Chapter Twenty-Two

Morpheus and I went back to Pride Palace to find everyone in the dining hall, even my werelions. Trevor had sent out a mass text notifying everyone that the explosion of Wild Magic at Moonshine was a localized event. So, my cats came home. My mom was on guard for anything unusual and had strengthened her wards, but she was staying put for now.

“He's not there,” I said. “Azrael's soul isn't in the Dream Realm. Morpheus thinks he may be trapped inside his body, and I agree with him.”

“It's a relief that Azrael's accident hasn't put the entire world in danger,” Odin said. “But he still needs to be dealt with.”

“Dealt with? What do you mean?” I asked, without the vehemence I meant to put in my words. I simply didn't have any fight left in me. I was spent. Frustrated. Scared.

“We can't leave him like this,” Odin said. “We don't know if this is going to get worse or where the Wild Magic will strike next. We have to contain it.”

“Contain him , you mean.”

“Yes, Vervain. But Azrael is unconscious. It's not going to bother him.”

“What's not going to bother him?”

“These,” Taran said as he walked into the dining hall with Viper. The green-skinned Earth-Sidhe, who I affectionately called Kermit (also Elphaba, Mr. Grinch, and the Green Fairy depending on my mood and the situation), held up a pair of Fey magic-suppressing manacles. His skin was more mint than ivy, just a pale green tint that complemented the indigo tattoos he was covered in. Taran's eyes were a darker green—very bright and usually full of mischief, but today they were appropriately mischief-free. “I heard that Azrael was in an accident.”

“Taran,” I said and stood. I looked from his face to the manacles. “Thank you for bringing those. They should work.”

“Work on what?” Taran asked and handed me the manacles.

“Azrael is . . .” I shook my head. “We don't know what's happening to him. He's unconscious and I can't reach him through our bond. I should be able to speak to him mentally. At the very least, I should be able to sense his emotions. But he's blocked somehow. Cut off—no, not cut off. He's . . . there but frozen. A prisoner in his own body. I tried to find him in the Dream Realm and he's not there either. Odin thinks the Wild Magic is seeping through Azrael's memories and into reality. It's already manifested at Moonshine.”

“Holy shit!” Taran exclaimed. “Wild Magic appeared at Moonshine?”

“Didn't Viper tell you any of this?” I frowned at Viper.

“I said we needed to use his manacles, and that Az had been in an accident,” Viper said. “That's all he needed to hear. Since I was trying to hurry and he didn't ask for more information, I didn't waste time explaining.”

“I don't need explanations when my friends are in trouble,” Taran said. “Is there anything more that I can do?”

“Not that I can think of,” I said. “But you're welcome to stick around if you're not busy. We still need to hunt down a giant vengeful beaver god.”

Taran's lips twitched, but he held his composure.

“Go ahead,” I said. “We all got our giggles out over the beaver thing.”

“You're truly hunting a giant beaver?” Taran asked. “A beaver ? And you're having problems with it? Can't you handle one angry beaver, Godhunter?”

“Well, at our first interaction, the beaver god blasted me with a tidal wave before I could attack, and then we made the mistake of attacking him in his territory. It's not that he's more powerful than us. He's just been lucky, and we've been careless. Azrael, in particular.”

“Oh,” Taran murmured. “So, it was the beaver who caused Azrael's accident?”

“Azrael tried to use an untested magic against the beaver,” Odin said and took the manacles from me. “I'm going to put these on Az and maybe move him to his bed.”

“Okay,” I said. “Maybe I should—”

“No,” Odin cut me off. “Stay here with our guests. I will take care of Azrael.”

“Okay.” I watched Odin leave, his huge shoulders bowed down with worry.

“Vervain,” Taran said and laid a hand on my shoulder. “Azrael will be fine. He's a god full of Fey magic.”

“Yes. A death god full of Wild Fey Magic.” I glanced at Kirill. “Odin, Kirill, and Azrael recently created a trinity of death gods, uniting their magic through me. Odin and Kirill trained with the magic, but Azrael was called away. Despite his lack of experience, he decided to use his bond with Kirill to fight the beaver god. We were all washed downriver by the beaver's Water Magic, and when they found Azrael, he was in his current state—utterly unresponsive and in his Death guise.”

