Page 2 of Stuck with my Frenemy
Even my mother flinched.
I started tugging on my mother’s arm like a five-year-old child instead of an adult woman to warn her that we needed to get out of here, but I paused on the next words echoing through the room.
“I have made a decision about how you should repay me the favors you owe.” Karma rolled her penetrating gaze from Aphrodite to Morrigan. The breath whooshing out of me was so deep it came from my toes, but I was good. As a demigoddess, I didn’t fall under her radar to be noticed.You are safe, Ebony. Just breathe.I kept repeating it, although what kind of favors my mother owed Karma stabbed me in the brain.
“And how may that be?” Aphrodite’s lyrical voice caressed my skin, pebbling it with goosebumps.
“I would also like to know.” My mother straightened, her husky tone washing over me like a wave. Not in a nice way, either. More like acceptance when Death reaches to take you by the hand.
It was a powerful combination to have them both, a goddess of love and a goddess of magic and war, together. All my senses were on overload from the tone of their voices alone. Like a bad omen, a harsh breeze burst through the open balconies surrounding the room, and the gauzy curtains billowed above everyone’s heads in red ribbons like blood. A shiver crawled up my spine as if I just walked over a freshly dug grave, and my mouth dried up. Every time I ignored my intuition, it bit me in the ass, and right now, that same internal compass was screaming at me to get the hell out of here.
“The human realm has gotten out of control and requires a lot of attention. More focus than I can give as things stand at the moment.” Fingers twitching, I resisted the urge to cover my ears from the deep voice coming from Karma’s lips, which punched my eardrums. “Your daughters will represent me and serve as long as they are needed as my collectors. That will repay your debt. If you refuse, they’ll pay penance in the pits of hell for a century.”
“Done.” Aphrodite practically shouted the word, her chest heaving and the white see-through fabric wrapped around her straining over her generous rack, but my brain was glitching because I couldn’t have heard that right.
“As you wish.” My mother went as far as almost bowing, and I wanted to laugh.
It bubbled from my stomach and raked at my throat to be released. Because I must be imagining things. It almost sounded as if Cherry and I, out of all creatures in all the realms, were about to go to Earth as Karma’s collectors. Despite my efforts, strangled snorts and hisses escaped my lips. When my eyes found Cherry, her smile was wider than ever—if that was possible—and she looked ready to throw herself at me. My knees bent in anticipation, bracing in case she attacked or tackled me. That was when Karma’s words penetrated my scrambled brain, and I flicked my gaze up to find her eyes locked on my face as if she was staring into my soul. All the humor drained out of me, and I stood miserably as my heart punched the roof of my mouth before dropping and splattering at my feet.
“I’m sorry, what?” The question was a breath passing my lips, and I swayed on my feet.
“You, Ebony, will be leaving with Cherry for the human realm within the hour.” Karma spoke, her curse aimed right at me. “And you’ll stay until I no longer have need of you there. Your tasks will arrive through your familiars.”
“Oh, dear Cupid, a road trip,” Cherry shrieked, clapping her hands and drowning whatever other nails were nailed in my coffin. “I’ve always wanted to go on one of those. It’s exciting, right Ebony?”
I couldn’t speak, blink, or even breathe, for that matter. Still locked in Karma’s stare, I stood numbly as I watched any hope of escaping my fate extinguish like a snuffed flame every time Cherry opened her mouth. My mother wouldn’t look at me, and the tilt on Aphrodite’s lips was strained. The goddess of love darted a few apologetic glances my way as if that would make things better. I didn’t like Cherry. I never did.
Actually, we were kind of enemies of a sort.
I hated her bubbly personality and her shitting rainbows attitude, as much as she did anything possible and impossible to change who I was. Apparently, black was not a color, and I might have nerve damage from birth since she’d never seen me smile, but she’d fix it. I’d rarely been around her longer than five minutes without wanting to strangle her. How in the hells name did I end up stuck with her for the hellhounds knew how long? Anger churned in my stomach and slowly replaced everything else I felt. Fists clenching, I stepped out from behind my mother, where I’d been hiding like some coward, to fully face Karma. The bitch obviously hated me, anyway, and it wasn’t like I could do anything worse than when Cherry flipped her off. My mouth opened at the same time as Cherry’s.
“We are friends.”
“We are enemies.”
Karma cocked an eyebrow at our outburst.
“No way I’m getting stuck with her.” Stabbing an accusing finger at Cherry’s face, I felt a pang in my chest when the rainbow walking disaster frowned as if I’d hurt her feelings. “I’ll do it myself if I have to. Cherry can stay here.”
“What?” Cherry shrieked, and I rubbed a hand over my face in frustration. “I’m going! It’s because of me we get to go on this adventure in the first place, so there’s no way you’re leaving me behind, Ebony. Get with the program.”
I tasted blood when my teeth broke the skin on the inside of my mouth. Karma was still focused on my face with a stone-like expression. At this point, I was ready to die and get this over with. What were two seconds of pain compared to who knew how long of rainbow torture? This would be better for everyone. My chin lifted, showing I was ready to go.
“I am pleased with this.” Karma spoke, and I blinked stupidly at her.
One corner of her wide mouth twitched before it curled into a wicked smile. I’d never seen anything but a permanent frown line from her, and I wanted to gasp for air. My heart started kicking wildly like it was trying to drill a hole through my chest and hightail it from the room, and my lungs were shriveling in my chest. As the white room with golden pillars and blood-red curtains started spinning, I listed to the side.
“What?” I breathed, the question barely audible.
“Stuck with your frenemy. I like it.” Her wicked look threatened to suffocate me, but I could do nothing except receive my punishment.
“Woot! Road trip!” Cherry cheered, wiggling and dancing to a tune only she could hear.
“Kill me, please.” I mouthed, but Karma’s grin only grew.
