New God Rising (Moon Murder Mysteries #4)

Chapter 1

Chapter One

Finding a birthday gift for a wealthy demigod was an intimidating prospect but Nelson was feeling pretty damn proud of himself at the moment.

He’d somehow managed to get it right again, if Nox’s ecstatic gasps were any indication.

Nox was mopping tears away from his eyes as he inspected the wooden locket Nelson had made from a piece of a fallen branch.

It came from a tree, a handful of yards away from where they were currently standing.

“This is…exquisite, Nelson. When did you—?” Nox threw his free arm around Nelson’s neck and kissed him until they were both lightheaded.

The locket had been hidden in the Continental’s trunk for weeks.

Nelson waited until they returned to the cabin at Coudersport to give it to Nox.

Partly because it was supposed to be a birthday surprise, and partly because Nelson kept chickening out.

Everyone else had given Nox their presents after dinner.

Too self-conscious, Nelson invited Nox to watch the sunset and skip stones and gave it to him then.

Nelson shrugged it off. “It’s not a big deal. I miss you when you’re teaching and it gave me something to do while I was waiting.”

“You missed me while you were making this,” Nox whispered in awe, raising the gold chain and letting the intricately carved wooden heart dangle next to their faces. “You made it with a piece of this forest—our forest—and you loved me while you were doing it. Do you know what that means?”

“It’s special?” Nelson guessed.

“So special! It’s full of magick!”

They kissed again as the sun set, the dreamy pastel sky reflecting off the lake as fireflies sparked and the crickets and peepers began to sing.

Nelson felt like he was coming home whenever they visited the family cabin at Coudersport.

He had been walking with Nox in the woods several months prior when they stopped to make out against one of the large stones that were hidden in the picturesque glade.

After, Nox had skipped off to check out some mushrooms when Nelson had spotted the fallen branch.

He didn’t have a plan at the time, when he snapped off the thinner, brittle end and tucked it into the side pocket of his cargo pants.

It was forgotten until Nelson was packing up his dirty clothes and found it again.

He remembered kissing Nox right before he discovered it and gave into the most ridiculous urge and kissed the piece of broken branch before hiding it in his duffle bag.

“Maybe,” Nelson said with a shy grin. “I’m glad you like it. You’re hard to shop for.”

Nox cringed apologetically. “I know. I already have everything I could possibly want and nothing’s as good as you.”

“Stop it.” Nelson could feel his cheeks burning. “You have enough money to buy anything you want but the only things you get excited about are crystals, T-shirts, and combat boots, and you already have enough of those.”

“Can you have too many T-shirts and crystals?” Nox’s lips twisted. He pretended to consider but flinched and spun as if someone had fired a pistol.

“What’s wrong?”

“Shhh! Listen!” Nox held up a hand and Nelson immediately noticed that there was nothing to hear. The crickets and peepers—the entire forest—had gone silent.

Then, they heard loud stomping, snapping, and crashing and the tree tops swayed wildly around them, despite the eerily calm evening.

“Run, Nelson! Get to the cabin and warn everyone!”

Run? Without you?

Nelson’s neck craned warily. “What are you—?” he started but Nox gave him a hard shove in the direction of the cabin.

“Go! Get the girls someplace safe!” Nox ordered, his eyes wide and shining with something that looked like terror and possibly outrage.

“Okay,” Nelson gestured for him to relax as he backed toward the cabin. He understood that Nox was worried about Clancy’s twin daughters, but why?

He had his answer a moment later as massive heads and arms protruded from the forest, bending and breaking trees as they were swept aside like curtains.

“Go, Nelson!” Nox shouted before he took off running. At them.

“Nox! Wait!” It was too late for that so Nelson turned and ran for the cabin to get Merlin and Clancy.

They must have heard because they were already storming down the front steps in their pajamas, with Clancy’s wife, Ingrid, and their daughters behind them.

“Nox said to get the girls someplace safe,” Nelson said but both girls answered with offended shouts and Clancy flashed him an amused grin.

“He may be a god but my wife and my daughters outrank Nox,” he informed Nelson.

Ingrid1 let out a caustic snort. “As if he could stop us.” She twisted her long red hair into a bun and the girls traded mischievous grins.

Their hair was already tied back and they were stretching their arms and necks and cracking their knuckles.

All three were dressed for bed in tank tops and camisoles and shorts or pajama pants.

