Skin of a Goddess (Goddess Ascension Book 1)

by Victoria C. Johnson

  “Damn, I missed the eighties theme? That totally sucks!” I exclaim. “I’m sorry I missed it, you guys. I’ll totally check in next time, and you don’t have to worry about this happening again. No over-nighters, I remember.”

  “Exceptions may be made, but just this once. I don’t want to have to worry about you jaunting off. There’s a reason we have these rules,” Nemesis says sternly. “Next time, check in, and make sure you tell us where you’ll be for the night, if you don’t plan on coming back to the suite. I know I told you to keep him busy, but I didn’t think you’d take it that seriously.”

  “Wait, you don’t think I slept with him just to keep him distracted, do you?” I ask in disbelief.

  “Why else would you sleep with him?” Enyo asks in confusion.

  “Let’s get one thing straight. I might love sex. I might be the goddess of persuasion and seduction. That doesn’t mean I’ll sleep with someone just because I’m told to. I only sleep with people because it’s what I want to do,” I tell them seriously.

  Apate joins in, “Yeah, don’t be stupid. The two of them totally have chemistry.”

  “They have a rapport.” Ana nods.

  Nemesis rolls her eyes. “Whatever your motivation is, don’t make us worry. We care about you. Peitho, you go get dressed in fresh clothing and meet us for breakfast. Make sure to shower too. You smell like sex.”

  With that painfully endearing comment, I ditch the crazies and go up to the suite. I shower, change into fresh clothes with undergarments I don’t have a special attachment to in case they get ripped off, and make my way back down to see the others. Some days it’s hard to believe how out of touch they are when it comes to relationships. Or basic emotions.

  “Hey, Peitho!” Eve and Addy catch me in the elevator on my way down to the main floor.

  “What’s up?” I nod at them pleasantly.

  Eve gives me a little wink. “Julian tells me that you and Hunter resolved some problems last night. Good for you!”

  “I know, I know. You’re ever so glad that I finally banged him, so hopefully I won’t flirt with any other guys and make things miserable for you and your brother. I didn’t realize you two were that close to Hunter,” I say.

  “Addy and I are not super close to him,” Eve responds. “We’ve seen him around, since he’s my brother’s closest friend. Or more accurately, his only friend. That’s how we know about dragons, silly.”

  “Totally—we’ve even gone to the dragon palace before. It was totally awe-inspiring. It’s in Hawaii. Though I can’t give the exact location, I can tell you it involves volcanoes! Not overly surprising, but it was still a treat for us.” Addy grins.

  “That’s neat, but since you’ve known Hunter for a while now, do you think you could tell me something?” I ask.

  They trade looks. “We can try.”

  “Does he have much experience in the girlfriend department? He doesn’t seem like he could be a stage-five clinger, but guys who haven’t had that many girlfriends are more susceptible to it than others. They tend to take all of the dumb little concepts they’ve heard or seen about relationships and try to fit them all in their first ones.” I roll my eyes.

  Eve thinks for a moment before saying, “He’s had a few relationships with other dragons. None lasted over six months, since there’s no point in staying together if they don’t procreate. I believe he’s also had a relationship with a human. That lasted for longer than six months, since humans naturally can’t have children with dragons. There was no sure sign that it wouldn’t work out.”

  “What’s a stage-five clinger?” Addy asks.

  “You know, guys who are super clingy? Well, they can be put in categories of how clingy they are going from stage one to five, five being the worst. I’ve had my fair share of each stage.” I shudder. “So Hunter isn’t much of a relationship guy?”

  “No, more of a loner. Plus, he’s put in the friend zone a lot,” Addy says.

  Eve nods in agreement. “He’s the mayor of Friendsville.”

  “That kind of surprises me; he doesn’t really look like the guy-friend type. Unless they see him as some kind of dragon in armor there to protect them,” I say with a snort.

