by JJ King
Within moments, the entire group joined in. Medusa and Poseidon turned the focus of their foul retorts to Athena, who deserved the dressing down just as much as Zeus. Even Morpheus joined in with a few choice profanities aimed at the Olympian gods. When Poseidon shot him a look, Morpheus just chuckled and apologized, “Sorry, mate. I got carried away.”
Cate wiped tears of laughter from her eyes and shot a grin at Medusa who was trying to hide her mirth behind a hand and failing spectacularly.
“Okay.” Selene blew out a deep breath. “Back to business.”
*****
An hour later, Cate clenched her jaw and ran the tip of her thumb over her sharp nails. She usually tried not to spend too much time thinking about Zeus and his inability to keep his fucking cock in his pants, because when she did, her inner bitch begged to come out and play. Against the king of the gods she was powerless, so, like most victims, she took her anger out somewhere else, on someone else.
Not that she liked thinking of herself as a victim. Even the thought of that title made her lips curl back. She was nobody’s victim. What she was, was a supremely pissed off goddess witch with the power of the night and the underworld at her fingertips… trapped in a shared body with no way out.
She forced herself to take a deep breath and relax her hand. Fury against the gods was futile, a lesson she’d learned too many years ago to count. Even before Endymion, she’d understood her limitations against the Olympians, against Zeus. He was unstoppable and completely unhinged.
Cate glared across the table at Poseidon, sitting there all handsome and content with his hand interlaced through Medusa’s. They looked so happy it made her sick. There was no place in this world for gods and monsters together. Not in her experience.
“Of course we tried that.” Selene’s impatient tone pulled Cate out of her mood. “We’ve been at this for two millennia, remember.” Selene motioned between herself and Cate. “We might only get a few minutes together each day, but we’ve had plenty of time to prepare and experiment with magic. We need more power.”
Cate’s gaze flashed up to Selene’s, where she saw a flicker of desperation mixed with hope, a deadly combination. Before she could shake her head, Selene forged on.
“Which is why,” she turned to look at Morpheus, “I was speaking with your grandmother in the first place.”
Morpheus’ dark eyebrows drew down. “You think Nyx has the power you need to free Endymion?”
Selene nodded. “I do, yes.”
Cate sighed and rubbed at her forehead, feeling exhausted by the long-standing topic. “Of course she does, she’s Nyx. But…” she let her response fade.
“But her power is too elemental to control and would probably end with us killing us, Endymion, and the entire world.” Selene huffed out a breath and gave Cate the side eye sullenly.
“Sounds like my grandmother,” Morpheus murmured, then sat back and crossed his arms over his chest.
Poseidon leaned forward and steepled his fingers, then tapped them against his lips. Cate shifted her gaze to him resentfully, expecting pure garbage to come out of his Olympian mouth. “What about Artemis?”
Cate opened her mouth to bitch at him then snapped it shut when every other person at the table leaned forward with raised eyebrows. She forced herself to think it over, at the very least, since the others seemed to be considering it.
She’d had lifetimes to study the workings of the Olympians and their petty decisions, but she’d never spent much brain power on the virgin goddess, Artemis, even though she was technically the third part of the triumvirate. Artemis was the goddess of the hunt and a sexually repressed female who lived under the rule of her asshat of a father, Zeus. She was also Apollo’s sister…
“Huh,” the sound escaped her lips as she leaned forward. “Not bad.” She conceded, sending Poseidon a single nod in acknowledgement. “For a god.” She couldn’t help but make that last dig. Medusa shot her a half-hearted glare in support of her man, followed by a shrug, probably in agreement with the statement. She had spent the last two millennia with snakes on her head because of Athena, after all.
The group exploded into discussion, taking over one another, speaking louder and louder to be heard. Cate sat back and listened while chewing her bottom lip. It was a good idea, she conceded, one that she was embarrassed to say she’d never contemplated. Apollo was god of the sun and showed his power every morning when Selene slipped from the night sky. Cate turned to Selene and leaned close to ask, “From what I know of Artemis, she’s not likely to come on board without a little convincing. Do you ever speak with Apollo?”
Selene shook her head slowly. “Not really. I mean, I see him as I’m setting but it’s kind of like us all these years, two ships passing in the night.” She shrugged then her eyes lit up. “Maybe Morpheus could bring him here, too.”
“What could Morpheus do?” Morpheus asked, interrupting their quiet conversation.
Cate pulled back and blinked at their guests. With a chuckle she apologized half-heartedly. “Sorry, it’s kind of been just the two of us for a few thousand years.”
Selene looked more penitent. “We were just saying that it’s unlikely Artemis will agree to come here so maybe we could invite Apollo and get him to mediate. The thing is, I’ve never really spoken with Apollo since he’s bringing the sun when I’m setting from the sky, but maybe Morpheus,” she smiled prettily at the god of dreams, “could bring him here so we can talk.”
Cate’s stomach churned. She frowned and rested a hand on her flat abdomen, wondering why she felt so unwell all of a sudden. She inhaled deeply and blew out the breath slowly, then almost puked when Selene reached out and touched Morpheus’ hand.
