by W. J. May
The wind settled around them and Karis let out the breath she held in. What she saw first didn’t impress her. Large bushes of sage and dirt surrounded them. The breeze picked up and she wrinkled her nose at the strange scent. “What is that?”
Brady inhaled deeply with a smiled. “That’s pine. I believe the town has lots of pinon pine, or something like that. It’s been awhile since high school geography.”
“Eww, and you like that smell? I think it smells like a wet animal.”
Alexis came up behind her. “It smells clean. I think I like it. It’s not like the Harnessroot trees in Aridam, but it’s nice.”
Karis could already see that she was on her own as far as the new smell was concerned. Maybe she’d get used to it, or better yet, they would find Athena and be able to leave—soon.
They walked until they reached a highway. Brady stopped and looked at the rest of them and then himself. “Um, you know I didn’t think of this before, but we’re not exactly looking like we belong here. Karis, you look like a genie, a very beautiful genie in a sexy black...”
Azul cleared his throat. “Spare us the rest of that, I beg of you.”
Karis blushed, but Brady continued, “Well, what I was saying is that we have Captain Jack Sparrow, a genie, Alexis has a milkmaid thing going on, and Magnus and I look like something from Arabian Nights. We’re gonna be lucky if we don’t get arrested for indecent exposure or worse, sent to a loony bin.”
Azul stepped to the side and gave them all a long stare. “I hate to say it, but he’s right. We’ll have to find something more appropriate to wear while we are here on Earth.”
Karis scrunched her brows. “How?”
Magnus dropped his pack that looked more like an extra-large duffel bag on the ground then kneeled next to it. “I have a way. You see, when my brother left for Earth, he sent us all kinds of money for all different places that they went. He told me to keep it, in case I ever needed to come here in the event that something happened. Well, I didn’t know about their deaths till it was too late, but I think this qualifies in the something happened category. He also set up a trust account in Brady’s name when they first arrived on Earth.” He pulled out a couple small parcels and opened them. “I just have to find the one he marked US.” He flipped through the packages quickly then picked one out.
“Ah ha! Here it is.” He handed it to Brady. “What do you think?”
Brady opened the thick packet. His eyes widened and he looked back at Magnus. “Do you have any idea how much is in here?”
Magnus shrugged and pulled his pack up on his shoulder. “Well, your father said that whatever was in the account and what he sent would be enough to make us well off.”
“Well off? Magnus, there’s gotta be at least a hundred thousand in here. How did my dad ever get that much? Hell, I don’t remember him ever saying we had money. I mean we traveled a lot and never hurt for anything, but this is a substantial amount of money.”
“There’s a lot you don’t remember yet. Soon, we’ll find a way to help you. In the meantime, I say that if it’s enough to get us new clothes and possibly some dinner tonight, then I think we’re set,” Magnus said.
“I don’t think we’ll have any problems,” Brady muttered under his breath.
Karis twirled around in the mirror of the fitting rooms. The jeans Brady had her try on were tight, but she liked the way they framed her body. Her long hair hung loose and swung out as she moved. She had on a white short-sleeved shirt with a scoop neck and cut shoulder straps. She could see part of her Syrenae tattoo swirl up over her collarbone and shoulder through the slits.
At that moment she felt exceptionally beautiful, and couldn’t wait to find out what Brady thought of her new look. She spun one more time and stopped with her hand to her mouth. Brady stood behind her grinning and his eyes glistened with happiness.
“You’re amazing.”
She blushed. “Thank you,” she whispered.
“I almost forgot how much I loved tight jeans, dang girl.” He let out a whistle.
She could say the same about him. He wore faded light-blue jeans that were long enough to touch the heel of his new white tennis shoes, and a white button-up, short-sleeved shirt with red cuffs.
He took her hands and swirled her around in a circle. “Let’s go find everyone else.”
