Fort Morgan

by Christian, Claudia Hall

  She glanced at him and smiled. She gave him a nudge, and he moved over to share the massage jets. He reached for her hand and interlaced their fingers.

  “I’m enjoying our time together,” Otis said.

  She leaned against him.

  “Why plague?” Otis asked.

  “This hotel allows horrible things to happen under its roof,” Mari nodded. “A good plague would shut it down for a while.”

  “Oh, I see,” Otis said. “The plague would draw the authorities who would, in turn, uncover the depravity.”

  Mari nodded.

  “I like the way you think,” Otis said.

  “It occurred to me that your son. . .”

  “Yes, he would quickly overcome a plague,” Otis said. “Which one were you thinking?”

  “Bubonic,” Mari said. “Disgusting disease. Bloody, too. I could enhance it so that those men die in a couple of hours.”

  “Rather than a day?” Otis asked. “That is fast.”

  “Exactly,” Mari said.

  “My son would not be affected,” Otis said.

  “Even an enhanced virus?”

  Otis shook his head.

  “Shoot,” Mari said.

  She stared at the wall in front of her for a moment.

  “If I cut off his. . .” Mari gestured below the water.

  “Heal back,” Otis said.

  “Even if I take it or destroy it?” Mari asked.

  “Even if,” Otis said. “Trust me. The Bratva tried all of this on my older sons. Outside of a bit of pain, there was no long-term consequence.”

  “Wow.”

  “Of course, that was more fun for the Bratva,” Otis said. “But a fairy princess such as yourself has better things to do than kill and torture a human for a few years.”

  Mari scowled and looked away. After a few moments, she sighed and looked at him.

  “What finally worked?” Mari asked.

  “Worked?” Otis asked.

  “With your sons,” Mari said.

  “They quartered them, and then chopped off their heads and gutted them like pigs,” Otis said. “Then, they took the entrails and head away. It was too much trauma for any healer to overcome.”

  Otis nodded.

  “Messy business,” he said. “Brutal.”

  “It doesn’t sound like fun,” Mari said.

  Otis nodded.

  “I was hoping to have fun,” Mari said.

  “I do have an idea,” Otis said.

  Otis glanced at her. She scowled for a moment before giving him a “go ahead” nod. He smiled and told her his idea. She grinned. The next thing he knew, they were standing next to a table laden with his favorite foods and a bounty of wine. He was dressed in a tux and tails, and she was wearing a sheer maroon lace evening gown.

  “What’s this?” Otis asked.

  “A little celebration,” Mari said.

  He held out a chair for her, and she sat down. He went around the table to sit across from her. She smiled when he sat down.

  “So it is done?” Otis asked.

  “Not yet,” Mari said. “But soon.”

  “You’ll let me know?”

