by Juanita Kees
“I’m okay, thank you. I’m glad I got to her in time.” She avoided his eyes, but he didn’t miss the flicker of fear there.
“I do not have enough words to thank you, kyria.”
She bent and clasped her knees, shaking a little.
“Can I get you anything?” He tried again.
The woman shook her head. Earlier, when he’d met her on the beach, she’d been relaxed, glowing and even a little smug, but now her face grew grey and haunted. “No, no, thank you.”
“Please, let us take you to a doctor. It is the least we can do to show our gratitude.” No matter how much she’d angered him earlier with her lustful perusal of his body, he could forgive her now — for Ermioni and Helen’s sakes.
The woman raised a hand to her head as if it hurt to keep upright. “That’s very kind of you but no, thank you. I … I need to go … to my room.”
In a flash, her friend was there, her arm around the woman’s shoulders. “I’m glad your little girl is safe, but Arian needs rest. She’s had quite a shock.”
Arian? Could this be the Faerie Queen? The one he was meant to protect? “Yes, yes, of course, I understand.” Disappointment flooded him. He’d failed his first test. He hadn’t protected her or Ermioni from Hades, hadn’t even realised who she was.
He watched as the two women stopped to say something to Helen, who reached out and kissed their cheeks. Then they were walking away and an emptiness filled Jax’s heart and mind far worse than any he’d felt in two thousand years. All this time and still he was a coward.
“You are not a coward, Ajax the Great. You could not have saved Ermioni from Hades. She was bait.” Helen touched his arm. “It’s you he wants. He would have taken them to hell, knowing you’d follow.”
“How could I have followed when I’d frozen like the coward I am? Again, I am a failure. I’d rather he take me and end this nonsense.”
“No, Zeus has given you a second chance and you should take that. No-one blamed you for what happened after Troy. Athena is to blame for intoxicating you and scrambling your mind. Zeus has dealt with her as she deserves.”
“Why then did the entire army laugh at me?” The pain and humiliation of his misdeeds resurfaced. “Odysseus spat at my feet. I am a coward not worthy of his friendship, not even after two thousand years. I stood and watched today while Ermioni nearly drowned. I feared Hades so much I could not save her life.”
“Your powers are weakened and he took advantage of that. Ermioni is alive. Someone did save her, someone who has powers to resist his evil. Who is she, Ajax?”
“My next test, I believe. Her name is Arianrhod, and she is Queen of Paradise — or at least, she will be soon.” Anguish squeezed his heart. If she’d been weaker and unable to resist the evil, Hades would have won the battle for Paradise without even trying too hard.
Helen laid a small, soft hand over his big one. “This is not good, file mou. You will need to find a way to protect her … and yourself. She has put herself in danger by saving Ermioni today. I fear Hades will be a challenge to you finding your way out of Purgatory but he is a true and present danger to the queen.”
“Yes,” he said, quietly accepting his fate. Could this be his redemption? Could he truly protect this woman from the devil? “I think this will be a battle far more challenging than Troy.”
“This time you must not fall on your sword. There is a lesson to be learned. That’s why Zeus has given you another chance.”
“I know and I won’t disappoint him again. What about you, my dear friend, Helen of Troy? I wonder why Zeus has brought you back.”
Helen shrugged. “Why did he have me cast out as a traitor and adulteress?” Resignation weighed heavily in her tone. Their battle for redemption had only just begun.
They sat on the sand in silence, holding the little girl close between them, a chieftain and a traitor returned to the modern world to seal their fate and right the wrongs of their past.
***
Hell and damnation. Hades paced the beach on Santorini, cursing his run of bad luck. Who was the idiot who’d come between him and his target? Those cursed words she’d conjured had burned right through him, damn it. They’d weakened him in a way he hadn’t been in centuries, not since that damned Welsh Faerie Queen Arianrhod had crossed his path back when the Earth was younger.
Could this be her offspring? Could he accidently have stumbled upon the missing Queen of Paradise? Surely not. Yet she carried the sickening heavenly scent of goodness and purity. If she was the errant ruler, it was bloody inconvenient for her to show up now when he’d only just begun to gain control of her queendom.
