Alexis chewed a grape, considering the question. “Does any woman know what she does to the man who desires her?”
“He should tell her. You think magicians would be braver.”
“He did tell her once. She scorned him harshly, and he never attempted it again,” Alexis said softly. Penelope glanced across at the golden Apollo on her left as he lounged in the lamplight. There would be few women alive who would resist Phaidros, let alone scorn him.
“He shouldn’t have given up so easily.”
“It was a long time ago on Atlantis. Social structures were different then,” Alexis explained. “She was royalty, and he was not.”
“It was that long ago? That is an epic grudge,” said Penelope, wide-eyed.
“It’s not so long if you love them and it still hurts.”
“Hasn’t he heard the saying ‘Let go or get dragged?’ You’ve all been together for so long, I’d be surprised if you all hadn’t been lovers or mortal enemies at some point.”
Alexis snorted. “I’ve slept with none of them. Galenos and Lyca are a couple. Zo and Aelia were lovers at some point in the early days in Egypt, but I think that was boredom more than anything. Magicians rarely couple with other magicians.”
“Why not? You would have a lot in common, and you’re the only Atlanteans left alive.”
“Magicians are naturally solitary and obsessed with their art. They have a strong streak of professional arrogance, and if you combine that with passion and emotion, the results are violent and unpredictable.”
“Sounds like me and a million other academics,” Penelope said. “There’s a reason why we date someone in our field or not at all.”
“I can’t imagine you don’t get offers, Penelope.”
“I’ve had them. I just didn’t have time for them.” Penelope swallowed a large mouthful of wine. Her love life, or lack of it, wasn’t something she was comfortable discussing with someone who could turn a group of female officers into heated cats.
“You two, stop talking! Aelia is going to sing,” Lyca interrupted loudly. Phaidros had produced a lyre with seven strings, made of mother-of-pearl and golden wood.
“Aelia uses her voice to weave her magic,” Alexis whispered in Penelope’s ear, his breath tickling her skin. “She could make you dance and fall in love like a siren does a sailor if she wanted to.”
“And you?” she asked as soft, deep stringed music filled the air. The weight of his gaze pinned her, the flirtatious moment filled with something heavier.
“I’d never use magic to make someone fall in love with me. There can be no external influence, or else the experience can’t be trusted, just like magic.”
Penelope was saved from replying as Aelia’s voice opened into the air. Tingles spread up over her body as the eerie melodies spun silver in her ears. She couldn’t understand a word of it, but somehow she knew Aelia was singing of a home they would never see again. Penelope’s soul heaved and pulsed, tears filling her eyes.
Behind her, Alexis’s hand rested on her back in a reassuring gesture. Lost in the moment, she leaned against him, using the curve of his body like the back of a chair. It was comforting, and the throbbing under the scar on her ribs eased.
Penelope closed her eyes as the song washed over her, and in her mind she could see the string of light pulsing between her and Alexis. She touched it, slow and experimental, and Alexis took a sharp intake of breath behind her. She hadn’t imagined it; it was not some new age bullshit she had made up in her head. It was real. He could feel when she touched it, not just when she was afraid or meditating. What was it? How did it come to be there? Why him? She would have to pin down Nereus and ask more questions, since Alexis would probably avoid answering them.
The song finished, and Penelope clapped enthusiastically.
“With a voice like that I’m surprised you haven’t wrangled the world,” she said to Aelia.
“She gave up on being a pop star after Eurovision,” teased Zo.
“You were in Eurovision? Who…where?” Penelope demanded, and then she saw Aelia on stage with blue hair, a sequined bodysuit, cape flapping in the wind machine. “Holy shit—you are Lia Lee!”
“Oh, Zeus,” groaned Phaidros. “Don’t get her started.”
Penelope ignored him. “You should have won that year, hands down.”
“That competition is so rigged,” Aelia said, flicking her bronze hair over her shoulder. “And I would never use magic to win.”
