Goddess Bared: Goddess Series Book 5 (Young Adult / New Adult) (10 page)

What the hell?
His words jolted her, and she relaxed in his arms. He breathed heavily, apparently trying to ignore the pain he was in, the pain she’d just caused him. Once he caught his breath, he dropped his arms and helped Calli to her feet.

“Are you okay?” he murmured, inspecting her head tenderly, pulling her against him without even seeming to think about what he was doing. He was tending to Calli very gingerly, as if she were something precious and not a prisoner. He reached in his pocket, pulled out a key, and unlocked her restraints, taking time to rub her wrists. And Calli was letting him.

“W-what’s going on here?” Legacy demanded, looking at River.

He stroked Calli’s arm as he stepped away from her and up to Legacy. He unlocked her chains without looking at her. Instead, he worked quickly and efficiently. “Let’s get out of here. I’ll explain on the way.”

Chapter Eleven

“I’m not going anywhere with you!” she yelled, pushing him away, but not shocking him. She stepped up to Calli and pushed her back so she could stand between her BFF and River. He must be out of his damn mind if he thought she was stupid enough to just go with him.

Calli edged around Legacy to face her. “Hades is on his way. Let’s go.” She grabbed Legacy’s hand and pulled, but Legacy didn’t budge. Oh gods, had River brainwashed her? She glared at River.

“You have five seconds to tell me what the hell you did to her. We are not going anywhere with you.” He took step toward them and reached for Calli. “Stop!”

“Legacy, please be careful with her! You could accidentally hurt her.” Pain shot through her as she remembered the last time she’d accidentally hurt someone…she’d taken a life, and not just any life. The love of her life. She let go of Calli and wrapped her arms around her waist to push the pain back down. She couldn’t let it consume her. Not right now.

“Shit, I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t mean it like that.” River ran his hands through his dark hair and huffed out a breath of frustration. “I promise I won’t hurt either of you. We don’t have time to stand around here. Let’s go.”

Calli grabbed her wrist and dragged her out of the basement with River right behind them. She led Legacy to River’s car.

“I’ll drive my own car,” she said as she tried to walk away. The idea of getting into a car with him felt too much like a one of those scary movies where the stupid girl follows the axe murderer. She wasn’t stupid.

River grabbed her shoulders and she flinched. “Quit being so stubborn and get in.”

She glanced at Calli, and she was already in the car. She couldn’t let River drive off with her. Not when she had no idea where he was going or what he was doing with her. Legacy reluctantly climbed into the back seat of his car, but a small part of her hoped this wasn’t a bad idea and that maybe she’d find out what was happening. He pealed out onto the main road and sped away.

“Will you please tell me what’s going on?” she asked.

River glanced at her through his rearview mirror and spoke quickly. “I contacted my father like we’d discussed, but after I asked him about Adin, he wanted to talk about my mother. I told him your theory about her controlling me. He’d confirmed he’d gotten similar signals, so he was worried she was controlling me, concerned I’d be the one to accomplish her objectives for her. He knew one of those objectives would be killing him. He said the only way to stop her was to take her out. He knew I wouldn’t be able to do it myself. No matter how evil she was, she was still my mother.” River paused, looking out the window. “Anyway, he was going to call in some favors to have her taken care of. I realized if I wanted to stay strong and avoid her hold over me, then I couldn’t wait for reinforcements. I needed to be proactive about her plan, so I had to talk to her.

“When I talked to her last night, she told me what you thought about Adin, but I acted like I was furious because it’d mean we were still bonded by the prophecy and I didn’t want to be with you. I commented I wished I’d never met you and wondered how I could keep our bond from forming again. She confessed she was the one who created our feelings of love. She said she did it to ensure I’d get to know you, so she could capture you for Hades. She only pretended she was angry our bond was strengthening. I acted relieved at this news, and she bought it. I told her we weren’t waiting any longer. If Adin was really alive, I didn’t want to wait around and fall in love with you for real. I told her I was taking Calli to school tomorrow, and we’d use her as bait to lure you here.”

“You could have told us about this!” she screeched.

“I couldn’t take the chance of her figuring out I was lying. After Calli showed up and I chained her to the wall, Mom realized the plan might actually work, but she left to tail you just in case. She wanted to make sure you’d come looking for us. After she left, I came downstairs, apologized to Calli for getting her mixed up with this, and told her the plan.” 

