Page 7

7

GOD OR NO GOD

ELLA

“T his actually tastes pretty good,” I said, referring to the meat that Tyr had hunted and also cooked. However, the second he started to tell me about the creature, I held up my hand and said, “Nope, nope, nope, as far as my mortal brain is concerned, you nipped to Walmart and bought this at the store. With a coupon. ‘Cause you’re not flashy. And seeing they were all out of potatoes, corn, and chocolate cake, this is all you brought home.”

Tyr’s expression was priceless as he looked to Asher and said,

“All I understood was potatoes, corn, and chocolate cake.”

“I don’t think you were supposed to understand the rest. I have come to discover mortals’ obsessions with consumption are near out of control,” Asher replied, making me chuckle.

“Yeah, I bet you weren’t complaining about the beer aisles though,” I said, pointing my meaty bone at him, one that was half eaten and tasted somewhere between a chicken and ham.

Asher grinned and, like Tyr, it was a sight that would have half the population swooning. Which meant that yes, I was currently sitting around a fire basically camping with Mr. Hollywood and Mr. Viking God as my bodyguards.

Seriously, where was my HellBeast at? Although had he been here, I think my ovaries would have exploded. But then, if I was right and I was pregnant, then at least they had done their job. And honestly, I was surprised that I was, as I hadn’t a clue Jared and I could even get pregnant. Because who knew that HellBeasts could make babies? I was pretty sure Jared and I would have had the ‘baby’ talk beforehand if he had known.

Unless of course…

He had wanted to get me pregnant.

Speaking of pregnancy, I suddenly didn’t feel so good. I quickly scrambled up, making both men rise too, as if they had missed some unknown enemy approaching. However, the second I ran over to a nearby tree and started throwing up, they at least had cause to relax.

“I guess she didn’t like your Catoblepas meat, after all.”

Tyr grumbled at this before coming over to me, and I soon felt his hand rubbing soothing circles at my back.

“The meat is not to your liking, little one?” he asked ignoring Asher.

“It’s okay… I am just… Yahh…” I stopped speaking to throw up again, finishing my sentence when I was done. “…Not used to it… is there any…” I didn’t have to finish this request, as he brought his leather flask of water to the front of me, just like last time.

“Are you certain you are not sick?” he asked as I swilled my mouth out and spat, before drinking some down when I no longer had the gross taste in my mouth.

“I feel okay, better now it’s all up,” I told him.

“Your belly is empty,” he stated in a concerned tone, making me sigh. Of course, this would have been far easier if I just told them that I was pregnant. But I didn’t want anyone else to know before Jared, so I remained silent. Because really, what could be done about it anyway? This was morning sickness and not something that could be helped, even if I was in the mortal realm.

“I will be fine.”

“No, we will stop at the next village, for you need a proper bed and something else to eat,” he told me.

“But I need to get a message to…” I tried to argue.

“And we will, for if it eases your mind, it is on the way, so will not take us too far from your task,” Tyr said, taking the flask from me, one he must have refilled when out hunting.

However, I didn’t miss the look shared between him and Asher, as if there was something they weren’t telling me. A question I would have asked, if Tyr hadn’t declared,

“We need to leave if we are to make it before darkness falls.”

“Why, what happens then? And please don’t say zombies, I really hate zombies.” I figured this question was a lot more important than figuring out their secret glances.

“Don’t look to me, for not even I know what this means,” Asher replied when Tyr looked to him to translate.

“You know, the walking undead, has a taste for brains, kinda slow, hard to kill, and walks around like this… Bwwlaaa,” I said, holding my arms out in a typical zombie fashion, something both men cocked their heads at like dogs hearing a new sound for the first time.

“Do you think I should point out we are in the Underworld?” Asher muttered, making Tyr reply,

“I am not sure it would help, perhaps she suffers a fever?”

“She’s also not deaf. No, I don’t have a fever and yes, I am sure there are plenty of undead here. What I mean is rotting bodies that still roam around looking for food and don’t have much in the IQ department,” I replied with a hand on my hip.

