The twins found them after it was dark. They lead the group out of town, across a bridge over the Soran River, and south into the desert. They walked for over thirty minutes before they came to a large building in the middle of nowhere. The one story sandstone structure had a flat roof that overhung the front wall and was held up by smooth pillars. There were now windows or doors, not even a sign to indicate what the place was.

Danis stepped up to a small hole in the middle of the front wall. He took off his necklace and inserted the silver meerkat. When he removed it, a hidden door slid to the right, disappearing into the wall. Danis put the necklace back on and lead them down some dark stairs. They heard the door behind them close just as they came to another, the twins opened it and stepped inside. The others followed and looked around in amazement.

The room they entered was massive; it was perfectly square with a very high ceiling. The place was very well lit, but there seemed to be no source of the light. The floor was made of polished black marble and in each of the four corners there was a platform made from the same. Three were sitting areas while the forth held a band—the Chaos Demon Bards—who was just starting to set up.

At the opposite side of the room, past at least a hundred people, there were some stairs that led up to a smaller platform and a set of golden doors in the middle of the back wall. They opened suddenly, by themselves, and when Brex walked out the crowd roared for him, some calling his name, others professing their love.

He was an average looking man, but his genuine grin and the lighthearted twinkle in his eyes made him instantly attractive. His painting hadn’t done justice in capturing him. He had short wild black hair with bangs that swooped down in soft spikes to the side, almost covering one of his eyes. He wore skintight dark red leather pants, black boots, a thin black shirt that glittered slightly when he moved, and like the twins, he had black eyeliner and nails.

His soft, silver eyes were light and full of affection for everyone he looked at. He walked slowly through the people, stopping every few feet because someone wanted to tell him something or just to touch him. Each person looked as if they loved him more than anything else in the world, and he mirrored that.

Although most of the crowd was clamoring for his attention, there were no bodyguards to keep them back. Brex let everyone touch him, he only gave a look, saying no, to a few who tried to hold on to him. They let go.

A woman close to the group grabbed his hand and was almost in tears. “I can’t believe I finally get to see you,” she told him. “I’ve been trying to get in for so long. I just love you.”

He smiled and touched her cheek. His finger trailed down the side of her face and then around the bottom of her neck. Suddenly she was wearing a silver meerkat necklace, giving her access to come here as often as she wanted.

She put her hand over the necklace and beamed at him. “Thank you.” Seemingly overcome, she wrapped her arms around him.

He hugged her for a moment, then kissed her forehead before letting go. He met her gaze and smiled gently. “Have a good time.”

She nodded, wiped away the tears that had escaped, and obediently disappeared into the crowd.

Brex turned toward the group now and looked very pleased to see Danis and Vinius. “My twins,” he murmured as he stroked their long black hair. He pulled each to him in turn and kissed him.

Ayden smiled and leaned closer to Vivyka. “I think close was an understatement,” he whispered. She nodded but didn’t take her mesmerized gaze off of the god.

“You stayed away too long,” Brex told the twins.

“Sorry,” they said, both gazing adoringly at him.

“You can make it up to me,” Brex said with a smile.

“We will,” the twins happily agreed.

They seemed to get lost in him, but Brex pulled their attention back to the group. “You brought people?” He seemed surprised by this.

“Oh, yeah.” Danis turned and pointed to each of them. “Mathias, Sera, Tess, Ayden… and Vivyka.”

Brex looked them over, lingering on Matt with a small grin. His gaze traveled the length of him appreciatively. Matt just gave him a disgusted look in return.

When the god’s attention settled on Vivyka, his eyes were soft and warm, as if he already knew her. Hers, in return, were adoring. She held his gaze as he walked closer. He glanced down for a second and smirked. “Nice pants.” She looked down at the dark red leather and noticed with a smile that they matched his.

With a finger under her chin, he lifted her face so he could look into her eyes for a moment. He caressed her cheek. “I like you,” he told her with childlike simplicity, then took her hand in his and turned back to the crowd. “Come,” he ordered lightly and led her through the people. The others followed behind.

They climbed four steps up to a platform in the back corner of the room. Three plush silver sofas sat in a semi-circle around a glass coffee table. Brex glanced at it, casually noting it was empty, and then food and drink. He motioned with a hand, silently offering it to his guests.