This had to be the work of Zeus, always interfering in his bloody plans, exactly as he had when he’d sent Ajax the Great to Earth instead of Paradise. As if changing the name from Paradise to Leuke would make a difference, or hide it from him. Zeus’ attempt at diversion in the wake of the missing queen had failed miserably because he’d found it in the end, extracted the co-ordinates from Arianrhod’s mind before it wasted away along with her body in the curse of mortality — old age.
Eye on the target, he reminded himself. He’d have to find another way. Ajax the Great’s soul would be his. Once a coward, always a coward — it was the only way he’d get him through the gates of hell then into the fray to fight for the reign of Paradise. All Hades had to do was make sure the woman didn’t cross either of their paths again.
Chapter Two
Music pounded through the Paradise Club as bodies swayed to the rhythm of Greece’s latest rock sensation. Filled to capacity, there was no room to breathe. Arian and Penny edged their way out and headed outside away from the crush for the quieter edges of the terrace. Below them, the ocean reflected the light of the full moon as it lapped at the sand.
“How are you feeling?” asked Penny.
“Better. What a shock though. I’m glad I could find her. I don’t know, Penny. It was strange. I don’t know what I saw, but I tell you, I was damn terrified.” Arian shuddered. “I don’t want to think about it anymore. I want to forget. That’s why we’re here, right? To get over Craig and Simon, and to enjoy our freedom for a while.” Arian swirled the swizzle stick in her Greek Tiger, then licked the orange juice off it. Far too much juice and far too little ouzo, she thought.
“Well, I’m bloody proud of you, buddy. Do you realise that’s the first time you’ve been in the sea since Timmy’s accident?” Penny sucked on the twist of lime from the edge of her glass and took a swig sans the straw. She pulled a face as the bitterness of the lime mixed with the orange juice. “Ugh, that’s gross. Can I have your slice of lime?”
The accident … every time she thought about it, it hurt. The years since had not dulled the ache. Regret and what ifs could never bring her little brother back to life. Arian shook off the melancholy and smacked Penny’s hand away as she reached across to lift it from the rim of her glass. “No. I thought you said it’s gross, so why the hell would you want it? Did you hear what I said?”
“Yeah, yeah. And I like limes, just not with orange juice.” Penny waved a careless hand. “So, are we going to have crazy rebound sex with some Greek god and forget about happy-ever-after? At least we’ll have memories of Mediterranean hotness.”
Arian sighed. “After today, I think I’ve had enough excitement to last a lifetime. Besides, the only man I could settle for is a god and, as you keep telling me, they’re a myth.”
“Seriously? You believe that crap?”
“Why wouldn’t I? Fairytales were my life until Gran died. She’d always make up stories of how she and I are descendants of the mythical Welsh goddess, Arianrhod, honoured at full moon for her beauty, rumoured to be the Faerie Queen of fertility and reincarnation.” Arian sighed. “If only it were true. Paradise sounded ... well, like Paradise, I guess.”
“Where is the fun in perfect?” Penny scoffed. “Take a look around you, hon. This is as good as it gets.”
The ouzo finally joined the orange juice
in the straw and Arian sucked hard. Her head spun a little as the alcohol soared through her system. “Maybe if it existed, Timmy would still be alive, like Ermioni.” Sadness tugged at her heart for a moment. Her dad had never been the same after Timmy drowning. His easy smile had faded and his eyes carried the pain of a man who’d failed his family. “Maybe the perfect man for me only exists in an alternate universe.”
Penny grinned. “There’s nothing wrong with Aussie men.”
“I never said there was. If only all men were like Hugh Jackman, it would be so easy.”
“Couldn’t agree more, but when have you ever settled for easy? Hey, speaking of superheroes and marriageable men … isn’t that Mr Hot down there on the beach? His mate’s not too bad either.”
Arian allowed her gaze to follow the length of sand below. Her heart skipped a beat as the two men came into view. Man-god from the beach was dressed for clubbing and if the moulded bathers had done him justice, the smooth black pants and navy shirt, unbuttoned and flapping in the gentle breeze, sent him right over the danger point on the Hot-o-Meter. She breathed in the bitterness of ouzo, and choked.
