Page 3 of Soft Bronze

Chapter Two

Zelus stared at the roof of the room. He’d been kissed. Kissed! He touched his lips. His skin tingled. He hadn’t felt tingles in a long, long time. Come to think of it, he hadn’tfeltanything in a long time. He glanced down at his hand. He’d moved. His skin wasn’t black from the metal. No, it was the normal color—tanned from the sun, just like before he’d been cursed.

He was alive. Praise Zeus, the curse was lifted … because of Camden. The guard’s kiss had brought him to life. He needed to find his man.

“Close it up,” the other guard said. He shoved the lid down on the box, sealing Zelus inside. “That perv liked this ugly statue. It’s probably gay like him. I’m telling you, it needed to be sold a long time ago.”

No, no. He needed Camden. “Wait.” He’d spoken. When he opened his mouth, no more sound came out. But he’d come to life. He’d broken the spell.

“Was that you?” one of the owners asked. “Did you say something?”

“I didn’t say anything.” The guard rattled the lid. “I hear the buyer is going to cover him up. Doesn’t want nudity.”

“Are you sure? Why did you talk to the buyer?”

“I didn’t.”

“Right. I’m out.”

Zelus heard the footsteps, but didn’t relax. Someone was still nearby.

The lid moved and the hefty guard peered down at Zelus. “I know what happened and I saw what you did.” Gus sneered. “He broke that farcical curse, but he’s not here. I am. He can’t have you because I’m taking your ass out of this shop. You’re going to make me millions.” He replaced the lid and nailed it shut. “Ha. You’re not going to the buyer. You’re coming with me.”

Zelus placed his hands on the lid of the box. They couldn’t cover him. They couldn’t sell him. He was real. His heart hammered. This bastard couldn’t steal him or make money from him. No way.

Finally, he had his heart back. If he screamed, they’d know the curse had been broken, or at least they’d have him sent away from his guard. He’d have to bide his time and wait until someone opened the lid. He wasn’t sticking around for Gus to use him. Even if it took magic or begging his father, he’d get out of Gus’s clutches, then he’d find Camden.

He couldn’t believe his luck. He had finally found the person to break the curse, but now he was stuck in a crate, headed for a store’s window display.

What a time tonothave his powers!

He’d wait. There wasn’t much else he could do. Zelus closed his eyes. Camden broke the spell once. With another kiss and a declaration of love, he could destroy the curse forever.

All Zelus had to do was hold on.

****

Time passed, but Zelus wasn’t sure how much. The box moved, tossing him within the straw. Being stuck upside down in dirt with only his feet sticking out had been worse than the prickly straw.

The lid opened and bright sunlight streamed over him. Sunshine. He basked in the warmth on his skin. Not quite like the heat generated from Camden’s kiss, but close.

“Did they paint it?” a voice said. The man moved the straw away from Zelus’s face. “He’s awfully lifelike. Are you sure he wasn’t painted?”

“I don’t know. Don’t care,” another man said. “They wanted him. I delivered. See ya.”

The first man peered into the box. “I’ve got to ask Grissom what to do next. He was expecting a black statue, not one painted to look real. He’s going to put clothing on it, but still. This isn’t what he wanted.”

The man left the box and his footsteps faded. Zelus gasped. Holding still had been so much easier in the bronze. He sat up and looked over his surroundings. Another storage space. No one else moved around the room, but there were at least twenty oddly shaped figures. The statues, all headless, were in various poses. Some stood upright, while others appeared to be sitting. Some were female and others male, but without sexual parts. Odd. Humans didn’t revel in sex any longer? He’d been in the antiquities store for far too long. Part of him wanted to go back to his time when humans went to bed with just about anyone they chose and delighted in sex. The rest of him wanted to stay put. He’d never know what could happen with Camden if he didn’t stick around.

Zelus touched the statues. The hard surfaces reminded him of wood, definitely not like any marble or stone he’d encountered. He rested his hands on his hips. What did he need in order to find Camden? The humans weren’t running around in the nude, so he’d need some sort of clothing. He’d admired the tight shirts and pants worn by Camden. Maybe he could find something to fit him. He strode across the room to a stack of boxes. He couldn’t read the writing on them, but the blue fabric inside resembled the pants he’d seen on Camden. Perfect. He stepped into a pair of the pants, but barely got his legs into the holes. Too tight.

He grunted. He’d need another pair. But he couldn’t read the labels. He grabbed another set of the pants. They appeared to be bigger. He decided he preferred his battle gear over contemporary clothing. He stuffed one leg into the pants. These went up his body much easier. He wasn’t fond of the clothing and constriction, but if that meant he’d find Camden, then fine.

Voices filtered down to him. Where were shirts when he needed one? He ducked behind a stack of boxes and rummaged through them for more clothes. He slipped the first shirt he found over his head. He couldn’t read the words splashed across the front, but he didn’t care. He spotted a pair of shoes. They weren’t what he preferred, but he needed something on his feet if he was going to make a run for it.

“It’s down here. I’m telling you, the thing looks real.” The man who’d opened the box strolled into the storage room. “Come on.”

If the workers believed him to be real, then he wasn’t safe in the storage space. Zelus worked his way around the boxes, through a set of doors. He gasped. What an outrageous space. The room swarmed with people. Clothing and jewelry decorated every surface. He’d never seen anything like the merchant space. So many items and so many people pushing colored carts. Some toted around clothing and others held odd looking contraptions. His only experiences with appliances had been more than ten years ago. One of the men from the store put him where he saw telephones and a coffee maker. He’d never tasted coffee, but wanted to try the dark brew … later.

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