Ignoring the spark of jealousy generated by Ken's protective behavior, Thomas growled. "Who the f.u.c.k is Lachesis?"

"She's the Fate who spins the length of a life," Ken replied as he tightened his arms over his ma.s.sive chest, popping biceps with enlarged veins running down them.

He snorted. "Of course." Jesus, these people were insane.

Nia shoved Ken from her path and moved toward Thomas, her hand raised, palm out as though entreating him. "We aren't threatening Hailey. We're trying to protect her."

Protect, his a.s.s. The dread in the pit of his stomach reminded him of the day he found out his brother, Doug, had died at the hands of terrorists. This situation felt very similar.

Thomas spread his feet wide and crossed his arms over his chest. She didn't shy away from his combative stance, something he admired even as it p.i.s.sed him off. The muscles in his jaw jerked with tension as he spat his words out. "You seemed so f.u.c.king normal."

"I'm not crazy, Thomas." Her voice was barely a whisper but he heard defeat and defiance in it.

Sweeping a disparaging gaze over the delicate features that masked her insanity, he nearly relented. Despite his anger at the moment, his c.o.c.k hardened as he took in her curves and her long legs. His physical reaction to her body pointed to how he'd been deceived.

"Was the s.e.x part of your scheme to dupe me this way?"

"No!" Nia jolted backward, clutching a fist to her breastbone. "Please don't think that. I didn't sleep with you because of the challenge. I slept with you because I'm falling for you."

"Right," he scoffed.

"Whether you believe or not, it doesn't change the truth; I'm a Muse. I've existed for thousands of years." She jammed her fists onto her hips. "Here are the facts. One, an ancient deity has challenged my sisters and I. Our lives depend on winning." She lifted her hands and began ticking the fingers of one hand. "Two, the coronal burst on the sun knocked the moon out of orbit. With it out of place, the world is out of balance. Three-"

"What are you talking about? The moon isn't out of orbit." Surely something would have been mentioned in the media.

"Shut up and listen." The command in her tone was undeniable. Something gripped his shoulders, subduing his words. He looked at Ken and found the son of a b.i.t.c.h scowling at him, his arm raised and fist clenched. b.a.s.t.a.r.d had frozen him again. G.o.ddammit, just another facet in this never-ending nightmare.

Nia continued, "Three, to win the challenge I must lead a man, you, Thomas, back to believing in magic. There wasn't anything in the rules about sleeping with said man, or falling in love with him." She stepped back and propped fisted hands on her hips. She nodded to Ken.

The grip on Thomas lessened and he stumbled forward. Nia professed to love him, but he couldn't believe her. Not after so many outrageous statements. Not after the entire surreal experience of this horrible hallucination.

But, G.o.d dammit. She professed her love and f.u.c.k it all, when he'd heard the words his heart jumped like it was on a freaking trampoline. When the h.e.l.l had he fallen in love with her?

Eyes filled with entreaty, Nia stood before him. Her voice rang in his head. Will you help us?

Buying into her fantasy would only make matters worse. She'd continue to believe she was an ancient being. That her father was the Grand Poobah of all the G.o.ds who'd never existed. And it could endanger Hailey's life. His niece was his priority. And would always remain so.

Thomas shook his head. "No." Sharp pain sliced a path through his heart as he uttered the single word. Why did it ache so much to deny her?

Nia unfisted her hands and backed a step away from him. And another. Behind Thomas, Gaia gasped and a soft sob filled the air. From the corner of his eye, he noted Ken going to Zeus's side to help him to his feet. The pair moved until they flanked Nia.

She bit her lip and blinked her eyes hard. The single tear trickling from one corner twisted his gut in a wringer. Even though he was in the midst of an awful dream, the anguish in her face crushed him.

He lifted his hand to her arm, but she slid another pace away, avoiding his touch. "Don't."

"I'm sorry, but I can't buy into this...this altered reality of yours."

Nia edged a step in his direction. "Again, this story is not made up. But, you must believe what you believe." She twisted her head to look at Zeus over her shoulder. "Will you call Mnemosyne? He shouldn't retain the memory of this night. Or of me."

Desolation rode up Thomas's spine at the defeat in Nia's tone. "What are you talking about? You can't toy with my memories. They're mine."

