Avenging Heart

by Desni Dantone

  In the midst of the emotion I didn’t realize I had until now, I struggled to focus on our task. I found myself grateful for Lillian. She focused when I wavered, and she understood a lot more about this stuff than I did.

  “Here.” She dropped a thick ivory colored paper onto the table in front of Nathan and Alec. “This is the correct material.”

  I glanced over my shoulder. “What was the name of the ink again?”

  Nathan looked down at the large book opened in front of him—at least four feet across and a foot thick. “Black nightshade ink,” he read.

  I plucked a jar containing a violet colored liquid from the shelf. “I found it.”

  I set the jar on the table beside the paper, and the rusty nail we had found earlier.

  “That’s everything we need, right?” Alec asked.

  “It looks like it,” Nathan agreed as he scanned the book again. “And we have the spell right here, but I don’t know how we can take this book with us.”

  We had decided not to perform the binding spell yet. According to what we had found in the spell book, the bind would wear off within a few days. Though the book didn’t specify exactly what would happen to her, we wanted the bind to be at its strongest when we faced her.

  “Maybe we can copy it into this one,” Alec offered. He moved a few books to the side to reveal a small square shaped notepad we had flipped through earlier.

  Only the first half of it had been written in and, though none of us had been able to understand the language, we suspected it had been used as a journal of sorts.

  My mother’s journal.

  “Yeah,” I agreed quickly. “I wanted to take that with me anyway.”

  Alec handed it to me, and I took a seat at the table to copy the spell from the big book onto a blank page in the journal. Some of the symbols were difficult to draw, and I had to concentrate on getting them right. Other than that, it wasn’t all that challenging. The spell was composed of a few Greek words, Circe’s name, and the symbols. I was nearly finished when Permna appeared in the doorway with Jared and Bruce.

  “Have you had any luck finding what you need?” she asked.

  “Yes,” Lillian answered her. “Thank you. We have everything we will need to bind her.”

  “Excellent. Isatan would like to leave tomorrow,” she said. “In the meantime, Hera insists that you all spend the remainder of the evening here.”

  “We really should get back to our hotel before it gets too late,” Nathan objected.

  “The sun has already started to set,” Permna returned. “You won’t make it off the mountain before darkness settles. We have a vacant chamber for you to rest in. That won’t be a problem.”

  I met Nathan’s eyes with a shrug. Though I was surprised to hear how late in the day it was, I didn’t mind the idea of staying.

  “And Kris,” Permna continued. “I’m sure your mother would be happy for you to use her room for the night. The rest of you, come with me and I will show you where you will be staying.”

  Nathan paused by my chair. “I’ll be back. Are you okay for now?”

  I nodded. “I’m just going to finish copying the curse.”

  His lips grazed the top of my head. Then he was gone, along with the rest of the group, and I was left alone in my mother’s room.

  ~ ~ ~

  After I finished copying the binding spell into the notebook, I flipped through the pages of the spell book. A few of the spells I had heard mention of before. Some I was already capable of doing. Most, however, mystified me.

  I skimmed over a levitation spell that I already knew, and was about to turn the page, when something caught my attention. To Call A Mortal Into A Dream. Micah had once mentioned that Incantators, like prophets, were capable of visiting people in their dreams. His prophetic specialty, meshed with my powers, had enabled us to share dreams. Until now, I hadn’t known that there was a spell to enable me to do it with anyone else.

  I jotted down the steps to the spell in the notebook. It required the use of rosemary, and I searched through Hecate’s collection until I found what I needed. I plucked the star-shaped green leaf from the plant, and placed it and the notebook into my backpack where I had set it by the door.

  “Where is everyone?” I muttered as I turned back to the room.

  While I hated being left alone, I at least had some interesting things to keep me preoccupied. I was admiring the wheel pinned to the wall when Hera stepped into the doorway a few minutes later.

  “That is the wheel of Hecate,” she explained. “It holds much power, but only she can harness it.”