“So, what you're saying is that the Death Magic is responsible for his condition, not the beaver god.”

I shrugged. “Probably. Or it could be a combination of things. I don't know anything other than my husband was an arrogant fool!” I snarled the last bit, shooting an angry look at Kirill.

“Vervain,” Kirill growled, apparently over his bout of beta-ness. “Let it go. You make mistakes too. A lot of zem.”

I grimaced as Taran snorted. Then I glared at Taran.

“He's not wrong,” Taran said. “Blame it on your human side.”

“As if faeries don't mess up.”

“Oh, we do. But we do it in magical, magnificent ways.” Taran grinned.

I was about to tell him to sit down and have something to eat—anything to fill his mouth and shut him up. But as I opened my mouth, Odin's voice came echoing down from the top floor of the palace. Six stories.

“Vervain!” Odin roared.

I ran out of the dining hall, followed closely by everyone else. And I do mean everyone. If you shout like that in Pride Palace, the Pride will come running. Especially if you're shouting their Tima's name. But they had to take the stairs with the Squad while I squished into the elevator with Trevor, Kirill, Viper, and Taran. Taran was a guest and also very pushy. He decided he was coming along.

“Vervain!” Odin shouted again .

“I'm coming!” I shouted up at him.

Odin was waiting outside the elevator when the gilded cage stopped at the top floor. “Azrael. He's . . .”

“What?!” I screeched and pushed past Odin. I barely made it into the bedroom, jerking to a halt just a few feet past the doorframe. “Holy hamburger buns.”

My feet were cushioned not by a rug but by a carpet of grass. Out of the grass grew trees that surrounded the newly circular bed. Their branches formed a canopy over the Faerie God as if paying tribute. And I do mean the Faerie God. Azrael was in his other form, wings extending out from under him and golden antlers poking into the pillows. Behind him, the window onto the butterfly garden presented its usual view of plants and trees crowding against the glass, but with the trees on the bedroom side of the glass, it made it seem as if there was no window at all, that it was simply a passageway to the rest of the jungle.

The kitchenette and sitting area were still there, the television looking especially out of place in the primal room, but there were also golden braziers in the shape of trees, their branches appearing to be on fire. A breeze circled the room, rustling the plants, but it wasn't coming in from the balcony. Those doors were shut, and before them, set into the floor, was a little pool. I looked up, knowing what I'd find before I saw it. Sure enough, the ceiling was covered in darkness. Not shadows. Darkness, as in the element. Because the Faerie God's bedroom had to possess all the elements.

“Give me the manacles,” I said grimly and held out my hand while keeping my stare locked on Az.

Odin set the manacles in my hand. “Vervain, I can do it. I was just startled. Is this what I think it is?”

“It is if you think it's our bedroom in the Golden Citadel,” I said calmly. I had to be calm. If I let even a hint of what I was feeling into my voice, it would spill through, break my mental dam, and I would start screaming again. And perhaps slapping the shit out of the sleeping Faerie God. But I focused. I could do that when my family was in danger. And the FG was putting our family in danger. Again.

I crept around one of the trees that ringed the bed. The leaves rustled in the breeze and my hair drifted into my face, the lock of starlight sparkling. But I didn't look away from Azrael. I ventured slowly onto the bed, knees denting the fine green linens, and crawled over to my husband. Why so careful? Because I didn't know if Azrael transforming into the Faerie God meant that ol' FG was on the verge of taking over. If he took over, he might be able to wake up. And if he woke up, we were all fucked. Even me. That dickhead would turn me into his Faerie Goddess again.

Fast like a snake, I slapped a manacle onto the Faerie God's wrist. As I fastened it, the bedroom shimmered and shifted, trees vanishing and grass receding. My husband likewise transformed, his wings drawing in as his antlers vanished and his hair shortened. By the time I got the second manacle in place, he was back to being Bone Daddy and our bedroom was back to being the way I liked it.

I sighed in relief. The sentiment was echoed by the crowd of onlookers near the door. My husbands were at the front of the group, leading the others into the suite now that it was safe. I almost snorted in amusement. They had hidden in the corridor while Mommy handled Daddy.

Speaking of which . . . “Where are the kids?” I asked.

“Outside,” Trevor said. “Still playing. They had ice cream, remember? They've got a sugar high.”

