by JoAnna Grace
Tears fell down her cheeks and she ran shaking hands through her hair into the messy braid she slept in. She hugged the blanket to her so he couldn’t see her baggy jersey and cotton shorts. “I hate this place. It’s cold and dirty even though we clean and clean and clean. Oh gods, I never wanted you to find me here.”
“Hey, whoa.” He gently held her to his chest and Piper shook at his touch. “I don’t care about all that. I want you safe. Are you safe, at least?” He kissed her hair.
Piper clenched her eyes closed, thankful he still wanted to touch her even given the situation. “I think so. I don’t know.” When she lifted her eyes to meet his, his beauty broke her heart. By the gods, how could one man be so attractive? It was as if Zeus had crafted him with his own hands. “You’re so handsome.”
His hand caressed her hair. “And you’re the most beautiful creature the gods ever created.” His thick brows dipped. “I don’t know how much time we have, but I need you to listen, my angel. I might be gone for a while.”
Please, gods, no. “What? Why?”
“I’m going to the—” The word froze on his tongue, his mouth gaping open, but soundless.
“Where?” she asked, her anxiety amplified by the urgency of his tone and his inability to say what truly needed to be said.
“I can’t say. I don’t know how long I’ll be there. It could be weeks, months even.”
Where could he possibly go that he wouldn’t need rest? Even in the Haven’s, the Deities slept. Maybe he would be in a different place, a different hemisphere where their sleep schedules were opposite. “You won’t sleep?”
“It doesn’t work like that.”
The thought of losing him, even if it were only temporarily, was heartbreaking. He was the only thing in her world, besides Keona, worth living for. How would she deal with not seeing him each night? How would her heart bear it?
“You don’t know when you will be back?”
He dropped his eyes and shook his head. What if this was it? What if he was saying they might never see each other again? For months, all she looked forward to were his visits. If there was a chance this was their last meeting, she needed more from him. “Will you kiss me, then? Please? Give me something, anything, to hold on to.”
His shoulders dropped with relief, and his eyes lit with excitement. “Gods, yes, I can do that.”
He brought his lips down upon hers and Piper’s world spun. She’d only been kissed a couple times before and knew just enough to open her lips and let his tongue slip inside. His taste would be emblazoned in her mind forever. She let out a soft moan and moved to sit on his lap, her legs circling his waist. Her insides turned to putty and heat blazed between her legs. If this was all she could have, the only happiness and lust she would have with him, she would take it.
With the exception of her twin, Piper had nothing, had lost everything. Now, she feared she would lose her mystery lover, too. Her hands roamed freely, sliding over his sculpted body and fisting in his long hair. The sweet cavern of his mouth was a treasure to be seized, a gift to unwrap.
Between the V of her legs, he grew hard, until his full erection nudged at her, rubbing her sensitive clit. Electricity shot through her and she moaned, rocking her hips back and forth, creating a tormenting friction. Could she make love to him in her dreams? If this was it, if this was goodbye…
He pulled back, his eyes boring into hers, his breath coming hard and deep. “You do understand that I’m coming back, right? I won’t leave you forever. I can’t.”
Piper nearly cried right then and there. Of course he would see her fear, he was made for her. “How do you know? What if this is the last time we have together?” She didn’t mean to sound so desperate, but she was. He made her desperate.
He took her head between his hands. “I. Will. Find. You.”
“Not if I find you first.” Piper smiled at him, even though her heart was breaking. Something told her their affair was over, no matter what he promised. She memorized every detail she could about his face. His hands gently ran over her hair and her shoulders.
Smoke filled the apartment—it billowed in from the windows, under the doors, and even the radiator. It gave her an instant headache. “No, oh, no.” She pressed her palms to her temple. “I’m leaving.” Dear Zeus, what if she never saw him again? “I love you. Come back to me. I’ll wait.”
As her beautiful man faded into smoke and blackness, Piper opened her eyes and glanced around the dark apartment. It was still early morning and she could make out Keona’s form under the covers in the bedroom.
