Rock Hard (34 page)

The gods exchanged knowing glances before Marduk answered.

“We know you took all the osmium, Dagon.” He nodded to Anshar who, from that one little motion, obviously knew it was time to head for South Africa. He poofed from the gathering. “But why would you give us any, when you know we could use it to destroy you?”

Dagon laughed. “Let’s just say that I’d like to give you a sporting chance.” He attempted to sound sincere but fooled nobody. “What fun would it be if I defeated you when you had no way to defend yourselves? Not to point out that I almost did that without the help of any osmium at all.” He chuckled again at the god’s expense.

“You had some of the enchanted chain backing up your otherwise normal incompetence,” Marduk taunted. “From our perusal of the links we have, we’re pretty sure that you have even more.”

“That’s for me to know and for you to find out,” Dagon chanted immaturely.

“Get on with it.” Marduk was already sick of Dagon’s voice. “Let’s just say you give us some osmium. What is it you want in return?”

“Just a little information,” he purred. “I already know that Enlil has his body back because he’s related to your little Tess.”

Marduk’s scowl deepened. He didn’t want his woman’s name anywhere near Dagon’s mouth.

“What I’d really like to know is why you regained your ugly but serviceable self?” Dagon remained quiet, waiting for an answer.

“What makes you think that any of us know the reason?”

“A hunch,” Dagon chortled. “And before you say no and hang up, I’ll be willing to meet you at three o’clock this afternoon at a lovely little spot in Plymouth called Bloody Pond. That has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? I’ll be on the southeast side of the pond in the woods with your osmium in hand.” The line went dead.

“Obviously it’s a trap. He wants to get us away from the compound and sic his Pilgrim Posse on us.” Enlil was not amused. “Gods, I hate that guy!”

“If we’re careful, it’s a good opportunity to find out what kind of manpower he has behind him,” Marduk pondered aloud.

“But what if you get hurt or killed?” Tess worried. Now that she had found Marduk, she was unwilling to see him take risks.

“We won’t be in any danger,” he assured her. “We’ll be invisible to all but Dagon. And even if he’s fashioned a knife out of osmium, it can’t harm us as long as we’re not corporeal.”

“And the magic chains?” Tess wasn’t going to let this go.

“We’ll make sure we don’t get close enough for anyone to trap us.”

She remained skeptical of their plan.

“I promise,” confirmed Marduk, unwilling to give up this chance to assess his enemy. As far as he was concerned, it was settled. He pushed back his chair.

“I’m coming too.” Hux finished his last bite of eggs, as if daring Marduk to contradict him. “Since I’m human, your buddy, Dagon, can’t sense my presence if I’m sneaky. I can ride ahead and tell you what’s up before you arrive. That way you won’t walk into anything unaware.” Marduk admitted to himself that Hux had a point. He nodded at Tess’s brother.

“Okay, but you do everything my way.”

Marduk was rewarded with a huge grin from the young man who picked up his bag from the counter. “Agreed. You have a room for me in this mausoleum?” Shamash beckoned, and he and Huxley left the room.

“That means you’ll be staying home, Enlil.” Marduk had no doubt where this latest order was going to go.

“Like hell I will!” The blond turned his head so fast that braids flew wildly around his head

Marduk tried reason. “With Hux on the ground, you’ll have no choice but to be your physical self. That could be a distinct danger and a distraction we can’t afford.”

“I won’t go anywhere near Dagon, and he’s the only one who will wield an osmium blade.” They both knew that Dagon wouldn’t trust any of his humans to handle the god-killing metal.

Marduk threw up his hands. “Well, don’t come crying to me if you get yourself cut up or shot full of holes. There’s not a thing I can do about it!”

“If you guys insist on putting yourself in danger, I’m calling Dr. Dani-Lee. Tell me where her card is and lend me your phone.” Tess sounded as if no amount of argument would deter her.

Marduk sighed. It was a good idea. He’d been thinking more and more about how handy it would be to have a doctor on site. He had already planned on asking Dr. Dani to attend the marriage ceremony between him and Tess…just in case. He guessed now would be as good a time as any to convince the doctor to join them, considering they had until late this afternoon to prepare.

“We’ll go talk to her together,” Marduk agreed. If Tess was surprised at his capitulation, she didn’t show it. Marduk continued, unable to meet Tess’s eyes.

