Mayhem: Goddesses Of Delphi Part 10

Pale, rose-colored light from Polly's aura filled Nia's vision, mingling with her own sky-colored aura, becoming a light lavender haze within the shop. Cobalt from Ken's aura tinted the edges of the mist. Polly's inspirational force ballooned in Nia's chest. Nia broadened the scope of their mingled power by imagining a funnel with the narrow end situated in the middle of her forehead.

Casting her glance around the room, Nia mumbled a nudge toward the occupants. "You should be drinking your coffee and talking." She released the image of positive force flowing from her forehead and disseminated it over the mortals in the room.

The noise level immediately returned to what she'd expect in a busy coffee house mid-morning. A few individuals remained focused on the trio by the window, and Nia blasted them with direct thoughts to go about their business. Confusion poured over the last few faces, eyes blinking rapidly, and heads swiveling, as if checking to see where they were.

Ken dropped his hands to his hips. "Well done."

When the last of the patrons returned to their seats and their conversations, Nia tugged Polly toward the exit. "We've got to get out there and settle the market crowd before chaos erupts."

They burst through the door into an abnormally still world. The birds sitting atop the statue of Aphrodite didn't emit a single chirp. Even the tree leaves trembling in the summer breeze were eerily silent.

"You want to explain what's going on here?" Ken prodded when he fell into place with the sisters. His dark blond brows were drawn together in a tight line on his forehead. His clever green eyes flashed intensely in the slanting morning sunlight.

"I'm not sure. There's definitely something more than just the failing gravity of the moon at play here. It has to be Pierus." Her words sounded oddly loud, as if she'd uttered them in a vacuum. "I'll get started. Polly, call the other girls and get them here. There's too much area and too many people for just you and I. We'll need reinforcements. Tell them to come in cloaked."

Polly nodded and took a step away to send out a telepathic SOS. Ken laid his hand on Nia's shoulder again, and she felt a surge of energy at the point of contact. Nia waited a second for the sharp, supernatural thump of Polly's alert to quit banging around her brain. The instant the reverberation eased, Nia focused her thoughts on the farmer's market.

Heat flared in her chest as Ken pushed energy through his hand into her. Creating a mental image of a siphon, Nia drew more of Ken's life force into her body, stopping short of draining his strength to empty. Then she aimed their combined vitality at the uneasy crowd before them.

She started at the left, and swept her gaze to the right, diffusing a message of calm to the mortals mingling between the stalls and booths. She felt a curious drain on her own energy as she continued to send the message. Her shoulders slumped forward and she locked her knees to keep from falling.

"Polly! Help me!"

"They'll be here soon." Polly laid her hand at the base of Nia's neck.

The instant Polly's power joined with Nia's, energy billowed within her. Pressure built within her chest as one by one, her other sisters appeared, cloaked in multicolored mists. As each sister arrived, another hand was laid on Nia's body, channeling power through her. Under the conjoined strength of the ten of them together, she straightened. Sweeping her gaze from side to side, Nia trumpeted a message of peace and calm.

The entire effort took less than a minute, but felt like a lifetime to Nia. Once the crowded market returned to normal, Nia crashed to her knees, drained and spent. Her head throbbed again as a message from Zeus arrived. They were all to report to Olympus immediately.

"Someone is going to have to help me." Nia's voice came out shaky and weak. She cleared her throat and dug within for the vigor to journey to the corporate office. "I don't think I can manage the Hollow by myself."

Strong arms wrapped around her shoulders, urging her upright. Ken steadied her on her feet. "I've got you."

The sunlight behind him created a halo in his dark blond curls. Nia gave him a limp smile. "Don't know why, but I pictured you with dark hair. And not quite so muscular."

"Sorry. Partisans only come in shades of blond. Has something to do with our Norse origins."

Summoning words required more energy than she dared expend at the moment. She simply nodded. Around her, the mists of the Muses' presence dissipated, one, by one, until just Ken and Polly were left.

"Ready to go?" Ken narrowed his eyes as he examined her face. "Polly, we might need a little illusion here. I don't think Nia is up to the task of managing a screen and the transport. Can you cloak us?"

Polly stepped closer to place her hand between Nia's shoulders, then touched her other hand to Ken's arm. Warmth and pressure wrapped around Nia as Polly created a mask to keep their sudden disappearance a secret from the pedestrians around them. As Polly projected the illusion of vacant s.p.a.ce where they stood, the crowd went about their business, talking, laughing, and bartering.