When some chocolate chip cookies appeared, Tess’ favorite, she grabbed one and took a seat. Ayden took a bottle of apple cider. Matt and Sera took nothing, nor did Vivyka as she sat on a large pillow on the floor, while Brex lay casually, propped up on his arm, on the sofa behind her.

Vinius knelt beside her so he could whisper something into the god’s ear. Brex nodded as he caressed his face tenderly, then let him go to rejoin his brother. They left the platform together and Brex watched them go with a loving gaze.

Sera could feel the tremendous love between them. Though love was the only emotion she could feel from Brex, no matter who he was looking at, but it was more for the twins.

The longer Sera sat there, the more beautiful the god became. The positive energy he gave off was like the golden glow of a fire, he wrapped people in his warmth. Was that a god thing? she wondered, or was it just him? She was surprised by it. He was calm, soft, and adoring. Why did the God of Chaos not feel chaotic in the least?

“Brex?” she asked. “Is that what I call you?”

“What else would you say? Oh god?” He chuckled. “Mmm, I think she’ll leave that to you, pet,” he murmured to Vivyka as he stroked her hair. She looked up at him, her eyes filled with unspoken promise. He returned his attention to Sera. “Brex is fine.”

“Okay, well… I was just wondering. You’re the God of Chaos, but you…” She trailed off when he shook his head. “You’re not?”

“No. That’s just what people call me, started by people who don’t understand. I actually have no domain. I’m the god of nothing anymore,” he told her casually. “I choose to be on the Mortal Plane, to be with humans.” He glanced out over the crowd and smiled. “Why stay on the Immortal Planes when all my friends are here?”

“They certainly seem to like you,” Ayden put in.

“They love me,” the god told him simply. “And I love them.”

“But your still a god right?” Tess asked.

“What else could I be?” he asked rhetorically. “A god is all that I am. What would a cat be if you took away the cat?”

“Do you still have powers if you have no domain?” Ayden wondered. “Could you be killed on this plane?”

Brex’s attention was pulled away as a woman headed for his platform. She was crying, her eyeliner beginning to run with the tears. He held up a finger to the group as he got up and went to the steps. He sat down, and she rushed into his arms. He held her, stroking her dark hair soothingly. When she finally pulled back enough to look up at him, he caressed her cheek gently and said something. For a couple of minutes the woman spoke to him as she continued to cry. He listened with a patient, sympathetic look, nodding a few times.

Sera could feel the woman’s grief. Someone the woman loved had died. When she stopped talking, Brex held her face and said something before he kissed her forehead tenderly. The woman’s emotions lightened, like a healing spell taking away a cut’s sting. Sera would give anything to have that power.

When Brex looked at the woman again, she was smiling adoringly at him. Her tears were dried and her make-up fixed. He motioned to something in the crowd and Sera could only make out the words temporary and friends before he gave the woman a gentle nudge and she left.

He watched her for a moment with a caring look, then went back to his seat and returned his attention to the group, his mood and demeanor easily returning to what it had been before the interruption. “What you call power is just me,” he said, answering Ayden question as if it were just asked a seconds, instead of minutes, ago. “I’m not a human with magic, I am power, I’m a god. And no, I can’t be killed or changed by anything in this world.” Ayden started to ask something else but Brex stopped him. “Enough,” he said gently. He had probably been asked every question they could think of at least a thousand times before. Ayden nodded and looked a bit sheepish. Brex smiled at him, telling him it was okay.

“Can I just ask why a meerkat is your symbol?” Sera wondered.

“Have you ever seen one?” Brex asked. She shook her head. “Well, they’re almost as adorable as he is.” He glanced at Ayden, who smiled at the floor, blushing. Tess smiled proudly and leaned closer to her boyfriend.

Brex stood and went to him. He ran his fingers through Ayden’s short curls for a moment, then down his face, caressing his cheek. Ayden looked up at him, mesmerized. Sera thought it was amusing that Tess let Brex do that when any woman would get her hand broken for even trying.

Brex smiled at Ayden fondly as he held out a hand. “Come.”

“Where?” Ayden asked, his tone merely curious.

“You’ll see,” Brex said. Ayden set down the bottle of cider, then got up and took his hand. “You stay for now,” Brex told Tess and led Ayden into the crowd.

Tess wasn’t happy now. She tried to follow, but couldn’t get up, some invisible force kept her sitting. She looked at Sera with wide eyes. “What’s he doing?”

