"Tell me about your mother. Maybe we can figure out how to cure Jerry if I can understand where she"s coming from." Bart blocked my exit from the room.
I filled him in on the whole Olympus thing while he took notes.
"What kinds of things have you seen her do?" Bart had a page full of notes.
"Well, she"s big on lightning strikes and thunder. That"s popular on Olympus. She fried Cait"s shoes. She can freeze you in place so you can"t move a muscle, but then I can do that too. It"s a cool trick. Very handy when you"re in a tough spot. She can read through paranormal blocks. You know, read your mind when you think everyone"s locked out? I inherited that one too." I smiled. "So watch it around me." His eyes narrowed. "Don"t worry, I only intrude in an emergency."
"Interesting. I"ll be thinking about this. Can you shoot lightning too?" He wrote something down.
"I wish. There have been many times when I"d like to have fried a few people, her especially, though I know she"d have been way out of my league. The woman has mad skills." I sighed. "Good luck, Bart. I"ve got to go. If you talk to Ian MacDonald, to consult on this case, let"s keep this about my mother between you and me. As you"ve noticed, the Campbells are really uptight about the Macs. Too much historically bad blood, and to Jerry history was like yesterday."
"I get it." Bart grinned. "But Ian is a great source for ideas. I gather you"ve had dealings with him."
"More than I"d like. He"s not to be trusted. And that"s learned on my own, no prejudice involved. He"s played some dirty tricks on me and I"d be skeptical about whatever he suggests to do with Jerry." I sighed. The clock was ticking. "Now I"ve got to go get ready. I have to make this date, and a dress like this one demands serious makeup and effort on my part. Plus I have no doubt my mother will be eavesdropping to make sure I play fair."
"Sorry about that." He patted my shoulder. "Must have been quite a shock, finding out who she was."
"In more ways than one. Imagine sticking your finger into a power outlet while your feet are in water." I sighed. "But it"s what I"ve got, so I"ll deal." I paused in the doorway. "Be nice to Cait, she"s a good friend."
"No worries there. I know a woman who deserves better when I meet one." He suddenly sniffed the air. "And here she comes. See you later. Maybe."
I headed up the stairs, brushing past Cait who barely noticed, her eyes locked on Bart. I was glad for her. She"d had some seriously messed up relationships in her past and Bart looked to be a good guy. Finally.
"Where are you going?" Jerry caught me as I was about to get into the limo.
"Out." I had almost made a clean getaway. Now he was eyeing me in the dress that was almost the right size but a little skimpy in the bodice. Yes, I"d gotten it zipped but the neckline was probably not intended to expose quite so much bosom. Jerry certainly noticed the landscape.
"Looking like that? Are you meeting someone?" He dragged his eyes away from my cleavage to where a uniformed driver held the back door open for me. The limo was a vintage Rolls-Royce. Nice.
"Yes. It"s business. I won"t be late." I slipped into the backseat, careful of my skirt, which was ballerina length. I loved the way the chiffon flowed around me. I didn"t love the way Jerry grabbed the door before the driver could close it.
"Business? What kind of business? You say you own a little shop in this new world. Yet you look like a woman on her way to a seduction. Are you meeting a man, Gloriana? Was all that talk about our starting over just so much blather?"
"Please just let me go, Jer. I can"t deal with this right now. I"m not out to seduce anyone. Trust me on that." I blocked my thoughts but could read Jerry"s clearly. He didn"t trust me and wasn"t sure what to think. My dress was too bold for a lady to wear in public. At least to a man who still hadn"t figured out what was acceptable in this new time.
"Deal with what? You think I"m jealous? Should I be? Can"t I ask a simple question and get a simple answer? Obviously not. Off with you then." He backed away, slamming the car door himself before the driver could do it. I saw him cross his arms over his chest and just stand there as the man climbed into the front and drove us away.
I didn"t care where we were going and didn"t pay attention to the direction we went as I relived that very frustrating conversation. Of course Jerry thought the worst. I would have jumped to the same conclusions if I"d seen him drive off looking his best and he"d refused to tell me where he was headed. And I did look my best. My mother knew her stuff and I felt pretty darn good from head to toe in my expensive outfit that had included lacy underwear, even shoes. I wished I could have worn it for Jerry and been able to plan an evening with him. Dressed for a seduction? If only.
