Paldimori Gods Rising Box Set

by T. L. Callahan

  My forehead dropped onto his shoulder as aftershocks continued to rock me. I was a limp noodle of satiated bliss and I hadn’t even gotten naked. Slowly my brain came back online enough to notice that something had changed. Chaos was rigid beneath me and not in the sexy kind of way. His hands no longer held me to him. He had put as much distance between our bodies as he could with me clinging to him. Reluctantly, I sat back. His face was concealed by shadows, but his words were all too clear.

  “I am glad to see you have stopped acting like a hysterical female, Potential,” Chaos mocked coldly. “After that performance, I would say that you are feeling much recovered from your little accident. Time to find your own room.”

  My heart still raced from what we had done, and he was already back to being a prick. I jerked off his lap so fast I almost fell over. Finding my footing, I tugged my shirt back down and folded my arms tightly across my chest. Hurt radiated through me. Why did I feel injured by the careless words of an arrogant bastard?

  I don’t! He’s hurt my pride, that’s all.

  Widening my stance, I lifted my head high. Arrogant orgasm-stealing fucktard!

  Smiling through bared teeth, I contemplated kicking him in the balls. Hopefully, they were blue and causing him lots of discomfort right now. What kind of man gets a woman off, then dismisses her? Instead of giving me a moment to bask in the glory of finding my O again, he treated me like a paid performer. No way was I going to let his arrogant head swell bigger by realizing he’d rocked my world back into orbit.

  “You know, I do feel much better,” I said. Stretching my arms over my head, I bowed my back like this was merely another type of warm-up. My lids lowered to watch his reaction as I pushed out my chest. Ah. Not so unaffected after all, are you? His eyes shot straight to my breasts and locked on. His hands gripped the edge of the bed as his gaze turned hungry.

  Turning abruptly on my heel, I made my way toward the door. “Your medical skills may be amazing,” I said over my shoulder, “but your bedside manner sucks. You might want to get some pointers from Eros.” Then I slammed the door closed before he could reply.

  Vindicated satisfaction filled me when something shattered inside the room behind me. My smile slipped away when I remembered how mad Eros had been. If he found out about this, he was going to kill me. I had practically painted honey on his back and set the angry bear on his trail. Though how did he expect me to keep my distance when he allowed me to get carted off to the bear’s cave?

  Now how the hell did I get out of here? Having to ask the savage beast for directions would totally ruin my exit. I had only taken a few steps when a shadow detached itself from the alcove of a doorway. Startled, I clutched a hand to my heart. Devon, stepped into the dim light.

  “Whew. You people really need to come with a warning system. Errrt! Danger Lia Davies! Danger!”

  My attempt at humor was lost on him. He grunted and walked past. I silently followed along behind him. The man intimidated people with a look, but as the leader of the guides, he likely knew a lot. “So, uh, this is an interesting place. I mean, a tower inside a mountain—that’s pretty amazing. I’ve noticed a lot of Greek influence in the architecture and artwork. Is that where you guys are from?”

  Devon picked up the pace instead of answering as if he couldn’t wait to get rid of me. It was too bad for him that my curiosity was piqued; I could be persistent when I wanted something. “This area of the tower seems to be a bit older than the other parts I’ve seen. When was it built?”

  “You talk too much,” he rumbled. Whether it was the post-orgasmic bliss or having met my quota of stoic men for the day, I snorted in amusement. Cupping a hand over my mouth, I tried to smother my laughter with a cough. He sighed as if he was a martyr for having to put up with me. Then, to my shock, he actually responded. “This is the oldest section, built around 1211 BCE. The Chaos at that time left Greece during the Dark Ages. He brought his people here.”

  Finally, someone had answered a question! But what did he mean “the Chaos at that time?” I had a dozen questions, but they were quickly forgotten when we stepped through an open archway.

