Her Demigod Complex

by Abigail Owen

  Once she was in the bathroom, she decided a shower wasn’t going to cut it. She needed water immersion. With a flick, she turned the knobs for the oversized spa. Once the tub was filled she lowered herself in and leaned back, closing her eyes with a sigh, and letting the magical properties of the water seep into her skin. In an instant she was transported in her mind. Rather than bathwater, the pristine water of a warm spring surrounded her, the air fresh and clean.

  “What have you done?”

  The whispered words were barely audible. Leia sat up with a jerk, sloshing the water over the side of the tub. “Calliadne?”

  But her sister wasn’t anywhere to be seen.

  Must be more tired than I thought. She lay back in the water.

  “What have you done to us, Lyleia?”

  Her eyes flashed open. This time the voice was unmistakable. Calli was trying to talk to her.

  Leia sank beneath the water and waited. “I’m here, sister.”

  A shimmering version of Calli’s face swam before her eyes, iridescent and rippling with the water. “You’ve brought destruction on your own people.”

  “I knew what I did last night wouldn’t make you happy, but I did it for the right reasons.”

  “Your actions have brought death upon us.”

  Leia gripped the sides of the tub hard. She hadn’t hurt anyone last night. Stirred them up and pissed them off, sure. “What are you talking about?”

  “Kaios had come to us before you did. He threatened us with a fate similar to yours if we did anything during the mating ceremony that resembled that prophesy. It’s why we couldn’t help you. Now he’s here, and he’s brought a warlock.”

  Calli’s image wavered and faded. Seconds later, pain exploded through Leia, like a shard of ice being stabbed into her brain and down her spine. She curled in on herself and screamed in agony, the sound gurgling out into the water still clear as day to her nymph’s ears. She knew this pain. It could mean only one thing. One of her brethren was dead.

  Arms plunged into the water and scooped her out. “Leia?” Castor’s frantic voice penetrated the haze of pain.

  She pried open her eyes. “My people are under attack,” she gasped out.

  “What are you talking about?”

  Through sheer will, she swallowed the acrid taste of bile and forced the pain from her body. A couple deep breaths and the agony wasn’t gone, but pushed back, a handy gift from the gods for all nymphs, in order for them to function while protecting the natural element they served.

  “Put me down.”

  He stood her up, and she ran to the bedroom and started pulling on clothes—whatever was at the top of her suitcase, which happened to be jeans and a black t-shirt.

  “What are you doing? What’s going on?”

  “Kaios is attacking the nymphs by the chapel in the woods. He has a warlock. I have to help them.”

  Castor didn’t ask more questions. Instead he started pulling on his own jean and t-shirt.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  “Coming with you.”

  “No—”

  “Demigod.” He pointed at his chest. “I’m coming with you.”

  She didn’t argue. In silence they finished dressing, she pulled her hair back in a quick and messy ponytail, and they rushed from the room. Castor pulled out his cell phone. “Marrok. We have a problem.”

  He quickly explained the situation to the werewolf alpha, then hung up and put his phone in his pocket. “They’ll be right behind us. With help.”

  “No help.”

  “Why?”

  “I bullied my people into a display of nature to fulfill a prophesy and help two good people. I’m not ruining all my effort, and Marrok and Tala’s opportunity, to take down the asshole werewolf responsible.”

  “You sure?”

  Not really. The last time she had tangled with Kaios she had lost everything, and consequently everyone, dearest to her. “Yes.”

  He pulled out the phone and handed it to her as they reached the car. “You call them. I’ll meet you there.”

  She frowned even as she reached for the phone. “How—?”

  “I’m a lot faster than any car.” Right. Demigod.

  She dialed as she got in the car and strapped in. Marrok picked up immediately and she told him the same thing she’d just told Cas.

  “I’m still coming,” Marrok insisted. A female voice sounded from another room. “So is Tala.”

  “Okay. But no one else.”

  “Agreed.”

  She hung up and headed into war.

