The Grey God

"I love the way you smell when you've worked out." Jonny approached her until he stood toe-to-toe with her, gaze taking in her body. She saw his upper lip swell as his teeth grew, stimulated by lust. "It makes your skin glow."

Jenn pooled her mind control power and released it. Jonny flinched, took a step back, then focused again on her. With a sinking stomach, Jenn admitted she had less than a day of influence left on the Black God. The mental blow would've destroyed a human's mind and scrambled a Guardian's indefinitely. Jonny barely registered it.

"I've always admired you," he said. The dark lust was gone, though his gaze still carried too much interest. "Until now, you've been stronger than I. I feel that will change soon."

"Darian killed five Others and brought you their heads," she said calmly, unwilling to react to his words. "Maybe he knows what they're doing."

"Five?" Jonny asked. "Wow."

"You need to know what he found out," she told him, shoving the rest of her magic at him.

"I need to know what he found out," he echoed, gaze going to the stairwell.

"I'll talk to you in the morning." Jenn stepped aside. The Black God hesitated one more time before striding forward.

She went into her doorless room and into the bathroom, sagging against the closed door. It was almost two in the morning. She'd be lucky to get any sleep with the vamps hovering over her and before facing one god no longer under her influence and another with a wild streak that might get them all killed.

Jenn wiped her face. Her hand went to the symbol around her neck. Whatever happened, she chose her path long ago. She was strong enough to get through this. Maybe. If Jonny or the Others didn't kill her.

She took a cold, three-minute shower and then dressed. Her emotions still felt too close to the surface; exhaustion would only make them worse. She needed a little sleep while the vamps were out hunting. She trotted down the stairs to her window and paused. Darian sat on one of the couches. Her pile of blankets was folded next to him.

"Don't you have somewhere else to be?" she asked.

"Even I need a break," he replied. "Killing five Others is no joke."

Jenn looked at him. He did look beat, though still wary of the vamps lingering in the shadows of the great room. She picked up a pillow and two blankets, spreading one on the floor a foot from the window before plopping her pillow down.