“Oh. Right.” I looked at Azrael. “I'm going to take him up to his room.

“I'll do it,” Odin offered.

But I was already picking Azrael up and cradling him in my arms like a baby. It was awkward with our size difference, but I had the strength of a goddess and a Dragon-Sidhe, so his weight wasn't a problem.

“Now there's something you don't see every day,” Pan drawled, and a flash went off.

“Pan!” Horus snarled. “Too far! Delete that right now.”

“Oh, come on. Azrael will get a kick out of it when he wakes up.”

“He's right,” I called over to them. “Send me that pic, Pan. Az will love it.”

“Sure thing, V!”

Odin hurried ahead of me to get the door to the right-hand tower. I twisted to angle Az into the stairwell, then jostled him to get his head to flop onto my shoulder. With him curled up tighter, I could navigate the curving stairwell better. I went up to Azrael's room—on the same floor as the twin's bedroom—and took him into the semi-circular space. Odin pulled back the bed covers, and I laid Az down. He helped me tuck Azrael in, and then I leaned down to kiss his cheek.

“I'll find you, Az,” I said. “Wherever you are. You can't hide from me forever. Not even inside yourself.”

“This is the best we can do right now,” Odin said. “Azrael will survive. He'll survive long enough for us to figure out what's happening to him.”

“Has anyone told Luke and Holly?” I asked.

Odin blinked .

“Odin!”

“We've been distracted.”

“Maybe Luke will know what to do!”

Odin held up his hands in surrender. “Yes, all right. Call him.”

“I don't have my phone. I gave it to Trevor so he could call my mom.”

Odin pulled his cell phone out of the inner pocket of his leather jacket. “Do you want me to call him?”

“No.” I reached for his phone. “I'm his daughter-in-law. It should be me.” I opened Odin's contacts and brought up—“I assume Father-in-law of Lies is Luke.”

Odin's lips twitched. “Yes. Sorry.”

“No, it's funny. I wish I was in the mood to laugh.” I hit the call button and sat down on the corner of Azrael's bed. Staring at my sleeping husband, I tried not to sink into despair. I had to look away and found myself inspecting Azrael's collection of treasures. There were photographs of us and the children, his parents, and his brother. A gold tray held cufflinks and a set of keys. A large set. His knickknacks were ancient and priceless. A ruby statue of the Devil; a gold cross set with diamonds, emeralds, and pearls; and a tiny painting done by Michelangelo were just a few of the items my husband had casually displayed atop his bureau and bedside tables. There was also a television, a tablet, and a laptop. Azrael's closet door was open. Most of the clothes were simple—jeans and T-shirts. But there were also a few suits. I recognized the one he wore when he took me out a couple of weekends ago.

“Odin?” Luke answered. “What's up?”

“It's me, Luke,” I said. “We've had . . . there was an accident.”

The silence felt acidic. Then the Devil demanded, “Is my son all right? Is he alive, Vervain?”

“Yes, Azrael's alive, but he's in some kind of stasis. He bound his Death Magic with Kirill and Odin's recently and—”

“He did what? Why did he do that?”

“To make them stronger. To form a trinity. It worked well. Odin and Kirill started training together, but Azrael had to go down to Earth to deal with the storms. And then we were tracking the god who created the storms, and Az found him. He was with Kirill. Instead of using his elemental magic, he decided to try out their bond. Before Az could finish the casting, we got knocked over the side of a dam by a tidal wave. When they found Azrael, he was unconscious. I tried to reach him through our bond and I sensed him in there, Luke, but I couldn't touch him or feel his emotions. I couldn't hear him as I should have been able to. Couldn't speak to him. I don't know what to do,” I sobbed the last bit.

“Shh, Vervain. All right, I'm on my way.”

“Thank you.”

Satan hung up.

I stared at the phone, upset with myself for breaking down with Luke. He didn't deserve that. He was probably on the verge of a panic attack and there I was, adding to his stress. Az was his only child—a love child he made with Holly when they were having an affair. Az was beyond special to Luke. The Devil would do anything for his only begotten son.

“Vervain,” Odin said gently as he pulled me up into his arms. He took the phone and tucked it away as I leaned into him. “Come on, love. Let's go downstairs to greet— ”

“Where is he?” Lucifer's voice carried up the stairwell to us. “Where's my son?”

