Goddesses of War: The Guardians of Tara, #4

Chapter One

Cameron and Selena approached Ailill’s palace in Murias where it stood silent and dark. She bent down to pick up a stone from the pathway that led to his front door then threw it at the window that had been stained in greens and gold to match their family’s crest. As the window shattered, sending brightly colored shards to the ground, Cameron glanced at Badb and asked for the third time, "You seriously don’t remember any promise to Ailill ?"

Badb shook her head and picked up her own rock to throw at the castle where Étain’s father had lived for thousands of years. It shattered another stained glass window, and while Cameron wanted to join in on the destruction of private property that just happened to belong to a traitorous asshole, he was more focused on actually finding that traitorous asshole.

"We shouldn’t be too surprised, Selena he sighed. I mean, he was more concerned with what I could give him than whether or not you’d be happy."

Selena folded her arms over her chest and continued to scowl at the palace where she’d been raised in a different life. But every suitor that came to our door, he’d ask, ‘What makes you think Étain would have you?’ I always thought that was because he at least cared about my own wishes. I see now he would have turned you away, too, if Aonghus hadn’t offered him so much land. That greedy bastard couldn’t resist.

Badb rubbed a hand over her eyes and sighed too. I’m guessing he turned everyone away because he didn’t want you to have children.

Fúamnach, Cameron breathed. Oh my God, what if he put her up to murdering you? And then murdering us both?

Selena blinked at him then let her hands fall by her sides. She blinked at him again then bent down to pick up a larger rock.

Hey, come on, Cameron urged, bending down to take the rock from her hands. "We can come back and I’ll burn the whole palace to the ground, but only after we find him. And right now, there may be clues inside that tell us where he’s hiding."

"This isn’t Murder, She Wrote, Cameron," Selena started, but he couldn’t not say something. He was pretty sure it was biologically impossible not to be a smartass, even when confronted by backstabbing murderous family members.

"Murder, She Wrote? he repeated. What century is this again?"

Cameron, Selena groaned.

No, really, he pressed. "We can get Netflix here, right? You need to update your TV knowledge database."

Selena shot him a look that warned him to knock it off so he knocked it off and stood up before she decided to throw that rock at him.

Selena stood as well and dropped the rock onto the ground instead of throwing it at the palace. I think it would waste our time digging through this place. Let’s ask someone else to do it. We suspect he’s on Earth since he was part of the group that killed Cian recently.

I’ll do it, Aonghus offered.

Cameron jumped at the unexpected voice of his former—or current?—foster-son and glanced over his shoulder at him. That’s it. I’m putting bells on every single god who lives here.

Aonghus smiled and lifted a shoulder. Good luck, but that’s one of the few things I’m not willing to help you with.

Me either, the Dagda announced as he appeared next to his son.

Cameron squinted at him, but Selena spoke before he could scold the Dagda for not jumping on board with his plan to put bells on all the gods.

How could no one have known Ailill just vanished? she asked.

He became really reclusive once you and Midir decided to try life one last time, the Dagda explained. He wasn’t exactly the most popular of gods to begin with.

"Do you think it’s possible he hired Fúamnach to kill me? Twice?"

The Dagda shuffled his feet and lowered his eyes, staring at the bright green grass that never grew too long and never turned yellow and dry despite the lack of rain. He was willing to betray our entire family, Selena. I think anything is possible now, no matter how evil the act.

"Any chance you remember what promise I made to Ailill?" Cameron asked.

The Dagda shook his head and opened his mouth to answer him, but Aonghus spoke instead. I do.

What? Badb yelled. And you’re just now telling us? You knew some geis was taking over Cameron’s mind and you didn’t bother—

Badb, Cameron interrupted. For God’s sake, let him speak. She arched an eyebrow at him so he sighed and added, "Your sake. Obviously."

Aonghus snorted and assured her, "If I’d had a chance, you know I would have. Do you realize how quickly everything happened? I have no idea how much time passed on Earth, but here, it was only two days. And I didn’t have the chance to put everything together until I heard that Cameron had been imprisoned in his own mind and Midir had taken over, only an angry and vengeful Midir that had never existed."

