Green Tea and Black Death (The Godhunter, Book 5) (32 page)

   “
And then she just decided we were through,” Constantin added, his short, dark curls flicking about his head like they were separate entities. “That evil, heartless, long-toothed, broodmare, swished her tail at the first stallion to come by.”

   “
Okay,” Sommer held up a hand, “can we stop with all the horse references? It's making me a little uneasy.”

   “
Hey,” I snapped my fingers in front of Constantin's face when he started to stare hard at Sommer. “Why don't we order a round of shots, some more drinks, and get nice and loud as we ignore them both and ruin whatever plan either of them have to disrupt our night?”

   “
That sounds excellent,” Ilario looked at me gratefully. “What do you say, brother?”

   “
I say, make mine Frangelico.”

  “
You got it,” I waved down our waitress with an air of desperation. This was one confrontation I just didn't want to have. Part of me really wanted to throw Thor out on his tookis but that would mean I'd have to sink to his level, have to admit he was pissing me off, and have to go talk to him. Three things I didn't want to do. So I was going to be the bigger person and hide up in my VIP lounge as I tried my best to get drunk. See, I can be a grown-up.

  
This is more difficult than you may think when you're a goddess. The getting drunk part not the behaving like an adult. Oh yeah, I'm technically a goddess now, ever since I had a drink from the Grayel. I heal fast, real fast, and unfortunately that includes any damage done to brain cells by imbibing alcohol. It takes a lot to get me drunk now. However, I've discovered that if I drink fast enough, I could get a good buzz. Since I wasn't paying for my drinks anyway, drinking fast seemed like a good idea to me.

  
It seemed like much less of a good idea twenty minutes later, when I'd consumed more than half a bottle of tequila and was blinking at a couple of blurry shapes near the top of the stairs, both of them being blocked adamantly by Kirill. I blinked a few times and refocused, bringing Thor and his date into view. Then I groaned. Why couldn't he just stay downstairs with his little horsie floozy? No, he had to trot her ass up to my VIP floor and try to give us all a good look at her thin thighs.

  
Constantin was stumbling to his feet, the other drunk members of the band trying to reach for him but failing, so I lurched forward, effectively slamming him back into his seat. I used the momentum to propel myself up and forward, over to my lion lover, who looked as if his patience was about to leave the building. Hopefully along with Thor and his My Little Pony.

   “
Take voman and leave now,” Kirill's Russian accent was as thick as his long, black hair, which was hanging loose around his hips tonight. I stared at the sexy display of all that shiny, straight hair around his perfectly shaped ass and totally forgot why I was standing there.

   “
Vervain,” Thor's voice reminded me.

   “
Thor,” I jerked my gaze away from my lover's assets guiltily. Though why I should feel guilty about staring at my boyfriend was beyond me. I didn't owe Thor anything, I could stare at Kirill if I wanted to. So I gave Kirill's chest a thorough once over just to prove the point.

   “
Is there a reason why we can't come upstairs?” Thor growled and I glanced back over at him in surprise.

   “
Is there a...,” I stumbled forward and Kirill caught me in a slick maneuver that made it look like he'd reached out just to put an arm around me, not because I was about to fall flat on my face. “How about, I told you I didn't want you around?” I got back on track after shooting Kirill a grateful glance.

   “
I didn't think it applied to public places,” Thor's eyes were starting to fill with lightning.

  “
This is my fucking club, you ass!” I shouted at him and the muted conversations going on behind me stopped dead.

   “
It's also the only club that caters to gods,” he ground out.

   “
Look,” Epona apparently decided she needed to add something to the debacle. “We're not here to cause any trouble, let's just go have a drink downstairs, Thor.”

   “
Not here to cause trouble?” Constantin growled from the back of the hill he was flung over, and held down on, by Ilario and Adriano. “Go bray your lies elsewhere. You're here just to whip me to a frenzy and you know it.”

   “
Great, more horse references,” Sommer drawled. “I'm never going to get these images out of my head.”

   “
I am not, Constantin,” Eppona lifted her long face in the air. “I didn't even know you were going to be here tonight.”

   “
Alright, that's it,” I waved a hand in a cutting motion and was surprised to find that it was steady. Sober already. Well yippee, just in time to come up with some good insults. “I don't know you, horse-face and I don't care if you're here under good intentions or not. You're upsetting my employee and you being in the company of Undesirable No. 1 over here, doesn't help your case.”

   “
You mean Public Enemy No. 1,” Epona raised a sassy eyebrow at me. “If you're going to be rude, you should at least get your insults straight.”

   “
No, I don't and don't fucking correct me,” I snarled. “Go watch a Harry Potter movie and learn something important... like knowing when to shut the hell up.”

   “
Vervain,” Thor growled.

   “
Watch it, Sparky,” I shot back. “I'm not in the god damned mood for your bullshit. Take your little friend and beat it before I call in the wolves.”

   “
Bullshit?” His eyes started to flash lightning. “I simply wanted a nice evening out with a woman who actually enjoys my company.”

   “
No problem,” I nodded very reasonably. “Take said woman and go enjoy your evening together... elsewhere. I don't care where and I don't care that I own the only club that caters to gods. Just because this is a god specific club, doesn't mean you can't go anywhere else. Hell go to fucking Timbuktu, it'll only take a few seconds, just go away from
here
.”

