Paradise Forgotten Trilogy Read online

  "Give me about an hour, Xanthe." He looks over at Nova with anger flashing in his eyes. "I have to have a talk with Nova."

  "I will leave you two alone, then." Xanthe says. "Please go easy on her, love. I know how you can get when you're mad."

  "Leave us, Xanthe."

  Xanthe gently kisses his cheek and goes through the door in the back to the kitchen.

  Apollo's voice is harsh as he speaks. "Stand."

  Without wanting to upset him more than he already is, she obeys silently, despite her words that she wants so badly to scream at him.

  "You have dishonored me, Nova."

  "I'm sorry."

  He holds up his hand. "Don't speak. Please, just stay quiet. I'm not in the mood to argue with you. As long as you belong to me, you will not do these things. Is that understood?"

  "Then I'll find another owner." Nova says.

  "Nova, no. First off, you don't have a say in that matter. Secondly, you need to learn some respect. I took you and your brother in when you had no one. Let me remind you of something you seem to have conveniently forgotten. Unlike Zodiac, you are a half Nymph and must adhere to Nymph rules. Because you aren't pure, with your black hair and tainted bloodline, your role in this society is as a slave to one of us pureblood Nymphs. If you have a different owner, you will be treated like a slave. Zodiac is an android so he has to have an owner. He doesn't mind belonging to Troy. Why can't you find comfort in being provided for and protected? I have done nothing but care for you like you're one of my own children. I agreed to do that for Jarred. Now that he's dead-"

  Nova looks up at him and lets out a pained gasp as she shakes her head. "What? No! Jarred's not dead."

  "I'm sorry, but because he's been missing for ten years, he's been declared dead."

  "But he's alive! I know he is."

  "Just go to your house, Nova." Apollo orders. "I'm not dealing with your emotional crap today. I love you like my own daughter and you know that, but I'm putting my foot down on this. Troy is already at your house destroying all of your cards, charts, and magic coins. It's over and done. I'm not going to stand idly by and let you continue with illegal activities."

  No. He can't take those away. She's worked so hard on all of that. "You can't. I need those."

  "It's already done. Now leave before I arrest you. Don't you forget for one second that I am the guard captain and I have the authority to do so."

  * * *

  Nova sits on her bed after attempting to hide all of her things. Troy apparently hasn't been here yet to destroy it all. She will fight him if he tries. But the longer she remains here in the quiet house alone, the more she loses the will to be angry. Reaching under the top of her silk dress, she slips out her necklace and lies down on her back. She slowly twirls the pink glowing lotus flower between her fingers. Her father gave it to her and said that it would never die. That's how she knows he's still alive out there somewhere. Jarred may be on the other side of the galaxy, but he's there and he's coming back for her. She knows it. He has to come back. He promised.

  Her thoughts are interrupted by someone knocking on the door. "Nova, can I talk to you?"

  Nova looks up with tears streaking down her warm cheeks as she wipes away her thick mascara on the back of her hand. "Go away, Troy."

  "I'm not going anywhere." He enters the room and shuts the door behind him. He's removed his armor and he's just in jeans and a black t-shirt. "You're going to stay there and listen to what I have to say."

  "Leave or I'll call the guards."

  "And what are they going to do about it? They all know who I am and they won't even touch me. Plus, I'm allowed to be here. Zodiac invited me over to play some video games."

  Reluctantly, she puts aside all thoughts of smacking him really hard. "What do you want?"

  "I want to check on you and make sure my father didn't hurt you." He sits on her bed and reaches out to touch her knee. "You're crying. Did he hit you?"

  She shakes her head. "No. I was just thinking about Jarred."

  "Don't. It will only bring you pain."

  "So what are you going to do now? Are you going to take all of my stuff?"

  Troy sighs and looks around at the astrological calendars and incense burners hanging on the walls. "No. I don't know if all of your charts and cards and crystals are really able to tell you things or not, but this can't control your life like it has been doing. And you can't take money from those poor people."

