As the Crow Flies (Book 19 in the Godhunter Series) Read online

“I probably look like an old faerie,” I sighed. “I sparkle and have white hair.”

  “Faeries don't go white,” Thor shook his head, and then caught the angry look his father was giving him. “What? It's true.” Odin continued to glare at Thor until Thor added, “But it's also beautiful.”

  “Uh huh,” I rolled my eyes. “Let's just go home.”

  “Okay, my little star faerie,” Odin chuckled when I shot him a nasty look.

  We traced back to Pride Palace, where the entire God Squad was waiting, along with my husbands, Re, my sons by Odin, Azrael's parents, Fenrir, and Fenrir's wife Emma. They all expressed their happiness to hear that my star was healed, but I knew the true reason for their visit: my twins. The boys were instantly removed from their baby carriers, and passed around like joints at a Reggae concert.

  “What's with the Rogue hair?” Trevor asked after he gave me a relieved hug.

  “Rogue?” I blinked in surprise. “I hadn't thought of her. Yeah, I can deal with an X-Men look. Maybe I'll dye the rest of my hair red.”

  “Minn Elska,” he chuckled and emphasized his question, “what happened?”

  “I don't know,” I shrugged, “something with fixing my star.”

  “And now you have star hair,” Kirill grinned. “I like it.”

  “Me too,” Azrael slid in for a hug and when he pulled back, he tapped the streak. “It matches my eyes.”

  “And her Moon,” Re added as he swept in for a kiss. “My Moon and Star.”

  “O-o-o-oh, a Game of Thrones reference, I'm liking this thing more and more,” I swept back my hair with some attitude.

  “Well you are the true Mother of Dragons,” Trevor fist-bumped Kirill, to give him credit for being the one who originally came up with the joke.

  “Great, as if her ego wasn't big enough to begin with,” Horus huffed.

  “No, darling,” Hekate rolled her eyes, “that's your ego.”

  “Thanks, Katie,” I shared a smirk with her.

  “No prob, girl,” Hekate nodded towards Rian. “Now let me hold that baby dragon before Holly steals him again.”

  “I'm surprised you guys didn't think to invite my mother,” I huffed, a little annoyed. “You know she hasn't seen the babies yet either.”

  “Really?” Fenrir smiled and took a step to the right.

  There was my mom, grinning wide, her arms already around Brevyn.

  “Mommy!” I shouted in glee and went to hug her.

  “They're beautiful, Vervain,” she sniffed back tears and nuzzled Brevyn's curls. “He looks a lot like you did when you were a baby.”

  “He does?” Trevor asked in surprise.

  “I told you guys,” I rolled my eyes. “You didn't believe me?”

  “It's hard to imagine her blonde, with her dark looks,” Mom said generously. “But she was. She had platinum blonde hair and green eyes when she was born. I'll bring pictures next time.”

  “No, that's okay,” I stuttered as everyone spoke over me, demanding that she bring all of my baby pictures.

  “Now this little boy,” Mom traded babies with Holly, “is all Arach.”

  I paused for just a moment when I saw that Holly was wearing a T-shirt and jeans. The jeans were designer but still... a T-shirt? The only time I'd seen Holly so underdressed, was when I'd made my journey into that horrible future I wish I could forget. But Holly didn't look harried today, she looked completely happy holding Brevyn... against her T-shirt which read; Satan is my baby daddy. I kid you not. That's what the Queen of Hell was wearing to see her grandsons for the first time. I had to clear my throat before I could continue my conversation with my mother.

  “Uh, I know,” I smiled down at Rian as he wiggled upright in my mom's arms. “He's got Arach's personality too.”

  “I see that,” Mom laughed as she passed me the squirming baby. “Maybe I should let a professional wrangle him.”

  “Oh let me wrangle, please,” Emma held her arms out for Rian. “Just one more time before you take them back to Faerie.”

  I handed Rian over and sighed. She was right, I needed to get the children back to Faerie before Arach had a fit. Speaking of which, I'd need to mirror him before I left, so he'd know to send the carriage for us.

  “I'll be right back,” I said to my mother. “You okay here?”

  “Absolutely perfect,” she smiled and leaned in to admire Rian as Emma held him.

