“The one and only.” He grinned, tossing her the softest of winks. “Now I don’t know about you, but I feel strongly Lord Flashlight will win against your little etiquette trainer…” he said, nodding his head in the direction of the other Jack bolting from the room. Apollo teleported himself to the other side of the great hall before kicking the fake Jack roughly.
Elle gaped as the fake Jack issued a very feminine scream that caused Apollo to double take. It was then clear to Apollo this was all an act of trickery on Jack’s part. The sun god glanced back at Elle to find the real Jack Frost was sparing him a small wave.
“Until next time.” Jack smiled before he grabbed Elle’s arm and disappeared.
The familiar feeling of going too fast through time and space occurred, causing Elle to nearly fall over. Luckily or unluckily for her, Jack was still holding her arm, preventing her from falling. “W-what just happened? How did you do that?”
Jack grinned in a cocky fashion, rolling his deep grey eyes. He used a thumbs up to point directly at himself. “I’m a couple hundred-year-old immortal god. You figure it out.”
Elle gently shook her head. “No…you…you made it seem that you were across the room. Was that actually the etiquette trainer who was kicked by Apollo?” she asked, massively confusion.
“Yes, yes, it was. Don’t tell me you were feeling sentimental toward that old bat. I thought for sure I would be getting a thank you after that little episode regarding her and the whip,” he snorted, releasing her arm before walking down the cobbled street. Elle glanced around in wonder. She was back on Olympus; that much she knew. She recognized the many temples made from different varieties of material along with the golden temple kingdom belonging to Zeus and Hera on top of the mountain.
She took in her surroundings. They seemed drawn right out of a fair-tale. People sold oddball collectables such as shrunken heads and the hearts of creatures on the streets. Trolls stomped around, making deals or attempting to bargain clothing. These individuals looked shady compared to the gods and goddesses Elle had seen before. For a moment, Elle lost sight of Jack when she made the mistake of stepping away from him.
A one-eyed woman approached Elle. She smiled sweetly. “’Ello, pretty little thing,” the woman cooed, beckoning her forward. “Would you enjoy a job working nights?”
Jack suddenly reappeared as he protectively stepped between Elle and the woman. “Mine,” he declared in a growl, his tone a low hiss. The old woman soon scurried away, hobbling as fast as she could on her one wooden leg. “Don’t converse with any of these people.” Jack took her arm. “Most of them are former immortals who were damned with some unchangeable curse.”
It was seeing a scary man with a missing nose and a forked tongue tossing a live squirrel into a boiling cauldron that caused Elle to gasp.
“Are you going to kill me?” That had to be the reason Jack brought her to a very dark part of Olympus. She had seen enough episodes of CSI and True Blood—she knew what shady places such as this were used for.
Jack tossed her an incredulous expression before rolling his eyes. “I attempt to kill you one little time and then you’re always distrustful…” he muttered. Shaking his too-white head, he grabbed Elle’s hand to hold. He led her past many unscrupulous individuals to continue to a seedy temple that had only a few people coming and going from it.
“Where are we?” said Elle. Everyone seemed to be enthralled by liquor, trafficking of strange items, and just all-around bad behavior in general. There was even a mint-skinned nymph who appeared to be a mythical version of a hooker nearby. She was ushering people into a building when they offered her payment.
“We’re seeing a friend of mine,” answered Jack, leading her toward the temple.
“You have a friend?” said Elle before she could stop herself. Jack’s grip on her hand gently tightened as he cast her a not-amused stare.
“You just don’t come across as someone who bothers to keep any,” explained Elle.
“Relations with others are a weakness,” said Jack, not looking at her. “The less weakness you possess means the less opportunities you have of losing.”
“Losing what?”
“Ladies first,” Jack said, nodding his frosted head toward the dark, dreary looking entrance of the temple.
“Nope,” said Elle, adamantly planting her sandal-clad feet in place.
“Are you afraid of the dark, kitten?”
“No. I just don’t trust you in the dark.”
