“Where’s Cimil? We want answers!” Roberto, the ex-vampire king, reached for Zac’s neck as Zac stood ready to board the small camo-painted plane bound for El Corazón Island. It was late morning, and the clouds were rolling in, bringing with them summer rains. They needed to get in the air.
“Roberto,” Zac pushed the pesky hand away, “I’ve told you everything I know. The demon king has your wife, and there is nothing I can do. I have no powers in the underworld. That is Cimil’s domain.” Zac held back telling Roberto that this was likely all Cimil’s fault, anyway. Where there was trouble, there was Cimil. “And let me remind you: I can’t travel there on my own. The Minky-Mittens bomb was obviously a weapon with unique properties.” Normally, when a deity lost his or her body, they were sent back to the realm of the gods, not to the underworld.
“I know you’re holding back!” Roberto barked. “You got out. Why not her?”
“Yeah!” Emma, the wife of Votan, stood at Roberto’s side along with some of the other husbands and wives who’d been left behind, including Penelope, Távas, Ashli, Rys, and Margarita—spouses to Kinich (the Sun God turned vampire), Forgetty (Goddess of Forgetfulness), Máax (the God of Time Travel), Colel (Mistress of Bees), and Belch (God of Wine). The rest of the gods’ mates were still out searching the globe for leads. This was just the group that had been nearby. Someone had tipped them off that he was back, and they’d showed up at the private airport just outside LA to interrogate him.
Zac threw his black duffel bag over his shoulder. The ladies were on their way in an Uber, and he wanted to get the hell out of there before Maury showed up or their takeoff got delayed. “Look, everyone, my concern is Tula, who is about to arrive in less than two minutes. Along with a demon. Possibly inhabiting Tula’s body. Yes, I am aware of how complicated that sounds, but trust me, I don’t know anything at this moment that could bring down Maury and free my brethren or bring back the multitude of other immortals. But I do know this: if I don’t figure out which of these women is my Tula, I will lose her forever.” Zac’s eyes scanned the snarling faces. They were not happy.
Why are they putting this on me? He didn’t ask for Maury to take their spouses to the underworld.
With a growl, Zac continued, “I’m sorry, but this time I am not turning my back on Tula. I’ve always put my role as a god ahead of her, and today that ends. She is my everything, and, frankly, if there’s no Tula in my life, then the world isn’t worth saving. Not to me.” A world without the woman he loved would be like a world without air. Or a taco without a tortilla. Or a story without an ending. Blech! I hate cliffhangers.
Besides, Zac had every confidence that things would work out. They always did. Maury would be defeated, the evil souls Maury had released would be returned to the underworld, and somehow immortal life on Earth would be restored.
How?
Not my problem.
“So,” said Margarita, a tall blonde fitness instructor who was mated to Belch, “basically you’re saying that none of our families matter to you, that our children missing their moms or dads doesn’t matter to you.”
“What I’m saying is that I am the only one who can help Tula, so that’s what I’m going to do. And if any of you were in my shoes, you would do the same. Nothing would get in your way. Nothing would stop you from saving your…”
Off in the distance, he spotted Tula and Gola approaching the private airstrip from the small security office, carrying shopping bags. Zac’s heart jumped, and his cock stirred in his black leather pants. He wanted Tula more than he could ever say. And she was right here. Yes, yes. Perhaps she was divided into two bodies, but she was still here with him.
“You’ll all have to excuse me, but I have to prevent the kindest, most beautiful woman on the planet from becoming the demon king’s fuck toy.” He stepped around the group to greet Tula.
The cluster of spouses turned to see, and gasps erupted.
“Wow. That is one ugly demon,” Távas muttered.
Funny coming from a man who used to be a Maaskab. The Maaskab were an evil sect of ancient Mayan priests, and Távas had been their leader at one point. He used to wear a necklace made of human thumbs and beaded his blood-caked dreads with teeth. Now he just owned a chain of chicken wing restaurants and invested in video game companies. His mate, the Goddess of Forgetfulness, had really helped him channel his evil into some very profitable businesses.