(Glory St Clair 11) Real Vampires Say Read My Hips (10 page)

“Hush, child. Don’t use the ‘v’ word here. You will only make things more difficult for yourself.” Mars glanced around. “I don’t want to keep you locked up but you must see reason. Your place is here. On Olympus, I mean. You will marry a worthy man and make me proud. Zeus is ready to acknowledge you and find you a fine mate. It’s a great honor. Think, Gloriana. Take your destiny in your hands and choose freedom.”

“I choose freedom. From this place and the politics that make no sense. I want no part of it.” I sank to the floor again, my legs too wobbly to hold me for long. The cell was so small that if I tried to lie down, my head would touch the wall and my feet the door. Jerry wouldn’t be able to straighten his body in a cell like this. I sniffed and wiped away a tear. None of that.

“You seemed happy to see your lover.” Mars leaned against the bars.

“Of course I was. We’re planning to marry.” I propped myself up against the wall when I heard another thunderclap.

“I wouldn’t count on it. He’s right next door to that maniac Achelous.” He nodded toward the billowing smoke. “Hebe secretly hopes your lover won’t survive, I think. I imagine Blade’s having trouble breathing through the smoke. Achelous sets anything flammable within reach on fire so he’s kept naked now.” Mars shook his head. “Not a pretty sight.”

“You can’t let him die!” I leaned my head against my knees.

“It’s not up to me, Gloriana.” Mars stared at me, the message clear. There was only one way to save Jerry. My parents wanted me to give him up and go along with their plans. I shuddered, everything in me refusing to consider it. Yet what choice did I have? Could I doom Jerry to life behind bars? Of course not. I had to send him home where he would forget me. Eventually.

“All right. You win. Let Jerry go and I’ll do whatever you want. Just send him home in one piece.” I turned my face to the wall, broken. I knew I would never find another man to love. No matter what “arrangements” Zeus made for me. I felt empty, lifeless, as if whatever my parents had in store for me no longer mattered. And it didn’t. Life without Jerry was meaningless. Jerry would get over me. He was a handsome man with forever to find a woman to make him happy, a woman far worthier than me. I heard the creak of the iron door opening.

“Gloriana, you have chosen wisely.” Mars laid his hand on my back. “Come. Your mother…”

“Don’t even say that word to me! I have no mother. A real mother would never have forced me to make this choice.” I straightened, looking him in the eye to make sure he knew I meant it. “I will never forgive her for this. If Jerry is mortally wounded I will go after her myself and make her pay.”

Mars picked me up before I could stop him. “I see you have your mother’s own temper. Both of you are not unlike the great Zeus himself. Hebe can help you here. Declaring war on her will only make us all miserable.”

I glanced around my squalid cell. “She started it. Now take me to Jerry. Please? I need to see that he is still alive. He can’t go back to Earth until he is okay.” I leaned against Mars’ solid strength. I’d always wanted a father. If Mars was what I got, I hoped he’d stand with me against whatever else my mother threw at me.

“Very well.” He carried me into the hall. “But try to see reason. Hercules is back and eager for a confrontation. Hebe’s in a panic. Afraid of what he will do.” He lifted my chin so that I stared into his dark eyes. “You will stand by my side and show both me
and
your mother respect, won’t you? When we are in public?”

“No promises. I want to see Jerry first. See for myself that he’s all right. After being next to Achelous…” I could hardly breathe for the stench of burning flesh and ozone in the air. It made me miss my vampire ways even more. On Earth I’d never had to breathe. Here I was supposedly a goddess but I was so constantly out-gunned in the power department, I felt weak, vulnerable. And without my fangs, helpless. For Jerry it was even worse. He was mortal here, a whisper away from death every moment he stayed.

I shuddered as inhuman howls filled the air. “Mother must pay for this.” I raised my voice to make sure Mars heard me.

“Gods, but you are stubborn.” Mars strode toward the intermittent lightning bolts and the dissipating smoke.

“What is that?” I asked after a particularly loud shriek.

“Achelous is getting his daily shock treatment.” Mars shrugged and I could feel his muscles moving under me. “The bastard deserves far worse. He knows he is to be made mortal now. Zeus is torturing him first. I know you can’t appreciate it now, but your grandfather is a family man above all else. Harm one of his own and you will be sorry.”

“I’m sorry I ever heard of any of you.” I coughed, ignoring Mars warning squeeze.

