by Crymsyn Hart
“What did you do?” the goddess asked. No god could have done that!”
Both Flidais and Lugh looked at Kalliope, shocked. She stood up slowly using her wounded hand to support her weight. It was only when she did, that she realized that she had also healed herself.
“I’m not sure really. When Apollo was under the spell of Cupid’s arrow, he gave me a piece of his power and told me to use it when I needed it. I guess I needed it. I couldn’t just let you die.”
Nas slammed into Kalliope and wrapped her arms around her in a tight hug. “Thank you.”
“It’s a miracle,” whispered Flidais.
Kalliope turned to the other goddess. “Aren’t you used to those being a goddess and all?”
Lugh took Kalliope in his arms. “Love. You don’t understand. Any wound from Excalibur is permanent. None of the gods have the power to heal themselves from a wound sustained by the sword. Even that cut I gave Cromm when I fought him would have healed human slow. Hephaestus would never have been able to grow his hand back. The sword is even older than us. What you did was amazing.”
“But it wasn’t my power that healed Nas.”
Lugh smiled. “It might not have been all of your power, but it was your intent. It was your compassion that healed her. Only that combined with the power Apollo gave you made it possible for Nas to be alive.”
“Kalliope, from now on I swear that whatever tries to harm you I’ll help defend you. No matter what,” Nas said solemnly. The goddess took off one of the silver rings on her thumb and slipped it on her finger.
The ring had fine lettering engraved on it. When she tugged on it she found that it wasn’t coming off. “Promise not to turn me into a bush or any other kind of fauna. Deal?”
All the gods laughed. “Deal.”
“Great. Well now that Hephaestus is dead, the Furies are back in the Underworld, Flidais is free, and Zeus is head honcho again, I say we get the businessmen home without any memories of what happened. That will make everything right in the world, and All Hail won’t rain down fire and brimstone on me.”
Lugh pulled her close to him and nuzzled her neck, licking her ear before locking his lips to hers. Once their silky sweetness met hers, she melted. Everything she had been through was worth it—almost worth it—to have him back in her life at this wonderful moment. She wanted to stay in his arms forever. Their bodies were meant to be together. She felt him straining through his leather pants. Her nipples hardened at the thought of him. His tongue met hers. At that spark, Kalliope was wet and wanted nothing more than for him to take her home and slide into her moist depths.
“Get a room!” Flidais laughed.
Kalliope unlocked her lips from Lugh and stuck her tongue out at the goddess. “Didn’t we originally have a room before all this began?”
Lugh laughed. “Yes, I think we did.”
“Nas, come on. Let’s get the mortals back to their realm and wipe their memory.”
The other goddess looked at Lugh and Kalliope for a long moment. She could tell that deep down Nas still loved the god, but she was not going to say anything about it. “I meant what I said. Take care of her.”
Lugh smiled and nodded. Nas turned and went after Flidais to herd the businessmen. Kalliope wondered exactly they were going to do to them. As they left, a big sigh escaped her lips. Finally, she was free of saving the world. All Hail would have to know she had done what she set out to do.
“So it’s just you and me now. Hopefully there won’t be any more interruptions. Oh, Kalli, I missed you so much. Excalibur certainly has a way of choosing appealing outfits.”
Kalliope blushed. “Don’t tell me you like the warrior princess thing…”
Lugh ran his hand over the leather bodice to the swell of her breasts. Even through the material she felt their energy spark against one another like an exploding rainstorm. Her whole body yearned for him. Where was a bed when you needed one?
I can solve that problem.
The energy gathered around them. Lugh was going to take them someplace else, but his momentum was stalled. The witch sensed something had thrown his power off. At the same time, a puff of air whizzed by her shoulder and cut her aura. When she looked up, she saw a golden arrow vibrating from landing in a nearby pillar. Lugh went into battle mode. His demeanor hardened. He spun her around so she would be protected. Kalliope heard another arrow whistle by her. This one grazed her arm.
“Apollo! Enough! Show yourself!” Lugh’s voice echoed in the hall.
Kalliope moved out from behind Lugh and drew Excalibur. The only thing that answered was Apollo’s laugh. It bounced off the pillars. The fires blazed. The other sun god stepped out from behind one of the pillars. She barely recognized him. His blonde hair was now black. His eyes held such hatred and amusement they could have been laser beams and burned through anything.
“Why Lugh, it is such a relief your plaything saved the world. What would we have done if she had not killed Hephaestus and rescued us all from his wrath?” He stood before them both with his bow and a quiver full of Cupid’s arrows slung on his back.
“Apollo, why are you doing this? Why did you align yourself with Hephaestus and cause all of this grief? Zeus will punish you once he catches you.”
“Why am I doing this? That is a loaded question. Don’t you remember Calliope? She was mine. You stole her from me and then you threw her away! I went to console her, but she cast me aside. She was the only woman I loved.”
