Dark Goddess (9 page)

I told her about passing out the other day and how my flames dissipated a few times without my direction.  I also reluctantly told her about the human punk getting the drop on me and giving me a bloody nose.  Part of me thought she’d laugh or at least snicker, but she remained quiet and contemplative.

“I see.”  Athena sat the bowl of grapes aside and stretched her arms out behind her.  “Well, what do
you
think is happening Hades?”

“You’re not my shrink Athena,” I grumbled.  “Don’t ask me what I think or how that makes me feel or any of that other psychobabble shit.  “Just give me some damn advice.”

Her brow arched and eyes turned hard as precious stones.  “Don’t give me orders Hades.  You’re not my king.”  She crossed her arms against her chest.  “You can leave if you’d like.  I didn’t invite you.”

My jaw flexed against the growl I wanted to release.  “Fine,” I huffed and laid back until I rested on the stone.  When in Rome…  “What if it’s because of Hartley?  What if I’m losing my dark powers because she’s turning me soft or good or whatever?  What if I have to be a villain to be the god of the Underworld?”  The words left a sour taste in my mouth.  I didn’t
want
to blame Hartley.  She was the best thing in my life.

“What if she is the reason?” Athena asked, those hazel eyes boring into me.  “Would you give it all up for her?”

“It’s more complicated than that.  Hartley’s attached to the Underworld.  She has to return and being with me above takes some of the pull away.”

“If that wasn’t a factor would you give it up?”

I sighed loudly, annoyed.  “But it is a factor and nothing can change it.”

“Just for the sake of argument, if it wasn’t…?”

“Then of course I’d give it up.  The power is nothing without her.  I’m nothing without her.  But like I said, it’s not an option.”

Athena nodded and turned toward the pyramids again.  “I doubt she’s the problem anyways.”

“You do?”

“You being you, I think you’re trying to find the worse possible solution to this.  You’re trying to sabotage your happiness because you don’t think you deserve it.  By sullying your relationship with Hartley, making it have negative consequences, you’re punishing yourself like you usually do.”

I sat up on my elbows about to refute her, but she held her palm in the air, stopping me.

“Enough is enough Hades.  You aren’t evil so stop trying to find excuses to be that way.”

Of course coming from Athena it seemed so logical and obvious.  “Then what do you think is happening to my powers.”

“Your powers are connected to the Underworld.  Maybe something is happening there that needs your attention.  Maybe you should look to your enemies and who could and would want to harm you.”

Mmm.  My enemies.  “That’s one hell of a list.”

Hartley

My gaze landed on the sparkling red nail polish that always reminded me of Hayden’s crimson eyes.  I scoffed and tossed it back into the box, several clinks resonating.  I was still mad at him—and really worried.

“What’s your problem Hartley?” Callie asked from her spot on the floor in front of her bed.  “You’ve been all grouchy since you came over.”

“I have not,” I pouted.

She shot me an incredulous expression.

I was hanging out at Callie’s house or more like hiding out.  I shifted on the fuzzy cream carpet, my eyes glancing around her spacious room I’d spent so many hours in.  The walls were a light blue with pristine white crown molding.  The queen sized canopy bed was covered in frilly white and pink covers with blue accents.  A giant collage of pictures and memorabilia covered an entire wall.  Gossamer butterflies and dragonflies hung from the ceiling with fishing line.  It took several painstaking hours to hang the multitude of them two summers ago.  My hands were cramped for days.

I sighed, defeated.  “Okay maybe I have.”  I averted my eyes to the box of nail polish next to us, absentmindedly riffling through.  “Hayden and I had a fight.”

“Awe.”  She squeezed my knee.  “I’m sure you guys will make up.  You always do.  You want to talk about it?”

I shook my head.  I couldn’t exactly tell Callie we were arguing because something was going on with his powers and I walked in on him torturing a soul.  I wished I could.  Callie was my best friend, but I had to keep practically my entire life a secret from her now.  She’d probably freak out if she knew I wasn’t even human—mostly—and was dating the god of the Underworld.

The Underworld would terrify the crap out of bubbly little Callie LeGrand. 

Callie poked me until she gained my attention, flashing a sincere smile that reached all the way to her bright blue eyes.  “If you want to talk about it I’m here.”

I nodded trying not to let the lie show through.  I’d never be able to talk to Callie like I used to.

Feeling depressed I picked out a dark purple, almost black.

Callie made a face.  “Seriously Hartley?  You’re going to go with the darkest color I have.”  She peered at it, wrinkling her nose.  “I’m pretty sure that’s not mine.”

I shrugged.  “It’ll reflect my somber mood.”

She squealed dramatically.  “You’re not turning emo, are you?”

I snickered. 

