by Amie Gibbons
“I really don’t know.”
“Cassandra-”
I held up a finger, taking another drink. “Give me a minute. Just… give me a few minutes.”
He nodded and stood. “Do you want me to bring in your friends?”
“Yes, please.”
He nodded and walked towards the door.
“Apollo.”
He paused in front of the door but didn’t turn. “Yes?”
“I… I’m pretty sure I was going to say something but my mind just went blank. Did you just pull some magic or something to make that happen?”
“No. I think you’re in shock.”
“Oh, okay.”
He pointed to the door. “I’ll get your friends.”
He left and they came in a minute later, Mira riding on Millie’s shoulder like a fuzzy parrot. I’d eat my Sprite bottle if they weren’t trying to listen at the door.
“So?” Tyler asked.
“Yeah, tell us everything.” Millie sat next to me, stretching a leg out and bending the other to rest her arm on, and propped her chin on top of her fist.
It was cute and not as uncomfortable as it looked whenever I tried sitting like that. Mira settled on the counter and started in on the leftover eggs.
I told them what happened.
“At least we finally know why the Greeks have America,” Tyler said, shaking her head. “Wait, no we don’t. You just said why the Native American gods weren’t here to claim America but not why the Greeks got it.”
“That’s…” I sighed. “An excellent point. Apollo!”
He didn’t come and Millie hopped up. “I’ll go find him.”
“Thanks.”
“Wait for me!” Mira took off, landing on Millie’s head, making me laugh.
Millie left through those swinging doors, batting at Mira playfully, and I leaned my head on Tyler’s shoulder.
“Tyler?”
“Yeah.”
“What aren’t you telling us?”
It was her turn to sigh. “I’m not going to ask how you know. Not here. I can’t risk them hearing. Can we postpone this topic until this whole alignment thing is over?”
“Because then the gods will have less powers and be less able to go after you for whatever it is?”
She snapped. “Precisely.”
I nodded. “Does Apollo know?”
She shrugged, making me lift my head. “I don’t know. He knows something. But it could just be a sense that I’m… not what he thought I was. He figured something out during that vision quest you two did. I don’t think he’ll say anything to the others. But if he’s figured it out, they might.”
I turned to look her in the eye. “Are you on our side? In this fight?”
She held up her right hand, placing her left on an imaginary bible. “I’m on your side in this fight. I can’t let them know what I am until I talk to my people. It’s not just me that will be hurt if they find out.”
Her people?
“I hope you know the curiosity’s killing me here.”
She laughed. “Not surprised.”
“Does Millie know?”
She nodded very slowly, almost imperceptible, tapping her finger to her lips then shaking her head vigorously. Right. If anyone was listening (or watching!), they could go after Millie to figure it out once they found out Tyler wouldn’t talk.
“Whatever it is, is it big?”
“Huge.”
I couldn’t even begin to guess what it was.
“But it has to do with your powers?”
“I’m not playing twenty questions!” She gave me a playful shove and stood. “Where the hell did they go?”
“No clue. I figured Apollo would be hovering by the door.”
“He’s got the hots for you. It’s not an act.”
“How do you know.”
She grinning, tapping her nose. “I can smell it.” She winked and sashayed out the door with a, “Right back.”
I leaned against the wood. Was it just me or was the wood warmer than in the normal world? I closed my eyes and let it wash over me. I was warm. And no matter what I thought about Apollo’s intentions, I knew I was safe here.
Or maybe that was the hormones talking.
Crrrrrrrrack!
My eyes popped open.
“I think I’m starting to realize why Ravena is so fixated on you,” Zeus said, looming over me like a judge.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
I grabbed the counter’s edge, heart pounding, and pulled myself up to face him. “Hello, Z…” Maybe calling him by a first name would be a bit too informal and personal right now.
Especially since he was glaring at me like I’d just cursed him out in his own courtroom.
Maybe in his version of things, I’d done the equivalent.
He didn’t say anything more, just kept glaring like he expected me to explain myself and grovel at his feet for forgiveness.
Yeah, not happening.
“Your majesty. Could you tell me why Ravena’s so fixated? I have no clue and you seem to.”
Wow, that was downright respectful. No clue where that came from.
He breathed out through his nose and I half expect fire to shoot out. “You are exactly the type of person he was recruiting before we slept. Powerful, but apart from the gods somehow. Someone with ties to the human world, but one of us. A leader ready to step up and lead the humans. Another Prometheus if you ask me.”
Was I just insulted? “I’m sorry, what?”
“One of our own, thinking the humans should have more power. Should stand on their own.”
He clapped my shoulder and my knees buckled. I grabbed onto the counter for support.
“I’d be proud if you weren’t such a wild card,” Zeus said.
I searched his face. “I’m confused.”
Apollo rushed in, giving me an apologetic look. “Father, she only knows the modern interpretation of the story of Prometheus. The one saying he gave fire to humans.”
