by Anna Edwards
Apollo’s Protection
Gods Reborn - Book Two
Claire Marta
Anna Edwards
Contents
Map of Camp Seven
Blurb
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Epilogue
Beauty’s War
About Claire Marta
About Anna Edwards
Copyright © 2019 by Anna Edwards & Claire Marta
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior written permission.
www.clairemartawritesbooks.wordpress.com
www.AuthorAnnaEdwards.com
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.
Warning: This book contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language and may be considered offensive to some readers. This book is for sale to adults only, as defined by the laws of the country in which you made your purchase.
Disclaimer: Please do not try any sexual practice without the guidance of an experienced practitioner. Neither the publisher nor the author will be responsible for any loss, harm, injury, or death resulting from the use of the information contained in this book.
Cover Design by www.CharityHendry.com
Editing by Tracy Roelle
Formatting by Words into Butterflies
Proofreading by Sheena Taylor
Map of the island known at Pluto’s Camp Seven
Is it possible to escape a hell’s paradise and find love at the same time?
Fontus and Eva are demigods of the sea. For years, they’ve been lovers and friends, but something has always been missing. When both find themselves kidnapped and sent to Pluto’s breeding camps, to help him create an army, can they escape the magical island where nothing is what it seems? And will it give them insight into what their relationship needs to survive?
Apollo is the quiet son of Jupiter, unless he’s playing his music or making love. He’s given a task by his father that he thinks is a fool's errand — a silly little girl hiding from her father for no reason. It becomes so much more, though, when he finds himself on an island full of lovers, forced to breed the army from Hell.
Can the three find a way not only to escape from hell but love at the same time?
Apollo’s Protection is a modern day, fantasy, paranormal story based upon Roman mythology. You shouldn’t always believe the history you were taught, because the reality can be completely unexpected.
The warm waters of the Mediterranean Sea lap at my feet while I lie in a tiny red bikini on the shores of the island of Sicily, close to Masala. In the distance, I can see the hazy lands of Tunisia. It’s a place I swim to often for the exotic spices and jewelry it has to offer. That’s definitely one perk to being the daughter of Neptune, the God of the Sea, an ability to swim for miles like a fish. To dip your head under the water and not resurface until you reach your destination is bliss.
There’s so much beauty in the shores off the coast of Italy with it’s sunken wrecks teeming with fish of all different colors. Many a trinket or fortune can be found amongst the wooden structures, waiting for man to discover. I touch at the necklace I’ve worn since my tenth birthday, fifteen years ago. Well, in human years. In god years, I’m probably approaching twenty million years old, give or take a few thousand years. Not a wrinkle line in sight, though!
My skin prickles as though someone’s watching me, but when I look around, I see no one. Strange? Maybe it was time I was getting back home. Ever since Fontus, my best friend and lover, disappeared, I’ve been on edge. It’s so unlike him not to leave word if he’s going away for a while. He’s been known to vanish for days on end, lost in his explorations of wrecks, but he always tells me before he goes gallivanting. This time, I had no word. He just didn’t show up one day.
I’ve told my father, and he says he’s looking into it, but I think he believes I’m worrying over nothing. He has the same philosophy as a lot of the male gods, which is that some time away and buried deep inside a woman of their choice is essential. Well, I can tell you now if Fontus is doing that, then it’ll be the last time he’s able to use his dick for those sorts of activities!
I snort out an annoyed puff of air, and jumping to my feet, I bend over, lift up my teal colored towel, and wrap it into a small ball. As I begin to tuck it inside my rucksack, the sky darkens. There’s a single black cloud in a bright blue sky. It’s eerie—it doesn’t seem normal. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I need to get home … now!. But I’m too late. My body’s frozen in place, and when I try to take a step, my legs won’t obey my brain.
“She’s pretty, Boss.” A deep masculine voice comes from behind me, but I can’t turn my head to see the face of the person speaking.
“Indeed, she is.” Another voice comes from the left of me. I have some movement in my eyes, and they’re able to flick to the side to see a big brute of a man looming over me. A menacing grin full of lust crosses his face. “Very pretty. Neptune should keep her better guarded.”
I turn my attention to the sea and will it to save me. A shot of water bursts out of the ocean and heads to the man next to me, but he holds a hand out, and the water stops and veers off to his side.
“Feisty as well. Just how Pluto likes them,” the brute to the left continues.
My ears prick up at the mention of that feared name. I’ve been taught to stay away from any mention of it since birth.
“What do you want?” My voice trembles.
