Chapter 17
Ruadan
We pulled into the parking lot of the Valleywood Community Altar with a whole ten minutes to spare, but you’d never know it the way Uly was vibrating in his seat.
He was out before I could come around the car to open his door for him, and I kept hold of his hand, or he might have taken off and left me behind.
I tugged him back to my side, and he gave me a sheepish smile, adorably anxious. “Sorry, I just hate being late.”
“You may have mentioned,” I teased lightly. For him, I would gladly show up a whole hour early to every event for the rest of my immortal life, if that was what it took to make him happy.
But then, before we’d even reached the door, he went and voiced the one thing I’d been trying not to worry about. “What if Cameron isn’t here?”
“Shh, don’t invite trouble, love,” I told him, kissing him briefly on the temple, before holding the door open for him.
At first, it seemed our worst fears had come true.
We stepped into the room where the chairs were positioned in a circle facing each other, likely intended to leave the members of the group exposed, vulnerable, more willing to share.
There were people milling about before the meeting began, chatting in small groups in a friendly, if not familiar way.
But as Uly scanned the crowd, his grip on my hand got tighter and tighter.
“He’s not here,” he hissed. “What should we do?”
“Well, I can tell you what we won’t do,” I said, drawing him into my arms and forcing him to focus on me, rubbing his back in soothing circles. “We won’t panic. We will join the meeting, and afterward, we’ll have some snacks. Maybe someone else will have the information we need.”
He relaxed against me. “You’re very good at this.”
“Well, I have been spying for a couple millennia now.”
He huffed a small laugh. “No, I meant calming me down. It’s like you know just what to say.”
My grin widened, a deep feeling of satisfaction settling inside me, warming me to my core. “Maybe I was made for it,” I said, when what I really wanted to say was “I was made for you.” No one would be better at soothing Uly than I was, the one whose soul called out to his.
The meeting was soon called to begin, a large walrus-looking man with heavy, whiskered jowls wagging as he beckoned everyone over to take a seat, his green plaid shirt stretching dangerously over his round stomach.
What kind of supernatural was he, I wondered, scanning him for any spark of magic.
There were just over a dozen others, which honestly surprised me a bit.
I knew the city was filled with all manner of gods, shifters, and magic-wielders, but how many ex-supernaturals did our city have?
“Good afternoon, everyone,” the man said, standing and looking around the circle at each of us.
“For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Walt, and I’m your moderator.
I’m also an ex-shifter. I lost my bear after my mate died over ten years ago.
” He didn’t linger on his story, though I could tell it was a sad one.
Instead, he plastered on a friendly smile and looked our way.
“It looks like we have a couple newcomers. Welcome! Would you like to introduce yourselves?”
Uly and I exchanged a look. Could anyone tell neither of us were ex anything? Was there a rule about that? Before I could say anything, Uly cleared his throat and stood up. “Hi, everyone. My name is Ulysses. I’m a sin-eater. But, uh… I’ve actually been debating retiring for some time now.”
Shock hit me. Retirement? Was that… a thing?
I’d never asked how he’d come to find himself at this meeting in the first place, but it seemed so obvious now.
How did I miss it? I could tell he was conflicted by what he did.
He helped people get to the afterlife, but it always seemed to come with a cost. Discrimination, mistrust…
even from me, at first. Shame burned uncomfortably in my chest for having ever made him feel anything but amazing.
He went on, staring at a spot on the floor in the center of the circle.
“It hasn’t always been an easy life, but at least it’s been long.
” He laughed awkwardly at his joke. “I’d like to think I’m a nice guy.
I’m polite to everyone, even the haters.
But… do you have any idea how many witch trials I’ve avoided by the skin of my teeth?
” He scoffed, and I saw more than a few agreeing nods around the circle.
This was an all-too-common occurrence for a supernatural.
“My very existence means I have to live around humans, am compelled to help them, but it leaves me vulnerable to their hatred and bigotry. They’re constantly afraid of what they don’t understand, so even as they take from me with one hand, they’re tightening the other around my throat.
I just…” He took a shuddery breath. “Last week, I was ready to be done with it all. I was going to retire and let mortality take its course, however many days, months, or years I had left. Now, though…” He glanced down at me, and I laced my fingers through his, lending him strength.
“I dunno. I’m starting to think I have a lot left to live for. ”
It felt like there was a bubble in my chest about to burst, filled with such unimaginable love for this man. To think how easily our paths might never have crossed, and mortality might’ve taken him from me just like that. If fate had not stepped in when she had…
When he went to sit back down in his seat, I pulled him instead onto my lap and buried my face into the crook of his neck, breathing him in.
I hadn’t even been aware I was crying until my tears soaked into his shirt, dampening the fabric.
“I’m so sorry,” I whispered so only he could hear, and his arms tightened around my shoulders.
“Thank you for sharing, Ulysses,” the moderator said, voice tight like he’d been affected by Uly’s confessions, and everyone clapped.
A few other people talked blandly about their week and how they’d struggled with feeling inadequate or alone, but it was almost like they were just killing time.
I could sense a strange tension in the room.
It was like a held breath, this anticipation for something.
Everyone seemed to be glancing either at the door or the snack table along the wall, which had a coffee urn and a plate of cut-up veggies.
When the door opened, bringing with it a flood of mouthwatering aromas, there was a collection of relieved groans.
“Thank the gods! We thought you weren’t coming,” Walt said, rising from his chair.
