Lover, Divine

by A. Star

  Apollo showed me around the exhibit, pointing out relics I'd never seen before and reciting facts about the twelfth century that I was sure only someone who had been alive during that time would know. It did the trick and by the time we were done, I had calmed down and was ready to make my appearance.

  Taking Apollo's arm, we made our way to the grand ballroom. We encountered many immortals from the King's Olympic Guard patrolling the corridors, which was a normal occurrence when all the Influential Families were in the same place at the same time. Each sentry went down on one knee when we passed and I wondered if they had known Apollo would be attending or if this was just their way whenever a deity was present.

  The corridor the ballroom was located on was clear when we arrived, but I heard the music and voices drifting from the ballroom. We approached the entrance and when the immortal usher who was covering the door saw us, he let out a little yelp.

  "My lord!" he said, dipping into a bow. "I am honored by your presence!"

  "Am I the only one who didn' know who you were on sight?" I grumbled. But Apollo wasn't exactly hiding his true essence, so it wasn't some extraordinary thing that the usher knew who he was. Still, it was irritating that I'd been so blind to him, even after all of this time.

  "Announce our arrival," Apollo ordered the usher. "This beautiful woman accompanying me tonight goes by the name of Siobhan Law."

  "Of course, my lord." The usher bowed. "You are the main topic of conversation tonight, my lady," he said to me before turning away. I gave Apollo a look and he leaned over and kissed my cheek.

  "Everything will be fine," he said.

  "I know." But did I?

  The usher stood in the entrance and I saw him signal the conductor of the strings quartet that was playing. The music faded to silence and everyone in attendance turned their attention toward the door.

  "Distinguished families," the usher announced in a clear, heavy tone. "I am honored to present his lordship, Apollon Phoebus, Olympian god of the Sun, and the Lady Siobhan Law, daughter and heir to the Law Clan of Ireland!"

  I heard the loud gasps and murmuring begin as the usher stepped aside. He bowed again as we stepped over the threshold and into the ballroom.

  Ancient artifacts, famous paintings and sculptures, and expensive fixtures made of bronze and gold covered the elaborate room. The floor was made of exquisite hardwood and elegant drapery hung at the floor-to-ceiling windows dwelling on opposite sides of the great space. The strings quartet was off to the side on a small stage, allowing them to be heard all over the room, but out of the way of everyone in attendance.

  Many members of the Families were dressed in a manner that best represented where they were from, though not everyone did. The patriarch of the Yamamoto Family of Japan wore a tuxedo, but his wife wore a traditional kimono, as did their three daughters. The matriarch from the Azevedo Family of Brazil wore a festive number with lots of colors and ruffles, while the entire Abasi Family of Kenya were dressed in customary attire with beautiful patterns and head wraps. Everyone looked amazing and I should have felt plain and out of place. But I didn't. My gown was beautiful, I was wearing a necklace made with sapphires from a god's eyes, and I had my arm wrapped around the arm of said god. I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

  Bows and curtsies surrounded us as we moved toward the center of the ballroom. It wasn't just the immediate members of the Families in attendance, but the extended members as well—cousins, aunt and uncles, nieces and nephews. There were at least a few hundred people present. We passed my parents and I beamed at the proud looks on their faces. Garrett refused to look me in the eye, but Melissa smiled and blew me a kiss. I appreciated the gesture, but I was still sad that my big brother hadn't yet forgiven me, even if I did understand why.

  "Welcome, my lord." From our right, a man stepped out of the crowd in front of us and bowed. Everyone gasped as it was an insult to walk into a deity's path for any reason besides begging for their mercy. I recognized the disrespectful bastard at once. His name was Phillip, the patriarch of the Kalonimos Family of Greece. I looked to my right and there she was. Aella. Our eyes narrowed as soon as our gazes clashed. I had known Aella would be at the ball, but had hoped to go the entire night without seeing her face. I should have known fate would never allow that.

  "Is there a reason why you are standing in my path?" Apollo growled. He cut his eyes at Aella and she finally dropped her gaze to the floor where it belonged.

