“Why did you not tell me?” the man, no the Apocritum, asked, grabbing Gloria’s arm as she came to a stop in front of him, a serene smile curving her lips.
“I knew the risks,” she said, feeling the strength flow through her newly whole body. “It was the only way to survive long enough to bring her into the world.”
“Then there were no disastrous consequences?” he asked softly, hopefully.
“Nothing,” she beamed, laughing out loud for the life she now embraced as they began walking out of the alley and back to the Adytum where she would be living.
“You will not be allowed to contact them,” he warned.
“I have no desire to do so.” The time would come when her daughter would seek her out, but not for many years. Her grin widened; she was so grateful for her prior knowledge of the Apocritae; of her temporary ability to ensure secrecy. She glanced up at her Apocritum, admiring his strong profile, the color of his dark blond hair and the blackness of his eyes, his straight nose and his lush, sensual lips made for sin. His beautiful face.
“What is my savior’s name?” she asked, closely watching the gorgeous man, knowing he hadn’t learned of her biggest secret; or rather, Celeste’s secret.
“Adam,” he answered simply, focusing on the path they traveled, his jaw set.
Nope, she had no regrets. There was no more pain and she couldn’t help but to laugh.
Chapter 1
23 years later….
Celeste Hamilton stood outside the Louvre, her dark brown hair pulled back in a long, thick braid as tendrils curled around her oval face. Her hazel eyes sparkled with vibrancy as she chewed on her lower lip, excited to finally be inside the famous Parisian museum. A long, demure skirt and a loose, dressy blouse covered her slender body as she eagerly waited to explore the beautiful building. Her best friend Kim stood next to her, quite a bit less interested in exploring the Louvre but out of love she volunteered to go along. Her slightly taller, thinner frame was covered by a straight skirt and a tight sweater that left very little to the imagination. She had big, baby blue eyes and short blond hair that was a mass of riotous curls. With a white robe, a pair of wings and a halo, Kim could have passed for an angel.
“I should have gone shopping with Mary and Claire,” Kim jokingly protested, glancing around the museum as they walked through the doors. “Why did I ever let you talk me into this trip on our next to last day in Paris?”
“It’s the only thing I asked to see,” Celeste grinned, her eyes widening in appreciation as she looked around the grand structure. Grabbing Kim’s hand, she continued, “Besides, you love me.”
“I love you,” Kim mumbled at the same time, grinning at her best friend in the universe. “You better not tell Harvey how much I adore you; he might get jealous.”
“Ha ha,” Celeste dead-panned. “Harvey loves you to dis….”
“Dis?” Kim asked, a smile tugging at her lips as she turned towards her friend and her sudden inability to speak. Celeste was staring past her, her eyes huge in her face. Kim waved her hand in front of Celeste’s eyes, “Earth to Celeste; come in Celeste.”
The brunette slowly closed her eyes and shook her head. Smiling, she turned back to Kim, “Sorry, I was distracted by something I saw.”
“Ooh, what work of art caused my friend to lose her famous, single-tracked mind?” Kim asked, turning in the direction of Celeste’s gaze, seeing an abstract sculpture not two feet away; it looked like a blob. Tilting her head to the side, she murmured. “It’s, um, interesting, but I’m not seeing what made you lose your train of thought.”
Celeste grabbed her friend’s head and moved it slightly so Kim would see. A man, probably in his late twenties, early thirties, with well-styled, dark blond hair stood across the way from them. He wore a tailor-made suit that accentuated his very fine physique and he wore it in the manner of one at ease with his magnificence, his masculinity. The man had to be over six feet tall as he towered over everyone who walked by him.
But it was his face that captured Celeste’s attention: a work of art in and of itself with high cheek bones, a patrician nose and strong jaw line. But his lips! Good God; if the Lord wanted to lead a girl into temptation, those would be the lips He’d use. They were so firm, so ripe; so made for kissing, being kissed, that Celeste felt her own lips tingle in anticipation of kissing him. That was ridiculous because she wasn’t the type of girl to go up to strangers and demand a kiss but she was willing to give it a try….