A playful smirk crossed Jack’s pale features as he leaned his head closer to Elle’s. “You don’t think I would do anything naughty, do you?” Elle shuddered as Jack leaned closer, getting incredibly too close for comfort as he grinned down at her. It was only when Elle gently squeezed his hand that Jack released it and then stepped away from her.
“Why are we here?”
“Is it not obvious?” Jack questioned, nodding for her to continue moving. “We’re here to see who cursed us.”
“You think Cupid had something to do with the other night?” Elle inquired, holding her breath as the question left her.
“I do,” said Jack. “You and I have been at each other’s throats since you arrived. I do not believe we merely turned a corner in our mutual dislike for one another to the point there’s this oddness between us.”
Elle frowned at his saying of oddness instead of attraction. “Maybe opposites attract,” she said, gently nibbling her bottom lip as Jack turned to look at her with raised brows.
“Or—the more likely reason—the god of love conjured up a magical remedy to force us to accept our sham of a marriage.”
Elle waited until Jack walked further before she blurted her thoughts out. “I don’t think what I feel for you was caused by Eros.”
“You believe you genuinely held all of your senses during the times we have been close?”
“I think I do,” Elle admitted.
Jack took a deep breath through his nose before releasing it. He turned to look at her. “I happen to know if you had all of your rational sense, you would know I’m someone you should never wish to be close to.”
“I think you’re wrong.”
Jack gently smiled at her remark. “Hold your thoughts. We’ll get this issue resolved with Cupid as soon as possible.”
Chapter 10
“Jack, mi amigo!” a voice greeted loudly. After a good long walk past a dingy waiting room one would find in a real life doctor’s office, Jack led Elle through the large temple to a back room that smelled similar to black licorice and sugar. A Hispanic man with jet-black hair and eyes a deep blood-red stood over a very large cauldron. He looked nearing thirty, or he had one of those faces that just looked older than he actually was. A heavy black goatee covered his jaw, causing Elle assumed it was the latter. The man kept adding different vials of liquid into the large pot, not bothering to look at the bottles’ labels. Even though his red eyes looked frightening, the man was proving to be a friendly individual as he exchanged a handshake and a half hug with Jack.
“Long time no see, man. What’s it been, a decade since we last got a proper drink?”
“Nine years, Angel.” Jack grinned. “I’m here to collect on that favor you owe me. You remember, after that blizzard you wanted back in 1996.”
“Ahh, the demigoddess daughter of the goddess of seashells,” Angel recalled with a dopey smile. “Man, that was a glorious blizzard. Forty-eight inches of snow and we couldn’t leave that apartment complex for two whole days.” He grinned wickedly. “Still the best two days of my life…” He trailed off, finally spotting Elle behind Jack. “Well, look at the newest hottie that has captured my heart and then some.” The man grinned. “Hello, gorgeous. Where have you been hiding all my immortal life?”
Elle blushed as the man flashed her a toothy grin. He began to randomly toss more ingredients into the cauldron. Jack snorted. “Yes, because every woman is dying to be with you after you admitted you shacked up with someone for a weekend in
a blizzard,” he said with a roll of his eyes.
“Hey, amigo, don’t judge. Maybe she’s into threesomes…”
“She’s not,” snapped Jack immediately, clapping his hands together. “Let’s cut to the chase. I need a detox on something your father did to us, ASAP.”
Elle did a double take. Jack’s words meant the man with the blood-red eyes was the son of Eros. Elle found herself amazed that the teenage Eros had a son who looked at least a decade and a half older than him.
Angel gave an annoyed grunt. “Damn. It’s almost always something Papi does that gets people to come to me,” he said with bitterness. “Do you know what I would do for just one cyclops attack or a leprechaun bite? You know, just to keep it interesting…but no, it’s always Papi or his mama spelling someone up to either love or hate another. Este cabrón! So what’s your poison, Jack?”
“He put an infatuation spell on us,” muttered Jack, tossing Elle a nod of his head, but showed no more acknowledgment. Angel then spared Elle a frisky smile.
