by S. E. Babin
A chill ran down my spine. I’d been in terrible danger the night I left the bar with Typhon, but I hadn’t realized the extent of it. “What’s so important about me?”
“Maybe it was an attack of the conscience?” Artie’s eyes furrowed behind her glasses.
Athena made a disgusted noise. “Typhon has no conscience. Approaching him in hopes of appealing to his moral side will get you nowhere except for dead.”
None of this was adding up. It didn’t surprise me, but it sure would be nice if a puzzle landed in our lap solved and tied up with a bow.
Athena and Dionysus stood. “As much as it pains me to say this, you have our assistance in this coming battle. Do not make me regret this decision.” Athena made a point of looking at me.
I shrugged. “We’ll manage,” I said.
Dionysus chuckled, his face changing from scary to something I didn’t mind looking at. “Somewhat,” he said. “I think you might have a friend in Tykhe.”
“Never met her,” I said. “And the way things have been going for me lately, I highly doubt the Goddess of Luck is on my side.”
Dionysus’ mouth drew down. “Do not underestimate your good fortune.” His hand swept to indicate my house and friends. “Most people do not have even this much. You are alive. Powerful.” He paused. “Loved,” he finally said and gave Hermes a long look.
A strong knock on the door caused a grin to break out on Dionysus’s face. “Ah, even more love comes knocking. You have a decision to make, fair Aphrodite. Let it be the right one.” At that, he nodded at Athena, and both disappeared in a shower of light.
I groaned as I hauled myself up from the chair. At least whoever this was had manners. I looked through the peephole and felt my heart skip a beat. Marshall stood there, looking as handsome as the first day I met him. I turned to my friends with pleading eyes. “Give us a few?” I asked them.
Sympathetic looks came from everyone but Ares. Everyone disappeared, and I squared my shoulders, pasted a polite smile on my face, and opened the door. I tilted my head to look up at him. His familiar, comforting scent washed over me. Our time together hadn’t been nearly enough.
“Come in,” I gestured.
Marshall swept past me and removed his gray cowboy hat. “Where is everyone?” he asked.
I smiled with no humor. “Giving us some space.”
His eyes crinkled. “Well that’s a first.”
I knew what I needed to do. But I didn’t want to. The vial sat heavy in my purse. I could see the lid of it poking out, taunting me to use it. We hadn’t been together very long, but Marshall made me feel special in every single way. He was a man I could have settled down with.
If things had been different.
If I weren’t a goddess. If I weren’t constantly caught up in some kind of Olympian shenanigans. If he couldn’t be used as a tool against me. I gestured for Marshall to go into the kitchen. As I watched his broad shoulders and lean backside stroll away from me, I grabbed the vial from my purse and followed him with a heavy heart.
He made himself at home at the bar and gave me a sad smile. “You’ve changed your mind about us, haven’t you Abs?”
I tried to keep the sadness out of my eyes, but he knew me too well. I nodded, not trusting my voice.
“Is it Hermes?” His gray eyes studied me.
Was it Hermes? Yes. No. Maybe it was. I was conflicted. If I loved Marshall enough, I wouldn’t be. Would I? Hades. This love crap was hard. It was easier when I could set other people up, but when it was my own life I felt like I was navigating a minefield – blindfolded. One thing I did know for sure was that our breakup wasn’t all Hermes’ fault. When this was over, I didn’t expect to fall into his arms. There were tons more complications where he was concerned. He might be the easy choice for me – the right one, but Zeus was his father, and I was already tied up in his politics too much. I still usurped his authority as much as I could. Albeit in a passive aggressive way, but if I were with Hermes, Zeus could use our relationship to punish him. As it was, we weren’t even together and Zeus had managed to make Hermes miserable by putting us in close quarters.
“I can’t really say,” I managed. ‘It’s complicated.”
Marshall dragged his hands over his face. “It always is with you.”
That stung, but it was true. “I don’t mean it to be.”
“That’s the problem.” He smiled sadly. “You can’t seem to help it.”
