by JoAnna Grace
Oh, just freaking great. Another loony, because Jerry wasn’t enough.
“You sound just as bat shit crazy as Jerry. What in the devil does that even mean?”
A smile played at the corners of his luscious lips. “You do have a way with words, baby.” He allowed himself a small huff of a laugh.
“Do not mock me!” she screamed at his turned cheek. “My entire life has been nothin’ but one big lie. My home is gone, my friends believe I’m dead. The only man that I did trust is dead. A group of—of whatever the hell you are is holding me hostage. My. Entire. Life. Has. Been. Destroyed. Understand that? So don’t you dare mock me!” She’d backed him against the wall, her finger poking into his chest. Ryse took her shoulders and in one swift spin had her pinned. “Get off!” In the back of her mind, she thought she should be afraid.
“Avery, please.” He tried to push the hair off her face, but she blanched at his touch. “I would never hurt you,” he whispered. “You must believe me. Everything I have done has been for your safety and welfare. If I hadn’t been watching you so closely, they would have killed you for sure. They already got too close and Frank suffered for it.”
“Died for it. Frank died for it.”
“Yes, and that was one death that I would give anything to undo, but not if it meant you taking his place. You don’t understand right now, Avery. You haven’t been educated in what and who you are.”
“But you knew all along. Did you say one truthful thing to me before five minutes ago? The other night at my house, the bar when we danced—it was all one big act, right? You said whatever you needed to get the job done.”
“I couldn’t tell you everything immediately.”
“Let go of me,” Avery whispered, her will to fight him gone.
He turned away to dress. Avery’s eyes were drawn to the tattoo that stretched down his spine. It was a sword with intricate symbols and designs. As she watched, it shimmered and flickered with a soft golden glow.
“Avery, you need to understand something. When I kissed you—”
“Please don’t go there.”
In the blink of an eye he was in front of her. “No. I want to say this. I have to.” He touched her shoulders gently. Warmth radiated from his body. Avery felt the sweet relief and knew this was part of his power, the same power that put her to sleep. “Every kiss, every touch was real.”
“You try to sell that Arizona oceanfront all you want to. I’m not buyin’,” she shrugged his hands from her shoulders.
Whatever that warmth was, he was using it against her. Reluctantly, he stepped away. There was nothing he could say that would make her feel better about the situation. Her mind was crowded with the emotions of losing the ones she loved and learning the world she lived in was not as stable as she thought. “I want to go home.”
“You can’t. Staying at the Haven with the Thracian guards is the safest place for you.”
“I don’t believe this.” She sat on the edge of the bed, her brain refusing to take in anything else.
“You will understand soon enough. Right now the mission is to get you behind Palace walls.”
There was that word again. Mission. He’d sauntered into her café and pretended to be just another guy from out of town. He’d asked her out, came to her home, and all the while they were laughing it up over her kitchen counter, he’d been on a mission. Trust wasn’t something she gave easily, and he’d broken it with every lie of omission.
“Fine.” She pushed off the bed and stared him down. “Once we get there, I want nothin’ to do with you.”
AVERY STORMED OUT of the room and made her way down the stairs to the black SUVs. The men standing there were no better than the one she just left. All of them had the same stone façade over their faces. The features might have been different, but they were a united front.
Avery was about to get into the car that held her dogs when Paula came walking up holding a treasure in her hand. “I did my best, Miss, to get the blood out.” She handed Avery the folded quilt; the white and pink and yellow pattern looked better than it ever had. “I was delicate with the stitching. Handmade as it is, it’s a remarkable piece of art.”
She hugged the quilt, the biggest piece of her home she had left, to her chest. “Thank you.”
“It’s my honor to serve you, milady.” Paula curtsied. That was odd.
Avery held the quilt to her chest for the next several hours as they traveled through Mississippi and Alabama, then into Tennessee. She opted to sit in the back passenger seat again, her dogs taking up most of the room in the vehicle. Ryse was at the wheel with the dark skinned man named Hammon beside him. The three others were in a separate vehicle.
