Chance in my arms. “This cottage – it means a lot to me and Mom. She works so hard at the hotel – we both do. She needs a place to come home to at the end of the day that isn’t her office. She needs this place – you know what a workaholic she is. It’s the only place that keeps her sane. And me – too. If we’re going to be together, we can’t be living together – we’d drive each other crazy.” I smiled, and Chance laughed too.
“That’s my Mac,” he said. “Independent and selfless as ever. And so brave. But doubt it not – I’ll be taking care of you every step of the way. I love you too much to let anything happen to you.” He smiled. “I have a surprise for you....to help with that.”
“What?”
Chance smiled as he removed a velvet box from his pocket.
“Open it,” he grinned. “I was going to give it to you for our three-month anniversary, but I think now is a better time, all things considered.”
I opened the box and looked up in surprise.
“The topaz! How did you?”
He had taken the topaz and set it in a gold nest, putting it on a slender gold chain.
“Twenty-four carat. I snuck it out of your pocket – so I thought I’d do something special with it. Now you can wear it around your neck, close to your heart. For protection. And when you wear it, my love – you can think of me.” He leaned in and kissed me.
“How did you do it without damaging the stone?” I fingered the beautiful gem in my palms. “I’m a Fire God!” Chance laughed. “Working with metal is what I do.” He kissed me. “That and having a professional jewelry shop in the hotel lobby didn’t hurt – I forged the gold, but they put it together for me. You should keep a better eye on your jewelry.”
I blushed. I hadn’t meant to be so careless with the stone.
“Don’t worry,” said Chance. “Nobody but me could have snatched it. Nobody but a deity is as good at sleight-of-hand. Back when I was one of the bad boys at school,” he grinned widely, “before you reformed me,” (he kissed my forehead) “I got terribly good at stealing anything from anyone. But now I use my powers for good, as you can see.”
I was on the verge of asking him what being a bad boy meant, but before I could speak, Chance was fastening the necklace around my neck. “Listen to me,” he said softly. “Promise me you’ll never take it off, okay? It’s a protection stone – and I don’t want you to ever be without it.”
I touched his face, stroking his cheek, feeling his stubble prickle against my skin. “I promise,” I said at last.
“I can’t protect you all the time.” Chance sighed. “And neither can Varun. If you want to protect yourself, this is one way to start. Vesta must have known from the beginning – she’d need to keep her Embodiment safe. She always planned ahead. She made this stone for you. She wanted you to have it. She wanted to keep you safe.” I could see the love and admiration in Chance’s eyes when he spoke of Vesta, and in that instant I wanted nothing more than to become Vesta once more, to end Chance’s search for his goddess, to make him happy again – to take away all the pain and darkness I knew he felt deep inside.
Days earlier, I had hated Vesta – resented her for the effect she had on both Varun and Chance. But the more Vesta’s personality seeped into my own, the more I understood her – how could she, how could anyone, choose between two such perfect men? I hadn’t given Vesta enough credit – she had been forced to make an impossible choice.
A choice I knew that I, too, would have to make.
The next day school distracted me from my myriad of problems at home. I kept hoping that I wouldn’t run into Brandon. I didn’t want him to see the suspicion in my eyes. If he was my attacker, he couldn’t know that I was onto him.
“Looking forward to tonight, Mac?” Varun sauntered up to me.
“Tonight?” I looked up, confused.
“Haven’s party!” Varun laughed. “Don’t you remember? We’re working the hosting shift.”
“Aprons and spilled frosting,” I sighed. “Sounds like fun. I forgot all about it.”
“Let’s talk our game plan over lunch?”
I blushed. I’d promised