“If he were naked and painted white, he could pass for a Greek sculpture displaying man’s perfection,” Celeste sighed dreamily. “I would love to see him naked.”
“Celeste,” Kim snorted at her friend’s very out-of-character comment. “I’m the one who admires men’s beauty.”
“Look at him, Kim,” she whispered, afraid that he might over hear her, even though he stood half way across the gallery. “He is what an Apocritum should look like, if they could ever be so beautiful.”
“Apocritae do not go out in public, Cel,” Kim reminded her, a tight smile on her lips and Celeste immediately regretted her faux pas. Humans were not to speak of the Apocritae in public; to do so was to invite certain punishment if discovered and Celeste knew enough to realize that there were ears everywhere, most of them not human.
“I know,” Celeste breathed, unable to take her eyes off the gorgeous man. There was just something about him that drew her complete awareness, something she could not explain. She knew that if he saw her, if he talked to her, he would feel the same magnetism. Of course, that would be true only if she was dreaming; which could explain the perfection of face and form standing in the middle of the museum and her own strange reaction. “But could you imagine a more divine being?”
“That is almost sacrilege,” Kim hissed. “He’s just a man, nothing more.”
Celeste bit her bottom lip and nodded her head. Of course she knew that he was just a man, but he was so beautiful. Smiling, she forced her attention back to the museum, and the history she was seeing with her own eyes. “I guess you’re right.”
“You guess I’m right?” Kim repeated with a wry smile, looping her arm through her friends.
“Of course you’re right,” she admitted, stealing another glance at the Adonis in the suit. He looked as if he belonged on a billboard modeling underwear and selling sex.
Kim looked at her friend as she continued mooning over the man. Laughing, she nudged her, “If you are so captivated, you should just go up and introduce yourself.”
Celeste blushed at being caught. “I couldn’t. Look at him.”
“I am.”
“Now look at me,” Celeste said, taking a step away from Kim and holding her arms out to the side. “What would a guy like that see in a girl like me?”
“You underestimate yourself, Cel,” Kim shook her head, looping her arm through Celeste’s once more. “You are absolutely beautiful.”
“I wasn’t fishing for a compliment,” Celeste protested, frowning slightly. “Just stating the obvious. I mean, compared to you and Genevieve, I am a troll.”
“Everyone’s a troll compared to Genevieve,” Kim laughed. Squeezing Celeste’s arm, she pulled her friend into the next exhibit, “Come, let us explore this museum of yours.”
“Let’s,” Celeste agreed with a grin, glancing over her shoulder. He was watching her, an intense, unreadable expression on his much-too-handsome-for-words face. Her cheeks grew warm as he held her atypically brazen gaze, but she couldn’t turn away. His eyes were so dark, so compelling…. Then he smiled and she nearly died, knowing that it wasn’t possible to see the face of God and live. Blushing furiously at having been caught staring shamelessly, she averted her eyes and stumbled over her next step. Catching herself, she laughed at her clumsiness and her foolishness.
“Are you all right?” Kim asked, clutching Celeste’s arm tighter in case she decided to try and fall again. “You almost fell, Cel; it’s obvious you’re in need of a full time keeper.
Luckily you have me.”
“I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going,” Celeste explained, still smiling at her near fall. Peeking over her shoulder for one last look, she grinned sheepishly, “He’s just so… breathtaking.”
*****
Adamanteros stood just inside the Louvre, the usual sense of being watched surpassed by something far more intense, something that he could not explain. Discreetly surveying the room, he opened himself up to the conversations in the hopes that he could identify the source of this prickly sensation. There were so many people, so many words, and on top of all of that was this unfathomable pull.
“If he were naked and painted white, he could pass for a Greek sculpture displaying man’s perfection,” a feminine voice whispered, making the corners of his lips curve up slightly. But still he did not know who held his interest.