When her eyes became heavy, she wrapped up with her quilt and leaned back. It was such a small piece of home, but its warmth did wonders to her aching body. Her thoughts were not what she would have expected, riding in the car with two strange men to a place that she had never been.
Her mind went to the night before—images of Ryse bathing her, washing her hair, dressing her with such care. The soft thump of his strong heartbeat as she leaned against him in the bathtub and let her muscles rest.
Even in his anger and frustration of today, he was stunning: that long, black hair framing his cheekbones, chocolate eyes searching her soul, a finely tuned body of tested muscle. She didn’t know that there could be such a sculpted picture of perfection in reality. He’d been comfortable naked as she watched him shower. Coupling that image with the passion of the kisses they’d exchanged on her couch, her body temperature began to rise. Izzy was right. He was a walking orgasm inducer.
Izzy. Avery had been so brain dead since she’d left with Ryse she hadn’t even thought about her best friend. Oh god! Izzy would be crushed. She would never know anything except that Jerry, their mutual friend, had killed her and Frank. Avery guessed it would never be safe to contact Izzy to say she was alive. Their many years of friendship had come to an abrupt and terrible end.
What would Avery do without her? Sweet, bouncy blonde curls, bright blue eyes, perky smile, laughing, flirting, dancing Isabelle. Never again would she see those curls or that smile. Never again would she dance with her on a sawdust-covered dance floor. Never again would Izzy come over and fix her hair or play with makeup like a teenager. She would never hear Izzy tease about her accent or call her bumpkin or hug her again.
To Izzy, Avery was dead, burnt to death in her home. Izzy would mourn her, cry for her best friend just like Avery found herself doing. She was aware of the two men sitting in the front seats but didn’t care. Her partner in crime since childhood was essentially dead to her. Another piece of her was gone, leaving a gaping hole in her heart that grew with the realization of each loss: Izzy, Frank, her café, her routine, her home. She squeezed the quilt even harder.
The only thing that brought her an ounce of peace was knowing that their last night together was full of fun and good times. They had laughed and gossiped and shared while Izzy fixed her hair and dolled her up before going to Marshall’s bar. Izzy would take care of the café, too. Avery’s mother’s legacy wouldn’t go to ruin in her absence.
It made her wonder what people would do now that they thought she was dead. How had the accident been explained? Did they find the bodies? Would she be buried? Jeez, she couldn’t fathom it. All those people she knew, the friends she had in town, would they all mourn over her the way she was mourning them?
“Milady?” The deep bass voice of the African man broke into her depressing thoughts. She turned her tear-stained face to look at him. He was holding a white paper sack. “Food,” he said, pushing the bag into her hands.
How had she missed driving through the fast food line? She hadn’t heard Ryse order anything. The white bag had the red logo of one of her favorite fast food chains. Her stomach craved the sustenance, her body fighting through her grief with all the energy she had. Under normal circumstances this meal would have pleased her palate. Today, however, there was
no taste in her mouth, no joy in the flavors. It could have been cardboard she was chewing and it would have tasted the same. Half way through the sandwich she chose to give the remainder to her dogs.
“Was it not to your liking?” Ryse asked as he watched her feed the fries to Castor. He received a mere glance before she turned back to the window. There was no doubting the authority when he spoke again. This was a man who was accustomed to giving orders that were to be obeyed. “You need to eat Avery. You haven’t had a real meal in the last four days.”
“Four days?” she asked, wondering how long she had been in the safe house.
“Yes, we arrived early Saturday morning and it’s Wednesday today.” He looked at her, concern in his eyes.
She nodded, sick at the days she’d lost, then turned back to the window and covered up with her quilt, one hand on Pollux’s head.
When they finally reached the portal entrance of the Haven, it was late at night. To mortal eyes, this was nothing more than a gate leading into the woods. To Olympian eyes it was a grand golden portal leading to the Haven realm. The moment the trees blurred and dissipated to reveal the streets of the refuge, he knew he was home, and his entire body relaxed.
