by Nina Bangs
“Who is Sparkle Stardust?”
“She’s right here, death-breath.” Ganymede sounded barely interested.
Sparkle didn’t look as though she appreciated Ganymede giving away her position.
Aello drew her lips away from brown and rotted teeth. “Return my daughter to her former ugliness.”
Sparkle opened her mouth to answer, but Ganymede beat her to it. “Your daughter’s an idiot, so I think she’ll stay the way she is.”
Sparkle threw Daria frantic glances. Daria shrugged. She didn’t think there was a power on earth that could make Ganymede close his mouth.
Aello responded to the challenge by becoming harpy. Everyone scrambled away from her, and the room seemed a lot smaller with those huge wings taking up so much space. “You and Sparkle Stardust will be playthings for Hades this night.”
Ganymede yawned.
Daria moved close to Declan. He still held on to Mel. “What’s Ganymede doing? Doesn’t he know how powerful Aello is? He’s crazy to make her mad.” She was starting to worry about the cat and Sparkle.
“He’s protecting his woman.” He turned away and she almost didn’t catch the rest of what he said. “The way I’d protect you.”
Something important had just gone down, but Daria didn’t have time to think about it because Aello chose that moment to make her move. She spread her wings before leaping at Sparkle and Ganymede.
She smacked up against an invisible wall. Enraged, she screamed her defiance as she gathered herself for another try. Splat. Daria smiled. Well, well. And the winner is… the cat.
Ganymede looked bored. “Take your daughter and get out of here, harpy. Oh, and don’t think you can sneak around and catch us by surprise. Try touching Sparkle or me again and I’ll twist off your head. It might not stop global warming, but it’ll make the world a prettier place,”
Aello ignored him in favor of turning on her daughter. “Snatch someone now. Your beauty is a disgrace to the whole harpy sisterhood, but at least you can bring something back to Hades.”
Panicked, Eris scanned the room. “There isn’t anyone. I can’t—”
Mel chose that moment to jerk free from Declan and make a dash for freedom. A few seconds later, the slamming of the door awoke Eris to a possibility “Him. I can take him back.” She raced for the door, her mother close behind her.
As both harpies burst from the inn, everyone ran to the window again.
Mel had almost reached the tree line. He’d already become wererabbit and was covering the ground in giant leaps. Eris took harpy form and flung herself into the air along with Aello. The last anyone saw, Mel was disappearing into the woods and the harpies were circling around trying to locate him.
Everybody went back to his or her seat, and for a few minutes no one said anything. Sparkle put Ganymede carefully on the floor. The cat padded over to his list. It had holes in it from Aello’s talons.
“So, bloodsucker, did you get my cement?” Ganymede stared at the chips scattered over the carpet. “And I’m still waiting for someone to volunteer to find the roots of a mountain.”
Katie grunted. “If it shuts you up, I’ll conjure up a few roots of a mountain. Now I have to get the Guardians up and running again.”
Sparkle finally found her voice. She glanced at her broken nail as though noticing it for the first time. “Do you see what happens when women totally ignore their appearance? Who wouldn’t be bad-tempered if they had to wake up each morning to see a face desperate for moisturizer and teeth that needed at least a three-month supply of those whitening strips.” She shuddered. “Did you see that woman’s broken and jagged nails? I’ll have nightmares for weeks.” But she didn’t jump up to fix her own nail.
That bothered Daria. She wondered if Ganymede realized how depressed Sparkle was. Or if he even cared. She had to believe he did.
“Let’s get that cement.” Declan stood.
Daria jumped at the chance to leave the parlor. Once out of the room, she stopped to glance in a mirror. “I’m wearing one of Sparkle’s dresses.” The gold one. She’d wanted to look special the first time Declan saw her without Kal’s magic. “And my face isn’t harpy anymore.” She felt sort of strange. “There’s nothing of the old me left.” The scary part was that she couldn’t dredge up any nostalgia for the old Daria.
“You have a great face.” He sounded fierce about that.
He made her feel warm and wanted. She wouldn’t try to push her feelings away anymore. “Mom might not think so. I didn’t want to upset anyone after what just happened, but my mother and aunt will be dropping in tonight. Mom won’t be any more understanding than Aello was.”
