by S. E. Babin
The woman, a heavyset lady with dark brown eyes and a perpetual scowl, shook her head. "Sorry. That crew is not allowed to have visitors."
I felt a hum in the air. Hermes asked the question again, and the woman reached down to her belt, unclipped her keys, and handed them over.
Holy. Shit. Hermes back in full power was a little bit terrifying.
He nodded his thanks, took her keys, and escorted me to the back.
"Will she be okay?" I asked.
"Of course. In an hour or so, she'll have forgotten all about us."
"What about the paperwork?"
He laughed. "Relax, Eve. By the time this day is over, the entire city will have forgotten about Jack and his friends."
Jack was sitting at the back of the cell looking cool as a cucumber and no worse for the wear. In fact, he looked a lot better than me, and I hadn't even been in jail. He stood when he saw us, his eyes briefly landing on Hermes.
"Eve," he said, his voice filled with amusement. "Is this the pretty guy that landed me in all this trouble?"
Hermes blinked and stared at Jack for a moment before he chuckled. "Do you know who I am?" he asked.
Jack shrugged. "Can't say I give a shit."
I choked on a laugh.
"All I did was for the girl," Jack said. He pointed to the keys in Hermes' hand. "Those for me?"
I grinned. "Yup. All of this will be behind you very soon." I glanced at Hermes pointedly. "Right?"
His measuring look stayed on Jack for a moment before he nodded. "Right."
I quickly undid the lock and allowed Jack to step out. The other men in the cell didn't move an inch. I'm not sure what Jack had done or said to them, but none of them seemed to be willing to risk his wrath.
Jack stretched, then motioned with his head down the hall. "Let's get the other guys and get the hell out of here."
I followed behind him, grinning. Man, if that guy had been thirty years younger…
Hermes elbowed me. "Don't even think about it," he growled.
"He's kind of handsome."
Jack might have been well into his seventies, but his hearing was that of a teenager. "Damn right, girl. Twenty years ago, and I would have swept you off your feet. We'd be living in a cabana in Mexico." He turned, looked over his shoulder, and winked. "And naked. We'd be naked eighty percent of the time."
I covered my face, snorting with laughter.
Hermes growled. "Old man," he warned.
Jack let out a bark of laughter and kept walking.
Hermes glared daggers at Jack's back. I placed a hand on his arm. "Relax. There's only one man I want."
His gaze turned to me, his eyes flashing with desire. "Who's that?"
I winked at him. "Couldn't tell you."
"Eve!"
I laughed and walked ahead of him. Jack turned a corner and led us to a small cell in the back. Chuckles and Robert were alone, both sitting silently. Robert's gaze lifted to us as we stopped in front of the cell, but if he was surprised, he hid it well.
Chuckles, never long without a smile, offered a huge grin. "So, you're the bastard we got ourselves thrown in the clinker for, eh?"
Hermes stood like a stone statue.
I loved these guys. So. Hard.
"Yep. Handsome fella, isn't he?" I quipped.
Chuckles shrugged. "I guess, if you like blonds."
Robert grunted, and was the first to step out after we opened the door.
"Are you ready?" Hermes asked.
"Ready for what?" Jack asked.
With a blink, we were all gone.
Jack landed on his knees in the dirt on the front yard of his property with Chuckles and Robert practically green behind him. "Christ almighty!" Jack barked. “A little notice next time would have been nice.”
Hermes studied his fingernails. "Probably so," he admitted.
Jack snorted and stood slowly, brushing off the knees of his old jeans. "What happens next?" he asked warily, and I could see in his eyes he wondered if maybe he'd pushed Hermes too far with the earlier naked quip.
I rested a hand on Hermes' arm. "Your records are wiped clean. Hermes will restore the house and wipe the memories of those who might have witnessed anything. He will return to the police station and clean up any loose ends." I looked at him to make sure he could do all that and I wasn't making empty promises. Hermes gave a begrudging nod. And, because I was feeling a little mischievous, I added, "And you will no longer have to worry about government surveillance. Hermes will make sure of it. You'll be free and clear to do what you want soon enough. Right?"