“You say that like it’s a bad thing! I’d get infatuated with her any night of the week—”
“Angel,” said Jack, an edge to his voice.
“Right, right. My apologies. It’s you we don’t want the poor thing to be infatuated with,” he said, causing Elle to giggle. She immediately stopped as Jack flashed her a set of narrowed eyes. She couldn’t help it; Angel had good comedic timing. “All right,” Angel sighed, moving toward a shelf before swiping a very thick book off of it. It was four inches thick and looked quite old. After a few moments of looking, Angel landed on a page. “Was it something obvious like his golden bow or something more along the lines of an Aphrodite potion?”
“What’s the difference?”
“Papi’s bow provides either a strong love or a strong hate. You know how it goes,” Angel explained. “Golden arrows cause the deep love; lead arrows create a strong disgust to the point of loathing. An Aphrodite potion would be a bit more subtle. You know, pheromones or deep infatuation but not to the point of love.”
“It’s probably more on the side of an Aphrodite spell,” said Jack quietly. “All right, work your voodoo, and then we’ll be on our way.”
Angel sighed. “A century of knowing each other and you still don’t know my title. God of romantic enchantment, amigo. Hear it. Learn it. Live it. Honestly, missy, how can you be infatuated with such a cold bastard?” Angel muttered, tossing Elle a wink.
“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with us,” said Elle quietly, diverting her eyes away from Jack as he sent her yet another steely gaze.
“I beg to differ, Letter. You wouldn’t have let me suck on your neck otherwise.”
“TMI for Angel,” the man muttered, shaking his dark head.
Elle narrowed her eyes before crossing her arms. “It’s not like you provided clear warning beforehand. You actually didn’t give me any choice in the matter!”
“Were you complaining?” Jack shot back, throwing his arms up. “I remember coos of approval, but absolutely not one complaint!”
“Styx, Jack, put a cork in it,” muttered Angel. “A god’s gotta concentrate,” he said, tossing a few pages in his book. “Okay, would you prefer to have your examinations done in private or with each other?”
“Private,” Jack replied immediately.
“Examination?” Elle frowned.
Angel nodded as he came over to gently grasp one of her hands. “It’s just a series of questions along with a powdered sugar residue that’ll show me how amped up the spell is. Jack, take a hike.”
Chapter 11
After Jack had disappeared, Angel got out a cherry-flavored lollipop for Elle to suck on. It was a little too sweet for Elle’s liking, but Angel insisted it helped with the process. He checked her eyes for golden flecks, a supposed residue from being poisoned. From there, he began a series of questions that were on a large clipboard he kept safe with the same large book of his. He wanted to know how old she was, when she met Jack, and how long they had known each other. He laughed when she described they met on the day he tried to kill her. Angel then began muttering something rude in Spanish involving Jack in an annoyed yet playful manner. “All right, miss.” Angel eventually yawned. “We’re just going to go through a few minor things to see the extent of the spell. Wouldn’t want you stuck loving Jack forever, right?” He grinned.
“I don’t, er…love him,” Elle insisted, causing Angel to frown before writing something down on his clipboard. She wanted to know what he was writing before he started firing off the questions once more.
“Blood status?”
“I think it’s A positive.”
Angel chuckled while shaking his dark head. “No, honey, blood status. By that comment, I’m assuming you’re not a full goddess. Nymph, deity, or half-blood?”
“Demigod,” said Elle, feeling awkward over saying such a thing.
Angel nodded. “All right, have you had any sexual fantasies regarding Jack lately?”
Elle’s eyes bolted open in alarm as she sucked on her lollipop. His questions escalated to awkward rather quickly. “No!”
Angel nodded, scribbling down her answer. “What is your favorite candy?”
Elle thought about it for a moment. A smile crossed her lips as she thought about the numerous times she and her grandparents would visit the local hardware store, and they would nearly always come out with a bag of delectable gummis. “Gummi bears.”
“Not a chocolate gal, that’s a first.” Angel chuckled. “I knew I liked you. All right, have any drinks and/or food of yours tasted like gummi bears lately?”