“Ah, of course,” Zeus said, removing his meaty hand. “It is your job to explain it to her. And don’t let her do anything like this again.”
“Of course, Father. The damage was contained, though. The only humans who know of our cause are her friends, brought in to help us after they agreed to not speak of our endeavors.”
“Very good. Cassandra.” Zeus took my hand, placing a dainty kiss on it. “I look forward to seeing what you come up with in the future.”
Okay, now I was really confused.
“Okay, thanks.” I smiled, bright and false, like I was charming a jury.
Zeus disappeared with another look and I sagged against the counter. “What the hell did you tell him?”
Apollo sat on the nearest bar stool, putting his face in his hands.
“I told him your ears were damaged in the explosion so you thought you heard us say we should tell magical humans and just did not know how and then you thought you’d put a spell to only let those with magical powers hear your actual message on the TV.”
Wow, I’d heard some seriously creative whoppers to explain away criminal behavior from defense attorneys, DUI attorneys were particularly entertaining, but this one took the cake.
“And since you’re such a powerful magical being,” Apollo said, “and obviously a born leader, you’re going to be a great asset in the future, as well as his future daughter-in-law.”
“What!”
He held up a hand. “I only said that as… I think you call it icing on the cake. He’s very forgiving of women in sexual liaisons with his line, especially if they can produce magic bearing children. My father was much more willing to listen to our version of events once I said children were imminent.”
“Why?”
He gave me a look, and apparently decided something because he sighed and said, “Because we have a difficult time producing children between two gods. Persephone is the first to even conceive in this new world. We celebrated that with such a p
arty. I wish you could have come.” He smiled at me. “Even she is not full god. She’s a half breed like me.”
“So what happens when I don’t get knocked up?”
“I tell my father you’re a modern woman. And all modern, educated women postpone children until they are older in this country. You have a career to think about after all.”
“I see.” I shook my head. “Apollo, what happens when I date someone else? When I marry someone else? Do you see what position you put me in here?”
He looked away. “My father is easily distracted. Within a year he’ll forget about your little show. If he asks what’s going on with us, I’ll say we broke up. That I left you for someone else. Maybe a country music star.”
I smiled at that even though something twinged inside. “It is Nashville, after all.”
“Precisely.”
“Why was he saying I was like Prometheus? What’s the real story if the fire one isn’t true?”
“The fire one is a metaphor. Prometheus was the first of us to give humans magic. I mean, the first of the Greeks.”
“Really! Humans didn’t have magic before that? In your area anyway. What did he do?”
Apollo smiled. “He mated with a human.”
“But… but you guys did that all the time.”
“After him. His woman birthing a magical baby is what made my father release him from his punishment. We didn’t know before then that humans could bear magic. He sees you as another one of us, ready to bring humans up to another level. Prometheus was a leader. He thinks you are as well.”
“One big discrepancy between Prometheus and me though is he was a god, titan, whatever, he was one of you who gave humans something. I’m a human trying to give humans something. I’d think he’d object to that.”
Apollo looked at me. “Are you really that stubborn?”
“Probably.” I searched his face. “But what am I missing?”
“Apparently,” he muttered under his breath. “I do hate to break this bubble you have built for yourself, I really do, but, you are not human.”
“Yes I am!”
He put forehead to counter, holding up a hand. “Never mind.”
“No! I want to hear this. What? What about me says I’m not human!”
“Fine.” He sat up, looking me in the eye. “Have you aged since magic woke up?”
“What?”
“Have. You. Aged?”
“It’s been two years. I don’t know.”
“Talk to me in five years, or ten, or however long it takes you to realize you’re not human. You’re one of us. You were born in the body of a mortal. You would have died as a mortal if magic had not awoken in your lifetime. But now that it’s here? You. Are. Not. Mortal.”
My butt hit wood floor before my mind finished processing that sentence. Apollo scrambled out of his chair and kneeled next to me, hands hovering like he wanted to take my arms and help me up.
I looked up at him. “How is that possible?”
He shrugged. “Magic.”
My eyes searched the floor like it held some answers. “How can you be sure?”
“I can sense it. The difference between us and humans with magic is immortality. You can be killed. All of us can be killed. But once you are an adult physically, you stop aging and you are immortal. You live until something kills you.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Give it a few years. You will.”
I rested my forehead on my hand.
“Where are my friends?” I looked up when he didn’t answer. “Where the fuck are Tyler, Millie and Mira?”
He blinked, probably surprised at the language. “I asked them to wait in the library when my father popped in. I didn’t… want him to take anything out on them.”
There was something. What was it?
“You didn’t want him to see them?” I asked and he nodded. “You didn’t want him to see Tyler?”
His eyes snapped to mine. “You know!”
“Ugh.” I grinned. “No, I asked her what it was about her that set you off. She said she’d tell me after the alignment. You know?”
“She set off alarms when I first met her. During our vision walk, she showed up. And after I investigated, well, let’s just say if my father got wind of this, he’d be interested.”
