Love Potion: A Valentine's Day Charity Anthology

by Graceley Knox

  I lean forward, preparing to whisper over his lips a sensual “yes,” but a rather inconvenient tether that has recently developed between my god charge, Hela, and me interrupts us with a stabbing pain to the fucking gut.

  I screech in agony, feeling my pretty wings start to break free from my glamour. Damn, I wanted to get laid. “Val?” he asks, sounding a tad panicked, like he actually cares about me or something. But that can’t be right.

  “Duty calls,” I say, knowing I only have about two seconds until I’m ripped from the underworld and transported wherever Hela is. The last thing I see is his concerned expression as I’m pulled from his arms and sucked through a god portal that makes my entire body feel like the complete opposite of pleasure. If oatmeal were a feeling, it’d be this.

  I land, my feet a tad shaky from the sky high heels I’m still wearing. A cool breeze hits my skin, and I realize that I’m half-naked in a shopping center in the middle of the night. Off to my right, Hela is hovering over a dark, hooded figure, her hellfire hands at its throat.

  “You think you can kill me? I’m the goddess of death, dumbass.” I scream, quickly realizing what creature she has pinned down. It’s a Karma demon, if she kills it, he’ll just come back with a portion of her powers.

  “Don’t kill him!” I scream before sprinting towards her, my breasts bouncing so hard I’m surprised I don’t have black eyes. Hel is momentarily distracted by my willowy naked body bounding for her with the force and fury of a thousand pixies.

  “Val?” she asks, and the demon stays still, confirming my suspicion that he’s right where he wants to be. As I get closer, I realize I recognize him.

  “Larry, is that you?” I ask, a tad out of breath, because magic powers are supposed to mean that you don’t have to work out, right? I take in Larry’s orange skin, bright purple fangs and unibrow. He’s got a mug only a mother could love. “Why you trying to get my girl’s powers?” I ask.

  Larry looks at Hela who has a confused expression on her face. “Steal my powers?” she asks.

  “Yeah. Larry here is a Karma demon. If you kill him, he comes back with your powers. Pretty convenient considering you’re probably the most powerful damn goddess alive.” I roll my eyes then hold my hand out for Larry to help him up. Hela once again looks between us like the two of us have started fucking right there in the parking lot. Although I’ve heard that Karma demons have big dicks, they also come with consequences of the sexual kind that require powerful healers to fix. No thank you.

  “Did someone send you?” I ask him.

  “You know I can’t tell you that,” Larry the Karma demon replies. His voice is high pitched and annoying.

  “I know that Hela has reunited with her little Harem of Gods. And they know ways around the Karma killing curse,” I reply.

  “Oh Hades, Val. Your threats always hit the spot,” he says with mock sweetness before patting his chest.

  Hel finally manages to close her mouth. “You know all she has to do is say his name,” I add.

  “Fine. Zeus sent me,” he chokes out while holding his hands up. “He promised to kill me if I get her powers. Think of it, I would have had Zeus and Hela? I would’ve been unstoppable.”

  I squint in confusion for a moment, wondering if Zeus has found some sort of way to harness a Karma demon’s powers.

  “Interesting.”

  I muse over it for a moment as a family walks by, staring at me talking to an invisible man. Oh yes. I’m nearly naked.

  “Loki!” I finally scream, enjoying the way the Karma demon’s face twists into an unmistakable fear.

  Within a flash, Loki appears, and I silently curse him for making transporting look so effortless. Didn’t he know you were supposed to feel like oatmeal?

  He takes a minute to assess Hela before turning his attention to the Karma demon and me. “Please tell me he tried to hurt Hela; I’ve been in a murderous mood all day.”

  “Yep. Bastard tried to take her powers.” Loki clicks his tongue and stalks forward, making me smile. “I couldn’t remember how to kill him. I know there’s a trick to it, that’s why I called you.”

  Loki snaps his fingers, and Larry holds his hand up just as a knife appears in his grip. “You were right to call,” Loki begins while Larry starts crying out in pain. “You see, the only way around killing a Karma demon without getting their curse is to have them kill themselves. Much more efficient that way.”

