Accidentally in Love With a God (2012)

by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff

  As they pushed ahead, Emma informed Guy about the bad news: why Chaam had built the pyramids and that there were three more jade structures somewhere in the world. Not good. Worse, she hadn't learned how they were detonated. None of them had a clue. Guy hoped it wasn’t throwing a deity down that hole.

  Adding to the severity of the situation, other Payals were being held prisoner, waiting to be used as fuel. Guy figured they’d easily find Chaam’s harem of apocalyptic love slaves inside the mines, but were there others?

  “It's straight out of a futuristic horror movie,” she said to Guy, “Chaam’s been injecting people with serum made from that crap. It makes them do evil things. Can you imagine what would happen if that stuff got into the water supply? I mean, look what it did to Tommaso—” She gasped and stopped walking.

  Guy, following closely behind her, almost rammed into her back. “Don’t stop, Emma.”

  She turned and placed her palms on his chest. “Guy, where’s Tommaso?”

  Guy looked over his should at the men who were in a tight formation behind him. “Keep moving, we’ll be right behind you,” he instructed.

  They didn’t question and walked around him and Emma, into the night.

  “Not too long, eh,” Gabrán warned as he passed by last.

  Guy nodded then turned toward Emma. He felt a wave of euphoria wash over him as he looked at her, really looked at her for the first time since he’d left her in Rome. He'd never been more grateful for his nocturnal vision. Gods, she was so lovely. Even in her current state: filthy, tired, and bruised, her clothes covered in dirt and blood.

  Yet somehow, she was even more gorgeous to him now. Maybe it was because she’d found the strength to accept herself, her unique place in the universe. Maybe it was because he’d thought he'd lost her. Regardless, he wanted to take her right then and there as he studied her jaw-length red curls, hanging in sweat soaked spirals. She’d never looked more raw, more fierce, and more sexy.

  He knew the Maaskab weren’t far behind, but he couldn’t resist steeling one quick kiss. He bent his head down and captured her lips. Emma slid her arms around him, and his body lit up. Her mouth opened to him, and she began lapping against his tongue, hot and heavy. He tasted the salt of her skin and the sweetness of her breath mixing in his mouth, and he knew life couldn’t get much better. Well, except…he gripped her tighter wishing he could finish what they’d started in Rome, but right on cue…

  “Ow!” Emma pulled away, puffing out three quick breaths, fanning her face. “Jeez, couldn’t you warn me that was coming? That burns.” His powerful energy had stunned her, he just couldn't keep it in check when he touched her.

  “I’m going to get a set of black jade earrings made up for you,” Guy offered.

  “Not on your life, big boy. I’m not putting that stuff anywhere on my body. You’re going to have to find some other—Hey! Don’t change the subject. What happened to Tommaso?”

  The first rays of sunlight crawling into the sky caught her sparkling green eyes. Eyes that were encased by red, bloodshot whites. She’d had a really, really rough few days and wasn’t going to take this well, he thought. He closed his eyes and held out his hands defensively. “I killed him,” he said quickly, expecting to be shredded into a million pieces as Emma blasted him with her hands.

  He waited for a moment, then realized she hadn’t moved. The tears began streaming down her face.

  Guy released a slow breath. “I'm sorry. I know you cared for him, but you must not be angry—”

  “No. No, I’m not. How could you know? How could anyone know Chaam murdered Tommaso’s family to turn him against the Uchben? Or that it wasn’t enough. He was too good, so they had to inject him with that jade venom.” She clenched her fists. “It wasn’t his fault, Guy.” She turned back in the direction of the Scab village.

  “Where are you going? We have to keep moving,” Guy asked.

  “What does it look like? I’m going back for Tommaso.”

  “Emma, honey, he’s gone; you’re wasting your time.”

  “Did you see him die? Are you sure?” she asked, not bothering to slow her pace.

  “Not exactly. But no one could survive a stab wound straight to the heart.”

  “I’m going back to make sure—I have to. He saved my life once, and I’m not leaving him with those monsters,” she argued.

  “No, Emma. It’s too dangerous. Let’s ensure the other gods have been freed, then I can go back with them and finish off the other priests. I’ll look for Tommaso then.”

  He tugged her in the direction the men had headed. “Hurry. We must catch up to Gabrán.”

