8
Tina
Tina trailed her finger through a small pond in the garden, and ribbons of light trailed behind her as she drew figure eights in the water. She smiled. She had magic. This was amazing. Sure, she couldn’t control it, and yeah, it didn’t make sense. It seemed to come and go as it pleased, but still, she had magic.
As Tina dragged her finger through the water again, a koi swam from the murky depths of the pond and hovered just out of reach of her fingertip. The little fish nibbled at the magical ribbon of light that trailed through the pool.
She smiled. “Want to hear a secret?”
The koi tilted its head toward her briefly before swimming after the white light again.
She took that as a yes. “My secret is I have no idea what I’m doing.”
The fish hesitated, head tilting side to side as it followed her finger. She didn’t know what she had been expecting. Maybe that fusing with a goddess would turn her into a fairytale princess that got along with animals. Then again, maybe she just needed more practice.
“I mean, the whole instant-sexual-attraction thing to Flynn and Anthony scared me at first, but it’s not like I want to have sex with every guy I see. Plenty of men have walked by since I got here, but only a handful have sparked that kind of reaction.” She pressed on in her one-sided conversation with the koi, eager to make some sense of her tumultuous thoughts, especially since neither Flynn nor Anthony had come to find her just yet.
* * *
A few bubbles escaped the koi’s mouth as it chased after her finger.
She nodded to herself, piecing it together. “Any sane straight woman would want those two. Flynn and Anthony are gorgeous. Maybe Amy’s right. Maybe I just need to cut loose?”
“Are you having a nice conversation?” Ray asked from behind her.
Tina glanced over her shoulder to find the high priestess standing there with pursed lips and crossed arms. Damn. No wonder neither of the boys had come to find her. The old bat had probably scared them off.
Tina scowled. “I’m having a lovely little talk, thank you.”
“You left the safety of your room,” Ray said with an annoyed tinge in her voice.
“I did, yes. You’re very observant.”
The high priestess let out an uncharacteristic groan. “I cannot protect you if I don’t know where you are.”
Said the woman who told me death was my only way out. Tina returned her attention to the water, but the koi and the brilliant ribbon of light had disappeared into the murky depths. With an eye roll and a frustrated sigh, she pushed herself to her feet. If she allowed Ray to control her every movement, Tina would be in for one hell of a boring life.
“We need to get you into a new dress,” Ray said when Tina didn’t answer.
“Why?”
Ray gestured toward the temple. “The last royal party has arrived. They’re ready to see you.”
To Tina’s surprise, she didn’t feel fear. Sure, these were powerful men, and they probably all wanted something from her. But she was a freaking goddess, and no one would push her around. She lifted her chin defiantly and nodded. “Let’s see what they have to say.”
It took roughly an hour to get ready. By the time Ray was done with her mini-makeover, Tina had to admit she felt like a queen.
She tugged on the sheer golden sleeve of her gown, resisting the urge to hike up the plunging neckline that exposed a bit more cleavage than she was comfortable showing. The slinky dress hugged her waist and hips, the fabric cascading over her like water. Maybe she would get used to Damara’s style eventually, but for now, she felt like she was walking into a life-changing meeting dressed in a nightgown.
Still, the magnificent dress had jewel-incrusted embroidery that probably cost more than a month’s rent, and Ray had wrangled Tina’s wayward curls into a glamorous up-do fit for the red carpet.
She strode down an ornately decorated hallway in slippered feet, passing row after row of open windows that revealed new views of the temple. Statues. Waterfalls. Walkways. Curved towers. This place had so much for her to explore, and with each step, she began to feel more and more at home, both in the temple and in her own body.
The trickle of water caught Tina’s attention as Ray led her to an open set of double doors leading further into the temple. The doorway led to a throne room with waterfalls along two of the walls and a raised platform at the far end. On the stage sat a solid gold chair with thick, curved armrests and no back support. Ray gestured to the red cushion lying on the bench, and Tina sat.
Her throne.
Weird.
Ray brushed off her skirts as she paced the platform. “We will only speak with the kings and their one guest, Tina. I do not know who the kings chose to join them, but I can guarantee they will be important. When you speak, be careful about what you say so as not to offend any of them. Are you ready?”
“As I’ll ever be, I guess.”
As Tina settled into her chair, a slender blonde woman with bright blue eyes peeked in the front door. As she caught Tina’s eyes, she smiled warmly.
“Bring them in,” Ray ordered.
The young woman’s smile faded at the command, but she nodded once and disappeared into the hallway.
“Was that one of the priestesses?” Tina asked.
Ray nodded.
“When do I get to meet all of them?”
“Don’t concern yourself with them. They’re here to serve you, not bother you.”
“They wouldn’t be—”
“Ah, gentlemen,” Ray interrupted, her gaze shifting to the doors.
Tina returned her attention to the throne room as ten men wearing expensive fitted suits entered the room. While five had graying hair, the other five were significantly younger, likely mid-twenties. All princes, she supposed.
Her eyes roamed the crowd as tension crackled around them like a brewing storm. Anthony stood beside the older man she had seen earlier, and now that she saw them together, she realized it must be his father since they had similar noses and jawlines. Though his father crossed his arms and scowled at the other men in the room, Anthony smiled warmly at her. She let out a small sigh of relief. She had at least one ally in the room. Maybe two if Ray could be trusted, but somehow Tina doubted it.
Then again, there was Flynn. He stood beside a distinguished gentleman who reminded Tina of a CEO with the way he stood, shoulders squared as he surveyed the competition. Flynn, however, nodded gently to her as their eyes met. Though his expression didn’t soften like it had back in the gardens, she could tell he was still interested in her. Was he putting on a show for the others?
As the ten men separated into five distinct groups, each representing one of the kingdoms, each gave the others a wide berth. No one here intended to mingle, and that worried her. A lot.
Once they had assembled accordingly, the room went silent, and nearly every head turned toward her as if waiting for her to speak. Her mouth went dry, and she scrambled to think of something to say.
“Welcome, honored guests,” Ray said with uncharacteristic warmth and a gentle nod of her head.
Tina nearly sighed with relief.
Ray set a hand on Tina’s shoulder as if they were longtime friends. “This is Christina Andrews, newly merged with the goddess Damara. For her sake, I will introduce everyone, as she knows little about shifter and demigod culture.”
Tina couldn’t suppress an annoyed frown at her high priestess. Sure, it was true, but she didn’t have to say it like that.
“This is King William Tudor and Crown Prince Anthony Tudor, of Wolfcrest,” Ray said with a gesture toward the wolf shifters. They nodded their heads in unison. King William’s angled features gave him an air of authority, but strangely, he stiffened as their eyes met. Interesting.