Kyros' Secret (Greek Myth Series Book 1) (12 page)

Seventeen

Kyros lay on the ground just after his transformation with Chiron and Nemos looking down at him. He could feel the smile on his face and he barely even noticed the pain this time. He couldn’t help but think of Thera and the closeness he’d felt with her last night. He remembered feeling her body, tasting her, and wishing more than anything he’d been in his man-form at the time.

Chiron cleared his throat and Kyros realized Nemos was staring at his waist with wide open eyes. Kyros looked down and saw himself straight as an arrow. He jumped to his feet and grabbed his clothes from Chiron, making sure he donned the breeches first. He tried to pull the tunic down to hide the bulge, but it was hopeless.

“So,” said Chiron. “What happened last night with Thera?”

“Not nearly enough,” he mumbled and turned away from Nemos’ gaze.

“Is everything all right between you then?” Chiron was searching for information.

“It is, Chiron. And it’ll be better just as soon as I see her this morning. Much better,” he said not able to hide his smile.

Kyros was about to reach for his sword in Nemos’ hands when he heard Thera scream from the hut. He turned his head, and in that instant Rodas darted from the woods and grabbed the sword from Nemos.

“No!” cried the boy as he tried to get it back, but it was just too late.

“Rodas!” screamed Chiron. “What are you doing?”

Rodas held the tip of the sword out toward Kyros as he spoke. “This sword is going to its rightful owner. Pittheus will be glad to see it after all this time.”

“I’ll die before I let you take my father’s sword,” said Kyros.

“You just may,” snarled Rodas as a half dozen centaurs appeared from the woods, one of them dragging Thera along stark naked.

“Let her go,” Kyros demanded. The centaur holding her threw her onto the dirt. Thera dived for the golden bow and Kyros tried to stop her.

“No, Thera! Don’t touch it.”

He remembered what Nemos had told him about the bow, that if a god touched it, it would kill them. He closed his eyes, not wanting to witness Thera turning into a pile of ashes. He heard an arrow whiz by his ear. Rodas cursed and took off into the forest. Thera released three more arrows, wounding one of the centaurs before they all ran away.

“Thera!” He ran to her and threw his arms around her. She dropped the bow and fell against his chest. “Did they hurt you? Did they - ”

“No,” she answered. “No, they didn’t.”

“Is she all right?” he heard Chiron ask from behind him. Kyros took off his tunic and wrapped it around her naked body.

“She’s fine,” answered Kyros, pulling her even closer in his embrace.

“Go find her clothes,” Chiron ordered Nemos. The boy trotted away toward the weaver’s hut.

“Thera, I don’t understand. You touched Phylo’s bow and you didn’t die,” said Kyros.

She looked up at him with tears in her eyes, but didn’t answer.

“She’s no longer a goddess,” came the old weaver’s voice from behind him. “She didn’t tell you?”

Kyros was no longer surprised to hear the old weaver’s voice popping up unexpectedly and didn’t even turn toward her.

“Thera, is this true?” he asked. “How?” He looked at her innocent wide eyes and knew she had done something drastic.

“It is,” she answered. “I had a lot of time to think these past few days, and I came to the conclusion I want to be mortal.”

“She went to Zeus two days ago and asked him to take back his gifts,” the weaver informed them. “She’s now mortal. A human.”

“But Thera … why?” he asked.

“I want to be your wife, Kyros. I want us to raise our baby together. I want to live with you by my side as mortals. I want you to protect me, hunt for me, and someday we’ll die together in each others’ arms.”

Kyros couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Thera gave up her powers and immortality just for him. She must really love him to sacrifice such a gift.

“But Thera, if you’re human, what if our baby is a centaur?”

“Then she’ll die giving birth.” The weaver answered for her. “She’ll die giving you a son.”

Kyros felt his stomach turn sour. She must have known there was half a chance their baby would be a centaur before she ever got rid of her powers. Yet, she’d done it anyway. She’d done it out of love and for the chance to someday live with him and their baby as mortals.

“I love you, Thera. I love you more than life itself.” They embraced and kissed and when he pulled away, Nemos handed her clothes to her.

“I’m sorry, Kyros,” said Nemos. “I’ve let you down.”

Kyros pulled Thera to her feet then walked with the boy in order to give her the privacy to dress.

“What are you talking about, Nemos?”

“You entrusted me to guard your sword and I let Rodas steal it.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” piped in Chiron.

“That’s right,” added Kyros. “We were all standing right here when it happened.”

“I’ll make it up to you, Kyros, I promise.” Nemos had tears in his eyes and Kyros knew he had to calm him.