  She shot daggers with her eyes. “Listen, Guy. I was kidnapped, terrorized, and tortured. And for the frosting on my danger-cupcake, I just cracked open twenty bloodthirsty priests like Easter eggs. I think I know all about dangerous. But I can’t let one more innocent person fall. No more!”

  Guy considered her words. He understood how she felt, and he did not wish to deny her anything, but she was being foolish and reckless. He was tired, she was exhausted, and Gabrán’s men were ready to collapse. Immortal or not, they needed sleep and food. Personally, he heard a long, hot bath and a chocolate chip cookie calling his name. He also wanted to bed Emma. Immediately.

  He looked down at her, wondering why she wanted to take such a huge risk just to know for certain Tommaso was dead. Unless…“Emma, I know now isn’t the time for this conversation, but did you love him—actually, that’s not what I meant to ask. Do you love me?”

  Her eyes fixed on her mud-caked boots, then began filling with tears. “Yes, I think so. I mean, I can’t stand being apart from you. I feel empty, even worse after I broke the bond. But I know how I feel isn't enough if I don’t trust you, if you don't trust me.”

  She was right about the trust. He’d broken hers on more than one occasion, which he knew he could fix over time, but her first comment was a monkey wrench. A big one. The feelings she’d described were the mark of their bond not love. Would he lose her if he told her this? But if he said nothing, she might live her life falsely believing she loved him.

  “Emma.” He grabbed her hand and placed a soft kiss in her palm. “The feeling you describe is the influence of the bond. I wish I could say it was more. And I understand that without trust, you cannot love me. So now, I have to prove I’m deserving of it.”

  She cocked her head to one side.

  “Right now,” he continued, “I can give you closure. I will return and bring Tommaso to you.”

  “Today’s your lucky day, Votan.”

  Guy and Emma gasped and swiveled on their heels to find Tommaso positioned in front of an army of priests. He was shirtless, his heaving chest caked with dry blood.

  “How? How the hell did you survive?” Guy muttered under his breath.

  “Did you honestly think a little knife wound to the chest could stop me?” Tommaso asked.

  “Um—yes?” Guy threw back flippantly.

  “Okay.” Tommaso shrugged. “Maybe I did too, but a little of that black juice,” he rubbed the almost healed wound over his heart, “and never better.”

  “Could this fucking day get any worse?” Emma groaned as Guy lunged at Tommaso and the Maaskab attacked.

  Chapter FORTY

  Add, “Can cure fatal injuries,” to the list of one hundred and one uses for evil black jade. I swore I was going to rub that stuff over the calluses on my feet as soon as I got home.

  I swung to the right, then to the left. My hands blasted anything that came into contact. The first few dozen Scabs fell to the ground, instantly cooked. But as I reached Scab number twenty-five, they began falling and getting back up again. I was running out of juice. How or why? Who the heck knew. But two things were for certain: I was tired and they just kept on coming.

  “Guy!” I screamed. With the swarm of black mud-crusted bodies bearing down on me, I couldn’t see him. I felt a thud against the side of my head and then the warm gush of blood
down the side of my face. I continued flailing my arms, but my vision was flickering from the blow.

  “Guy!” I screamed again as a one of the priests threw me into the dirt then jumped on top of me.

  And what can I say? He was just like all the others. Head to toe covered in black soot, long ropes of foul-smelling dreads, rotting black teeth, and barely any clothes. Oh, and one very special accessory. I caught a glimpse of the shiny blade raised in the air right before he plunged it deep into my stomach. There was little pain at first, but then a crippling blaze of agony racked my body. I peered into his black and crimson eyes in horror as he lifted his arm once again and hammered down. The air escaped my lungs as the knife sliced another hole through my torso.

  Just my effing luck! I’d finally gotten Guy to admit he was a huge, selfish jerk, and I’d realized he really did love me. Sure, he was convinced that my feelings were tied to that idiotic bond, but I knew it was more. It had to be. Why else would I be willing to keep him in my life after all he’d done?

  Regardless, I’d been looking forward to making him prove himself to me. I had in mind twelve-hour foot rubs while I nibbled hot dogs and watched chick-flicks. Oh, the possibilities.

