“Hardly. I’ve heard better compliments coming from a third grader. But I’ll forgive you- because you’re kind of cute, too. Shall we explore?”
He eyed me for a minute before shrugging and sticking out his arm. “Sure. I don’t have anything else to do.”
I cocked an eyebrow and he laughed.
“Of course I would love to explore with you,” he rephrased with a smile.
I took his arm and we strolled from the palace out to the front grounds. It was absolutely incredible. The scents of roses and hyacinths filled the air around us as we walked slowly down the manicured paths. We got some curious stares, but no one spoke to us. Everyone around us seemed to have a purpose, as though they had jobs to do and places to go.
“Can I be honest?” Brennan asked me.
“Of course,” I replied. “I expect nothing less.”
“I sort of feel like I fell down a rabbit hole. This is all so… crazy.”
I nodded. “I can only imagine what it must be like for you. This craziness has always been my life, so I’ve never had to absorb it like you have. But you’ve handled it so well. Truly- I’m really impressed.”
“Well, thank you,” he grinned. I doubted that I would ever get tired of seeing his smile. It lit up my heart. “Can I tell you something else?”
I glanced at him. “Sure. I guess.”
“There’s nothing I would rather do than march you back up to our room and stay there. For days.”
His grin was suggestive now and so, so sexy. My knees felt weak.
“I…uh. You know we can’t,” I finally managed to get out. “It’s too dangerous. We have to be careful until this curse is reversed. I don’t want to lose control and accidentally take your soul.”
He looked unconcerned. “Even if, worst case scenario, you sucked down my soul. Zeus can un-do anything right? I mean, he’s the god of all gods.”
I stared at him. Was he serious?
“You only have one soul,” I reminded him seriously. “We have to protect it- even from me. Especially from me. Zeus can’t always fix things- it depends on what else it effects and so on. We can’t take that chance. So until then, hands off, buddy.”
I smiled to take the sting out of my words, but the implication was still there. We had to maintain a careful distance from each other. It was the responsible thing to do.
“Fine,” he smiled a slow purposeful smile, the kind that instantly made me nervous. “I’ll be good. If you will.”
Gulp. He had me there. I was struggling with it just as much as he was.
“Fine,” I agreed stoutly, determined not to let my hesitation shine through. I could so do this. “I heard they have their very own sea of tranquility down here. Would you like to go look at it?”
“And be all tranquil and stuff?” he cocked an eyebrow. “Sure. Sounds peaceful.”
I laughed. I had to admit, I adored his sense of humor. I would rather have a great sense of humor in a man over good-looks any day. Luckily with Brennan, I didn’t have to choose. He had them both.
“Fine. Let’s go get our peace on.”
We wound our way around the beautiful, glistening city and after being pointed in the right direction by a friendly shopkeeper, we finally found the shimmering sea. It was amazing. Simply standing beside it, I felt a wave of calm descend over me. No wonder they called it the sea of tranquility. It apparently had calming powers.
“Is this the way it is always going to be?” Brennan asked as he stared across the rippling waters. “Will there always be something magical or fantastic around the next corner for me to stumble upon?”
“Yes,” I confirmed. “There is always something fantastical around every bend when you are dealing with the gods. The mortal world… well, it simply can’t prepare you for this. You’ll still be learning about our world a hundred years from now. It is always changing.”
“I figured as much,” he sighed. “But at least I have a beautiful tour guide.”
He grabbed my hand and we stood quietly observing the beauty around us. But strangely enough, it didn’t remain still. The water began swirling, like a magnificent whirlpool.
“What’s happening?” Brennan asked curiously as we kept our eyes glued to the churning sea.
“I’m not sure,” I answered uncertainly.
The water was moving quickly now, swirling into an inverted funnel, lifting from the sea itself and towards the sky.
“What the…”I breathed.
And then the water took shape, moving into the form of an old, stooped woman. She took a watery step towards us, skimming across the top of the sea until she stood directly in front of us, glistening in the light.
And then she materialized.
“Circes,” I muttered.
My mother’s old crony, Circes, stooped in front of us, her long black skirts fluttering around her in the wind. She was gnarled and ancient, her white, straggly hair trailing down her crooked back. She had been a friend of my mother’s for a very long time.
Her faded eyes met mine and just for a second, I saw something in hers. Fear. My breath escaped my lips in a rush. I had never, in my life, seen Circes afraid. The old woman was fearless.
“What is it?”I asked her quickly, stepping forward to grasp her arm gently. “Is something wrong with my mother?”
Circes smiled, her yellowed teeth twisting into a grotesque grin. “Of course not, child. Your mother is able to handle herself, more so than anyone else that I know. I’m here at her bidding, princess.”