“Here, let me pick one.”  She rummaged through until she found a shimmery hot pink.  “How about this one?”

A smile slipped over face, thinking of the time when I was still dating Will and Callie was staying at my house for a girl’s night.  She offered me almost the exact color.  And then Hayden showed up to check on me slash flirt his heart out and I decided on the shimmery red that matched his eyes.

“Okay,” I said, choosing Callie’s suggestion this time.  “Maybe I’ll do some black polka dots.”

She tapped her chin in thought.  “Sure.  That’ll be okay.  Pink and black work.”

I laughed, shaking my head.  I was about to put the brush to my nail when a creaking sound resonated from downstairs.  My brow furrowed.  “I thought your parents were out of town.”

“Duh.  They are.  Why?”

I shook my head.  “Never mind.  I thought I heard something downstairs.”

Her blue eyes widened with fear and she leaned forward, clutching my forearm in a vise grip.  “Think it’s a ghost?”

I tried not to grimace.  “Nope.”  I wasn’t in the mood to pretend not to notice a spirit hovering around even if they ignored me. 

Callie returned to filing her nails when footsteps echoed in the hall.  My gaze shifted toward the door, expecting to see someone.  Nope.  Nothing.

Damn.  Maybe it
was
a ghost. 

Moments later a figure stood at the door, aiming a water gun at me.  Without thinking I snatched a throw pillow off the ground and blocked my face seconds before a stream of water was released.

Callie yelped and two male voices cursed.

“Holy shit Hart!” Will’s face was a mixture of shock and disbelief, his baby blues wide.  “You got some fast reflexes.”

He and Jake were standing in the entrance of Callie’s bedroom, clutching giant water guns.

Shit.  Now that my demigod side was released I forget to be human sometimes.  I was faster, stronger, and could hear and see better among other things.  Oh and let’s not forget I was one fourth siren too. 

Barely freaking human.

“What are you guys doing with those in the house,” Callie demanded, her hands planted on her narrow hips.

A boyish grin broke across Jake’s face, his brown eyes lighting with mischief as he threateningly pumped his gun several times.

“You better not Jake.”  Callie shot him a stern look that was more adorable than anything.  “I’m warning you.”

“Or what?”  He didn’t wait for an answer.  Instead he blasted a quick stream of water at her.

Callie squealed and scrambled behind me. 

“Hey!  I’m not a shield.”

This time I let Will’s shot find its mark—me.  Callie and I screamed, followed by a myriad of giggles.

“We hid two more guns outside… if you can find them!”  Will let another stream fly before he and Jake took off down the hall, sounding like a stampede of horses instead of two teenage boys.

I grabbed Callie’s hand and yanked her up.  “Come on.”

“What about shoes,” she shrieked as I dragged her down the hall.

“Forget about shoes.  They’ll only slow us down.”

We crept onto the dark back porch, our light footsteps barely making a sound on the wood.  A high pitched chorus of crickets and cicadas filled the night mixed with the repetitive sound of the neighbor’s sprinklers.

“Cut on a light,” Callie whispered.

“No.  They’ll see us.”

“But
we
can’t see.”

Actually I could see okay.  “Just follow me.  You’ll be fine.”

Callie’s grip on my hand tightened.  The amount of trust she had in me was amazing.  If only Hayden would trust me enough to tell me what was happening with him.

I shook the troubling thoughts from my mind and focused on having fun with my friends.

“If I was a water gun where would I be?” Callie whispered.

A creak echoed behind us and I spun around to see Will aiming his gun out the door.  I yanked Callie behind me and took the full force of his attack square in the chest.

“I’m gonna kill you Will.”  My voice was filled with laughter that continued as he fled the scene into the house.

“OMG Hartley!  We gotta find those damn guns.”

“I know.  Come on.”  I pulled her until we were off the porch, the motion sensor spotlight coming on.  The boys already knew our location and it would be faster if Callie was able to aid in finding our weapons.   

I grabbed two flashlights from the shed before we started our search.  Callie’s front yard was slightly bigger than average with a wraparound porch, lots of shrubbery, and other hiding places.  Her backyard was another story.  It was absolutely sprawling.  A deck with cozy chairs and tables rose high above the plush vegetation.  A gazebo surrounded by a thick garden sat toward the front, a sparkling pond with coy fish swimming peacefully was nestled within the colorful flowers.  A grassy plain circled a fenced in underground pool.

The green, waxy blades were cool against our feet, tickling between my toes.  The pitch sky was clear, a half-moon winking at us while stars fanned out.  Night jasmine and gardenia scented the spring air, hinting at summer’s impending arrival. 

Finally we found two loaded water guns stashed under the front porch furniture.  As soon as we laid hands on them Jake and Will crashed around opposite corners, nailing us.