All too soon we pulled up in front of an elegant town house in a cla.s.sy part of town. It might even have been near Bart"s offices. I really should have noticed where we"d gone. What if I wanted to leave early? Could I even find my way back to Jerry"s? Probably not. Stupid on my part but it was too late for regrets. I let the chauffeur help me out of the car and entered the stately home where a servant took my clutch purse and escorted me to a sitting room. A fire blazed in a ma.s.sive marble fireplace and I would have admired the beautiful antiques in other circ.u.mstances. As it was, my nerves had me pacing while I waited for what came next.
It didn"t take long. The man who stood in the doorway seemed to just appear. At least he wore earthly clothes, very expensive ones, instead of a toga. His tuxedo was custom tailored to show off a buff body. He was tall and tanned, like maybe he surfed. That crazy thought made me want to laugh. A G.o.d from Olympus on a surfboard? Okay, now I was losing it. But his blond hair looked sun bleached and his light eyes glowed with the golden warmth of the sun itself. Actually, he was beautiful. Huh? I didn"t throw that word around when it came to men, and preferred the battlescarred toughness Jerry had.
But I found myself drawn to his side when the man smiled, his perfect white teeth gleaming. It took me a moment to realize this was all probably an illusion. But it was a dazzling show.
"Gloriana, what a pleasure to meet you." He took my hand in his. The warmth of his skin surged into me, even down to my toes, which were stuffed into new designer sandals-thanks, Mom.
"h.e.l.lo. May I ask your name?" I couldn"t keep from smiling. His charm was contagious and I couldn"t stop myself from moving even closer, to feel more of his warmth.
"Apollo." He winked, like he expected me to gasp or something. Instead I wracked my brain. I should have read up on Greek mythology before I came but I did realize this was one of the biggies.
"Apollo? Aren"t you the G.o.d of the...?"
"Sun." Proud grin. "Your mother a.s.sured me you"d be hungry for a glimpse of my brilliance." No bashful boy here, obviously.
Now I got it. He was daylight, that elusive sunshine I never got to feel on my skin. No wonder I was drawn to him. My mother was nothing if not a clever b.i.t.c.h. "Since the sun isn"t something I get to see on a daily basis and hasn"t been for over four hundred years, I"d have to say you"re a novelty." I couldn"t seem to let go of his hand. Or look away. He was shining, glowing.
I had that tingling goose-b.u.mpy feeling I got when watching a sunrise. Which I"d been lucky enough to do briefly not too long ago with the help of one of Ian MacDonald"s drugs. But that was such a rare and costly deal that I doubted it would ever happen again.
"Not just a novelty, Gloriana." He pulled me into his arms and I have to admit I didn"t resist, still under the whole sunlight spell. "Close your eyes and let me take you on a little journey. Give you a taste of what your life would be like if you came back with me to Olympus."
Nothing like going straight for the pitch. Was there a timer going somewhere? Whatever happened to dating, the getting-to-know-you stage? Maybe the G.o.ds and G.o.ddesses had their own playbooks. If Mr. Perfection here was willing to take me on, my mother must have offered him some sweet deal. Even dressed in the prettiest gown I"d ever owned I felt like a troll compared to his masculine gorgeousness.
"Uh." I couldn"t manage to complete that brilliant thought because my eyes drifted closed and we were off, riding in a chariot of all things, across a blue, blue sky. My mythology was coming back to me and I had a feeling I knew where this was going. Sure enough, green fields, snow-topped mountains then crowded cities raced by below us. It was magical. Because all the while the heat of that glowing orb, the sun, caressed our faces and our bodies from above. I now wore a skimpy flowing sundress and my hair blew behind me in the warm breeze. He held me firmly around my waist and I felt completely safe as we careened across the sky.
I lifted my face to the sun, thrilled to actually know the heat of midday again. My breath hitched when I imagined a life where dawn wasn"t the enemy. Apollo pressed closer and I knew that he would hold me by his side forever, day after day, as we made this brilliant sun-drenched journey, seeing places I"d never even imagined existed.
