A Dark Fantasy Romance Novel

Nona: Chapter 4

Messages and offerings

It had been over a week since the farmer’s market ordeal. We ended up doing the market the following day, but unfortunately, Cherry Lee Farms didn’t show—even though they were scheduled to be there.

Yes, I checked the roster. Twice.

They didn’t show up the next weekend either.

Did I frighten the meanie away? Or maybe he thought about his actions and decided not to show his face again. All I knew was that he’d robbed me of my chance to hand out my retaliation for basically calling me a child.

I was sensitive about that.

No worries. There were other ways to skin a cat.

Or, should I say, a man?

I just had to call in a favor to make it happen, since I couldn’t find him my usual way.

Sending messages wasn’t my only plan for today.

I hadn’t visited DiStaff for a while, so it was time to swing by, drop off donations, and take a quick peek at how things were doing. At this point, the DiStaff: Mothers with Young Children non-profit ran itself, but I still liked to check on the company I started. I didn’t want to be accused of being totally neglectful.

The sun had come up now. The birds were livelier than usual—their chirping and chattering the only sounds I could hear as I stepped out of my sliding glass door. They graciously drowned out any other noise that might intrude on my solitude. I appreciated these natural sounds over car horns and speeding traffic.

Especially over ambulances and police cars…

…like the ones from last night.

Someone on our street had quite a few of them at their house around eight p.m. It sounded like a proper party. I didn’t even bother to check what was going on…

Because I knew.

Good luck, Mrs. Abernathy.

Today I wore a burnt-orange maxi dress that cut deep, exposing the skin between my C-cup breasts beautifully, with a pair of gold goddess sandals. My hair was in a seventies mood—hanging free just past my shoulders, with a thin braided band around my head.

Carefree as usual, I stepped onto my small deck that overlooked the Garden.

My attention snagged on the large crates Nikki had stacked at the base of the deck stairs leading to the backyard. They were filled to capacity again with produce so fresh it could’ve been from the Garden of Eden. I’d have to tell her to remind Linus the crates weren’t needed again until the weekend. He enjoyed talking to her over me.

It was challenging explaining the concept of days of the week sometimes, and he needed constant reminders.

No matter.

He still deserved the offerings I held in my hands.

Stepping down the back stairs, I balanced an enormous silver platter piled with gifts—coffee, honey, nuts, and tealight candles—and approached the middle of the garden where a nine-foot Nyx statue stood surrounded by smaller statues in a close circle.

I placed the platter in front of one of the smaller statues: a boy-child in a robe, holding a horn high.

“There you go,” I whispered kindly, and silently sent a prayer of gratitude for all the help I received.

It was always wise to honor help given freely. Otherwise, you might find yourself without it in the future.

Or worse—

they could betray you.

After I finished my prayer, I stayed on my knees a while longer, gazing up at Nyx’s figure in the sunlight.

It was always odd seeing her bathed in such brightness, considering she was the goddess of the night—the mother of all creation. But it still suited her, despite the contrast.

She was perfect in my eyes.

Even when I didn’t like—or understand—her plans.

I sent another prayer of gratitude and love toward the enormous statue and the life it represented.

I stretched the moment out as long as I could before breaking my reverie with a deep sigh. Scooting slightly, careful not to wrinkle my dress, I positioned myself in front of another statue at the base of her feet.

This one was about two feet high and centuries old.

Time for my next message.

The statue was of a god. He wore nothing but a cloth draped over one shoulder and a helmet—not even a fig leaf to preserve his modesty. In one hand he held a staff with two snakes winding up its length and meeting face to face at the top, with a pair of feathered wings above their heads. Smaller wings flared from his booted feet.

Hermes.

Greek god of messages and mischief.

And I had some mischief to send him on.

Still seated in front of Hermes was where Nikki found me ten minutes later.

“Oh good, you’re still here. I thought you’d be gone by now.” She glanced at Hermes. “Sending a message?”

“Sort of.” I gave a tiny shoulder shrug. “He was the only one I could think of who could deliver a gift like I wanted to deliver—in the time I wanted to deliver it—to a place I didn’t know.”

“Again with the not knowing?” Her face tightened. “You really are frightening me. Is this about the farm guy? You know what… never mind. I have bigger pains.” She waved her hands like she was crossing out the thought.

She dropped beside me, and only then did I notice how tense she looked. Unless it was my fault, Nikki rarely looked or acted like anything other than relaxed-serious when she entered a room. She was consistent like that.

She even wore the same clothes every day: a solid brown boho jumpsuit with brown slide-on flats. When I asked why she never changed her outfit, she said she didn’t understand the need to wear anything different if you liked what you wore.

She must own three dozen of those jumpsuits.

Practical. Steady.

Me… not so much.

I had never worn the same thing twice.

Fickle was my nature.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s… the Mountain,” she said finally, slow. She didn’t have to tell me which mountain she meant. Stone Mountain—the only mountain in Stone Mountain, Georgia, two towns over. “Something’s happened.”

With that statement, the air around us cooled by fifteen degrees. Goosebumps ran up my arms, sending sharp little warnings through my system.

I recognized the omen.

My mind began racing with a thousand thoughts at once.

This was not a good sign.

Dread pooled in my stomach. I placed a hand over my navel to calm it, but it didn’t help.

Could He have found us already?

It had been calm around here for the past few centuries, but that guaranteed nothing.

Did the incident at the market blow our cover somehow? Was that man involved?

If it had nothing to do with him, then…

Why now?

Why this moment?

I’d never forgive myself if I’d caused it. I’d jumped into a fight blindly, without thinking of consequences.

Only… who would have thought it would be any different from any other altercation I’d dealt with?

I should check on my sisters. Just to make sure they were okay.

With that thought, I sent a line of energy into the unknown, seeking the bond that held us together. Nikki—understanding what I was doing without me saying anything—gave me a moment of quiet.

It only took seconds to lock onto the familiar connection.

I felt their energy.

Their emotions.

Thank the goddess… they were okay.

I even felt a warm tug in return, letting me know they sensed my inquiry and pushed back gently to see if I was okay too.

Not wanting to alarm them, I sent calm back. Something soft. Something bright.

Squinting up at Nyx’s stone presence, relief finally settled over me, and my nerves loosened.

With my familial check complete, I returned my attention to Nikki.

If my family was safe, I could face anything.

“What happened at the mountain?” I asked.

To be continued in next chapter… New Chapters released weekly.

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