  “Of course,” Mari said and poured the red wine.

  ~~~~~~~~

  Olympia

  “You would deny Heather’s children their mother simply because you dislike Eros?” Jill’s voice rose with disgust.

  “Of course, he would,” Jill’s grandmother, Eurybia said in a low tone.

  “I am Zeus,” her twin, Crius, said in an imitation of Zeus.

  “I am Zeus!” the man on the throne yelled. “I can do as I please.”

  Crius and Eurybia snickered.

  “I can make sure that you are not Zeus!” Tanesha held up the juice bottle full of serpent dust.

  “Husband,” Hera said.

  She put her hand on his arm and he looked at her. The court fell silent. While the rulers gazed at each other, Jill’s grandparents moved closer to Jill. Hecate, Jill’s step-sister, shifted to stand just behind Tanesha, and Perses’ first wife, Asteria, walked to his side. Asteria and Hecate shot Zeus of look of sheer loathing.

  “Why are they so. . .?” Jill whispered.

  “Zeus tried to have his way with Asteria,” Crius said.

  “Ever wonder how he ended up in the Sea of Amber?” Eurybia asked.

  Jill glanced at her father’s parents and they were pointing at each other. Noting Jill’s surprise, the twins laughed. Hera shot them a dark look, and they stopped laughing.

  “Sire,” Hera said. “It’s a small thing to allow Hedone to return to Denver. As you said, human life is short. She will be back before you even miss her.”

  “What if she lived in both worlds?” Jill asked.

  “Now who’s a meddling elf?” Eurybia asked in a gleeful voice.

  Zeus turned his attention to Jill.

  “Love does belong in the world, nephew,” Crius said.

  “If we hide it away here in Olympia, the human world will be without love,” Eurybia said with a sly smile.

  Jill scowled. She was reasonably sure the twins were involved in this hearing primarily as a way to antagonize Zeus. The ruler cleared his face in such a way to indicate that this fact was not lost on him.

  “Surely, you remember what happened the last time you took love out of the world?” Hecate asked.

  The entire court turned their attention to Perses’ oldest daughter. As if he were looking at a bug, Zeus squinted at the Goddess.

  “I do,” a voice came from the crowd.

  “Who said that?” Zeus’s head jerked up to review the crowd.

  “I remember.” A young woman stood up from the crowd.

  She had a quiver of arrows strapped across her chest and she carried a bow. Eurybia gave her a little wave, and the woman returned with a slight curtsy.

  “I remember what happened the last time you took love from the world,” a young man said.

  He stood next to the woman. They were wearing the same orange color of clothing. When he shifted to her, it was clear they were lovers.

  “Orion,” Eurybia whispered to Jill. “He’s incredibly handsome, don’t you think? A real star.”

  Jill squinted. The woman with the arrows and her lover looked oddly familiar to her. A man with a laurel wreath on his head like a crown stood. He and the woman with the arrows exchanged a grin. Also wearing orange clothing, he was an identical replica of the woman. He raised a handsome eyebrow at Zeus and a nod to say that he remembered what happened when Zeus had taken love from the world.

  “Which time?” a Scottish-accented voice came from the end of the crowd. A muscular man carrying a trident stood. “And you do, too!”

  He shook the trident at Zeus, who looked away.

  “Come on, ya cowards!” the man said. “You, Dionysus, cried on me shoulder for years until the twins took care of it!”

  One at a time, the Gods and Goddesses rose to their feet until they stood together.

  “War, strife, suffering!” A woman jumped from the stands to the floor of the court. Both sets of twins applauded her effort. “Human beings killed each other in droves while we sat idle because you were sick of Eros.”

  “Athena!” Zeus rose from his seat. “You dare to confront me in open court?”

  “I dare!” Athena said.

  “You love war!” Zeus said.

  “War without love is butchery,” Athena said. “There is no wisdom or honor in it.”

  The entire court erupted. Angry voices shouted at each other. The man Eurybia had called “Orion” grinned at his lover. She and her identical twin smiled back at him. They sat down in unison.

  “And you?” Zeus asked. He pointed to the Titans.

  “We understand your dilemma,” Cronus said.

  “But disagree with your decision,” Crius, Jill’s grandfather, said.

  Zeus howled with rage, and the court yelled back. Jill felt a hand on her arm.

  “He won’t notice if
you. . .” Eurybia nodded toward where Hedone’s spirit stood.

  “Go on, dear,” Crius said.

  “This is your chance, sister,” Hecate said.

  “Go with her,” Fin said to Tanesha.

  Tanesha nodded to Jill. Together, they went up to where Hedone’s spirit stood. Jill stood in front of her friend. Heather was nowhere to be found. Her spirit’s placid face looked right through Jill and Tanesha. Jill touched Hedone’s elbow.

  And the Goddess Hedone gasped a breath.

  Chapter Three Hundred and Forty-eight

  Old and new

  Hedone smiled at Jill. Her eyes glanced to Tanesha.

  “Nice dress,” Hedone said.

  “I could say the same to you,” Tanesha said.

  Hedone looked down at her golden dress and scowled. Glancing at Tanesha, her eyes flicked to the courtroom behind them. The court of Olympus was in disarray. The Titans were shouting at Zeus, and the Olympian crowd was arguing with each other. Tired of being challenged, Zeus randomly threw lightning bolts. Hedone groaned and shook her head.

  “Ready to go home?” Hedone asked. “To Denver, I mean. I know I am!”

  “Go?” Tanesha asked. “They’re. . .”

  “They’re often like that,” Hedone said. “What started it?”

  “Zeus wanted to keep you here in Olympus,” Jill said.

  “That would do it,” Hedone said with a smile and a nod. “How did I get here?”

  “You were shot,” Jill said.

  “Shot? Me?” Hedone asked. “Who would shoot me?”

  “The guy who financed the websites that sold the rape videos,” Tanesha said. “You know, and Sandy’s videos,too. He tried to steal my mom and make her his slave, and he paid someone to shoot you and Tink — but don’t worry, he didn’t get Tink — and. . .”

