“Well, it’s nothing quite like yours,” he said with a gesture toward her. “What you did to us in the throne room left me in awe. I control storms, mostly. I can summon or dismiss them.”
“Can you manipulate lightning?”
He shook his beautiful head. “I’ve had a few successful shots here and there, but by and large I can only make the air ripe for a lightning storm and hope my enemies stand under a tree.”
Tina laughed and nearly spit out her wine.
He chuckled along with her. “I’m good for a laugh now and then too.”
Tina smiled and took another sip of her wine. “So, what else is in Olympus? Why are only gods and demigods allowed there?”
“The shifters will tell you it’s because we’re elitist assholes.”
“Are you?”
“Hardly.”
“Then why are only demigods allowed?”
“I shouldn’t tell you.”
“But you’re going to.”
Flynn chuckled. “What makes you so sure of that?”
“Because you want me to trust you,” Tina said, reclining in her chair with a teasing smile.
The demigod prince nodded, eyebrows raised. With a wary glance at the door, he lowered his voice. “Only gods and demigods are allowed in Olympus because Damara is, in fact, not the first goddess to visit Earth in hundreds of years.”
Tina gasped loudly in surprise.
“Shh,” Flynn said with a wary wave of his hand.
“Sorry,” she lowered her voice and leaned closer, eager for more.
Flynn licked his lips, watching the door as he spoke. “When the gods left Earth because the humans and shifters abused their divine power, we demigods couldn’t go with them. We are a blend of two worlds, not really welcome in either, so we created a home of our own. When the gods saw what we had built, some returned in secret. It was safe, a way for them to experience Earth again in a controlled environment.”
Tina’s eyes widened with hope. “So, there are more people like me? I’m not really alone?”
Flynn hesitated, studying her with an uncertain expression. He seemed to be internally battling over something, and the longer he waited to answer her, the faster her hope dissolved. “No, you’re the only one,” he admitted with a sigh.
Tina’s shoulders drooped. “I guess I was hoping—well, it doesn’t matter.”
Flynn gestured toward the water outside the window. “Olympus is still the safest place for you. It’s an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, which gives us added security against invasion. If someone attacks, we can see them for miles and evacuate to the tunnels and bunkers if need be, but no one is stupid enough to attack the descendants of gods.”
“King James might be.”
Flynn shook his head. “If you’re in Olympus, the eagles will never touch you.”
Tina leaned back in her chair, scrutinizing him. He had charmed her, took her down the first steps to controlling her magic, and his touch sent delightful crackles of energy and desire through her body, but the way he was talking sparked a flicker of doubt. “You seem to want me to go to Olympus pretty badly. You’ve mentioned it several times now.”
He froze, his wine glass halfway to his mouth. “Tina, I’m not trying to make you do anything you don’t want to do.”
“Smart, because you can’t.” She ran her pointer finger absently over her thumb as she studied his face. “But you’re trying to convince me it’s worth doing. That’s why you hesitated, isn’t it? If you had lied to me and said there was another god or goddess in Olympus, you know I would have gone in a heartbeat.”
“But I didn’t lie to you,” he pointed out.
“True, but you considered it.” She tilted her head, still piecing together his motivations. “And that pisses me off.”
“Tina, I would never, ever lie to you.” Flynn sighed and set the wine glass on the table. “I simply lost myself in thought for a moment. Lying to you is what my father would have wanted me to do, but like I said back in the throne room, I’m not my father. I apologize if I seemed forward.”
He reached for her hand, and she allowed it, still enjoying his warm touch even while temporarily wary of his intentions. “I’m merely trying to keep you safe. I don’t have much control over your temple, though I have been monitoring the perimeter. No one’s getting in without my knowing, but I don’t know your staff. Your priests and priestesses could be spies for whoever brought Damara into this world against her will. I simply don’t know.”
Tina frowned at the idea, but she couldn’t deny it was a possibility she hadn’t considered before.
Flynn shoved his wine glass aside. “Tina, you saw the way the eagle and werewolf kings were staring at you. One wanted to hike up your skirts right there on your throne, and the other wanted to send a sword through your heart.”
She scrunched up her nose in disgust. “Don’t spare me the gory details or anything.”
Flynn leaned toward her, and the fresh scent of his cologne crashed over her again. “You’re new to the world of gods and goddesses, but I was raised in it. If I were you, I would want answers, and those answers are in Olympus, not here. That’s all.”
“Fair enough.”
“You’re right to be suspicious, though. Everyone wants something from you.”
“And what do you want from me?”
His eyes roamed her face, and a small smile played on his lips. “To show me who you really are. To see if we’re compatible.”
She couldn’t resist the smile that spread across her face. “Smooth save, Flynn.”
He shrugged, grinning. “It’s the truth.”
The door opened to a white-gloved waiter carrying a silver tray with an ornate lid hiding whatever lay beneath. He set it on the table with a flourish and lifted the dome to reveal an elaborate plate overflowing with fresh fruits.
“Oh, we didn’t order this,” Tina said with a gesture to the exquisite appetizer.
“On the house,” the waiter said with a bow. He retreated into the hallway and gently shut the door behind him.
Tina stared after him, a little confused as to what had just happened.
Flynn chuckled and popped a grape into his mouth. “Don’t worry, it’s safe. I have guards in the kitchen monitoring their food prep. You simply need to get used to the VIP treatment, darling.”
A thin shiver of delight snaked down her back at the endearing pet name, but she tried to ignore it. She was still a little annoyed with him. “Do they know who we are?”
Flynn nodded. “Sort of. They know who I am, but your identity is still secret. However, that won’t be true for much longer. You have maybe three or four months before the world discovers who you are. You’ll be an instant celebrity, so get used to being gawked over. This is your life now. You’ll always be given the best seat, the best food, the best service. You’re a goddess and a future queen.”
With the reminder of her pending choice, Tina picked absently at the fruit platter as if hunting for a good strawberry. To be honest, any of the bright red fruits would do, but she lost herself in thought as she wondered what would happen at the end of the contest.
Flynn reached for her hand and rubbed her wrist tenderly. “I upset you, didn’t I? I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine.”
“No, really. I’m sorry. I keep adding salt to the wound. Here’s the thing, Tina. You need to choose what’s best for you and no one else. Damara might be immortal, but you only get one life. Right now, you don’t have the weight of a kingdom to consider, so follow your heart and ignore anyone who tells you otherwise.”
Tina smiled, grateful for his compassion and kindness.
Flynn opened his mouth to continue, but he shuddered with an abrupt ferocity. His grip tightened around her hand. His jovial expression melted into focused concern, and he glared out the window with a sudden intensity that startled her.
“What’s wrong, Flynn?”
“A storm, and a big one at that. Came out of nowhere.”
Tina glanced out the window in time to see thick black clouds rolling over the horizon. Lightning crackled within the growing darkness as ships raced toward the harbor beneath the ever-encroaching squall.