Goddess of Light by P. C. Cast Read Free Book Online

chance with you. You don’t have one damn thing to do until Monday morning, so here’s an idea—flirt a little.”
    â€œFlirt?”
    â€œFlirt. As in engaging in coy, seductive conversation with a tripod.”
    â€œMay I call him a tripod?” Pamela giggled.
    â€œOnly if you want to join my team.”
    â€œIt might be easier.”
    â€œThat’s yet another heterosexual myth about homosexual relationships, but we’re not talking about my pathetic love life, we’re talking about your nonexistent love life. Pammy, it’s the right time and the perfect place. You don’t have to open your legs—just open your mind. See if you can interact with at least one man in more than a businesslike fashion.”
    Pamela heard the undercurrent of worry in her friend’s voice. Had she really only interacted with men as business associates since her divorce? She didn’t even need to finish formulating the question in her mind. She already knew the answer all too well. As she thought about it, Pamela felt a little spark of anger begin to stir within her. Duane would be thrilled to know that he had turned her into an asexual workaholic. It would mean he could still control her.
    â€œFlirt,” Pamela said.
    â€œFlirt,” V repeated sternly.
    â€œOkay, you’re probably right.” Pamela forced cheerfulness into her voice. “I have been working too hard. I’m going to think of this weekend as a little escape from the real world, and this job as an adventure into the fantastic.”
    â€œAnd maybe you’ll even gamble a little?” V coaxed.
    â€œMaybe . . . a little.”

CHAPTER FOUR
    â€œMODERN mortals are odd,” Artemis told her brother as she watched a row of dowdy matrons pulling the arms of machines that twinkled and clacked and blared obnoxious things like “Wheel of Fortune.” “It is as if the shine and the glitter of the boxes casts a spell on them.”
    â€œSlot machines,” Apollo corrected her.
    Artemis gave him a quizzical look.
    â€œRemember what Bacchus told us? They are called slot machines.”
    â€œSlot machines or shining boxes, what difference does it make? Leave it to Bacchus to actually listen to mortals.”
    A middle-aged woman in an appliquéd sweatshirt and leggings paused to frown at the goddess before she fed her machine more money. Apollo took his sister’s elbow and guided her out of earshot of the row of machines.
    â€œYou shouldn’t let them hear you speak that way. And don’t be so hard on Bacchus. You know Zeus commanded him to explain the customs of modern mortals to us so that we could blend more easily with them.” Apollo paused as he watched a man in a gaudy white jumpsuit encrusted with rhinestones cause a group of women to squeal in delight as he gyrated his hips and sang something about being “all shook up.”
    â€œI, for one, am glad Bacchus understands this world. Much of it is a mystery to me.”
    â€œFine! If it’ll make you stop sulking I’ll gift the matron to make up for my harshness.” With a sarcastic flip of her long, shapely fingers Artemis caused the woman’s slot machine to land on a perfect row of cherries. The matron squealed and leapt to her feet as lights flashed and sirens proclaimed her a jackpot winner. Artemis looked on in disgust. “Modern mortals would be much more interesting if they were cute and made noises like puppies, instead of looking and sounding like overfed sows all ready for the slaughter.”
    â€œThey are not pets. Nor are they animals,” Apollo said severely. “And Zeus commanded us not to meddle with the mortals.”
    â€œI wasn’t meddling. I was gifting. There is a distinct difference. If I was going to meddle I would have made that horrid clothing in which she has covered herself combust.” Artemis’ self-amused laughter was sweet music, and it caused