**** ****
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*
Max showed up in time for the feast.
Yes, she’d cooked two chickens perfectly, having covered them in a spice mix she’d found.
She made salad, too, and they’d bought a platter with tomato slices and some kind of white cheese.
Max gave an impressed nod to the spread on his table.
“Very nice.”
He produced a bottle of red wine and opened it.
Michelle got a flutter of joy when Votan held out his glass for Max to fill it.
With the three of them seated at the table eating peaceably she got a second rush of happiness.
Things could be like this all the time, couldn’t they?
“We need to strategize about you-know-who,” Max said to Votan.
He stopped eating.
“Why don’t you and Ixchel say his name?
He’s not Voldemort.”
She burst with laughter.
(Then felt glad Votan had some pop culture knowledge.)
Max shrugged.
“I figured he’d pay attention to us more if we say his name.”
“Assume that he’s always watching and everything we say and do is either seen by him or reported to him.”
“That sucks,” Michelle said.
“We’ll discuss our plan in the ring later,” Votan said.
Max nodded while cutting into his food.
Michelle sipped her glass of wine sparingly.
She still hadn’t acquired a taste for it.
Max and Votan finished the bottle between them.
“Any more of that?” Votan said.
“Sure.
We’re not attacking anything tonight, right?”
“Then get something harder out,” Michelle said.
They both looked at her.
She grew sheepish.
“Not for me.
For the two of you.”
They continued staring.
“Why?” Max said.
Michelle pursed her lips.
Moments of tense silence passed, then Max shifted his gaze to Votan.
“You drink Scotch?”
“Anything,” Votan said.
“With this stress lately I could use something hard.”
Max opened up a mahogany liquor cabinet and took out two short glasses.
He produced ice from a dispenser in his fridge (a feature Michelle had dreamed of having one day) and then filled the glasses with scotch.
He placed the crystal decanter on the table.
“I take it you don’t want a glass,” Max said to her.
“I can’t drink that straight.”
“You want a mixer?”
“Not really.”
“She’s trying to get us drunk,” Votan said.
“Not get drunk herself.”
“Is that so?”
Max resumed his seat at the table.
“Because she’s trying to seduce us.”
Max laughed through his nostrils.
“Both of us.”
Michelle focused on her chicken.
“Are you scheming, Michelle?” Max said.
“Clumsily and obviously,” Votan said.
She gave him an angry glare.
“That would be awkward,” Max said.
“I think it’s fine to take turns.”
Now she focused on him with her lips parted.
The betrayal she felt was etched onto her face.
“What?
Are you really trying to have a threesome?” Max said.
“Yes.”
He set down his silverware to gape at her.
“Are you joking?”
“I want the two of you to join together.
I don’t want you to be rivals.
I want you both to embrace sharing me.
To get…like a kinship with each other.”
Max shook his head in disbelief.
Votan merely stared at her.
“Why not?” she said.
Votan swirled his scotch a moment.
“Why?
Because I don’t know if I would enjoy it, or if I would want to kill him.”
“You already want to kill me.”
Votan shot daggers at him with his eyes.
“Then how would I defeat Caquix?”
“Fair enough.”
He met the acerbic gaze.
“But you wanted to kill me before you realized you needed me.”
“Not kill.”
He sipped.
“Beat you up a little, but not kill.
You’ve been with Ixchel before—when I did something to make myself unworthy of her.
I tolerated this.
Better you than Caquix.”
He drained the rest of his glass.
“I’ve grown used to the thought of you being with her.”
“Then what’s the problem?” Michelle said.
“Share me.”
Votan poured himself another glass.
“You would do it if Votan agreed, wouldn’t you Max?”
Her eyes were at their most imploring.
He took a deep breath and refilled his own glass.
“If both of you don’t take me then neither of you can have me tonight.
I’ll sleep on the couch.”
Votan laughed.
“How stubborn.”
“I’m not really feeling it, Michelle,” Max said.
She dug her fingernail into her cuticle.
“You ask for the moon, the sun, and the stars,” Votan said.
“And you want it all in one day.”
“I’m trying to save the world,” she said softly.
Max dragged back his chair to stand.
“Yeah.
Let’s get focused on that.”
He tipped his nose at Votan, who also rose.
They repaired to the ring and sat across from each other.
Michelle remained in her seat at the table.
Humiliation and rejection swirled through her.
She tried to fight through it.
Taking the situation personally was childish.
Still…
“We have to kill Caquix in the mortal world,” Votan said.
“Kill?
As in murder?”
He nodded.
“I don’t know if I can do that.”
Michelle stood and quietly stepped into the ring.
She perched on the couch a cushion away from Max.
The direness of the situation had pulled her from her doldrums.
“Caquix looked like a legitimate human.
I think he has a house and a job the same as we do.”
“He said he had a condo in
Columbus Square
,” Michelle said.
“Killing him would be like a true murder.
We could go to prison for it,” Max said.
“It doesn’t matter the consequences.
It must be done.”
“Is it really going to take both of us sullying our hands?” Max said.
“That’s the prophesy.
He can only be vanquished by two gods working together as brothers.”
Max groaned.
