by Amie Gibbons
He was wearing a tailored black suit that probably cost more than I netted in a month, with a sky blue top and patterned gold tie. I don’t speak designer shoes like Tyler, but I was betting his loafers cost a pretty penny, too. Shouldn’t a god have been lounging around his bedroom in a toga and sandals or something?
The only things that’d make him stand out at a Vandy Law party were his eyes. Amethyst with dark-blue six pointed stars around the pupil. He could hide them with a simple illusion and walk down the street without turning more than the average strapping young male’s amount of heads.
“Yes, but you’re so much more fun to bother than someone who actually likes me.” He smiled, emphasizing his full lips. My stomach tightened.
Again, he was good looking, but not mouthwatering. So why was I struggling to breathe? Why were my insides melting into goo like marshmallows?
Why did I want to turn tail and run away from something that powerful but jump him at the same time?
I blamed his voice. It wrapped around my skin, thick yet silky... huh, kind of like the cover on his bed. Was that a coincidence? Or maybe just my overactive imagination?
“Ohhhh,” I said with my widest eyes, letting my hands fly in front of me. “So if I had kept being nice to you, you’d have left me alone? Geez, if I’d only known then, we both could’ve saved ourselves a lot of trouble. See, in our time, we’re mean to people to let them know we don’t like them and to leave us alone. If I’d known in your time that girls were mean to get a guy’s attention, I would’ve been nice to you.”
“What is it about your sarcastic abilities that is so infuriating yet charming all at once?”
Was that a rhetorical question? Probably.
“Let’s cut the bullshit. What do you want?”
He met my eyes. “You.”
I blinked, taking a step back. That was very straightforward for Apollo.
And I was in his room. Trapped... at his mercy... oh shit! I took another step back. Sure I had a gun, but it wouldn’t kill him. It’d hurt him. Maybe I could...
“Oh.” He waved a dismissive hand. “Not for sex. Though that would be nice and we will in the future.”
What?
“I want, actually, I need your power. I was not positive before, but I am now since you knew the door was an Olympian entrance.” He frowned. “If you had agreed to meet with me earlier...”
He waved his hand again. “No matter, though. What’s done is done. And I do like the symmetry of today. Even if we are cutting this dangerously close. One and two being three and nine being that squared is beautiful mathematics. Of course, the-”
“Apollo,” I said, putting on my sweetest smile, “if you don’t stop talking in riddles and tell me what the hell’s going on, I’m going to punch you on principle.”
He drew a deep breath. “Right. You are linear.”
I scowled at him. “What? No, never mind.” I shook a finger. “Just tell me what you meant by all that, and make whatever stupid offer you want to make so I can say no and go home.”
He smiled, eyes focusing on mine as his lips twisted into pure condescension. It changed his entire face. No longer the carefree young professional. Without the help of any illusion or spell, his face morphed into an arrogant god’s.
“Please don’t tell me you’re naive enough to think I’m going to let you go home?”
“You can’t keep me here.”
“Of course I can.”
“You can’t make me work for you.”
“There, you are correct.”
Apollo walked towards me and I darted to the side. He went past to the bar, reaching into the clouds and pulling out a crystal decanter of amber liquid. He set it on the top and it stayed there.
“However, I merely wanted you to be my lawyer. Two birds with one stone and all that. I need your power.” He reached into the cloud again and pulled out two bar glasses. “Drink?”
“I’m not stupid, Apollo. You don’t eat or drink anything from the gods. Then you would be able to drag me back once I get out of here.”
“You will come back of your own free will once you accept my offer.” He shrugged and the bottle slid into the cloud as he pushed the glasses back in. “I thought you refused because you had a drinking problem.”
He pulled two bottles of water out of the clouds and held one out to me.
I shook my head. “I drink sometimes. Just not like I did in college.”
“And you started drinking heavily after what happened to your mother.” It wasn’t a question.
I kept my face blank. “Am I supposed to freak out now? Ask you how you know? Maybe you want to convince me I told you at some point?” My lip curled up. “Not going to happen. She’s in Green Hills Home. I’m sure it has records any teenage hacker could get into.”
The hint of a smile touched his eyes. He was still holding the bottle out to me. “You need water, Cassandra. The knockout dust needs to be fully washed from your system.”
His voice was like a web brushing over my brain: soft, barely there. Threatening.
“Take the bottle, Cassandra.”
I wasn’t sure if the last part was out loud or in my mind.
I reached for the bottle. My fingers slid onto it. The cool surface was wet, but not. Kind of like putting your hand in water while wearing gloves. I knew when I took my hand away, my fingers would be perfectly dry.
Take my hand away? Why would I do that? I wanted the water.
No!
I jerked my hand back, rubbing it on my dress and sliding my hand through the slit to grab my gun. I had it out and pointed at his head in the beat of a hummingbird’s wing.
He actually looked surprised.
That was satisfying.
“Now, Cassandra,” Apollo said, lowering the bottle, “you’re not going to shoot me.”
“First rule of guns. You don’t point them at anyone you’re not ready and willing to kill. I’m pointing this at you. Draw your own conclusions.”
“You can’t kill me with that. And will shooting me do any good?”