A turquoise ocean gleamed under us and we swooped down to land on a tiny island. While he rested his horses, we splashed in a cove. Then he led me to a feast laid out on an elegant tablecloth. I could eat! I devoured exotic fruits whose flavors burst inside my mouth. When the juices ran down my chin, Apollo laughed and kissed it clean, calling me delicious.
Then he carried me to pristine white sand where he made slow and elegant love to me. I sighed in his arms, more thrilled by the heat of the sun on my naked body than the weight of him as he touched me and whispered Greek love words in my ear. He consumed me, giving me physical pleasure until I cried out his name. But he couldn"t touch my heart. That stayed cold despite the heat all around me.
When the sun started slipping toward the horizon, we ran to the chariot, hurrying to reach our home on Olympus. We were almost panicked but made it safely before night fell. Apollo hated the night and wasn"t allowed to ride after sunset or something dire would happen to us both.
I gasped and pulled away, back to reality with a thud. "No! I would never see the night again?"
"I am a man who lives only for the daylight, Gloriana. Being with me means you would never have to endure the night again-the darkness, the strange creatures who stir then and prey on the weak. I don"t know how you tolerated them." He brushed a warm hand down my cheek then teased my lips closed with a fingertip when I might have opened them, showing my fangs. I knew he would hate them. For a moment I was tempted to lean into his touch, savor that warmth, say yes to a life of sunshine with a man who hadn"t once mentioned my imperfections. No.
"I don"t just tolerate the darkness and those creatures. I"m one of them, Apollo. To me the night is beautiful. It"s where I belong." I tried to push away but he wasn"t ready to give up yet. Whatever prize my mother offered, it must have been a doozy. "You can"t want me. I"m in love with someone else."
"You"ll forget him. Your mother says he has already forgotten you." He trailed a fingertip along my ollarbone, tracing the edge of my dress where it dipped between my b.r.e.a.s.t.s. "Come with me, Gloriana. You"ll soon be unable to call him to mind yourself, once you have experienced the glories of Olympus. I can guarantee it. We have everything there a woman could want. I have everything a woman could want." His eyes darkened and he gave me a look I recognized. Oh. So Apollo liked a full-figured woman. Good to know.
"I"m sure you are wonderful. But you can"t make me forget the man I love without Olympus trickery. Are you that desperate to please my mother?" I gasped when his eyes flashed golden sparks. Oops. He didn"t like that "d" word.
"I please only myself." His voice was hard and his hands tightened on my shoulders until I winced. "However"-he seemed to remember that there was something he had to gain here because like a switch had been flipped, he was suddenly all smiles and warm golden light again-"I have been known to please my lovers until they are never again satisfied with anyone else." He slid his hands down to grasp my hands.
"Apollo." I tried to pull away.
"Relax, Gloriana. Think this through. Surely you could never regret leaving the darkness that man you claim to love made you a slave to so long ago. I can give you the sun." Apollo"s smile was a brilliant flare of pure light. "Riding by my side will make you the envy of every other woman and many men in Olympus. I don"t make this offer lightly."
I finally managed to put some distance between us. It was obvious to me that his endless journeys had made Apollo forget how to share his heart with a woman. He didn"t seem to care what I wanted but was determined to pull me into his world, to make me into what he needed me to be. An accessory. And a means to an end. Whatever he and my mother had going, he wanted to win here.
"I"m honored by your offer. Truly. I don"t know what kind of favors or rewards my mother promised you if you could get me to come with you, but this isn"t going to happen. As much as I"d like to see some daylight, thanks, but no thanks." I ran out of the room and grabbed my purse from a table in the hall.
Outside, I looked up at the night sky. A three-quarter moon gleamed overhead surrounded by glittering stars. I had learned to love the night and couldn"t imagine a life without its beauty. My mother had played the wrong card tonight. I turned when I heard footsteps approach down the brick sidewalk.
"You turned down Apollo?" My mother clearly wasn"t happy. Lightning lit up the sky and thunder shook the bricks under my feet.
"He wasn"t my type. Too self-involved." I started walking. I didn"t have a clue if it was toward Jerry"s or not. I just wanted to get away from my mother.
