Imprisoned Gods

by G. Bailey

  "The world doesn't care if I'm angry or not. It just takes what it wants...so does my answer matter?" I reply to her, reminding myself not to fall for her.

  "I don't know why, but it does to me," Karma replies, and I pull my eyebrows together in confusion. I've been nothing but an arsehole to her, so why the heck would she care about me? The reason suddenly slams into me like a barge pole.

  "Killian told you about my human life, and my wife I lost to cancer, didn't he?" I ask, and her guilty expression is answer enough before she can even speak. "You don't have to feel sorry for me, Karma. I don't need it from you." I let go of her hand and walk to the door. Her hand grabs my arm, stopping me by the hallway, and I have no choice but to look back down at her.

  "I do feel sorry for you, I'm not going to lie about that, but I don't care about you because you have a messed up past. You need a friend, I think, and I'm offering that. Just don't be a dick all the time," she tells me. Though the way she looks at me, it just reminds me why I need to stay away from her.

  "You're confusing, Karma," I sigh.

  "I think you said that to me on our first date," she says with a big smile, letting go of my arm and walking around me. I rest against the hallway pillar as she walks up the stairs, disappearing from view. No matter how much I push her away, she comes back like nothing happened. I doubt even telling her to run away would do much at this point. The front door opens and Storm walks in, holding a green dress over his arm. As much as I hate having a babysitter, Storm isn't a total dickhead. He is a good fighter and actually gives me a decent challenge when Killian cannot be asked to fight for long. We could be considered friends, if he didn't look like he wants to kill me every time I'm near Karma. I'm pretty sure he would gouge my eyeballs out if it wouldn't make Karma upset.

  "Are you coming to the party tomorrow night?" Storm asks me. "And have you seen Karma around?"

  "I'm coming only because Killian thinks it might be fun to get out," I say, crossing my arms.

  "Good. The people need to see that you two are alright guys, not assholes like your father was and what they think you are like," he tells me. I tighten my fists in anger because of the simple fact he knew my father, yet I never got a fucking chance. It's not Storm's fault, but my father isn't around to get mad at.

  "Karma is upstairs," I tell him.

  "Thank you," he replies, walking past me and stopping with one foot on the first step. "You know she is mine, right? I don't share at all."

  "Have you told her that?" I say, smiling widely which only serves to piss him off. He narrows his eyes at me, clearly seeing that as a challenge before stomping up the stairs. I don't know who he is kidding. Karma does whatever the hell she wants, it's part of her unique charm. Well, charm is one word that comes to mind anyway.

  29

  "You ungrateful little—" I shout at Kit as he jumps off the bed, stealing my last cupcake that Jade made me, after I gave him one of his own. Someone knocks two times on the door, interrupting my attempts to grab the cupcake out from under my bed. I huff, sitting up and brushing my hair out of my eyes as I have a seat on my bed. "Come in!" I expect to see Jade walking through the door, but instead, it's Storm. My lips pull up as he shuts the door and holds up a long, floor length dark green dress with black lace embroidered into the hem and down the middle.

  "It's for you. Admittedly, I had help from Jade with what to get as I've never chosen a dress for anyone before," he explains to me, looking nervous. Storm, a higher god with unimaginable power and strength is nervous I won't like the dress he got me. Holy gods, I didn't know Storm had this sweet side to him. I slide off the bed, walking up to Storm and jumping a little to wrap my arms around his neck. His arms tighten around me, holding me close as he almost lifts me up a little. I pull my head back to see him softly smiling down at me.

  "Thank you. I really mean that," I gently tell him, well aware of how it feels to be in his arms. This close, I can pick up on how he smells like rosewood, reminding me of a tree at the bottom of my parents’ home that I used to sit under as I watched my mum plant more flowers. It was a nice place to escape from my crazy brothers when they were running around the house, being too boisterous for me. Neither of us seems to want to let go as the tension makes my bedroom feel smaller by the second. I focus on his eyes, instead of, you know, his lips or his muscular chest pressed against mine. Or his large hands spread over my back, the warmth of them making me want to press myself further into him.

  “Your eyes literally look like they have the galaxy in them,” I whisper, totally caught up in his gaze. They are a swirl of blue, yellow and white stars on a deep purple backdrop that almost seems endless. I shake my head, stepping back, forcing him to let me go. “Wow, I almost forgot how much of an eegit you are for a second then.”

  “I almost thought you could be romantic for a second there too,” he replies and looks away. He can shove those romantic ideas right up his pretty arse. Not that I’ve been looking at said arse…much.

  "I'm a firm believer that we should be friends," I tell him as he places the dress on the dresser and tenses as I speak. Storm looks at me with determination, and I take a step back without realising I've done it. Storm feels like a wolf looking at his prey, determined to catch me no matter how long it takes. My pounding heart only makes every second seem so much longer, more drawn out than before.

  "I'm not," Storm simply states as he walks right up to me, placing his hands on my face and pressing his lips to mine. Nothing about the way he kisses me is simple. His lips devour mine with enough passion to set the world on fire, and his dominating kisses make me forget there is a world altogether. Just as I go to press myself into his body and slide my hands onto his face, he pulls away, stepping back and leaving me in a breathless, confused state.