She faced him again, hope in her eyes fading. "You shouldn't have to remember, because any memory you keep of what I've told you will only cause you remorse later on. Guilt can't supplant your need to keep your wits about you. You'll need them to face the dangers and new reality brought about because I've failed at this challenge. Mnemosyne will remove all memory of this night-the trip through the Hollow, the magpies...all of it. She'll also wipe away recollection of the times we shared together." Her voice hitched on her last words. Over her shoulder, she entreated Zeus. "Please make sure he doesn't remember anything except the need to keep Hailey safe."

Zeus nodded, sorrow turning his gaze somber. "We will take care of it."

Another tear traced a slow path down Nia's cheek. "Thank you. I'll be back later to say good bye."

"Nia, no!" Gaia sobbed. "Do not give up. We will figure something out."

"I'm being reasonable, Mother. I suggest everyone else do the same. My fate, and yours," she spared a teary glance at Thomas, "and the fate of all mortals is sealed."

"Daughter..."

Nia held her hand up, stopping Zeus's words. She took a step toward Thomas, and cupped a hand over his cheek. Her eyes darted over his face, as though memorizing the lines and curves of it.

She spoke into his mind. I swear to you, every word is true. None truer than the words of love I uttered. Please get Hailey out of the city. Keep her safe. Nia squinted her eyes and he felt her thoughts burning a path to his subconscious. You will not remember me, or the rest of this night. But you will remember that Hailey's life is in danger. You will take her somewhere safe. Somewhere Pierus cannot find her. Stay safe, my love.

Rising on her toes, Nia pressed her lips to his. He grasped her shoulders and relished the soft satin of her caress, the first peace he'd felt since she'd found him in the front yard. The air around him tightened, thickened. Sky blue light filled his vision as mist grew in the room.

Nia's softly spoken I love you filled his brain as she disappeared from his arms.

Chapter 19.

Nia escaped into the Hollow after her parting words, her last kiss with Thomas. Her starry aura dimmed by sorrow and pain, and blurred by gathering tears. Misery and bitterness were poor traveling companions.

Thomas didn't believe her. She'd failed her task and it was her fault-and no one else's-the world was about to be plunged into a stark new existence.

As she materialized in her living room, she didn't bother to control her descent. Her feet slammed onto the floor in her living room-one on the lush area rug, the other on the hardwood. The physical pain jolted her hips, causing her to groan.

The instant the mist cleared, she fell to her knees. Bending, she pressed her forehead to the ground. Her throat ached from holding back her sobs while in the void. She gave the anguish her voice. Harsh, wracking sobs claimed her body, shaking and shuddering her form as she cowered on the floor.

When had she fallen in love with Thomas? His denial burned a tormented path through her soul. She'd been optimistic about her chances to save the world with his help. And when she won her challenge, Thomas and Hailey would have been a major factor in the rest of this lifetime. And possibly all of her future lifetimes.

Now, that fantasy was nothing more than ashes on her heart.

The clock ticked loudly from the mantel, marking her remaining moments with rhythmic severity, inexorably counting down the moments. It wouldn't be long before her sisters, and Ken, and her parents reached out to her.

Ken might be first, as he'd have to pick up Thomas's car to return it to him. He'd probably take Thomas to his home first, and tuck him into the king-sized bed. The lovely, plush bed she'd shared with him. And tomorrow, Thomas would fix breakfast in his to-die-for kitchen. No memories would plague him. Not of her sitting at his kitchen island. Not of her laughing conversation with Hailey. Not of the pa.s.sionate embrace they'd snuck in when the adorable little urchin had left the room to get a book she thought Nia would enjoy. Sharp pain pierced Nia's heart, widening the cracks already there into fissures with no hope of repair.

Gasping to fill her lungs, Nia slammed the door on her memories. At least as she began her life as a magpie, she'd have her last memory of Thomas's kiss to hold close to her new, avian breast.

Not in the right frame of mind to deal with Ken or her parents, Nia roused from her agony and struggled to her feet. To keep any potential visitors at bay, she faced each of the four corners of her house, and sang a song of protection, barring admittance to any and all visitors. The words were rusty and she struggled to remember the correct order. But they'd keep unwelcome guests from intruding on her pity party. Disgust almost made her undo the spell. Hiding was not her style.

She'd only used this unique ability once before. Eons ago when she'd miscalculated and Stonehenge ended up in the wrong spot. Then embarra.s.sment had ridden her hard. She'd cost the world an extra day every four years to correct her mistake. She'd locked herself away from everyone for years then.