Aonghus, Selena begged, just tell us what you know so that it can never control him again.

Aonghus smiled again as his eyes drifted to Cameron, that love and adoration always present when he spoke to the god who had raised him and whom he still considered his real father. "I don’t think it can control him anymore. And the terms are impossible to fulfill now."

Aonghus, Badb warned.

You’re awfully impatient, Aonghus teased.

I also have a sword, Badb teased back. So get on with it.

I worried endlessly about Midir’s reincarnation, Aonghus said. I didn’t want to lose him. Do you remember how often I visited?

Both Cameron and Selena nodded although neither remembered him visiting the night before their spirits left Findias forever.

You offered to let me stay the night with you, Aonghus continued. And we stayed up long after Étain went to bed. I knew you wouldn’t remember me… not right away, and there was a chance you may never remember me at all if Badb was unable to find you. That’s when you promised me you could never forget me, that I’d always be your son. And that Ailill himself had made a deal with you.

Oh my God, Selena breathed.

Cameron was so disturbed by some memory he still couldn’t grasp that he didn’t even ask her which god.

You told me, Aonghus finished, that Ailill had shown up asking you to return to him with his daughter as soon as the memories of your past life were revealed. In exchange, he promised you he’d accompany me to Earth to find you should anything happen to the Dagda since I’m a love god. I don’t fight and it’s not in my nature to hurt others even if I’m threatened.

And that’s it? Cameron asked. This geis damn near killed me just because I didn’t bring Selena to Ailill, who wouldn’t have been here anyway?

As you know, Badb replied, "agreements between gods are binding, no matter how small the details. What’s more problematic is that he was somehow able to force you not to remember you made that promise. Who has that much power?"

Mnemosyne, another voice announced, causing Cameron to jump again and scowl in her direction.

I’m putting bells on you Greeks too, he told Athena.

Don’t even think about it, Sun God, Athena told him.

Why would Mnemosyne be helping an Irish traitor? Badb asked.

You don’t remember? Athena asked her.

If I’m asking, I obviously don’t, Badb snapped.

She must have made you forget too, Athena sighed. Badb… I let her out. Unlike most of the Titans who were thrown into Tartarus where we can’t get to them, she was imprisoned near the River Lethe in Hades.

Badb crossed her arms angrily and shouted, "You’re the reason she’s no longer imprisoned? Why the hell would you do that?"

Athena threw her hands up and exclaimed, I had no choice. We were in An’s palace and the Sumerians had just murdered my father.

I thought Perses destroyed the Sumerian heaven, Badb said. "What does this have to do with Mnemosyne? And if you’re the one who agreed to let her out of Hades, why is she punishing us?"

I freed Mnemosyne in exchange for his help. And she’s punishing us because she’s a Titan. She’d been imprisoned for thousands of years and is pissed. If Ailill handed her a chance for revenge against our cousins and allies, why wouldn’t she take it?

Cameron rubbed his eyes and asked no one in particular, So let me get this straight: We have the Aztecs trying to take over the Otherworld, Ailill and at least two other Irish traitors and maybe some Titans trying to take over the Otherworld, a bunch of minor gods no one has ever heard of trying to take over Earth, and one crazy Norse god that we now have to babysit until we can find some cave to rebind him in or Ragnarok will destroy the world before anyone has the chance to take it over. Am I missing anything?

We still have to find the singing rock, Athena added.

The Stone of Fal, Badb corrected.

Close enough, Athena responded.

That’s it! Selena exclaimed excitedly.

Cameron blinked at her then gave up. Um… you had a vision about the singing rock’s location?

You figured out how to prevent Ragnarok? Badb guessed.

You figured out how to save the Otherworld? Athena guessed.

You figured out how— the Dagda started, but Selena cut him off.

The Titans, she asked Athena. There are others besides Mnemosyne who aren’t imprisoned, right? Where are they living now?

Actually, they’ve been living on Earth, Athena answered. They move around, but with no realm of their own, they’ve just passed themselves off as humans for thousands and thousands of years.

Selena’s shoulders sagged, but Athena put a hand on her arm and quickly added, "They’re gods, Selena. Moreover, they’re gods whose treachery has corrupted their spirits. How do we always find gods like that?"

