Grace of Gods Boxset: Reincarnated Greek Gods YA/NA Series Page 33

  “And hide a lot.”

  I shrugged again, “that’s more my Goddess then me.” “Who is she?”

  “I don’t know yet but Atlas told me she is trying to resist the union by returning to the immortal sleep.”

  “Huh, wonder why she would want to do that...”

  “If you figure it out can you send me a note?” “I’ll come and visit you Jailbait.”

  “Don’t call me that.” My tone wasn’t convincing though as I said it. Annoying as he might be, it was growing on me in the way an endearing, annoying nickname would.

  Chapter 9

  It couldn’t be much further, I conceded and hoped. Surely a never-ending hallway was impossible; even in a place like this.

  “Where is this place?” I still couldn’t see a foot in front of me as we walked. I felt Aidan’s arm move as he shrugged.

  “I don’t know... Where did she say she was going again, Jailbait?”

  “I told you, don’t call me that. And she didn’t specify, she told me to stall for her.” I was starting to resent repeating myself. Aidan seemed to only be processing the information he deemed important.

  “Well done on that.”

  I scowled, “hey, it’s not my fault you didn’t have the...you know... to stand up to Charlotte. You’re as much to blame as I am.”

  Aidan was quiet for a moment, considering what I said before softly whispering, “I do feel guilty, okay? I’m a bad person, I make mistakes and usually I don’t regret them but Savannah is the only mistake I’ve ever made that I regret with every ounce of my being.”

  “Do you love her?” I asked plainly, I thought I knew the answer but I suspected Aidan needed someone to ask him. He didn’t seem like the kind of person who spent a lot of time reflecting on his own emotions. But then again, I didn’t know anything about him except for what Savannah had said in the heat of her anger.

  Aidan steered us in another direction, no doubt following some unseen force he could apparently feel. I wanted him to answer my question, but I wasn’t holding my breath. Why would he tell me something like that when he had never told her that?

  “How much further do you think?”

  Before Aidan answered a deep barked followed by a girlish cry of terror answering for him.

  Savannah.

  “Up ahead!” Aidan said with an unmistaken tone of desperation. He started pulling me after him as he began to run. I released my hold on his arm and tried to follow the sounds of his feet as we moved toward her.

  “I’M HERE! I’M HERE! HELP ME. AIDAN! VALENTINA!” The faster we ran the closer Savannah started to sound. But she also sounded terrified and scared for her life. I hoped we weren’t too late if only for Aidan’s sake. I wasn’t entirely sure how he would take it if something happened to her.

  “This way, I think,” Aidan said to my left, I shook my head and ran forward again, still hearing the dogs growling.

  “No, this way.” I took off again, still using the echoes as my guide as suddenly I entered a large cavernous room.

  “Savannah!” I burst through the threshold and what

  I had first taken as a group of dogs made me come to a complete halt in surprise. This was taking guard dogs to an entirely different level. “Oh my God.” Aidan ran right in behind me, colliding with my back, although he was quick to grab my arms and keep me on my feet.

  “Holy…” He breathed out, staring at it. I tore my eyes away from the dog that looked pleased with the idea of having one human per head to see Savannah was gushing blood from her cheek. No wonder the dog was hungry.

  “Savannah, get up slowly…” I held my hand out for her to grab I could pull her to safety.

  “Val, if I could, don’t you think I would have by now…” I felt myself flush; of course, there was magic involved. For all my acceptance of my new reality, me wrapping my head around things like three headed dogs and magically charmed chairs still came reluctantly.

  “Aidan, you need to leave. Right now, go back and find someone else. Find lots of people and then bring them back but you can’t be here alone.” Savannah sounded equally as desperate as Aidan had been only moments ago.

  “He’s not alone. I’m here. You get Savannah; you have the magic to free her… I’ll… distract the dog.” I looked back at the beast and kept my hands outstretched in front of me as I slowly circled around Savannah’s chair giving her a large berth as I approached the dog. My heart was pounding in my chest, I was an animal person I had never tested my skills on a three-headed dog before. What was I thinking? I’d never even imagined something like this existed.

