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Tartarus had been convinced he’d finally found the perfect human lover, but then she had opened her mouth to spew pure hubris. He didn’t understand how, with the information at their disposal, the women of this world were so bloody dim, yet self-assured.
The wager between him and his brothers was that he would receive a lover of his choice for ten human years. A whole decade on this godsforsaken planet. And after the way he’d embarrassed them, they would make him stick to his side of it. He should’ve thought this through before he allowed his desires to overrule his mind. At times, his spontaneity came at the expense of his pride.
He’d been with his band for a few days, but they were already very good. Thanks to his Divine essence, he was able to play the part of a brilliant bass player. The musicians he’d chosen were experienced enough to match him. They’d recently lost their bassist due to a drug overdose and, to them, Taine Carmichael was a godsend.
Due to recent social mingling and a dash of his otherworldly interference, they had a gig on Tuesday night. Aether was well on his way to wooing Leila into bed, so Tartarus hoped he could get the lover of his dreams in the crowd to match Light’s pace. He would do anything to avoid Uranus’s remarks. Why in the world do humans strive to join his “kingdom” when he was such a bore?
Tartarus often wondered if he was jealous because the other Gods had it easy. They hardly ever got involved in the mortal realm; at least not at the frequency Tartarus did. Uranus briefed each soul before they incarnated on their spiritual journey, what to expect from the choices they were bound to make, and so on, but Tartarus was the one to debrief the recently deceased. He had to guide them through a full retrospection of their lifetime. He had to absorb their regrets and disappointments, transmuting them into a sense of renewal and purpose before they went off to Uranus to start afresh. Mortals believed that they’d go to Hell and suffer for an eternity if they did something wrong, yet Tartarus often thought that he was the one in endless misery. He was the Godly equivalent of an overworked psychologist here on Earth.
He sensed his name being used and sighed. Aether. What did he want now?
Tartarus swirled his hand in front of him and stepped into the vortex that linked his basic apartment with Aether’s luxurious one. Light sat on the couch, watching a cricket match with a beer in hand, as Hell appeared to his left. “Yes?”
“Holy Mother of—” Aether cut himself off just in time, but he’d already spilt beer on his chest. “Do you ever knock?”
“I don’t use doors,” Hell reminded him. “What do you want?”
“Ugh, now I have to change my shirt.” Aether got up and pulled off the soiled garment before using it to mop up the spillage on the floor. “Do you know how sticky beer is?”
“I’m sure you’re about to tell me.”
“It takes forever to get the stickiness off surfaces. Just when I was finally relaxing!”
Hell raised a dark eyebrow. “Why were you stressed in the first place?”
“Why do you think?” Aether asked, glancing at him in annoyance.
“Did Leila reject you?” Tartarus asked, scepticism apparent in his tone.
“No, but I think it would be better if she did.”
Surprised, Tartarus let out a breathy laugh. “Gods, you’re falling in love with her.”
“It would appear so, yes.”
“That’s only happened to me once before, and it didn’t end well.”
“Ananke?”
Tartarus nodded stiffly.
“When her human life was over and she woke from her slumber in the Realm, how did she react to you?”
“She remembered everything.” He hardly ever spoke about that time in his life, and he wasn’t comfortable doing it now. But Aether seemed so lost that it tugged at Tartarus’ need to help a lost soul. “She remembered that I’d murdered the men who dared look at her in a jealous rage while she’d been human. She remembered being afraid of me, even though she’d loved me. She thought that I was in love with her as Ananke, the soul. She was hurt when she found out I wasn’t.”
Aether couldn’t believe his ears. “Do you really love mortals that much, that you only care to partner with their bodies?”
“I’ve seen the devotion needed to sustain a spiritual partnership,” Tartarus said, gesturing at Light. “You share Hemera with one of us every so often. She’s free to choose a different lover. How can she belong to you if she is also everyone else’s?”
“Possession in a God?” It made so much sense now: why Tartarus never chose a wife, and why he lived separate from the rest of them. “It’s different. Hemera and I are monogamous, but even if we weren’t, she does belong to me. I own her heart.”
Tartarus shrugged, pretending to be unaffected. “I don’t think it will ever work for me.”
“I think you fell in love with Ananke’s soul in that life. You were simply too cowardly to admit it to yourself.”
“I am not a coward!” Tartarus hissed.
“Then why put yourself up for rejection so easily? You clearly don’t value yourself enough to consider you might stand a chance with her now.”
