Chapter Forty-Six

A lot of gods liked to pretend they were faeries these days. It was a way for them to go out among humans and show parts of their true selves without actually coming out of the god closet. So it wasnt all that surprising to find a god in a faerie bar. Especially this faerie bar. The Wet Whistle had been approved by the Faerie God himself, and it didnt just offer a chance to mingle with the Fey. The top two public floors (Tarans office was the topmost floor but was private) were lounges where humans could buy minor magic from faeries. This alone made humans flock to the Wet Whistle. The lower levels were all dance floors that played different styles of fey music. And with walls covered in living ferns and flowers, you felt as if you had stepped into another world.

In the center of the circular club, a curving stairwell went down forming a core that connected all the floors. Above it, originating in Tarans office ceiling, hung a massive arrangement of flowering vines and glowing crystals. If you were in the first lounge and looked up around the side of the arrangement, you just might catch the wickedly handsome owner of the Wet Whistle leaning against the railing in his office, staring back at you.

But tonight, Taran met us upstairs in the cowboy bar that served as the cover for the real bar below. A sort of faerie speakeasy. He didnt have to hide the bar anymore, but people loved it so he kept it as is,

“Hes in the lounge on the second floor,” Taran said by way of greeting. “Ive got people watching him.”

“But the club isnt warded now, is it?” I asked. “He could trace away.”

“Not if I put him in fey manacles first. You want me to?” Taran grinned, his eyes flashing green.

“Ease up, Elphaba,” I said. “That might not be the best approach.”

“Elphaba? Really?” Taran held out his arms to display his slim, hard body, a good portion of it shown off by his unbuttoned Versace shirt. The rest of him wasnt exactly visible, but with those skintight leather pants, it wasnt hard to imagine the sleek muscles beneath.

“Mr. Grinch?” I tried one of the other names I had for him.

Taran rolled his eyes.

“Go on. Say it. I know you want to.”

Tarans lips twitched. “It isnt easy being green.”

“Yes!” I punched my fist into the air, then smacked his shoulder. “Thank you. I treasure these moments, Kermit.”

Taran snorted.

“Tell your people to close in,” Azrael said, ignoring our banter. “Well go in simultaneously and if Ekwensu eludes one of us, hopefully, the others will apprehend him.”

I lifted my brows at Az.

“We cant let him escape, Carus.”

“Yeah. Fair enough. Just dont be rough.”

“Whats this now?” Taran asked. “Is he the bad guy or not?”

“Im not sure,” I said.

Simultaneously, everyone else said, “He is.”

Tarans dark brows rose. “Thanks for clearing that up.” He turned to face the huge faerie who guarded the door to the club. “Tell them to grab him. Were going down to assist.”

“You got it, boss,” the Spriggan said.

We followed Taran past the doorman, our large group having to single-file it down a winding stairwell that curved down along the wall and into the first lounge. Yes, down. The entire club was below ground, even Tarans office. It only took us a few minutes to reach the first public level of the club, but Tarans security guards had already done their job by then. They were coming up the stairwell from the second-floor lounge with a god held between them, his wrists chained.

“Sweet sherbet!” I exclaimed. “I didnt expect them to be able to nab him. Well done.”

Taran grinned at me. “Theyre professionals, Vervain.”

“Taran, this guy just wiped the floor with all of us,” I said. “Well, him and Katila, but still. They beat us, and Katila was afraid of him.”

“This guy?” Taran jerked his thumb at Ekwensu as his guards escorted him over to us.

I stared at the Nigerian god. It was him. No doubt about it. “Yeah, this is the guy.”

“Um, look, I dont know what kind of kinky games you people are into, but Im not interested in playing,” Ekwensu said.

“Funny you should mention games,” Azrael snarled. “Youre the one playing games with us, asshole. And we all know it. Did you think you could make Vervain forget what you look like?”

“Whos Vervain?”

“I am.” I frowned at Ekwensu. He didnt sound the same. His voice was lower and his tone off.

“Ive never met you in my life. Youve got me confused with someone else.”

“Confused, eh?” Trevor said. “Another interesting word choice.” He looked at Kirill. “I think hes still playing with us.”

“Da,” was all Kirill said.

“What about his smell?” Thor asked me. “Can you verify its him by scent?”

“Sure. Give me a sec . . .” I trailed off. “I know I smelled him. It was familiar. I knew that scent, but I couldnt pinpoint it.”

“Well, lean in a take a good sniff,” Horus said irritably.

“Hold on,” I muttered absently. “Damn it all! Its gone. He erased his scent!” I glared at Ekwensu. “Slick. Very slick.”

“I dont even know—” Ekwensu paused to jerk his head back. “Oh, hold on. I do know you! Youre the Godhunter. The one who nearly blew up the world before your boyfriend came along and did it better than you.”

“Well, I wouldnt say he did it better, just differently,” I huffed. “And I didnt blow up the world.”

“That means one of you is Azrael, the Faerie God,” Ekwensu went on, ignoring me to search the crowd. He settled on Azrael, specifically on his cheek tattoo. “Its you, isnt it? Thats Angelic script.”

“Keep it down,” Azrael snarled.

“What, like its a secret?”

Secrets. There was something about secrets. Something Ekwensu had said. What was it? But my mind couldnt pull it out of the miasma of confusion the guy had hit me with. To wipe his scent from my mind was a stroke of brilliance. But why erase that and not his face?

“Youre a god,” Re said to Ekwensu. “Do you really want to be the one who rats us out to the humans?” Because thats what youd be doing if you let it known who Azrael is.”