Callie screamed and ducked behind a bench.  I went all out Rambo style and squirted Will while getting hit from both sides.  By the time they scrambled for cover my entire body was nearly waterlogged. 

I dashed off the porch, my heart racing and giggles tumbling out my mouth.

“Where are you going?” Callie hissed, the pattering of her feet echoed behind me, squishing in the soaked grass.

“I need more ammo.” 

Thirty minutes later Callie and I were sopping wet while Will and Jake were barely damp—and that was probably sweat from exertion.  My demigod status did nothing to help us with tactics.  But I was having more fun with my friends than I had in a long time.  That cold, icy dark hole was still present inside me, simply not as painful.  Maybe it was my ties to Hayden and the Underworld helping me deal. 

Either way I was having a blast and I was sure Hayden would be happy… not that he was here to see me.  Jackass.

“We’ve got to find a better way to get them.”  Callie twisted water out of her shoulder length blonde locks.  “We totally suck.”

“I know.”  I bet Reese would love this game.  He’d probably know exactly how to annihilate the boys.

The faint scent of gunpowder and spicy cologne tickled my nose before a light tap hit my shoulder.  I whirled around, faced with a smirking Reese towering over me.  “What the hell are you doing here?”

He winked one of those obsidian eyes.  “You were just thinking about me, weren’t you?”  His brows wiggled suggestively.

Technically I was, but not in the way he was implying.

“Where’d you come from?” Confusion laced Callie’s voice as her jittery blue eyes scrutinized Reese from between wet eyelashes.

A dark brow arched curiously, disappearing into his thick pitch hair.  “Why are you two drenched?”

“We’re playing water gun wars with Will and Jake,” Callie answered. 

Reese’s eyes lit up like a kid in a candy store, a slightly manic smile spreading across his face.  “War?  You’re playing
war
?”  He rubbed his hands together.  “That sounds like my kind of game.  I knew there was a reason I was pulled here.”

Has being around a bunch of teenagers screwed with his mind?  He wasn’t like this when he kidnapped me, chained me to a rock, and slapped me across the face.

As if he could read my mind he frowned.  “Oh come on.  I said I was sorry.  I was going through a rough patch.  I was bored and vulnerable when she…”

I cut him off by pressing my fingers to his mouth.  “Do you ever shut up?”

Callie yanked my arm.  “Come on.  Let him help.  I want to get them.”

My gaze narrowed.  “Fine.  But no funny business.  This is only a game.”

Reese nodded and saluted me.  “Yes master chief sir.”

I rolled my eyes.

He waved us forward.  “Follow me.” 

Callie shot me a questioning expression.  “Where’d he get the gun?”

Sure enough Reese was suddenly holding a full water gun.  I shrugged noncommittally.  He was the god of war.  He could probably call into existence any weapon.

After a few minutes we finally found Will and Jake ducking in a patch of azalea bushes in Callie’s back yard.  Reese yanked us behind a giant oak tree and started doing crazy hand signals.

I slapped his hands down, annoyed.  “Do we look like we know soldier speak?” I hissed, motioning between Callie and me.

He sighed.  “You two go that way.”  He pointed to the left.  “And I’ll go this way.  We’ll meet in the middle.  Be quiet and stay low.”

I nodded while Callie saluted, an excited grin stretched across her pixie face.

We dashed in our perspective directions, adrenaline pumping through my veins.  I was dying to surprise attack Will, hitting him right between his pretty baby blues.  An eager giggle bubbled out my mouth, earning me an over the shoulder, incredulous glare from Callie. 

“Sorry,” I mouthed.

Finally our targets were in sight, completely unaware they were being stalked.  With a signal from Reese that I was hoping meant go...

I let loose my stream of water, settling on Will’s cheek until he shifted his head. 

Bullseye!

It took him a moment to realize he was under attack by little me.  With a muffled curse he ducked down and all hell broke loose as our ambush unfolded.

“Hey,” Jake yelled, combing wet copper locks from his brown eyes to better see us.  When he spotted Reese a mixture of confusion and indignation broke across his ruddy face.  “Where the hell did he come from?”  His attempts to shoot the god of war were unsuccessful, Reese taking cover quickly behind a thick pine.

“Awe, what’s the matter pookie bear?”  Callie’s voice was more giggles than anything.  “You’re not going to be a sore loser, are you?”

“We were winning until Reese showed up!”

“You’re not winning now,” I taunted, sticking my tongue out.

Jake’s gaze narrowed on me.  “Oh yeah.  That can change real quick Hartley.”  He unexpectedly dropped his gun and sprinted for me.

What the hell…?

My thoughts were cut off when Jake snatched me up in his arms and ran full speed through Callie’s back yard.