   “
All that time I watched you,” Thor shook his head, “I never saw you behave with such avarice.”

   “
Really?” I blinked at him, wide-eyed, “you're going to bring up your previous stalking of me while trying to insult me? Weak, very weak. In fact, you're kinda making my point for me.”

   “
Fine,” Thor narrowed his glowing eyes on me. “We'll leave but I'm going to remember this, Vervain.”

   “
Oh please do because I am so fucking tired of repeating myself to you.”

He snarled, turned, and tromped back down the stairs, leaving Epona to follow. Behind me, a concert worthy round of applause had begun and Kirill leaned in to kiss my cheek.

   “Vell done, Tima,” he whispered. “So sexy with the spank talking.”

   “
It's
smack
talk,” I laughed. “We can do spank talking later, as long as your kissing improves.”

   “
Oh,” he chuckled, a low rumbling in his chest, “it vill improve
and
relocate.”

   “
I'll look forward to that,” I slapped his ass, a little spanking preview, before I went back to my appreciative audience.

   “
Thank you,” Constantin was on his feet, free of restraining hands now that Epona was gone. “That made my entire year.”

    “
Hey,” I pointed at him, “nobody fucks with my people but me.”

  
He laughed and gave me a quick hug. “Still, I appreciate it. It was a hell of a show.”

   “
Yes, bravo,” slurred Krystal, poor thing was trying to keep up with gods and that was virtually impossible when it came to drinking. “Send that horse-bitch packing!” A shocked silence sobered her up enough to look around. “What I say?”

   “
Nothing,” I laughed and shook my head, “werewolves get a little sensitive about the “b” word.”

   “
Oh,” her eyes got round, “sorry, Sam, never even occurred to me.”

   “
No prob,” Sam shrugged. “I'm not as sensitive as some of the others. I think it was more of the combination horse and bitch insult. Kind of silly sounding to us shifters.”

   “
I like a woman with spark,” Rain leaned in closer to Krystal.

   “
And I like a man with less hair,” she stared at the shiny fall of his tresses like they were personally offending her.

   “
What?” Rain looked shocked and confused. So very confused.

  
I smothered my laugh.

   “
I don't like men with long hair,” Krystal said slowly, like he was mentally challenged.

   “
But women love my hair,” he sounded like a three-year-old. “It's rock star hair and I'm a rock star.”

   “
I don't think I like rock stars then,” Krystal looked thoughtfully into her empty lemonade glass. “I
would
like some more lemonade though. Can you get me some?”

   “
Can I... what?” Rain looked at me like I might be able to explain the insanity of my friend.

  
It was the last straw on the back of my camel of laughter. I bent over double with the force of my merriment, delighting in both Krystal's frankness and Rain's discomfort. The rest of the group finally joined in, with Rain, Krystal, and Kirill being the only exceptions.

   “
She just don't like you,” I finally got out. “It happens.”

   “
No, it doesn't,” Rain looked Krystal over carefully, like she might have a warning label attached someplace.

   “
I don't find you all that attractive,” I shrugged.

   “
Yeah but you have like five-hundred lovers,” he shook his head. “You're a little too distracted to notice my good looks.”

   “
I still notice a good looking man, you narcissist,” I huffed. “And you're just not that hot. I'm sorry, someone had to tell you sometime.”

   “
You could try cutting your hair,” Krystal mused when she realized he wasn't going to get her a new drink. “And you could try being a little more courteous to thirsty ladies.”

   “
Cut my hair?” He lifted a hand to his hair.

   “
It's not like you've never worn it short,” Ilario observed. “I actually think you look better that way too.”

   “
Traitor,” Rain hissed.

   “
Hey, you're the only one who thinks rock stars have to have long hair,” Adriano piped up. “It's not like it's the eighties. I think Krystal has a point.”

   “
Well that's where we differ,” I shrugged and looked over at Kirill. “I like my men with long hair, gives me something to grab onto.”

   “
I can grab onto short hair,” Krystal insisted, still lifting her empty glass in Rain's direction until he finally took it.

   “
Jessica,” I called for our waitress as I looked Krystal over. “We need some coffee and water up here please.”

   “
And a pair of scissors,” Krystal added.

About the Author

Amy Sumida lives on an island in the Pacific Ocean where gods go to play. She sleeps in a fairy bed, high in the air, with two gravity-defying felines and upon waking, enjoys stabbing people with little needles, over and over, under the guise of making pretty pictures on their skin. She, like Vervain, has no filter but has been fortunate enough to find friends who appreciate this... or at least tell her they do. She bellydances and paints pictures on her walls but is happiest with her nose stuck in a book, her mind in a different world than this one, filled with fantastical men who unfortunately don't exist in our mundane reality. Thank the gods for fantasy.

On a serious note, she is the author of several books, including the Godhunter series, Feeding the Lwas, and The Magic of Fabric. She's been writing since she was a little girl but first decided to pursue writing as a career when she gave her high school English teacher one of her books to look over and unbeknownst to her, that teacher passed her book around to all her friends. A month later she was accosted in the halls by a teacher she didn't know, begging her to write a sequel. She's been writing novels ever since.