Apol o glanced over his shoulder. His consternation at the Goddess's mention of marriage vanished as he saw his escape.
"Yes, Hadar, yes. I come!" He returned his gaze to Persephone. He had meant to rush away, and considered himself lucky that he had such a ready excuse. Marriage? What had Persephone been thinking! But the rapturous expression that fil ed her beautiful face gave him pause. She was truly spectacular. Apol o felt a familiar heavy tightening in his loins.
"I did not realize you were interested in horses, Persephone."
"I love them," she said without looking at him.
"Come, I wil introduce you." He held out his hand to her. Absentmindedly, she took it and hurried eagerly toward the horses, pulling him with her. Apol o's brow wrinkled. It was as if she had forgotten about him. An odd feeling passed through the God. Never before had a goddess forgotten about him - especial y not a young goddess who had just tried to snare him in marriage. The four mares pawed the ground and blew through then-noses restlessly. With a flourish, Apol o presented them to Persephone.
"Persephone, Goddess of Spring, I am honored to present to you the mares that draw the light of the sun across the sky. They are Hadar, Aquila, Carina and Deneb," he said, pointing in turn to each horse.
Persephone dropped into a prima bal erina's graceful curtsy. "I am so pleased to meet each of you. Your coats are the most amazing color! You take my breath away." The effect of her voice on the horses was immediate. Four pairs of ears pricked forward. Hooves ceased their restless pawing. The mare who stood nearest to the Goddess stretched her muzzle tentatively in her direction, whickering like a colt.
"Oh, you beauty," Persephone laughed and caressed her.
Apol o felt stunned. He watched the goddess move from horse to horse, clucking and murmuring and whispering strange endearments to each of them. His mares, who were usual y aloof and proud, reacted to her with true warmth. They lipped her face and pressed close for her caresses. They al but wriggled and wagged their tails for her attention.
The mares' reactions amazed him, but he was equal y surprised at Persephone. He had never seen this side of her.
She had been a goddess with whom he had flirted and had even enjoyed an occasional tryst -
always begun and ended at his discretion. He had thought she had no interests beyond growing flowers, frolicking with nymphs and hosting sumptuous feasts. Today she was different. She had not fal en wil ingly into his arms. His eyes narrowed as he thought about her actions. She had actual y toyed with him. She hadn't truly been interested in marriage. And now she appeared completely enamored with his mares.
She was magnificent.
Apol o was stil watching Persephone and trying to decide what could have caused the change in the young Goddess when a shril scream of rage split the air. His mares reacted instantly. They bowed their necks and shook their heads, answering the scream with squeals of anger. The God of Light spun around, ready for battle.
A huge black stal ion reared and pawed the air above him. Apol o recognized the wrath-fil ed creature as one of the dread steeds of Hades. His teeth were bared and his eyes blazed fire. Apol o's horses answered with their own show of rage.
"Stop it this second!" Lina's command dashed cold water on the horses' displays of anger. Apol o stepped silently to the side, intrigued by this new Persephone. Hands planted firmly on her shapely hips she marched from his golden mares straight to the black beast. He watched, eager to see what she would do next.
"Orion, what in the world is wrong with you?"
She positioned her body so that she could berate al of the horses together. Her back was turned to Apol o affording him an excel ent view of her very shapely rear end. He mused that it looked even rounder and more pleasantly inviting than when last he'd seen it. Or perhaps he had never before looked closely enough.
"And you four! What were you going to do, pick on Orion when he is clearly outnumbered?" She shook her head in disgust.
Five horses dropped their heads and looked like repentant school children. Orion took a halting half-step toward the object of his affection, stretching his muzzle out to her. She gave him one more hard look before capitulating.
"What are you doing here?" She asked, trying not to smile as he nuzzled the side of her face. Then she noticed that he had been outfitted with a bridle and an attractive saddle made of leather dyed as black as his coat Tucked into the crownpiece of the bridle was one perfect narcissus blossom. Lina felt a little thril of pleasure. "Did he send you to get me?" Apol o was irritated at the obvious delight in her voice. He? Surely she didn't mean Hades. One of the golden mares nickered. Persephone tilted her head at Apol o's horses.
"Looks like I have to get going. It was wonderful to meet al of you. I hope we see each other again soon."
The Goddess moved to the black steed's side and grabbed a fistful of mane, obviously preparing to mount and leave. Apol o couldn't believe it. She'd said good-bye to his horses, but she hadn't spoken another word to him.
"Al ow me to aid you, Persephone," Apol o said, moving quickly.
"How rude of me, Apol o. With al this" - she waved her delicate hands at the horses - "excitement I total y forgot about you. It was real y nice to meet you, too."
"Meet me." Apol o smiled suggestively at the lovely Goddess. "It is not as if we were strangers before today."
Persephone blushed an attractive pink. "Oh, of course not. I didn't mean... I'm just discombobulated."
Apol o threw back his head and laughed. "Discombobulated? From here after I am going to think of you as Goddess of Surprises rather than Goddess of Spring." He touched the side of her face gently. "And I wil think of you. Often."
Lina felt the warmth of his hand on her face. His body was so close to her that she thought she could hear his heartbeat - or maybe that was her own. His eyes were such a vibrant shade of blue, the perfect match for his sun-colored hair and his golden skin. Without realizing it, she leaned into him.
Orion snorted.
Lina jerked back.
Apol o smiled knowingly. Before she could refuse him, he took her waist in his hands and slowly lifted her onto the impatiently waiting stal ion's back, being careful to brush her body firmly against his own as he did so.
"When wil I see you again?" Apol o asked when she had arranged her seat and placed her feet in the stirrups.
"I don't have any idea. There's a lot I have to do." She nodded her head behind her in the direction of the entrance to the Underworld.
"You sojourn with Hades?"
Apol o's incredulous tone irritated Lina. "I am vacationing in the Underworld." Apol o laughed again. Orion's ears flattened to his head and Lina worried that he would bite the God.
"Vacationing with the dead? I have never heard of such a thing."
"I am finding that the Underworld, as wel as its God, has been vastly underrated. Have a nice day, Apol o." Lina nudged Orion. The steed spun on his back hooves and lunged forward into a gal op, eager to return home with his treasure.
"I wil be here every dawn, Persephone!" Apol o shouted after her. Lina leaned forward, grabbing two fistfuls of Orion's mane. She ignored the Sun God, concentrating instead on keeping her seat, even though Orion's gal op was smooth and a childhood in Oklahoma had taught her to be an excel ent rider. Apol o was handsome, seductive, and interesting. But she
- unlike Persephone - had a job to do and would not let distractions get in her way. Nor did she -
again unlike Persephone - want to create a situation that might cause embarrassment for either of them when their bodies were re-exchanged.
The breeze whistling past Orion's head brought with it the enticing scent of the narcissus blossom. Without realizing it, Lina's lips turned up in a wistful smile.