by Staci Hart
“One more. I’m on my way there now. Hades.”
“Ah … well. Good luck with that, Apollo. You know Perry is his kryptonite, and Dita is Perry’s.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence.” Apollo crammed the token back in his pocket and turned for the elevator.
“Good luck,” Hephaestus called after him.
When Apollo reached Hades, he stepped off the elevator and walked the long, black marble hallway of the underworld to the living room. Apollo looked around for Cerberus. The three-headed dog’s excessive drool was murder on his clothes.
Hades sat reading in a chair by the fire with his legs crossed in a black pinstriped suit. He looked charming, which was part of the reason he was so dangerous. You never saw Hades coming, even when you knew he was coming.
“Apollo,” Hades said.
“Hades.” Apollo sat down in a chair opposite him. “I have a favor to ask.”
Hades set his book down in his lap. “Let’s hear it. I love to strike a bargain.”
Apollo pulled the token from his pocket. The black smoke swirled fiercely within such close proximity to its master.
“Ah, my token. I suppose you are looking to earn a favor for the contest? What do you have in mind?”
“Waters of Lethe.”
“Clever boy.” Hades’ fingers steepled as he leaned forward in his seat, his blue eyes attentive. “But, one problem. Waters of Lethe erase the memories of a dead soul’s life on earth, and will work on living humans, but the effect is usually only temporary. In some humans it only lasts a matter of hours. For others it is permanent. Are you sure you wish to use your token on something so unsure?”
“It’s my last shot.”
“All right. I will give Dean the Waters of Lethe tonight.” The orb disappeared from Apollo’s hand, and Hades smiled slyly. “Anything else?”
“Thank you, Hades.”
“Mmhmm.” Hades had already picked up his book.
As the doors closed on Apollo, Perry stomped in. “You did not just agree to help him, did you? Because if so, this,” she gestured to her hips, “is off limits. Indefinitely.”
Hades rose from his chair and cupped her face, leaning down to look into her eyes with a smile. “Don’t worry. You know me better than to think I would ever do anything to upset you, don’t you?”
She looked confused, then lit up as realization dawned on her. “Oh, you are good.”
———— New York ————
Dean leaned under the jackalope at the Crow Bar, wishing he were at home. Roe dragged him out, promising that a little drink and music was what he needed. All Dean wanted to do, though, was get back to his quiet apartment and his guitar.
The last time he had been to the bar was with Lex. He’d stood in that spot, and so had she. He replayed it over again, the promise of what could have been, what would never be.
A bartender Dean hadn’t seen before took his order. The tall, devilishly handsome man wore a pinstriped shirt and suspenders, and his black hair was parted down the middle. He turned to pick through the liquor bottles on the wall, then poured behind his back.
When he turned around, he wore an odd smile. “Your drink, sir.” His words almost slid out, unnerving Dean, who reached for the offered drink.
“Uh, thanks, man.” He turned and took a sip as he walked toward the pool table, then set the glass down at the same wobbly table where he’d sat with Lex. He dropped into a chair, sagging.
He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked over at a blond guy in a t-shirt who gave him a sympathetic look. “Still annoyed that I made you come out?”
“I’m sorry,” Dean said, “do I know you?”
Day 19
DEAN WOKE THE NEXT MORNING, unsure how he’d gotten in bed. In fact, he didn’t remember anything after getting a drink from that creepy bartender, but he didn’t feel hung over, and he wondered what the fuck had happened. He sat up fast, and his brows shot up to his hairline.
Oh my fuck, I got roofied.
He flipped up the covers to see if he had clothes on. Check. He breathed a sigh, but was still cautious as he slid out of bed and crept into the living room, looking around his apartment for any clues. What he found was Roe stretched out on the couch, snoring.
Dean shook Roe’s shoulder, and he snapped to with a start. “Christ on a bike, Dean.” He rubbed his eyes and forehead. Then, remembering the night before, he sat up fast. “Do … do you know who I am?”
“We’ve been friends since we were eight. So yeah, I hope so.”
“Oh, thank God.” Roe sat up and rubbed his face again. “Dude, you were wigging out last night. You kept saying that you didn’t know who any of us were and that you couldn’t remember anything. I brought you back here, hoping it would snap you out of your trance, or whatever that was. I was scared shitless. I almost took you to the hospital. Spent half the night Googling spontaneous amnesia. It doesn’t exist, by the way.”
“What the fuck?” Dean sat down heavily in the armchair. “That bartender freaked me out last night. You know, the one with his hair parted down the middle?”
“I didn’t see him. Do you think he dosed you?”
“Was I acting dosed?”
“No, you were acting like you’d been brained with a baseball bat and couldn’t remember how to find your ass. Man, I’m glad you’re all right because that would have put a damper on our show tonight. Do you feel okay?”
“Fine, actually. Like I got the best night of sleep I’ve had in ages.”
“Well, you still look like shit. Would you at least take a shower today?”
“I guess I owe you that much.”
Roe stood and grabbed his jacket, then clapped Dean on the shoulder. “Yup, you do. I’ll see you tonight.”