  "Forgive me, my lord," Phillip said with another bow. He didn't sound a bit apologetic. "I just wished to convey how honored we all are to have you among us."

  "Is that so?" I could feel Apollo's ire and wouldn't have been surprised if he had taken off the Greek's head. Phillip Kalonimos was the unofficial chairman of the Influential order and always felt he had the right to overstep his boundaries. I'd never understood why he behaved this way, but I was more than curious as to why he wasn't dead yet.

  "I know about you, mortal," Apollo sneered and finally, Phillip exhibited a bit of fear. "I know what you and your wife did. He made no effort to keep it a secret." I frowned, completely oblivious to what or who he was talking about. I looked around and was sort of relieved to find that everyone else seemed puzzled as well.

  "Get out of my way, or I will end you."

  Phillip stiffened, then after a curt bow, he rejoined his immediate family—his wife, three sons, and Aella.

  Apollo and I pushed on as though we'd never stopped, and by the time we reached the center of the ballroom, people had actually started to talk again. Phillip Kalonimos was forgotten.

  "No one is more honored than me tonight," Apollo's voice boomed out over the Families. Silence fell again as they surrounded us once more. "One of your own has so graciously accepted the role as mother to my rambunctious twins, Strafford and Isolde. Hopefully, they will not be as much trouble as Artemis and I were as children, though I would not bet on it." Pleasant laughter circled the room and I blushed. "Despite the overall consensus that deities are a bunch of lying bastards, mostly true, of course..." More laughter. "...Siobhan honors me every day with her trust and understanding of our differences. This journey has not been easy for either of us, but I felt I must address not just her, but all of you, to let you know how committed I am to her and our offspring. Olympian essence will now and forever be a part of this family's bloodline. They will be revered in Myth and on Earth, wielding a powerful influence over everything they touch."

  I watched Apollo go down to one knee in front of me. His hands came up to cup my belly, then he leaned forward and kissed the rounded curve of it. He looked up and our eyes met.

  "But most of all, they will be loved and cherished. By me, they will be loved. On that I would put my existence." He kissed my tummy once more, then rose to applause and a delighted audience who had never seen anything like this before. My parents were elated and I was positive I saw tears in my mother's eyes. I was sure the Families would be talking about this for years to come: the night when the Olympian Apollo bowed to Siobhan Law and declared his love for her.

  Apollo waved his hand. "Music!" He turned to me as the ballroom filled with a beautiful melody. "May I have this dance, my lady?"

  Barely holding it together, I nodded and moved into his embrace. His arms enclosed around me and he led us around the floor along with many other couples.

  "I thought you didn' dance," I said to my lover after I had semi-regained my composure.

  "I'm the god of Music, Siobhan Law. Of course I dance." Recalling that those were the same words I had said to him, I pulled him closer, pressing my cheek into his chest.

  Mingling with the Families was unavoidable after the dance ended. As was only proper where a deity was concerned, we stood in one spot and everyone came to us. My parents stood with us, but Garrett and Melissa kept their distance. It made me sad, but I couldn't concentrate on my feelings for long as the massive crowd built around Apollo and I.

  I lost count of how many bows and ki
sses I received, and stopped trying to remember names after the first few introductions. As my family's new heir, everyone who hadn't met me wanted to, and those who had wanted to poke around inside my head and get a read on my strategy for leading my family's earthly mission. I wondered what they thought of my replies as I had no strategy. I was going to be a mother soon and that was the only thing I cared about at that time.

  Strafford and Isolde were as big a deal as expected. There were no demigod Influentials, hadn't been for centuries, and everyone was curious as to the role they would play in Influential politics.

  "They will be demigods first," Apollo said to the gathered crowd. "Their primary loyalty will be to their father and Myth. Their mortal responsibilities will be secondary, though the time they spend here with their mother will always be treasured." He kissed me in front of everyone and I blushed down to my slippers as bows and curtsies from the crowd represented their acceptance of Apollo's declaration.

  My father ended up falling into political conversation with some of the other Influential patriarchs, leaving my mother unattended. Just when I was about to suggest that she go and strike up a good gossip with some of the other women at the ball, Apollo did something wonderful and unexpected.