The sting of alcohol burned her throat and sneaked up her nose as she coughed and thrust her drink at Penny. With a hand over her mouth and tears streaming from her eyes, heaving with the effort to breathe, she bent over at the waist.
“Jeez, Arian, are you okay?” Penny patted her back. “Oh my God, you’re choking. Help, someone!”
Arian waved a hand at her, trying to catch a breath. The sound of running on the tiled terrace reached her ears as dizziness threatened to swallow her into blackness. A pair of sandy bare feet appeared in her watery line of vision, followed by strong muscular thighs cling-wrapped in smooth black pants.
Warm fingers wrapped around her chin and lifted her head gently. “Look at me, kyria.”
Arian obeyed the velvet tones and raised her red-rimmed eyes to his. The impact of his gaze had the same result as a shot of adrenaline, and she found herself sucking in a well-needed breath. With each moment his eyes held hers, the contracted muscles of her throat eased and the sting of alcohol up her nose abated. Warm hands stroked her neck, down across her shoulders, followed the length of her arms to capture her hands.
Much later she would wonder how, why. Now, as the sting flowed through her veins and out her fingertips into his hands, she could only thank God for the fresh air that swirled in her tortured lungs.
“Straighten up now, slowly ...” His deep, accented voice flowed through her with the smoothness of warm chocolate on a fountain. “No, keep your eyes on mine.”
Arian stood, swaying a little as the blood that had rushed to her head when she’d bent over drained back into her body. She took a deep breath and released it slowly. “Thank you.”
He smiled. “You’re welcome. Okay now?”
“Yes, thank you … um … I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name on the beach earlier today?”
“Jax … Jax Polemistis.”
His fingers stroked hers with a gentle rhythm and Arian had trouble remembering her own name. “Arian … Arian Kendrick.”
Jax took a small step back and bowed without releasing her hands. “Arianrhod, Faerie Queen and Restorer of Souls. I’m glad I saved yours tonight. We are even, it seems.”
Arian’s head spun from the contact of his warm palms on hers. “Yes, equal,” she rasped, her throat raw from the burn of ouzo. Realising he still held her hands, and aware of the tingling message her reawakened hormones transmitted, she slid her fingers from his. Putting her hands behind her back, away from temptation, she said, “Thank you, Mr Polemistis.”
“It’s Jax. Stick to the Fluffy Ducks.” He picked up the shoes he’d dropped earlier and turned to walk away. “Come, Odys. I need a drink.”
The girls watched them retreat. He had a really nice, firm butt, and Arian had felt the muscles in his arms out in the sea today, but she didn’t want to think about that. What had her attention was the connection she’d felt when he’d touched her, as if they were bound somehow. The sizzle and pop where their fingertips touched and the tattoo her heart beat against her ribs when she’d looked into his eyes. Did his lips taste good? If she’d kissed him, would he have kissed her back?
Arian, what the hell are you thinking? Time to lay off the ouzo. Clearly it was messing with her mind.
A little way down the terrace, Jax turned his head and looked directly at Arian. I’ll see you around.
Arian gasped.
Jax raised two fingers to his temple in a mock salute and suddenly Arian had difficulty breathing for another reason altogether. Heat shafted through her as she heard his voice — as clear as day and as sexy as hell — in her mind.
“Oh. My. God. Arian, what the hell happened just there? That was the weirdest bit of first aid I’ve ever seen. Wow, there were like ... sparks between the two of you.”
“I wish I knew. His eyes … he ...” Arian sat down on the cool tiles of the terrace, her shaking legs no longer able to hold her. “He read my mind.”
“He what?” Penny sat down beside her.
A cool breeze whipped up around them as Arian willed her hands to stop trembling. “I was thinking what a nice arse he had and I heard his voice in my head telling me he’d see me around.”
“Jesus, are you serious? Are you sure someone didn’t spike your drink? Maybe with the lack of oxygen —”
Arian shook her head.