As though he’d called an end to the meeting, everyone surged from their seat to help unload the wagon overflowing with Tupperware.
“Sorry, Zeek refused to leave the house until the last batch of tarts was out of the oven.” He must’ve been referring to the short, squat, goblin-looking creature that was currently unloading the containers of food onto the table.
“Cameron!” Uly gasped, hopping off my lap.
The man who looked to be in his late 20s turned at hearing his name. He had short dark hair and a familiar godly vibration to him. “Hey, Ulysses, right? I’m glad you came back. Did you enjoy the meeting?”
“It was eye-opening, actually, but I don’t think I’ll be coming back. It seems I’ve changed my mind about retiring.” He glanced my way, his cheeks pinking up from what was essentially an admission that he wanted to stick around with me. I made a mental note to show my appreciation to him later.
Uly gestured to me. “This is Ruadan, my, uh…”
“Boyfriend,” I supplied, making Uly’s blush deepen. I reached out to shake Cameron’s hand.
“Boyfriend, huh?” Cameron said slyly, eyes bouncing between us. “That’s strange, cause I’m getting more of a mate vibe.”
“What?!” Uly yelped. He instantly stiffened and tried to pull his hand from mine, but I kept a tight hold on him.
When in doubt, change the subject. “Cameron, we were actually here to see you. Uly mentioned something you’d said.” I nudged Uly to continue the request, and he had no choice but to get back on topic.
“Can you tell us more about your brother-in-law? You said he’d tried to bargain away his powers. Who was he bargaining with?”
Cameron’s friendly smile slipped right off his face.
“Please tell me you’re not looking to make a deal with her.
She can’t be trusted. She was the one responsible for me becoming a Chosen One in the first place, who made me sick from more power than a human can handle.
My brother-in-law, Phobos, asked her to take his powers, but instead, she turned him into a supernatural bomb and nearly razed Valleywood to the ground!
Please, tell me you won’t go looking for her. ”
“Who?” I asked, spine-tingling dread twining through me.
He frowned back and forth between us, gnawing on his lower lip. “Her name… is Apate.”
The knowledge of just who—or rather what—we were hunting sat heavily on my shoulders.
A dark goddess, self-proclaimed anyway, though it sounded like she was evil made flesh more than anything celestial.
It was no wonder Uly could track her by scent, as she was literally molded from sins, like clay, though he’d said imbibing her essence had been more like overdosing on gasoline.
How was I supposed to keep my mate safe from an ancient monster born from darkness?
Cameron had advised us to steer clear of the pocket dimension where she chose to hide herself right under Loki’s nose.
His wrath was apparently the only thing she feared, but even if avoiding her was an option, there was no way Uly was willing to leave this alone.
He certainly wouldn’t let me go hunting for her without him.
“You should’ve at least let me buy you dinner first,” I grumbled.
Uly looked across at me, smirking. “I promise I’ll let you feed me later.” From that mischievous look on his face, I suspected he didn’t mean food.
“Minx,” I scolded lovingly.
We were downtown once again, where Cameron had directed us to, not far from Valleywood Studios and The Wolf’s Den, the bar his brother-in-law’s mate owned.
It wasn’t yet fully dark. The city was bustling with activity and lights, and I was so distracted watching a couple arguing across the street that I startled when Uly’s hand clamped down on my wrist in a vise-like grip, grinding us to a halt right there on the sidewalk.
“We’re close. I can smell her,” he said, and I nudged him behind me, ready to use my body to shield him from any danger.
“Which way?” I asked, trying to attune my senses to whatever Uly was picking up on.
He took a careful sniff, wincing at the apparent reek, then nodded ahead.
“This way.” We were just passing a narrow alley when Uly grabbed the back of my shirt, dragging me to a stop.
“In there,” he said, gesturing to the shadows.
There were no signs, no symbol carved into the brick to mark the spot.
It was just a random dead-end alley. How was anyone supposed to find her here?
Though maybe that was the point.
“Stay back,” I told Uly as I inched toward the lone door. I’d made him promise not to interfere, not to attempt any heroics and to let me face her alone, but I could sense his stubbornness even now as he lingered toward the end of the alley, rocking on the balls of his feet.
I shifted to give myself thicker skin, like armor. I wasn’t sure what kind of powers this goddess might have, beyond the increased strength and immunity to pain I’d witnessed, but I was hoping it was tied to the bargains she made. Perhaps on her own, she was powerless.
Being sure to position myself between the door and Uly, I reached out and took hold of the handle.
There was no shiver of power, no hint to the evil that lurked beyond.
Taking a deep breath, I braced myself for whatever might come, then pulled it hard enough to pop the lock.
I cracked it open just an inch, then two, frowning at what I saw.
“What is it?” Uly hissed down the alley, straining to see around me. “Is she there?”
I sighed. “See for yourself,” I said, then I threw the door wide, until it slammed on the brick wall behind.
Uly wasted no time running to my side, and together, we stared in at the bustle of a restaurant kitchen. A few heads turned as the staff glanced at us curiously, no doubt wondering if we were there to deliver an order.
There was no cave. No dark goddess.
“But I smelled… Maybe I was wrong,” Uly stuttered, shaking his head, visibly caving in on himself in doubt. His confidence was shriveling up before my eyes as he curled his arms around his waist. “Just give me a few minutes to pick up her trail. Let me try again. A different alley, maybe, or-or—”
“No, love. You weren’t wrong,” I told him, dropping a kiss on the top of his head. “She just doesn’t want to be found.”