She dropped her head slightly in deference to me. Witches often referred to me as the Princess of the Moon, although to be honest, I most certainly didn’t feel like a princess. No other princess that I knew of had to run for her life.
“And what does she wish for you to do, Circes?” I asked politely, hoping that my impatience was masked by my friendly tone. The sea breeze whipped at my hair and I brushed it back. As I did, Brennan swept his hand along my back, presumably as a sign of support. I glanced at him in appreciation.
I hadn’t realized how alone I truly had been until now. It was nice to have someone on my side…someone who was with me no matter what. My heart swelled at the thought and I forced myself to focus on Circes.
“Well?” I prompted her. “What message does she send you with?”
She smiled again and appraised me with her eerie faded eyes. By all appearances, she should be blind. But she could still see. It was unnerving.
“Your mother knows that you have drunk from the boy’s blood- the son of Apollo,” she uttered.
“And?” I raised my eyebrow. Brennan’s thumb rubbed a circle on my back and I found myself leaning into his hand, leaning into his warmth. It felt like a connection and I enjoyed it.
“And she wishes to offer you a warning. She has spoken to you about the nature of moonlight, yes?” It was Circes’ turn to raise her thin eyebrow. I nodded.
“Yes.”
“Moonlight is only a reflection of the sun,” she reiterated needlessly. “Do not allow the boy to drink from your blood. You don’t understand the power that you could unleash. It is unlikely that you would be able to control it.”
Brennan’s hand froze, as did the breath in my throat. “Why would I allow Brennan to drink from my blood?” I managed to squeak. “He is not a blood drinker. He’s mortal.”
“For now,” Circes acknowledged. “Just heed the warning, princess. Your mother felt it was important enough to send me here, so it must be important indeed.”
I nodded. “You may tell my mother that I understand,” I instructed. “But I do not understand why my mother did not come herself. She is not afraid of anything. Why is she hiding?”
Circes examined me, reading my face like a book before her gaze flitted back to my eyes. Hers were filled with wisdom and concern.
“Hecate does not hide,” she announced proudly. “And she is never afraid. The only thing Hecate fears is losing you. You are her one weakness. And that is why she sent me.”
“Well, that’s vague,” Brennan muttered quietly. Circes’ ancient eyes snapped in Brennan’s direction.
“Do you have something to say, son of Apollo?” she snapped. I couldn’t understand the dislike in her voice. She had never even met Brennan, much less have had any opportunity in which he could have offended her. He must have shared my thought.
“Have I done something to you?” he asked her firmly. “I’ve never met you before, so I find it hard to believe that I have wronged you in any way.”
Circes pursed her lips together and rocked back on her heels, her black heavy skirt swirling around her gnarled bare feet.
“You have not purposely offended me, it is true,” she admitted grudgingly. “But your presence, your life itself, threatens my princess. And that offends me.”
Brennan froze, as did I.
“What do you mean?” he asked slowly. “How do I threaten Empusa?”
“We have seen it!” Circes hissed, her ancient face contorting in her agitation. “Empusa will risk everything for you. What we cannot see… is if she survives.”
Chapter Twelve
Brennan and I sat quietly in our suite while we faced each other on the bed. We were so still that when a tiny muscle in my foot twinged, I jumped in surprise. The tension was so palpable, I could practically breathe it in. Brennan reached out and grasped my hand, stroking my fingers with his.
“I won’t hurt you, Em,” he assured me quietly. “If it means that I need to leave you and return to the mortal world, I’ll do that. I couldn’t stand it if something happened to you because of me. I would rather die.”
The mere thought of Brennan leaving caused my heart to flutter uncontrollably in my chest. The thought of his death, even uttered as a casual comment, made me physically sick.
“Don’t be ridiculous!” I exclaimed, clutching his hand and bringing it to my chest, holding it against my thudding heart. “It will be fine. I don’t know what Circes meant, but it doesn’t matter.”
“It does matter,” he insisted. “She said that you will risk everything for me.”
Brennan’s eyes were liquid topaz and I had the sudden thought that I might fall into them and drown. The angles of his face distracted me and I reached out with tentative fingers and traced his cheekbone.
“It will be fine,” I murmured, leaning in to kiss the side of his neck against my better judgment. I was usually the temptress, the one that men found irresistible. But with Brennan, the shoe was on the other foot. That I tempted him was indisputable, but he tempted me just as much.
Brennan closed his eyes and I ran my nose along his skin. For the first time in days, I felt the need to inhale him and my fingers started to shake. I started to pull away but he held me firm.
“You’ll be fine,” he assured me, staring into my eyes. “You won’t hurt me.”
“Brennan…” my voice trailed off and I swallowed. “Don’t be so confident in me. I don’t want to hurt you. But there’s a big difference between what I want and what I might actually do.”