Zeus (Book One of The God Chronicles) Read online

  I should have gone back to Zeus, I knew that. We needed to talk, but he’d seemed so upset and said he couldn’t talk about it. Maybe if I let him come to me, we could make things right again. All I knew was I didn’t want our relationship to be over. Hopefully, he felt the same way.

  All too soon, the cab pulled into my complex, and I slowly got out, thanking the driver as I paid him. Lost in my own bubble of tumultuous thoughts, I ascended the stairs and headed in the direction of my door.

  “Zeus?”

  Sitting with his back rested against the door, knees up, head in his hands, he looked up when I said his name.

  “Karly!” He jumped to his feet and closed the distance between us in a few steps, pulling me into a crushing embrace when he reached me.

  “I’m so sorry,” he murmured into my hair. “I should have told you. I should have talked to you about it right then. I don’t know what came over me. I tried to catch you before you left, but I didn’t know where you’d gone. I knew you’d be coming back here.” His voice was soft, but fast—like he was worried I would cut him off. He pulled back to look at me, his eyes searching mine. I’d never seen him so sad and hurt before.

  “Please say you’ll forgive me,” he whispered.

  “Of course I do,” I laughed sheepishly. “We just need to talk about this, that’s all. You said you wanted to be alone so I left.”

  “I was stupid, I know,” he said humbly.

  “Not as stupid as that woman,” I grumbled. “Let’s go inside.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Relief filled me as we sat on the couch. It was good to know that—so far—our relationship was going to be okay.

  “That stuff she said, Karly,” he began.

  “It’s alright, Zeus,” I sighed. “You were with other girls before me. I already knew that.”

  “No, it’s not.” Anger passed over his face. “The things she called you . . . You never should have had to listen to it.”

  “You should have heard what she told me downstairs.”

  “What? She cornered you downstairs too?”

  “Not really. She just showed up and started talking to me—told me her name was Hera. Can you believe that? I think she was trying to mess with me. Anyway, she pretty much tried to convince me she was the perfect wife and all you ever did was cheat on her until you left. I didn’t believe her, though.”

  “Great.” He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry I have to tell you everything this way. I should have done it in the beginning.”

  “You’re telling me now, and that’s what counts.” I slid my hand into his and squeezed, giving him a reassuring smile.

  “She wasn’t the perfect wife,” he said, dropping his gaze to the ground. “She was hardly a wife at all. But what she said about me was true. I did nothing but cheat on her. I don’t even know how many girls there were.” He grimaced and held onto my hand tighter, like he was afraid I was going to run away. “I’ve never cheated on you, though.” He looked up from the piece of carpet he’d been riveted on. “This is the longest I’ve ever gone without sleeping with someone. I don’t want to be with anyone else. I did leave her, but she was in no way innocent. I know it was wrong to cheat on her, but she would do horrible things to the women I’d been with. I tried to let it pass because I felt guilty, like she deserved to be mean to them because I was so awful. She claimed I had ruined her life so she was going to ruin mine. I finally realized she was crazy, and I needed to get out. I called it quits.”

  “I understand,” I said softly. They had both been in the wrong, and it ended their marriage. Zeus was evidently the only one who’d let it go and moved on, though. While this new information made me nervous about any future we could have, I also knew what a trial it must have been for him to share this with me. I’d never heard of a man confessing his greatest faults and mistakes to a woman he only wanted to sleep with—not in real life anyway. He’d also never pushed me, and I appreciated that. If offering my understanding in this situation was what it took to show him how much I appreciated that, then I would do it.

  “So now she’s working with your uncle?”

  “It looks that way. She would have gone to him for revenge, that’s the kind of person she is.” He released my hand and put his arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer.

  “Do you have any other secrets I need to know?” I asked quietly, dreading all the possible answers he could give me. If we were going to be confessing things it would be better to get everything out now.

  Zeus opened his mouth and then closed it again, unsure of what to say. He seemed to be having a battle within himself as he tried to decide if he had anything to confess.

  “No,” he finally breathed out.

  “Are you sure? It looked like you had something else to say,” I probed. I believed what he told me before, but I was sure there was something else he was keeping from me.

  “I’m sure,” he sighed. “Except I do have one more secret I just remembered.” He smiled wide, eyes shining.

  “What’s that?” I asked, a little shocked over his sudden mood change.

  “I went back to the costume shop and bought the bunny costume for you.” His grin turned wolfish and lustful as I slapped him on the arm.

  “I’m not wearing that!”

  Halloween fell on a Sunday. It felt like everyone in the city was at Tartarus for the costume party. Zeus had really outdone himself. The transformation of the entire resort into a carnival paradise was incredible. There were stands selling funnel cake and cotton candy that smelled like heaven, people shouting at stalls housing impossible-to-win games, face painters transforming people right before our eyes, costume rentals, anything you could think of at a fair. A blanket of twinkling lights covered the ceilings while multi-colored banners hung on the walls declaring everyone should “Celebrate”.

