Goddess Page 21

  “Hot apple cider. Cinnamon apple cider. Cocoa.” Their voices flowed together in a flurry of excitement and joy.

  I embraced the good vibes, filling cups and clinging to a momentary distraction.

  The group exited in a chorus of “Winter Wonderland,” sucking my good feels out the door with them and leaving me alone with a spiteful-looking goddess.

  “Hello, Calypso.” Nym leaned against the far wall, a pose probably chosen to feed her enormous ego. She pushed off the wall in her typical overly dramatic way and sashayed forward, exaggerating each step in my direction. Her expression would’ve been intimidating if I hadn’t been up all night imagining ways to hurt her.

  “Nemesis,” I snarled.

  “I wondered how long it’d take you to catch on. Not real quick on the take, are you, sister?”

  “I’m not your sister.”

  She cocked a hip and leaned against the counter, close enough to reach. Her all black ensemble seemed appropriate. Reflective of her soul. “Mmm. At least you admit to being slow. Admission is often the toughest step.”

  I moved sideways, putting space between us. My anger was enough, without feeding off hers, too. “I’ve been a little busy. Believe it or not, you aren’t the scariest thing in town.”

  “It’s the body.” She adjusted her cleavage. “You’re wrong again. You think I’m a villain, but I’m the hero in every story.”

  My internal temperature rose fifty degrees. My skin burned. My blood boiled. I zipped around the counter and into her face. “The hero? The hero? I think you killed four women last night, and I don’t even know how many others. Are you taking my men? Where are my Vikings?”

  “Your naivete is annoying. Carnage has always been the result of war.”

  “What war?” I screamed, no longer interested in any pretense of civility. “You came to my town, which is already filled to the heavens with deity and animosity, and dug your nasty little claws into the mix. This is not a war.” Was it? “Wait. Do you mean the battle between my men and the giants? That’s not a war. It’s a battle.”

  She clucked her tongue and tested my nerves. “One you won’t win.”

  “What do you want?” I dragged the last word on for syllables.

  Her creepy Cheshire grin returned. “Balance. Retribution. Justification. It’s all I ever want.”

  “And what about mine? You killed my family. Those nymphs were my sisters. You had no right to touch them. They’d done nothing wrong. Maybe it’s time I get retribution.”

  She pushed off the counter, seemingly unfazed by my proximity or volume. “They sided with you and you are charged with hubris.”

  “Hubris?” I balked. “Arrogance in the face of gods? You’re insane. That’s what the books should say. Nemesis is the goddess of nut jobbery who does what she wants and can’t be killed because she’s immortal, so we pretend her acts of brutality are justified. If you were human, you’d be behind bars forever.”

  I flipped through a mental contact list. Would Zeus intervene for me? Surely someone could punish her for her crimes.

  Nym fluffed her hair and managed to look bored, though her narrowed eyes burned with indignation. “Yes. Hubris. Hades lifted your friend from the dead for you, yet you deny her the truth and him his due. Zeus rendered you a sword many have killed to possess, but you won’t wield it. You were given the most coveted appointment in your league and you refuse to embrace it. Do you think you’re too good to lead men? Has feminism clouded your judgment? Or do you believe the Fates were wrong by choosing you? Is that it? You think yourself wiser than Destiny. Your tiny mind cannot conceive of it, I’m sure, but the attention of the entire universe is on you, and you sit paralyzed with worry about nonsense. The nymphs, your father’s accident, discord with your boyfriend, loss of your bestie, Justin. Those pains are only the beginning. You’ve gained so much more than you’ve ever lost.”

  Tears blurred my vision. “My father’s accident? You killed Ginger? Why? To hurt me? You’re such a colossal idiot! Lives are not nonsense. Have you killed for so long you don’t remember the value of life? Don’t you care for anyone?”

  Her smarmy expression faltered, a fraction of a second, but I caught it and pushed on, taking advantage of the small opportunity presented me and forcing the painful revelations behind. “I do everything I do out of love.”

  She raised a brow in silent disbelief.

