Tempting Fate ~ The Fate of Lachesis
by Rena Marks
Now Available from Phaze
Chesis has no idea her careless daydreaming can get out of hand when an angry Aaron of Arcules comes knocking. It appears mortal women can't keep up with the luscious male, and it's all her fault. A small fix would be one night with a goddess, a taste of satisfaction to cure his insatiable lust. Unfortunately, Chesis has created the perfect man...for her. His desires rival her needs, and his looks were created from her very own fantasies. She decides to keep him hidden - until Death decides it's time to snip his thread. The hand of her own sister, Atropos.
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Excerpt
Aaron sat back in his dining room, thinking about Lachesis and how she was doing.
The Fate had definitely taken him by surprise. No wonder it was assumed they were hags; sitting in the dark, moving so slowly while cloaked and hooded.
But not only was she a beautiful, luscious woman, she was the other half of his soul. The bubbly side, the one that kept him from being so dark and demanding. His balance. She was the one person in the world to keep up with him. To hell with a family and children and growing old. He wanted a goddess.
Now that he found her once, how would he find his way back to her? He had no intentions of letting her go. She definitely cured his desire for mortal women.
Unfortunately, his need for her burned hotter than ever. It bubbled and brewed, and threatened to boil right out of his skin.
The answer dawned on him that night over a vessel of whiskey.
He found her through Ares, the God of War. He would find his temple once more, -although he was sure it had been hidden since the last time- and force Ares to take him back to her. Surely he would, for the years of servitude Aaron had fulfilled.
* * *
A bright idea reached Chesis that night. Why not extend some of that unused magic within her to reach Aaron? She couldn't physically visit him; she was confined to the mountain, but she could invade his dreams.
She could drift in while he was in the half-existence, the temporary stage between being awake and asleep. The stage one achieved while in the Halls of Immortality. How convenient that those Halls were directly in her reach.
That evening she stayed late in the work area, watching over the basin of water. Finally, Aaron blew out the candlelight, signaling his readiness for bed.
That was when Lachesis left. She stepped into the Halls, but instead of riding them to her personal chambers, she instead rode them to the mortal plane known as Earth.
The bone chilling tingle of the halls blew through her body, slicing through muscle and reaching deep inside.
Just when she thought the pain would be unbearable, she materialized in the bedchamber with a drifting, half awake, Aaron, the place where she'd most wanted to be.
Her breath caught in her chest as she looked down at him once more. She sat on the edge of his bed. His face was softer in sleep, losing the hard, masculine edge and tugging at a hidden part of her heart. She reached out with her fingertips to brush a lock of hair from his forehead, and then left her fingers on his cheek, feeling the link connect when his sleep triggered fully.
Once his sleep was established, Chesis called to him. His eyes opened slowly, slightly dazed. Reminding her that he was not truly awake and aware, but in a dreamland, along with her. She smiled gently at him. "Hello, again."
In response, he sat up in bed and kissed her as tenderly as he was able considering her body was not real. When he pulled his kiss away, he rested his forehead against hers and said, "I wondered if I'd see you again."
She didn't answer, for after all, he was deep in a dream. Then, after several long seconds in which she thought about it, she finally admitted, "I couldn't resist."
"I'm glad."
There was so much he longed to tell her, but there was a small part of his brain that knew she wasn't really here. She was a figment of his imagination, his want, his desire. So he kept to himself that he would give anything to be with her in her own chambers, within the mimic of Earth, again.
"I had a good time with you," he said instead.
"It was marvelous," she agreed. "The best I've had in centuries."
They each smiled at each other at the joke, each knowing she'd been alone for centuries.
"You live by yourself?" she asked.
He nodded.
"No family?"
"It's not my blessing, remember?"
He was as lonely as she. They were made for each other. Yet, he was born mortal, while she was not.
They visited throughout the night.
Finally, Aaron asked her a question which had been utmost on his mind. "Have you slept with mortals before?" he asked, his voice a bit jealous.
"No. Never."
"Why me?"
"At first, I was guilty. I made a mistake with your threads, distracted by trying to work ahead. Then I began daydreaming about my idea of the perfect man."
"You had sex with me out of guilt?"
"Yes."
He paused for just a minute before saying, "The next time you're with me, we'll make love. It'll mean more than guilty sex."
She was quiet, unable to tell him that was impossible.
He never had the chance to notice her lack of answer, because something else she'd said just dawned on him. "What is your idea of the perfect man?"
"Lots of muscles," she grinned. "Black hair. Eyes of gray, like the clouds of a powerful storm." Her voice became a whisper. "Stamina of a thousand men. Brilliance of mind."
He cupped her cheek gently, willing her to go on.
"Wealth-"
Whatever she would say next was cut short. "You chose me," he said.
"It seems I did."
"I'll find you one day," he promised.
"No, you won't," she said gently as she turned her head to kiss his palm. Then, she vanished.
Reviews
Lachesis dreams of someone, something that can fill the passionless void of her destiny. Yet she doubts she will ever fulfill that fantasy until she is forced to confront a mistake from her past. Hope springs within her, but even she cannot change the course of a life when its lot has been cast.
Rena Marks surprised me with the romance, passion, and commitment in her story. I thoroughly enjoyed just how far Lachesis was willing to go to correct her mistake. The depth of her caring is touching and makes this story memorable.
Reviewed by: Amanda S.
Fallen Angel Reviews
This story is very emotional and had this reviewer reaching for a hanky. Lachesis is the more emotional and happy of the three Fates and her involvement with Aaron is very sensual, romantic and sizzling. Rena Marks writes a story that entices the reader, teases the reader and holds the reader tightly in her sensual web. Then she squeezes the reader's heart and on a satisfied sigh lets it go again. This reviewer loved this story very much.
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