Skin of a Goddess (Goddess Ascension Book 1) (13 page)

I listen to that sultry voice as if in a lull, then shake my head and snap, “Don’t try to use your tricks on me.”

“Oh, baby, I haven’t even begun to try,” she hisses, the flash of anger she shows making it easier for me to focus. “I don’t have time for this or for a silly mortal immortal who underestimates me.”

“Fine, fine. I’ll wait to talk to you until you’re in a more reasonable mood. I really don’t see what the problem is! All I’ve asked you to do is to be more careful since there’s a crazy murderer loose out there. Damn if that’s asking too much!” I say angrily.

Peitho glowers at me, reddish eyes flashing brightly from her golden face. “Hunter, how on Earth do you think you’re helping yourself by saying these things to me? Do you think saying that is going to make me swoon and say ‘yes, baby, take me to your dank cave of wonder where nothing evil can ever reach me’? If so, you’re full of shit.”

“No need to be sarcastic,” I tell her as calmly as I can.

“No need to suggest I follow you to your love shack of solitude,” she counters.

I growl in frustration. “It was just an idea, and I still don’t think it was a bad one! You’d be completely safe there, and I’d be with you to make sure no one attacks.”

“Yes, you are the factor that would stop evildoers. Maybe they’d see us both and decide it’s a two for one special on a goddess and a dragon!” Peitho says.

“They’ve only taken women so far,” I point out.

“First time for anything,” she says.

“You don’t have to sound so hopeful!”

“Don’t tell me the inflection I can use on my words!” she screeches back.

“Fine, I’m going to go, but I want you to remember to be careful,” I say, and begin to stalk toward the door.

“Just for your highly offensive comments, I’m going to go everywhere on my own. I’m also going to call a re-vote and change mine to destroying the murderers on our own! I’ll ask to look after and question the tiger shifters or werewolves on my own and be able to kill any murderer I find! So there, how’s my sickening weakness for you now?” Peitho says to my retreating back.

I stop right where I am. I look at the aluminum bottle in my hand, still half-full of cranberry and vodka. I quickly move aside the lid and spit into the liquid, without even thinking about it. Then I move the lid back in place and turn around to face the cretin that’s taken the place of my Goldie.

“Here, take your drink, and anything else of yours back,” I growl, walking back to hand her the bottle. “I’m through with you. If you don’t care about yourself, then don’t expect me to.”

She looks from me to the drink, then takes a big gulp, smacks her lips and says, “Vodka, the drink of champions!”

I just keep watching her until the effects of the sedative released from my fangs, meant for prey, begins to take effect. I see her eyes droop, and when her body starts to fall, I’m right there, ready to catch her. If the sedative works on her like normal, she should be out for about twelve hours. More than enough time to get her to my lair and keep her perfectly safe.

I look down at her and can’t help but say, “I’m so going to hell for this woman.”

Chapter 10

I wake up sore all over, like I’ve been in a particularly brutal fight and then passed out on the street for some much-needed resting time. My head even feels kind of fuzzy, like I have a hangover or something. I don’t remember drinking, really, just that cranberry and vodka that stupid Hunter gave me. Ah,
that
. I snap my eyes open and look around.

Of course. I’m in a damn cave. I guess things could be slightly worse, since the place at least seems clean. The walls may be stone, but elaborate silks and tapestries have been hung. There’s a series of rugs on the ground so my feet won’t be cold when I walk around … to the exit. Lights hang down from the ceiling, as well as lamps on side tables. I myself am lying in an opulent bed with plush mix-matched pillows and blankets, the bed itself round.

It makes me wonder how there’s electricity in here. Then I think that that’s a dumbass thing to focus on, given the situation. I should be thinking of how I’ll get out of this mess and escape his love shack. Or better yet, how I’ll kill him when it feels like I can’t even move. I hear a bit of scraping and pounding from nearby, and it makes my head throb.

“You weren’t supposed to wake up for hours,” Hunter says, though his voice sounds a bit funny.

I turn my head to the entrance of the room and stop to gape. Of course he sounded funny; he’s in his fucking dragon form. I don’t know how I’ve managed to never see a dragon in actual dragon form, but I haven’t. Seeing a big dragon with green scales the color of his eyes, leathery wings folded behind his back, big talons, and a snout is a bit alarming. He pretty much looks like a dragon should look, only I can still see his human form within his eyes. At least, until he gives an irritated little snort and smoke comes out of his nose.

“You’re huge. Maybe you should go on a diet or something,” I suggest weakly. “I’m sure you can find a plastic surgeon willing to help with that.”

He blinks his too-big eyes at me. To be truthful, he is big, but I’d expect if from a dragon. He must be a good twelve feet tall, seventeen long, including his ridged tail, and who knows what the man’s wingspan is. The entire look is more than a little alarming, especially since I’ve slept with this … creature.

