Thomas turned toward her as all the Muses began to talk excitedly. Quietly, he asked, “What does that mean?”
“It means he accepts you as a son-in-law.” She studied his face, her gaze lingering on his lips. “Muses mimic a mortal existence. We’re born, we live a normal lifetime and then we die. But we come back in the next lifetime with all our memories intact. With that lifecycle Zeus is offering you eternity. With me.”
“So I’ll come back with my memories of you, find you again and fall in love with you over and over forever?”
“Pretty much.”
He held her eye as he kissed the back of her hand, love shining for the entire world to see. “Sign me up.”
Chapter 26
“How soon can we get married? And where would you like to have the wedding?” Thomas snugged Nia close to his side as they walked from the boardroom to the childcare center to retrieve Hailey.
“Um…have you ever been to a Greek wedding?” Nia asked. They were massive productions that could last days. “I’m sure Mother is already talking to Dionysus. Gaia will most certainly want us to get married here on the Mount.”
Thomas drew to a halt. “Mt. Olympus?”
His look wasn’t exactly skeptical, but Nia hurried to add, “But we could have a smaller ceremony in Delphi. In the Achilleion, or Helios Park, would be nice. Although Gaia will surely want us at the Athenian.”
“Is there a way to get to Olympus other than through the…what did you call it?”
“The Hollow. And no, unless you are immortal there isn’t. There is a portal to the Mount on the seventh floor for employees who prefer to live there.” Which meant their mortal friends couldn’t attend. Neither could Hailey. And Nia didn’t want to get married without the little girl there. She’d come to mean so much to Nia. She was almost a daughter. A child she’d never meant to have. But she’d fallen in love with the child when she’d fallen for Thomas. They were going to be a family. And for the first time in any of her lives, she’d welcome a baby. If Thomas wanted one. “We won’t have a wedding without Hailey. Gaia will just need to deal with that.”
“Wouldn’t most moms want to hold two weddings for their daughters?” They resumed walking, their footsteps clicking on the marble floor. “We’ll be going on a honeymoon, which would kind of be the perfect cover.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Hear me out,” he said, lacing their fingers. His tone was pensive, matching the look on his face. “We have a wedding in Delphi, a mortal wedding. We keep it smallish, just close friends, family, that sort of thing. This one Hailey can be involved in. Then we leave on a honeymoon, but our first stop is Olympus, for the immortal ceremony. That would solve the dilemma, right?”
“That’s brilliant.” Heart nearly bursting with love for the man, she pulled him into a vacant office. She swung the door shut, easing it before it could whack home. Wrapping her arms around his neck, and leaning into him, she pressed him against the paneled wall. “I love you.”
She rose on her tiptoes and slanted her mouth across his. Pressing his hands to the small of her back he drew her against his hips. He chased her tongue back to her mouth, devouring her with his greedy response. The hard ridge of his erection pressed heavy into her belly. Gentling his lips, his kiss evolved to tiny sips, lingering touches followed by lazy laps of his tongue. He trailed his mouth down the column of her neck to nibble on her collarbone, laving his tongue into the hollow between bone and sinew.
His touch was electric, igniting a flame hot enough to burn away the tethers holding her in place. The floating sensation she’d experienced when he’d laid his hand on her arm in the heat of battle returned.
She eased her head away, staring up into his hypnotic eyes. “How do you do that, Thomas?”
“Do what?”
Resting her cheek on his chest, his heartbeat struck an undeniable cadence in her. “Negate gravity with your touch.”
“Maybe there’s something of an immortal in me already.”
She lifted her head as the thought struck her. “Maybe. Most mortals appear as silver light. While we were in the Hollow, you were silver, but I could see your pulse beat and it was cobalt. Partisans like Ken are typically the only ones with auras that shade.” She fingered the buttons on his shirt. “Maybe there is something of the god in you.”
“When Zeus offered me immortality, what exactly does that entail? Is there a ceremony or do I get a decoder ring?” Thomas ran his hands along her spine.