Zo laughed loudly. “She was pretty damn close to doing it that time. I blame the piano playing. Aelia can sing the sky blue, but Phaidros is the true master of instruments. Except cello, which Alexis beats anyone on. You should go and get it. It’s been too long since I heard you play.”
“Another night perhaps. I haven’t practiced.”
“Come now, Zo. You know Alexis only plays when he is brooding,” Nereus teased.
“It’s an instrument of the soul. One must be ready to bear everything if they are to get any real sound out of it,” defended Alexis. “I don’t brood.”
“I’ve known you for less than a month, and even I know you are the king of brood,” Penelope said, tugging at one of his stray curls.
“Start hair pulling at your peril,” he threatened playfully.
The night passed in a hazy whorl of drinks and laughter until only Penelope and Alexis remained in the floating gardens. She lay on the platform, head propped up on a large cushion with her hand trailing through the unnaturally warm saltwater that flowed through the channels.
“Do you miss Atlantis?” she asked, staring at the stars through the roof of the atrium. Alexis lay beside her, but they were careful not to touch.
“Sometimes,” he admitted. “Other times I feel like I barely remember it.”
“Will you tell me about it one day? I swear I’ll never write it down.”
“If you want to hear of it, I’ll tell it,” he promised, “but I’ve drunk far too much to tell such tales tonight. I can do this though.” He leaned over her and put his hand in the water. His aura crackled with energy, and an orb of water lifted from the canal and into the air. Penelope reached for it, lightly touching its bobbing surface. He sent a few more up, letting them float around the atrium.
“I didn’t think serious magicians did such mindless tricks,” she said cheekily.
“We love the tricks,” Alexis replied, and the orbs started glowing different colors. “Besides, I like seeing the joy you find in the simplest things.”
“Sometimes simple is best,” she replied. They watched the orbs silently for a while before Alexis yawned.
“I should escort you back to your room. I’m sure the inspector will want to meet with you tomorrow.”
“I think Zo’s wine has made my legs disappear,” she complained as he helped her to unsteady feet.
“Come on, I’ll help you.” Alexis held her hand and made sure she didn’t fall into any pockets of water. The palazzo moving seemed almost normal as they walked.
“I have a question,” Penelope declared loudly.
“Of course you have a question.” Alexis pulled her out of the way of a sculpture so she didn’t crash into it, and opened her bedroom door.
“The first night you brought me here, Phaidros said my chakras were broken. Is that true?” Penelope asked as she collapsed on a chaise lounge.
“Phaidros can see them, but I doubt they are broken.”
“Apparently my red one was out, and it came on when I saw you. What does that mean?” The wine had made her brave, but she wasn’t so drunk that she didn’t notice the color creeping along his cheeks. He sat on the other end of the couch, lifting her feet, so they rested on his knees.
“Each one of your chakras has a different color associated with it,” he explained. “Sometimes certain centers can become more dormant or active than others. They can be balanced with focus and guidance.”
“Show me,” Penelope insisted. “Prove it, if you can.”
&
nbsp; “You’re very provocative when you’ve been drinking,” he said. “I don’t know if you are sober enough to feel it.”
“Sure I will.” She shut her eyes and said dramatically, “I’m ready, magician.”
Alexis laughed, and the sound of it thrilled her. “Don’t say you didn’t ask for it. Keep your eyes closed, and I’ll take you through a quick tour. Breathe calmly and deeply, as you would settling into your meditations.”
Penelope did as she was told, the teasing in his voice leaving as the teacher and magician took over.
“We’re going to work through each chakra, opening them and allowing the energy to flow,” he continued, “I want you to focus on the base of your spine, your root chakra that glows like a small ball of red light. Imagine it turning on like a flame, glowing brighter. Next, I want you to focus on the space just below your navel, your sacral chakra that is orange. Focus on making this orange light glow hotter and brighter until fingers of light reach out and touch the red of your root chakra.”
Penelope had never been through energy work before, despite Carolyn’s recommendation, and yet she felt something flare low and deep within her as she focused on the light and Alexis’s voice.