“Well, apart from your body, you’re going to make a perfect addition to my camp.”
I swallow deeply, wanting to do nothing more than run away.
“But a demigoddess? She’s no Venus,” the voice questions from behind me.
“No, but in many ways she’s better because nobody’ll miss her, especially with us holding her part-time lover hostage as well. They’ll think the pair have gone away together,” the man to the left of me chuckles evilly.
“Fontus!” I cry, but my words are lost on the wind as we disappear into nothing.
“Why do I have to be the one to do it?”
Arms folded over my chest, I glower at the old man facing me. Jupiter, King of the Gods, sits behind the desk with his salt and pepper hair neatly styled and wearing a pinstriped suit that’s elegant and smart. He’s the head of one of the largest law firms in Rome, and the protector of mankind. He’s also my f
ather, and right now, the biggest pain in my ass.
“Apollo, Mars is away on his honeymoon with Vicky, and your other brother is already on an errand for me. There’s no one else I can task with this.”
No one he wants to ask more like. There are plenty of other Gods working under him in the office. One of Neptune’s daughters decides to run off, playing hooky, and I get stuck with chasing her.
“You do know she’s probably off partying with a bunch of humans,” I point out. “On Ibiza or some other island where they like to get rowdy.”
A smile flickers across his lips, his dark eyes crinkling at the corners in response to my annoyance.
“It should make it easier for you to find her then. Her father is worried, and he wants her home. We can’t afford to have a young demigoddess running around alone. You know Pluto will stop at nothing to destroy mankind and turn as many of us as he can to his cause. This girl would be easy pickings.”
The heat of my irritation cools. He’s right. With Pluto, God of the Underworld, forever scheming and plotting, we need to be careful. There have been too many times where he’s come close to succeeding. Something we can never allow.
“All right, I’ll find her,” I concede, knowing my evening with a pretty brunette and a handsome male I’d planned to wine and dine will have to be put on hold. No threesome for me then. Work before pleasure and all that. If I’m lucky, this little sea demigoddess won’t be hard to find. After I’ve reprimanded her, she won’t be so naive as to wander so far from home again.
“Good.” Pushing a folded piece of paper toward me, across the surface of the wooden desk with his index finger, Jupiter leaves it in front of me. “This was her last known whereabouts. Start from there and see what you can find.”
Snatching it up, I read the tiny black writing, and my eyebrow lifts with interest ‘Sicily’ where there’s plenty of beaches, clear waters, and good food. She has excellent taste. This wasn’t where I’d expected to start my search. The few of Neptune’s daughters I’ve met have all been selfish and vain. I doubt this one will be any different.
“Hopefully, this is just an instance of a young girl off having some fun.” My father’s soft voice draws me back from my musings. “But be careful, my son. The forces of darkness are insidious. If Pluto does have a hand in this, we need to know.”
Hooking the end of my thumbs in the pockets of my jeans, I give him a cocky grin and move for the door. “You’re getting paranoid, Father. Pluto’s just been taken down a peg or two, thanks to Mars. He won’t be in a fit state to move against us anytime soon, and you don’t need to worry about me. I’ll be back in no time with this wayward mermaid.”
“If you need any help, contact your sister Diana. She is Goddess of the Hunt, after all, and you could use her tracking skills.”
Swiveling on my heels at the mention of my twin sister, I pull a face. “I’d rather spend an eternity in the Underworld than seek help from her.”
My father’s brows crease with a disapproval I know only too well. “You two used to be so close when you were younger ...”
“And then we grew up, and I realized how truly irritating she can be.”
Before he can answer, I walk out the door. I don’t need the talk about getting along with my siblings, or how our mother will be disappointed. When you’ve lived as long as we have, you don’t always get along with family.
The lovely blonde secretary I’d seen on the way in flashes me a shy smile. As the light bringer, radiant and beautiful, I’ve never had problems drawing lovers, Gods or humans alike. Plus, I may be the God of Music and Poetry, but my prowess in battle isn’t any less intimidating than my brother’s. Reaching for a piece of paper with her long, pink painted nails, she scribbles down some numbers with a pen.
“My number, Signore, if you would like to go out for a drink one evening.” A sweet pink blush sweeps over her cheekbones.
I return her smile, amused at her boldness. There’s a policy against dating staff members, but obviously the attraction I invoke in her overrides common sense.
“Grazie.”
Pocketing the note in my shirt, I give her a wink. Never lacking in bedmates, I doubt I’ll give her a call. From what I know of her, she’s efficient at her job and a hard worker. If I break her heart with a one night stand, my father will have my balls. Entering the elevator, I wait for the doors to close before I teleport myself with the power of thought to the Mediterranean island where I need to start my investigations.