“Marshall, I just want to tell you…my feelings, they were real. They still are. But we come from different worlds. It won’t work.”
He nodded. “I know.”
I frowned at him. “You do?”
He laughed without mirth. “Of course I do. I’m a human caught up in some weird fairytale. But this is real life. Something like this can’t possibly end well for me. Hell, Abby, I came downstairs the other night and almost got molested by Athena. And I wouldn’t have been able to do a thing about it!” He motioned for me to come toward him.
I did and felt his strong arms wrap around my waist and pull me onto his lap. He buried his face in my hair. “All of that doesn’t mean I don’t love you. I do. And I will for a long time. But this…us…I don’t see me coming home to you after a hard day’s work and you playing with our children on the floor.”
I wanted to curl in on myself and die. His words were hurtful. But I couldn’t be angry because they weren’t said with malice, only honesty. He squeezed me against him. I’d miss the feel of his arms around me, the scent of his skin, the rasp of his five o’clock shadow against my face as he kissed me.
He sat up, pulling me closer against him and met my eyes. “Whatever is in that vial you can be damned sure I won’t be taking it.”
I stiffened and opened my mouth to deny it.
“Save it, Abby. I’m in law enforcement, and you don’t possess a sneaky bone in your body. I don’t need to forget you. I don’t want to forget you. What I do need to do is get over you.”
“Won’t that be easier if you let me give you this?” I pulled the vial out and shook it. The blue liquid swirled and sparkled against the glass. “You won’t remember me after you take it.”
His mouth became a thin line. “I think you underestimate me. I won’t be throwing myself on your mercy to take me back.” He pushed me off his lap and stood.
“Marshall, I didn’t say that.” I felt tears pricking my eyes.
“You didn’t have to. We’re both grownups here. As humans, we don’t have the option of forgetting about someone who hurts us. We deal with it and eventually get stronger. You guys wave your arms and all your problems go away.”
I glared at him, beginning to get angry. “I’m sure it’s not quite that easy. If it were, I would never have come to this city.”
His eyes became cold. “Maybe that would have been the best thing for us both.” He turned away from me. “I’m going upstairs to gather the rest of my things. I’ll be out of your hair in thirty minutes.”
I watched him go, sadness and anger warring for the top spot in my heart.
“Well that went well.” A dry voice intruded into my internal war.
I spun around to see Clotho standing in my kitchen. She looked relatively well put together after our foray in the woods. I shrugged. “Just another day in my life.”
I looked away at the first hint of sympathy in her eyes. I didn’t want anyone to feel sorry for me over this. It was my fault he got involved in the first place.
“Love is no one’s fault,” she said softly. “Look at me.”
I slowly turned toward her. She held out her hand and I took it. It was warm, dry, and unlined. Clotho squeezed mine. “It’s a bit against the rules, but I’ve never been the best at following instructions.” Her eyes drifted up to the stairs. “He is not your soulmate, Aphrodite. It might sting like hell right now, but there is a man. A strong, noble, proud man who waits for you.”
“Hermes?” I asked with trepidation.
Clotho smi
led slightly. “Telling you that would be thumbing my nose in the face of the rules. I might bend them a little, but I can’t dance on top of them. You must figure it out for yourself. Besides,” she said as she winked at me, “if he’s not your soulmate, he’d be a hell of a distraction wouldn’t he?”
I snickered, feeling lighter for the first time in what felt like days. “You dirty old woman.”
Clotho cackled for a moment, but sobered quickly. “The time is close at hand for your first skirmish with the person responsible for all of this.”
“First?” I was taken aback by that. “You mean we’re going to survive this?” Well that was not unwelcome news, but I’d much rather be like David and hit the giant in the face with a well-placed rock from a slingshot than keep taking him on.
She nodded. “Remember my words and the vision I gave to you. Remember that however this ends, you will not win.”
Her words were slightly clearer than the adamant statement she had given me a little while ago. Still she was being awfully cryptic. “Good to see you’re as easy to understand as you’ve always been.”