———— Olympus ————
Apollo cradled his head in his hands as he sat on his couch, wondering what the fuck he was going to do. He closed his eyes and ran his hand over his stubbled face, then blinked, trying to keep himself awake. He hadn’t slept at all.
When Dean’s memory came back, Apollo stormed Hades, demanding to know why the Lethe had only lasted a few hours. And Hades replied, Because I didn’t want it to last any longer.
Apollo could very well lose. His confidence drained out of him.
It wouldn’t be the first time a vision had been wrong. Not wrong, but he’d misread them before to be something they weren’t. Visions of dreams of visions, like two mirrors standing across from each other, their reflections creating an infinite corridor.
He had come so close. He’d even allowed himself to daydream. There was still a chance that the seed he planted in Lex’s mind would root, but with Dita’s skills, and his lack of cards to play, he wasn’t sure he could pull it off. The competition was probably lost, and Daphne along with it.
———— New York ————
Kara let herself into Lex’s apartment and walked through the living room, hoping like hell that their plan was going to work.
“Hey, I’m in here,” Lex called from the bathroom.
Kara found her leaning over the sink as she put on red lipstick with a big bun on top of her head. She wore high heel black wedge booties, and her long legs disappeared up into a short, flirty black skirt.
“Well, don’t you clean up nice. Such a nice change from the hobo look you’ve been working lately.”
Lex turned to Kara and raised an eyebrow, giving her an appraising look. “Well, you’re looking mighty fine yourself.”
Kara did a little twirl. “Yeah? Not too shabby, eh?” Her sheer tank showed her lacy, black bra underneath, and her high-waisted skinny leather pants ended in black platform heels with tiny gold studs all over them.
“Those shoes are killer. For real. You could do some major damage with those things,” Lex said. Kara laughed, and Lex turned back to her reflection. She tilted her head to put her earrings in and asked, “So, where to?”
“It’s a surprise.”
Lex
’s eyes narrowed as she walked out of the bathroom with her hands on her hips. “Hmmm. Fishy.”
“Oh, don’t be so dramatic.” Kara threaded her arm through Lex’s. “Come on, sister. This is going to be just what the doctor ordered.”
Lex and Kara walked through the door of the club and had just passed the bar when Lex stopped dead in her tracks.
Kara slammed into her. “Jesus, Lex! Oh—”
Dean was on stage.
His eyes were squeezed shut as he leaned into the mic, his faced wrenched in pain as he stood, hanging onto his guitar like it was keeping him standing. The heartbreaking song was for her, she knew with every word he sang, every note he played. She was rooted to the spot, her hands to her lips as a tear slipped down her cheek, her face the picture of a hundred emotions in one stunned look.
So close, reach out
And then you disappear
The ghost in my mind
I no longer fear
I see you, feel you
Still can’t touch
So real, so far
Want you so much
So far away
But I see you shine
I know you, you know me
Just reach out, you’re mine
I see you, feel you
But still can’t touch
So real, so far
Need you so much
The stone around her heart split open, cracked and crumbled, her truth flying free as she realized that she’d rather have Dean for a moment, even if she couldn’t keep him, than to never have him at all.
When the song ended, his eyes opened and found her, like he’d imagined her standing there. He was a haunted man as he set his guitar down and jumped off the stage to run to her, to cradle her face in his hands, to tilt it to his own reverently.
“Are you real?” he whispered, his voice trembling, his thumb stroking her cheek.
She nodded, and the world stopped turning when his lips touched hers, every moment of pain, every second of loss erased by that single act as she closed her eyes and gave herself up to him.
He broke away and pulled her into his chest, holding her so tight that she knew he would never let her go. He looked down at her, smiling as he grabbed her by the hand and pulled her out of the bar.
Half of the crowd cheered, and the other half realized the show was over and booed, heckling Roe when he stepped up to the mic with his bass hanging around his back.
“Uh, listen up, folks. The powers of love can’t be contained. Head to the desk and leave your name and email to get free tickets to our next show. Let’s give the happy couple a hand, yeah?” He ducked as someone threw a shoe. “Hey, better than a beer. Let’s get Gary’s Curse back on the stage for another set.”
Kevin high-fived Travis over the drum set, then did the running man off the stage as the crowd dispersed and the overhead music came on.
Roe set his bass down and hopped off the stage to where Kara stood. He grabbed her around the waist and kissed her.
“I think we did it,” he smiled, his face buried in her hair.
She leaned into him and closed her eyes. “I think we did, too.”
As they hurried down the sidewalk, Dean was grateful that he only lived a few blocks from the bar. She was tucked into his side, her arm around his waist under his jacket. He bent down to kiss her at every crosswalk, every chance he got, and he didn’t care who saw.
When they reached his door, Dean pushed her against it to kiss her, and she wound her arms around his neck. He fumbled blindly with the keys, and they fell to the ground with a clink. Dean took advantage of his free hands to run them all over her, breaking only to mumble a curse as he bent down to snatch them off the floor and unlock the door. He stooped to kiss her again, not wanting to let her go, and when he turned the knob, they fell into the room.
