Maya bumped me again as she walked past to rejoin the ever-expressionless Devon. She hadn’t said more than a few words since we arrived, and the first thing she does is threaten me. Was that what everyone thought? That I was having sex with Chaos to win the Game? It never crossed my mind. Besides, that man was nobody’s fool. If she thought he could be manipulated, she was underestimating him. And me. I was here to win, and that’s what I planned to do.
I caught up with Molly as she entered the far end of the woods. The lush canopy blocked out the light as soon as we stepped into the tree line. The temperature dropped a few degrees, and I shivered in my damp workout gear. We maneuvered through the tightly packed forest that smelled of moist earth and green things, Molly leading the way as we pushed aside damp foliage and carefully chose a path over rocky ground.
We had walked for several minutes when we came to a particularly rough area. I watched as Molly picked her way across large rocks down a narrow, sloped passage. She jumped to solid ground at the bottom and waved at me to cross. Bracing my hand against the rough trunk of a massive tree, I climbed up on the first rock and followed her.
Oh, shit!
About half way down my foot slipped on one of the smaller rocks, causing a cascade of pebbles to tumble down. I jumped to the next rock seconds before the one I’d been standing on shifted and tumbled down the passage. The rumbling sounded extremely loud in the quiet forest. My hands shook as adrenaline from the close call surged through me. I made it the rest of the way down without further incident, but Molly was no longer in sight.
“Molly?” I walked left then right, hoping to catch sight of her. “Molly, where are you?”
The forest had been eerily quiet on our walk, but now there was a rustling in the distance. Suddenly a branch snapped close by, making me jump.
“Haha, you scared the city girl. Good one, Molly,” I called nervously. “Come on out now.”
I expected to see Molly step from behind one of the tall trees with that signature grin in place. Instead, there was a groan, followed by a slithering sound like something being dragged across the forest floor. Every beat of my heart pounded out an alert signal whispering of danger as I stood in rigid silence. There was something out there.
A spindly root shot from the ground and coiled around my wrist. My scream was part surprise mixed with fright. Pain shot through my knees as the root tugged me to the ground. My wrist burned as I twisted in its grasp trying to free myself. Damp, hairy shoots slithered along my skin, bringing back thoughts of my snake encounter.
I shuddered. What the hell is happening?
“Let go, you stupid hairy thing!” I grunted. More roots broke through the ground and slithered toward me. With my free hand, I pried at the root around my wrist. Nothing was working. Grabbing the root, I pulled it toward me, using the leverage to get back to my feet. Then kicked at another root as it attempted to grab my foot. The root around my wrist was trying to use my twisting about to wrap around me.
“Oh no, you don’t. I’ve seen Anaconda.” Ducking under the root, I got both hands wrapped around it and tugged. The root pulled back, cutting my hands as I was yanked to my knees once more. Blood from my cuts smeared against the root and a zap like static electricity sparked between my hands.
The roots dropped to the ground, now still. Frantically, I looked around for the next threat. And let loose another scream as a hand gripped my shoulder. My fist swung out, and Molly barely leaped back in time to avoid a broken nose.
“Whoa, Lia, it’s me. Are you ok?” Molly held her palms out. Then gaped at me in disbelief as she took in my bleeding wrist and hands. “Oh, gods. What happened to you now?”
The adrenaline rush fled, and I wilted to the ground like a popped balloon. I buried my head in my hands mumbling about killer forests and bad dreams. There may have been some pleading to bring back the sexy-time dreams of Chaos. Anything was better than poisonous snakes and possessed roots. At least, in those dreams all I had to deal with was a condescending asshat.
A throat cleared above me, and someone laughed. Uhh, please tell me that I didn’t say that out loud. My gaze traveled up firm legs braced wide only a foot in front of me, then further up to the stony face of Chaos. He unclenched the fists at his sides to offer me his hand and pulled me to my feet. My shaky knees buckled, and he shifted his hands to cup my elbows to keep me from falling.
“Should have let the ground swallow me,” I mumbled to myself.
