Dionysus (Greek God Romance Book 1) (14 page)

That, in particular, did not make her crazy. Many high-power, intelligent, and conniving individuals seek their own counsel on various things; however, what did make her crazy was that she responded to herself.

“He is slipping them.”

“Maybe. . . He is always so slippery.”

She shook her head. “Cannot be. He knows.”

“It’s Dionysus, if he knows then he will actively continue to slip them just to infuriate me.”

“That is true. He’s always had it in for us.”

“What a sniveling brat. . .”

“We have to know more. All the information we’ve gathered is inadequate.”

“The followers did say they walked together around Olympus.”

“Hmmm. . . I see where you’re going with this.”

“Do you?”

“I do.”

“
And?”

Hera seemingly getting frustrated with herself responded, “We will arrange a bump-in.”

“On the most likely day?”

“On any day that way we can guarantee bumping into them and assessing the situation. After that, we will
run
into them, periodically, a week later then a month. . . then we will have our answers.”

“Seems like a good plan.”

“There is one issue with increasing the frequency of our walks together.”

“Zeus.”

“Zeus?”

“We will have to give him something he wants.”

She sighed, full of dread and despair. “I
truly
hate that act, especially with him.”

“There is no other way.”

“We can threaten him in other ways.”

“He doesn’t have a horde of leprous tramps like the old days.”

She nodded to herself. “Yes. . . giving him what he wants is the only way.”

The alarm beeped. She made a deeper sigh, one filled with the wane of years passed.
He’s at it again.

LET’S GET WEIRD

A sort of indescribable gloom came over The Old Watering Hole. Rebecca could not explain it but everyone seemed to be in a somber mood, even dark for some. She could see it in each patron’s eyes, in their demeanor—everyone just seemed a bit nastier, a bit rougher around the edges.

The gorgon sisters usually joked with her, but tonight, the oldest, Stheno was looking for blood. She was usually tamed by Rebecca’s concoctions but every Cyclops warned her—Stheno will gut you, friend, lover or foe. Dionysus even had choice words for her.

Stheno banged her brass hands on the counter. She demanded, “Drink!”

Dionysus looked over. “And?”

Her eyes squinted and she hissed, “P—l—e—a—s—e, your highness.”

“Bold, are we?”

“As bold as I was when I stood there and saw
him
, doing those terrible things to my si—ster.”

Dionysus snorted. “Haven’t gotten over that?”

She flowed her hands down her body. “I am reminded every day.”

Dionysus said, “Too young. Too powerful.”

“Is that the only excuse you have for your
brethren?
”

He chuckled. “Got a better one?”

Rebecca slid her drink over to her. Stheno always got a kick out of that and it tampered her mood. “Watch the mortal this day.”

“I’ll say.”

When she left, Dionysus and Rebecca were alone at the counter as heated conversations sparked up around the bar. “What the hell is going on?”

“He’s coming.”

“Who?”

“He’ll be here shortly.”

“So you’re not going to tell me?”

He gestured with his hands wildly. “I don’t want to ruin
your
moment.”

“My moment?”

He grinned, sipped his beer and put it down. This one he named Sparkles, not very original but it looked as if faeries darted inside the beer. It was a light beer, a wheat one. What he called the “Mother of all wheats.”

“You’re ‘oh’ moment.”

The right side of her lip curled up. Rebecca learned more and more for Dionysus’ love for a thrill, any thrill. He would never ruin a moment of surprise if he could. “You can be such a kid.”

He bowed his head. “
Guilty!
Said the judge. It is the one aspect I cling onto from years past.”

“That and your obsession to pour alcohol down your gullet.”

“That’s an expectation.”

Rebecca leaned over, her face getting close. She had made it clear that she would not be frightened by ghosts and vendettas that
could
or
would
spawn. And she, like many other strong women, got her way in the matter; although, he still frowned from the closeness in a public atmosphere which made her want to do it more and more. She did, however, promise him not to do public displays of affection, PDA, as its commonly known outside of Olympus and recognized by none inside. “So if you were not the god of wine and all that is merry—”

“Don’t forget fertility.”

“Fertility?”

“It was kind of thrown on me. It makes perfect sense when you think about it.”

“How’s that?”

“When do most mistakes occur in the bedroom?”

“Ah—”

“Ah, indeed.”

She chuckled. “I never had one brewing.”

 “You’re lucky.”

“How lucky?”

“They told me I had to do something with fertility, so every time someone has sex while under the influence the chance of impregnation goes up.”

“
What?”

“It’s a small amount but. . . if you’re
extremely
active or know someone who is—chances are they were pregnant at some point. It works only for the first time.”

“Can I get pregnant?”

The question was obvious and pointed. He cringed as if anyone may hear. “Very low. Ve—ry low.”

“Didn’t Zeus have a bunch of demigod children?”

Dionysus let out a boisterous laugh. “Very active.
Ve—ry.
”

“So his infidelity is not exaggerated?”

“If anything, it is less than what he was.”

“And now?”

“Probably now, he is what the books say.”

“And demigods?”

“A few pop up but not like the old days.”

“And where are they?”

