by S. E. Babin
A hint of a smile crossed his generous mouth. “I think we both know what I mean. Nothing involving you is mundane. Three months, Aphrodite. That is the time you have left. In ninety days you shall meet me at a place of your choosing, with fair rules of play. You may choose an additional champion, if you will, to release you from your contract should he win.” His gaze met mine, heated and fiery. “But I don’t plan to let him win.”
A chill ran down my spine. Three months was nothing. A blink of the eye for an immortal.
“Six months,” I countered.
He shook his head, slow and measured. “Four months. And not a single day more.”
“Sold,” I said before he could take the offer away. One hundred and twenty days to figure this out. I could do this.
I could. Couldn’t I?
This was turning out to be the worst Halloween ever.
Moments later I was sitting in the exact same spot in the bar where I’d started and Typhon was nowhere to be found.
“That pain in the ass,” I muttered to myself.
Artie reached over and patted me on the knee. “I have no idea how he managed to do that, but I need to learn his Jedi tricks.”
There was no hint he’d even been here. Every contestant was there except for Typhon. No one questioned a single thing. I could do a lot of things. Erasing time wasn’t really one of them. I was more a master of illusion and glamour but I could freeze a scene. Typhon was on an entirely different level.
I motioned a random waitress over and ordered us couple more drinks.
“Uh oh,” Artie said. “That bad?”
We couldn’t get drunk on much, but it seemed like a multiple drink kind of evening.
“Typhon gave me four months,” I said and I knew I didn’t have to explain further.
“Dude,” she breathed. “That’s nothing.”
“It was three months. I bargained for six.”
“And settled for four.”
I rubbed my hand over my face. “He knew how desperate I was.”
“You’d think that would hurt his feelings.” Artie took a sip of her new drink as our waitress materialized much faster than I expected her to.
I tipped her a couple of bucks and reached for my straw. “He’s nothing if not persistent.”
A thoughtful look stole across her face. “Have you come up with the rules yet?”
I shook my head, feeling morose.
Artie nudged me with her shoulder. “This is why you have me.”
Curious, I stopped inhaling my vodka and stared at her.
She tilted her head expectantly. I shrugged.
“I give up. Why?”
“Because I’m smart! We’ll rule him all the way out of the games.”
“He specified they have to be fair,” I said.
Her violet eyes glittered as the heat of the game was upon her. “Oh, they will be. They will be.”
I shied away from her a bit. “You’re a little bit scary.”
Artie tipped her drink over to mine and clinked it. “You’re going to come out of this A-okay, friend. I promise you.”
With Artie by my side, I began to experience the first stirrings of something I hadn’t felt in awhile - hope.
Epilogue
I zapped away my gauzy gown and put on a tank top and a pair of old flannel pajamas. The rest of my glamour fell away and I collapsed into bed face first. Normally I enjoyed Halloween, but this one had been a serious doozy. I recounted the day in my head and groaned as I skimmed past the embarrassing parts.
Forcing my boss to make out with me hadn’t been one of my prouder moments.
I blew out a frustrated breath. I’d already apologized to him and we’d already talked it out. So why did I feel like this wasn’t the end? Tack that on to the visit with his father and I knew deep down in my old bones, this story wasn’t done.
It was only just beginning.
But, for all the negative, there had been some positives. Cupid was gone, never to hurt anyone else again. Artie was safe and sound, back in her own home and ready to take the world by storm as Asheville’s newest pet detective. I got a kick out of that every time I thought about it. Who knew there would be a need for that sort of thing? Turned out Artie already had her first case and she was making close to more money than I was taking in!
Zeus was still...Zeus and Hermes didn’t even want to look at me. I’d alienated lots of people since I’d gotten mixed back up in the going ons of Olympus.
I’d also saved a lot of people too, for all the gratitude it got me.
“I can hear your brain working all the way over in my shop.”
The voice rang out through the pitch dark of my room. I squeaked and sat up abruptly pulling the covers all the way up to my chin.
Amused laughter rang through the room as a small flicker of light cast the room in a dim glow.
“Clotho,” I breathed. “You scared the crap out of me.”
Her chestnut hair gleamed the color of fire in the dim light. “It’s Halloween. Everyone should be scared at least once.”
I threw myself back down onto my pillow and stared up at the ceiling. “I feel like I’m scared all the time.”
As much as I hated admitting it, it was true.
Clotho remained silent but I could hear her skirts rustling as she came around to the side of the bed. “Move over,” she commanded.
I froze in place. “Is this a slumber party?” I asked after a moment.
“Get a grip. I have sisters. You’re lucky I’m not naked and talking to you about boyfriends.”
“Eww,” But I shoved over.
Magic touched my skin gently as Clotho clothed herself in a high-necked, ankle length nightgown.
“Good Gods, woman,” I said as I stared at her. “I’m taking you shopping tomorrow.”
She climbed in beside me and tugged for more covers. “Good.”
We were silent for a few minutes, our breathing the only noise in the room. I stared at the ceiling and watched as Clotho’s magical light cast flickering shadows above.
“Tremendous happenings are on the horizons for you, Aphrodite.”
I groaned. “Please don’t get all silvery and windy.”
Clotho answered that with a swift kick to my knee. “I’m trying to help you as much as I can.”
I turned onto my side and stared at her profile. She lay on her back, young in appearance, ancient in reality. “I know,” I murmured.
“You have some very powerful people interested in you.”
I hadn’t told her about God. She most likely knew about it. “I don’t want them to be.”
She reached over and ruffled my hair. “We have no choice in matters like this. What is important is staying true to yourself. Follow your heart, even if it leads you down the path you never thought you’d take.”
My breath stilled as her words hit me. “You’re speaking of the games, aren’t you?”
“You must trust those you are afraid of and love those who need it most. The time for doubt is long past. Trust in yourself. Your magic. Your heart.”
I sighed, long and hard. “You make being cryptic an art form, Clotho.”
“Sleep child. I’ll make you pancakes in the morning.”
My eyes began to drift closed at her words. “You spelled me, you little minx,” I slurred out, just before drifting off.
Her amused chuckle was the last thing I heard before I drifted off to sleep and dreamed of dragons, knights and a handsome silvery-eyed god who had no place in my dreams of Camelot.
But he was there anyway.
Freud would have had a field day with me were he still alive.
About the Author
S.E. Babin is an award-winning author with a passion for writing books with a paranormal twist. Whether it's romance or mystery, she loves taking the norm and turning it into the extraordinary. Her love of reading turned into a curious exploration to see whether or not she could write her own novel. Beginning with discarded
pages of angsty novels and a slightly popular reimagining of Beowulf's Grendel in her high school English class, Sheryl spent way too much time in the library, killing any chance of her becoming a cheerleader or anything even remotely cool. Interested in keeping up with new releases? Her newsletter link is right below because Sheryl likes to make things easy and talk about herself in the third person.
Hang out with Sheryl!
@hungrybiblio
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Also by S.E. Babin
Out of Practice Aphrodite
Out of Sorts Aphrodite
Out of Options Aphrodite
Out of Chills Aphrodite - Novella
Out of Eggnog Aphrodite - Novella
Out of Cake Aphrodite
The Fairytale League Series
The Hunt for Snow
Snow’s Lament
Flame & Snow - Coming soon!
The Time Wardens
Wilde Omens
Wilde Storm