  "May I have this dance, Eileen?" He held out his hand to my mother.

  She was speechless for a moment before curtseying. "O' course, my lord. I would be honored."

  "Thank you," I mouthed to my Olympian. He winked and led my mother away.

  I took the opportunity to wander, enjoy some of the delicacies servants brought around on bronze trays, and do some mingling on my own. I was happy that most just wanted to talk about Strafford and Isolde, but there were a few who tried to rope me into political debates. I avoided these the best I could and made my escape as soon as possible. But it wasn't long before I encountered the one person that fate wouldn't let me escape.

  Aella Kalonimos.

  I did not like this girl. There was something about her that was just off. I couldn't put a finger on it and hadn't been able to since we were children. From the moment we'd met, we'd despised each other for no comprehensible reason. It was almost like we were fated to hate each other and a reason wasn't needed.

  Aella wasn't as tall as me, but was rather on the petite side. She was pretty enough, I guessed. The ugliness was inside her, but that was no surprise. One encounter with Phillip solved that mystery, and Aella's mother was quite a nasty chit as well.

  "Siobhan Law," she leered at me. Her Greek accent made my skin crawl. It lacked the finesse that Apollo's had whenever he portrayed Liam.

  "Aella," I replied, looking her up and down. "I was told to stay away from you."

  "By who? Apollo?"

  "You dare to speak his name without the proper title?" I clucked my tongue. "You mus' be achin' to die tonight."

  Aella laughed and tossed her blonde hair. "Out of all the women in the world, I am the one that Apollo wouldn't dare lay a finger on."

  "You're wrong. He wouldn' lay a finger on you even if you were the only woman in the world."

  "As if I care. I have no interest in Apollo."

  "You're the only one. Have you seen my lover? He's magnificent."

  "I can tell you haven't met many deities. They are all magnificent. And why would I bother with the son, when I already spend my nights in the arms of the father?"

  I stared at her, weighing the validity of her statement. Aella had just claimed to be in a love affair with the King.

  Zeus.

  "You're a liar," I said.

  "Am I?" Something in her tone told me she wasn't.

  "Where is His Majesty then?" I questioned, looking around. "Why isn' he here with you?"

  "Unlike Apollo, who has nothing better to do, Zeus is the King of Myth and he wouldn't waste his precious time attending this mortal fiasco they call a ball."

  "Or maybe he wouldn' waste his time with you, and decided to spend it with his Queen instead." I smirked. "Speakin' of, does Her Majesty Hera know abou' you? I would think tha' she doesn' since you're still alive."

  Aella smiled. "Hera cannot touch me, or risk angering the King, and we both know that Hera would do anything to please the King. She understands her place and knows I will forever possess a piece of his heart and a side of his bed. Zeus loves me. You're only jealous because my Olympian is mightier."

  "Right. The mightier god who wouldn' dare be caught out in public with you. Oh yes. Tha' sounds like love."

  Her smile morphed into a glare. "I do not need a silly public display of affection to know how Zeus feels for me."

  I smiled and hoped it looked as venomous as I intended. "I think you do, Aella. I think you do need His Majesty to strut in with you on his arm and declare to the world that you are his goddess. I think you do need him to sweep you across the floor in such a lustful dance tha' it makes every person in attendance tremble with envy. I think you do need him to kneel before you and show your unborn children the reverence deserved of heroes. But this love affair, whether real or imagined, is nothin' like wha' I have with my Apollo. So blow your wishful thinkin' up someone else's ass." I waved my arm. "Lucky you. The place is filled with apes tonight."

  And with that, I turned and stalked off, anxious to find Apollo and tell him about Aella's affair with his father. Did he already know? Would he even care if he didn't? I wanted to tell him anyway. Something about the affair didn't rub me the right way and it wasn't because Zeus was married. Except for Hera, who was the goddess of Marriage, matrimony meant nothing to the gods. No, this was something else and I wanted to make Apollo aware of it, even if it all turned out to be nothing.

