Destiny Descending

awhile for them to get over it.”
“Then it'll take awhile.” I shrugged.
“And you expect all of us to put our lives on hold too?” Artemis asked with a scowl.
I blinked. “What are you talking about?”
“Who do you think they'll come after when they can't find you?” She asked more pointedly.
I sighed deeply and then whispered, “I don't know what to do.”
That really threw them. They just sat there, gaping at me. Which surprised me. I wouldn't consider myself to be the best strategist in the bunch. Generally, we had these meetings so someone else could come up with a good idea. But I suppose even when I didn't have an idea, I still had something to say.
“Well, call the Hermes Herald,” Horus drawled. “The Godhunter doesn't know what to do.”
“Hey, watch it,” Viper growled.
“You watch yourself, pit snake,” Horus snapped back. “I've been a part of this group since long before your sugar mama pulled you from the Void and announced; it's a boy! I have every right to speak my mind.”
“Not when you speak it like that to my woman, you don't.” Viper leaned across the table toward Horus. “I may be young, but I've taken down greater gods than you, worm-breath.”
“Viper!” I chided.
“I highly doubt that.” Horus stared down his beakish nose disdainfully.
“Enough!” Odin roared and slammed his fist down on the table. “Why must we always bicker? Horus, your frustration is noted and shared, but Vervain doesn't need one of your jibes to startle her out of her funk. She needs all of us to help her think of the best way to handle this.”
Viper nodded smugly.
“And you.” Odin settled his piercing stare on Viper. “Horus is right; this is your first meeting. Perhaps you should settle in before you start a fight.”
Viper grimaced but muttered to Horus, “I'm sorry for threatening you.”
“I'm sorry for the jibe, Vervain,” Horus shocked me by adding. “Odin's right; I was merely trying to goad you into action.”
“I know, Horus.” I grinned at him. “We've been friends long enough for me to have learned your tricks. It's in your nature to peck at things.”
Horus chuckled then went sober. “You must face this. Hiding here will solve nothing.”
“Can't we try my way first?” I asked. “Just give them some time to cool down. Maybe if they see that I'm not a threat anymore, they'll give up on vengeance. But if I go on the defensive before they've even done anything, I'll only confirm what they think of me.”
“She has a point,” Mrs. E said. “Sometimes the best action is no action.”
“How about compromise?” Kirill asked, his Russian accent shortening the sentence. “Ve vatch Mesopotamians and vait. Put Moonshine on guard and all of you who have businesses on Earth, you be on guard too. Shut down if you can. Ven ve have more information, ve act.”
Odin looked around the table. “Everyone good with that?”
The God Squad nodded in agreement.
“Sara and I will go to Bahrain and keep an eye on the area,” Brahma offered and then lifted his wife's hand to kiss it gallantly. “We've been meaning to go on vacation anyway.”
Eztli shared a look with Blue before she said, “We'll send some vampires too. They'll be less conspicuous; they roam the world anyway.”
“I have no idea where the Mesopotamians will be,” I said morosely. Then I brightened. “But I know someone who will.”
“Sin,” Viper said in revelation. “You think he'd help us?”
“I don't know but it's worth a try.” I looked from Viper to Trevor. “I'll need to go back to Bahrain.”
“No.” Trevor shook his head. “That's the last place you need to go.”
“First, you want me to fight then you want me to hide,” I growled. “Make up your mind.”
“That's not true. I said that I want you here until we figure out what the Mesopotamians are up to,” Trevor said firmly. “When we do, then we fight. But you can't show your face in Bahrain before then, Vervain. That alone might start a war.”
“He's right,” Hekate agreed. “Let Brahma find this Sin for you. He can bring him back here to meet with you safely.”
“Meanwhile, Olympian, you can call on the Greeks to help you watch the Mesopotamians and to fight them if need be,” Hades declared imperiously. “They may have a large pantheon, but none are greater than the Greeks.”
“That was so sexy, Sizzle-Butt.” Persephone stroked her husband's arm.
Hades gave his wife a wicked grin. “Wait till we get home, Bunny-Nose, then I'll show you sexy.”
Persephone giggled excitedly and snuggled closer.
“Someone kill me now,” Horus lamented.
“As if you don't want to get home for the very same reason,” Hekate chided.
“Katie, how many times have I told you not to interfere with my saturnine persona?” Horus huffed. “This is a well-cultivated image.” He waved a golden-walnut hand at himself. “People will be disappointed if I don't present myself with a certain panache.”
“Oh, please. I put the pan in your panache; it's me they come to see.” Pan tossed his boyish curls and revealed the tips of his little horns.
“I take back what I said. Someone, please kill him now.” Horus pointed at Pan.

Chapter Four
The God Squad traced off to begin their assignments. Brahma and Sara were heading to Bahrain to find Sin; I'd suggested they start at Sikaru, the nightclub that Sin's bestie, Ninkasi owned. Eztli and Blue would send their vampires to scour Bahrain's main island for Mesopotamians to spy on, and Artemis offered to speak to the Olympian Council on my behalf. If they agreed, they'd keep an eye on the rest of the world, in case the Mesopotamians had decided to diversify. I would have gone to Olympus myself but it was pointed out that if the Mesopotamians remembered my time spent as the Dark Star, the Greeks would as well, and we didn't know how they'd react to me showing up on their home turf, asking for help on the cusp of trying to annihilate everyone.
I could have sent the Intare