  The casino was the only exception to the exuberant decorations. True to his word, Zeus had made sure it resembled the underworld. Mount Olympus became a giant mountain of bones, some of them whole skeletons reaching out, as if begging for release. Fiery banners danced on the wall, shimmering. Dark drapes lined the roof, giving the whole place a feeling of gloom.

  Zeus had explained that in Greece, Apokries wasn’t a holiday meant to scare people. It was more like Mardi Gras. Being in Vegas, though, he’d added the creepy element in the casino to make it feel more like Halloween. I liked the extra touch, even if the skeletons did freak me out a little.

  We entered the conference center where the party was getting underway. It was decorated like the rest of the resort, games and all. The only exceptions were a huge dessert table covered in every sweet imaginable, and a live band everyone in the room was dancing to.

  Zeus’s costume was going over gangbusters, just like I knew it would. He had completed the white robe and sandals with Styrofoam lightning bolts he pretended to throw at people. Every now and then, I would pretend to cast a spell to stop him from tossing them around, but only for him. I was too embarrassed to do it in front of everyone.

  I’d invited Jessie, Jenny, and Julie to come, feeling bad I hadn’t spent much time with them. When they showed up as the Fates, dressed in long black robes, I almost died from laughing. It was a perfect fit for them, and it went well with the resort’s main theme.

  About halfway through the party, Zeus and I left to be in the last parade of the season. There had been several others throughout the week, but this one was the biggest of the celebration and wound through the ground floor, wrapping around the outside of the hotel and ending in the back lot. There were many families there, and I had a great time throwing out candy. Our float was the very last and largest of the show. We waved at people from a large, cloud covered Mount Olympus. Zeus played his role as King of the Gods very well, and I had so much fun that before I knew it, it was over. We reached the disbanding area and Zeus and I decided to skip out on the rest of the party for a late dinner at his place.

  “It was f
antastic,” I said, setting the table while he heated up some leftovers.

  “I’m really happy with how it turned out,” he said. “I think we got a lot of new customers out of it too.”

  “Oh yeah,” I grinned. “I always forget you make money off this stuff.”

  “That’s because my girlfriend gets in for free,” he said, setting the pizza on the table. He grabbed my waist, pulled my back up against him, and kissed my neck. “You look absolutely bewitching tonight,” he laughed.

  “You’ve got to stop with the puns,” I said, pulling my pointed hat off.

  “No way—you like them. I can tell.” He kissed me again and ran one hand along my skirt, onto my stripped stockings. Suddenly, he spun me around and crushed his mouth to mine. I savored everything about him—the musky way he smelled, the feel of his mouth on mine, and how he tasted like cookies from the party. I rested my hands on his chest and melted into his embrace.

  “Do you trust me?” he whispered softly.

  “Uh-huh,” I mumbled.

  Very carefully, he slid the fabric off one of my shoulders, his lips softly caressing the skin there and then gently nipping with his teeth. My knees were starting to give out when the phone rang. We both murmured complaints as he released me to answer it.

  “Hello?” he growled. “You did? Where?” His tone changed suddenly, and excitement covered his face. It fell when whoever was on the phone answered his questions. “I see. Thank you for telling me right away. I’ll plan a couple meetings and let you know.” He clicked the phone off and put it back on the receiver. Sighing, he turned to the window.

  “What’s the matter?” I asked, coming up behind him. I placed a gentle kiss on his shoulder blade and wrapped my arms around his waist, resting my head on his back.

  “They found Niki.” Something was wrong, he wasn’t as happy as he should be.

  “Is she okay?”

  “We don’t know. She’s with Kronos.” He continued to gaze out the window, his voice soft.

  “Is there anything anyone can do about it? The police?” My heart beat faster. I hoped I would never meet the man causing so much strife.

  “I’m working on it. I’ll have a couple meetings and see what we can come up with. It’s all that can be done now.”

  “Alright.” I stood with him for a while longer, worried over his silence. Finally, feeling he needed to be alone, I spoke up again.

  “I’m going to go home. I’m tired,” I lied. “I can take a cab so you don’t have to leave.”

  “No it’s fine,” he said, turning around as I released him. “I can drive you home. It’ll help clear my head.”

  “If you’re sure,” I said hesitantly.

  “I’m sure.”

  “Thank you,” I said softly, grabbing my hat and taking his hand.

  Only the sound of tires on pavement accompanied us on our drive. I was worried about him, but I knew there was nothing I could do to help, and I hated it.

  “I’ll call you when I know more,” he said when I got out of the car.

  “Let me know if you need anything, okay?” I hated to leave him with this weight on his shoulders. It was better to let him sort it out, though. If he needed help he would call, I was sure of it.

  “I’ll call,” he said again.

  He waited for me to enter the apartment before driving away.

  Chapter Fifteen

  School would be finishing soon with the semester ending shortly after Thanksgiving. While I waited for Zeus to call, I dove into my work. I had a couple of essays to write, plus the art show to get ready for. I’d finished my painting weeks ago and submitted it for review. I was really pleased with how it turned out, especially with Zeus and Jessie’s suggestion to add lightning to it. I loved the way it lit up the mountains and contrasted the dry desert sand in the foreground.

