Goddess of Light (Goddess Summoning #3)(11)

"Maybe... a little."

Chapter 4

"Modern mortals are odd" Artemis told her brother as she watched a row of dowdy matrons pulling the arms of machines that twinkled and clacked and blared obnoxious things like "Wheel of Fortune."

"It is as if the shine and the glitter of the boxes casts a spell on them."

"Slot machines," Apollo corrected her.

Artemis gave him a quizzical look.

"Remember what Bacchus told us? They are called slot machines."

"Slot machines or shining boxes, what difference does it make? Leave it to Bacchus to actually listen to mortals."

A middle-aged woman in an appliqued sweatshirt and leggings paused to frown at the goddess before she fed her machine more money. Apollo took his sister's elbow and guided her out of earshot of the row of machines.

"You shouldn't let them hear you speak that way. And don't be so hard on Bacchus. You know Zeus commanded him to explain the customs of modern mortals to us so that we could blend more easily with them." Apollo paused as he watched a man in a gaudy white jumpsuit encrusted with rhinestones cause a group of women to squeal in delight as he gyrated his hips and sang something about being "all shook up."

"I, for one, am glad Bacchus understands this world. Much of it is a mystery to me."

"Fine! If it'll make you stop sulking I'll gift the matron to make up for my harshness." With a sarcastic flip of her long, shapely fingers Artemis caused the woman's slot machine to land on a perfect row of cherries. The matron squealed and leapt to her feet as lights flashed and sirens proclaimed her a jackpot winner. Artemis looked on in disgust. "Modern mortals would be much more interesting if they were cute and made noises like puppies, instead of looking and sounding like overfed sows all ready for the slaughter."

"They are not pets. Nor are they animals," Apollo said severely. "And Zeus commanded us not to meddle with the mortals."

"I wasn't meddling. I was gifting. There is a distinct difference. If I was going to meddle I would have made that horrid clothing in which she has covered herself combust." Artemis' self-amused laughter was sweet music, and it caused several men to send her hot, appreciative gazes, which the goddess completely ignored.

Her brother grunted an incoherent response.

"Apollo, what is wrong with you?"

"Nothing is wrong with me," he said, taking her elbow again and steering her past the busy blackjack and roulette tables and towards one of the many little bars that were conveniently scattered throughout the casino. Even though the two immortals were dressed in matching chitons that left much of their sleek bodies bare, they blended well with the colorful mixture of casino employees and Vegas revelers. People noticed their stunning beauty and the unique grace with which they moved. How could they not? But no one thought the appearance of a couple dressed as if they had stepped off the streets of ancient Rome unusual. They were, after all, at Caesars Palace in Sin City. Anything could be expected to happen there.

Apollo reached into a fold in his tunic and extracted the paper that Bacchus had reluctantly distributed amongst the Olympians as he explained that the modern world used it as currency. He caught the waitress's attention, and though it was only his third foray to the Kingdom of Las Vegas, he ordered the drink that the immortals had already become fond of with smooth confidence, "Two vodka martinis, very cold, with extra olives. Shaken, not stirred."

"Who are you, sweetheart?" The waitress gave him a flirtatious flutter of her suspiciously thick eyelashes. "Caesar or James Bond?"

"Neither," he said with a bittersweet smile. "I am Apollo."

"I could almost believe it, handsome." She leered at his well-muscled body and wiggled her way back to the bar.

"Insignificant creatures." Artemis curled her lip after the waitress.

"It's not that they're insignificant. It's just that they have changed."

Artemis shook her head at her brother. "What has happened to you?"

Apollo considered giving his sister his standard "nothing's wrong with me" response, but when he met her eyes he read within them her very real concern. He tried to make his shrug nonchalant. "Perhaps I have changed, too."

Artemis felt a little knot of worry expand and harden. "Changed? What do you mean?"

He didn't answer his sister until the cocktail waitress had deposited their drinks. When he spoke, his deep voice was wistful.

"Have you ever wondered what it is that loves, the body or the soul?"

"What it is that loves? What kind of question is that?" she sputtered.

"The kind of question that was asked of me by a mortal, but which I could not answer. Apparently, you can not answer it either, Sister."

Caught mid-drink, Artemis swallowed carefully while she considered her brother's disturbing words.

"It is that damned confused mortal who inhabited Persephone's body. She has done this to you, hasn't she?" Artemis snapped.

"The mortal wasn't confused at all. She clearly chose Hades over me. As the God of the Underworld chose her over all other women, mortal or immortal."

"Well, I hope the silly mortal is worshiping Hades properly. He may reign over the dead, but he is a god and, no matter how odd his tastes, he deserves abject adoration."