Goddess's Saga 1: Touch of the Goddess (24 page)

He sure likes that colour. Or, the absence of colour, depending on how you see it…

Maria insisted on helping him with all the buttons. It was strange to have her kiss him like that when putting clothes
on.
Every instinct told him they should be coming off.

At least, deeming from the way she kissed him, he couldn
’t have caused too much trouble.

In the outer room,
Heather, Cratus, and Frank sat bent over a chessboard. Heather explained without looking up, “We’ve been playing all night, and he wins every time. I think he’s cheating. He’s moving the pieces in the wrong direction or something.”

Frank
grinned and got up to slam his giant fist down on Stephan’s back.

“
Good game yesterday, good game. We’ll take him next time. Now you’ve gotta help us beat this cretin on his own turf.”

The corners of
Cratus’s mouth twitched just a little, enough to show his fangs.

“
Yes, you’ve been trying hard, haven’t you?”

They’re actually nice. They’re going above and beyond to make me feel like I belong. I can see why she loves them.

Maria tugged Stephan over to a chair and plopped herself down on his lap. Cratus winked at them as he continued to tease Frank and Heather with his irritatingly calm voice.

“
Now, a Goddess of Whisky and Fire wouldn’t need many skills at this game, but I would expect the self proclaimed God of the Battlefield to do better. It
is
a game of strategy. You know what strategy is, right?”

Frank
jumped up, clearly offended.

“
Hey, you, I’ll take you yet!”

Heather
said dreamily, “Oh yeah, we forgot to set something on fire yesterday.”

Okay, they’re all insane, but I still like them. Is life here always like this?

Cratus
won that game too.

“You’re like playing a computer.”

Frank snorted.

“All human technology leads to nothing but trouble.
People should stay on their own planets and wage war in the old-fashioned way.”

Stephan lifted an eyebrow, and Frank
elaborated, “Everything you invented after the catapult has been a disaster. Now, in the old days, when people fought with swords, there were skills and adventure.”

Heather giggled and Stephan shrugged. He
wasn’t going to be lured into another discussion or fight.

Maria said, “C’mon, let’s go have breakfast.”

He could have sworn the room didn’t have a balcony, but now it was there, holding a table filled with food.

Maria lingered behind, and he heard her say, “
Cratus, can I ask you something?”

The winged being led her out on the balcony with an arm around her shoulders.

“No dearest, not now. Everything will be clear in time.”

I bet they’re talking about that cursed map.

Heather said, “Thongs, yes or no?”

Frank hollered, “Yes, or nothing.”

I can see his standpoint on that…

“Androids?”

Maria said, “Yes,” and Frank grimaced, “Of course, no. We’ve just been through this.”

It seemed like they sat in the sun for an eternity. It might have been hours, days, or
minutes; he lost all sense of time.

They might never have left if a scream hadn’t echoed over the valley.

Frank rolled his shoulders.

“It’s time for you to go.”

What the hell is that? Their pet dragon?

Maria took his hand.

“Father’s wife is on her way to the castle. There’ll be hell to pay. I mean, I wouldn’t be happy to be locked up either… We should leave.”

Cratus
nodded.

“
It was good to see you, little one.”

He turned to
Stephan and shook his hand.

“
Until we meet again, my friend.”

Heather
poked Stephan in the chest and sounded feisty.

“
You take care of my sister, you hear.”

Her
words made Cratus chuckle, but his voice was a little too casual when he remarked, “He will.”

A second later
they were back on the ship, and in that familiar environment, everything that happened seemed like a dream.

Cratus and Frank stood side by side, looking out a window in a high tower. Cratus had his arms crossed, and Frank played with a jewel set dagger.

Behind them, Maria
’s father sat in a deep chair, resting his chin in his hand.

“
Are you sure about this?”

Cratus
shrugged.

“
It is inevitable. Everything will work out for the best.”

Frank glared.

“Why? Because you say so?”

Ruffling his wings,
Cratus bared his fangs in a smile.

“
Shouldn’t that be enough? I keep telling you I know everything. If it makes you feel better, it’s all according to the prop
hecy.”

The
ir King rose up from the chair and went to join them by the window. The day was very nice, just like all other days.

“
You mean the prophecy
you
made?”

Cratus
grinned.

~

Maria
Hammarblad is a Swedish author and bass player living in Florida since late 2008. Her fascination with books started early. Before she could read or write, she made her mother staple papers together to resemble books. She drew suns in them and claimed they were "The Sun Book." They were all about the sun. The four-year old also claimed her existence on Earth was a mistake, the result of a horrible mix-up, and that her real family would come to bring her home to her own planet at any time. This didn't happen, but her fascination with books and other worlds stayed with her.

Today, she lives in the Tampa Bay area with her husband Mike and their rescue dogs. Besides novels, she also writes award winning screenplays. Through the years, she has played with a number of Swedish rock bands. She also enjoys photography, and volunteers at a local dog rescue.

Website: http://www.hammarblad.com