by Staci Hart
A smile spread across Dita’s lips. “Perry, you’re a genius.”
Perry’s face fell a smidge. “Slight problem … ”
“What?”
“Zeus asked her to guard the memories, and she takes that seriously. You know she’d do whatever he says.”
“True, but she owes me a favor. A favor that trumps what Zeus asks.”
“Gods, that’s right.” Perry shook her head. “We’ve lived too long and have gone through too much shit to keep it all straight.”
Dita laughed as she grabbed Perry’s hand and pulled her to the elevator. She hit the button for floor three, one of the floors that had common apartments for the lesser gods. They stepped off the elevator and walked the long hallway to Mnemosyne’s apartment. 3003. Dita knocked, and when the door opened, Mnemosyne stood before her.
The titaness was not so gigantic as one might think. She was a willowy woman with a gorgeous mane of wild auburn hair framing her fair face, set with pale gray eyes. She was dressed in flowing, chiffon robes, a cord of leather tied around her head. She looked like she was straight out of 1969.
She smiled, surprised, “Why, hello. What in the world can I do for you ladies?”
Persephone stepped forward. “Might we come in, Nemi?”
“Of course, Persephone.” She bowed slightly and stepped aside.
Dita walked into the dark hallway, passing ornate mirrors that lined the long wall. The living room was lit by candlelight even though it was the middle of the day, and the heavy scent of patchouli filled the air, hanging in a light fog from the incense that burned around her apartment.
A large glass case of mirrored shelves held rows and rows of small vessels, all different. Some were tall and slender, some short and fat, some glass, some ceramic, all corked. She peered inside, wondering what Nemi may have held in them.
Nemi caught Dita looking at her display and walked up to peer inside with a wistful smile on her lips. “Those are my cherished memories. I keep them here as a reminder.”
Dita appreciated her sentimentality and could relate. She had a never-ending closet full of her treasures. At least Mnemosyne’s all fit in a case.
Nemi sat on velvet pillows that lay on the ground around a low, circular coffee table. “I apologize for the low light. After living in the underworld for so long, it just feels a little more like home if it’s dark.” She smiled and asked, curiously, “To what do I owe this rare visit? You all are usually a bit too busy to be overly social.”
“I need your help, Mnemosyne.” Dita took a deep breath as she sat stiff and straight on a large, silk pillow. She picked up a smaller throw pillow and held it in her lap, absently fidgeting with the tassel. “I do not believe that Apollo killed Adonis. I think that it may have been Ares, and I need your help to find out if I’m right.”
Nemi nodded. “I have all memories of gods and men held in my mind, and in the Waters of Mnemosyne. But I’ve been trusted with them, and sharing these memories is not something that I take lightly.”
Dita sat up a bit straighter. “I know Zeus has tasked you with guarding them, and that you would do anything for him. But I’m asking you, please. You have long owed me a favor, and I’ve never asked for anything in return. Not until this.”
Nemi sighed. “You gave me Zeus for nine nights, and because of you, he gave me each of my muse daughters. I owe you much, Aphrodite.” She shifted, leaning forward on her coffee table. “I should like to tell you the truth, but I know you well enough to know that you must see to believe.” She stood and beckoned the goddesses to follow her.
They followed Mnemosyene down another dark hallway that opened into a wide room. Columns made by the joining of stalactites and stalagmites were scattered throughout, and the ground was smooth, rippled stone. Dita couldn’t see the walls to either side of her. The room was so dark that it seemed to go on forever.
The only light in the room was from a pool at the base of a slate stone wall. Broad leaves and mushrooms grew out of the stone and around the pool, glowing blue and green. The black water was still and calm, rippling occasionally when large, luminescent fish rose to the surface. The only sound in the room was the soothing trickle of the water running down the wall and into the pool.
Mnemoseyne sat at the pool’s edge and retrieved a small glass vessel from her pocket. She pulled the cork and closed her eyes as she placed her hand over the pool, muttering softly in the old language. The pool began to glow bright and blue as whispers filled the air, and she dipped the vial into the water. The air stirred as the whispers rushed around them, louder and louder, until she corked the vial. The wind died instantly, the whispers gone, the pool black again, and the only sound was the trickle of water once more.
