and I gasped. There was nothing left of the brave female warrior except blackened ash.
“Good heavens. I’m sorry, sister.”
She nodded. “This game has lost its appeal, Harmonia.”
“Agreed. I believe I bit off more than I could chew.”
“Ladies, we’ll be fine,” Cadmus assured us calmly. As he spoke, he drew his sword from the sheath at his side. “Harmonia, do not go near that beast again.”
“I didn’t exactly have a choice!” I snapped. “It found me, I didn’t—“
“Either way,” Cadmus interrupted smoothly. “Stay out of harm’s way. Stay here with your sister. I have an idea.”
“You’re not doing anything without me,” Ortrera announced, pulling an arrow from her quiver. “I have a score to settle with this beast.”
“No.” Cadmus leveled a dark gaze at her. “I need you to stay with Harmonia and keep her safe for a moment. Please.”
Ortrera glanced at me and then sighed. “Fine.”
“I’ll be back in a moment.”
Cadmus crept stealthily around the rocks, keeping an eye out for the dragon. I couldn’t see the beast anymore, which caused the hair to rise on my neck. The dragon could appear at any moment and we would meet the same end as Ortrera’s warrior.
I gulped.
Cadmus crept up on the rocks and looked around, pausing for a moment to gain his bearings and then continued to scale the wall of stone. As soon as his back was turned, Ortrera grabbed her bow and leaped onto the rocks after him. I pulled at her arm in alarm.
“No! You need to wait here. You could put him into danger!”
I didn’t realize that my voice was so loud until it echoed on the rocks around us. Ortrera clamped her hand over my mouth, but it was too late. I felt the ground rumble as the dragon moved and then I saw the spines of his scales emerge over the rock wall. My stomach sunk like a lead weight. My words had brought the beast straight to us.
Cadmus spun and when he saw where the dragon was at in relation to us, his jaw clenched. He looked this way and that, trying to think of a way to help and then suddenly, he froze. He pulled his sword and in a flash, he had wedged it into the rocks of the wall beneath him, putting all of his weight on the handle.
What in the world was he doing?
And then the rocks began to break away and tumble down.
The large boulders rolled to the ground, filling the open walkway that would have allowed the dragon to get to me. Cadmus had prevented the dragon from reaching me. But in the process, the rocks that he had been balanced on so precariously had crashed down onto the ground, and Cadmus had gone with them. He was trapped with the dragon.
Chapter Seven
I shrieked and leaped to my feet, clawing at the jagged rocks.
Ortrera pulled at my hands.
“Stop it, Harmonia. You’re going to hurt yourself. We’ll get to him.”
She wasn’t moving fast enough and I grabbed her arm.
“Ortrera, you don’t understand. I have to save him. I have to. He…I…”
“This is the first time I’ve seen you speechless.” His voice came from above us.
Cadmus.
I gasped and looked up. He was perched on the top of the rock ledge, balanced carefully amid the newly piled rocks.
“I thought you fell in with the dragon!” I cried. “I thought you were going to die.”
He gave me a droll look as he began carefully climbing down toward us.
“You thought a dragon would kill me? Trust me, when I die, it will not be from a dragon.”
He scaled the remaining stones quickly and then leaped the rest of the way to the ground, standing in front of me.
“I’m sorry,” he told me seriously. “I interrupted what you were saying before. You have to save me because…why?”
His arrogance knew no bounds and my cheeks exploded into color.
“You know why,” I muttered.
“No, I don’t,” he argued. “I really don’t.”
As I was trying to decide what to say, Ortrera rolled her eyes in disgust.
“There’s no time to talk about it now. These rocks won’t contain the beast long. We should get back to the palace and bring father here. We can capture it after all.”
“Cadmus already captured it,” I pointed out. “And he saved our lives.”
Ortrera rolled her eyes again. “I don’t need anyone to save me,” she snapped. “I would have been just fine on my own.”
“But you weren’t on your own,” I answered. “Cadmus saved us so that you didn’t have to.”
I turned to him. “Thank you. I’m sorry my sister isn’t being very gracious. She’s not accustomed to being saved. But I’m grateful. Very, very grateful. Thank you for saving us.”
Cadmus smiled, a beatific smile that weakened my knees. “You’re most welcome,” he answered regally. “Anytime.”
