Page 6 of Queen of Shadows and Roses
Hades, although still reserved from the public eye, had opened classy nightclubs in all the world's major cities, while Apollo had invested in live music venues. Dionysus’s exclusivewine bars sold his own wine, rumoured to contain a touch of nectar.
Aphrodite launched a chain of superstores, obliterating the likes of Ann Summers and Victoria’s Secret: lingerie, sexy clothes, sex toys, and the like. Pretty on point for the freaking goddess of love. The asshole, Zeus, had a massive investment company employing Oracles. Again, they were all located in the world's most prominent cities.
The gods had promised a fairer world, and much to my chagrin, they had delivered. If you were a law-abiding citizen, life was good. If not, the punishments were pretty archaic and vicious, but no one could question or argue with them. I guessed the answer to life was to be a good person, not an asswipe. The standard of living was higher, and homelessness had become a thing of the past.
Even thinking about the gods rattled me—I could feel the darkness within, almost pounding against my chest to escape, to destroy. Thanks to Grandma, I’d learned to control that dark magic. I inhaled deeply through my nose to quell my fury and hurried to the little oasis.
Strolling inside, my thoughts evaporated, and the feeling of bitterness and anger settled. I wandered towards the water, inhaling the mingled scents of the blooms, which felt like a meditation, before sitting on the edge of the circular pond.
The water, dyed black with harmless food dye, shimmered as the glasshouse ceiling reflected off the surface, and colourful fish zipped through the darkness. The giant Victoria Boliviana water lilies were breathtaking creations, yet the flowers only bloomed for forty-eight hours. I trailed my fingers gently through the water.
‘Hello, beautiful,’ I whispered as I touched one of the Victorias. A ripple of water and leaves saw the plant sprout a tall stem, which emerged from beneath. A large white flowerpeeled open, igniting an inner warmth within me, illuminating my world. I smiled and inhaled the fragrant scent. ‘Clever girl.’
‘Cool ability, Sephy.’ A man’s voice caused me to jump up and spin around.
A blond-haired, tall, muscular guy stood six feet away from me—he had the kind of face that stops you in your tracks… It was a vaguelyfamiliarface. His dark blond hair was knotted atop his head, but his eyes were bizarre—almost violet—though I was sure I saw silver flashing through them. What was going on with insanely gorgeous men and their freaky eyes?
‘Who are you?’ I ground out, placing my hands on my hips.
‘You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.’ His smile transformed his face from stunning to jaw-dropping.
‘How do you know my name?’ I snapped, striving not to lose myself in those bewitching eyes. Isodidn’t need this. I wanted peace and plants, not stupid hot men.
‘I know a great deal about you.’
Well, that wasn’t weird. ‘Are you stalking me?’
He laughed—a deep, rumbling, sexy sound—and I gritted my teeth as I glared at him.
‘Stay away from me,’ I hissed as I turned and ran. For the second time in two days, I fled from a super-sexy man.
The story of my life.
I returned home shakenand edgy.
‘Sephy.’ Tee’s husky voice drew my gaze to the doorway leading to the kitchen. Tee is a beauty—her skin the colour of burnished copper, with her long, black hair styled in intricate braids adorned with silver beads. Her eyes are like pools of darkness—their depths seem never-ending.
‘Are you okay, girlfriend? You look like you’ve seen a ghost. I’ll pour you a wine.’ Tee’s answer to everything is wine or red velvet cake, and often both. I followed her into the kitchen and collapsed into a chair. ‘What happened?’ she asked as she handed me a glass.
‘Well, there was another strange guy in Kew Gardens. He recognised me, but I’ve never seen him before. And his eyes…’
‘What about his eyes?’
‘They were almost violet and seemed to have silver flashes in them. Like, you know… lightning.’ I felt my cheeks heat—Tee probably thought I was doolally-batshit crazy. When my gaze met hers, I was almost certain she blanched. ‘Should I be worried? Do you think he’s stalking me?’
Tee recovered immediately. ‘Girlfriend, it’s London. London is full of weirdos.’ Before I could say anything else, she put me on the spot. ‘Matt told me about your hissy-fit.’
I cringed and took a long gulp of wine. ‘I lost my shit. I need to apologise.’
‘Well, I promised him we’d use those VIP tickets and go tonight. What better way to apologise?’
‘What? No! What if Hades is there? You freaking know I hate the gods.’
‘Sephy.’ Tee blew out a breath. ‘What are the odds of Hades being at the club? Next to none. Iknowyou loathe the gods, but you gotta let go of the past. Don’t let it eat you up. You need to live… Start having some fun. Come out with me, Sephy. Please.’ There was a flicker of exasperation in her voice. I attempted to speak, but the words caught in my throat. ‘Come on, take your wine and have a nice relaxing bath, then I’ll come in and help you get ready.’
‘I’ve got nothing to wear.’ I tried hard to object, but perhaps a night out would do me good. I wasn’t back on demon-hunting duties for a week—week on, week off.
‘I’ve got something you can wear.’
