The Nymph's Curse: The Collection (7 page)

She smells so damn good.

Looking up, he caught her golden eyes as she stared at him, but she quickly looked away.

He could have sworn that there had been something that had flickered between them, but he couldn’t be sure. The last time he’d felt this way was when he had met Lynda.

He was such a mess.

Opening the box, he stared down at the clay tablet, the fresco of the woman stared back up at him. The woman’s hair, though it was painted long ago, was the same shade of reddish brown as Ariadne’s. The woman’s nose was the same tiny thing with a slight curve to the tip.

“Wait, let me put on my gloves,” Ariadne said, opening her purse as she pulled out a pair of blue latex gloves.

“Ah, don’t worry about it. It’s just a tablet. I just need someone to decipher it for me.”

“I might be able to help.” She leaned over and her hair brushed against his arm and made goose bumps rise on his skin. Reaching past him, her arm touched his and his heart pounded in his chest.

Pulling out the tablet, her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. “Where did you find this?”

“Where Kaden and I are working, dig three, in front of the column. I think it might be important, but I can’t be sure. I mean, look at this.” He pointed to the concentric circles.

She looked at him and frowned. “What are you hoping it means?”

Why wasn’t she happy? Didn’t she understand the implications? If he found the Labyrinth, it had the potential to change the course of history and right the wrongs of academics who refuted the existence of the Labyrinth. And it would forever place him in the history books as the man who unearthed a treasure trove of knowledge. He could leave Kaden a legacy the kid would be proud of.

Beau ran his hand over the back of his neck. “I hope I can find what I’m looking for.”

“Mr. Morris, the Labyrinth is a myth.”

He looked up and her face was filled with pity.

She thinks I’m crazy, just like everyone else.

The one person he had hoped would think he wasn’t nuts was now just like all the rest who didn’t believe in him. He would prove them — and her — wrong.

“That’s what they said about Troy, that it was a myth. But I understand you’re in the business of proof over conjecture.” Beau looked out to the site where his students diligently sifted and scraped; they would find something she would have to believe in.

Ariadne smiled. “That’s called science and it’s what separates us from fantasy.”

She was right, but it infuriated him that she was so dismissive of his dream. But then again, why should it matter to her? Why did he care so much if she cared? Her opinion was just that, an opinion.

“This script is interesting though,” she paused.

He looked back at her and there was a light in her eyes. Was it hope?

“It talks about an ancient race and the story of Ariadne and the Minotaur. It looks like it’s about the Labyrinth, like you hoped, but I think it’s just an account of the ancient myth about Theseus and the bull, and how Ariadne gave him the golden thread.”

Beau stared at the tablet. There had to be something more for it to tell. “Don’t you think it means something that we found this in the era when the ‘myth’ was made?”

Ariadne shrugged. “Perhaps, but all stories begin somewhere.”

There was the crunch of footsteps. The tent flap opened and Vickie appeared in the opening. “Hi, Beau … ” she said with a velvet voice.

“Hello, Vickie. Can I help you?”

Vickie’s eyes drifted to Ariadne. “Hi, I’m Vickie. One of Beau’s … ” she quickly glanced back at him, “
students
.” The word fouled the tent with its tainted undertone of nastiness.

She pushed the tablet back into the box and balled her fists. “Vickie, this is Ms. Papadakis, she is the curator at the Heraklion Museum.” He motioned toward Ariadne. “I’m sorry, is it Miss or Mrs.?”

Ariadne smiled. “Miss is fine.”

Vickie’s rigid posture softened. “Oh.” She stuck out her hand. “Then it’s nice to meet you.”

Ariadne nodded, but said nothing.

“Vickie, did you need something?” Beau asked, breaking the strained silence in the tent.

For a moment, the girl looked confused. “Oh, never mind. I don’t remember. I’ll come back when I do.” She gave Ariadne one more look and then stepped out with a quick backward wave.

He breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m sorry about that.”

“No, don’t worry. It’s nice that your
students
check up on you.”

The way she said the word made it clear that she too had heard the pronouncement. He grabbed the lid of the bucket and flipped it back on; but in his haste, he pushed it too far and the plastic lid clattered to the ground, forcing him to start again. Ariadne tried to stifle a giggle.

His cheeks felt like they were on fire, and he took a moment as he fastened the lid to let them cool.

