“War makes strange bedfellows,” Adra murmured.
“Wait,” I said, finally catching a clue. “She married a demon?”
“It would be mo
re accurate to say that she experimented with a demon,” Adra qualified. “With a number of them, in fact, although some exchange of genetic material does seem to have occurred.” He glanced at the tank, but the small creature was currently silent.
“She started with the Apkallu, like our friend over there, a race inhabiting one of our water worlds, but she did not end with them. Tethys was known as Tiamat to the Babylonians, who told stories of the many fearsome children she birthed.”
The scene changed again, and now it showed a whole grouping of creatures, some so hideous that I could hardly bear to look at them.
“Eleven children, from four different demonic races, each more powerful than the last,” Adra said. “We believe that some of the other gods followed her example, although it is possible that the other Ancient Horrors could be children of the original eleven.”
Pritkin just stared at them, looking gobsmacked. Because yeah. Goddess + anything = demigod, didn’t it? And goddess + powerful demon lords . . . well, what the hell was that?
I felt sick, suddenly, and the room seemed to close in, until all I could see were Tiamat’s little horrors on the table.
“How many in all?” I finally asked, my lips numb.
Adra looked up, the bland face as expressionless as always. Like the voice when he said, “Hundreds.”
* * *
* * *
“Look who I found,” Tami said, breaking into my thoughts.
“And look who we found,” Saffy and Vi said, pushing Rhea through the door. She was clutching her blouse as if she was afraid they’d rip it off her.
“I—I don’t have a suit,” she stammered, looking at me for rescue.
She didn’t find it. I was still back in that room, staring at a desk full of monsters, as evidenced by the chills flooding my arms despite the sun’s heat. I wasn’t in any mood to rescue anybody.
“I have one that ought to fit you, in the top drawer of the dresser,” I told her.
“See?” Saffy said, and went to locate it. It was just a plain red maillot, not a bikini, but Rhea looked at it like it might have been a snake.
“Go on,” Saffy said, giving her a little push toward the bathroom. “Go change.”
“I—but the children—”
“Are fine with the boys for a while,” Tami said. “I already told them, this is big girl time.”
“But . . . but you need a suit,” Rhea told Saffy. “And I don’t mind if—”
“Suit?” Vi said, putting down the collapsed chaises she’d brought in with her and starting to strip off. “Who the hell needs one of those? You’ll just get tan lines.”
“Okay,” Saffy said, smiling at Rhea’s horrified expression. “I mean, if you want to go commando—”
Rhea stared at her blankly for a second, and then snatched the suit and fled.
Vi laughed. “I’m too much woman for her.”
Saffy grinned and slapped her ass. “You’re almost too much for me!”
They proceeded to lather up, and the smell of coconut butter drifted over the balcony. It smelled good. I turned over before my buns burned, and put a hat over my face because I didn’t need any more freckles.
Of course, cutting out distractions was a mistake.