Daughter Trilogy Bundle (36 page)

"They'll all die, and so will all the earth-wielding, self-righteous daughters Athena bore.  No more.  Aphrodite sleeps no more.  Too many have died.  Too many.  They'll all pay the price for the lives I've lost," the new voice from my body declares.

Devin stands before me, seeming like a distant figure at the end of a tunnel.

"Adisia, you have to fight this.  Aphrodite is dead.  She's just part of you.  You're giving her too much power.  Fight her.  Come back to me.  Please, come back to me."

His lips consume mine, but it takes a moment for the sensation to reach me.  I feel his desperation, his need, and his love pouring through my veins.

The tears start breaking free from my eyes again, and they're mine, not hers.  I feel the wind calming around me as Devin's love grounds me, and I slowly fight against the goddess controlling me.

The crashing sound of the whirling trees halting their attack and falling from the sky rings out.  Each breath I take is steadier as I start to regain control of the vessel that should only be mine.

I drop to the ground as the blue eyes return, and Devin scoops me into his arms as he breathes out a sigh of relief.

"Clean this up.  I'm going to take her to see her parents, and hopefully banish Aphrodite from ever pulling this shit again," Devin says to Theia.

"I've got it, son.  Go," she replies warmly, her eyes offering me sympathy in passing.

"Persia," I whimper in my own voice.

"Shh.  Baby, it's okay.  We'll make sure Persia is taken care of.  We'll hold a funeral tomorrow," he coos.

I cry into his chest as he puts me in the back of a SUV that has just pulled up.  Ther is in the front seat with Trey, and Devin speaks instructively.

"Take my car back to the city.  I'm going to take yours so I can take care of her."

"No problem," Ther answers softly as he stares at my tear-streaked face, his lips moving to try and find something to say.

He just offers me a sympathetic look just as Theia did when he can't find the words he needs.

"I'll drive," Deacon says as Ther hops out.

Camara takes Trey's place in the passenger seat, and Devin cradles me in his lap.  He presses his lips to my forehead momentarily before speaking.

"The inn.  That's where Persia sent Adisia's parents.  She blocked the visions to their location.  I need to get them out of here, and then I'll block the visions in Persia's place."

We pull up to the
inn, and Devin lifts me out of the backseat as though I'm a sleepy child.

"Are you sure you can do this?" he asks sympathetically.

"I have to.  I hate doing something like this, but I don't want the same thing happening to them," I say as new tears emerge.

I take a deep breath, and Devin wraps his arm around my waist as we walk toward the front doors.  Mom rushes out when she sees it's me.

"Adisia?  Oh honey, tell me you didn't just drive through that storm?"

I almost start crying as I think of Persia's storm, her sacrifice.

"We beat it," I lie, barely subduing the raging storm brewing inside me.

"Oh dear, why have you been crying?"

I fight the flooding tears strangling my words.  I can't tell her I just held my birthmother as she took her last breath.  I can't tell her a group of psychotic bitches want me dead just because of my bloodline.  So many fucked up things rattle around in my mind at once… and none of them can I tell her.

"I saw your house and got worried.  Someone told me you had gone here.  I just had to see it with my own eyes," I lie again.

She sighs out heavily.

"Yeah.  Fortunately, your father had a hankering to spend the night at the inn.  I just went along with it since he was so insistent.  I suppose I should give him a big hug for saving our lives," she murmurs in disbelief.

Persia did this.  She enslaved my father's mind to force him to want to come here.  She took their place when Athena's daughters came looking for my parents to get to me, but they didn't even know I was an Aphrodite.  They were using me to get to Devin.  They're a part of this somehow.  And Persia sacrificed herself to let me keep the parents she had chosen for me.

My tears pour freely once more, and Mom hugs me instantly.

"Sweetie, don't cry.  We're okay.  Please don't cry," she coos.

"I need to see Dad, please," I mumble through the sobs.

"Of course.  He's in the back working with the satellite receiver."

Devin, Deacon, and Camara follow behind us.  Mom takes notice of the new visitors, and her eyes narrow.

"New friends, dear?" she whispers.

"Yes.  Good friends," I add.

"I'm Deacon and this is Camara."

"Unusual names.  Do you work with Adisia in New York?" Mom asks curiously.

I told her I got a job in New York and I was staying with Devin temporarily until I found my own place.  It was yet another lie I had to tell.

"No ma'am," Deacon says softly.  "We're very old friends of Devin.  Adisia has been a lovely addition," he offers so sweetly.

His eyes are filled with sympathy, softness, and a new kindness I didn't think possible from him.

Mom accepts that as she wraps her arm around me and walks with me tucked against her like a scared child.  Dad is kneeling and cursing the receiver box as we walk up.

"Adisia's here," Mom informs.

"Adisia?" he says with surprise as he spins around with a look of disbelief.

"Hey, Daddy," I whimper.

"Adisia, why have you been crying?"

"She saw the house," Mom answers.

"We saw it on the news just before the electricity surged.  I think it ruined the box," he gripes.

I smile lightly at their naïve notion of the fluke storm.  Devin pats my shoulder before his lips find the top of my head, and then Mom's eyes grow wide.

"Wow.  That's a big ring
… on your left hand… on your ring finger... Are you engaged?" she gasps.

I squirm uncomfortably under her gaze, and Devin mimics the awkwardness.  This isn't how I planned on telling them I was engaged, and I'm too bruised emotionally to play the happy fianc
ée right now.

"We were on our way to tell you.  That's why we drove out here," Devin lies.

"It's so soon.  You two barely know each other," Dad objects, his brow creasing as he frowns.

