Simply Irresistible (33 page)

Dex had a look of sheer horror on his face. For a moment he didn’t move, and then he bowed.

Bow
, he sent to Vivian.
Now
.

I’ve never bowed before anyone in my life
, she sent back.
Why should I bow now
?

Because he’s one of the Powers That Be.

Vivian looked at the man, who was grinning at her. Except that it really wasn’t a grin. It was a leer.

“Yep,” he said. “A Power That Is, that’s me. Better than a Power That Was, I always say. You really should bow, young lady. It’s protocol.”

Vivian gave him a hesitant bow, which made her dizziness worse.

The man came over, put a finger under her chin, and helped her stand. The dizziness fled, but she shivered just the same.

“This is a pretty one, Henri Barou. Where’d you find her?”

Dex was standing. “Leave her alone.” Then he blanched and added, “Sir.”

“I hate
sir
, don’t you? Makes me sound old.” The man turned his back on Dex and nodded toward Vivian. “I usually go by Jupiter, but I suppose in this place you can call me Zeus with no harm at all.”

“Ze-Ze-Zeus?” Vivian said, wishing her mouth would obey her. “The real Zeus?”

“Nope, the fake one,” he said with incredible cheer. “Yes, the real one. Who else would you expect?”

Vivian shrugged.

“Pretty but slow,” Zeus said over his shoulder to Dex. “No wonder you like her. The dumb ones really have the benefits.”

Dex’s neck was turning red. Vivian could feel his anger. “She’s not—”

“It’s all right,” Vivian said. They couldn’t be distracted. Eris was still staring at her ropes, which looked thinner to Vivian. “Can you do something about Eris? She murdered my aunt, and she’s been after the real Fates—”

“They’re not the real Fates anymore,” Zeus said. “My daughters are the real Fates now, or they will be once I convince the rest of the Powers to forgo this stupid application process.”

Vivian made herself take a deep breath and try again. “Well, then, would you show them what to do with her? Because she’s been trying to—”

“Eris, you say?” Zeus turned toward Eris and peered at her. “Ate? Mars’s sister? Strife’s mother?”

“One and the same,” Dex said.

Zeus let go of Vivian’s chin. She resisted the urge to rub the place where his finger had touched. She couldn’t stop another shudder, though. He was one of those exceptionally virile men who thought all women found him attractive—even the ones who didn’t.

He stalked over to Eris and peered into her face. “It is you. I have a bone to pick with you, missy. You made Hera mad. And when Hera gets mad, she takes it out on me. That apple thing really pissed her off. I was in the doghouse for at least three hundred years. Had to hide among the nymphs, which isn’t as bad as it sounds, but still the bawling out I got when I got home was not worth it. Not at all.”

Eris looked up at him. She was so frightened that Vivian could feel her fear—and Vivian doubted it had anything to do with psychic powers. Everyone else seemed to notice Eris’s fear too.

“Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos were too light on you, sweetheart,” Zeus said. “They blamed you for getting in the way of some lover or other, but that’s not the issue. The issue is that Hera still hasn’t gotten over the entire Trojan War—in fact, if I go home and mention it, I’ll be in the doghouse again—and you’re the one who started it.”

Vivian edged closer to Dex. He shook his head slightly. Zeus probably wouldn’t appreciate any sign of closeness.

“And that little brat Strife. Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos never did deal with him, did they?”

Eris’s eyes got even wider.

“He interfered with my life more than any other mage’s kid ever created. It’s like Strife is my middle name. Whatever happens to you, happens to him.” Then Zeus nodded, as if he were agreeing with himself. “Yeah. I like all that. Now I just have to figure out what exactly to do with you. I think you should be punished for—oh, heck, why should I decide how long?”

He grinned, and it was a real grin this time, one that made him seem a lot more pleasant.

“I’ll punish you until my daughters know every detail of this job. Then, when they finally know what they’re doing, they’ll punish you. Begone!”

And Eris vanished, leaving behind the rope, the duct tape, and the stone hat. Vivian thought she heard a scream echo through the library, but she couldn’t be sure.

“There we go.” Zeus came back to Vivian. “Answered your prayers, sweetheart. Got a reward for old Zeusy?”

Vivian glanced at Dex, who looked worried.

“No, of course you don’t. You’re in love with the cowboy over there.” Zeus turned to Dex. “Listen, kid, hasn’t anyone told you love is overrated? Find yourself a few concubines. Have some affairs. Women are for enjoying, not for living with.”

Dex started to speak, but Zeus silenced him with the wave of a hand.

“Don’t argue with me. I’ve heard all the arguments. I’m sick of all the arguments. Hell, I even made the arguments when I met Hera, which was probably my biggest mistake.” Zeus nodded. “But things are changing, boyo. My girls, here, they’ll make sure this love and romance stuff will be taken out of the equation. Save the world for satyrs, that’s what I say. Provided I can convince the rest of the Powers. Aphrodite’s being a pill, but that’s because she thinks she’ll be out of a job.”