Hermes' look was enough to make me quiver, but he nodded once more.
Jack's blue eyes twinkled with mirth. He stepped forward, pulled me into his arms, and gave me a fierce hug. "This was the most fun I've had in thirty damn years, Eve. Any time you need assistance with anything outrageous, you let me know, you hear?"
The roughness of his white whiskers rubbed against my cheek. I gave him a squeeze, pulled away, and patted his face. "You'll be the first one I call. Thank you so much, Jack."
He grinned. "A pleasure, darling."
I embraced Chuckles next, who whacked me on the back like I was a poker buddy.
Robert was last. The massive, stoic one. I stepped up, grasped his hands, because I wasn't sure he'd welcome a hug, and stared up into his handsome, wizened face. "You saved us all, Robert."
I couldn't believe it, but a pink color tinged his cheeks.
"It was nothing," he grumbled, pulling me forward into a hug. I stumbled against him, but he swept me up into his arms and squeezed my bones together. After a moment, he set me down, and I had to catch my breath.
"That hug is dangerous," I said with a laugh.
Robert grunted, turned around, and walked into Jack's house without saying a word.
"That's Robert speak for he likes you," Jack said. He strolled casually up to the stairs, gave us a little wave, and disappeared inside with Chuckles following behind him.
Hermes stood there, a bemused expression on his face. "Where in the hell did you find those three?"
I shrugged. "You meet all kinds of interesting characters in the library."
"Whatever you say, Eve." He touched my hand, and we disappeared into thin air.
Hermes dropped me back at my home and promised to return within half an hour. I'd laughed at first, certain he'd lost his mind. Surely it would take longer than that to fix the issues with Jack and his crew. He just gave me a look and left me sitting on my couch.
True to his word, half an hour later, he returned. I set down the book I was reading. He sat on my coffee table facing me, and we drank the sight of each other in.
"I—" I started.
"You—" Hermes said.
We both laughed. "You first," I said.
He took my hands in his and bowed his head. "Never have I met a more willful stubborn woman than you, Eve. I haven't been on Earth many times, and I find it foreign and strange...and overwhelming. But I would gladly endure it if you were in my life."
"Hermes—"
He shook his head. "Where I am from, men and women rarely stay together. It's difficult for immortals to maintain any kind of relationship because we will live forever. It is both a blessing and a curse. We are not meant to love humans, and I thought for millennia it was a wise rule. Until I met you." His thumbs ran across my hands, sending shivers down my spine. "I've never had to be saved before. We are supposed to be infallible. Untouchable." He shuddered. "Except we aren't always, and I found that out the hard way. Yet, you came in with barely any magic and did your best to save me." He shook his head and a smile formed on his mouth. "For the life of me, I can't imagine any other woman gathering a band of geriatric war heroes to help her in her endeavors." A chuckle burst from his lips. "It was the most frightening yet endearing thing I've ever seen. Today, I realized they didn't do it because you're lovely. Which you are. They did it because of you, Eve. Your kindness, your generosity, your willingness to acc
ept people as they are. People cannot help but love you. I cannot help but love you. You sacrificed yourself to protect both me and the fountain. I can never repay you for it."
"I never asked to be repaid," I reminded him.
"True, but just know, there's a debt from our people to you in case you are ever in need of anything."
I swallowed hard. "The only thing I need is you."
His gaze heated. "Truly?"
"Truly." I pulled him closer to me. “The only thing I could think of the entire time you were gone was how to save you. I underwent some training from a witch, but it wasn't enough to help me. I still have a long way to go. Marie and Isha could have easily crushed me, but I had the help of some great men and luck on my side. And then you left me, and I wasn't sure what to think."