“Thank you for all your help,” Selene murmured.
Disgust and indignation flooded her. How dare Selene betray Endymion like this? What she was doing was disgusting! She was flirting with this guy, this god… Morpheus. Cate bit down hard on the inside of her cheek to stop herself from telling her friend off.
Rational thought fought to calm her down but Cate resisted, knowing she’d feel foolish if logic made an appearance. After a full minute of wanting to glare childishly at the two of them, Cate let the rational part of her take over.
Selene loved Endymion and was devoted to him. In the millennia since she’d lost him to his present state, she hadn’t once taken a lover or found solace in another man’s arms. Why would she, all of a sudden, betray the man they were trying to save?
She wouldn’t, logic dictated as much. Then why was she flirting? Cate felt her ire spike again as she watched the two of them discuss the fine details of bringing Apollo and then Artemis on board with the plan. It galled her to see the easy smiles that reached both of their eyes. It was only her love for Selene that stopped her from casting a tiny spell on them. Blindness maybe, or boils. Boils was always fun.
Cate coughed violently as she realized where her thoughts had taken her. She was acting like a raving lunatic! When a glass of water appeared in front of her, she grabbed it and drank deeply, hoping it would wash away whatever horrible feeling this was she was experiencing.
“Thank you,” she murmured, lowering the empty glass and raising her gaze to find Morpheus watching her with those endless blue eyes. The intensity of them struck her like a blow, making her wince. Cate clenched her jaw to stop herself from showing any more reaction than that, still certain that he was doing something to her to make her feel this… off.
“How can we be certain Apollo won’t run to Zeus with this and fuck all of us over?” Medusa glanced up at Poseidon. “How’s your relationship with the bright and shiny one?”
Poseidon grinned, an infectious crooked grin that tugged at Cate’s determination to dislike him, and offered up a shrug. “Status quo I suppose. I don’t mess with him, he doesn’t mess with me. Honestly, I’ve never really been close to him. He and Artemis rarely spend time on Olympus and they’ve never visited my realm.” His eyes sparkled with adoration when
he looked at Medusa, another point in his favor, much to Cate’s frustration.
How was she supposed to despise Poseidon when he was being so likeable?
“I do know that the twins hate Zeus with the passion of a thousand fiery suns, though,” Poseidon said in a thoughtful tone. “According to the buzz up in HQ, Zeus was a straight up asshole to their mother. Apparently, he commanded that she not be allowed to give birth to them on solid ground so she balanced on a tree branch and gave birth.” He puffed out a breath and looked impressed.
“Bad ass,” Medusa murmured.
Cate chewed her lip, thoughtfully. If the stories were true, and she’d never heard anything to dispute them, then Apollo and Artemis could be possible allies. They could also out them to any other member of the pantheon who could tell Zeus, who would destroy them all instantly or tie them to a mountain and let eagles eat their eyes out for all eternity. She weighed the options carefully and decided it was worth testing the ground. “It’s worth a shot if,” she looked around the table, meeting each person’s gaze, “we all agree. It isn’t just mine and Selene’s asses on the line anymore.”
There was a moment of silence when Cate’s heart nearly jumped up in her throat. Then Medusa cocked an eyebrow and said, “You helped us save Eury and I swore to help you in return. I don’t make promises lightly.”
Emotion surged into Cate’s throat and lodged there, stopped by her sheer will not to show weakness to this group, to Morpheus. She nodded in acknowledgement and ignored the nagging guilt she felt when she thought of the fact that Eury’s near death experience was due, in part, to a curse she’d created for Athena. She’d had no choice in the matter, of course. Athena was very persuasive and deadly. But, she’d created the damn thing and so she felt responsible.
“And where she goes, I go,” Poseidon added, wrapping his thick arm around Medusa’s shoulder. Her snakes stirred awake and began nuzzling him as if they, too, loved him. Perhaps they did.
Cate turned her gaze to Morpheus and studied him as he watched the interplay between gorgon and god. The false light created by his own mind glinted off his bronzed skin, highlighting his high cheekbones. She wanted to touch that face. Her fingers itched to reach out as if he were hers to touch. She slid them under her leg and addressed him. “What about you?” His head turned to her. “Why are you willing to go up against Zeus for us? For Endymion? What do you have to gain here?”
He turned slowly, letting his eyes travel over her face, setting her just settled nerves on fire, again. Cate’s stomach slow churned with desire and agitation. “Nothing.” His voice came out as a low grumble that traveled like a low frequency across the space between them and into her bones.
“Then why?” Cate kept her breathing regulated even though it wanted to hitch and forced herself to maintain eye contact.
Morpheus leaned forward, straight toward her as if daring her to bridge the space between them, and tilted his head slightly to the side. “Because I can.” He sat back and smiled, then turned his gaze to Selene. “And because my mother likes you.”
Selene clasped her hands over her heart and smiled widely. “Tell her, thank you.” She reached out to touch Morpheus’ arm again. “And know that we’re forever grateful to you for doing this.” Once more, she gave Cate side eye, a mere promise of recompense at a later time.
