Triumvirate. Things are shifting ...” Dana began, before stopping and biting her bottom lip nervously.
Ryker nodded. “Sure, what with Gaias and everything.” Learning Max essentially had a brother was a big surprise. Throw in he was the custodian Emmanuel had eaten, and was now going to be taking over Mother Nature’s role in Otherworld so Dana could be free to love Mordecai, and it had been mind-blowing. But Ryker had met him twice now and very much liked the guy. He had an innocence about him that made Ryker feel all brotherly toward him. Ryker knew Max felt the same way.
“Right. Gaias. He is the reason I was able to step aside – because there was already a replacement waiting in the wings for me. Not that I knew that. Such knowledge had been kept from me. But the fact that the Triumvirate was changing was not news to me. You see, I had believed another member would be the first to step down.” Dana paused, glancing at Mordecai before her eyes locked onto her daughter’s. “Because I knew of his replacement.”
Ryker felt his eyebrows hit new heights. “Father Time or Death will be retiring as well?” That was interesting information, but Ryker still had no idea why Dana felt the need to share it privately with them.
Dana nodded. “Yes. Tempus has no such replacement yet – that any of us know about anyway. None of us have foreseen a protégé for Time. But Tanda, on the other hand …”
“Death is going to have an apprentice? That could be the coolest thing I’ve ever heard,” Ryker said, amused by the idea of a miniature Grim Reaper.
Dana’s smile was stiff and held no humour. “Yes. It will be years before the newest Death deity will be able to replace Tanda, but … they have already been chosen.”
Dana then looked directly at Max’s very round stomach and Ryker felt the blood freeze in his veins. “Please tell me you’re not alluding to what I think you are,” Ryker said, voice low as he stared daggers at Dana.
Dana sighed, eyes darting to Mordecai, who swiftly took her hand. “I am saying that your daughter will one day be the replacement for Tanda.”
“Fuck you!” The words were out before he could even think. But even if he had time to consider his words, he wouldn’t change them – or take them back.
“Ryker …” Max began, tugging on his arm.
“Don’t Ryker me! Don’t tell me to be calm about this, Max. There is no way our baby is going to become some kind of Death God!”
Max ignored his outburst for a moment, instead turning to Dana. “Are you sure?”
Dana nodded, “Yes. Positive. I saw it the moment we discovered your pregnancy in Otherworld. Both Tanda and Tempus have since confirmed it.”
Max drew in a deep, slow breath, all the while rubbing concentric circles over her abdomen. She looked across the room at nothing and her eyes swirled like an aurora a couple of times before returning to their usual turquoise. “Okay.”
Ryker looked down at Max in astonishment. “What the fuck do you mean, okay?! This is not okay, Max.”
Max turned beseeching eyes to him, tugging on his hand. “We already knew she was going to be the first of her kind – a Spirit Goddess. The details about the role she’ll play don’t make any difference.”
Ryker saw red and pulled his hand free. He paced away from Max, glaring at her, as well as Dana and Mordecai. “The role she’ll play? Are you listening to yourself? This is our baby we’re talking about. Not some candidate for a job. And how is a Spirit Goddess the same as Death?” Ryker demanded.
“It is not exactly the same,” Dana admitted. “Your daughter will still be the first of her kind, she will still be known as a Spirit Goddess. Death and Spirit go hand in hand. It is all about the souls. The souls are what she will be in charge of,” Dana informed him.
Ryker turned his back on the room, thoroughly disgusted with all of them – including Max. The thought had bile rushing to his throat and he swallowed quickly. The blasé attitude of Max when it came to their daughter was unacceptable to him. “No,” he said, looking at the ground. “No,” he repeated, turning around. “No, Max.” He looked down at the woman he loved and the sizeable bulge that was evidence of his daughter. “She’s not even born yet, and you all