Morpheus chuckled. “Oh, don’t worry, sexy. Khent’s going to be plenty distracted soon enough.”
“First, don’t call me sexy.” Mormo scowled, a flush spreading over his pale cheeks. “Second,pleasetell me you aren’t meddling again. Every time our vampires dream, they mate and become less stable, not more. You’d think the females would ground them. But instead, our lethal crew loses it when anyone so much as talks about using their mates to stop world destruction. It’s beyond irritating.” Mormo tossed back a shot of ambrosia, his long white hair settling over his back like the lightest of swan feathers.
Morpheus studied the line of his throat, his smile and his gaze filled with hopeful depravity.
As if Hecate needed to deal with a sexed-up Mormo on top of everything else.
“No, just no.” She approached, transforming into a young woman of Indian descent, her fingernails and toenails painted a deep blood-red color. The vampires had turned her on to red in a big way. “Leave him alone, Morpheus.”
The handsome god pulled back, a hand to his bare chest, the linen skirt he wore a throwback to ancient times when humans had worshipped him in temples and with sacrifice. Mormo wore jeans and a tee-shirt, probably trying to appear more human. His long, hooded robes and Lord-of-the-Rings deco period had been overly dramatic. Even for Mormo.
“Hecate, how lovely you look, as usual.” Morpheus took her hand, leaned over it, and kissed it, all while studying Mormo from under his lashes. “Absolutely gorgeous.”
Mormo, bless him, deliberately turned his back on the god. “Hecate, I’m glad you’re here. We have an issue.”
She sighed. “When don’t we have an issue?”
To her relief, it turned out the Tuatha de Danann had problems with Gwyn Ap Nudd, an infamous archer and battle strategist who’d helped train the Night Bloode upon their inception. Apparently, Gwyn had been spreading false tales about being needed in Seattle instead of heading back to the fae realm to take part in the Wild Hunt.
“I told Lugh to talk to Tyr, because one of our waitstaff saw them chatting a few months ago,” Mormo said. “Then one of the valkyries started throwing punches, accusingme—if you can believe that—of trying to seduce her sisters in Asgard. I’ve been so busy here I haven’t left the city, let alone this realm.” Mormo huffed.
Morpheus tried not to grin. Oh, he knew something.
Hecate took even breaths, determined to keep her calm. “Just tell me, Morpheus.”
“I can’t be certain, but it sounds like Loki’s up to some mischief. That or Rolf is having way too much fun with your magician, dear Hecate.”
“Rolf?” Mormo frowned, his expression darkening like a thundercloud. “That little blond bastard. I’ll end him.”
“Can I watch?” Morpheus stared at Mormo as if a dying man who’d just found water in the desert. “You are so hot when you’re mad. I mean, that rage is just…wow.”
Mormo stomped away, swearing in languages long dead.
Hecate would have gone after him, but she had more pressing matters to fix. “Hold on, Morpheus. I know I asked you to help me with my little project, but timing is everything. I thought we’d agreed to wait on Khent. Rumor has it he’s dreaming. What are you about with my reaper?”
“Yourreaper?” He laughed. “Hecate, as much as you love your vampires, they barely tolerate you.”
“I know. That’s what makes them so charming.”
“Charming?” He scoffed. “You’re losing it.”
“I know.” She groaned. “No one but you is listening to me about the Darkness. It’s coming closer, Morpheus. All that stands between it and us will be the Night Bloode. Wehaveto find that last Bloode Stone.”
He paused. “Have you tried talking to Ambrogio or Selene about it?”
The creators of the powerful magic in the Bloode Stones would of course have been her first choice. “You don’t think I’ve tried? No one has seen or heard from the pair in thousands of years.”
“I could look for you.”
She waited.
He just watched her.
“Go on. You’ll look for me, but only if I give you what? What’s it going to cost?”
“Ah, I’m so glad you asked.” His sly smile made her instantly wary. “You lend me Mormo for a few years when this wraps up. I swear I’ll give him back.”
“Unharmed.”