“Oh, don’t give me that look. It’s just my other form. It’s not like you don’t have any,” Hunter says strongly, though I hear a bit of doubt in his voice. “Me in dragon form is just as much who I am as my human form. I just happen to use the human one more.”

What he says is true. All daimons have certain powers, and one of them is each of us being gifted with shape shifting. This means we can change to animal forms, not to other human ones. We also can’t change to other supernatural forms like griffins, dragons, or phoenixes. If we do then we’ll be unable to change to any other form after that.

“Who told you that?” I ask.

“Eve and Addy did.” He shrugs his big scaled shoulders at me. “They thought it was interesting that you daimons have more powers just as a side treat than actual shape shifters.”

“Not really. It takes a lot out of us to change shape, and we can’t stay in it overly long,” I say.

“Well, this is my dragon form. You surprised me, otherwise I would have been in human form for you. I just didn’t expect you to wake up so quickly. Must have a fast metabolism.”

“That reminds me—you fucking drugged me! Are you the one who’s been taking shifter women in the dark of the night to have your wicked, wicked way with them?” I ask angrily, promising myself to never take food or drink from this man again. “It’s just so inappropriate to drug cranberry and vodka.”

“No, of course I’m not the abductor or murderer. How can you even ask that after everything we’ve shared?” Hunter asks in shock.

“Sorry if I don’t feel like I know you particularly well. You think you know someone until you wake up and realize they’ve drugged you and stolen you away to their lair. Not to mention the fact that this has happened to me twice with you,” I say with narrowed eyes.

He rolls his big dragon eyes at me in shock. “I don’t think you can really compare the first time to this one. It was completely different.”

“So you claim,” I hiss. “However, the first time was no better. I still woke up with little to no memory of what happened or how I was stuck with you. Now where’s Apate? You drugged her too, didn’t you? If I have to be here in this dark and dank cave of doom, I at least want to be in good company.”

“Apate isn’t here, so it looks like you’re just stuck with me. I only drugged your drink. I did it before I handed it to you. My fangs have a sedative venom that’s supposed to be for prey,” Hunter says.

I look at him for a moment then ask, “Do you realize what you just said?”

He just blinks his dopey dragon eyes at me.

“Let’s rewind here and talk about this for a moment. First, of course I’m going to ask if you’re the abductor since you just drugged and abducted me! I hardly think you should be able to get all pissy with me asking that. Second, it doesn’t make me feel any more confident on your stand of not being the criminal after you just admitted that you drugged me with venom meant for prey,” I say heatedly.

Hunter blinks at me before saying, “I think you’re being overly sensitive. You know I’m not the one abducting and murdering people. I only took you away to keep you safe after you threatened to practically beg the real criminals to take you! That’s wasn’t well done, by the way. You left me no choice if I wanted to keep you safe. This is my right as your mate.”

“Temporary mate,” I correct him with relieved relish. “Goddess, I can’t wait until the six months are over and I can leave your overprotective and impulsive ass. Now take me back to the hotel! The others must be freaking out!”

Hunter growls. “I am not overprotective! I just want to keep you from being taken, tortured, and murdered! Excuse me!”

I snort. “I can’t be killed.”

“That would probably please them even more! They’d be able to cut you to ribbons and do anything else to your body that they want and you’d heal and be ready for more in the morning. Isn’t immortality just dandy?” Hunter says sarcastically.

“You’re just jealous. Now, seriously, take me back to the hotel. How far away are we?” I ask.

“There’s no way I’m taking you back so you can be alone all the time and ask questions of people who may possibly try to rip you to shreds. No, thanks, I know you want to leave me as soon as possible, but doing this to avoid your commitment is a bit extreme,” he says.

I gasp. “Contrary to popular belief, not everything I do is about you, Dragon! I’m doing this because these people have hurt and killed many women and tried to hurt my good friend. Using it to get back at you is really just a bonus.”

“How comforting,” he says dryly.

“Back. Now.”

“Not happening,” he insists.

I growl. “What if I promise not to do those things I mentioned when I get back? I won’t taunt the big bads!”

“Yeah, that would almost work, but I don’t really trust you too much now. Plus, you have been around Apate for thousands of years. I’m sure you’ve picked up some of her delightful habits, like lying, perhaps?” Hunter says like he’s all wise and clever.

I throw my hands up in the air, making me instantly dizzy. “You don’t trust me. Now isn’t that some fucking irony?”

“No need to use that tone.” He frowns. “I’ve done this for your own good. One day you’ll thank me for it.”

“That’s what stupid people always say after they’ve done something dumb for the supposed good of someone else. Let me tell you, buddy, it’s a load of shit. They never get thanked in the end, or at any other later date!” I tell him.

He snorts. “We’ll see.”

“If you don’t take me back, I’ll make your life living hell,” I threaten. “I’ll find a way out on my own. This cave can’t be that big of a maze. If you try to stop me, I’m not afraid to hurt you.”

