It was also the worst possible turnout, because we couldn’t afford to let a crazy tier-one live. He had to be recycled in favor of his next life, just as Clarissa had been. The worst turnout, because for the next twenty years the most violent pantheon would have no true king that was meant to rule, no one holding the reigns. The next twenty-two years were going to be a major pain in my ass.

  But that was all part of the price of rule, wasn’t it?

  I said, “Faith, call Natasha and let the love and darkness trio know that Lianne and I might need help. I have to go now.”

  Those three were the only ones that might come to my aid at my call, that I could trust to do the right thing without a council vote backing it. Freda and Teresa weren’t fighters, and Nadia was an opportunist I’d have to watch my back with in battle.

  They all gave me a worried look, except Lianne who looked angrily fierce just at the idea I was about to be in danger. So damned sexy when she was manically angry on my behalf, not that I’d tell her that part. I had no time for long goodbyes either, the fighting on the news channel was fierce, and if Layla or Karim fell before I got there then just me and Lianne wouldn’t make the turn-out a sure thing.

  Chances were that we wouldn’t need help though. Both the Egyptian and Norse pantheons were both just one wave in, so fairly evenly matched with two tier ones each. Just me, and one of our most powerful tier two gods, should be more than enough to tilt the odds against Viktor, as long as Layla and Karim weren’t stupid enough to attack me if I came to their aid.

  I honestly wasn’t sure how Karim would act or feel about it, and I was sure even if it did work out that he’d have words for me for interfering in his and Layla’s rightful vengeance. But that wasn’t the only thing at stake, and I certainly didn’t have time to explain all that before I acted.

  I said shortly, “Use your power to enhance my shields, I’ll handle offense.”

  She nodded in agreement, and I felt her power flow, energy and force enhancing and multiplying the effect of my own shield, which I’d slapped up around us both.

  I squeezed her hand and teleported out.

  Chapter Fourteen

  The parliament building was half rubble when we appeared, and that was just a small part of the collateral property damage around us from four tier-ones going at it. Power and magic was thick in the air. The nearby humans were screaming and running for cover, except for the crazy news people who stood less than fifty yards away recording it all for posterity. Crazy. One stray bolt of energy and they’d be nothing but paste.

  I had never in all my incarnations ever depended on another for my life in battle. But I didn’t doubt Lianne for a second. I had about a quarter of my power in my shields, and Lianne’s impressive power multiplying it made it about a half as much more powerful than if I’d been pumping all my power into my shields alone. She wasn’t more powerful than me, but the combination of our combined power was greater than the sum of its parts, especially given her mantle.

  Something I hadn’t really expected and was eye opening. Say if her and Mark got together for instance, us tier ones would be in real trouble. Probably best if I never say that out loud.

  No one really noticed our arrival either. The people at home glued to the televisions did no doubt, the bright golden sphere of power, but the gods fighting were too focused on their opponents in angry rage. Viktor in an insane rage, and Karim and Layla were angrily bent on vengeance for the murder of their god.

  I didn’t hesitate, after taking it all in, I knew Layla was in greater danger so moved to help her first. Karim was being challenged by Viktor but holding his own, while Layla was just as powerful as her opponent, she also wasn’t a goddess of war. She was closest to Steven that way, a goddess of death was one of her mantels, anyway. She was also the mother, so I supposed similar to Nadia as well, cross pantheon mantels didn’t always line up in the most diverse and powerful of the gods.

  The showy power of Zeus and Nate raising storms, was an anachronism no longer needed in a modern world. I didn’t need to awe or scare anyone more than they were already, I just needed to win the fight. That said, I was the god of the sky and storms, lightning. It was my most powerful attack, though one I didn’t need to create a fancy storm to use.

  I lifted my other hand and smote Layla’s opponent with all the channeling power I had left, about seventy five percent of it. Given the god’s power was mostly involved with defending from and attacking Layla, it was quite effective and blew right through his shields.

  The lightning bolt also announced our presence, since the bright blinding flash of white could hardly be missed even in the chaos. The god was thrown back as he sizzled, and while he didn’t die, he was knocked unconscious when he slammed into building and turned even more of it into rubble.

  While I cast a spell to keep him unconscious, the battle paused, and everyone looked at me in shock. In all their eyes I was an interloper into their fight, and normally they would be right. I had no right to push myself into their fight between two pantheons that weren’t mine.

  It’d be like a pack getting involved in a fight between two other packs. It just wasn’t done, ever.

  They were all a little short sighted, to miss the reason I was there, but I was prepared to give them a pass on missing that subtle reason in the heated moment.

  Karim started attacking Viktor fiercely again, while Layla warily squared off with Lianne and I, but she didn’t attack and looked unsure.

  Small favors.

  “Help your mate, I have done what I set out to do, and need not interfere anymore than I have to ensure Viktor’s death.”

  Her eyes narrowed with distrust, even as she glanced worriedly over at her mate who was still holding his own but making very little progress. Viktor was fighting sloppily in his insane rage, but he was also fighting like a berserker, and it was all Karim could do to protect himself.