Mnemosyne stood and walked to the goddesses. She reached for Dita’s hand and turned up her palm, then laid the glowing vessel into it. “When you drink this, Aphrodite, you will know the truth. But you may not like what you learn.”
Dita heard her words more deeply than she would have cared to admit. Their eyes locked before Dita broke her gaze, dropping it to the vial in her hand.
“Thank you, Nemi.” Dita pressed her cheek to Nemi’s and closed her eyes.
Once they said their goodbyes, Perry and Dita walked down the hall to the elevator in silence, and Dita clenched the vessel in her sweaty hand. She wasn’t ready to drink it. She knew what it held, but once she had seen it, everything would be over. She still clung to the chance that maybe Ares hadn’t done it.
Dita watched the elevator doors slide closed. She didn’t want to know, but it was time that she found out. She opened her fist and looked down at the answer to the question that had changed her life, and would change it again.
“Are you going to drink it?”
“Not yet.”
Perry touched her arm. “Don’t wait too long.”
Day 10
THE SILENCE IN DILLON’S LIVING room was heavy and still. Every day that passed killed his hopes that she would call. The entire thing seemed like a dream, like none of it was real, like she had just disappeared. He wished he could do it all again, try to do it right, but he didn’t know what he’d done wrong.
He wanted to call her. He stared at the phone in his hand and pulled up her name. He didn’t want to get rejected, to get hurt. He just kept telling himself that it was for the best. That she wasn’t worth it. But in his heart, he knew it was a lie.
Dillon’s phone rang. He stared at the screen in disbelief when he saw who it was, and wondered if he’d accidentally hit her number. His heart hammered when he answered, and Kat’s smoky voice filled his ear.
“Hey, Dillon.” She sounded nervous, and he wondered what the hell was going on.
“I didn’t expect to hear from you,” he said, wary.
“I know. Do you have a minute?”
“Okay.”
He heard her take a deep breath, and he took one of his own.
“Dillon, I’m sorry. I’ve treated you like shit, and you didn’t deserve it. I owe you an explanation.” She paused.
“I’m listening.”
“You remember I told you that Kiki’s ex was an asshole? Well, that doesn’t scratch the surface. We left Vegas because he beat her up when she tried to break up with him. I came home, and she was on the ground, and he was … it was bad.” She exhaled again, and he realized that the admission wasn’t an easy one. “I’ve been keeping an eye on him through friends in Vegas, and when I woke up at your place, my phone had a thousand texts and messages about him. He’s been looking for us, and I freaked out. I have to protect her, Dillon. And I didn’t think I could do that if I was distracted by you. But it’s all going to be over soon.”
Dillon listened, shocked. He wondered why Owen didn’t tell him, but of course Owen couldn’t tell him unless Kiki had given him the green light, which clearly she hadn’t.
The break in the conversation had gone too long, and Kat began to stammer.
“I … I don’t have any right to you
r forgiveness, but I’m sorry. I thought I could handle everything. I always think I can handle everything. But I was wrong. I didn’t mean what I said, Dillon. You weren’t a mistake. Not at all.”
Relief washed over him. “Kat … ”
“It’s okay if you don’t feel the same—”
“No, Kat, I—”
“Really. I was horrible to you, and I don’t even know that I deserve your forgiveness.”
“Kat, will you stop for just a second?” He waited, and she was silent. His voice went soft. “Kat, of course I forgive you. If Owen was in danger, I wouldn’t let anything stop me. Trust me. I get it.”
“But it was wrong. I was wrong to treat you like I did.”
“Well, it didn’t feel awesome, that’s for sure.” He laughed softly, but the sound was sadder than he’d intended.
“It didn’t feel awesome for me, either.” She paused. “I want to see you. Can we try again?”
His heart threatened to break out of his chest. “Yes. God, Kat. Yes.”