"He"s highly placed, very highly placed. I thought you"d jump at the chance to see the sun after centuries-"
"You thought?" I whirled to face her. "What do you know about me? You figured a vampire would be keen to see the sun. Any vampire. But I"m not just any vampire. I"m your so-called daughter. It would be nice if you"d try to understand what I really want. That"s Jeremiah Campbell. Not some self-important G.o.d from on high. Get it?"
"You need to get it, Gloriana. Being a vampire was a tragic accident for you." She laid her hand on my arm and I felt the power surge down to my fingertips. It was like being hooked up to a Taser. If she burned out the soles of my pretty new shoes, I was going to be p.i.s.sed. She must have read my mind because she let me go.
"Thank you. I admit you have excellent taste. Love the dress, the shoes, even the underwear. Do not love the man. Now will you give up on this and give Jerry back his memory?" I reached out this time, touching her lightly on her shoulder. As usual she looked perfect, this time in a blue designer evening gown that matched her eyes. Where was she going? To a fancy dress ball? No matter, she looked beautiful and I wished I had her tiny waist and flair for wearing clothes.
"Compliments are nice but have no sway with me, Gloriana. You want a tiny waist? On Olympus I will make it so." She gave me an a.s.sessing stare, waiting.
"Not worth it, Mother. Even Apollo didn"t mind my generous figure. Maybe the guys get bored up there with all the females the same size." I smirked, loving the idea.
My mother shook her head. "I suppose it"s possible. I"m sorry Apollo didn"t suit. I was sure...No matter. I have four more tries. Brace yourself. There are more arrows in my quiver and I will loose the next one tomorrow night." Mother smiled and covered my hand with hers. "If nothing else, you will get a nice wardrobe out of this. And I saw that you were tempted with the Sun G.o.d. I was glad to see that you have an open mind."
Now, that left me speechless. Had I been? Tempted? Maybe for a minute. Not by the man, of course. But offering daylight had been major. I didn"t like to think that I could have been so easily led off course. I loved Jerry. I wanted him well. And to stay here with him. End of story.
My mother smiled and sent a lightning bolt sizzling down to raise my hair and make it fly around my head. "No, your story is not ended, Gloriana. Not even close. The best is yet to come. Apollo was my opening salvo. You will love man number two. Just wait and see." And with that she disappeared.
Seven.
"We"re going back to the castle, Glory." Cait kept glancing at Jerry, who paced restlessly next to the front door. "My brother wants to get on a horse again and we can"t do it here. You"re welcome to come with us or stay here."
"What do you want me to do, Jerry?" I had received another invitation, hand delivered just a few moments ago. My mother wasn"t wasting time. I was expected to meet her second candidate in a few hours.
"I don"t know. Right now I need fresh air, to get away from all these blasted machines and Caitie"s doctor friend." He glared at his sister.
"Bart"s coming with us, Jeremiah. He should be pulling up any minute. He needs to keep working with you. If Glory"s mother isn"t going to cooperate, then hypnotism is still your best hope for regaining some memories. I don"t want to hear another word about it." Cait looked from him to me. "Do you want Gloriana with you or not?"
"If she"s willing, she can come. Though in a way this is her fault." He shook his head and finally looked at me directly. Maybe he could tell I was trying not to sway him but was desperately hoping he"d let me stay close.
"Jeremiah Campbell. That"s not fair and you know it!" Cait stepped to my side.
"Blame it on my blasted headache." Jerry walked up to me and grabbed my hand. "I"m sorry, Gloriana. Don"t you think I realize this is your mother"s doing? Caitie and I know all about interfering mothers. Our own mother has spent her life doing everything she can to make our lives a misery. Right, Caitie?"
"And you don"t remember most of it." His sister kissed Jerry"s cheek. "I"m sorry you are still hurting."
""Tis no worse than a blow on the head with a rock. It"ll pa.s.s." He still held my hand, almost absentmindedly.
"Will you let me come back to the castle then?" I had to clear my throat to get the words out.
He released my hand then jerked the front door open. "Do what you wish, Gloriana. I"ll be outside. I feel strong enough to fly home and I know the way. Bart can make himself useful, fly with me in case I weaken." He scowled. "d.a.m.n but I"m sick of not knowing my own strength." With that he slammed the heavy door.
