by Crymsyn Hart
“Don’t you want me?” he asked.
In my wildest dreams if I didn’t already have one of you. Oh baby, we would be doing things that would make you blush. Then again I’m sure you’ve done even more then I can think of. “Apollo, of course I want you, sweetie. But there is someone else who I’m completely head over heels for. And if we do this. If I do, I’ll break his heart. You’re under a spell. You don’t really love me. This will all wear off in a few hours.” I hope. “Besides, what would I tell Lugh? You guys have been friends since before there was a sun.”
Apollo pushed her down gently on the bed. With a wave of his hand he donned himself with his toga again. Long blonde eyelashes framed brilliant blue eyes that reminded her of a Caribbean Ocean. She was going to say something when he smiled and put a finger to her lips. “This might be a spell. However, I will not do what my lady does not wish for me to do. Kalli, I can feel the lust burning inside of you. It’s a fever that consumes your very thought. I’ve seen it firsthand. If you do not want me, at least let me give you this.”
He brought his hands close together until his palms were almost touching. In the center of them she saw a tiny light appear. He began to pull his hands apart. The light started to grow until it was the size of a golf ball. He removed one of his hands. The glowing ball, like a mini-sun, hovered over his palm. Little solar flares shot out of it. It warmed her. Apollo took her hand and placed the ball over it. Her skin was burning, but not painfully. It was heating up from the source of power she had in her hand. Apollo smiled and then wrapped her fingers around the gold orb. When he did, the light was extinguished. A zing of power ran up her arm and then settled over her heart.
“What was that?” she asked.
“A gift to use when you need it. The power can destroy a small town or heal a god. Now, snooky, since you do not wish my marathon love making and I’m still utterly in love with you, what do you want to do now?”
Apollo sat on the edge of the bed and waited for her like a devoted servant. She looked down at what she was wearing. “Can you change me back into what I had on, please?”
He sighed. “You look so much better in this, but as you wish. You are Calliope’s twin. It’s amazing how much you two look alike. Of course, she’s a muse and you’re mortal. Her eyes are brown and yours are green. Her nose is chiseled perfection. Her hair spun from clouds. Her body is amazing. Her lips are luscious enough that when I see her, I want to kiss them and make love all night to her under the heavens.” The god got all dreamy eyed over the muse.
“You love her, don’t you?”
Apollo looked at her strangely. “No, I love you, but —”
“Kalliope, is that you?”
She heard Theresa’s voice coming from the hallway. She groaned and poked her head out of the door. Her friend’s belly seemed slightly bigger than it was before if that were possible. Kalliope swore her coven sister was having twins, but all the ultrasounds showed only one bun in the oven. Her friend had a suitcase in one hand and a piece of chocolate cake in the other.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
Theresa dropped her suitcase and the cake, and flung herself into her friend’s arms. She was crying uncontrollably and making no sense whatsoever. Kalliope pried her off and led Theresa to the couch. She thought of tissues and they appeared in her hand. She handed the box to her friend. The pregnant woman took them. Kalliope went to make some tea for the both of them. Apollo caught her eye and she just shrugged. The god looked a little lost at the crying woman. She wondered how much exposure he had to humans or with pregnant women.
Kalliope sat next to her friend and put her arm around her. The pile of tissues was already building. From the looks of it, this was not something induced by hormones either. This was something more serious. She had never seen her best friend behave this way.
“Honey. What happened?”
“Stan -he—he hhehe—” Her friend let out a wail and started sobbing again.
“Stan is hurt?”
Theresa shook her head no.
“He is dead?”
Again, another negative response.
“Another woman?”
Her friend broke out into sobs. It was kinda scary for Kalliope to see her coven sister this way. When she had found Quince boffing the tits with legs, she had turned on her heel and went straight back to Theresa’s shop. After three hours of her own crying and virtually making no sense, her friend had called in reinforcements who had brought emergency stashes of chocolate and liquor. After that she, Theresa, Adele, and Anna had all become best friends. She had hardly known her coven sister at that point. The only thing she had known was Theresa was going to be selling Kalliope’s candles. Something terrible must have happened between Theresa and Stan for her to be carrying on this way, unless there was something wrong with the baby. She didn’t sense that.
“Do you know who it was?” Kalliope asked. She handed the tea to her best friend.
Theresa took a breath and sniffled. “It wasn’t a girl, Kal. It was another guy! They were—you know in my bed. What am I going to do?”
“You’re sure you didn’t walk in on him drunk again playing naked Twister with his buddies?”
Theresa wiped her puffy cheeks and shook her head. “No. I know what I saw. I told Stan I was going out shopping to get some more things for the baby. When I came home, there he was with—God I can’t even think about it. How did you do it when you found Quince?”