“
Columbus Square
,” Votan said to Michelle.
“Is that a building?”
“It’s several buildings,” Max said.
“We should go there.”
“And hope we run into him on the street and kill him?
With everyone watching?”
“We’ll go there in our jaguar forms.”
Votan was somber.
“Treat him like any other demon in your stream, Maximon.”
He leaned back against the cushions and nodded.
“He’ll see you coming though,” Michelle said.
“That’s the problem.
We’ll have to trap him.”
“How?” Max said.
“I don’t know.
His demons can’t communicate with him when he’s out in public associating with other mortals.
That’s the only time he wouldn’t see us coming.”
“So we have to find out about him first,” Michelle said.
“If he’s out in the open he can just fly away.
That’s what he did before.”
Votan gave a long sigh.
“As I said…we’d have to trap him.”
His eyes moved to the side.
“For now I’d like to check the seal of the underworld.
I want to make sure nothing else is getting through.
We’ll travel there in our spirit forms.”
Michelle curled her arms around her middle.
“I’m not going back there.”
Max reached over to soothe her back.
“Of course not, babe.
The two of us will go.”
Votan transformed before any further conversation could be had.
Max did the same.
In moments the two large cats snoozed on the furniture.
Michelle got up and started clearing the table.
She really shouldn’t have been the one washing up when she did the cooking.
Such nuances could be worked out after they were finished saving the world.
*
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*
Max presumed they would meet in Votan’s stream, despite it never being discussed.
The bull-headed man expected everyone to accommodate him, and since he had all the knowledge Max felt forced to oblige.
Just as he was about to leap from his stream he saw a moving mountain of black ahead of him.
It was distant enough to be hazy in the glow of the stream.
He still recognized it as the monster he’d encountered with Michelle when they were clearing out the streams of one of his companies.
This time it was in his own stream, in his essence, and it would cause havoc in his mortal life if not dispatched.
Shit.
He could never take on a behemoth like that by himself.
He felt too stricken to continue.
Something that terrible had never blighted his life essence before.
Votan leaped onto his stream.
Max tipped his nose to the monster.
‘Do you have one of these in your stream?’
Votan stared several moments while his flanks beat out rapid breaths.
‘There is only one of those.
Cabrakan.
Son of Caquix.’
Max turned his yellow eyes toward him.
‘I thought you said there were only three gods left?’
‘He’s not a god.
He’s a giant and a demon.’
‘Well he’s putting a huge blight on my stream.
Will you help me get rid of him?’
‘No.’
Max whipped his tail.
‘Of course not.’
‘He’ll destroy our spirit forms a thousand times before we make a scratch on him.’
Max looked.
‘Brute strength is useless against that beast.
He’s vulnerable to magic.
Ixchel can chase him away.’
‘Is that so?’
He fixed on the mountainous shadow once again.
‘Does she know how to wield her magic?’
‘She’ll have to learn.’
He leaped into the void.
‘You’ll be useless against Caquix as long as that thing’s crippling your stream.’
Max leaped after him.
***
Michelle hand washed the dishes since she didn’t know how to use Max’s dishwasher.
She went on a hunt, opening every cupboard and drawer, to see where to put everything back.
Then she wandered listlessly back to her two mates.
Votan was on the couch so she sat beside him.
She stroked his lean furred body, feeling his warmth, and becoming lulled by the rhythm of his breaths.
He lifted his head.
Had she woken him?
Votan transformed and looked at Max’s still sleeping form.
“He’s not back yet?
Good.”
He stood and took her hand.
“Let’s fuck.”
She let herself be pulled to her feet.
“A quickie?”
Votan drew her against his hard body.
“Yes.”
He cupped the back of her head to draw her into a searing kiss.
Michelle got flutters in her belly.
He ignited her lust so quickly she’d grown light-headed.
“I need you.
Right now.”
She met his eyes with a drunken expression.
“How long do we have?”
Max transformed behind them.
“Fuck!”
Votan separated from her.
He flopped back onto the couch and spread his arms and legs with a petulant expression.
Max merely glowered at him.
“Should we tell her now?” Max said.
Michelle sat.
“Yes, tell me.”
“The seal is fine.”
Votan gestured with one hand without lifting his arm from the back edge of the couch.
“There was a bunch of demon skeletons underneath the place that got weak.
Caquix is probably the only one who made it out.”
“Huh.”
She nodded.
“There’s more,” Max said.
“Caquix’s giant demon son is skulking around my stream.
We can’t fight him.
We need you to come to my stream and chase him away with your magic.”
She blinked at him.
“That needs to be done before anything.”
Votan jabbed his thumb in Max’s direction.
“This one is useless with that thing mucking up his stream.”
Michelle took a breath deep enough for her shoulders to rise and fall.
“You can do it, Ixchel,” Votan said.
“Ixchel can,” she said.
“Michelle has no idea how.”
“Hiss at it.
Like an alley cat.”
She lifted one brow at him.
“Hiss as hard as you can.”
“Just hiss at it, huh?”
“No,” Votan said.
“But once you tap into your magic the rest will come to you naturally.”
“By hissing.”
She remained dubious.