  “Everything in here fascinates me.”

  “She was a fascinating goddess,” Hera returned. “And she is certainly missed.”

  “Has anyone ever tried to rescue her?”

  Micah had explained that Hades imprisoned her in the Underworld. I understood she had been there for centuries, but didn’t understand how the gods hadn’t managed to get her back in all that time.

  “Asclepius tried once. He was unable to get through the binds that hold her there.”

  “A bind? Like we’re going to place on Circe?”

  “Yes, but much, much stronger. We believe Hecate placed the bind herself so that she could not leave the Underworld.”

  Micah had also explained to me that Hades had placed a curse on Hecate, that if she were ever to escape the Underworld she would destroy her lover, Asclepius. That was one thing I had never understood.

  “How could Hecate destroy Asclepius anyway? I thought gods were immortal.”

  “It’s a little difficult to understand,” Hera started. “If Hecate were to destroy Asclepius, his outer shell, his body, would remain, but the essence of his being would be reabsorbed into the earth here at Mount Olympus. He would be reborn eventually, but it could take centuries. Being that Asclepius is the god of medicine and healing, the loss of his essence would be detrimental to the human world. Hecate would rather remain in the Underworld than let that happen.”

  I traced a finger over the wheel as I digested Hera’s explanation. My mother chose humanity over herself. While noble on her part, I hated that the circumstances would prevent me from ever knowing her.

  All I had was her room, and a journal I couldn’t read.

  “Now, come with me, dear,” Hera ordered. “I have something to show you.”

  I followed Hera through the garden to a golden doorway near the waterfall. Once inside the room hidden there, the sound of rushing water surrounded me. Not only from the waterfall on the other side of the wall, but from a stream of water that snaked out of the wall and dumped into a large oval hole in the ground.

  Lillian stood to the side of the pool in a flowing white gown as she wrung water from her long dark hair.

  “Please enjoy a bath in the spring of clarity,” Hera encouraged me with a wave of her hand.

  She left, and it was just Lillian and me.

  “The boys are using another one,” she said to me. “I’m finished, so it’s all yours.”

  I nodded as I surveyed the clear water. It was inviting, and after the grueling hike up the mountain earlier, a necessity. A cloud of steam hovered above the surface, and promised warmth to soothe my aching muscles. Another white gown that I assumed was for me lay on a spot of dry rock near the pool.

  As Lillian walked past me on her way to the door, I called out to her. “Hey, Lillian. Thanks for your help with the binding spell. I would have never known what to do.”

  She offered me a small smile. “Anything to help our cause.”

  She left me to undress, and as I settled into the water, I replayed her words. Our cause. Not me. She hadn’t meant to help me necessarily. Only what I was attempting to do. I supposed I shouldn’t have been surprised, considering the man she was in love with had moved on . . . with me.

  ~ ~ ~

  I returned to Hecate’s room to find Nathan sprawled on the floor at the foot of the bed with the notebook in his lap . . . that he had dug
through my backpack to find. Not that I cared. He was dressed in the same clothes he had worn earlier, his hair still slightly damp from his time in the springs.

  I tossed my soiled clothes next to my bag as I approached him. “What are you doing?”

  “Trying to interpret some of this.” His eyes remained fixed on the journal as he answered. “I had to learn Greek during development, but I haven’t had to use it since. I can’t make much sense out of this now.”

  I dropped to the floor beside him, and took the opportunity to get close to him by looking over his shoulder. The writing looked like gibberish to me. I would love for someone to tell me what it meant. But not now.

  Now, I had something much different in mind.

  “You being here right now . . .” I started as I rested my chin on his shoulder. “Does that mean you were planning to stay with me tonight?”

  The corner of his mouth quirked up. “As if I would stay anywhere else.”

  “That’s good.” I plucked the book from his hands and set it to the side. In one fluid motion, I rose to my knees and climbed onto his lap. As I wrapped my arms around his neck, I murmured, “Because I wouldn’t let you stay anywhere else.”

