Waking the Goddess

by Clara Hartley

Theo snorted. “Drama queen.” He still wore his bright smile. “Which part do you not understand? I’ll help you with it.”

  “The reading part. What are words? Words are what?” My brain was just being lazy, which I thought was perfectly fine. Everybody needed to be lazy every so often.

  Hansel gave me a confused look. “The worksheets are for your own good. It’s practice so that you can be ahead of your peers. There are going to be examinations at the end of the year, and the sooner you make this information second nature, the better.”

  “You should have seen me in high school.” I sighed and picked up my feather pen again before dragging the topmost worksheet closer to my chest. I stared at the first question. I might as well get it over with.

  Liam came in right after, still dragging Fenrir at his ankles. “You know what? This dog is getting hella annoying. Can you please, please get it off me?”

  “But it’s adorable,” I said, loving how Liam’s problems provided a perfect distraction from mine. I dropped my pen. “Aren’t you cute, Fenrir?” Fenrir didn’t look at me and continued hopping around Liam’s shoes. The creature had no eyes for me. Liam was his everything.

  “C’mon,” Liam said. “I’ve been asking for two days, now.”

  I shrugged. “Can’t help you.”

  “Of course you can. You magicked the damn dog to like me. You should be able to magic all this unnecessary love away.” Liam’s gaze snapped toward my wand, which sat next to the stack of demonic papers.

  “First of all,” Theo began, “Fenrir isn’t a ‘damn dog.’ It’s a mythical beast that was created from the chiasma itself, feared by villagers all over Haven.”

  “Yeah,” Liam replied, “but it’s nothing but an irritating puppy now.”

  “Secondly.” Theo raised a finger. “We shouldn’t remove its attraction to you like that. Right now, it’s the only thing stopping it from turning into a giant beast that’ll rip our throats out and alert the entire goddess council that we entered the morgue.”

  Liam pushed a lock of raven hair away from his face. “I’ll be damned if this thing’s going to be stuck with me for the rest of my life.”

  “Life’s not fair, sweetheart,” I muttered, redirecting my focus to the balcony. I sensed someone coming from there. When did I get the ability to sense things like that? Maybe I was going through goddess puberty. “Besides, I don’t know how to make someone stop loving. I haven’t figured out that part of my powers yet.”

  “Seriously?” Liam asked. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  I let the matter rest, too tired to continue arguing over something I couldn’t control. Hansel strode over to Liam’s ankles and picked Fenrir up. He cocked his head at the puppy, who was whining because it couldn’t be close to Liam anymore. Fenrir scratched at Hansel’s wrists, eager to get down and continue its mission to love Liam to death.

  My instincts had been right. There was commotion at the balcony. Glancing there, I spotted Devon coming down, riding what looked like a… carpet?

  I rubbed my eyes and squinted, arching my neck closer to the sight. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Devon stood over the rug with a straight posture and his arms folded across his chest. He angled his chin upward, acting as if he hadn’t just entered in a completely ridiculous manner.

  What was this? Fucking Aladdin?

  I wouldn’t be surprised if flying brooms came zipping about. Anything could happen in this messed-up dream. I should pinch myself again.

  “Yo,” he said, hopping off the carpet, hands in his pockets in his casual I Don’t Give a Fuck swagger.

  I shook my finger at his mode of transport. “You look like you just walked out of a Disney movie.” An R-rated one, at least. Guys like him were too sexy to defile the innocent minds of children. His entire appearance screamed sex. Devon was lick-worthy.

  “Again with the licking,” Hansel said with amusement. “I’m glad you did a lot of that when we shared the night together.”

  My cheeks warmed.

  “You shared a night together?” Liam asked, jealousy seeping into his voice. “When?”

  Hansel raised his hands. “Not like that. I was helping Cara take her mind off things.”

  Liam backed off, though he continued to eye Hansel with suspicion. What did he care? From the way he treated me, he seemed to hate my guts.

  Devon cocked his head. “What’s Disney?” he asked.

  My eyes widened. “You guys don’t have that here?”