  I sighed, “This isn’t just about your god, it’s much bigger than that, which gives me the right to be here and help end Viktor’s insanity. But because your god paid the blood price, I am willing to forgo a claim on Viktor’s life in favor of your vengeance. We have no quarrel.”

  That seemed to decide her, and she moved to help her mate, while I just watched to make sure nothing else would go wrong. I could help some of the other gods, but really it wasn’t my problem and it would be going a step too far. They weren’t my gods to protect, nor were the Norse gods mine to kill, loyal gods that were stuck following an insane king.

  The only reason it was even taking more than a few seconds at two on one, was because Layla had to split her attention. Several weaker gods kept trying to save their king, which was impressive. Even while crazy, the asshole’s violent pantheon was more loyal than mine.

  I’d done what I came there to do, and at two on one Viktor was being overwhelmed. Especially since he wasn’t paying all that much attention to defense in his maddened attacks on Karim, giving Layla a lot of openings to hurt him badly when she wasn’t dealing with desperate tier twos and threes.

  Misty said, “Gary, Kaya, and Natasha got over half the parliament to safety, and are currently deprogramming them. Mandy is deprogramming the Prime Minister with security guards and cameras present.”

  I bet that was all Mandy’s idea, wisdom would see the dangers I did the quickest, and possibly even faster than I had despite my know-it-all power. It had been what I was going to see to next, after Viktor was taken down, but now I didn’t have to worry about it.

  Sadly, they probably didn’t know it was my plan too, and probably thought they were getting one by me by doing the right and moral thing. To my surprise, when I checked the information, that wasn’t true at all. Finally, not thinking the worst of me, it was like Christmas.

  Still, even saving and defending the humans from a crazy god, was going to cause a lot of waves. Sure, they couldn’t lump us all in, since we’d stepped up and ended the insanity on their behalf. But although there’d been others, this was the first time the humans had seen the results of a god gone wrong and insane on a worldwide scale and not just a government agency. Something that would scare a lot of people.

  I suspected about thirty percent would lump us all in as the problem anyway, but it would’ve been far worse and far greater a number if I hadn’t acted. Same with the supernatural races, the dealings between gods and them would grow a little more tense, but since we’d ended the threat of a controlling god, they wouldn’t cut off all cooperation.

  In short, even doing what I did, there’d be fallout. Just not as bad as it would’ve been if the other gods hadn’t stepped in to end Viktor’s madness.

  So there was a lot going on that way, that’d make it hard the next couple of decades. Norse gods with band-aid leaders, humans who’d taken ten steps back in distrust, and so forth. Fortunately, I could depend on Freda to handle the humans, it was her job, I could just focus on the pantheons and making sure she was doing it.

  It didn’t take long to finish, despite the desperate attempts by Viktor’s people to save him. He was dead less than two minutes later, his body completely rotted to dust by Layla’s power. There was no coming back from that.

  Karim approached angrily, with Layla looking unsure at his side.

  “Why did you interfere?”

  I said, “His actions endangered my pantheon. I wasn’t here to avenge your god, or protect you despite appearances. I was here so the humans don’t turn on all of us for the actions of one clearly insane king of the gods. It was also the right thing to do. My people are currently undoing his enslavement of this government, and we also freed the supernaturals here.

  “They don’t need us to rule them, and not making that stance clear would’ve had me and mine lumped in with Viktor, or at best they’d think I just didn’t care about humans at all. Which isn’t true. That’s why I was here, your vengeance is your business. I didn’t even kill the one I took down, his life is in your hands, if you feel justice has not yet been met for your people.

  “Internally, he also kicked two of my gods who were born and raised here out of the country, which also gives me the right to be here, but the first reason is far more important. I’m sure they’ll choose to return shortly.”

  Karim said, “He’s not the only god at my mercy right now.”

  I snorted, “My pantheon is here, and organized, and can militarize in moments. You really don’t want to make that big of a mistake, because you feel I stepped on your dick. I can choose to kill yours, a wave at a time, for the rest of eternity every twenty-two years. How’s that for a threat. You live at my grace, and you will be my equal in six moons at my grace. Don’t you dare threaten me again. Reign in your anger and think before you act. You will realize I have a claim to be here, or you are a fool. Choose.”

  The blood drained from Layla’s face.

  I smirked, “When you think it through, you’ll also realize I was totally bluffing and just trying to knock some sense into you. None of my gods would support such a heinous act of pointless and continued violence, except maybe war. Attacking me on the other hand, would seal your fate, if I live or not. Further, the humans would find it very interesting if you object to me coming to their aid and defense. Are you sure you want to make that statement and a suicidal mistake all in one?”

  Karim said, “You could’ve waited for the turnout, and focused on undoing his evil and allowing us vengeance unsullied by your presence and power. If we’d have lost, you could’ve stepped in then to end his insanity.”

  I nodded, “That’s true, isn’t it. But have you thought about me at all in that? It’s bad enough we have to deal with amateur hour leadership over the Norse gods for twenty-two years. You know how big of a headache it would be for me if I had to deal with the Egyptian gods without proper leadership too? What’s a little bruised pride next to that nightmare?”

