The Goddess (17 page)

He couldn’t help but think… Hell, he knew it was true. His entire life,
everything
, had changed the day that he’d met Helene.

…

Thirty minutes later, in a private sitting room at the other end of the palace, Darius
snatched the stopper off a crystal decanter and grabbed a glass. Then he remembered
the scene earlier—how he’d lost control, raised his voice—and he set the stopper firmly
back in its place.

His stomach was still on the floor when Yanni appeared at the door, looking frustratingly
cool and collected.

“The walls have ears,” Darius drawled.

“A concerned staff member passed on that you left your quarters earlier looking rather
agitated.”

“I got a phone call from Galen. He’s arriving tomorrow.”

Yanni’s glasses seemed to flash in the muted light.

Then Darius admitted throwing the decanter and how the vibration sent through the
wall had somehow dislodged the figurine. That’s all he could put it down to anyway.

“She’s spent centuries locked away in a God-forsaken rock chamber,” Darius said. “But
when it’s my turn…”

He flinched. His father would have disowned him.

And then there was Helene. He’d accused her of tampering with the figurine. But he’d
immediately seen in her face that she hadn’t, and wouldn’t. Still, she’d been upset
enough to return to her previous quarters. She didn’t think he trusted her. She assumed
he thought she was a klutz.

Hands clasped before him, Yanni regarded his own measured steps as he crossed over.
“I’ll have an expert look at the figurine,” he said. “We’ll have her restored.”

“The finest craftsman would die of old age before putting her halfway back together.”
Considering the options, he rapped a set of fingertips on the chair arm. “I’ll sweep
up the pieces myself and…”

Yanni waited.

“And, Your Highness?”

Dazed, Darius shook his head. “I have no idea. What does a person do with a priceless
artifact that he’s demolished? She’d only been known through legend. No one would
ever be the wiser. But
I
know.”

He hadn’t protected her. And where his father lay, he knew it, too.

Emotion swelled in his chest, burning and twisting. “I was going to make an announcement,”
he said. “Helene’s pregnant.”

Yanni stepped back as if someone had pushed him.

“I’ve proposed,” Darius went on. “The child is mine and no power on earth will convince
me to walk away.”

“And Ms. Masters?”

“She accepted.”

“You sound conflicted.”

“I know what she thought tonight when the figurine smashed. If it hadn’t been for
her the goddess would have been safely locked away in a vault.” And then he’d seen
it on her face. She wanted to run back to what was familiar. She wanted to return
to the States. “But nothing is her fault. I made those choices. And now I can’t undo
them.”

Yanni shifted, his nose scrunching and hands rubbing like he had an itch that was
driving him insane. Finally he stretched to his full meager height and announced,
“Your Highness, there’s something you should see.”

Darius groaned. “Now?”

“It’s important.”

Darius was weary, frustrated. But Yanni looked determined.

Exhaling, he pushed on the chair’s arms, found his feet, and followed his Chief Aide
out the door. Yanni led him to a nearby room, to a vault, which he opened before stepping
well back. Darius lowered onto haunches, looked inside…

And his jaw nearly smacked the ground.

He rubbed his eyes and his heart, belting against his ribs, looked harder.

“What
is
that? Some sort of joke?”

“That, Your Highness, is the true artifact.”

“Impossible. My father swore to me on his grave…”

“Your father didn’t know. This figurine has been handed down from every counsel’s
Chief Aide through the ages. It’s an arduous journey back and forth over the water.
And as far as staying in that cave where anyone might find her…” Yanni shuddered so
much his glasses slipped. “Only once that I’m aware of was she bundled away for a
brief period to wait inside that chamber. But that occurred under extreme circumstances
almost a hundred years ago.”

With infinite care, Yanni slid the figurine out of the safe and handed it to Darius.
With that warm steady weight in his hands, he was left near speechless.

“Yanni?”

“Yes, Your Highness?”

“I’m shaking so badly I’m afraid I might drop her.”

Yanni took back the figurine as Darius’s senses sped to catch up. “The other figurine
lying smashed on my floor is a fake?”

“Correct.”

He sent a pained look. “You don’t have any more lurking around?”

“She’s the real deal.” Yanni smiled down at her. “Isn’t she beautiful?”

They both stood and admired her until Darius, feeling so relieved, put forward a suggestion.

“Helene thought we should build her a home. A place where she would be protected but
where others could enjoy her, too.”

“You want to put the goddess on display?”

“I know. It sounds exploitive.”

“I didn’t say that.”

Darius’s brows hiked up. “You agree?”

“We don’t have to decide tonight.” Yanni slipped the figurine back into her safe.
“From what you’ve told me, you have a more pressing matter to attend to. How will
you handle meeting your uncle tomorrow?”

Remembering his parents, particularly his mother, Darius blew out a breath. “My father
exiled the man. As far as I can see, there’s only one thing I can do.”

