by Bonnie Lamer
Leaning over, I give my husband a kiss on the cheek. “I love you,” I murmur. “Thank you for sticking around after all that.”
Kallen shrugs and gives me a wicked smile. “It was worth being gored by iron if it meant winning your heart.”
I can’t hold back a snort. “I don’t believe you were thinking that at the time.” Considering Mom’s idea, I say to her, “I like where you’re headed, but I’m not sure what kind of traps we’d set. It’s a pretty diverse group we’re facing.” There are so many different beings on the Council. It’s doubtful we could set traps for all of them.
Garren leans forward with a grin on his face. “I have a few ideas,” he says.
There’s an excited twinkle in his eyes that worries me a little. He lived with the Dragons for a long time, so I bet he does know a thing or two about keeping certain beings away from his home. I just hope he doesn’t overdo it and then we need to spend the next couple years avoiding landmines planted around the house.
I’m even more concerned when Isla says, “I believe I could come up with an idea or two.” Ha. With her vast knowledge of all things magic, she could probably turn the house into a nuclear weapon. Or at least, she knows where to find the spell. She might need me or the kids to help power it. I’ve gone down that rabbit hole before.
With a wary glance toward the kitchen, Isla adds, “I believe there is another knowledgeable Fairy in the house who could be of help. When she decides she has had enough of this mood she is in.”
“I heard that!” Tabitha calls from the kitchen.
“Do you think she has the house bugged?” I stage whisper to Kallen.
“It is possible,” Kallen nods with a grimace. I’ve heard tales from his childhood. Tabitha always knew when he and Kegan were being naughty.
“Just because I have excellent hearing does not mean I have any desire to spy on you lot,” Tabitha grouses from down the hall.
“If you are listening so closely to our conversation, why do you not simply join us?” Isla drawls.
I’ve had enough. Not wanting to listen to the two of them bicker any longer, I ask the room in general, “Is there anything you need us to help with?”
Isla considers my question for a minute. Finally, she says, “I believe we will need your magic eventually, but between the four of us we should be able to plan a few things out. Why don’t you check on the children?”
“You mean you don’t believe three teenagers are focusing all of their attention on their assigned task?” I chuckle.
“No, I do not,” Isla responds dryly with a pointed look in Kegan’s direction. Kallen chuckles next to me, which earns him a look from his grandmother, as well.
I don’t believe it either. I suspect there is more bickering going on than translating. Rising from the sofa, I hold my hand out to Kallen. He reaches out, but we never quite make contact.
Just as our fingers are about to touch, a blinding light engulfs me. Not only am I blinded, I suddenly feel like my body is being pulled in several directions at once even though my feet are still firmly planted on the floor. Even worse, I can no longer sense Kallen or the others.
Through the blinding glare, I can just barely make out the shape of two small, dark figures propelling themselves in my direction. Knocking the air from my lungs when they make impact, they use their mouths to clamp onto my shirt. If they weren’t just trying to be loyal Familiars, I’d be upset about the suddenly not being able to breathe thing as I’m sucked from the house by a likely enemy. Not to mention the teeth holes in one of my favorite shirts.
Chapter 28
Wrapping my arms around their furry little bodies, I hold Felix and Taz close. I can’t help but compare how much easier it is to wrap my arm around one as opposed to the other. “When we get back, I am seriously decreasing your bacon intake,” I mutter to Taz.
“If we make it back, I believe you will owe me even more bacon,” Taz sniffs.
I don’t get a chance to respond. Whatever force is pushing and pulling on me stops suddenly. I stumble and almost drop Taz. He digs his little claws into my shoulder to get a better grip and I hiss in pain.
“Do you know where we are?” Felix asks. I can feel him turning his head this way and that, trying to make something out in the blinding light.
“Maybe if I could see anything, I might be able to answer you,” Taz snaps. “But since my corneas and retinas have been burnt to a crisp, I will have to get back to you after the transplant surgery.”
“A simple ‘no’ would have sufficed,” Felix grumbles.
Both Familiars snap to attention when it becomes apparent that we’re not alone. “I forget how delicate mortals are,” a snide voice remarks.
I whirl in the direction of the sound. This causes Taz to be even more unstable in my arms, which means his claws sink another half inch into my shoulder. I’m pretty sure he’s puncturing bone now. I do my best not to hiss again, though. I suspect this is a terrible time to show any signs of weakness.
Felix and Taz must agree. As soon as I stop moving, both Familiars scramble from arms. They hit the ground and immediately assume protective stances in front of me. Screwing up their faces into angry snarls, they’re ready to pounce at the slightest provocation.
“How…cute,” the voice says drolly. “I suggest you calm your little beasts. With a snap of my fingers, they would both be nothing more than a speck of dust.”
“I think you’re underestimating their will to survive,” I remark as evenly as I can manage since I have no idea who I’m talking to. I should probably figure that out before I throw out any threats of my own. “So, what’s with the light. Too afraid to show your face?”
