by Helen Scott
“It’s Circe, she—” Circe pushed back, but Ellie crushed her with a fresh wave of fury. “She’s trying to control me.”
“That’s impossible. She couldn’t get through the barriers here.” Dread pooled in Alec’s stomach.
“She’s been in control since we were at Speak O’ the Devil.”
“What?” Alec looked as though he had just been slapped and called a pansy.
“Since I stepped out for some air, she’s been controlling my body.”
“I… I had sex with Circe in your body?” His face was ashen.
“Yes,” Ellie gritted out as she struggled to maintain control. “I need you to make me angry.”
“Why?”
“It’s the only way I was able to take control,” Ellie bit out, fighting for every word.
“Circe was better in bed than you.”
“What?” Ellie’s temper flared, and Circe was pushed back even further.
“Her kisses are sweeter, and she knows what I like. In fact, if I could bed her in your body for the rest of my life, I would be a very happy man.”
“I’m going to kill you.” Ellie’s vision danced with red, and fury clouded her mind, which felt fairly lonely now.
“You don’t have the courage or strength to do anything about what happened.”
“Oh you are going to get it, once I’m fully in control again.”
“Get what, a scowl? There’s nothing you can do to me that hasn’t either already been done or would actually do any damage.”
Ellie was ready to rage at him until she realized Circe was no longer in her head.
“She’s gone.” The relief made her want to cry. “Oh you stupid, wonderful man, she’s gone.”
“For good?”
“I think so.”
“Good. Now I don’t want you to leave the house until after the full moon, then the protection will be fully charged and she shouldn’t be able to possess you again. After that, you are free to do as you please.”
“How was she able to keep control of me while we were here?”
“I think it was because she came over with you—the wards let her past, but now she’s out, she won’t be able to get back in. Unless you leave the island, that is, which I would advise against, obviously.”
“I can’t believe you didn’t know it wasn’t me. I trusted you, and you couldn’t tell whether I was me or not.” Ellie wanted to be mad and hate him, but she couldn’t; all she had was disappointment. Overwhelming disappointment.
“I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry. I wish I could give you an excuse, but I can’t.”
Ellie looked away from him and curled onto her side, exhausted and soul sick from the day’s events.
Alec’s stomach churned with guilt; how was he not able to tell the difference? A voice in his head told him he did know, he just chose not to see, but he refused to believe that. If he had truly known, he would have never had sex with Ellie/Circe.
“I’ll be honest with you…” Alec took a deep breath. “I wondered why you had suddenly changed your mind. You were so clearly uninterested in me this morning, and then you were basically offering yourself up on a silver platter. Of course I wondered, but I am also drawn to you as I am to no other. It was only when we were face-to-face that I thought something might be off—your eyes didn’t sparkle like the usually do, but then you, or Circe, started moving, and all coherent thought left my brain. I feel terrible. I would never force myself on a woman who didn’t want me. I just didn’t look hard enough to question what was being offered; for that I am truly sorry and hope one day you will forgive me.”
Ellie was silent for so long Alec thought she may have fallen asleep. He finally gave up waiting and turned away from her. He didn’t know what to do. He had never cared for someone like this or felt this kind of connection before. All he wanted was to please her and take this fresh pain away. He knew he would have to make this up to her, but he had no idea how to go about doing so.
“I get it, I do.” Ellie’s voice was barely above a whisper as she spoke, still facing away from him. “We haven’t known each other that long, and I don’t have any right to expect you to know me better than you do right now. I just can’t help but feel like you should’ve been able to tell, especially if you and Circe dated for a year.”
“Did she say that?”
“Aye.”
“Well, she certainly knows how to blow things out of proportion.” Alec sighed. “We saw each other a few times, say five or six at the most, over the course of a year. I wouldn’t really call that dating. I thought we had an understanding as two basically immortal beings that we could take pleasure from one another without expecting a commitment neither of us could really make. I mean, she falls in love with every man she sleeps with and—” Alec paused. “No, it’s not right. I can’t belittle her. She has led a hard life and has trouble finding anyone to care for her in a loving relationship where there are no ulterior motives. That doesn’t mean I should speak ill of her though.”
They were both silent for a moment.
“She’s a giant bitch,” blurted Ellie.
“She is. I’m sorry you had to go through that. I’m sorry I participated.”
“Thanks.”
Ellie reached her hand back and rested it awkwardly on Alec’s side until he took it in his own hand. They lay like that for a moment before Ellie gave up and turned toward him.
Alec released a breath he wasn’t aware he had been holding as Ellie curled up against his back. Her warmth, her soul, couldn’t be imitated, and that was what he loved most about her. Not that he loved her. Nope. Not at all. He just wanted to make sure she was okay and that Circe backed off. Oh, and they would have to get Hecate’s torches back at some point. These were problems for another day though, and right now he just wanted to curl up next to the woman he, uh, cared about deeply and sleep.
A blood-curdling scream ripped from Circe.
“That little bitch cast me out!” Venom dripped from Circe’s voice. “She’s going to pay for that if it’s the last thing I do!”
