The Grey God (War of Gods 4) Read online

  “I hope you know better than to hurt a certain Guardian,” Darian said.

  Surprised, Jonny’s gaze returned to him.

  Darian crossed his arms.

  “I wouldn’t hurt her,” Jonny said. “Ever.”

  “That’s not what your mind tells me,” Darian baited.

  “First Xander, now you.” The Black God’s face flashed bright red. “This is my world. Who are you to interfere in my world? Jenn is mine. Damian said so. She’s mine.”

  “Jenn is not yours. I don’t have the pretty little boundaries you do, boy,” Darian replied. “I’m the one person on this planet who can fuck up your world.”

  “I’m the Black God. My domain is every evil thought and deed. So what if I use what I am to get what I want from her? I have a free pass now. I can do and take and be whatever I want!”

  “Yes, you can, but a woman like Jenn would choose death over what you’d do to her. You will not hurt her.”

  Jonny stared at him. Darian watched him, gauging the emotions crossing his features. The Black God turned and walked away. Not entirely satisfied, Darian started in the opposite direction. He’d keep an eye on Jenn between his missions to kill Others, even if she didn’t seem to want anything to do with him.

  Darian felt a thread of warmth in the hallway. It wasn’t the cold power of the vamps and Jonny but the warmer magic of a Guardian. He turned, expecting to see Jenn. Darian stood at the other end of the hallway where it met the foyer. The Guardian was a man Darian didn’t recognize, who spoke to Jonny for a brief moment before handing him a small note and disappearing.

  After reading the note, Jonny, too, Traveled elsewhere. Darian walked down the hallway, uneasy with what appeared to be a summons, delivered by a Guardian. What would Damian want with Jonny? Why not send for Darian, too?

  Darian shook off his unease. If Damian needed something, he’d contact him. It must not concern him, if Damian hadn’t delivered the message personally.

  Darian ascended the stairwell to the second floor and strode by Jenn’s room. A glance through the doorless entry revealed no one there. He paused in the doorway, eyes going to the bathroom door. It, too, was open. He glanced at her backpack, which rested in the corner.

  Something was up. He closed his eyes and Traveled back to Texas, to Damian’s home. No one was in the White God’s study. Darian peered out the window, where he had a good view of the barn that had been converted into a gym.

  “Sofi says to tell you they’re in the wine cellar.”

  Darian smiled to himself at his sister-in-law’s Irish lilt. He turned to see Yully in the hallway outside the study, holding one of the dozen cats they’d adopted.

  “Thanks,” he said. He strode across the room and down the hallway. The wine cellar had been an addition to the sprawling house, accessible only by leaving the house and descending a set of stairs off the kitchen.

  Darian opened the door into the wine cellar. His eyes adjusted quickly to the darkened room as he passed empty shelves to a second door. He paused to draw a knife, uneasy to feel who was inside the cellar.

  An Other was there.

  Darian opened the door and slid into the storage room. Not only was an Other there, but so was Damian, the messenger he’d sent, Jonny, Jenn, and Xander. The tension in the room was high, each creature bristling with magic.

  “He doesn’t need to be here,” the Other said without looking at Darian.

  “My brother goes where he pleases,” Damian replied.

  “He killed five Others yesterday. I’d rather have him here,” Jonny seconded.

  Darian moved away from the door and kept to the edge of the room, sensing he was only welcomed because he was in the unique position to defend everyone there if the Other started blasting people. Curious about what was going on, his eyes strayed from the Other to Jenn. She was almost too still to be breathing, her jaw clenched.

  “We’re debating an alleged act of misconduct by one of our Guardians,” Damian explained then faced the small man with purple eyes. “Go on with your wild accusations, Other.”

  “Your Guardian crossed into the immortal world. It’s forbidden to do so, has been since the Schism,” the Other said.

  “It would stand to reason it’s also forbidden for you to be here,” Damian replied.

  “One would think. And one would be wrong. The Original Beings made no such law when they split the two worlds. You have one here. Ask him.”