Her faith in the gods had been on the thin side for years. Her mother and father were faithful and religious, but Piper saw where it got them. Where were the gods when her father needed protection? Where were the gods when her mother sacrificed herself so her children could live?
Tonight, however, she prayed. She listed off all the gods she could think and tried to appeal to them. She thanked Hestia for the parents who protected her with their own lives and asked to be given children that she could love that much. To Hera, she gave thanks for her mystery man, and prayed that if they were meant to be together that the goddess of marriage would send her in the right direction. Ares and Athena she thanked for the Thracian soldiers who guarded their people and prayed that they guarded her love. Though at times it was a curse, she thanked Aphrodite for making her pretty and for showing her that love was a mighty and wonderful thing.
Two gods in particular, she prayed especially hard to. Hermes, messenger of the gods, was said to have created the gift of teleportation. That was Keona’s gift, their mother’s gift, the gift that had saved their lives on several occasions. Keona was frightened to use her god given powers, afraid that someone might see her disappear or appear. Piper prayed that Hermes bless her sister with love and stability, two things Keona always thought were far above her.
Then Piper lifted up a prayer to Apollo, the giver of her healing talents.
I know you’ve brought me to this place for a reason. You guided me to the medical profession where I can help humans and Olympians, you’ve opened doors that no one can explain. Please, dear Apollo, please help me find this man. Help me figure out the purpose of these dreams, the purpose of my gifts. I need him. I love him, and I’ll do whatever it takes to find him.
THE NEXT MORNING Keona was still thinking about Evander, still wondering which action was really her mistake—confiding in him, or leaving. She watched Piper as she stretched and yawned, slowly waking up.
“Good morning.” Her eyes were still half closed. “How was your night with the sexy doctor? Do I still have a job?”
Keona handed Piper a cup of coffee. “About that…”
“Holy Aphrodite, Keona. Did you sleep with him?” Piper’s voice rose, pitched high with her immediate aggravation. “Is that what this is about?”
At this point, she was too upset to be insulted. “No, but I wanted to. He’s fantastic. He’s charming, he’s smart, he’s got to be the world’s best kisser.” Heat rippled from her face all the way down to her core.
“And the problem is?” Piper asked dryly and took a sip of her coffee. She was awful crabby for a morning person.
“Mr. Paul Smith is actually…Evander Castille.”
Piper dropped her coffee all over her lap. “Ouch! Hot, hot, hot.” She frantically wiped at her shirt and shorts. “What? He’s—oh, gods. We have to leave, we have to get out of here, Keona. If they know where we live—oh no, you didn’t let him follow you, did you?”
Keona stepped to the window above the kitchen sink and pointed at the black Mercedes sitting by the curb. It had been there since the early hours of the morning. A car that nice didn’t belong anywhere near their neighborhood. Evander knew exactly where they were. “There was no let about it. He has a tracker, someone who can follow signatures left by Olympian magic.”
“No, no, oh, no.” Piper fell back on the couch, her breathing labored, and she shook out her hands, indicating a
panic attack was close. Piper lowered her head to her knees and clasped her hands behind her head. “No, no, no.”
Ripples of her aura hit Keona, bringing the scent of ocean water and rain. She fell to the floor in front of her sister. “Calm down. Think of the box, Piper. Your energy has to stay contained in the box. Remember what mom told you?”
Piper closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Walls of steel. Walls of steel.”
“That’s right. Contain it. Compact it as tight as you can.”
Her sister nodded.
“Good girl. Now put it in the steel box.” The scent of ocean water dissipated. “Put the lid on it, and lock it down tight. There you go.” Keona placed her hands on either side of Piper’s head and made her look up. “First off, if he wanted to hurt us, he would’ve done so already. I’ve watched that car for hours. The guy is just sitting there. Okay?”
“What if he’s waiting? What if he’s called in the Master Thracian and we’re sitting here while they get closer?” Moisture gathered in Piper’s eyes.