  Hedone gave a solemn nod.

  “Shall we go now?” Hedone asked.

  “You don’t care?” Jill asked.

  “If we want to get out of here, we’d do well to go now,” Hedone said. “Who started it?”

  “My father’s parents,” Jill said.

  “Crius and Eurybia?” Hedone smiled. “They are good friends. I assume Artemis and Apollo were the ones who pushed it over the edge.”

  “Those guys.” Tanesha pointed to where the twins and their friend were laughing and talking to each other. They seemed oblivious to the hysterics being played out in front of them.

  “They remind me of someone,” Jill said. “I just can’t place it.”

  “Seriously?” Hedone asked. “Male-female identical twins and their handsome friend. You can’t place them?”

  “Yeah,” Jill said. “Familiar, but. . .”

  Hedone laughed. She looked up into the crowd and the twins waved.

  “We should get out of here,” Hedone said.

  “But. . .” Tanesha said.

  “Now,” Hedone said.

  She waved to the twins and the male twin, Apollo, jumped down to the center of the court.

  “We demand that this matter be brought before the entire court,” Apollo said.

  “I don’t have to do what you ask. . .” Zeus railed at Apollo. He began to scream, “You are not Zeus!”

  Apollo glanced at Hedone.

  “Now,” Hedone said.

  She grabbed Jill’s left elbow and Tanesha’s right elbow. The next thing they knew, they were standing at the nursery at Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Denver.

  “Do you know which one is mine?” Hedone asked.

  Jill pointed to a baby near the back.

  “Tink took him to Seth’s,” Jill said. “They’d just brought him back to the hospital when I got here to help you.”

  “He’s very beautiful,” Hedone smiled.

  The Goddess leaned forward to get a better look at her son.

  “Um, Heather?” Tanesha asked.

  She pointed to Hedone’s golden dress.

  “And your skin. . .” Tanesha touched Hedone’s gold-tinted arm.

  “Where is my husband?” Hedone asked.

  “He’s. . .” Jill started.

  Hedone grabbed her and Tanesha’s elbows. They were standing at the protective glass in Blane’s room. Blane was pacing back and forth in his room. Seeing them, he came up to the window.

  “Heather?” Blane asked.

  “Hedone,” the Goddess said.

  “Heather told me I might meet you one day,” Blane said.

  “Did she give you a message?” the Goddess asked.

  “She told me to tell you that your soul and mine were mated in this lifetime,” Blane said. “We are soul mated for all time.”

  “What about Psyche?” Hedone asked. The Goddess sneered at the mention of her mother’s name.

  “Your mother is off with your father,” Blane said.

  “On whose authority?” Hedone asked.

  “Perses,” Blane said.

  Hedone didn’t respond. She stared at Blane.

  “Your soul. . .” Hedone said. She touched her chest. “. . . and me?”

  “We have two sons and a teenage daughter,” Blane said. “I’m recovering from. . .”

  Hedone cut him off with a quick nod. She held her hand up to the glass. Blane looked at her gold-tinged hand for a moment before putting his up on the other side of the glass. Hedone and Blane locked eyes. For a moment, it seemed like the whole world stopped moving. Hedone smiled.

  “I love you,” Hedone said with a wide grin. “Me! I actually love you!”

  She spun in place with joy.

  “And you love me?” Hedone asked.

  “I do,” Blane said.

  There was a mighty crack of light, and Zeus appeared. Hedone groaned.

  “I will never allow this,” Zeus said. He shook his fists at Hedone. “A human! A human! Hedone — are you mad?”

  Hedone looked at Tanesha and Jill.

  “You have to save me,” Hedone said under her breath.

  “How?” Tanesha asked.

  “You have defied me for the last time!” Zeus said and stepped toward Hedone.

  Jill touched his forearm as he passed.

  “Sir?” Jill asked.

  The ruler turned to look into her eyes. For a moment, they stared at each other. The great Zeus took a full breath. And then another. He was still staring at Jill when Apollo and Artemis appeared. They looked from Zeus to Jill. Apollo clapped Jill on the back.

  “Well done,” Artemis said in a low tone to Jill. In a louder voice, she said, “Come on, Zeus. Let’s get you home.”

  “Home?” Zeus looked up from Jill to see Artemis for the first time. His face broke out into a big smile, and he said, “Hera.”

  He smiled at Jill. Artemis put her hand on Zeus’s arm, and the three disappeared.

  “I knew you could do it,” Hedone said. “Now, where is my human body?”

  Tanesha and Jill guided Hedone to the Recovery Room.

  “Oh I wondered where you’d gone,” the Recovery nurse said.

  Jill and Tanesha blocked the nurse’s view of Heather.

  “My father needed some help,” Jill said.

  “Nice dress,” the recovery nurse said. She smiled at Tanesha. “You’re Miss T.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Tanesha said. “Heather is my best friend.”

  The nurse moved past Tanesha to the bed. When they turned, they noticed that Heather’s skin shone with a slight golden light.

  “She’s waking up,” the nurse said. She leaned over Heather, “Heather? Can you hear us?”

  Heather nodded.

  “Give me a minute,” the nurse said. She pushed Jill and Tanesha away from the bed and pulled the curtain closed.

  “What did you do?” Tanesha asked in a low voice.

  “I made Zeus grow up,” Jill said with a smile.

  Tanesha clapped her hands together and laughed. Jill nodded.

  “Ladies?” The Recovery nurse pushed the curtain back. “Heather would love to see you. Because of the surgery, s
he cannot speak.”

  As they passed her, the nurse touched Jill’s arm.

  “No drama,” the nurse said. “She’s weak and has been through hell. She has a long way to come back from all of this.”

  “We’ll be careful,” Jill said.

  “We love her,” Tanesha said.

  The nurse nodded and let them pass.

  “Heather?” Tanesha said.

  Heather held up her right hand. Tanesha grabbed her right hand. Jill went to Heather’s left side. Unable to speak, Heather pointed to Tanesha’s dress.

  “We were in Olympia,” Tanesha whispered.

  Heather made her eyes go wide with surprise. She gestured for them to tell her everything. So they did.