  Nathan’s gaze dropped to finally take in the gown I wore, and a throaty sigh passed his lips. “What are you wearing?”

  I shrugged. “Some gown Hera left for me.”

  “You look . . .” His eyes twinkled with admiration when they lifted to mine. “Kris, you’re beautiful.”

  “Words every girl loves to hear.”

  Strands of wet hair framed my face as I dropped my head. His lips were waiting, and took mine hungrily as he gathered my hair in his hands. My fingers dug into his shoulders, which were taut with restraint, before moving lower. They grazed over the hem of his shirt.

  It needed to go. Now.

  I peeled my mouth away from his as I yanked the material over his head. I allowed myself a thorough gaze at his smooth chest, and when my eyes finally lifted to his, he grinned.

  “So . . .” I started.

  “So?”

  I bit my lip. While we had been close to having sex just a week ago, we hadn’t had another opportunity since. The knowledge that we were alone for the first time since then both excited and flustered me.

  “I wish I knew if you were thinking what I’m thinking.”

  “Oh, I doubt you are.” His eyes lit with mischief as they lowered to his hands, where they tightened around my waist. “Because right now all I can think about is what’s under this gown.”

  My stomach flip-flopped. Well, his thoughts were definitely moving in the same direction mine were.

  My voice, when I finally found it, sounded foreign to me. “Do you want to find out?”

  His grip tightened around my waist as his gaze lifted to meet mine. I saw the fractional movement of his head as it bobbed up and down. His hands moved to my bare legs, and I melted under his touch when he slowly . . . oh, so slowly . . . pushed the gown higher. By the time he reached my hips, my breaths were coming in erratic bursts.

  His movements were smooth and controlled, and though he didn’t appear as rattled as I was, I knew he wanted this just as much as I did. Difference was, he knew what he was doing and what to expect, while I didn’t. That, and that alone, was the source of my nervousness now.

  I lifted my arms as he slid the gown over my head, and then I was in front of him in only my bra and panties. His eyes devoured me.

  “Beautiful.” His mouth seared a trail across my collarbone as he slid one strap off my shoulder.

  I melted under his caress. I wanted more. As far as I was concerned, he wasn’t going fast enough. My fingers trailed across the contours of his stomach, reaching lower. I fumbled to find the clasp of his jeans, and his hand came down on my wrist to still me.

  “We’re taking this slow,” he ordered gruffly. “And if you ever want to stop, just say—”

  “I won’t.”

  His eyes met mine with a smile, and I knew I would never want to stop. Not now. Not with him.

  His hands cupped my face and he pulled me to him. Just before we reconnected, I felt his back stiffen. My eyes popped open to find his wide as he peered over my shoulder.

  “Uh . . . Kris?”

  “What?” I turned my head to follow his gaze.

  The table behind me was levitating off the ground. The books that had been scattered across it floated separately from the table, and swirled in a slow circle.

  “Oh, no.” I closed my eyes to pull my focus in. “This happens when . . .”

  Nathan laughed, and I opened one eye to glare at him. He threw a hand up in surrender.

  “Sorry, but . . .” He waved his hand at the blaring distraction behind me. “That is funny.”

  “Not the time,” I muttered. Both eyes closed, I ground my teeth as I tried to concentrate on lowering the table to the floor with my mind. But trying to focus on anything other than what was happening—or what had been happening—between Nathan and me was impossible.

  I opened my eyes to find him smiling as he watched me. “Maybe I can just leave it in the air?”

  His smile grew. “I got you that worked up, huh?”

  I nodded. I had no shame. He was insanely hot. Who wouldn’t have gotten a little . . . excited?

  Nathan’s smile dropped in response to the look on my face, his eyes hooded, and we were instantly back to where we had left off before the world’s strangest mood ruining event happened—almost mood ruining event. But then, there were other ways to ruin it, and we found that out a moment later when there was a loud knock at the door.

