aCas and Pol donat belong to you,a Fiona said angrily.
Selenaas eyes snapped open. aThey donat belong to you, sweetie. I donat care how much theyave stroked and teased you.a Her smile returned as Fiona blushed. aThey have, havenat they? They canat keep their hands off anything female. Did they make you believe youare special to them?a She imitated a pout. aIsnat that sweet, they made you think they cared.a Fiona felt an answering fury bubble deep inside her. This woman, for all her power and eroticism, knew nothing about Cas and Pol, cared nothing about them.
aGet out of here,a she said, finding strength in anger. aYou donat belong here.a Her voice rang to the very corners of the library. The shelves and shelves of books lining the walls seemed to frown, not liking the noise, yet agreeing that the black-haired woman had to go.
Instantly, Selena was at Fionaas side, long fingers twisting in Fionaas hair. She laid the coiled whip against Fionaas cheek. aStupid little b.i.t.c.h, your magic is nothing compared to mine. I am a demiG.o.ddess, daughter of Poseidon. Do you think you can challenge me?a No, Fiona really didnat. If she hadnat already talked herself into believing magic had trapped Cas and Pol for twenty-five hundred years, shead believe it now. The woman radiated powera"harsh, evil powera"and Fiona knew Selena could kill her here and now. There was nothing Fiona could do to stop her.
Fiona felt something brush her lower leg, then a gray tabby cat with orange eyes, looking remarkably like the one that liked to hang around the dig, jumped to the nearest table. It glared at Selena, slammed its ears back and hissed.
Selena swung around and slashed at the cat with her whip.
Except the cat wasnat there. The air shimmered with energy where the cat had been, energy that vibrated up the whip and slammed Selena hard into a table behind her.
Selena climbed to her feet, blinking. I should run, Fiona thought, but her feet were frozen to the floor, her limbs unable to move.
And then the cat was back on the table, its hackles raised, its orange glare trained on Selena.
ab.i.t.c.h!a Selena screamed at it. She started backing away, navigating the chairs and tables with difficulty, no longer trying to lash out with the whip. aYou wonat be able to protect her always. And youa"a She switched her furious gaze to Fiona, stabbing the air with a leather-covered finger. aYou wonat be able to protect them. Think about what might happen if that jar breaks.a Fionaas eyes widened. She pictured her jar sitting unprotected in the pottery room and a stray archaeologist b.u.mping the table and sending the vessel to the cement floor. She imagined the pictures of Pol and Cas lying broken and splintered.
Did Selena mean they would die? Or be sent back to oblivion? And what was to stop Selena from rushing to the dig and breaking the jar herself?
Fiona made a noise in her throat. The cat lashed its tail, still glaring at Selena. The black-clad woman sneered one last time then turned and strode off, disappearing in mid-air.
Fiona shuddered, released from her frozen stance. She glanced at the cat, who yawned, then sat on its haunches and began washing its face in a very catlike manner.
aThank you,a Fiona told it. aWhoever you are, thank you for stopping her.a The cat continued to wash its face as though oblivious to human chatter.
Tentatively, Fiona rubbed it between the ears, hoping that she wasnat offending whatever ent.i.ty was inside. The cat lowered its paw and leaned against Fionaas hand, its body rumbling with purrs.
aReally, thank you.a Fiona dragged in a breath, fear bringing her strength back. aI have to go. I have to make sure she doesnat hurt Cas and Pol.a The cat rubbed its head against her hand a few more times. Then it jumped down from the table and stalked away, tail straight in the air, looking smug as only a cat could.
The transport called a motorcycle was hard to get used to, but after only a few mishaps Cas began to catch on. He had to admit he enjoyed the curses he drew from his brother who clung on behind him.