Legacy glanced at Calli, and she smiled at her. “He told me not to say anything to you. He knew his mother didn’t want me, so she wouldn’t be paying special attention to me. But she’d be watching you like a hawk. I just had to sell my fear and anger.”

River chuckled once, but it sounded strained. “It stung when you called me jackass. You sounded
too
convincing.”

She took a deep breath, letting this settle in. “So you wanted me to kill your mother?”

“No,” River mumbled, looking out the side window again. “But I had no choice. I couldn’t let her get away with capturing you and killing my father.”

She suddenly realized the tears from River’s silent cries next to his mother’s body were real. “I’m sorry you had to do that,” she whispered.

River shrugged. She figured he wasn’t sure if he could speak without crying again, so he didn’t.

“Where are we going now?” she asked after several minutes of silence.

“To your house,” River said. “It’s time to confront Olive too.”

She gasped. “Do you expect me to kill her too?”

River glanced at her through his rearview mirror. “No, but we need to surprise her with the news of you killing Medusa and ask her about her involvement with Hades. If I’m there, I can read her energy. I’ll know if she’s lying. If she is, then she’ll be called out on it, and Lissa can deal with her—with our help, if necessary. If she’s not lying, then we don’t have to worry about her anymore.”

“O-okay,” she mumbled. She felt really nervous about this encounter, but she wasn’t really thinking about confronting Olive. The reality that she’d just killed a godly being with her bare hands was finally settling in. But Medusa wasn’t a god. She was a monster. A monster who’d tried to have her abducted again and who controlled her best friend. She didn’t like the idea of killing anyone, but at least the death was justified.

They pulled into the driveway and walked into the house.

“Oh, thank gods!” Lissa said as she wrapped her arms around Legacy. “Kate called when you didn’t return from lunch. She was worried you’d gotten into an accident or something. Where’ve you been?” she demanded.

“Chained to a wall in River’s basement,” she mumbled into her shoulder.

Lissa pushed her back to stare into her eyes. “What?”

She glanced at Olive, and she was eyeing River. “Medusa trapped me. Apparently, she was working with Hades. She never wanted to kill me. She wanted to form an alliance with Hades.”

“Why?” Olive yelled, still looking at River.

“Because my mother expected him—or me—to kill my father, so I could ascend to his position as one of the three controlling gods. If she did Hades that favor, then her alliance with him would create an alliance with me. Leaving only Zeus to control…or destroy,” River said with a shrug, keeping his gaze locked onto Olive, reading her energy.

“But there’s still a missing piece of the puzzle. My dream told me that someone wasn’t dead. It could be Adin, but we also considered Casey.”

“Who?” Olive asked.

Legacy’s eyes flashed to hers. “The guy who attacked me. See, we considered the fact that you were the one who told me Casey had been killed. You knew about the seventeen roses…” She trailed off. Olive’s expression turned to shock. “It makes us wonder if you’re working with Hades too.”

Lissa’s gaze darted to Olive and back at Legacy. “That’s why you didn’t want me telling Olive about your dream or your theory about Adin being retrievable.”

Legacy looked at her and nodded without saying anything.

“I-I’m not working with Hades!” Olive screamed. “You ungrateful little snob! I can’t believe I’ve spent any part of my life worrying about you and making sure you were safe from that devil, and this is the thanks—”

“She’s telling the truth,” River murmured, cutting off her tirade. Olive glared at River, and he chuckled. “Oh, yeah, she’s totally furious.”

“Sorry,” Legacy mumbled to Olive with an apologetic smile on her face.

“Humph!” She turned and stepped away, leaning against the wall. 

Lissa looked at Legacy. “Olive is helping me. She’s not a priestess, but she does serve an important purpose in your ascension. She has her own destiny to fulfill. You needn’t worry about her.” Legacy frowned. That was new information, but she trusted Lissa. Olive’s life wasn’t her business, and the secrets that apparently surrounded her were kept for a reason. Lissa looked at River, shaking her head. “So you saved Legacy…from your mother, I mean?”

River shook his head.

Legacy looked at him. “Yes, you did. If you’d have waited, she could’ve won.”

“What are you talking about, Legacy?” Lissa asked.

There was no easy way to say this. “I killed Medusa.”

Olive and Lissa gasped, exchanging pointed looks.

“What?” she asked, but neither looked at her.

“What does this mean?” Lissa asked Olive.

