you’ll have to forgive me if I discount your opinion based on bias. You would love me even if I was just like my father.”
One tear broke rank and streamed down my cheek. Brennan wiped it away and kissed the spot where it had been.
“I can tell you with no bias whatsoever, that you are not like your father at all. You are the opposite of your father. You have taken a horrible curse, one that put you in the worst position thinkable, and have managed it in the most humane possible way. He would never have done that. Mormo doesn’t care who he harms. I have read that he used to drink the blood of children because it tasted the sweetest. That is a monster, something that you are not.”
His words buoyed me, lifted me out of my dark thoughts. He was right. I would never kill a child simply because their blood tasted sweet. It was true. My father did indeed do horrific things like that just because he wanted to.
“Thank you,” I whispered to him, kissing him lightly on the cheek. “You always know just what to say to me.”
“That’s my job,” he shrugged. “It’s in the soul mate handbook.”
“Really?” I raised an eyebrow. “I haven’t seen that part. In fact, I haven’t seen the book at all. Do you have a copy?”
He grinned. “Well, it’s not so much a printed book as it is a book that I have stored in my head. But don’t worry. I’ll fill you in on the wifely duties that will be expected from you after we get married.”
My heart immediately began racing and I tried not to allow the idea of marriage terrify me. Because it wasn’t marriage that I was afraid of. It was the thought that we might not survive this game so that we could in fact get married. In spite of that, I smiled anyway and tried to keep my thoughts light.
“Really? Such as… I’ll have to give you a foot rub every night?”
“Well, that certainly wouldn’t hurt,” he answered with a laugh. “And a back massage too. But I was thinking of your other wifely duties.” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively and my cheeks burst into flame.
“Oh. Those duties. Care to elaborate?”
He shook his head. “Nope. I’ll fill you in when the time comes.”
“Great,” I answered wryly and he laughed.
“Don’t worry,” he told me. “You’ll like it.”
“I’m sure,” I replied dryly.
“I hate to interrupt,” Branwyn called from behind us. “But I thought perhaps Empusa would like to come down to the hot springs to bathe with me?”
“Hot springs?” I almost broke my neck, whipping around to look at her. “A bath sounds heavenly.”
“I thought you might think that way,” she replied with a smile. “Come with me, princess.”
I glanced at Brennan. “I hate to abandon you, but I’d really like a hot bath.”
He nodded, giving an exaggerated sigh.
“Women,” he huffed. I rolled my eyes and kissed him on the cheek before I joined Branwyn. She had her arms full of bathing towels and a small wooden bowl that I assumed held soap. I took some of the things from her and we strolled towards the woods.
“I had no idea there was a hot springs here,” I told her conversationally.
“Oh, yes,” she nodded. “It does wonders for our skin.”
We fell into silence as we walked, but our journey wasn’t far. A few minutes later we found ourselves next to a babbling brook, which curved into an inlet encased in rock. Water bubbled up in the inlet from the earth itself, from hot springs below the earth’s crust.
I knelt and dipped my fingers in the water. It was the perfect temperature, hot enough to steam. I closed my eyes in pleasure.
“Brennan was right,” I told Branwyn. “I don’t think there is a woman alive who doesn’t enjoy a hot bath.”
I glanced up and found Branwyn disrobing on the edge of the water. She stepped out of her saffron shift and it puddled around her feet. My gaze flew to her face in surprise as she turned to me, laughing.
“What? You seem shocked, princess. There are no men here, but for your sun god. I feel certain that he won’t venture out here on his own…so we’re safe to bathe in peace.”
I was still shocked. I couldn’t help it. I wasn’t a prude, but watching Branwyn step into the water buck-naked without a care in the world was startling, to say the least. Her milky white skin seemed even paler in the bright sunlight and she laughed at my expression.
“Still mortified, princess? Come. Bathe. You’ll feel better.” Laughing, she splashed onto her back and lifted her face to the sun.
I shrugged. What the hell? It didn’t matter much in the large scheme of things. So, casting off my clothing as well, I stepped into the inlet. The hot water swirled luxuriously around my ankles and I sank into it, relishing the relaxing warmth. Seating myself against a rock wall on the side, I immersed myself up to my chin and leaned my head back, closing my eyes.
I had so missed baths. The bubbling sounds immediately soothed me and I tuned out any other noise… the birds chirping, the wind, the trees. I concentrated solely on the water sounds and it wasn’t long before the tension had left my shoulders and my spirits were lifted.
“I have dreamed of you since I was a child, Empusa. It’s so strange to have you here now in person.”
My eyes popped back open.
“You’ve dreamed of me?” I asked with interest. “What were the dreams?”
Branwyn paused, washing her arms in the pleasant water, staring thoughtfully at nothing.
“There were all kinds,” she said. “Beginning when I was just a child. The strange thing was that I always knew that you were my sister. Your mother was sometimes in my dreams, her presence, her voice. She would tell me how I was so important because someday I would give my life for you.”
I sucked in my breath and froze.
“What?”