“What good would it be for Earth if Ananke chooses Hell? I won’t be the cause of the destruction of this place. It was on the brink of extinction after the fall of Atlantis!”
Aether sensed he had overstepped a line, and held up his hands in surrender. “Forgive me, brother. I didn’t mean to offend.”
Tartarus rubbed his eyes. “I’m sorry I lost my temper. That Goddess winds me the wrong way.”
The right way, Aether thought.
“Why am I here, Aether?”
“If I’m going to continue wooing Leila, I need my wingman.”
Tartarus raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure you want your new girlfriend to know that your best friend is a guy who was a complete bastard to her so soon?”
“It will help with contrast, showing that I’m nothing like you,” Aether teased.
“Good point. You’re in luck: I’m playing a gig with my band on Tuesday. Bring her. I’ll be myself.”
“I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
Tartarus turned to conjure up his vortex. “Before I go, does anyone know that Hemera’s been here?”
Aether paled. “No.”
“Good. We’ll keep it that way.”
Aether watched the God of Hell disappear into the vortex with wide eyes.
How does he know everything?!
“How did it go?”
Jumping with fright, Aether wished his wife was here to ground him again. The Gods who shared this journey were being incredibly inconsiderate. He swallowed and shifted his gaze to Uranus. “Have you been waiting in the bedroom all this time?”
“You have a television there, too,” Uranus shrugged. “I was amusing myself.”
“You didn’t hear anything?”
“No. Why?”
Aether visibly relaxed. He didn’t want Uranus to know about his wife’s visit. He sat down on one of the tub chairs and glanced at Heaven. “Tartarus is willing to do this with me.”
“Good, it will give you the confidence to see it through. It really is a happy surprise that she wants Light as the final outcome for Earth.”
Aether nodded in agreement. He was relieved he didn’t have to do this alone anymore. “It looks like he’s struggling to find a human woman who will be able to keep his attention for ten years.”
Heaven chuckled. “The only time that’s ever occurred was when the human was a vessel for Ananke’s soul.”
“Yes, he explained as much.”
“He what?” Uranus asked, taken aback.
“Not in detail, but he admitted enough for me to get the picture.”
“What did he say?”
“It’s what he didn’t say that told me everything. He believes that he fell in love with the body Ananke had possessed. I’m not so sure about that. He seems to be afraid that, if he takes a wife, she won’t belong to him completely, because of our duties elsewhere.”
Uranus eagerly dissected this information, having always wondered why Tartarus was different from the rest of them. Something had happened after the Atlantis incarnation. Had Ananke rejected him? If he’d refused her, he wouldn’t still be pining after her. Or perhaps they’d tried to rekindle their mortal romance in the God Realm, and he’d run away when it became too much for him to handle.
“It’s good that Tartarus is helping you,” Heaven said absently. “I think it’s about time we all worked together to make an outcome happen, instead of fighting over the Goddess in question like a pack of wolves.”
“You seem distracted.” Aether read between the lines. “You want to play matchmaker and have Earth succumb to another two thousand years of Hell?”
“Of course not,” Uranus answered hotly. “But maybe after the Birth, they’ll find each other again.”
“Good luck with that.” Aether chuckled. “Is Erebus ready to play his part?”
Uranus nodded. “Tomorrow he will intercept Leila and, like Tartarus, demonstrate why she should be dreaming of you as a husband and father to her child.”
* * * * *
Leila felt significantly better when she woke up on Sunday morning.
She got closure from her confrontation with Jake and was ready to put the whole ordeal behind her. Yes, it hurt whenever she thought of his betrayal, but it wasn’t her fault that he’d cheated. His own insecurities took care of that, and even if her work hadn’t required her to travel so extensively their relationship would’ve had the outcome years down the line.
It helped that she had a gorgeous guy’s attention. Part of her didn’t care that she hadn’t felt that “spark”: that would develop over time, and she was willing to wait.
She got out of bed and hurried into the shower. Her good mood evaporated once she realised there was no warm water. Cussing while she grabbed her robe, she stormed out of the apartment and immediately collided with someone in the hallway.
“Oomph!”
Looking up, she felt her breath leave her body involuntarily for the third time in two days. Had she stepped into an alternate dimension, where gorgeous men ruled the planet? This one’s level of intensity was about half of the one with the lava-like eyes. He was tall, bulky and muscular. His bronze, tanned skin reminded her of the men she’d encountered in Spain, years ago; he had ink-black hair and a gaze like a starless night.
