Daji grips me tightly, her hands warm on my skin.
"You mustn't think like that. We're not that heartless."
"But you all have rules," I growl. "Even Mr. Mithra said something about all your rules, that he couldn't keep up. I thought he was talking about human laws."
Daji rubs her breasts against me. "Your grandparents did make some sort of bargain with those beings I spoke about. But to my knowledge, and I knew and recorded all of their dealings with the Divine Council, they didn't sacrifice their lives. There was a price involved—but they shut me out of the chamber when they discussed it. They said it wasn't to be recorded."
"Then how do you know—"
"Because I have a source on the council that told me, and she had no reason to lie." Daji bares her teeth in a dark smile that suggests she has ways of getting the truth. "I don't know what the bargain was. Does it matter? The council won't tell you. Not even my source."
"It might."
"But why? Why open up a cursed Pandora's Box? Which really exists, by the way."
Nothing surprises me at this point. "Of course it does."
I'm not sure if I entirely believe Daji, even though her sincerity floods me through the bond.
She's telling the truth. But still, maybe this "source" of hers did lie to her, or at least didn't share all the details. I need to know exactly what bargain my grandparents made.
"What is this Divine Committee? Sounds like something I should be aware of."
Daji relaxes, cuddling me close. "It's composed of a multitude of angels, elder gods, and spirits so powerful that to be in the same room with them would knock you out for a year. Unless you had the proper training, like your grandparents. It took them years before they were ready. I hope you'll be faster. You have to meet with the council on New Year's Eve."
The penny drops. "The deadline for completing my to-do list."
"Exactly. The council decides whether or not this inn will still exist after December 31 on this year. It's risking an imbalance that could have a catastrophic effect. Which is why I'm going to help you tackle every item on that list and cross them off. What's a mate for?"
"Great, so I have to answer to a committee of godly bureaucrats and stop Doomsday. You could have told me this. Everything you've done has kept me in the dark."
She sounds regretful. "I'm sorry. I really am. And about claiming you."
I blink. "Why the about-face?"
She sighs. "That's the trouble with being a goddess. You get used to doing what you want. I can ... I can talk to the committee for you. I have influence. And ... break the bond."
I take a deep breath. "You'd do that?"
"Of course. I care about you ... I know it doesn't seem like it, but I do."
I believe her. "It has to be painful breaking a bond."
"It is, but I can make sure you don't suffer."
A goddess thought so much of me that she wants to spend her life with me. I know it sounds crazy, but now she's offering me a choice.
"Talk to the Committee," I say. "I just realized that this inn has gods. And honestly ... I haven't felt like I really belonged to anyone since my grandparents died. I'd just have liked a choice."
Her eyes glisten with tears. "Really? You want to stay bonded?"
"Yes. But let's do this. From now on, any decisions about us get made by us. Now show me that list. We do need to take care of this inn."
She leaps up and sprints to the desk, then returns with Athena's list in her hands.
1. Restore the magical wards protecting the resort from demons and other malicious entities.
2. Ensure that the inn's security systems, including magical measures, are functional and updated.
3. Meet the dietary and environmental needs of the inn's guests, such as providing seafood for Poseidon, offering a suitable martial arts area for Sun Wukong (or others) to teach classes, and setting up an aviary for Odin's ravens.
4. Organize outings, events, and entertainment for guests.
5. Organize transportation and accommodation for guests.
6. Arrange meetings and consultations with the inn's guests, whether it's mediating disputes between gods or holding high-level celestial meetings.
7. Curate, add to, and preserve the inn's collection of historical and magical artifacts.
8. Ensure the inn's financial stability by managing expenses and ensuring the inn remains profitable through hotel bookings and other means, such as offering exclusive services to guests in exchange for additional fees.
9. Establish and maintain relationships with various mythological and magical creatures and entities, such as dragons, fey, elves, and gryphons.
10. Oversee the inn's staff and ensure they are well-trained and knowledgeable in dealing with the inn's unusual guests--consider hiring people like Sun Wukong who know the inn.
"Okay, so I've seen the collection in item number seven," I say. "How, exactly, do I add to the collection? Is there a godly eBay or Amazon?"
"Look at item nine about mythological creatures," Daji suggests.
I snicker. "What do I do, raid a dragon's nest? No thank you."
She scratches me with her sharp claws, and not in an erotic way. "FOOL! No one raids a dragon's nest except that fool Siegfried, and he was one of the lucky ones. If you really want to get Loki's rooster—"
"Goat. Get his goat."
"I knew it was a farm animal. Anyway, if you want to annoy him, remind him of Siegfried. And do not raid any dragons' nests! You don't have to. They sometimes come bearing magical items for sale or trade."
This blows my mind. "Really? You know everything around here—when is the next dragon due to make a sales call?"
Daji scrunches up her face in thought. "Tomorrow. There's a wyvern coming in from Glastonbury, England. He regularly visits to peddle his wares."
"Great, what time does he usually come, and does he use the door?"
She scratches my arm, and I moan. I never thought getting scratched would turn me on, but Daji's perfectly manicured nails do it for me.
"Idiot! There's a dragon landing pad on the roof."
"Of course there is. Can we see it now?"
Anything to escape how turned on I am. Daji has a way of breaking down all my self-control.
She squints at me, and the vibe is one of suspicion. "If this is another attempt to escape—"
It is, but not in the way she thinks.
"It's not. I'm an idiot, like you say. When I toured the property during my first week here, I never took the time to notice that there's a dragon landing pad. Because, you know, dragons wouldn't ring the doorbell carrying a briefcase and selling Mary Kay."
"Well, some use the front door," Daji admits. "This particular wyvern prefers landing on the roof, at the crack of dawn."
"Dawn?"
"Yes. Knowing I need my beauty sleep. Your grandparents let him get away with it." She digs her nails into my flesh, smiling at my moan. "Surely you can make a change as the new boss. He'll listen to you."
I grin. "I'll tell him—if we can go see that dragon landing pad right now."
Daji pulls on a loose, silky black-and-blue caftan draped over a chair, and I get dressed in my shorts and T-shirt. Holding hands, we slip into the hallway, which is mostly silent except for snatches of Asgardian drinking songs. We dart to the stairwell and race up two flights of stairs to the roof. Using my old-fashioned key, I open the roof door…
I pull Daji back instinctively, shielding her body. "The roof is on fire!"