They met Azul standing by the mirrors by the men’s fitting rooms. He had on a dark silk shirt, black pants, and what appeared to be rattlesnake-skin cowboy boots. Karis held back a giggle.
Brady coughed, but a small chortle escaped.
Azul shook his head. “This isn’t right. I’ve worn the same type of clothes for nearly two hundred years, it just feels wrong.”
“Well, maybe being a pirate is okay in Shamike, but here it could get you killed.” Brady draped his arm around Karis’s shoulders, clearly comfortable and feeling more at home since arriving in Santa Fe.
Azul gave him a stern look and straightened his shoulders. “I’m immortal, I don’t fear death.”
Brady shrugged. Magnus and Alexis joined them. Magnus went for the same look as Brady, but his shirt was a cream color with a teal swirl design on the back. He gave Karis a smile and did a little twirl for her. “What do you think?”
Brady slapped him on the shoulder. “Uncle, you look like you belong on Earth. It suits you.”
Alexis shied away behind Magnus. Karis leaned to see her better. “Come on, Alexis, I bet you look amazing.”
Alexis scooted into view. Her long brown hair hung over her shoulder in a low ponytail. She wore blue jeans a lot like Karis’s, but hers had sequins sewn onto the back pockets, and a light-brown T-shirt with a swirly cross emblem on the front.
“If you weren’t my aunt, I’d say you look hot.” Brady gave her one of his famous winks and she blushed even more.
Karis clapped her hands together. “I guess we’re ready to take on Earth.”
Brady stepped closer. “Or at least Santa Fe.”
Chapter Sixteen
They all sat around an outdoor table at a bistro and picked at a basket of fries. Azul had a map spread out over the table next to them that he had pulled closer. “We should find all the places that would attract Athena and start with those.”
Karis sucked the last of her soda through the straw, trying to savor every drop of the newly discovered drink. They had all sorts of fizzy-type drinks in Shamike, but none that had that flavor. When she realized she wouldn’t get any more she set it down. “I agree. We don’t have much to go on, so starting with those is the best option.”
Azul tapped the map and looked at Alexis. “You know her best. You should come look at this with me and see if anything sticks out at you.”
Alexis wiped her mouth with a napkin and reluctantly left the basket of fries to sit next to Azul. “I think this right here could be a good place to start.” She pointed to the New Mexico History Museum.
Brady snorted. “What would Athena be doing in a museum?”
Alexis picked up her drink and looked over the rim at Brady. She took a few sips, obviously taking her time. “It’s the most reasonable. She loves history, always has, and she’s old enough to have lived through most of Earth’s. That’s why she would be great in a museum.”
Karis shrugged. “It makes sense.”
They all agreed to travel downtown to the museum and see if they could find Athena. Karis still wasn’t too sure about the pine smell that wafted from the trees throughout the city, but it didn’t disgust her as much as when they arrived, even though it was quite a bit stronger the further they traveled.
The museum was a bit of a walk from where they were, so they decided to take a transit bus downtown. Both Azul and Brady hovered closely to Karis, and Magnus looked tense with his arm around Alexis. Many guys gave each of the women a grin and a nod, which made Brady stiffen even more. He leaned in close to Karis and whispered, “The next guy to flirt with you is going to get my fist to his head.”
K
aris gave him a playful jab with her elbow. “I suppose I should ignore the two girls in the front who keep staring at you?”
Brady looked up where Karis talked about. Sure enough, two girls who couldn’t have been more than seventeen giggled and spun back around in their seat. Brady chortled and grinned, then saw Karis giving him an annoyed look. “What?”
She shook her head. “Nothing.”
The ride downtown didn’t last long—thankfully—and they all got off the bus. Alexis twirled and looked around them. There was a park off to their right and many adobe-type buildings all around. “Look, over there.” Alexis stopped spinning and pointed across the street.
Karis glanced around nervously, but Brady squeezed her hand. People walked around them as if they were just in the way, and she truly felt that way. Even though they purchased new clothes, she still felt like an outsider. She shouldn’t; she was the Princess and intended Queen of Shamike, she should feel secure and wanted, but these people had no clue who she was. Nor would they find out.