  “Yeah, kind of. As far as I know, Hunter’s longest relationship has been with my brother Julian, and it’s always been painfully platonic. Hunter even moved to a cave with a spring in it so Julian can visit more. One of his caves is only a few hours away, actually.” Eve shrugs. “You know guys, totally pathetic and overly emotional, even if it is generally suppressed.”

  “I get it. I was just wondering what I should expect to be dealing with now.” I grin.

  “No problem, Peitho baby. Just let us know how everything goes!” Addy smiles at me before the two of them walk away.

  “About time, did it take you half an hour to soak the stink of your filthy lovemaking off your skin? Or were you just poking about?” Apate asks me when I sit down by her and Ana.

  “Oh, shut it, it’s only been like fifteen minutes,” I tell her. “Besides, it’s not filthy lovemaking. We’re practically married, as you rejoice in constantly pointing out to me.”

  Ana says, “Gross, and you admit said embarrassment openly! Please, keep it down, or people around here will get the wrong idea about us.”

  “Hey, Peitho, everything going okay?” Hunter asks from behind me.

  I whip my head around and try to figure out how long he and Julian have been standing there. Or more accurately, how much they’ve heard. “Yep, everything’s just peachy keen. Wanna sit down?”

  Julian and Hunter dutifully sit across from us at the table. Luckily, Enyo and Lyssa are at another part of the room, talking to some of the Amazons. It’s bad enough Ana and Apate are here to torment them, but they’ve got nothing on the negative factor of the creepy twins.

  “Guys, you know Hunter and his bud, Julian,” I tell the girls at the table.

  “That’s adorable! It’s like a hardcore bromance, right?” Apate asks eagerly. “Don’t be ashamed, boys! Peitho and I have a rocking homance, so it’s all good.”

  Hunter looks a bit amused as Julian eats, not paying attention, like he’s been doing it all his life, which he most likely has. I then look down at their plates. Julian has a normal amount of food, mainly consisting of fruit, greens, and fish. Hunter has three overflowing plates in front of him. I’m not sure, but watching him eat all that may possibly make me sick. Good goddess, I shouldn’t be surprised by how much it takes to sustain his oversized body.

  “Want to know the most recent gossip, Peitho?” Ana asks eagerly, bouncing a little in her chair. “They announced it at dinner, but you totally missed it. In fact, you weren’t the only one.”

  Hunter may even blush a little at Ana’s teasing statement!

  “Sure, hit me with it,” I say, figuring it can’t be juicy gossip if the convention or hotel staff announced it at dinner.

  “You know that whole murder thing that we dealt with a bit ago? Of course you remember. It seems that three more supernatural females have gone missing! One a tigress, a werewolf, and the last an elf. I didn’t even know an elf was here! Anyway, it kind of seems like the murderer is still about and is targeting supernatural women. There’s a manhunt going on in search of the ones who have been abducted,” Ana says. “It’s like a total shock since the ones investigating the disappearances and the murder can’t find any connection between the victims. You know how supernaturals are. No one they knew thought it was out of the ordinary, until the announcement about Jessica.”

  “The victims aren’t from the same area, prior friends, or anything! Isn’t that nuts?” Apate asks.

  “There are a lot of supernaturals here, gathered all at once. I mean, there’s every kind of shifter you can think of. If the person is trying to manage a collection or something, it’s a good place to start,” Apate says.

  “The girls disappeared after the bowling party the other night. They were all going off together to meet up with
some guys. An acquaintance of theirs, a human no less, is the last one to have seen them. The human, Cammy or something, is here with a werewolf family. She couldn’t give a description of the guys they were meeting other than that they were shifters. To be fair, she was pretty wasted.”

  “Yeah, so now they’re looking for the three missing girls, and since Jessica Garcia wasn’t killed right away, they’re hoping to find them before it’s too late. Too bad they still weren’t able to catch a scent of the perpetrator, since this place reeks of every possible supernatural there is. Well, almost,” Apate says. “It’s being assumed that there’s more than one murderer, and something happened to escalate them from one victim to three in one night.”

  Hunter gives Julian a dark look. “Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?”

