Chapter 27

I drove home carefully. I always drove carefully now that I had Ku's Jaguar. Although, if I ever did get pulled over, I wasn't above using magic to get me out of trouble. I went over the Likelike (pronounced lee-kay-lee-kay not like-like), the trees crowding the road on the way to the tunnel. Long branches stretched out; reaching, grasping at me like an angry Aztec as I passed, and then shaking angrily in the rear view mirror. I tried to blink my eyes free of the crazy hallucinations as the dark mouth of the tunnel gulped me down.
I sped through the poorly lit passage and almost slammed on the brakes when a pair of red eyes appeared in the gloom. I swallowed a scream as I realized it was just the brake lights of the car in front of me. I took a shaky breath; slowing down around the last sharp turn before bursting out into full sunlight again. A wave of relief hit me as I wove down the mountain. Sheer lush peaks soared on my left and a steep drop fell on my right; allowing for a great view of Kaneohe where I've lived for most of my life.
The Sun was out in full force on this side of the island; gilding the verdant slopes and framing the rapidly-growing city at the foot of the mountains. So much light was more unusual than you'd think. Kaneohe rarely went a day without at least a sprinkling of rain. The mountains caught passing clouds expertly and liked to wring them dry before letting them go on their merry way. Having grown up in the wet conditions, I loved the rain and would have normally hissed in the face of so much sunlight, but after shedding the dark feeling of pursuit, the Sun shining my way home seemed like a good and welcome omen.
When I finally pulled to a stop in my driveway, my head thumped back against the seat heavily. Half of me didn't quite believe I could escape Huitzilopochtli so easily. My heart finally got the message that it could relax and my mind used the opportunity to process the last seventy-two hours.
It had been a wild ride, even for me. I'd allied myself with Gods and even kissed a couple. I shivered through the memory of Thor's wild kiss and groaned through Blue's. I still didn't know what to make of the Aztec. He'd been so sincere in his beliefs, so uninhibited in his passion, but then had been offhandedly cruel and terrifyingly cold in his scientific reasoning.
It didn't help that his assessment of my motivations for fighting Gods had struck a chord of truth. Hadn't I just admitted to myself that fear was a huge part of it? I wondered if he'd wrung that from my mind when he'd made himself at home there earlier. And let's not forget about the way the bastard had hit me.
The memory of Thor took over, and I grasped it greedily. I much rather think about the way it felt to be held by him, how the heat of his skin contrasted with the cold rain. I trembled, I actually trembled like some nympho perv. What kind of a god-chasing slut was I turning into? I covered my face with my hands; trying to block out the sexy images. I hadn't made love to a man since before the episode with Ku. It was just too difficult to get close to someone without explaining my strange lifestyle. I mean what was I supposed to say? Hi, I'm Vervain. I'm an artist and a Virgo. I like Moroccan food, Roger Moore best as 007, and hunting Gods.
My friend Jackson always said, If a woman isn't having sex, it's because she doesn't want to. Well, sure; I could go out and pick up a guy for the night, but I just didn't like casual sex. I botched it up without fail. The two times I'd tried had both resulted in long-term relationships. One guy, I'd even told up front that it wasn't going to be more than one night. He called me the next day and asked how many times he could call before it was considered stalking. I almost married him.
Wrapped up in sex and ex thoughts, I didn't see Thor until he rapped on my window. Then I screamed like a little girl.
"I'm sorry."He held up his hands and tried hard to look apologetic while suppressing a huge grin. "I was just wondering when you were going to get out of the car."
I opened the door and flowed out in a loud rustling of fabric. Before I could say anything, I was wrapped up in two thick arms and pulled off my feet. Thor's clean, electric scent filled my nose, and I inhaled it greedily; instantly winding down to a state of perfect calm. Muscled chest filling my arms, a steady heartbeat pounding through him and into me, and fiery hair caressing my face as his cheek pressed against the top of my head. It all sang a song of solace and seduction. Standing there with him, I felt as if I'd truly come home. I had to remind myself that I'd just met Thor. I didn't know him well enough to feel this comfortable with him.
"Let's get inside."He put me gently on my feet and then leaned over me to shut the car door.
"What are you doing here, Thor?"I asked as we walked to the front porch.
"Let's get inside first."He kept a firm hand on me; scanning the neighborhood as we went.
I found my keys and fumbled with the lock. The keys jingled, and I stared down accusingly at my shaking hand. Warm fingers closed over mine, and Thor gently took the keys from me, opened the door, and ushered me inside.
The interior was dark, cool, and smelled faintly of nag champa incense. I let its welcome sink into my bones. The house was small by mainland standards, only three bedrooms, but in Hawaii, it was a fair size. More importantly, it was all mine, and I loved it.
Gauzy white fabric draped down the living room walls and hung across the ceiling to peak at the center around a Moroccan lantern I'd outfitted with an electric bulb. Directly beneath the lantern was a low, inlaid wood table and gathered around the table were sofas, in the original sense of the word; low Middle Eastern couches with bright pillows in a rainbow of colors. The dark carpet was overlaid with Persian rugs up to where it met my kitchen and the Middle Eastern theme faded into plain Eastern.
My kitchen table was heavy wood; hand-carved with oriental dragons. The walls were bright crimson; adorned only with an antique wedding kimono. Red drapes in the exact same shade as the walls hid the window that looked out onto my back yard and kept the sunlight out completely. A graceful vanilla orchid stretched elegantly out of a china pot in the center of the table; its fragrance adding its own welcome. I frowned a little when it occurred to me just how similar my dining room was to the one on Thor's boat.
"Um, Vervain?"Thor was still standing in the doorway.
"Enter Thor and be welcome,"I recited the ritual words that granted him limitless access to my house.
I could always renew the wards and revoke his welcome in the future if I had to. That made me feel better. I just didn't trust any hot gods yet, at least not entirely.
"Thank you and may I bring no harm with me,"he replied just as formally and slipped inside; shutting and locking the door behind him with a loud click. He looked as if he was about to say something else when a gray blur streaked through the room; screeching like a banshee.
"Nicholas!"I threw my keys and box on the sofa before bending to pick up the tabby.
I'd bottle-raised the cat after finding him abandoned as a kitten. In his head, I was Mommy. Hell, in my head as well. I scratched beneath his chin, receiving deep purrs for my efforts, in between sassy meows.
"You have a cat?"Thor reached out and stroked Nick. The cat eyed the god critically with bright green eyes before approving the attention with renewed purring.
"Why does that surprise you?"
"It doesn't surprise me."He looked around. "I was just wondering who cared for him while you're away."
"I have an automatic feeder, a pet fountain for water, and a cat door so he can get outside on his own."I plopped down onto one of the sofas; still cuddling Nick. "I also have a friend who checks in on him if I don't check in for awhile."
"He must get lonely."Thor eased his big frame down next to mine and resumed petting Nick.
I realized with some surprise that he must genuinely like cats; a trait I loved in men. Most men like dogs; it was manlier. Only a special type of guy appreciated felines; the kind of guy who was secure in his masculinity and didn't need a pet to fawn over him constantly.
"I don't go hunting very often."I handed Nicholas to Thor, who took him with a big grin. "He can fend for himself for up to a week, but I'm rarely gone more than a couple of days which is why I just got scolded."
"Ah."Thor nodded.
Nick had stretched up Thor's chest; leaning his head back for his neck to be scratched.
"Now, tell me how you know where I live."