She laughed, and the sound caught in a sob. She took a deep breath and cleared her throat, her voice husky. “Tonight? We’re working, but you should come in with Owen. I don’t want to wait any longer.”
“I don’t, either. I’ll be there.”
He could hear her smiling when she said, “I’ll see you tonight.”
“Okay.”
Owen walked into the room and stopped in front of him wearing a smirk. “Who was that? You’ve got an interesting look on your face.”
“Kat. It’s going to be okay, Owen. I think it’s going to be all right.” He sat, dazed on the couch with a smile. “Mind if I tag along tonight?”
A grin split Owen’s face. “Not at all.”
Dillon’s eyes narrowed, but his smile never left him. “Did you have something to do with that?”
Owen balked. “Me? You think Kat would listen to me? Oh, no. That was one hundred percent Kiki.”
“Remind me to buy that woman a drink.”
Kat tugged at her black shorts and checked her hair in the bathroom mirror again, and Kiki laughed from behind her on the bed. She was nervous. The territory was so uncharted, she felt like fucking Magellan. She took a deep breath and turned to her sister.
Kiki smiled reassuringly. “You look fine. What are you so worried about? He’s already seen you naked.”
Kat’s fingers wandered to her necklace and twiddled the pearl. “Don’t make fun of me. I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing.”
“Stop thinking so much about it and just go with it.”
Her stomach fluttered, and she cursed herself. It was like she was in junior high. It was ridiculous. And she liked it, which was even more ridiculous.
Kiki stood. “Come on. It’s game time. You got this.” Kat must not have looked convinced, because Kiki frowned. “Do you need a cheer?”
“Oh, god. No, please.”
Kiki’s face was animated in a cheesy grin as she clapped her hands like a cheerleader and wiggled her hips. “Go, Kat, Go. Don’t be a ho. You got this, just don’t blow … it.” She dropped her hands to her hips. “Okay, that didn’t really work, but you get it.” She threaded her arm through Kat’s. “Come on, sister.”
Owen and Dillon walked into the noisy, packed bar, and Kiki spotted them before the door had closed behind them. She waved at them and motioned to two empty stools, but as they made their way through the mass of people, all Dillon could do was scan the bar for Kat.
The door to the back swung open, and as she walked out, her eyes found his.
We’re going to do this. Or, at least they were going to try. It was all he could ask for. It was all that he wanted.
He sat down next to Owen, and the brothers smiled, since the din was too loud to carry on a conversation. The sisters poured drinks for the waiting crowd, and he couldn’t take his eyes off Kat, wanting to talk to her, reassure her. He wanted to kiss her, and his nerves were on fire as he waited for her, ready for the bar to close so he could take her away.
Kat poured Owen a scotch and Dillon a glass of water, setting them down with a smile before turning back to the crowd. Kiki swept by, stretching across the bar to plant a kiss on Owen’s waiting lips. And they were all high off the feeling, drunk from hope.
———— Olympus ————
Ares’ hands were in his leather jacket pockets as he strutted down the sidewalk toward the bar. Hera trotted next to him, her heels clicking on the concrete as she tried to keep up. Things were working out a shade too nicely.
Time to shake it up.
He paused in front of the door and pressed Hera’s token into her palm. She dropped it in her clutch before snapping her fingers. She shimmered, then faded into an apparition as he pushed open the door and stepped into the crowded pub. He spotted the girls bustling around behind the bar, and then the backs of the brothers as they laughed. His face pulled tight.
Hera appeared behind Kiki and smiled wickedly. She nodded to Ares.
Ares scanned the crowd, noting every face he saw and what he could use them for. Then he spotted Jeremy and smiled.
Jeremy was a slob whose favorite pastime was popping off and getting into fights when he was drunk. He was also incredibly stupid, and, most importantly, he was standing just behind Owen.
Ares nodded at Hera, who bent to Kiki’s ear as he made his way toward Jeremy.
The drunk man swayed near the bar with his drink rocking in his hand. It only took a nudge. When Ares pushed him, he reeled, swaying heavily before falling into Owen. His drink spilled down Owen’s back, and when the drunkard righted himself, the shit hit the fan.
