“Uh, cayenne?” I winced as she crunched more ice. The jar of cayenne had only been about one-third full, but maybe dumping the whole thing in hadn’t been such a great idea. My mom had never used a measuring cup. She always said you would know the right mixture when you felt it in your bones. Cooking was supposed to be an art. Apparently, my bones were picky about what they considered art. I could put together a color palette blindfolded, but cooking was beyond me. Give me salad with a Skittles chaser any day.
The doorbell rang. Holy pink paint drops, I wasn’t ready for this!
Ohhh, sexy is in the house! No, he’s outside. Don’t trust him. You had a bad breakup recently, how can you be lusting after this man already? Lust is most likely to occur when the person does not resemble themselves.
STOP!
The chatter in my brain faded away and I took a relieved breath. What was wrong with me? Sometimes the voices in my head were so overwhelming that I couldn’t take it. Maybe my mother wasn’t the only one who needed help.
I ran my hand over my loose hair and my eyes went wide. I hadn’t brushed my hair. Lia laughed at my panic. I threw a dish towel at her and went to get the door.
Mister hotshot lawyer stood on the small front stoop looking sexier than any man had a right to in well-worn jeans and a sky-blue T-shirt. His shoulder-length dishwater blonde hair was windblown, like he had been driving with the windows down. Those midnight-blue eyes scanned me from head to toe and that irritating smirk kicked up one corner of his full lips. The chill from earlier disappeared like it had never been. A warm breeze caressed my bare shoulder where my sweater had slipped.
“You don’t have any picket signs laying around, do you?” Jaxon Baines flashed a smile guaranteed to slay any woman.
Butterflies took flight in my stomach. He’ll probably invite you to his bed again. Yes, please! No, you aren’t interested, remember. Look at those lips. No, his chest is his best feature.
SHUT UP! Why did my head have to pick now to get noisy again?
“I’ve retired from picketing.” I crossed my arms. “The hours were lousy, and I got propositioned by strange men.”
“They must have good taste.” He stepped into the doorway, his body brushing against mine before I could step out of the way. That warm breeze fluttered over my neck and then traced down between my small breasts. I shivered with desire. He tugged at a lock of my hair. “I miss the feathers, but this suits you.”
He ran his finger around the messy little flower design I had twisted the chunk of hair into, and I jumped, feeling that touch circle my belly button. Jaxon wound my hair around his finger, reeling me in to him. My breath caught as those midnight eyes settled on my lips, and they tingled, remembering the brief kiss we had shared right before he left town.
I had relentlessly hounded him when he had been in Port Lawson to get Lia out of jail. I had slapped glittery stickers like warning labels on those muscular arms telling myself someone had to warn the helpless ladies of our town about the hot lawyer who flirted like it was an occupation. My colorful classroom stickers had been altered to say things like: I Put My Hand Up …Women’s Skirts. Besides I needed to make sure that boring suit and beautiful face weren’t all bluff. He was there to do a job, and I was going to make sure Lia was in good hands.
Jaxon had been amused at first, but when he realized I wasn’t going away, he had tried to ditch me. He hadn’t stood a chance. To be fair, he didn’t know that I’d learned every corner of this town as a child when hiding from bullies who thought a lonely gypsy girl was an easy target. He’d confronted me on his last day in town, and we’d had a heated argument. I had been mid-lecture about privileged lawyers who thought they were better than the little people when he had pressed his lips to mine and obliterated every thought in my head.
“Virtue alarm! Virtue alarm!” Lia called out in a robot-voice, jerking us out of whatever that had been.
Jaxon looked confused for a moment before that grin came back. “What can I say, she thinks I’m irresistible.”
I pulled my hair out of his grasp and stepped back. “I don’t think of you at all.”
He went to the chair across from the couch and flopped down. “No really, she followed me around town like a lost little puppy looking for attention when I was here a few months ago.”
“I ... You ... No, I didn’t.” I closed the door harder than necessary and stomped over to the couch.
