by Wagner, Raye
His lips were warm and grazed hers with every word, making it difficult to focus on what he was actually saying.
It was the first time they’d been alone in as long as she could remember. The air around him pulsed with his energy, and she wanted to climb onto his lap. He was beautiful and sad. He’d lost everything and somehow made her feel as though he owned the world. He could’ve had anything, and he’d chosen her.
His words finally registered. She remembered. They’d been fighting; he’d thought she was a demigod, and she was trying to run before he could find out what she really was. He’d said her life was nothing more than a shallow existence, and he’d been right.
She nodded, and Athan pulled her close. His hands threaded into her hair, and tilting her head to the side, he trailed kisses from her lips to her ear, leaving a path of fire on her skin.
Hope gasped. She didn’t want him to stop. Ever. He was like sunshine and warmth and joy. He made her so happy. So, so happy.
He nipped at her ear and then kissed where he’d bit. Burying his face in her neck, he said, “I . . . I was barely alive. I’m so sorry.” He pulled back and again cupped her face. “I had nothing to live for. No one to live for. And I won’t be so dramatic as to claim you are my all.” He chuckled before continuing. “But you gave me purpose and the first taste of happiness I can remember since my mother died. I cared for Isa, but . . . you make me want to be better. To be more. To give of myself.”
Her heart felt as if it would burst.
“I love you, Hope,” Athan said, punctuating his words with a kiss. When he pulled away, he looked her in the eyes. “Somehow, we’ll get through this. We’ll break the curse, and you’ll be free. And when we do, I hope you’ll let me win your heart.”
Words failed her. She couldn’t speak, so she just nodded. But what she wanted to say, the words that were there in her mind but her lips just couldn’t pronounce . . . was that he already had.
Priska opened the door, screamed, and then burst into tears.
Hope stood on the brick doorstep with the paper-wrapped bouquet of daisies, staring at her aunt’s rounded belly. Hope had left Athan and Xan at the hotel they’d just rented, knowing this visit had to happen before she could go to Olympus.
The smell of banana bread wafted out the door and teased Hope with the sense of hominess. Her aunt’s tears nearly undid Hope, and she swallowed the lump in her throat. After an eternity that was no more than a heartbeat, she closed the distance and hugged her very pregnant aunt.
Priska wrapped her arms around Hope, pulling her close, and sobbed into her shoulder. Hope stepped into the house and walked them into the two-story foyer, kicking the door shut.
“Darling, what’s the matter . . .” Charlie Davenport rounded the corner and stopped.
Hope looked at the man, her lawyer, her aunt’s boyfriend, or was it husband? He was dressed in a pair of jeans and a soft gray sweater. His head was cleanly shaven, as was his face. He was handsome, for an older man. And he was wearing an apron. He was everything her aunt deserved. “Hi, Charlie.”
A slow smile spread across his face. “Hope, sweetheart. I’m so glad you made it back to us.”
Priska kept one arm around Hope as she wiped her tears and led them both into the living room. “You got out.”
“You, too.”
“Holy Hades, you both had me scared.” Charlie hugged them both.
He smelled of expensive cologne and almond extract. The fact that he’d been in the kitchen baking made Hope smile even bigger.
Priska led Hope to the couch, and the two of them sat. The oven beeped, and Charlie excused himself to pull out the bread.
“How long have you been back?” Hope asked, pointing to her aunt’s belly.
Priska coughed then cleared her throat. “Almost two years.” She shook her head. “I was gone for three, and you’ve been gone for five. Charlie almost put your trust into probate, but I had this feeling . . .”
It had been quite a shock to Hope as well when they’d gone to the conservatory to get Athan’s things. But five years was not enough to take away the repugnance of Hope being a monster or the rules of demigods only .
“Is it different?”
Priska practically glowed with happiness. “Yes, but not altogether. I don’t feel that different, unless I get sick. And it seems that whatever you did, and I want to hear every single detail, made it so that both Charlie and I age slower. I’m told I look like I’m in my thirties, and I swear he hasn’t aged a day since I’ve been back.”
Hope skimmed over most of her time in the Underworld, just the few details that Xan and Athan had helped her piece together of her memory, and the bargain she had made to confront Hera in return for Priska’s life. “It was the best I could think of.”
“The Fates?” Priska nodded. “My life force would be tied to Charlie’s now. But my immortal blood wouldn’t be fully changed.” Priska rested her hand on Hope’s knee. “It is the best it could be. The idea of losing Charlie . . . like I lost Eryx.”
There was a myth associated with that name, the story of a king killed by Heracles over immortal cattle. Surely, she couldn’t mean . . .