  Fenrir was holding Emma around the waist, peering over her shoulder at the baby dragon like Rian might bite him... and looking rather hopeful about it. It would probably give Fenrir an excuse to praise the baby's teeth. Damn werewolves could be weird.

  I shook my head and veered towards the elevator. Azrael broke off from the group to follow me.

  “Where are you going, sweet wife of mine?” he asked as he closed the elevator door behind us.

  “I need to mirror the dragon,” I punched the button for the top floor.

  “Ah,” he sighed, “and here I was hoping for a quickie.”

  “Az,” I slapped him in the chest.

  “I just came back from a rough run,” his face went serious. “Children, lots of children.”

  “I'm so sorry,” I whispered.

  Azrael's job, as the Archangel of Death, was basically to carry the souls of Jews, Christians, and Muslims to their afterlives. So when he said “children”, he meant their souls. Children had died today, a lot of them apparently.

  “Do I want to know?” I asked.

  “No,” he slipped an arm around me and pulled me into his side. His ebony feathered wings wrapped around us. “I wish I could block it from my memory. I definitely don't want to add it to yours.”

  “At least you were able to take care of them.”

  “Not all of them,” he smiled, “but Pan came along to take the rest.”

  “I can't believe I never knew that Pan was Peter Pan,” I smiled back. Pan's kids were luckier than the others, they got to spend eternity in a magical playground. Azrael's children souls would only get Heaven. Frankly, even as an adult, I'd choose Pan's paradise over the Christian version.

  The elevator dinged. We stepped out into the hallway. Our bedroom was a solace for me, and I sighed when we entered it. There actually weren't any mirrors within the main room, oddly enough. So I had my choice of going into the massive bathroom or my dressing room. I really didn't want Arach to catch a glimpse of the pool-sized tub, which all of my men and I could, and had, fit into together. Arach would either get jealous or ideas. So I headed towards the dressing room.

  “Really?” Az caught me by the waist and nuzzled my neck. “Even after I mentioned the children, I don't get any?”

  “You're using dead children to get laid? That's a new low, Az,” I laughed, and turned in his arms to face him.

  “I look on it more as finding happiness within tragedy,” he set his lips to mine and lifted me against him.

  “Az,” I pulled away. “You want me to have sex with you, and then pick up my babies, and carry them back to their father?”

  “Yeah, why not?” he shrugged. “You're my wife too.”

  “Valid,” I agreed and threw myself at him. I know, not much of a fight, but he's a hot angel and my husband; a combination impossible to resist.

  He caught me and backpedaled to the bed, falling onto the mattress with me on top. His wings disappeared as he scooted back further, pulling at my camouflage jacket. I yanked off his belt and he returned the favor with mine. Soon there was a pile of jeans, T-shirts, and camouflage clothing on the floor.

  My star brightened in my chest, bringing my multiple magics to life. The butterflies of my love magic spun in delight, fluttering through my limbs as I rolled in a tangle of silk sheets with the angel I loved. Azrael's lips were at my throat, his hands skimming over my waist: lower and lower. I groaned as they found their mark, and and he used my distraction to push me onto my back and rise above me.

  A whoosh of magic and his wings appeared behind him. I reached up, and st
roked the silky feathers laying along the humerus bone of his wing (I bet you didn't know that the bones in a wing were the same type of bones as those in a human forearm). The outside of Azrael's wings consisted of sturdy, rigid feathers, but the inside was lined halfway down with delicate, downy feathers, softer than silk. I loved running my fingertips over them and Az loved it too. He shivered, his wings rustling with him, as I drew my fingers slowly over the most sensitive section of his wings. He lifted them higher behind him, stretching them to a point above his head as he moaned through my ministrations.

  The shadows cast by his raised wings made his eyes gleam brighter. The star inside me responded to those diamond eyes as if they were actual stars. It flashed, sending a pulse through my chest and out of my body. I saw it glimmer like a heat wave between us and then seep into Azrael's skin. He sucked in a deep breath, and his hips shot forward, the hard length of him impaling me to the hilt.