A vacuum built around the three of them as they moved into the Hollow. Their bodies lost substance and converted to straight light and energy. Vibrant rose glowed in the center of Polly's aura, while orange, a color that complemented Nia's own aura, burned in the center of the bright cobalt glow of Ken's body. The rush of their life forces pumped like blood through arteries-a steady, thumping rhythm.

Nia glanced down at her void form and realized the pinpoints of white light that typically dotted her aura were significantly dulled and pulsed weakly. The battle to calm the crowd in the market had depleted her more than she'd realized.

The Olympus boardroom solidified as they reached their destination in the void. She hovered above the ground for an instant. Her feet crashed to the floor, and her back teeth clacked together painfully as she made a less-than-graceful landing. Except for the heat in her cheeks over the abrupt nature of her arrival, her body frosted, as if she'd spent ten minutes in a meat locker without a coat.

Teeth chattering, she stumbled forward to brace her hands on the gigantic conference table and lowered her forehead to the surface. Ken positioned a chair behind her and urged her into it while Polly rubbed her hands along Nia's arms. The friction and gentle heat from Polly's movement made inroads to the frigidity that had claimed Nia after she'd expended a huge amount of her energy in the market. Pinp.r.i.c.ks of power and heat speared her body as each of her sisters infused her with portions of their power.

Across the table from her, Zeus and Mars whispered together. Zeus pinned her with a concerned glance. Summoning her will, Nia lifted a thumb his direction, hoping to convince him all was good. Atlas was on his cellphone in the corner. As her sisters claimed chairs around the table, Gaia materialized, holding a fluffy, sage green blanket between her hands. She hurried to Nia's side and draped the warmed fabric over her shoulders. Shooing Polly away, Gaia claimed the chair to her right, while Ken dropped onto the seat on Nia's left. He scrubbed his hand over his face, wiping away the fatigued expression, then turned his attention to Zeus and Mars.

As soon as this meeting was over, she was going home to take a long nap. When she woke up, she'd concentrate on what it was going to take to save the world.

Chapter 14.

It irritated Nia to no end when Zeus pulled rank and insisted Ken stay at Nia's house, instead of in a cottage at the Athenian. Of course, Nia hadn't helped matters by refusing to leave the comfort of her home to make a temporary move to the resort. Zeus wanted her protected and nothing would stop him from keeping her safe. At least he hadn't insisted on moving in himself.

Only, having a houseguest, even one as handsome as Ken, was going to cramp her style with Thomas. She'd have to find a way to deal.

The meeting in the Olympus boardroom had been tense. While Nia had regenerated her energy, Polly had recounted the incident in the square with terse precision. During the lengthy session, Gaia had left her hand on Nia's shoulder and gently pulsed energy into Nia's depleted stores. The sensation had swayed her body, as if gliding in a rocking chair. Or moving easily with a lover on a downy soft bed.

Three hours ago, on the return trip to Delphi through the Hollow, Nia was pleased to note her starry aura had revived. Waving off Ken's apologies for her new living arrangements, Nia retreated to the master bedroom and fell into bed.

Shortly before dinner, Nia plodded toward the kitchen, drawn by a rich, savory aroma. She paused in the doorway, amazed to see Ken bustling about, wearing an ap.r.o.n over his white s.h.i.+rt and jeans. He looked downright domestic, and not in the least like a bada.s.s protector. Zeke, Clio's partisan, slouched in a chair at the table, his hand wrapped around Nia's favorite coffee mug.

"Ah, you're up." Ken shot her a grin. "Just in time. The beef stew is ready."

"Well, my timing is perfect." She c.o.c.ked her head to the side as she inspected the messy countertops. "Not a tidy cook, I see."

Dull red flushed into Ken's cheeks. "I'll clean it, I promise."

Yes, you will.

Nia's stomach rumbled as she crossed the room. The meal he'd prepared, including the yeasty dinner rolls still steaming on the plate, smelled delicious. "No worries. I'm just surprised I had the ingredients for this. Are those rolls made from scratch?"

"Yep. And you didn't have everything. I had to send Zeke to the grocery."

"And why aren't you out protecting my sister?" she asked Zeke as she drew a gla.s.s from the cupboard.

"Jax has the day off, so he's shadowing her. Zeus requested that I lend Ken a hand and help him get settled here."

Requested? More like ordered, Nia was certain. If she'd thought having one hunky houseguest was going to hinder her growing relations.h.i.+p with Thomas, two would be a nightmare. While Ken filled bowls with stew, Nia twisted the tap to fill her gla.s.s with water.