Votan tipped his nose at her.
“Try it.”
“What, now?
In my human form?”
He nodded.
Her face grew hot just at the thought of such foolishness in front of the two of them.
“Go ahead, Michelle,” Max said.
She chewed her bottom lip a moment…and then hissed.
“Louder.
Harder,” Votan said.
“Are you just trying to make me act stupid?”
His stern eyes answered her question.
She filled her lungs and gave a long loud hiss.
“Hiss like you mean it.
Like you’re warning someone you hate.
Pretend I’m Caquix.”
She looked at him while letting all her rage and anguish bubble up.
She lifted her hands like claws in front of her and hissed with all her strength.
This time she felt like fire was pouring out of her.
She saw transparent glowing lava pouring from her hands and face.
Once the flow started her hiss turned preternatural.
There was no air left in her lungs, but she still bellowed out the hissing sound and exuded the glowing red essence.
Through the ruby haze she saw Votan shift to his jaguar form and leap from the couch.
“Stop!
Michelle stop!”
Max’s voice breached her trance, but it was still hard to reel in the magic.
She forced her jaw to clamp and thrust down both her hands.
The redness blocking her view dissipated.
The fire in her hands and face extinguished.
She shifted from Ixchel back to Michelle.
And realized half of Max’s couch had melted.
She gasped and covered her mouth with both hands.
Votan stood in human form behind Max’s arm chair.
Max gaped at her destruction with a look of horror.
Votan was smiling.
“I’m sorry!”
“No,” Max said, with one hand lifted.
“It’s okay.
It’s not your fault.”
He darted narrow eyes back to Votan.
“Why the fuck did you make her do that?”
“It’s usually a fizzle, not a flood.
She’s angry.
That makes her magic stronger.”
“Well, damn it.”
He got up and surveyed the damage.
“This was white Italian leather.”
Michelle bowed her head.
“I’ll buy you a new couch,” Votan said.
“I don’t need you to buy me anything.”
He rubbed a hand over his face.
“You know what?
It’s fine.
It doesn’t really matter.
At least now we know she can use her magic.”
She started to cry.
It was idiotic, she knew it even as the first tear fell.
This was a dire situation, and it really didn’t matter.
But then, she’d never destroyed something so valuable.
Something that belonged to someone she loved.
Max knelt in front of her and caressed her hair.
“Sweetheart…it’s okay.”
He kissed her softly.
“I wanted a bigger couch anyway.”
She nodded with a sniffle.
“Make it up to me by killing that big ugly thing in my stream.”
She gave his shoulder a squeeze.
“I will.”
“No,” Votan said.
“Don’t kill him.
Chase him away.”
She looked at him.
“Right now our war is with Caquix.
Some of the underworld creatures support him.
Some despise him.
If you kill Cabrakan our war will include his wives, his siblings, and everyone in his clan.”
“Okay.”
She wiped away a final tear.
“Do I try now?”
Max looked back at Votan.
He considered.
“I think we’ve done enough for tonight.”
“Agreed,” Max said.
Votan moved toward the guestroom.
“Come to bed, Ixchel.”
Max grumbled below his breath.
“I guess it’s his turn, huh?”
“No.”
She said this loud enough for both of them to hear.
Votan glared at her.
“What?
Baring your teeth now?”
Max was appraising Michelle’s face.
“What are you talking about?”
“As soon as she realizes her arsenal it goes to her head.”
“Well…I didn’t just realize it.”
She looked at him.
“When I was in seventh grade this boy kept putting his feet on the back of my chair.
I told him to knock it off, but he would just keep them right on the edge.
Every time I moved I got my butt touched by the tip of his shoe.
So finally I turned around and screamed at him, and I swear my voice went demonic—just like the way the hiss turned toward the end of the hiss.
I even saw red.
It was just a little, though.
I didn’t disintegrate anything.
But he was terrified.
He moved seats.
He never bothered me again.
When he saw me coming down the hallway he would turn around and go the other way.
I knew it had to have something to do with my jaguar powers.”
“You can’t threaten the two of us, Ixchel.”
“I never said I was—”
Max climbed to his feet.
“Let’s take turns with her.
We can flip for who goes first.”
“I don’t want you separately.”
Emotion was building in her again.
“I want you together.
Why can’t we?”
Max looked at Votan.
Her larger mate considered for a moment.
“I’ve gone from hate to tolerance, Ixchel.
That’s not enough for me to want to share my wife with him.”
She felt a sorrowful black cloud descend on her.
Max took her hand.
“I can put it in less blunt terms.”
She peeked up.
“For two people to connect they need something to connect over.
I know you want that something to be you, but let’s face it.
You lured two men to you who only want you, without another lover attached.
Now we have to contend with that other lover.
He’s not my brother.
He’s not even my friend.
I’m having trouble seeing anything that will change that.
You’re not the thing that’s going to make us come together.
You’re actually the reason for our conflict.”
“Well said.”
Votan spoke softly.
“You do have things to connect over besides me,” she said.
“You’re last two men of the B’alam.”
Votan gave a monosyllabic laugh.
“That doesn’t mean we get along.
The B’alam were always at each others throats.”