“We are moving up to your navel chakra near your solar plexus,” Alexis instructed. “Feel this sitting in between the top of your ribs, where your instincts and emotions sit. This glows golden yellow, like a tiny sun, burning down to touch the orange light. Next, we will focus on your heart which is the color of vibrant emeralds. This is where love resides, and only you know how to get this one to flare. Focus on what fills you with love and joy, Penelope.”
She thought of the sea before her fear of it, the moment she touched the Tablet and knew it was going to change her life, that strange thrill of the unknown, and being one step closer to knowing. Her family rose and left her mind. She loved them, but that wasn’t what filled her with exhilaration and burning desire. That was knowledge, always. Unbidden, the image of the blue door opening and seeing Alexis on the other side flashed in the forefront of her mind, and she struggled to push it away. The Archives loomed in front of her, the overwhelming joy when she was there.
“It’s flared. Just breathe, Penelope. Don’t fight it,” soothed Alexis. “Next I want you to move your attention to your throat. This chakra glows blue, and while you have no problem communicating, there seems to be an imbalance here. It’s like you have been silenced, gagged, whether by yourself or others, out of fear. Focus on taking that gag off, unwind it, and throw it away. Let the intensity of that blue light burn like the center of a flame.” Heat ran along Penelope’s chest, curling around her neck and the back of her head. Warm fingers lightly touched her forehead, and she shivered.
Alexis lowered his voice. “Open your third eye, Penelope. It’s been sitting heavy-lidded for too long. Open it and see the world in its wonder. If you want to know the magic around you, you must look for it. Don’t be afraid. I’ll be here.”
Penelope breathed deeply and tried to imagine an eye opening between her brows. As she did, indigo light flooded her mind, and the other chakras responded as if the new energy made them burn brighter.
“Well done. It’s strong, which is a good sign. The last chakra sits on top of the crown of your head; this is where enlightenment and wisdom flow down through you. When you open this chakra, Penelope, all of you will feel it, so be prepared. This chakra is violet and—” Alexis cut off as Penelope shuddered from the intensity of it. She lit up like a street light, energy running up and down, like an invisible hand stroking her insides.
“There you are. You were interested in your root chakra so now that you are fully open I want you to keep your focus on the orange and red bases as they pulse gently.”
Alexis’s voice had dropped to an even deeper whisper now, sending another tremor through her stomach, making her pelvic floor muscles clench. Desire burned through her skin, making it hypersensitive to every breath of air. She hardly dared to breathe.
“I-I can feel…” she managed as she felt the edges of an orgasm ambushing her. Oh God please no. “What are you doing to me right now?”
“I’m not doing it. You are.”
Alexis placed a hot hand on the curve of her calf muscle, and she groaned at the contact. His hand slid slowly up her bare skin, the rest of his body moving on top of hers. Her nerves were screaming with a primal need to have his skin against hers, to have him every which way she needed to ease the hunger inside of her. Her lids were heavy as she opened her eyes, finding his blue ones hovering above her. His proximity made it hard to keep her from wrapping her body around his. She was on fire with seven different flames, her breath shuddering.
Very slowly, Alexis kissed her bruised cheek, and she held her breath, hands twisting in the fabric of his shirt. Her skin tingled, as he healed her.
“I can’t handle seeing you hurt. I don’t care what questions anyone asks about your recovery capabilities,” he said, his long fingers stroking her cheeks and tangling in her curls. “May I kiss you, Penelope?”
“Yes,” she whispered. His lips were firm and warm against hers, tasting of spiced wine and the tang of smoke as magic jumped from his mouth to hers, healing the cut on her bottom lip as he gave it a slow suck. When he pulled back, she gave a noise of protest; she wanted to kiss him properly, to have her fingers pass through his hair and trace the line of his bare back. What is wrong with me? Penelope shoved the voice away. It had barely been a taste, but it set her bones aching and muscles tensing.