She snorted a laugh. “You can have a ceremony if you wish, but Zeus isn’t really big on displays. He probably already has Human Resources working on the paperwork to employ you. Once it’s processed, you’ll be set.”
He slid a finger along her jaw and tipped her chin up. “So I’ll be able to leap tall buildings, etc.?” His wide grin set her insides to quivering. Goddess, he was beautiful.
“I doubt you’ll notice a difference. You will be able to travel in the Hollow without me, but I wouldn’t advise it. Jax, Clio’s fiancé, got lost in it on his first solo attempt. You have to visualize your destination.” She stepped from his arms. “I’ll show you the building lobby before we pick Hailey up. Can’t have you bouncing into the boardroom while there’s a meeting going on.”
The trip to the lobby took only a few minutes. With the mayhem and lunacy on Earth averted, they took their time venturing toward the play area where children of the gods and goddesses of Olympus entrusted their kids while they worked. Nia used her board member’s all-access keycard to gain entry. They encountered Artemis as the security door clicked shut behind them.
“There you are!” The protector of the young and vulnerable looked childish herself. Her white blond hair had streaks of purple and yellow, and someone had woven violets into the ponytail streaming down her back. She fidgeted with the bright maroon pansy tucked haphazardly behind her ear. “Hailey! Sweet pea, your uncle is here.”
Hailey’s bright blond curls bobbed around her cheeks as she jerked her head up. She cast aside the toy horse and chariot she’d been racing around a small track with several other children. Sprinting over, she surprised Nia by leaping into her arms. Little hands patted her back, squeezing her neck.
“Ms. Nia, I was afraid, but you made everything all better.” Hailey wrapped her legs around Nia’s waist and leaned back, framing Nia’s cheeks between her hands. “Then Ms. Gaia—she’s really nice and so pretty—brought me here to play. I was worried about Uncle Thomas, but your mommy told me he was fine and I shouldn’t worry. So I didn’t. I knew you were with him.”
Nia planted a kiss on the girl’s forehead. “I’m glad to see you are fitting in here so well. Are you ready to go home?”
“Can’t I stay longer?”
Thomas shook his head. “We need to get going, munchkin. It’s been a long day.”
Wriggling out of Nia’s arms, Hailey danced on the floor in front of them. “I want you to meet my new friend, Perses. His daddy is who they named the comet show after. The Persnickety Shower.”
“Perseid,” Thomas corrected with a what-the-hell look at Nia.
She nodded.
He kept a straight face as Hailey introduced him to the dark-haired little boy with the somber face. While they talked, Artemis drew her aside.
“Hailey had a lot of questions when she arrived, but she didn’t seem shaken by her trip through the Hollow. Mnemosyne has already been in to discuss the best approach to blocking the child’s memories. She agrees with me that erasing them is too risky.”
“I’m glad she’s consulted you.” Thomas sat on the floor next to Hailey and Perses, elbows propped on his thighs, examining the toy chariot. Nia’s heart shifted with joy in her chest, filling with love for her new family. “I plan to put Hailey into a deep enough sleep to get her back to Delphi and have Mnemosyne take care of everything before she awakens.”
“A sound strategy. You can use my office to induce the slumber if you wish. I’ll override the securit
y for you.”
“Thanks.” Nia smiled her gratitude at Artemis. “Thomas, we need to go.”
Thomas stood and formally shook Perses’s hand. He and Hailey joined Nia and the four of them headed to Artemis’s office.
Nia sat on the comfy couch Artemis used with kids who didn’t feel themselves, or needed a small time out from playing. Pulling Hailey down next to her, Nia held her hands. She glanced at Thomas, who watched them with raised eyebrows and curious eyes.
“Honey, we have to go home now. We’re going to go the same way you came with Gaia.”
“Through the dark place with shiny lights?”
Nia nodded. “We call it the Hollow, because sometimes it echoes in there like it’s a vast empty space. I know you weren’t afraid when you came through, but before we go back, I’m going to put you to sleep.”
“But I’m not tired.”