“Come on, guys,” Alexis said excitedly. She already started dragging Magnus across the road.
Azul hesitated before crossing. Brady and Karis followed close behind him and met Alexis’s happy smile on the other side. “She’s here, I know it.”
“Do you think we could be that lucky? To find her on our first try?” Karis looked at each of them for an answer.
Magnus nodded. “I think so, but she might be the only one we find easily. I’m sure since Zeus has remained hidden for this long that he isn’t going to jump out and say ‘I’m here.’”
“Well, what are we waiting for?” Karis gestured to the door of the museum.
The inside was dimly lit and a front desk area sat directly past the doors. A small elderly woman sat there with a plastered smile on her face. “Welcome to the museum.”
They all nodded and made hushed hellos to their greeter. After paying the appropriate fees for each of them, Magnus scooted closer to the lady, half leaning on the counter. “Do you happen to know a woman about yay high,” he made a gesture with his hand stopping at his eye level, “she has, or had, long brown hair, brown eyes, and a small scar about a half an inch long on her chin.”
The old woman’s eyes lit up. “Oh you mean Atty.”
The group all looked at each other then back to the woman. She stood up slowly and pointed down the first long corridor. “Go down that hall and take your first right. She's opening up the new weapons exhibit. She’s in charge of the whole thing.”
Alexis smiled at the woman. “Thank you.” She gave Magnus a kiss on the cheek. “It’s her for sure. Weapons?” She gave a slight shake of her head, but then pulled Magnus with her.
They walked down the hall with pictures of old wagons and Aztec Indians that hung on the wall with perfectly aimed lights shining down on them. At the end they could only go left or right. Karis let out a slow breath. “She said right, didn’t she?”
Magnus nodded and they all walked together. A decent-sized room that was lit up almost like the front area was at the end of the hall. Karis pushed through the entryway first. A couple browsed hand in hand, looking at the artifacts and whispering to each other. She scanned the room and caught a woman in the back dusting off a glass case that held another precious memory from the past. She wore a pair of khaki pants and a plain white shirt. Her hair was long and pulled back in a high ponytail that swished when she moved.
Alexis gasped. “It’s her,” she whispered loudly.
The woman’s head popped up. Her eyes went wide when she saw Alexis and Magnus. She ran through the display and into Alexis’s arms. They hugged for what seemed like minutes. “What are you doing here?” Athena asked as she gave Magnus a brief embrace. She tensed a little when she spotted Karis, but then her mouth hung open a little. “Are you related to King Parius?”
Karis’s breathing hitched. “How do you know him?”
Athena giggled. “I haven’t stayed on Earth the whole time. I went to Shamike about a hundred and thirty years ago. I was able to meet him and his wife. I didn’t stay long, it was solely for business, but you look just like him, except more feminine.” She waved her hands all over as she talked.
Karis did not expect that. She fell all over her words and stuttered, “I’m, um, I’m his daughter.”
“I thought so.” She looked at Brady. “And who is this hunk-a-hot stuff?”
Karis clasped her hand around his tightly. “He’s my, uh, my...” she trailed off, unsure what to actually call him.
Brady offered his hand for her to shake. “I’m Brady, Karis’s boyfriend.”
Karis felt instant gratification with the droopy frown Athena had. It was so strange to hear him say it out loud.
Azul stepped forward and offered his hand as well. “I’m Azul, Karis’s ex-fiancé.”
And then, Karis felt as if she’d die from embarrassment. Athena looked back at her with raised eyebrows. “Wow, you get around. Although I’m not sure how you picked. They’re both eye candy.” Then she giggled again.
Azul held a smug grin and nodded at Karis. Oh, she was never going to live this down.
Athena’s attention was back on Alexis, thankfully. “You didn’t answer my question, why are you here? Not that I haven’t missed you.”