  "I..." I start to speak, only to have no clue what I should say to him. I'm not immortal, and he is, meaning there is no chance for us to have a real future. This is just torturing each other...and I want more.

  "Tell me you still want to be friends, and I will be the best fucking friend you've ever had. I won't ask for more even if it kills me. Say nothing, let me leave this room and take you on a date tomorrow. We will be so much more than anything you could imagine," he tells me. Any words get frozen in the back of my throat as Storm walks to the door, slowly opening it and looking back once at me. The look is possessive, sexy and right now, I realise I'm in for a whole world of trouble with Storm. The kind of trouble that is only going to break my heart, but I know it will be damn worth it.

  30

  "If sexy Storm or Killian or even Seth doesn't want to devour you tonight, then something is wrong with the world," Jade remarks, and Coxen nervously coughs from his place at her side. His arm is wrapped around her waist, and it only makes me grin, remembering Jade sneaking into my room last night to tell me excitedly all about her and Coxen. They even say the L word now, and Jade said she never told a guy that before, let alone after only knowing him a month. Even though it's only been a month, it feels like so much longer than that. Our little makeshift family works in a very strange way. Killian, Storm and Seth have some kind of bromance going on, even though none of them admit it. Coxen and Jade are cute together and make sure we all eat together and get along. Hell, it somehow works.

  I haven't told Jade about the kiss with Storm yesterday because I haven't even admitted it happened to myself yet. The lines of friendship are seriously blurry with Storm, Killian and Seth. The tension is hard to ignore. I've found the most attractive men in the world, who are also smart, brilliant and make me laugh. These men are something of dreams, and I live with all three of them. I can hardly remember any of my exes now. They are a blur, and every moment with my gods is clearly plastered in my mind forever. Wait, not my gods. My is not a word I should use to describe all three of them.

  Storm is possessive in his nature, and if that kiss was anything to go by last night, he isn't giving up on me. Killian is teasing, the complete opposite to Storm in a way
. I never know if he is this flirty and teasing with everyone, and if he means it all or not. Seth I just don't understand, and I doubt I ever will. The way he looks at me sometimes, all dark and moody lust, makes me want to kiss him. I doubt he really wants to kiss me though. I'm pretty sure he just about tolerates me. Either way, I can't have them all, that would be insane. I don't even wash my own clothes right, Jade has to fix it for me. I can’t imagine the mess all four of us would make. I shiver from the thought alone. "Hey, where did you go?" Jade asks, snapping her fingers in my face.

  "I just miss my closet of heels," I lie. Well, it's not totally a lie, just more of a big avoidance excuse. "I have some beautiful green shoes that would match this dress perfectly." The dress Storm got me fits me like a glove, the lace goes all the way down to my feet and sways as I move. I’m in love with this dress and the soft, shimmery material it is made from.

  "You know what I miss from the outside?" Jade says, nodding her head for us to walk down the corridor. "Hamburgers. Juicy steaks. Bacon."

  "Same. Oh, and peanut butter," I reply, wishing I made my jar of peanut butter last longer than the few days it did.

  "I've never tried these things, but the way Jade explains them makes me want to one day," Coxen adds in. His grey hair is styled, and he is wearing a black suit that makes him look smart.

  "One day, I'm going to show you everything out there. We will get out," Jade says to Coxen, and they kiss as we get to the top of the stairs. I step around them, walking down the stairs to see Storm, Seth and Killian waiting at the bottom of the stairs. They each look as handsome as the other, and it has quite the impact to see all three of them together, looking at me the way they are. A flush burns on my cheeks as I walk down, needing to do or say something awkward to get their gaze off me.

  “Coxen and Jade are making out up there, we should just go without them,” I explain, but it takes a while before any of them reply to me. Of course, it has to be Seth that is sarcastic first.

  “You sound jealous, Karma,” Seth remarks.

  “No, why would I be?” I ask.

  “You tell me,” Storm replies before Seth can, and I turn to see he has a flirty smile to go with that comment. Seth clears his throat, and Killian just looks between Storm and me, not seeming impressed. Nope, this is more awkward than I was going for. I shake my head before pushing through them and making my way to the door, feeling them close behind me. I don’t get brave enough to look back once until we get outside, and Storm is the last out, closing the door behind him.

  “I thought we could take the easy route down,” Storm loudly says, coming over to us.

  “Which is?” Seth asks just before Storm pulls out three glowing pink stones. They look like the glowing purple flying gemstones, or that’s what I have decided to call them, but these are pink instead.

  “I think I’d rather walk than touch one of those magic gemstones again,” Seth plainly states, whereas Killian holds out his hand.

  “Well, these are the opposite to the purple ones. Just live a little for once, Seth,” Storm says, throwing a stone at Seth who has no choice but to catch it. Killian takes his stone, winks at me before running and jumping off the bridge in one smooth motion. I run to the bridge, looking down to see Killian gently floating down past the bridges, swirling pink magic glowing around him. Seth mutters something about proving a point before leaping off the bridge, leaving me alone with Storm as he floats down.

  “Where is my stone then? I only see three,” I ask, placing my hands on my hips.