When he stood up, she was watching him with a tiny smirk. “Do you mind if I go and see Kaden before I leave? I have something for him.”

Pushing open the tent flap, he let her lead the way out. She bent over slightly and he could just make out the line created by her panties. He knew he shouldn’t stare, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away until she looked back over her shoulder. Hopefully she hadn’t caught him staring, the day had already been enough of an embarrassment.

A blonde head bobbed next to Kaden as they approached. Trina looked up. “Hey, Ariadne. I didn’t know you would be here.”

Beau stared at Ariadne, who had a pinched look on her face. “What are you doing here, Trina?”

Trina pointed at Kaden. “Have you met my boyfriend?”

Kaden’s face turned a vibrant red.

Ariadne frowned. “We’ve met.”

“What did the tablet say, Beau?” Kaden asked, oblivious to the mysterious strain between the two women.

Beau stepped next to Ariadne. “Just a myth about the Labyrinth. I sent a picture off to Professor Ryan. Maybe he’ll see some value in it. But it looks like it’s probably not what we were hoping for.”

Kaden shoved the tip of the trowel into the ground. “Sorry.” He pulled the trowel and where the tip had been, a white surface lay exposed.

“What’s that?” Beau said. He jumped down and took the trowel from Kaden.

He gingerly scraped away the soil. Lying exposed was a tiny bone. He cleared the soil around it, careful not to disturb the infant-sized femur. He looked up at Ariadne. “Oh, shit.”

The tent was filled with a flood of voices and the musky scents of the news broadcaster’s colognes as everyone waited for Stavros to make a statement. Stavros milled around the crowd and warmed palms as the assortment of reporters pushed business cards into his pocket.

Beau stepped beside her and put his hand on her elbow. Ariadne looked down at his surprisingly familiar touch and smiled. The sweet touch felt so strange, but so wonderful at the same time. With Stavros there had never been touches, only nudges when he wanted sex or the formal handholding at political functions.

“Thanks for coming. It’s nice to see someone I like,” Beau said with a grin.

“I couldn’t miss this,” she said with a forced smile.
Kat had made sure of it.

Beau dropped his hand as Vickie entered the tent and threw her hair behind her shoulder and extended her chest, making her breasts look like two smashed grapefruit under her V-neck top. Ariadne couldn’t hold back her snicker. The girl was mistaken if she thought that Ariadne would stand in her way with Beau. Beau was sweet, good-looking, and ambitious, but there wasn’t a possibility that they would be anything more than secret enemies.

Vickie walked up to them. “Hello again, Ariadne.”

She nodded a welcome. “Vickie.”

Beau shoved his hands in his pockets. “I hope the governor gets started soon, it’s getting hot in here.”

Stavros stepped next to her. “Hello, everyone. This is sure to gain headlines, don’t you think?” He leaned in and gave Ariadne a kiss on her cheek. “It’s a good day to be Greek.”

Her gaze snapped to Stavros and she glared and silently reprimanded him for touching her. The bastard had no business with her anymore. They were through, but maybe that hadn’t penetrated the man’s ego.

Beau extended his hand to Stavros, but his eyes bore into her. “Governor.”

The crowd seemed to tighten and a man bumped into her and smiled. “Sorry, Miss.”

She nodded, but she couldn’t stand being this close to so many people; especially not when the crowd included Stavros. Ariadne smiled at Beau. “I’m going to step out.”

“I’ll follow you out,” Vickie said, motioning her to lead the way.

Ariadne smiled, but looked quizzically at Beau, who shrugged. “Uh, sure.”

Beau reached out like he wanted to hold her back, but he stopped and looked at Stavros. His cheeks flushed. “Okay. See you in a bit.”

The tent flap closed behind them and deadened some of the drone of the chatter. Kat and Tammy were perched on the wall at the far end of the site. Tammy’s hands were flying as if she tried to desperately express a point she had made.

Vickie followed her away from the tent and out of hearing distance of the reporters. “What do you think is going to happen today?”

“I don’t really know. Why?” She looked over her shoulder at Kat.

“I heard someone saying they thought the governor’s going to shut us down. That can’t happen. Beau will be devastated,” the girl gushed.

Ariadne held back a smile. “Well, it’s possible. They will need to do an investigation to make sure the body isn’t a murder. Then there will need to be repatriation. And you know the Greeks like their ceremonies … They’ll need to bury the body.”

