Chapter 4
Chapter Four
Izzy
“The last time you came for dinner, you were trying to smooth over things with our new godslayer friends,” I remind Mr. Time as the two of us head toward the dining room.
He groans. “Don’t remind me.”
“That worked out so well,” I tease.
The good godslayers still live on the other side of the building, but they’ve been dealing with their own losses and guilt.
The two of us arrive in the dining room, where Wilder is dropping forks, spoons and knives next to the plates as Beth carries in dishes. Beth looks up at me to mouth, “He’s my favorite.”
“Wilder is everyone’s favorite,” I say, pressing against him from behind and bobbing up onto my toes.
He drops the silverware on the table and turns, pressing a tender kiss to my lips.
I smile at first because my grandfather is watching, but Wilder’s warm, soft mouth against mine--such a contrast with his powerful, chiseled body--is so distracting that I almost forget about the man.
“You only say that when the other guys aren’t around,” Wilder teases me when he releases me.
“Well,” I admit, “maybe you’re all my favorite.”
Aiden and Reid come in then, and Reid frowns. “Has anyone seen Van? He’s not in his room.”
“I wonder what trouble he managed to find now,” Aiden mutters.
Reid turns on him, raising his eyebrows. “Historically speaking, you two are always finding your way into trouble together.”
“That is too sweet,” Van drawls from the doorway. “You guys worrying about me. Reid, you’re the best mommy I ever had.”
Reid rolls his eyes as he takes his seat. I lean over and kiss his cheek, unable to hide my smile at how protective he is of Van. Van pretends he doesn’t need anyone.
But in his own way, I think maybe Van needs us all the most.
“Where were you?” Aiden demands.
“You hurt that I bucked the buddy system that Reid makes sound like a terrible idea for the two of us?” Van asks. He waves off the question. “I’ll tell you later. Mr. Time had important stuff to tell us about.”
“Indeed,” Mr. Time says.
He glances over his shoulder at Beth, before she sets the last dish on the table. The air is filled with the scent of a spicy red sauce and the sizzle of grilled meat and freshly baked bread.
Wilder pats an empty place at the table; he’s set a spot for her. She shakes her head, and I assure her, “You’ve been by our side through everything. You belong here.”
“Unless you want a break from us,” Aiden says dryly. “As hard as that is to imagine.”
“I don’t need a break from you, Aiden.” She ruffles his hair as she walks by, and it reminds me of that first day, when she was terrified of us all and trying not to show it. “But I’ve got work to do. Taking care of the five of you is more than a full-time job.”
And just like she won’t be here at dinner, she won’t be by our side when we face the other gods. At least, I hope not. It’s too dangerous.
For a few minutes, we all eat quietly. Then Mr. Time says, “We believe we might have found Thea’s rough location.”
I almost drop my fork. I can tell Reid notices, by the way his eyes fix on me. But I pretend not to notice him noticing.
“What’s the plan?” I ask.
“For now, just to narrow down to their actual location, then observe them and gain information,” Mr. Time says. He hesitates, then explains, “There have been a large number of unexplained deaths in this area. Deaths that seem as if they must have been caused by the gods.”
“What gods?” Wilder demands.
“What kind of deaths?” I ask, my voice coming out soft.
“We believe that one of them is possessed by a sea god, either Nj?rd or Rán,” Mr. Time says. “There have been lots of shipwrecks and drownings recently. An unprecedented number.”
“How did you discover that?”
“Our attention was drawn to this specific area to begin with because of these very strange deaths, where people suddenly aged within minutes. We believe Idun might be behind these deaths. There’s… I haven’t seen anything like it since the gods walked the earth before.”
“Who else?” Van asks.
“That’s all we’ve been able to find so far,” Mr. Time says.
Van leans back in his seat, throwing his arm over the seatback. He looks relaxed, but his eyes are cold, tension lining his face. “I met Idun today. He was waiting for me.”
My men lean forward, tension in the air.
“What the fuck, Van?” Aiden demands.
“It’s fine,” Van says. “We just had a nice little chat. And I went home to see my parents’ mansion.” His voice turns bitter. “They just abandoned it. Everyone who worked for them in that house was killed, murdered, because of them--because of me--and then they just walked away.”
His face is a cold mask, but I can feel his pain and all I want to do is comfort him. But I know Van will reject that comfort right now. He doesn’t feel as if he deserves it.
If he’d thought revenge would bring him peace, it had failed. I wonder what would--if anything ever would.
“Anyway,” he went on, “Idrun is occupying an asshole named Conner. He can’t do much without touching you directly, so as terrifying as the idea of suddenly becoming as old as Beth is, he’s not that powerful. I have a feeling…”
“A feeling about what?” Mr. Time prompts.
“I have a feeling they aren’t as powerful as we are in their raw capabilities,” he says. “But the things they’ve been doing. The killing…”
“They aren’t bound by the same rules you are,” Mr. Time agrees, his face troubled. “By the same sense of goodness and honor.”
Van scoffs at that.
But I think he just doesn’t see himself as he really is, not yet.
Van’s strength and power have nothing to do with the god inside him.
“So where are we going?” Wilder leans back in his seat, studying Mr. Time.
Mr. Time shakes his head. “We need to gather more information first. Track down their exact location. We can’t risk you until we know more… You’re our best chance of stopping them from…”
“From what? What do you think they’re trying to do?” I demand.
“What they always do. I think the gods are going to take over the world,” Mr. Time says. “Only those...vessels…may not be like you. They may not be strong enough to hold them back.”
“They might not even want to try,” Reid says in agreement. Then he looks Mr. Time in the eyes across the table. “That’s why we have to get there first. See what we’re dealing with.”
The way Mr. Time looks at me, I know he’s afraid of me coming face-to-face with Thea again--for the sake of my soul as much as my body.
And the truth is, I feel horrified at the thought of going to war with my twin sister.
But if she and her men are killing humans for sport, like they’re nothing, then it’s time I find my family, and not for the reunion I’ve always dreamt of.
“Where are we going?” I ask again.
And this time, Mr. Time says, “Scotland.”