He nodded. “We’ll deal.”
That’s all. He’d made it so simple. For the first time in her life, she felt it was okay to share a burden. She didn’t have to be Super Harpy with him.
Daria stayed at the top of the steps and let Declan go down for the cement. Sparkle’s gold sandals didn’t do cellar steps well. Trouble went with Declan. The dog was probably hoping he’d find another bad guy hiding in the dark.
Declan had started back up the steps with the cement bag slung across his shoulder when they heard Katie.
“Can anyone explain why there are two more of those women waiting outside? Did someone put up a sign promising reduced rates for harpies? Who are these people?”
Daria sighed as she walked back to the parlor. “That’s my mom and my aunt.”
She could see that Katie wanted to say something snarky, but instead she glanced at Ganymede.
“Let them in.” Ganymede was already padding toward the kitchen for more chips.
Chapter Seventeen
Daria held the door open for her mother. “Hi, Mom.” An ordinary greeting to an extraordinary woman. If Celaeno wasn’t her mother, she’d terrify Daria. Mom wasn’t as ugly as Aello, but she was a lot scarier.
“Get Kal. We’ll all go to your room.” Mom didn’t waste time on pesky greetings. Nothing of the shock she must be feeling at her daughter’s appearance showed in her eyes.
Aunt Ocypete pushed through the door. “Hi…” She stopped to stare. “What happened to you?” All her horror was wrapped up in those four words.
Daria put off answering her aunt for the moment. “Stay here.” She left them standing there while she slipped into the parlor.
The meeting had broken up and everyone was milling around. Daria spotted Kal talking to Sparkle, so she joined them.
Sparkle wore her sensual siren expression. “Mmm. You never told me your brother was so yummy, Daria.” She slid her fingers over Kal’s arm and looked up at him from under her lashes. “We need to discuss battle tactics, hunky harpy.” The moment lacked a certain sizzle, though, because Sparkle’s gaze drifted to Ganymede as he returned to the parlor.
If Mom and Aunt Ocypete weren’t waiting for them, Daria would have stuck around just to see how Kal extricated himself from Sparkle’s sexy tentacles.
“I hate to break up the conversation, but Mom wants to see us in my room, Kal.” Daria didn’t miss the flare of curiosity in Sparkle’s eyes. Glancing around, Daria noticed that Declan was missing. “Where’s Declan?”
“He went to get something for Mede. If Mede would take human form, he could get stuff himself, but he likes people to wait on him.” Sparkle made a moue of disappointment at Kal. “Go, and I’ll catch you later.”
Knowing Sparkle, she literally meant catch.
Kal followed Daria out into the hallway to where Mom and their aunt still waited. Mom took one look at Kal and sucked in her breath. “Have both of you gone completely crazy?”
Aunt Ocypete didn’t say anything at all. She just put her hand over her mouth and looked at Kal and Daria from wide, shocked eyes.
Daria sighed. This wouldn’t be fun. Climbing the stairs, she tried to think of something she could say that would make it better for Mom. Nope, nothing came to mind. It wasn’t until she was about to push open her door that she remembered exactly what
her room looked like.
“Jeez, sis, do you think you have enough pictures of Declan?” He looked around. “Sparkle?”
“Who else?” Daria had forgotten that her brother had never seen her room.
Mom and Aunt Ocypete seemed a little shell-shocked as they sat on the couch. Kal and she perched on the chairs. Kal threw her a worried glance. Yeah, he knew this would be tough.
Mom folded her hands in her lap as she studied them with narrow-eyed intensity. “Tell me why both of you look like humans.”
Kal wore a rebellious expression. “I want to have sex with someone who wants me as much as I want her. The harpies won’t have anything to do with me because I’m not authentic enough. Human women run screaming from me.” He stared at his hands. Even her big brave brother became a boy again when Mom was around. “I can never be the real deal in our world, so I’m choosing to be accepted in this one. At least while I’m at the Woo Woo Inn.” He looked up to meet his mother’s gaze. “I met this hot wereleopard while I was here. She left when it got too dangerous. I don’t know if I’ll ever see her again, but I know I want someone.”
