My Life From Hell (The Blooming Goddess #3)

Phospherocious (Part 3)

I opened my eyes and smiled. I was in back in the garden of my reality. But it was no longer overgrown and forlorn under a gray sky. Spring had come. Full-on "sunshine warming my skin, birds chirping, flowers in flourish, trees budding, all-over-gorgeousity" spring.

The pomegranate tree stood tall once more. The sight of its budding, red, star-shaped-blossoming self made me smile. There was no trace of the waters, or the fire, or the rift. The sky was blue and the only things it in were fluffy, lazily drifting clouds. Earth had survived a cold, hard night of destruction and on this colossally fabulous morning of Friday, March 21, all was right with it.

I checked over my body. Not a scratch. Even the scar I'd gotten from Bethany's knife had disappeared. I was as shiny and whole as the world around me.

I was very pleased that my Phospherocious T-shirt had come out with only minimal soot smudges. I ran my fingers over the letters as I bounced on my toes, euphoric.

There was no sign of the minions. No sign of Zeus or Hades. I had done it. There would be no more godly battles on earth. No more innocent human casualties. Invisible though it was, I felt my love blaze in a protective ring around the planet. No gods intending harm would ever be able to get through.

I'll admit it. I burst into a happy dance.

Very clever, daughter. I jumped at the sound of Pops' voice in my head, mid butt-shake.

I straightened up. "Told you, I'd win." There was more than a trace of cockiness in my voice.

Hmm. This won't be our last encounter. I'll be keeping an eye on you.

As will I. Great. Hades had joined the telepathic hot line. He sounded a lot more grumpy than my father. Which didn't mean Pops was any less mad.

I felt their disapproval burning into my brain.

Oh well. "Sorry to break up the party," I said, "but the rates on these long distance conference calls are a bitch. So bye-"

Toxic black light struck the earth beside me, knocking me off my feet.

Kai stood before me, his eyes two burning black coals.

I stood and readied my light. "Are you evil twin Kai now?" What had happened to him while I'd been off with Kiki?

"Do you even think before hurling yourself at death?" Another blast of light flew from his fingertips, exploding scarily close. If Kai wanted me dead, I'd be dead. He was missing on purpose.

"Is this because I jumped into the rift?"

He growled, his entire body vibrating with anger. Light exploded from his hands.

I jumped out of the way. "Yeah. But see? I'm fine." I stepped toward him, one hand held out as if to soothe him.

He fired another blast near me.

"Love's not supposed to hurt, Kai. Use your words, matia mou." I batted my lashes at him. I thought he'd laugh.

Wrong. My words infuriated him even more. His face was like thunder. I felt bad for the guy but nothing could shake my bliss vibe.

I grinned and flung my arms out. "Gimme some sugar. I just saved the world."

Exhilaration flowed through me. I wanted to celebrate.

From the tension in Kai's body, I could tell he was keeping himself from killing me only by extreme force of will. His fingertips flickered, an occasionally deadly spark flying free. His chest rose and fell with ragged breaths. "I watched you burn."

I dropped my grin and took another step toward him. "I'm sorry. But I had to. And for those few minutes, it didn't hurt."

My body went soggy with ecstasy as I remembered the feeling.

"Twelve hours."

My eyebrows shot into my hairline. "What?"

"I watched you burn for twelve hours." He shook with the effort of restraint.

Yikes. My mouth fell open but no words came out. Really, what could I say to that? I reached for him.

Kai took a step back and disappeared.

I bowed my head and sighed. Better Kai take a time out than smite me because he was pissed. Not that I blamed him. It couldn't have been easy thinking he was watching me die.

I'd only watched Theo for a moment, and ...

Theo. All the fabulous rush left me.

"Honeybunch?" Festos spoke in a tentative voice.

Oh, Fee. He'd had to deal with Theo's loss all by himself. Guilt and sorrow rushed in to swamp me as I realized that, in my high, I'd forgotten about Theo. I felt like the worst friend around.

"You forgot about me in your world-saving gloat, didn't you?"

I went rigid at the sound of the voice behind me. "Theo? Are you a ghost? Because I'll kill you if you've come back to dispense some kind of magical wisdom in phantom form. Seriously, I'll kick your spectral ass."

I couldn't handle a civilized chat with my floaty friend. It would send me on a one-way ride to nutsville. Although, I wondered if visiting with dead Theo breached the terms of the deal with Felicia.

He chuckled. "Not a ghost."

Slowly, I turned to face him. "Not Theo either."

Prometheus was back.