  A large rectangular courtyard stretched out before us. A stone pathway led deeper into the courtyard, beckoning me to follow it. The path meandered through patches of grass where large trees grew, their limbs heavy with fruit or nuts. The wind suddenly swirled around me and raced through the trees, causing them to sway. A tinkling sound overhead filled the air. Hanging amongst the branches were dozens of chimes. I reached out to set one spinning.

  Darkened archways lined every wall of the courtyard on ground level. Potted flowers in a variety of colors hung down from a second-floor balcony above the colonnaded walkway. Did all of the Kyrion live here? No. Molly had said something about them having their own floor. If this was Chaos’s floor, then were those rooms for his family?

  What if he’s married? Maybe he has a dozen kids stashed around here. My stomach dropped at that thought. No more kissing or anything else. Chaos was off-limits.

  I continued along the path, brushing my fingers against the various herbs scattered along the walkway. Plucking a sprig of rosemary, I rubbed it between my fingers, the savory smell mixing with the sweet scent of the flowers.

  The walkway led to an open area with an oblong pool in the center. Rock seat-walls about waist height were spaced around the pool area, the top of which contained beds of small black rocks. A giant black statue similar to the one from the throne room kneeled beside the water, and I felt myself strangely drawn to it.

  As I walked between two of the seat-walls fire whooshed to life as though a chain reaction had been ignited. The heat from the flames was intense as they shot up at least eight feet into the air. It was scenes like this that always ended badly for the female in horror films. My life could stay firmly in the drama category—no horror needed. Shielding my face, I rushed toward the statue putting distance between myself and the flames as they slowly shrank to a more normal size.

  The starbursts within the black marble of the statue twinkled in the light of the fire, drawing me nearer. White eyes peeked out at me from swirls of flowing hair that obscured his face, their depths conveying a deep sadness. Streams of water fell from the statue’s eyes like tears into his cupped hands and slid with a soft burble into the pool below. Even in his kneeling form, the figure towered several feet above my head. Tentatively, I placed my hand on his huge corded forearm, his form so well defined I could see the tension in every muscle. I leaned forward to splash my face and let the fresh water wash away the dirt, immediately feeling less itchy.

  The smooth marble seemed to flex beneath my grip, and I found myself reluctant to remove my hand. It was almost as if the statue were coming alive beneath my touch. As if we were kindred spirits connected by a deep well of anguish, I wanted to comfort him.

  Hesitantly, I reached up to place my hand over the location of his heart. Surely, that couldn’t be a heartbeat, could it? My only desire at the moment was to help him. Tendrils of fire licked at the base of my spine and spread along my back. My skin ached from the heat that seemed to be building higher. If I could just reach . . .

  A startled exclamation broke my concentration. Whirling around, I found Devon standing close behind me. He looked at the statue then at me, his eyes wide in shock. Something smooth and cold pressed against the aching skin of my back in a quick caress. I sighed as the burning feeling receded. Glancing over my shoulder, there was nobody there but the statue. Strange.

  I turned back to Devon, but he had already schooled his face into its usual blank expression. “Come along, Potential Davies. The Kyrion have arranged entertainment for tonight’s dinner. You don’t want to be late. Again.”

  “But . . .” For some reason, all I wanted was for him to go away and leave me alone with the statue. Devon’s massive hand wrapped around my bicep before I could form an excuse that didn’t sound completely crazy. He all but dragged me to the elevator at the far end of the courtyar
d. When we got in, my gaze immediately sought out the statue. Just before the doors slid closed, I swear those white eyes looked right at me.

  14

  Day two of training. Hopefully, we were done with the earthquakes. Despite the dried blood that had coated my thigh, nothing more than a large scratch and some bruises had been found. That didn’t mean it was an experience that I would ever forget or wanted to repeat. Much like dinner last night.

  Molly had escorted me to dinner in one of the upper levels where a large amphitheater took up the whole floor. The Kyrion had sat on black thrones in front of the stage, while servants dressed in black flitted around them offering food and drink. Deep rows of stone steps were piled with pillows in the House colors. Short wooden tables sat several feet apart along each row, laden with food for the guides and contestants.

