At the Speed of Light: Gods of DC, #5

By Tricia Andersen

The tears in reality have put the gods and goddesses of Olympus on edge. Despite the stress his family is under, Apollo finds himself first in the arms of a mysterious jinn then a feisty Foirmir. While exploring the deep emotions he has for his new lovers, the tears begin to appear wheremortal now live and play, putting the innocent humans in danger of an alternate, deadly realm the Olympians and their loved ones have already experienced. He and his family race against the clock to find the source of the rends. But what will he do when he finds out that the one creating the trouble is closer to him than his own heart? What will the god of the sun sacrifice to keep the world as he knows, as well as the man and woman that he loves more than his own existence, safe?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tricia Andersen
• Release date: May 27, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393507017

Tricia Andersen

Tricia Andersen lives in Iowa with her husband and her three children.  She graduated from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor of Arts in English and from Kirkwood Community College with an Associate of Arts degree in Communications Media/Public Relations.   For the past five years, Tricia has been a member of Hard Drive Performance Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, an affiliate of Roufusport in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She has experience in kickboxing and currently trains in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Even though she has never competed in an MMA cage, she’s witnessed and been a part of a fighter’s journey from fight camp to their walk to the cage. She also has competed in jiu jitsu. Learn more about Tricia Andersen and her books at www.triciaandersen.com.

Book preview

To Brian. Thank you for 25 years of love, laughter and adventure.

I love you.

Chapter One

THE OCEAN CRASHED AGAINST the shore in a violent beauty that took Apollo’s breath away. White shards of lightning tore the black sky apart. He hugged his surfboard a little closer to his hip. The waves were the best he’d ever seen. It was too bad his normal surfing buddy wasn’t here to enjoy it with him.

Apollo smirked to himself. If he were honest, his usual partner was the reason for all this.

Nature was responding in kind to his aunt Demeter’s birth pains. The twins would be here any second and her leprechaun-turned-demigod husband, Freddy, was at her side holding her hand instead of riding the surf with the sun god. And even though Apollo didn’t want to see his aunt in that much pain, he was looking forward to enjoying every last second of this.

He glanced to either side of him. The beach was deserted. He had no doubt it would be. Even the most addicted surfer would be an idiot to be out in this. Riding these waves would prove fatal for any mortal who attempted the stunt. Thank Olympus he wasn’t mortal.

Another bolt of lightning pierced the sky. By the looks of things, Dad wasn’t too happy with the situation at hand either. The poor guy had never gotten over Demeter and it was clear the goddess had gotten over him. Or was his father trying to tell him to get off the beach? Fat chance, big guy.

Apollo blinked the sudden blindness from his eyes then caught a shadow out of the corner of his eye. He wasn’t alone. A man stood about a hundred meters away holding his board too. His long black hair fell past his shoulders. His board shorts clung tight to his body. His cheeks and chin were covered with a well-trimmed, thick beard.

The vision stunned Apollo speechless enough to not question where the Hades the guy had come from. Whoever it was, he was perfect. So perfect, it stirred a strong desire in the god that he hadn’t felt in a long time. It took a few moments to find his voice. Hey, dude. You shouldn’t go out. It’s too dangerous.

The man looked at him. Apollo could have sworn he saw the surfer wink at him before he took off on a sprint into the furious ocean.

Son of a bitch. Apollo raced after the guy, charging into the raging surf with his board at the ready. He flopped belly down onto it then paddled with his arms and legs into the waves. They crashed and exploded, tossing him around like a rag doll. He didn’t fall off though. He kept churning through as he looked for the breathtaking man through the water. He had been under the surface for far too long for a mortal. If he were human, he would be dead.

Thank Olympus he wasn’t.

His head broke the surface of the water. He took a moment to look around. The storm carried on over his head. The current dragged both him and his board away from the beach. The piercing ray of the lighthouse above the crag of rocks broke through the blackness.

In the beam of light he saw the other surfer riding a wave like a professional. Except that no expert on the planet could master the surf like this guy was.

Apollo’s heart stuck in his throat as the mystery man teetered off his board and disappeared beneath the ink black water. Apollo paddled as fast as he could in that direction. He might have used a bit of his power as a god to get him there quicker. Water wasn’t his specialty. That realm belonged to his uncle, Poseidon. But he’d move Olympus and earth to save this innocent from a watery grave.