“One of the powers we have, which I might have neglected to mention, is the ability to look into people’s eyes and compel them to do our bidding.”

“Hah!” Tess looked extremely pleased with herself. “I already knew that. You’ve tried it on me. Dagon did too…and it didn’t work!” Marduk smiled broadly.

“I have a feeling that your blood connection to a god renders you immune. That’s why I didn’t even try to talk Huxley out of going to Plymouth. It would most likely have been a waste of energy.” He picked up the plates from the table and deposited them in the sink.

“Let’s go get Dani-Lee,” Tess chirped, happily.

Marduk took a long look at Tess’s exposed legs appreciatively. It might take a little longer to leave the house than she figured.

Chapter Thirty

Tess and Marduk finally made the trip to the beach to retrieve Tess’s car. The windshield wiper was full of tickets, which made her hopping mad until Marduk pointed out that her vehicle hadn’t been towed. Then Tess had calmed down. Besides, he assured her, now that they were going to be mated, half of everything he had would be hers, and it would be no problem to pay her fines. Apparently, he was a very rich god.

Tess was still shaking her head over that one when they drove up to the hospital. It had only taken a few minutes to find out that Dr. Dani was not on duty. They immediately drove to the home address she had been compelled to give Marduk. Tess was impressed.

Her god had known that would come in handy! Dani’s was a luxury brick apartment complex, and the doctor lived on the top floor. Tess could tell that Marduk didn’t like the elevator going up. He gripped Tess’s hand and made it to the top, only sinking to the floor once, with his head between his knees.

If Dr. Dani was surprised to see them, she didn’t let on. Tess listened as the doctor grappled with excuses that would excuse her from joining them, but Marduk compelled her to grab a light jacket and accompany them to Tess’s car. She couldn’t have known what hit her. Tess silently commiserated. Marduk took the stairs on the way down.

Tess was aware the minute Dani got her first glimpse of the god’s compound. Driving up to the front was an experience, almost like visiting the Chateau de Versailles! She pictured the house through Dani’s eyes, as it had struck her when she’d first entered, and saw it again through fresh eyes.

They stepped into the spacious front foyer—floor to ceiling silk tapestries on the walls and Italian marble inlay on the floor. From design magazines that were a guilty pleasure, Tess knew the stones underfoot were Calacatta Pearl. The filtered light from the stained glass dome shined across the expanse. Tess was amazed that Dani-Lee found her tongue so quickly.

“So what is it you need from me?” Her eyes went from Marduk and then back to the embellished foyer.

“We need a doctor on call pretty much all the time.” It was not quite the case yet, but if more gods regained their bodies, there would be stitching needed every hour of the day. “I’m thinking this afternoon for a start.”

Dani-Lee pondered that one, obviously holding her tongue.

“And we have a…um…ceremony coming up where we’re definitely going to need your help.”

“Briss?” She raised an eyebrow, as Marduk led them into a magnificent media room.

The giant man actually blushed. Tess was charmed anew by Marduk. There was nothing she liked better than a big guy with a sensitive side. Just as that thought popped into her head, Enlil entered through a door across the way.

“Wow!” The word escaped Dani’s mouth. It was certain that the doctor was blown away by the magnificent male, but she coughed and pretended she was appreciating the TV. “Huge screen,” she marveled. But Tess knew she was still checking out the walking beefcake. Hmm. Did the doctor like blonds?

Tess felt the braids might be a bit much for a staid physician, but Enlil was a hunk of man that might not be intimidated by Dani-Lee’s daunting height or credentials. The god came toward the visitor, took her hand, and actually bowed over it.
Okay,
Tess thought to the gods, seeing Dani sway,
this might be a good time to have everyone sit down.

What the doctor didn’t know, as she was being led to a chair and bowled over by Enlil, is that there were nine other gods draped in various spots about the room, placing bets on whom she would belong to and in how many different positions. Tess tried not to be amused.

“My name is Enlil,” the only other in-the-flesh god finally spoke. His golden eyes appraised the tall redhead. Tess, tuned in to her ancestor’s thought, was aware of him wondering if he could skip the niceties and just haul this lovely off to his bed. Tess put an end to that.