———— New York ————
“Fuck you, prick,” Dillon heard some drunk guy slur and turned to see him shove Owen’s shoulder.
Owen spun around. “What the fuck’s your problem?”
The drunk leaned into Owen’s face with one eye squinted. “My problem? The fuck is your problem?”
Dillon stood and moved around Owen, who put his hand on Dillon’s arm. “Don’t, Dillon. It’s fine. He’s just a sloppy drunk.”
The guy tried to reach around Dillon to push Owen again, but Dillon’s hands shot out and slammed him in the shoulders. The drunk flew back, and when he regained his balance, he swung. Dillon dodged easily. It was the only swing the wasted prick got off.
Dillon’s fist was a blur when he popped the man in the face, then the stomach, the kidney, completely on autopilot as he whaled on the stranger in the faceless crowd.
Kat stood wide-eyed behind the bar, her feet rooted to the ground. Everything stopped when Dillon pulled his fist back, possessed as he threw punches in succession.
Through the din she heard whispers, and goosebumps ran up her arms. Kiki looked at her blankly before her face twisted in horror, and she flew at Kat. “You have to do something,” she said, shaking Kat’s arm. “Go! Stop him.”
Kat snapped back into her head as adrenaline pumped through her.
I have to stop him.
She laid her hands on the bar and hoisted herself up, climbing over to hit the ground right behind Dillon. How could she stop him? What could she do? And then, as he cocked his fist, she saw an opening and ran full force to tackle him from the side.
Dillon felt someone slam into him, and he raged that anyone would try to stop him. He grabbed the body and flipped it around, pinning it to the floor, turning his fury on whoever had gotten in his way.
Kat couldn’t move, and her mouth went slack when he cranked his fist back. His eyes were wild. They held no recognition of her as he loomed above. Her nerves fired, her skin burning as she struggled to find her voice, until it was almost too late.
“Dillon, stop!” The sound was rough and raw as it passed her lips, and her heart hammered when her hands finally responded to her mind and flew to his chest, his muscles as hard as stone under her palms. She was helpless, defenseless. He was a train out of control, unstoppable, and she was terrified.
Dillo
n’s eyes came back into focus. He looked down at her hands on his chest, the horror on her face, then his eyes locked on hers. His gaze shifted to the drunk, who had fallen to the ground next to them, his face a bloody pulp. Dillon turned back to her, confused, not knowing how he had gotten there, not understanding what had happened, until realization dawned on him, and part of him died. His hands went numb, and he touched Kat’s fingers that rested on his chest. She yanked them away, clutching them to her chest, her eyes full of shock and pain, full of fear.
Owen touched his back, and he stood, releasing her from his hold.
Kat skittered away from him, and her voice was cracked and dry. “Dillon, you need to leave. Now.” She stood, her hands shaking as she turned to Owen. “Get him the fuck out of here.”
Owen grabbed his arm. “Come on, buddy. Let’s go. Come on,” he coaxed, as Dillon’s heart split open and spilled out. He left it there on the ground as Owen dragged him away through the crowd, and he craned his neck, scanning the room for Kat.
Kat ran to the back room and into the walk-in cooler, and the heavy metal door closed behind her with a thump. She shivered, her breath a fog, and her skin prickled as she rested her head against the steel wall and closed her eyes.
All she could see was Dillon’s twisted face, his fist as he towered over her. He’d thrown her like she was nothing, climbed on top of her like an animal. She pictured Eric standing over Kiki with that same look on his face.
Dillon could have killed her.
She buried her face in her palms, her breath like sand in her lungs. That was the stupidest thing she’d ever done, trying to stop him. How could anyone stop Dillon?
Kiki burst in with tears in her eyes. “Oh, my god, Kat. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, Kiki. I’m fine. But Dillon won’t work. Okay? It can’t. I can’t … ”
Kiki ran to her, and they wrapped their arms around each other. “I know. I’m sorry, Kat. I’m so sorry.”