After a steamy encounter with Asgard's Dark Prince unlocks her genetics, an unsuspecting scientist discovers not only are Gods real, she is one.
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When Shannon boards her flight to London, she's stunned her seatmate is actor Tod Mogroddine. Their...
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Over the next few months, Isis and I fell into a comfortable routine. She would give me lessons to teach me different aspects of my powers, and I would practice as she went about monitoring the region. Occasionally, she would bring me with her when she resettled children who'd lost their parents to war or conflict, or helped women who'd been hurt and abused. I admired the work she was doing, but I didn't seem to share her healing abilities.
Isis had helped get me a phone, and despite her remote location outside the city, she had all the modern amenities, including internet and cell service. The hotel in London shipped my things home to my house in Vancouver. At my request, I'd been granted a year of sabbatical leave from my university, while I tried to figure out what my future path would be. Since I'd had two months of vacation time owed me and wasn't scheduled to teach in the fall semester, it wasn't hard to get my paperwork in order. I'd left no forwarding address with either the university or the hotel, but email was sufficient to deal with the graduate students in my laboratory.
Except for my brother and his wife, my family was used to only seeing me a few times per year as we mostly communicated by email or the occasional phone call. I hated lying to them about where I was, but I wasn't prepared to tell them what had happened, nor could I say I was studying forests in the Sahara desert. As far as they knew, I was doing field work in Europe so I didn't have to pretend with the time change.
My best friend and circle of childhood friends was less understanding as the weeks got longer.
"Met any new handsome celebrities?" Lynda asked, a snide tone to her voice.
I sighed. Lynda had been my best friend for twenty years, since high school, but I wasn't blind to her jealousy issues. It had gotten worse over the last five years, since I'd bought my home, and she was still struggling to establish her career in marketing. She'd seen photographs of Loki and I on the red carpet before I'd gotten a chance to tell her myself. Instead, it had been one long guilt trip since then.
"No, I haven't. I don't expect to run into any in the middle of the forest."
"You'd introduce me if you were rubbing elbows with the rich and famous, right? Or have you moved too far up the social ladder for me, now?"
With a finger and thumb, I pinched the bridge of my nose and closed my eyes as I held the phone to my ear with my other hand. "You know that's not the case, Lynda. I'm covered in dirt and grime, not sashaying about ballrooms or yachts. How's that investment banker you started dating. Dave?"
Successfully diverted from her resentment, Lynda updated me on the weekend trip they'd taken to the Gulf Islands on his yacht. Murmuring encouragement to her as she gushed enthusiastically, my mind wandered to Loki.
Whether he was trying to find me, or even truly cared I had left, was not a question I was ready to ask. It's not like we'd discussed the future in the short, intense time we'd been together. Either way, I wasn't ready to face him again. With my newfound immortality, I could afford to take the time to figure out who I was with my new reality first.