  I was also tickled that the man responsible for my grandmother’s death got what he deserved—sort of. Personally, I wanted to see him burning in the fiery pits of hell, but I supposed an ominous black hole filled with anguish from his thousands of victims would do.

  And finally, I’d made peace with the whole “being different” thing. Discovering I had the ability to crack bad guys in two with the touch of my hands sure helped.

  Only now, after discovering all this, I was going to die? And still a virgin, no less. Well, effing great! Just effing great!

  When the dark priest raised his dagger for a third time, a bolt of lightning struck the top of his head. Smoke snaked from his eyes sockets as he collapsed to my side. Cracks of lightning suddenly exploded all around me. One by one the Scabs fell to the ground.

  “Good job, K’ak!” I heard a female voice call out. It sounded like Cimil.

  A stunningly gorgeous, tall, golden-skinned man, with a mane of silver-streaked black hair falling to his ankles, stepped from behind the shadows of the trees. Aside from the two-foot high headdress, made of intertwining silver and green-jade serpents, he was completely naked.

  “Hello, Emma.” His face glowed, and I felt a wave of heat as his gaze settled on me.

  “Cock, I presume?” I choked out.

  He frowned. “Kay-apostrophe-a-kay. K’ak,” he clarified with what sounded like a perfect British accent. “It’s Mayan for heat. But you can call me K'ak Tiliw Chan Yopaat”

  “It-it practically rolls off the tongue,” I sputtered.

  He shot a glance over his shoulder, and how he did it without losing balance considering he was wearing fifty pounds of jewelry on his head, was anyone’s guess. Maybe he’d had a lot of practice? “Votan, get your ass over here. Your human is dying,” he said.

  I'm dying? Oh, yeah. I am.

  Guy instantly appeared at my side and peeled away my tattered, blood soaked shirt. The anguish in his eyes said it all. “Oh, Emma!”

  I raised my hand to his face and met his stunning, turquoise gaze.

  Like staring into the gates of heaven, I thought. Then there were those lips, his sinfully rock-hard body, and that man-gear. I’d never get the opportunity to see him put those to use on me or to let our love grow into something more. We could have had an amazing life together, because he was amazing. Strong, fearless, and beautiful. But more than anything, I couldn't stand the thought of him suffering because of my death.

  “I’m sorry, too, Guy.” I swallowed, tasting nothing but blood. “Just promise you won’t let this change you. You’re wonderful and kind—when you want to be—and I know you’ll kill every last one of those fucking bastards. You’ll stop them and save my family. I know you will, because you’re an awesome God of Death and War.”

  He took a deep, slow breath. “I love you, Emma, I really love you.”

  “I love you, too,” I whispered.

  “You do?” His eyes lit up.

  Had I missed something? Did he just win the Emma’s-dying consolation prize?

  Brutus suddenly appeared over Guy’s shoulder. “Sir?”

  “Not now, Brutus,” Guy blurted out.

  “But, sir.” Brutus frowned. “Tommaso, he’s still breathing. Do you want me to finish him off?”

  “No!” I screamed. Then I realized it wasn’t just Brutus, Guy, K’ak (resist laughing), and yes, Cimil gathered around me, there were dozens more. A mixture of Uchben I already knew and…others. They were smiling down at me, glowing with affection. “Who are they?” I whispered to Guy.

  “These are my other brethren, Emma. The gods.”

  They were beautiful—no, they were breathtakingly gorgeous. Their faces were amalgamations of every culture and ethnicity I’d ever seen. Deep golden skin. Large almond-shaped turquoise eyes. High cheekbones. Full, sensuous lips. Some had thick black hair and others, flaming red or pale blond locks. If I hadn’t known any better, I would have guessed I was staring at a pack of very suntanned angels. Except, they were naked. Very naked. And they didn’t have white fluffy wings. Oh well, nobody’s perfect.

  “Please, Guy. Don’t kill Tommaso,” I begged.

  Guy’s brows furrowed. “Emma, you don’t understand what you’re asking. He’s tried to kill you—twice.”

  “Please. It’s my last wish,” I begged.

  He jerked his head back. “Last wish? Woman, what the hell are you talking about? You’re not going anywhere.”

  “I’m not?”

  “Hell no! You and I are taking a trip to the other side. You’ll be immortal, just like Brutus and Gabrán. I can’t take this anymore.”

