses to listen,” Hades growled. “He claims he's within his rights to dictate to the lesser gods.”
“Lesser gods!” Sephy was really in a state. “He basically called me, his own daughter, a lesser being. I almost made beans grow out of his ears for that!”
“I think I would have paid good money to see beans grow out of Zeus' ears,” I commented solemnly and a small smile cracked her angry visage.
“I've never seen him so unreasonable,” Hades continued. “He was like a different person. I didn't know that man at all.”
“It's been awhile since I've been to see him,” Sephy said, “but he's never been like that. I agree with Hades, speaking of the ambrosia changed him into a different person. It was like flipping a switch. He went from my father to a mad man.”
“He won't hear a word about change,” Hades nodded. “He acted like we were attacking him and actually threatened me!”
“I glared at him for that one,” Sephy huffed, “and he finally backed down but I don't think he'll budge on the issue of ambrosia.”
“Then we should start speaking to the other Greek gods,” Blue said firmly.
“I don't want to start a war within my own pantheon,” Hades sighed.
“I didn't say we should,” Blue shrugged. “Only that we should speak to all parties involved. We need some clarification here.”
“He's right,” Pan said. “I for one, would like to know what he asks of the others.”
“Meaning he asks something of you?” I set my gaze on Pan's cute little face with its pointed chin.
“He makes me give him a percentage of my profits,” Pan glanced at Hades, who looked surprised.
“He what?” Hades growled.
“It's kind of like a tithe, I guess,” Pan made a sound both resigned and disgusted.
“More like a pay off,” Trevor was frowning.
“Well, he does make the ambrosia,” Pan shared another look with Hades.
“He won't share the secret,” Hades explained. “He was an alchemist back in Atlantis. Hera and him both, actually. They brought certain plants with them when they fled and it's those plants which they use to brew the ambrosia.”
“They've got the monopoly on immortality and they drive a hard bargain,” I summed it up. “I agree with Blue, we need to talk to the others. Can you gather them for us, Hades?”
“I think I can manage it,” even behind the dark lenses of his glasses, I could see the fire burning in his eyes. It may have been my imagination but it seemed a bit hotter than normal.
Chapter Four
So it turns out, there's a lot of Greek gods.
Hades had invited most of them to his palace in the Greek Underworld and I have to admit that I was relieved to not have hosted the event at Pride Palace. There were some scary looking gods that I'd prefer to keep away from my home and my lions.
We were in an amphitheater that Hades just happened to have for occasions such as this. It was very pretty actually, with carved wood seats topped with red velvet cushions, all set in a tiered half-circle, facing down into a central floor with a lectern, as if a professor were about to step up and begin his class.
I was seated down in the middle first row with all of my men(except Arach, who was at home in Faerie) and my sons. Morpheus, and the God Squad took up the second row, directly behind us. The rest of the seats, flowing upward behind the Squad and out to both sides, were filled with the Greeks. Then standing before us at the lectern was Hades and Persephone. Hades was in his usual dark suit and he actually kinda looked like a professor. A really hot professor. Get it? Hot? Yeah okay, that joke's getting old.