Molly laughed. Finally, my legs felt solid enough to hold me, and I moved away from Chaos. Those firm hands tightened briefly before he dropped them. His eyebrows slammed down in a fierce scowl as I wrapped my arms around my waist. We weren’t friends. We didn’t even like each other. He had no reason to be all scowly faced. Besides, I was still mad at him for the way he had treated me in his bedroom. He looked on the verge of saying something that would probably start an argument, so I walked away. My steps faltered for a moment as I noticed not only Eros but also Gaia had joined us.
“The ground did not try to swallow you,” Chaos called out. “This island has a very rare form of plant that acts much like a Venus Fly Trap. I am sure that is what you stumbled upon, Potential Davies.”
I turned back to him, sarcasm dripping from my voice. “Rare man-eating plant, huh? What’s it called? I’d like to look it up when I get back home. You know, for posterity.”
He crossed his arms and stared at me disdainfully. “It has a long scientific name which I am sure you would never recall. Do not go wandering around the woods by yourself and you will have nothing else to fear.” He stalked toward me, invading my personal space again. “Now tell me what happened. In detail.”
I was forced to recount the incident several times while cleaning my cuts with a damp cloth that Molly seemed to have pulled out of thin air. Nope, I didn’t want to know; my quota on crazy was filled. Chaos pushed for more details. Damn infuriating man, I’d told him a million times. Finally, I snapped at him that if he wanted more then maybe he should talk to the damn man-eating plant. My cuts were aching. My knees were raw. Somewhere it was five o’clock, and they were serving margaritas. That’s where I wanted to be right now.
Everyone had gone quiet at my comment about talking to the plant. Chaos and Gaia seemed to be having some kind of non-verbal communication. She regally nodded to Chaos and then left. Good riddance! The woman had scowled at me the whole time while implying this had all been a bid to get attention. She needed a hobby, preferably far away from me.
Molly handed me a water bottle. Greedily, I gulped down the cool water. The others were arguing over what to do with me as if I wasn’t here. Chaos suggested that Molly take me back to my room and tie me up for everyone’s safety.
That’s it!
I marched over to Chaos and dumped the rest of the water over his head. He blinked at me for a stunned moment before wiping a hand down his face. Molly and Eros’s mouths dropped open looking at me like I was a crazy person. I felt like it, actually. Chaos stepped forward until the toes of his shoes nudged mine, those dark eyes burning with anger. “Very mature, Potential Davies.”
“So is threatening to tie me down, and talking about me like I’m not here. I decide what’s best for me. Got it?” My palms ached to smack that infuriating superiority from his face.
“I am responsible for everyone on this island. If I deem it necessary to tie you to my bed, then that is exactly what will happen.” He leaned forward until only inches separated us.
My tongue darted out to lick my lips as I leaned in as well, something besides anger starting to fill me. His eyes traced the movement, their depths burning with an intensity that shot adrenaline back into my system. “No one said anything about your bed. The only way you could get me there is by tying me down.”
His eyes flared as he leaned closer. “There were no ropes last night. Yet I seem to recall you clinging to me as you—”
“Uh, sorry to interrupt.” Molly tugged at my arm. “But if it’s all ri
ght, I thought I could take Lia—I mean, Potential Davies—to the meadow. I can take care of her hands. She can relax there before the race just as well as she could in her room. If you’re still joining the race, that is?”
Chaos and I stared at each other a moment, neither of us moving. His eyes dropped to my lips once more. Then he turned and walked away. “Do what you will.”
Molly whistled. “Holy hotness, Batman. I thought you two were going to get it on right here.”
“Molly.” Eros’s voice was reproachful.
She shrugged. “What? The I-want-to-rip-your-clothes-off force is strong with those two, Luke.”
Eros sighed and turned to me. “You are well enough to race?”
“Yeah, I’m feeling better. I’ll be fine.” I smiled at him in reassurance, feeling surprisingly amped up. Huh, I guess fighting with Chaos was good for something.
