He nodded slowly. “We can’t stay here.”
Her smile faded. “I know.” She glanced away for a second. “How long before someone else comes looking, do you think?”
“A day maybe.” His expression was somber. “Possibly less, depending on who was at the motel last night. I’m sure he’s been in regular contact with Ari.”
“Okay. Then we need to move.” She tried to shift to her feet, but he held onto her. She lifted one eyebrow.
“We aren’t going to need to run for long. They’ll know someone else is the Medusa and start the hunt for her.”
“How?”
He shook his head. “I’m not sure how it works. But Ari will know the amulet has moved on. I don’t think he can sense the cup—or we would have found you long before now—but he knows somehow when there is a new Medusa. Perhaps the Goddess knows.”
She bit her lower lip. “I wish the amulet and the curse would just go away forever.”
Kallan smiled faintly. “I don’t think the Goddess has forgiven the original Medusa yet.”
“What about Ari? He won’t be happy with you. We did kill five of your cousins.” Andi could live in hiding—she’d done it for years, but she didn’t think Kallan would enjoy it.
He considered that. “I imagine he will be very angry. But I don’t think he’s going to waste resources hunting for us when he has to start a brand new search for the Medusa. The Goddess will be angry with him. With all of my family.”
“After all of this, you just really believe he’s going to let you go?”
“I think he’ll want to find us, but I believe Athena will make sure his focus remains on his hunt. She is determined.”
Her eyes narrowed, making his smile widen.
“Don’t say it.” He kissed her hard, then released her, easing to his knees while she got to her feet, both wincing as their bodies parted. “Where do you want to live?”
Andi stopped moving, her hand halfway to the faucet. “Can I think about it?”
“As long as I get to go with you.”
She shut off the water and straightened. “I expect you to be with me forever.” She slid both hands up his wide chest to his shoulders.
“Good. Because I’m not leaving you.” His green eyes swirled with emotion.
“I love you, Harvester,” she whispered, going on tiptoe to kiss him.
“No, no Harvester here. Just Kallan Tassos.” He held her gaze. “Part of your family.”
Her eyes stung with tears. “I like the sound of that.”
Epilogue
Athena scowled at the old man on his knees before Her. “You assured Me you would take care of the Medusa, Aristotle.”
“I am sorry, My Lady. My nephew betrayed not only You, but his family. He killed his cousins to protect the monster.”
She knew perfectly well what had occurred in Maine. Knowing didn’t make Her happy. “Now you must begin the search anew.” That made Her even unhappier.
Aristotle Tassos bowed lower, his forehead nearly touching the floor now. “I have already, My Lady. We will do better this time.”
“You told Me that only weeks ago, Harvester.” The Goddess tightened Her grip on the bow She held in Her left hand. “You cannot fail Me again.”
He nodded once. “I vow I will not.”
She knew his words were heartfelt. If he were much younger and still actually in the hunt, She’d feel better about the promise. But Aristotle hadn’t been in the hunt for many years, and She had Her doubts about his current generation of hunters. “If your family fails Me, Aristotle, there will be consequences.”
He shuddered a little below Her. “I understand, My Lady,” he said hoarsely.
Andrea straightened from the suitcase she was unpacking, and Kallan smiled at her when she caught him watching her from the doorway. “You could help with this, you know.”
He winked. “I was enjoying the view.”
Color tinted her cheeks. “Such a man,” she muttered, even though she was smiling as she said it.
He crossed the room to her and slid a kiss along her cheek.
“Do you think she’s okay yet?” Her blue eyes were shadowed with concern.
He lifted one shoulder. “I hope so. But I can’t say for sure.”
“I remember it really sucked.” She caught the corner of her lower lip in her teeth. “Maybe I should have gone—”
He touched one finger to her lips. “Your mother said she asked you not to. She said she’d deal with it.” He knew she was worried about her cousin.
“But she’s young. And Mom knows how bad it was for me. She should have told Philomena I would come. She’s so young.”
“So were you.”
Andrea sighed and turned to wrap her arms around his waist. “I know.”
“We can visit her when she’ll let us. Maybe by then Lydia will have finally tracked down the book so we can share it with her.” He rubbed his face against her hair, marveling at how long it was already, past her nape and nearly to her shoulders, glistening like black silk in the sunlight streaming in the window.
“I know,” she said again, her fingers tightening on him for a moment.
“So, how about getting this honeymoon started?” he said, keeping his tone light.
Her smile curved against his chest, through the light shirt he wore. “What did you have in mind?”
“Well, wife, I was thinking about trying out that great big bed over there.” He scooped her up, startling a laugh out of her.
“What did you think we might do in it?” Her fingers sifted through the hair at his nape, making him shiver.
He nuzzled her ear, and then whispered a suggestion.
A throaty laugh escaped her, and when her head tipped back, he took advantage, sliding his open mouth along the creamy skin of her throat so a shiver made her tremble in his arms. “Really? Well, I suppose we could. If you insist,” Andi said.
“Oh, I insist,” he growled, carrying her down onto the bed. “Sas agapw, Andrea. I love you. Forever.”
The Legend
Millennia ago, a beautiful young Gorgon made a fatal mistake—one her descendants are still paying for today. She so angered Athena that the Goddess cursed Medusa, changing her lovely hair to snakes and causing her gaze to turn any living thing to stone. As if that wasn’t bad enough, she then sent Perseus to kill the unfortunate Medusa.
Perseus didn’t know, however, that Medusa had already found a way to protect her descendants from a part of the Goddess’s curse: she created an amulet that would transfer from one future Medusa to the next, either when she fell in love or died. This cup prevents the curse from wreaking constant havoc in the women’s lives, instead limiting it to once each month.
And you thought you had PMS from hell.
Along with the Goddess’s curse, Perseus’s descendants have also followed the Medusas through the centuries, trying to take the amulet as they hunt, or harvest the Medusas. These Harvesters have so far failed to steal the cup, and—for several recent generations—have also failed to kill the reigning Medusas.
But they are persistent and, while they have failed this time, they are closer than in many years to killing the newest Medusa.
About the Author
Elizabeth Andrews has been a book lover since she was old enough to read. She read her copies of Little Women and the Little House series so many times, the books fell apart. As an adult, her book habit continues. She has a room overflowing with her literary collection right now, and still more spreading into other rooms. Almost as long as she’s been reading great stories, she’s been attempting to write her own. Thanks to a fifth grade teacher who started the class on creative writing, Elizabeth went from writing creative sentences to short stories and eventually full-length novels. Her father saved her poor, callused fingers from permanent damage when he brought home a used typewriter for her.
Elizabeth found her mother’s stash of romance novels as a teenager, and—though she loves horror—roma
nce became her very favorite genre, making writing romances a natural progression. There are more than just a few manuscripts, however, tucked away in a filing cabinet that will never see the light of day.
Along with her enormous book stash, Elizabeth lives with her husband of more than twenty-five years, with two young adult sons nearby, though no one else in the family reads nearly as much as she does. When she’s not at work or buried in books or writing, there is a garden outside full of herbs, flowers and vegetables that requires occasional attention.
Website: www.elizabethandrewswrites.com
Light the Way Home
A Common Elements Romance Project novella
* * *
Single dad Nate Baxter has his hands full with his son and his haunted lighthouse. He doesn’t have time to spend with a woman...especially one who won’t stick around, like his ex-wife.
* * *
But Lucie Russo’s not like other women Nate’s met. She’s sweet and sexy, and his mouth waters every time he’s around her.
* * *
Will a family emergency cause him to break his relationship rules? And if he does, will his heart be broken too?
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