He had a point. If I was being really honest with myself, if the gun could’ve killed him, I wouldn’t have it pointed at him right now.
“It’ll make me feel better.”
“You do know no human could have moved that quickly, right?” His body language said he was calm as a spring morning, but his eyes followed the gun.
“I know somehow my mental powers can be solidified into speed, but that doesn’t mean I’m not human.”
He nodded, a quick jerk down and up of his chin. “That would depend on your definition. Let us just say, you are as human as I am.”
I snorted. “I don’t know what kind of game you’re trying to play with this whole thing, but I’m going now. Follow, and I shoot.”
I walked to the door backwards, keeping the gun on him.
“This is growing tiresome,” he said by my ear before my eyes realized he wasn’t in front of me anymore.
“Aaaa!” I scream, jumping, couldn’t help it.
He tore the gun from my hand and tossed it so fast my brain had to take a few seconds to review it in slow-motion before I got what happened. By then he had my arm in a steel grip and twisted it tightly as he pulled me into him.
It didn’t hurt, but it would if I tried to get away. I was on my tiptoes and pressed into his chest with his arm locked behind my back, his other one keeping mine twisted, and our faces separated by a few inches of height and not much else before I knew it.
His eyes flicked from my lips to my eyes and he smiled.
“You will learn how to control your speed, to follow others’ speed, too,” he said into my mouth. His breath tasted like peppermint.
He lowered his face. His lips grazed mine.
I jerked my head back, thrashing against his grip. He held my arm tighter.
I stopped struggling.
“You keep doing that,” I growled, “I’m going to get skin-burn.”
�
��Stop struggling then.”
“Don’t try to kiss me then.”
“Ahhhh, I do love the taste of pluck.” He leaned in again.
I stomped his instep and bit his pouty lower lip as hard as I could.
He let me go.
I stumbled back, wiping my mouth. The faintest hint of copper-tinted blood hit my tongue. Did any of it get in me? What would it do if it did? I spit, fancy carpet be damned.
Apollo touched his bleeding lip. His eyes were hot as they met mine. And not with anger. At least, not much. “How did I know you’d be a biter?”
“What the hell are you trying to do, go for the gold in sexual assault?”
The heat went away, like I’d imagined it.
“Teach you.” He frowned, licking the blood off his finger. “You moved very fast just then.”
“You...” I held up a finger.
This was only one of the many problems with dealing with Apollo. I honestly didn’t know if he was really attracted to me and trying to seduce me, or if he liked to make me think he was because the sadistic ass liked games.
“You did that to get me to use my speed?”
“Yes.” He pressed his lips together and when they came back they were unbroken. “We have a meeting in an hour and I would like to see what you can do.”
“I’m not a prize pony. And what’s this we shit?”
“You’re going with me. I have selected you to be...” He spread his hands. “I’m not sure there’s a word in this time for it. Our powers would be joined. Ah!” He snapped. “I have chosen you to be my familiar, so to speak.”
“I’m not a pet, Apollo.”
“Oh, I do know that. The analogy only goes so far as to say you help increase my powers. You are… an extension of myself.”
“No.” I shook my head, inching back. My gun was just two feet away. “No, I’m really not. I’m me.”
He twisted his mouth to the side. “No. I’m not explaining this very well. I’ll show you.”
“No!” I held up a hand, taking a big step back. “Really, I’m good.”
“It won’t hurt.” He stepped forward and I took another back, putting me next to my gun. “I promise. The joining, it is quite pleasant really. We’ll...”
His head jerked towards the door like a twitch from hell and my eyes followed automatically.
Nothing.
He turned his head back towards me, slowly, like something out of an old horror movie. Anger sparkled around him in red and gold fireworks. I could almost hear them sizzling as they hit the ground.
I’d never been able to see emotions on him before.
That scared me more than him mauling me did.
“They’re defecting.” His voice was cold enough to freeze the mercury in his Cassandra-like fountain. “Any more explanation will have to wait. Come.”
I crossed my arms.
He smiled and it was bitter. “I know this is a foreign concept to you, but that was not a request. We’re leaving and you will stay with me and stay silent when I tell you. I’m not above muzzling you. Do you understand?”
Muzzle me? Oh, how I was going to kick his ass. Let me count the ways.
I smiled sweetly. “Shove your commands up your dick, Apollo.”
I blinked and he was behind me. He pulled me into him with rough hands, whispering, “I do not have time to explain or play more with you now. You’re my minkati.”
Minkati?
“I’m sorry for treating you this way, I am. But your part starts now.” His voice was a low growl that set the hairs on my ears vibrating like he was speaking much deeper. “Everything rides on this and we are out of time.”
CHAPTER SIX
The room disappeared and was replaced in a blink by some sort of circular conference room.
If conference rooms came in size Ten-XL. It was big enough to swallow the Coliseum and still have room left to down a football field for dessert.
The walls and domed ceiling were a stark, nearly blinding white that made my eyeballs dance when I looked at them a second too long.
The biggest table I’d ever seen stretched the length of the room in the shape of a horseshoe, with leather chairs lining it. It could probably seat a thousand… or more. I never could judge physical spaces but it didn’t take an architect to tell this place was huge.
