least two weeks to see each other again?” he asked, looking annoyed at the prospect.
Dana’s happiness wilted a little. Is this how it was going to be? She wondered. Were they doomed to spend a little time together only to be punished with double the time apart? Something that had been a mere annoyance to her suddenly became terrible and she vowed to talk with Tempus and Tanda that day.
‘Never fear, my dear. We are already here,’ Tempus’s voice invaded her mind.
Chapter Fourteen
Dana whipped her head around to the cliff’s edge, her gaze immediately landing on the other two gods who had been with her since the beginning of time itself. Tempus was dressed as always in a smart suit; this one was charcoal with a pale blue dress shirt. He wore no tie and had the first couple of buttons undone on his shirt, revealing a hint of his tattoo. Tanda, on the other hand, looked like some kind of skater-boy in ripped jeans, black and white Doc Martin shoes, and a faded Metallica t-shirt. The row of silver hoops in his left ear went from the lobe to the tip and shined in the winter sun.
“Dana?” Mordecai questioned. He was squinting in the same direction as her, but he clearly could not see what she was seeing. Still, he was tense and appeared ready for battle as his Order quickly flanked him. “What is it?”
Before Dana could reply and assure him everything was fine, Max squealed and took off running. Well, as fast as she was able to considering she was almost seven months pregnant. Max ignored the yells and warnings from her Order and she flung herself at Tanda, crying, “Uncle Tanda!” Dana transported herself next to the gods before over a dozen heavily armed paladins arrived seconds later. There was lots of cursing and questions as Max moved on to Tempus, giving him the same treatment and a happy, “Uncle Tempus!”.
“What the fuck is going on?” Ryker yelled, clearly unhappy.
Dana held up a staying hand. “These are my colleagues – and my friends. Tempus and Tanda.” That shut everyone up.
“As in, Father Time and Death?” Darius asked, eyes wide, even as his grip on his sickle remained tight.
“That would be us. At your service,” Tempus bowed, smiling at everyone over the top of Max’s head.
What followed was thirty minutes of hectic conversation, laughter, and awkward silences. Thankfully, the tension in the air no longer felt fraught with danger. Although Max’s entire Order were yet to sheath their blades. Mordecai, for his part, was staring avidly at Tanda. When the usually stoic God of Death winked at him, Mordecai literally jumped, before scowling and telling his paladins to “fuck off” for laughing.
Finding herself next to Tempus and a small distance away from the crowd, she asked, “Is it time?”
“You’re asking me?” came the amused reply.
Dana slid her eyes to the left, a smile quirking her lips. “And who should I ask about matters of time if not Father Time himself?”
“Bah,” the silver fox waved a dismissive hand. “As if you need our permission to do anything.”
“The laws of nature might not deem it so, but I would like it nonetheless,” Dana revealed. She looked to Mordecai who was watching her exchange with sharp eyes. She smiled reassuringly at him. “He wants to love me, Temp.”
Tempus sighed and turned to face her fully. “I know. And so he shall.”
Dana felt her heartbeat skip out of rhythm. “He shall?”
“He shall,” a voice said from behind her.
Dana spun around, finding Gaias grinning at her. “Gaias? What are you doing here?”
“Now, what would a retirement party be if your replacement wasn’t here?” he replied.
“What?” she was breathless.
Tempus patted her on the back. “You asked if it was time. It is.”
Dana cast her eyes to Tanda, then to Max – or more specifically her bump – before looking at Tempus once more. “Only my time?”
“For now,” Tempus said.
Dana bit her lip and nodded her head. She knew Tanda’s time in the Triumvirate was coming to an end at some point but was yet to be informed of the same for Tempus. It was strange, when one set of gods stepped down, there was always a replacement waiting in the wings. It was true, she had not known her own time was upon her until Gaias popped up in Otherworld. She had believed Tanda would be the first to descend. But, looking around her now, she was beyond grateful it was to be