Closing his eyes, he focused on the woman's pulse. Letting his mind guide him, his body slowly turned. As he came to a stop, he opened his eyes and his gaze crashed into the large hazel eyes of a petite brunette. The short distance was no barrier to his ability to see her clearly. Without a doubt, the girl was attractive, her slender, feminine body buried beneath yards of flowing material. Her large eyes were set quite nicely in an oval face, framed by long lashes; her lips were full, sensual, perfectly formed, especially when she smiled. Her nose was slender, a smattering of freckles across the bridge, giving her the air of innocence and sensuality.
But there was more to her; something that drew him to her in a way he had never before experienced in his very, very long existence. As her face grew pink under his scrutiny, he smiled. Then she stumbled and he almost forgot himself, about to appear at her side to grab hold of her. Thankfully, he remembered where he was in time and remained standing in his place, catching the laughter that transformed her pretty face into something far more spectacular. Breathtaking.
No longer caring about his meeting in an hour, he followed the girl into the exhibits, carefully keeping his distance. Watching her, he realized that she was not alone, that she strolled through the galleries with another girl who seemed less thrilled to be in the museum. The brunette pointed at a sculpture, an excited grin on her exquisite mouth as she spoke. The blond smiled back indulgently and they moved on to the next work of art. If it were him standing beside her, he would be able to revel in her enthusiasm, encouraging it, sharing the history he had witnessed firsthand. If it were him standing beside her, his arm would be around her slender waist, pulling her into his arms, into an embrace.
Almost as if she read his thoughts, she looked over her shoulder and met his gaze. The intriguing blush claimed her cheeks once more and the desire to protect her, shelter her from any storm, hit him strong and low. He held her gaze until she severed it, returning her attention back to the art. Following them as they made their way through the building, he was rapidly closing the distance between them. He had to meet her, to know what made her different from the billions of other humans.
What the fuck, Adamanteros? his brother’s voice bellowed in his head. You are to meet with Thomas this afternoon, or did you forget?
I did not forget, Adam replied silently, his eyes tracking the girl’s every movement as she motioned towards a painting, explaining its significance to her uninterested friend. You should go in my place.
Pardon? Auberon asked. I do not believe I heard you correctly; you never miss meetings, especially one that is so difficult to arrange
Better yet, Adam growled. Cancel the damn thing.
What madness has ensnared you, brother? Auberon asked, amusement lacing his voice.
A girl, he admitted before he thought better of it, cringing when Auberon’s laughter filled his head.
We are so close to the end, Adamanteros; meet with Thomas, Auberon continued between guffaws. Afterwards you can find this girl and do with her what you will.
He was going to have her.
He was going to devour her.
With reluctance he walked away from her and found Thomas loitering in front the famous painting of a woman with an enigmatic smirk. Thomas was smiling as usual, his golden blond hair a halo around his head. Adam usually hated angels; they were so damn arrogant and they were like dealing with all knowing two-year-olds. But Thomas was different; he hadn’t forgotten what it was to be an angel and he was more able to adapt to his new circumstances. The others wanted to continue to pretend they didn’t have new body parts that allowed them to procreate. Adam knew that they would be much happier if they just fucked someone.
Nodding his head, Adam stopped next to the happy angel and they both faced the painting, “What news is there?”
Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Thomas shaking his head, “There is something that we’re missing.”
“Obviously,” Adam scoffed. There was still one strand, slender but incredibly strong, binding them to the old Queen despite Adam and Auberon having done everything in their power to break free. Of course there was something missing, they just did not know what. “I had hoped you had some leads.”
“We’ve got nothing,” Thomas admitted ruefully. “But the Goddess assures us that we will find it soon.”
“Her idea of soon could be twenty years," Adam scowled.
Thomas laughed at that, his eyes crinkling in amusement as he nodded his head. "True; she…."
"I have got to go,” Adam blurted abruptly, ignoring Thomas's surprised gasp. He could have had the girl on the way to his bedroom if he hadn’t had to meet Thomas to learn nothing had changed, that he and his brother were still stuck. Without another word, he ignored the protests of the angel and weaved his way through the throngs of humanity, hoping he was not too late and the girl was still there.
