by Muse, M. W.
“True that,” Adin mumbled against Legacy’s hair.
The doorbell rang, and Legacy wondered if the door had even been shut after River had come in. But before anybody could go answer it, Calli had come into the kitchen.
Legacy jumped up as Calli ran to her. They hugged, and Calli started crying. Legacy rocked her BFF back and forth as her own tears made another appearance. “I can’t believe you made it back,” Calli mumbled.
Legacy leaned back. “I owe it all to Kate.”
Calli looked over at Kate, who hadn’t stopped eating, but didn’t smile. Then she walked over to her and hugged her as Adin pulled Legacy back down onto his lap. He hadn’t stopped touching her the whole time she’d been standing and hugging Calli. His hand had remained on her hip.
Adin stroked her hair. “Okay, beautiful, tell us what happened.” She nodded and started the story again. This time going into more detail. Seth’s rough treatment of them one minute and then almost normal the next. The flame video thing. The three-headed dog. Seth’s clingy woman. Discovering and honing Kate’s ability. Getting away from Seth. No topic was left out. When Legacy started telling them about everybody’s roles, she decided to keep quiet about Calli. She knew this would be a major shock to her BFF, and she didn’t want to tell her with an audience.
“So Thad’s little brother thought he was going to marry you?” Calli asked incredulously. Adin’s hold on her tightened. If she looked at him, she was sure he’d be gritting his teeth.
“It’s not so farfetched. He’s descended from the god who wanted Persephone. Of course, he’s not as pure as you are, Legacy,” Lissa said, turning from Calli to look at her. “Even if he had gotten you away, rescuing you from him wouldn’t have been as difficult as trying to get you out of Hades.”
“So you don’t think he’ll come after me now?”
“No,” Adin growled. She looked up at him. His face was hard. “I’ll have a talk with him. And his father. Make sure they both know how things are going to be.” She didn’t ask him to elaborate. As long as he made sure she didn’t have to add Ric to her list of people to watch out for, it didn’t matter.
“I’ll go with you. Two gods are better than one,” River said, wagging his eyebrows.
Next they talked more about Ellen. The guys didn’t like the news about her, especially when they tried to warn Legacy about what the oracle had said. She waved her hand, cutting off River just as he was about to explain.
“I know. I already heard.”
He clasped his hands together and leaned back. “I guess Lissa already told you. That’s cool. You need—”
“Kate and I found out about it while you and Adin were talking the other day.” When he gaped at her, she continued. “The flame, remember? We only saw its high-tech capabilities twice. Once while Seth was looking in on Thad and Ric, and another time when Kate and I snuck into the room to give it a test. It was the night you were talking about Hecate.” She glanced at Kate and smiled. Kate blushed and picked up her glass of water to guzzle.
“So you get that this news about Ellen created in the likeness of Helen is major?”
Legacy nodded. “Lissa was saying the same thing when Adin came in. But how can we deal with her if she doesn’t even know about the reality of Greek mythology…well, the real reality?”
“I think we need to stick close to her. Make sure she knows nothing, and see what all she’s up to. Something might clue us in on when or how she becomes that major player.”
Kate looked up. “I’ll keep an eye on her. She won’t suspect anything if I’m following her around.” She frowned, and for the first time, Legacy realized that maybe the friendship Kate and Ellen had hadn’t been that great for Kate.
“Good,” Adin said. “Don’t say a word about gods and goddess and all that. Just keep your eyes and ears open. We need to know everything she’s doing. No matter how small you think it is.”
“Got it.”
After she finished eating and talking about everything Legacy was going to bring up right now, she realized she didn’t even know what date it was. “How long were we gone?”
Adin stroked her hair and opened his mouth to respond, but River beat him to it. “Almost four weeks.” By her calculations, that was about the same amount of time it had felt to her. Maybe there was no difference in how time moved there.
“My parents must be freaking out!” Kate said as she slumped into her chair.