“Upstairs,” Viper answered. “Odin and Vervain are with him.”

The sound of footsteps came up the stairwell before Viper finished his sentence. Luke knew where his son slept when he wasn't sleeping with me. He knew where his grandsons slept too. He'd put them to bed many times during his visits. So, he was in Azrael's bedroom within three seconds. And Holly was with him.

Lucifer was a fallen angel according to the myths. The reality was different, of course, but myths are what give gods their physical features. It gave Lucifer his sparkling white wings and diamond eyes. It gave him a face that would inspire some of the greatest artists to ever live. Myself included. I'm not saying I'm one of the greatest artists to ever live, just that I've painted Luke and Azrael many times. They were practically interchangeable as models—the only difference in their looks was the color of their wings and eyes. Everything else was identical. Normally, it was heart-warming to see the resemblance. At that moment, it cut deep. But Holly's reaction was even worse to witness.

“My baby!” Holly rushed forward, her blonde hair clinging to her glistening face. Holly didn't sweat. She was too delicate for that. She glistened. Her veins showed through her pale skin and her bone structure was as frail as a bird's. So, when she started to cry, it was gut-wrenching.

“Shh, now, love,” Luke said as he put his arm around her. “We will help him.” He pulled back the covers and went to lay his hand on his son's chest. But then he saw the manacles. “What's this? Why is he chained?”

“The Wild Magic was breaking free,” Odin said. “It manifested at Moonshine and turned our bedroom into a garden.”

“It also changed Az into the Faerie God,” I said. “We had to suppress his magic before he was lost to us.”

“Oh, my goodness,” Holly whimpered.

Luke nodded, staying strong for his wife. “I see. Tell me more about the accident, the god who caused it, and this trinity you created.” He looked at Odin. “ You will explain it to me, Allfather.”

“Yes, of course.” Odin let me go to stand beside Luke and Holly.

He started explaining everything in great detail, and I just zoned out. I went back to where I'd been sitting, opposite Lucifer, and took Azrael's hand. The cord that bound us, normally bright with power, felt dull and weak. It hurt my heart to focus on it, but I had to. I had to keep trying to reach Az. I looked over at Holly and she looked up, meeting my stare.

Without a word, Holly reached across Az. I took her hand with my free one, and she squeezed it tightly. “What do you think, Vervain? What's happened to him?”

“I think he used a powerful magic before he was ready and that, combined with the force of the beaver god's attack, caused a backlash of magic.”

Odin trailed off as Luke focused on me.

I went on, “Death is the counter to Life, and Wild Magic is about as close as you can get to Life Magic. I think the backlash hit the Wild Magic inside Az. The Wild Magic defended itself, and there was an explosion. Azrael's base magic is wounded, and I'm hoping he just needs time to heal.”

“Vervain, why didn't you share that theory earlier?” Odin asked. “It makes sense.”

“It just came to me now,” I said, my stare shifting back to Azrael. “He's been fighting the Wild Magic ever since he regained control of his body. Death helped him keep it in line. But then he weakened Death and changed everything. The balance of power has shifted inside Azrael. Death is no longer the dominant force, and the Wild Magic is seizing the opportunity to rebel. I don't know if that's why Az is in this stasis. Maybe the Wild Magic is hiding him from us so it can continue to gain control. But whatever is happening inside Az, those manacles were a good idea. Hopefully, they will give his Death Magic time to recover and resume control.”

“Maybe I can help it along,” Luke said. “Where is his scythe?”

“His scythe!” Odin said. “Of course!” He spun around and went to the closet.

Azrael could summon his scythe from anywhere, but he kept the thing stored in his closet. Granted, it was locked behind a hidden panel that only his closest family members knew about. I suppose that wasn't as bad as the Devil keeping his pitchfork in an umbrella stand. At least the scythe wasn't out in the open. But it felt weird that the Angel of Death stored his greatest weapon in his closet.

“Oh, no,” I whispered and shot to my feet.

“What is it?” Luke demanded.

“The trickster is back, Luke,” I said. And that's all I had to say.

The Devil spat one of the most vile curses he ever used, “Stale sugar cookies!”