“Are you sure that the governor will close us down?” The lusty college student squirmed.

Ariadne shrugged
.
She could only hope that Stavros had finally realized what the dig could cost them.

“I need to go.” Ariadne pointed at Tammy. “My friends are waiting.”

“Sure.” Vickie crossed her arms and bit nervously at her nails.

Kat’s voices grew louder as she approached. “You can’t stop it … ” Kat turned away from Tammy. “Ariadne, have you talked to Stavros yet?”

“He’ll come through.”

“I hope you’re right. I heard about the tablet. And the bones,” Kat said.

“The dig is shut down.”

“For now … but how long do you think Stavros is going to keep his cash flow stemmed? He’s going to push the documents — for the body — through as fast as he can. Time is money.”

“Hi, Tammy, it’s nice to see you again.” Ariadne ignored Kat’s provocation.

“Howdy,” Tammy answered with a wave. Her eyes were tired, and she looked relieved to have someone else besides Kat for company.

“Where’s your assistant Ivan?” Ariadne asked as she looked around for the little gray-skinned elf.

“Oh, he had some business calling him. He’ll be along sometime, I’m sure,” Tammy said, her gaze flashed to Kat, then down at the ground.

It seemed out of character for the woman to be subordinate to Kat. What was going on?

“You okay, Tammy?” She looked over at Kat, who had a wicked smile on her face.

“She’s fine.” Kat answered for the witch. “Aren’t you?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Really.” Tammy looked over at the tent. “I’m just getting nervous ’bout the ceremony. That’s all.”

Ariadne didn’t believe her, but there was no point in pressing the issue. “Are you guys ready for the ceremony? Did you get everything you needed?”

“We still need a goat, then we’ll be all set,” Tammy said with a sigh. “Are you thinking you’ll be bringing Stavros?”

Kat glared at Tammy.

Ariadne sighed. “I don’t think so.”

“Do you care for Stavros?” Tammy asked as Kat continued to stare daggers at her.

Ariadne thought for a moment. “To be honest … I think he’s a bastard. I wish I would’ve left him years ago.”

“I glad to hear ya say that,” Tammy said with a wide smile. “I like you. To see you with a man like Stavros … it’s a shame. You gotta spark the rest of us drool after.”

Kat snickered. “You don’t know her very well. She’s lived more than a thousand years. If she was
great
don’t you think she would’ve done something
great
by now?”

Ariadne gritted her teeth.
She has no idea what I’m capable of, one of these days she’ll be shocked … but then again, I’ve been saying that for so long.
She sighed.
Nothing’s ever going to change.

Tammy glared at Kat. “It’s a cruel joke that the gods made you such a power-hungry harlot and her such a meek soul. But the gods always have a way of making things right.”

“Ariadne already wasted her chance at becoming great when she ostracized herself from the god Dionysus. He pitied her and offered her his hand, but she couldn’t handle his infidelities — I think she couldn’t please him.” Kat smirked. “Hadn’t you heard about her fall from grace?”

Ariadne’s cheeks flushed, and a thin veil of sweat covered her forehead. “Stop it.”

“What did you say?” Kat snarled. “Don’t think that because you finally have someone who feels sorry for you, that you can stand up to me. That’s a battle you will lose … Or are you trying to hide the truth of your past from your little ally?”

A squeal of a microphone came from the tent. “Ladies and gentlemen, we would like to present to you our beloved, honorable Governor Kakos!” A round of applause followed.

“Let’s go,” Kat ordered. Standing up, she sauntered off ahead of them.

“I’m sorry,” Tammy said. “Ya need to find your tongue and use it to lash that woman down.”

“Katarina saved our most sacred relic from being destroyed. She holds a high esteem within our sisterhood. If I go against her, it would be like going against everything we hold sacred. I would be going against all my sisters.”

“She ain’t without flaw.” Tammy smirked. “And just because she did one great thing, doesn’t mean that ya don’t get to stand up for yourself or what ya believe in.”

While Ariadne had been talking, someone had rolled up the sides of the tent, allowing the ocean breeze to clear the scents of the mass of people. Beau’s equipment had been removed and in its place were white folding chairs and a water cooler for the reporters who filled the seats. Kat led the way into the tent and forced her way into the farthest corner from Stavros, who stood behind the makeshift podium at the front of the tent.