  “Unfortunately, it’s true.” Xander shifted from across the room, his red eyes punctuating the darkness.

  “Even so,” Damian said, addressing the Other. “You’ve done more harm here than anything one of my little Guardians could do to the immortal world.”

  “Perhaps. However, the rule stands. As the White and Black Gods of this earth, you are bound by the requirement to turn the violator over to us.”

  “This is like jailing Al Capone for tax evasion,” Damian said.

  “If we do as you say, will you stop whatever it is you’re doing in my ranks and leave me alone?” Jonny asked.

  All eyes turned to him. Darian straightened from his position slouching against the wall. Jenn didn’t even blink.

  “You have my word,” the Other said after a pause.

  “Damian,” Jonny said, turning to the White God, “I will not object if you wish to turn her over to them.”

  “You forget, Jonny, it’s impossible for one of us to cross over,” Damian replied. “You can’t condemn someone who didn’t do something.”

  Darian moved closer, gut sinking. The station nearest the portal had called him with the previous evening’s activity report early in the morning. Among the movements of Others, they’d seen Jenn. He’d planned on asking her about it this morning, before the summons took her and Jonny from the mountain fortress.

  “Ikir, I—” Jenn voiced quietly.

  “Quiet, Guardian,” Damian ordered. “To be perfectly honest, shouldn’t this kind of dispute be solved by the Gatekeeper?”

  The Other sneered. “The Gatekeeper is unnatural. There was none in the beginning. There should be none now.”

  “But there was,” Xander spoke again. “Maybe you are not old enough to remember, Other, but the Gatekeeper existed before the Originals. He was slaughtered by my kind, but he exists now. The Guardian has broken a law that only the Gatekeeper has the power to enforce.”

  Darian met Damian’s gaze. The White God winked at him, and Darian resisted the urge to snort. He sensed every creature in the room—except maybe the poor messenger—had an agenda. For once, he didn’t know what Damian might be thinking.

  “Assuming this violation occurred, what is the punishment for breaking this law?” Darian asked, stepping into the center of the room beside the White and Black Gods.

  “Life,” the Other said. “It becomes ours. The Guardian will be banished to the immortal world.”

  Darian wanted to strangle the Other. He looked from the creature to Jenn and approached her. Damian stepped out of the way. A look at Jonny sent the Black God back quickly as well. Darian stopped when he was close enough to Jenn for their bodies to touch. She was tense and still, her mind on lockdown.

  “Anything I need to know?” he asked for her ears only.

  “I freely admit it, ikir,” she whispered with an air of formality. “I did what he said. I wasn’t there long, but I still went. If I’d known it was off limits, I wouldn’t have gone.”

  “But what drew you? Tell me it was magic by one of them.”

  Her jaw clenched again. She said nothing.

  “You must turn her over,” the Other said. “As a God, you are obligated to follow the few rules you barbarians have here.”

  Darian drew a breath and faced the Other. “I may be obligated, but I also owe a life debt to this particular Guardian. She rescued me from three of your kind. Which means I can forgive any trespass she may have committed. Pretty sure that’s a rule, too, right, Xander?”

  “It is,” Xander agreed.
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br />   “Then it’s settled,” Darian said. “You get nothing, Other.”

  “There’s another matter.”

  “You’re trying my patience,” he growled.

  “Your Guardian stole something from the immortal world.”

  “What? Air? Now you’ll tell me it’s illegal for her to breathe the air down there.”

  “It wasn’t air she stole,” the Other replied. “It was an object. I want it back.”

  “This is getting old,” Darian said, pacing. He glanced at Jenn. Her eyes sparked with fury too deep to be mere offense. “Brother, Jonny, Original. If you’ll excuse us.”

  All three hesitated. Damian was the first to show his support by Traveling, taking the messenger with him. Jonny waited for Xander to go before he, too, disappeared. Alone with Jenn and the Other, Darian looked between the two.

  “What the fuck is going on?” he demanded.

  “I stole nothing of his,” Jenn replied with forced calmness.