“I don’t want to have to go through that again. So thank you.” Priska leaned forward and kissed Hope on the cheek. “And now what?”
Hope let out a slow breath. “We are to go to Olympus. I need to confront Hera with her lie and, more importantly, Apollo about the curse.”
Although she was less sure about the last part. She knew it needed to happen, but not exactly what to say. She knew it had something to do with that yellow Book of the Fates she’d brought back. And something to do with her father. She still couldn’t believe that her mother and father were happy. Together. Every time she thought of how her father had abandoned them, her anger flared and she wanted to hit someone.
“Oh!” Priska jumped up and waddled down the hall. She returned carrying a familiar red leather tome. “This is yours.”
Hope cradled her Book of the Fates to her chest. “How did you get it?”
They’d left it in the hotel when they went to Pike Place. It seemed like forever ago and more like a dream than reality as Priska sat back down in front of Hope.
Priska waved her hand at the question. “Charlie got it.” Her face glowed. “He tracked us down and got all of our stuff. He’s . . .”
“Amazing,” Hope finished for Priska.
The older woman nodded, her eyes filled with unshed tears. “So you’re going to Olympus. Do you have a guide?”
Charlie came into the living room with a plate of banana bread and two glasses of milk on a tray. “A little snack?”
Priska patted the ottoman as she gazed at her husband adoringly. As soon as the plate was in front of her, she reached for a slice.
Hope thought of Xan and Athan. Guides? She’d spent the better part of two days crying over Dahlia when Xan told of her binding to the goddess Hecate. While Dahlia wasn’t dead, she was bound in the Underworld, and from what Xan said, she may as well be dead. Both Xan and Athan had been there. So, no they weren’t guides. But, they would help, and they’d made it out of the Underworld. Something that was nearly impossible. “I have help.”
“Then let’s enjoy our time, okay?” Priska broke off a piece of the warm bread and popped it into her mouth.
“Yes,” Hope said as she reached for the bread.
Priska curled up on the couch, the picture of marital and family contentment. “When do you leave?”
The bread caught in Hope’s throat. She coughed, reaching for the glass of milk. While she drank, she gave herself a pep talk. This was it. And Priska deserved to know.
“Tomorrow.”
Author’s Note
I hope you enjoyed Myths of Immortality . If you wouldn’t mind taking a minute to leave a review on Amazon, I’d really appreciate it. It helps other readers know your honest feelings about a book, and helps many decide whether or not a story is worth investing in.
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br /> If you can’t get enough of the Sphinx series, be sure to check out Origin of the Sphinx , a prequel novella. It’s available on Amazon, but also free to my newsletter subscribers. I don’t spam. I’ll send you a newsletter once or twice a month to let you know of events, giveaways, or special opportunities to win prizes from me, or to keep you updated on future releases. Sign up here .
Acknowledgements
The longer I write, the more I understand just how many people it takes to make a good story, and a good book.
First, I have to acknowledge my family: Jason, Jacob, Seth, and Anna. Words are inadequate for how much you mean to me. I love you. Thank you for putting up with me just finishing “one more thing” on the computer.
Nathan. I’m sure there are equal parts love and obligation in our working relationship. I’m still so glad you don’t throw your arms up at me. I’m always in awe at your fabulous skills!
To my Beta-Babes: Kate Roberts, Brittianii Jayy, Janelle Dudley, and Sara Meadows. Thank you heaps for sleuthing out the flaws and making the story better, cleaner, and tighter.
Dawn Yacovetta, you caught over twenty-five errors! I’m going to call you my “Final find!” I *might* need to put you on the payroll!
And my mother, Anita . . . I love that you have the enthusiasm to read an ARC, tell me what I need to fix, and still remind me that it’s my story to tell. You are equal parts cheerleader and mother, and all-around the best!
To my bestie pals: Alli, Cassy, Katie, Kathy, and Annie. You help me find joy and laughter in the mundane and difficult. Thank you for bringing your light into my life!
Sara Meadows: You are the yin to my author yang! Thank you for your time, energy, talents, persistence, and friendship! I feel so, so blessed to have you as my second!
To Kelly Hashway: You fix problems I can’t even see, and the story flows so much better after your edits. Heaps and heaps of thanks!
And Krystal Wade: What does it say that I want your eyes to be the last set on my MS before it goes to formatting? You give the polish that makes me proud of the final piece.
Jo Michaels: I think you have formatting super-powers! I love that you can make my story pretty-looking and easy to read.
To my Renegades!! I never knew having a fan group could be so incredible and fun. Thanks for playing along with my shenanigans, for your encouragement and all your enthusiasm!