  "Thank you. I'll be more careful."

  "I know it means a lot to you, but you are making my father and me look bad by doing these things. You are better than a criminal, Nova."

  She thinks for a minute while her tears stop and she calms down. "Let me read you."

  "I don't know . . ."

  She can't help but smile at his shyness. "Don't be timid. I won't bite."

  "I'm not supposed to."

  "Like you've never done something without permission." Nova says. "Please, Troy. We grew up together. I know you better than that."

  He sighs and holds out his hand. "Don't cast any spells or anything on me, please."

  "If I did cast a spell on you, it would never be one to harm you." She runs her fingers over the lines on his palm and studies it for a minute. "Interesting. You have a long fate line."

  "What does that mean?"

  "That your life is controlled by forces outside of your control. Maybe you have a special purpose in life."

  "My father always told me that I was blessed by the gods." Troy says.

  "This line here tells me that you will have prosperity late in life, but this break in your fate line speaks of a sudden change in your life."

  "Good or bad?"

  Nova glances over at one of her charts by her bed. "Hmm . . . it's hard to tell, but you will never be the same after it. Let's see . . . you are a Taurus, right?"

  "I think so."

  "Judging by your sign and the position of Venus, as well as you turning twenty next year, I would say that in the next year, you will be faced with a sudden and irreversible change that will either elevate you beyond all fame and fortune, or you will be cast from your position to the lowest of the low. I'm sorry, but that's all I can get from this. I wouldn't dwell too much on that, though. Do you know much about your sign?"

  "No. Apollo forbade me from being involved with this stuff." Troy says.

  Nova looks up into his large black eyes that are welcoming and unlike the dark eyes of the other Nymphs that are cold and forbidding. There is a warmness in Troy's endless dark eyes against his pale skin. "You are a kind soul, calm, and steady. You need someone loyal to love you."

  He breaks off his gaze and takes his hand away from her. "Too bad no women are interested in me."

  "How can you be so sure?"

  "I've tried, but they turn me down because they all have boyfriends."

  "Not this woman." Nova whispers, moving closer to him.

  After a few moments, a slight grin spreads across his lips. "Could you help me out in the romance department?"

  He knows all too well that kind of a relationship is forbidden. "You're a pure Nymph. I'm not."

  "That tattoo of a golden apple and a spider on your shoulder proves you're at least partially one of us." Troy says. "You're a Nymph woman at heart, Nova. You deserve to be with a Nymph man who can love you and protect you. Now, what do you say? Can you help out this Nymph man?"

  Nova's fingers trail up his arms to his shoulders and to his face. "I think I can help."

  Troy leans closer and puts his arm around her shoulders before gently kissing her lips.

  The door opens and Zodiac glares at them both. "Leave now."

  Nova jumps. "Zodiac! I thought you were out getting dinner."

  "I'm back. I think it's time for you to leave, Troy."

  "We were just talking." Troy says.

  "Talking? It's hard to talk with your tongue down her throat."

  Troy squeezes Nova's hand one more time before standing and
going towards the door. "Zodiac, don't think too much into this."

  "She's like your sister!"

  "But she's not. We're not related at all."

  "Even so, you know that she's an impure Nymph." Zodiac says. "You can't be with her. Not only that, she's my sister! You're my best friend! You can't be with her."

  Troy gives him a warning look. "Don't tell me what I can and cannot do, Zodiac."

  "I'm not playing around. Do not touch Nova."

  "Why are you so protective of her? She's a grown woman who can make her own decisions."

  "Jarred told me to take care of her so I will." Zodiac says. "I will protect her from people like you."

  Troy laughs. "People like me?"

  "People who want to use her then leave. I won't let you break her heart."

  "What are you talking about? You know how much I care about you and her. I would never leave. That was the first time we've done anything. It was just a kiss."

  Zodiac points towards the front door. "Leave."

  "Fine." Troy gives Nova a small smile before going through the door. "I'll see you later, Nova."