“Your little mortal sensibilities are trying my patience, but I suppose you cannot help your limitations.” With a snap of her fingers, the light thankfully dims to ‘high noon’ instead of ‘sitting on the sun.’
Well, that didn’t help. Now that I can actually see the being in front of me, I decide I still don’t who she is. I suspect she’s going to be insulted when I ask. Beings with this much power don’t like it when their reputation doesn’t precede them. Regardless, I need to know who I’m up against.
“Not that I don’t enjoy meeting charming new people, but who are you?” I ask, not bothering to hide my displeasure over being ripped from my home.
Proving my theory correct, the woman scoffs, “You steal my husband’s affections, yet you claim to not know who I am?”
Whoa, what? “Um, I’m one hundred percent certain that Kallen has never been married before.” He was unintentionally engaged, but that was something his mother did when he was a baby. Not anything he had a conscious choice in.
Since Kallen’s old fiancé no longer has magic, I know it’s not Xenia standing in front of me. The lack of any Fairy features is also a good indication I’m dealing with someone else. This woman is tall, has long brown hair plaited in intricate patterns on her head and down her back, and is wearing a Grecian gown of pure white. Her brown eyes are so full of anger, I’m afraid they’re going to jump out of her face and attack me all on their own.
The woman is also still bent on having an angry tirade instead of telling me who she is. “Do not pretend you love another over my husband!” she roars. “I have heard those lies from others before you.”
At least her roaring isn’t quite as loud as Rashnu’s. Still annoying, though. “I. Don’t. Know. Your. Husband,” I grind out. Being me, I also can’t help but pointing out, “And if he’s that terrible, it sounds like you should leave him.”
“Enough!” The woman stalks toward me. “I will bring down the wrath of Olympus upon you!”
Grecian gown. Olympus. Oh no. I may be in real trouble here. The woman’s identity is starting to form in my mind, and if she’s who I now think she is, reasoning with her may be impossible. Her reputation does precede her. So does her jealousy. Because who from Olympus would fear that I had her husband’s affections simply because he agreed to fight on our
side? Only the wife of the most notorious cheat on the mountain.
I decide a simple denial won’t be enough. With a sudden burst of laughter, I choke out, “You’re joking, right?”
This makes the woman pause mid-step. Confusion makes space for itself next to the anger in her eyes. “You doubt my power?” she demands.
I wave off her words with my right hand. Keeping my tone light, I say, “Not that. I believe you could do all kinds of horrible things to me if you put your mind to it. I’m talking about the Zeus thing. There is no way in hell that would ever happen.”
I’ve thrown her off balance, and she’s not quite sure how to respond to my words. Her eyes narrow into tiny slits and stalling for time to figure out if she believes me or not, she says, “So, you no longer deny knowing who I am then?”
“Well, the Olympus thing was a pretty big clue,” I drawl. Shaking my head in disgust and letting anger seep into my own eyes, I go on the offensive. “You are way out of line accusing me of cheating with your husband. If you had done a little research before dragging me here, you know that. Not only is he a few millennia too old for me, I am happily married to the person I am literally destined to be with. I’m currently pregnant with his twins. Why would I want to be with anyone else?”
Hera’s eyes becoming calculating. “Pregnant, you say? Yes, I heard this.”
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know where her mind is going. Especially since her anger ratchets up another notch or two. Felix and Taz both growl low and flash their teeth in her direction. I appreciate their loyalty, and love them even more for it, but I suspect Hera’s not intimidated in the slightest by the two Tasmanian Devils.
This is getting ridiculous. I don’t have time to deal with her marital problems. I have a war to plan for, and I’d like to get back to it. “They’re my husband’s children,” I drawl. “Not yours.”
With a wave of her hand, Hera scoffs, “I have heard that before.” There’s less conviction in her voice than there was a minute ago, though.
With a sigh, I admit, “I bet you have.” A thought pops into my mind and I add with a grin, “But how many of those women actually had proof?”
Nonplussed, Hera takes a step back. “What proof?”
“I assume you keep up on the scientific advances in the mortal realm?” When she doesn’t say anything, I take that as a yes. “My children came from the future to warn us about something. Assuming they were imposters using magic to fool us, my father didn’t believe the children were really mine and my husband’s. So, we had DNA tests done just this morning in the Human realm.” I can’t remember if the Olympians refer to them as Humans or Cowans, but I figure she’ll know who I mean.
Cracks in Hera’s armor, honed from decades of betrayal by a philandering husband, begin to show. “You could show me this proof?”
“Absolutely,” I tell her. “You could also check with the Guardian Soter. He helped perform the tests. He will swear they are accurate.”
“Soter was there?” Hera asks in surprise.
I nod. “He was sent to guard my aunt when Hades was targeting me a while back. Soter fell in love with her. Now, they work together as scientists in the Human realm.”