“I-I don’t know, but we have to leave.
Now
.”

“What?” Legacy asked again. “What do you mean we have to leave?”

Lissa looked at Legacy. “We, as in Olive and me. You’re staying here.”

“Why do you have to leave?” she asked through unmoving lips. What was going on? And just how involved was Olive in all this?

“Legacy, you just killed a mythical creature. It may not mean anything, but we need to see if this jarred your change, your ascension in any way.”

River groaned, and she looked over at him. He was shaking his head. “I’m sorry, I-I didn’t even think about there being consequences like that. I just wanted to stop my mom before she accomplished what she’d set out to do.”

“You did the right thing,” Lissa said to him. “This could be nothing, but it is our responsibility to ensure the sanctity of Legacy’s ascension, so we are obligated to make sure her course is unaffected.”

River nodded, seeming appeased by her response.

“We have to pack,” Lissa said, turning to look at me. “You’ll be safe here.” Her eyes flashed to River and back to her as she hugged me. Yes, she was definitely safe with River around.

Lissa and Olive left the room to pack their suitcases for their trip.

“I can stay with you,” River whispered, stepping up to her. “Or you could stay with me, so you’d be close to Calli too. I’ll even let you sleep in my real bedroom. I can take the fake one.” He chuckled.

“No, I’ll be fine. I’ll call you if I need anything.”

He looked like he was going to argue, but thought better of it. He hugged her and kissed her forehead. “I’m sorry about your head. Take something for the pain.”

“Okay,” she whispered. Her head
was
still throbbing.

“I’m so proud of you,” he whispered against her.

She wrapped her arms around him. “You don’t have to be strong for me,” she whispered. “I know you well enough to know you’re hurting right now.”

She felt his big arms shrug around her. “You’re more important to me than she was.” But his voice was thick with sadness.

“We can’t choose our parents. You still loved her.”

He took a deep breath, stepping back. “I’ll be fine too.” He smiled, but it was forced. “Why don’t you give me your keys, and I can follow Calli back out here, so she can bring you your car.”

She nodded, stepping away, and grabbed her purse. She gave them to River and hugged Calli.

“Thanks for all your help. I owe you,” she whispered as she hugged her.

“You don’t owe me anything, girl. I just want you to live and be happy.” She chuckled.

River stepped up to them and rubbed Calli’s back as she stepped away from Legacy. “I’m serious, Legacy. Call me if you need anything at all,” he ordered.

She nodded, and they turned to leave. Lissa and Olive carried their luggage downstairs, and they said their goodbyes. Shortly after they left, Calli returned with Legacy’s car. She and River offered again to stay with her or her stay with them, but she turned them down. After the day she’d had, she just wanted to be alone. Not that she was sad, she was just exhausted.

She spent the afternoon sorting through her thoughts. Olive wasn’t working with Hades. Casey was really dead. Medusa was gone. She would never have to worry about her ever again. She was controlling River, controlling their emotions, and now he was free from her too. Hopefully, now he could accept what had happened and move on with his life.

But if Adin was really alive, then she and River would still be bonded by that prophecy. She appreciated River for everything he had done for her, but she was selfish enough to hope Adin was alive, regardless of how it affected River. Once River moved on from his mother’s death, she’d need to recruit his help in figuring out how to retrieve Adin, if possible—if necessary, because Adin may not be alive. It may be a moot point.

* * * * *

The rest of February seemed to go fairly smoothly. Calli’s car got fixed, but they all carpooled anyway. It seemed silly for Calli and River to take separate vehicles to school when they lived right next door to each other. So she’d ride with River in the mornings and with Legacy in the afternoons. On Thursdays, River would take them both since he didn’t have practice on those days.

Lissa checked in once they got to Greece and continued to do so every few days since their arrival. They hadn’t found anything to suggest her course was altered by destroying Medusa, but she wanted to be sure before they’d returned.

Rose came by often to check on her. Lissa had stopped by her house before heading to the airport and asked if she’d keep an eye out. When Rose visited, she’d brought homemade cocoa and cookies. A few times, she’d try to get her to take Adin’s things, but Legacy still wasn’t ready.

She wanted to talk to River about Adin, but River took the death of his mother pretty hard. He’d tried to put on a brave front, but she knew he felt guilty. Because she had to be the one to do it, she felt guilty, too, so she hadn’t felt comfortable asking River about helping her look into Adin.