Alexis must have been able to read it in her eyes; his smile was gentle but knowing. “I’m sorry to disappoint, Penelope, but I can’t allow much more than that tonight.”
“Why not?” she asked as he eased off her, leaving her cold. “Is it me?”
“God, no,” he said deadly serious. “Don’t mistake my actions for disinterest. If I were a lesser man, you would have been naked hours ago. But I am who I am, and we’ve been drinking. If you come to my bed, I want it to be a very clear and sober decision, and I want you to remember every second of it.”
There was an unspoken promise in his words that made Penelope’s mouth go dry. “I understand, but whatever you just did to me, you should’ve put a warning label on it if you didn’t want to follow it up with…something else.”
“I did try and warn you,” he replied innocently. “The good news is all of your chakras are in perfect order.”
“Yay,” she said unenthusiastically. “You have a great deal more self-control than me if you walk around feeling that all day with your chakras aligned.” Penelope pushed her hands through her hair, fighting off embarrassment. “Maybe it’s a good thing I didn’t go to any chakra meditations earlier if that’s what happens. Or maybe it’s because it’s you, and I’m drunk on Atlantean alcohol.”
“Wine and magic are great seducers, and what’s between us is complicated enough,” Alexis admitted.
Penelope sat up, her whole body aching to have his naked body pressed against hers. She tried to focus. “You mean our weird, glowing string?”
“It’s called a fate knot, moíra desmós,” he admitted. “That’s what Nereus meant today about your knot. I originally thought I had caused it when I placed a trace on you years ago—”
“When you were busily crashing my career,” she added.
“Yes. But Nereus said it’s not due to the tracer spell. Our fates are tied, to whatever end. It would have always been there since birth. After seeing you with the Tablet today, I think it might have connected when you found it, or when it found you. It’s only become more noticeable because we are finally together, and in the here and now, our fates are going to be decided.”
Penelope sighed with relief. “I’m not crazy.”
“You thought you were?”
“What do you think? A man appears in my meditation, turns out to be a real-life magician from Atlantis who wants my help hunting down priests of a demonic cult,” Penelope said sarcastically. “Having a logical explan
ation for why I’m so drawn to you is a good thing. You’re gorgeous, but I’m not that much of a sucker for handsome men. You must feel better knowing why you’re so curious about a mortal academic, and that I’m not some secret magician who astral projected into your tower.”
“Secret magician or moíra desmós. Both are intimidating prospects,” Alexis replied. He looked sideways at her. “Do you hate me for what I did to your academic career?”
“Yes…and no. Mostly no.” Penelope ran a hand through her hair. “I understand your reasons, especially after tonight. They are a moody family of magicians, but they are worth protecting. It’s never been about a career or making a name for myself. I just needed to know. Do I want to know a lot more? Hell yes. I only published the findings because I wanted funding to find more answers. I have answers, some of them anyway, so I forgive you for being so dastardly and considering killing me to shut me up.”
“I hated doing it to you and all the others I’ve intervened with.” He squeezed her foot gently. “You, most of all. I knew I could never physically hurt you even then.”
“What I want to know is, why didn’t you do something about Madame Blavatsky? That mystical table-knocker founded a whole society, and you ignored her.”
“That was Zo’s fault! He ran into her in a backwater Russian bar in the 1850s drunk off his head on vodka. She was interested in magic and occultism. He spun her fantastical tales with just enough reality to make it a concern. I kept an eye on the Theosophical Society for a while, but I kept a closer eye on Zo when he was drinking.”
Penelope lost it laughing. “What a bastard!”
“He always did like to make my life interesting.” Alexis smiled with brotherly fondness. “In regard to my actions toward you, I will make amends, I promise.”
“You did save my life and let me hang out in the Archives. That’s good amends.”
He raised a dark eyebrow. “So, you don’t want any more stories?”
Penelope sat up so she could poke him. “Of course I want stories! And I want to hear you play the cello.”
Alexis grimaced. “I should hamstring Zo for telling you that. A man has to have some mysteries.”
The Immortal City Page 16