Alexis wrung her hands together. “Well, to get to the point, we need your help.”
Athena folded her arms across her chest. “Well, if the Princess of Shamike, my best friend and her husband, along with a couple of hotties came all the way to Earth to find me, it must be good.” She nodded toward the exit. “Meet me in my office. It’s the fourth door on the right. I’ll close up the last case and be there in a jiffy.
Athena’s office wasn’t too big, and they all crammed in there with barely enough room to open and close the door. Brady openly gawked at Athena, who sat at her desk with her face in her hands, then let them fall to the cherry wood desktop. “I can’t believe I’m in the same room as a goddess.”
Karis rolled her eyes at him and waited for Athena to speak first.
“I can’t believe you’re asking this. Of course I’ll fight with you, I haven’t had a decent battle in years, but the others are scattered across the globe. Hell, I don’t even know if they’re still on Earth. We had a good run a very long time ago together, but we soon saw that humans needed to live life on their own. The Great One has a plan for these people. We intervened and got in the way of that. But damn was it good.” She slapped her leg and laughed.
“When I mean good, I mean hella good. They called me a goddess and wrote me into their history books. It was such a high.” She sat back in her chair and smiled at them.
Karis tried to take a deep breath in the smothering air. “So you’ll help us?”
Athena’s eyes sparkled. “Yes, I’ll help you.”
Karis liked Athena’s bubbly attitude and relaxed even more. Something about her seemed young and vibrant.
Alexis let out a stifled chuckle. “One more thing. Why did the lady call you Atty?”
“Oh that? Athena didn’t seem to be a modern name, so I shortened it.”
Alexis gave a small shrug. “Well, I like it.”
Brady leaned against the wall and tried to act calm and reserved. “So, Atty, you said you’ll help us fight, what about helping us find the others?”
Karis gave him a smile. “Thank you,” she projected to him.
Athena, or Atty, as she was now called, laughed. “I don’t think you’ll find them without me.”
Atty directed them to a hotel where they could rest up and said she’d meet them later. It would be a couple days before they knew where they’d head off to.
Karis plopped down on the soft bed. The air conditioner rattled and rumbled, then kicked on and let out a continuous hum. She loved the cool breeze and the slight wisp of air as it caressed her skin. A click sounded and the door opened then shut. Karis leaned forward on the bed to watch Brady enter the room with the duffle bag they were sharin
g. Each of their group had purchased at least five more outfits and extra shoes, along with toiletries.
He shot her a sexy smile and after dropping the bag on the floor, he pounced on her, tackling her to her back on the bed. He moved her hair off her face and stared into her eyes. “I have two things I want to do,” he said in a husky whisper.
Karis willed her body to calm down. With his pressed against hers so closely, she lost all her senses. “And what exactly do you have in mind?”
He trailed his fingers down her neck and over her collarbone, tracing her tattoo. “The first thing involves you with no clothes.”
Her breath hitched as he leaned in and kissed her neck. She wrapped her arms around him and ran her hands up his back. This was what she wanted, more than anything. It was him. If she never became Queen, she’d be okay as long as she had him.
Karis lay on the bed, out of breath. She wasn’t certain anything they did came close to ordinary, but more like extraordinary. She could still feel the tiny sparks that fluttered through her every vein.
Brady jumped up from the bed and she watched as he headed for the shower. He gave her a playful wink and she quickly followed him. She hesitated when she heard the running water, but told herself to be brave and pulled the shower curtain back and jumped in.
Hot steamy water cascaded down his backside, and she marveled over his muscles and how taut they were under the skin. Every move he made, made her want him again. His hair was much longer than when she first met him, giving him a messy bad boy image. Nothing about him disappointed her.
After washing the soap off his face, he pulled her to him. “So I was thinking,” he said. “I want to fight tonight. I know where the contacts are in this city, I’ve fought here before. I can feel it calling to me.”