He didn’t know how long he searched but Apollo found himself alone in the sea. The lump in his throat sank to his gut. How he could miss someone he’d never known baffled him but he felt the loss deep in his core. The breath from his deep sigh cut a path through the waves. Dejected, he worked his way back to the shore.

Apollo scanned the deadly waves one more time for the other surfer. Fuck it. He was a god. How could this have happened? He should have been able to save him. What good was eternal life and unlimited power if he couldn’t protect a mortal life?

Dejected, he plucked a string of seaweed from his trunks. He tightened his grip on his board then turned towards the parking lot where his SUV waited.

He barely caught sight of the hand wrapping around his head before his mouth was parted in a deep, wet kiss. The scent of jasmine and sandalwood filled his senses. Strong fingers played with the damp hairs at the base of his neck as the hand cupped the back of his neck. Apollo braced his hands on a broad chest as he surrendered, returning the kiss with as much fire as it was given. Tongues danced as they tangled within his mouth. The taste was intoxicating. He might have had quite a few lovers, both men and women, but this wasn’t like him. He didn’t normally allow a total stranger to caress him, to dominate him like this. He only knew he didn’t want it to end.

As the kiss broke, his eyelids fluttered open. He didn’t realize he had them shut. He felt lips pressed to his once more in a chaste kiss before the image of the surfer he’d desperately tried to find came into focus. The man smiled warmly as he released Apollo from his embrace.

The god was too dumbfounded to speak. Where had the dude come from? It had to be the beach. It wasn’t the ocean because he should have been dead, Apollo saw him fall from his board.

The thoughts swirled in his mind like a typhoon as the other surfer backed away, his gaze never leaving Apollo’s.

It wasn’t until he reached the corner of the bathhouse and disappeared that Apollo found his voice. Hey buddy. What the hades? Where did you come from?

He churned his steps through the soaked sand as he followed. As he turned the corner, he only found his vehicle in the lot. There were no signs of life, no fresh muddy tracks left by another car making a hasty getaway. It was like the other man never existed.

Apollo brushed his kiss swollen lips. It was the only evidence that the other surfer was there. Could he have imagined the whole thing?

He glanced up as a beam of sunlight pierced through the tumultuous clouds. The rain slowed to a gentle patter on his flesh. He sighed as he made his way to his lonely SUV.

It was time to go meet his new cousins.

THE THREE QUARTER MOON illuminated the forest around the misplaced castle that stood out like a sore thumb against the thick Maine forest. It gave everything a surreal, holy glow.

Apollo crept his way to the heavy wood door and pushed it open. He cringed as it squeaked in protest. Two newborn infants slept in here. Their parents would be furious if he woke them.

It seemed strange that Aunt Demeter chose to give birth to the twins in Aunt Hestia’s medieval palace. But then, trying to fit all the gods and goddesses involved with the birth in that farmhouse might have been a little cramped. The house was big, but not that big.

He tiptoed across the great foyer, glancing into each room as he made his way to the grand staircase. He stopped short at the doorway of the library.

The moonlight blossomed around the figure of a man. A baby dressed in a pink sleeper was draped across his forearm cradled to his chest, using his palm as a pillow. It certainly wasn’t the way one should hold a newborn but this wasn’t a normal baby. This child was the daughter of a leprechaun-turned-demigod and one of the original goddesses of the Greek Pantheon. She could sleep however the fuck she wanted. 

Freddy gave Apollo a tired smile as the god slipped into the library. How were the waves?

Amazing. I won’t be telling Aunt Dee that though. Apollo nodded to the child. How’d it go?

Freddy chuckled. The baby snorted as she snuggled closer to her dad. I didn’t know your aunt knew that many curse words and she directed them all at me while I held her hand and tried to stay out of the way. Hestia did the delivery as Persephone, Athena, Hades and Artemis kept Demeter’s unleashed power from destroying everything. Mack and Ares ran off to hide somewhere, the bastards. Freddy lifted his arm a little. But they’re here. Meet Bryn. Her brother, Rian, is asleep upstairs with his mom.