Clotho flicked me on the nose. “Impertinent child.”
“Ow!” I grabbed my nose and glared at her. “Seriously? This is not 1930!”
“Where I’m from, dear, it’s always 1930 somewhere.” With that, she disappeared from my kitchen, leaving me with a whole lot of unanswered questions and a sore nose.
The sound of heavy footsteps signaled the return of Marshall. He didn’t look at me as he walked to the door. I watched as he hefted the gray duffel bag over his shoulder, grabbed his hat, and left me standing in the kitchen without a word of farewell.
It was more than I deserved.
22
Chapter Twenty Two
I sat on a barstool, my secret stash of ambrosia and a tumbler of whiskey in front of me my only company. Wisely, my friends had left me alone and allowed me to leave the house. I’d be a fool to think they hadn’t listened in on our conversation in the kitchen. I plopped my head in my hand, twirling my tumbler and watching the light play through the amber liquid. The music in the bar was oddly soothing, Amos Lee’s low timbre rumbling his heartbreak through the speakers. I blew an errant curl out of my face.
I was a hot pathetic mess. And for gods’ sakes, I was Aphrodite for crying out loud. I made people fall in love! Centuries of mostly happy couples owed their marital bliss to me. Now I was the loser sitting alone in the bar nursing my broken heart with the solution that cured all ills: booze. Except for my extra shot of ambrosia. If I had anything to say about it, someone was going to have to carry me out of this bar by the end of the night. Marshall’s memory wouldn’t be able to exist under the weight of the massive amounts of booze I planned to apply to it tonight.
I took down the whiskey in a single gulp and motioned for the bartender to bring me another. The bar wasn’t crowded yet, but I expected in another half hour it would be crammed to the gills with college students looking for an outlet.
“Anyone sitting here?” The deep timbre of a familiar male voice next to my ear startled me. I turned to look and my heart fell right into my stomach. Typhon stood next to me, grinning from ear to ear.
I shut my eyes for a brief second and recounted in about twelve languages how stupid I was. “The seat’s open,” I gritted out.
He pulled the stool out and sat down, his long lean legs dangerously close to mine. “How’s it going?” he asked.
I stared at him for a full ten seconds in disbelief. “How’s it going?” I echoed. Who was this guy? “It’s totally fine. Asheville is great. The weather’s awesome. No monsters around here. No sirree. Do you see any monsters? I sure don’t.”
If anything his grin widened. “I should be offended you think I’m a monster. But I’m not. You only have stories. Legends, if you will, to tide you over at night. I am no monster, dear.”
I snorted in disbelief and relaxed. I was safe for the moment. “Is that what you tell yourself to help you sleep at night?”
He winked and snagged my tumbler of whiskey when the bartender brought it over. I glared at him and motioned for a new one. “Hand over that ambrosia you have stuffed in your pocket, would you?”
“I am not sharing my ambrosia with you,” I said. “And I hope you plan on paying for that whiskey.”
“So touchy,” he said. “Look around you. You are safe with me.” He winked. “For now. Your hospitality to me will not go unrewarded.”
I fished my ambrosia out and slapped it in his waiting hand. “I don’t care about your rewards. Why are you here?”
He tossed back some of his whiskey as I made a Herculean effort to pretend the long, lean cords of his tan neck did nothing to my insides. “Just to talk, darling. Nothing more.”
“Then talk,” I said.
He tilted my chin up to meet his eyes. “So impatient all the time. Do you make love like that, too?”
I burned with embarrassment. “You’re being crude.”
“No, darling. You’re being a prude.” He waggled his eyebrows at me as he poured a shot of ambrosia into his tumbler.
The bartender made his way back over with two new tumblers. “I figured you’d need another soon.” His eyes swept over Typhon briefly.
“Good man,” Typhon said cheerily and tossed a twenty-dollar bill on the bar. He didn’t allow me to take my whiskey. Instead, he slid it over to him and poured a healthy shot of ambrosia in it before he gave it to me.