“We’re here. Try to ignore Achelous while we speak to Blade.”

“Can’t you just release Jerry?” Mars didn’t answer me, just kept striding down the hall. I looked around, not sure which cell Jerry could be in. The smoke was thick and black here. I wanted down but was afraid my legs wouldn’t hold me. “How long have I been in this hell hole?”

“A few days. It was for the best. Hercules was looking for you. He never thought to check here. He might have killed you before Zeus could stop him. Hercules knows he is too powerful to be punished severely, especially with the size of the army at his command.” Mars stopped in front of a vacant cell.

“Kill me? Why?” I coughed again and my eyes were tearing.

“To hurt your mother, of course.” Mars kicked the cell with his sandal. “Here he is. On the right. Brace yourself. Blade didn’t sleep the days away like you did. You can thank your mother for the sleeping spell that kept you oblivious. She had second thoughts after she saw what was happening here so she had a sorcerer take care of it. She would have let you go, but by then had heard of Hercules’ threats. She had no pity for your lover. Blade’s been listening to Achelous rant. It can wear on a man.”

“He, he’s in here?” I wiggled in Mars’ arms. The cell I had thought vacant had a pile of rags in one corner. Surely, surely that couldn’t be Jerry. “Let me down. I have to go to him.”

“You can try. But, if you fall, I’ll catch you.” He set me gently on my feet, steadying me when I stumbled. “My brave girl. Are you sure you can manage?”

“Yes, I’m just a little weak. Guess food and water weren’t included in that sorcerer’s sleep package.”

“Guess not.” Mars gestured and I walked the few feet to the cage where a lump of humanity lay against the far wall. He was filthy and curled up as far from an overflowing slop jar as he could get. It reeked even from the hallway and I couldn’t imagine being closed inside with it. His once fine leather tunic was torn and ragged. Jerry’s usually carefully shaved face was covered with a growing beard, his hair was matted. A growl from nearby made me jump.

“Don’t even think about it.” Mars stretched out a hand and fire flared toward the man in the next cage.

“Word is that you have claimed the bitch Gloriana as your own. I see it must be true. But you obviously don’t care much for the bargain. Since you threw her in this prison.” Achelous laughed and capered about in his cage. Naked, he wasn’t his usual imposing figure. Instead, he looked like a creepy scarecrow, his once handsomely muscled frame having shrunk since I last saw him. He was also covered in bruises, burns and cuts, some healing, some fresh and bleeding. I couldn’t stand to look at him.

I turned away and laid my hand on Mars’ arm. “I have given you my word. Will you unlock Jerry’s cage and let him out now?” 

“I’ll catch hell from your mother if I do and you go back on your promise, Gloriana.” Mars glanced at Achelous, clearly uneasy discussing this in front of the god.

“I swear. Let him go. I just want to say good-bye. But not here. We must take him out, clean him up and help him recover before we send him back.” I didn’t care who heard me. “Please, Dad.”

“Ooo, listen to the bitch. Sounds a bit too much like her mother for my taste. Watch out, Mars. Do as she says and you might be crossing Hebe. The goddess will eat your stones for breakfast, sautéed over an open flame and served with a sauce made from whatever she can whip from your sadly depleted manhood if you go against her. You know that’s true.” Achelous cackled and moved close to the barred door. “Mars, I can see this one is already twisting you around her dainty fingers.” He looked me up and down. “Not so dainty. Been hitting the pastries a little hard up here, Gloriana?”

“Shut up!” I aimed a finger at him. If Mars and my grandmother could shoot fire, maybe I could. I gasped when a flame striped Achelous’s chest.

“Zeus’s balls! Where’d you learn that trick?” Achelous backed up.

“My dear old dad. Now leave us alone.” I glanced up at Mars and got an approving wink.

“Very well, let’s get him out of here. Hebe can’t be too upset if I allow you to give him a proper send-off. She just wants to be rid of him.” Mars gestured and we were suddenly surrounded by a half-dozen soldiers. “Get the mortal out and take him to my quarters. Make him presentable, then bring him to my daughter’s rooms. I expect him to be lucid and ready to greet her in an hour. Understood?”

There was a murmur of “Yes, sire.” Then the men opened the door and bundled Jerry away before I could do more than touch his filthy cheek. He never opened his eyes.