“Enlil, stop hovering! We want to know if Dani-Lee is interested in working for you…us.” Tess was still uncertain of her place in the household, but she was comfortable enough to bring up the question of the hour. “How much are you guys going to tell her?”

Enlil quirked an eyebrow. As far as he was concerned, Tess realized, it could only help his effort if the doctor knew he was a god. “Why not everything?” he smirked.

“What is there to tell?” Dani asked, and in the next hour, they fed her so much information that she probably felt like she’d followed Alice down the rabbit hole.

“So let me get this straight,” she said, after shaking her head like she’d been repeatedly sucker punched. “You guys are immortals, I’m surrounded by invisible gods, and you need me because you’re not only under constant threat from…Pilgrims…but you regularly beat the shit out of each other and, as more of you become visible, you’ll need someone to put you all back together. Have I got it right?”

The solid beings in the room exchanged sheepish glances. When put like that, it did make them seem like a bunch of loonies. Marduk and Enlil spent the next fifteen minutes showing her their various tricks, compelling her, then making her aware of it, and recruiting the incorporeal into acquiring and un-acquiring things around the room. Tess smirked. The doctor came up with the same thing as Tess, when first confronted with their tricks.

“Hypnosis,” Dani-Lee stated with confidence, then paused thoughtfully and shook her head as if wrong. She got a look on her face that was almost amused and started looking around the room. Tess and the gods exchanged a puzzled glance.

“Oh, you guys are good,” Dani-Lee said. “I get it now!” She got up and looked behind the tapestry drapes. “Where are the cameras?” She waited for everyone to laugh. When they didn’t, she prompted. “I’m being punked, right?”

Marduk sighed. “No, you’re not being punked,” he said with resignation. Tess noticed the disappointment clearly etched on his face. The doctor was not convinced.

“I was afraid it would come down to this.” The thunder god sighed and stood up. He began to remove his shirt.

“Whoa big boy!” Dani-Lee squeaked, and even Tess was confused. It was clear that neither knew what Marduk was up to, especially when Enlil got up and started doing the same thing.

“No, Marduk. Let me.” The wind god made quick work of his shirt. Tess continued to look puzzled, while Dani exhibited panic.

“Okay,” Marduk agreed. “Kitchen knife or a blunt instrument?”

“Kitchen knife,” he intoned. Marduk loped from the room to retrieve one.

“Just what do you think you’re doing?” Dani’s face was stressed.

Tess sent Marduk, who was rummaging in a drawer, a silent plea.
I don’t think it’s furthering your cause to get Dr. Dani freaked out right now
, she warned.

Don’t worry. I’ve got this,
Marduk assured her. But when he came back with the knife and approached Enlil, Tess figured Dani had witnessed just about enough.

“That’s it!” The doctor got out of her mouth, watching as Marduk raised the knife to Enlil. “Stop right there!” Marduk didn’t listen. He stabbed the knife directly into Enlil’s subclavian artery.

The wound instantly gushed blood…REAL blood! Red corpuscles were spilling out all over the rug. Even knowing what she knew about the gods, Tess had to wonder if Marduk and Enlil had lost their minds. Dani went into emergency mode.

“Lie down!” she ordered the wind god. “Tess, get me some towels and call an ambulance, stat!” She didn’t have her bag or surgical gloves, but she certainly wasted no time approaching a still standing Enlil to stuff her fingers into the hole to slow the bleeding. “I told you to lie down,” she hissed. Tess thought Enlil might be enjoying this. He acquiesced to a sitting position.

Tess felt bad. What Dr. Dani-Lee got, instead of people following her orders, was a total mind-fuck! The blond idiot was unable to keep a grin off his face, not even having the good graces to sway a little in the chair. Enlil’s bleeding slowed from a gusher to a trickle, and it was pretty obvious that the “healing fast” thing was actually happening. Tess watched Dani take a deep breath and knew the minute she decided to play along.

“How long before the skin closes up?” she snapped, sporting a look that said she was considering their stories, but still didn’t like it.

“That’s the problem,” Marduk said. “Even though the bleeding slows and the artery begins to heal, it could take several hours for the tissue to regenerate. If we’re in the midst of battle, repeated cuts or blows to the same area make it much worse and we become more vulnerable. When we take a direct hit to an organ,” Tess knew Marduk was talking about the knife to the kidney he’d taken in Maine, “we can even lose consciousness before regeneration begins.”