Apollo (Contemporary Mythos Book 2)

Three Months Later

My godly white robe attire clung to my curves, the skirt flowing around me like a gentle breeze. Amos Cartwright struggled for weeks to push past the three brush strokes on his canvas. Ever since he lost his wife half a year ago, the inspiration didn’t come as freely. I’d talked it over with Apollo, knowing what Amos needed to move on. And it wasn’t a task he, nor I could perform. Much like I brought a newfound inspiration to Apollo, Amos’ wife had done the same for him. A newly appointed Queen of the Underworld, Stephanie, was my best shot.

As an immortal, I could port to the Underworld without escort or repercussion. It didn’t make it any less creepy. I stood on the banks of the River Styx, lifting my dress to avoid the black sand caking on it. Two thrones, one black, one white, stood empty in the middle of the vast space. It was quiet except for the sounds of the river sloshing against the shoreline.

“Hello? Anyone home?”

A man appeared with long white hair and black flowing robes. His eyes glowed white, and he arched a thin brow. A crown of fire circled his head, and when he walked forward, it was as if he floated. Hades. King of the Underworld.

“You’re immortal, but I don’t recognize you. How is that possible?’ He sniffed the air in front of me. His voice sounded like a dozen versions of itself in different decibels and pitches, talking in unison.

“I’m uh—new. Apollo is my counterpart. I’m the goddess of the muses.”

He loomed over me, canting his head back and forth before circling me like a vulture. “Interesting. What is your name?”

“Laurel.” I couldn’t help the shakiness in my voice.

“Like the laurel tree?”

Given all the gods only ever associated that word with a tree, I’d given up stating the true origin of my name.

“That’s right.”

He continued to circle me. His gaze punctured my very soul. “And what has brought you to the Underworld, Laurel?”

A woman with chocolate-colored hair, a flowing cranberry-colored dress, and a winged crown appeared with a brightened smile. The smile morphed into a frown when she spotted Hades prowling me.

“Sweetcakes, seriously. Don’t scare the newbie.” She stood between us.

Hades bent down to kiss her. “Not trying to scare her, just intrigued. There’ve been two new goddesses in a matter of months. I’d love to see the look on Zeus’s face.”

“Are you Stephanie?” I held out my hand.

“I am.”

“Laurel. I’ve come to ask for a favor if you’re willing to hear me out?”

“Color me curious. Let’s talk somewhere more private.” She turned to face Hades, giving him a peck on the cheek. “We’ll meet up later.”

“I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of each other, Laurel. Welcome to the people of Olympus.” He bowed his head and disappeared in a puff of smoke and embers.

Stephanie waved her hand around her head, and we popped into an elaborate gothic-styled living room. She held her hand toward a golden encrusted table, grabbing a bowl of pomegranate seeds from a nearby tray.

“Have a seat.” She dipped her fingers into the bowl.

I obliged and crossed my legs, interlacing my fingers on the tabletop.

“Before you ask your favor, I’d sincerely love to know how you’re adapting. You’re the first mortal after myself who chose to go through the same process.”

“It’s not been easy. I’m not going to lie.” I lifted my hands and flopped them back to the table. “But he makes it all worth it. And having the ability to inspire…it’s more than I could’ve ever asked for as my mortal self.”

Her glowing cranberry-colored eyes sparkled. “Which god?”

“Apollo.” Our eyes met.

She dropped the bowl on the table. I jumped, reaching out to help her as she scrambled to scoop up the seeds.

“Sorry, I never thought Apollo, AKA, Ace of Apollo’s Suns would ever settle down. You must be extra special.”

“I don’t know. I’m not the one who sacrificed my Earthly life to help rule the Underworld.”

She smoothed out her dress on her lap. “Something tells me you would have. Seeing you down here and hearing your story, it’s clear to me the Fates put us in their path for a purpose.”

A creature that looked like a hybrid of the Chesire cat and a dog barreled around the corner. Its tongue hung down from its wide mouth, dragging on the floor as it ran.

“Oh, come here, Pluto.” Stephanie scooped it up and nuzzled into its blue fur.

It was the ugly kind of cute. “I expected it to have three heads.”