“I’ll see you in a couple of hours then.” Eros smiled evilly. “Ever raced a chariot before?”
“What?” Alarm shot through me. “Aren’t we racing on foot again?”
“Nope. Chariot racing takes lots of practice, and that’s the first competition,” Molly said, heading into the forest again. “C’mon, you need to get to know the horses.”
15
The horse meadow was a beautiful, peaceful spot. Lush green grass dotted with purple flowers covered the expansive area and a small stream ran through the center of it. Horses of various colors and sizes nipped lazily at the grass. Foals romped and played by the stream. I could understand now why Molly said this was her favorite place.
She introduced me to a gray-and-white Appaloosa that she called Ninny due to her goofy puppy-dog behavior. The other she introduced as Saam, aka Stubborn as a Mule. He was a reddish-brown color and tended to stomp his hoof like an obstinate child when he didn’t get his way. Molly cooed to them and rubbed them down until they were putty in her hands. Here was yet another side to her.
“C’mon, let’s get those hands cleaned up.”
We walked to the creek where she pulled supplies from a hollowed-out stump that bore the House symbol. I washed my hands in the cold, clear water, laughing as Saam tried to steal the medical supplies every time Molly turned her back.
“Stop that, you little thief. Behave, or there won’t be any apples for you.”
Saam stood frozen as if he couldn’t believe Molly was serious. Then Ninny nipped him on the rear, starting a game of chase. Molly patted the spot beside her on the bank inviting me to join her. What I really wanted was to strip down and roll around in the creek like one of the foals. Ah well, maybe later. I dropped down onto the soft grass with a sigh. If we could stay in this spot forever, I would be content. No worries or obligations. No one trying to destroy my life.
“Let me see ’em.” Molly nodded at my hands.
“They aren’t that bad. The blood must have made it look worse than it was,” I replied, turning my hands up for her inspection.
“Hmm, I guess.” She frowned but shrugged it off and applied ointment to the shallow cuts, taking away the remaining sting.
“The horses seem very attached to you. Do you spend a lot of time here?” I asked.
Molly pulled two apples from the bag and handed them to me. “Not as much these days. When I was little, I would sneak out here every night. I thought the horses were going to fly like in my books. Mom would find me sleeping with the foals. Freaked her out the first time, but she gave up trying to stop me. I was a real handful.”
A nudge against my back had me turning around to find myself eye to eye with Ninny. “Uh, hello there,” I said, leaning away to put some distance between us.
“She won’t hurt you. She just wants the apple. Here, let me show you how to give it to her.” When it was Saam’s turn, it became clear that he was a picky eater. Molly laughed her head off when he nipped me on the ass when I stretched out to pick up the apple I kept dropping. It took me three times to present it to him the way he wanted. His name was well deserved.
The horses wandered off again, and we stretched out in the sweet-scented grass. Curiosity got the better of me. “Molly, what is this place, really? At first, I thought you guys were like one of those role-playing groups. You know, the ones that dress up like elves and stuff. But this place is old, like ancient Greek old. You aren’t running around pretending to play a part. Who are you people?”
The only sounds were the burbling of the creek and the occasional snorting of a horse as I waited to see if she would answer. A yellow butterfly fluttered in circles over our heads before landing on the back of the hand Molly lifted. She stared at it intently for a moment before she turned to me. I knew she had decided to tell me from the relieved smile she sent my way.
“It’s rare for us to share anything about ourselves. We’re very private. Eros was right, though. There’s something different about you. We all know it.” She nodded to the butterfly as if to acknowledge that it too thought so. “We call ourselves Paldimori. You won’t find us in any of your history books, but our people have been around for a very long time. All but a few—like me—are direct descendants of the original six families.”
“Wait, so if you aren’t from the original family line where do you come from?”
Molly shifted uncomfortably, and the butterfly flitted over to land on my bent knee. “There were other families at one time. I was adopted into the House of Arrows. It’s not forbidden, but it’s frowned upon. The Houses are all about keeping the lines pure. I guess Eros saw something in me. Or maybe it was because he was adopted. Who knows?”