  Licking my lips, I whistled softly at the dog to take its attention away from its meal. It snarled menacingly and turned to face me, his gigantic faces contorted with hatred and anger. As I felt my body recoil in fear something shifted in the dog, all the sudden this wave of recognition washed over it. I moved forward toward it, but Aidan moved at the same time and the dog reacted poorly.

  He snarled and snapped at Aidan, threatening to hurt either him or Savannah, something neither of us wanted.

  “You need to get it out of here I can get to Savannah…”

  I nodded and looked back at the dog, “good boy. That’s a good boy...” I stepped closer and closer, sure that my heart was about to leap out of my chest and let my body crumple to the floor in abandonment. Then the dog suddenly sat down softly and began to pant playfully.

  I raised my eyebrows, wondering if it was a trap, but I couldn’t worry too much about it as I reached his side and pressed my hand against his fur. For a gruesome monster, his hair was soft. He whined softly and leaned down, all three heads attempting to nuzzle me and bounce me between them all. I couldn’t help but laugh, trying to give each head enough love and attention before stepping back again.

  “Good boy…” I led the dog back toward the way we had come, guiding him into the hallway and away from Savannah and Aidan. I wasn’t entirely sure where I was going to take him, but he seemed happy to follow.

  “You recognize me huh?” I said softly after a while, reaching out and brushing my hand through his fur again. “You know my Goddess? Who is she?” I knew it was stupid to talk to a dog like he could answer me back, but maybe if I could find out who this dog was I could find the connection between us. I sat down on the ground, feeling my body lift slightly before settling down again as the dog laid down next to me.

  I smiled to myself and reached out, running my hand through his fur.

  “Well, I never anticipated they would bring you.” I looked up in the darkness, searching for the source of the voice. “Shame, I was hoping to keep my hands clean.”

  “Who’s there?”

  “No one you need to worry about Princess. My quarrel isn’t with you.”

  “Who is that?” He chuckled, sending shivers down my spine and making the dog behind me growl protectively. Silence settled around us again and I curled more against the dog for protection.

  I should have tried to go after him, do something, but what was there for me to do? I didn’t know who it was talking, neither their mortal nor their God. I also didn’t have any magic of my own what chance did I stand? As cowardly as I felt for it I decided to simply stay put and do as Aidan told me: keep the dog away from them.

  As I thought about what the man said, one word replayed itself. Princess? I was a Princess? Or was my Goddess a Princess? How did he know who my Goddess was...? I wracked my brain trying to think of who it could be when the dog suddenly licked my cheek, drawing my attention away from my thoughts.

  “I think I might keep you.” I conceded with a smile, “would you like that?” He barked in response and licked all the way up my face making me laugh. He was a bit big, but my apartment was magical. It would accommodate him, I was sure.

  Reluctantly I stood again and guided the dog to the next door I could find. As I thought about going back to my apartment the door opened to where I needed it to. The trip was quick and I walked him right in, except when we enter
ed the apartment he wasn’t nearly as big as he had looked in the caves.

  “Huh,” I said in surprise, the three heads still took some getting used to, but he was pleased with his new accommodations and wandered around, sniffing everything.

  “Well, you make yourself at home. I’m going to go and get my friends now... I’ll be back soon buddy.” He didn’t even seem to notice me, making me chuckle slightly before I turned back and rethought about Aidan and Savannah.

  I could only hope I wasn’t going to enter the midst of a battle. I knew I was a liability. When I returned, I found them lying on the floor, curling against each other and kissing.

  I smiled but blushed at the same time at the intimacy of it. They had made up, I’m glad. Though I was sure it wouldn’t be the last time they fought and broke up, they were Zeus and Hera, after all.

  “I’m not… Interrupting, am I?” I felt sorry for doing it. But I wanted to make sure everyone was okay.

  “No, not at all. We were celebrating our survival, Jailbait.” I rolled my eyes at the silly nickname as Aidan helped Savannah sit up.

