Paldimori Gods Rising Box Set

by T. L. Callahan

  My chest ached for the little boy who had lost everything. We had more in common than I ever thought possible. I wanted to be able to reach out to him, but I was scared. Every time I reached out, I got slapped back down by some new betrayal. Everything lately seemed to be boiling down to fear. Fear of what I would discover here about myself. Fear of these powers that I could feel building inside me. Fear for my newfound family that I had yet to be able to talk to. Fear that Lia and I really were permanently broken this time. Fear of what I still felt for this man even after his confession.

  “I’m sorry about your family,” I whispered. “Thank you for telling me, but that doesn’t change what you did to me. You, of all people, should hate what you are doing to people.”

  He nodded. “I’ll ask Molly to come back to finish out the day with you. I really am sorry, Dia.”

  The sounds of the gym rushed back in as he dropped the barrier and walked away. I ignored the pang in my heart that didn’t want him to go. I had made the right decision. I was going to win these Games and find a teaching job where I could make a new start. Mom had been talking about traveling lately: she would love us exploring a new place together. My mom and Mr. Skittles were all I needed.

  “Hi, uh, what was your name again?” A silky voice interrupted my thoughts.

  I turned to find Nikki, her blue eyes darting between Jaxon’s retreating form and me. “Dia,” I replied. “You’re Nikki, right?”

  “That’s me,” she giggled and held out a goblet to me. “Here, I thought you might be thirsty. I know I am. They work us like slaves. I don’t think I’ve ever sweated so much in my life.”

  I took the surprisingly heavy metal cup. I’d been working out non-stop for over an hour. I tipped the cup, taking long sips to cool my thirst. “Thanks. I know what you mean, I’m discovering new places to sweat from.”

  The blonde was maybe a couple of inches taller than me, but our short statures were all we had in common. Her bikini barely covered anything, and she certainly had an hourglass figure to show off. Standing next to her, I looked like a board. She was exactly Jaxon’s type. In fact, they had looked really cozy at dinner with the way they had been so close to each other, whispering. They had looked like a fairytale couple, all blonde and beautiful. I tried not to resent her for that; Jaxon wasn’t mine.

  Jaxon messed with your head. And he still was. I couldn’t seem to dislodge thoughts of him no matter how hard I tried. After what I’d just learned, it should have been easy.

  “Mmmm, that man is ho-ot.” Nikki watched as Jaxon disappeared into the elevator. “He’s ahh-mazing in bed, right? I mean I’ve had plenty of men in my bed, but that man knows his way around a woman’s body. He plum wore me out. Oh, we’ll have to dish about it with Maya later. I think he humped the stick right outta her ass.”

  She laughed, the sound grating on my too-raw nerves. Heat spilled across my chest, and it took all of my training not to karate-chop Barbie’s head off. I forced a smile. “If I ever land a notch on that bedpost, I’ll let you know.”

  Her smile turned vicious for a moment before her lips pulled down in a sympathetic pout. She swept my body with a pitying look. “Don’t you worry, Eros is making the rounds. I’m sure he’ll get to you. Eventually.”

  My clenched hands were sweating. I wanted to demand she deny everything she’d said, but what if it was true? I hadn’t seen him with anyone else, but Jaxon was a constant flirt.

  “Oh here, I think you dropped this.” Nikki bent down to pick up the clothes that Jaxon had brought. Her swimsuit strained beneath the weight of her breasts and I saw way more of her than I ever wanted to see.

  She held up a silky rainbow-colored swimsuit. “Oh honey, this is going to look good on you. Someone sure knows what suits you. Ha ha. Get it, suit, like swimsuit?”

  “Yeah. That’s a good one.” I managed a small smile. “I should probably go change.” I drank the rest of the water and handed her back the goblet. “Thanks again for the water.”

  “You’re welcome. Us girls have to stick together. Good grief, you would think these boys never get out of this cave the way they look at us.”

  “Uh, ha. ‘Good grief,’ that’s an oxymoron,” I blurted awkwardly, not knowing what else to say.

  “They are morons, aren’t they? Especially that kid, Chris. He’s so desperate, it’s pathetic.” Her nose scrunched up in distaste. “I don’t think I’ve met Oxy. Which one is he?”

