Page 19 of Deathless
“So it’s made from years and years of extreme, single-minded devotion on steroids,” Torr mused. “How the fuck is this possible?”
“How are talking doves and jaguars possible?” I snorted.
His head snapped up. “Did you see the animal it was in? What if we just killed the animal body?”
“I don’t think it has a body yet,” I said. “And even if it did, that feels too easy. What’s to stop it from just going into another animal?”
Santos crossed his arms, his face pinched with worry. “How are we supposed to fight a god, then?”
“I don’t know, but I’m glad we have two.”
Torr pinned me with a hard stare. “So what else did this goddess say to you?”
I blew out an exhausted breath. “She says I’m on the wrong side and I should be a leader for the Sisterhood.”
“Fuck.” Torr turned away, rubbing his jaw.
“I think the dreams are a tactic to wear me down? Punish me for telling it to fuck off? I’m not sure exactly.”
Santos chuckled softly. “You told a god to fuck off, huh?”
“Oh, I told that rotten bitch a lot of things. Like I would kill her and every one of her followers so she’d never fucking exist again.” My gaze returned to Torr, who’d begun pacing back and forth. “That’s why today’s ride is still happening.”
“No.” He stopped abruptly with an emphatic shake of his head. “No, it’s not.”
“I’m not arguing about this, Torr.” I stood from the bed, already feeling stronger than when I first woke up. “I’m going to shower and get ready for this ride.”
Torr made like he was following me into the bathroom to keep arguing, but I closed the door in his face. Moments later, I heard his and Santos’ quiet voices floating from the bedroom.
I smiled to myself as I turned the shower on. Santos might have been submissive to me but he was no pushover. He would make sure Torr came around.
By the time I finished showering and re-entered the bedroom, both men were standing with glum faces and Tezca the jaguar between them.
“The cat says the ride still happens,” Torr grumbled. “Can’t exactly argue with a god now, can we?”
“And this is why Tezca is my favorite boy.” I grinned, holding my palm out to the jaguar.
The ancient voice stroked like a physical presence over my brain.The Ghost is joining us as well.
My smile and hand dropped, the latter hitting my leg just below the towel I had wrapped around my torso. “Devin? Why does he need to come?”
Tezca ambled over to me then, his forehead bumping into the hand I’d held out moments ago. He opened his jaws just as I went to scratch his chin, taking my hand between those massive teeth.
The pressure was gentle, but it did make my heart rate speed up. Santos told me how many gladiators Tezca had killed. Easily.
I got the message from that soft, warning bite, along with a feeling that seemed projected onto me. I felt like I’d been gently scolded, a child chastised by a parent.Don’t question me, mortal,was the general gist.
He dropped my hand with a huff and turned toward the door. So polite of him to avert his eyes so I could get dressed.
“Neither of you want me to go, huh?” I dropped the towel and started rummaging around for clean clothes.
“After what you just told us? Hell no.” Santos still looked worried, so much so that he wasn’t even watching me prance naked around the bedroom. “At least I’ll have eyes on you while we’re out. Too bad this poor bastard won’t.”
He nodded at Torr, who was staring distractedly at Tezca.
“Devin, huh?” Torr mused under his breath, a muscle feathering in his jaw.
The jaguar nudged Torr’s hand, as if warning he would get some teeth too if he didn’t watch it.