  “I told you not to call me that.”

  “How’d you manage with the dog?” He asked as he slowly stood up, holding Savannah tightly to his side. I looked over my shoulder at the darkness, thinking about the dog roaming my apartment and then back at the couple. “Fine. He seemed to like me. Don’t know why, then again I have always had a thing for three headed dogs.” I smiled as I stepped closer to Savannah, “are you okay Savannah? When you didn’t come back and Charlotte made that awful scene in the throne room, I knew something was wrong. I didn’t know what to do. Thank goodness Aidan was looking for you too. I don’t know if I could’ve made it here without him. I hope that’s okay.”

  She smiled, “of course it is. I think if it weren’t for you a lot of things would have ended today differently.” I smiled, pleased that things had worked out for the best. Even if I wasn’t entirely sure what had happened. I wanted to ask but then Savannah might not want to relive it yet.

  “Good, I’m glad. Who was that?”

  “Lincoln, well, that wasn’t Lincoln. I don’t think Lincoln has been around for a while… Sadly I think his God overpowered him. Cronos, however, is gone, for good. I hope.”

  “Oh…” His God overpowered him? Was that possible? Was that why my Goddess was trying to stay away? Was she attempting to protect me? I wish I knew... What did Princess mean...

  “It doesn’t matter now. It’s over and that’s the important thing. We should focus on getting out of here because it stinks and it’s cold.”

  I chuckled softly as I watched the couple hobble for the door, Aidan tossing over his shoulder, “C’mon Jailbait” with a smirk.

  I ignored his comment as I caught up to them, “Savannah, I hope you don’t mind me asking but what are you going to do about Charlotte? She’s made quite an… exile of you.”

  “That won’t be a problem,” Aidan said firmly, glancing over his shoulder at me as he paused to let me catch up. “I should have stood up against her the moment she did it. But if she hasn’t vacated your throne by the time we get back then I’ll remove her myself. With flourish.”

  “That’s good… But I mean the things she said about Savannah, the poison she’s spread with her lies.”

  Savannah reached out and drew me into a one-armed hug; “don’t worry about what she said about me, none of it is true, none of it matters. Thank you for coming to my rescue Valentina, it means a lot to me. I’m sure Aidan couldn’t do it without you.”

  “Yeah, thanks Jailbait for dog sitting.” “Savannah’s my friend, I needed to help.”

  “Here,” Aidan said as he stopped short in front of the door I had used to get the dog back to my apartment. I went through first, thinking about the party assuming we’d head back there. I reentered the room and everything stopped to turn to me like I had some answer to a question no one had asked. Thankfully the door reopened behind me and in stepped Aidan and Savannah taking the heat off me. I wasn’t equipped to deal with their questions or dole out reassurance about the situation. What did I know besides a newly discovered affinity for three headed dogs?

  I stepped away from them, letting the rest of the room have them for questioning. I was no longer important, not that I minded all that much. I didn’t know exactly what had happened, whatever it had been it was bad enough to scare Aidan into confessing his love.

  My eyes met Griffin and he raised his eyebrows in a silent question, wondering if I was okay. I smiled slightly and nodded my head before looking away as Aidan spoke. Everyone in the room was riveted by the story, even me. Cronos had used his host to try and take the throne from Aidan? My eyes flicked to Charlotte, sounded like what she was doing to Savannah without the evil genius part. Knowing what Lincoln had been up to relieved me that everything worked out for the best. But I was still baffled about what he had said in the hallway to me.

  Torn from my thoughts by Charlotte’s vile voice, I couldn’t stop myself as I turned to her sharply, “yes, that was exactly what he was trying to do. He wanted to use Savannah as bait for Aidan. He tried to use his love for her against him by taking her and holding her captive in the caves.” I didn’t breathe as the words came flowing out, “he left a three-headed dog to watch over her in hopes that the dog would tear Aidan apart for him and save him the trouble of killing our King himself. But I was able to calm the dog down while Aidan fought Lincoln: killing him!”

