I stayed in Los Angeles for a minute before I realized it was swarming with immortals. I quickly made my way up and down the coast before coming to the scene of the crime.
I don't know if I'm looking for answers, or if I just know this is the last place he would ever look for me.
The sun strokes my legs with its golden beams, promising to shine a tranquil blanket over me. My small, red bikini has attracted a great deal of unwanted attention, but Aphrodite gets her way sometimes. My black, sheer cover up ties around my waist, but it doesn't actually cover anything up with its transparency.
Devin has been all I can think or dream about. He even invades my daydreams.
I sigh as I stare at the waves that make me think about him all the more. I bet he loves the ocean. I wonder why he doesn't stay on the ocean. He's a Poseidon. It would only make sense for him to live near the sea.
A gushing wave reaches a new height and journeys up my legs, stopping just at my thigh. I gasp slightly at the unexpected rushing water that has barely crossed over my ankles until now. I quickly look around as the possibility of Devin being here enters my mind.
That's just silly. He wouldn't show up and splash me with a wave.
I shake my head free from the foolish thought as a guy walks toward me. I burn my eyes against his as I use the power of Aphrodite to take from him as I've been taking from so many others.
"Give me your phone," I command with a smile.
His eyes fall prey to mine and his poised posture slumps as he hands me his phone. I smile as I wave him off.
"You can retrieve it in thirty minutes. Go away until then," I command again.
He does as I say without question, and I try calling Jake - my brother - for the tenth time. I sigh when it goes to his voicemail, yet again, and then I dial Clara's number.
"Hello?" she asks.
"Hey, hot stuff," I murmur, trying to sound unaffected by my growing pit of despair.
"It's about damn time you called me," she rants.
I laugh a little at her outburst before responding.
"Miss me?" I tease.
"Yes, and I'm worried about you. Devin told me to call him if you called me," she sighs.
"Oh. Please don't call him," I beg.
"I'm not, but I think you should. This shit you're in is crazy. Immortals, tornadoes, fucking poisonous vines... all of it's scaring the crap out of me," she blurts out.
"How do you know about the tornadoes and poisonous vines?"
"Devin. He told me what happened up to the point where you left him. Do you really think he cheated on you? Because I really want to believe he didn't," she mumbles.
"I really want to believe he didn't, too, but we both know my track record. I don't want to talk about Devin or our broken relationship right now. I want to talk about you and Henry. Has he finally gotten his head out of his ass long enough to plan a date for your honeymoon?" I snark.
She giggles lightly. "We're in Paris right now."
My eyes widen. "Oh. Wow. My bad. When did you leave?"
"About three days ago. Devin signed a contract to be a silent partner in the new condominium endeavor Henry's embarking on. Devin said he'd only sign if Henry promised to take me to Paris for a month. Henry thought he was joking until Devin handed him the keys to his Parisian home. It's incredible here, and... there are pictures of you everywhere," she murmurs.
My mouth dries as her words connect fully with my slow-to-process mind.
"Pictures of me?" I gasp.
"Yes. Most of them are from my wedding. There are huge portraits of you and him dancing, laughing, and kissing everywhere. There are some of you sleeping, and there're some of you when you're not paying attention. It's a little creepy sweet," she sighs.
My heart is almost thudding out of my chest now. Devin got Clara away from the danger by signing with Henry. He has pictures of me all over his home in Paris. I'm really starting to regret calling her now. I felt so much stronger ten minutes ago.
"I need to let you go. I borrowed a phone, and I need to call Mom and Dad." I just need an excuse to get away from the Devin conversation.
"Do you need me to send you any money?" she asks with sincerity.
I smirk a little as I think of how easy it has been to acquire anything I want with my new ability.
"No. I'm fine. Have you talked to Jake?"
"I spoke to him last week. He was covering a story in Kuwait."
I frown slightly. I hate not being able to talk to him. I need to make sure he stays safe.
"Okay. I'll talk to you later," I grumble.