“I know, sweetheart. But it’s what I must do. When you wake up, you won’t remember being here, or the Hollow or anything bad that happened today.” Nia pressed her hand to Hailey’s forehead and nudged a suggestion of sleep through her palm. “But you will remember Uncle Thomas, and me, and how much we both love you. Okay?”
Hailey’s eyes drooped, then fluttered as she fought the slumber moving through her. She yawned. “Okay.”
The girl leaned into Nia’s shoulder and nodded off. Wrapping her arms under the small body, Nia rose from the sofa.
Thomas reached for her, but Nia waved him off. “It’s better if I carry her through the Hollow since you’re a novice at this manner of transportation.”
He shrugged. “If you say so. What should I do?”
“Stand next to me and put your arm around my shoulder. As my mist rises, you’ll feel a change in the air pressure. The best way to handle that is like you would on a plane. Keep swallowing and if it’s really bad, pinch your nose, close your mouth and force an exhalation through your sinuses. I promise, it will get easier with time.”
He moved beside her, his hand descending on her back and curling up over her shoulder.
“You ready, Artemis?”
Nodding, the goddess waved her hands in a circular motion over her desk. Behind her, an alert beeped, signaling she’d engaged the override. “You have fifteen seconds. Good luck with Mnemosyne.”
Nia called forth a mist as she prepared to move into the Hollow with Thomas and Hailey. As the mist enveloped them, Thomas’s form turned to cobalt, the color of partisans. But instead of yellow his core pulsed with a strong dose of silver. Pinpricks of white light dotted him, just like her lights. Another sign their destinies were tied together.
She navigated back to Thomas’s house, materializing out of the mist in his gourmet kitchen. He took Hailey from Nia’s arms and carried her upstairs. Mnemosyne arrived shortly after he’d laid her in the bed.
“Haven’t I already swept this mortal’s memories once?” her auntie questioned.
“Yes, but he’s no longer mortal. He’s one of us. You’re here to see to Hailey.”
Mnemosyne glanced to the bed. “Ah, yes. I spoke to Artemis about her.” She glided to the bed and lowered onto it, taking Hailey’s limp hand in one of hers. Closing her eyes, she pressed her other hand to Hailey’s forehead and began chanting in ancient Greek.
“What’s she saying?” Thomas’s whispered question tickled her ear with warmth.
“She’s settling a permanent block on all things supernatural Hailey witnessed today. Her memory isn’t gone, just buried very, very deeply.” She took his hand, weaving their fingers together. “Hailey may experience flashbacks of sorts from today, but they’ll seem like déjà vu. Nothing more.”
Before Thomas could reply, Mnemosyne stood and dusted her hands together. “All done.”
“That was fast.” Thomas moved to Hailey’s side. “She’s smiling.”
The girl did indeed have a smile tugging on the corners of her lips. She resembled a peacefully sleeping cherub, nestled among the pink pillows adorning her bed.
Mnemosyne turned toward Nia. “Must go. Have some last minute add-ons left from the debacle at Helios. Next time, you girls should try harder before it gets so far out of hand.”
As if they had any control of it. Pierus would be back. Who knew which Muse would end up on the hot seat next time? If he followed the schedule he’d set this time, they’d have a brief respite while he licked his wounds and plotted the next strategy in his hostile take-over bid.
Struggling to stop the involuntary roll of her eyes, Nia leaned in and accepted a good-bye kiss from the woman. “We’ll do our best, Auntie.”
The air concussed around them as she blinked out without calling the gentling mist.
Thomas swallowed hard and pulled on his ear lobe. “Will Hailey be okay?”
“She’s young. They bounce back quickly.” Nia rested her hand on his shoulder and urged him toward the hallway. “She’s going to sleep for a few more hours.”
Thomas turned on the light on the bookshelf before they exited the room. The door closed with a quiet snick, and Thomas led her toward his bedroom. After easing his door shut, he gathered Nia in his arms and possessed her mouth with a hunger that matched hers. She opened under him, and he swept his tongue in, stroking hers. Where her body molded to his, heat ignited, stirring the flame in her torso and lower.
Breaking apart after the intensely passionate kiss, they both panted.