“My thoughts exactly, sire.” Hammon said, patting his shoulder. Only Hammon dared to touch him in such manner, intimately as a friend. Ryse wouldn’t tolerate it from anyone else.
He turned to look at Avery sleeping. “She will be safe now.”
The Haven was in an alternate plane, the portal hidden deep in the Tennessee hills. No human would ever behold it without Olympian magic. Houses of its permanent residents were scattered about the hills, and businesses and shops lined the main street. Emerging over the far rooftops was a sight that made Ryse sigh. The Palace. The stone walls had been there for thousands of years. It was a source of steady confidence in a changing world. It stood above the Haven like a guardian angel.
From the back seat came a sleepy yet awed voice. “What is this place?” Avery had wide eyes as she looked out her window.
“This is the Palace of the Deities, Avery. It’s your new home.” Ryse cast her a quick glance, but her eyes were looking at the massive structure growing in their vision.
The road winding up to the Palace crossed a small bridge that sent signals to the lights of the front parking lot to turn on. The Palace glowed with soft illumination that accentuated the landscaping and lines of the ancient place. He drove around the tear-shaped pond in front of the estate.
The SUV came to a halt in front of the west wing of the castle. As Avery exited the vehicle, her mouth hung open. Her head rose as she followed the arches and curves of the towers and rooflines.
Ryse walked up and touched her elbow. “Avery, baby.” That seemed to snap her out of her admiring trance and she flinched.
“Don’t touch me.” There was no attitude, only a sense of distance in her words. It wrenched his heart in agony to see pain in her eyes.
Ryse wasn’t used to being rejected. Over the expanse of his lifetime, he’d only been adored and revered by those around him, respected and feared by his men, loved but accountable to his parents. He found that Avery’s spurning was more injurious than any wound given to him on the battlefield.
He squared out his shoulders, lifted his chin, and barked out orders. “Yankee, the dogs. Hammon, I want a report on Brenden. Cutter, in the morning, you and Philippe begin going over all the footage we have of Avery’s house, the café. All of it. I want everything we can get on Jerry and who the hell he was working for. Sleep while you can. Lots to do in the morning.”
Men scattered at his commands. He turned to see Avery watching with weary eyes. She gripped the quilt in her hands as a child would do for comfort. She examined everything as they walked into a side entrance of the castle. Guards greeted them with respectful bows as they walked down the hall to the grand suite that Ryse had renovated for Avery. More than anything, he wanted his Princess to be comfortable in his home. Having her sleep in his suite and in his bed was a bonus. Eventually it would be their suite together. For now, he slept elsewhere.
Two tall doors of heavy, dark-stained wood were closed, flanked by guards in black suits and a redheaded woman. Ryse stopped to introduce Avery to her Shadow Lady, Nikki. Giving a bow, Nikki smiled at them all. It was one of the reasons Ryse liked her. She was always happy, perky, and gracious with her affections. The perfect Shadow Lady for his beloved Avery.
“Nikki is whatever you need, whenever you need it,” Ryse explained.
“I’m so pleased to meet you Lady Avery. It’s a great honor to serve you. Would you like to see your room? I have some food prepared and hot chocolate as well. Master Ryse told me it was your favorite.” She winked, and Ryse caught the slightest ghost of a flicker in Avery’s eyes, but she only nodded.
“I shall leave you two ladies for now.” Taking a chance, he bent to kiss her temple. She didn’t shy away, even when his warmth touched her. “I’ll be close if you need me.”
AS MUCH AS Avery wanted to pull away from that kiss, even more of her wanted to lean into him, press her head to his chest and breathe in his strength. Instead, she turned her head as he walked away. Nikki smiled at her and opened the doors.