Branwyn ignored my question, instead choosing to continue bathing her body and telling her story. “Sometimes I almost feel as though my very life is because your mother willed it so, so that I would be here for when you needed me. When I saw you from across the meadow, I knew the time had arrived. I knew that very shortly, I would be given the highest honor…I would die for the goddess. Thank you for giving me the opportunity, moon princess.”
I completely froze now, staring at her in horror. “You can’t mean that,” I said slowly. “Branwyn, you’re not going to die for me.”
“I’m quite certain that I am,” she replied calmly. “And I’ve had years to come to peace with it. I am honored, princess, truly. When I was a child, it scared me, I will admit. I used to lay awake at night and wonder when it would happen and how. All night long I feared that it would happen on the morrow. But time went by and I emerged each day unscathed. And then when I grew old enough, I came to realize the great honor that had been bestowed upon me. Your mother told me how my life would save yours, how she would forever be in my debt. It is the highest honor.”
“How is it the highest honor when you will be dead? I mean, if this is true,” I hastened to add. “Because I don’t believe it.”
She looked at me solemnly. “Why would it not be true, Empusa? I have dreamed of it my entire life. I saw your face years ago when I was but a child. You looked just as you do now. That is no coincidence and it isn’t something that I could have conjured out of my imagination. Your mother sent me the visions to prepare me. Serving the goddess is a great honor, Empusa. Giving my life for her… that’s the highest honor.”
“I can’t speak of this any more,” I murmured. “I do not wish to think of it. I can’t believe it is true. Let us just enjoy our baths.”
“Very well, princess. I do not wish to trouble you with unpleasant thoughts. I apologize.”
“It’s not a trouble, Branwyn,” I assured her. “I just don’t like to think that your words are true. I don’t want you to sacrifice your life for mine. I am no more important than you are.”
“That is where you are wrong, princess,” she said quietly. “You have a purpose in li
fe that is vastly important. My purpose in life is to help make sure that you attain it.”
I fell silent. The air around us was pregnant with meaning, unspoken thoughts, emotions and even my confusion. There was a lot swirling through my head and I wanted time to process it. So instead of speaking further, I simply allowed myself to enjoy the hot water, the breeze brushing the hair off of my face and the birds chirping in the background. After a good twenty minutes, I spoke in a murmur to Branwyn.
“This was a good idea, Branwyn, thank you for bringing me here.”
No answer.
“Branwyn?”
I opened my eyes to find her staring at me with wide eyes, her mouth clamped tightly closed.
“Branwyn? What’s wrong?” I asked in confusion. Her eyes darted to a spot above my head and I twisted around in my seat to look, the rocks beneath me grinding into my bare legs.
“Hello, Empusa.”
Apollo, the god of the sun and Brennan’s father, perched on the banks behind me. Blood was smeared on his arms and legs and his face was dirty, but even in spite of that, he was breathtakingly beautiful. Honey-blonde hair that reflected glints of light, warm hazel eyes, perfectly proportioned features, well-muscled limbs. He was staring at me now and he wasn’t smiling. In fact, as that realization dawned on me, a few other things occurred to me as well.
The sun had stopped shining.
I was sitting naked in front of Brennan’s father.
Apollo was holding a golden, sharpened dagger in his hands.
This couldn’t be good.
Chapter Nine
“Did you truly wish to become part of my family?” Apollo asked slowly, unfolding himself from his crouch and standing to his full height. “Did you truly think that would happen?”
He twisted the dagger in his hands, turning it over and over as he spoke. The hilt was jeweled, each gem catching the light as it moved. I shifted my gaze to Apollo and stood from the water.
I forced my mind away from the fact that I was as naked as the day I was born and that the water streaming down my body was catching the breeze and causing me to chill. Neither thing was important.
I focused on the dagger in Apollo’s hand because that was important.
“You know you can’t kill me,” I pointed out slowly. “That would take Zeus’ sword. Your little knife is most certainly not Zeus’ sword.”
Apollo’s lips stretched into a beatific smile. The beauty of his face, even though he was threatening me, was literally breathtaking.
“Little Empusa,” he said condescendingly. “Of course I know that. But, this little knife will prove to be quite deadly to your friend.”
He motioned with the dagger toward Branwyn, who was still completely overwhelmed from being in the presence of a god. She literally shook her head back and forth silently, unable to give voice to words. I struggled to remain calm.
“What purpose would you have in harming Branwyn? She’s nothing to me.” I fought to keep a poker face, trying to remain impassive as I hoped that my words didn’t hurt her. I needed Apollo to believe me.
He smiled again.
“I know that you’ve tried for many, many years to avoid harming mortals,” he smiled encouragingly. “And that is commendable. Because of that, I know that you will choose to do the right thing now.”
At just that moment, Branwyn managed to shake off her fear enough to move. She lunged from the water, trying to scramble over the slippery banks of the brook. Before she had managed, it, Apollo smiled in her direction and lifted his free hand. In response, Branwyn flew into the trunk of a nearby weeping willow tree, crashing hard. The long, spindly limbs of the tree immediately wrapped around her, holding her fast. The vine-like branches quickly covered her entire body so that only her frightened eyes and part of her mouth were showing. Apollo returned his gaze to me.
