Light of the Spirit

by Lisa Kessler

  Cooper nodded. “Yeah, that part wasn’t me. I mean, it was, but…” He shook his head, trying to collect his thoughts. “Turns out, Apollo is more than just a nickname one of the guys at the station gave me.”

  Clio scanned the table. “Apollo was the original Muse of Comedy’s lover and the father of her children.”

  Cooper took the baton and ran with it, explaining how all-encompassing light had entered his body that day, moving through Reed’s wounds to stop the bleeding. Apollo’s power had nearly killed Cooper, but it had saved Reed.

  “Since the fire, Apollo’s been reaching out to me to communicate, but always in Greek.” He met Callie’s eyes. “Today, Callie put me under some light hypnosis, and I could understand him.”

  Clio’s eyes widened behind her black-rimmed glasses. “You spoke to Apollo, the god of the sun? Seriously?”

  “Yeah. I think so. Anyway, he was surprised I was mortal. Apparently, when Zeus promised to protect the reborn muses, Apollo assumed the Guardians would be gods.”

  Nate cleared his throat. “But why is he making contact now?”

  Cooper’s voice dropped an octave. “He touched my shoulder and so many images flashed; it was hard to keep track, but he told me that Kronos is among us now. There was a flash from an explosion on an oil rig out in the ocean, then the visions flooded my head so fast. A circle of people in golden masks of Kronos, a temple in Greece, a line of chess tables in a park, and an old folks home. None of it made sense.”

  Lia straightened up beside him. “The oil rig. It has to be the fire on the Oceanus.” She looked over at him. “Belkin Oil has an offshore rig that had a fire recently. It killed a few employees, and Ted Belkin, Sr. got fined for drilling past the oil beds.”

  “I had a vision this morning when I touched Cooper’s coat,” Nate jumped in. “A voice whispered about the door being open.”

  Clio picked at her nail polish. “What if the explosion was Tartarus cracking open?”

  Lia shook her head. “If something came out, especially a huge Titan, it would’ve been all over the news.”

  Clio shrugged. “Maybe. But if Kronos has been trapped in the center of the Earth for a few thousand years, there’s a good chance he wouldn’t make a grand entrance, right? He can change his form in the blink of an eye. What if he chose to blend in until he understood this new age of humanity?”

  Cooper nodded slowly. “And there’s the nymph. Apollo said she’s been trying to free Kronos ever since he was imprisoned.”

  Clio looked around the table. “Kronos seduced Philyra. They had an affair, and his wife, Rhea, caught them in the act. But she was too late, and Kronos fathered Philyra’s child, Chiron. He was a centaur who grew into a sage advisor and became the trainer of heroes.”

  She shook her head and stared at her hands. “Her son got a bad deal. The stories vary a little, but basically, Chiron was training Hercules, and after some wine, there was a fight with other centaurs. Hercules was shooting arrows, and accidentally hit Chiron with an arrow that had been dipped in Hydra’s blood. Chiron couldn’t heal himself. Parts of the story have been lost over time, but it ended with a trade—Chiron’s immortality for Prometheus’s freedom. Zeus accepted the bargain and Philyra’s son died.”

  Cooper frowned. “What does Prometheus have to do with it?”

  “Good question.” Clio pushed her glasses up. “He gave humanity the secret of fire, and Zeus punished him by chaining him to a rock. Every day birds pecked out his liver, but he was immortal so he never died. Since Chiron couldn’t heal himself, the pain was excruciating. He bartered the deal to make the pain stop.”

  Clio paused. When no one spoke, she went on. “So Zeus’s son shot her son, and then instead of using his power to heal her son, Zeus allowed him to give up his immortality. She has every right to be bitter.”

  Trin frowned. “And she’s had eons for the bitterness to fester. I guess it makes sense that she’d encourage the Order to come after us to get back at Zeus, but if she wanted to free Kronos, wouldn’t he go back to his wife?”

  Clio shrugged. “Rhea actually teamed up with her son, Zeus. Kronos was so worried about the prophecy of his children being his downfall, that he ate most of them. Rhea saved Zeus, and when he was grown, she helped him imprison Kronos. If he finally broke free of Tartarus, he probably wouldn’t have any loyalty toward his wife. And maybe he really loved Philyra.”

