Empire of Lust (Gods of Olympus Book 2) Read online

  Lying in my bed, the scratchy sheets were nothing like the ones in Olympus. I could feel the course material against my skin, and it was making me itch. I was going to have to buy better linen once my money arrived.

  I closed my eyes and switched off my mind. It was the only way I was going to get to sleep. There was too much to think about otherwise. I was in a new place, I had no idea how long I was going to have to be here, and I was starting from scratch.

  Everything back home seemed so far away now. All my jewels, all my gowns, all my friends. I wondered if they would be missing me now. What would my father have told them of my absence? Even if he lied, they would probably work out the truth. My indiscretions would have been difficult to keep a secret.

  Sleep plunged me into darkness, but it didn’t last long. Before I knew it, I was opening my eyes again. And this time, I wasn’t alone.

  Tadita was looking down at me, my most faithful servant. She was smiling, the orange glow of the morning giving her a halo around her head. “Good morning, my lady.”

  I pushed up onto my elbows as I looked around at my rooms in the palace. A cool breeze flowed through the open shutters on the windows. It would have been very stuffy without that gentle wind.

  “You have a very big day ahead of you, my lady.”

  Those were thoughts I didn’t want to have. “Please don’t remind me.”

  She stopped and cocked her head to the side. “You aren’t excited to be seeing Ermolai? I’m sure he’s very excited to be seeing you.”

  “He’s my father’s choice, not mine. You know I wouldn’t have given him a second glance if it were up to me.”

  She started brushing my long hair and infusing aromatic oils into the strands. “He seems nice.”

  “Nice, but dull.”

  “I think that’s the whole point of your match.”

  She was right, of course. My father thought I needed to be tamed. That I would settle down and live an ordinary life if I had an ordinary man as my husband. Ermolai was the very definition of normal. He had a bald head, a belly that made bending down difficult, and he never had anything to talk about.

  The moment my father introduced us, I could see my entire future mapped out for me. We would have fat little children, a quiet house, and we would rarely have anything to talk about. I would be lonelier than the sun which would make me miserable.

  I didn’t want that for my life. My heart needed to beat for the one I married. I wanted him to be the center of my universe and I would be only too happy to rotate around him.

  I wanted to fall in love.

  True love.

  Real love.

  Every man I encountered fell in lust with me, but it wasn’t real. They thought it was, but I knew the difference. I’d never experienced real love before, and I didn’t want to marry and miss my chance forever.

  But today was the day when I was to formally accept Ermolai’s offer of marriage. My father had given me a lecture and a warning against any misbehavior. He didn’t feel the noose tightening around his neck like I did.

  Tadita helped me to dress. My long, loose-flowing chiton was made from the finest cotton fabric. It was fit for a princess, not for an ordinary wife. Ermolai was never going to be able to provide such luxuries.

  Truly, if the love of my life was poor, I would have happily given away all the gowns in the world. But for this man, they would go begrudgingly.

  A platter of olives was delivered to my room, and we ate while preparing for the day. Tadita told me everything she’d already seen that morning before attending to me. The whole palace was in preparation mode, getting ready for the feast that would be held in our honor tonight.

  It was no honor of mine.

  A duty, that’s all.

  My father held the key to my future, and I was nothing more than a pawn to be used. It was no surprise, that’s just how it was in Olympus. I could pretend I was free all I liked, but it was only an act. Freedom belonged to males and those rich enough to hold power in their hands.

  We couldn’t delay any longer. Hiding out in my rooms was not going to change anything. I would still be forced to marry Ermolai, and my life would still be over as far as I was concerned.

  I entered the main hall by myself. I would show no weakness to my fiancé. He would not know how little I thought of him. While playing my part, I would be perfect. It was only inside that I would cry until all my tears were gone.

  My father stood with his scepter while Ermolai stood with him. He was just as plain as I remembered him. Clearly, he had indulged in too many sweets which had made him portly. Or perhaps it was a case of too much wine with his meals. He was nothing like the gods I was used to admiring.

  “Ah, my beautiful daughter,” Father exclaimed happily. “Finally, she has deigned to grace us with her presence. I trust you remember Aphrodite?”

  “Of course I do,” Ermolai replied with beady eyes looking me up and down. “My lady, I am very happy to see you today. I will be even happier on our wedding day.”

  I was sure he would be. He was probably already picturing our wedding night and the duties we must perform to consummate our marriage. Without consummation, it would not be sealed. I wouldn’t be able to make excuses to avoid it.

  My smile was completely fake but perfect. “I’m sure our wedding will be lovely.”

  “And soon,” Father reminded me. He gave me a knowing look, threatening me to keep playing on or else there would be consequences.

  I couldn’t take it a moment longer.

  The room was too hot, and my dress felt too tight. Everything from the sandals on my feet to the golden wreath on my head burned and shrunk. I was being choked from the inside out as my airways decided to stop taking in oxygen.

  The room spun around me as my stomach lurched. My future flashed before my eyes. My husband. Our children. A life of unspoken resentment. A world of loneliness.