“No.”
Angel gave her a strange glance. “Not once?”
“No, why?”
“That’s usually one of the common signs you’ve been drugged. It’s when something tastes incredibly too much like something sweet that you enjoy. Always remember, if it’s too good to be true, it probably is,” Angel muttered, scribbling once more on his clipboard. “How many times have you been in bed with Jack?”
Elle felt she could nearly choke on her lollipop as she swallowed her lick. She coughed once. “W-what? None!”
“Ooo-kay,” Angel said with a frown, scribbling once more. “Have you engaged in any sexual content whatsoever—”
“No! Er…I mean we kissed once and the neck thing…but that was it.” Elle blushed uncomfortably. It was the mere memory of Jack’s lips brushing her neck that kept her cheeks crimson.
Angel spared her a weird look as he finally set his clipboard down. “All right, I don’t even need the clipboard to ask these questions,” he sighed. “Have you heard any little voices whispering in your ear, telling you to seduce him?”
“No.” She cringed.
“When he’s around you, do you feel the need to rip his clothes off and mount him?”
Elle gaped at the man as he rubbed his goatee. “N-no!” She spluttered uncomfortably.
“Do you care for him?”
“I don’t know…sometimes…when he’s not being a pain…”
“Huh,” Angel answered in surprise, watching Elle with a peculiar expression. “All right, you’re free to go.” He shrugged, walking over to where a large bell was. He started to ring it loudly. As soon as it was rung, Elle turned around and accidentally bumped shoulders with Jack, who had instantly reappeared. He watched her with narrowed eyes.
“Sorry,” she mumbled, still embarrassed by the personal questions Angel asked.
“Just go to the waiting room,” muttered Jack, moving away from Elle as Angel cast him a strange glance. Elle started out of the large potion room and into the long hallway of the temple. Then she decided she wanted to know what was going on. It wasn’t as though Jack would share with her what was happening when he was done. He didn’t really come across as a sharing and caring person. Silently, Elle stood outside the door to listen in. The two men soon spoke in such low voices Elle had to work to hear what was being said.
“To be hone
st, I don’t know why you’re here, Jack,” said Angel.
“I believe I made my motives incredibly clear. Your father did something to us.”
“You’re not understanding, old friend. There’s nothing wrong with the girl.”
“She found Voluptas and me the other night,” Jack argued quietly. “The kid looked like I had just strangled her puppy.”
Angel chuckled in amusement. “Oh, please. That little honey isn’t a kid, Jack. She’s a grown woman, and one who is definitely not under a love spell.”
“You sure?”
“She sucked from a truth potion masquerading as candy. Any secrets she was keeping would’ve been automatically spilled whether she wanted to reveal it or not,” Angel answered. Elle’s eyes widened at that realization. She should’ve listened to the old advice of never take candy from strangers. “There’s nothing physically wrong with her,” Angel continued. “She’s completely healthy, along with not having received any secret push to get you into bed. Another sign she’s not cursed or spelled is she doesn’t gush about how great or fantastic you are. The cursed always want to do that when they’re infatuated; they can’t help themselves.”
“Just shut up and examine me,” grunted Jack.
After a few moments of silence, Angel sighed. “No golden or silver flecks; have you had any wet dreams?”
“Did you really ask that? No.”
“Hey, gotta check,” Angel laughed. “Sexual fantasies while daydreaming or asleep?”
“No.”
“Have you had any sexual desire for the girl?”
“Yes.”
Elle blushed incredibly hard, trembling slightly.
“To what extent?” Angel yawned.
“Er…”
“Pure sex or something a little more intimate?”
“I don’t follow.”
“Do you just want a quickie to relieve yourself, or is the desire to get her as invested in it as much as you are?” Jack must have sent a scathing look toward Angel for him to give a hearty laugh. “Just checking, amigo! Okay, so more on the intimacy level. Favorite candy?” he continued.
Betrothed To Jack Frost Box Set Page 27