Theyad gotten the motorcycle from Hans Jorgensen whoad good naturedly told them to take it and enjoy their trip. Theyad gotten the map of modern Greece from a man in the flea market and the whole idea of the trip from Hans.
aDoes anyone worship the G.o.ds any longer?a Pol had asked him that morning. aAnyone at all?a Hans had actually paused in his joy of brushing dust from stones to answer them. aWhen visiting Mount Olympus earlier this summer, I met people who kept shrines to the old G.o.ds. I had much interesting conversation with them.a aMount Olympus, of course.a Polas eyes shone with antic.i.p.ation. aWe will go, perhaps in one of the things you call taxis.a Hans laughed. aThat would cost a fortune if they would even go. You need to take a bus or the train. Or you could borrow my bike. I am not going anywhere for a while.a He gave the stone floor a look most men reserved for their lovers. aAnd I give much thanks to you for it.a Cas and Pol mounted the bike, which seemed to be a mechanical horse with wheels, listened to brief instruction from Hans how to start it, then jammed helmets on their heads and took off.
Dr. Wheelanas voice trailed after them as they rode out of the compound, aYou do have a license to operate a motorcycle, donat you?a At least thatas what Cas thought he said. It was difficult to understand him over the roaring of the bike.
Chapter Eight.
Casa magic could move people aside for him if he had to, without the people in question being aware head pa.s.sed. But on the bike, he didnat need to use his magic. The other vehicles dove hastily out of the way as Cas raced through the streets, the drivers of them shouting and waving. Cas waved back and kept going.
He hadnat understood the map of confusing byways through town, but he didnat really need it. He was a demiG.o.d, and all G.o.ds were drawn to Mount Olympus. They werenat always welcome there, but they were drawn.
Cas unerringly drove north and west, finding a route out of the city after a long time of maneuvering through it.
There was no definite gate or boundary to mark the edge of Athens as there had been in his time. The buildings upon buildings simply dwindled and fell away, and at last they were racing through open countrysidea"rolling hills and deep river valleys leading to sharp mountains.
Pol stopped cursing behind him and settled down to enjoy the scenery. There was still traffic, but not as much, and the roads were unbelievably smooth. They roared through villagesa"cl.u.s.ters of white-washed houses with blue painted shutters and doorsa"and out again, the traffic becoming more spa.r.s.e as they went.
A couple of times, soldiers called police waved them to stop and demanded of Cas why he was driving so swiftly. While Cas talked, Pol soothed these soldiersa minds so they forgot why theyad stopped and that theyad threatened to take Cas and Pol to jail.
Once the soldiers became friendly, they pointed out the roads to take to reach Mount Olympus in a shorter time and invited them to stop at their friendsa or familiesa homes or cafs for a meal and wine. They also explained about something called petrol or gasoline that they needed to feed the motorcycle in order to keep it going.
Cas and Pol did stop once or twice when they got hungry, and spent a few hours drinking and telling stories with large families who wouldnat let them go without a promise of a visit on return. The people at the places where they found the gasoline also pressed gifts of food and fizzy soft drinks on them.
Cas brought the blessings of the G.o.ds onto all their houses, ensuring that theyad be wealthy and fruitful, and then he and Pol went on their way.
They rode for a long time, well after the sun set and the world went dark. Above them, thousands upon thousands of stars stretched across the horizon, white smudges in the dark.
Cas knew the constellations like old friends, but there were new stars up there, several of which moved. He knew now about airplanes, those vehicles that flew in the sky and transported people from country to country in a matter of hours, but these lights were tiny and distant. Head have to ask Fiona about them.
Busy gazing at these new moving stars, he ran the bike into a ditch, throwing Pol and himself off to land in a pasture of startled sheep. Thinking they might as well rest, Cas pulled the bike from the ditch, removed his helmet and brought out the packets of pita bread and souvlakia that the women at the last house had pressed on them to take for the journey.
Pol was cursing as soon as his helmet was off. aI learned a new phrase from the Americans at the dig. Your driving sucks.a aWhat does that mean exactly?a Cas stretched out on the bank and chewed on well-seasoned chicken in bread.
aTechnically, itas what a woman does to a manas c.o.c.k. But it has taken on the meaning that someone does something badly. Really, really badly.a aFiona doesnat do it badly.a Cas slanted a glance as his brother. aDoes she?a Polas anger softened into his usual grin. aYou saw? She is a G.o.ddess and does everything as a G.o.ddess should.a aOf course I saw. I canat stay away from her. Neither can you.a aShe is fetching, you must admit.a Pol opened his own packet of meat and bread and tzatzki and began to eat.