Today the world faced a much more dire outcome. She ensured the destruction of mortal comfort. When Pierus rose to power there'd be no more love, nor joy, nor art. His would be a world of black and white. All humans would be forced to toil to bring riches to him and his evil offspring.

After completing her incantations, she trudged to the kitchen to draw a gla.s.s of water. Standing on her tiptoes, she reached into the cabinet for a tumbler. Waiting for the water running into the sink to cool, she rubbed her fingers over the rippled gla.s.s. A tiny snicker tugged her lips up and she slammed the water off.

In three steps she was at her refrigerator. Jerking the door open, a welcome, cool breeze wafted into her face. An open bottle of Chardonnay sat on the gla.s.s shelf, next to a jar of olives. She grasped the neck of the bottle and tugged. She met a tiny resistance, but pulled it free of the stickiness it sat in. The snicker morphed to a smile as she contemplated wiping off the shelf before pouring the wine. A snort escaped her throat as she decided with her world ending soon she didn't need to clean another d.a.m.n thing.

A chuckle began in her belly as she kicked the door shut. That chuckle became an outright laugh as she splashed the golden liquid into the tumbler, filling it to the top. The laugh morphed into a sob as she recognized the wine's rich color as the exact shade of Thomas's hair with the sun shining on it. Tears scalded behind her eyes, her throat tightened as she fought back the glob of emotion choking her.

"For the love of the G.o.ds, you must stop thinking of him. After all, he's never going to think of you again." Her voice was watery as she whispered to herself, dashing the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. Maybe Mnemosyne could take away her memories as well as Thomas's.

Squaring her shoulders, she took her gla.s.s and wandered back to her living room.

Wrapping a soft, woven afghan around her shoulders, she pulled it up until it covered her head but left her face exposed. The blanket draped around her knees as she plopped onto the sofa. Clutching the cream-colored folds of material around her neck, she recited the ancient Greek words that wove a charm of invincibility into the fabric. No one should be able to breach her mind as long as her head remained covered. And G.o.ddess knew they'd try.

She reached for the gla.s.s she'd set on the table. Tart lemon, smoky oak, and ripe fruit flavors filled her mouth with a warm glow. Rich b.u.t.tery intensity coated her throat as she swallowed. By the hills of Mt. Olympus, she was going to miss this wine.

s.h.i.t, the entire world was going to miss wine.

Quietly savoring the flavor, she slouched against the cushions, in her silent-as-a-tomb house, and awaited destiny. For several minutes she valiantly fought the temptation to watch more of Thomas's shows. But the seduction of seeing his face won the day, and she grabbed the remote. After navigating through the watch list for Doubting Thomas-the name made her choke on his denial-she found the next episode and pressed play.

His rugged, smiling face filled the screen. Sandy blond hair blew in a breeze. Intense green eyes, filled with intelligence, smiled at something a crew member had said. The calm patience with which he explained a myth, then proved irrevocably it was a fallacy. Tears slipped down her cheeks, one plopping in her gla.s.s. He couldn't prove she was a fallacy, but he still resisted.

"Water under the f.u.c.king bridge, Urania." She dashed the tears away with her fingertips. "You have an eternity as a G.o.dforsaken bird to prepare for. Stupid Zeus. Why couldn't he have turned Pierus's daughters into puppies?" She could have lived with that. But a d.a.m.ned dirty bird?

She was unsure of how many episodes she binged on. The incessant tapping against her consciousness, nudges from her parents and sisters, went unanswered. The more wine she consumed, the less vibrant the pokes became. Eventually, her cell phone started ringing. Each time a tone sounded, she identified which sister was calling to talk sense into her. Even the thunderous tones of the ringer she'd set for Mars sounded three times in rapid succession. The number of calls diminished as midnight faded to dawn.

When the final episode ended, her bones creaked as she unfolded her body from the sofa. As she poured a gla.s.s of water, through the window over her sink the out-of-place moon, half-shrouded in clouds mocked her. The edges of the gleaming orb blurred, like she had double vision, or was drunk. Or the screen the G.o.ds had put into place was faltering, revealing the real position directly below the illusion they'd created.