Shaking her head, she edged back to the table and slid onto a seat. "So do I need to make a room ready for you, too?"

"Nah. Ken's a pro. He doesn't need my help."

Setting a pottery bowl on the table in front of her, Ken sought to a.s.sure Nia. "You know this is temporary, right? When your challenge is over I'll remain in Delphi, but it won't be necessary for me to live with you. Zeus's insistence that I live here is just his way of being protective." The tight smile Ken sent her did little to a.s.suage her worry. "He said he'd drop by later to check on you."

And that helped even less. The last thing she needed was her dad being overprotective.

Nia stirred her spoon in the chunky stew. "I'm curious. How could you be my protector but live in a different city? How does that work?"

Ken broke a roll open, then grabbed a knife to slather b.u.t.ter on it. "We don't have to be in close proximity to do our job. We have a special link to our charges, so we always know what they are doing. We can be at your side in an instant, if needed."

"You have a window into our lives? Every waking, sleeping, er...not sleeping moment?"

The knife Ken had been using clattered to the plate. Bright red flashed up his neck. "It's not like that. It's not an open window. s.h.i.+t. It's not even a window. More like a sense. We aren't voyeuristic, if that's what you're worried about."

Indignation swirled around Nia's chest. "Well, wouldn't you be worried? Would you want me peeking over your shoulder all the time?"

Zeke laughed. "Ken, you're really f.u.c.king this up. Allow me."

"Go for it, dude." The tips of Ken's ears had gone scarlet.

"Did you ever play operator as a kid, Nia?" Zeke asked.

"That game with two tin cans and a string?"

"Exactly. You're the can on one end and Ken is on the other. The string between you only transmits emotions like fright or pain. We never receive flashes of an intimate nature. We only activate when you are in danger or distressed. And we can be at your side in the instant it takes to travel the Hollow."

"Oh." It was a slight comfort to know they didn't know all her secrets.

"Like that time in the seventies, when you were in the car accident. I was the motorist who stopped and helped you until the ambulance arrived." Ken spooned up a bite of stew.

"That was you?" She remembered the accident had been bad. She'd hit a patch ice and slid into a ditch. The front end of her car crumpled and her leg had been trapped under the dashboard. "You look different."

"Our features change in each lifetime. It's a safety measure to keep you Muses from recognizing us."

"So now that Clio and I know you two, can you come back the same in the next life?"

Zeke shook his head. "Probably not. You'll know we're around, but you won't know who we are unless you need us. The difference will be that if you do, you'll recognize us as your partisan when we do show up."

Curiosity got the better of her. "Will that make your job easier?"

"Not necessarily."

Now that her interest had been piqued, the questions kept coming. "Are you generally employed in the same field as the Muse you watch over?"

"Not always. The Q and A portion of the program is over now, Nia." Ken pressed his lips together, his brows drawn together. "Zeus is already upset that you girls know about our existence. If we spill all our secrets, we can be replaced." His phone pinged and he plucked it off the table. His lips moved as he read the alert.

Contrite, Nia said, "Oops. Sorry. Wouldn't want to cause anyone to lose their jobs."

Zeke grunted. "As long as Pierus is around, no protector is in danger of being unemployed." He swiped his napkin over his lips, then wadded it and tossed it on the table. "So what's your plan to win the challenge, Nia?"

Doubt crushed her chest like a ma.s.sive boulder. "I don't know."

"You'll need a plan soon." Ken spun his phone so she could see what had distracted him.

A NOAA alert that tides around the world had altered had launched the media into a frenzy. Dismay dragged up her spine with chilled fingers as she read the sensational reports. A meteorologist from the Royal Observatory in Edinburgh had theorized that last week's coronal burst had modified the sun's positioning on its axis. Must be a slow news day elsewhere if weather claimed the front and center spot.

The scientist's theory was solid, but pointed at the wrong orb. Nia rubbed her neck, hoping to ease the sudden tension that came with reading the alert. She wanted to nudge the b.a.s.t.a.r.d in Scotland to instruct him to stop sprouting his doom-saying ideas. Too bad her gifts would be greatly diminished by the sheer distance.

"This would be easier if the fix required nothing more than Atlas rehanging the moon in the correct spot," she groused. The whiny, petulant timbre of her voice annoyed even her. She deserved the scowl Ken tossed at her across the table. She sighed and then straightened her spine. "Ken, would you like to take a trip to Helios with me tomorrow?"