Ekwensu held his hands up. “No, youre right. Sorry.”

“Thats offensive to rats,” Karni Mata said.

Re rolled his eyes but also said, “My apologies, Karni.”

Ekwensu straightened. “Holy shit, it really is you guys. Youre Re. Ive heard about your golden skin. What the fuck do you want with me? Im no one. Just a minor god. I came here to hook up with some humans. Thats all, I swear.”

“Can the act,” Trevor said. “We know youre the trickster whos been fucking with us.”

“Someones been fucking with all of you?” He looked around at our large group, then at Azrael. “Trust me, I wouldnt mess with you. I dont have the juice. And if theres one thing Ive learned over the years, its to know my juicing limitations.”

“This is ridiculous,” Machar growled. “You took my son. You will pay for that.” He reached for Ekwensu.

Ekwensu jerked back as the rest of us launched forward to stop Machar.

It was Re who grabbed him. Honestly, it was funny to see the look on Machars face when my slender, god husband restrained that huge faerie as if he were a child. The Red Caps bulk jerked as he fought Res hold, but he couldnt get free.

“Are you good now?” Re asked.

“He took my son!”

“Hey, rock-face!” Ekwensu said. “I dont even know you. And I dont abduct children. Im a Nigerian god, not a fucking Aztec.”

Blue growled at him.

“Oh, come on. You know its true,” Ekwensu said to Blue.

Eztli snorted a laugh.

Blue grimaced at his wife.

“Darling, the truth is the truth.” Eztli waved her hands out as if there was nothing she could do about it.

“And the truth is, this is the first time Ive met this woman.” Ekwensu pointed at me. “I havent touched her, not in any way.”

“We said you were fucking with us, not fucking us,” Trevor snapped. “And this shit is only making us more certain that weve got the right god.”

“I havent done anything wrong!” Ekwensu wailed. “Im a nice guy, I swear.”

“You were associated with the Devil,” Torrent said.

“Oh, for fucks sake!” Ekwensu rolled his eyes. “My people dont believe in the Devil. I was originally a benevolent deity. Then the fucking Christians came.” He glared at Az. “Now, they were the real devils, trying to force their beliefs onto my people. They demonized me because they couldnt understand that I represented the evil in nature, not in men. A completely different thing.”

Luke snorted. “Preach it. I know all about being demonized.”

“Who the hell are you?”

Luke giggled. “Who the hell am I? Oh, thats brilliant.”

“Hes Lucifer,” I said. “The Devil.”

“The O.G. evil one,” Luke said. “But Im a good guy too. I can be very reasonable.” Then his face shifted, and he leaned toward Ekwensu. “Except when you mess with my family.”

“I didnt mess with any of you!”

“We need to go somewhere more private to continue this,” Odin said with a pointed look around us at the humans who were trying to peer through the mass of our group.

Wed sent the Intare, Froekn, and Anubiss jackals home, but everyone else was there. Our group filled the whole floor.

“Id offer my office, but I dont think well all fit,” Taran said.

“The Golden Citadel,” Az said as he took Ekwensu from Tarans security guards.

“Thank you for your help, Taran,” I said.

“Hey, what about my manacles?” Taran waved at Ekwensus wrists.

“Ill get them back to you.”

Taran sighed. “Fine. But dont keep them too long. People can get rowdy here. And I never know when I might meet a kinky goddess.”

“Interesting,” Re said. “She would have to trust you implicitly. That can be very arousing.”

“Its funny how many powerful people want to give up their power in bed,” Taran said.

“Indeed.” Re grinned at me.

“Nope.” I pointed at him. “We dont talk about Bruno.”

Re blinked. Processed. Recalled the cartoon. “Ah. Yes. Sorry, La-la.” He pulled an invisible zipper across his lips. “No divulging bedroom secrets to strangers.”

“Hey, crazy people! Can we get back to me and the fact that Im innocent of whatever it is youre accusing me of?” Ekwensus pitch went higher in his panic, but he still didnt sound like the same man Id met.

“Without his scent, I cant be a hundred percent certain,” I said. “I hate to admit this, but he doesnt sound the same. Not his mannerisms or his voice.”

“You see?” Ekwensu waved at me with both hands. “Im not him. I dont sound the same.”

“But you look the same,” Odin said.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Ekwensu snapped. “Ever heard of a glamour?”

Everyone looked at me.

I shook my head. “I dont think it was a glamour. I can usually tell. Still, Im not completely sure this is the same man. Now that Im thinking about it, it would be just like the trickster to lead us to someone else.”

“If they werent using a glamour, then youre looking for a shapeshifter,” Ekwensu said. “Because I swear to you, I am not a part of this.”

“Even if its not him, the trickster used his face for a reason,” Viper said. “I vote we take him with us and question him further.”

“I agree,” Re said.

Everyone agreed, and before Ekwensu could say another word of protest, Azrael traced him away.

“Thank you for your hospitality,” the Devil said to Taran.

“Oh, my pleasure,” Taran said. “Come back anytime.”

“I think we will,” Holly said with a last look around. “You have dancing here, right?”

“Yes, Maam,” Taran drawled in the Texan accent he was picking up. “We have five dance floors, one of them is bound to play something you enjoy.”

“I love dancing.” The Holy Spirit smiled at Satan.

Satan smiled back. “We will dance all night, my love.” He pulled her into his arms and spun her as they traced away.

“Good luck with your interrogation,” Taran called brightly as the rest of us left.

We didnt even care that a bunch of humans had seen us leave. The world knew about tracing now. How wild was that?