  “You just came down here for breakfast, and you were pretty busy before that, if I recall. When exactly was I supposed to tell you?” Julian asks blandly. “I’m sure you would have loved to be interrupted so I could explain that some girls you don’t even know have been supposedly kidnapped by a murderer.”

  “Dude, the one with the fishy tail totally has a point.” Ana nods emphatically. “Plus, if you didn’t get mad if he broke in on your love time, Peitho would have totally castrated him. She hates to be interrupted, even by us, her well-meaning friends since the beginning of time.”

  “Wait, the girls were abducted and may even be being tortured as we speak?” Hunter says, holding up a hand at us as if to say stop.

  “They got taken when they were going to meet some guys for a one-night delight. Their friend can’t remember what the guys looked like because she had one too many shots and was a step away from passing out. No scents can be picked up from the place they were assumedly taken because this place is crawling with non-humans. Now, did I miss anything?”

  “Nope, covered all the bases,” Ana confirms.

  “Are there any theories on who did this and the reasons behind it?” Hunter asks.

  “Nemesis was called in to look at the crime scene and said she felt the same energy that was at the first one, so we know it’s the same person or people. She also said that she still feels an air of servitude or mastery. So far, it’s being assumed that female supernaturals are the ones being targeted, and no specific species is being taken,” Apate says.

  “Oh, and we’ve been given tasers now too, for protection. You should go to Harold to get one of your very own. They’re telling us to be more careful and to be aware of stranger danger. So far, the convention isn’t being closed early or anything. It’s also being looked into to see if it’s an inside job or not,” Ana adds.

  Julian says, “I would assume it’s an inside job. The first body was found on the hotel property, and the three women were abducted from within the hotel. It’s only safe to say that someone here is behind it or helping.”

  “Which totally chaps my ass since everyone here is an immortal. I mean, where is the loyalty these days?” Ana says.

  “Aren’t you guys worried that you’re in danger?” Hunter asks, ignoring the other exchange.

  Apate just looks at him for a minute, trying to decide if he’s serious or not, before giving in to a little chuckle. “No way. If they want a piece of one of us then they can totally have it. We’re stronger and faster than mortal immortals. We also have skills that help us in these situations. Plus, there’s the whole we’ve lived forever and know how to defend ourselves thing.”

  “We’re also rarely away from one another, and you’d have to be a damn fool to take us all on. Especially since we have Nemesis, Lyssa, and Enyo on our side. Them bitches be crazy—you know, literally.” Ana giggles.

  I can’t help but smile too. “It’s nice of you to think of us, Hunter, but we really can look out for ourselves. We’re immortals, after all. Most supernaturals just know not to mess with us, if they’re smart.”

  Hunter seems to consider our words before saying, “You yourself were away from the group last night. Plus, some of you don’t have a lot of offensive or defensive powers.”

  Ana gives him a slightly annoyed look. “I hardly think you know a lot about our powers. We’ve perfected them so that they can be used in a multitude of ways. For example, Apate can create illusions of us coming to help her if need be. I can make people feel shame, and I also have poisoned claws and fangs. Peitho here can sweet-talk a saint into a sinner, and her skin is impenetrable. If they decide to come after one of us, then we have skills that can help us take away that threat. We also have weapons on us at most times, and know how to use them.”

  “The people doing the abductions may see us as the big treat since we can live forever and heal from many injuries, but they’ll have a hell of a time taking any of us down,” I say.

  Julian nudges Hunter. “Let it go. You’re not going to win an argument in this crowd.”

  “Just be careful,” Hunter says with a frown at me, obviously wishing he could say more.

  “Don’t worry, puddin’ pop, we’re always careful. By the way, I have some questions I want to ask you,” Apate says with a grin.

  I try not to look as horrified as her words make me feel.

  “Shoot,” Hunter says as he starts piling mountains of food into his mouth.

  “Do you have children?”

  “No.”

  “Ever been to prison or been arrested?”

  “No.”