Surprise washes over Hera’s face. “Zeus allowed him to follow his heart?”
Shrugging, I say, “Apparently. Why? Is that strange?” Now I’m concerned that he may decide to take Gabriel, or Soter, away from Aunt Barb.
Hera doesn’t answer my question. Instead, she begins to pace in front of me. “How strange all this is.”
“Tell me about,” I mutter.
Ignoring me, Hera works through her thoughts aloud. “He sends a guardian to protect your family. He protects you from his brother. He grants you the power to bring about life.”
She means when Zeus allowed me to put my parents back into their mortal bodies. If she knows about that, I’m surprised she didn’t show up sooner. “He said he did that to make up for Hades letting the Pixies into the Fae realm before that was supposed to happen.”
Hera waves off my words. “Zeus could not care less about such things.”
That’s probably true. “I think it was more about his brother’s betrayal. It was a way to make him look even more foolish.”
An ungoddess-like snort comes from Hera, and she stops pacing. “You do seem to know my husband well.”
“Not that well,” I state firmly, holding up my hands with my palms forward. “Not interested in the slightest.”
A chuckle spills from Hera’s lips now. “I am beginning to believe you.” Her eyes narrow again. “Though, no wife likes to hear her husband spoken of with such disdain.”
Man, I just can’t win here. “Look, your husband seems like a decent guy – most of the time,” I clarify. “While I’m certain he has many attractive qualities, I just think of Zeus as a friend. I don’t look at him that way. I’m very much in love with my own husband. I’m not ever going to be interested in anything more than friendship with yours.”
Hera studies my face carefully. After several long minutes, she declares, “You are telling the truth.”
The mix of wonder and surprise in her voice is both heartbreaking and a relief. How terrible it must be for her to have this discussion over and over with different women. For millennia. But since she believes me, I just may leave this place, wherever I am, unscathed. “Yes, I am,” I assure her.
Suddenly, an angry gleam fills Hera’s eyes again. I need to stop myself from taking a step back. Her mood swings are swift and terrifying. “Then I wonder why I was sent messages detailing your affair with my husband?” she growls.
“What?!” I screech. Now, I’m pissed. “What did these messages say?” I demand to know.
Hera waves off my question. “That does not matter now.”
“It matters to me,” I insist as I begin my own angry pacing now. Taz and Felix scramble to get out of my way so I don’t accidently stomp on them. “Pretty sure it would matter to my husband, too.”
Finally acknowledging that I have just as much right to be upset about this as she is, the Goddess nods. “Fair enough. I will not give you the explicit details I was forced to hear, but this is the essence of it. It is being circulated that those children you bear are either my husband’s or the fruit of Hades’ loins.”
A wave of nausea that has nothing to do with morning sickness washes over me at the mention of Hades’ loins. I also hear a distinct chuckle from the area of my feet. But when I look down, Taz is back to staring ahead with fangs slightly bared at Hera. Both of my Familiars have stopped growling now that the Goddess isn’t angry with me, but they’re still standing at attention just in case they need to defend me from another sudden mood swing.
Bringing my eyes back to Hera, I state emphatically, “That is a disgusting thought. I don’t want to get close enough to Hades to shout hello. His loins will never get anywhere near me.”
It’s Hera’s turn to chuckle. “On that we are in agreement. I suspect that part of the lie was a misguided attempt to anger Persephone as well as myself.”
I snort. “Persephone couldn’t care less who her husband is with. That just means more time away from him in her mind.”
“True,” Hera agrees with a nod. “But he is still her husband. Expecting him to be faithful while denying him her…love,” she hedges, “is one of the many ways Persephone punishes Hades for tricking her into marriage.”
Good point. One I don’t want to spend any more time thinking about. “Moving on. I believe I know who is spreading these rumors.” I fill Hera in on what the Council is planning to do.
To my great relief, the Goddess is horrified by what I tell her. “These children born of love and fidelity,” a key point for her, I suspect, “are being targeted?”
“They plan to wipe them from existence,” I affirm, and my stomach roils again at the thought.
This must show on my face because Hera looks at me in concern. “Are you well?” she asks. “You are suddenly q
uite pale.”
I place a hand over my lower abdomen. “Combination of morning sickness and fear for my children,” I tell her.
Hera approaches me. She reaches a hand toward my belly but pauses. “May I?” she asks.
Warily, I ask, “What are you going to do?” I’m ninety-nine percent certain she believes me, but gods can be deceitful beings sometimes.
With a tender smile, Hera says, “I am the Goddess of Marriage and Family. Trust me.”
Well, she really doesn’t seem to want to kill me anymore. I glance down at my Familiars for advice. Felix gives a little shrug of his shoulder and Taz sits back on his haunches. They’re no help. Finally, I remember Alita’s pregnancy. Any time she was in any type of danger while pregnant, Keelan reacted inside her womb. Zyla and Xavion are quiet inside me. If they don’t sense danger, I’ll chance it.