“So, our closest link to Apollo, and therefore to Artemis, is you.” Poseidon inclined his head toward Selene, then frowned. “Or me, I suppose.” He lifted a hand to scrub the stubble on his chin. “I think I can get Apollo here to talk it over at least, but Artemis…” he trailed off. “From what I know of my niece, she’s a bit antsy around men.”
“Then we’ll convince her.” Cate bumped her shoulder to Selene’s and grinned. “We can be pretty convincing, you know.”
“Alright then,” Medusa said, clapping her hands together and pushing up from the table, “it’s a plan.” She looked at Morpheus. “I’m guessing you’ll gather us together again once Poseidon gets Apollo on board.”
“Sounds like a plan.” He pulled a small vial of amber liquid out of thin air and handed it to Poseidon. “Just take a sip of this when you need to reach me. It’ll let you slip from your realm to this dreamscape.” He waved a hand over the table and an identical vial appeared before each of them.
Cate tucked hers in her pocket and reached for Selene’s. “It’s still nighttime,” she explained. “The moon doesn’t have pockets.” She started to chuckle at the image but it was choked off by the realization that as soon as they left this place, they’d go back to sharing a body. Cate swallowed down the lump that formed in her throat.
When Selene slipped her hand into Cate’s and squeezed, it was suddenly too much. She turned and pulled her other half into her arms and buried her face in Selene’s neck. Her heart ached at the thought of letting go.
They straightened and Cate noticed they were alone in the empty space except for a door that hadn’t been there before. Cate assumed it was their way back to reality. As much as she disliked Morpheus for whatever he’d done to her judgement, she was thankful to him for this.
“He’ll call us back here soon.” Selene brushed a strand of hair from Cate’s face, making her urge to weep increase ten fold.
Cate nodded and smiled at the tears that ran down Selene’s face. She wasn’t alone in her grief and loneliness. Strangely, that comforted her. “See you soon?” she asked wistfully, squeezing Selene’s hand again.
They walked to the door together and waited while it swung open, then, as one, they stepped through and were one again.
CHAPTER FOUR
Cate retrieved a bottle of Cheval Blanc 1947 St-Emilion, her personal favorite, a glass, and a plate of cheese from the counter, and went to stand beneath the opening in the cave’s ceiling that allowed moonlight to filter in and bath Endymion in Selene’s light. She stared down at the sleeping man for a long moment, letting her gaze trace his features even though she knew them by heart. He was classically handsome, with a straight nose and strong jaw. His shoulders spanned Selene’s twice, then tapered to a slim waist. The spell that kept him from succumbing to the effects of Zeus’ lightning bolt also kept him locked in time, unable to age or change in any way. His clothes, though, weren’t included in the spell so they’d been replaced thousands of times. Cate knew Endymion’s body like she knew her own, maybe more so.
Which is why she knew Selene would be a very lucky woman when they woke him up.
With sex on the brain, she summoned a wisp of magic to transport her to her favorite spot, a flat area of Mount Latmus that was shielded from four sides by rock walls but left open to the night sky from above. It was where she liked to come and think while Selene filled the sky.
She had a lot to think about just now. For over two millennia, they’d prayed and hoped for something to help them save Endymion and separate into their two original bodies but as time passed, they’d grown weary and discouraged. Now, here they were, able to speak with one another freely without the fear of Zeus hearing and they had co-conspirators, one of whom was Zeus’ brother. All the hope they’d lost so long ago was back now with a vengeance, and Cate didn’t know how she felt about that.
She was excited, of course, but with that excitement came ample amounts of nerves and fear. Zeus wasn’t some small-time adversary, he was the King of the Olympian gods. If they were caught, he’d punish them without mercy, maybe even kill them. There’d been a time in her life when that kind of possibility wouldn’t have phased her. She’d been cold and dark, alone with no one to care for or about. Life had been simple then, if lonely. But, you didn’t miss what you didn’t know and she hadn’t known what life could be like with a friend, a sister.
There was simply too much to lose now to not be terrified.
Cate pondered, as she had many times over her long life, if she’d change anything about that day if she were given the opportunity. If she’d remained hidden and let Endymion die in Selene’s arms. It would have
been so easy to just let him die, but she’d been drawn to Selene, to her grief, to her beauty. Not in a sexual way, despite Selene’s flawless looks. She’d just never wanted to corrupt Selene’s purity. Not that the moon goddess was pure; it was just in comparison with her, the woman was a saint.
They’d both changed, Cate mused, but she’d changed so much it was hard at times to recognize herself. Like this Morpheus thing. Before Selene she’d have laid him out with a curse so fast he’d never have seen it coming. She’d never have let him sway her with his powers. She’d never have allowed herself to feel at all.
Loving Selene as a sister had probably ruined her as a badass witch.
Cate felt his presence a split second before he spoke.
“Looks like you have a flaw in your defenses,” Morpheus’ resonant voice slipped through the pre-dawn air to caress Cate’s skin. Or, it would have if her heart hadn’t started thundering in her chest like a team of wild horses. She froze in place on her lounge chair and fought back the impulse to gasp.