  I was excited when I found out my work had been accepted and called home to tell my parents. I also told them I was bringing someone home for Thanksgiving. They couldn’t stop asking questions about him. In the end, I told them they would just have to get to know him while he was there.

  Zeus was always in meetings, some having to do with the casino, some to do with Niki. I was worried about him. I didn’t understand why the police weren’t doing anything about the whole situation.

  The first day, I only received one text.

  Nothing yet. Z.

  After that, we fell into a pattern of messages, about three a day.

  Any news yet? Karly

  Nope nothing. Z.

  Okay, let me know  Karly

  After a week and a half of text messages, he finally showed up at my door. I was shocked at his appearance. He hadn’t shaved in a couple of days and there were slight bags under his eyes, suggesting he hadn’t been sleeping well. His suit was a little rumpled, probably from sitting through meetings all day.

  “Are you okay?” I asked in shock.

  “I’m really tired, that’s all. It’s been a long day . . . week.”

  I stepped aside and let him in. Letting out a long sigh, he drug his feet across the threshold, shoulders slumped, a defeat mirrored in his eyes. He practically fell onto the couch and let out a deep sigh, laying on his back.

  “Is there any news?” I asked tentatively.

  “Not really.” He sounded defeated. “I’ve been trying to figure out the safest way to get Niki back, but nothing’s working out. Even if I give up Tartarus, I don’t think he’ll release her.”

  “And the cops can’t do anything?” I was starting to doubt he’d even called them.

  “They don’t know where he is, only that she’s with him,” he said, exasperatedly. “My family is the best option for help, and I can’t talk to any of them unless they contact me first.”

  “Why not?” I asked in surprise.

  “We aren’t on the best of terms.” He frowned as he said it, the exhaustion growing in his eyes.

  “What happened?”

  “It’s not a big deal, just a disagreement about my marriage. At least that’s what it was for me. Apparently it was a much bigger deal to everyone else.”

  I wanted to press him further, but I could tell he wasn’t going to say much more on the matter.

  “I don’t know what to do!” He suddenly burst out. “Niki was my good luck charm, my best friend. Whenever she was around I couldn’t make a wrong decision. I could talk things through with her, and she would understand completely. The best part was there was never any attraction between us. She was like one of the boys. Now she’s been taken and it’s all my fault. If she hadn’t been coming to see me, she’d probably be home right now, absolutely fine.”

  “It’s not your fault,” I said softly, moving from the door and sitting on the floor next to the couch. I placed a hand on his arm. “Your uncle is the one doing all of this. None of it’s your fault.”

  “It’s entirely my fault,” he said mournfully.

  “Why don’t we talk about something else?” I’d never seen him act like this before and it scared me. The situation was really messing with him—getting into his head—and I didn’t know how to help.

  “Thanksgiving is next week,” I added, trying to be cheerful. “We’re going to get away from all of this for a little while and have some fun, okay?”

  “You have no idea how wonderful that sounds,” he breathed. “I can’t wait.”

  “Me neither.” I smiled and stood up. “I think ice cream is in order. Wanna watch some more Hercules?”

  “Sure,” he laughed weakly, sitting up. “I’ll welcome any distractions right now.”

  “Well, we need to plan our trip, if you want to do that too.” I walked into the kitchen by myself, leaving him to set up the television.

  “Great, let’s get it done,” he said with mock enthusiasm.

  “I already called and told them you were coming,” I laughed as I pulled the carton from the freezer.

  “How’d it go?” His face was brightening a little, which was good
.

  “As well as I hoped for, I guess. They had a lot of questions, but I told them to chill out.”

  “So you’re going to make me suffer the interrogation alone.” I loved how he didn’t phrase it as a question.

  “You got it,” I said, winking. “They’ll be much more polite to you—I hope.”

  “You hope? That’s comforting. It makes me overcome with joy to meet them,” he laughed, standing up.

  “I’m sure they’ll love you once they get to know you,” I said, dishing our treats.

  “Ouch. I didn’t know I was one of those people.” He pulled out the disc we were on and put it in the player.

  “One of what people?”

  “One of the ‘once you get to know them’ people. You know, the kind everyone hates but they get over it eventually.” He raised his eyebrows and folded his arms.

  “Stop making fun of me,” I laughed, bringing the ice cream to the couch. “You know what I meant!”

  “Did you mean I’m so fantastic you can’t find the words to describe me?”

  “Something like that.” I handed him his bowl and we sat down together.

  “Good, because I have no idea what else you could have meant.” He took a big bite and smiled wolfishly.

  “Dork!” I laughed and kissed his cheek, happy at the mood change. I was still uneasy over everything he was going through. It was like everything my parents had warned me about—kidnapping, blackmail, pretty much everything—was actually happening in his life, and mine by extension.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Come on Eileen . . . sing with me, Karly!”

  We were on the way to my parent’s house, and Zeus had been singing the whole time. He had downloaded at least six hours worth of road trip music and insisted on doing his best impressions of each singer—which wasn’t saying much since every time he opened his mouth he sounded like a dying cat. Among the songs already played were 500 Miles and Route 66. I had gladly blared the music, trying to drown out his screeching, but I didn’t know how much more I could take.