"Oh, Cait, I hate to see him this way." I sank down on the living room couch. It was comfortable, not like the stiff formal pieces they"d had back when Jerry had first brought me here. I"m sure he"d been shocked to see the new decorations in the old home. One shock after another. I didn"t blame him for being out of sorts.
"We all hate it. If you come with us, you"ll have to face my mother"s wrath. She won"t cut you any slack in this. Once she finds out you were indirectly responsible, all h.e.l.l will break loose." Cait sat beside me. "I can"t protect you. Mag scares me s.h.i.tless."
I sighed. "I know how you feel. My own mother is terrifying. But we do seem to stand up to them. As much as we can. You divorced the MacLaran boy and I know that just about gave Mag seizures."
Cait giggled. "Yes, indeed. But between his tightfistedness and his philandering, Mum finally saw things my way. She won"t speak to any of that clan to this day." She leaned back against the sofa cushions. "I can"t believe Jerry"s going to fly home. I hope he makes it." She turned when the front door creaked open. "Bart! Did my brother tell you his mad plan?"
"Yes. Did he feed properly this evening?" The doctor glanced at me.
"Not from me." I"d offered of course but he"d turned me down with a scowl. "He drank two bottles of synthetic. He"s very moody." Yes, I"d call it that. Between his constant headaches and his frustrations with his memory loss, who could blame him?
"That should be enough. I"ll be beside him, but keep your cell phone on, Cait. Drive my car and we"ll be above you. I"ll call if we have to land somewhere and need a pickup." He handed her his car keys. "You coming, Glory?"
"Not tonight. I have an, um, appointment." I stared down at my hands. "But I"d like to come tomorrow night." There was no chance I"d get Jerry to remember me if I didn"t stay close. My mother could d.a.m.n well follow me if she wanted these "dates" to go on.
"Good. Because I"m still convinced you are the one trigger that could bring him back to this time." Bart nodded. "Come now, Cait. Tomorrow night, Glory." He shut the door.
"Drive Jerry"s car down then." Cait patted my shoulder. "I"ll do what I can to defuse the situation at home. I hope Mum doesn"t find out about your own part in the poisoning. I"ll try to get to Jerry and make him swear to keep it a secret."
"Thanks, Caitie." I leaned forward to hug her. "I"m not sure I could take Mag"s temper right now, she"s cold enough to me at the best of times. I don"t need her piling on the guilt."
"I"ve got your back, Glory. And screw the guilt. If I took responsibility for everything my mother did "for my own good," I"d have walked into the sun long ago." Cait knew I"d heard some hair-raising stories about Mag"s interference over the years. She was right and I hugged her again for the encouraging words.
"Thanks. You"re making me feel better."
"Good. Now I"ve got to hit the road." She smiled. "How was your date last night?"
I"d told her about my mother"s conditions. Hey, I had to confide in someone, and Flo wasn"t here.
"Interesting. Apollo showed up. The Sun G.o.d? Imagine living in daylight forever." I fanned my cheeks. "And I have to admit he was beautiful but with an edge."
"Sounds like just your type." Cait grinned. "Mine too. Were you tempted?"
"Not even. He had an ego the size of the sun too. And he can"t be out at night." I followed her to the door. "I realized I"m a night creature after all this time. I really can"t imagine giving it up." I grinned. "Though I"ll say again, he was great to look at."
"No surprise there. Olympus wouldn"t produce anything less than perfection, I"m sure. Be careful, though. If the G.o.ds are all as powerful as your mother, you sure don"t want to make any of them mad."
"Don"t I know it." I shivered, thinking about how furious Apollo had gotten when I"d turned him down. What had he wanted from my mother that he"d been willing to hook up with a mere vampire? I couldn"t stop thinking about it.
"Another one tonight?" Cait picked up her suitcase from by the door. She"d given the servants the night off. Jerry had been in such a sour mood, she hadn"t wanted them subjected to it.
"Yep. Can"t wait to see who she drags down to hook me up with next. I"m getting on the Internet as soon as you leave to study these guys. Seems there are quite a few G.o.ds and they each have a specialty. I want to be better prepared than I was last night. Ignorance is not bliss." And I knew from my own past that knowledge could be power. I was desperate to figure out just how my mother fit into this whole Olympus scheme. Who was she?
"Hmm." Cait glanced up. "Wonder what your mother thinks would ring your bell."