“Not sure how you’re going to make my life a living hell. You’re going to be annoying? Check. You’re going to threaten me? Check. You’re going to be reckless? Check. Hmm, not a ton left for you to do at this point. Good luck leaving the cave on your own. The entrance to it is above a dead drop, and even though you will survive it, you will certainly take a while to heal from it,” Hunter says.

“Tell me how far away we are,” I demand, wondering if the others are close enough to at least sense me.

“Hours,” he says.

Damn. Too far away to be of any use and still close enough to tempt me. Isn’t that just the way of things? I don’t know what I’ll do to get out of it this time. There’s not much left. I guess I could try seductive powers, but I’m too pissed for that to really work. I could jump, break every bone in my body, take days to heal, and hope that Hunter doesn’t take me back to the cave in the process. Or I could shapeshift and fly away, but I don’t currently have the energy for that after the sedative.

“What do you want?” I finally ask.

“I want you to stay here with me where I can keep an eye on you and keep you away from danger,” he says. “And look! I’ve already got my way.”

“No need to rub it in,” I growl. “Are you going to be like this months from now? When anything threatens me, you’ll whisk me off into the middle of nowhere and keep me locked up? That’s no way to live. Or keep a healthy temporary relationship.”

“Are you often in danger?” He ignores everything else I’ve said.

I can’t help but roll my eyes. “With the kind of company I keep, do you even have to ask? We have enemies just like anybody else. It just so happens that ours carry century-old grudges and are all powerful.”

“Enemies?” He says the word with anger.

I don’t move my head for fear of dizziness and say, “Sure, don’t you have any? I mean, I’m not a small personality, and neither are the rest of the girls. We’ve bumped a few heads in our existence. It doesn’t help that we’re an all-for-one and one-for-all type of group. You piss one of us off, you’ve pissed us all off. If someone’s mad and has a vendetta against one, they have one against the many. I’d take a moment to think about that if I were you. You won’t just have me mad at you if you keep me here. You’ll have all of my girls mad at you.”

“I don’t know why that surprises me. It really shouldn’t.” Hunter sighs. “I can handle you and the others. This is our business, and I’m sure Nemesis will listen to reason and be able to keep the others out of it.”

“I don’t know. I mean, you’ve met Lyssa and Enyo. Besides, don’t you remember when Nemi came and collected me from your suite? She doesn’t like it at all when one of us is missing from the group and she can’t keep her big ole eyes trained on us all. If you think you have an ally in her, you’ll have severed ties with this little stunt,” I tell him.

“Suppose I’ll have to do something about that eventually. Your enemies, that is. Can’t have you attacked while you’re on my watch,” he says.

I laugh humorlessly. “I bet you so didn’t know what you were getting yourself into when you started the whole handfasting business. Karma’s a bitch, and in this case, its name is Peitho.”

Hunter looks at me with no sign of expression on his big, elongated face. “You have no idea.”

“How long are you planning on keeping me here?” I ask.

“Depends on how long it takes for the murderers to be found,” he answers.

I groan. “You don’t really think they’ll have a chance of finding them without me, do you? Enyo and Lyssa are complete fucking messes and will take all of Nemesis’s time, just making sure they don’t start more shit. Dysnomia is all lawlessness, so the idea of finding a criminal is pretty much against her nature. Ana and Apate are damn fools, though, granted, I love them. Aergia herself will probably be asleep until next week.”

“I’m sure Ana, Apate, and Nemesis will get things done. I’m not really sure how you could help that much anyway,” Hunter says.

I roll my eyes. “Apate will be too busy focusing on lying and making trouble to do any of the real work. Ana will be too strung up on her powers of ruthlessness and unforgiveness to be of any help. She won’t be able to focus and be subtle. You may have noticed, but I’m the only subtle one of us. I’m also the best at invading minds and helping people along. I can pretty much make anyone talk with a flutter of my lashes. While they spill their guts out, all they’ll remember about the conversation is ‘well, wasn’t that a pretty li’l girl?’”

Hunter sighs. “Damn, you may actually have a point.”

“And finally, he listens to reason! I know I have a point. That’s why I was especially pissed when you said I shouldn’t help. For once, I’m the one who’s necessary,” I say angrily.

“What about Nemesis? This kind of problem connects to her powers, right?” Hunter says, obviously grasping at straws.

“I’ve already told you, as our leader, she’s going to have enough problems keeping everyone else in line. Especially since she’s pretty much setting everyone loose. She’ll see it as her responsibility if they screw anything up. Anyway, she’s better at punishing than actually finding evildoers. They just fall in her lap—she doesn’t generally have to go looking for them,” I say.

Hunter concedes, “She probably will have her hands full making sure everyone does their job without messing things up.”

“Especially with Enyo and Lyssa. They have very archaic views of getting answers, which almost always ends up with someone being bloody. Now do you see why they need me? I’m the only one who can scope out the scene without raising major red flags. I’m going to be stuck here while they run around like idiots. Knowing them, I’ll be stuck in this cave for a solid six months.” I groan.