“That would be Cerberus. He couldn’t fit in here, even though he’s tried on several occasions.”

It was nice talking with someone who came from the same mortal past as me—someone who knew a life before accepting a goddess’s responsibility. I had a feeling we’d be having these talks more often.

“There’s a man I hope to help. His name is Amos Cartwright. He used to be a revered painter known for his landscapes that seemed to jump straight off the canvas. You’d swear the waterfalls were moving type of deal.” I licked my lips. “His wife passed away, and now he’s lost all drive. I can inspire him, but it might last a day, maybe two, and I know he’ll dip right back in.”

Stephanie scratched Pluto’s head. “What do you propose?”

“Is it possible for you to let his wife visit him from the Elysian Fields? Even if it was to exchange a few words.”

She hugged Pluto to her side. “I can. But it’d have to be in a dreamscape. And brief. Very brief.”

“Anything would be better than nothing.”

Pluto leaped from her lap, running circles around the table.

“Consider it done.” She stood up and held out her hand for us to seal the deal.

“Thanks. I wouldn’t have come here if I didn’t think this would work.”

“I’m glad you came. I see a serious BFF situation starting here. Emphasis on the forever part.”

We both laughed, and I bowed my head like one would royalty.

She pushed on my shoulders, standing me upright. “Oh, please. You don’t have to do that. The only one who might demand it is Zeus.” She raised her brow. “Have you met him?”

“No.” I shifted my eyes.

“Oh, boy. Well, be thankful he hasn’t been meddling in your affairs yet. And when he does, puff that chest out.”

“Thanks for the advice.” I forced a chuckle.

“Back to my godly duties. Call on me anytime, Laurel. I may not be able to have coffee on the surface like a normal woman, but you’re always welcome down here for some.” She squeezed my arm.

It astonished me she could still be so carefree, knowing her time would be spent down here for eternity. I felt selfish knowing I could be on the surface as long as I wanted and go where I pleased. She was remarkable.

“I’ll definitely take you up on that.” I gave her a quick hug.

“Oh! Before you go,” Stephanie added, holding up a finger with a wicked glint in her eyes. “Ask Apollo about Midas.”

“Midas? As in King Midas?”

She grinned and nodded her head so quickly she looked like a bobblehead.

I chuckled. “Alright. Any reason why?”

“I’ll let Apollo explain.” She tilted her chin up.

“Thanks again, Stephanie.” After a subtle nod, I ported away.

I’d given enough time for Stephanie to work her dream-like ghostly magic to provide Amos with the strength he needed to move on. To hear his wife say the last thing she wanted was for him to lose the magic he feels and shares through his paintings. At least, that’s what I hoped she would say.

We were about to find out. Amos sat in front of his easel, dragging his hands over his stubbled chin. He tousled his thinning gray hair and stared at the canvas. I stood nearby, invisible to him, but ready to give him the nudge he needed.

“Come on, Amos. You can do this. Madeline would want you to.” His grip tightened on the paintbrush, hand shaking. He threw the brush to the floor, sending red paint splattering against the wood. He wept, holding his head in his hands.

“Paint how you feel, Amos. Not all art needs to come from happiness. One day, your colors will be vibrant again. But for now, you need only paint,” I whispered in his ear. Holding my palm out, I blew across it, sending shimmers of pink and orange. It cascaded over his face and fell over his heart.

“Yes, yes, of course.” He tripped over his stool as he rushed to the cabinet, grabbing several jars of dull-colored paint and brushes. After setting them up on the table beside him, he went to work.

“You went all the way to the Underworld to give him the bump he needed. Impressive, Sparky,” Apollo said from behind me.

I smiled and turned to face him. “Spying on me now? Making sure I do a good job?”

He traced a finger down my arm. “I don’t need to spy on you to know you’re doing a good job. But by Zeus, do I love watching you work.”

I slipped my arms around him, getting lost in his scent. “Where is our performance tonight, again?”

We’d been touring our duet performance for the past month—a different city, another country every few days. Considering we ported everywhere still upholding our jobs, however, left me fuzzy on where we were at any given moment.

“New York. Kate’s coming to this one, remember?” He slipped a knuckle under my chin, lifting my gaze.

