Goddess of Spring (Goddess Summoning 2)

Chapter 26

" Yes! Yes! Yes! I know - I love you, too." Lina struggled to get in the door, past her overenthusiastic, slobbering bulldog. "Edith Anne, wil you behave? Let me take off my coat and put down my purse." The bul dog backed off half a step, stil whining and wriggling. Patchy Poo the Pud jumped down from his perch on the chaise and was rubbing himself against her legs, complaining in indignant meows that she wasn't giving him enough attention, either.

"Crazy animals," she muttered, hanging up her coat. "Okay, come here." She sat in the middle of the hal and let Edith climb into her lap while she scratched Patch under his chin. The bulldog licked her happily. The cat purred. Lina sighed. "Wel , at least the two of you missed the real me." Her pets looked as wel -fed and healthy as they had the night before Demeter had transported her away, but from the moment she'd reappeared in the middle of her living room, the two of them hadn't wanted to let her out of their sight. They fol owed her from room to room. Patchy Poo the Pud had even gone as far as to sit outside of the bathroom and yowl if she didn't let him in with her. "You two need to relax," she told the adoring creatures. But secretly she liked it that they were so pleased that she was back. At least she wasn't a disappointment to them. Everyone else kept looking at her like she'd suddenly grown a third eye. No, that wasn't it. People didn't treat her like she was doing anything weird, they were treating her like she wasn't doing something, like they kept expecting more from her. How had Persephone been more like Lina than Lina was like herself? She sighed and gently pushed Edith Anne off her lap. Persephone was a goddess. Of course people wanted Lina to be like her. Who wouldn't rather be around a goddess?

Hades... Her thoughts whispered his name before she could stop herself. Hades had liked being with her more than he had liked being with any goddess.

She shook her head.

"No," she reminded herself. "That's not true. He only wanted to be with me as long as he thought I was Persephone." She remembered the look on his face when he had seen who she real y was. No! Lina stopped herself, she wouldn't think about that.

She had to pul herself together. She'd been moping around like a jilted schoolgirl for two weeks. She'd been hurt before, why should this time be any different? It wasn't like she was going through another divorce.

Lina stared, unseeing, down the hal . It wasn't like a divorce. It was worse. Why did she feel Like part of her - the best part of her - was missing?

Lina remembered the night she and Hades had watched the soul mates drink from the River Lethe. He had told her that soul mates would always find each other again. But what happened if they were separated by time and worlds? Did their hearts turn into wastelands? Did their capacity for happiness erode until they were just walking shel s, going through the motions of daily living but not real y feeling alive?

That wasn't what was happening to her. Hades couldn't be her soul mate. He had rejected her. She'd just done something she should have been too old to have al owed herself to do. She'd fal en in love with someone she couldn't ever have. She'd made a mistake. She was simply going to have to get over him and get on with her life.

She'd be al right. She'd make it. Time would help it not to hurt so badly. Edith Anne whined while Patchy Poo the Pud rubbed a worried circle around her legs. Lina pushed the sadness away from her heart and straightened her shoulders. "Okay, you two. Let's make some ambrosia cream cheese."

It didn't matter how many times she read it, it stil gave her a weird feeling. The paper that the note and the recipe had been written on was from her private stationary that had CFS printed across the top in the Copperplate Gothic Bold she liked so wel . The words were written in her favorite blue pen, and the handwriting was identical to her own. But she hadn't written it. She'd found it taped to Edith Anne's dog food bin the day Demeter had brought her back. She'd almost ignored it. After al , it had been in her own handwriting. She'd thought it was just an old note she'd written to herself reminding her to get more dog food, or dog treats, or other items of dog paraphernalia. Then the salutation registered in her mind, Dear Lina, and her eyes had moved quickly to the closing, Here's wishing you joy and magic, Persephone. Lina had taken the note into the living room and read it. Then, just as she did now, she thought how bizarre it was that she and Persephone's handwriting was identical.

Dear Lina,

Six months is almost completed. It feels to me that I have been here so much longer -  time passes differently in your world. Mother wil cal for me soon and I want to be certain that you have the recipe for the ambrosia. Our customers love it, and I would not want them to be disappointed.