#

I’d been content to let the handmaidens scrub my back and wash my hair until I finally got the stench of that horrible place out of my nostrils, but now I was swathed in a fluffy robe wondering what next. Of course that was my mother’s cue to appear by my side. We were in my massive closet, full of clothes I wouldn’t be able to fit into even with the help of a crowbar.

“Go away. I can’t believe you did this to me.” I sat on the bench in the middle of the room, my back to the mirror. Of course I wasn’t talking about my size. “But forget me. I’ll never forgive you for what you did to Jerry.”

“That man!” Mother stood in front of me, as usual perfection itself. “I would think my own predicament here would teach you something about how making a fool of yourself over a man can lead to nothing but regret.”

I jumped to my feet, refusing to look up at her. “Now the truth comes out. Have you told Mars about these ‘regrets?’?” I reeled when she slapped my face.

“Guard your tongue.” She looked around then sank down on the bench. “I love him but you see how complicated things are now.”

I held my hand to my burning cheek. “Ah, so I’ve gone from a regret to a complication. Thanks a lot, Mother.” I let my hand fall to my side. Send Jerry and me home and maybe you can smooth thing out here. I won’t--”

“I regret striking you, Gloriana, but won’t hesitate to do it again or worse,” she raised a finger significantly, “if you don’t stop harping on a subject that Mars assures me is closed.” She put her hands in her lap. “Or did you lie to your father?”

My legs were about to give out on me. I sat on the bench as far from her as I could get. “No, I gave him my word. I will do anything to spare Jerry, even if it means giving him up.” I turned to look at her. “But that doesn’t mean I’m going to be a happy and obedient daughter to you now. You threw me in the cells!”

“I thought it would show you the wisdom of accepting who has the power here, Gloriana. Pouting like a child will not help.” She was so damned calm I wanted to do something outrageous. Hit her back? I sat on my hands to keep from getting a lightning bolt.

“I’m not pouting, Mother, I’m plotting revenge.” I settled for glaring at her. “How could you! Achelous was down the hall doing the most horrific things. I could have been killed. And Jerry…” I didn’t see a bit of sympathy in her perfectly made up face. Instead, she just stared at me, haughty, every inch the goddess, daughter of Zeus.

“I knew how you were every moment. You weren’t in any real danger. And I, I lost my nerve.” Her lips quivered. “I let you sleep through it. A harsher mother would have made you suffer the way your lover did. He didn’t sleep a single hour until he lost consciousness.”

“How could he? Next to that raving lunatic. It’s a miracle he wasn’t barbequed.” I jumped to my feet. “I love him, Mother. If he’d died, then I would have found a way to kill you myself.”

“So dramatic. Do you really think that’s possible? That you could hurt me? Physically?” She produced a hanky. This was her way to show she was upset but I doubted she ever felt real emotions. “But you don’t hesitate to tear out my heart with your rejection of my plans for you. You will get us both tossed back in the cells forever if you don’t stop these willful ways.”

“Oh, stop it. I don’t believe your father would treat you as badly as you just treated me.” I found the strength to jump up and pace the closet.

“Would he not?” My mother paced alongside me. “I spent the better part of a century there when I tried to leave Hercules early in my marriage. Of course Mother had much to do with that. She demanded I honor my vows. Neither of them cared to hear that Hercules beat me. I was to be an obedient wife. The matter was hushed up and most in Olympus think I merely took myself off to a spa for an extended period of rest after the boys were born.” The hanky got a workout. “I was only released after I promised to put on a front, claiming all was well with my marriage.”

I didn’t want to hear this. I couldn’t feel sorry for her. Wasn’t she trying to make me take on the same kind of loveless marriage she’d been doomed to endure? I stopped in my tracks and started to trot out that argument but one look and I knew she’d read my thoughts.

“It’s no use, Gloriana. Zeus will decide your fate now. Even if I wanted to let you go back to your old life with Blade, I could not. My father has sent word that he’s picked a man for you. And when Zeus decides to control a matter, it is done. All we can do now is wait to see who he wishes for you to wed.”

“But he hasn’t met Jerry yet. He may decide
he
is worthy.” I looked down, suddenly determined to meet this new challenge on my own terms. I pictured myself as I wanted to be and snapped my fingers. To my astonishment I was a size twelve wearing the kind of designer dress that I loved. It fit perfectly and matched the cobalt blue heels I now wore. I strutted over to the mirror.