Goddess of the Rose (Goddess Summoning #4)(87)

"Priestess, will you open the gate for us, or shall my comrades and I woo you through the prickly wall?"

"No!" she said a little too loudly. And then, feeling like an idiot, she added, "I didn't call you, so you don't need to woo me at all."

His expression showed honest disappointment. "I must apologize, gracious lady. I assumed you were one of the Elementals - Flame perhaps, with your wealth of fire-kissed tresses and your extraordinary beauty. It was, after all, Flame who called me here. I would have been a fortunate man had you been she."

"Sorry, I'm not an Elemental." Mikki smiled. She wasn't being unfaithful to Asterius by being polite to him - she was doing her duty as Empousa. After all, she was the one who cast the spell to allow men within her realm. "I'm the Empousa."

The man's aquamarine eyes crinkled endearingly at the edges with his joyous smile. "Empousa!" He bowed with a lovely chivalrous flourish, which the other men copied, each calling gallant greetings to her. "What a fortunate coincidence that you were passing at this moment. There is word that a new Empousa reigns in the Realm of the Rose. We are honored to meet you." His smile was boyish with good humor. "Though the meeting was shouted through a barrier of roses."

"You say Floga invited you?"

"She did, Empousa."

"Did she invite your friends, too?" Mikki tried to keep the mischievous grin from her face, but she failed miserably. She could all too easily imagine the Flame Elemental needing four men to extinguish her passion - even if one of them did look like Adonis.

For an instant Mikki felt a stab of jealousy as she thought about the Elemental's freedom and the ease with which she could walk side by side with any man she chose.

"She did not, Empousa," said one of the toga-wearers who had thick, dark hair and a well-defined face, bringing her thoughts back to their conversation. "The Earth Elemental is the priestess whose call I answer."

"Water called me, Empousa," another man said.

"I am fortunate to be summoned by Air," said the fourth man, who had long, auburn hair and remarkably green eyes.

Damn, but they were four deliciously handsome men! Her Elementals definitely had made good choices. Mikki made a mental note to ask Gii just exactly how this whole man-inviting thing worked. It was a little weird that they had been called by the girls this morning, but then again, maybe it wasn't. She hadn't called them to work - it was rainy - they'd decided to busy themselves in their own way. Clearly they were as smart as Mikki had given them credit for being.

"I'm sure the Elementals will be here any second. I'll be happy to let you guys in."

Their leader's eyes lit, and he bowed again to her. "To be invited within the Realm of the Rose by its Empousa is truly an honor we do not deserve."

"Oh, it's no problem. We can walk back to the palace together. I was just going to head in that direction." And being escorted by four to-die-for-handsome young men was definitely not a hardship. Neither was it wrong. She felt an unexpected surge of anger. Hell, no! It wasn't wrong. She was in love, not dead. And all she was doing was taking the men to her handmaidens. The only ulterior motive she had was maybe to engage in some harmless flirtation. And why not? She felt amazingly pretty and completely loved. But that didn't mean she wanted to be controlled and caged! Asterius could just think again if he expected to put his brand on her and treat her like a prize heifer! Is that what Asterius would expect from her? To allow him to own her every movement? She was suddenly afraid that he might. He was, after all, a beast. She couldn't expect him to know how to treat a woman.

Somewhere in the depths of Mikki's mind a warning tried to cry its way through the cacophony of unnaturally defensive thoughts that bubbled and brewed like a rancid stew. But they could not be heard over the hatred and envy, selfishness and fear that were shouting so loudly.

Feeling totally pissed off, she moved to the middle of the gate and frowned at it. No doorknob. No latch. No bar to slide back. Frustrated, and especially annoyed at the massive headache that pounded in her temples, she raised one hand and pressed her palm against the gate.

"This is your Empousa speaking. Open the hell up," she muttered angrily.

The living gate instantly swung open. The four men stepped out of the swirling fog, smiling at her as if she had just given them the key to paradise. Mikki smiled absently back at them, wishing they'd hurry and get inside. She didn't like the looks of the gray-cloaked forest, and she wanted to get the gate shut right away. The second the last man was through, she raised her hand again and whispered for the gate to close, breathing a sigh of relief when it obeyed her. Then she turned to the men.

"Okay, the palace is that way." Mikki gestured to the widest of the marble pathways.

"After you, Empousa," the golden man said.

Mikki began down the path but stopped abruptly when the dark-haired man stepped in front of her to block her way.

"Uh, it's that way," Mikki said, pointing over the man's shoulder and thinking that he may be handsome, but he definitely wasn't the brightest Crayola in the pack.

"Perhaps you would like to know our names before you lead us to the palace, Empousa."

The golden man's voice came from directly behind her. He was standing so close she could feel his breath on her hair. The other two men stepped in to close the tight circle so they had her neatly surrounded, and in that instant her mind cleared - the pain in her head stopped, as did the deafening emotions that had been seething in her mind.