  “Are you, and have you ever been, a woman?”

  “No.”

  “Are you currently engaging in sexual intercourse with other men or women?”

  “No.”

  “Can I see your dragon shape?”

  “No.”

  “Length of your dick in inches? Centimeters if it would make you feel better?”

  “Ask Peitho.”

  “Lastly, do you have access to a large supply of money? Peitho does like gifts, and so do we.”

  “I can get gifts.”

  Apate puts her hands together and gives her creepiest smile as she says, “Excellent. You know that when you date one of us, you’re dating us all, right? Just for your information, we’re kind of high-maintenance.”

  “Not Peitho herself, she’s pretty low-key, but as a collective unit? We expect a lot,” Ana warns.

  “Oh, goddess, you two will not torture Hunter. He’s my husband for the time being and doesn’t need to be bothered by all of you being in his space. I’ll worry about him, and you guys look for your own unsuspecting males to bully,” I tell them, feeling a sharp stab of something that may be—no, it couldn’t be, surely?—possessiveness.

  Apate chokes on the orange juice she just took a swallow of, coughing until she can say hoarsely, “Did you just call him your temporary husband?”

  “I’m not sure if that term is insulting or not,” Julian mutters abstractly.

  Ana says, “Considering she thinks the word ‘boyfriend’ is the worst curse word there is, it’s definitely not insulting. At least, I’m pretty sure it isn’t. Hell, it should be seen as a term of great honor!”

  I thank Zeus that my gold complexion doesn’t easily show blushes, because I swear if I had pale skin my cheeks would be practically aflame. I’ve never called someone husband, even in jest! I suppose it’s true that he is for the time being. Still, it just kind of slipped out of my mouth, the tricky, blasphemous words. I wish my so-called friends weren’t taking quite so much pleasure in pointing it out to me. Or that Hunter wasn’t giving me that dopey, intense stare of his. I mean, it really doesn’t mean anything. It’s just a stupid word for a stupid job description.

  “I forgot what the schedule said we’re doing today,” I say desperately to Apate.

  “You’re in for a treat. Last night Enyo and Lyssa suggested they teach a self-defense course because of the recent threat,” Apate says with a sigh.

  I’m not sure how this has anything to do with any of us. We already know all of Enyo and Lyssa’s signature moves and little tricks, since they’ve all been used on us at o
ne point or another. I don’t know why they can’t just use their words instead of resorting to violence.

  “Yeah, so we’re all meeting for that?”

  “No way. They’re teaching little groups for twenty minutes or so, breaking up the normal activities that were set up for the day,” Apate explains.

  “What’s our normal activity?” I ask.

  She shudders a little but says, “We were supposed to take a tour of the gardens and get a speech from the head gardener about the architecture involved. At the end of the tour, there’s a maze that they were going to have us try. We were supposed to be with our normal group that we’ve been with since the beginning of the convention.”

  “I can’t say I’m looking forward to seeing Austin again.” I frown.

  For a moment, Apate grins before it dims down and dies. “I don’t think you’re going to have to worry about it. In fact, since we’re Enyo and Lyssa’s good friends, they volunteered us to help with their little tutorial.”

  “I’m not liking the sound of this,” I say, starting to legit worry.

  “Oh, you’re not going to like the feel of it either. We’re their demonstration dummies when they show off their sick moves, which generally hurt like a bitch.” Apate sighs.

  “I didn’t think you felt pain,” Julian says.

  “We can feel it, especially if it’s delivered from another immortal. The way that Enyo and Lyssa hit, they’d kill a human with one solid punch. Neither of them hold back, even during practice, so it’s sure to be fun for them,” Ana explains with a bit of a wince.

  “I call Lyssa! I get to be her punching bag!” Apate suddenly bursts.

  “Dammit!” I exclaim.

  Ana explains, “Enyo is a war goddess. She kicks serious ass just in the name of fun. Lyssa may be madness, but she can’t compete with pure violence.”

  “Can’t you just make your skin hard?” Hunter asks.