  “Everything in the immortal realm is ours,” the Other spat.

  “I don’t think you’re here for that reason. I’m more interested in what an Other wants from a lowly Guardian. Why did you pick this one to torment?” Darian asked, studying the Other.

  “Ask her.”

  “Jenn? How’d you piss off these slimy creatures?”

  “I did nothing to them, ikir,” she said, ducking her head in typical sign of respect. From any other Guardian, he might’ve believed that’s why she hid her gaze.

  “She did nothing to you, and you’re insisting on taking her to the immortal world forever,” Darian mused. “You, Other, get the fuck out. If she stole something from you, I’ll return it. I can find you anywhere you are.”

  “If it’s not returned before one day has completed, her life is ours.”

  “Fine. Go.” To his astonishment, the Other went. “I didn’t think that’d work. Now, Jenn.”

  “Ikir, it doesn’t belong to them,” she said firmly. “There’s no reason for them to pursue this except to—never mind.” She kept her eyes on the floor.

  “What did you take?” he asked, curious. He approached her again, stopping only when she grew tenser.

  “Nothing of any possible value to them, ikir.” Her voice was tight.

  “I’m not asking as the Grey God, Jenn,” Darian said. “They’re demanding your life in exchange for it. Whatever it is, it’s not worth that.”

  “It might be to me.”

  “It isn’t to me,” he said firmly.

  She hesitated then reached into her shirt and pulled free the necklace marking her House in the immortal world. She pulled it off and handed it to him. Darian studied it. There could be nothing the Others wanted with the necklace. Jenn was from a servant’s house, so lowborn she was barely off the streets. Carrying a reminder of a station so far below her current one seemed odd for the pragmatic warrior. It had to hold some great significance to her.

  “You said there was a reason for them to pursue this?” he asked.

  “It has no value to anyone but me.”

  “That’s not what you said, though. They’re after you for some reason. You know why.”

  “There’s one way to solve this. Turn me over to them,” she said, looking up at last. There was challenge and defiance in her gaze. “You know I’ll go down fighting.”

  “I’m going to return this, and that’ll be the end of this mess,” he replied, placing the necklace in his pocket. He focused on his senses to pick up the location of the Other that had been in the wine cellar. Satisfied he could find it, Darian started towards the door.

  “Darian.”

  He turned at her voice.

  “Thank you.” Jenn looked calm, but she was squeezing and releasing her fists in a sign that she was ready to explode.

  Darian held her dark gaze. “Everyone in this room knew something I didn’t about this. How is that possible?”

  “Not everyone.”

  “What is it you all are keeping from me?”

  Jenn drew a deep breath. “A choice. I’m going back to Jonny’s.”

  “Jenn, I’m done with this shit. You’ve been acting strange towards me for days now. I want my friend back.”

  “That’s not possible, Darian.”

  “Tell me why.”

  “The first lesson I taught Jonny was that those people closest to his target were vulnerabilities. The more people there were, the more liabilities. I will not be a vulnerability the Others can exploit,” she said.

  “You underestimate my ability to protect these liabilities, as you call them,” he said, irritated with her words. “I’m not the lost soul I was, in need of others to make decisions for me. I decide who I want to be around, not you or anyone else.”

  “Very well. Then maybe I don’t want anything to do with you.”

  “That can’t be true.”

  “Why not? You’ve changed. My duty was to take care of you. You’re fine now, and it’s time for me to move onto the next mission,” she insisted.

  “I thought you were better at lying.”

  “Women like me are much better at seducing men into agreeing with me,” she said.

  “Then seduce me.” He didn’t flinch this time, suspecting she was purposely trying to push the Claire button to manipulate him.

  “No, Darian, I’m not going to do it.”

  “Coward. You say you want nothing to do with me. Convince me.” Darian crossed his arms. “If you can do it, I’ll do as you ask and walk away.”

  “Easy.” Jenn ran her fingers through her hair, tousling it. As if a switch inside her was flipped, her tense movements disappeared, replaced by the graceful, supple movements of a cat. “You don’t think I can do it.” Her voice had lowered into a husky purr.