“Ah, yes. The big tell.” I gulped.

“You’ve been easing the idea on her for months. She’s open-minded. You’ll be fine.”

“How do you always know the right thing to say?” I tilted my head back, looking straight up at him.

“I know you. Even from the first snotty jab I tossed, I knew it’d reel you in like the mermaid you are.” He traced his finger down my nose.

I opened my mouth and then snapped it shut. “I can’t deny that.”

He laughed and kissed my temple.

“Say, care to tell me about Midas?”

He tensed and cleared his throat. “What about him?”

“Were you the one that gave him his golden touch curse or something?”

He stood up straight and pointed. “No, I was not.”

“Apollo…” I bit the inside of my lips to keep from smiling.

It was adorable watching him squirm.

“Alright. I’ll give it to you straight.” He folded his arms and paced. “There was a competition between Pan and me. A musical competition. Midas chose Pan as the winner.”

“And I’m going to assume you didn’t take to his opinion well?”

He let his bottom lip roll past his teeth. “I may have called his ears dull and gave him ones which better suited him.”

“What ears?”

He pressed a hand over his mouth, averting his gaze. “A jackass.”

“Apollo!” I swatted his arm, unable to hide my grin.

He held his palms up. “Hey. I told you I was a different person back then.”

“Please tell me he isn’t still walking around with donkey ears.”

“No. I lifted the curse. He already has enough to worry about.” He touched my arm with a single finger, making a portion of my skin glow like gold.

“He’s alive?”

Apollo nodded. “Hades thought it a worse punishment to make him immortal. To live with the gift he asked for over any form of punishment he could give him in Tartarus.”

I took his hand, running my finger over the back of it. “I suppose I should feel lucky my metallic skin isn’t permanent.”

“I’m the lucky one.” He kissed my forehead. “Now, let’s go do what we were born to, hm?”

Apollo and I were under the stage, disguised in our full mortal forms. I had no reason to stretch anymore but still did, mostly out of habit. Apollo stood firm, allowing me to rest my ankle on his shoulder, stretching my hamstrings. He said he did it to help me, but I knew him better than that.

“Show number eight. My lucky number,” Apollo wiggled his eyebrows.

I rested one foot on the ground and raised the other to his shoulder. “Really? Why?”

“Something to do with the astronomical compositions of the sun and moon. My number is eight, Artemis’ is two. Technically we’re both seven, but it was enough we both had to share a womb, let alone a number.”

With the sly look of a fox, he grazed his hand up the inside of my thigh.

“Is this your way of inspiring me into a good performance?” I pushed my leg harder against him.

“More like giving you a preview of your reward after it’s over.”

“Laurel,” Kate shouted.

I tugged Apollo’s vest before resting my foot on the floor and bracing for impact. Kate slammed into me, wrapping her arms around my neck. Since Apollo and I went on tour, I hadn’t seen Kate in over a month.

“I missed you, Blondie,” she said, beaming from ear to ear. “And Ace, looking like a hottie as usual.”

“Thanks, Kate. I’ll wait in the dressing room, give you two a moment.” His hand grazed my elbow as he passed.

“Is this your costume?” Kate held my arms out.

It was a simple ensemble like we’d wear any given day for a rehearsal—pink tights, black leotard, black wrap skirt.

“Something wrong with it?” I let her move my arms around like a ragdoll.

“You make anything look good. It’s plainer than I thought it’d be. But hey, with you and Ace’s pretty mugs on stage, who’s going to be paying attention to the costumes.”

Kate landed the most recent principal role in the company. I may have had a little something to do with her extra boost of confidence, but the rest was entirely her. Roy was shocked the day I quit, but visually proud when I told him about my tour with Ace. He even said I deserved it.

“Thanks for coming, Kate. Will you hang around afterward? I need to talk to you about something.”

She cocked a single brow. “Sure. But why you gotta be so cryptic?”

“It’s nothing bad, I promise. It’s pretty amazing news.”

She gasped. “Are you and Ace getting married?” She did a little jump. “Are you pregnant?”

“I’m not pregnant.” I pressed my hands on her shoulders. “Like I said, after the show.”

She squinted. “You didn’t say no to marriage.”

