“Said the billionaire heiress.” Anthony chuckled.
Tina’s eyebrows shot almost into her hairline. At this point in their friendship, it really shouldn’t have surprised Tina that Amy was friends with so many rich and powerful people, but it still did. Amy’s childhood friend was the prince and sole heir to the Wolfcrest kingdom, and yet she had never bothered to once mention that in all their years of friendship. Sometimes, it seemed like she didn’t realize how charmed her life truly was.
Anthony pushed himself off the wall. “Speaking of, I really must be going. I’m glad you’re safe, Tina, and I wish we could’ve met under different circumstances.”
She nodded again. “Thank you, Anthony. I owe you one.”
“You don’t owe me a thing.” He shot her a charming smile, his gaze lingering on her as he headed for the door. His eyes fell to her lips briefly before he left the room altogether, and Tina couldn’t help but wish he had stayed.
When the door clicked shut behind him, Amy’s entire demeanor shifted. She grabbed Tina’s hands and leaned in, her grin fading. “Tina, look. I’m grateful for what you did. I’m grateful that you didn’t leave me down there with those men, and you proved to me that you’re the best friend I could ever have. But seriously, girl, I don’t envy what you stepped into when you grabbed me back in the altar room.”
Tina’s heart skipped a nervous beat. “What do you mean?”
Amy nodded to a mirror sitting in the corner of the room, on the far wall of windows. “Go have a look.”
Hesitantly, Tina stood and closed the distance between her and the mirror. As her reflection came into view, she gasped at the soft glow of her skin. It reminded her of a subtle version of the brilliant white light she had seen in the altar room, as her skin now glistened with the barest iridescent glimmer.
More than that, she couldn’t stop staring at her own face. She recognized her eyes, her hair, her jawline, but everything was infinitely more beautiful than before. There was a softer tilt to her nose now. More color to her cheeks and lips. A sharper angle to her chin.
Her eyes roamed her body in the mirror, and every stubborn pound she had ever tried and failed to lose was now gone. She must have lost a good thirty pounds overnight. Her hips now had voluptuous curves, and her breasts had even grown a size or two.
She looked hot as hell, and none of it made a lick of sense.
“What happened to me?” Tina asked, unable to look away from her reflection. Part of her feared that the moment she did, her newfound hourglass figure would melt away forever.
“This happened.” Amy joined her by the mirror and pointed to a white ink circle on the underside of Tina’s right wrist. The faint silhouette of a woman with broad hips and a tiny waist filled the circle, a large spiral covering her thighs. The ink shimmered like water on a pond, almost moving with a life of its own.
“Thanks, Captain Cryptic.” Tina huffed in annoyance. “What is this thing, and why did I wake up with a tattoo?!”
Amy hesitated, as though she wasn’t quite sure how to word what she wanted to say next. “It’s the sign of being fused with a goddess, Tina. Each god and goddess has their own symbol, like a family crest, and it appears on the human they possess. Anthony and I think that you interrupted a powerful ritual, one that called on seriously dark and ancient magic to force a goddess over into this world.”
She sighed softly. “This is dangerous stuff, honey, the kind people will kill for. For some reason, I was supposed to be the one merged with this goddess, not you. You somehow took my place when you touched me, and I’m so incredibly sorry you got pulled into this.”
Tina gaped. For several moments, she couldn’t think of a single thing to say. When she did find her voice again, her brain hadn’t quite caught up. “Fuck.”
Amy pursed her lips and nodded. “Pretty much, yeah.”
The door swung open and slammed into the wall, making both girls flinch with surprise. A regal woman stood in the doorway, her black hair pulled into an elaborate braided bun. An ornate red dress covered her thin frame. The neckline plunged almost to her waist, revealing ample cleavage and a black version of the tattoo on Tina’s wrist. She clasped her hands in front of her and lifted her chin ever so slightly as Tina caught her gaze.
Amy let out a relieved sigh. “Oh, good. Tina, this is Ray. She’s helping us.”
Tina pointed at the pattern inked between Ray’s breasts and lifted her own newly branded wrist. “Are we connected somehow? Are you helping me because we have the same tattoo?”
Ray nodded her graceful head. “Indeed so. It’s the mark of Damara, the goddess of fertility, might, and magic. I’m the high priestess of her temple. Welcome to Epara.” She smiled in a way that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I’ll be helping you during your transition to goddesshood.”
Tina let out a shuddering breath and crossed her arms, leaning against the wall as she stared at the floor and tried to process everything that had just been thrown at her.
“I’m freaking out a little bit,” Tina admitted quietly. “I mean, I sort of know about gods and goddesses … but …” She flailed a little. “I didn’t know this could happen. Like, goddesshood? What’s that even mean?”
Ray tilted her head in contemplation. “You’ll feel different. Though I’ve never met someone fused with a god or goddess before, I have researched it extensively. You will have uncharacteristic urges and desires that will be difficult for you to control. Namely, you’ll have sexual desires that may be, shall we say, a bit startling to you because of Damara’s abilities and previous experiences.”
Tina blushed, but it quickly faded. “So, it’s like sharing my body with someone else?”
Ray shook her head. “Quite the opposite. You won’t hear her thoughts, but you’ll feel her needs and impulses. It will be strange in the beginning, but over time you won’t be able to tell Damara’s desires from your own. As you grow together, you’ll learn to control her many powers. She even grants magical abilities to those she sleeps with.”
“This is too much to process all at once,” Tina admitted, rubbing her temples to stem a rising headache.
Amy rubbed Tina’s back, and the soothing sensation helped ever so slightly. “It’s going to be okay.”
“Is it, though? Those men kidnapped you. Hurt you. I heard gunshots outside that altar room, Amy. People died, all because they want this goddess.” Tina touched her chest. “The goddess living in me, and oh god, I’m going to die.”
“That remains to be seen.” Ray stepped closer, her stern expression unchanging. She gently took Tina’s right hand and turned it over to expose the tattoo on her wrist. With a delicate finger, she pressed the center of the tattoo, and the veins in Tina’s arm glowed white.
Tina flinched and pulled her arm away, causing the white glow to slowly fade. “What the fuck?”
Ray sighed deeply. “That mark is how your friends knew to bring you to me. You possess an incredible magic now. I’m afraid that puts you in a terrible position. You’re correct to think there are those who would kill to control both the magic and you, but that does not mean you cannot defend yourself.”
“You’re not helping,” Amy said, shooting daggers at the woman. “Tina doesn’t need to hear about people after her.”
“I merely speak the truth,” Ray said with a faint shrug. “None of those responsible for Amy’s kidnapping were taken alive, and we don’t know who is behind the illegal ritual that forced Damara back into our world. Some will want to control you, and others will want you dead. Even in Epara, I’m not entirely certain I can keep you safe. You’re free to go, of course, but if you leave, I can guarantee your life and freedom are in danger.”
She paused for a second. “Then again, maybe you’d prefer it. After all, the only way to separate yourself from the goddess is to die.”
4
Anthony