“Mistress?” Her undead servants had come running to aid their lady in her time of need.
She flung her arms across the table, reducing the remnants of the spell to debris on the patio as a vicious wind whipped around her servants.
“That little Scottish whore cast me out. I was in Alec’s bedroom, in his damned bed, and yet she was able to take control of her body again. The possession spell should have allowed me complete control until I chose otherwise, not her. She will pay for slighting me! They will all suffer!”
“Yes, Mistress!” They were cowering from her now. Most of them hadn’t seen her in one of these moods before. If Thing One was still with them, then it would understand, but that little witch had killed him, as well as taken back control just as she was enjoying herself.
“Get me more supplies!”
“Yes, Mistress!” They scurried off to retrieve what she needed to restart the possession spell. She would not be kept away from Alec just because of his new fling.
The mark on her wrist burned, and a flash of guilt momentarily drowned out anything else. She would be with her true love soon, and they would reign for all time. But for now she was going to have her fun—consequences be damned.
“Handmaiden!” Her newest addition to her household staff appeared from somewhere close by.
“Yes, my lady?” She was the freshest corpse Circe had ever brought back and was a pretty, little thing to boot. She had been so happy to be alive again Circe knew she would be completely loyal to her.
“Run me a bath, with lavender oil, and prepare the downstairs for a visitor.”
If her sense of Alec’s emotions was correct, then the siren brothers would come for her, and wouldn’t they be surprised at her new skill set? She would break each and every one of them, and Alec would be her personal plaything, at least until she tired of him.
Circe always wanted what she couldn’t have, or was
it that she wanted what was always taken away from her? A new wave of determination had taken hold, and she vowed to herself that she would see all descendants destroyed, especially that witch who had been blessed by Zeus.
Chapter 15
Hal pushed the chalk around the crossroads, making one of the most irritatingly complex summoning symbols he had ever seen. Gods, he needed to speak with Hecate, and he didn’t have time to jump halfway around the world to get to her cave and request a meeting. They had to talk to her about Circe. All he wanted to know was if Hecate had any way to separate herself from the torches, but that meant he had to draw this insane symbol. Still it was faster than jumping to her.
The brothers needed Circe weaker than she was right now. Hal saw what Ellie was like after her possession and didn’t want that for his brothers. Though they did have tattoos to prevent that in theory, it didn’t mean they worked perfectly. He was on the last line when his phone chirped. Hal fished it out of his pocket, knowing it had to be important for the brothers to interrupt him right now.
Ellie was possessed again when we left the island.
She’s fine now, was able to take back control through extreme emotion. Just an FYI: Circe has even more power than we thought.
Hal read the text from Alec twice before he scrubbed his face, turned the screen of his phone off, and slid it back into his pocket. If Circe had possessed Ellie again, then that meant either once she possessed you, through whatever means, then she would have control over you and could possess you at any time, or she was powerful enough to possess anyone at will, whenever she chose.
He much preferred the first option, at least then they might be dealing with restricted cases or something that would prevent mass amounts of people from being possessed. He had never been more grateful for the tattoos that they had to ward against such things. No time like the present to summon the goddess of magic and ask for her help in searching for her lost torches, he thought, straightening up.
Hal shook his head; she was the goddess of magic. Surely she was supposed to be able to find them herself and put the hurt on Circe? He and his brothers weren’t able to turn cases away though. They needed the gods on their side, or life could get very difficult. He picked up the chalk and finished drawing the line.
Standing in the middle of the symbol he had drawn in the most out-of-the-way crossroads he could find during the dead of night, Hal cursed his luck when he saw headlights coming his way. He would have to redraw the symbols and start again. He stepped to the side of the road, into the tall grasses out of sight of the motorist. When the lights slowed and stopped in the middle of the symbol, he realized it wasn’t a car at all.
Hecate stood in the middle of the symbol, her skin glowing like the moon as she looked around for who summoned her. Her white robes combined with her liquid ebony hair only emphasized her pale skin. Her dogs stood guard at her feet.
“My lady.” Hal stepped out of the grasses and bowed deeply.
Hecate turned toward him. He could clearly see the version of her that was present in this world and the two other versions that stood to each side of her. Normally, they would be holding the torches, but tonight they were empty-handed. Her rich, dark eyes burned into him.
A Doberman pinscher stood at attention at her side, the sleek black coat glistening in the glow radiating from her skin. The thing that made Hal do a double take though was the puppy, no, not puppy, just a miniature version of the Doberman that stood on Hecate’s other side. The two dogs stared at him, their black eyes reflecting the light eerily, as most of it was coming from their master.
“You are bold, son of the siren. Rise.” Her captivating voice spoke of long nights and dark spaces where gods did whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted.
Hal pulled himself out of the bow and looked her almost directly in the eye. He stared at her cheekbones, just below her actual eyes; he wanted to get a good read of her facial expressions without being seen as challenging her. Her lips were a dusky rose color, which he would bet was the same color as her blush—if she ever blushed.
“Thank you for coming, Hecate, most splendid goddess.”