Kalliope looked between the two men. The once friends were now enemies. The hatred she felt coming off Apollo was amazing. What he had told her when he was under the spell of Cupid’s arrow was true. He had loved the muse.
“Apollo, that was ages ago. I was young. I didn’t know how much you cared for her. Now put down the bow. Tell Zeus you screwed up. I’m sure he’ll forgive you even after a hundred years.”
“Lugh, you’re such a fool. Zeus will strike me down for betraying him.”
“Then why do this now?” Kalliope asked.
The sun god smiled. “Because I want him to feel the same loss that I did.” Kalliope heard the hum of the bowstring vibrating from the arrow’s release. Before it stopped, a pain entered her chest. Excalibur clattered to the floor. The pain was so intense she didn’t even hear the cry slip from her lips.
Chapter Twenty-one
“Kalli.” She opened her eyes. Everything was bright, but she could make out shapes and forms. Two people were bending over her. She focused on the voice. It sounded familiar. When her eyes adjusted she realized that one form above her looked like her.
A fuzzy memory came to the front of her brain. “Mom?”
“Yes, sweetie.” Her mother had the same red hair, but instead of dark eyes had green ones. Her mother helped her up and wrapped her arms around her into a hug. Kalliope wasn’t sure what to do and then, after a moment, returned the gesture. Her mother had always smelled of lilies and still did.
She let herself out of the hug and then studied her father. He was the way she remembered him too. Shorter than her mom with blond hair and blue eyes. Laugh lines had just started appearing around his eyes. His hair was a little shaggy. “Daddy?”
Her father nodded. “It’s us, Kalli-girl.”
Then it dawned on her what had happened. All of her resolve went out of her. Even though she was with her parents she realized what she had lost. She stepped away from her mother. Her heart sunk. She would never see Lugh again. She wouldn’t see Theresa and her twins. Adele and crazy Anna—she would never know how their trip was. But that was not the worst part. She would never feel Lugh’s arms around her again. Never be with him or hear his voice. Even though he was a god, he couldn’t come here to see her. Maybe if she turned into an angel. Was that possible?
“Mommie!” Tears fell.
“Honey. No. It’s not what you think.”
Kalliope looked up from her mom’s shoulder. She wiped her eyes and sniffled. “What do you mean? You’re dead so that only me
ans one thing. I’m dead too.”
“It’s true. Yes, you’re dead, but it’s not your time,” her father consoled her.
“Then why?” Kalliope stopped crying. She noticed she was in a great white light floating and there was something behind her parents. A large garden. From that garden, she got a sense of peace and it would be nice to go there. “Is that Summerland?”
“Yes. But it’s not your time to go there. You have to go back. You’re needed back on Earth. And there is much ahead of you.”
“Oh sweetie. It was wonderful to see you. Know we’re always watching out for you.” Her father gave her a hug.
“I don’t want to leave you now. I can’t.” Kalliope felt torn between leaving her parents and leaving Lugh behind. Part of her felt the tug of the garden and another part felt such loss for her old life that she didn’t know where she was supposed to go.
“Listen to your heart, sweetie. That is the only thing that can send you back. It’s your decision,” Her mom said. Kalliope was amazed to stare at herself in her mother’s face. She never realized how much she had looked like her. It had been so long since she had thought about her parents. But with her mother’s words she felt a tug and something calling her. Her hand went over her heart where the arrow had pierced her chest. The pain was overwhelming. She pushed past the agony. Lugh was calling her. Her heart surged forward. She looked at the garden behind her parents. If she wanted, she could follow them there and exist on another plane. But that wasn’t what she desired. She craved Lugh to hold her in his arms. She wanted to feel his lips against hers. He had put everything on the line for her and now it was time that she go back to him.
She took one last look at her parents and saw tears in her mother’s eyes. Her father looked on her with a proud, but sorrow filled his expression. They wanted her to stay, but she also knew that wanted her to be happy. She smiled at her mom and saw her wave. Kalliope returned the gesture and then turned around and walked away from the garden.
She tried to breathe. All she could do was manage short pants. Her head swam from the effort. She tried to open her eyes and finally succeeded on the second attempt. When she did, she saw blond hair the color of spun wheat resting on her chest. Lugh’s arms were around her, trying to keep her safe.
“You have to come back to me,” she heard him whisper.
All you had to do was ask, she thought knowing he would hear her.
Lugh looked up. There were tears in his eyes. His hands were covered in blood. Her blood she assumed. It covered his chest from where he had been holding her to him. She wasn’t in Hephaestus’s hall anymore, but she was somewhere that smelled of roses. She was on a bed with vines and flowers hanging down from the rails.
“You came back.”
Kalliope smiled. It was so strange to see her lover so vulnerable. The expression on his face was purely human. Hurt and loss had been etched into his features, making him look older.
“Of course I came back. I love you too much not to.” She tried to sit up. She drew in a breath through her teeth to block out the pain, but even trying to concentrate on it was tiring. “Remind me never to get shot with an arrow again.”