  “You’re coming with me, little Karma,” he replies, and I widen my eyes. I see that as being more than a little dangerous. Storm doesn’t care one bit as he steps closer to me, picking me up, and I’m forced to hold onto his neck in case I fall. Storm walks us back to the ledge before stepping off it, and I gasp as my stomach has butterflies from the drop until we begin to slow down as we fall. After a while, I can open my eyes, and I find Storm smiling down at me, like there aren’t other things to be looking at. It’s quite beautiful all around us from the pink magic, but I barely notice, because Storm’s eyes are beautiful too.

  “Is the creature I met in the lake with these gems created by your family?” I ask him, feeling curious.

  “Yes. She is the last living creature. Many died within the first ten years,” he tells me. “I know it is a harsh way to introduce people into this prison, but she is a fair test. I’m sure she is immortal, though we don’t talk. She hasn’t eaten me though.”

  “Does she have a name?” I ask with a chuckle. I’m pretty sure not being eaten by someone isn’t a good way to judge a friendship.

  “No, at least she never told me of one,” he explains to me. “These stones litter the beaches of my old home. They make me miss it.”

  “Tell me what it looks like, what you loved the most about it,” I ask him, and without thinking of it, my fingers stroke his hair as he talks, and his eyes close for a moment.

  “The shores are filled with a multicolour of stones, hidden in the sand while the red water of the sea brushes against them. The sun shines bright all year round, making the stones glitter and shimmer in the prettiest way. I never thought I’d see that bright, beautiful light again, but then I saw your eyes on that first day. That moment you told me I’d never need to push you, your eyes shone bright with how brave you are. You reminded me of home in that moment, Karma,” he tells me. Our feet touch the ground as I stare, speechless, and my heart feels warm in a way that almost makes me forget the world as Storm lowers me down onto the ground.

  “Can I steal Karma for a dance?” Killian asks, his hand going to my shoulder, and in a moment, the entire world comes back in a flash. There is soft music in the background, people laughing, and the sounds of children playing nearby. It smells like cooking, but I can’t tell what, and there is also a sweet smell in the air. When I look away from Storm to see Killian, I spot the eight or so children near us who are laughing and chasing bubbles that an old lady is making appear from her hands. It’s magical to see, and I can’t help but smile.

  “I’d love to dance,” I tell Killian, even though he and Storm are tensely staring at each other. It doesn’t take much to see jealousy there, especially with how Killian is always flirting and Storm kissed me yesterday.

  “Storm, can I borrow you a second?” Vivian interrupts the staring contest, and I glare at her as Killian takes my hand, pulling me away. We pass Seth who, to my surprise, is making gold glitter butterflies appear out of his hands, and they mix with the bubbles that the children are running through.

  “I didn’t know Seth was such a softie,” I remark as we pass through people.

  “I suspect there is a lot you don’t know about Seth, angel,” Killian tells me as we get to the dancers. Like we have always danced together, Killian sweeps me into his arms and sways us around to the soft beat. “You look enchanting tonight, Karma.”

  “Really?” I ask him, keeping my eyes firmly locked on his. Though Killian’s eyes are darker than Seth’s, they still look like pits of gold dust that are so magical to gaze into. My green eyes must be dull in comparison.

  “I wish you could see yourself how I see you. If we met before here, I think I would have broken every single one of the laws for a moment with you,” he tells me, before twirling me around and pulling me back to him. Killian is a good dancer, he knows how to move his body and control mine almost effortlessly.

  “Maybe it was a good thing you kidnapped me in the end then. I’ve grown to like you a little bit,” I admit, and he laughs. God, I love his laugh.

  “I’ve grown to like you a little bit too,” he softly remarks, leaning down and kissing me. I freeze in unexpected shock. Killian softly explores my lips as I arch myself into his touch, loving how he feels. My hands slide into his hair as he groans, pulling me closer, and I happily sink myself into him. Kissing Killian feels like finding a new home. Cold drops of water splash down on us, breaking us apart as we hear thunder rattle in the dark cloud that h
as appeared above us. Killian swiftly moves me aside just as Storm slams into him, smacking him to the ground as the rain harshly pours down on us all. Seth wraps an arm around my waist, stopping me when I try to run towards Killian and Storm, who are intent on smacking the shit out of each other. The cloud flashes white lightning across it, highlighting Killian’s face as he punches Storm, sending him flying across the ground.

  “Let me go, Seth!” I demand.

  “No, you could get hurt,” Seth says, shaking his head as Jade gets to us. Lifting one sharp nail, she places it under Seth’s neck, and he gulps.

  “Let her go, Seth. They won’t hurt her, and she can handle herself. You can’t hold her back, if you care, you will have to help her,” Jade says. Seth mutters something about stubborn women as he lets me go, and I don’t think as I run, jumping between Killian and Storm. I place my hands on their chests as they stare at each other, blood dripping down their faces, and they both heavily breathe which I can feel under my hands.

  “Enough! Don’t do this over me. Please,” I say, but neither of them says a word. Suddenly an alarm blasts out in the prison, the noise vibrating off the walls almost. What the hell is going wrong now?