  With another snap, the demon starts to press the knife into his own chest in an agonizingly slow way. Another snap and Loki silences his screams, but we can still see the way his veins are bulging from his neck, and his red eyes look like they’re about to pop from the pressure. Green blood oozes from where the knife punctures him, and soon he collapses on the ground, twitching and silently screaming until he turns into a swirl of hellfire and disappears.

  “Easy enough,” Loki says in a nonchalant voice before turning to face me. “Val, why are you always naked?”

  “I’m not always naked! And it’s the tether, I have no choice; whenever she’s in trouble, I’m yanked to where she is. God help me if she’s ever attacked when I’m taking a shit.”

  Hela finally laughs, but it sounds a tad bit hysterical, like if she doesn’t let out the mass of giggles, she’ll start crying. Loki seems to notice her minor freak out and jumps into action.

  “Let’s get you home, okay?” he says before wrapping an arm around her shoulder. “See you later, Val, thank you.”

  “Yeah, see you later,” I say, keeping a cautious eye on Hela as they disappear.

  Bastard could have at least given me clothes. I snap my fingers and open another portal, trying to decide if I should go back to the club and finish what I started with Broderick or find out why Zeus is sending demons after my girl.

  I sigh, knowing the answer before I jump in the portal. Sexy times with the god of pleasure will have to wait. I have a date with a broody god that knows Zeus better than anyone else—Hercules.

  Chapter 2

  “Well, you’re the last person I expected to see down here,” Hercules says, grinning at me with his bright smile as I walk into his towering palace. Yes, palace, because he’s a giant show off and lives in a house the size of a football field. His palace is made of glass and water. Lots of water—and an indoor pool. He’s a bit extravagant, not necessarily spoiled, but being immortal gives you lots of time to develop refined tastes.

  Hercules steps out of the indoor pool, his naked form dripping with water. Damn, he looks mighty fine without clothes. Shame he’s a god and that one blissful night we had together can’t be repeated. I pull my gaze to the floor below my feet, and take in each transparent level of glass that allows you to see all the way down. It's the same when I look up. Hercules doesn't need privacy; I don't think he even knows what the word means. His entire life has been on display.

  I sigh then say my purpose for being here. "I want to talk about your father," I say, and he rolls his eyes at me as I cross my arms.

  "Please don't tell me you’re in love with him and carrying his baby. I've heard that one about a million times, and it gets old," he asks, running his eyes over me in a sultry but playful way. I hope to all gods he’s being sarcastic, and I mentally thank myself for popping back home and getting some clothes on before coming here. I’m wearing black skin-tight pants and a red tube top, but his gaze makes me feel naked. Hercules has not changed one bit since I last saw him, and being around him still makes me all flustered. He’s the other god with which I have that pesky cycle. Except he doesn’t allow for break ups. He just claims me as his all the time. Which I don’t mind.

  "What? No, that isn't the reason," I blurt out in a rush. "That’s actually pretty damn gross considering you and me." I point a finger between us so he knows what I mean. He throws me a smirk as he slides a blue silk dressing gown over his body. The silk does little to hide his tanned muscular skin, lickable abs and firm thighs.

  Hercules runs a hand through his golden
hair, which falls to his shoulders, looking insanely attractive next to his handsome face and bright silver eyes. His eyes are just like Zeus’s, if I recall correctly. I've heard a rumor that any child of one of the three brother gods, Hades, Poseidon and Zeus, are gifted with silver eyes. Though Hades and Poseidon are in love with my girl Hel, and they don't have any children to my knowledge. Zeus? He has hundreds of children all over the place. Hercules is the only child that was turned into a god though. I don't know all of the story, but Hercules was somehow worthy enough to be blessed and changed from a demi-god into a full god.

  "Why don't we get a drink while you explain what you want with my dad?" Hercules suggests, though he doesn't give me much of a choice as he wraps an arm around my shoulder and leads me through a glass archway to another room.