  Nikki, who had been lying across a mountain of pillows while a young man fed her grapes, squealed when she saw me. Then I was suffocated by her strong strawberry scent and the chokehold on my neck as she hugged me. She regaled Molly and me with a play-by-play of Chaos’s heroics as we settled onto a section of pillows. She hadn’t been very subtle in her attempts to find out what had happened after we’d left together. My guess was this new “friendship” of ours was about her need to be the star of the show. Next time maybe she could be the one falling into the hole. My head was pounding by the time she bounced away to return to her fan club.

  Kade and Grace had also stopped by to check on me. My eyes had been drooping by the time the show started. A group of actors in gray robes filed onto the stage, their heads covered in big wooden helmet-like masks with exaggerated expressions. They told the story of the descendants of the gods and how they were betrayed. The traditional Greek tragedy would have been fascinating if I could have managed to stay awake. But it was a pointless battle.

  I don’t know how much time had passed when something woke me. The room was darker and nearly empty. My eyes were drifting closed again when movement caught my attention. A lone actor still in costume stood several feet away. The laughing mask looked sinister in the low lighting. However, it was the snake swaying hypnotically by my feet that caused my heart to miss a beat as my body went rigid in fear.

  The black neck had flared as its tongue flicked out, its beady black eyes watching me intently. Its mouth opened to reveal horrifying fangs.

  From out of nowhere, a massive golden-brown dog grabbed the snake in its jaws as it struck at me. The dog had shaken the snake violently before tossing it into the air. The snake flew over three rows of seats to land by the edge of the stage where it lay barely moving. A wet nose nudged my arm. The explosion of breath that left my lungs as the tension released was like a signal that started an enthusiastic game of lick-the-lady.

  When Chaos found us, I had been laughing hysterically as I playfully fought off doggy kisses. He’d restrained the dog, whose name was Axol, while I recapped what had happened. Chaos had rewarded Axol—who happened to be his dog—with lots of petting and praise. My heart had melted a little. Who didn’t appreciate a man that was kind to animals?

  Chaos had said something to Axol, and the dog obediently lay down. Then Chaos knelt beside me as he checked me over for bites. His calloused fingers moved over my skin causing me to hold my breath for an entirely different reason. Axol watched us, ears pricked, probably hoping this was a fun new game. When Chaos pulled me to my feet, I swayed into him, and he held me until I found my balance. Instead of savoring his strong arms, I focused on where the creepy actor had been. The spot was now empty. Had they been trying to warn me about the snake? If so, why hadn’t they said something or gotten help?

  Needless to say, my sleep last night hadn’t been restful.

  My already grouchy mood this morning was now rapidly devolving to homicidal as Molly tortured me again.

  “Use that anger, Lia. Power through,” Molly commanded.

  “You sadistic bitch!” I bit out savagely. “I’ll show you anger . . . when I plant my foot . . . in your ass!”

  “Yep, you’re gonna stomp a mud hole in my ass. Got it,” she said dismissively. “Last set. Now focus!”

  “Ahhh! You . . . you insane . . . sadistic . . . motherfuckingcocksucker!”

  Molly ignored my ranting. Days ago, I would have been mortified over my outburst. The calm and reasonable Lia had begun to unravel under the siege back home. Now here on the island the last threads that held rational business woman Lia together were being cut. There was no quiet or routine to help me find sturdy ground. Everything about this place seemed to tug at what was buried beneath the surface, dredging up instincts from that dark time in my life when I learned that you were either a victim or the aggressor. I had been both.

  Dead eyes stared accusingly at me. Blood coated my hands. No! Don’t think about it.

  My highway was broken and so was I. All these years I had feared the emotions that had sent me down a path of darkness and destruction. But I had given up so much more than emotions when I buried that time in my life. I’d also buried hard-won lessons and instincts developed on the streets that had kept me alive. And some of those were coming to my aid now.

