Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
Raven had copper skin and short, spiky dark hair. He wore a forest-green T-shirt that said Blow Your Balls—Crow’s Nest across the front with faded jeans that had holes in the thigh.
A glint of trouble in his eyes matched his sly smile.
“We really have to stop meeting like this,” he said.
“What are you doing here?” I demanded.
A god. Another damn god. How many did we have to deal with in one day?
“I called him,” Abbi said. “I told you, I called him. We were in trouble. And Raven likes me.”
Raven shrugged. “I do like her.”
“The hell?” The shock of Ate hunting us, of Mithra trapping us, of Cupid saving us, rolled through me, adrenalin and relief spiking. “Why did you call him?”
“Because he knew where I was.” Cupid came into view and stood behind Abbi. He still wore his warrior god trappings—armor and wings and weapons and power.
“We don’t need any more gods,” I half-shouted.
Lu’s hand landed on my arm. “These are better than some.”
“Most,” Raven said. “Better than most.”
“We need to talk,” Cupid said, all business. “Brogan, Lula, I’m going to take us somewhere safe where we won’t be overheard.”
“A real place?” Abbi asked. “On Earth? Near Route 66?”
“Yes,” Cupid said. “Real and on Earth.”
“If you want my opinion…” Raven said.
“I don’t,” Cupid said.
“The beach is beautiful this time of year,” Raven went on, undeterred. “Oregon beaches in particular.”
“Crow,” Cupid warned.
Raven chuckled at the nickname. “Fine. Do it your way. But I’m coming, too, because I’m a part of this now whether you—”
“It’s just caw-caw-caw.” Cupid flicked his fingers, and we were (once again) no longer on the side of the New Mexico highway, though we were still inside the truck.
The trees, the sky, the dirt, all told me we were in Oklahoma.
So did the farmhouse set at the end of the winding path.
I’d been dropped off here by the god of death when I’d been killed by Ate, and Death had refused to let me cross to the other side.
Abbi had been waiting for me here. So had the owner of the house, Euterpe, the muse of music, poetry, and delight, who went by the name, Eunice Woodbury.
After we’d rescued Lula from where Ate had buried her beneath a house, this was where we’d sheltered to heal.
We’d also made our last deal with Cupid here.
I wondered if that was why he had brought us back—to renegotiate the deal.
“Oh,” Raven said in a tone I’d never heard out of him before (I assumed it was respect). “Really, Bo? I didn’t know you’d get her involved.”
Cupid let out a deep breath. He no longer looked like a god with wings and gold armor.
He looked the way I remembered him first appearing to us months ago. Like an old biker, gray-bearded, bald, with diamonds in his ears.
His black leather vest revealed muscular arms tattooed with an intricate dove down his right forearm, and an owl down his left. The word “gold” was written across his right knuckles; “lead” was inked across his left.
Everyone assumed he was the god of making people fall in love, and I supposed that was true. But he was also a very old god—one of the oldest—if he were to be believed.
His power was both connection and destruction. From our short time knowing him, I had seen the destruction firsthand.
But he’d also given me back my solid form, here in this living world with Lula, in exchange for finding the spell book of the gods and helping people he thought needed help.
There was kindness in him, though I’d long ago given up on trusting gods.
“I didn’t involve her, Raven,” Cupid said. “Eunice involved herself.”
Raven hummed. “I wonder why?”
“Go on and ask her. It seems there are a lot of meddling deities who want to be involved with the Gauges today. And with the spell book, Crow.”
“I can’t help but think you mean me,” Raven said.
“You do mean me, don’t you? Interested in the Gauges who are, admittedly, interesting.
And the spell book, the book I want wiped off the face of the universe?
The book I hate more than I hate volunteering for a particular bossy Valkyrie?
That book? It needs meddling in, don’t you think, Bo? ”
“I think we need to go.” Cupid tapped a finger on the side view mirror. “She’s expecting us.”
“Will there be cake?” Abbi asked.
Cupid’s smile was fond. “I’m certain she has something delicious cooked up. She knew we were coming.”
Abbi’s eyes grew large, once again a little girl excited for treats. She glanced toward the house and took a step, then stopped and looked back at us.
“I better go see if she’s home.” She took another step. “Just in case she needs help. With the cake. Or cookies. I’m a good helper.” She turned and trotted up the path. “Hello! Are you home? Do you need help with a cake?”
Lorde woofed, and wagged her tail, watching Abbi go. She whined at the window, impatient to follow.
Lula pressed her lips together. I knew what she was thinking: Were we going to just go along with the gods and moon rabbit, or were we going to run?
