The chartreuse shirt sailed
across the room, landing near the To Be Donated pile. I was so done with it.
Just a few more shirts and I was done sorting and packing for college.
College!
In a few hours I’d be on my way to Chapel Hill and the University of North
Carolina. I’d given up fashion marketing and opted for Psychology- Abnormal
Psychology. Meg chose to stay in the city and go to the New York Film Academy.
Me, I needed space – and distance – from all the memories. For the past two
years I’d done nothing but trip over the Greek gods and drowned in their drama.
I
thought wistfully about Caz- Castor. As a demi god, there was always some
distant relative in the pantheon that had a grudge and was looking to put him
under some kind of curse. He’d said goodbye and that he’d see me in what
amounted to a century in human years. That was so not going to work for me.
Sighing, I resumed my packing. It was probably best to leave all things Greek
here.
“Where’s
my ski jacket?” I muttered.
And
there I was, wearing the latest slope must haves, lounging in an overstuffed chair near
a cozy fire. Golden, gem encrusted cup in my hand. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone
else’s manicured, long fingered, strong hand.
I
knew without looking it was him.
Delaying
the inevitable confrontation, I sipped the drink; mmmm, chocolate mint, of course my fave, and
without even glancing over I said, “Are you allowed to be here? Isn’t
Persephone waiting for you in a boudoir or something, wearing black leather, and ready to fight?”
“Cherie.”
His fingers pulled my free hand to his lips where he rubbed his teeth against
my knuckles.
I
tugged, but he refused to let go.
“You know that when
she’s in another realm, I can be here. I thought we might have some winter fun,
since I’m usually in Tartarus during your winter. I miss all the best skiing.”
I
rolled my eyes and couldn’t stop from looking at him. He smirked and with that
slightly crooked smile that had been known to conquer all female
resistance—except mine and Meg’s, I snorted.
“You
have to power to make perfect ski conditions anywhere, even Hawaii if you
wanted,” I retorted, “so just return me back to my room. I have to finish
packing for school.”
He
pouted a bit, then frowned. “I don’t understand why you bother with the whole”
and he waved his hand tiredly, “school thing. I can give you all the knowledge
in the world.” He snapped his fingers, and suddenly, I. KNEW. EVERYTHING.
I
could solve global warming. Ok, that was cool, Meg would be thrilled. It's one of the things she worries about.
Finally
I knew how to fix my computer glitches. Wow, that was handy. No more desperate calls to every geek I know at 2 a.m.
I
could tell Stephen Hawking where he was wrong. I would be a media darling.
Euclidean
Geometry actually hurt my brain. And when would I ever use that?
All
that knowledge was too much for my mortal brain stem. “It hurts!” I grabbed my
head and moaned. A migraine would have given me relief.
He
snapped again and the knowledge was gone. Relief! He leaned forward, peering at me, his
sparkling green eyes gazing deeply into mine, a stray auburn lock falling into
his eyes making him look way too irresistible. “I can kiss it and make it
better,” he breathed.
Evil
dude- most certainly, but holy Helen-of-Troy he was hot.
That’s how he gets his victims, he charms
and seduces them. Have some backbone! Meg’s not here to pull your butt out of
the Greek fire!
Taking
a slow, deep breath and clasping my hands together, I replied, “No, I’m good,
but you can give me a genealogy chart so I can keep your family straight. That
would help a lot when one pops up and I don’t know whether to beg for mercy or
offer them a cookie. Or, you could just tell me where I’ll be working in six
years when I’m done with school so I can plan my wardrobe accordingly.”
He
huffed and stood up, stretching all glorious 6’4” of him. “Don’t worry about
the family, they have more interesting things to do than keep track of your
whereabouts.”
Ouch!
Forgotten already! I didn't remind him that it never stopped Persephone and Demeter and a few others
from sticking their immortal noses into my earthly business.
He
leaned against the mantle. “And I can’t tell you the future. The three fates
get rather pissy and change everything just
to prove how powerful they are, and for messing up their ‘vision.’ A daisy gets
stepped on and poof! All life could be wiped out by a meteor. They’re bitchy
enough to wait until a new humanity rises out of the slime.” He crossed his
arms over his chest, his toned abs and pecs lovingly gloved in his Under Armor.
It’s
enough to make a girl’s mouth water- unless she knows him for the scheming,
lying snake he is.
“So
what’s the big deal with the whole college thing? I can give you whatever
knowledge you need.” He waggled his eyebrows. “Or teach you myself... There are
many delights...”
Regretfully,
I put down the hot chocolate and stood so I could look him almost in the eye.
“Hades,
some things have to be experienced. Everything
I’ve read about you doesn’t come close to what you’re like in the flesh. At college I get to meet
people from so many different places, different cultures. I get to be on my
own, and try to balance school and responsibilities and time. I can't get that staying comfy at home.”
“You
did all that last year and the previous one,” he huffed, “when you had your
scholarship to that alternative high school, worked for me, and still managed
to ace your classes. Even when I whisked you off to Tartarus, as my guest, you
managed everything.”
I
wrinkled my nose. “You mean as your captive.”
“Guest,
captive, very good friend, whatever
title suits you.”
I
took a step back. “Not that good a
friend. Anyway, it’s all about living my
life, on my own terms. Learning to make good decisions, living with the consequences of bad ones. Where’s the fun in suddenly knowing everything, but
never having experienced it?”
He
tilted his head. “Maybe I should experience some of this college.”
I
practically jumped up and down. “Oh, you’ll love the University of Alaska!
Skiing, snowshoeing, the Iditarod. Just leave Cerberus at home, he doesn’t play
well with other doggies.” The three-headed guardian of Tartarus was a big wuss- unless another dog came near.
Hades looked puzzled. “But I thought you were going to the University of North
Carolina.”
I
narrowed my eyes. “I am. If you want
the complete college experience, you have to go where you don’t know anyone.
And no using your super powers. Learn the old fashioned, mortal way; read,
study, write a paper.”
His
brows dropped down, hooding his eyes. “I see. You don’t want me going with you.”
I
held up a finger, counting. “Let’s see: psychotic wife.” Up went another finger. “Insane mother-in-law.” Third finger
rose. “You use your powers to get anything you want.” Another finger stood.
“You’ll ruin any chances of me getting a date while you,” and I glared at him,
“romance” your way through the
student and academic body.” Finally, the thumb. “And who knows what will happen
to the fate of mankind if your other wacky relatives drop in. Remember the
havoc all of you created in NYC?” Poor Meg was branded a lunatic, mumbling to
store windows when it was a communication portal so we could talk while I was
in Tartarus. Some people still remembered that.
He
shrugged. “Yes, well I guess Persephone and some others might misunderstand that I was simply
indulging my curiosity.”
He’d be indulging all right, and not in the
academics.
He
waved a languid hand and I was back in my room, amidst the chaos of heaped
clothes and new bedding to be packed.
On
the bed was a box, beautifully gift wrapped in gold, with a tag that read, “Sharisse,
no tricks, I promise. L, H.”
Should
I believe him, and open it, or go by past experience?
Don't know the whole story? Catch up- first with
Then with
And tell Sharisse if she should open the box...
And if you're going back to school, have a great year and much success!
And if you're going back to school, have a great year and much success!
Char