  I finished the set of cable rows and shakily worked my way over to a bench to sit down.

  “You did well.” Molly sat down beside me and handed me a towel. “How’re you feeling?”

  Burying my head in the towel to soak up my sweat, I labored to get my breathing under control. “I hate you,” I mumbled into the towel.

  “Ah, doing ok then. You’ll thank me later.”

  The sounds of gym equipment being put to work filled the air as we sat in silence. Molly had pried me out of bed at some ungodly hour to hit the gym before everyone else. She had started me off at a much slower pace, probably out of consideration for any injuries from the accident. She had been just as surprised as me to find that my injuries were so minor. I should have kept that to myself. The kiddie gloves came off, and she worked me over until my legs shook like Jell-O.

  Stretching my sore muscles, I took note of who was trickling in for their own workouts. Kade nodded hello as he did leg presses several machines down from me. Grace sat in a chair by his side, knitting. I waved to them both. She had stopped by last night to bring me chicken noodle soup and fuss over me for an hour like the den mother Molly had claimed her to be. I’d forced myself to choke down the soup, even though I loathe the stuff. Blame it on my mother who believed in its healing abilities so much that she made me live on it for weeks when I was ten.

  Under the guise of continuing my stretches, I turned to watch Devon working with Maya on some kind of ab machine. My gaze roamed on to where Nikki sat on a machine that worked her thighs open and closed. Her guide was the girl with purple-black hair dressed like an emo. She stood over the blonde chatterbox with her arms crossed, glaring threateningly at the two men across from them. Brant the Grouch leaned insolently against the rock wall at the back of the gym area, openly eyeing the blonde like a pirate who had spotted a treasure he was going to plunder. His Potential, Chris, seemed to at least be attempting to keep his eyes to himself as he powered a rowing machine. He looked to be losing the battle, though, as his gaze flickered repeatedly in her direction. His cheeks heated a bright red when he saw me watching him. I shrugged in a what-can-you-do gesture. Nikki was beautiful, and he was a guy. He ducked his head and focused intently on the floor. The poor kid was going to strain something.

  The remaining duo of the scary-looking tattooed guide and Mikhail the Lothario were the only ones missing.

  “He isn’t here,” Molly said. “Chaos, I mean.”

  Busted. Was I that obvious? Why was I even looking for him? The man was a moody bastard. “Good! He’s a damn infuriating man and for some reason seems to have it out for me.”

  “True. I’ve never seen Chaos act this way. He seems to hate you.” She looked at me thoughtfully. “But I wonder if it really is hate he’s feeling.” She hesitated a moment as if she wasn’t sure she should say anythin
g further. Then she said in a rush, “You were really in his room? And you touched the statue? No one else has been on that floor, other than Devon, in forever.”

  I gave a reluctant nod. I didn’t want to talk about Chaos or the statue. Even though Chaos was an asshat of the highest order, everyone was entitled to their privacy. As for the statue . . . There had been a connection made when I touched it like there was something alive under that hard exterior. It roused a possessive and protective side of me. Thankfully Molly seemed to understand my reluctance to talk and didn’t push me on it.

  “Since we’re done here, I want you to meet Ninny and Saam.” Molly smiled at me, her eyes bright with excitement.

  “I would love to meet them,” I said. “Uh, who are they?”

  She laughed and stood up. “My horses. Well, they belong to the House of Arrows, but I raised them. C’mon.”

  Molly headed off with an enthusiastic bounce in her step. It was entertaining to see the transformation from drill sergeant to excited kid. It had me wondering again what her story was. Smiling, I started after her, but bumped into someone. “Oh, I’m sorry—”

  “I won’t let you win, you know. I expected the big-mouthed one to use sex as a tool. I see now that I assessed you incorrectly.” Maya stood with her hands on her hips, a stern expression on her face. “You are no match for me physically, but I did not account for manipulation. I have made adjustments in my strategy. I will win that money. Stay away from my Kyrion.”