Fallen (Dark God Saga) (7 page)

The hotel had reserved cars for the evening so that their guests could be toted to and from the Whitman Plantation. Making sure that she had her invitation, Simone walked down to the lobby, and waited for the next car.

She arrived at the Plantation slightly after nine. Hoping that she didn’t look the part of a nervous, wired journalist, she pasted on a smile, stepped from the car, and approached a man dressed as a cross between an angel and something else. So, it was a costume party? And here she thought it was semi-formal. Oh well...

Eyeing his “wings” Simone approached.

“Welcome to the Whitman Plantation. May I have your invitation please?”

As she handed the invitation over to him, he scanned it with sharp, dark eyes, before placing it into a dark bag beside him. His eyes lifted to her, and his gaze slowly lowered, pausing on her belly, where the wires were pasted.

Simone felt her palms grow sweaty. He couldn’t know that she was wearing wires, could he? No, of course not. But what if he found out that she was?

“Ms. Randall—.”
          The double door behind him suddenly opened and out walked a tall man with a friendly smile who was too damned gorgeous for his own good. Simone had just dismissed him as a guest leaving early, when he stopped directly before her and took her clammy hand.

“Can’t you see the lady is cold? Where is your shawl, Simone? It may not be too cold yet, but it certainly warrants a shawl.”

Simone gaped. How did he know her name? Was he one of the townies she’d met today?
          “I-I don’t—.”

“Know me? I apologize. My name is Thoth. I am the host of this little event. I also hand delivered that invitation you received. Sadly, you were not home, so I left it with your doorman.” 

“Oh.” Simone found herself even more confused. How did he know to invite her? She couldn’t remember meeting him, and she wasn’t a member of any club that would get her invited to an event like this. At least, she wasn’t aware of being one. 

“I see you have more questions? Come inside. I’ll show you around as I explain.” Turning his body, Thoth indicated the opened doors. From what she could make out, there were dimly lit red and gold lights inside.

Nodding, she stepped by him and entered the huge double doors.

***

Thanatos lifted a dark brow as he watched the tall, impressive-looking blond man flirt shamelessly with a slender, dark-skinned woman who, while she could not match him in height, stood at least five eleven, which was considerably taller than most women here tonight. Observing them from the shadows, he could make out the possessive way in which the man’s hand lingered on the woman’s back, the way he kept touching her as if wanting to make sure that she was always there. He guessed it would be considered infatuation or love by humans. But there was one problem.

The man before him was a god. Not just a god, the current ruler on Mount Olympus: Zeus, the sometimes over-eager thrower of the lightning bolt himself.

The woman said something, and Zeus threw back his head and laughed before reaching forward to capture her lips in a quick, passionate kiss. It was at that moment that Thanatos saw Zeus’s body stiffen, and felt the pulse of power that rippled through the room. Zeus had just become aware of him. He was getting slow. 

Pushing himself up to his full height, Zeus looked over his shoulder and narrowed his eyes. Leaning down, he murmured something to the human woman, who placed a kiss to the side of his lips, and moved off.

“Have your years of humanity made you forget common decency?”

The question was sharp, and a lesser god might have flinched or cowed. Thanatos did neither. He approached instead.

“I was thinking it would be in bad taste to interrupt—.”

“Hmm,” Zeus assessed him for long moments and then a smile curved his lips up. “You look good for a god turned human.”
          “Thank you. I wanted to speak with you about that,” Thanatos began, deciding to get right to the point.  He’d never been one for pleasantries and he imagined Zeus wasn’t either. “I think that I’ve learned the lesson that Hera wished me to. It has been close to a century.” Although he had no idea what lesson he was supposed to learn, he knew that he’d have to say that he’d learned it. Whatever. When his powers were restored, he could do as he liked, and that was what mattered.

“Yes, your sentence was harsh, wasn’t it?” Zeus said, stroking his chin as if remembering something else. “She’s always been bloodthirsty, you know.”

He knew well. Zeus didn’t need to remind him of it.

“So, you’ll rescind the curse?”

Zeus seemed to contemplate it for long seconds before he shook his head. “I can’t. Hera cursed you, so as you know, she will have to break it.”

“Can’t you force her to do so?” Of course he could. He was Zeus. There was little that the god before him couldn’t do. He’d created the humans, had given the power of creation to some of his children to create the non-humans...

Zeus chuckled, flashing perfect white teeth, before sobering. “I can, but I won’t. She is my wife after all.” The god didn’t seem entirely pleased about that matter. “Good luck, Thanatos. I cannot say you have not been missed. My brother has not your...
finesse
for matters of death.”

Chapter Three

Simone had officially been at the Ball for fifteen minutes, and during that time she’d come to realize a series of things. Like the fact that even though she was wearing a dress that easily cost her magazine thousands of dollars, she still felt underdressed. She’d witnessed someone dressed as Medusa, complete with snakes and all, another as a vampire, with fangs and the white powder to give him a realistic vampire complexion, and of course, she’d caught sight of a few dominatrixes and some bunnies, straight from Hugh Heffner’s ranch. She’d resisted the urge to roll her eyes at them. Could there ever be a Halloween without women dressing like prostitutes? Never. If she’d known that it was actually going to be a “dress-up in Halloween outfits party,” she would have come as a teacher or something.