Thomas found his voice first. “I do love you. And I will for many lifetimes with you, my love.” A chuckle built in his chest, a rumble she felt in her breasts. “As odd as that sounds.”
“Sounds wonderful to me.” Nia tipped her face up, eager for another kiss.
After he’d indulged her, he combed his fingers through her hair. Staring deep into her eyes, he sighed, his warm breath fanning her face. “A month ago, if you’d told me Doubting Thomas would ever say magic was real, I’d have laughed. Or called you certifiable. But you’ve made me believe. Your love has stilled my doubts.”
Deep emotion brought tears to her eyes and one leaked out to trickle down her face. “Love is magic. And my love for you transcends the ages.”
“I’m looking forward to spending eternity with you,” he lowered his head and murmured against her lips, his mouth but a whisper away from her.
Her answer was in her kiss. Eternity might just not be long enough.
Coming Soon — GREED
Goddesses of Delphi Book 3
Financial reporter, Polly Thanos, Muse of Hymns, is certain the proposed merger between Delphi’s two largest firms spells doom for mankind. Eos Corporation’s long-time goal—to provide scientific and philanthropic solutions to the benefit of mortals— is lost in the quest for profits. Her challenge starts with an impossible task—inspire one mortal skeptic to believe in the magic of what if.
Scientist Ian Sommers is researching a healthier way of life for impoverished people. When his boss orders him to pursue a chemical, rather than organic solution, Ian suspects the pursuit of the almighty dollar will lead to delivering poison to the unsuspecting population.
In protest, Ian’s prepared to quit his job. But he’s shocked to discover the woman he’s falling for is an immortal tasked with stopping corporate avarice. As their attraction grows, so does the risk to them and to all humans. Without Ian’s help and his love, Polly’s faces a world not safe from the by-products of greed—death and disease.
Greed
“You’re late.”
Skidding to a stop in front of her older sister, Polly Thanos dropped the insulated cooler she carried to the ground. “Hey, when the mayor of Delphi holds a press conference to talk about economic growth and you’re a financial reporter, you do not duck out on his speech.” Polly glanced around the covered pavilion where her family had gathered. “Besides, Zeus isn’t here yet, which technically makes me not late. Back off, Calliope. This is supposed to be a fun family gathering.”
“I should be working,” Calliope complained, pursing her dusky
-rose lips together.
“Jeez, Callie. We all should be. But we just survived another major challenge. We deserve a little break before the next time Pierus rears his fugly head. Or one of his daughters does. That’s why Gaia planned this Labor Day picnic.”
“But as oldest, I have the most responsibility in this entire fiasco.”
“Dramatic much lately?” Polly aimed a mental pinch at Callie’s bicep. It was probably not the smartest thing to do, but when one had the gift of being able to move things with their mind, it would be a shame to waste it on simply inspiring mortals. “You should leave the theatrics to Mel.”
Callie scowled as she rubbed the spot on her arm. Taking satisfaction in knowing she’d successfully nudged her older sister, Polly was more pleased when Callie didn’t retaliate.
“Besides,” Polly continued. “You’re only older by two years. And when you’ve lived six-thousand years, that’s kind of like a twenty-year-old saying she’s twenty-and-a-half. I’d say we’re all equal in this century.”
Polly and her sisters were honest-to-goddess Muses, deities focused on inspiring mortals to excellence. Their roles were to lead humankind to new discoveries, and new heights in arts and sciences. However, there was no denying it was getting harder to crack human insistence that gods didn’t exist.
Being a god implied immortality. But the Muses’ life spans deviated from the standard. Unlike their parents and other extended family, Muse life spans mirrored the typical cycle of man. They were born, they lived an average of sixty years, and then they died. When they were reborn in the next lifetime, they came back with a complete set of memories. About the time they turned eighteen, their supernatural powers began to resurface. Until they were at complete strength, the world experienced a lull in creativity and inventiveness. The entire Great Depression had occurred while Polly and her sisters were in a dormant cycle.
Mayhem: Goddesses Of Delphi Page 20