"I'm sorry. I had to be seen by a healer and needed to make sure Isha and Marie would never escape. On Earth, it would have been possible for them, especially with their other family trying to help them. Back home, they will rot in their cages before they ever figure a way out."
We both fell silent, our foreheads resting against each other.
"Will you try to make this work with me, Eve of New Orleans?"
I burbled out a laugh. "So formal. Of course I will, Hermes of Olympus."
He sat up and released my hands. "I—have something for you. You don't have to accept it. If you do accept it, you never have to drink it. It's just...if I stay here, or even if you go with me, the inevitable will happen. You will grow old, and I will be forever young." His voice hitched. "And I could never bear it if I were to lose you to something I could so easily prevent."
In his hand, he held a glass vial full of a blue shimmery substance. I gasped in surprise. "Is this?" I couldn't even finish the words.
"It is. I never wanted anyone else to have it before you."
"Are you allowed to—?"
He laughed. "I can do whatever I want. Don't worry about it. I ask that you accept this from me. Even if we don't work out, or something happens in the future, I still want you to have it. I hope you will one day choose to stay with me forever and consume it. If not, I will spend the rest of my days making you happy and loving you even as your hair turns gray and your eyesight falters."
"Even when I'm a doddering, drooling old woman?"
"Especially then," Hermes said, his voice amused but earnest.
"Even when you have to feed me pureed meat?"
"Well, that's disgusting, but I'd do it if you wanted me to."
I laughed, scooted to the side, and pulled him on the couch with me. His chest lay against my back, and he wrapped his strong arms around me, his face buried in my hair.
"You've always smelled so sweet to me, Eve. Like strawberries and sunshine."
I sighed, content to be with him. "I'm in love with you, Hermes. I have been for a while."
He relaxed against me and kissed the side of my neck. "You make my heart glad."
We both drifted to sleep, content in each other's embrace. There would be plenty more time for talk later. Perhaps even the rest of our lives.
16
Hermes
Marie and Isha sat with their heads together, their chains clinking with each movement. I abruptly uncloaked myself, but Isha was the only one to gasp. Marie appeared unmoved. I frowned. She should not have anticipated my presence. I would have to double check the magic dampening the room before I left her again. I would not take any chances with these two.
"Here to torture us, Messenger?"
"Hardly. I am more of a gentle person than either of you are." I stepped closer. "I'm here to ask you some questions."
Marie snorted with derision. "Like I would answer any of your questions."
I smiled at her, and with a snap of my finger, the chamber filled with ghosts. Not just any ghosts—the ones Marie Laveau had killed over the years. Women, children, and men alike, the ghosts filled the cell with their moans of dismay, their cold claws reaching out for her.
"Stop it," Marie snapped.
"Answer my questions."
Her head swiveled, her golden eyes full of hatred. She shuddered as the first of the ghostly hands reached inside her. They would tear her apart soon. "Ask," she growled.
I snapped my finger, and with screams of rage, the ghosts disappeared. Both women had paled.
"How long had you been working together?"
Isha rolled her eyes. "You fool," she spat. "We were never apart."
I had suspected as much. "And why did Marie not bring any serum back from the fountain?"
Isha's gaze flicked over to Marie. "Mother said she was chased out before she had the chance to gather any."
I directed my question to Marie. "By whom?"
"Does it matter?" she snarled. "Will our answers change our fate in any way?"
I shrugged. "Perhaps. But probably not."
Marie stood then and took a few steps over to the bars separating us. "I will tear your pretty Eve limb from limb next time I see her."
I leaned in closer to the bars until Marie and I were almost nose to nose. "You'll be dead. Good luck with that."
I stepped away, snapped my fingers, and let the ghosts pour back into their cell. By the time the angry dead finished with them, there wouldn't even be a corpse left.
I walked away from the cells, the sounds of the women screaming music to my ears.
The man from before was standing outside Eve's door, and I popped in right behind him. The man jerked around and fumbled for his weapon before he saw me. He flinched, then glared.