"Call me if you need me," she insists.
I hang up, and my head flops back as I grunt very loudly. I watch the larger waves overtake the smaller ones and then form their foamy surface as they collide. The salt drifts to land on my lips, and I can taste the ocean and all of its seduction. This was supposed to be my escape, but everything reminds me of Devin.
"I couldn't help but overhear your conversation," a guy's charismatic voice says, startling me a little.
I lift my head enough to see bright blond, sexily tousled hair on a tan, immaculate body in front of me. I roll my eyes and push my sunglasses back into place as I resume my ray soaking.
"No thanks," I murmur.
He laughs lightly.
"I haven't even made an offer yet."
"I'm saving us both some time. It's what I do," I roll out sardonically.
He sits down on the vacant lounge chair beside me and smirks. The staring is distracting, and I finally turn to see the wild, swirling streaks of gold spinning recklessly in his eyes.
I huff loudly while shaking my head.
"Oh. You're immortal," I sigh.
His devious smirk grows, and he smugly replies, "So are you."
"How did you know?" I huff again while keeping my eyes hidden behind my very dark shades.
"Mortals breathe every five to ten seconds. Your chest has been rising and falling in five minute intervals. You need to watch that if you're trying to fly under the radar."
Really?
You're not supposed to have to think about breathing.
"So you're saying you've been watching my chest for a while?" I tease with a provocative air.
He blushes slightly. "Guilty as charged. It's a nice chest," he seduces.
Not interested, Blondie.
I like my men to have dark hair, smoky blue eyes, and be almost too perfect to be true. I love heartbreak too much to change my criteria now, but it would be fun to force him to act like a fool on the beach while I make an unscathed getaway.
The wave rolling in crashes against us suddenly, and I'm instantly soaked, as is he. He laughs a little as he wipes the water from his eyes, but I feel like there are eyes on us. I feel... him.
Devin.
Chills spread all over my body as I wring my hair out. I stand to unravel my soaked cover up, and I can see my body visibly trembling.
Blondie's eyes show his salacious thoughts while they stare at the water trickling down my skin, and I almost want to slap his provocative thoughts from his head.
"I'm sorry, but I need to get back to my hotel. It was nice meeting you..."
"Hale," he says to fill in the blank.
"Nice meeting you, Hale. Enjoy your day," I murmur dismissively.
"You're not even curious about who or what I am?" he chuckles.
The wind stirs from my overexerted fears, though I hope I'm simply being paranoid. A gust steals my hat and carries it away, making me groan inwardly since that flock of seagulls is still looming overhead. I sigh as I turn to humor Hale.
"I'm guessing it has something to do with the beach, given your glow," I offer.
His eyes dance with seducing intent, but Aphrodite doesn't stir in the least. Only Devin awakens her. Only Devin awakens me.
"I'm a descendent of Helios," he says proudly.
"Helios?" I ask curiously.
He almost seems offended by my lack of knowledge on the matter.<
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"The embodiment of the sun," he pouts.
I smirk lightly. "Sorry. I'm still new to all of this," I explain.
"Could you give me a hint as to who you are before you run off into the sunset?" he charms.
"I'm someone you need to forget you ever met. Death, danger, and crazy bitches follow me everywhere I go," I mumble as I turn around.
"Hey, at least let me buy you a drink before I forget you," he wittily replies.
I laugh lightly, but my eyes are diverted from him as the sand beneath my feet rattles. I can see the waves darkening as they stir, and the air around me warns me to run.
"Who the hell are you, and what are you doing here?" a muscle-bound bald man blares.
I assume he's talking to Hale, and I start to tiptoe away. He jerks me around to stare into the sunglasses hiding my eyes.
"I wasn't aware you were talking to me," I almost whisper.
People begin dispersing from the scene as his anger grows.
"You can't just walk around in someone's territory without notifying the leader," he barks.
"Let her go, Paul. She's new to this. She didn't know," Hale defends.