In a way, he was the complete opposite of Arthur. He looked like a warrior.
A pissed-off warrior, she thought, recognising the irritated set to his jaw.
“Can you watch where you’re going?” he growled.
“Excuse me? I could ask you the same thing!”
“I’m not the one running people over.”
She narrowed her eyes. “You don’t even live here.”
He gestured to the door across from hers. “Just moved in.”
The wind somewhat taken out of her sails, she gazed at his door. “I was wondering when it would sell, seeing as Bertha—” She cut herself off in time. People didn’t like hearing about suicides.
“Do you make a habit of walking around in your robe?” He cocked an eyebrow, crossing his arms over his chest as that dark gaze took her in.
Her mind reeled. “What is with men that they think they can be lecherous and vile and get away with it because they’re good-looking?”
There was a naughty twinkle in his black eyes. “Sorry, darl’, you’re not my type.”
“And you think you’re mine? Ha!”
They glared at each other for a charged moment. She wasn’t sure whether she should laugh or cry from this new twist of fate, and he seemed to be in deep thought while he studied her. Then, to her surprise, he packed up laughing.
“Wow,” he gasped between guffaws. “Being cruel to you is harder than I thought it would be.”
She frowned. “Er, what?”
“Please, forget everything I’ve said. Let’s start over.” He held out his hand. “I’m Eric Sandler and I’m your new neighbour.”
“I don’t mean to sound rude, but do you have some kind of personality disorder? You flipped from cold to hot pretty fast.”
“Sorry.”
Slowly, she shook his hand. “Okay, then. I’m—”
“Leila Martins, yes, I’m aware. Your posters decorated my dorm walls when I was in college.”
She blushed. “Great.”
“I thought so, too. What brings you out here?”
“My geyser is shot. I was on my way to the building supervisor.”
“Ah, yes, I had a similar problem. They were repairing the main power line, which means our geysers need to be reset. Shall I take a look at yours?”
“If it’s not too much trouble.”
“Not at all.”
She led him into her apartment and walked to the kitchen, where the geyser’s ceiling hatch was located. She gave him a stepladder and he sprang into action, awarding her with a delectable view of his muscles flexing while he worked.
Snap out of it, slut. What about Arthur?
Clearing her throat, she asked: “So, why were you being ‘cruel’ earlier?”
“I figured everyone’s always been nice to you, what with you being a model, and thought it’d help me stand out from the rest.”
“Shows you what people know about the industry. Believe me, people were hardly ever nice.” She shuffled to the kettle. “Coffee?”
“Thanks. Black like the night.”
And your eyes.
She kept him in her periphery while preparing two mugs. That bulky frame brought to mind the movie 300, as if he was a Spartan warrior. “Where are you from?”
“Not that far away, actually. I moved up from the floor below us. Thought the view would be better.”
“And? Is it?”
“No.” His head ducked out of the ceiling for a brief moment, and he flashed her with a gorgeous grin. “On second thought, yes.” He disappeared into the ceiling again, leaving her no time to be self-conscious. “Do you have a torch or something?”
“I do. One sec.”
Once she was a safe distance away from him, she took a moment to compose herself. Eric was making her nervous. He was incredibly charming, and she couldn’t deny that she was interested. But how could she even think of him that way when she’d promised to try with Arthur? She was so confused.
Just go with it. The breakup is still fresh. It’s not like you’re looking for anything serious, anyway.
Satisfied with that decision, she headed back to the kitchen with the flashlight. “Here you go.”
His arm reached out of the ceiling. “Thanks.” A second later: “Ah! Much better. This should only take a second.” A clicking sound. “There. Okay, you better have that coffee ready. I’m coming down.”
She bit back a smile. By the time he had everything back in place, she was holding out the cup of steaming caffeine.
“Thank you,” he grinned. “You know, I still have to do the same thing in my apartment. Can I interest you in another cup of coffee there? You’re very good with torches, and I could use a hand.”
She smiled at first, and then his words registered. Her mouth popped open.
Eric’s own smile faded. “I didn’t mean it like that!”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. No innuendos. Promise.”
She pretended to mull that one over. “Alright, I’ll trust you on that, but I’m watching you.”
He chuckled and drained his cup of coffee. She had a moment to be taken aback by the fact that he didn’t even flinch, even though the coffee had been piping hot, but he distracted her when he asked: “Ready?”
“Yeah,” she giggled, “let me handle that torch.”
