“Sure. Thank you again. Really.”
“Not a problem. I know what it’s like to want something badly. Glad I could help.”
The cat above her head peered down and meowed a tiny meep, as if it agreed with Fiona.
“That’s right, Fluffy. Way to be hospitable.”
Ana huffed out a small laugh, then said her goodbyes with Cam and departed.
Cam’s head buzzed with possibility as they walked across the rolling green lawn toward Esha’s tower at the far edge of the campus. The night was so silent compared to the jungle that it made his skin itch. A pale moon illuminated the damp green grass, and it made him ache for the Amazon.
“So, what do yo
u think?” Ana asked, nearly hopping in her excitement.
“I know what you’re thinking. But I don’t know. I doubt he’s powerful enough.”
It’d be the perfect conclusion to this. Someone to take both their places in Otherworld. But it was unlikely. He wasn’t being cocky. Being a war god took an extraordinary strength of will and a desire to succeed above all else. And skill in war. In all his years as a god, he’d only ever met one person who had what it took.
Ana.
“But it’s Logan Laufeyson,” Ana said. “You heard how she talked about him.”
“Yeah. And though I’ve never met him, I have heard of him. Centuries ago when I was living in northern Canada.”
“News traveled all the way up there?”
“Some news. I listened particularly for news like that. Even I was impressed with what I heard. But he’d have to agree to become a god.”
She sighed, and they trudged along. “I’m operating under the assumption that we’re going to convince this guy to take my place, okay?”
He nodded. He doubted it would work—when had anything been that easy?—but even he couldn’t fully crush the hope that had started squatting in his chest as soon as Fiona had mentioned the man. From what Cam remembered, if anyone on earth was qualified, it was Logan Laufeyson. Lucky as hell he wasn’t dead.
They arrived at the base of the round stone tower that sat near the forest a few hundred yards from the rest of the campus buildings. Cam pushed opened the door for Ana, his eyes following her inside. Christ, he liked looking at her.
“Oh, chivalry,” she teased as she climbed the spiral stair to her friend’s apartment.
He followed behind her, not particularly excited to be spending the night in the home of a soulceress. It was an eerie feeling, having his strength drained away like that. All Mytheans had something extra in their souls, a power that gave them immortality and whatever other strengths were inherent to their species. Esha fed upon that power. And there was nothing he could do about it, which he despised.
But Ana trusted her, and the flat was one of the safest places in the world. Not only was it on the university campus, no Mythean would come to a place where their immortality was drained away by the resident. Even the gods would be affected here.
They reached the top of the stairs and Ana burst through the door without knocking. She leapt over the scruffy black cat sprawled in front of the door. Cam followed suit with a less excited step.
“Gods, I’m so glad you’re here!” Esha said from where she stood in the kitchen of her open-plan flat. She eyed Cam suspiciously, which he figured was par for the course. People didn’t normally take to him easily.
“Gods damn it, this stupid thing isn’t working!” a feminine voice exclaimed.
Cam glanced toward the living room to see a small woman who was all shades of gold—skin, hair, eyes—sitting on the floor in front of the couch, glaring at the glowing screen of a tablet. Her short hair stuck out at all angles, like she’d been shoving her hand through it.
“Hey, Aurora,” Ana said to the woman.
“Huh?” Aurora jerked her head up. After a moment, her eyes cleared. “Hi, Ana. Sorry, I was so distracted I barely even noticed you come in. This stupid tablet is giving me hell.”
“Tablet? I’ve never seen one.” Ana’s voice brightened and she veered toward Aurora. “Show me.”
Aurora handed over the device and explained the problem while Ana ran her fingers over it, fascination evident on her face.
“You should have seen them last month,” Esha said. “They were playing with a flashlight like it was the most advanced technology on earth.”