  “Nope.”

  My jaw hung open. After shutting my mouth, I said, “What sad, pitiable childhoods. Why the magic carpet?” I pointed over his shoulder.

  “It’s a magical artifact,” Devon said. “And it’s our way out of the Sanctuary and to my father’s place. You did say you wanted to go there after class, right?”

  “Oh.” I’d almost forgotten about that arrangement My long day with my back-to-back classes and demonic stack of homework had distracted me from our plans. I really needed a diary or something to ensure I stopped becoming so ditzy. “I remember that.”

  Devon scrunched his nose at me, indicating that he didn’t buy my lie.

  Theo regarded the strange vehicle with a curious expression. “How is this supposed to work as an escape?”

  Devon ran his hand across the fabric of the rug, acting as if it were a pet instead of a non-sentient being. If only Liam treated Fenrir with the same amount of respect. I was beginning to feel sorry for the beast. Unreciprocated love was a bitch.

  “The Sanctuary is guarded all around by a barrier that senses every time someone steps out of it. If you touch it, an army of brightlings will come chasing after you and you’ll be put in detention. This carpet, however, is what Agness and her vassals invented during their time as students. It’s hundreds of years old and it can cancel out the barrier’s magic. That’s why it’s our ticket out of this place.”

  “How’d you get it?” I asked.

  Devon pulled his hands out of his pockets and proudly folded his arms across his chest. “Stole it from my dad before coming here. He’s been looking for it since.” I noted the cocky look on his face.

  I wasn’t sure if stealing was something to be proud of. From his own parents, no less.

  Hansel was making his way toward the carpet when Devon raised a hand. “Nuh uh,” he said. “Not you. Just Cara.”

  “And why not?” Hansel said, failing miserably at hiding his offense.

  “My father doesn’t like too many visitors. You’ve heard of the Cierro household. We’re a bit snobbish like that. And you’re not full-fledged vassals yet. My father would allow a half-blood, but he’d be offended if you guys were allowed in.”

  “The Cierro household?” I asked.

  “Devon’s family,” Hansel replied. “They have high standards of excellence and are basically aristocrats. Devon’s lucky to be born in it.”

  “Lucky. Yeah. Maybe,” Devon said.

  Liam scowled. “What about me? My dad’s got the wealth.”

  Devon raked his eyes down Liam’s body. He pursed his lips, then shook his head. “Nah.”

  Liam leaned backward. “What do you mean, nah?”

  “The sun’s going to set soon,” Devon said, “and we want to make certain we get back on time so Cara gets enough sleep. Let’s stop squabbling over insignificant details.”

  “I kind of really want to punch you right now. I’m going to reveal to the rest of the guys about that time with Excalibur.”

  Excalibur? That sword existed?

  “You’re just going to twist the story,” Devon responded, getting defensive. My ears perked up as I waited for them to spill more juice. Devon slackened. “Go ahead, tell them. You were being just as dumb, anyway.”

  I held my breath and looked between them, but no juice was spilled and my gossip meter was left terribly dry.

  “C’mon, Cara.” He waved me forward and led me to the carpet.

  Hesitantly, I followed him. I stopped in front of the
carpet and rubbed my arm. “Is this thing safe?”

  “I can tell you it is.”

  “Are there any safety mechanisms? What if I slip and fall from it?”

  “Then that’s too bad.”

  “Really? You’re not going to assure me or anything? At least lie a little bit about it being safe? That’s what people normally do, right?”

  Devon hummed and tilted his head, as if considering, and after a long pause, he shook his head and replied, “Nope.”

  “You are so undiplomatic it’s baffling.”

  “Are you coming? We don’t have all night. You still have classes tomorrow, and I’m not sure how long it’s going to take. There might be… inconveniences back at my place.”

  “What kind?”

  Devon was obviously uninterested at sharing more. Whatever bothered him, he had no inclination of talking about it.