Wow, there’s something in this world you can’t judge?
I jerked. That sounded like Apollo.
He pulled me around, eyes searching mine as his hands squeezed my biceps.
“We do not have much time before they arrive,” he said with wide eyes.
If I didn’t know better, I’d say he was scared.
“Know, no matter what, we are your allies in this. When I tell you to shut up, just do it. Lives may depend on how strong a front we can present. Cassandra, I am so sorry. It wasn’t supposed to be like this.”
Okay, now I was scared for a whole other reason.
I shook my head. “Apollo, what’s-”
“Are you serious?”
I jumped at the voice and tried to whirl, but Apollo still had my arms. He looked at me, opened his mouth, closed it and let me go.
I turned. Henry and Hades stood about five chairs down.
Hades looks like a god’s supposed to. Easily six foot six, with ivory skin, symmetrical features, a dominant Mediterranean nose, wide set dark blue eyes, and black hair in ringlets running past his shoulders. He wore black silky pants, boots and nothing upstairs, showing off a muscular chest and arms.
His affected style always seemed more godlike to me than Apollo’s classy suits and colorful ties, which is probably what he was going for when he took on the look.
“Please tell me this is some prank I don’t understand, Apollo,” Hades said.
“I wish I could,” Apollo said. “The others will be here in a moment. I called you first because Cassandra knows your minkati. I thought he could help put her at ease.”
When had he called Hades? Could they communicate silently? And that fast?
“Cassandra,” Hades said, bowing, “lovely to see you again.”
“Hi,” I said.
“Cassandra.” Henry hurried over and hugged me.
Whoa, we hadn’t been that friendly in a while.
Wait, did he say minkati?
“You’re magical?” I asked Henry as he let me go.
How powerful would he have to be for me to not have sensed it? Then again, I never looked.
“Extremely,” Henry said, mouth twitching like he was trying to give me a smile and couldn’t manage it. “I’m a witch. I’ve been giving Hades power since they woke up practically. That’s why you never saw any power on me. You didn’t miss anything, don’t worry.”
“To be honest, I’m shocked Apollo got you here. I thought for certain you’d tell him to, well, go to hell.” Henry chuckled, sweat beading around his receding hairline. “Well, I think I’m funny.” He pulled out a red handkerchief and wiped his forehead.
“I didn’t come willingly, trust me.” I grabbed Henry’s wrist as it came down. If I had one friend here, it was my former professor. “Henry, what’s going on?”
He looked at Apollo. “She doesn’t know?”
“I had to knock her out with dust,” Apollo said, voice flat. “She barely came to five minutes ago. And now those bastards are early.”
“You kidnapped her!”
Apollo’s face went hard. “Don’t use that tone with me, mortal.”
“Children,” Hades said, gliding between them. “Now is not the time. The nine days starts in less than an hour and we have a very confused young lady in our midst.”
He took my hand off Henry’s wrist, giving it a squeeze. Shocking how the jail keeper of the Greek Gods was so gentle outside his underworld.
Actually, it came to me the same way the knowledge that humans could drag you into Olympus did, Hades was more of a prosecutor than a jail keeper. He had minions to watch the underworld. His job was to argue for t
he gods’ laws when one of them wanted to put someone there.
No wonder we got along when I first met him.
Did they have defense attorneys, too? A whole justice system?
How much of their world did I not know?
Hades patted Henry’s shoulder, his other hand still holding mine. “Besides, you say kidnap like it’s a bad thing. Some girls like that.”
Henry smiled, dabbing the side of his face. “Persephone wanted to go with you. Her mother was just in the way. I can guarantee Cassandra didn’t want to come here.”
Wow, I didn’t remember that version of the story from ninth grade mythology.
“We need her,” Apollo said, rubbing his arms.
“Stop talking about me like I’m not here,” I said, pulling my hand free.
“Sorry,” Hades said. “Terribly rude of us.”
“The others are coming,” Apollo said.
Sickly yellow flashed as a cloud around his head for a second.
Oh my God. He was scared. This wasn’t an act.
What could scare a god?
Apollo walked behind me and put his hands on my shoulders. I shrugged him off and stepped away.
He sighed just loud enough for me to hear it and stepped up to stand at my side. “And they will be here in a moment.”
“I can’t believe they’re defecting. So rude,” Hades said.
“That’s what you’re worried about, Uncle? Poor manners?”
“This is just a meeting, right?” Henry asked, gulping. “I mean, they’re not...”
Hades shook his head. “No. They can’t do anything until the twenty-first. I hope, well...” He turned to Apollo. “Have you seen anything else?”
“They mean to betray us.” Apollo did a palms up, a gesture far too clueless and cute to look right on the god. “But I don’t know how or even why. We all agreed at the last alignment. I don’t understand it. This is-”
A god and then another and another popped into the room.
Apollo grabbed my shoulders and pulled me back into him. A woman wearing water spilling over her hips in a circular fountain that fell to her ankles like a skirt and disappeared before it hit the floor popped in right where I’d been three seconds before so I stayed put. She smiled at me and gave a little wave before sitting.