“As entertaining as this is, can you hurry this up, Jaxon? Grayson is going to track me down in about ten minutes.” Lia looked out the front window as if her new personal assistant would pop up at any minute. “Ever since he moved into my parent’s house with me, I swear he thinks he needs to be glued to my side. I’ve had to get really creative about ditching him. Just say ‘no,’ Dia, and I’ll let you torture me with shopping. That should keep him busy.”
“No to what?” I asked.
“Dia, we have a problem that I think you can help us with.” Jaxon ignored Lia and sat forward in the chair, his elbows braced on his wide-spread knees. The serious look on his face took me by surprise. “Do you remember the games that Lia went to? They’re very important to the company I work for. The company that runs the Games. The thing is, all six of the Games have to be completed within every calendar year. There are some very boring contracts involved, but the point is the company is in jeopardy if they don’t fulfill the obligation.”
Lia snorted something that sounded like “Bullshit.”
“What does this have to do with me?” I asked.
Jaxon pulled a card from his back pocket and set it down on the coffee table. The index-sized card looked familiar.
“Isn’t that the invitation to the games? But it had writing on it before?”
“The writing only appears when the right person touches the card,” Jaxon replied. “Why don’t you pick it up?”
Curiosity filled me. I know I had seen writing on this card before. Did he mean I was one of the “right” people? I picked up the plain card and, for a second, nothing happened. Then it felt like something bit my finger. Before I could jerk my hand away, a tiny drop of blood beaded on the edge of the card then sank into the paper. The world seemed to expand around me, and it was like I was looking down on myself. I had a moment to take in how pale and bedraggled I looked before I slammed back into my body. I opened my mouth to ask what for the love of pink just happened when writing began to curl onto the page like vines growing up through a crack. Had this happened before when I touched the card? It seemed vaguely familiar.
You are chosen.
Child of Spirit.
What you seek you could find.
Family. Desire. Purpose.
All could be yours in the Paldimori Games.
Spirit of the Soul
Anerrhiphtho Kybos
“Shit,” Lia said with a huff.
I dropped the card and scrambled to my feet. “What was that?”
“That,” Jaxon said with a satisfied smile, “is your invitation to join the Games. If you come to the island and finish out the remainder of the Games, the company will guarantee you a teaching position in any of the schools that we support. As extra incentive, we will double your previous salary.”
“You need to think about this. The Games can be dangerous.” Lia sat on the coffee table and took my hands in hers. “Things are different on the island. People don’t play by the same rules. There is—”
“Lia, you can’t—” Jaxon cut her off.
“Shush, Cupid, before you find out what it feels like to get shot by your own arrow.” Lia glared at him meaningfully. There was some kind of power struggle going on with that stare. Jaxon fisted his hands, anger flashing in those dark eyes, as he slouched back into the chair.
The look on Lia’s face had all of my attention.
“I’m not kidding, Dia. The Games are more than challenging, they can be really dangerous. I couldn’t stand it if you got hurt.”
“You would be my contestant,” J
axon interjected, his calm composure back in place. “You have my promise that I’ll keep you safe, Dia.”
I scowled at them both. “I keep telling all of you, I don’t want to be put in a bubble, but you never listen. For the last time, I can take care of myself.”
“Dia—” Lia gave me that same pitying look, like I was too naive to realize what I was getting into.
Stung to the core, I pulled my hands from hers. “This is my decision, not yours. All I’ve ever wanted is to be a teacher. I’ve been trying to accept that that part of my life was over, but it’s killing me. If I have a chance to get that back, I’m taking it.”
“I’m sorry,” Lia whispered. “I know it’s your choice. I only want what’s best for you. I can’t compete in the Games since they voided my contract, but I’m not letting you go alone.”
My irritation faded away and I hugged her. “I know.” I turned to Jaxon. “I’m in,” I said.
Jaxon clapped his hands. “Welcome to the Paldimori Games, Claudia King.”