I was taken aback by his incredible beauty and grace. Even though he was a man, he just seemed too beautiful to simply call him ‘handsome’. Ortrera rolled her eyes again, both at his words and at my thoughts, and I found myself wishing again that she’d be a little more polite. She shook her head at my thought.
“You’re polite enough for the both of us,” she told me as she strapped her knapsack onto her back. “I’m going back to the palace. Are you coming?”
“Of course,” I answered. “Cadmus?”
“I’m right behind you,” he replied.
We walked in silence for miles. Ortrera stormed ahead, anxious to report back to father. She moved so quickly that we lost sight of her after a few moments. Cadmus lagged behind with me. I buried myself in my thoughts, anxious to sort out my confusing emotions. It was still amazing to me how many strong emotions had passed through my heart over the past few weeks. It was almost disorienting.
After a couple of hours, Cadmus spoke.
“Are you angry?” he asked carefully, his eyes on the horizon.
I turned to him in surprise.
“Of course not. What would I be angry about?”
He looked at me. “Well, we weren’t able to bring back the dragon, so I thought you might be disappointed.”
I shook my head. “Of course not. You contained it so that we can go back and get it. And you saved my life- and that of my sister. My father is going to be very happy with you. As am I.”
We were silent for a few more minutes as Cadmus digested that.
“So why are you so quiet?” he finally asked. “In my experience, it is not good for a woman to remain so silent. It never ends well.”
“Oh, no?” I laughed. “In your vast experience with women?”
He laughed too. “Yes. In my vast experience with women.”
“I’m fine. I’m just trying to guess what my father will do. Will he free you early? Isn’t that an interesting thought? It is possible that you will be a free man as soon as we reach the palace.”
Cadmus shook his head.
“I won’t ask for that. I killed his dragon. I received my sentence and I will carry it out. It is only six months more. And I am able to be on Olympus with you. That is certainly not a punishment.”
He stopped walking and turned to me, a strange expression on his face.
“Harmonia, today, when I saw that dragon hovering over you…and then again when it was going after you and your sister…I’ve never been so afraid in my life. You looked so small and vulnerable and all I could think of was that I was going to be too late, that I wouldn’t be able to protect you.”
“But I’m a goddess. You’re a mortal,” I pointed out. “I don’t usually need your protection.”
He nodded slowly. “Perhaps. But there in that clearing, your father took your abilities away for the game. You had no defenses against that beast. You only had me. And I was almost too late. I was as scared as I’ve ever been.”
Butterflies started churning in my stomach.
“You were scared because of me?”
&nb
sp; I stared up at this soldier. He was so strong, so assured, that I couldn’t imagine he’d ever been scared a day in his life, but he nodded in confirmation.
“I was scared today. Don’t do that again.”
He lowered his head to mine and kissed me as soundly as I’d ever been kissed. Light exploded behind my eyelids like stars and I gasped for breath when he pulled away.
“Do you love me now?” I asked jokingly, although secretly I was waiting for his answer.
“I’m getting there,” he replied with a small smile. I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Getting there?”
He nodded.
“Getting there.”
* * *
“So, you mean to tell me that you not only came back empty-handed, without the dragon, but you almost got two of my daughters killed?” Ares’ voice boomed throughout the courtyard.
We had walked for hours, arriving at the palace just before midnight, bedraggled and dirty. We stood slumped before Ares now, bone-tired.
I interrupted Ares’ tirade.
“Don’t you mean… he captured and contained the dragon so that you could go pick it up and in the process, he saved the lives of two of your daughters?” I demanded. “You should be grateful, father.”
Ares stared at me, his gaze dark and thunderous. “Don’t push it, Harmonia.”
But he turned back to Cadmus. “My daughter makes an excellent point. You have gone against the odds. And you have brought two of my most valued treasures back to me unharmed. For that, I am grateful and in your debt. How would you ask that I repay you?”
Cadmus stood proudly, straight and tall, in front of my father.
“I do not ask for anything in repayment, nothing as a gift,” he answered. “But soon, very soon, after I have served my time in your home, I will come to you again, to ask for your daughter’ s hand. I hope that you will consider it.”
“You struck a fancy to Ortrera?” Ares asked, his eyes glittering with his own humor. My sister rolled her eyes.