  CHAPTER 12

  “Kaios!” Castor bellowed.

  He had made it to the chapel, which appeared peaceful except for the dry-as-a-bone lake and riverbed. Finding no one there, he’d made his way down the path and across the bridge, into the forest. There chaos reigned, and the scent of ill-used magic hung heavy in the air.

  He bellowed Kaios’s name again. No answer amidst the harshness of screams and shrieks. At the side of the river, he found Calli curled into a ball with her hands clasped over her ears. Blood was oozing from her eyes, ears, and nose.

  “Where is he?”

  She couldn’t answer. The rasp of her lungs told him she might be inhaling blood as well.

  “Calli? No!” Leia appeared at his side. He didn’t ask how she’d found him.

  “What’s wrong with her?”

  “She needs water.” She pulled a bottle from her backpack. He hadn’t even realized she had it with her. She poured half the bottle over Calli’s face, then tipped it to her lips. The nymph gulped it down as fast as she could. The bleeding stopped and her breathing improved.

  “How’d you know?”

  She glanced at him. “It happened to me when I lost my spring. Nymphs are used to being in their element most of the time.”

  “You don’t need water.”

  “I do, but I’ve gotten used to going without for long periods. I take lots of baths and carry water everywhere.”

  “Help the others,” Calli choked.

  “Is there any water left?”

  Calli shook her head.

  Leia turned to Castor, her face pale and pinched with fear. “I can’t help you.”

  “What if I can get you water?”

  Hope speared through Leia at his words. “Can you do that?”

  “Son of Zeus. Remember?”

  The rumor was that his twin brother Pollux was Zeus’s, but Castor’s father was mortal and Zeus had only made Castor immortal when Pollux had begged. But if he could bring down rain…

  “Do it.”

  Castor stood, his feet planted wide, his hands balled into fists at his side. His deep blue eyes changed color as she watched, swirling to a stormy grey. She shivered as a cold wind whipped through the trees. The previously fluffy white clouds above gathered, forming a massive thunderhead that grew black and heavy with rain.

  Cas raised his hands, and lightning illuminated the sky. In a rush of sound, a deluge descended on them, and in seconds she was soaked to the skin.

  In her arms, Calliadne sucked in a grateful breath and sat forward.

  “We have to fight,” Leia told her. Her sister nodded.

  Together they stood and clasped hands.

  “Keep it coming,” she called to Cas. He didn’t break his concentration to acknowledge her words, but the rain continued to pour down.

  Together, through sheer will, she and Calli manipulated and directed the water. Raindrops banded together to coalesce into first a pool at their feet, then a raging river, and finally a wall of solid water.

  “Hold on to something,” Leia warned Cas. He wrapped himself around the trunk of a massive tree, his fingers digging in as though the thing were made of butter instead of hard pine.

  Leia and Calli sent the wall of water crashing through the trees, taking out everything in its path. Nature in full force could be a real bitch. So could a pissed off nymph or two.

  With a roar to rival a t
ornado, the torrent slammed up against the mountainside as far as mile away.

  Cas reappeared, still clinging to the tree, as the water receded. He spat out a wad of leaves and pine needles. “Did you get him?”

  Leia shut her eyes and listened with her soul for the sounds of the other nymphs who made this place their home. At first only silence greeted her, but then—screaming.

  She gasped. “No. He’s going after the Hyleoroi nymphs, forcing them out of hiding.”

  Tears poured down her face as her brethren, the nymphs who were watchers of the wood, came under attack.

  “Cas,” she screeched.

  *****

  Fury and concern pumped through him at Leia’s obvious distress. He had to fix this. Now.

  Castor settled, closed his eyes, and waited. He’d learned to detect the feel of power being used around him, like a tickle at the back of his neck as Zeus had taught him after claiming him. Searching for power in use was a trick he’d never fully mastered, but he’d try anything now to help Leia. If a warlock was involved, he’d leave a signature.