…

Not long after the birds had begun to chirp the next morning, Darius knocked on Helene’s
door. He waited and knocked again, this time louder. Finally, the door fanned open.
Helene wore an inexpensive cotton dress. As always, she glowed, but smudges beneath
her eyes showed she hadn’t slept.

“I was harsh last night,” he admitted, running a hand through his hair. “If that accident
was anyone’s fault, it was mine. And I don’t want you to worry about the figurine.”
He would explain all about last night’s incredible discovery later when a decision
had been made about the goddess’s future residence. “I regret the words we had.”

She leaned against the jamb. “I haven’t been able to stop going over it all in my
mind. Everything that’s happened since we met. You might not believe that I didn’t
touch the figurine—”

“No. I do.”

Her mouth tugged to one side then a shoulder came up. “Darius, I want to go home for
a while.”

His first instinct was to tell her she didn’t have to go anywhere. He could handle
Galen, the coronation—it would be easier if she was by his side rather than him worrying
about when, or if, she would ever come back.

He wanted to bring her to him, kiss her, and apologize again, but he thought that
would only firm her resistance. She didn’t want to be seduced. She wanted to negotiate.

He slid both hands in his trouser pockets. “How long do you think you’d be gone?”

“I don’t know.”

“Maybe I could go with you.” He tried on a smile. “I should probably meet your mom
before the big day.”

“You can’t leave here now.”

His hands came out of their pockets. “Then why don’t you stay?” He amended, “Just
until Galen leaves and the announcements are made.”

She held his gaze until her eyes began to shine. But she didn’t look away.

“I think we should put off any announcements.”

When dread sailed through his middle, he set his jaw. “You don’t want to marry me?”

“You’ve talked enough about rebellion and traditions and superstitions…Darius, frankly,
I’m a little spooked. And I have someone else to worry about now.”

“So do I.”

“Then you’ll understand.”

He reached for her hands. He didn’t have any answers—only two words.

“Don’t go.”

She blinked several times as if fighting back tears.

“Darius, I need to tell you…” She took in a breath. “I’m in love with you. Marrying
you would be so much more than a convenience to me. But I can’t stay now. I need to
go home. And, to be honest, I can’t say when I’ll come back.”

Chapter Sixteen

Later that morning, Darius met Galen as he disembarked an incoming vessel. When the
man, decades older than when he left, made his way down the gangplank, Darius walked
straight up. Recognizing his nephew, Galen smiled and offered his hand.

Looking into his uncle’s dark eyes, seeing the resemblance…For a moment, it was like
seeing his father again.

“Welcome home.”

Galen set a hand on his nephew’s shoulder. “It’s been too long.”

Darius could have ordered a carriage straight back to the palace or headed for the
other side of the island where only lovers hid away in the woods and the coves, but
he didn’t want to hide. He was done with speculating on what ills might befall if
he didn’t run his life to the letter of his father’s law. So he led Galen to Alexio’s
taverna and was directed to his usual table by the waitress who Helene said had taken
her place.

“I know this must have caused an inconvenience,” Galen said, reaching for the coffee
the waitress hurried to serve. “I appreciate you seeing me.”

“I was surprised by your call. I didn’t know if you’d ever want to come back.”

“I never wanted to leave but, for everyone’s sakes, I had no option.”

And Darius’s father had had no option but to step up.
But he didn’t want to dredge up bad memories; he was eager to hear about his uncle’s
new life.

“How is your wife?”

Galen touched the gold band on his finger. “Ferah’s a little under the weather. She
wanted to come meet you and Tahlia. We caught up with Nikos in London recently.”

“We e-mail and talk on the phone. Nikos never mentioned it.”

“I asked him not to.”

A frisson of unease brushed Darius’s skin.
What had been said? Why keep a meeting secret?

Keeping his voice low, Darius tipped forward. “Why are you here, Galen? Why now?”

The older man set down his cup with a slightly unsteady hand. “Firstly, I want to
apologize for what happened all those years ago. I never intended for your father
to have to take on such a heavy burden. He was my younger brother. I’d been raised
to protect him.”

Darius remembered his uncle’s kind ways. He had no doubt he wanted to protect his
family. As it had turned out, he’d put them all in serious danger.

“Your father might have thought I was selfish,” Galen said, “and irresponsible to
carry on with Ferah when the rumors turned into threats. But nothing is ever cut and
dry. I had a responsibility to Ferah as well. We were married, and I had vowed to
stand by her. Your father didn’t know that many times she’d offered to leave and bow
out of my life. Then a friend of hers contacted me.”

Darius’s thoughts went to Helene and to how similar his own situation was to his uncle’s.
This morning when she’d said she wanted to return to the States—when she confessed
she was in love with him—for the first time, he had truly understood his feelings
for her. A marriage would be more than a convenience to him, too.

But something had held him back. As much as he wanted her to stay, he wondered if
it might be wiser for her to slip away until Galen was on his way. Apparently, Galen
had never had those kinds of doubts. Of course, that mindset had cost him the crown
and a brother’s love.

Reaching into his breast pocket, Galen withdrew a small dispenser and slipped a pill
under his tongue then chased it down with more coffee.