"No one asked you. You're in enough trouble as it is with Serena for your wild escapade with the Apollo girls you brought on the beach after their banishment. This girl has to go through her to be granted passage here. It's a show of respect," he threatens.
Then his eyes change before I start working my magic when he begins drinking in my smell.
He continues sniffing the air as if it's an aphrodisiac, and he coos, "You smell so good."
Oh good grief.
Hale rolls his eyes and plops back down in the lounge chair. I smirk lightly as the shades drop down my nose enough to reveal my eyes. I feel the green surging forth, and I take control of the moment.
"You'll let me go now. You'll pretend you never saw me, and I'll be gone before you wake up. Now, close your eyes," I command.
Hale's eyes widen in astonishment as Paul falls to the ground with a thud and begins snoring instantly.
"What the fuck did you do to him?" he gasps.
"I put him to bed. He'll wake up in the morning," I say while walking away briskly.
A flaming whip swipes in front of me, and I barely dodge it as I roll to the ground. I flip around to see a tall, lean woman glaring at me with fire blazing in her eyes. The volcanic ash sizzles from her hands as the fire races up and down the two whips she's gripping. Her sleek, red hair is tied up in a binding ponytail that dances like the malicious tail of a serpent.
I really wish I could control women, too.
"Serena, he's just sleeping. Listen. You can hear him snoring. She's just trying to leave," Hale says with trepidation.
"She's not going anywhere. You can't touch my husband and expect to live," she threatens.
"I didn't touch him," I snark. "He's the one who touched me."
She smirks as her eyes darken with the swirling rings ablaze. She flicks her whip, but I dodge it effortlessly. My reflexes have sharpened during my week of solitude. Being paranoid makes you jumpy.
The drunken state slowly starts to creep in when Aphrodite feels my threatened situation.
"Stop, Serena. She's new. She's just learning our ways," Hale defends again.
"I'll teach her the golden rule. Don't fuck with my man," she hisses menacingly.
I see several others stalking toward me now - mostly women and only some men.
"I told you death, danger, and crazy bitches follow me wherever I go," I gripe.
I feel the green consuming my eyes as the skies start to open. They all gasp as the lightning threatens to crash down on them, and the rain pounds into the sand, staking it as it connects. The thunder barks loudly at them as a cautionary warning, and the lightning continues threatening its bite.
"I don't want to fight. I just wanted to swim and rest, damn it," I huff.
"Not here. There are boundaries all must abide by. You can't roam freely and exert your power as you've done without consequence," she scolds.
Crap. I can't catch a damn break.
"You asked for this," I warn before bringing the lightning down to divide a line in front of us.
"She's in touch with the sky," a girl whispers to Serena.
"She's also new. We're not. Go," she commands, and they all begin threatening me with their whirling weapons of choice.
"Ah, hell. You're going to get me in so much trouble," Hale gripes as he breaks the sun free from my cloudy sky, and the rays blast against the women charging us.
Serena jumps to her feet to glare at him.
"You just crossed the last line I'll ever let you," she growls.
Then the waves rattle behind us fiercely. The swishing becomes a rampaging tidal wave within seconds, and the water claps against the surface as it splits to miss me completely.
Devin. He really is here.
Serena scowls as she loses her offensive positioning and shouts to the air.
"Is she with you? You had better show yourself," she warns.
My heart almost jumps into my mouth as Devin's voice sounds out.
"I'm not hiding, Serena."
I slowly seek his voice as every hair on my neck stands to attention. He's propped against a palm tree, messing with his phone as if he could care less about the entire situation's magnitude.
"You'll show me some respect. You're in my territory," she snaps.
He slides his phone in his pocket and walks over to stand in front of me. I almost lose my breath as he passes by without so much as glancing at me, and then my erratic breathing almost hurts my lungs as I stare at his shirt swishing in the wind.
My frigging breaths are coming in every five to ten seconds now.
"Actually, I'm in Deidra's territory - it's all her territory. She's the only one I need permission from. Don't forget who you're talking to."