“I can’t read minds, Tess.”

“What’s he feeling?”

“Love,” Sera said simply. “That’s all I can feel from him. And Ayden’s feelings are good. He wanted to go with him.”

Tess gave a low growl as she searched the crowd, trying to find where they had gone.

“He’ll be fine,” Vivyka told her confidently.

“Having fun being his pet?” Matt asked.

“It’s Brex,” she said, smiling, her happiness not dimmed in the least by Matt talking to her. She didn’t even look at him hatefully here.

When the god came back a few minutes later, he was alone.

“Where’s Ayden?” Tess demanded.

He chuckled. “Fiery thing, aren’t you?” he said, gently tapping the end of her nose with a finger. “He’s in the crowd. He’ll be back.” He looked serious then. “He loves you, more than he loves anything. Never forget that.”

Whatever had been keeping Tess down suddenly let up, and she left immediately.

Brex moved over to stand in front of Sera. He looked down into her eyes for a long moment. “I haven’t seen such extraordinary inner beauty in a very long time,” he told her sincerely. “Nymph and human is my favorite combination, they bring out the best in each other. Such amazing capacity to love. And then you also have the stubborn determination of the elves.”

Sera understood now why Ayden gotten lost in his eyes, she did too. It was the amazing light and love that Brex radiated. He made you feel safe and warm.

“What an original you are,” Brex said, as if he were actually awed by her, and caressed his fingers down her cheek.

Matt grabbed the god’s wrist. “Don’t touch her.”

Brex sighed. “Possessiveness and jealousy are ugly things,” he admonished, though his voice remained calm. He took his hand back with ease and smiled patiently, as if to a child who didn’t know better. “And no one could ever be a threat to you. Not even me,” he promised, but Matt continued to look ill tempered.

The god glanced over at Vivyka for a moment and gave her a wink, then turned back and sat on Matt’s lap. “Or were you just wanting me all to yourself?” Brex asked lightly with a lazy grin as his fingers traced the muscles of Matt’s exposed chest. “I’m quite willing to touch you instead.” Matt’s whole body tensed, but he couldn’t move. “Doesn’t feel good to be the one to struggle, does it?” he asked softly.

“Please leave him alone,” Sera pleaded quietly.

Brex chuckled at the look on Matt’s face. “Don’t worry handsome, I don’t take unwilling lovers,” he assured him, then leaned closer and whispered something. He placed a kiss on his cheek, then got up and returned to the couch behind Vivyka. “What’s my vixen grinning about?” he asked, as if he didn’t know.

“Seeing him like that,” she answered. “It’s a nice turn around.”

He glanced at Matt as he started petting her hair. “You can go Mathias, but come back when you’ve calmed down. I won’t touch you again, I promise.”

As soon he was released, Matt stood and glared menacingly at the god.

“It’d be useless to try, gorgeous,” Brex told him casually.

Matt stormed off into the crowd. Sera watched him, torn, but ultimately decided to stay.

Brex brushed Vivyka’s hair over one of her shoulders and leaned closer. “I don’t think he likes me,” he said with a mock pout. “How about you, pet? Do you like me?”

She turned to face him. “Oh yeah.” She put a hand in his hair and pulled him into a fervent kiss. When he responded in kind, she turned the rest of the way and climbed up beside him. He rolled onto his back and moved her with him until she was straddling him.

“Um…” Sera started.

Brex broke the kiss and Vivyka reluctantly sat up. “Yes?” he asked.

“I just want to talk to you,” Sera answered.

“So talk,” he said lightly. Vivyka pouted as she started to move but he smiled up at her. “You can stay.”

She grinned happily.

He moved his hands up her thighs and hips, then slid his fingers just an inch under the bottom of her top. It wasn’t much more than a triangle piece of dark red leather that was just enough to cover her ample breasts. She looked down at him with a blissful expression on her face.

“You’re not talking,” Brex said without looking away from Vivyka.

“I…” Sera looked at the arm of the couch instead of the god and her friend. “I’m trying to find the Temple of the Gods. I was hoping you could help me.”

He sighed. She thought it sounded a little disappointed, but she still couldn’t feel anything in him but love. He didn’t answer; instead he pulled Vivyka down to him, kissing her again. After a minute, he let her go and nodded for her to get off him. She did so, pouting again. But then he stood and took her hand. “Do you want to dance, pet?” When she nodded, he led her off the platform.