  ~~~~~~~~

  Sunday morning — 8:25 a.m.

  Phoenix, Arizona

  “What are you thinking?” Mari asked Otis.

  He was standing in front of the bedroom’s full-length mirror, tightening his tie. He looked through the mirror to her. She was standing by the edge of the bed. She had changed back into the pink tutu uniform of the Fairy Corps. She was so lovely that he smiled.

  “I was thinking about the girl who drove me here,” Otis said. He turned his attention back to his tie. “She loved me.”

  He nodded to himself and turned around.

  “I’ll never lie to you,” Otis said. “But I wonder, have I hurt you?”

  “No,” Mari smiled. Her hands were up as she fixed her long hair into a bun. “I like that you don’t lie.”

  He smiled.

  “Would you like to know where your driver is?” Mari asked.

  “It’s been two days?” Otis asked.

  “Day and a half,” Mari said.

  “I imagine she’s in Silverton,” Otis said.

  Mari grinned.

  “Did you do something to her?” Otis asked.

  “I felt badly for the girl,” Mari said. “I effectively stole her rich boyfriend from her. That’s not a very nice thing to do to another girl. Us girls have to stick together.”

  Otis smiled and walked to her.

  “Why don’t you use magic to hold up your hair?” Otis asked.

  “It either stays too long,” Mari said. “Or falls down when you don’t want it to. One time I was late, and Abi was mad, so I cast a hasty spell to put it up. It was up in a bun for more than a hundred years. Abi laughed every time she saw me.”