Chapter 13
PHAEDRA
My initial plan was to visit the temple in Italy first, but after seeing Hawthorne’s pomegranate tree, I realize that gift will fit best in the Hera II.
Larger and more preserved, it’s the perfect place to showcase the “miracle” tree for all the visitors who will come to see it.
Normally, I’d worry about human exposure to magic, but if Hera doesn’t like the idea, she can always take the tree back to Mount Olympus.
I motion for Gatlin to move away from the ruins, but with a stubborn shake of his head, he refuses. His hand cups my neck as he stares down at me. “Protecting you is my priority. Don’t worry. I promise not to call attention to myself.” His tone of exasperation rings loud in the evening air.
I glance at the altar and bite my lip. “What if you stood outside? You can still see anyone approaching.”
“Too far. Supernaturals can easily portal into the center,” he says as he folds his massive arms across his equally massive chest. Not that I’m noticing. I’m not. Just stating a fact.
He positions himself ten feet behind the altar, his eyes darting from one end of the ruin to the other. “We have a clear window. Let’s do this before we lose daylight.”
I sigh and give up. He’s a stubborn mountain of a man, and I don’t have the means to move him.
And not that I’ll admit it, but I like having him here.
I breathe in and out in an effort to calm my racing heart.
Hera scares the hell out of me. Hopefully, I can get through this and leave before she deigns to get her gift.
Stepping up to the altar, I set a goblet of expensive red wine on the stone along with the Kritonios crown, then sink to my knees.
“Hera, Queen of Olympus, please accept my offering and praise. Mighty Hera, grant me the gift of knowledge so that I may serve you better. Teach me to protect humans to the best of my abilities. To this, I give you the Kritonios crown. Unworthy though it may be for the Queen of Olympus, I pray you accept it as my offering. Majestic Hera, thank you for my blessings.”
As I stand and tip the goblet to pour the wine on the altar, a feminine hand reaches down and snatches it from me.
Damn. Swallowing hard, I lift my gaze to find both Hera and Athena standing in front of me.
I immediately drop to my knees and motion for Gatlin to do the same.
From the corner of my eye, I see him reluctantly follow my lead, but he doesn’t bow his head.
Hera, of course, immediately notices. “You do not bow to the gods before you?”
“I would not be a good bodyguard if I let the enemy sneak up on us,” he replies in a respectful but firm tone. “Phaedra is my priority.”
I lift my head to see Hera’s reaction, and it’s not good. To distract her, I point to the crown. “You honor me by appearing and accepting my gift in person. Please accept this crown as my humble thanks for your blessings.”
She lifts the crown, and a satisfied smile appears. “I hope all your gifts are not so…mundane, but it’s an acceptable start.”
Double damn. Good thing Hawthorne is working on the tree. She would have probably obliterated me for a simple piece of fruit. I remain on my knees, praying she’ll leave, but of course, the gods stopped listening to my real, heartfelt prayers a long time ago.
“What are you?” Hera calls out to Gatlin.
Athena leans forward. “He’s a bodyguard. What does it matter?” There’s a note in her voice that instantly puts me on edge. “Let’s go. I want to see what gift she’ll give you next.”
Hera looks at me. “What is he?”
Confused, I look at her. “Like his role? He’s my friend and protector.” She probably doesn’t care about the friend part, but I need to acknowledge he is more than a “bodyguard.”
She curls her fingers under my chin and forces me to stand. Sweat breaks out all over my body. “I said ‘what’ not ‘who.’”
Is this because he’s a supernatural? I knew it would be a problem. I tried to tell Gatlin. Hera raises an eyebrow, her gaze quickly filling with ire. My mind skims through the facts I have on her, and I land on a neutral answer.
“A shifter,” I reply with a quick glance at Athena.
When she briefly closes her eyes, I realize that something really bad is going on. I’m tempted to explain that several supernatural factions are after me and he’s the best person to protect me from them, but I don’t want to share information she may or may not know.
Her fingers curl into her palms, and blood drips to the stone floor. My heart drops and my hands shake.