  Jenn took several steps towards him, Darian shifted, reminded of another temptress, one that had succeeded not only in mating with him but betraying him. He almost called off the game, but something in Jenn’s dark eyes stopped him. She didn’t look away from him. He felt a tingle at the base of his skull, one that warned him she was using some sort of magic on him.

  “Your magic won’t work on me,” he said.

  “Maybe not,” she replied. “But I won’t need it.” She stopped in front of him and placed her fingertips in the middle of his chest. “Men are easy to manipulate, as you well know.”

  “That’s a low blow,” he said.

  Jenn’s eyes went to the finger on his chest. She traced it down to his upper abdomen and paused. With a lick of her lips, she flickered her gaze up to his again then down, a smile playing across her face. Her fingers continued, and he felt the heat of her touch like lightning running through his body. He remained stoic, unwilling to let her see that her touch was affecting him.

  She leaned forward, her breasts brushing his chest. With her large, warm brown eyes, plumped lips, and fingers stopped just north of his belt, Darian began to believe her about not needing her magic. The beautiful woman in front of him rose on her tiptoes as if to kiss him. In that moment, he couldn’t think of a better idea.

  When he shifted, Jen leaned away with a coy smile and trailed the finger across his lower abdomen, moving around him. Her breasts brushed his arm, sending lightning and warmth through him. She leaned into him again, this time whispering husky words that would’ve made him blush years ago. Her lips tickled his ears before she moved away. He turned with her, watching her languid walk. Jenn unbuttoned her jacket one button at a time. Even though she wore a snug shirt beneath it, Darian couldn’t help willing her to hurry. She lowered it to the ground, dropping it in a heap. He fidgeted to keep from reaching out to her.

  “You’re making this too easy,” she said.

  Jenn sensed his arousal. She had let him bait her. Worse, she’d taken the bait. The furious part of her wanted nothing to do with letting him admit she’d won until he was mewling at her feet. She also sensed his turmoil, a moment of insecurity that made her want to pounce for the win.

  H
e’d saved her life. Rather than feel grateful, she felt shame that she’d caused them all such a problem and hadn’t been able to take care of herself. Anger and other emotions grew within her. She focused them on Darian, the man she tried to protect by convincing him she felt nothing for him.

  He was wild, unlike the men she normally seduced, and that thrilled her. She could predict them but not Darian. Worse, he made her feel for the first time. The brush of their skin had jolted her with a rush unlike anything she’d ever felt. Convincing herself it was only his magic, she couldn’t help sensing once more there was something else between them. The way he looked at her, the emotion that stirred within her when they talked and touched.

  Focusing hard on not letting him affect her, she continued her game of seduction, teasing him with looks, touches, whispers, until Darian’s body was rigid and his turmoil had melted into lust intense enough to make his eyes glow. She sidled up to him one last time, pausing close enough to hear him breathing. Triumphant yet still angry, she wriggled slowly out of her shirt, dropping it beside her.

  Darian stepped away, his breathing quick. Jenn held his gaze, wanting with all her heart to convince him to walk away from her here, now. She’d beat his game. If she didn’t, she wasn’t sure she ever would. He should’ve been running for the door by now.

  Instead, he stayed. She narrowed the distance again, this time rising up on her tiptoes to kiss him lightly on the lips, the final push over the cliff on which he teetered. The moment their lips met, lightning flew through her, setting every nerve afire with awareness unlike anything she’d felt before.

  “Damn, you’re good,” Darian whispered. “I don’t know what that was, but I want more of it.”

  “That’s how this works,” she replied, her body tingling with desire. “I win. You gotta walk away now.”

  “Do I?” Darian’s voice was low and husky. “Is that what you really want, Jenn?”

  “That was the deal,” she lied, meeting his gaze. “Walk away, Darian. For good.”

  He studied her, his eyes lingering on her lips and the swells of her breasts before he met her gaze again. Instead of moving away, he rested his hands lightly on her arms. More of the warm electricity flowed into her.