Page 5 of Goddess of Storms

"I may regret asking, but we have worked together for a couple of months and I know little to nothing about you."

"Well, like an idiot, I moved here for a woman. Not long after I was settled in and working, she dumped me for her old flame and here we are. I know you think I'm a player, and maybe I am now, but that girl broke my heart and that's how I chose to pick up the pieces. Doesn't make it the right way, but that's all I knew how. My father left my mother when I was just a baby, he was never around, so the endless string of men in her life seemed normal to me."

"That makes sense, honestly. That had to be hard on both of you. I know I was lucky to have the loving parents that I did have. I'm sorry you didn't have that in your life," I say as tears fill the corner of my eyes.

"Don't pity me, my mother loved me. She was doing what she thought was best for us both, wanting a male figure in my life. She just didn't go about it the right way, and here I am following in her footsteps," he says as he face-palms himself.

"When you find the one, that cycle will break. My parents' love is proof of that," I say.

"If that's so, why haven't I seen you chatting up any men? How will you find your one if you hide in your work or in your home?"

"Ouch, that hurt. I don't think I'm hiding, I just haven't found one that's caught my eye," I threw back.

"Now I'm the one hurt," he says as he places his hands over his chest.

I ignore the gesture and throw an MRE at him.

"How sweet, you made dinner for me. What's next, sharing a tent?"

"We are not sharing a tent, and you’d better have packed some pajamas. The only moon I want to see is the one in the sky." I point with my spork.

He continues to eat with a frown on his face.

Once I have my trash all cleaned up, I turn back to Stone. "I'm going to hit the hay. You okay taking the first shift?"

"Yep, I'll wake you in a few hours. Sweet dreams." He smiles, the flames giving him an eerie appearance.

Stone

I hate having to lie to Harper. Once she regains her memory she’ll toast me like a crispy critter with one bolt of her lightning. Her mother sent me to guide her and protect her. That cult that is after her is no joke. The mystery remains how they found out about her in the first place.

A snap of a twig pulls me from my thoughts, reaching for my hammer that I left next to the log, my eyes search in the dark for the cause of the sound. From out behind the trees, step two motherfuckers I haven’t seen since I joined Harper here.

“Nile and Phoenix, what the fuck? Slinking in the night? Stalking some poor people to prey on?” I ask. No one told me that these two were coming.

“We were sent in to help, the oracle prophesied that the memories of the Cursed were returning soon,” Nile replies.

“Why do I need sons of Poseidon and Ares? Okay, Ares’s son may be helpful. But you, waterboy, what are you good for? Talking to fish?” I question.

“Ha ha ha, I am a seasoned fighter. All you have is that small hammer, I have this,” he says as he pulls a sword from his belt.

“Don’t discount this hammer, it not only forges weapons but it also cracks skulls with ease. And I can kick your ass any day.”

“That’s enough, we need to form a plan. If what the oracle said is true, we have bigger issues to discuss,” Phoenix states. “How can we keep Harper from the cult as she learns to harness the power that was locked away? I give it to you, man, her mom sending her here was brilliant. Remote location and dense populations, just one problem, too many trees. One bolt from her and this whole place goes up like a match box.”

Once the words are out of his mouth, Harper calls from inside her tent. “Morganite, you talking to yourself?”

“Yes, it’s how I pass the time.”

“I knew you loved the sound of your own voice, can you keep it down? I’m trying to sleep here.”

“Sorry, yes go back to sleep. You have a few more hours until your shift,” I say.

Shooing the other two demi-gods back into the woods, I wait to join them until the light snores are once again coming from Harper’s tent.

“You two trudge ahead of us, we will meet up with you posing as lost hikers. I’ll convince Harper we have to bring you two along as we search for wildfires from the storms. So, if this event happens, maybe all four of us will be together.”

“How pissed is she going to be when she remembers you, Stone? That you knew who and what she was this whole time and didn’t tell her?”

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