Daria noted that Kal wanted to have sex. She wanted to make love. Did that mean she was further along on the relationship evolutionary path than her brother? Thought-provoking.
Mom didn’t say anything, she just turned her attention to Daria. “What about you?”
Daria took a deep breath. Here goes nothing. She started with Sparkle’s stupid bet and ended with how she’d asked Kal not to use his magic on her while she was at the inn. She’d left out the part about the universe ending on the summer solstice. No need to rush the revelations.
When she finished, Mom leaned back against the couch and closed her eyes. “I was afraid this might happen if I turned you loose in the human world. But you had to take the test, so there was no way to avoid it.” She opened her eyes. “I want to meet this Declan Mackenzie. And I definitely want to meet Sparkle Stardust.” Her smile was a terrible thing to see.
Aunt Ocypete hadn’t joined in the conversation. She’d gotten up to look out the window. “I’m not sure if this is a neighborly visit, but there’s a big snake, a woman with half white and half black hair, and a bunch of giants coming out of the woods.”
“What?” Daria, along with Kal and Celaeno, rushed to the window.
Uh-oh. That’s all Daria had time to think before Midgard, Hel, and the giants launched their attack on the inn.
The Woo Woo Inn shook with the sounds of exploding energy bursts and the yells of the giants. The Guardians roared their defiance. The blasts of power lasted for about five minutes before the attackers melted back into the forest.
Aunt Ocypete turned from the window, excitement glittering in her eyes. “Wow, did you see that snake? And those deliciously hideous giants could stand with their feet flat on the ground and stare in this second-floor window. I want the one with the horn growing out of his chin.” She looked at Mom. “Have you ever seen a snake like that?”
Mom looked thoughtful as she turned from the window. “That wasn’t a snake.”
“It wasn’t?” Could’ve fooled Daria.
“That was Midgard the serpent. He has to take snake form when he moves on land, but in the ocean he’s a sea serpent. The woman was Hel, and the rest of them were frost giants.” She threw Daria a hard stare. “Now would be a good time to tell me why they’re here.”
“Maybe I should be the one to explain that.” Declan stood in the doorway, his expression grim.
Mom studied him for what seemed like hours before nodding.
Declan looked at Daria. “I wanted to make sure you were all right after the attack.” He smiled. “The Guardians held them off, and since Fenrir wasn’t with them, I’m assuming he’s still bound to the church. That’s the good part. The bad part is they brought those giants with them. Who the hell were they?”
“Frost giants. Primitive beings who’re enemies of the gods.” Mom moved over so there’d be room for him on the couch. “Sit down. I’m Celaeno, Daria and Kal’s mother. And that’s Ocypete, their aunt.”
Declan nodded at her aunt and then met Mom’s gaze directly. He didn’t look scared or nervous. Daria awarded him a bunch of points for that. Not many people kept their cool when they met Mom for the first time.
He sat down next to her mother. “Long story short, my mother was a Mackenzie vampire and my dad is Fenrir. He’s bound under a church near here. He’s about to bust loose and come looking for me. I’m supposed to be the big sacrifice right before he, Midgard, Hel, Loki, and the ever-popular forces of evil take down the other gods. All this is supposed to happen on the night of the summer solstice. If it goes down as planned, the universe ends. No more-me and no more you.”
Mom looked stunned, not an expression Daria had seen often on her face. “Not a storyteller, are you?”
“Is that what you wanted?”
She shook her head. “No, I like my information concise and accurate.” Her expression relaxed a little.
“Good.” He smiled.
Daria’s breath caught in her throat. Too bad she didn’t have time to study all the nuances of that smile. “We need your help, Mom.”
Aunt Ocypete moved away from the window, her expression eager. “You want help taking out the bunch we just saw outside?”
Daria’s aunt didn’t have a lot to say, but when she was pursuing a victim, she was relentless. Aunt Ocypete never came back empty-handed.
Daria nodded.
Declan stood. “Hate to cut this short, but I have something to do downstairs. I just came up to check on you.” He smiled at Mom. “I’m sure we’ll talk again.”
