They threaded their way through the crowd, the music and booze flowing.
To Val’s surprise, everyone gave Hecateandher respectful nods. They must have thought her Hecate’s apprentice or something.
Val nodded back, feeling proud. Of what, she had no idea. Perhaps because here, among those waiting to cross into another realm, she belonged. Her place had always been to straddle the worlds of life and death.
In Hecate’s Crossroads, Val’s existence made sense and wasn’t something to fear but to appreciate. She fit.
They found Khent in a darkened area empty of onlookers, his hand around Morpheus’s neck.
The god of dreams dangled like a broken doll while Khent shook him and swore at him in a foreign tongue.
Upon seeing Hecate, Morpheus motioned for her to do something.
Val didn’t know if she should, because Morpheus had sold them out to Nergal. For all they knew, Nergal and Vladimir had this supposed Bloode-Stone, which would be very bad for humanity.
Hecate frowned. “Khent, please drop him. We have things to discuss.”
“I can kill him here and now. No one need ever know.”
Val knew he meant it. And she understood why the gods had once limited vampiric power. Khent didn’t seem at all afraid of hurting or even offending Morpheus, the god of dreams. She had no doubt he’d kill the deity if Hecate would allow it.
And maybe if she didn’t allow it.
That would likely get him in trouble, something Val was loath to see happen, though he surely didn’t need her help to stay safe.
Whatever “safe” meant to a vampire.
Hell, why did she even care? She had a necromancer to kill and an underworld god to avoid. Not to mention a host of shifters and Talon relying on her. So what that Khent had been solicitous and caring? He was avampire.
Sometimes it was like she didn’t know her own mind.
She couldn’t help trying anyway. “Khent, please. Let’s hear him out.”
He glanced at her, looked back at Morpheus, then threw him away.
Instead of falling into darkness, the god slammed into a wall that formed out of the shadows.
He landed with an audible thump.
Hecate moved her hands, and three more walls shifted to enclose them in a small room. “There. Now we can talk plainly. Morpheus, what have you learned?”
He straightened and glared at Khent, wiping invisible dirt from his mortal clothing that turned into a kilt and tunic, showing off his golden muscles. “I’ve learned that reapers are assholes.”
“Oh please. You already knew that.”
Khent grinned.
Val’s heart raced. The sight of his smile stole her ability to reason every time.
He saw her looking and winked.
She fanned herself, which made him chuckle and cross to her side, putting an arm around her shoulders.
“Fine.” Morpheus sighed. “Can I get a drink? I think I’ve earned it.”
“You’ve earned a kick in the pants,” Val muttered, annoyed but too in awe of being around gods to tell him in graphic detail what she really thought.
“Ooooh, burn.Not.” Morpheus snorted. “Hey, Hecate. That drink?”