Kalliope sipped her tea. It was not the flavor she had gotten. She checked the tag quickly and saw that it was orange instead of peppermint. Someone was playing a joke on her, probably Morgaine wondering where she was. She thought about the sorceress. When she did, she saw her trying to pull Excalibur from the hearth stones. The blade glowed blue. Reflected in it were Kalliope and Theresa. She pictured a torrent of oranges falling around the sorceress. The sorceress looked up. One landed on her foot. Kalliope felt a surge of energy directed toward her. Without a second thought, she mentally threw up the barriers of the circle. The air thickened. A faint sheen shimmered in the small area surrounding her living room. Power pounded on the circle and was absorbed by it, making it even stronger. Mentally she saw Morgaine nod, knowing she had done it to test Kalliope’s defenses. Ever since Cromm had come after her, Kalliope had fortified the circle in her living room. She left it open so anyone could walk in and out of it. No one could enter it until she invited them or if need be, it was a portal to the other realm. Kalliope now had the magick to make it go further, almost bringing it and whoever was in it, deeper into the other world. She was the only one of the coven who could do this. Her other three coven sisters had been acknowledged by the gods, but they had no power. They were now more sensitive to the world. They thought it was fun whenever they went to the woods and Kalliope was able to speak and see all the dryads, goblins, fairies, etc who still existed in their world.
“It tore my heart out to realize Quince was cheating on me. You know how it was. I closed myself off from love and didn’t know if I could ever open up to anyone. It wasn’t until I found Lugh that I knew I could truly love anyone again. He has shown me a whole new world. He’s the best thing that has happened to me. But you don’t want to hear all the gushy stuff now. You want to know how to kill Stan.”
“Can you turn him into a frog for me? Then you can stick him in a pond and an alligator will eat him. I know how much you hate frogs.”
“They’re not that bad actually. What would the babies say when they asked where their father is?”
“Darling, Daddy looks great in the terrarium. Want to feed him some crickets?’ Why do you insist I’m having more than one? All the docs and pictures say I’m having solo uno. Only one. I wonder if your hormones are kicking in. You want to have a kid now too?” Theresa laughed a little. It was a good sign.
Kalliope handed her another tissue so she could wipe her puffy eyes. She punched her friend lightly in the arm enough to rock her a little. She release
d the energy barrier from the circle. The air returned to normal temperature. “You know I don’t want kids right now. It would be a little hard having a child with a god. Besides, Lugh is off doing whatever right now and I’m supposed to be saving the world. You’re more important.”
“Saving the world? From what? Deadly cheesecake from beyond?”
“None of the above. Long story. Really long story. Dagda called in his debt and now Apollo is helping me.” Kalliope gestured to the god who was poking at her teakettle with a fork. She thought he was trying to fence it with one arm up in the air. The fork tines were getting caught in the handle of the kettle.
Theresa peeked at the god through the opening separating the living room and kitchen. When she saw him, she started to fan herself. “Kalliope is he—I mean. That’s a real god? Is he really THE APOLLO? Sun god from Greek Mythology?”
Her friend started to fluff her hair and wipe her face. She got up and straightened her T-shirt that read: Yes, it’s really an alien. Kalliope only shook her head. This was the woman who she was used to. Kalliope knew finding Stan had crushed Theresa. They had been together forever, since high school. Kalliope nor Theresa ever suspected Stan was in the closet. Maybe he was drunk and it was a onetime thing. There was no excuse for what he had done. If there was any chance for him to fix it, Kalliope wondered if Theresa would even go back to him, but whatever her decision, she would stand by her friend.
“Yes. That is Apollo, Greek Myth come to life. You know Flidais is an ex-goddess and Morgaine is legendary. Why is it so hard to believe Apollo is in my kitchen fighting with my teapot?”
With the mention of his name, the god came in and gave Theresa a perfect smile. Before she knew it, Theresa had fainted.
Chapter Seven
“I guess you have power over women?” Kalliope asked.
The god caught her friend and carried her to the sofa. He propped her head up on a pillow and brushed away a stray tear. “It’s a godly thing. With Zeus it’s even stronger. Women go all doey eyed and start giggling.”
“Is that why he gets all those chicks?”
“Yes. Did you not feel the magnetism when you stood before him or me?”
“Nope. Sorry. I guess I’m immune.”
Apollo stared at her. His power flared against her aura. He glowed brightly and his skin glittered. Kalliope felt the pull towards him, but it was faint. She could tell he was using the full whammy on her because the light was intense. She doubted any other women would have seen the light; they would have felt it. Some might have perceived it as his aura, but it didn’t touch her.
“Dim the light, please.” Her hand shielded her eyes from the illumination. “I appreciate you trying to try, but it’s not working.”
Apollo sat on the edge of the couch next to Theresa. He placed his hand on her stomach. Her friend opened her eyes, studying the god. Apollo had his eyes closed and started drumming his fingers on Theresa’s belly.
“What is he doing?” mouthed Theresa to Kalliope.
She shrugged.
After a moment, he stopped. He opened his eyes and turned to Theresa. “You have suffered many losses. Now that is being made up for. The hardship you are dealing with now will blow away. The doctors are wrong. You will not have one child, but two. Two girls. In years to come, there will be another pregnancy. And the doctors will be wrong again. You’ll have triplets.” The god beamed.
Theresa was a little dumbfounded. “Twins? Triplets. How am I going to handle that? Being by myself? Where am I going to get the money? I think I need a drink. Damn. I can’t do that! Kalliope, do you have any magickal mojo that will give me a buzz and not hurt the kids?”