“I believe she means the Vrykolakas,” Tyr offered, making me shiver at the thought.

“Vi… cola… kis?” I repeated in a fearful tone, butchering the name.

“Vry… kola… kas and yes, they are the walking undead, although they prefer blood over eating brains. They also don’t have problems with their arms bending and they don’t have trouble with their speech, so no burrr sounds,” Tyr replied, making me laugh.

“Well, they don’t sound pleasant,” I commented, making Tyr step up to me before tilting my head back, so I was left looking up at him, wide-eyed with surprise.

“Don’t worry, my little Bál ásynja, I will protect you,” he said calling me that nickname again, Fire Goddess .

I blushed and Asher, who clearly didn’t like how flirty the God was being around me, kicked mud onto the fire and said with an abrupt tone,

“Then we should leave, should we not?”

It was enough to get me to take a much-needed step back, shaking my head as if ridding myself of the spell he was trying to put me under. Again, Tyr didn’t look like he appreciated the interruption, but said nothing more, holding out his arm for me to precede him like a gentleman.

Then he asked,

“Are you cold?”

I shook my head, telling him no, as I was surprisingly warm in just my dark-green tunic-style jacket, and matching trousers that fitted more like leggings. My thick leather boots that were over the knee helped with added warmth. However, nothing could replace my hiking boots, because they were the only shoes fit for walking miles in, my blisters were testament to that. As for my hair, this was still tied back from my face, thanks to Tyr’s long length of leather he had tied around it back before Asher joined us.

We walked in silence for a long while, until it became too much for me to bare.

“So, you said you’re here helping me for a friend?” I asked, trying to clear the weird tension. It was as if Tyr was holding himself back around me.

“I am,” he replied, making me chuckle.

“I think this is the part where you tell me who.”

“His name has changed, as he left his home realm to live among your own kind… but to me, he has always been known as Geryon.”

I cocked my head a little at this.

“Geryon?” Now where had I heard that name before?

“He is the King of the Realm of Fraud. Although he grew tired of the title, so he appointed someone to rule in his place.”

I would have asked more, but Asher got there first and told me,

“His name in the mortal realm is Clay, and he works for the Vampire King.”

“Wait, he works for Lucius? That’s my cousin’s husband!” I said, excited to know Jared was not facing this alone. My question made Asher nod.

“They too wish to ensure your safety and would welcome your return.”

Oh, I bet, I just wished it was that simple. However, since that ugly bird man had not only stolen my powers but also bound me to this place, I couldn’t see a trip back on the cards anytime soon. Something I would have told them, but then Tyr pointed ahead and told me,

“There, look see, the village of Ananke is up ahead in the Asphodel Meadows.”

“Ananke?” I questioned.

“It means the power of fate,” Tyr told me with a grin, making me wonder what that look was for.

“And what type of people live there? No zombies, I hope.”

He laughed.

“The Asphodel Meadows is a place for souls who are neither particularly virtuous nor wicked… so none of your zombies,” he teased, making me smirk.

“Well, that sounds safe enough,” I commented, making Asher scoff.

“There are dangers lurking everywhere, and any village has its fair share of threats, with bounty hunters and the unruly demons that wish to allude them.”

Tyr’s expression hardened, before he affirmed,

“All of which we will protect her from, Demon.”

Asher gritted his teeth in response, but whatever his thoughts, he didn’t voice them. Of course, it was getting more obvious by the minute that they didn’t like each other. Something that stemmed, no doubt, from Tyr’s obvious flirting with me. But then, Asher was loyal to Jared, so it wasn’t surprising. And even though I was putting it down to harmless fun for the God, I did worry that Asher believed it to be more. Something I was hoping would be a moot point once I was back with my HellBeast. As Tyr would soon see for himself where my heart lay. And if he didn’t get the hint, then I would explain it to him when the time was right. God or no God, he would soon know that there was only one man for me.

Meaning my mind remained firmly on the one who owned my heart, making me sigh internally before asking,

Where are you, Beastman?