“And what do you consider the right thing to be?” I asked him calmly.
Goosebumps were starting to form on my naked flesh. I knew that I could conjure clothing in a mere second, but I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of thinking that he affected me or made me self-conscious. For good measure, I jutted my chin out arrogantly as I stood naked before him.
He threw his head back and laughed. “You’re a feisty one,” he observed. “No wonder Brennan is taken with you. I can see the attraction.”
In a flash, before I could even blink, he was standing behind me. Leaning in, he nuzzled the side of my neck. I held completely still, not breathing, not moving, not even thinking.
“I can certainly see the attraction,” he repeated. He smelled like the sun, like Brennan did. He looked enough like Brennan to be his twin brother. But that’s where the similarities ended.
Brennan still saw the world through young, fresh eyes. Brennan was able to see the good in everyone. His father looked at life through the jaded eyes of an Olympian who had lived for eons. He was studying me now as though I was something that he could dissect, something without thoughts or feelings. He was completely detached from emotion. It was terrifying.
He cocked his head.
“So you just figured me out, then?”
I met his gaze. “What do you mean?”
“You just came to the conclusion that my emotions left me long ago. I am hardened to the world. It’s quite alright, moon princess. I know that. And I prefer it this way. Emotions can sometimes cloud your vision while mine is crystal clear.”
He stepped away from me and I took a deep breath.
“And what do you see?” I asked him.
“I see a girl who is letting her emotions run away with her. They are forcing her to make poor choices. She could easily have it all, if she simply makes the right decision.”
“And what is that?” I asked. Although, I already had a good idea what he was going to say.
“Leave Brennan to me. Give me your word, sworn in blood, that you will never reunite with him and I will give up my arguments to Zeus that you should be sent to the Underworld or killed. I will stand firmly in your corner which means that nothing will stand in the way of having your curse lifted. All you have to do is leave Brennan alone. Forever.”
My heart constricted at the mere words.
“I can’t,” I breathed. Physical pain assailed me at the very thought. “We can’t be apart now. Not now that we’ve found each other. You don’t understand.”
“Don’t I?” Apollo cocked one perfectly sculpted golden eyebrow. “This was the very reason that Zeus created soul mates. We are distracted in trying to find them and once we do, they are all we think about. We bear no threat to him when we are distracted. You are playing right into his hands, princess.”
“I don’t care,” I told him in agitation. “I don’t wish to usurp his throne. That is not a concern that I have. I only wish to have my curse lifted. I want to live in peace with Brennan. That is all I want.”
“How sweet,” Apollo remarked drily. “I appreciate your loyalty to my son and I’m sure he does as well. But it isn’t necessary any longer. I’m here now. I’ll take it from here.”
“No,” I said firmly. “Brennan loves me as much as I love him. Why do you want him so much? You only just found out that he was yours.”
“So, you admit that he’s mine?” Apollo asked smoothly.
“I admit that he’s your son. Clearly there is no denying that. As far as now, no. He is not yours to keep. He is mine and I will fight until my dying breath for him.”
Determination filled me up and I stuck my chin out again. Apollo laughed. “You’re like a small wet kitten with your dander up, princess. You are no match for me. Surely you realize that. Just concede now and you’ll still get what you want the most: your curse lifted.”
I leveled my gaze at him. “You still don’t understand. That’s not what I want the most anymore. I want to be with Brennan. That will always trump everything.”
“And you would sacrifice everything for that?” Apollo was incredulous and then shrugged his shoul
ders. “That just illustrates my point, my dear, of how emotions cloud judgment.”
“My emotions enhance my judgment at times,” I told him. “Feeling strong emotions increases my determination and drive.”
Apollo nodded thoughtfully. “Good point. I will give you that. But that doesn’t negate the fact that emotions will always cloud your judgment in the end and prevent you from making a rational choice. You cannot argue that, princess.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” I answered. “But who says that rational is the best option?”
Apollo shook his head, a slight smile on his lips. “You speak in circles,” he said. “And I grow tired of it. There is no way you can win the game, do you realize that? You are growing weaker by the moment. It is apparent.”
I swallowed, because he was right. Everything within me grew weaker, my heart, my soul, my spirit. I needed a soul to feed me. I’d already known that for days now. Even as I clenched my fists in frustration, I could feel my fingers shaking. My weakness would soon overtake me if I didn’t feed. And there was no way I could face-off against Apollo in this condition.
“And therein lies the problem, doesn’t it?” Apollo observed politely, as he read my mind. “You must either feed on one of these healthy priestesses, these women who have taken you under their care and trusted you, or you will die. If you don’t feed your curse, you will not be able to finish the game. You’ll never have a life with my son. What a quandary.”
I gulped in air, trying to force it into my lungs so that I didn’t hyperventilate. He was impassive and calm because it didn’t affect him. But me… but me…. but me.
Even my thoughts were stuttering and my shoulders slumped limply. It affected me. I had never in my entire existence fed on a healthy mortal,