  I squared my shoulders. I did too many things out of fear, but the fear also came from love. I tapped my temple and paced the floor, processing the truth in each word. I held back in battle because hurting others didn’t come naturally for me, not even to the ones who wanted to hurt me. I lived inside my head. I overthought everything, and I wrestled with the best choices. Sometimes there weren’t any good options. “Do you have any idea what that does to me? I love people. All of them. Not just the nymphs and the Hales. I love humanity and Stians and I love the Jotunn.” My voice cracked.

  Nym’s mouth opened and shut quickly. “Nonsense.”

  “I killed a man a few days ago. His name was Gil. He came to kill me in the name of Gaia, over some feud between her and Zeus. I defended myself, and I second-guess that decision every day. It took some time, but I see now there will be bloodshed in this life. So, I crawl up here.” I patted my forehead with my palm. “And I decide how I can be used to limit the death toll. If I ever see a way that ending my life will save others, if more will live because I die, then I will make that choice for them.” My mouth seemed out of control. She didn’t deserve the explanations that poured from my lips. “I love in a desperate, painful way. I can’t explain it right, but I need to protect life. Cherish it. I will do anything to preserve it. So, when you walk in here, ready to take the things I treasure most in the name of justice—as defined by you—I think maybe the one who needs to die isn’t as far from my reach as I thought.”

  Her blank expression rattled me. Would she kill me now? How stupid was my speech? Would she let Tom live if he came to my aid?

  She slunk toward me like a serpent to her prey. “You think you’ve lost something else. What beside the nymphs and Vikings? Say it.”

  I gritted my teeth and forced images of the pool into my head and images of Justin out in case she could read my mind. “Isn’t there anyone whose life you value above your whacked-out revenge schemes? Someone who might make it worth reevaluating your goals?” Surely in the history of eternity she’d loved someone. “You remember what love is, don’t you?”

  She cast her gaze to the floor and back to my face. Her ancient clear blue eyes seemed to weigh a decision, hopefully not about my death. “I didn’t hurt any of your men or the nymphs.”

  “What about the Stians?”

  Her lips curled in disgust. “They’re all your men, idiot. Start seeing things clearly before more are slain for your ignorance. Viking clans are no match for the frost giants. Everyone knows you don’t have a chance the way you’re running things now.”

  We have no chance. I gripped my hands into fists at my sides and screamed at the ceiling. “Is everyone up there an asshole? Why would you set me up to fail? Where’s the glory in that?” I turned my attention back to the murderess before me. “Leave my town.”

  She laughed. “Or what? You’ve already said you won’t kill me.”

  I tipped my head, left to right. “Killing you will probably save lives.”

  She made a sour face and brushed past me, knocking her shoulder into mine and setting me off balance for the first time in weeks. “I like it here. I’d rather not see the place torn to shreds in battle, so maybe try real hard to show me you aren’t totally brainless. I’m staying. You’ll be wise to take my advice.”

  I turned to introduce her to one of my little fists, but she was gone. A scream lodged in my throat and I suppressed it to the point of pain. I didn’t need fifty Vikings showing up again.

  Allison pushed through the door, smiling ear to ear. “Was that Nym on the s
idewalk?”

  “Yep.”

  “Gross. She came in here? Can’t say I’m sorry I missed that. What’d she say?”

  I poured myself an iced coffee to cool down and shoved an ice cube in my mouth. “She said she’s an evil bitch.”

  “Old news.” Allison tied an apron around her waist and pulled out her phone. “Do you believe in déjà vu? The more time I spend with Oliver, the more I think we’re soul mates. Like we met in another life or something. Is that crazy?”

  Crazier than aliens or the truth? “No.”

  I tugged on the straw in my coffee and sighed. I needed to talk with Allison, but something else niggled in my mind. The flash of something besides hate in Nym’s eyes. What had she meant about giving me advice? All I’d heard was pompous indignation. I worked backward through the conversation, rolling each word over in my mind. There was information in there that I needed, but what?

  Oliver strode through the door with a smile.

  Recognition dawned. “No way.”

  He scooped Allison into a hug. “It’s me. In the flesh. A lot to take in. I know.”

  “What?” I untied my apron and dropped it behind the counter. “Hey, can you stay with her? I need to go.”