  I climbed onto the carpet and sat cross-legged. The rug shook back and forth, and I tried to keep myself steady. “This thing definitely isn’t safe. Are you sure we should be on it like th—”

  “See ya,” Devon said, flicking two fingers at the rest of the guys. The carpet zipped from the balcony abruptly. I squealed and grabbed the rug, almost slipping from it. My hairs stood as my stomach pitched.

  “Devon!” I screamed.

  “What?” he asked, looking over his shoulder. The carpet sped along so quickly that the wind beat against my face, and it felt like if I leaned backward too much, I’d lose balance and fall to my death. Carefully, I pried open one eye and dared to look at it.

  My nerves almost shut down. Beneath me, the lights of the sanctuary shone. The carpet had already climbed way up high, into the clouds. There was no way to secure myself safely on it.

  I shuddered. I definitely was going to lose balance and die. Would it be too terrible if I wet myself? I knew that Devon wouldn’t let me hear the end of it if I did.

  “Can you please slow down!” I shouted over the gust of wind that beat against my face.

  “Do you want to have less time to sleep?” Devon asked.

  “I honestly wouldn’t mind exchanging some sleep for survival.”

  “Good to know.”

  “Good to know? I’m asking you to slow down!”

  “And your suggestion has been duly noted.”

  Yet his actions didn’t change. Devon was having fun teasing me. That notion infuriated me to no end.

  I scowled at him. The man was standing on the carpet with perfect balance. Competent asshat. My teeth were chattering and my hands were preoccupied with holding on for dear life, but if I could, I’d stick my tongue out at him before giving him the finger. The dewy mist of the clouds condensed on my face, and the temperature up here was far colder than at ground level.

  Devon sat on the edge of the carpet. I didn’t really want to, but fear motivated me, so I crawled toward him and attempted to wrap my hands around his shoulders for support. He shifted, almost making me fall, and said, “Hands off.”

  “What?”

  “I don’t like you touching me.”

  “Seriously?” My instincts told me he wanted me. I’d seen the way he looked at me. His expression let me know that Devon was fighting against his longing. “Why are you being so difficult?” The carpet finally slowed down a little so we could have a proper conversation without the wind flapping against my face. I wondered how Devon controlled the carpet. I didn’t see any widgets or controls sticking about. Did he use his mind? Or was there something else I was missing?

  Magic was probably the answer.

  “I never asked to be your vassal,” Devon said.

  “Uh huh,” I replied. “I didn’t want to be snatched away from my home during one of the lowest points of my life and sent to some crazy place where people get murdered, either. But we don’t always get what we want in life, right? You don’t see me sulking like a stupid buttnugget.”

  “Buttnugget? I’m unfamiliar with that insult.”

  “I’m having it trademarked, and that’s what I’m calling you from now on.”

  “I’d prefer if that didn’t happen.”

  “Re-emphasizing my point about the whole ‘life’s unfair’ statement.”

  “Lecture me any more, and I’m going to push you off this carpet.”

  “Are you allowed to?”

  “Not as your vassal.”

  “But you’re still going to do it anyway.” I cocked a brow.

  “If you annoy me enough. And hands fucking off. Stop making me repeat that.”

  “Stop being so sour.”

  “But I am sour.”

  “Why?”

  “Shut up.”

  “Not until you tell me why.”

  “I’m not going to bring you to meet my father if you continue rambling on like that.”

  I laughed. “Hm, so we’re on a meet-the-parents basis now? Don’t you think you’re moving a bit too quick?”

  “This has nothing to do with my feelings for you.”

  “You have feelings for me?”

  “Will you keep your mouth shut?”

  “You still haven’t answered why—”

  “Because you’re the wrong girl!” Devon flipped around to look at me, almost knocking me off the carpet. I yelped and clutched him, because I would have fallen otherwise. His shoulders were taut with tension. Even with his mask of rage, with his tan skin and yellow eyes, Devon looked like he belonged on a movie poster. He was breathing hard. “It wasn’t you I wanted to serve under.”

  I shank back from his outburst, but my timidity only lasted a couple seconds. My boldness returned right after, so I raised a finger at his face. “And now I have to go back to that whole lesson about not getting what we want. Can you stop making me a nag?”