And my Mythic Muses!! Best. Launch team. Ever.
And a special thank you to Shannon Dean, Kaley Stephenson, Dana Gray, Tracy Thomas, John Cintron, and Michelle R. Smith from the Renegades for helping with characters and descriptions when I needed a *little* help!
And you . . . the reader of my words. I hope you find power in the stories you read, and pleasure as you read them. Thank you for spending your time with me.
Index of Characters and Mythology Figures
Hope : the Sphinx
Leto : Hope’s mother; also a Sphinx
Priska : Hope’s “aunt,” tasked with protecting Leto and Hope, demigod daughter of Artemis
Charlie Davenport : Priska’s employer
Athan : demigod son of Hermes
Haley : Hope’s friend from school
Mr. Stanley : a butcher who is kind to Hope; Haley’s father
Xan : demigod son of Ares
Dahlia : daughter of Eris, Xan’s cousin, friend of Hope
Ares : god of war, bloodshed, and violence; father of Xan
Aphrodite : goddess of love, beauty, desire, and pleasure
Athena : goddess of wisdom, courage, justice, skill, warfare, battle strategy, and handicrafts
Apollo : god of music, truth, and prophecy; twin brother to Artemis. Fell in love with Phoibe and cursed her daughter, Phaidra, when she refused his advances. Hunts Hope and Hope’s mother, Leto.
Artemis : virgin goddess of the hunt, twin sister to Apollo. Mother to Priska.
Boreas : god of winter and the north wind
Demeter : goddess of grain, agriculture and the harvest, growth, and nourishment
Dionysus : god of wine, parties and festivals, madness, chaos, drunkenness, ecstasy, and drugs
Eris : goddess of strife and discord, mother of Dahlia
Eros : god of love and desire
Charon : the ferryman who carries souls across the rivers Styx and Acheron
The Fates : three incarnations of destiny, primordial deities who are even more powerful than the Olympians; Atropos (the cutter of life’s thread), Lachesis (the measurer), and Clotho (the spinner) are destiny personified. Collectively known as Moirai.
The Furies : primordial goddesses of vengeance: Tisiphone (avenger or murder), Megaera (the jealous) and Alecto (constant anger). Daughters of Nyx, sisters to the Fates. Collectively known as the Erinyes.
The Graeae : three ancient sea spirits who personified the white foam of the sea; they shared one eye and one tooth among them. By name: Deino, Enyo, and Pemphredo.
Hades : ruler of the Underworld; god of the Earth’s hidden wealth, both agricultural produce and precious metals; married to Persephone.
Hephaestus : god of fire, metalworking, and crafts; father to Mr. Stanley
Hera : queen of the heavens and goddess of marriage and fidelity, childbirth, heirs, kings, and empires.
Hermes : god of commerce, boundaries, travel, thievery, trickery, language, writing, diplomacy, athletics, and animal husbandry; father of Athan
Hestia : goddess of the home, hearth, and chastity; mother of Obelia
Hypnos : god of sleep
Leto : Titan goddess of Motherhood
Persephone : wife of Hades; queen of the Underworld; daughter of Zeus; goddess of spring growth.
Poseidon : god of the sea, rivers, floods, droughts, earthquakes, and the creator of horses.
Skia : immortal creatures from the Underworld
Thanatos : the personification of death, twin brother to Hypnos.
Zeus : king of the gods, ruler of Mount Olympus, and god of the sky, lightning, thunder, weather, law, order, and fate.
About the Author
Raye Wagner grew up in Seattle, the second of eight children, and learned to escape chaos through the pages of fiction. As a youth, she read the likes of David Eddings, Leon Uris, and Jane Austen. Inspired by a fictional character, Raye pursued a career in nursing and still practices part-time. She enjoys baking, puzzles, Tae Kwon Do, and the sound of waves lapping at the sand. She lives with her husband and three children in Middle Tennessee.
You can connect with Raye via Facebook , Twitter , or her website: www.rayewagner.com
Did you enjoy Myths of Immortality ?
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Duty, sacrifice, service, and discipline. These were the characteristics that described Cyn, the warrior fae. Though love was out of her reach, she thought this life was all she needed. She had never been more wrong. A chance meeting with the Prince of the Elves turns her carefully structured world upside down.
Thalion is loyal to his people above all else. As the prince of the Elves, it is his duty to protect them. His loyalty has never been in question. But then, he's never met anyone like Cyn before.
The destiny of both their races may hinge on whether an elf and a fae can overcome their differences and face an uncertain future together.
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