  2

  Zodiac stands in front of the bathroom mirror with a towel wrapped around his waist and droplets of water on his lightly tanned skin. He runs his fingers over the birthmark on his chest above his heart. It resembles the Scorpio astrological sign and it's where he got his name. The scary thing? He's a Scorpio. But the longer he studies himself in the mirror, the more unanswered questions fill his mind. One of those questions is who his parents truly were.

  He already knows, and it was confirmed by the scientists in town, that he is the offspring of two men. One was Jarred. The other was Jarred's husband Jayce who was an android and a living computer. When they were torn apart by the war for months, Jayce's body developed a pseudo womb and replicated Jarred's DNA to produce a fetus. After a cesarean section, Zodiac was born after only a week of gestation.

  Zodiac never met Jayce, who died shortly after he was born. That's all he's been told about that. All he knows about his android father is from the stories Jarred used to tell him and Nova about their work as mercenary assassins on Earth. How could two men as tough and rugged as those two be able to create a baby? That question and the science behind it aren't what he wants to know most. Instead, he wants to know who his other father truly was. Jarred always told him that he looks so much like Jayce. So here he is, half android and half human, without feeling allegiance to either side.

  As he starts to brush through his long wet hair, he spots the other mystery. This one he's never gotten an answer to. Across both of his wrists is a pale scar, almost as if his wrists had been slit when he was a baby. But why? Why would anyone do that to a defenseless baby? In the end, it doesn't matter. He'll probably never find out anyway.

  There's a knock on the door and Nova opens it, only to shut it again. "Why are you naked?"

  "Uh . . . I just got out of the shower."

  "Troy's here."

  "Send him in here for a minute." Zodiac says.

  "Are you crazy? He doesn't want to see you like that. Put some clothes on first."

  "Just do it."

  Troy steps into the hallway and shakes his head. "What's up?"

  "Look at me."

  "I'd rather not. Please keep that towel on."

  "Who am I?" Zodiac asks.

  Troy leans up against the door frame and crosses his arms on his chest. "My friend and like my brother."

  "If I ever find my father, I'm going to kill him."

  "I know you're angry, but-"

  "I mean it, Troy." Zodiac feels the flowing rage of vengeance rising up in him. "First, I'll tie him to the bed and tell him all the pain he's put me through. Then I'll make a million tiny cuts all over his body, one for every tear he made me cry when he left. Then I'll find some whiskey and pour it all over him until he screams and screams and screams! Finally, I'll light a match and toss it on his body and laugh as he burns to death."

  "Damn, Zodiac. I think you should get some rest. How long has it been since you got some sleep?"

  "Too long."

  "Okay, well . . . come with me." Troy grabs his arm and pulls him into Zodiac's bedroom then closes the door. "After tonight, you will come spend the night with me at my house so I can make sure you get some sleep."

  "What happens tonight?" Zodiac goes to his closet to get some clothes, but finds a bag hanging from the door. "What is this?"

  "I got you something."

  Zodiac unzips the bag and pulls out an intricately detailed velvet tunic and black tights. "Oh, hell no."

  "What?"

  "No."

  "Is there a problem?" Troy asks.

  "Tights? Really?"

  "That's what all the nobles wear now."

  "Then leave me out of it."

  "Stop being such a child, Zodiac."

  This might be the worst thing ever. "Women wear tights. Men shouldn't."

  "Says who?"

  "Well . . . me."

  "Doesn't matter." Troy says. "You will wear what I tell you to wear when we're going to things like this. You have to look presentable. Besides, you should like wearing the clothes I buy you. They are really expensive."

  "And that's supposed to make me feel better about wearing something that is going to constrict me in all the wrong places?"

  "It's not that bad. Dark green really brings out your eyes."

  "That might mean something to me if I knew what green was." Zodiac gives up. He's not going to win this argument so instead he finds some boxers and dresses in what may be the last comfortable clothes for a while. "What are they for this time? Another high class banquet or something like that where I will feel completely out of place?"