“Nope,” River said, smiling. “I paid them a visit.”
“What did you say?” Legacy asked.
“I just convinced them she’d been accepted into a highly competitive program in D.C.” He looked at Kate with a smirk. “They’re very proud of you.”
“Wha—how?”
River shrugged. “Trade secret, doll.” Then he winked at her. Legacy frowned. He’d been able to convince their classmates that Adin hadn’t died a few months ago too. She hadn’t been able to get him alone to ask about that.
“You should get cleaned up. You can borrow something of Legacy’s,” Lissa said, and looked at Legacy for approval. When Kate looked down at her clothes, she too looked at what she had on. They both looked horrid. These clothes would have to be burned.
“Not necessary,” River said. “We got some of her clothes from her house so it’d look like she’d packed for a trip. They’re at my house.” He turned to look at her. “You can shower and change there.”
Legacy’s gaze flashed to Calli, who’d been suspiciously quiet. The look of indifference on Calli’s face seemed convincing…but Legacy knew better. Kate stood slowly. When Legacy got up and walked toward her, Adin stayed seated, not touching her for the first time since he’d arrived. “Thank you for everything. I am so sorry you got wrapped up in this, but I am extremely grateful you were there for me,” Legacy said as she hugged her.
“I didn’t do anything,” Kate mumbled.
Legacy pulled back to stare at her. “You did more than you think. If there’s anything you ever need, please don’t hesitate to ask.” With that, she let go of Kate.
River came up to Legacy and hugged her tightly. “We’ll catch up later. Get some rest.” Then he leaned back and waved his hand in front of his face. “And get friendly with some soap and water fast, baby. You smell like shit!” Legacy punched him playfully in the shoulder as he stepped away from her. She didn’t miss the brief glance he gave Calli, but Calli did. She was studying her hands as if she were very uncomfortable. What the hell had happened? The day Legacy had been kidnapped the two of them had been as giddy as any soon-to-be new couple their age…maybe even more so. But they hadn’t spoken a word to each other since arriving. Separately at that. Apparently there was more to talk to Calli about than her connection to the Greek gods. After they left, she turned and faced her BFF.
“I think I could use some chocolate ice cream. You got some at home?”
Calli smiled. “Yeah, it’s kinda been a staple in my diet lately.” That was what Legacy was afraid of.
“Good. Then we won’t have to stop at the store on the way to your house. We have a lot of catching up to do.”
Adin shifted, and she looked at him. The emotions on his face went from shock to dread to determination. She also saw his hands flinch. She didn’t need to ask him to know he was about two seconds away from going all caveman on her by throwing her over his shoulder and running away with her to his hidden grotto. She also knew it was a combination of missing her, fearing for her safety, and a little desperation that fueled his instinct. She walked toward him and sat back down on his lap. He wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled her hair.
“I’m not ready to leave your side yet,” he finally whispered.
Trying to make light of it, she chuckled. “What about at bedtime? You can’t stay with me twenty-four-seven.”
He looked at her and the fierce look in his eyes told her otherwise. “The hell I can’t. You were ripped away, and I wasn’t there to stop it.”
Legacy sighed.
After her talk with Calli, she needed to make sure Adin understood her abduction wasn’t his fault. She also knew the idea of sleeping in Adin’s arms every night would make her feel much better too. Going through the next couple of months this way sounded like a dream come true. Rather than go into any consolation efforts now, she looked up at him, trying for a compromise. “You can pick me up at Calli’s in a few hours and we can decide then where we’re going to sleep.”
Adin searched her eyes, but his arms relaxed a little. “I’ll be going out of my mind while you’re gone. It’s going to take awhile for me to not be so possessive. Please don’t be mad.” He crushed her to him and held her tightly. “We’ll be staying at my house,” Adin said, but she got the distinct feeling he wasn’t talking to her.
“I understand,” Lissa said.
Legacy looked at her to make sure she didn’t mind. Lissa smiled at her and nodded.