Cas watched Pol for a while, then said slowly. aI claim her.a aI know.a Pol chewed and swallowed and looked up at the stars. aYouave lost your heart, havenat you?a aI have.a aaTis the way to disaster, Cas. Lovers come to grief, like Aphrodite and Adonis.a Cas snorted. aThat story does not mean lovers come to grief. It means always listen when a G.o.ddess tells you youall die if you go hunting that day. Adonis was an idiot.a aThat is true. I already told Fiona Iad back off and let you have her first. Donat say I never did anything for you.a Cas finished his meal in silence and lay back to watch the stars. A stream trickled somewhere nearby, the rushing sound soothing. He hadnat felt jealousy when head entered the pottery room and seen Fiona, nude and lush, on her knees with her sweet mouth around Polas c.o.c.k.
Head felt a rush of desire and his own c.o.c.k had hardened. Shead done so well licking and nipping and suckling that head almost felt it all the way across the room. Pol made her laugh, which meant her red mouth was smiling, her eyes glowing in delight.
Suck him, love, thatas it, had gone through his mind. He wanted her for himself, but the joy of watching her was heady and hard to resist. He wanted to f.u.c.k her and love her, but he wanted to watch Pol f.u.c.k her afterward.
A plan began to form in his head.
Pol licked the last of the tzatzki off his fingers. aKeep going?a he asked. aOr sleep?a Cas climbed to his feet and reached for his helmet. aKeep going.a DemiG.o.ds didnat need sleep like humans did, and he still hadnat shaken off the pall of being in oblivion for twenty-five hundred years. He hoped they could find Zeus or Dionysus or Apollo, and that the G.o.ds would fill them in on all they had missed.
It took them another three hours to reach Mount Olympus, and they drove through the town of Litohoro at its base in the pitch dark. The headlight on the bike led them along a paved road for a while, which soon turned to rutted dirt. When the track became too narrow and rocky, they left the bike and proceeded on foot.
At least Cas knew where he was. The foothills of the mountain had always been dominated by humans who ventured as high as they dared to seek the G.o.ds and their wisdom and help. They werenat always welcome. The G.o.ds had plenty of sudden snowstorms at their disposala"even in high summera"to throw at unwanted visitors.
The track became precarious, especially in the dark, but Cas walked along without worry, Pol tramping close behind him.
The sat down to rest high on the slopes, the frigid air chilling them. They waited without speaking, perched on boulders by a fold of valley through which ran a noisy stream.
The sun rose slowly, light spilling into the river valley and turning the air to mist. Through the mist, a stag wandered to the stream, its antlers huge and intricate, indicating head survived many a season. The stag lowered his head to the stream and drank.
Cas rose to his feet. The stag started and looked up at him, water streaming from its mouth.
Pol got up as well, and the stag turned to run, frightened by the humans intruding on his world.
aWe see you,a Cas said. He lifted a bottle that had been pressed on him by one of the families along the journey. aI brought the wine this time. Remember? I promised.a The stag stopped. It stood looking at them for a long time then it began walking toward them. In a particularly thick patch of mist the stag blurred into the form of a large, muscular human, the antlers remaining on his head.
aBut I always bring the wine,a Dionysus said as he spread his hand.
A feast laid itself out on a cloth of gold at the twinsa feet, plates of meat and pastries, overflowing bowls of grapes and huge golden goblets of wine.
The G.o.d walked around the feast and clasped Casa hand between his two huge ones. aWell met,a he said formally.
Then suddenly he roared with laughter and grabbed Cas in a crushing bear hug. aI should say, where the h.e.l.l have you been?a * * * * *
Fiona drove northward toward Thrace both steaming mad and cold with worry. In the front seat of the tiny car shead rented lay the vessel, wrapped in sheets and pillows to cushion the ride.