Darius wondered whether the trip had unsettled him. First, though, he wanted to hear
the rest of his uncle’s story.

“What did Ferah’s friend have to say?”

“That my wife was pregnant. Or had been. She lost the baby.” Galen’s mouth tightened.
“I blame myself. She was under such pressure. Then the unrest began to spiral. I made
a choice and to this day, I don’t regret it.”

Thinking of that child and his own, Darius asked, “Why are you telling me all this
now?”

He fingered the silver pill container left out on the table near his cup. “The doctors
give me no more than a year.”

The words echoed through his brain. Darius’s world rocked while his uncle looked only
resigned. He leaned forward.

“Can anything be done?”

“I’ve accepted it. Ferah, unfortunately, is taking the news badly. We have friends,
but with her parents passed on and no siblings, I know she’ll feel left on her own.”

“You never had children of your own?”

“A great sadness to us both.” Galen glanced around the taverna then out the window
onto the street. A wistful smile curved his lips. “It seems like yesterday that I
lived here with everything ahead of me. Life is so brief.” His grin was wry. “For
us mere mortals anyway.”

The goddess popped into Darius’s head. Suddenly he wanted Galen’s opinion. However,
that waitress appeared again.

“More coffee?” she asked.

“Not now,” Darius said. “Thank you.”

She collected the empty cups and drew the vase a little forward. “The geraniums are
so colorful at the moment,” she said.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Darius picked up the thread. When Galen had left
all those years ago, he’d have passed on the secret of the cave to his brother. What
would he say to the suggestion of sharing the figurine with the citizens of Tierenias
— with the world?

“There was an accident on the other island,” Darius began. “A cave-in.” When Galen
started, Darius held up a calming hand. “No one was hurt, including the figurine.
Since I’ve returned, it’s remained in my quarters. But last night, there was another
incident.”

Darius relayed the events. Before he could pass on that the genuine figurine had been
kept safe in a separate vault all these years, Galen interrupted. He was more interested
in Helene than the goddess.

“You’re serious about this woman?”

Darius exhaled. Why not come totally clean? “Helene is pregnant. I asked her to marry
me.”

Galen’s attention veered to the doves bobbing around in a planter outside the window
as a smile spread across his face.

“I’d like to meet her.”

Suddenly, Darius felt the closeness again—the exact same emotions he’d known as a
young boy who had idolized his uncle and had wanted to grow up just like him. He knew
Helene would love him, too.

Darius pushed back his chair. “We’ll talk more in the carriage.”

As they moved toward the taverna’s doorway, from the corner of his eye, Darius caught
a flash. That waitress was lowering a camera.

With a cheeky smile, she shrugged. “Hope you don’t mind.”

Darius was used to having his picture taken. However, while he was here, enjoying
the food and company with Helene, no one had presumed to take a shot without asking
first. He waved it away. If a backpacker passing through wanted a memento of the time
she’d served the prince and an elderly friend coffee, why not?

Back at the palace, Darius first settled his uncle into comfortable private quarters
then rang to have his horse saddled. A few minutes later, he entered the stables.
Ajax appeared, bounding out of a stall. He should have known he’d find his dog here.
Ajax flew up but then stopped to sit still at his master’s feet. Otis appeared with
Darius’s saddled horse. As the younger man offered the reins, courteous and professional
as ever, a wave of shame engulfed him. Otis was a fine young man. Obviously he truly
cared for his sister.

Life was so brief.

Darius took the reins. “Tahlia mentioned that you intended to speak with me today.
She said you were thinking of going away and taking her with you.”

Otis brought himself up tall. “For a week. I wanted to speak with you myself.”

“I’ll give you my answer now.” Darius set his hand on Otis’s shoulder. “Have fun.
But promise me something.”

When Otis got his mouth to work, he said, “Of course.”

“Come back. I don’t want to lose either one of you.”

Darius swung up to the saddle and headed out. Ajax started after him but Darius shooed
him back. “Sorry, but this ride’s solo.” He asked Otis, “Look after him until I get
back?”

Otis was already on haunches, ruffling Ajax’s ears. “Of course, Your Highness.” He
corrected himself. “
Darius
.”

Sometime later, Darius had reached the other side of the island. Cantering over the
more secluded hillsides, he thought about Tahlia and Galen. Most of all, he thought
about Helene. He didn’t want her to leave. In a way he hadn’t understood before, he
wanted her to be his wife. He wanted to share her life. But he knew he could never
keep her here unless she wanted to stay.

He was walking his horse, debating how and where he ought to talk to Helene again,
when he came to the crest of a hill he hadn’t walked since he was a boy. Below lay
a particularly picturesque cove. In the water, unaware of their audience, a young
couple swam, swirling, playing, and kissing in the shallows.

Darius allowed the emotions to filter through him. That could be any couple, happy
together, clearly in love. That had been Helene and him. But if he didn’t act quickly,
she would leave. And once she was home, he might never get her back.