  She can’t be serious. She stared at me expectantly. Guess she is.

  “An oxymoron is ... You know what, I think he’s one of the servers. Uh, the short, bald one. Yeah, you probably want to stay away.”

  “Awww, you’re so sweet!” Suddenly there was way too much half-naked girl pressed against me. “We’re gonna be best friends, I can just tell. Oh, there’s Maya. I wanted to talk to her about something. See you at the race!”

  She bounced off toward the scowling Asian woman in a black one-piece. How come she had gotten the conservative swimsuit and we got the skimpy ones? Of course, Nikki would probably be up for wearing our birthday suits. But I wasn’t used to showing this much skin. Since my guide had abandoned me, there was no one to complain to, but I was putting in a request for something a bit more concealing.

  I changed in the restrooms and tried to hide behind every tree on my way to the water. The halter top left my flat stomach bare. Only two straps held it in place; one behind my neck and the other tied at the middle of my back. At least the bottoms covered everything, but I still wanted a robe.

  I picked up the pace when I heard Devon call out, “Take your places.”

  18

  A man-made wall bisected the lagoon in front of me, rising a few inches above the surface and continuing down into the depths. Six circles were cut into the wall, the first row a couple of inches below the surface. Then other rows going down deeper and deeper. The water was so clear, I counted down to the third row of circles before it started getting dark. I could only just see the other two rows of circles beneath, the lights around these openings barely penetrating the darkness.

  Molly joined me by the edge of the lagoon where I stood on the symbol of the red flying arrow that was etched into the rock. She gave me an assessing look but didn’t say anything. I was sure Jaxon had filled her in on at least some of what had happened. “Your grandmother said to tell you hello. And that the water is yours to control as well.”

  Molly had visited my grandmother several times now. She couldn’t tell me where she was or when she would be released, but she relayed messages between us.

  “I can’t believe it. She’s encouraging me to cheat.”

  Molly chuckled. Ever since she had been spending time with my grandmother, she seemed a little lighter, a little less burdened by whatever had happened to her. “Yeah, she is. ‘No shame in winning however you can,’ is what she said. She fights dirty. The guards are terrified of her. She’s my hero.”

  “Any updates on when I can see her?”

  It was the same question I asked every time. I didn’t expect a different response, so I was surprised when Molly said, “The Kyrion have verified their story. They’ll be released today.”

  “Really? How did the ‘verification’ work exactly?” Bitterness seeped into my voice. “Did Jaxon go digging around in their brains too? Or maybe you tortured it out of them? There’s probably a dungeon in this place. A little torture before breakfast. Followed by watching idiots run around doing crazy competitions for your money in the evenings.”

  “I didn’t do anything to them,” Molly said defensively. “You know the Kyrion make the decisions around here. Not me. I do what I’m told. Generally. Anyway, they’re fine. They’ve been staying in extra rooms on the servants’ floor.” She eyed me like I had been possessed. “Since when did Rainbow Bright go to the dark side?”

  I breathed a sigh of relief. “Sorry. You’ve been great about bringing me messages from my grandmother. Thank you for that. I didn’t mean to go off on you. Eve
r since Jaxon told me about wiping my memories, I don’t feel like I can trust my own instincts. I mean, there has been so much going on. I feel like I’m losing my mind. To find out I really have lost some of it ...”

  “Shit. I didn’t know that part,” she said, confirming they had at least talked. “Yeah, that’s bad. I’d be more than grumpy.”

  Molly shifted uncomfortably. “Look, this is not my thing, but Jaxon is like a brother to me. He’s an idiot sometimes. But he’s a good guy. One of the best I know. I, well, just wanted to say … hang in there. Yeah, he flirts—”

  I snorted thinking of what Nikki said about him sleeping with all those girls. “That’s an understatement.”

  “But it hasn’t been anything more than that for months now. Since he came back from Port Lawson, the first time.” She continued to ignore me. “I think that’s because of you. Just don’t break his heart, ok? You’re starting to grow on me too, and I really don’t want to have to kill you.”

  She walked away, leaving me with my mouth hanging open. That couldn’t be true. What about Nikki and Maya? I started to go after her, but Devon yelled at me to stay on my mark.