Deciding that the best way to find out more about the Ball would be through some of its guests, Simone was searching around for interesting costumes, when there was suddenly a commotion across the room. With her three inches of heels, Simone could make out an angry blond woman in a flowing white gown and a golden belt, and Hypnos—and wasn’t that Thanatos behind him? It seemed as if Hypnos was trying to play the part of mediator between the two, and failing miserably. Even though he was across the crowded room, Simone could almost sense Thanatos’s anger. She focused on the blond once more, wishing she could see the face of the woman who’d riled him so.

At that moment, another man, this one blond and taller than both Thanatos and his twin, walked up to them and succeeded in removing the blond woman. More like, the blond man gave her a stern look, turned and walked off, and the blond woman, who was extremely beautiful, Simone noted with a little smirk, followed.

Both Thanatos and Hypnos glared after them before Hypnos touched his brother’s shoulder, murmured something, and the two began cutting their way through the crowd. They looked like giants among men in their pristine dark suits, and slicked back hair. It was then that Simone noticed they were heading toward the huge double doors that would take them outside.

Were they leaving? Already? How could he leave so soon?

Before she knew it, she was sidestepping succubae, vampires, and other fake creatures as she tried to get through the crowd to him. Maybe this would appear totally stalkerish, but she wasn’t quite thinking about that now. She hadn’t even danced a segment yet, and hadn’t seen anyone she wished to dance with but him. She imagined that dancing with Thanatos would be an unforgettable experience, as would anything involving the man.

They’d just approached the door and Simone had halted her steps, after coming to her senses and recognizing that she was running after a man she didn’t know, when Thanatos paused and looked over his shoulder. His eyes caught hers, and although the light was dim, she could see them lighten as they landed on her.

Simone smiled, feeling her heart thud—from the exertion of chasing him of course. It pleased her that he was happy to see her.

***

Why are you stopping?
Hypnos asked, using the mental link he shared with his twin. Though his brother had lost his powers, it still remained, possibly because they were linked being godhood. Hypnos knew Thanatos was no longer trailing him. With Aphrodite and her arrow-happy son at the Ball, it was best for all parties involved if Thanatos left. Eros was a lover, not a fighter, but the ‘cupid’ could be vindictive when it came to his mother, and if he shot Thanatos and something hideous with one of those arrows, all sorts of chaos would be unleashed.

When Thanatos did not answer, Hypnos turned and noticed his brother heading back into the crowd. Eyes narrowing, he was about to follow when he realized Thanatos’s intent. It was the woman from the hotel. The brown skinned woman Hypnos had been on the verge of charming into his bed before becoming aware of his brother’s interest.

Hypnos scanned the crowd, noticing that neither Aphrodite, Eros or Zeus seemed to be among the revelers anymore. Hopefully Zeus had ordered both of them back to Mount Olympus. He looked back to his brother, now walking with the woman.

Deciding Thanatos would be safe for at least another few minutes, Hypnos scanned the crowd for that particularly pretty succubus he’d glimpsed before Aphrodite approached his brother. They might “suck” the souls out of humans, but they sucked on other things as well. Quite marvelously. The things that a succubus could do. His first time with one, centuries ago, was the closest he’d come to blushing. Fond memories. 

Hypnos caught sight of her, busty with a tiny waist and hips that swung in blatant seduction. Feeling his heated stare, as their kind did when lust was involved, she looked over her shoulder and licked at her ruby lips. A smile curved them up and she turned around, swinging her hips even more. She came to a door, and slipped through, leaving it partially open. Hypnos needed no more invitation. He cast one final look around the room, convinced himself that his brother was safe, and followed her.

***

Thanatos only barely resisted the urge to lower his hands from Simone’s lower back and cup what had to be the shapeliest ass he’d ever seen. The violet dress she wore, a thin-strapped piece that seemed to hug her in a way that the red dress hadn’t, gave him thoughts of a dimly lit bedroom, a large, comfortable bed, and him undressing her with hands and teeth.

How could he have thought her
just
pretty?

The woman was beautiful in a way that was completely different from anyone he’d seen before. It was probably why he had not recognized it. Dark chocolate brown eyes, skin so warm and soft that he just wanted to keep touching her, and a body that had no doubt been sculpted by the gods. She stood around five feet seven, and was shapely without being overly curvaceous. If he didn’t know she was human, he would think there was something
divine
about her.

His eyes lowered to her lips, and she licked them. Thanatos didn’t know if that was unconscious or not, but he knew well the expression on her face.
Need.
He didn’t need to have his powers to know she wanted him. Sliding his hands up her sides, he drew her closer. Brown eyes widened, but the hand against his shoulder only tightened.

Lowering his head to hers, he caught her lips in an easily breakable kiss. He didn’t want to scare her, and that terrified him. Thanatos was never unsure of himself when it came to women, but Simone made him uncertain.

When her lips parted, he plunged his tongue inside her mouth, moaning against her. She was sweet. Like ambrosia, the nectar upon which he’d survived when he was a god. Sweeter.

***

Simone felt a light tremor ripple through her body as his clean, minty taste and scent overwhelmed her. She’d kissed guys before, her exes, but it had never felt like this. Never so...right. The Ball and all of its partakers slipped away as his tongue teased and retreated, proving his expertise in the matter of kissing.