She raises a hand, but Athena grabs it. “She needs a protector right now. Who better?”
Hera jerks her hand away and points at Gatlin; her face twists into rage. “He’s an abomination. One of the magi’s creatures. Created, not born. How dare you bring him into my temple.” Her voice rises with every word she spits, and tiny flames flare in the depths of her eyes.
Shit, shit, shit.
Athena takes a step away from her as if she knows Hera’s about to erupt.
Afraid for Gatlin, I immediately step in front of him.
He tries to move me behind him, but I shake my head and press my trembling body against his.
Strong hands pick me up, but no matter how he maneuvers, I manage to shield some part of his body with my own.
“Stop,” I whisper to him. “I’m not standing behind you.” Reaching down, I try to take his hand in mine, but he shoves me away.
He turns and faces Hera. “I’m not responsible for my creation, nor am I ashamed of it. I was created for a sacred duty. To be a protector. To fight for the rights and safety of others. It’s a role I take very seriously. It’s an honor and a duty.”
“There is no honor in one who has no soul,” Hera spits out, her hand rising toward him.
I immediately walk toward Hera, Gatlin cursing behind me.
If this is the end of my existence, so be it.
Anger makes my voice tight, but I refuse to let her strike him down.
“He’s a gryphon. A shifter. If I recall correctly, you too can shift.
Who cares if he was created or born. I was born, and yet now I am created.
Different from any other in this world. A product of your design, and, of course, your will. ”
“Move!” she screams.
I stand taller, my spine held up by a combination of sheer terror and will.
“Or you will suffer the same consequences.”
Gatlin rushes forward, but with one wave of Hera’s hand, he’s immobilized. Like a statue stopped in mid-flight. My eyes widen, and I gulp. This could be it. For both of us. If it is, I refuse to cower before her.
“I won’t stand aside. He is mine. I claim him.
As my family, my protector, my future,” I blurt in a desperate attempt to do something, but I realize, as the words come out, that I mean every single one of them.
I glance at Gatlin, tears rolling down my face.
“The only thing he has ever asked of me is the truth. This is my truth. Gatlin represents the best of both the past and present. He understands the world as few do because he has lived it, and similar to me, he is a product of human and supernatural worlds. By his own actions, he is a good person with a pure heart. That’s all that matters. ”
I look at Athena. “Whatever your plans are for me, know that he is a part of them. I won’t do this task without him. I need him. Whatever he is willing to give, I’ll accept. Whether that be his friendship, his protection, or maybe someday, his love.”
Turning my attention back to Hera, I lift my chin. “For three thousand years, I have done your bidding. Sacrificed everything to make amends for my actions. I will not sacrifice him. If this means my end, so be it.”
Hera’s eyes blaze with triumph. I step closer to Gatlin, wanting to be near him when it happens.
Gold eyes burn with fury, but mine burn with truth.
My fingers slide lightly over his jaw, and I stretch up and place my lips on his.
I don’t want to leave this world without having kissed him.
He matters. To Jamison, Hawthorne, and Mathias. To me.
Whispering has me turning to see Athena saying something in Hera’s ear. At first, Hera vigorously shakes her head, but Athena’s insistence eventually wins out.
“Fine. Fine,” she states in a hard tone. “But you will owe me, Athena.”
A glint appears in Athena’s eyes, but she accepts the decree with a slight dip of her chin. She turns to us and waves her hand, releasing Gatlin from his stasis. “Go. Make sure every gift is spectacular for the Queen of Olympus.”
In a flash, the two disappear from our sight.
My bones turn to liquid, and I drop to the dirt floor, relief filling every ounce of my body. Needing to feel something solid, I dig my hands into the earth as I breathe in and out. Gatlin curses, then scoops me up and strides out of the temple.
Carefully sitting me inside the SUV we rented, he sprints around the vehicle to the driver’s side, and soon, he’s wrenching the wheel around to hightail it out of there.
For several minutes, he drives, fast and furious, as if he’s afraid Hera will change her mind.
I open my mouth to say something…anything…
but there are too many thoughts running through my head.
I’ve never stood up to the gods before. Who would?