  My hands sought his shoulders as the bright magic of Love pulsed and deepened into something darker, redder. Lust pooled low in my pelvis, gathering its energy in time with our tempo. With every slam of Azrael's hips, it grew in strength, suffusing my skin with a crimson glow.

  I began to worry. We had guests below. I didn't want Lust pulsing out from our bedroom, and informing them of exactly what we were doing up here. Or even worse, making them feel some lust of their own. How awkward and inappropriate. But just as these thoughts entered my head, my lioness magic rumbled through the rosy haze and took over.

  I clawed and bit my way over Azrael's body, pushing him over onto his back. Before he could send his wings away, I grabbed them and angled them around me. I ran my face along the delicate inner feathers and breathed deep. The scent of prey and lover combined to send my lioness into a tizzy. I straddled Az and grabbed him firmly. As he gaped up at me, I slid him in and began to set a more violent pace. I continued to stroke his wings, watching with supreme satisfaction as his head fell back in rapture. I found myself purring as I began to reach my relief. But at the last second, my Moon rose, and I moaned in bliss as the magic lifted beneath my skin. Azrael trembled beneath me and we gained gratification together.

  When I opened my eyes, I saw the fading glow of my moonlit skin.

  “That was a hell of a quickie,” Azrael stared up at me with wide, glittering, diamond eyes.

  “You're damn straight it was,” I kissed him gently.

  “I think you could have made me come by stroking my wings alone,” his voice was rough with sated desire. “Where did you learn that trick?”

  “It just seemed right,” I shrugged.

  “You have the instincts of a succubus,” Az sighed with happiness.

  I kissed his nose and slid off him with a smile. Succubus indeed, he would know. I grabbed my clothes, and took them into the bathroom with me. The dirty garments went into the hamper and I went into the shower. I couldn't return to Faerie smelling of Azrael, Arach would throw a fit, husband or not.

  When I came back into the bedroom, still drying off with a thick towel, I found Azrael spread-eagle and asleep. I chuckled and drew the sheet up over him, kissing his cheek quickly before I headed into the dressing room. I threw on one of my faerie dresses, a black velvet number with blue embroidery around the neck, and went to my vanity. I kept the necessary herbs for mirror communication in a side drawer there, and I grabbed a pinch to rub over the mirror's surface. That's when I got a good look at myself.

  “Huh,” I turned my head to admire the star streak.

  It was even more stark with my hair wet. Calling it white was really doing it a disservice. It really was starlight, as if the twinkling glow of a star had been caught and woven into strands of hair. Odin had been right, it was beautiful. I just hoped Arach thought so too.

  I rubbed the herbs into the mirror, and then took a seat at the little cushioned gold chair in front of it. The mirror misted, and when it cleared, my reflection was replaced by an image of my faerie husband. His eyes were filled with relief for just a second. Then he saw my hair.

  “What is that?” he pointed imperiously at the streak.

  “That is the cost I paid for reuniting my star,” I sighed in disappointment. “You don't like it?”

  He frowned and leaned closer to the glass. “Is it sparkling?” He said the last word like it was ludicrous prospect.

  “I think it's condensed starlight,” I lifted my brows hopefully. “It looks nicer when my hair is dry.”

  “It's fascinating,” his reptilian eyes zeroed in on it, and his head cocked. “I think it's lovely,” he finally proclaimed and sat back. “Now: where are my sons?”

  “They're with the Squad and my family. My Mom came over to meet them,” I waved off his concern. “They're both fine, don't worry. I just wanted to let you know that we'll be leaving here soon, so you can send the carriage for us.”

  “Thank Faerie,” he sighed, and then his eyes narrowed on me. “Send the carriage? What kind of a husband do you think I am that I'd send the carriage and not go myself?”

  “The kind that's also a king, and needs to see to the safety of his kingdom.”

  “There is that,” his jaw hardened and my heart sped up.

  “What's happened?”

  “Never mind that for now,” his shook his head. “Bring my boys home, and I'll tell you about it then.” He waved his hand over the mirror and abruptly ended our call.

  “What the hell?” I huffed at my own reflection. “How rude!”

