Fallen (Dark God Saga) (13 page)

          Simone moaned again, and twisted in the comforter. He saw tears on her cheek, and got under the covers with her. Using the edge of the pillowcase, he wiped her tears away, and pulled her close to him. Using his powers, he projected safety, warmth, and love to her. Her movements stilled, and she clutched at him.

Thanatos buried his face in her thick mass of hair. How was he going to let her go?

***

          When Simone awoke, she was very alone. She might have thought it all a dream except for the soreness between her legs, and love bites all over her skin, and the innate knowledge that everything she remembered last night had been true. Thanatos, Hera, Aunt Sammie—everyone! And of course, her mother. Her poor mother. A vivid image of her beautiful mother lying in a coffin, her face serene but not relaxed, brought Simone to her knees. How could one person—goddess or not—be so cruel?

          She took a long shower, resting her head against the smooth tile as she tried to convince herself it was all a dream. She couldn’t.

          By the time she stepped from the bathroom, she was badly wrinkled. She wrapped herself in a robe, placed a large towel onto her head, and sat on the edge of her bed.

          Misty strolled into the room, and bounded up to her, taking up position in her lap. Picking the Persian kitty up, she hugged her close.

          “I miss her so much,” Simone whispered to the purring cat. As if understanding, Misty lifted her face to Simone’s and licked her cheek before burying her soft, furry head in the crook of Simone’s neck.

***

“So you’re really going to remain here and mope?”

Thanatos sent his twin a hostile glare that only encouraged the other god to enter his bedroom.

From his position on his bed, Thanatos growled, “What do you want?”

Hypnos did not respond for long moments before he said, “I wanted to let you know that I’m going to Earth, New York in particular.”

Eyes narrowing, Thanatos waited for him to continue.

“Why you ask? I’m meeting a friend.”

“And?”

“And I can easily check in on your human if you give me permission.”

He contemplated it before shaking his head once. It was too soon. She didn’t want to see him or any of the gods for that matter so even if his connection with her would allow him to find her anywhere she went, he’d give her that privacy.

“No.”

Hypnos’s eyes flashed before he nodded. “Have it your way, then.”

His brother turned and was heading from his room when Thanatos asked, “Who are you meeting?”

“A friend.”

“Succubus?” Thanatos retorted, sharp, grey eyes narrowing.

An easy smile curved Hypnos’s lips and he replied, “I will return by tomorrow evening.”

With that he disappeared, leaving Thanatos frowning. Succubae were dangerous creatures. Spawned by Lilith, the lesser goddess who’d gotten on Hera’s bad side, they needed sexual energy to survive. While succubae, like the rest of the creations of gods, posed little threat to gods, there were a community who utilized their powers in ways that made them matches for unsuspecting gods.

Shaking his head, Thanatos dismissed his concern. His brother was old and powerful enough to know how to fend off an attack from many a creature, succubae included. Hypnos would take care of himself.

His thoughts returned to Simone and he forced himself to remain in his domain and not flash himself to where she was.
Time.
He would give her time.

Chapter Seven

It was two more days before Simone felt good enough to actually go out. She’d called her boss and told him she was sick, and had been surprised when Johnson had not only been extremely nice about it, but had insisted his personal physician check on her. So that was what happened when you landed the New York Traveler a big story.

          “So, spill. Why the doom and gloom?” Janet asked, tearing off a piece of her roti and mopping it around in the curry. She lifted it to her lips, chewed, and then asked in a Guyanese accent, “Why ya acting like ya na hearin’ me?”

          Simone found her first smile since the whole “god” incident. Janet was born in the US, bred in the US, had probably visited her mother’s home country a sprinkling of times, but get her mad and she acted like she’d just got off a plane from Guyana.

          “I’m fine. Just tired.”

          “Yea, and I’m Oprah.”

          “Now that you mention it—.”

          “Seriously, Sims, what’s wrong? Was the Ball that bad?”

          “No, it wasn’t,” Simone said after a long while. She explained that the Ball was great, and even told Janet that she’d seen Thanatos again. She didn’t mind speaking about him, because she didn’t consider him part of the “bad” anymore. He was just...different. Thanatos had been charming, and gentle, and just perfect...and then he’d left. She’d been terrified, and he’d left.

          “So, did you fuck him?”

          That earned Ms. Potty Mouth a glare, before Simone replied, “I wouldn’t tell you if I did.”

          “Ooh, it was that good, huh?”

          Shaking her head, Simone dipped her spoon into the stewed oxtail and rice, before lifting it to her lips. Although Golden Krust had really good Caribbean food, they couldn’t hold a candle to Janet’s Mom’s cooking. She wondered if Thanatos could cook. Was he one of those macho-guys who didn’t know their way around kitchens, or was he the versatile type, easily adapting to new challenges? She pegged him for the second. And then smiled dreamily, imagining him in an apron.

          “Damn, Sims, he blew your back out, huh?”