This was going to be one for the record books. I could imagine sitting around the campfire telling the story to my kids about the time I got hammered in a North Carolina bar with Olympus’ most wanted. I slid my eyes over to him as discreetly as I could. Gods he was handsome. Many of the gods and goddesses were blonde, but Typhon took it to another level. He looked like a drop dead gorgeous surfer. Wide green eyes set off high cheekbones and highlighted a proud aquiline nose. His lips were on the good side of being almost too wide. When he smiled…it was like the gods were smiling at you. It was hard to imagine his other form could be folded up and stored inside of this golden boy.
The first time Typhon battled Zeus I never saw him. I only had stories to tide me over…to keep me in a healthy fear of him. It was hard to see him as an evil, horrible, world destroyer as he sat there sharing my ambrosia. But weren’t those the best kind of bad guys? The kind you never saw sneaking up behind you about to slit your throat?
“Stop staring at me. You’re creeping me the hell out.”
I opened my mouth, surprised to hear myself laughing. “Says evil personified sitting next to me stealing all my booze.”
Ty raised his tumbler. “Touché.”
I shook my head trying to picture this guy trying to raze Olympus. Strangely enough, as I sat there with him, my fear was evaporating. I knew that wasn’t a good thing. A healthy dose of fear always had kept me alive. Underestimating Olympus’ most dangerous enemy wasn’t going to do me any favors.
I sipped my whiskey, deep in thought.
“I am not your enemy.” Ty’s voice intruded into my inner monologue.
I sighed. “That’s what the bad guy always says right before the good girl gets shanked.”
He laughed easily. “Aphrodite, I must say I am surprised by you. Although your beauty is legend, you have quite the spunky personality hiding inside of that tiny, delectable body.”
I toyed with the rim of my glass. “Flattery isn’t going to work. Braver and better than you have tried.”
He held his hands out in a gesture of surrender. “Ah, but I mean it. Those before me were just boys, not fit to gaze upon you and worship you like you deserve to be.”
I looked at him, disbelief written all over my face. “Typhon, you haven’t told me why you are here.”
“Let’s have a couple more drinks and we’ll get down to business, shall we?” He held up four fingers to the bartender. I started to tell him I was finished but thought what the hell. How often was it something like this happened? I
had the opportunity to pick Typhon’s brain, and that was exactly what I planned to do.
23
Chapter Twenty Three
How I wound up grinding against Typhon to Salt ‘N Pepa’s What a Man four hours later was something I didn’t really want to talk about. I was wildly, deliciously hammered and Typhon seemed to be right there with me. As embarrassed as I was to admit it, Typhon was more than a passable dancer. He was quite delicious.
“This is like a magical version of Sleeping with the Enemy,” I slurred to him when he dragged me off the dance floor and back to our bar stools.
“We aren’t yet sleeping together,” Ty said. “But we can be if that’s what you like.”
I was way too drunk to make good decisions right now. “No.” I waved my hands around his face. “You are way adorable, but I keep seeing your other form and it’s really screwing with my dirty daydreams.”
Ty grinned. “You have daydreams about me?”
“Not until a couple of hours ago. Why’d you have to go and be so hot?” It was like I was outside my body, watching this harlot named Aphrodite flirt with someone she should be running away from screaming bloody murder.
His lips pressed together. “This is the form my mother gave to me when I was born. I was not born as a monster, Aphrodite. It was only later, after a thirst for revenge, that my mother altered my form.”
My mouth dried as I struggled to form a coherent thought. Everything we thought about him had been wrong. He had all of his memories. He had a human form, which from what he was saying seemed to be his first and preferred form.
“Are you kidnapping girls?” I needed to know.
His face turned grim. “No. But someone is making it look like me,” he said.
“Who would do that?” That could be the piece of the puzzle we needed.
“I cannot tell you,” Typhon said. “Although I wish I could.”
“I should be scared of you,” I said. “Why am I not scared?” I looked into his forest green eyes and saw someone who wasn’t nearly the monster he was supposed to be.