“Enough with that. Tell me what you want, why you summoned me in such an old way.”
The two figures by her sides fell in line with her as she walked toward him, slowly merging into one being. The dogs were always a few steps in front to protect her from any harm he may bring to her. Rumor had it they were once her enemies, and instead of killing them, Hecate turned them into dogs that would only ever be loyal to her.
“My lady, I have come to speak with you about your torches.”
“You have found them.” The relief in her voice was palpable.
“We think so. However, it seems the witch Circe has them, and she is stronger than ever before with your torches. We humbly request your assistance in separating Circe from the torches or, if you would consider it, separating your own magic from the torches so we may have a chance at besting the witch and retrieving them for you.”
“Is that all?” she almost sneered at him but seemed to rein herself in at the last moment.
Hal wasn’t a fan of sarcasm. He liked things to be exactly what they were and for people to say what they meant.
“I know it is a lot to ask, my lady, but Circe is using your powers combined with her own against us. She has raised the dead, killed descendants of the gods, and taken possession of a friend of ours. When her powers combined with yours, she became more than we could handle on our own.” Hecate opened her mouth to protest, but Hal barreled on. “We are not at liberty to discuss your case with the other gods and goddesses without your permission, and most of them would prefer not to go up against yourself or Circe. We are trapped between two bad choices and beg for your assistance.”
Hecate stared at Hal for a while. When she didn’t respond, he started to get worried. “Please, my lady, any assistance you can provide would be appreciated.”
“I have been working on a way to extricate myself from the torches, or at least unlink my powers from them.” Hecate regarded him warily. “Do you have a safe place to discuss this? I would prefer to speak somewhere other than an open field.”
“Of course, my lady. If you would take my hand, I can transport us to our island; we are warded against any force listening or trying to view what happens there.”
“That would be better. Thank you.” Hecate slipped her hand in Hal’s, and the glow of her skin lessened as they came closer to each other.
Hal jumped them both to the island, which was blessedly close to the crossroads he had chosen.
“If my lady will follow me.” Hal bowed his head.
They arrived in the middle of a sprawling estate. Hecate could sense multiple beings spread over the island. Hal led her through a set of doors that opened to a grand foyer, beautiful enough to make a god jealous. The rich tapestries hung on the wall were probably worth a fortune in these modern times. Hecate had trouble keeping up most of the time, but she knew something ancient when she saw it. To the left of the foyer was a sitting room that Hal lead her to. He gestured for her to sit, but she was much too curious. Hecate wanted to see everything this man had in his home, as it was clearly his home.
“May I get you some refreshments?”
“Some wine would be nice.” She smiled at him. He was being so polite, and that in itself was a luxury she hadn’t experienced in a while. Living in the underworld—under Hades rule—generally meant polite behavior was out the window since you couldn’t afford to appear weak.
“I will return shortly. Please make yourself at home.”
Hecate delicately nodded at him as he departed. She began wandering around, looking at all the different items on his shelves: family photos, memorabilia, and books, so many books. Her dogs were getting agitated, pushing at her with their noses.
“I know, babies, but you didn’t trust each other when you first met, and now look at you. Best friends, just like I knew you would be.”
&nb
sp; With their anxiety momentarily quelled, they curled up in the middle of the room.
“My lady, an 1801 Chateau de Dieu.” He held the bottle out for her inspection like a waiter in a fancy restaurant.
“You don’t need to open that for me. I know how rare those bottles are.”
“I’ve been waiting for a reason, and I think having a goddess in my home qualifies.” He grinned at her, and her heart fluttered.
The cork popped out of the squat wine bottle. He offered Hecate the first glass and poured himself a much smaller version. Hecate smelled her wine, and a slow smile spread across her face.
“Well this is a rare blend indeed. It’s not often the gods will share their private drink with people.”
“How true. This is made in a very small winery in the south of France that specializes in certain… additives I thought you might appreciate.”
“Thank you, son of the siren.” Hecate inclined her head.
“You can call me Hal if you want.”
“Hal it is then,” she said with a warm smile.
“When you’re ready, I would love to discuss what you meant at the crossroads, but please don’t feel rushed.” Hal sat on the love seat and motioned for Hecate to have a seat across from him.
“I’m not sure if the spell will be successful, but I am the goddess of magic, so one would hope so. The core of the spell is to render the torches inert to anyone except myself, thereby removing them from Circe’s power even if they are still in her possession.” She sat opposite him and rearranged her gown, the shimmering white fabric making it look like she was covered in freshly fallen snow that had not yet been marred by humans.
“How close are you to knowing if it will work?”
“It’s hard to say. All magic should bend to my will, but with Circe having my torches, it’s like magic has flown out of control, and now I am trying to rein it back in. It takes time. It should not be much longer now though.” Shame roared through her. She hated that she couldn’t control her own magic anymore. “I wanted to try to test it on another human first, to see if Circe would survive being cut off from so much power so suddenly. However, since it could result in death, I don’t feel as though that is appropriate. Honestly, I would rather see Circe’s demise than anyone else’s.”