  Cooper sat back in his chair, resting his hand over Lia’s under the table. “If we can find this nymph, she might lead us to Kronos.”

  “And then do what exactly?” Hunter was all business now, his expression grim. “Kronos isn’t just a god; he’s a damned Titan. What if he frees all his brothers? We may be Guardians, but we’re mortal. How can we possibly kill a god without dying ourselves?”

  Cooper’s gut twisted. Hunter was right.

  While Cooper’s head spun, Lia spoke up. “It’s not our job to kill gods or Titans.” She made eye contact with each person at the table. “We’re here to inspire humanity, and our Guardians are here to help us. It’s that simple and that complex. Apollo made contact with Cooper to warn us to be wary and watchful. And if Apollo is getting involved, he’s probably not alone. All those Olympians traveled together, right? For all we know, Zeus is hanging around someplace drinking a shot of tequila and arm wrestling with Hercules, and we don’t even know it.”

  Damn. She was beautiful, intelligent, and in spite of the danger, she inspired a few smiles around the table.

  “Technically, Hercules wasn’t a full-blooded god,” Clio muttered.

  “Well, whatever, he could still be around.” Lia clicked her tongue. “We can sit here all day and make ourselves crazy, but I think we’ve already got enough of that on our plates.” Lia looked over at Nate. “Until last night’s hit and run, the Order had been pretty quiet since the fire. Maybe they saw the lumber deliveries at the site. The attack may have nothing to do with the doors to Tartarus opening.”

  “She’s right,” Callie said. “We have to stay focused on our mission to reopen the theater. Inspiration is our calling, not battling immortals. But we do need to be careful.” She took over the conversation then, updating everyone on the carpenter’s progress.

  Cooper listened intently, learning that Ted Belkin from Belkin Oil had threatened contractors and leveraged future contracts to keep them away from the Les Neuf Soeurs theater project. They’d been lucky when Mason Knowles rolled into town and agreed to work with them. Ted Belkin didn’t have any power over the new carpenter in town, but finding a crew hadn’t been fruitful. Nate, Reed, and Hunter were working to help during their off hours.

  “I can swing a hammer a couple days a week, too. When I’m not running calls at the station,” Cooper offered.

  “Thanks, man.” Hunter nodded in Cooper’s direction. “Another set of hands would help.”

  When the meeting was finally adjourned, Lia leaned in close, her lips brushing his ear. “Ready for that ass-kicking?”

  He chuckled. “Mine or yours?”

  “Guess we’ll have to find out.” Her sexy smile had his heart pumping extra fast.

  Lia stood, pulling him up with her. She looked around the table. “I’m starving, so we’re going to head out.”

  They said their good-byes and slipped out to the car. Cooper pressed her against the passenger door, kissing her long and slow until she moaned into his mouth. Damn. Suddenly the last thing in the world he wanted was to battle her at pinball.

  She pulled back, moonlight dancing in her dark eyes. “If you’re trying to make me go easy on you, it won’t work.”

  His teeth brushed her lower lip. “No way. Just getting an early taste of my prize.”

  She grinned. “I feel like I’ve already won.”

  He kissed her once more, whispering, “I know I have.”

  CHAPTER 12

  The crowd at The Luna Brewery was already thinning by the time they placed their order. Lia glanced at the arcade room in the back a
nd smiled. Other than a guy shooting zombies at a machine based on The Walking Dead, it was empty. Perfect. While she was eager to play pinball with Cooper, having an audience wasn’t what she had in mind.

  Lia went over to the change machine and started to pull a five from her wallet. Cooper caught her hand.

  “My treat.” He fed two fives into the machine and collected the quarters it spat out. “First, I need some tunes. Inspiration is important.”

  Lia laughed. “I’m all about inspiration.”

  “I’ve heard that about you.” His flirty teasing warmed her heart. Why didn’t he let this Cooper out more often? He went to the jukebox and perused the titles. “What kind of music do you like?”

  “I’m pretty easy.” She skimmed the titles and pointed. “Okay, we need that one at the end.”

  He looked her way with a smile that stole her breath. “‘We Will Rock You’ and ‘We Are the Champions.’ I like the way you think.”

