“Thank you, Persephone.”
The queen of the underworld bowed her head. “Think nothing of it. After all, wouldn’t this new you do the same for me? Now, I believe it is time we went to Zeus. Helios will need his name cleared and the search for Eris must begin. She will need to answer for her crimes.”
Zeus listened to their tale from his throne. Hera was absent from his side, but the warmth of their love filled the executive office. “And where is Eris now, Ares?”
“I don’t know, Father. I would have given chase if Esme hadn’t been dying, but remaining at her side took precedence.”
“Understandable.” The ancient god turned his gaze to Esme, eyes shining with mirth. “Do you understand now?”
“Yes. The power of Aphrodite was inside me all along. I only had to find it.”
“Indeed. Now that the ambrosia has restored your immortality, you are as you once were. Love. Beauty. War. You are these traits and much, much more, and perhaps all the better from the years of life spent among the humans. Living as one has taught you the empathy you once lacked. The empathy I would try to learn in my own time.” A moment of silence passed before Zeus murmured, “You will be a good goddess of love to this modern world.”
Esme dipped her head. “Thank you for the valuable lesson.”
Zeus grunted. “A good thing you passed, since the decision to restore your immortality was taken from my hands.”
Persephone turned from the nearby window and chuckled. “I did what needed to be done at the time, Father. As it was my domain, the choice was mine to make.”
“So it was,” Zeus agreed in a rare display of humility, raising the brows of everyone around him.
“Thank you again, Persephone. I’m a little attached to my mortal life’s friends and family, even though I hope to have made new ones during this ordeal.” She and the floral goddess of the dead exchanged a warm smile before Esme returned her attention to Zeus. “What will happen to Eris?”
His eyes saddened. “We must find her and bring her to justice, as her crimes are many. For now, she is banished from Olympus.”
Hades appeared beside Zeus in a blaze of ebony flame. He was a tall man with a kind face, gentler than Esme expected. “As well as my realm. Persephone will never forgive what she did to our pup. Will you, my love?”
She shook her head. “By using Philos, it can only mean she intended I should take the fall. She must suffer for her attempt to tarnish the Underworld with her machinations.”
“And Helios?” Alex asked.
“Forgiven. Though I still await an answer as to how Eris used his spear. He should be with us shortly.”
“Yeah, about that…” Beau tipped his head toward the open balcony
Fire scorched across the sky in a bloom of light, then a white-gold chariot appeared on the balcony outside of Zeus’s office. The four pegasuses leading it stamped their hooves and neighed.
“Helios, I am glad to see you return. What answers do you have for us?” Zeus asked.
“At first, I didn’t understand how my spear had been used without my knowledge. Now I see. Eris has been… she and I were close for quite some time. She must have used my solar lance at some point when I closed my eyes to rest,” Helios said.
“She deceived us all.”
“She did not work alone. Abducting Aphrodite this night made Eris careless. Without her present to distract my gaze from the sins of her children, I noticed two godlings stalking a dove bound for Olympus.” He nodded over his shoulder to the chariot. Two young men were lashed to it by golden rope. “I intervened before the Phonoi could kill it.”
Beau stared at them. “Eris’s sons. The personifications of murder.”
“This explains why some random dude in Ashfall tried to gut her,” Luke said. “I bet some of the other strifes are responsible for the other evils that have befallen her too. Like her night terror.”
At that, Beau drew his sword and lurched toward them. “I should slaughter these two assholes now.”
Helios stepped before him. “But you will not. I’ve brought them to Zeus for a proper punishment.”
“And their punishment will be fitting,” Zeus said. “Pass them to Hades.”
A wide smile spread across Persephone’s face. “Will they be mine?”
Hades glanced at the murderous twins. “Of course, my dear. I can think of no greater vengeance for Philos than to see two of his abusers clasped in Stygian iron.”
The queen of the dead clapped her hands. “An eternity in the kennels shoveling hellhound shit.”
Esme cringed.
“But first, I would like to question them both quite deeply about their mother and her whereabouts.” Zeus turned his gaze to Esme, Beau, Alex, and Luke. “You’re dismissed. I will take it from here.”
“Thank you.” Esme bowed her head and then turned away with the others. She walked between Alex and Luke, with Beau only an arm’s length away.
Before they traveled far, Persephone moved to intercept them on the landing outside Zeus’s office door. “Aphrodite, a moment please.”
“We’ll wait downstairs,” Alex said. He took the lead and brought the other two with him while Esme turned to face her peer, though it was strange to think of a goddess as her equal at all.
Once they were gone, Persephone cleared her throat. “How does it feel to be one of us again?”
“I don’t know. It’s difficult to describe. I still feel like me, but I also feel different. Improved and unchanged at the same time.”
“And the memories?”
“Some are more intense than others, while a few are like… just there at the edge of my thoughts. If I think really hard, some of them clarify, but others are like trying to remember a birthday party my parents threw for me when I was five.”
The spring goddess nodded and toyed with one of the black steel and diamond chains dangling from her waist. The gemstones were arranged in patterns of flowers and skulls. “I received your letter.”