The first impression of the suite was enough to make all other thoughts go away. Grandeur as she had never seen waited inside those doors. Her entire country home could have fit into this place. The ceilings were at least twenty-five feet tall and a crystal chandelier hung in the center of the room. The raised panel walls were a natural glossy maple, the floor a series of marble tiles in hues of soft browns and creams. To the left was the most beautiful bed Avery had ever beheld—far larger than the king size that her parents had slept on. The four large columns holding up the curved canopy were marble with wooden leaves carved in a spiral pattern. All the furniture in the room had been crafted with the same splendor.
In front of her was another set of double doors opening to an opulent bathroom to explore later. To the right of that was a marble fireplace that stretched to the ceiling. Beside the fireplace, the wall curved and was covered in thick dark red fabric. “What’s behind there?”
“Oh! The windows.” Nikki walked past the sitting area and pulled a thick golden rope to open the curtains. The parting drapes revealed a balcony behind a curved wall of floor-to-ceiling windows. From the balcony, Avery had a view of the lake surrounded by acres of gardens and cottages in the distance. The glittering lights and moon reflecting off the water of the lake gave it an enchanted feel.
“I kept them closed thinking you would want some privacy when you first arrived,” Nikki said, admiring the view. “It’s the best view in all the Palace.”
“I like it. Leave them open.”
“Yes, miss. Would you have some hot chocolate now?” Nikki motioned to the wingback chair facing the marble fireplace. “I can put the quilt on the bed for you.” Nikki held out her arms.
“Thanks.” Avery gave her the quilt and the moment Nikki touched it, it disappeared. “What did you do?”
“It’s on the bed.” Nikki gave her a look of confusion. Sure enough, sitting on the bed was Avery’s quilt.
Avery’s eyes widened. “How did you do that?”
“It’s my gift, one of them. I’m a conjurer. I can create or move inanimate objects.”
She smiled and poured a glass of steaming hot chocolate into a goblet. Avery sat in the chair and watched the fire dance. She thanked Nikki for the drink and sipped the warmth inside her body. Unlike the food she ate earlier, this she tasted.
“It’s good,” she said, taking another gulp.
“Thank you, miss.” Nikki winked and went to a set of double doors to the left of the fireplace—the bathroom. “Would you have me to run a bath?”
“I can do it.”
“Oh no, miss, that’s my job.” She ducked into the bathroom and Avery heard the water running. When she emerged, Nikki headed over to a dresser in the far corner of the room. Removing clothing from the d
rawer, she went back into the bathroom.
“Alright, miss. You have fresh pajamas in the bathroom for when you are done with your bath. There is also a tray of fresh fruit by the tub. Is there anything else you desire?”
Avery’s mind was blank. “Um, where are my dogs?”
“Castor and Pollux are being bathed. They will be fed and walked before being brought here to spend the night. I have set out beds for them over here,” she said as she pointed to the two large dog pillows sitting behind the gargantuan canopy bed. “Though I am sure they will end up sleeping with you.”
“You’re rather chipper for this time of night, or morning,” Avery said, taking another sip of the delectable cocoa.
Nikki sat down on the arm of one of the couches, laughing. “Sorry. You don’t know how happy I am that you’re here. I’ve been waiting for years.” She shook her head. “Now I can do what I’m trained to do.”
Nikki was very beautiful. Not in a stunning way, but a girl-next-door kind of way. Her medium height was complimentary to her small frame. She had striking red hair that was slicked into a ponytail, which hung over her shoulder and down to her belt. It stood out against the black turtleneck she wore. All her attire was black: black pants, black shoes. Avery wondered if black was standard color around here or if she was some sort of ninja like Ryse and his men.
“What are you trained to do?”
“I take care of you, no matter what that involves. If you need a maid, I am your maid. If you need to go to the village, I am your chauffeur. If you need information, I am your Google. Whatever you need.”
“And if I need protection?” Avery asked.
“Then I am your bodyguard. Until one of the real soldiers gets there, anyway.” She laughed. “I am trained to fight, but I’m nothing compared to the Thracians.”