The lights dimmed on and off in the auditorium. What fortuitous timing.

“You better get in your seat.” I turned her around and gave her a light push.

Our circular stage provided a three-hundred-sixty-degree view of the entire audience, and there wasn’t a bad seat in the house. Amidst the darkness pooling over the crowd, we rose through a temporary hole in the stage floor. Before the first spotlight burst with life, Apollo pinched my butt—a ritual he started before our first performance.

As the light played on me, I struck the first classic ballet pose. The next spotlight landed on Apollo, and he strummed the opening chord on his electric cello. He played a Mozart compilation piece as I danced around him in my pointe shoes. Every mark I hit was with precise movements, turns, and posture. Apollo dressed in his usual style for performances in a golden vest, golden pants, and boots, contrasting the classical music he played.

When he blasted into the next chord, the cello went from its classical string sound to electric with one stomp of his foot on a nearby pedal. The familiar notes of Enter Sandman by Metallica blared through the auditorium. I spun in circles on pointe, and my simple black ballet outfit slowly materialized away. Apollo stood up and wriggled his fingers on my skirt as it twirled. After I stopped spinning, I wore a shiny red leotard transgressing into animated flames down my body. It formed a wafting dress of fire, sparks, and glitter, which moved with me. My once pink pointe shoes were now fiery red. The overhead lights spilled the same colors onto the stage, disguising our magic to the unknowing audience.

The posture in my movements relaxed, and my arms moved of their own free will. Ace remained standing as I danced around him. He bent forward, and I pressed my back against him, flipping over it in one fluid motion. I landed on pointe, using his shoulder for balance as I bent forward in arabesque, raising my back leg to the ceiling.

He sat back down and held the cello away from his body as he played. I sunk onto his lap, rolling my back and dipping my head, before slinking back to standing through the small gap in his arms. As he started the final riff, I went into a bout of fouetté turns, landing one for each beat he made, hitting his knee up against the side of the cello like a drum.

He pulled the bow across the strings faster and faster. He sunk to his knees, bending backward until he was on his back, holding the cello on his belly as he played and spun in circles like a rock star with a guitar. On the last note, I finished the final turn, stuck the landing, and plastered a sun-worthy smile.

The crowd went wild. Kate gave a high-pitched excited shriek from the front row. Apollo stood up, tossing his hair from his eyes and holding his hands out to me. I bowed as the crowd continued to cheer and then did the same for Apollo. I knew most of our audience came to see Ace from Apollo’s Suns, but it didn’t matter. Inspiration was my life now—the way it always should’ve been.

Apollo pressed a hand to my back and pulled me against him, kissing me on stage for the whole world to see. Camera flashes went off in rapid succession, followed by cell phone shutter sounds almost as loud as the cheers themselves.

“Thank you,” he whispered against my cheek.

“For what?”

“For putting the true shine in sunshine.” He cupped my chin.

I laughed. “Cute but a little corny, especially for you.”

“I don’t care.” He planted a quick peck on my lips.

We did several more numbers before the show came to a close. Apollo morphed my clothes back to normal, so that no one would see the real flames and vapors. Kate shoved her way through seas of people to reach me in the wings, her eyes as wide as saucers.

“That. Was. Insane. Laurel, I’ve never seen you dance like that before.” She hugged me so tight it took my breath away. “And the fiery dress? It looked so real.”

I couldn’t take it anymore. She needed to know. “Hey, Kate. Do you remember the conversation we had about Eric and Sookie a few months ago?”

“How could I forget? It was extremely random. And we get pretty random.”

I side-hugged her and led us to the dressing room. “I’d like to circle back to it.”

She gasped. “Is Ace a vampire?”

“What?” I scrunched my face and gently pushed her into the room. “No. Of course not. He’s a Greek god.” My face fell, and I kept my back to her as I shut the door.

Not the way I planned to tell her. Not in the slightest.

“Did you say Ace is a Greek god?”

I beat my forehead against the door. “I imagined this conversation going differently.”

No point in beating around the bush now.

Summoning my power within my palm, I waited until it was bright and glittery. The shock on Kate’s face as I turned around morphed into a wide grin, followed by a girlish shriek.