  I couldn’t do it. I just couldn’t do it. How was I going to survive when all I could think of was that he would suck the life right out of me? He was taking all my dreams away. All my opportunities to experience real love.

  All gone.

  Just like that.

  I closed my eyes as the last of my breaths was stuck in my throat. It was all over. My lungs were stilled. My heart had beat its last rhythm. Everything was all over for me in every way possible.

  I was dead.

  3

  I woke up and lurched into a sitting position. It was dark as I gasped for breaths to fill my lungs. The palace was gone, so was Father and Ermolai. I was alone and no longer in Olympus.

  The bed was too warm. I pushed off the covers and pulled my legs up to my chest, cradling them. Sweat trickled down my brow while the rest of me was balmy to the touch.

  It was just a dream.

  No, not a dream. A memory.

  I had met with Ermolai in the palace. My father had betrothed me to the man whom I couldn’t stand. Everything about the dream was real, except that I hadn’t died. It only felt like I had.

  Switching on a lamp helped to chase away the dream. If I really concentrated, I might have been able to convince myself it was nothing more. The feeling of utter helplessness was lingering, however. It threatened to take me down into the dark hole that I had been lost in.

  My hands twisted into fists while the anger grew inside me. I punched the bed, over and over again until I ran out of energy. I was so angry with my father, so mad at him for selling me off like he had. I was nothing more than a thing. A piece of property that could be negotiated for a favor.

  When I was able to return to Olympus, I wouldn’t let it happen again. I would retake my place amongst the gods and goddesses, but I would not be bought and sold like cattle. I could not let it happen again like that.

  I laid back down and pulled the pillow underneath my head. My biggest fear that night was for the memory to invade my dreams again. I couldn’t relive it again without the horror staying with me.

  But wh
en my eyes closed, I slept without dreaming.

  In the morning, I was glad to get up and start the day. I put on the T-shirt and shorts I had stolen and ran into Willa on the stairs.

  “I was just coming up to give you this,” she said, showing me a thick package that had arrived. “It was delivered this morning.”

  “Thank you.” I took the brown parcel back up to my room, knowing it could not be opened in front of my roommate. She looked like she wanted to ask questions but thought better of it.

  Back in my room, I tore open the package. Thick wads of cash were inside, enough to get me through a few years here if I was careful. I didn’t plan on being here that long so I wouldn’t have to be that thrifty. I was dying to go shopping and would burn through a large chunk just today.

  At the bottom of the parcel was a letter, written in handwriting that I recognized. My father had penned a letter to me, even going so far as to personally write my name on the envelope.

  I wasn’t ready to open it yet. The memory from last night was still too fresh on my mind to open the wound again. It would wait, I had time before I needed to know what parting words my father wanted to bestow upon me.

  The envelope was shoved in my pocket with a wad of money before I tried again to go downstairs. Willa was eating breakfast in the kitchen, a bowl of some kind of cereal. “There’s Froot Loops in the cupboard. I know they’re far from healthy, and I should know better, but they are truly delicious. Seriously, it’s like they’re made by the gods.”

  “The gods?”

  “Yeah, you should try them.”

  If they were nectar of the gods, then I should try them. I poured some from the box Willa indicated and then added milk like she did. The colorful circles were crunchy and just as delicious as Willa promised.

  “Do you have any olives?” I asked. They formed part of every meal back home.

  “No. Sorry.”

  “That cereal is nice,” I said to fill the silence. “What are you doing today?”

  “For once, I have the day off. I was going to get some groceries. I can put olives on the list if you like them? I don’t usually buy them, so you’ll have to be very specific about which kind you want. There’s like a bunch of different ones, right?”

  “I have a better idea. How about we go shopping together? I could really use some new clothes.” I held my breath while waiting for her answer. It would be a lot easier to get a new wardrobe with Willa there to help me know what people actually wore here. Judging by her clothes, they were very different to back home.

  “Sure, I could do that. My studies can always wait for later.” She gave me a conspiratorial smile and I sighed with relief.

  Willa even drove.

  She took us to the Appleberry County Mall, which was bigger than the Temple of Zeus in Olympus. It was massive, with stores neatly arranged in rows and brightly lit. It was a far cry from the markets back home where there was barely any room to move and merchants yelled for your business.

  Nobody yelled at the mall. Young people walked around in packs, laughing and talking. Music piped through the ceiling. Babies occasionally cried. But nobody actually yelled out what they had for sale.

  There were so many options for clothing that my head spun. Women here had choices that were beyond belief. Nobody wore long gowns. Shorts, skirts, and dresses were all available for purchase, and I saw other females dressed in them all around. I liked that this place and time were so liberal with their outfits.

  “What kind of clothes do you need?” Willa asked after we’d walked past a few stores. I was so overwhelmed, I hadn’t been able to choose just one to enter first.

  “All kinds. Where would you recommend we start?”

  “How about Sears?”

  “Do they sell clothes there?”

  She laughed and I wasn’t sure if I’d said the wrong thing. “Yeah, they sell all kinds of clothes. Guaranteed you’ll find things there that you like. It’s where I normally shop, anyway.”

  If it was good enough for Willa, it was good enough for me. The best way to blend in here was to follow someone else who did.