How odd! I just realized that I cal ed them "our" customers, but I do think of them as that. Your mortals are good people. I shal miss them.

I shal not miss your wretched cat or that horrid slobbering dog, although the black-and-white beast has final y deigned to sleep with me, and yesterday the dog did bark protectively at a stranger who tried to accost me while I was frolicking beside the river.

Perhaps I shal miss them after al .

Remember to have fun with your life, Lina. You have been richly blessed

Here's wishing you joy and magic, @

Persephone

The cream cheese recipe was written neatly on the back of the note. Lina studied it one more time. She didn't want to fol ow it, but Persephone had been right, their customers did love it, and she didn't want to disappoint them either.

She refil ed her glass of pinot grigio, leaving the bottle on the counter next to the crock that she'd already fil ed with softened cream cheese. She didn't need to double check the calendar to see if there was a ful moon. Al she had to do was to glance out the kitchen window. There was no escaping it. A round white moon was hanging brightly in the clear night sky.

"Just get it over with. It's not like you're a stranger to magic." She grabbed a measuring cup from the cabinet. "And stop talking to yourself."

She put the recipe on the counter and began the steps it would take to make ambrosia cream cheese.

Persephone's recipe was wordy. Lina sipped from her glass of wine while she read it.

Fil that pretty yel ow pot -  the one that is the exact color of wild honeysuckles -  with cream cheese. Let the cheese soften. (And Lina, do not use that atrocious low fat concoction others use. Its taste borders on blasphemy.)

Lina couldn't help smiling. She and Persephone had the same attitude about cooking with low fat ingredients.

Next add one cup of your favorite white wine to the cream cheese and mix thoroughly. The specific type of wine is not important, as long as it is not too sweet. (Lina, I have grown quite fond of the lovely Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio I found in your cooler. I certainly hope Mother gives me time to replenish your supply before she exchanges us. If not, I offer my apology for depleting your supply.)

Lina chuckled. "Apology accepted." She had been total y out of white wine when she returned.

After adding the wine to the cream cheese, drink what remains in the rest of the bottle yourself. (Lina, don't underestimate the importance of this step.)

She poured herself another glass of wine after she added the cup to the cream cheese. She tried not to gulp, but she was in a hurry to get done.

The more she drank, the easier it was for her to admit it, Persephone did sound like fun. Lina read the rest of the recipe with a wine-induced smile.

During the night of a ful moon, take the mixture and place it under the old oak tree. You know the one. It is in the courtyard next to the fountain. I sprinkled a little of the magic of Spring there (do not be surprised if you see a nymph or two, although they seem to be very shy about showing themselves in your world). Before you leave the mixture there, you must dance three complete circles around the tree while you focus your thoughts on the sweet beauty of the night. (Lina, there are no particular dance steps you must complete. Simply listen to your soul and frolic! I think your body may surprise you... It has certainly surprised me.)

Lina groaned and re-read the line. It has certainly surprised me. She didn't even want to guess what Persephone meant by that, but the searing looks Scott had given her, and the fact that he had a hard time keeping his hands off her, gave her a pretty good idea. Wel , it wasn't like she'd been particularly chaste in Persephone's body, either. She didn't want to think about that, though. She returned her attention to the end of the recipe.

Retrieve the finished mixture the next morning. You must dilute it ten times for mortal consumption. (Lina, be careful. I can only imagine what would happen if Anton sampled some of it while it was ful -strength.)

"No kidding," Lina muttered. "Talk about a nymph. He'd probably sprout wings and fly." She laughed.

Then she caught herself. Persephone had just made her laugh - twice. And she wasn't even there. No wonder everyone loved her so much.

"Wel , kids," she said to Patchy Poo the Pud and Edith Anne. "I'm going to finish up this last glass of wine, then I'm going to take this honeysuckle-colored crock, put it under an old tree, do some quick frolicking before I pour myself into bed." She hiccupped and her pets stared at her with accusatory eyes. They always seemed to know when she'd had too much to drink. Lina wrapped an arm around the crock and started wearily for the door. Edith Anne, of course, stood directly in her way.