"I know it's soon, but I also know I love your daughter.  She's everything to me, and I will do anything for her.  I know it's a little late to ask your permission, but I do hope to receive your blessing," Devin adds with his formal mannered etiquette.

Dad's eyes droop sadly as he stares at the enormous ring on my finger.

"That really is a big ring.  It must have cost a fortune," he mumbles.

"It's not as much as she deserves.  But I was afraid to go any bigger for her small finger," Devin teases to lighten the mood.

"So you're rich?  I mean really rich?" Mom bluntly inquires.

My eyes widen at the embarrassing interrogation.

"Mom," I scold mildly.

"Yes.  I'm really rich.  I'll make sure she has everything I can give her in every way," Devin says gingerly.

I smile lightly and lean into him.  His grip tightens on me in response, and his breath warms my hair as he kisses the top of my head again.

"Wow.  This is just so… sudden.  Have you thought this through?" Dad asks.

"I've thought of nothing but her and our future since the day I met her.  I'm aware of the suddenness of it all, but I sincerely love her more than I've ever thought it possible to love anyone," Devin conveys.

Dad nods and then pulls me to the corner to embark on a useless whispering conversation.

"Adisia, blink twice if he's forcing you to be with him against your will," Dad jokes lightly.

I roll my eyes, and shake my head.  I can see Deacon covering his mouth to hide his insuppressible smile, and Camara hiding hers by turning around subtly.  Devin disguises his amusement by pretending as if his smile is directed at the childhood photo of me.

I turn back to my crazy dad.  "No.  I'm perfectly free in this decision.  I love him.  This is the most I've ever loved anyone this way," I say honestly.

Devin's eyes flash to mine, and I can feel the stirring of my love for him consuming me.  He's always here for me.  He pulls me from the darkest of places, and he's been saving me since the moment I met him.

"You're sure about this?" Dad asks more seriously.

"I've never been more certain of anything in all my life," I murmur.

I can tell Devin's resisting the urge to press his lips against mine as his eyes pour love from them.  I smile at him, and then I turn back to meet the heavy eyes of the man who raised me.

He whispers, "I'll kick his ass if he hurts you."

I smile, just as I feel Devin is doing.  Deacon lets a laugh escape, and then quickly recovers.

"Sorry.  Someone sent me a new cat-playing-a-piano video," he mumbles while pretending to stare at his phone.

Devin snickers under his breath at Deacon's accidental outburst, and then Dad turns back to me.

"I love you, kiddo."

"I love you, too, Daddy."  I almost cry, newly formed tears wavering on my lids.

I know what I have to do, and I almost hate myself for doing it.  I'm not crazy about entering and enslaving my father's mind, and to force him to do something for a long amount of time is almost heartbreaking.

I look toward Devin to tell him I'm ready, and he nods at me with tight lips for my silent request.

"Mrs. Titan?  Could you show me where I can find a glass of water?" he asks in an effort to remove my mother from the room.

"Oh.  Of course.  Are any of you thirsty?"

"Yes ma'am," Deacon and Camara answer in unison to offer me more privacy.

Dad starts to follow them, but I tug on his arm to draw his attention back to me.

"I'm sorry, Daddy," I whisper.

"Sorry for what, dear?" he asks quizzically.

"For this," I say as my eyes turn green, and I enter his mind.

He gasps slightly as I force his thoughts to change and take away his will.

"You need to take Mom and get away.  Throw away your old phones, and ditch your email accounts.  You'll fly out by private jet tonight.  You'll be escorted to the airport by two people, and they'll leave you with enough money to have a wonderful month away.  You'll have clothes there waiting on you, and you'll have everything else you need as well.  There's no reason to pack.  Don't call the insurance people or anyone else from home.  I'll handle everything here.  You need time away," I instruct.

"We need time away," he repeats with his zombie-like tone, and the tears threaten my eyes.

I
hate
doing this to my father.  I take a deep breath as his eyes slowly dilate back to normal.

He smiles at me, oblivious to what I've just done, and we walk quietly into the dining area to rejoin the others.  I nod to Devin, and he gives me an encouraging, you-had-to-do-this smile.

"Mr. and Mrs. Titan, I have a gift for you.  My family originally planned on taking a month long vacation at our summer home on the beaches of Costa Rica.  I was wondering if you would like to take their place because some family business has come up, and they'll no longer be able to go." Devin lies effortlessly.

He makes it seem so easy.  That's not too comforting.

"Oh, wow.  When?" Mom gushes.

"Tonight, actually.  There's a jet waiting at the airport for you as we speak," Devin adds.

"Oh.  I wish we could, but there's no way I can take off work for a month, and we really don't have the money to do such a thing anyway," Mom sighs.

"Actually, we can.  I have some money saved up that I've been waiting to spend for a while.  I wanted to save it for a special occasion.  I think this is perfect," Dad answers with his rehearsed lines.

"Really?  Since when do you have money saved up?  I still can't take off for that long."

"You can.  You've been working there for too long.  We both need a break.  I think this is perfect.  We can do it honey.  We're too old to worry about such things, and with the insurance money we'll get for the house, we can just relax for a while."

Her eyes light up as she considers the possibility.  She finally begins smiling.

"Okay.  I can't believe this, but okay.  I'll go pack," she squeals out.

"Actually, I hope you don't mind, but I had someone shop for you and leave all the clothes you'll need in the house you'll be staying in.  It's sort of important the jet leave as soon as possible so it can move on to its next stop," Devin lies again.

It's his personal jet, so there's nowhere else it has to be.

"This feels too good to be true.  Let's go," she says giddily.

Sneakily, I pull her cell phone from her purse and drop it into Camara's bag.  Dad pulls his out and drops it behind him while he heads to the door like a mindless drone.