  “Good luck,” I smiled to Mikhail who stood to my left.

  He just grunted and said, “Don’t need it.”

  Ok, then. I turned to Kade on my other side, his brows were furrowed as he cast a dark look over my shoulder. “I’m sorry ’bout him, ma’am. He doesn’t know how to speak to a lady.”

  Mikhail laughed. “What lady?”

  Kade took a step toward him, but I held up my hand. “Thanks, but I can handle it. Ok?”

  “If you say so, ma’am.” Kade dipped his head toward me. “Let me know if you want me to take care of it, though.”

  “Yep.” I tried not to roll my eyes. Why did no one believe I could take care of myself? It was really annoying. “Please don’t ma’am me. I feel like a little old lady with a billion cats. Only one cat so far, so Dia is just fine.”

  “Sorry, ma—Dia.” He gave me a crooked smile. “I would never mistake you for a little old lady. Cats or not.”

  “Are you flirting with me, Kade?”

  “No, ma’am,” he grinned.

  I tilted my head to get a better look at my would-be rescuer. His ginger hair and beard were neatly trimmed. His baby blues held a gentle light that immediately had me relaxing. His toned chest was a lighter shade than his arms and face. His muscular thighs strained the legs of a pair of tight green board shorts. I could see why Lia call him Cowboy Cutie.

  “Pardon?” He struggled not to laugh.

  Oh crap, my thought-to-speech filter is broken. Again. I gave him a sheepish look.

  “She nicknamed me ‘Cowboy Cutie?’” He laughed. “I reckon it could be worse.”

  “Yep, it totally could. Lia once nicknamed a boy in our art history class ‘Houdini Peni.’ No, you don’t want to know.” I held up my hand when he opened his mouth. “Let’s just say it was a date gone really wrong. The poor guy was laughed at the rest of the year for his ‘disappearing penis.’”

  “She certainly leaves an impression.” Kade stared at the water for a moment as if reliving his own memories of Lia. Uh oh, I hope he isn’t in love with her. I was pretty sure Bennett was never going to let her near the dating pool again. When he looked back at me, I was relieved to see he only seemed concerned. “It’s a damn shame she got injured in the chariot race and can’t compete. How’s she doing?”

  “I ...” Tears pricked my eyes. Molly had confirmed Lia was no longer on the island. Why did that make me want to cry? I knew now that she hadn’t been part of the decision to wipe my memories, but she had still lied to me. “I don’t know. We had a fight, and she left.”

  Kade gently took my hand between his and rubbed his calloused fingers along the back. “I don’t know her well, but I’d be willing to bet you she’ll be back. She didn’t strike me as the type to give up. ‘Specially not on her friends. You’ll work this out.”

  “Thank you. I-I hope you’re right.”

  “I’m sure y—” Kade was cut off by a shrill whistle echoing through the cavern.

  Devon, the leader of the guides, stepped in front of the contestants. His dark, muscular frame loomed over us. “Today you will practice the water maze. There will be five rounds. You will swim through the tunnels starting at the top of the wall and going deeper each time. The winner will be the person who is first back to the shore for the majority of the races.”

  Devon’s hard gaze scanned the group. “Do not go beyond the black markers on the other side of the wall. There will be a resting period before lap five. Your Kyrion will be viewing the training from the observation room below. Represent your Houses well, and you may be granted one boon from them.”

  Kade and I exchanged a quick “Good luck,” then put on our goggles.

  Devon stepped to the side. “Mark. Set. Go!”

  I dived into the water and swam for my tunnel. The water was surprisingly warm, and I had a smooth rhythm going. Right before I reached the walls, I bumped into someone. I turned to see Mikhail’s furious face. He bumped me and pointed to the wall. Oh. I had been heading toward his tunnel instead of my own. I tried to mime an “I’m sorry,” but he darted away.

  I angled toward my own tunnel and noticed everyone else had already made it through. This is only the first round. Don’t worry about it. If I tired myself out trying to catch up now, I wouldn’t have anything left for the other rounds. The rock surrounded me for a brief moment as I passed through the tunnel, thankful that I wasn’t claustrophobic. I was the last to return to the shore.

