Clipped Wings
Page 22
“The danger of being with you excites me,” he said, rubbing his mustache in a creepy manner.
“Speaking of danger, where is your wife, Hera? She can’t be too far.” I tried to look around the massive man and noticed the client inching closer to our conversation. He turned away in an ill attempt at nonchalance, and I mashed the crab cake into a ball. I stepped to the right and zinged the seafood treat across the deck.
The wad of food sailed through the misty air and smacked him right on the side of the face. He shrieked dramatically as if he’d been shot, hitting a high note that Michael Jackson would be proud of.
The client didn’t run away as I’d hoped, but he knew I was watching him. Where was I with this other asshole? Oh yeah, I called Zeus’s wife Hera the Hound because she tracked down anyone who got close to Zeus.
“I left her on Olympus. I told her nothing,” he said softly, caressing my wrinkled cheek with his calloused fingers. I supposed throwing thunder bolts was hell for smooth skin.
The Gods were a fickle bunch. They enjoyed trysts that bent the bonds of matrimony, yet judged others harshly for the same adulterous behavior. My parents were the perfect example.
“Stop touching me.” I pulled my head back, dull burgundy hair blowing in the ocean breeze, and his hand dropped to his side. I took a step to the left. Searching the small groups of people on the deck, I couldn’t find Hera anywhere. For good measure, I scoped the entire area, looking out to the ocean and checking the boat’s surroundings. I wouldn’t put it past Zeus to have Cupid stationed nearby with his bow and arrow.
The screaming seagulls flying above the boat were the only winged creatures in the area for now. “You know leaving your wife without a reason will only stoke her curiosity. I’ll bet she’ll be here within minutes.” I needed to get away from Zeus, so I planted the seed.
For being a God, Zeus could be very stupid when he chased women behind his wife’s back. Hera had busted him countless times throughout their marriage. But due to her many failed attempts to unseat him in the past, she was essentially powerless to stop him. So the horny toad carried on with his lustful ways. The general impunity had created a warped sense of moral integrity and Zeus didn’t really see his behavior as being wrong.
I said, “Now that you know I’m not going to sleep with you, I guess you’ll be leaving so I can enjoy myself.”
“I want to give you a chance to rethink your position. I can name a few new positions for you to take.” He bobbed his head around and winked.
I assumed he wanted to take me in his normal state, perhaps embarrassed that he had to trick me last time. I didn’t realize he had any shame.
“Enough of the innuendo. It’s not happening,” I informed him as a light ocean mist crept up on deck and kissed my forearm, then smooched the side of my face. I licked the salty substance from my lips, and apparently Zeus took it as a signal.
He moved closer, pinning me against the wall. I could feel his heat and power, the rushing waters crashing right behind me. If he weren’t so repulsive, this would be a romantic setting. “Just let it happen,” he said, cupping his hand and moving it toward my boob.
Without thinking, I slapped down, smacking Zeus’s hand away and then reversed the motion, backhanding him across his perfect cheek. Apparently, I still had some speed despite my elderly appearance. His face reddened, eyes widened, and the only thing missing was smoke pouring out of his ears.
He erupted, “How dare you? You think you can physically assault the God of Thunder? I will rain down a hail storm of fury, the likes of which your feeble mind cannot even imagine.”
I’d verbally accosted Zeus on many occasions, but I’d never hit him. It was a bold move. But I was one bold bitch. I’d felt dead inside since my husband disappeared. All Zeus could do was finish me off.
Zeus breathed audibly through his nose, almost snarling, with his angry green eyes fixed on me. “You had better apologize this instant.”
“Are you going to apologize for raping me?”
He snorted in derision. “I did nothing of the sort. All women are reserved for my pleasure.” The worst part was that he truly believed that.
“Reserved? Like a table at a restaurant? Or a parking spot?” I asked, shaking my head in disgust. That was basically what we were to Zeus.
I explained, “Shifting into someone else’s skin to fool a person into sleeping with you is rape. No matter how short it lasts, Tiny.” I smirked, allowing a few seconds for the insult to sink in. The proud God lowered his head.
I continued, “If not, you would have just showed up as yourself. Not to mention how fooked up it was to let me believe my husband was alive.” I’d stopped Zeus almost immediately when I’d realized he didn’t quite measure up to my husband.
Zeus gazed up at the night sky, contemplating. He spoke in a softer tone, “I suppose we’ve both made mistakes. Why don’t you let me massage those achy bones?” he begged, his green eyes lighting up.
He was like a dog with a bone. Unfortunately, I was that bone. I had to work some magic to get rid of this horndog because he rarely took no for an answer.
Illusion spells were one of my favorites. I could change my appearance at the drop of a hat, but I also knew how to cast an illusion shadow. I just needed to be careful because using magic had been aging me drastically since the lava bath.
An illusion shadow was a 3-D image—not real, but it looked real—that could fool people. It wasn’t a long-term solution, but it could buy you a few seconds or up to a minute depending on how it was used. I cast a spell creating an image that looked and sounded like Hera.
“Zeus,” a female scream came from across the deck and echoed off the ocean’s waves.
The God of Thunder spun around on his heels, his neck craning from side to side. His gaze finally landed on the image of his angry wife. He put his hands in the air apologetically and took two steps closer to her. That gave me the room I needed.
Using my hands, I vaulted up so that I sat on the safety rail of the luxury liner. I waved to the client, who was rushing over to stop me. With my feet dangling, I kicked off my heels, took a deep breath and fell backward.
WATCH FOR THIS LATE IN 2018 WHEN THE 1ST TWO BOOKS WILL BE RELEASED AT THE SAME TIME