  There. In his mind’s eye, he could see a bubble at the center of the woods. A murky grey color, it pulsed with each spell the mage cast.

  “Stay here.”

  In a flash Castor sprinted to the location. The speed with which he could move made him almost invisible to the naked eye. To him, the forest flew past in a blur of greens and browns. Before the wizard knew he was there, Cas slammed into him. With the might of his strength, he threw the man into the side of the mountain, knocking him out cold.

  Silence settled over the area like a thick blanket had been placed over them, muffling any noise. Not a creature dared move or even breathe in the wake of the madness.

  Then a bird’s cry pierced the air and life returned to the forest, almost as if every living thing around him sighed with relief.

  He slung the warlock over his shoulder, potato-sack style, and ran back to where he’d left Leia and Calli. Their eyes still glowed bright blue, the way Leia’s had the night before at the mating ceremony when she’d used her powers—the sight both eerie and sexy.

  “Is that the mage?” Calli asked, as she washed away any remaining blood in the river, which now flowed peacefully.

  The trees still dripped with water from the earlier dousing, sounding like a sprinkle of rain, and the ground squelched beneath his boots. He was glad he’d brought clothes other than his nice suits, although he hadn’t anticipated needing them for this reason.

  “Yes.”

  “Where’s Kaios?” Leia asked.

  “No sign of him.”

  “Damn.” She turned to her sister, taking Calli’s hands in hers. “I’ll make him pay, if it’s the last thing I do.”

  Calli’s lips flattened. “We all will. No one’s attacked us like that before. He’s more dangerous than we realized.”

  “I see. So you’ll let him ruin one sister’s life, but not all of you?” Castor couldn’t hold in the bitter question. The unfairness of how they’d treated Leia, shunning her, had his blood pounding in his ears with impotent wrath.

  Leia, for her part, shook her head at him. He dumped the mage on the ground, uncaring of how he fell, and crossed his arms—unrepentant.

  “You’re right.”

  He raised his eyebrows at Calli’s words. “Of course I am.”

  Leia rolled her eyes. “That’s enough out of you, Superman. Let’s not worry about the past.” She faced Calli. “Can you get the word out to everyone? I’m worried he’ll try something else.”

  “I’ll talk to them.”

  “As a werewolf, he’s our responsibility.” Marrok and Tala appeared in the clearing. Tala sported a baseball-sized bruise on the side of her face.

  “What happened?” Castor asked.

  “We ran into Kaios in the parking lot.” Tala touched the welt and winced. “There’s a reason he’s stayed alive this long. We couldn’t stop him.”

  Damn. “Why not?”

  Tala glared at Marrok. “Because someone was too busy trying to protect a woman who didn’t need protecting.”

  Marrok said nothing.

  “So…what next?” Leia asked.

  Castor made a split decision. “We call Delilah.”

  “Good idea,” Leia agreed. “She takes care of all manner of supernatural issues. I’m sure she’ll have an idea. And I’m sure she could arrange additional protection for the nymphs here, in case he comes back.”

  “She arranged our marriage,” Tala added. “I think you’re right. She’s a resource we can use.”

  “In the meantime, let’s tie him up and gag him. Calli?”

  The nymph glowered at the unconscious man on the ground. “We’ll hold him here until you come for him. Arrange protection for you too, Lyleia.”

  “Why?”

  “He knows you forced the prophesy. He’ll come for you too.”

  Guilt weighed heavily on Castor’s shoulders. He had put Leia in this position. He brought Kaios’s wrath down upon her. He’d be damned if that wolf got anywhere near her this time. Cas waited while Leia gave her sister a hug and whispered something in her ear. Then he placed his hand at the small of her back—he needed to touch her, reassure himself she’d come through this okay—and walked back to their cars with her, Marrok, and Tala.

  “You’re soaked.” Leia made the observation when they were about halfway back to the hotel.

  He grinned. “I’ll tell anyone who bothers to ask that you dunked me in a river.”