“Is it there?” I asked Odin. “Please let it be there. ”

“It's here,” Odin said.

Luke, Holly, and I exhaled in relief.

Then Luke asked, “Are you sure it's the real thing? Here, give it to me.” He held out his hand.

The Devil was right to be wary. The trickster had stolen his pitchfork, then glamoured Aaron's rod to look like it.

Odin handed Azrael's scythe to Lucifer. As soon as Luke touched the handle, the angelic script on the scythe began to glow blue. It only did that for Az. But I suppose Azrael's power stemmed from his father. A direct line to the King of Hell. If he wanted to, Luke could probably use the scythe to harvest souls. Even his son's.

“Luke, can you use the scythe to draw Azrael's soul back to consciousness?” I asked.

“It only harvests, Vervain,” Luke said. “I can't pull him halfway out.”

“Oh.”

“But I can try to strengthen the wounded magic inside him with the power of the scythe.” He laid the weapon on Azrael's chest. Then he lifted his hand. As soon as he let go, the scythe went dormant, the writing going dull. “Dang it!”

“It may be the manacles,” Odin said.

“Oh. Yes.” Luke began to remove them.

“Wait!” Odin and I said together.

“His magic won't heal if it's suppressed,” Luke said.

“It won't heal if the Wild Magic takes control either,” Odin said.

“And if the Wild Magic takes over Azrael again . . .” I let the sentence hang.

Luke had faced the Faerie God with me. They fought. While I gave birth to Azrael's sons. The Devil and the Faerie God. It was a hell of a day. Pun intended.

“Then we are at an impasse,” Luke said.

“There must be something we can do,” Holly said. “A way to keep the Wild Magic suppressed while freeing Death.”

Lucifer stood up. “I need to do some research.”

“I will as well,” Odin said.

“Good. Between the two of us, we have every book written on the occult. We should be able to find something to help my boy.”

“I won't stop looking until I do,” Odin promised.

And I knew he wouldn't. I'd seen Odin search his ancient texts before. Last time, it was to help me.

“I'm staying here,” Holly said.

“All right, my love.” Lucifer kissed his wife, then shot me a heavy look.

Odin, Luke, and I left the bedroom and headed downstairs.

Luke waited until the tower door was closed to say, “Just leave her with him. Maybe in a few hours, ask her to help you with the twins. That will give her an excuse to take a break from her vigil. She's very vigilant, my Holly.”

“All right,” I said. “Don't worry. I'll look after her.”

“Holly isn't as weak as she appears. She is the Holy Spirit, and that's a powerful magic. I'm hoping she'll be able to reach Azrael even when you and I can't. But if she can't, she'll keep trying until she exhausts herself. It will take a while, but she will weaken. So, just make sure she leaves that room every few hours.”

“I will.” I would have felt some hope at the possibility of Holly reaching Azrael, but I didn't believe she could. Sure, she was the Holy Spirit and his mother, but I'd felt how deep Az was inside himself. I wanted to hope, but that emotion refused to come.

Luke nodded then looked at Odin. “Perhaps we'd do better together. Would you like to help me search my library first? I'm more liable to have something pertaining to Azrael's magic. But if we fail there, we can look through your books.”

“That sounds like a good plan,” Odin said. He turned to address our family and friends—the Squad was still in the kitchenette with Kirill, Viper, and Trevor, but the Intare had gone back downstairs. “I'm going with Luke to do some research. Holly is staying here with Azrael. Text me if you need anything.”

Before Odin could say anything more, a rumbling came from the tower stairs and Holly shrieked.

“Oh, fruitcake!” Lucifer growled as he ran for the stairs.

I chased after him with Odin hot on my heels. By the time we got up to Azrael's room, the rumbling had stopped and Holly looked shaken but fine.

Luke put his fists on his hips and stared down his wife sternly. “You took off the manacles, didn't you?”

Holly winced. “I had to give it a try.”

“And what happened?” I asked.

“Azrael transformed into that faerie thing and flowers started sprouting around the bed.” She sighed. “I put them back on immediately.”

“Well, at least you got that out of your system. ”

“How is he going to heal, Lucifer?” Holly demanded. “He can't stay like this forever.”

“He won't,” Luke promised. “I won't allow it.”

The Devil had charisma and so much confidence that even I believed him. For a minute.