  I got up and headed downstairs, casting one last look at my sleeping angel. He was in the same position as when I'd first emerged from the bathroom; his wings a soft, inky background for his beautiful face. He looked sweet and gentle in his sleep, every inch the angel. But I knew that face could shift into a skeletal mask, those soft wings could become Death's hood, and those diamond eyes could look like stars, dripping acid for tears. Was it wrong that his Death aspect turned me on almost as much as his angelic one?

  I shrugged at my strange predilections. Ever since I'd started dating Re, I'd begun to give up on beating myself up over what may or may not be considered a perversion. Who cared what others thought of my desires? They were mine, and they were between me and the men I loved. As long as my men were okay with it, that was all that mattered.

  So I went downstairs with a smile, and spent an hour enjoying the company of my family, friends, husbands, and my golden boyfriend, as they enjoyed the rare company of my young children. There was a lot of discussion over Brevyn's new status, and the possibility of retribution from Freyr, but generally the conversations were lighthearted.

  My sons were delighted to be adored by a whole new flock of people.

  Then I said a tearful goodbye to my mother, and she kissed her grandchildren farewell before we all went into the tracing chamber together. At the doorway, where everyone had gathered to say goodbye to the boys, Brevyn and Rian began to fuss, sensing that they were leaving their new worshipers.

  “We'll be back soon,” I promised the boys, and then looked around to everyone else. “Or you all can visit Faerie.”

  I received several promises of visits, and made a promise of my own to my mother, that I would trace her over to Faerie myself sometime soon. Thor traced Mom home to California as I kissed my men goodbye. Then I clutched my twins to me, and traced us back to Faerie with a heavy heart. I wished we could have stayed and visited a bit longer, but their father would be having a dragon fit if I didn't get back soon.

  Sure enough, Arach was waiting before the Great Tree with the royal carriage and a retinue of red cap guards, despite the insinuation that he was going to wait for us at Castle Aithinne. He was leaning back against the coach, muscled forearms crossed over his solid chest, as he stared impatiently at the tree. He had placed himself directly before the trunk, so that he was the very first thing we saw when we stepped through it.

  Arach's impatience turned instantly to joy when he spotted us, and my boys made delighted squeals as he hurried over. His arms encircl
ed us, and his forehead pressed to mine as he sighed deeply.

  “It hasn't even been a full twenty-four hours,” I chuckled. “The sun is only now setting.”

  “It felt like months,” Arach groaned, and took my sons from me. “You are not to leave Faerie ever again,” he said sternly to them, as if they had anything to do with it.

  “Oh please,” I rolled my eyes and headed for the carriage. “Like that's gonna happen.”

  “Welcome home, Queen Vervain,” Cedric, our phooka driver, said brightly as he opened the carriage door for me.

  “Thank you, Cedric,” I climbed in.

  Arach passed me the children, and then entered after us. He took them back immediately, and sat back with a relieved smile on his face, arms full of his offspring. The carriage turned about and we began to make our way home.

  “So your star is healed and you're all home safe,” Arach proclaimed. “I'm- what is that?” he frowned down at Brevyn.

  “What?” I leaned across the carriage anxiously, and peered down at Brevyn's serene face. “What are you looking at?”

  “Is that a crown?” Arach lifted his shocked gaze to mine. “Is that a crown on our son's head, Vervain?”

  “You can see that?” I focused harder on Brevyn, and sure enough, the crown of Alfheim glimmered into view. “Well damn. Well spotted, dragon. No one else saw it.”

  “Why is Brevyn wearing a crown?” Arach growled, ignoring my compliment.

  “Because he's the new King of Alfheim.”

  “He's the what?”

  “He's the-”

  “Yes, I heard you, but what does it mean precisely, wife of mine?”

  “It means that when he grows up,” I gently took Brevyn from Arach, “he will rule Alfheim. He's a king, Arach. Alfheim needed a faerie to rule it-”

  “Brevyn is not a faerie,” Arach snapped, and my eyes shot to his.

  “Why are you so mad?” I scowled at him. “I thought you'd be happy.”

  “That our son will leave our home, our realm entirely, and rule some territory in the God Realm? Why should I be happy about that, Vervain?”

  “Arach, he'll have his own home, his own kingdom,” I said gently. “It's wonderful. We won't be losing him, he can trace here whenever he wishes.”