Penny stared at her for a long moment. “Okay, after what I saw happen back there, I can believe it. Weird.”
“Weird isn’t the word I’d use. When he held my hands, I could feel this force pulling at me. The moment I looked into his eyes, my throat opened and I could breathe. I swear I felt that ouzo drain out of my fingertips.” She wiggled her fingers to rid them of the tingling sensation that lingered.
“Well, there certainly was a little spark there. Do you think you might be attracted to him?”
Arian thought for a moment. “I’d be lying if I said no, but this was more than attraction. More like a connection.”
Penny sighed. “Well, that’s not a bad thing then.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you were too entranced to notice but your Greek god ...” Penny paused while Arian dropped her hand and focused on her friend’s face. “Judging from his sexy accent, he’s as Melbournian as tzatziki with a little Vegemite on the side.”
***
“Don’t even think about it, Odysseus.” Down the terrace from where the girls sat, Jax dusted the sand from his feet with his socks.
“Ah, come now. You wouldn’t be scared of a little competition would you, mate?”
He shook his head. “I’m in enough trouble as it is. I don’t need a woman around to complicate things. Surely Zeus could have found me an Earth war to fight instead? I’m a warrior, not a bloody babysitter. For gods’ sakes man, she can’t even handle alcohol.”
After what Athena had done to him, he’d vowed never to fall under a woman’s spell again. No way would he break that vow now, no matter how beautiful Ermioni’s rescuer was or that he’d be spending quite some time protecting her from the devil himself.
Odys chuckled and slapped Jax on the shoulder. “With your weakness for redheads with skin like silk and eyes as green as the grass on Olympus? The chips are down. I give you a week before you fall so hard Hades will wonder what shook the foundations of hell.”
“Well you know where you can put your bets, don’t you? I’ve avoided the so-called love trap for over two thousand years. In all that time I’ve seen nothing but devilry and mischief from womankind. They lure you in, use your body and cast you aside with a stake in your heart. I doubt a Faerie Queen will prove any different.”
He pulled on his socks and slipped his feet into his shoes. With nimble fingers he buttoned his shirt, rolling his wide shoulders against the smooth fabric.
Sure he was attracted. When he’d held her in his arms as he’d pulled them to shore,
she’d fitted against him like the missing part to the jigsaw puzzle he was. In another lifetime, he wouldn’t have hesitated to seduce her and love her so completely she’d forget the real world existed, but this was the here and now. He no longer deserved a good woman or love. Not until he’d found a way to pay his debt to Zeus for being taken by Athena’s wiles. And then there was Hades … he’d rather face ten Athenas than walk the path to hell with the devil.
He shrugged off the feeling of foreboding and ignored the sting of sulphur in the air. “Anyway, there is no competition. One dance with me, and she won’t know you exist.”
Odys smoothed a hand over his curly brown hair and pulled the length of it out of his shirt collar. “Is that a challenge?”
Jax shot him an irritated look. “Everything with you is a challenge. Hands off.”
“My friend, remember the last time that jealousy of yours raised its ugly head? It didn’t end well. I have no desire to be pulling a sword from your chest again.”
“I don’t recall asking you to do it the first time. Besides, I think you’re fairly safe there since Zeus has it locked up securely in the vault beneath the floor of the house in Oakleigh, along with the Shield of Achilles.” Jax rolled down the sleeves of his shirt and buttoned the cuffs. Adjusting his shirt tails, he said grumpily, “I don’t want to think about it anymore. I need to replenish my energy. That girl sure packs a punch and I need a drink. Just not ouzo, though. There’s enough in my system now to last me a while, and that dose reeked of trouble.”
Odys chuckled. “You can’t avoid the subject forever, my friend. Sooner or later, you’ll have to face up to why you’re here.”
“Let’s make it later, yes?” Jax tilted his head towards the end of the terrace where Arian and Penny walked towards the doors of Paradise Club. “I think we should keep an eye on the two girls tonight. I have a feeling we’ll have a battle on our hands before the night’s over.”
“You’re sensing trouble already? Here I thought we were going to have a quiet night for a change.” Odys sighed.