Whoa, that got my attention. “Eros is adopted? He and Chaos aren’t really brothers?”
“No. Chaos’s parents adopted Eros and his sister when they were little. Eros is a direct descendant, though, for his House. In a lot of ways that made it easier for him. As for me, an outsider becoming a guide is unheard of.” She stared fiercely at her balled fists. “But that’s all I’d ever wanted to be since the first time I snuck in to see the Games. Even with Eros’s support, it’s been a long hard road to get here. Don’t get me wrong, I’m thankful for everything he’s done for me, but I’ve earned my spot. No one can say any different.”
We were both silent a moment. Molly tucked her hands under her head and focused back on the sky. When she spoke, her voice was soft, reverent. “It’s beautiful here, isn’t it? This was once the home for all Paldimori. Then someone made the decision to spread the Houses out and give them territories,” She snorted. “Stupid decision if you ask me. Who wouldn’t want to live here? Now we only come here for the Games. The rest of the time we stay in our territories. The House of Arrow’s base in Mexico is beautiful, but not like this. And before you try to find a way to ask that isn’t obvious—but really is—Chaos’s base is in the U.S.”
“Thanks, I think. I’m not sure what all that means but you don’t have to worry. I’ll keep your secrets.”
“I know. I trust you.” Molly said sleepily.
We dozed for a time until the other guides came to retrieve their horses. The meadow I woke up to was not the same one I had fallen asleep in. Where there had once been an impenetrable wall of trees surrounding the meadow, there was now a large pathway to one side leading out toward the track. When Molly saw my puzzled look, she mumbled something about the gate being released. I shook my head, adding one more strange thing about this island to my list.
All around the meadow, guides singled out two horses each. They didn’t do it using dogs or ropes. They walked right up to a horse and made some kind of quick hand gesture near the horse’s flank. Then they mounted one of the pair of horses bareback and took off through the opening, the other horse following along behind. It was a truly spectacular sight.
Molly insisted that I ride Ninny so that we could get better acquainted since she was the easier to win over of the two. She showed me how to place a bridle on her. Then came the fun part. Getting on the horse.
For the record, big girls can’t jump. We also don’t
possess a lot of upper body strength to pull our weight up onto the back of a horse. I fell off. Repeatedly. We were all frustrated and sweaty by the time I finally got on. Ninny was irritated enough to try to shake me right back off, but there was no way I was going through that again. Clinging to her neck like a burr, I proved I was the more stubborn. Luckily, she was easily sidetracked. All it took was Saam walking by giving her a look like he would never be caught dead in such a situation.
Molly had called out pointers as we exited the meadow. Then the crazy woman left me. She raced away on Saam, shouting over her shoulder that I would figure it out and she’d see me at the starting line. What exactly was I going to figure out? How to fall off again? Pretty sure I had that down. Ninny and I stood there in shared disbelief—if I interpreted her snorting correctly. Then she took advantage of my inexperience to turn her happy horsey self back toward the meadow.
“Oh no, you don’t. I’d love to stay and relax in the meadow too. But we have training to do.” I pulled on the reins to get her to turn back around. She ignored me while she sniffed at every blade of grass and flower around. Gah, this horse had the attention span of a toddler in a toy store.
Ok, time to take control. Animals respected that, right? Wrong. Ninny did not respect my authority.
“You should have been named Stubborn Ass. Will you just cooperate, you crazy animal?” I shouted in frustration. “Do you want Saam to show you up? He’s probably strutting his stuff at the starting line right now. I bet he’s telling all the other horsey ladies that you can’t even get your rider to the line.”
Ninny stopped sniffing, lifted her head, and flicked her ears back. She snorted then shook her head. Her mane flopped around, hitting me in the face. She did it again. When she did it yet again, I grabbed hold and she took off. Apparently, she liked playing at being a fool, because the horse was incredibly smart, and by the time we reached the starting line we had formed a partnership.
Paldimori Gods Rising Box Set Page 13