Kalliope shook her head and bit her lip to keep from laughing. She could see her best friend trying to keep up with five kids. That would be something. At least she was right. Theresa was going to have twins. Doctors did not know everything. “Sorry. Nothing to make you drunk. We’ll do that after the twins are born. Now you have to think of some more names. Apollo, do you know where I can find a chick named Del? Nas said she’s an Oracle. You know her?”
“Yes. Why does my love muffin want to see her? Do you desire to know the future between us?”
“No, but thanks. Maybe later. Zeus said I had to get some information on the Furies. Can you take me there?”
A smile spread on his lips. He bowed. “It would be my pleasure. But first—” He slipped his hand behind her, pulling her into him. His free hand rested on top of her stomach. Kalliope was about to say something when he shook his head. He breathed onto her forehead. Her energy points flared to life from the power flooding her system. It ran down her back, fusing with her spine and running out over the spot where his hand was positioned on her stomach. The god’s face knotted in concentration. She tried to move out of his grip, but the power would not allow her to do so. The feeling was similar to what Lugh would do to her with one touch. His caresses sent her into instant orgasm. Apollo’s did not. His power was hot inside of her. A white heat. It blasted away any cobwebs or darkness lurking in her body. Kalliope’s eyes closed while she rode the power waves. She began to feel lighter almost as if she were part of the light the god infused her with. Then it stopped. Kalliope opened her eyes, realizing she was swaying ever so slightly. Apollo smiled and steadied her.
“What did you do to me?” she asked.
“You were sick. So I healed you.”
“Healed me?”
“Yeah. Kalliope didn’t you know one of Apollo’s attributes is he’s the god of healers. He also set up the Delphic Oracle.”
Then it hit her when the god had said that he could make her better. He really did make her better. She took in a deep breath. The tickle in her nose and throat was gone. She waited for a sneeze or a wave of lust to overtake her, but nothing happened.
“I didn’t realize that. Thank you, Apollo.”
“It was no chore at all, my love. Mortal physiology sometimes can get run down by crossing worlds and spending too much time with gods. If you stay around us too much, it will begin to change the very essence of who you are. It’s the same when a god heals you. The greater the transfer of energy the more it transforms you.”
Kalliope paled. She had been spending a lot of time with Lugh and moving in between the worlds. When they had sex it was hardly ever normal because he always used his power to make her toes curl and her head be filled with a glimpse of the universe. It was amazing and powerful. She missed it. Kalliope was with a wonderful god and she wanted nothing to do with Apollo. He had offered her his body. Now he was going to help her. However, what he said had her worried. She did spend a lot of time with Lugh in his world and around magick. Had it started to change her? She wasn’t sure. Dagda had told her the same when she stuck up for Flidais. She hadn’t noticed if it had or not, but who knows? Now was not the time for her to think about if she was being changed or influenced by the realm. She had to focus on getting to the Delphic Oracle.
Kalliope smiled and gave a quick hug to Apollo. Then she turned back to Theresa. “Are you okay? Not that you wanted to find your husband in bed with another guy, but—”
Her best friend started to tear up again. She bit her lip and wiped the wetness from her eyes and nodded. Theresa was the strong one emotionally and had lent her everything when she found out about Quince. She had lent her use of her house, her extended family and that was how they had become fast friends. She smiled and sat down next to her.
“I’ll be fine. Sure I will. We can do it without Stan. That asshole! Low life, stinking, crappy—” She got choked up, but stopped herself from crying. She patted her belly. “I’ll be fine.”
“Theresa, I’m sorry, but I can’t stay I—”
There was a sudden pop and a puff of smoke. Sitting in Theresa’s lap was Humphrey. Her friend let out a shriek and jumped, sending the frog leaping into Kalliope’s arms. “What is that?”
“Hiya toots!” the frog said to Theresa.
Kalliope ran her hand over
the amphibian’s smooth skin. It was cool and not slimy. It didn’t still her dislike of frogs, but it made it a little easier to deal with. She wasn’t disgusted by being around him anymore. It was never her intention to conjure a womanizing frog.
“Humphrey, what did I tell you about being nice? Do you want to be a tadpole the rest of your life?”
“Sorry, Kalliope.” The frog cleared his throat. He bowed to Theresa. “Forgive my manners. Hello, my lady.” His New York accent disappeared. Kalliope was impressed. Her familiar flashed her a pearly white smile and winked.
“Oh you love to rub it in, don’t you?”
“Ribbit.”
“Kalliope,” Theresa pointed to the frog, “what is that?”
“Theresa, believe it or not, this is my first familiar. His name is Humphrey.”
Her coven sister smiled warily. “I thought you hated frogs. Aren’t familiars supposed to be black cats or ravens or something? I’ve never heard of any witch having a frog for a pet. At least not unless they turned someone into one.”
Humphrey seemed disappointed at the comment. “I might not be a cat or some fancy bird with wings, but I get the job done. Isn’t that right?” he turned to Kalliope.
