The God & The Shadow

Chapter 84

The rain had already cleared by the time they found him.

He was at the center of it all, just as he liked it, and was intent on listening to what the soldier who witnessed the death of his comrade firsthand had to say about the gruesomeness of it.

Nixon had an advantage. He knew Veronica in ways Lore knew he could not, though he'd never admit it. The god didn't care that they met earlier, or that he was her first in many things, but jealousy was deeply rooted in the divine.

If only she gave him permission to do so, he would've killed Nixon by now.

But alas, that wasn't what she had planned for the treacherous son of a bitch. Veronica prepared for much, much worse. It was enough to make Lore stand down and follow whatever she wanted.

"And where is she now?" Nixon asked the soldier.

The angel straightened his back. "We believe she's invisible, sir. We heard all sorts of sounds around here, but we could not find her."

Veronica and Lore looked at each other then. And like the little kids they were, they held in their laughs and leaned against each other. She had to press her hands against his mouth to make sure he didn't do anything stupid to give their position away, but they both found it difficult to not find the situation funny.

Of course they did. They were stupid enough to have sex in the woods guarded by the angels, but at least they got Nixon to come out of hiding from it. It wasn't the most ideal way for him to do so, but the results were the same nonetheless.

"Then she's with Hades." Nixon turned away and faced the trees. "Lore? I know you're there!" He shouted. "I want to talk! My men will stand down, I assure you!" To make good on his statement, he ordered the soldiers to lay their weapons down.

It was Lore's turn to press his hand against Veronica's mouth this time. He saw her smile first, then a quiet snort came out of her. He understood the irony of a traitor assuring his safety. Additionally, there was no doubt in Lore's mind that Nixon would kill him the moment he saw fit, which could be when he takes the gamble of a conversation with him.

You need to control your humor, he told her through their cerebral bridge.

She shook her head at him. I'm done laughing already. You can put down your hand now.

I think I like you like this—quiet and peaceful, he joked.

I thought you liked me screaming more, Veronica countered easily.

Careful, he warned. Regardless of what we just did, I still have my limits.

"Veronica?" Nixon shouted, shattering the moment between them. Beside him, she took a deep breath and looked at him with a gaze that could've burned him alive if she willed it to. "Come on. We can work this out...." He paused. "Darling."

One word. All it took was one word for his anger to blind him, and before Veronica could keep up, he moved out of the shadows and killed all of the angels surrounding Nixon with one flick of a finger. Their puny king had made the mistake of disarming his own men, making it so much easier for Lore to go on the offense without any effort.

"Now, I'm reassured," Lore jested with a sarcastic smile.

Nixon scowled at him, but no sooner than later smiled when Veronica materialized in front of him, moving next to her husband. She eyed him with anger laced in her violet eyes, paired with a sword she conjured from the shadows. It was a clear product of Lore's and her own magic.