My Ex From Hell (The Blooming Goddess Trilogy, #1)

If you play with fire, you're gonna get spurned (Part 1)

"How could he possibly leave with her?" I demanded. "I was outside the door the entire time."

Theo had arrived in time to hear this. "There's always the window."

Hannah looked at him in scorn. "He dragged her limp body out a window?"

Theo cast a cautious look at Stan, waiting patiently for us by the door, before whispering "Not your ordinary guy."

Hannah rushed to the window to look out. "No sign."

"You kids finished?" Stan asked.

We nodded and shuffled out so Stan could lock up.

"I'm going to check her room," Hannah said. "Maybe she came to and decided to head up while we were in the classroom."

"You don't genuinely think that, do you?" asked Theo.

"No," she sighed. "But it's better than the alternative."

"Right. Off we go." He turned to me. "Coming?"

"No. I know it's probably pointless but I'm going to search the school."

Theo clapped my shoulder in encouragement and departed with Hannah.

I spent a good hour roaming around, checking out classrooms and asking students if they'd seen her. No luck.

Frustration overwhelmed me. Not to mention guilt that somehow my awakening as Persephone had inadvertently caused Cassie to come to harm.

Where could she have gone? If I'd been standing outside the door, then the only way out was through the window.

I headed outside to check the ground underneath, in case there were any clues. Footprints, tracks from a wheelbarrow in which her body had been dragged away. It was probably a little too Scooby Doo but I was desperate.

There were marks around the low hedges in the flowerbed but they weren't proof of anything. I sighed and stepped over a bag of fertilizer left on the ground. Pictures of bright, tropical flowers adorned the package.

Flash! I saw myself cavorting in a meadow of the same flowers, which was so pathetic I wanted to puke. Apparently, though, this is what goddesses did for fun. As long as I wasn't fertilizing anything, I could deal.

My head was getting that lovely splitting open sensation again. No way was I going to space out down memory lane in public and risk looking like I was having a seizure. I needed to get somewhere private.

I ran blindly into the school, barely able to see anything in the here-and-now as more memories assaulted me.

The sun had been shining, hot and bright. I could feel it heating my skin through the layers of my filmy gown.

I gazed down upon my body.

Man, I'd been fine. Stupid Theo could have at least made sure I stayed the equivalent level of hotness.

The air was perfumed with grass and a bouquet of floral aromas which should have been cloying but instead seemed to fuel me. I dug my toes into the cool earth. Because I actually was on earth. Somewhere tropical and lush. There was an almost overpowering scent of jasmine.

I nearly collided with the wall in my haste to find somewhere private. There was a girls' bathroom here. If I could just get inside.

Further along, people strolled and children played but I knew they couldn't see me unless I wanted them to. And I wanted to remain invisible. To enjoy the freedom of being alone.

Things were so tense on Olympus. Zeus was always in a rage and everyone was terrified of setting him off. My mother was anxious because ...

The thought was elusive. There was something important that I needed to remember. But it wouldn't come. I drifted back to that day.

I got a prickling feeling like I was being watched. Could someone have followed me? I'd tried to be careful but I had nowhere near all the tricks of some of the other gods.

I pivoted slowly and then I saw him. An impossibly gorgeous figure, radiating power.

No. No more Mr. Tall, Dark, and Brooding. I tried to shake it off but like it or not, this was the memory I was stuck with. Fine. I fast-forwarded to Kai moving into the light. My first look at him. The version of Kai I saw in my memory looked like a taller, more powerful, and slightly older version of the Kai here at Hope Park.

There was only one god he could be. Kyrillos, son of Hades. I'd heard of him but had never seen him. "Kyrillos," I said, in a cool voice.

He gave me a mocking bow. "Persephone."

"What business have you here?"

He padded toward me slowly, like a jungle cat I'd seen in my travels, lithe and dangerous. I refused to be cowed and held my ground.

He examined me slowly and smiled. "My father neglected to speak of your beauty."

He overwhelmed me. I didn't like it so I turned to leave.

He caught me in an iron grip and made me face him. "Not so fast, Goddess." He traced my jawline with one finger.

I suppressed the tremor I felt inside.

"It pains me to do this." He raised his hand and ...

Crack! My eyes startled open.

"That must have been some dream," Kai said. I realized the noise had been him shutting the door of the girls' bathroom. "You were stumbling around. Zoned out. Figured I'd better bring you in here to make sure you didn't kill yourself before you came to."

It was kind of disorienting to see Kai in this utilitarian bathroom when I'd just been thinking of him outside in the tropics.

"You hit me," I accused.

"Huh?"

"The first time we met. You hit me and kidnapped me." I yanked a paper towel out of the plastic dispenser and blotted my forehead.

"I don't hit girls," he scowled.

"I wasn't a girl. I was a goddess. Am a goddess. Stop ignoring the point." I wadded the towel into a ball and threw it in the trash.

"I didn't hit you either, Goddess."

"Cut the crap. I remember. You raised your hand and ..." I trailed off.

He snorted. "I raised my hand and you attacked me." He pointed to a tiny silver scar under his left eye. "Gave me that. Nearly lost an eye trying to get you down to Hades."

That could have been the truth. But of course a kidnapper would deny using force. It was another reason to be wary of him. I felt I should keep my suspicions to myself. For now. "Sorry for the inconvenience," I sneered.

He shrugged. "It was kind of hot."

"Oh brother." I rolled my eyes. "Don't tell me you get off on kinky foreplay."

He cocked an eyebrow. "Don't you remember?"

"I am not having this conversation with you."

"Apparently, you are," he replied, smugly.

I had to change the subject because there was no way I could spar with him about sex when I had no idea what had or had not ever happened between us. What if I liked being restrained and screamed like a banshee? What if I turned into a banshee? You could see my dilemma.

I cast around for a safe topic. "Cassie!" I sputtered. "What did you do with her?"