“I am so ready!” one of the girls, Freya2, growled and received a high-five from Sigrid3.

Neither of the girls or Ingrid were wearing shoes. “Are you sure about this?” Nelson asked Clancy nervously but he laughed and nodded.

“Freya and Sigrid have been playing rugby since they were five and their mother trained them well while I was off with Nox and Lucas.”

“Okay,” Nelson said weakly, taking in the horror that had unfolded in their peaceful meadow.

A dozen colossal lumbering bodies were gathering around Nox, all with rotted, drooping flesh and dead, black eyes. They were around nine-feet tall and had hands the size of tires.

“Fomorians4!” Merlin spat before Nelson could ask. He had his staff and a dagger in his other hand and was scowling as he searched the tree line. “Dùbhghlas5 has raised an army of infernal Fomorians.”

Clancy was shaking his head in disgust. “I would be impressed if he hadn’t used his talents for something this…abhorrent.”

“Indeed,” Merlin said, his tone full of disdain.

“Dùbhghlas may very well be the most powerful warlock of any age. But to commit necromancy and to raise Fomorians is an entirely new realm of evil. A more damned and foul creature has never existed, yet even they deserve to rest in peace. This is the darkest, dirtiest work I’ve ever seen. ”

“Agreed.” Ingrid said and tossed her chin at the clearing. The Fomorians moved at a comedically slow speed but were closing in on Nox who was calmly waiting in the middle. “Should we do something or continue this dry-ass discussion about the ethics of necromancy?” she asked, making Clancy smile.

“After you, my darling,” he said with a sweeping bow.

She blew him a kiss, then took off running with the girls on her heels. They started at a sprint before Ingrid gave a high-pitched scream and the three of them turned into blurs, rocketing towards the Fomorians.

Nox had confirmed that Ingrid and the twins were valkyrie6 but Nelson was still stunned to see them in action.

The secrecy around their families, even amongst each other, had annoyed Nelson before.

Now, he was glad that Clancy and Ingrid were able to have something close to a normal life with their girls.

That wouldn’t have been possible if either of them had been discovered.

“You really did marry up, Darrach7,” Merlin said, giving Clancy an affectionate nudge just as one of the undead giants staggered back, clutching its head as if it had been hit with a projectile.

Two more stumbled and struggled as they were hit with lightning-fast attacks, unable to see where they were coming from. “Shall we?”

“Wouldn’t want to miss out on all the fun,” Clancy said and they took off at a jog but sped up when one of the Fomorians grabbed Nox by the arm, swinging him into the air.

It attempted to throw Nox but was hit with a barrage of swift strikes from Ingrid and one of the girls, allowing Nox to get free.

He jumped on the giant’s back and grabbed the top of its head and Nelson watched in amazement and horror as light spilled from the giant’s eyes and mouth before it burst into flames.

Nox leaped off and was immediately knocked to the ground and dog piled by four more Fomorians.

“Help Nox!” Nelson yelled, pointing as he ran.

He ducked and dodged when one of the beasts lunged at him, jumping out of reach and almost crashing into Clancy.

They rushed into the melee together and were reaching for the nearest limb when they heard Nox roar and were blinded by a blast of bright light.

The four Fomorians were hurled into the air, aflame and screaming as their flesh and faces burned.

Merlin was on them, beating them with his kyanite staff and stabbing with his dagger.

There was a gurgling bellow as a Fomorian dropped to his knees, clutching his stomach as dark, tar-like blood gushed from between his fingers.

If Nelson had blinked, he wouldn’t have seen one of the girls—possibly Freya—rip out its throat before tearing its head right off of its shoulders.

The other twin, Sigrid, had a Fomorian pinned and was bashing its face against a rock.

Taking her cue, Nelson picked up a large rock and whipped it at the head of the nearest giant as hard as he could.

It connected, causing the beast to teeter for a moment, before it turned and charged at Nelson.

Unarmed and non magickal, Nelson had no choice but to put up his fists and brace for impact.

He dug in with his feet but was hit with a gust of wind that sent him flying far outside of the brawl.

“Damn it, Nox!” Nelson yelled and ran but skidded to a halt when Nox was thrown, crashing into the open arms of another Fomorian. “No!” Nelson felt like the life was being crushed out of him as Nox was squeezed around the middle and his neck was twisted by an enormous fist.