  Everyone in the room had stood in shocked silence for no more than a few seconds before the room erupted with questions and panic. I didn’t like being in the spotlight, no less the target of everyone’s questioning assault. Backing away from them, I turned to Aidan desperate for him to take over.

  “Enough! Lincoln has been taken care of. As will anyone who threatens my position as King of the Heavens or has the nerve to threaten Savannah. Lincoln was corrupted with power, his body and mind seized by his God’s lust for control. Cronos was unforgiving when he took over his host as would any God be if we give them the power to do it. Let Lincoln’s death serve as an example to everyone. We’ve given our Gods a second chance but with an opportunity they’ve never possessed. Atlas chose us for the vessels of our respective Gods because of the influence our mortal lives give us. We cannot abuse this gift because if we forget where we come from, if we forget what it is to be mortal then all of us will succumb to the fate of Lincoln. All of us will be consumed and lost forever.”

  I swallowed hard, suppressing my broad grin as Aidan spoke. That was true love right there. My eyes flicked to Griffin again, he looked uncomfortable with the whole affair but when he looked up and saw me, he smiled slightly. I nodded my head back at him before turning as Aidan and Savannah made their way over to the thrones. Obediently I followed while keeping a respectful distance before waiting at the bottom of the steps.

  Once they had settled I did the first thing I could think of to show my loyalty to them: I bowed. It was awkward, especially in my dress, but I managed to do it carefully while maintaining my balance. After a moment or two, counting appropriately in my head, I rose again and readjusted my skirt. Savannah was smiling at me. I could see the gratitude in her eyes, she thought the people’s acceptance of her as the Queen was because of me. I thought it was because it was only right she be the Queen, it was her inheritance, after all.

  Royce came up beside me and I shrunk back, giving them space as I turned and moved through the now excited crowd. Jed approached me quickly with a huge grin on his face.

  “Exciting night huh?” He raised his eyebrows, “and here I thought you were going to be one of those boring homebodies.” I laughed and shook my head.

  “Speaking of home, I’m exhausted... And I have a three-headed dog I have to go and check on now.” He raised his eyebrow at me like he was waiting for me to say something. “What?”

  He smirked knowingly and shook his head, “nothing. I’m sure it’ll come to you soon.” I frowned, unsure what his
vague statement meant as I looked around the room.

  “I think I’m going to go now and call it a night, adventure takes a lot out of you.”

  “You’ll want to get used to it, Princess.” I frowned more; did he know who I was?

  “Jed.“ He was already gone, an arm wrapping around Posie from behind and I shook my head. Did everyone know but me? What tome could I have possibly missed?

  I made my way to the door slowly when I felt someone new slip up beside me, “can I walk you back?” I turned quickly, surprised to find Griffin standing there. He ran his hand over the back of his neck and offered me a sheepish smile.

  I wondered what it was about me that made him nervous. I had done everything I could think of to show him I wanted to be friends, hoping he would eventually get the message. But he was still dodgy around me, hot and cold, unable to pick which way he wanted to go with this friendship.

  “Sure.” I finally said, pressing a smile to my face as I turned back to the door and started out of the throne room.

  We were silent for a while as we both walked; I sensed Griffin was trying to work up the courage to say something.

  I turned to glance at him again, “thanks, fo-“

  “Listen, I’m-”

  “You go.”

  “No, you,” he nodded at me, almost seeming grateful that I’d cut him off.

  “I was going to thank you for standing up for Savannah. I was starting to feel uncomfortable with all the attention.” He shrugged, tucking both of his hands in his jean pockets to stop himself from using them nervously. “Did you enjoy the party?”

  “No but I wasn’t surprised by that. No one around here seems to like me.”

  I glanced at him again, this time surprised by the admission. Out of the corner of my eyes, I could see the sadness pulling on his lips. His eyes were enclosed by the deep, dark circles of someone whose sleep was haunted by something far darker than simple nightmares. The sad boy I had once identified with was now transfigured into something far darker than even I knew.