  I tried again to apologize to Mikhail, but he sneered and told me to keep out of his way.

  The next tunnel was slightly longer and a couple of feet below the first row of tunnels. I made it through quickly and won that round. On the third round, we all spent a few more minutes getting our breath back when we surfaced on the other side of the wall. My smaller form was coming in handy with being able to maneuver through the tunnels quickly, and I won another round.

  My blood pumped through my veins furiously, sounding like waves in my ears as I tried to calm myself for round four. Luckily, they gave us a few minutes to catch our breath. Then we were off again, going even deeper. My lungs burned for air. Suddenly the lights that outlined the tunnels took on a yellow-green hue. Flashes of light burst in my periphery like I was the centerpiece of a photo shoot. My vision wavered, and the tunnels tripled, then were back to normal before doubling. I aimed toward the nearest tunnel and closed my eyes.

  I bumped into something and was roughly shoved into the wall. My knee scraped against the stone. My hands scrambled to find the opening for the tunnel, but only found solid wall. Where is the dang opening? I widened my search and finally found what I was looking for. I dove through the tunnel, this one almost as long as my body length, and fought toward the surface. I broke the surface with a gasp as I greedily sucked down air. I could hear Devon calling out the names of those who had made it back to shore, but I was solely focused on trying to make my lungs feel like they weren’t collapsing. Somehow, I made it back to shore and lay there on the hard rock panting.

  A scuffle sounded close by. Mikhail’s angry voice was shouting about me trying to drown him. Kade was threatening to teach him not to lay his hands on women. Then Devon’s deep voice joined in, breaking it up. Gentle hands rolled me over.

  “Dia! Dia, are you ok?” Molly’s concerned voice echoed through my pounding head causing me to wince and try to roll away. “Hey, stop rolling around. We don’t have long. You need to get it together. One more round, that’s all you need. Dia? Dia, are you hearing me?”

  “Kitties don’t like water.”

  “Stop making jokes and get up. You need to be ready for this next round.” Molly grabbed my elbow and pulled me to my feet. A blue halo surrounded her. I poked a finger at it but hit empty air. “Damnit, are you drunk? I’m going to roast Jaxon’s balls like chestnuts if he liquored you up.”

/>   “No touching his balls!” I said with a giggle. “Those’re mine to fud … fond ... You know what I mean.”

  “Right. Ok then, up you go.”

  “Molly, I don’t feel so good.”

  She sighed. “This is what happens when you let a descendant of a god of passion into your panties. I’m never falling in love.”

  “Not in my panties. Been in everyone else’s.” I swayed into her, and she grunted. “Never say never. Captain Jack could clear the cobwebs from your girl parts. I’ve seen him in an itty-bitty towel. If you don’t want him, I’m int … inrest ... I’ll take him.”

  “Not happening!” She cinched her arm around me, and we hobbled forward. “Stop giggling. It’s not because I want him. Jaxon would go all big-brother trying to protect my non-existent virtue. He’d shoot Jack with an arrow. And not the fall-in-love kind. As annoying as Jack is, I don’t want to see him hurt.”

  “Liar, liar, crotch on fire!”

  “Shut up before someone thinks I have an STD.”

  “Stick-up-your-butt disorder?”

  “That would be SUYBD,” she grumbled under her breath. “Did you inhale too much salt water or something? Just stop talking.”

  “Oh look, there’s Jaxon. Isn’t he so pretty?”

  “Yeah, dreamy.” She shifted her grip, pulling me more upright. “Don’t look now, but your man is heading this way. I would say run, but you would fall on your face.”

  I waved at Jaxon as he approached with a scowl on his face. I stumbled forward and brushed my hand through his hair. There was some reason why I was supposed to be mad at him, but I couldn’t remember. A pink-and-white tiger lily grew from the palm of my hand. Jaxon grabbed my hand pulling it down between us, “What’re you doing? The other contestants will see you.”

  “A pretty flower for a pretty man.” I laughed. Then pushed his hair back behind one ear and tucked the flower in his hair. “I don’t like you, but I do. The nice you, not the playboy you. He probably has more miles on him than my Prius.”