  She bumped him with her hip. “My victory song.”

  “We’ll see about that.” He chuckled and started dropping in coins and pressing buttons. When the first song came on, he took her hand, walking her over toward the small arcade. He stopped in front of a Dark Knight pinball game.

  She raised a brow. “I didn’t take you for a Batman fan.”

  “I’m full of surprises.”

  She wet her lips. “I like surprises.”

  He dropped in quarters and stepped behind her, his lips brushing her neck just below her ear as he whispered, “Lucky me.” Cooper straightened up with a spark in his blue eyes. “Let’s do this.”

  Lia’s heart was pounding with a heady mixture of arousal, adrenaline, and a hunger for victory. She’d never had this much fun on a date, and they just got here.

  She pulled back the plunger and launched the silver, metal ball. Her eyes tracked its course under the glass as it bounced around, lighting up bonuses. She hit the ball with the flipper, squealing as it sailed back up into play.

  The rest of the pizza parlor faded away as her focus narrowed to the game. She nailed the ball again, but out of the corner of her eye, Cooper lifted his shirt to wipe his forehead, exposing abs that would make even Batman jealous.

  “What are you—” Before she could finish her sentence, the ball slipped past the flippers and into the hole at the bottom. Her jaw dropped. “You cheated.”

  He shook his head, looking far from innocent as he pulled his shirt back down. “I was just wiping the sweat off my forehead. You’re really good at pinball.”

  The twinkle in his eyes gave him away. Two could play that game.

  She stepped aside, giving Cooper the player-two spot. He tugged the plunger back, and let the silver ball go sailing. The digital score soared higher and higher. When he was within ten thousand points, she picked up her mug and fished out an ice cube, tracing her lips with it while she watched the ball under the glass.

  Suddenly it zipped right between the flippers. She lifted her gaze to find Cooper gaping. “Okay, that was playing dirty.”

  She grinned, popping the cube into her mouth. “Oh please, have you not seen yourself shirtless?”

  He chuckled, shaking his head and stepping aside to make room, his voice a rough growl. “I’ve never been jealous of an ice cube before.”

  “All’s fair in love and pinball, right?” She yanked the plunger back and sent the ball sailing back into play. She racked up the points, making contact with the ball three times before Cooper moved behind her, his big hands sliding possessively up her back to knead her shoulders.

  The damned ball vanished into the hole between the flippers, and she didn’t give a rat’s ass. Lia’s eyes drifted closed, and she relaxed into him. “So unfair.”

  He leaned down close to her ear. “Want me to stop?”

  “Oh gods, no.”

  His chest vibrated as he chuckled. “My turn, right?”

  “Yes.” She sighed and stepped aside.

  Cooper took over, hitting the buttons on the sides of the machine. His forearms were tight, strong. She’d never been turned on by games before, but damn. She was going to have to grab the pizza to go.

  When his score neared hers, she slid her hand under the back of his shirt, tracing her fingernails up his back. A muscle in his cheek clenched as he struggled to keep his eye on the ball.

  She pressed against his back and whispered, “I need you.”

  He turned around and wrapped her in his arms. “‘Bout damned time.” He fused his lips to hers, his tongue sliding into her mouth, teasing her senses.

  “Hanover!”

  He broke the kiss with a breathless chuckle. “I’m getting really sick of being interrupted.”

  Lia grinned. “Let’s take it to go.”

  “Your place or mine?”

  “Yours. Clio doesn’t know where you live.”

  “And I’ll take the phone off the hook.”

  “I love the way you think.”

  Love. It surprised her when it slipped out, but Cooper was already halfway to the counter to ask them to box up the pizza.

  She waited, enjoying the view. Damn, he filled out his jeans perfectly. She couldn’t wait to get him out of them.

  He came back with a pizza balanced on one hand and took hers in the other. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”

  Once the pizza was in the backseat, he pulled her into his arms, kissing her until she wasn’t sure she could stand. She rested her forehead on his and whispered, “Who won the pinball game?”

  His deep voice hummed against her lips. “If we call it a draw, we can have a rematch.”

  Oh, she could love this man.

  Maybe she already did.