  “Oh-oh, I’m not thirsty,” I choke out, but Hercules ignores my stuttering and guides me over to the bar where he pulls out a stool. I slide onto it before he goes to the other side of the bar.

  "You still like rum in your cocktails, if I remember right?" he asks, picking up bottles off the side of the bar and two tumblers. "I know this cocktail that will blow your mind." His voice is husky as he bites his lip.

  "You have one hell of a memory," I mutter.

  "I remember everything from that night we met," he says simply as he pours various alcohols into a shaker. "I remember how you walked into the nightclub, wearing that silver tight dress and those fuck-me high heels. You looked like a goddess all wrapped in my favourite color."

  "I'm not a goddess," I remind him quickly; it’s dangerous, the line we’re dancing along. I know Valkyrie leaders that would roll over in their graves if they knew Hercules was putting me at the same level as a goddess. In many circles, we’re considered no better than the dirt beneath their feet. "Though...I never forgot that night either." Hercules pauses, placing the shaker down and frowning at me.

  "We could fight for this, you know," he says. "You can’t deny that there’s something special between us. I’d fight every Valkyrie they’d send after you. I'd fight the world, Val," he implores me. I sigh. This isn't the first time Hercules has said this, and I have a feeling it won’t be his last, either.

  "And it would get you killed, which I can't live with. You need to find a goddess, someone who’s not off limits," I say, and he shakes his head before pouring the swirling blue cocktail into two tumblers. He then looks up at me in amusement, as if suggesting that another goddess could take my place is hilarious.

  "I've died for much worse. I died for my father once, and look where it got me," he humorlessly laughs while gesturing around the room. "Now I’m stuck wanting a woman I can't have for my curse of immortal life as a god."

  "How did you become a god? There are so many stories, I’ve never known which one is true," I ask, picking up the cocktail as he looks off in the distance, obviously thinking about whether or not he wants to tell me.

  "As you know, I had a human mother who Zeus was apparently in love with. I don’t know for sure if that’s true though, as he left her when I was a toddler. I didn't have any god powers like my father, but she once told me that the weather would change depending on my mood," he tells me.

  "So when you cried, it rained?" I ask, sipping more on my drink as Hercules comes around the bar. He pulls a stool out next to me and sits on it. We are close enough that our legs brush against each other, making pleasant electricity travel up and down my skin.

  "Just like that. Though I had a happy childhood, and there was little rain to be found.” I’m happy for him. If my emotions could control the weather, there would have been lots of flooding when I was a child, thanks to my controlling parents. “When I turned sixteen, I had the crazy need to find my father. I wanted to know who I was, and I left to look for him. He came to me three years later, tired of me calling his name. I was also causing him problems by finding all my other siblings and telling them who they were—who their father was.”

  He leans forward and brushes a strand of pale blond hair behind my ears. “Even with all my yelling and conspiring with my siblings, it wasn’t until I started spreading rumors that Zeus was terrible in bed that he finally showed up. I might have even told a few women that they should avoid him unless they wanted to be left pregnant and unsatisfied," he says, grinning at the clearly funny years of his human life.

  "I bet that got his attention for sure," I say, chuckling a little.

  "Yep. Gods don’t like bad rumors about their sex lives." Especially gods like Zeus. He has a superiority complex like none other. "When he met me, he wasn't interested in getting to know his child, but he took me back to his home nonetheless. Years passed where he put up with me, but during all that time, he didn’t want to be a father. At the time, I presumed he was just waiting for my human aging to kill me off so I'd be out of his life.”

  For a moment, I feel bad for Hercules. He craved his father’s attention and never got it. He glances at me, and I make sure not to have a look of pity on my face, knowing that he’s somewhat of a proud god. He then smirks before continuing his story. “Though one day, he made a mistake—a big mistake. Dear old dad came rushing back into the house with two demons on his ass. He killed one, and the other was going to put a hand through his chest when I stepped in the way. The demon killed me, and the next thing I know, I'm waking up with the creator leaning over my chest mumbling about destinies and shit. Guess he wasn’t that bad of a father after all. I wasn’t sure if it’s guilt that made him do it, but Zeus gave up one of his powers to save me. The creator said my actions meant I could become a god. He told me it was always my destiny, but this life feels like a fucking curse. I get to live all alone forever," he mutters. "Love is unreachable."

