Accidentally…Over? (Accidentally Yours #5)(35)
Author: Mimi Jean Pamfiloff

Brutus’s eyes lit with panic. “Why does it want Ashli?”

“How the hell should I know? I’m a god. But clearly, she is at risk unless we remove the chess piece from the board.”

“Meaning?” Brutus asked.

“Ashli cannot stay here. I’m taking her forward.”

“Did you not just tell me that Cimil gave you specific instructions to leave Ashli in her own time? Because I think you should leave her here with me. I will brush her hair and paint her toenails. I will call her Princess Sweetie Pie.”

Huh? “Brutus, are you on any medication? Medication you may have forgotten to take?” Of course, that couldn’t be right; Brutus was immortal, a gift granted by Máax’s brother Votan who’d handpicked Brutus to be next in line for Uchben chief. Not only was the soldier tough as nails, but also he never got sick.

Brutus’s smiled melted away, and his rigid demeanor returned. “Uhhh, I’m not sure why I said that.”

“And I’m not sure what is going on with you, but I do not have time for this awkward frolic through the land of Brutus’s disturbingly sweet alter ego. I must get Ashli out of here before something else happens.”

“Didn’t Cimil tell you,” Brutus argued, “that if you remove Ashli from her time that she wouldn’t fulfill her destiny of stopping the apocalypse?”

Yes, but he’d have to find another solution. For gods’ sake, it wasn’t as if this was their first apocalyptic face-off. Of course, they’d never cut it so close before. Or had mother earth counted down with earthquakes as if this were some New Year’s Eve shindig.

Máax straightened his spine. Doesn’t matter. His mind was made up.

“Brutus, I want you to make sure the Uchben look after her home, café, and any other assets. She is to be given the same treatment as one of the gods. Do you understand? I want our best asset management and investment team—”

“I can protect her. Leave her here with me.” Brutus’s eyes flickered with frustration.

What had gotten into this man? It was as if Brutus were possessed by a crazy, stupid, ass**le.

“Brutus, if you have miraculously developed feelings for her over the course of a few hours, I can only offer my apologies. I am her mate. She will never want another.”

Máax returned to Ashli’s bedroom with Brutus on his heels. “Ashli, we are leaving.” He sat next to her on the bed, pained by his memories of seeing her dead. Yes, he would find a way to make this work.

Still holding the towel to her face, she asked, “Whe aw we gawing?”

“As you’re already aware, Death is after you, seeking to balance out the equation,” he guessed, but really didn’t know what Death wanted. He’d never seen it target an individual in such a way. The entire thing was very, very odd.

“Annn wha?” she asked.

“And I am going to take you forward in time. I can only hope that removing you from the current situation will prompt Death to seek balance elsewhere.”

“Woo mean dat he wiw kill someone ews?”

Yes, Death would likely find another person to take her place. But that couldn’t be helped. “That someone else will eventually die anyway. You, on the other hand, are meant to live. Forever if I can help it.”

Forever.

Yes. That was it! Why had he not thought of the solution before? Because now your bond with the Universe is severed. You’re able to put Ashli first.

And that he would. For the first time in his existence, Máax would live up to his bad boy reputation, not because he felt compelled by the Universe to serve justice, but because he selfishly wanted something: to give Ashli immortality.

In this time, 1993, it wasn’t possible because the cenotes—portals to the realm of the gods—were blocked by the Maaskab’s evil magic. (A long, long, long story.) But that little nuisance would be resolved, and the cenotes twenty years into the future worked fine, which meant Máax could take Ashli to his world. He could give her the immortal light of the gods. No dentist, no more spontaneous bee assassinations, no drowning. Of course, that meant he’d have to break two more sacred laws, but hey…

YOLO, motherfucker. YOLO.

Ashli tensed.

“What is the matter?” he asked.

“I don wan someone ews to die fow me,” she mumbled.

Oh, infernum. Why didn’t she understand? “Ashli, I promise that your leaving will not trigger Death to go out and murder someone; it will simply move on to its next target, to a person whose time it is anyway. You save no one by staying here. Please. Let us try my solution.”

She glanced out the window, mulling.

“I want you to live,” he added. “I want to give you a chance to know happiness.” Even if it’s only for a few short months. Damned apocalypse. “Please trust me; this is the only way. If you stay here, you won’t survive another day. I feel it in my immortal bones.”

She sighed and then nodded her head in agreement.

“I’m glad,” he said, “that you see the logic. Now, it is time for us to leave.”

“But wa about my toot?” she asked.

“We will fix your toot—I mean, tooth—when we arrive,” he said.

“I don know. Aw you sure it’s safe? Everyting is happening so fawst.”

“Fast? No.” He picked up her free hand and kissed the top. “I realize now that I have waited seventy thousand years for you. It is not fast enough.” Gods only knew what Death had in store for her next. A rabid turtle? An angry coconut?

“I don wanna weave hew,” Ashli said.

“I’m sorry,” Máax said, “but staying is not a choice. We are leaving. Now.”

“You heard her, Máax.” Brutus’s menacing voice sliced through the air like a hot blade. “She doesn’t want to go with you.”

“Stay out of this, Brutus,” Máax warned.

Ashli sat up, still pushing the towel to her mouth. “Why? He saved my wife. I twust him. I want to hear what he has to say.” She looked directly at Brutus.

“Tell her the truth, Máax,” Brutus pushed. “Tell her what will happen if you take her forward.”

Dammit, man. What was his problem? Máax knew he’d figure all this out. Later, of course. And simply because Cimil said that something bad would happen didn’t mean it was true. Cimil lied 50 percent of the time. No, generally she didn’t lie about prophecies and such, but Máax had always followed his gut. He’d always done what he felt was right and had faith that the Universe would take care of the rest. So far, so good.