Adin kissed the side of her head and spoke into her hair. “Don’t worry. You’re not going far.”
She pulled back to frown at him. “Huh? Your mom lives across town. Are we staying at your grandma’s?”
“No, sweetheart. When I said my grandma was out front pruning the flowerbed, I didn’t mean she was at her house. I bought the house across the street and have been staying there.”
“What?” Legacy screeched as she looked at him. “You bought a house? In just the few weeks I’ve been gone?” When he nodded, she asked, “Why?”
He looked down, but then glanced at her through his lashes. “I was a bear to be around while you were gone.”
“Ha!” Olive barked. They both looked at her before Legacy looked at Adin again.
“Okay, more like a bear with a sore paw.” He shook his head. “Anyway, I wanted to be close for when you got back, but I didn’t want to keep grandma up at all hours of the night while River and I poured over books and conducted Internet searches for information. I hardly slept. He had to keep going to school during the day to make sure no one realized you were missing, but he’d come back during the evenings. We were both at the library downtown when Grandma called me or I would’ve been here sooner.”
“You bought a house,” Legacy repeated. She was having trouble wrapping her head around that. It was such a…such a grown up thing to do.
He searched her eyes. “You’ll like it. If not, I can sell it.” He shrugged as he tucked her hair behind her ear. “It was a very quick decision. It was either that or crash at River’s place. No way was I doing that! We might be getting along better, but he’s still River.” Adin pretended to shudder.
She nodded, not really ready to try to make sense of his decision. She had more important things to do right now. Like get friendly with soap as River had suggested and then go to Calli’s. She looked at her BFF. “I need to shower before we leave.”
“Excellent idea,” Calli said, but the smile didn’t match her eyes. Something definitely was going on with her and from the way she’d acted around River, Legacy was sure he was the culprit. They had a lot to discuss, but telling Calli about her link to Greek mythology felt as if it’d be taking a backseat to whatever had unfolded between Calli and River.
Just what the hell had happened while I was gone?
Chapter Nine
Talking Adin into letting Calli drive her had been a major feat, and even then the only way she’d kept him from tailing them to her BFF’s house had been the honey-do list she’d given him. Since she’d be staying at Adin’s house for the time being, she needed some things moved over there. Her clothes, shoes, toiletries, and anything else he thought she’d need to keep from having to run across the street to get. Of course, that had just been an excuse to keep him occupied. She’d have him move furniture, too, if she thought she’d be sleeping in a different room than he’d be staying in, but she knew better. At least he had enough to keep him busy while she visited with Calli.
Legacy had showered quickly and put on some comfy clothes before saying her goodbyes to Lissa, Olive, and Adin then climbing into Calli’s car. The drive had been pleasant, but not exciting. They’d chatted about classes, but not much else. When she’d finally pulled into her driveway, Legacy noticed Calli glancing at River’s house a little longer than typical with a forlorn look on her face.
“I hope you know you’ll be bringing me up to speed on the River situation,” Legacy said, pointing to his house and getting out of the car before Calli could respond. Her friend quickly followed her into the house. “Are your parents home?”
“Are they ever?” Calli asked, raising an eyebrow. Then she sighed. “No. They’re meeting with investors to purchase some land in the Florida Everglades.” Rolling her eyes, she continued, “Like people will be falling all over themselves to move to a swamp.”
“Isn’t that Federal land anyway?” Legacy asked, avoiding the necessary topics of discussion a little longer.
“Parts of it, yeah.” Calli walked into the kitchen, and Legacy followed. She grabbed the bowls while Calli retrieved the chocolate ice cream from the freezer. As she scooped out the ice cream, she said, “There’s nothing to say about River.”
Legacy stared, waiting for more. When Calli didn’t continue right away, Legacy took a couple of bites of the chocolate heaven before probing. “What do you mean?”