“I’ll get the sword back, Nemos. Don’t you worry.”

“But how?” asked the boy. “You don’t even know where Rodas took it.”

“I know exactly where he took it.” Kyros looked up toward his father’s castle on a hill in the distance. “And I plan to get it back if I have to die doing it.”

“I’m coming with you,” said Thera as she walked up, fully dressed and handed Kyros his tunic. He put it on and also took the golden bow and arrows from her hands.

“I can’t risk anything happening to you or the baby, Thera. You can stay in the hovel with Chiron and Nemos. I’ll return for you later.”

“I’m coming with,” she repeated.

“Thera, please stay. I can’t watch my back if I’m worried about you or the baby getting hurt. I promise you I’ll return.”

“Well, then, can I help?” asked Nemos. “I feel I should after losing your sword.”

“No,” Kyros shook his head. “I don’t want a single centaur to try and help me.”

“Why not?” asked Nemos. “Why don’t you want the centaurs help?”

“Chiron understands,” answered Kyros. “Ask him. I don’t have time now to explain.”

With that, he gave Thera a quick kiss, hopped atop Hester and headed for the castle.

Ares watched from behind a tree as Kyros left for the castle and Thera stayed behind. Rodas stood next to him with Kyros’ sword in hand.

“Damn!” Ares hands clenched into fists and his jaw set to a firm line. “Kyros was supposed to take Thera with him. This isn’t going at all how I planned.”

“Do you want me to capture her and dump her at Pittheus’ feet?” asked Rodas.

“No,” answered Ares. “I know Thera too well. She’s nothing but trouble. She never does anything she’s told to do. She’ll follow Kyros on her own. Mark my words.”

Eighteen

Thera lay silent on her pallet in the hovel, until she heard the snoring of Chiron. She slowly opened her eyes and looked around the cave. A night candle burned in the corner and she could see Chiron standing there but not moving. She heard the loud snores and there was no doubt he was asleep.

The boy stood in an opposite corner and she tried to listen for his breathing, but couldn’t hear it over Chiron’s snores. She tried to use her other senses to determine if he was asleep but couldn’t tell. Her power of the senses was dulled more and more as the baby grew bigger and bigger.

She turned her head and whispered Nemos’ name softly. When he didn’t answer, she got to her feet and sneaked to the door. She picked up an extra bow and arrows that hung on the wall, as Chiron slept with his own on his back as did Nemos.

She looked back at them one more time before heading out. It was so strange the way centaurs slept standing up. She’d never seen Kaj … Kyros - she corrected herself - sleeping. She wondered if he slept that way too. She also wondered if their child would, if he were a centaur.

She felt saddened at the thought. She’d always pictured herself rocking a baby in a cradle, not closing him into a pen. It didn’t matter, she told herself. Not even if Kyros could never lie in bed with her at night. Mayhap she’d change her sleeping patterns and sleep during the day, just so she could couple with and lie with Kyros.

She tiptoed through the entrance and made her way carefully through the darkened woods. Her senses were still sharp enough to be able to see, and more or less, feel the branches or rocks that would be in her way.

She headed east for the castle, not at all sure where she was going. The full moonlight spilled through the branches and fell on her skin as she came to a clearing. It reminded her of how Kyros looked while he bathed in the pond: The bluish moonlight lighting up his long, dark hair, with his strong chest dripping with water as he bathed himself in the pond.

She missed him deeply. She wanted to kiss him and have him hold her protectively in his arms. Now that he’d awoken her womanly senses, she could think of nothing but being with him. When he touched her, it was just as satisfying as when she’d first been implanted with his seed. But she’d never done the actual act of coupling. Ironic, she was pregnant with his child and still a virgin. She wanted to know how it felt to physically make love with a man. She wanted to feel him within her. And more than anything, she wanted to please him the way he’d pleased her.

She loved Kyros and had to be by his side no matter what he was going through. She loved him for more than just the physical pleasure. She loved him for who he was, be it man or centaur. She loved his body, his mind, his soul. She would be by his side, where she was meant to be. And once she got to the castle, then she would decide how she was going to help him.

A twig snapped in the woods and pulled her from her thoughts. It was then she smelled centaur and jumped. How could she be so careless as to not be watching out for danger? She picked up her bow and arrows, cocking an arrow in place for protection. She heard another snap somewhere behind her and then a thud and spun around.

“Thera, it’s me, Nemos. Don’t shoot,” came the voice.

She put down her weapon and ran to help him. She could see him lying on the ground with his own weapon next to him.

“What are you doing, Nemos?” she asked.