He kicked the door shut with his arms around her waist and hoisted her up to carry her into the bedroom, kicking his shoes off on the way. He laid her down on the bed, kissing her as he moved his hips against hers, wanting all of her.
He ran his hands down her waist, down her hips, down her long white thighs, then back up to slip them under her skirt. She wound her legs around his waist and flexed, pulling him closer, and he moved his hands up her hips to the strings of her panties and followed the line around back to her behind. Her skin was so soft, her mouth hot on his, her hands on his neck as she kissed him fervently.
His hands followed the swell to the backs of her thighs, trailing his fingers on her skin, and she shivered. His finger slipped under the hem of her panties, and he traced it up to her hip, then back down to her slowly. He ran his finger down to touch the tip of her gently, then traced back up her hip again. She bit his lip with urgency, and he slid her panties over to touch her softly with his index finger. He rubbed in circles, then slipped his finger in, again and again until she dropped her head back, panting. He pulled his hand back and pushed her into the bed with his body, and she twisted, rolling them over.
Her legs were on either side of him, and she leaned down, her lips meeting his in a kiss full of ownership. His hands moved up and down her waist, then under the hem of her skirt. She pulled away from him with a pop and sat up with heavy lids. He pulled her hips down into him, and she reached into her hair to pull out a few bobby pins, then yanked out her bun and shook her wavy hair out.
Her arms crossed her body as she reached for the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head, her eyes hot when she bent to run her hands under his shirt, kissing her way up his body. He curled to pull his shirt off, and she kissed his abs before he lay back down. He grabbed her shoulders, pulling her up to him, not wanting to wait another moment for her lips, and when she reached him, he kissed her as he ran his hands through her hair that licked at his shoulders and chest.
She broke away again, giving him a smile as she sat up and reached behind her to unclasp her bra. She pulled the straps off her shoulders and let them fall down her long, white arms.
She moved down to his belt and pulled it loose with a tug, then opened his button and crawled off the end of the bed. She grabbed his jeans and pulled until they were a heap on the floor. Her eyes were on fire as she reached back again to unzip her skirt, which dropped to the ground. Her hands slid under the straps of her panties and pushed them down.
His breath caught as he stared in awe at the woman before him, a white column in the dark. Her ivory skin glowed in the moonlight, and her dark hair painted negative space like midnight over her chest and shoulders.
She crawled up the bed, kissing up the length of his thigh. She moved her hand to cup him as she ran her tongue up his shaft, then took his crown, pausing to roll her tongue around before trailing back down his length again and again. His heart hammered, his ears ringing when she let him go to kiss up his stomach again. He felt her breasts all around him as she gently pushed them together, and his hands grasped her shoulders again, holding her still as he moved into her.
He wasn’t sure how long he could hold out. His hands moved down to her arms, and he squeezed, urging her to come to him, and she did. She slinked up his torso, and he kissed her with such force her whole body responded as she wrapped herself around him. He broke away and stretched out to reach into his nightstand. She sat up, chest heaving, her hair tumbling around her face as he rummaged around and pulled out a condom.
She smiled. Her hands covered it as she took it from him and ripped it open. She rolled it onto his crown as she dropped down, closed her mouth around him, and pushed the condom down with her lips. His hands twisted in the sheets as he moaned, bucking into her as she took him deep.
She released him slowly and crawled up his body. As soon as he could reach her, he grabbed her face with both hands, bringing her up to his mouth, and rolled them over again.
He kissed her, moving to her ear, down her neck, to her breasts. He held them and took her nipple into his mouth, sucking hard. She arched her back, offering herself to him with her head kicked back in
to the bed, her dark hair a blanket around her. She ground her hips, and he could feel her, slick against him. He wanted her so much, more than anything.
He rose to her, and their eyes locked as she held him, guiding him home.
Neither of them breathed as he rocked into her. Her hands flew to his face as they moved together. He buried his nose in her neck, and his hands moved down the backs of her thighs. Her arms twined around his neck as she rolled her hips around, until they let go of all the fear they kept inside as they came together.
He collapsed on her, and she ran her hands down his back, as his heart beat so hard that he couldn’t hear. Her chest rose and fell against him, and he looked down at her and smiled. She smiled back, and they both knew that they were where they were meant to be.
Day 20
THE OLYMPIANS WERE SILENT AS they watched, all packed into the theater room. In the kitchen, the alarm dinged, and the water turned green as the tiny mechanical birds flew fast in a cluster like starlings all around the statue of Aphrodite.
The room erupted in noise, some laughing, some exclaiming. A few were quiet, their eyes on Apollo, having all sensed the shift in him, so different from competitions before.
Dita and Perry jumped up and down, screaming hysterically, relieved for Lex and Dean that it was over. They could be together.
The initial adrenaline rush left her, and she collected herself, remembering Apollo. Her eyes found him, his elbows on his knees as he leaned forward with his head in his hands. Dita made her way through the crowd and laid a hand on his shoulder.
He shrugged her off and stood, the anguish written in every line, every plane of his face. “Don’t. Please,” he whispered, and turned for the elevator.
Dita’s stomach twisted. It doesn’t have to be this way.