Cameron reached down for the rock Selena had dropped and tossed it in the air then caught it. We challenge them. Their egos will eventually bring them to us.

Exactly, Athena agreed.

Cameron threw the rock at one of Ailill’s windows, momentarily gratified by the splintering of brightly colored glass that fell like hail onto the perennially perfect grass below. So let’s get to Earth and drag those bastards out of hiding. Because the next time I step foot in this world, the god who kept trying to keep Selena and me apart will be dead.

We’ve come full circle, haven’t we? Selena asked as she opened the locked door of the W Hotel in New Orleans.

Pretty much, Cameron agreed. But since New Orleans has been completely evacuated, it seems like a good place to draw a bunch of gods into a fight.

I can’t wait, Loki chirped.

Cameron sighed and folded his arms. "Did you really have to bring him?"

What else am I supposed to do with him? Thor asked, sounding a little defensive about it.

Leave him in Falias! Cameron cried.

Don’t worry, Cameron, Tyr said. "If he even thinks about tricking us, I’ll kill him myself."

Oh? Loki sang. I didn’t realize you’d developed telepathy since you helped bind me in that cave.

Badb will ensure you make no attempt to stab us in the back, Tyr growled.

Badb shuddered and begged, Don’t make me go back in there.

Perv, Cameron mumbled.

Loki just smiled at him.

At least there are no gods running around spreading black pox or the plague or turning into giant birds, London said.

Selena groaned and scolded her. "Why did you say that? Don’t you know better by now?"

London grimaced, but Thor put a large hand on her head and patted her like a pet. Don’t be too hard on Little Goddess. She’s—

Stop calling me that!

—young and still new here.

"How old are you?" Cameron asked.

Technically? Sixty-seven.

Older than me, he told Thor.

And she acts like it, Thor observed smartly.

Who doesn’t? Cameron observed just as smartly.

Conceded, Thor agreed.

Can we go inside? Athena sighed.

Ares held the door open for his sister and as the Guardians stepped into the lobby, Loki decided to be an obnoxious asshole again.

Haven’t you wondered, he chirped, how Odin escaped the glass castle?

Badb’s body tensed and she spun around and grabbed the Norse trickster god by the throat. Ailill, she hissed.

I think, he gasped, you should loosen your grip.

If anyone gets to kill him, it should be me, Tyr muttered.

Nobody’s killing him, Selena insisted. Badb, let go of him. And Loki, if you know something, talk… without the games.

Don’t think that’s possible, Cameron interjected.

About as possible as you not being a smartass, Athena offered.

Like I said, I don’t think that’s possible, Cameron reiterated.

Cameron, Selena sighed, please shut up.

Spill it, Loki, Badb demanded.

As I’d mentioned before, he responded, rubbing his neck where Badb’s fingers had left bright pink splotches, why do you think Huitzilopochtli’s allies are orchestrating these half-assed attacks rather than confronting you together?

Cameron and Badb exchanged an uncertain glance before both shrugged, but Selena, as usual, was already ahead of them. The Stone… they’re keeping us distracted so Ailill has a chance to find the Stone of Fal first.

Loki tilted his head at her and smiled. "You’re as smart as you are beautiful. What exactly are you doing with this sun god?"

Cameron snorted and Selena rolled her eyes at him then grabbed Badb’s arm. "If he gets to the Stone first, he may become more powerful than us… even Cameron. We have to find the Lia Fáil."

Yeah, she agreed. It’s definitely time to find the last Treasure of the Gods.

Chapter Two

Ukko stuffed his hands into his pockets and shook his head at Cameron and Selena. Why do you keep returning to this hotel? Is this like some Stockholm Syndrome thing ?

Our friendship with you is obviously some Stockholm Syndrome thing, Cameron corrected. "And I like this hotel. Despite being your prisoner, I got to hang out with Selena while she was wearing a towel dress, and dude… she was hot in that towel dress."

Making it weird in here, love, Selena teased.

He makes everything weird, Ukko muttered.

True, but not as weird as Loki so I have that going for me.

Remind me again how this group won the Battle of the Gods? Loki asked.

Even though he most likely