They had to get to the bottom of this. If Evander had turned them in, she had to know. No matter how much she wanted to like him, if his actions put Piper in danger, he was nothing more than another disappointment. Keona wasn’t one to dance around the subject. She would confront the spy in the sedan and then make a plan. If all else failed, she’d kill him and leave. “I need to port you somewhere for a moment, okay? I’m going to find out what’s going on.”
Piper latched onto her shirt. “What are you going to do? You can’t pick a fight with these people, Keona. They aren’t the run of the mill Olympians we usually bump into. They’re Castilles! Don’t do anything stupid.”
“I have to figure out what’s going on. I’m not real big into stalkers.”
“I’m scared. Don’t leave me.”
“Only for a moment.”
After taking Piper to Egypt, a place their mother had taken them many times over the years, she walked out to the curb as the window of the car descended. The pistol in her jacket was easily accessible, though she didn’t need a weapon. She could blink out before anyone drew a gun on her, Olympian or otherwise.
“Your aura might be locked, but your powers are still a very strong beacon.” The man was pale, almost albino, even his hair. He wore a baseball cap and sunglasses and had a short blond beard on his face.
“I take it you’re the tracker?” Keona tried not to let her fear show. This man was huge, with massive shoulders, thick arms, and he seemed to be missing a neck. She swallowed the golf ball in her throat and controlled the shiver that went up her spine. “And a Thracian tracker, at that.” Protect me, Zeus, from my own stupidity.
“Mr. Smith would like to have a word with you.” He spoke to her, but he kept looking around.
“Cut the shit, Evander knows that’s not going to happen. Our business is finished and he needs to leave us alone.”
The Thracian snapped around to pin her with his stare. He took off the glasses and Keona stifled a gasp. His eyes were black, not just the iris, but the entire eye. “Mr. Smith is under the impression that you need protection. He is in a place to give it to you and if you’re smart, little girl, you’ll take it.”
Keona’s jaw tensed. “And what if I need protection from him? From his family? Bet he didn’t stop to think about that, did he?”
The Thracian took a deep, deep breath. His eerie eyes narrowed. “Mr. Smith doesn’t care what your last name is, or what his last name is. Your…business together is not concluded.” His next words were soft, almost intimate. “He is most anxious to see you again, madam.”
Keona had to look away. She didn’t want to believe this was a trap. She wanted Evander to long for her the way she longed for him. But trust wasn’t something she gave lightly, especially not to a Castille.
“Tell Mr. Smith that I’m unsure of his position and that I’ll have to think about it. But you,” she pointed her finger at the neckless wonder. “You can’t stalk me. This is an invasion of privacy and you’re freaking out my sister.”
“I’m here for your protection. Nothing more.” He slid his glasses on once more. “Mr. Smith would be very upset if something happened to you or your sister. He also asked me to tell you to please keep in mind that I’m not the only tracker out there, so you need to minimize your exposure.”
The thought of Evander protecting her, even indirectly, warmed her heart and softened her up. Maybe he did care. He’d sent a Thracian to watch over her, that was a pretty big deal. “Well, protect from a distance. And for the love of the gods, lay off the steroids.” Keona caught the twitch of his lips before she went inside and brought her sister back.
“We could live in Egypt again,” Piper said with a sad smile. “I do love Egypt.”
“You love everywhere.” Keona pulled her into a tight hug. She peeked out the window to see that the Mercedes had moved further down the street but still faced their apartment.
Piper caught her grinning. “I guess the doctor was taken with you, then?” One thin brow rose and Keona nodded.
“I don’t think he’ll turn us in.” Keona glanced at the car once more to see the man on his phone, no doubt relaying her message.
“So what do we do?”
Keona shrugged. “We go to work.” They had less than twenty minutes to get there.
Naturally, the one morning she could’ve really used her teleporting powers, she didn’t, heeding the Thracian’s advice.