“Not hardly,” she muttered.
Cadmus smiled at her. “While Ortrera is brave and beautiful, it is Harmonia who haunts my dreams. I would be honored to have her for my wife.”
I sucked in my breath. His wife. I would be bound to him for eternity…if my father granted his request.
Ares eyed Cadmus and then looked to me.
“I will think on it,” he replied, before spinning on his heel and walking away.
I thought my legs would collapse from the sheer emotional toll that the day had taken and Cadmus must have sensed as much. With a strong hand, he grasped my elbow as he walked me to the palace doors.
“Thank you for the adventure,” he told me, his eyes twinkling warmly. “I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”
I laughed.
“No, I guess you wouldn’t have. Dragons are your thing, right?”
He laughed with me and nodded. “Yes. Dragons and beautiful women. I guess I have a weakness.”
“A weakness for all beautiful women?” I asked, feigning shock.
“Nope,” he answered. “Just one.”
He leaned down and kissed me softly, his lips warm and yielding against my own. I knew that I would gladly kiss him every day for the rest of eternity. His strong hands slid up my back and I pulled him to me, trying to get closer. He laughed against my mouth and pulled away.
“You’re going to be the death of me,” he said, shaking his head. “Good night, little one. Have sweet dreams about me.”
I smiled at his arrogance. I couldn’t lie. I liked it.
“Have sweet dreams about me,” I answered.
“Oh, don’t worry. You live in my dreams every night. You would be surprised at your behavior.”
I swatted at his arm and laughed. “Good night, prince of Phoenicia. Thank you for saving my life.”
“You’re welcome, Harmonia.”
He turned and walked away and I stood still, watching him leave. I inhaled the sweet fragrance of the lotus blossoms and enjoyed the cool night air on my skin. Suddenly, everything seemed more vibrant than it had before. The colors seemed brighter and more beautiful, the scents around me seemed more fragrant. I puzzled on that for a second.
“It’s because you’re in love,” my mother’s soft voice came from behind me, answering my unspoken question. “Everything seems more vibrant because you love him. That’s what love does.”
I exhaled a blissful sigh and turned to face her.
“I love him?”
She laughed her feminine laugh.
“You do. Can you not feel it?”
“I feel everything,” I answered. “I feel so wonderful. Like I could dance on the air and stay awake for hours, just thinking about him. That’s love?”
Mother laughed again. “That’s love. Why do you think it’s so intoxicating? Men would move mountains for it… and crumble them, too. You must be careful, sweet one. Love is a dangerous thing. I should know.”
“What I feel for Cadmus could never be dangerous,” I told her confidently. “It’s honest and true.”
“I have no doubt,” she agreed. “Honest and true, just as you are. Just be careful, Harmonia. Love can change. And it can change people.”
“My love won’t,” I answered firmly. “I know that it won’t. Do you think father will grant Cadmus’ request?”
Aphrodite looked at the horizon as she thought, her silver eyes narrowed. “I know not,” she finally answered. “But I know that he respects Cadmus in his own way and I know that he wants you to be happy. Let us just see how the next six months unfold, shall we?”
She linked her arm with mine and we made our way back into the castle. I didn’t dance on air that night, but I certainly laid awake for hours thinking of Cadmus’ beautiful smile.
Chapter Eight
Six Months Later
My eyes popped open to find sunlight pouring into my bedchambers. The night had passed and it was finally today.
The day that Cadmus was released.
My feet barely hit the floor before I was running in a blur toward my doors. I was down the hall, across the courtyard and through the servant’s quarters before I even realized that I was still in my night dress.
I burst into Cadmus’ bedchamber and found him still abed.
“You’re free,” I announced, moving straight to his side. “Cadmus, you’re free today.”
He opened one eye.
“Good morning, little one.”
I stared at him in consternation. “Why aren’t you more excited? You’re free, Cadmus. You are no longer my father’s slave. You are free to be with me.”
“Only if your father decrees it,” he reminded me. “If he doesn’t…”
“If he doesn’t, I will go with you anyway,” I told him defiantly. “I am a grown woman. I do not require my father’s blessing.”
“But I do,” Cadmus answered softly. “I would not feel right without it.”
“You would walk away from me if he says no?” I asked incredulously.