"Certainly." His tone mimicked Curly of the Three Stooges. Those b.u.mbling oafs would never have amounted to anything without Thalia's inspiration in the Twenties. Ken stacked their empty bowls. Carrying them to the sink, he glanced over his shoulder. "I'm sure all h.e.l.l is breaking loose there without you."

She hadn't checked her phone since she'd returned from the board meeting. Glancing toward the little planning desk in the corner of her kitchen, she was startled to discover her purse was not in the normal spot.

Her brows needled together uncomfortably as she tried to recall the last time she'd seen it. "d.a.m.n. I left my stuff in the boardroom," she fretted. "I'll need my ID badge to get into the observatory tomorrow."

Zeke patted her arm. "I'll go grab it while Ken cleans. You still look tired. You should head back to bed."

Smoothing a hand over her wrinkled cotton blouse, Nia protested, "I worked hard this morning."

"The work will just get harder going forward. Rest." Pressure built in the room as he prepared to s.h.i.+ft into the Hollow. His features faded as his body became a ma.s.s of dark blue light, then blinked out, leaving his chair empty.

Nia muttered to herself as she bustled toward her bathroom. Zeke was right about one thing. She was tired. Every molecule of her screamed in agony with each step, each breath. The places where her sisters and Ken had touched her to bolster her strength stung and burned. Only time would heal those injuries. After a good night's sleep they could go pick up her car and drive to Helios, like normal mortals.

Sleep had descended as soon as her head hit the pillow, but it hadn't been restful. Her dreams were filled with images of riots, and people being maimed. One particularly haunting image was of hundreds of frightening, partially molted magpies with human eyes spread over telephone wires, fences and playground equipment. It was like a scene from an Alfred Hitchc.o.c.k movie. Nia had pulled the blankets over her head after that one, calling out for Morpheus to aid her. But still she'd gotten no relief.

Bracing her hands on the vanity the next morning, she peered at herself in the mirror. G.o.ddess, she looked a hot mess. The dark circles ringing her eyes had nothing to do with losing sleep in Thomas's arms the night before. Those she could handle. But her racc.o.o.n appearance came from pus.h.i.+ng dangerously close to the edge after the night spent with the very s.e.xy man. At least it seemed her reserve energy was back to normal. And most of the aches in her back and shoulders had diminished.

With a grimace, she reached for her comb and gave herself a pep talk. It wouldn't do to show up for work looking as though she'd been through the wringer. Or just crawled out of bed to do the walk of shame.

Standing under a cascade of hot water from her rain head shower, she considered a variety of plans to encourage Thomas to travel back toward the light of magic. She needed to shove her doubts to the background where they belonged. While she didn't doubt magic-she knew it existed, she was living proof-she distrusted her ability to convince a man of the truths behind myths and legends when he made a living disproving them. She'd not been able to convince the druids about placement of the monoliths that told the seasons. The world had been stuck with leap year ever since.

Thomas's belief was the door she needed to open. But dammit! She needed more time with him to locate the lock. Right now, the key was buried so deeply, it might as well be on the moon. Hmmm, maybe she should arrange a trip to the moon for him. She quickly discarded the idea. It was hard enough for her to go. Taking him along was a logistical nightmare. Mortals didn't breathe the way G.o.ds did.

When she left the bathroom she heard Ken talking. Either he was on the phone, or Zeke had returned again this morning. She padded down the hall to her bedroom to change her clothes.

Ten minutes later, she ventured back into the kitchen. Ken was alone, and scrolling through the newsfeed on his phone, a cup of coffee cooling on the table in front of him. Her purse was on the floor under the desk, so Zeke had returned at some point.

Ken definitely looked at home. Although she'd rather it was Thomas sitting there. d.a.m.n, the man dominated her thoughts. If this was how she reacted after one night with him, imagine what a lifetime might bring. She couldn't afford to let her growing feelings for the man distract her from the challenge.

As soon as she entered, Ken looked up and smiled. "You look better."

"Feel better. Do I have time for breakfast?"

"Yeah. Want me to fix it?"

"Nope. Just going to have an orange."

Ken wagged his finger like a displeased governess. "You need protein for strength right now."

Raising her brow at him, she reached into the refrigerator and grabbed a container of yogurt, and the orange. "Yes, mother. Did you sleep okay in the spare room?" She hadn't had many guests in this house, so she hoped the bed was suitable.

"Not really. You kept muttering in your sleep."