"Can I help you?" he asked.
"No. Maybe I can help you. Is Eve expecting you?"
His jaw clenched and he remained silent. I took a menacing step forward. "For some reason, I think you want Eve. I think your pursuit is both folly and foolishness. Leave now before I tear you into pieces."
One of his eyebrows went up before he started to laugh. “Threatening a police officer? You're even dumber than you look."
The door clicked open, and Eve stood there, a look of concern on her face.
"Mike?" she asked, rubbing sleep from her eyes.
"Eve. I've come back to apologize."
"For what?" Her face was curious.
"I—I should have helped you. I should have—"
Ah. I understood now. I didn't know who this man was, but Eve must have gone to him first before she approached Jack. I should have rifled through his memories further. Perhaps she was playing upon his emotions. His feelings for her shone brighter than the stars.
"You should have," she agreed. "But you didn't." Eve held her hand out for me, and I took it, letting her lead me inside. The door clicked shut in Mike's face, and an angry snarl came from the other side.
"We are going to have to worry about him soon enough," I said, realizing I'd accidentally left a loose end.
"Yes," she grinned. "But first, we have a little extra time." She toyed with the collar of her button-down shirt and slowly moved her fingers to the first button.
My mouth went dry. "Yes. A little time," I whispered before claiming her lips with my own. She tasted of honey, secrets, and warmth. And she was mine.
17
Eve
Six weeks later
We lay tangled together, a mass of limbs and sheets, satiated and content. We'd left New Orleans behind for a little while and were currently making our home—at least for the next few weeks—in a small town in Costa Rica. The sounds of the beach ebbing and swelling each day was enough to drain any stress from my limbs and make me as limp as a noodle. Plus, I had Hermes here with me, with an insatiable appetite for my body and all the food Costa Rica could spare.
Poor guy had no idea how amazing our world was. So, I'd taken to showing him.
We'd started out slowly in New Orleans. A gumbo here, some Zydeco there, a taste of original beignets, and he was putty in my hands. He'd been all over the universe in his years as Messenger, but he had never actually explored anywhere. After New Orleans, I'd put
in a request for a leave of absence, and we'd jumped on a plane here.
Hermes had placed a temporary block on my magic until we could find someone more qualified to help me. We both agreed continuing to see Rainie would be an unwise, and probably mean, decision.
At the library, they'd put poor Steve in my place, and last I'd heard, he was drowning in old manuscripts and customer complaints. After that, I'd turned off my cell phone, smashed it with my foot, and chucked it into the trash. It would have been more dramatic to chuck it into the sea, but I was a bit of a hippie and thought we'd done enough damage to our planet.
After all my technology was cut off, I focused solely on Hermes—the golden god who'd come into my world with a whimper and stayed with a bang.
Almost literally.
I laughed out loud, only to have Hermes pull me closer. He inhaled my hair, murmured that he loved me, and asked me what I was laughing about.
"You," I answered honestly.
He stilled. "Am I amusing?"
I grinned against his chest. "Always."
"I am not the man who stormed a house full of dangerous priestesses armed only with nursing home patients."
I slapped his arm, but couldn't help my crack of laughter. "Careful now. Jack still has it going on. All I have to do—"
He rolled me over until he was on top of me and bit the tip of my nose gently. "Jack is a fine man," he admitted grudgingly, "but I don't share."
I smiled up at him. "Who said anything about sharing?"
"Woman," he muttered, then kissed me on the lips. He let me go and slid off the bed to look outside. "It is beautiful here," he admitted.
"It is. I could stay here a while." I gathered the sheets around me and joined him at the window.
"I was thinking…" he began. "Maybe when we return home, we could have a gathering?"
I blinked. "A gathering? Like...a party?"
"Yes. A party."
I smiled. He still struggled with some of our ways, but he was catching on quickly. "Why would we have a party?"