“Laurel, are you Sookie? Did you—” She gasped again. “You became a goddess.”

I closed my hand, squelching the shimmery wisps. “How are you handling this so well? You’re freaking me out.”

“Laur, I’ve believed in the paranormal since I was a kid. You’ve always been so…I don’t know, stuffy?” She slapped a hand on my shoulder. “I figured you’d laugh in my face.”

With a frown, I folded my arms. “How presumptuous of you.”

“Wait a minute.” She gripped my arm. “Is Ace the Apollo?”

“Yes.”

At first, she looked mortified, but after it settled in, a smile pulled at her lips. “This is amazing, Laurel.”

“Kate, I appreciate the enthusiasm, but aren’t you forgetting one tiny detail?”

She smacked her palm on her forehead. “Duh. I forgot to ask what you’re the goddess of.”

“Kate.” I grabbed both her shoulders and forced her to look at me. “Immortality.”

A deep frown slid over her lips, and this time no grin followed.

“That’s why you used the vampire analogy,” she whispered.

“I needed to know you’d support my decision, but I couldn’t tell you why.”

“I support it. I do. But what made you decide?”

Sighing, I leaned my back against the door. “My entire life, I’ve had so much creativity flowing through me, so much inspiration no matter what I did or how I did it, it was never enough to feed the hunger.”

She clasped her hands in front of her. “Now, the way you dance makes sense.”

“He made me the leader of the muses.”

Her eyes brightened. “So that means you—”

“I get to give people the spark, Kate. And it’s one of the absolute best feelings in the world for me.” My sinuses stung, and a single tear rolled down my cheek.

“Wow. Even your tears sparkle.” She pointed at my cheek.

I dragged a knuckle across my face and stared down at the shimmering tear. “I don’t want to have to watch you die, Katie.”

She shook her head and pulled me in for a hug. “Stop being so grim. You’ve got me around for decades.”

“You’re an amazing human being.” I rested my chin on her shoulder.

She pushed me away to arm’s length. “Let’s get to the important part here.”

I arched a brow, waiting for her to continue.

“Apollo,” she answered.

In a flash of sun rays and cloud tendrils, he appeared in his glowing bronzed glory. “Yes?”

Kate took one look at him and passed out.

Apollo’s arm shot out, grabbing her before she hit the floor.

“Well, she certainly didn’t faint over me.” I drummed my fingers on my hips.

After he set her up in a chair, he sauntered over to me. “I seem to have that effect on most women. I recall this gorgeous blonde falling for me both literally and metaphorically.” He trailed his fingertips up my forearms.

“And I recall winning the heart of a rock star god with a supposed unclaimable heart.” I slipped my arms around his waist.

“Now who’s cocky?” He dragged a finger across my forehead, making his delicious warmth collect in my cheeks.

“Are you going to leave her like that?” I jutted my chin at Kate and smiled.

“Just for a few more seconds.” His lips brushed mine.

I pressed into him, welcoming the kiss that, despite my new godhood, never failed to make my toes curl. Our noses grazed as we pulled away.

“Why don’t we give her an inspirational tour?” Apollo winked.

“What a grand idea, Ollie.”

He grinned. “Ollie?”

“Something new I’m trying out.” I twirled his pendant between two fingers.

“I like it.” His eyes dropped to my hand, playing with his necklace, and he pressed a hand over my chest. “That reminds me.”

I parted my lips to speak, but the words disappeared with a flash of glistening dust. A gold chain rested around my neck. He lifted the pendant, his eyes glowing with a newfound radiance.

My bottom lip trembled as I took the charm into my hand. “A laurel branch.”

“You’ve been there all along in one way or another. I only regret it took so long to find you.”

“It doesn’t matter. You did. We did.”

Kate groaned behind us. “Did I pass out?” She stared between Apollo and me.

“Kate, how about a godly tour for the day?” I rotated my hands, producing the shimmers of my powers, swirling it, and swirling it, making a sun float in the middle of the room.

Apollo gazed at me through the glitter of my homage to him. All my life, I’d felt incomplete—trapped inside a fleshy shell, not knowing how to escape. It turns out, all I needed was one singular…spark.