7
The plane dived toward the coastline of the island below. My nose was pressed to the window, a smile plastered across my face. Captain Jack was a fun pilot. He banked sharply to the left, startling a giggle out of me as my belly dipped. Then we were doing a roll, and I threw my hands up in the air laughing. This was even better than a rollercoaster! Across the aisle, Molly cussed as she tried to hold onto her laptop while hanging upside down. Her short white-blonde hair with the blue-tipped ends floated around her head for a moment making her look like an angry porcupine.
The plane completed the roll, the seatbelt releasing me from its tight grip as gravity plopped me back into my seat. My breath fogged the window and I drew a heart over the view of the island below. Everywhere I looked was paradise. A waterfall fell over a rocky cliff into an aqua-blue lagoon. There was a field bursting with flowers in every color imaginable. A pod of dolphins raced around rocks that jutted toward the sky in amazing formations off the coast of a sandy white beach.
The shade of the window slammed down barely missing my nose.
Molly sank back into her seat with a grumbled, “Keep it closed.”
It was really hard to believe this was the same woman Lia had told me about while helping me pack. I had expected fun and mischievousness, not cold disdain. Molly had barely said a word since picking me up earlier. I had been so relieved to see Captain Jack’s friendly face waiting at the top of the steps to the plane that I’d hugged him without thinking. Molly had roughly bumped into me as she passed by, and it was then I remembered Lia mentioning that the woman may have had a little crush on the handsome pilot. Captain Jack had angrily told her to watch what she was doing. Molly had whirled around, eyes blazing, and I was sure she was going to blast us both. But she had just walked away.
I was pulled from my thoughts when the plane touched down with a jostling lurch. I almost asked if I could open the window, but figured it wasn’t worth the arctic blast from Molly. The plane rolled to a stop a few minutes later and we got up to grab our bags. I stopped by the cockpit to joke with Captain Jack about his flying. The lighthearted conversation welcome after all I’d been through lately.
“Keep it in your pants until later. You’re messing with my schedule,” Molly glared at us, then exited the plane.
My shocked gaze met the captain’s irritated one. “Is she always like that?”
“No. Well, no to most people. Molly’s been through a lot lately, but she’s so damn stubborn,” he sighed. “She’s mad at the world right now and taking it out on everyone. It didn’t help that she heard Lia was coming back. I mean—”
“I thought they were friends? That’s what Lia said.”
“They were ... are ... it’s complicated.” He brushed a hand nervously through his hair. “Look, Molly’ll deal with this and be back to kicking life in the balls soon enough. I’ve known her since she was a teenager. She’s bossy and rude on the best of days. And can be a violent little thing.” He absentmindedly rubbed at his stomach as if remembering some abuse at her hands. “But you can trust her. As your guide, she’ll protect you with her life. But I’m willing to bet you’ll win her over soon enough. She would do anything for those she considers a friend. Give it some time.”
I could sympathize, but I wasn’t sure there was a lumberjack up to the task of whittling away that chip on her shoulder. I hoped things got better for her, but I couldn’t let her problems ruin my best chance at getting what I wanted. It was time to put me first for a change.
“You’re probably right. Thanks, Jack, for being here to help ease me into this. I had hoped Lia would be here, but she had a change of plans.” I tried to keep the disappointment from my voice and forced a smile. “It was nice to see a friendly face. I hope I’ll see you around.”
Those dimples came back out full force. “Count on it. Good luck in the Games.”
I shouldered my bag and made my way down the steps of the plane. Cool air and the smells of fuel, grease, dampness, and a hint of floral greeted me. We were in an honest to goodness cave! My head swiveled left and right trying to take it all in. Which is probably why I found myself airborne a moment later. My knees hit the rock floor with a heavy thud that radiated up to my hips causing me to grunt in pain. Luckily, I got my hands in front of me before my face smacked into the ground. The rough rock shredded my palms.
Steps one, me zero. We had a long-standing feud.
Before I could pull myself up, alarmed voices echoed through the cave. Then there was a sound like rushing wind. Molly shouted something, but I couldn’t make it out. I tried to crawl back to the safety of the plane, but I couldn’t move. My hands were sinking into the rock like it was putty.