  Unfortunately, that didn’t stop people admiring me as we walked through the mall. Men stopped, visibly staring at me when I neared. Many women’s eyes followed me too. They were all drawn to my beauty and sexual charisma. I couldn’t blame them for staring.

  The store with the large blue Sears sign outside was massive. Far larger than any of the market stalls I’d ever been to. I thought we knew how to shop back in Olympus, but this was something else altogether.

  Racks of clothing spread out in all directions. Each one contained dozens of items in different sizes. It was difficult knowing what to look at first. It was a good thing I needed an entire wardrobe because I was going to go home with a lot of clothes, regardless.

  “See anything you like?” Willa asked as she flicked through some blouses.

  “There are lots of lovely items here.”

  “Grab your favorites and we’ll go to the change rooms.”

  “Change rooms?”

  She pointed to a sign with the same words on it. I guessed they were a room I could try on the clothes before I purchased them. That was a very good idea and sounded like lots of fun.

  I took Willa’s suggestion and tried on as many clothes as I could before growing exhausted. She helped me work out my size, and I slowly filled a shopping cart with enough outfits to see me through my exile. They were so nice I would have liked to take them back home when I was allowed to return.

  Lunchtime had passed by the time we were finished. “I have to buy you lunch as a way of saying thank you,” I offered.

  “I’m not going to argue,” Willa replied. “But it’s not necessary. I really enjoyed myself this morning. I’m spending money vicariously through you.”

  I got the feeling Willa didn’t have much cash to splash around. She wouldn’t have had to take me in into her home to rent a room if she did. Nobody would live with a stranger voluntarily.

  She showed me to a place called the Food Court where all types of different meals were available. It was more like I was used to—several different food vendors all selling their delicious wares in the one place. Unfortunately, nobody sold honey cakes, and I had a real craving for them.

  Everybody in the food court stared at me as I chose a burger at Willa’s insistence—it was apparently the best in the world. Their gaze followed me as we took a seat in the crowded area.

  I started eating and savored the amazing flavors. I’d never had a burger before, but if they were all like this one then I was keen for some more.

  “Have you noticed how many people stare at you?” Willa asked between mouthfuls of her own burger. “It’s like they can’t look away or something.”

  I shrugged. “Maybe it’s because I’m tall.” She couldn’t know the real truth. There was no way I was telling her they stared because I was a goddess.

  “And the fact you’re drop dead gorgeous. That might have something to do with it too.”

  “I’m no more beautiful than you are.”

  Her cheeks started to glow with a rosy hue as she snorted. “Yeah, right.”

  “You don’t think you’re beautiful?” I asked, confused. Willa was gorgeous with her long chocolate-brown hair and clear skin. Every woman was beautiful in their own way. There was no question about it.

  “You are in a different stratosphere,” she replied. “Like you’re up here and I’m down here.” Her hands were very far apart—one on the table and the other in the air. I couldn’t understand how she could come to that conclusion.

  But I also didn’t know what to say to convince her. I’d never lacked any self-confidence with my appearance. I was born a goddess of desire, there was never a question whether other people would find me attractive.

  The words did not come easily for me to change her mind. “You are a very desirable woman, Willa. If you don’t see that, then nobody will. Beauty has to start from within before i
t can shine outwards.”

  Her cheeks started to turn a deeper rose as our conversation lingered in the air. I didn’t want to talk about it anymore, and I got the feeling Willa didn’t either. I changed the subject quickly. “Should we get some food to take home next? Where do we get that around here?”

  “We have to drive to the supermarket. It’s only a few minutes from here.”

  That was good news.

  We finished eating and went to another big building for our groceries. Willa knew her way around the city very well. She was also very adept at yelling at other drivers when they displeased her. The whole thing was amusing and scary enough to invoke fear in the mortals.

  Willa pushed a shopping trolley at me before taking one for herself. I was happy enough to pay for all the groceries, but I wasn’t sure if that would make her uncomfortable. Now I knew where to get food, I would be able to return myself to restock our supplies when they got low.

  Only a small area of the market contained fresh food. All the other aisles stocked rows and rows of packaged food items. It wasn’t how I was used to eating, but the Froot Loops this morning gave me an appetite for trying new foods.

  Halfway down the third aisle, we ran into a familiar face. I grabbed Willa’s arm and leaned in to whisper, “It’s Laird, he’s here.”

  She looked around, trying to spot him. Her gaze rested on the most handsome face I’d ever seen. “So he is,” she said casually. Like it wasn’t a big deal to see him again.

  I wanted to turn around and flee in the opposite direction after our first encounter. But something also attracted me to him too. Willa seemed completely unaffected as she continued to browse the aisle and place items in her cart.

  Our paths crossed in the middle of the row. It was inevitable and it would have been too obvious for me to just ignore the man. “Hello, Laird.”

  He looked up, only just noticing us. “Oh, hi. Fancy running into you two here. Doing some shopping?”

  “We need to eat,” Willa replied. Her comment made them both laugh, but I didn’t find anything funny in it. We did need to eat. The cupboards barely had any food in them at our home.