Chapter 23

When I woke in the morning, it was to the sound of arguing.
"She deserves to die!"a woman was screaming.
It was not a pleasant way to start the day, especially since I was pretty sure the "she"was me.
"She's mine,"the male voice was one I recognized, and I tried desperately to subdue the fear it sent spiraling through me.
If I wanted to get out of there, I needed to put on my big girl panties and figure it out without letting my fear get the best of me.
"She's bewitched my husband."
Uh-oh; one guess who that was. It was turning out to be a bad day, and I hadn't even opened my eyes yet.
"He's not your husband anymore, Sif,"Huitzilopochtli put no emotion into the words, merely stated a fact.
Sif still didn't take kindly to it, and she wasn't shy about letting him know. She screamed; a sound of pure rage.
"Don't tell me what is or is not between Thor and me!"
"You fought, divorced, and are now on opposing sides of a god war and so you're still fighting,"he had a hell of a point there. "That's not what I'd call a happy marriage."
"It's not for you to say,"Sif sniffed haughtily.
"It's exactly for me to say."I could feel his power rising; biting along my skin. I snuggled under the covers deeper; to escape it or enjoy it, I wasn't entirely sure. "You're my guest here so you'll have the courtesy of a warning before I bleed you. Leave her be. Don't even contemplate hurting her and then running because even beyond these walls, I'm stronger than you. Don't fight me over Vervain. Don't fight me over anything. You won't win."
"You dare to threaten me?"She tried for scorn, but even I could hear the terror in her voice.
Huitzilopochtli laughed and the breath caught in my throat. It was a laugh of cruel confidence. That laugh said I can kill you anytime, anyplace, and there's nothing you can do about it. I knew it was true. She was no match for him, and neither was I. The thought was a wrench thrown right in the middle of my big girl panties. I barely kept from sucking my thumb and crying for my mommy.
"I don't threaten,"his voice still held traces of laughter, "I merely state facts, but perhaps my words aren't simple enough for you to understand. I'll make this very clear so there can be no confusion between us. If you harm Vervain, if you upset her, if you abuse her in any way, or try to turn her against me, I will torture you until you beg for death. Then I will let her have you."
A small choking sound was the only response from Sif. I responded by squeezing my eyes shut and wishing desperately that I could believe in Gods the way others did. Then at least I could be praying instead of cowering under the covers like a child. Okay, so I'd probably be praying and cowering.
"Do you understand me, Sif?"I heard the rustle of hands crushing fabric. "You touch what's mine and not only is our alliance over but so is your immortality. Leave her be or just leave; those are the only choices you have that will keep you breathing."
The sounds of a scuffle sent my heart racing, my whole body tensing for a fight, but the slam of the door shocked me out of my instincts. I had no idea if Huitzilopochtli had left with Sif, but I didn't think I'd be that lucky. So, when the covers lifted and the bed dipped beside me, I wasn't too surprised. I was surprised at the warmth of his body as it slid along mine and by how good it felt when his arm pulled me against him gently. The only thing louder than the steady thumping of his heart was the frenzied pounding of my own.
"I know you're awake, little witch,"he breathed into my ear. "Your heart beats like a trapped bird's."His hand slid between my breasts to lay flat against my sternum. "I don't want your fear."The fingers against my flesh started to swirl in lazy circles as the soft heat of his lips trailed down my bruised cheek.
"Would you really torture her for merely upsetting me?"I looked up at him finally; needing to hear him say it, to verify how much of a monster he was.
"Yes,"he said it softly, like a lover's vow, and my whole body went cold as I fought to keep my face blank. "You don't approve."He pulled back and looked down at me; tilting his head to the side.
"You sound surprised."I tried to pull away as well, but he pressed me down.
"I've just sworn to do great damage to an ally of mine, all for your safety, and you not only fear me for it, but you think less of me."He sounded as if he couldn't decide whether to be shocked, angry, or impressed.
"I'm sorry; was that your idea of chivalry?"My heartbeat was finally starting to slow down to normal. "Was my line supposed to be; 'My hero' or something like that? I just hate it when I don't know my lines."
I saw a trace of anger fill his eyes. My breath turned sharp and quick, but he quenched the anger as quickly as it came.
"Would you rather I have let her in? Do you even know what she would've done?"He pushed off me and leaned back.
"No."I sat up and immediately felt a little better. It's hard to act tough when you're lying beneath someone.
"She was calling for your death, Vervain."He brushed back a stray lock of my hair and frowned when I pulled further away. "She was already armed with her sword and had every intention of cutting off your head while you slept."
I felt the blood drain from my face. As far as ways to die, I could think of more gruesome ones, but the idea of someone killing me while I was unaware and unable to defend myself was horrible. The fact that it was my preferred method of killing Gods didn't escape my irony meter either, but what was even more terrible was the gratitude I immediately felt toward Huitzilopochtli. Evil or not, it would be better to keep myself in his good graces so I decided to go with the change of heart.
"You're right."I let my gaze soften on him and my voice drop down to a purr. "I'm sorry; I misjudged the situation."
"You admit that you're wrong?"His expression was immediately wary.
"I'm often wrong"I smiled shyly, or at least what I hoped was a shyly. It probably looked more like a grimace. "I find it easier just to apologize as soon as I realize it. I value integrity more than pride."
"You're a surprising woman, little witch."He lowered his face to mine and my heart went right back to banging on my ribs.
I didn't have time to figure out whether it was from excitement or fear before he kissed me.
Huitzilopochtli touched me with his lips alone; softly, carefully. It wasn't the type of kiss I'd been expecting, and he got further with me for catching me so off guard. I slid back against the pillows and lifted my hands to the sides of his face to stroke back the hair that fell around us. He groaned and deepened the kiss. I met him with my own ardor; slipping my tongue further into his mouth. But the instant I did, I felt a sting as one of his fangs nicked me, and I tasted my own blood.
Huitzilopochtli went wild as if a switch had been flipped; pulling me under his body and grinding his hips against me. I gasped, but it was lost in the violence. He was sucking on my tongue; pulling it into his mouth and lapping at it. Fear filled me, unmistakable this time, and I wracked my brain for a way to fight him. The power! The energy I'd borrowed; did I still have it? I reached down inside myself and felt it coiled there, waiting. I tried to channel Thor, to bring the lightning, but his power wasn't there. I must have only borrowed enough for one use apiece. I panicked as Huitzilopochtli's hands roamed over me as if they couldn't decide where they wanted to be first. They tore at my top, and I finally freed my lips enough to cry out.
"Get off me, you son of a bitch!"