Nanowrimo 2020 Day 24 - Word Count and Favorite Bit (Patreon)

Today I added 1896 words to Match.God, bringing my current total word count to 51,908!

“Where’s security?” Lamia asked, her voice wavering slightly. Star shushed her, wrapping a comforting arm around Lamia’s shoulders.

“Do not worry, my love. If they do not arrive, then we shall take care of the rabble.”

“Don’t hurt anyone,” Nessa warned as the car slowed to a stop. “That’ll only make them martyrs.”

Security swarmed out of the building, pushing the mob back away from the car. One guard opened the door, and the roar of the crowd hit Hannah like a sledgehammer, forcing her to cover her ears. She caught Lamia doing the same, and tried to send her a reassuring smile. Lamia didn’t notice. Probably for the best, it likely didn’t look very convincing.

Love approached them as they climbed out of the car, the force of her presence making Hannah and the others shrink back. She appeared far taller than she had before, her hair and the train of her dramatic red dress flowing behind her unnaturally. Her eyes sparked with an unfamiliar rage, and in that moment Hannah wondered if she wasn’t also a goddess of fire.

Love wasn’t the only deity who seemed to grow in their fury. Hannah’s brows furrowed at the sight of Death’s wispy black smoke covering the ground. She watched in awe as his shadow elongated and her breath became visible in the air. Glancing up at him, Hannah nearly stopped cold in her tracks.

Death looked furious.

Hannah had rarely seen Death look anything other curious, amused, or sad – and only ever mildly so. To see his face darken with rage was frightening to say the least. He seemed to grow longer and gaunter, though his shadow extended far beyond even what this unnatural height should have allowed.

And yet, Death’s hands on her shoulders remained gentle as ever.

“Do not let them shake you, little one.”

Hannah’s eyes snapped to Thunder, who outright cradled Nessa in one arm. His eyes weren’t on her, but on the dozens of people who were shouting them down – though there was far less doing so thanks to the gods and goddesses’ display of deific might.

“Be not afraid,” he said. His voice was kind, but Hannah swore she felt the earth shake with each word. “We will not let any harm come to you.”

The previously clear sky darkened with heavy thunderclouds, and Hannah’s hair stood on end. The scent of overripe fruit and something rotten filled her nose, making her eyes water.

“Inside,” Love commanded, her voice reverberating in the air. “Quickly now.”

“My apologies, dear siblings,” Love said, a worry-filled frown on her face. “I could not have imagined that they would gather so riotously at our door.”

“Perhaps now is the time to learn to think things through before taking actions,” Moon scolded. “You have seen millennia of mortals reacting to the unfamiliar. How could you even considering doing all of this so publicly after these cowards with signs started to appear?”

Despite her earlier apology, Love stood firm. “If I were to back down now, then those few ignorant cowards would have won. I refuse to give them the satisfaction, dear sibling.”

“She is right.”

All eyes shifted to Death, who stood steady in the face of the blatant disbelief.

“As much as I disagree with the public nature of this experiment, to back down now would only give those mortal the satisfaction of victory. And I refuse to allow that.”

Love smiled, her appreciation obvious and genuine. “Thank you, dear brother.”

Death said nothing.