  Layla giggled.

  Karim growled, “I don’t appreciate your flip tone.”

  I sighed, “Fine. It honestly didn’t occur to me, I was thinking of it as a numbers issue. If I’d waited for you to die first, or win first, then I’d have been outnumbered. His meltdown took me by surprise, and I felt I had to act immediately without gathering forces for the reasons I already stated, and because it was the right thing to do. So I wasn’t so much saving Layla, as saving my own bacon further down in the fight. The act was purely self-interest driven. I’m prepared to discuss reparations for that perceived interference in saving her life, since technically that one part of all this was interfering. But I’d argue we simply had the same enemy at the same time. It’s a point of view issue, but I doubt our perceptions will ever align there.”

  Karim replied, “I’ll consider it,” then both of them disappeared in red light, the rest of their gods disappearing as well.

  We left too, returning to our living room.

  Lianne asked, “Angry, then condescending, then flip, then reasonable?”

  I grinned, “Unpredictability knocks the opponent off balance, and makes then engage critical thinking to figure out what my real intent is. It kept him from doing something stupid in his anger. He almost has to do something, for my perceived interference, but on the other hand my interference saved his mate’s life. Making it both a point of pride and something he has to be grateful for. So, I expect whatever he demands it will be small, once his anger runs its course.”

  Lianne asked, “Would you have waited if you’d thought of it?”

  I shook my head, “No. Owing a small debt to Karim is much less of an issue than the perception of humanity worldwide. They needed to see me acting immediately and rushing to their defense on behalf of my pantheon out of morality, not just standing on the sidelines where my intentions would be less than clear. I know that sounds calculated, but I can’t just do the right thing, I need to protect the pack as best I can while doing so.” Aubrey nodded in instant agreement, and I continued, “That four more of our council are undoing the damage, while I ended the threat, is just more great press for us too. As well as the right thing.”

  Lianne looked so turned on she couldn’t see straight, and I was right there with her with the battle and adrenaline rush. So I took her, hard and fast against the wall, right there in front of everyone else, which she really enjoyed.

  We were both feeling sated and well-fucked as we joined the others on the couch for a cuddle, and our conversation picked up where it left off as we half watched the fallout on the news.

  Despite what I’d done, the human first crowd would swell, and the governments already against the gods may pushback harder against the other sentient races living on the planet. The Norse pantheon would be led poorly by who knew what god or goddess, and I may have earned the enmity of the Egyptian pantheon by saving one of their rulers even if that hadn’t been my true intention, I’d done it.

  There was a storm coming, I could feel it. The world had come to accept the supernatural and the gods over the last sixty years and forty respectively, but the time for another backlash was approaching. That a god could go insane and so easily take over a country was just too incendiary, even if yet more gods had ended him and undid the damage.

  Fear would make the governments focus on the negative, and the press of course would spin all the negative for ratings for the most part.

  There was a storm coming, and I needed to be ready to meet it, to prevent the mess Sara had described. I suspected however that her mess would’ve meant a world war and a destruction of infrastructure all around the world, true chaos.

  Without me, Layla would’ve died, then Karim. Bruce wouldn’t have cared, and he’d have focused on keeping the rest of the council in line, and the crazy king of the Nord pantheon would still be ruling his people and the peoples of Iceland, supernatural and human alike, with an iron fist. The Egyptian pantheon would be in disarray and hungering for vengeance as well, adding to the chaos.

  So yes, it could’ve been a lot worse at that point, perhaps I even already fulfilled the reason I was backed by the fates. But that didn’t mean there still wouldn’t be a shitstorm for all that had happened, even going the better way as it had.

  There was a storm coming, and while I’d avoided the world totally melting down, there would be war, hardship, and a lot of death.

  I could feel it, and I’d need to be ready for it.

  Fortunately, I had the unshakeable loyalty of my four potential mates, and that of a self-aware A.I. in my corner. Also the wary alliance with the love and darkness trio, as well as the reluctant support of the rest of the pantheon I ruled.

  So it could be worse.

  I’d be ready, and so would my people. We had to be.

  Afterword:

  I hope you enjoyed the story. This was the second book of a trilogy. The third and final book will be out soon bringing more surprises and a lot more trouble.

  If you can, please take the time to leave a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads. Reviews are the lifeblood of independent authors, and they have a bigger impact than you’d believe.

  About the Author: If you have any comments or suggestions you can send me an email at magicwrtr@gmail.com. I started out posting short stories online and at readers’ requests started to publish them. If you like my work, or even if you don’t, please consider leaving a review of this book.

  Other erotic fantasies by D. R. Rosier:

  Cirenthian Chronicles – Book one is Out of Darkness.

  Marcus, an ancient vampire, finds himself moved to another world where suddenly he is alive again, and magic is a known and powerful danger. No longer a vampire and dealing with emotions he hasn’t felt in over a millennium, will he be able to start a new life? This series is now complete.