  Allison peeked around Oliver’s side. “Are you okay? I just got here.”

  I shot Oliver a meaningful look. “I know what I have to do.”

  He released his grip on her. “Do you need me?”

  “Nope. I’m going to find Tom and head over to your place. Maybe you and Allison would like to come after her shift so we can talk?”

  Allison beamed. “That’d be amazing. Can you stay until then?” She turned wide blue eyes to Oliver’s confused green ones.

  He hesitated but gave in. He wouldn’t leave her alone. “Okay. Have Liam text me.”

  “I will.” I ran for the door, nearly trampling Tom as he stepped inside. A too-small Santa hat balanced atop his puffy red hair. “Everything okay, boss?’

  Getting better by the second.

  Chapter 19

  Liam met Tom and me on the porch at Hale Manor. My dad’s car was parked at the curb in front of my house, behind Mom’s Bronco. I shook my head and hustled to the kitchen. Nym was right. I’d spent too long obsessing over things beyond my control. I stopped short and gaped. Trays, boxes, and multitier stands of holiday cookies filled every inch of flat space. Mason washed baking sheets in a sink of soapy water.

  I settled onto my usual seat at the island, mildly concerned for Mason’s mental health. “What are you going to do with all these cookies? How long have you been baking?” Was this what I looked like to friends when I swam for hours to process my troubles?

  He wrung his hands in the apron slung around his waist. A sheepish grin made him seem almost as young as he looked. Thirtysomething, instead of three hundred, or however old Mason really was. “I have a lot on my mind.”

  Massive understatement alert.

  I ran a fingertip along the edge of several trays in front of me. The cutouts were impeccably decorated, embellished with edible glitter and candy pearls. I grabbed a silver-haired angel wearing a blue robe and playing a shimmery golden harp. I bit her head.

  Mason stepped closer. “What do you think?”

  Crumbs fell from my lips. “Delishus.” Mom’s clean-eating desserts topped out at baked fruit with natural juices and cinnamon.

  He pointed to the tiny harp. “The gold glimmer is tinted sugar sprinkles. Try this one. It’s called a snickerdoodle.”

  I set the angel down and hefted a round cookie off a tray shaped like mittens. The snickerdoodle was twice the size of the angel. “Mmm.” My eyes rolled into my head and my tongue nearly fainted. I took two more bites before I could bring myself to set it down.

  Liam and Tom entered the kitchen and headed for the espresso machine beside the fridge. I couldn’t imagine what they were talking about before they walked in, but their emotions were a scramble. They piled small white plates with cookies and arranged the island displays to make room for the three of us to rest our hands on the marble top. Liam set an espresso before me and went back to the machine.

  I swiped a tan cookie with a chocolate kiss on top and stuffed it between my lips. My tummy rejoiced as my mind reeled with all I wanted to say. I dusted my palms together and wiped the corners of my mouth. “Nym came to see me at work.”

  The Hales stopped chewing.

  “Wah?” Mason asked around a mouthful of gingerbread.

  I nodded, smiling. “She came in to scare me, I think, but she made me so mad I spewed a headful of stress all over her. She thought I had it easy, and I wasn’t appreciating the things the gods gave me, so she came here to punish me.”

  Liam moved to my side with caution. “What did she say?”

  “That I was guilty of hubris.”

  The three men gaped.

  I waved them off and sipped my espresso. “She said she didn’t take the Vikings and she denied setting the fire at the B&B, though she didn’t seem to care about any of it.” I swallowed to catch my breath. “She admitted to causing my dad’s car accident. It’s as if she has no appreciation for the finality of life.” Maybe when you’re eternal from the beginning, finite is a tougher concept. I need to talk with Zoe soon about plans for proper memorials.

  Silence fell over the room.

  I sipped my espresso and worked to keep focus. “When I asked her if she’d ever loved someone enough to want them to live, she wavered. Only a second, but I saw it. She pretended to storm away, but she told me to listen to her advice.”

  Mason hovered inches from Liam’s back. Curiosity widened his eyes. “What advice?”