Spinning to put her back to the window, she gulped the water. Anger she hadn't let climb past the dejection and misery finally surfaced. Lurching back around, she slammed the gla.s.s to the counter, shattering it into pieces. Lifting the middle fingers on both hands, she jabbed them toward the window. The first rays of sunlight peeked above the horizon, the promise of a new day coming. The first day of the rest of her life.

Too d.a.m.n bad that life was numbered in days.

Remorse filled her as she swept up the broken pieces of the tumbler with one hand. She continued to clutch the edges of the afghan over her head, knowing the minute she lowered the fabric, some deity or another would slam their thoughts into her. With cautious steps she made her way to the bath, debating on showering with the blanket.

Facing the mirror, she frowned at her reflection. Dark circles and bleary, reddened eyes scowled back at her. She shook her head. "You've never shied away from a fight before, you stupid cow. Letting Thomas's doubt and denial hold you back from finding an answer is a roadblock you don't need."

Her chest heaved as she drew a lungful of air. She expelled it forcefully. Spreading her feet wide, she braced one hand on the counter, preparing for the onslaught. She uncurled her fingers and the blanket plopped softly to the floor around her feet.

She pressed a hand to her forehead. "Let the shouting begin in three...two..."

Pain and a cacophony of voices blasted into her head. She picked her way through the messages. Some, like those from Thalia, Terri and Corie filled with compa.s.sion. Messages of encouragement and don't let this set-back stop you from Polly, Mel, and Aerie. Clio's message was a desperate plea for Nia to reach out and contact her and Jax. Callie's words struck home though, and were the first one she gave serious attention.

The pain from the overload of sensory input faded as she considered her eldest sister's harsh shove. You b.i.t.c.h! This fight isn't over and if you choose defeat, that's on you. Get your sorry a.s.s back in the game. None of us want to spend eternity as G.o.dd.a.m.ned birds.

Working up a good head of steam, Nia marched to the living room. Her phone rested on the table, right next to the remote. She s.n.a.t.c.hed up the control, aimed it at the television, and ruthlessly shut off the image of Thomas filling the screen. The plastic clunked as she hurled it back to the table and grabbed up her phone.

Her fingers were shaking as she sifted through her favorites list, finding Callie's number at the very bottom. She connected the call before she could change her mind.

Callie didn't bother with a h.e.l.lo. "I knew you'd call me first."

"Gloating becomes you, you scag."

"That's the best you've got?"

"Gaia frowns on me calling anyone the C-word."

Laughter rippled into Nia's ear as she plopped onto the floor.

Callie drew a breath but her voice was still filled with mirth. "Honey, don't you think you have bigger s.h.i.t to worry about than whether Gaia will wash your mouth out with soap?"

Drawing her knees up, Nia rounded her back and rocked on her tailbone. "Probably. Callie, for the life of me, I don't know what to do."

"I've never seen you so lost and confused."

"Except after that incident with Stonehenge."

"Girl, you have to forget that. Ancient history that not one single mortal cares about."

"Cal, I only care about one mortal. And he doesn't believe me."

Callie's voice was gentle as she replied. "We will work this out. With all of our heads together, we can fix this. How many days do you have left?"

She thought about the failing illusion that the moon remained exactly where it had been for millions of years. She sighed heavily. "By my calculations, about three." The weight of her words sat like a boulder on her chest. Nia rolled to her back and lengthened her arms and legs, hoping to alleviate the suffocating sensation.

"Miracles can be wrought in less time." Callie paused. "Don't you dare give up. You can't. We can't."

They'd loved and guided mortals for so long, giving up would seem criminal. The magnitude of her burden intensified the pressure building between her ribs. She forced it away. Callie was right. They couldn't give up.

Nia sighed. "I'm going to head to Helios, after a brief trip to Olympus to brainstorm with Atlas. Can you let the others know I'm okay? I'll check in with Zeus and Gaia."

"Will do. Proud of you, sis."

Any type of affection was rare coming from Callie. A warm glow suffused Nia's soul. Callie might be a troublesome b.i.t.c.h most days, but she had her moments.

"Hey, Cal? When you take the lazy way and do a broadcast announcement to the girls, please leave me off the distribution list. My head already aches as much as my heart."

"You got it." Callie mumbled something, and a pleasant jab of good will from her sister winged down Nia's spine as she disconnected the call.

A shower first, followed by a trip to the home office, then she'd head to work. She could save the world, with or without Thomas.

Chapter 20.