Zeus clapped Dex on the back, and Dex staggered forward, as if he were trying to prevent himself from falling.

“About the time you’ll be sick of this little filly— and you will, guaranteed—things’ll be just the way you’ll want them to be. I can promise you that” Zeus walked over to his daughters and kissed them all on the top of the head. “Get back to work, girls.”

“But Daddy,” Tiffany said, “you know I hate homework.”

“You’re not at home, baby girl,” Zeus said.

“But it’s the same concept—”

“Listen, child.” His voice boomed the way it had when he arrived. “This is a modern world. Girls’ll enjoy the changes you make, same as boys. I was just talking to the cowboy because he should be old enough to understand. But he’s not. He thinks he’s in love. And he’s friends with the old Fates.”

“Daddy, please. Can we just go home?” Crystal asked.

“Honey, we all do things we don’t like. You girls thought this would be fun. Now live with it.” Then Zeus’s expression looked horrified. “Crap. The Old Ones are right. You always end up sounding just like your own parents.”

And then he vanished.

Vivian glanced at Dex, who looked as startled as she felt. Sadie walked to his side and leaned against him as if the entire thing had tired her out.

The Interim Fates burst into tears.

Let’s get out of here
, Dex sent.
What do you say
?

The sooner the better
, Vivian sent back. Ear-splitting wails echoed around her.
The sooner the better
.

Chapter Twenty-eight

It was dawn when Vivian and Dex arrived in the backyard. The sun was a big red ball on the horizon, and the light, a gorgeous mixture of orange and yellow, made Dex’s garden glow. Vivian was never so happy to see anyplace in her entire life.

“Are we safe now?” she asked.

He nodded. “Eris can’t touch us anymore. If Zeus’s punishment stands, I doubt she’ll ever go free again.”

Vivian sighed with relief. She was tired. Dex slipped his arm around her and she leaned against him. Together they walked to the back door.

Sadie was already there, wagging her tail, waiting to get in.

“What about the Fates?” Vivian asked.

“What about them?” Dex said.

“They can go about their business now.”

Dex shook his head. “I think we should leave them exactly where they are. I told them this would take a month. Let’s make sure it does.”

Vivian looked at him, frowning. “Why?” And then she knew the answer without him saying a word. “Oh, yeah. The kittens.”

Dex pulled the back door open. “It’s more than that, Viv. They wanted to know what it was like to be helpless. They’re safer being helpless in my cave than they are out on the streets of Portland.”

“Good point,” Vivian said, stepping inside.

“And,” Dex said, “maybe by then they’ll give up the whole idea of going out into the world and they’ll fight to get their job back.”

“Especially after we tell them about the Interim Fates.”

“Exactly,” Dex said.

They stepped into the kitchen. The light filtering inside was as beautiful as it had been in the garden, but here it illuminated dirty dishes and clutter.

“Why don’t you clean up your house?” Vivian asked.

“Expectations. It keeps the neighbors thinking I’m a young single man.”

“You are,” Vivian said.

“But not for much longer.” Then Dex looked at her in surprise. “I hope.”

Vivian laughed. “That was a proposal?”

“Oh, god,” Dex said.

“It didn’t sound like a proposal,” Vivian said, teasing him. It felt great to have the luxury to tease him. They had survived. Fate’s darkest day was over, and they had survived.

Now they could enjoy their great love.

The thought made her smile, so she continued the tease. “That comment sounded like an expectation. Was it an expectation?”

“I didn’t mean it to come out that way,” Dex said. He was appalled. She could feel it. “I mean, I know how you feel. It’s how I feel.”

Vivian was having trouble suppressing a smile. Dex was so wrapped up in his own propriety, he didn’t even notice all the ways her mood had changed. And the joy she felt knowing what their future would be.

How lucky they would both be.

Maybe she did believe in luck now. She certainly believed in prophecies and Fate(s) and magic.

And love at first sight.

“I suppose I can do the bended knee thing,” Dex was saying. “In fact, I should do the bended knee thing. And have a ring. But I’d like to buy a ring. It’s better than conjuring one. Can we—?”

“It’s all right,” she said.

“No, it’s not.” He bit his lower lip, a sign of just how agitated he was. “How about this? Tonight, I take you to Quixotic—I owe everyone there an apology anyway, after what Eris was rambling about—and we have this great dinner, and by then we’ll have the animals out of the basement, and we’ll have had some sleep, and I’ll have a ring—”

“It’s not necessary, Dex,” Vivian said.

“But it is.” He took her hands in his own. “I want this to be perfect, Viv.”

She kissed him, and in that kiss were promises answered and all the love she could give.

“You don’t have to make it perfect,” she whispered as she wrapped her arms around him. “Because it already is.”