Calli ate her serving quickly, almost as if she hadn’t even tasted it. “I mean nothing has happened.” She walked her bowl to the sink, rinsed it, and then placed it in the dishwasher. Legacy was savoring her ice cream. If she was going to consume the calories, she was going to enjoy every last evil one of them. Calli obviously didn’t feel the same way.
“Nothing?”
“Nope.” Calli finally looked at her. “Right after you disappeared, he just changed. I mean, he’s been focused non-stop on finding you. I didn’t take it personally at first. I mean, I was worried sick about you.” Calli’s eyes started to water and she took a deep breath. “I couldn’t fault him for leaving no stone unturned. I’d have been pissed if he didn’t do everything in his power to rescue you.”
“Okaaay, so what’s the problem?”
“I tried talking to him, and he was always short with me. I think he felt guilty for you being taken. I know Adin did.”
“I can see that.” From what little she’d learned since she’d been back, the two guys had been practically inseparable.
“It’s more than that. I walked down to my pond a lot to think. I felt helpless while you were gone, and I was alone with my thoughts a lot. A couple of times I saw him coming home. He looked right at me both times, but didn’t stop and talk. Not just to say hi or anything. And the second time, I was literally walking in front of his driveway and he had to stop and wait for me. I hesitated, wondering if he was going come out and chat, but he shut the gate right after he pulled in. If that wasn’t a sign he didn’t want to talk, I don’t know what is. And school hasn’t been any different.” Calli sighed as she sat on the stool across of Legacy. “He’d been busy making sure people forgot you weren’t at school, but if he wanted to talk to me, there was plenty of time. We lost the playoffs in March Madness, so basketball season ended a couple of weeks ago, which means cheer practice for the seniors did too. We were both in the gym, with nothing to do, but he never came over to talk to me. Before school, he never went to our morning spot either. We went to lunch with the rest of our classmates, but I rode with Ellen and he drove himself. He has been avoiding me, Legacy.”
“I-I don’t know what to say. That doesn’t make any sense. He was insanely into you before I was taken. Saying he was obsessed is putting it lightly.”
“Yeah, well, maybe you being kidnapped put things into perspective for him. And me.”
“And you? You can’t tell me you don’t like him anymore. You can’t just turn off your feelings.”
“Maybe not, but I don’t want to be with a guy who ignores me. Besides, maybe he realized I wasn’t special enough for him or that his feelings for you were stronger than he realized.”
“I mean I’m just a normal girl. He’s a god. You do the math.”
Legacy shut her eyes. Calli wasn’t normal. Not by a long shot. She opened them as she took in a big breath, ready to just unload the truth. “Well, you’re wrong about that. There’s something else I learned while I was away. Something I didn’t want to say in front of everybody else.”
“And what was that?”
“That you’re connected to all this too. Welcome to club, Callirrhoe, nymph and fellow Greek freak.”
“What?”
Legacy chuckled. “The look on your face is priceless.”
“No way. That can’t be,” she said as she stood.
Legacy just smiled as she went back to eating her ice cream. “’Fraid so.”
Calli yanked Legacy’s empty bowl away as soon as her spoon landed in it. She rinsed it and tossed it into the dishwasher just a little too forcefully. She kept her back to Legacy for several seconds then turned around. “I want the full story.”
And she got it, but there hadn’t been much to tell. Seth obviously hadn’t felt the need to elaborate on it. Or anybody else’s story either. After about five minutes of mulling it over, Calli shook her head. “Where does it all end? First you, then River, then Adin, now everybody in town? How come we didn’t know about this? Do my parents know? What about—”
“Whoa. I have no idea why. I spent months learning what all I could after I was blindsided. If you want answers, you’re barking up the wrong tree, girlie. Totally clueless chick right here, remember?”
Calli sighed. “There must be a reason.”
“I’m sure there is. I just don’t know why.” Legacy continued talking to her about the wonders of Greek mythology, hoping her questions were born out of genuine curiosity and not fear. At least this concept wasn’t completely foreign to Calli like it had been Kate.