  Nathan nearly knocked me over as he scrambled to pick my gown up off the floor where it laid behind me because, well . . . there weren’t locks on these doors. He handed it to me quickly before he stood, prepared to block me from the view of anyone who dared enter without permission.

  Whoever it was didn’t bust in, but was still on my shit list.

  Another knock followed while Nathan scooped his shirt off the floor. He slipped it on as he walked to the door. He paused to make sure I was fully dressed before he swung it open.

  Bruce lifted his hands up apologetically, and I could only imagine the look on Nathan’s face that prompted his reaction. “I’m sorry,” he gushed. His gaze swung to me, and he added, “Really sorry, but Jared needs you.”

  “Now?” Nathan growled.

  “It’s Lillian,” Bruce muttered. “Something happened. He doesn’t know what to do. And . . .”

  “And what?”

  Bruce glanced at me ruefully before answering Nathan. “She’s asking for you.”

  ~ ~ ~

  I insisted on going along for two reasons. One, I didn’t want to be alone. And two, I suspected that Lillian was up to something. How convenient was it for her to have a meltdown now of all times, when she knew Nathan and I were alone?

  “She’s muttering gibberish,” Bruce explained along the way. “But I heard her tell Jared that she remembers everything.”

  “Everything?” I questioned with more than a trace of doubt.

  Nathan shot me a look that equated to, Be nice, while Bruce shrugged. He hadn’t mastered the ability to read me between the lines, not like Nathan had.

  “From the way she was freaking out and crying,” Bruce continued, “I think she really has.”

  We reached the guest room, and Bruce pushed the door open ahead of us. I entered last, and hovered near the door while Nathan approached the bed in the far right corner, where Jared was hunched down on his knees in front of a sobbing Lillian. Hera stood to the side, and turned as Nathan approached.

  “I’m terribly sorry,” she offered. “I wasn’t aware that she had been suffering from amnesia.”

  “What happened?” Nathan asked her.

  “The bath she took in the spring of clarity. It opened her mind to the truth far too suddenly for her to cope with. If I had known she was suppressing memories, I wouldn’t have . . .”

  “
It’s okay, Hera,” Nathan muttered as he passed her, and stooped down beside Jared. His voice dropped, and I couldn’t hear what he was saying from where I stood.

  Not that I really cared to listen to him soothe Lillian. Hearing her cries, I couldn’t help but feel bad for her. I couldn’t imagine what it must have been like to remember seven years’ worth of repressed memories at once. Especially when those memories weren’t pleasant ones.

  Though I only experienced the evil side of Lillian for a few months, it had been enough. She had done some terrible things to us, and I assumed the bulk of her time as a Skotadi had been spent doing similarly horrible acts to others. Including thousands of innocent humans.

  Hera paused to wish me a peaceful night before she exited. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that my night was pretty much ruined now, and smiled graciously before she slipped out the door behind me.

  Alec stood from his bed on the other side of the room, and sauntered to my side. “So what do you think?”

  “About?”

  His response was interrupted by a loud growling noise. I spun toward the source in time to see Nathan grab a hold of Lillian as she attempted to launch herself off the bed. Her angry eyes were fixed on me.

  “It was all because of you,” she snarled. “Circe targeted me because of you! She used me so she could get to you!”

  Eyes narrowed, I took a step toward her as she turned some of her rage on Nathan.

  “And you,” she continued. “Because you had to interfere in her life!”

  “Lillian, calm down.” Nathan forced her back onto the bed, and her eyes swung toward me again.

  “I lost everything because of you,” she rasped. “The things I have done . . . were all because of you!”

  “Lillian,” Nathan growled, drawing her attention from me to him. “None of it was her fault. She’s just as much a victim as you were.”

  Lillian’s harsh laugh reminded me of . . . well, evil-Lillian. “A victim?” Tears rimmed her eyes when they leveled on Nathan. “How can you say that? I have lost everything because of her!”