“You haven’t met
her.
”

Rebecca took a step back, realizing the implication. Suddenly, her relationship with Dionysus was not only real but quite dangerous. “Really?”

He nodded. “Never cross a scorn woman.”

“
That
scorn?”

“I don’t think the universe will live long enough.” He sipped on his beer. “New topic.”

As he finished saying the word, a rumble went through the bar. Rebecca shouted, “
Earthquake!”

Eastern Tennessee experienced increased seismic activity when Rebecca was a child. The elderly locals, not accustomed to such events, had started drills for the young children to yell “
Earthquake!”
in case there was a nasty one and they could not hear it. This mentality had been ingrained in her.

Rebecca blushed and went on cleaning glassware like nothing happened.

“Want to talk about that?”

“No.”

“You should pay attention.”

“To what?”

“The entrance, of course.”

A slight tremor followed and everyone at The Old Watering Hole stared at Rebecca to see if she would have another outburst. Seeing all these eyes upon her, she dashed into the back, cursing herself then taking a moment while saying in her head:

Dorthy, you’re not in Kansas anymore. Dorthy, you’re not in Kansas anymore.

She came back out and the doors blew open. A chilly gust of wind howled into The Old Watering Hole.

“Here we go,” Dionysus said then finished his beer. “Refill after the show.”

“The show—?”

Another gush of wind rushed through, howling and sending a shiver down Rebecca’s spine. The doors slammed into the walls and in marched a few skeletons. They rushed to the bar counter.

Each one saying without pause, “
Drink. Drink. Drink. Drink.”

Rebecca’s swiveled and bobbled, her mouth stood half open as she could hear Dionysus’ chuckle in the background. She would ream him out later for that.

She remained motionless and appalled until Medusa yelled out, “Get them a drink already.”

She went behind and poured beer from the barely used tap. She used the six taps available, for remarkably, the six skeletons that continued their drink chant. When she brought the drinks to them, they crumbled to the floor, nothing but a pile of bones.

Rebecca’s face darkened at the sight. She stared at the drinks and around the bar, and the urge to flee manically came over her, swift and hard. She looked over to Dionysus who had a slight frown but nodded and gestured with his hand to calm down.
That
was another offense that would be addressed later.

The skeletons’ bones started to vibrate then flew out the door. Another howling gust came through, this time, ghouls flowed into the bar, swirling and flying around all the patrons then coming to the bar. “
Drink. Drink. Drink. Drink.”

Rebecca feeling as though a gimmick was happening—a thought that should would’ve never entertained a month prior—she smirked and pointed at the beers.

The ghouls howled and dissipated.

Rebecca grinned and yelled, “What else you got?”

Dionysus and everyone else in the bar was instantly startled by her boldness.

A cackle came out of the darkness but nothing else. A minute passed before a hand could be seen grabbing the frame of the door then a haggard looking face with obsidian eyes and a crown of skulls piqued around.

Then the perceived god laughed, laughed and laughed grabbing his sides as he entered, he walked up and sat at the counter.

He gestured towards Dionysus and said, “I’ll have what he’s having.”

Dionysus raised his glass.

The haggard god, shockingly white with a long face, smirked at Rebecca. “Do you know me?”

“Hades.”

 He nodded. “The dead is my realm, well, certain dead people.”

“You made our patrons all hot and bothered?”

He looked at Dionysus. “What can I say? I haven’t been the best god the past years.”

Dionysus asked, “New leaf?”

He laughed. “You can only be a dick for so long.”

Rebecca said, “It can fall off.”

He said, “Oh yeah?”

“So I’m told.”

Hades glanced at Dionysus and cracked up, holding his sides again. “I like this mortal.”

Dionysus’ gazed at Rebecca, smirking. “She’s a riot.”

“I can see that.”

Rebecca handed Hades the drink. She said, “What were you like before?”

Hades looked taken a back. He pointed behind his shoulder, some “monsters” still had dread over their faces while others harbored a nasty look, a look to kill. “Their faces tell it all.”

“What made you change?”

He glanced back at Dionysus, grinned then snapped his fingers. Everyone at the bar seemed to lighten up on command, all of sudden the mood went from somber and deadly to joyous and merry.

Everyone at the bar yelled, “Surprise!”

Rebecca said, “Surprise?”

Hades had another belly laugh. “It’s all a joke. I’m not a bad guy, never been.”

Rebecca turned to Dionysus. “You knew about this?”

Dionysus eyes wandered and he reddened as much as any god could. “I did.”

“And?”

“You never ruin a Hades surprise.”

“Why the hell not?”

Hades interrupted, “Oh, she’s spicy.”

Dionysus glanced his way and nodded.

Hades said, “Call it a hazing. What goes bump in the night isn’t always bad.”

Dionysus interjected, “Unless it’s a
certain
someone.”

“Oh. . . ho ho.” He grabbed his sides again and chuckled. “She has ears everywhere, Dionysus.”

Dionysus said, “This place? At night?”

Hades peered around. “I concede, not today. Dare say her name?”

“Hera.”

He grinned. “You’ve made Dionysus bold, mortal? What is your name? I don’t care to call you mortal all night.”