  He parked at the apartment complex and took her and the pizza upstairs. He walked her inside, closed the door, and put the box in the fridge. “We can reheat it later.”

  “Good idea.” Lia slid her hands under his shirt, pushing it up his chest. He tugged it free and dropped it on the floor. Her gaze wandered over his chiseled chest, heat pooling low in her belly. Apollo had done a masterful job healing Cooper after the accident the night before. He didn’t even have a bruise.

  Her eyes dipped even lower. His jeans looked uncomfortably tight. She reached to unbutton them, but he caught her hands. “My turn.”

  He lifted her shirt, and she raised her arms so he could pull it free.

  Oh crap. Suddenly, Lia remembered that she’d been leaving the improv the night before when the accident had happened and she’d gone directly to the hospital. She hadn’t been home to change.

  She glanced down at her simple cotton bra and groaned. “Okay, I swear I have some sexy lingerie. This isn’t my get-naked-with-a-guy-for-the-first-time bra.”

  Cooper shook his head, a barely-there smile on his lips. “I can promise you, it’s not your bra I’m looking at.”

  She chuckled, rolling her eyes. “I can’t even remember what pair of underwear I’m wearing right now.”

  He came closer, his warm torso scorching her cool skin as his gaze locked on hers. “It doesn’t matter. I swear you won’t be wearing it much longer.”

  She ran her hands up his chest. “I’m good with that.”

  He scooped her up and headed for the bedroom, stopping for just a second to mute the ringer on his cordless phone. She trailed hot kisses up his neck, enjoying the way his breathing deepened. He laid her on his bed and rested his body on top of hers.

  His breath caressed her lips as he whispered, “I have never been so turned on in my life, and we’re not even naked yet.”

  “Same here.” She stared up into his blue eyes. “But if we don’t get to it soon, I may have an orgasm with my pants on.”

  He shook his head slowly, running a hand down her side. “Then I’d better get your pants off.”

  He kissed his way down her chest, his teeth grazing the curve of one of her breasts as his hands slid the straps off her shoulders. She pulled her arms free, and he nuzzled the cup down until her nipple w
as exposed. He circled the hardened tip with his tongue, and she arched her back, her fingers tightening in his hair.

  Gods, she really was going to have an orgasm with her pants on.

  He moved lower, unbuttoning her jeans. He peered up at her as he lowered the zipper. “Lose the bra.”

  She smiled, happy to oblige. Popping the clasps on the back, she dropped the ugly thing off the side of the bed. The hunger in his eyes made her forget she wasn’t wearing date-ready underwear. In fact, she’d never felt more desirable.

  Thankfully, he slid her jeans and panties off together, saving her from whatever anti-sexy undergarments she’d been wearing. He dropped them over the edge of the bed and ran his hand up the inside of her thigh.

  She was on fire, needy and aching for release. Her legs parted instinctively. “Get your pants off. I need you.”

  His gaze locked on hers as his fingertip traced her opening. He wet his lips. “Not yet.” His fingers slid up to find her sweet spot. She gasped as he kissed his way up her leg. “Yeah. Let go for me.”

  He rubbed her faster, his lips moving closer and closer. She writhed under him. “Don’t stop.”

  “No way,” he murmured as his tongue replaced his fingers at her core.

  She cried out his name as he took her over the edge, trembling. He pressed slow kisses along the juncture of her thighs until she started to relax, then he got up from the bed.

  Her voice was reduced to a breathy whisper. “Where are you going?”

  He stood up, unfastening the button on his jeans. “Now I’m the one about to lose it in my pants.”

  His erection pulsed against the zipper, and suddenly, she was warm all over again. She lifted her gaze to his face. “Please tell me you have condoms.”

  Condoms. Holy shit, he would’ve forgotten. Hearing her cry out his name and seeing her sexy body rocking into him had blown his mind. She had blown his mind. He stepped out of his jeans and went into his bathroom, but not before he caught the desire in her eyes. She wanted him. And he fucking loved it.

  He opened the medicine cabinet. Nothing. Dammit. If he had to go out for condoms with this raging hard-on, he wouldn’t be able to walk. He jerked open the drawer on the vanity and relief washed through him. He’d never been so happy to see a pack of Trojans.