  Devon raked a hand through his short, dark hair and pinned me with an Are You Serious look.

  “Okay, tell me more about this girl you longed for, then,” I said calmly, ignoring the twinge of jealousy that tightened in my chest. “Was she hot?” I asked that question because I was superficial and proud of it. I blamed it on my DNA, which was decidedly human. Then again, I was a half-blood, so I couldn’t really use that excuse.

  Devon thumbed his nose at me, then spun around.

  “I’m going to annoy you more, then.”

  “Fine,” he said snippily. “You’re a fucking thorn in my side.” I noticed he didn’t push me away when I grabbed his forearm to steady myself. He sighed, then continued, “Before I start, you need to know that this woman was better than you in every way. I can’t think of a way in which you’re superior. I loved her very much, while for you, my heart is dead.”

  I grimaced. “Wow, you’re really not holding anything back, huh?”

  A bird flew straight into Devon’s face, but he smacked it away nonchalantly. The bird lost balance for a bit and dipped downward. It cawed and was on its way.

  Devon continued, acting as if that incident hadn’t just happened. “Her name was Abigail, and she grew up with me. I was always pining after her.”

  “Pining?” I leaned back. I couldn’t imagine Devon being that desperate.

  Devon scratched his chin. “Perhaps a better way to put it was that I wanted to win her over. She was the town’s most sought-after bride. She could sing, dance, cook, act. Whenever she used her voice, she’d attract the animals and they’d sing along with her. Her beauty…” He sighed. “Goddesses bless me. She was beautiful. Whenever I looked at her, it felt as if I was looking at the most beautiful woman in the whole universe.”

  My jaw slackened. “Holy shit. She sounds like a Disney princess.”

  “Disney?”

  I’d completely forgotten that the company didn’t exist here. “Carry on.”

  Devon cleared his throat. “She listened to my problems when I was down. We used to be good friends. But never more than that. I thought I’d finally be with her if I became her vassal. She was selected to be a half-blood, after all. The people in Haven get a letter before they
’re summoned to the Sanctuary. But alas, it wasn’t meant to be. She was sent to the Sanctuary and graduated two years before I was called. She’s now the goddess of sadness.” Ew. What a terrible title. Who wanted to reign over sadness? “I was supposed to be with her, but instead, I’m stuck with you because I was assigned two years late. I tried very hard to stay with Abigail.”

  “Huh. Never more than friends?”

  “She didn’t want more. I respected her decision.”

  Devon’s cocky exterior had been shed, and now he appeared a sad, dejected puppy. I thought her title, the goddess of sadness, was apt, because only she could make Devon wear that look.

  I stroked the back of his head. “Aw, there’s no need to be sad. You were friend-zoned, that’s all.” I guessed that horrid label was something too many males suffered. Even the alpha ones.

  Devon scowled and smacked my hand away. “I don’t need your pity. You asked. Now you know and can leave me alone. We have another five minutes to my father’s place, and I expect you to be quiet for the rest of the journey.”

  “Before I shut up, I have to say my piece.”

  “You have one last sentence,” he said.

  “That girl never deserved you in the first place, and from my shallow knowledge of the friend-zone, I’m guessing that she was using you.”

  Devon gave me an unreadable expression. “Duly noted,” he said, shutting me down. He avoided my gaze and turned his eyes back toward the clouds.

  I peered upward, having gotten used to the heights. A sea of stars spanned above me, glittering in a surreal multitude of colors.

  We rode the rest of the trip in silence, and despite Devon’s saying otherwise, I had a feeling that I’d measure up to this girl and then some.

  Chapter Four

  “You stay at a fancy place,” I said with only an inkling of awe. After visiting the Sanctuary and seeing so much, I was starting to feel a little jaded. The more awesome shit I saw, the less awesome I thought most things were. “Did you grow up here?”

  It was a large mansion with perfectly trimmed hedges. Warm yellow light shone from the second floor of the building. The two moons of Haven hung brightly in the sky, glowing between the massive spectrum of stars that glittered above me.