With an exhalation of relief he saw her as they stood in front of a statue, her face lit with animation as she gazed up at the exquisite figure. With a sideways glance he saw that it was a marble statue of himself done hundreds of years before. He had been nude at the time. Breaking his own rules, he eaves-dropped on her conversation once again, unwilling to deny himself the pleasure of her voice.
“We have been aimlessly wandering around this place for hours and you’ve been distracted the entire time,” the blond scolded good-naturedly. “You’ve paid barely any attention to the art.”
“I did,” the brunette frowned, her nose wrinkling up so enticingly. “I did.”
The blond grabbed the long braid and gave it a good tug. “Liar. You’ve been enthralled by Mr. Tall, Blond and Handsome, even though he disappeared hours ago.”
Adam scowled; time disruptions were one of the drawbacks of having secret meetings. Since they could not allow their conversations to be overheard they had shifted to a slightly different dimension, something that he hadn’t even considered when he agreed to attend the blasted, utterly useless meeting.
“He,” she glanced over her shoulder as if he were still behind her and their eyes met, He saw the surprise in the hazel depths before she quickly turned away. “He fascinates me.”
“This is not like you, Celeste,” the blond said, using her name. Celeste. “If you don’t go up and introduce yourself I will.”
“Kim!” Celeste cried out, laughing. “I’m not the type of girl men like him want to kiss.”
Shock washed over him at that statement for he could hardly think of anything other than kissing her, taking her in his arms, making love to her. His chest constricted painfully at the thought, wondering if he could make her a Calix and then just as quickly dismissing the possibility. She would lose that spark, that something, that called to him. He could still bed her….
Her eyes flew to his and widened in alarm. Surely she couldn’t hear his thoughts. But, no, her friend had grabbed her hand and was pulling her his way. Her eyes grew wider as they neared, excitement and fear dancing in the brilliant depths. God, he was losing himself in those hazel eyes.
“Who said anything about kissing?” the blond asked with a smile as they came closer. “It’s a simple
intro….”
Her words abruptly ended as the blond jerked to a stop nearly ten feet away from him. Adam tore his gaze from the bewildered expression on Celeste’s lovely face and looked at the blond, who stared at him with trepidation, her eyes wide in her face as she simply stared at him with alarm.
“Kim?” Celeste asked softly, her gaze moving between his and the frozen blond. Longing and concern filled her eyes as she asked, “What is it?”
“We have to go,” the blond breathed, clutching Celeste’s hand and dragging his prey, his new obsession, away from him. “Right now.”
Annoyed, he followed them, slipping into the shadows to keep them from realizing he was there.
*****
“What the heck, Kim?” Celeste asked, once they were back at the hostel. She wasn’t sure if she was more annoyed or confused by her friend’s peculiar behavior; Kim had been so gung ho about meeting the gorgeous man and then she had a sudden change of heart. Celeste still had the whiplash from the speed Kim got them the heck away from him.
Kim shook her head in bewilderment, her blue eyes even larger than normal as she stared at Celeste, “I don’t know; it just wasn’t the right time.”
Celeste arched an eyebrow, her lips quirking upwards in a wry smile, “That makes no sense.”
“I know,” Kim agreed, shaking her head. “It was just… a feeling I had; I can’t explain.”
“Oh, well,” Celeste sighed, flinging herself down onto her tiny bed. Staring up at the ceiling with a smile on her face, she murmured, “I probably wouldn’t have been able to speak anyway; my tongue would have been tied in knots and I would have made a fool of myself.”
“Somehow I doubt that,” Kim countered, lying down on the narrow bed next to her. Turning her head to the side, she grinned, “Didn’t you notice how he watched you? I don’t think you would have needed a lot of words.”
Celeste felt the color in her cheeks as she laughed at Kim’s words, “I would have finally gotten rid of this pesky virginity.”
Awakening Page 2