“What is she?”
He shook his head. “That’s her business. I’m not going to tell for her. Not you or my father.” He gave me a pointed look and I smiled my thanks. He’d keep her secret. “She said she’d tell you. Be patient.”
“It’s just hard. I know there’s something. Something big. But I can’t know what it is until later.”
“Join the club.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“I’ll go grab them.” He disappeared.
“Stupid, vague, difficult deity,” I muttered, sitting back down on the floor. I took another drink of Sprite. What was I missing? Not with Tyler, she’d tell me soon, with Apollo? What did he mean by that little quip?
I was so sick of people not telling me things.
Maybe being psychic was making me greedy. Maybe on some level I thought I was entitled to see my people’s secrets?
Whoa, did I just think of Apollo as one of my people?
I was definitely tired. Yep, that had to be it.
I closed my eyes. Just for a second. Something scuffled and I opened them again. Apollo was trying to get an arm around my waist and froze like I’d caught him with his hand in the cookie jar.
“Sorry,” he said. “Didn’t want to wake you.”
“I’m awake.” I inserted fingers under my glasses and wiped at my eyes. “Aren’t I?”
“Yes.”
“Apollo, before I forget again, why do the Greeks have the US?”
“Because we won the coin toss.”
“You’re joking?”
“Yes. Gods held a contest and we won. Now, come on.” He gave me a hand up and I stretched, trying to get blood back into my limbs. “You need sleep. I made up the guest rooms for you ladies.”
“Guest rooms?”
“I thought you might object to my leading you to my bedroom.”
“Why? I was there and unconscious before.”
“Actually, that was a guest room. Mostly used for entertainment.”
“Why does a room for entertainment need a bed?”
He raised his eyebrows at me. “Do you really want me to answer that?”
“I… ugh… wait, you put me on some kind of porno bed!”
“No.” He raised his hands. “I was joking. It’s a guest room. The bar and art in there are meant to be my version of something I saw in a hotel room in New York.”
I shook my head. “Still, has anyone used that bed?”
“Are you afraid of cooties, Cassandra? We do wash the bedding here, I assure you.”
“Well that answers that question.”
My stomach churned and I crushed it. It wasn’t like I was jealous of the thought of him there with another woman, was I?
He opened the door for me and showed me down the hallway. The door to the guest room was open and now that he pointed it out, it did look like an fancy hotel suite.
“There’s a Jacuzzi tub if you wish to soak in a bath.”
“I think that’s a, ‘hint hint, you smell.’”
His lips twisted up. “Perhaps.”
“We don’t have any clothes here.”
“Yes, that is a problem. I will see what I can find around here. If the worst comes to worst, I can always conjure something simple for you.”
I grinned, couldn’t help it.
“What,” Apollo asked.
I chuckled. “Nope, can’t say it.”
“What? Come on.”
I took a deep breath, filling my lungs and pumping my fist in the air. “Togaaaaaaaaaa!”
He threw his head back, laughing loud and boisterous. “I should have seen that coming.”
“Yep.”
Millie’s head popped out of the room next to mine. “What’s going on?”
“Just goofing off,” I said.
“Are you feeling any better?”
“A bit. I’m tired though. I’m going to need a serious night’s sleep. I feel like I’ve been up and running around, fighting, talking to cops, using magic, blah blah blah, for about a week. I mean it started with the trial and just didn’t stop.”
I froze and slapped my forehead. “My plants!”
“I’m sorry, your what?” Millie asked.
“I got two of the plants that came from the portal. I left them in my car. What if they’ve frozen or suffocated or something? What if they’re lonely and I gave them an abandonment complex?”
“They are in your car?” Apollo said.
“Yes.”
“I will have one of my people fetch them and bring them here. Would you like your dogs as well?”
“Ummmm, yeah. That wouldn’t be too much trouble?”
“None at all. I will call one of my people and have them bring you clothes as well. Try the Jacuzzi tub.” He turned to Millie. “There is one in your room, too.”
“I noticed.” She grinned. “It’s being filled as we speak. Got to get this stupid stuff out of my wings.”
She wiggled her shoulders and disappeared back into the room, closing the door.
I checked out my bathroom. The floor was white and petal pink swirled marble, the sink an artistically uneven bowl lifted up on a stand about two inches above the counter in that weird modern art style, the counter a darker pink marble, a toilet with a pink seat, a glass encased shower, and then the tub.
Oh, the tub. It was big enough for two grown adults to soak and deep enough for a small child to take a swim, with jets circling it and a wide swath of pink marble around it wide enough to sit on.
Snazzy.
I finally tore my eyes away from the beautiful piece of art that was this bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror.
Whoa, no wonder Apollo was suggesting a bath.
Soot and ash streaked my hair in random patches, giving me a salt and pepper dyed by a hairdresser on crack look. My face and clothes were dirty, streaked with more soot and who knew what else. No amount of dry cleaning was going to be saving this suit.