As he let out another boisterous laugh, she couldn’t help but glow. A rebound with someone like him could only boost her ego...
* * * * *
“Jazz, something weird is happening.”
They were stretched out on the thick carpet in her living room, drinking hot chocolate while they flipped through fashion magazines, as was their Sunday night routine. At Leila’s words, Jazz stopped what she was doing to give her best friend her full attention.
“What do you mean?”
Leila wondered how to put the events of the last two days into a few words. “Guys are taking an unnatural interest in me. Hot guys.”
Confused, Jazz repeated: “What do you mean?”
“Remember that weirdo that showed up at your apartment to tell me he wanted to ‘mate’ with me?” When Jazz nodded, Leila inhaled deeply. “Well, on the way home, I went by the park and met this guy, Arthur, who asked me on a date. Think Brad Pitt meets that new guy, who played in Thor.” Leila nodded when Jazz’s eyes bulged. “Yeah, I know. Anyway, the date went well. He walked me home and kissed me, but here’s the strange part, I felt nothing! Not even one tingle.”
“Okay,” Jazz said, her tone uncertain. “Is that the whole story?”
“I wish! Earlier today, I met my new neighbour, Eric. At first, he was being mean to ‘stand out from the rest’, ’cause he thinks people are always nice to me—”
“Ha! Shows you what he knows.”
“That’s what I said!”
“What’s he like?”
“Hmm, the love child of Eric Bana and Antonio Banderas.”
Jazz fanned her face. “Please, keep going.”
“He helped me with a geyser issue and then I went to his apartment, which is across the hall, to keep him company while he sorted out his... And I really like him, too.”
“Did you kiss?”
Leila pulled a face. “Sadly, no.”
“Damn.” Jazz tapped her chin. “Please explain how this is any different another day in the life of Leila Martins?”
“It’s happened in two days!”
“Lala, you’ve always had gorgeous guys around you.”
Leila groaned. “You’re not helping.”
Jazz held up her hands. “Okay, so let’s look at this logically, shall we? You’re into Arthur and Eric?”
“Well, yes, but I don’t know if I’m ready for a relationship.”
“Are you asking for permission to have wild rebound sex with them both?” Jazz quizzed, tilting her head to the side.
Chewing on her bottom lip, Leila nodded reluctantly. “I think so.”
“I give you permission, then. Wow, Jake really did a number on you, huh?”
Leila winced, gaze lowering to the magazines on the carpet. “I loved him. I thought he was The One.”
“I never thought that. Not once.”
“Since when?”
“Since always!” Jazz took Leila’s hand in hers. “Lala, you used to be a supermodel, for Christ’s sake! And now you’re Miss Smarty-Pants wowing the scientific world with your knowledge, being a rocket scientist and all!” She held up a hand before Leila could correct her. “I know, you weren’t really a supermodel and you’re not a rocket scientist, but hear me out. You’re the whole package. Beauty and brains. You need someone who’s on the same level or above, or it’s never going to work.”
“I just... don’t see myself that way.”
Jazz laughed, flicking her black hair over one shoulder. “I know. It’s the only reason I’ve been able to stay friends with you this long.”
Leila raised an eyebrow. “The only reason.”
“That, and the fact that you’re the sister of the man of my dreams,” Jazz winked.
Leila burst out laughing.
“I think these men are being placed on your path for a reason, and you should be going with it. You lost your mojo somewhere between quitting the fashion industry and graduation. You’re allowed to let your hair down. If it develops into something deeper with one of them, then great! If it doesn’t? At least you put yourself out there.”
Leila nodded to herself. “Makes sense. Thanks, Jazz.”
“Who are you going to choose?”
That question seemed loaded and the hair on Leila’s arms stood up. She quickly dismissed the sense of déjà vu and grinned as she answered: “Whoever calls first.”
* * * * *
Erebus knocked on Aether’s door, feeling morose.
He’d had a phenomenal day with an amazing woman, but nothing went according to plan. He’d been tasked with being horrible to Leila, to make Aether seem like the better choice, but Erebus had succeeded in the opposite. She was a joy to be around. In the space of a few hours, he’d fallen under her spell.
Aether opened the door with a smile. “Ah, you made it. Uranus is here, too.”
“What about Tartarus?”
“Likely off making his rock n’ roll dreams come true. He’s been informed of our intention to make Leila choose Light.”
Well, at least he’s not here to mock me for being weak.