          Another glare was earned.

***

          It had been almost two weeks. His powers were fully restored. Death had returned in all his former glory. Hera had gone off her hunt for his head—the upper and lower ones—after realizing she wouldn’t win unless she wanted to start a war between the dark gods and the Olympians. It seemed his parents, his siblings, even a few aunts and uncles, were threatening hell, literally, if Hera continued on her war path to destroy him. She’d also been concerned as to his feelings for Simone, and after asking many questions, seemed satisfied that his intentions were good. Who would have thought Hera the fairy godmother?

 Everything was going smoothly once more. Except for one thing. Simone Randall plagued his every thought. He couldn’t see her because he and Hera had come to a mutual agreement that as long as she didn’t care to see any of them, they would keep their distances. He should not have agreed, but in the end, it was for the best. Simone was terrified of him, of them, and he didn’t want her fear. He wanted her to be happy, even if he wasn’t.

          He felt Aphrodite’s presence in his chambers before she actually appeared. Not in the mood to deal with her, he immediately said, “I still don’t want you, Appy.”

          She snapped her teeth together. “I don’t want you either, you big, conceited ass.” 

          “That’s good, Appy. It’s only taken you centuries.”

          “Stop whining, Death. Most gods would kill to have me—.”

          Aphrodite gasped when she found herself slammed into the wall, Thanatos’s hand wrapped around her pretty little neck. A jolt of dark pleasure flashed through him in that moment, and the call for vengeance was so strong that he had to bite his cheek to retain control, to keep his other self at bay.

          “Do you think I’ve forgotten it was you who sent Prescipita to me? Or that you tried to kill me on numerous occasions when I was human?”

          Aphrodite’s eyes widened, but she shook her head.

          “Good. Now give me one reason, one good reason, why I shouldn’t wring your neck, and see to it Death takes your soul before the day is done?”

          She blanched and then rushed out, “Because I have something that you want.”

          Thanatos lifted a brow. “Really, Appy? And please be original because if you’re referring to sex, you know as well as I do the thought is unappealing to me.”

          “Simone.”

          His eyes narrowed, and his fingers tightened around her neck.

          “Thanatos! Stop it! You’re hurting me. I came to tell you that she’s in my temple—in Athens. She’s been there daily, begging me to send you to her.”

          He released her neck, but watched her with a hawk’s gaze.

          “If you’re lying—.”

          “Why would I lie about this?” She put distance between them immediately before continuing. “I’d intended to tell you nothing, to let you both suffer, but she’s become irritating. Coupled with Eros’s incessant nagging about true love, and her crying over you, I’ve practically—.”
          “She wants me?” Thanatos asked, almost incredulously.

          Aphrodite’s lips curled up in a snarl. “Yes, though I don’t know why. You’re an insufferable, arrogant, bastard of a god—.”

          She blinked once, and he was gone. Shaking her head, Aphrodite continued mumbling curses upon Thanatos’s dark and beautiful head as she flashed herself to Mount Olympus. 

***

          “I know you can hear me, Aphrodite,” she whispered to the old statue in the temple. “Damn it, if Zeus exists then you should too.” She sighed. “Please tell him. I just want to speak with him.”

          Simone had no idea if it would work, but after a week of wishing hard that Thanatos would just show up in her bedroom and take her into his arms, she’d decided to reach out to him in his temple. Because wasn’t that what the Greeks had done when they wanted to speak to the gods? So, she’d done some research, had found out her lover was Death, which terrified her some, and he didn’t have a standing temple. Aphrodite and Hera did. There was no way in hell she was going to appeal to the murdering goddess, so Aphrodite it was. That was why she’d booked a ticked to Greece, where the remaining temples to the goddess were, and here she was.

          She’d done this for four days straight already and there had been no sign of anything. Today was her last day. If nothing happened, she’d take it as a sign, and move on. At least, that’s what she told herself.

          “Thanatos...please. I need to speak with you.”

          Hands were suddenly pulling her up, and Simone screeched for a moment thinking someone was about to rob her or worse, before she was pulled into a tight hug. As soon as she inhaled, she knew it was him. He smelled dark, and spicy, wicked. She loved it. Loved him.

          “I missed you,” he said against her hair.

          Simone nodded, shocked. She didn’t really believe it. It had worked. He was here with her.

          He pulled back, and looked down at her. Her eyes were puffy and red, as if she’d been crying a lot, her clothes rumpled and smudged. Had she been lying on the ground?

          “Why did you leave?” she asked when she felt she had a good enough grasp of her emotions.

          He looked taken aback, and then he answered, “You were overwrought. You wanted us gone—you wanted me gone.”

          “No, Thanatos, I didn’t want you gone. Not really. I was terrified. Hera, my mother, my aunt, you—it was too much.”

          “I know.” He understood. It was hard enough to tell humans the gods existed, but to tell them they were personally involved in their lives as well was a lot to take in.