  Brutus and Gabrán were immortal?

  “Emma, the thought of living without you, constantly worrying about you—it’s fucking exhausting.”

  “You can do that? Make people immortal?” I whispered.

  “Yes. The other gods must agree, but, yes. I mean—if that’s what you want.”

  Well. That was a no-brainer. See my parents again? Be able to help the Uchben fight the Maaskab and free the other Payals? Not die of old age or die a virgin? “One condition,” I muttered.

  Guy stroked the side of my head. “Emma, can’t we negotiate later? The process doesn’t work so well on the dead, and we don’t want another Chac on our hands.”

  The little boy I’d seen near the cenote. Chac. He’d been changed after he’d died? Couldn’t wait to hear the explanation on that one. Pocket.

  “Tommaso. Cure him,” I whispered.

  “What? Have you lost your mind, woman? Absolutely not. Never. No.” Guy shook his head.

  “Guy,” I pleaded. “It’s not his fault. He’s infected. Doesn’t he deserve to be saved, just like anyone else?”

  Guy growled and there was a rumbling of voices behind him. Guy looked at each one of his brothers’ and sisters’ faces, and then turned back to me.

  “It’s one thing to let him live, I could put him in our prison. But the only way we know to maybe—and I mean—maybe cure him, would be to make him immortal, too,” Guy said.

  “Do it,” I said.

  “But you—you and he…” Guy looked mortified.

  “Now it’s your turn to trust me. This is the right thing to do. Cure him.”

  Guy nodded solemnly. “Okay, my sweet. For you. I will do it.”

  Chapter FORTY-ONE

  “How are you feeling, my love?” I felt a rough hand jog the length of my sternum, between my breasts, and then up again toward the hollow at the base of my neck.

  My eyes eased open and settled on an incandescent set of turquoise eyes. I sighed, transfixed by their glint. “I love this dream,” I said with a breathy voice and stretched my arms above my head, enjoying Guy’s warm hard body pressed against mine. “It’s my favorite.”

  I reached out and
skimmed my fingertip down the ridge of his proud nose, and then trailed the pad of my index finger over his full, sumptuous lips, watching as the corners curled into a smile. A smile that made my heart flutter erratically.

  “As much as I love being the star of your erotic little fantasies, my sweet.” Guy tucked a stray lock of his chin-length hair behind one ear. “This is real.”

  Nooo. This had to be a dream. My body hummed with a euphoric, serene energy. There was no pain or soreness. I was floating on cloud nine. Except for the noise. It sounded like the loud roar of an engine and was completely ruining the tranquil, sexy bliss of the moment.

  My eyes darted around the large, dimly lit cabin of the…plane? “Christ!” I sat up, whip-lashed into reality. “What happened?” Guy was snugly wedged between me and the window, stretched across a fully-extended sleeper seat, the kind I always saw on British Airway commercials. Except, Uchben sized. That's because we were on Uchben Airways.

  The plane was completely empty. Except for me and Guy. And I supposed the pilots. “How did I get here?” I ground my palms into the sides of my head.

  “Ah, my sweet.” He eyed me like a fresh baked cookie. “We have so much to talk about, yet, oddly enough, seeing you like this pushes talking to the bottom of my list. You’ve taken to your new body with unprecedented success.” Guy positively glowed.

  “New body?” My hands began frantically hopscotching over the red, silky fabric covering my parts—arms, neck, thighs, heart. Check! Everything was still in its proper place, and I still felt like me.

  “Yes. New, but not necessarily improved; one cannot improve that which was perfect to begin with.” His gaze lazily savored my curves. “But before my ability to produce a coherent thought dissipates,” Guy said. “I must inform you that while you have been infused with the light of the gods, and therefore technically immortal, you can still die if your body is destroyed. Think ‘vampire.’ Those S.O.B.’s live forever as long as no one stakes them. They’re such a pain in the ass.”

  Vampires? I wasn’t about to ask; my mind was still stuck on the word “immortal” anyway. Then I remembered the horrific knife wounds in my stomach. I tore open the front of my robe and released a sigh of relief. No more holes. In fact, my skin was flawless, smooth, and glowing with a slight golden hue. Were my pasty, Bullfrog days finally behind me?