Technically, she should not take the jar from the diga"all the finds belonged to Greece, and there was still a lot of tension over the Elgin Marbles, which had been looted from the Parthenon two hundred years ago and resided in England. She justified her theft by telling herself she wasnat taking the vessel out of Greece, and she feared it would be broken or lost if she kept it at the dig.
When Hans had explained that Cas and Pol had not only gone off to Mount Olympus but had taken Hansa motorcycle, shead put her hands to her head and groaned.
The gray cat, the one that looked remarkably like the cat in the library, had rubbed her ankles at that moment. Fiona knew she had to go after them. They were demiG.o.ds and could probably take care of themselves, but the menace in Selenaas threats was real and she had power.
If it hadnat been for the cata First I have demiG.o.ds coming out of a painted jar and having s.e.x with me, and then a cat saves my life from a demon demiG.o.ddess.
Who was the cat? Another demiG.o.ddess? Which one?
Iam drowning in mythology.
Two things were certaina"Fiona had to warn the twins that Selena was free and raring to go and that they had to protect the jar at all costs.
She took the most direct route possible to Litohoro and hoped the twins hadnat detoured to drink and dance the night away in some village on the other side of the Greek mainland. But as Athens fell farther and farther behind, she had no trouble getting answers to her faulty Greek questions about two handsome men on a motorcycle. The twins had been remembered far and wide.
Some people were furious at thema"she heard garbled accusations of upset sheep and hens that wouldnat laya"and some laughed and remembered them fondly. Either way, she knew she was on the right trail.
A man in Litohoro remembered a motorcycle tearing through earlier that night, but by then Fiona was too exhausted to drive any farther. Plus she knew shead never navigate narrow mountain roads in the dark.
She found a tiny inn off the road that was willing to take in a stray American at two in the morning. She kept the jar at her side all night, only half-sleeping in case Selena showed up and tried to wrestle it from her.
Morning dawned without any drama, and Fiona downed a tiny cup of thick coffee and drove off, the jar beside her, to Mount Olympus. The mountain was a favorite hiking trek of tourists, so her car joined many others at the end of a paved road that led to the trails.
She looked up the craggy slopes and high cliffs of the mountain, the top bathed in mist. The helpful map shead picked up in the town showed several routes to the summit, all of them for hardy hikers with the right supplies. All Fiona had was sandals and an ancient jar wrapped in a sheet.
Without any clear idea how she would find the twins or even if she could, Fiona started to walk.
After two hours she was out of breath and her legs hurt. She ground her teeth and wondered what she was doing there. She should just go back to Litohoro and wait for the twins to come down.
She stopped to rest, leaning on a flat rock on the side of the hill, looking down the trail into a misty gorge. A few hikers went past her, hardy types who chatted to each other cheerfully as they went by, not even breathing hard.
aThis is stupid,a she muttered. aIall never find them. Iam going back.a As she uttered the words she grew suddenly dizzy, so dizzy she thought shead heave out her breakfast of too-strong coffee. She couldnat have alt.i.tude sickness, she reasoned, because the last marker indicated that shead reached eight-hundred meters, which was only about twenty-four hundred feet.
Nor could she have a hangover, because she hadnat drunk anything but bottled water the night before. Of course, it could always be a nasty virus or food poisoning. As her mind went down this happy trail, her vision went entirely black.
Just as suddenly it cleared. She was standing in a completely different part of the mountain in a meadow of bright red and blue flowers bisected by a wide stream. The slopes of Mount Olympus cascaded down from where she was, which didnat make any sense, unless shead climbed to the top in her sleep.
All the hikers had disappeared, but near the stream, lying on their a.s.ses on a cloth of gold like they were having a great time, were Cas and Pol.
She was so relieved to see them that at first she didnat notice the third figure.
For a moment, she viewed things her mind could not comprehend. She thought she saw a man, huge and nude and perfectly formed, but with an elegant set of antlers rising from his head as though they were completely natural. He seemed to move in shadow, and she was reminded of descriptions of the Celtic horned G.o.da"the G.o.d of harvest and fertility, the lover and husband of the G.o.ddess.
