grabbed at her apron. She twisted it between her fingers and he could see that she was remembering things she did not want to share.
“Nellie, you must tell us,” Lady Ellen prompted. “We would rather avoid more ongoing battles with them if we can. Anything you tell us could be important.”
“Please, Nellie.” Jasper leaned down to her height. He looked at her, pleading with his eyes. It always got him what he wanted when he was a small boy and he hoped it still worked with her now. He would try anything.
“Oh, away with you, Master.” She batted him on the shoulder but slightly harder than she had done years ago. “I’ll tell you, but you may wish that I hadn’t.” She smoothed down her apron and swallowed.
“It was just after I was brought to look after the first child, a boy, when I overheard the conversation that sent me running to this house.” Her eyes took on a faraway look. “I was in the nursery with the young master when his lordship came in looking for the mistress. He was furious with her, that much was obvious. He went into her chambers when he saw she was not with her child. The scene that followed is burned into my memory forever. He accused her of drawing up demons for power. She laughed at him and called him spineless and weak. She had a nasty tongue and he was too meek to fight back at her when she got in one of her moods. She taunted him with the fact that she was a goddess and he was a mere mortal and she would do anything she wanted. There would be no stopping her.”
Jasper looked at her horrified. A goddess, how could that be? “What was a goddess doing here on earth living among humans?” Jasper was totally lost.
“I hear that she had been stripped of her powers and sent here for punishment.” Nellie wrung her hands nervously.
“Could this be true? How could they do this to us?” Jasper turned to his mother. Raking his hands through his hair, he paced the library, thoughts of betrayal spinning through his mind. “They would let a scorned goddess have free rein among us? Let her vent her anger at what the gods had done to her on us? How could they? I will not stand for this.”
Jasper stormed from the library and out of the house. He ignored the cries of his mother when she tried to keep up with him. Eventually she stopped and watched him march up the hill to the spot where the portal opened for him.
He brushed aside the messenger that greeted him and headed for the hall that held Helan’s throne. He approached, his face thunderous, and two guards stepped in front of him with arms ready, barring his way. He called the wind in a ferocious blast and sent them flying to the floor. Other soldiers came running toward him, swords drawn, and he disposed of them with a mere flick of his fingers. He made his way to where Helan and Elena were sitting.
Helan rose to his feet.
“What is the meaning of this?” he roared. “How dare you storm in here unannounced.”
“How dare I? Easy, Helan, very easy indeed. You portray yourself as a kind and wondrous god.” Jasper’s body was shaking with rage. “But I know different. You send outcasts to prey on us and make our lives miserable. To take what is rightfully ours without a care in the world who gets hurt. You have left families without the mainstay in their lives, husbands and fathers. And you say how dare I? It is how dare you, Helan? How dare you sit up here and judge us while setting a viper loose amongst us?”
“What are you talking about?” Elena put a restraining hand on her husband’s arm and rose to face him.
“Don’t act like this is a big surprise to you. You are the ones that sent her to live amongst us,” Jasper spat at them.
“Many of us choose to live alongside the humans, Jasper. That is acceptable in our eyes,” Elena said. “Do you have a problem with a particular god?”
“Edrith O’Reilly,” Jasper said between clenched teeth. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Leona and Mari sneak into
“Nellie, you must tell us,” Lady Ellen prompted. “We would rather avoid more ongoing battles with them if we can. Anything you tell us could be important.”
“Please, Nellie.” Jasper leaned down to her height. He looked at her, pleading with his eyes. It always got him what he wanted when he was a small boy and he hoped it still worked with her now. He would try anything.
“Oh, away with you, Master.” She batted him on the shoulder but slightly harder than she had done years ago. “I’ll tell you, but you may wish that I hadn’t.” She smoothed down her apron and swallowed.
“It was just after I was brought to look after the first child, a boy, when I overheard the conversation that sent me running to this house.” Her eyes took on a faraway look. “I was in the nursery with the young master when his lordship came in looking for the mistress. He was furious with her, that much was obvious. He went into her chambers when he saw she was not with her child. The scene that followed is burned into my memory forever. He accused her of drawing up demons for power. She laughed at him and called him spineless and weak. She had a nasty tongue and he was too meek to fight back at her when she got in one of her moods. She taunted him with the fact that she was a goddess and he was a mere mortal and she would do anything she wanted. There would be no stopping her.”
Jasper looked at her horrified. A goddess, how could that be? “What was a goddess doing here on earth living among humans?” Jasper was totally lost.
“I hear that she had been stripped of her powers and sent here for punishment.” Nellie wrung her hands nervously.
“Could this be true? How could they do this to us?” Jasper turned to his mother. Raking his hands through his hair, he paced the library, thoughts of betrayal spinning through his mind. “They would let a scorned goddess have free rein among us? Let her vent her anger at what the gods had done to her on us? How could they? I will not stand for this.”
Jasper stormed from the library and out of the house. He ignored the cries of his mother when she tried to keep up with him. Eventually she stopped and watched him march up the hill to the spot where the portal opened for him.
He brushed aside the messenger that greeted him and headed for the hall that held Helan’s throne. He approached, his face thunderous, and two guards stepped in front of him with arms ready, barring his way. He called the wind in a ferocious blast and sent them flying to the floor. Other soldiers came running toward him, swords drawn, and he disposed of them with a mere flick of his fingers. He made his way to where Helan and Elena were sitting.
Helan rose to his feet.
“What is the meaning of this?” he roared. “How dare you storm in here unannounced.”
“How dare I? Easy, Helan, very easy indeed. You portray yourself as a kind and wondrous god.” Jasper’s body was shaking with rage. “But I know different. You send outcasts to prey on us and make our lives miserable. To take what is rightfully ours without a care in the world who gets hurt. You have left families without the mainstay in their lives, husbands and fathers. And you say how dare I? It is how dare you, Helan? How dare you sit up here and judge us while setting a viper loose amongst us?”
“What are you talking about?” Elena put a restraining hand on her husband’s arm and rose to face him.
“Don’t act like this is a big surprise to you. You are the ones that sent her to live amongst us,” Jasper spat at them.
“Many of us choose to live alongside the humans, Jasper. That is acceptable in our eyes,” Elena said. “Do you have a problem with a particular god?”
“Edrith O’Reilly,” Jasper said between clenched teeth. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Leona and Mari sneak into
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