Frankly, I didn’t think we’d get far if we decided to bolt.
“We should listen.” I tipped my head toward Cupid. “We have some things to settle with him too.”
Things like, we’d found the spell book of the gods and didn’t want to hand it over to him as we’d promised. Things like we’d made a deal with a demon, and with Raven, to eventually take the book to Ordinary.
Lu opened the door. “A cup of tea sounds lovely.” She slid out of the truck, her movements smooth and graceful. She didn’t show any sign that she’d just faced down a god and buried her knives in his chest.
She looked calm and relaxed, like this was just a lazy late-summer day.
“Coming?” she asked.
As if she had to. Where she went, I went.
“So, this is fun.” Raven strolled over to Cupid. “Want to clue me in on what exactly you’re going to talk about?”
“Coffee first,” Cupid said.
I opened my door and Lorde jumped out onto the grass. She sniffed at Cupid’s boots and tipped her head up, panting happily.
Cupid scrubbed her head. “There’s a good girl.” He offered her a treat, which she took gently from his fingers before crunching and chewing.
“C’mon, Lorde!” Abbi called from the porch. “She has cake!”
Lorde woofed and galloped to catch Abbi, tail wagging.
Cupid started up the road after them, Raven matching his stride.
“You’re so magnificent,” Raven said. “Full battle armor. And those wings? Sparkle, sparkle.”
“Shut up, Crow.” Cupid punched him in the shoulder. Raven chortled.
“So manly and powerful. I think I’m in love.”
Cupid took another swing but Raven, still laughing, sidestepped the blow.
I took Lu’s hand, and she leaned into me before we followed everyone. Yes, we were leaving the spell book in the witch’s box in the back of the truck.
So far, neither god had commented on it. I thought Hado might still be obscuring it from them.
“We said we’d give it to him,” I said.
“I know,” she whispered. “I don’t think we should.”
“I don’t think we should either.”
She looked up at me, and her eyes were golden, the sun drenching her heart-shaped face in soft light that made the freckles across her nose and cheeks stand out. I turned so I could cup her face with my other hand.
“I love you, Lula Gauge.”
She smiled, and my heart beat faster. “I love you too, Brogan Gauge.”
“We’re here!” Abbi yelled. “Eunice? We’re ready for cake!”
“Moon bunny!” Eunice’s voice was melodious and happy. “I hope you like carrot spice cake. I have one with your name all over it.”
“My name?” Abbi shouted in delight. “I love my name! Is there ice cream too?”
She darted into the house, Lorde on her heels.
Eunice, who I’d always thought of as the Owl Woman, looked much the same as the last time I’d seen her.
More crone than matron, her white hair bunched and puffed around her round face like carded wool. She wore layers and layers of autumn-colored skirts, blouse, and vest, with a green crocheted shawl draped over her shoulders to top it all off.
Her wrists and ankles were decorated with beads and charms which chimed and rattled as she moved, all the world leaning in to listen to her music.
“Raven, Cupid,” she said as they reached the porch, “come on in. Coffee’s hot and there’s tea.”
They both paused to give her a hug before walking over the threshold.
She waited until Lula and I stepped onto her porch.
“Lula,” she said, “Brogan. I am so pleased you’re here. There were many futures and for a time…” She shook her head. “…For a time I didn’t think you’d be stopping by. Come on in. We have decisions to make. Time isn’t on our side. Not enough of it, anyway.”
She placed her hand on each of our shoulders, and the acceptance and friendship in her touch was the warmest welcome.
“I hope we’re not bringing too much trouble to your doorstep with us,” Lu said.
Eunice grinned, showing the gap in her teeth, the wrinkles on her face fanning at the edges of her eyes and cupping under her knobby cheeks.
She leaned forward. “Oh, you are, you very much are bringing trouble. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. What was it Cupid said just a moment ago? I have involved myself in these matters, along with all manner of deities.”
She stepped back to give us room, and then we were in her house, which smelled of sweet spices and browned butter—through the front room, and into her kitchen.
Once in the kitchen, Lu took a deep breath, and the tension she’d been hiding drained out of her.
I felt the same. Being in the heart of the Muse’s home was the safest I’d felt in a long time.
Abbi sat on her knees in a chair and was cutting a large slice of carrot cake with an equally large knife. Cupid and Raven huddled at the coffee pot, pouring mugs while talking quietly in a language that slid away from my mind and left no impression.
Lorde had settled into a soft bed on the floor and was happily chewing on a bone.