“But…” Sera sighed as she watched them disappear into the crowd.

“How’s it going?” Danis asked, suddenly appearing at her side.

“Did you get what you want?” Vinius asked from her other side.

“No,” she grumbled. “The only one getting what they want is Vivyka.”

The twins nodded, then came around the couch and sat down beside her. “He likes her.”

“He seems to like everyone.”

“He loves everyone,” they corrected. “He likes her.”

She nodded. “Have you seen the others?”

“We saw Mathias,” Danis said.

“He went outside,” Vinius added.

“Okay. And regardless, thank you for bringing me here,” she told them sincerely and touched their hands, giving them each a gentle squeeze of gratitude. “I really appreciate your help.”

Danis nodded. “You’re okay.”

“For a girl,” Vinius qualified.

She chuckled softly. “Thanks.” She stood. “Well, I’ll be back.”

“You’ll need this to get back in,” Danis said, taking his meerkat necklace off and handing it to her.

Sera found Matt outside, leaning against one of the pillars. She sighed in relief when she felt his calm mood. “Hey,” she breathed as she slid her hands around his waist and hugged him.

He held her with one arm while continued smoking his cigarette. “How’d it go?”

“It didn’t,” she said. “He didn’t answer me, just decided he wanted to dance.”

Matt looked down at her, frowning.

“Not with me, with Vivyka. Maybe she’ll talk to him for me.”

“I’m sure she’ll be using her mouth.” He smirked. “But I doubt it’ll be for conversation.” He chuckled at the face she made. “You’re the one who said she could come with us.”

“I know.” She laid her head on his chest and closed her eyes for a minute. “I’m surprised at your feelings, she murmured. “Good surprised.”

“He isn’t out here,” he told her simply.

“What’d he say to you anyway?”

He gave a smoky sigh. “He said; believe in yourself, as long as you keep trying, you’ll never go back.”

She smiled. “See? Told you so.”

He studied her for a moment. “Are you okay?”

“Just tired,” she answered.

“Long day, I guess.”

“That’s not it.”

“Why then?”

“There are just so many feelings in there. It’s overwhelming,” she told him. “I’m usually not around more than a few people at a time. Even in taverns, generally, there aren’t too many. But in there… wow. I mean, at least it’s good. Everyone’s pretty happy, but it’s just really intense.”

He frowned. “You can feel the whole room?”

“No, thankfully. I only feel the people within a certain distance.”

“How far?”

“Hmm… maybe to that pillar on the end.” She nodded to one about thirty feet away.

“Still a lot, especially in a place as crowed as this.”

“Yes,” she agreed.

He hugged her closer. “It’s so easy to forget that you have to feel all of that,” he said, then sighed. “And on top of all my shit, too.”

“Don’t start feeling guilty,” she grumbled.

“Sorry, I’ll think happy thoughts,” he told her with a sweet smile.

She look up at him and smiled back. “Thank you.”

“Do you want to go back to the inn and get some sleep?”

“No. We should get back in there.” She sighed heavily. “I need to find out about the temple. Just stay close to me, okay?”

“Does that help?” he wondered.

“Yes, I feel you more then everyone else. I can kind of…” she paused, thinking out to explain it, “center on you.”

“Then I won’t leave your side,” he promised.

“Thanks.” She reached up and kissed him before using the necklace to get back inside.

When they made there way to the platform, they found Danis and Vinius sitting toward each other. They each shook a fist in front of themselves three times. “Damn,” they said in unison. They repeated the same action. “Damn.”

“Do something else,” Vinius complained.

“Okay,” Danis said.

They shook their fists three times and then both ended with a flattened hand. “Damn.”

“What are you doing?” Sera asked, setting the meerkat necklace in Danis’ free hand.

“Coal, page, knife,” they told her, then shook their fists again but this time they both ended with one finger out. “Damn.”

“Isn’t it rock, paper, scissors?” Sera asked.

“No.”

She chuckled. “Okay.”

Matt sat down and pulled Sera onto his lap. She curled up with her head on his chest and closed her eyes as he wrapped his arms around her. He watched the twins continue to play for a moment, then asked, “So what are you trying to decide?”

They stopped. “What was it?” Danis asked his brother.

“I don’t know.” Vinius said.

They shrugged and started again.