“Coming to help you save Kyros,” he answered, getting to his feet.

Just what she needed. A child Centaur who couldn’t see in the dark to tag along and give away her element of surprise.

“You knew I was going?”

“I pretended to sleep,” he told her. “Just like you did. Then I followed you here.”

“It’s amazing you didn’t break your neck, Nemos. I took the most rockiest, tangled trail in order to throw off anyone who may follow.”

“I know,” he mumbled and picked up his weapon.

“You can’t come with me.” She crossed her arms over her chest as she spoke.

“I have to,” he answered. “It’s my fault Kyros lost his sword. I was supposed to be guarding it. I have to help him get it back.”

“He doesn’t need your help, Nemos.”

“Why?” he asked. “Because I’m a child?”

That - not to mention a centaur - she thought, but didn’t say it.

“I’m going to help him, Nemos. You just go back to the hovel and wait with Chiron.”

Nemos’ face saddened and Thera could feel the struggle within him. He wanted to prove himself a brave warrior. He wanted to show Kyros he could be trusted and depended upon. Totally different than her reasons for going. Or were they?

“So he needs the help of a pregnant woman and not that of a centaur child?” he asked.

“Yes,” she answered and realized how absurd it sounded. Kyros didn’t need her nor Nemos slowing him down. Mayhap her own reasons for wanting to be with him were self-centered. By going to him she was sure to get into trouble, not to mention endanger Kyros’ own life. After all, he had said he couldn’t watch his back if he had to look after her and the baby.

Suddenly she felt foolish for thinking she was going to be of help to him. The baby kicked and she felt a sharp pain. She couldn’t even move stealthily if she wanted to. She was heavy with child and she already felt it taking its toll from the short distance she’d traveled. She was out of breath and tired. She knew it was because of carrying the heavy baby up hill. She was exhausted, not to mention hungry. As much as she wanted to continue, she also wanted nothing more than a nice, warm, safe pallet for the night.

“You’re right,” she said. “I don’t have any business going after Kyros either. We’ll just endanger him if he has to worry about us. He’ll be all right.” She tried to convince herself of this but felt it in her bones that he was going to have problems.

“So we should go back and just wait for him?” asked the boy.

“Exactly,” answered Thera and patted him on the shoulder. “Let’s go back before Chiron awakes and knows what we planned to do.”

They started through the dark woods, but Thera realized she’d left the bow and arrows behind. She had to get them and return them or Chiron would know something was amiss.

“I forgot the bow and arrows,” she told Nemos. “You wait here and I’ll go get them.”

“All right,” agreed Nemos, rubbing his shoulder. She knew he’d gotten scratched from his fall and wasn’t eager to tramp blindly through the woods any more than he had to.

Thera made it back to the small clearing and spotted the bow and arrows on the ground where she’d left them. Thoughts of Kyros flooded her head or she would have been more aware of her senses and would have known she wasn’t alone. She reached down for the weapon but a hand closed over her wrist. She screamed and looked up into the eyes of a warrior; one she was certain was from Pittheus’ castle. Two other soldiers joined him.

“Well, look what we have here,” sneered the guard. “It looks to me like Pittheus is going to be pleased with what we found.”

“I’m not going anywhere near Pittheus,” she said.

“Pittheus has been waiting for you,” sneered the guard.

“For me?” she asked, trying to call their bluff. “I think you’re mistaken. I don’t even know the man.”

“We know who you are.”

“Then you know I’m a goddess and can use my powers to stop you.”

They didn’t seem at all alarmed and she knew she was doomed.

“A fallen goddess,” said one of the men. “We know more than you think. Now come on.”

Thera wondered who had told them. Had they captured Kyros and made him talk? Or was it the old weaver, or perhaps Ares?

Thera realized Nemos was still waiting for her and would have heard her scream. He would come to help her and he’d be captured as well. She couldn’t allow that. She had to get out of there before they captured the boy too.

“Let’s go,” she said.

“In a hurry to meet your future husband?” the guard asked and Thera wanted to protest him but couldn’t waste time and endanger Nemos.

“I don’t want to cause trouble,” she said, though she knew it was too late. “I’ll go with you and not put up a fight.”

“Good girl,” chuckled the guard. “Pittheus likes a woman to be willing.”

As they dragged her away she glanced back towards the place she’d left Nemos. Hopefully his poor night sight would slow him down so they could be out of there before he showed his face.

The guard hoisted her up onto his horse and they all rode across the open field. She knew Nemos would hear them even though he was too far away to follow. And she knew Chiron would be furious when Nemos went back to the hovel to report that she’d been captured.