“Oh… Good. I know I probably should have brought it in person, but…”
“I understand. The Underworld isn’t the most hospitable of places, after all.”
Esme ducked her head. “Yeah. Well, I meant what I wrote, but I’ll say it again. I know I wasn’t a very good person back then and there’s really nothing I can do to fix that. It was a different time. A different life. All I can do now is use this new chance to make amends.”
“It’s quite admirable of you. And appreciated.” Persephone glanced toward the lower landing where the men had assembled to wait. “When I heard you were gathering together a harem, I thought you would come for Adonis again.”
Esme shook her head. “Pursuing Adonis caused all of us enough pain. It was time to let go. What I liked about him most was his beauty, but it’s funny, because I don’t recall anything else about why I wanted him.”
Persephone’s brows rose. “Truly?”
“Yeah. He hasn’t crossed my thoughts at all, not that way. I suppose I was in love with what he represented. Not him, the actual man, and certainly not the way you love him. So if he makes you happy, I wish you both the best. I really do, Persephone.”
The other goddess gave a small bow. “You are different. I suppose time will tell if you remain that way. But I’ve kept you long enough. Goodbye… Esme.”
“Goodbye, Persephone, and thank you again. I don’t think I can ever say it enough.”
Esme descended the floating marble stairs, less disturbed by the lethal drop to the ground now. The guys were in a football huddle and speaking in low voices, but they broke apart when she neared them.
“What are you three up to?”
“Nothing,” Luke said.
“Uh huh.”
Beau chuckled. “Guess we can’t pull anything over on you. We were discussing a gift we’ve put together. A surprise we planned to reveal before that shit jumped off in the mortal realm.”
“Yeah?”
“Since we’re alre
ady in Olympus, how do you feel about heading over to Aphrodite’s palace for a special surprise?” he asked.
“I don’t know if I should. Time passes different in this realm, and Marie will lose her shit if I vanish on her again.”
Luke smirked. “I already zipped to Marie and told her you’re safe with us. I, uh, even sweet-talked your boss a little and told her the attack shook you up. She gave you the week off.”
Esme bit her lip. She’d been attacked by a stranger, cursed in her sleep by a divine strife, and had nearly died. Luke hadn’t lied. “Okay.”
Alex passed her a golden key and directed her to a door in the stairwell. “This will work in any lock, no matter where you are, whether you are at home in Ashfall, at your university, or in my estate. Whenever you need to escape, this place is yours.”
Esme slid the key inside and turned it. A low hum vibrated between her fingers, and then the door opened to reveal an impossible scene, a stone courtyard trimmed by fluffy white clouds.
Beyond the courtyard and elaborate steps flanked by sculptures of beautiful women and cherubs, an extravagant palace of pink marble and gold stretched before her. It floated on the clouds of Olympus and shone with incredible radiance.
When they stepped through and shut the door behind them, all signs of it vanished and left only uninterrupted skyline, clouds, and distant ground far below them. Beau moved ahead of them and disappeared inside.
“This is my palace?”
“Yes. I have made some changes over the years to adopt some modern standards,” Alex said. His arm snaked around her waist and drew her close. She stared at every remarkable inch and let the guys guide her up the stairs and inside into an expansive entrance hall with lush carpets, Renaissance style paintings, and tapestries of glorious doves in flight.
“Mom?” The voice echoed before she traced its source.
Across from her, Beau stood between identical, dark-haired twin boys.
“I think Hermes had the right idea about introducing you to Dito alone, so I’ve decided to bring our kids to you in pairs. This way is better for them and you. Less fighting.”
Esme imagined all six divine children vying for her attention, each one pushing to the forefront with desperation to meet her. She stepped forward to meet her sons. They had her eyes. Her old eyes, a deep and serene blue-green like the Mediterranean Sea, framed by thick lashes. “Yes. You’re right.”
“We didn’t mean to scare you,” one whispered.
She cupped his cheek. “Phobos?”
He nodded.
Esme kissed his brow and hugged him tight. “I know you didn’t.”
“We only wanted to see you again,” the other boy said.
They were tall now, as tall as her and on the cusp of manhood with hints of masculinity she didn’t remember from her previous life. Broader shoulders, a ghost of dark hair above their lips. She hugged Deimos next and squeezed him tight.
“I missed you both so much, but I’m even sorrier that I ever left you behind at all. I can’t make up for lost time, for my foolishness but… I can promise to never leave you again.”
Balancing a mortal life with her divine responsibilities wouldn’t be easy, but this time she wouldn’t be alone. Wouldn’t be torn to choose between three amazing gods. She looked back at her three loves and took strength in their shared bond.
If—no, when—Eris came for her again, Esme would be ready.
Author’s Note: I enjoyed the hell out of writing this story. If you loved it as much as I did, please stop and leave a review on Amazon so I know it. And lastly, if you’re on KU, PLEASE don’t flip to the front. When readers flip back to the front, authors sometimes aren’t paid.