Her eyes widen, and he pulls out his phone when it buzzes.
"Deidra has granted us passage through here. Would you like to see for yourself?"
Serena glares at him with the contempt of hell burning in her eyes.
"No. I'd rather not," she says through grinding teeth.
Devin smirks smugly and turns to walk away. Hale jogs up beside him as the eyes still glare against his back.
"You know I'm in deep shit now, right?" Hale chirps.
Of course he knows Devin. That's the real reason he knew I was immortal.
"You weren't supposed to approach her." Devin tries to whisper, but I still hear him.
"You sent him to spy on me?" I bark, quickening my pace so I can keep up.
Devin doesn't say anything. I don't know why I'm following him.
"He sent me to keep Serena from trying to tear you a new one. She's vicious, volatile and hotheaded. If you piss her off, she doesn't stop attacking," Hale explains.
"I could have handled it," I scoff.
Devin still doesn't acknowledge me. He keeps crossing through the last of the palms before we reach the street.
I see a SUV parked against the curb, and Kry is lying on top of the hood with his arms behind his head.
"D'you send my regards to Serena?" Kry chuckles.
Devin smirks slightly at some inside joke they're sharing, and then his stern face returns.
"I sent her Deidra's instead," he retorts dryly.
Kry turns to face him with wide eyes. "Had to pull out the big guns, eh?"
Devin nods once, and Kry hops off the car. "Glad to see you're back, Adisia," he says with a smile.
I stop walking abruptly. What am I doing? I've just followed Devin when all I've been trying to do is escape him.
"I'm not back. I just... I don't know why I'm here. I need to go," I mumble as I turn to cross the street.
"You can't go," Theia's voice calls out from behind me.
I turn to see her stepping out of another SUV that is parked just in front of Devin's.
"Theia, I have to," I grumble awkwardly.
"You're safer with us. Persia made me promise to keep you safe before she left to find her contacts. I don't go back on my word, and you owe it to her to keep yourself safe," she harshly asserts.
I choke back some of the emotion balling up in my throat, and Devin climbs into the passenger seat. Deacon walks over with angered eyes.
"We're not leaving you here. Devin's not the only one who has been worried to damn death about you. Camara has exhausted herself keeping tabs on you, and I almost started a nuclear war by accident," he says with exasperation.
I almost smile at his morbid candor. Devin is back to messing with his phone, which is what he does when he's cross with me - as he would say. Hale walks up and hands me my black wrap he apparently went to retrieve.
"I'm not so sure how long you want to roam the streets in just that," he says while motioning to my bikini.
I roll my eyes as I tie the sarong back around my waist, and then I climb in the backseat in defeat. Deacon fist pumps the air victoriously and slides across the hood like Bo Duke as he piles back into the SUV Theia had been in.
"He better not have dented my damn hood," Kry sneers.
"Well, where to?" Hale asks as he claims the seat next to me.
"My boat," Devin murmurs, and my heart is slowly trying to sweep the remaining pieces of it under the rug to hide it from the pain I'm feeling right now.
My lungs are exhausted from the erratic breathing, and my legs are wobbly from the unexpected reunion.
I pop my head back as Kry steps on the gas and the ocean stands still before my eyes as we head to the marina.
I can see the name Aphrodisia on the back of a yacht, and my stomach twists into knots. The gallant sea beast has been named after me. Why is he doing this to me?
I slump down in the seat and try to sink below the awkward tension thickening the air around us.
"We need to head out to sea for a while so Theia can relax and clean up the beach scene," Phillip grumbles.
I can tell he's not pleased with me, but then again, like father like son. Devin has yet to make eye contact with me, and he's like a fifteen-year-old on his phone.
"I've got the first draft drawn up. I'll see you below," Devin murmurs to Phillip as he heads into the cabin.
I stand at the front of the nose and contemplate jumping into the water and swimming away.
Immortal Dreams Page 76