Lugh laughed. “I’ll warn you next time. Here, Kalliope. Did you mean what you said about loving me?”
Kalliope tried to move again to touch his face, but it was too much of an effort. She knew the god could read her thoughts. All her love for him built in her soul. She tried not to sob over the magnitude of it. “You know it is.”
“Then you wish to be healed. I could only heal you enough to bring you back. To make sure it was what you wanted. You want to be with me?”
“Of course I want to be with you. I came back from the dead, didn’t I? Please heal me, Lugh.”
The god placed his hand over her chest. Warmth hovered over the wound. Kaliope wondered why the god was not using his power, but holding off. What is the matter?
If I do this, there could be consequences. His brow knitted in worry.
What kind of consequences? Kalliope asked. She wondered if she would start to sprout leaves or bark.
I promise you won’t turn into any kind of fauna. But with all that you’ve been through, and been around me and the other gods, along with staying so much in the astral realm and being hurt, my healing you would alter your body’s chemistry. You wouldn’t be exactly human anymore.
What do you mean? Kalliope tried to hold back the panic that was swirling through her mind, but there was no way she could suppress it. It had been mentioned to her before that spending time around the other gods in their realm would change her a little bit.
“I mean, love, that part of you will be human, but I don’t know how much more powerful you’ll become. I don’t know if by healing your fatal wound if you will find it easy to stay in your realm. Almost like a frog. They can live in the water and out of it, but their home is in the water. You might find that you are more like me.”
Are you saying that I’ll become a god too? Or a demi god?
Lugh shook his head. “I don’t know. This is what you are and what you’ve done has never happened before. I can’t say what will happen.”
Kalliope fought off the panic. Flidais had told her once that she was destined for greatness. Whatever that meant while she tried to juggle her crazy life. But if it meant that she changed part of the very being that she was to be with the man that she loved, then so be it.
“Do it.”
He let go of the floodgates on his power and let them wash over Kalliope. In all of a second, the pain she felt increased in her chest. Healing wasn’t supposed to hurt like this. I’m sorry, love. I can’t spare you the pain. This is my power. The raw essence of it must heal you and in doing so, change you. It will only last a minute. I promise.
Kalliope didn’t answer. Her insides were being split apart and remolded. She felt her skin fusing together where the arrow had been. In her mind she saw herself ignited with the same golden glow that she had seen around Nas when she had healed the goddess. Now it was over her heart fixing all the tears, but it was also doing more than just that. Lugh had been right in saying his power remade her in some way. Whatever imperfection she had was no longer there. Even the handprint Hephaestus had left on her was gone. But it went beyond that. Through her tie to her coven sisters, she felt the power also spill over into them. All of them stopped what they were doing. The power in them was nowhere as intense, but it did something to them. It made them more aware of things. It opened their chakras and connected them more with all the elements. It felt to Kalliope as if they had eaten a couple of the Oak Apples so they were now magickal, not to the extent that she was, but they could do things that others would dream about. Maybe Theresa would be able to turn Stan into a frog now.
In the instant Lugh’s power ceased, Kalliope came back to herself. Her heart beat and she was breathing. The pain was all gone.
“Thank you.”
He smiled at her. “You are most welcome. Kalli—”
She didn’t wait to hear his answer. She sat up and locked her lips to his. Caught by surprise he was thrown off balance and landed on his back on the bed. She straddled him and stared into his deep green eyes. Her hands traced his pecs, feeling the wonderful hardness of them under her fingertips. His leather pants creaked when he moved. Her warrior princess garb was getting on her nerves. She desperately wanted to be naked with him. On impulse she snapped her fingers and felt cold air. Lugh gave her a devilish grin because she had accomplished what she wanted on the first try. That was a new thing. She could certainly get used to whatever new power she had. Not that she’d gotten used to the other things she could do at first. The girls were definitely going to be wondering what had happened. She put them out of her mind. She scooted off Lugh and nestled her head between his legs. His member was hard and ready for her. She cupped his scrotum in one hand while holding him steady with the other. Her tongue sought his silky shaft. She licked him up and down and around the head. Her tongue traced
the engorged vein of his penis until she came to the tip where her mouth encircled his large shaft.
Lugh bucked a little going deeper into her mouth until he hit the back of her throat. He let out a moan of pure pleasure that sounded like he was eating cheesecake. Kalliope chanced a look at his face. His eyes were shut. His face hardened in concentration. He fought the urge to give in to her manipulations. His fists clenched the bed. She smiled inwardly. Her mouth worked up and down on his shaft, sucking on him slowly while circling her tongue around his hard member. She alternated between fast and slow. It was fun to tease and torture him. She had wanted to do this for so very long.
Do you know what you’re doing to me?
Her tongue flicked over the sensitive head, tasting his saltiness. He was so close. Kalliope let her mouth enclose him once more, using the suction of her mouth and the movements of her tongue to show him that she was doing this to him deliberately.