Mom didn’t smile back. “I’m sure we will.”
They all watched Declan leave the room. Daria wished she could go with him.
“He’s a compelling male by human or vampire standards. I understand why you’re drawn to him, Daria.” Her mother’s voice softened. “I felt that way about your father once. Apollo is everything harpy men aren’t. It was unfortunate for both of you that I was drawn to males outside the harpy world.” She looked at her son. “You look like him, Kal, and you’ve suffered for it.” Her attention returned to Daria. “You’ve spent a lifetime trying to mold yourself into something you thought I wanted.” Moisture shimmered in eyes Daria thought weren’t capable of tears. “I apologize to both of you.”
Tears? From Mom? The concept struck Daria speechless. This was the first time Mom had talked to them about Apollo.
And then the moment was gone, along with Mom’s tears. “I know you didn’t want me to see all this.” She gestured at her wayward children and then widened her sweep to include the room with its Decor by Sparkle. “So that means you want something badly enough to chance my visit.”
Daria nodded. Careful. “Kal and I never talked to you about our father because we figured the subject was off-limits.”
Mom nodded.
“But now the fate of the universe is up for grabs—”
“Along with Declan’s fate.” Mom didn’t miss much.
“Yeah, that too.” Daria felt the heat rising in her face. “A guy who was doing some research for me came up with a list of things we could use to make a ribbon strong enough to hold Fenrir.” She fidgeted, a nervous holdover from a childhood filled with lots of fidgeting in front of Mom. “We’re trying to gather those things. Once we have them, we’ll need someone with strong enough magic to change them into this ribbon.” She gathered her courage to ask what needed asking.
Mom took away the need. “You want me to ask Apollo to do this for you.”
“Yes.” No elaboration necessary.
Her mother sighed. “I’ve never asked Apollo for anything. I’ve never spoken to him since the night Kal and you were conceived. I suppose the fate of the universe and Declan might be reason enough to do so now.”
Daria knew her relief must be a bright golden glow around her.
Kal stepped in. “Would you and Aunt Ocypete consider
helping us fight Fenrir?”
Daria’s aunt didn’t need any thinking time. “I love a fight. And when it’s over, I’ll have my choice of prizes for Hades. That yummy giant with the horn would be perfect.”
His mother smiled. “Definitely. I’ll have a lot of stress to work out by that time.” She was all business now. “Take me down to meet the others.”
As Daria walked into the parlor with her mother and aunt in tow, she watched everyone’s reaction. It was always the same.
Her aunt looked more like Aello, your typical gross and disgusting harpy. But Mom was different. Her face was terrifying as opposed to ugly. When you looked into Mom’s eyes, you saw your death. Her lips were thin, and when she pressed them together, they promised no pity for any victim she chose.
Mom smiled at everyone in the room. Everyone in the room gulped.
Her mother’s smile was her most powerful weapon. All of her teeth were very white and very pointed. She gave everyone a preview of what they’d see when the shark opened its mouth just before ripping them apart.
“Hey, everyone. This is Celaeno, my mom, and Ocypete, my aunt. They’re going to help us defeat Fenrir.” Daria scanned the room. Where was Declan?
There were the usual welcoming words, but underlying the one-for-all attitude, Daria sensed a lot of Ohmigod feelings among certain members of the audience. Namely Walt and the three young werewolves. The others? Not so much.
Kal didn’t stick around. He moved away to join another group.
Ocypete could always spot a weak link, so she hurried over to Walt. Daria didn’t have time to rescue him.
Sparkle didn’t even try to look casual as she made for Daria and her mother. Uh-oh. Daria hoped Mom understood the importance of troop morale here. It wouldn’t do to have fellow fighters trying to kill each other. “Mom, this is Sparkle Stardust. Sparkle, this is my mom.”
The queen of sex and sin smiled. “I’d love to help you be the best you can be.”
The queen of death and despair didn’t smile. “I’d love to rip out your throat.”
Sparkle didn’t miss a beat. “Too bad we all can’t get what we want.” Her gaze flicked to Ganymede.