Their power is tenfold that of any creature I’ve ever known.
One mile turns into ten, which turns into forty.
Not once does he stop until he gets us to the Araxos Airport, where the jet is standing by.
Thankfully, strength has returned to my body. The second he throws the vehicle into park, I open the door and grab my gear from the backseat. Gatlin growls, but I shake my head.
“I’m fine. Let’s get out of here and go home.”
Gatlin covers my back as we climb the steps, then he goes to speak with Charlie about our change of flight plans while I stow our gear and grab a seat. He sits, and the jet takes off a minute later.
He hasn’t said one word to me since the temple. The silence stretches until I’m unable to bear it.
“I’m sorry. I…I knew Hera didn’t like surprises or supernaturals, but it never occurred to me that your race would send her off the deep end.
I should have never agreed to you coming with me.
” It was so stupid. I know how unpredictable the gods can be, and yet I ignored it because I wanted him there.
He stares at me, unblinking, for an interminably long second, then he unbuckles his seatbelt and prowls across the aisle like a lion stalking its prey. One flick unclasps my belt, then he pulls me into his arms.
His mouth descends on mine, and all the words in my head disappear.
Left with nothing but a swirling maelstrom of emotions, I throw my arms around him and squeeze tight, so incredibly grateful he’s alive.
I meet his lips with my own fierce demand, never wanting to stop.
My breath becomes choppy, and a sob escapes, but even then, I continue to pour every ounce of what I feel into this kiss.
Into him. Gatlin. My protector. Safe haven.
Rock. Friendship and gratitude meld into passion and need.
My breath catches. I’ve wanted him for a while, but it wasn’t until the last few weeks that I began to really see him. Know him. Sharing my home with him has been a tantalizing glimpse into a future I desperately want.
Eventually, lips gently pull away from mine, but my hands continue to roam, sliding across his hard body, wanting to touch and claim. I raise my gaze to meet his and marvel at the heat I see reflected back at me.
His hand comes up and cradles my head. “There’s no way you could have stopped me. Nor will you stop me the next time. Or the time after that.”
I draw back, furious with him for his words and for ruining the moment. “Like hell. I’ll sneak out and get Charlie or Maverick to take me via portal. I’m not risking your life again. You’re too important to me…and them.”
His voice is harsh when he responds. “There’s no way you’re getting rid of me, nor will you meet with Hera alone. Ever again.”
Astounded, I stare at him. Has he lost his mind?
“You shouldn’t have claimed me. That’s not something I take lightly, nor will I allow you to take it back. All that I am is yours. And you are mine.”
His lips capture mine again, rendering me breathless, and I shift into his body, cradling his hardness, willing to be distracted by him. Arguing can wait.
“We’ll talk about it later.”
“No, we won’t,” he growls in my ear. “The gods have tried to get rid of my kind many times. The magic that made us always reforms. I don’t know the exact specifics.
The magi were secretive. Something about the grains of sand and creation of earth.
It used to bother me to know I’d be around until the end of this world.
A steward, drifting through time, protecting everyone but belonging to nobody. ”
His golden eyes flare with emotion. “You claiming me… Suddenly, the future is brighter than ever.”
I blink. He really can’t die. As someone who’s lived for over three thousand years, his words crack open the walls around my heart.
In a way I never thought about before. I used to think I’d be the only one here until the earth turned to dust. Even immortal supernaturals can cease to exist. Not him. Does he mean it?
With a flick of my finger, I slide off the band holding back his hair and run my fingers through it. I’ve been wanting to do that for so long. White-blond hair cascades onto his shoulders and down his back.
He drops his head forward, his hair shielding us from the outside world.
“I want to show you how much you mean to me. But not here.” His mouth nibbles the spot where my neck meets my shoulder.
“Besides, I want time to savor you. Taste every inch. Map every fucking curve with my tongue. Imprint myself on you until you’re utterly addicted to me. ”
My breath catches. “I want that…more than anything…but I need you to be sure. Jamison and—”
His finger on my lips stops my protest. “I’m sure. Let me worry about my family’s reaction.”