Evander sat at his desk long before the sun came up that morning, his mind on Keona, the memory of their kiss still branded on his lips. Everything in his life was currently a pile of crap, and in the middle of it all, he’d lost the first woman he’d felt anything for in centuries.
Nadal. Holy Zeus. Based on her reaction, she was definitely related to Marlaina and that complicated the situation beyond belief. A dull ache had taken residence in his head since last night when Keona vanished, and he rubbed it once more.
The look of distress on her face, the way her whole body seemed to crumble in on itself when she realized who he was—the image was burned in his mind. Her brain waves indicated a spike in fear and sadness. Maybe it made him pathetic, but he hoped that she missed him the same way he missed her.
“You seem upset, sir. Is it the girl?” Cain, his most trusted Thracian guardian, set a cup of coffee on his desk took a seat in one of the leather chairs of his office.
Evander hid nothing from Cain, and over the years a deep sense of loyalty had grown between them. If a Thracian could be friends with his charge, then Evander would definitely count Cain as a friend. “You know how long I’ve been on this earth, how many times I’ve tried to find someone. Hell, I’ve even tried finding you someone just so I could live vicariously.” The two men shared a chuckle. “She sparked something in me, Cain. And I can’t let that go.”
Cain leaned his elbows over on his knees and leveled his brown eyes at Evander. He rubbed one hand over his bald head. “If she’s a Nadal, she has reason to fear your name, sir. Can you blame her for running?”
He rested his head on the back of his chair. “No. I can’t blame her for running, hiding, worrying. I’m assuming Marlaina Nadal was her mother, since she’s a teleporter. She lives with the burden of a name as much as I do.”
The name Castille painted a target on his back, and over his three centuries on earth had made him a pawn in a game of gods. Anyone out to get the Castille Deities could find him easy enough and had plenty of times before. Evander wasn’t easily killed, neither were his Thracians. His reputation was solidified in their world and he’d had peace for many decades.
“Do you want me to keep Nicholas on her?”
Evander nodded. “Now that he’s made contact, I want him on her night and day. Don’t let her out of sight.”
Cain stood and bowed, a habit he would never rid himself of no matter how many times Evander asked him to. “We’ll keep an eye on her, sir. She needs to be here, though. A gift like hers is ra
re. With the death of the Prophet’s teleporter, they will be desperate and hunting.”
“I’m aware.” Evander pinched his lips together. “I have to convince her to see me again, first.”
“Use that charm of yours, sir. It’s worked on many women before.” Cain winked and his lips barely curved—his version of a smile. He closed the door behind him and left Evander to his thoughts.
Only moments later his private line rang. It was far too early for social calls.
“Cousin,” growled an unmistakable bass voice on the other line.
“Ryse, I was just thinking about you. How are you?”
“I’m as good as I can be right now. I have news, cousin. I hope to hell you’re sitting down.”
“You first, then I have some news of my own.” He had to warn Ryse about Keona. Not because she was a threat, but because she was a tool the enemy would use to their advantage. As much as Keona loved her sister, they could blackmail her easily enough. The thought of something horrid happening to her produced a hard ache in his chest. Evander wasn’t going to let her get hurt. There was something there, something wonderful and sacred, something that might just turn into love if they only gave it a chance.
“You know I’m not one to mince words, so I’ll just come out and say it. Hermes descended on our Haven today. Zeus has called the Deities up to the Heavens. Hayden, Hammon and I are going. I’m putting all Thracians on code red. If you come across anything, and I mean any-fucking-thing that looks, smells, or acts suspicious, kill it.”
Evander’s head spun. He could not be sick on the phone with Ryse. The two men had spoken more in the last few days than they had in years, and every time the call ended he sat speechless.
“I’ve found someone, cousin. But I don’t want any harm to come to her. She’s a teleporter, Ryse, an incredible one.”
“You’ve seen it?”
“Yes. Should I bring her to you?”
“No.” Ryse answered faster than Evander expected. “Things are not stable here. Keep her with you.”