  She chuckled. “I guess it has an element of truth. Why did I do that?”

  “Because I needed a cold shower?”

  That surprised a laugh out of her. The husky timbre of it went straight to his groin. How he could be turned on after what they’d just dealt with, he had no idea. “It won’t be far from the truth.”

  She turned wide eyes on him, then glanced at his lap. Her lips parted in an adorable O of realization. “But it was only supposed to be one night.”

  Not if he had anything to say about it.

  CHAPTER 13

  Leia’s fingers flew over her keyboard as she recorded notes on what was being discussed. Returning to their planned activities while leaving everything in Delilah’s capable hands wasn’t easy, but they’d managed it.

  This afternoon they were meeting with Tala, Marrok, and their advisors to iron out details of a contract with Castor’s company. As soon as they’d reached the hotel after the fight with the warlock, Cas had been all business. They’d cleaned up, dressed in their usual business clothes, and eaten lunch in the hotel restaurant before meeting the werewolves in one of the smaller conference rooms.

  Like the rest of the hotel, the room was luxurious with its warm wood paneling and windows framing the exquisite views of the mountains outside. The discussions had been going on for the past hour, and the longer they talked, the more irritated Leia got.

  Not with the wolves, but with Castor.

  This wasn’t a negotiation, not like he’d made it out to be. This was simply determining small nuances of the contract on a deal already done, and her presence truly was not needed. Which begged the question, what had been his true motivation for bringing her?

  Finally, the meeting wrapped up. Leia efficiently shut down and stored away her things. Then, with a pleasant smile plastered to her face, she shook hands with and thanked the various players in the discussion, promising various pieces of information she’d noted they had need of as they went.

  Eventually only Tala, Marrok, Castor, and she remained.

  “That went well,” Marrok said with a satisfied grin. “Thank you for the pricing breaks.”

  Cas shook his friend’s proffered hand. “Absolutely.”

  Leia hadn’t been surprised. Her boss always provided excellent pricing for supernaturals. Keeping their lives secret from the rest of humanity was key to their continued prosperity—and possibly survival. Humans didn’t handle outside-the-box well.

  “We’re off
to another meeting,” Tala said. “We’re booked with them during the next three days.” She stood off to the side, far from Marrok. During the meeting they’d sat together, but Tala hadn’t looked at him once.

  Leia wondered at the distance which seemed to have sprung up between the mated pair overnight, but didn’t comment on it. They’d figure it out without her help. Delilah was the matchmaker, not her.

  “You’ll be at the dinner tonight?” Marrok asked.

  “Tonight, yes,” Castor answered. “But we won’t be here the other four nights.” Werewolf matings were celebrated for a full week.

  “We’ll see you later then.” Marrok escorted his bride out of the room, his hand hovering at her back but not touching.

  Before Castor could do or say anything, Leia picked up her bag. “I’m going to drop this off in our room, then I think I’m going to explore the shops in town.”

  “Not alone you’re not.”

  “Tala and Shyla are going. I’ll be perfectly safe.”

  His expression drooped. She’d known shopping would buy her some space. Cas hated shopping.

  “Okay. I might join a few of the wolves for a round of golf then.” He waved outside, where the weather was gorgeous—crisp, clear, and heavenly.

  “Sounds good.” She hurried out of the room.

  “Hey.” He hustled to catch up with her. “What’s your rush?”

  She glanced back at him. “No rush.”

  “Is something wrong?”

  She sighed. Beating around the bush wasn’t her style. How she’d kept her mouth shut about all Cas’s girlfriends this last year, she’d never know. “You didn’t need me here for the negotiations, did you?”

  He tipped his head in confusion, probably trying to figure out her mood. “You were very helpful.”

  She stopped, her bag swinging against her leg. “I took notes. So did the lawyer’s assistant.”

  “You’ve attended lots of meetings like that.”

  She resumed her trek back to the room. “You’ve never had me travel for a deal mostly buttoned up before.”