“How did Leila’s interaction with Eric Sandler go?” Uranus asked conversationally as they sat down on the couches opposite him.
Erebus coughed to clear his throat. “There has been a complication.”
“What do you mean?” Heaven and Light asked in unison.
“I fully intended on executing our plan until she fought back.” A smile tilted his lips upwards as he recalled her fiery temper. “She stood her ground and my resolve crumbled. After spending time in her company, I have reconsidered my position. I deserve a shot.”
Aether glanced at Uranus who, in turn, stared at Erebus as if he’d never met before. “Both of you seem to have a weakness for Leila. What is it about her?”
“Her soul,” Aether answered.
“Then you are both falling in love with Ananke? Is that what you’re saying?”
“In this realm, perhaps,” Erebus clarified. “Ananke’s soul is truly shining here. You get to see her in all her glory.”
“But she’s not Ananke. Leila has no recollection of her Goddess essence.”
“I’m aware. I still think Darkness deserves a chance.”
“Look where Darkness got the Earth the last few times you were chosen,” Uranus argued.
“And yet, humans are still awakening. You can’t deny it, brother. You’ve seen it. It leads me to believe that my Darkness has shown humanity the aspects of themselves they wish to heal.”
“Valid point,” Aether admitted, a muscle jumping in his cheek as he attempted to rein in his anger. “But the only way to heal those wounds is to let the Light in. To have humans so close to becoming fully aware, only to plunge them into another Age of Darkness, is cruel.”
“It is up to the vessel to decide,” Erebus muttered, “never us.”
“She is more than a vessel,” Aether spat.
Uranus leaned forward with raised eyebrows, regarding the Gods carefully. “Is this about your pride, brothers?”
“Not for me,” Aether replied honestly, having collected himself.
Erebus took a measured breath in. “Nor I.”
Uranus sighed, rubbing his temples as the full ramifications of this became clear. “Then it’s only fair that we all participate in the quest for her heart, as originally intended. I will have to introduce myself. And so will Tartarus. Again.”
“This is the second time I’ve heard my name uttered here.”
Aether wasn’t the only one who twitched once they realised Hell had joined. Erebus and Uranus pretended to be nonchalant, but he’d seen their startled facial expressions.
Tartarus sank into a tub chair and looked at each of them in turn. “Speak.”
“We must all contest for Leila’s affections,” Uranus announced.
“Hold on, since when?”
“Both Light and Dark have fallen for her charms.”
“Are you out of your mind, Erebus?” Tartarus asked. “The last thing Earth needs is—”
“We’ve covered that,” Uranus intoned.
Tartarus clenched his jaw, the energy around him beginning to swirl ominously. They avoided his gaze. “We had a deal, brothers.”
“This won’t be the easy win we expected,” Uranus reasoned.
“You can’t change the—”
“We were never supposed to go against the Birth’s rules to begin with,” Uranus interrupted. “We are supposed to immerse ourselves in this life. Current events have proven how ill-advised our attempts to simplify matters were.”
“How convenient that you get to renege on our agreement, Heaven.”
“I will take this up with the Highest authority if I must. She will know of your wager.”
“And that you accepted,” Tartarus seethed. “You’re as deeply involved as I am. But, as always, the three of you have allied against me.”
“This has nothing to do with us,” Aether insisted. “This is about Earth. We attempted a more detached approach in the hopes of an easy outcome, but that is not our purpose here.”
“Aether is right,” Erebus nodded. “Have we not waged war that led to widespread destruction on this planet for less? We have our parts to play, just as the Goddesses do. Like it or not, brother, we need you.”
Tartarus fumed silently. As usual, he had to clean up everyone’s mess; a mess he’d foolishly started it in the first place. He rubbed his temples as he grappled for control.
Typical that Ananke would have us all twisted in knots, he thought. I would not be surprised if this was her intention.
“You owe me a day in the Afterlife each if you wish for me to dissolve our previous agreement and accept my role in this version. That’s three days, as measured by the Gods.”
Uranus inclined his head. “You have my word.”
“And mine,” Light and Dark chorused.
“I already regret this,” Tartarus muttered, leaning his head back.
Uranus rose to his feet to pace, no doubt aware that he commanded their attention. “It’s settled, then. Tomorrow, I will play my part as an out-of-town physicist brought to Leila’s workplace to collaborate on a project. Later, Aether will take her to the club where Tartarus and his band will be performing. From there, we pursue her in earnest.”
“May the best God win,” Tartarus mumbled.