  Melissa stopped me on my trek to hunt down the Olympian. She was wearing a form-fitting red gown with long gloves. Her black hair was, of course, pulled back, but she looked gorgeous nonetheless.

  "Having fun yet?" she asked, following my gaze as I tried to see around her.

  "Yes, everythin' is wonderful. How are you and Garrett enjoyin' the ball?"

  "To be honest, I'm bored to tears. I think it's time to spice things up a bit."

  "Tha' sounds wonderful," I said. I spotted Apollo talking with my parents. "Excuse me, Melissa. I have to talk to his lordship."

  I tried to move, but Melissa blocked my path. "You're not going anywhere."

  I opened my mouth to respond, but the words froze on my lips. Melissa's eyes were now a dreary yellow with only black slits for pupils. Just like a snake. Panic built in my chest. What the hell is she? I looked around, trying to decide if I should scream.

  "I wouldn't bring any attention to myself if I were you." Melissa leaned closer and said in my ear, "I have your friends. If you want them to live, keep smiling and follow me."

  She turned and walked away. My heart thrashed against my ribcage as I lifted up the hem of my dress and followed, smiling as though the night hadn't just taken a dark and ugly turn.

  Melissa led me out of the ballroom and through a maze of corridors and exhibits out into the clear night. We were in a secluded courtyard that was only accessible through one of two exits from the museum. With the museum closed and the ballroom so far away, I was sure no one would hear me if I screamed.

  And I wanted to scream when I saw my friends.

  In the center of the cobblestone courtyard, huddled together on the ground and scared shitless, were Vicky and Rupert. They were bound at the wrists and ankles and thick tape secured their mouths shut. The courtyard was empty except for a stone fountain, a few flowery shrubs, and several statues positioned around the perimeter. I wondered where the sentries were and how Melissa had managed to kidnap my friends and bring them here without anybody seeing.

  I made eye contact with Vicky and Rupert, who were both dressed for a night out, but had clearly never made it. I moved to go to them.

  "Stay right where you are," Melissa snapped. I stilled and glared at the woman.

  "Wha' is this, Melissa? Wha' are you doing with my friends?"

  She paced aro
und them, ruffling Rupert's brown hair. "My name is not Melissa. That is a mortal's name. And I am only doing what I was ordered to do."

  "And wha' were you ordered to do'?" My heart raced as I tried to plot a way out of this without my friends getting hurt. I called to Apollo with my mind, but had a very bad feeling that for some reason, he couldn't hear me.

  "Get to know the boy. Make him fall in love with me. Infiltrate your family's inner circle and be patient. He said Apollo watched you and would eventually come for you. He was right and now, here we are."

  "Who is he?" I questioned.

  "The more important question," she said, starting to remove her red gloves, "is who am I?"

  "Who are you?" I asked. I heard the fear in my voice, even though I was trying to remain brave and clear-headed. I didn't know what was about to happen, but I knew we were in trouble. My friends were incapacitated, I was pregnant, and Apollo couldn't hear me. What was I going to do? I met Vicky's terrified gaze and willed her to believe that everything would be all right.

  "It was a simple task to persuade your brother to fall for me. Before I became who I am now, I was quite the charmer of men. I was one of the most beautiful maidens in my homeland and enchanted the male species with my beauty and talents." Melissa's expression darkened as her snake eyes slanted in anger. "But it was all taken away from me—my beauty, my gifts, my innocence."

  I recalled what Melissa had told Vicky and I that day in my suite and how we had questioned it later. We hadn't wanted to think about what it meant, but I was sure now. My heart would have gone out to Melissa under normal circumstances, but right then, all I cared about were my friends and the safety of my unborn children.

  Melissa, or whoever she was, knelt down in front of Rupert and stroked his face. He shrunk away from her touch, but she didn't seem to even notice. Vicky squirmed but made no progress in freeing herself.

  "Men are not to be trusted," Melissa hissed, grabbing Rupert's face. "They lie. They betray. They violate you and yet you are the one who is punished for it." She ripped the tape from his lips. "Isn't that right, mortal?"