  “I’m not sure.” I finished the coffee. “I’ve rewound the conversation a million times, but I’m still not positive. She said we were no match for the Jotunn right now.”

  “Don’t listen to her,” Tom warned. “She loves upsetting things and calling it balance. She’s trying to get into your head.”

  I wasn’t convinced. “That’s what I thought, too, but that look. It’s as if, for a tiny flick of a second, all the anger and wrath hiccupped and a dot of concern swept in. It was too fast to say for sure, and she’s great at keeping up the hate shield, but I saw something in her eyes. I felt it on my skin. There’s good in there somewhere, and I think she tried to help.”

  Tom swigged the dregs of his espresso and slammed a hand on the counter. “By telling you we can’t win?”

  “Yes.” I pointed at him. “I think so. I think what she meant was we can’t win the way we are now. Earlier in the conversation, when I asked if she’d taken our men or the Stian men, she said they were all my men. Then she called me an idiot.”

  The guys cast weary looks at one another.

  Tom clucked his tongue. “You like her now? You really do find good in everyone.”

  I huffed. “No. I think she sucks, but I think she thinks I can do this. I can unite the Vikings. Stians, too. She knows it’s possible and thinks I’m failing or not trying, but it is possible. I think she meant we can’t beat the giants while we’re divided.”

  Liam rubbed my shoulders. “We do need the numbers.”

  “No.” I swiveled on my stool. “It’s more than that. I have a feeling my transformation was only the first part of the prophecy fulfillment. Uniting them will complete it. I think the union of all Vikings will set something else in motion. Like we’re all doubly strong or something else mystical and fantastical. I bet the Jotunn are no match for the Vikings when we’re united. We have to find a way to recruit the rest of the Stian men. We’ll force them into our clan by taking their numbers. The more men we have, the weaker they become. Once you teach Justin to help you identify new Vikings, we can begin pulling them our way immediately and extinguishing Calder’s source. Any Stian stragglers will have no choice but to accept their destiny.”

  Liam and Mason began talking so quickly I had to concentrate to keep up.

&nb
sp; Tom nodded at me. Pride rolled off him in waves.

  Mason nodded as Liam made suggestions for grouping our men into teams. Tom jumped in with ideas on ways to isolate newer Stian members and convert them in secret. Hope rose in my heart, fueled by a growing sugar and caffeine buzz.

  I slipped past the brothers and made another espresso, preparing for a long night of strategy planning. My limbs trembled with a rush of endorphins and adrenaline.

  A handful of Nym’s words looped over in my mind and tightened like the rope around Justin’s hand when he mounted a bull. I turned to face the guys. “Nym said Hades raised Allison from the dead. Do you think that’s strange? I assumed she understood why the giants were here, that I owed Zeus this promise because of what he did for me. How could she know that and not know he was the one who raised Allison? Do you think she doesn’t know?”

  Mason leaned against the sink, brow furrowed. “I don’t know. She has a point, however she came to it. Hades has dominion over the dead. Not Zeus.”

  I didn’t like where this was headed. “But Zeus appointed Hades that title, right? Which assumes Zeus could do the job if he wanted.”

  Liam’s sullen expression confirmed it. More bad news. “It’s been my experience the gods stick to their places. Intruding on one another’s rightful dominions could cause a war.”

  War.

  A dozen nights of terror rushed into the forefront of my mind. Images of death and destruction clouded the world and stole my breath. Warm hands guided me to a stool and helped me up. Liam’s voice called me back to the kitchen. “Callie. Calypso. What’s happening? Callie? Can you hear me?’

  Hot tears rolled over my cheeks.

  A cup clattered onto the counter.

  Liam pressed something cool to the nape of my neck. “Callie?”

  My tongue stuck to the roof of my suddenly dry mouth. “Something’s wrong.” The images hit me so hard it hurt.

  The back door burst open and I screamed. Two men hauled Justin inside. Their arms curved under his. His lifeless booted feet dragged behind him. I dove to his side, pressing my palms to his cheeks. His face was almost unrecognizable, swollen with bruises and lined in gashes. His body was doubly large, hulked out in true Viking form. Whatever had gotten to him was big.