  "You aren't alone, Herc," I say, reaching over and taking his hand in mine. This god is so unloved that all you want to do is love him. How Zeus can't see that, I will never know. If I were a goddess, nothing would stop me being with Herc. "You never were."

  "I was never loved and am doomed to chase a woman and father who could never love me back," he mutters before downing his drink.

  "Herc, I’m not allowed to love you. Not that I don't want to. We’ve been through this," I whisper, and he pulls me off my stool into his arms, our faces inches away. "Your father is a fool. One I need to find actually."

  "Stop talking about my father," he mutters, his eyes tracing my lips. I can already feel the tension sizzling between us, and I know where the evening is headed.

  "I can't, my goddess was threatened today, and I need to find him. He sent a demon after her," I explain to him. It is important for Hela, so it’s important to me.

  "I’ll tell you where he is in exchange for a kiss," he bargains.

  "One kiss?" I whisper, because it doesn't feel like I'm exactly losing out on that one. Every part of me down to my soul wants to kiss Herc.

  "Only one. I won't ask for more," he replies, moving his lips close to mine so I can feel his warm breath against my own. I brush my lips against his carefully, slowly as I tease him. If this is just one kiss, I am going to make it special and unforgettable. Herc lets out this sexy hum from the back of his throat as I gently deepen the kiss. He feels good, too good. And I thread my fingers through his long hair, working my body against him as our tongues dance.

  Just as he reaches for my breast to take this kiss to an entirely new level, someone portals into the room. I tear myself from his addictive lips to look at the intruder. Broderick?

  “Happy to see you’re okay. You had me worried when that portal pulled you half-naked out of my arms,” he says before plopping down on the leather couch nearby and crossing his legs. He stares at us for a moment before he breathes in a giant gulp of air. “Ahh, I can taste the pleasure in the air.”

  “Hello,” Herc says before putting more distance between us. “Long time no see, my friend.” Broc seems genuinely happy to see Herc, despite the friendly competitiveness between them. They’ve been best friends for as long as I can remember.

>   “You’ve been hiding here, it seems. And who can blame you, with such entertainment?” Broc replies before nodding at me with a twinkle in his eyes. I feel myself blush before grabbing my chest. Broc leans forward, resting his forearms on his knees. “I was worried when you got portalled out of my club. Loki mentioned a Karma demon. I just wanted to check on you…”

  For a moment, I take in how vulnerable he looks. “Not to mention, I’m always up for bothering this asshole,” he adds before nodding at Herc. I can’t help but laugh while staring between them. If I were someone else, I’d feel awkward about this. But they’re gods, and I’m a...nobody. A Valkyrie. There’s no commitment or jealousy because there’s no reason to feel it. And yet? There’s a strange challenge zipping between them.

  “I’d say you got here just in time. I was just going to suggest a threesome to Hercules,” I joke, but my voice goes smoky. Being between Broc and Herc would be fucking fantastic. I force a smile so they know I'm not serious, but their heated stares make me think that they wouldn’t be opposed to the idea either. They are friends, after all. Competitive friends, but friends nevertheless.

  “Well, lucky me. You know I’m always down for a little pleasure—even if it’s with this asshole,” Broc says, and despite the insult, I sense the brotherly affection in his tone.

  But before either of them can speak further or dive into the playful opportunity I’ve just suggested, there’s a sharp tug in my heart. Or what feels like it. I try to think if I'm needed when the council meeting flashes into my mind. Shit, was that today?

  "Shit, the leaders are calling me." I gasp, pushing away from both of them as the pain only increases. I only get to see their worried eyes as I am portalled to the Valkyrie Leadership Council.