  Troy turns around as Zodiac gets dressed. "Actually, it's the royal ball. It's a masquerade."

  "A royal ball? Are you serious? So are you hoping to meet a pure Nymph woman and forget about my sister?"

  "No. That's not why I'm going. As a knight and a member of one of the oldest noble families, I have to go."

  "Then why do I have to go?" Zodiac asks as he pulls on a pair of jeans.

  "Because having you is kind of a . . . status symbol."

  He stops and goes around to face his friend. "Excuse me?"

  "Android slaves are so rare and terribly expensive to obtain now that there are only a few left in existence. It makes me look really good. Everyone else has their dark-haired Nymph slaves, but not me. They're so jealous. So go on. Try on your clothes."

  Zodiac only stares at him in shock. Did he really just say that?

  "What's wrong?" Troy asks.

  "How dare you?"

  "What are you talking about?"

  "You called me a slave."

  Troy doesn't say anything as he stares out the open window to the busy streets below.

  He's not just going to ignore him after saying all that. "Say something!"

  "I'm sorry."

  "You're sorry? Since when am I your slave, Troy? You never treated me like this before you officially became my owner not even a year ago. I thought we were friends."

  "We are friends, or at least I hope we're still friends." Troy says. "I really didn't mean anything by that. It's just what all my knight buddies refer to you as. Maybe they're rubbing off on me too much."

  "But you called me a slave."

  "Just think about it for a minute, Zodiac. It's not necessarily a bad thing, is it? You're technically my slave, Nova is my father's slave, and I'm a slave to society."

  Now he's getting angry. "What? You've lost your mind. You? A slave? You are the farthest thing from a slave. You grew up with every single little thing you could ever want. Your entire future and career are planned out for you to be the rich kid who gets power and is successful. I know you're in line for the throne so don't pretend you aren't."

  Troy looks at him as all his anger fades from his eyes. "How did you know about that?"

  "I found some of your father's papers." Zodi
ac says. "Should I call you Prince Troy now? No. You aren't a slave and you never will be a slave. Your royal blood will give you everything you need. You'll never have to work a day in your life. I wish I could trade just one day of my life for one of yours so I can know what it's like to be perfect."

  "Is that what you think? Okay, yes. You caught me. I want to go to the stupid masquerade so I can find a pure Nymph woman who will stoop low enough to sleep with me. Happy? That's all I want."

  "Are you that desperate? You're disgusting."

  Troy rubs his eyes. "Since when are you so judgmental? You have no idea what I go through on a daily basis. You think my life is all luxury and parties and wealth? Well, I'll tell you one thing, Zodiac. There are many things that money cannot buy. I would suggest that you stop making assumptions about me without all the information."

  "Then what sick perversion do you need a woman for, Troy?"

  His voice is serious and dark as he speaks nearly under his breath. "To bear me a child."

  "What? Why? You're nineteen. Most Nymphs don't have children until they're married and around thirty. Why do you want to be a father?"

  "I never said I wanted to be. It's what I have to do."

  "This doesn't make any sense." Zodiac says.

  "I shouldn't be telling you this, but because you're my friend who I don't want to lose as a friend, I will let you know. Nymph Royal Knights, especially those of noble houses, are required to secure a bloodline heir before they turn twenty-one. If I don't have a child in the next two years, I lose my knighthood and possibly my claim to the throne."

  "I . . . I didn't know."

  "Well, now you do."

  * * *

  As he watches the Nymph women in their flowing dresses and sparkling jewelry, Zodiac is grateful for the small bit of shelter the mask he wears provides him from these people. It is the boundary that separates him from their prying eyes. Sure, they all know who he is because he has to follow Troy around like a lost puppy as he always does, but it's the principal of the thing that gives him a tiny bit of comfort. Speaking of comfort, these damned tights are not that. He wishes he could be anywhere other than here.