Join my newsletter to keep up with developments or hit up my fan group to chat about books and upcoming work. By the way, Dominique Kristine is my high fantasy and urban fantasy pen name. The sex is less explicit and the plot is more story-focused, but I invite you to try it out.
Other Books by Vivienne
Fairy Tale Retellings
Beauty and the Beast
Red and the Wolf
Goldilocks and the Bear
Belle and the Pirate
Zarina and the Djinn
Rapunzel and the Griffin Prince
Reverse Harem Romance
Three Greek gods, one reincarnated modern goddess
Divine Ambrosia
Paranormal University
College has never been this exciting. Or hot.
The Hidden Court
Dragons
Loved by the Dragon
Smitten: Dawn of the Dragons #2
Crush on a Dragon: Dawn of the Dragons #3
God of Mischief: Dawn of the Dragons #4
Military Shifters
Hot and Wild military alphas
The Right to Bear Arms (Book #1)
Let Us Prey (Book #2)
The Purr-fect Soldier (Book #3)
Old Dog New Tricks (Book #4)
Texas Pride (Book #5)
Impractical Magic
Impractical Magic
Better Than Hex (Impractical Magic #2)
Blood Heiress
Blood Kissed
Werewolves of San Antonio
Training the Alpha
Mythological Creatures
Making Waves
Epic Fantasy by Dominique Kristine
Shadows for a Princess
A princess who would rather die than wed. A warrior priest who would rather kill than see her harmed. A kingdom of shadows and treachery that threatens them both...
At the age of twenty-eight, Princess Ysolde Westbrook is a spinster duchess, the adopted daughter of Hindera's eccentric monarch. Commoners love their benevolent leader, but the kingdom's gentry take offense to the outsider among them. Amid noble plots and demands for her to marry a local aristocrat, an assassination attempt places her life in peril--if she will not have one of them for a husband, they would sooner see her dead.
Finding allies in strangers with powerful gifts and even darker secrets, Ysolde must learn what it means to lead and find her own inner strengths. Whether or not she survives the tangled web of treason will determine the fate of her duchy, the royal family, and the kingdom she loves.
The Hidden Court by Vivienne Savage
A gray, overcast sky stretched above me, an endless blanket of dark clouds heralding the approaching storm. Ten minutes away from home, I hurried without an umbrella down the sidewalk while leaving my first job for the last time.
In less than seven days, I’d be entering one of the world’s only magical universities to spend the next four years of my life learning to become a topnotch faerie godmother. Lucky me.
As I reached the street corner, the first speckles of rain kissed my cheeks, and cool, storm-scented wind whipped an abandoned newspaper down the vacant road. While it was hell on my hair, the pleasant mist made an improvement over the usual oppressive humidity.
“Hey, Skylar, wait up!” Mindi called from behind me.
My best friend of eleven years trotted into view when I twisted around. Her freckled face flushed red from her jog to catch up, so I paused and let her regain her spent breath.
“You still want to hit up the movies tonight?” she asked.
“In this weather? Like there’s anywhere else to go. Dad said I could borrow his car, so I’ll pick you up around five.”
“Sounds go—ood!” Her sneaker sole skidded over the wet sidewalk, her toe struck the jagged edge of a loose concrete chunk, and Mindi pitched forward. Before she could tumble into the street and catch the cement with her face, I grabbed her by the shoulders.
A jolt shot through my fingers, zipping down each nerve like a magical telegraph to my brain.
Precognition wasn’t my specialty—it was actually my weakest fae talent—but when I touched my friend, a vision of the future flashed through me. I saw the doctor she had the potential to become, the lives she would save, and an overwhelming branch of positive outcom
es like ripples across a vast ocean.
It vanished, a mere soap bubble of possibility, and before my eyes, Mindi’s fate tore itself from its predetermined track into the hungry jaws of a vampire. I jerked my hand back.
“You okay?” she asked, like I was the one who almost kissed sidewalk.
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
Far from it. My bestie was doomed to die in a grimy alley behind the town’s only pizzeria.
Hot tears stung my eyes, but they couldn’t wash away the knowledge of what awaited the girl who used to share her lunches with me at school, shriek over horror movies with me during sleepovers, and enviously brush my hair any time she had the chance. For years, she’d thought Mom let me color it, ignorant to the truth that the teal, violet, wine, and gold streaks in my black hair were my natural colors. I hadn’t told her until I was a teenager that I was a faerie, because humans usually treated us different once they found out.
Through it all, Mindi had accepted me.
It wasn’t fair.
In eighteen years, I’d only had the occasional vision, usually manifested as nightmares or a keen sense of intuition—common for faeries, but far from impressive when the most powerful of my ancestors could see every human probability strand in a great, arcing tapestry of fortune.
But I was only a half-fae, the spawn of two other half-breeds rejected by their magical ancestors. I had no extraordinary gifts of foresight or clairvoyance—until now. The vision was the clearest to ever flit across my sight, but not yet etched in stone. Especially if I did something about it.
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