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That sounded a little too close for comfort, like cannonballs in the skies that Zeus could swing in my direction at any moment, and a shiver of paranoia slithered down my spine. Squinting at the distance, I was able to make out what seemed like an aerial battle unfolding-—
Were those people flying on broomsticks?
I rubbed my eyes furiously, just to make sure my mind wasn't playing any tricks on me.
And it wasn't.
There really were people flying around on broomsticks, battling it out against Zeus' thunderbolts.
Wow.
I felt a little faint, just thinking about it—-
Oh. No. Wait.
I was feeling lightheaded.
Strange.
And then...nothing.
Chapter Two
"Oh shit." I woke up feeling miserable and ashamed, my head cradled on Hadrian's lap. The rain had finally weakened to a drizzle, but the air still crackled with danger, and a few steps away, the Greek god of medicine had his bushy brows puckered in a frown.
I looked up, worried that the immortal physician was here because of Hadrian, but he only appeared exhausted, not hurt.
My gaze drifted back to Dr. Ace, who also seemed his usual ancient grumpy self.
Technically, Greek gods like these two didn't ever get old, but Aesculapius (his real name, in case you're wondering, and it took me ages to memorize how to spell that, FYI) took eccentric delight in disguising himself as your usual grouchy neighborhood grandpa.
Like I said: eccentric. But I'm not gonna judge. I had my own life to worry about, especially since...
My gaze reluctantly lifted to Hadrian's. "I fainted. Didn't I?"
"I found you unconscious on the porch," Hadrian said tightly, "and had Aesculapius come right away."
Oh no.
Zetes, one of my few immortal friends, had warned me about how nasty fast gossip sites worked in their world. Once word gets out about me fainting at the first sign of anger...
Shudder.
The pool of misery inside of me spiraled up and sucked me in like a whirlpool. Fainting was fine if I were an eighteen-year-old virgin from the eighteenth century. Fainting back then was fine. Fashionable even, and a thoroughly acceptable instrument for flirting.
But...I wasn't eighteen, and the Regency period was long over.
Instead, I was forty-one, we were a few hundred years in the future, and my newly acquired title required a certain sense of dignity.
So fainting at my age?
Absolute epic fail, and the dreadful realization had me trying to sit up in hopes of doing something to reverse the situation.
"Take it slowly—-"
"I'm fine—-" Not.
The world started spinning, and I could feel blood rushing up to my head.
Shit.
I went absolutely still, hoping that this would also keep the pain at bay.
"Now, do you believe me?" Hadrian's exasperated tone sounded a lot like 'I told you so' but my head was hurting so bad by now that I didn't even have the energy to roll my eyes.
My boyfriend pulled me back, and I slumped against the warm and comfortable strength of his body.
"What's wrong with her?" I heard Hadrian ask over my head.
"I have my suspicions, but..." Dr. Ace's thoughtful gaze flicked back to me. "What's the last thing you remember, Saoirse?"
"Before losing consciousness?"
Dr. Ace nodded.
"I felt...panicky," I admitted in a small voice. "And you don't have to tell me. I know it doesn't make sense." I was a ghost and a goddess, and those two things didn't exactly make me easy to kill. "I was obviously being stupid—-" To my horror, I heard my voice rising with each word, and I abruptly cut myself off.
What was happening to me?
Warm, strong fingers suddenly covered my hand, and it was only then I realized that I had my fingers curled in a fist.
"You weren't being stupid." Hadrian's voice was deep and calm like usual, the sound so wonderfully and reassuringly familiar that I felt myself relaxing. I looked up, thinking to thank him, but instead I found myself distracted.
Oh wow.
There were just times like this when I couldn't help but marvel at how incredibly, amazingly hot Hadrian was. Not an appropriate thought to have, considering the circumstances, but oh well.
I thought hitting the big four-oh would make me more mature, but the way my mind was working right now, middle age only seemed to have made me more hormonal. And hornier.
Then again...that could just be Hadrian's doing. He was, like, super hot—-
"What you're going through is normal."
Dr. Ace's words made me blink. What's normal? Being horny?
"I believe it's one of those side effects I warned you about."
Since Aesculapius was responsible for performing the magical procedure that allowed ambrosia to bond with my blood and have my former ghostly self regain human flesh...
"Are you saying something's wrong with me?" I asked with a gulp. "Physically? Medically? Magically?"
"As I've informed both of you before, the procedure is the first of its kind. With no precedent to guide us, we can only wait and see..."
"Just get to the point," Hadrian gritted out.