Heat from the summer sun beats down on my head and shoulders as I take in the scenery surrounding me. The Sicilian beach is secluded. Crystal clear azure waters lap at the pristine sand, and Tunisia lies off in the distance beyond the expanse of blue. It’s a peaceful cove away from tourists—a place of solitude and silence. It appears untouched, and there’s no indication anyone has been here recently. My steps leave an imprint as I trail slowly along the stretch of paradise, examining the shoreline. My disappointment is sharp when nothing turns up. This demigoddess isn’t going to make it easy. Wherever she’s sunning herself, it looks like she’s already moved on from here.
It’s then something shiny catches my eye. Half buried beneath the sand—it glitters in the sunlight. Curious, I crouch down, and digging my fingers into the silky softness, I rescue the object that has captured my attention.
A necklace.
Not a cheap trinket, but a valuable piece of jewelry crafted meticulously from gold and jewels. Old and well cared for. Whoever owned the piece has looked after it lovingly. It isn’t something that would be parted with easily. Foreboding coils around my insides. My thoughts of a gallivanting wayward demigoddess become tainted with something more sinister.
Perhaps, this time, my father was right.
I’m a sun lover—I’ve always been that way ever since I was a little girl. My father would often find me in the middle of the ocean, lying flat out on the surface sunning myself. It is vastly different to the darkness we usually experience under the sea. Magic glows in the depths, but it’s not a natural light. I long for the sun after a few days under the sea—I pray for it now in the gloom of my depressing prison.
It’s been three, maybe four days, possibly even longer since I was taken by men loyal to Pluto. I’m scared and alone with little food or water. They’ve spoken of Fontus a few times, but I’ve not seen him. Why am I here? Pluto’s reputation precedes him, and whatever he wants from me will not be good. I curse myself for being stubborn and not listening to my father. I wonder if people are searching for me?
“Which one does he want today?” a voice calls from down the corridor.
“Number three,” another replies from farther away.
“Three, three, three,” the first man sings and rattles the doors of all the rooms.
I quickly learned I wasn’t the only girl being held captive here. The soft whimpers and pleas throughout the night are nothing compared to the silence when everyone goes quiet and sleeps in exhaustion. Silence is eerie and more poignant in its emotional destruction.
“Three.” The man finishes his singing.
No, please don’t be me, but I’m not lucky enough for that. My door rattles as someone unlocks and opens it. A man with the body and head of a human but the tail and ears of a horse enters. I’ve never seen anything like him before. He carries a large staff with him.
“Up, number three,” he orders, but I’m too scared to move. “I said up,” he repeats slowly, his tone laced with the promise of menace if I don’t obey. My legs shake, but I manage to stand.
“Where am I going?” My voice quivers as I speak.
“It’s time for your inspection.” The horseman curls his lip up into a sneer, and it turns all the blood in my body cold. “Now.”
He holds the staff up and prods me in the stomach. I’m still wearing the small red bikini I was taken in, so it doesn’t give me much protection against him.
“Ok.” My wobbly legs carry me toward the door. The only food I’ve b
een given to eat since arriving here is bread, and water the only drink. I’m weak, and every step I take is leading me to an unknown fate. “Where are we?” I ask the guard.
“An island off Tartarus. A magical place full of everything our glorious leader needs.”
He pokes me again with his stick to get me moving quicker.
“Stop doing that!” I turn and glare at him.
“Why? Is Daddy going to come and tell me off, little rich girl?”
“He’ll do a lot more than that. Ever wondered what it’s like to drown on dry land?”
I bring my hand up, and curving my fingers around, I link myself to the water within his body. I don’t have many abilities—I’m only the daughter of a god and a human. My powers are virtually redundant against purebred gods, but this thing in front of me is not a god. As I twist my fingers around, I know the water in his body is swelling. It will grow and grow until he drowns in his own skin. Before long, he starts to gasp, and my lips curl into a smug smirk.
“How do I get out of here?”
“Never,” he chokes and drops his staff to claw at his throat.
“Which way?” I shout and rotate my hand, allowing more water to flow into his lungs.
He opens and closes his mouth like a fish struggling for air. I wait for his answer, but I never get one, because more guards appear, and I’m forced to release the spell when they shoot me with electric blasts from their staffs. Electricity doesn’t mix well with water and agonizing pain shoots through me. I sink to the floor and use my hands to clutch at my body, trying to protect it.