But this was modern Greece not ancient Britain, and the G.o.ds were myths.
At least thatas what shead thought before Cas and Pol had appeared in her bed two nights ago.
The G.o.d seemed to shimmer and grow smaller, and then he was just a man with a loincloth draped about his hips. The antlers disappeared, although whenever he turned his head too quickly, she saw the vaguest hint of them above his ears.
As she walked toward the trio, she became more and more uncertain shead seen anything G.o.dlike. Perhaps he was a hermit or one of the monks from the monasteries that dotted this part of Greece. Not that she expected monks to walk around mostly naked, but perhaps head taken his vow of poverty to the extreme.
Cas rose as she neared them. He opened his arms to her and then everything was all right. His warmth enveloped her like a blanket, his scent scattered her thoughts and his lips in her hair made her anger and fear evaporate.
She handed the jar to Pol and concentrated on hugging Cas. He snaked his hand down to her backside and hauled her up for a long, tongue-tangling kiss.
aMmm,a she said as they parted. aI guess you missed me.a aI did too, sweetheart,a Pol said, running a warm hand over her backside.
Still in Casa arms, Fiona turned her head and kissed Pol on the lips, her insides tingling with wickedness and wanting.
aThis is the woman who freed you?a The third man spoke English, but with a rich, deep accent that would make the most frigid of women strip off her clothes and spread herself in front of him. Shead beg him to take her hard and fast and not worry about being gentle. Fionaas hand even went to the first b.u.t.ton of her blouse before she could stop it.
Cas twined his arm firmly around her waist and the compulsion suddenly faded. That is, she no longer wanted to strip for the third man. She wanted to strip for Pol and Cas.
Cas kissed her temple. aThis is Fiona.a The third man looked her up and down. He was a breathtaking portrait of the perfectly shaped man, broad shoulders, knotted muscles, hard chest, pectorals flat and defined without being overly bulgy, biceps smooth and firm, abdomen flat, thighs taut.
He had brown-black eyes that swam with flecks of gold, and his hair was midnight black like Casa and Polas. A gold band circled his upper arm, the designs on it Greek, but very, very old.
As an ordinary man, he would have been spectacular. But Fiona felt the immense power in him, a strange magic that radiated over her and would knock her flat if he hadnat kept himself contained.
Head put a dampening field around himself, she thought. If he hadnat, he might have overwhelmed her senses and either sent her flying off the mountain or doubling over with a heart attack.
aHe is Dionysus,a Pol said. aDo not worry. He wonat hurt one of ours.a Fiona gave him a skeptical look. The G.o.d laughed, a sound that filled the valley.
aShe is wise for her years. But this is a greeting of old friends, Fiona. A cup of wine, a kissaa Casa arm tightened around her. aWe saw her first.a Dionysus laughed again. aI know. I canat help it. Sit, Fiona. Drink wine with us and tell us your story. Something has happened.a Fiona started to ask how he knew then decided not to worry about it.
Cas sat on the cloth of gold and pulled her down to his lap. It seemed perfectly natural to sprawl across his legs and drink rich, mellow wine from a gold cup he held for her. After she drank, he licked a drop of wine from her mouth and lifted the cup to his own lips.
Pol sat close on her other side, resting his hand ever-so casually on her thigh. He unwrapped the terracotta vessel and set it on the cloth, and they all studied the painted portraits of the twins, mirror images, standing with arms folded, backs to each other.
Dionysus drained a goblet of wine and shook his head. aSelena is too full of herself. Tell us what happened, Fiona.a Fiona related the research shead done in the library and the encounter with Selena. For some reason, she left out the part about the cat. She wanted to tell them and speculate on who the cat had been, but every time she began to speak about it, her lips and tongue felt heavy and she fell silent.
Dionysus gave her a narrow look but said nothing. He knew she was leaving something out, but to her relief said nothing.
When she finished, she lay against Casa strong shoulder, his arms supporting her and his lap cradling her. He smelled so good, like the fresh gra.s.s and the air around them and his own masculine scent.