Amazing, two seconds on this island and I land in quicksand. This is not a good sign for how the Games are going to go.
Breath whooshed out of me as I frantically tried to pull my hands out. Then something tickled along my cheek. Then my nose. My neck. My arms. Something tangled in my hair and settled along my back.
I held absolutely still. My breaths sawed out, shallow and fast. A cold sweat popped up along my brow. I really, really hoped that whatever was crawling all over me didn’t have teeth or any kind of stinger. My wide-eyed gaze found Molly’s. There was this indescribable expression on her face like a cross between devastation and grim determination. Her eyes were brimming with tears. Her fists clenched at her sides as she took sliding steps to reach me.
Great Mother, was it that bad?
The fluttering sensations covered my whole body, but other than the throbbing in my hands from where I had fallen, there was no pain. I forced myself to take deep breaths. Then finally I looked down at my arms. I’d expected to find my skin crawling with ugly cave creatures, but what I saw had my mouth dropping open in awe. Then I snapped it closed just as quickly to avoid having anything crawl inside.
I was covered in dozens of bright yellow butterflies. The rushing wind sound undulated like waves around us. I looked up to see millions more butterflies weaving some complicated pattern above me. They made one final swoop, and I swear I saw the distinct pattern of a woman waving at me from their midst.
Just as quickly as they came, they were gone. The silence left in their wake seemed almost reverent. I sat back on my knees and rubbed my tingling arms.
I’m free! Thank you, Mother Earth, Santa Claus, and the Easter Bunny!
I got to my feet only to find I was the center of attention. Even Captain Jack was staring at me as if I were some truly amazing, but bizarre, circus act. I wrapped my arms around myself. Their stares brought back too many memories from my childhood and all of those eyes condemning me because I was different.
“Ok, people, show’s over.” Molly shouted, making me jump. “Are you deaf? Leave, or I’m sending you all to clean Eros’s rooms. And no one will come looking for you.”
People scattered quickly after that. Whoever Eros was he must have been a real slob.
“Dia, are you ok?” Molly
walked hesitantly toward me as if afraid I would run off if she made any sudden movements.
I carefully got to my feet, avoiding putting weight on my stinging palms. “I’m fine. Just skinned up a bit. Um, do you welcome everyone with their own personal butterfly show?”
“No,” Molly gritted out. Her face was pale, and her fists were still clenched. Was she going to hit me? “That’s never happened before.”
“That was amazing.” I took a tentative step back. “A little icky with the crawling all over me part, but they’re beautiful.”
“Yes, they are.” Molly cocked her head to the side and looked me over. “Where’s your family from?”
That was an odd question to ask. “Washington.”
“Not you.” Molly huffed as the fingers of her left hand tapped rhythmically over her thigh. “Your great-grands. Your ancestors.”
“Well, my family is Romani. Most people call us—”
“Gypsies. Yeah, I’m familiar. What else?”
The captain had been right about the rude and bossy parts. I just hoped that I could avoid her violent side. I was fairly sure Molly could shred me like compost even with my self-defense training.
“My mom has never been big on talking about her family.” She would tell me stories about growing up in the tribe. It’d sounded so amazing to be surrounded by so much love and understanding. No matter how much I’d begged, though, she would never tell me where they were or why she’d left. “All I know is that my father abandoned us before I was born. My mom left her tribe soon after and raised me on her own.”
“Hmm. You ever have that happen before?”
She shifted more gears than my bicycle. “What?”
“The butterflies. Anything like that happen to you before?”
“No, I can honestly say I don’t go around with an escort of butterflies. That would be kinda cool though, right? But maybe with cats. Mr. Skittles could be the leader of the kitty parade. He would look super cute with a top hat and sash that said: Grand Marshal of Kitty Entourage. Of course, it would have to be pink. It’s his favorite color. Too bad he had to stay with Ms. Myrtle. He would—”
Paldimori Gods Rising Box Set Page 34