by JJ King
“I’m not going anywhere,” she whispered.
“Be my wife.” The words were murmured softly, almost inaudibly above the sound of the crashing waves, but she heard them as if they’d been shouted from the very top of Mount Latmus.
Em stared for a long moment as her pulse raced and her mind spun. Once upon a time she’d longed for love, marriage, and children, but then she’d lost everything, or what she’d thought was everything, and she’d given up on that image of a future. She had love again, and trust, and now she was being offered the impossible, a life with the man she loved desperately.
Her heart exploded with pain. She gasped in a breath and clutched at her chest.
Poseidon dropped his hands to her arms and shook her. “What’s wrong? Em! What’s happening?”
Em just shook her head and tried to wrench herself free from his grip but he wouldn’t let her. “Tell me,” he urged.
Tears dripped down her cheeks unheeded and unfelt. “I’m a monster,” she whispered in broken gasps. “I could never give you a family.” She let her head fall to her chest and tried not to give into despair.
His finger touched her chin and tipped her face up to look at him. The sad smile on his lips was unreadable. “I love you,” he said, bringing a hand up to touch her snakes, “all of you. Isn’t that enough?”
She stared at him in awe, wondering how he could love so easily and trust that their future would be fine if they were together. Doubts bubbled up inside her, seeking dark places to catch hold. Em closed her eyes and pushed back, choosing to follow through with her promise of leaving the past in the past. She took a deep breath and nodded. “It’s enough. I love you. I’d love to be your wife.”
His face lifted into a radiant smile that brightened his skin until he was glowing. Em laughed and threw back her head as he spun her around and around, lifting her into the air. Then he was walking with her into the surf, ignoring her playful cries, and lowering her into the ocean water until they were surrounded by his element. Em slid her fingertips through the water and marveled when it left shimmering silver tendrils of prismatic color behind.
Poseidon reached into the water and, instantly, the water around them churned, bubbling up around their legs. Em grinned and held onto Poseidon’s waist to stay upright.
When he lifted his hand, she lost her breath. A soft pink pearl lay nestled in a ring made of what looked like coral with fragment of abalone fitted into the band. It was the most beautiful ring she’d ever laid eyes on in her life.
“Em. Medusa.” He lifted a hand to her cheek. “Whatever name you chose to go by. I love you, only you, with all that I am and with all that I ever will be. I pledge to stand by your side through everything this world and any other chooses to throw at us, in the happy times and the hard times. I will be your best friend, your confidant, your co-conspirator, and your lover. That is, if you’ll have me.” He held up a glistening ring and slipped it onto her waiting finger. “Forever,” he whispered.
When she found her voice, Em rose up onto her toes and pressed the hand that held a promise of forever over Poseidon’s racing heart and pressed her lips to his in a tender kiss that she broke only long enough to whisper back, “Forever.”
EPILOGUE
Atop Mount Latumus…
Hecate gazed up at the moon, at Selene, who watched over the world at night and remembered Medusa’s promise to help them when the time came. After thousands of years with no success, there seemed no logical reason that she should be feeling encouraged by the promise of one woman. Yet there it was, in the pit of her stomach, twisting and turning, growing and making her feel something she hadn’t felt in a very long time.
Hope.
She lifted her glass of cabernet to the stars and tipped her head in respect, for they were her constant companions, and they would be there for her no matter what happened when they called up the troops and reigned down all the fury and power of the night upon the king of the gods.
The End
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JJ King is the paranormal loving alter-ego of author Janice Godin. She attributes her love for the supernatural to Buffy and is thankful there are so many other people, like her, who love a little otherness with their romance. Oh, and she loves sushi and cats!
To find out more about JJ King and all her upcoming projects…
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