At the sound of her name, Bryn’s eyes blinked open. She let go a mighty yawn then drifted off to sleep again.

Apollo nodded at her. You sure Aunt Dee isn’t going to kill you for holding her like that?

It’s the only way I could get her to fall asleep. Besides, she decided to levitate a spoon over her head to distract herself as Hestia put her onto the scale to weigh her. Definitely a goddess like her Mama.

With her Daddy wrapped around her little finger.

Freddy grinned at him. Can’t deny that.

Apollo glanced around at the bookcases that surrounded them. The place was cavernous and the books seemed to go on forever. Knowing Aunt Hestia, they did. An oversized, antique jar of ambrosia sat on an old table behind the sofa. This might have been the first time he had been in this room in his existence. He’d only been in this house once or twice since Zeus evicted them from Olympus.

His thoughts drifted back to his mystery surfer. He could still taste the salt of the ocean and the man’s kiss on his mouth. Those dark eyes the color of melted chocolate continued to hypnotize him. How he’d survived those waves still baffled him. Then he’d disappeared into thin air.

Fuck, the god would do just about anything to see him again.

Earth to Apollo. Come in Apollo.

Apollo looked up at Freddy to find the leprechaun grinning at him. Freddy continued. You okay, bud?

Apollo blinked a couple of times to get his thoughts back together. Yeah, of course I am.

You sure?

Apollo sighed. I couldn’t pass up the waves, man. I hate seeing Aunt Dee in that much pain but the effects on nature made for a wild ride. There was a guy there on the deserted beach. Before I could stop him, he ran for the surf. I went in after him. There is no way a mortal man could survive that. After a while, I gave up and went back to shore. I hated myself for letting an innocent end up like that. But next thing I knew, the surfer was there beside me and he was kissing me. Apollo instinctively skimmed his finger across his lips at the memory. Then he was just gone without a trace. I’m wondering if I imagined the whole thing.

Freddy cocked his head at Apollo. Bryn leg out a sleepy sigh. I think you hit on the word. Mortal.

Apollo frowned at him. Mortal?

Juliet. Mac. Me. We’re here and we aren’t mortal. What if your mystery surfer wasn’t mortal?

What could he possibly be?

Freddy shrugged. Elf? Mermaid? Who knows? Possibilities are as endless as your existence on this planet. So I’d keep looking if I were you. He turned to the window. The sky outside had lightened a little. And it looks like you’ll have the perfect opportunity soon.

Apollo chuckled as he crossed the room. He pressed a kiss to Bryn’s cheek. She giggled in her sleep as he did so. He clapped Freddy on the shoulder. I guess I had better get to work. Give everyone my love.

Of course. Be careful out there, sun god.

Always.

Apollo hurried across the room to the great hall. He glanced one last time at the father and daughter before he raced out of the castle.

THE COOL AIR INSIDE the dark tavern was a sharp contrast to the heat of the summer night. Apollo glanced around the narrow room before he sat on his usual stool at the bar. It was a literal hole in the wall pancaked between two of the larger office buildings in the city. It was one of his favorite places to go after a long day at work. The wood planked walls and the antiques displayed up above the bar on a shelf gave the place an Old West feel. That had been a great time to exist. Watching the settlers make their way across the United States as he rode his chariot across the sky was better than anything on television.

Now there was less to see since the human race spent more time in front of a computer and less time exploring. It was more difficult also in his new form of transportation. Had Apollo known how hard it would be to watch the world below from a tiny automobile window, he probably wouldn’t have traded the old horse and buggy for the high powered sports car he drove now.

The bartender nudged the bourbon in front of him before he had the chance to request it. He took a sip then looked around the room again. An auburn haired beauty met his gaze. He felt his breath hitch as something stirred in his core. He felt every nerve blaze alive when she smiled at him.

He was just about to stand so he could go talk to her when he felt someone brush him as they took a seat on the stool next to him. Apollo turned to apologize for the slight collision when he was met with the deep dark eyes of his mystery surfer from the beach.

The guy smirked at him. Mind if I sit here?

Apollo’s heart lodged in his throat and rendered him mute. It took an embarrassing amount of time for him to find his voice. "Nope. Have a