I’d sent a third of the cultists who’d come to this otherworld back out to search for Harley and her band of morons. Another third was standing at a safe distance, awaiting orders. Meanwhile, the last third had the important task of finding the insurgents who’d come through the portal so I could tear them all to shreds. Well, someone else would have to do the tearing, in case I wound up losing an arm or worse, but at least I’d get some pleasure out of watching. The torture and execution of my enemies wasn’t usually a spectator sport for me. I liked to get right in the middle of it and lead by example, but I could make an exception if it meant holding this body together until my replacement arrived.
“I am here to serve, Eris.” Davin took my hand and kissed it. Black goo smeared his lips, but he didn’t wipe it away. He wouldn’t have dared. “We will see this remedied, and you will rise to true greatness, as you deserve.”
“Thank you, Davin.” I kept it cool, not showing just how grateful I was for his words. Even with him, I refused to look vulnerable, but having him here was a peculiar comfort in this time of enormous stress.
Still, the truth was the truth, and reality was biting me in the ass. My body was failing, actually failing, and soon enough it’d be crumbling at the seams, like a china doll that had been smashed full-force into a brick wall.
Without a vessel that had Primus Anglicus strength, a.k.a. the Merlin Parasite, my newfound Child of Chaos form would be uncontrollable. I’d be stuck here in this wasteland, with little to no direct influence on the human world. If I tried to leave, I’d be sucked back in. This was the exact opposite of why I’d become a Child in the first place. I’d done this for absolute liberty, not for a prison masquerading as an otherworld. Ethereal titles of immortality that did absolutely nothing could get stuffed. I wanted to be a goddess between worlds, gifted with all-powerful energy, not a wispy entity confined by friggin’ Chaos rules.
“Have you considered Finch as an alternative for your current predicament?” Davin asked, finally wiping the black stain from his lips. “He might be suitable. After all, he shares the Shipton and Merlin blood, which would make him gifted with the same Primus Anglicus clout that you require.”
I sighed. I had been doing that a lot lately. “I dislike the idea of being stuck in my son’s body for all eternity. I hope I can use my Shapeshifting to bring my own body back into play, but if not… well, Finch’s face isn’t exactly what I had in mind for the Goddess of Discord. The Merlin bitch isn’t ideal, either, but it’s a better fit. Anyway, I’m still fairly sure I can sway Finch back into my service once all of this is done, but I need to get rid of Harley first. That little Merlin scab is a veritable wedge in my family affairs, and she needs picking off.”
“A delightful visual.” Davin chuckled.
“Make no mistake, I will use Finch in Harley’s place if I have no other choice.” I glanced back at my reflection in the mirror and pulled a sour face. “I’d have to remove the Dempsey Suppressor first, though, and that’ll require a lot of oomph.” Oomph I might not have in the tank, by that point.
“None of us anticipated that Harley and her friends would put up such a fight,” Davin mused. “Your plan was exceptional, but I suppose weeds can creep through even the tiniest of cracks.”
“And these particular weeds are becoming a colossal pain in my ass,” I muttered. “Before that Merlin thorn came along, the SDC was a big, ugly joke, always lagging at the bottom of the yearly scoreboard. They’d have been the first to bend, for sure, if she’d just stayed under whatever rock she was hiding under for all those years. I won’t be making that mistake again. I won’t be underestimating anyone’s willingness to die for that insipid little maggot.”
Davin smiled. “Very wise as ever, my sweet goddess.”
“Say that again,” I purred. This kitty was in need of a little ego stroke.
“My sweet, divine goddess.” His blue eyes held my gaze, making my stomach turn somersaults. I couldn’t help myself. What sort of red-blooded woman would I be if I didn’t get all tingly at the sight of a tasty morsel like this, looking at me like that? He looked like he had all sorts of plans for what he wanted to do with me. With this face, oozing black all over the place, I had to take my kicks where I could get them.
I grabbed the lapels of his oh-so-sleek suit and pulled him toward me. His hands slid around my waist, firm and strong and manly as hell. It was good to be a goddess, for sure, but sometimes it was good to be a woman too. I snaked my hand up his chest and trailed my fingertips across his neck, wondering how easy it would be to snap if he ever betrayed me. An occupational hazard—I was always thinking of ways to kill people—but right now all I wanted to do was make out.
I pulled his head down and pressed my lips to his. He had a way of kissing that made me melt, which was probably a little risky since my body was already on the brink of collapse. But what a way to go, huh? I sank deeper into his embrace, his lips moving against mine, hungry and devout.
With this kiss, I do thee bind to my service.
I smiled against his mouth as he pulled me closer. He was loving every moment of this. After all, Davin already thought himself a god among men, and I was bringing him one step closer to making that a reality. He would never be a god in his own right, but he could stand beside a goddess and bathe in my glory.
I moved my head away, leaving him gasping for more.
“What do we do now?” he asked, dipping to place one last kiss on my neck.
I shivered. Maybe it was the Necromancer in him, or maybe it was just his impossibly good-looking face, but there was something so very vampiric about Davin that made his kisses all the more exciting.
“My body is cracking,” I replied, catching my breath. “It’s giving out, and there’s not much I can do to stop it without my Merlin vessel. It means I’m annoyingly limited, unless I decide to go all-in and unravel before I can get a hold of that wily little imp. But that’s not going to happen. This ball of twine is staying tight.”
“It must be so very frustrating, my sweet.” Davin wiped away another trickle of black ooze from my cheek.
“That’s putting it mildly.” I tilted my head from side to side to try and crack a bone back into place. “If I’m not careful, I’ll miss my chance to catch Harley altogether, and you’re the only one I trust to pull this off.”
“Pull what off, my goddess?”
“Finding Harley.” I’d have sent Naima, but Harley had murdered her. Yet another reason to see her wiped off the face of this earth. “You must go out and bring her back to me, while I strengthen my position as the new goddess of the magical world, as Eris, Child of Chaos and general badass who’s going to tip the balance between humans and magicals.”
Davin frowned. “I would be only too willing to comply, but how do you suggest I do that? You say she has disappeared, and we have received no word from the cultists who were already sent in pursuit of her. What can I do that they cannot?”
I rolled my eyes. “Think outside the box, Davin. For a powerful magical with an insane reputation, you can be rather dense sometimes. Little Miss Perfect is being protected somehow. I don’t know how, but I’m inclined to think there’s a plethora of protection spells on her—protection spells that haven’t been affected by my Chaos sweep. Now, do you want me to hold your hand, or are you a big enough boy to figure the rest out?”