Read Online The Gatekeeper's Secret: Gatekeeper's Saga, Book Five (The Gatekeeper's Saga) by Eva Pohler - Free Book Online

your wedding.”
    “No, I’m sorry.” Therese felt terrible. She could see she had taken some of the joy away from her aunt.
    Tears formed in Carol’s eyes. “It was a silly idea. She’d steal the attention away from you, where it should be.”
    “I, I just want to keep things simple.” She knew she was breaking her aunt’s heart. Tears flooded her own eyes, but she refused to let them fall. “I’m sorry.”
    “That’s okay.” Carol patted Therese’s knee and gave her a big smile. “It’s no big deal. I’m just happy for you.”
    Carol stood up and then bent over and kissed Therese on the forehead. “I love you, sweetie. We’ll talk more in the morning.”
    “I love you, too.”
    “Lights off?”
    “Sure.”
    “Merry Christmas Eve Eve.”
    “Merry Christmas Eve Eve.”
    As soon as Carol left and closed the door, Therese hugged Clifford.
    Clifford licked a tear from her cheek. “She doesn’t understand,” he barked.
    “I know, boy,” Therese said. She wiped her eyes on the bed sheet. “Come on. We better get going. I’m looking forward to driving the chariot tonight. That will cheer me up.”
    She opened the bedroom window, where her parents were still perched, looking in on her.
    “It’ll be okay, Sweet Pea,” her father chirped.
    Her mom asked, “What doesn’t Carol understand? I thought having Lynn as a flower girl was a lovely idea.”
    “She wants to keep it simple,” her father said.
    “I better go,” Therese said, evading the conversation. “I hear a dog trapped in a tar pit in Oklahoma City. I’ll see you two later.”
    Hades had urged Therese to take his chariot instead of Stormy in the event Zeus decided to act before her wedding day, so, with Clifford following behind, she ran up the mountain where Swift and Sure were waiting.
    “Hey, boys,” she said to the horses. “Thanks for waiting for me. Are you ready to go?”
    They neighed an affirmative.
    With her sadness over the wedding plans replaced by total excitement, she climbed into the chariot beside Clifford, took the reins, and launched into the bright night.
    There was something thrilling about riding in a chariot, especially this one. Apollo’s and Poseidon’s each had their perks—Apollo’s was pulled by beautiful flaming horses and Poseidon’s could move like lightning underwater—but only Hades’s chariot had the ability to cut into the narrowest of passageways and turn on a dime in any direction. As frightening as her life had become among the gods, zipping through the sky behind Swift and Sure reminded her how much she loved it.
    ***
     
    When Hip finally arrived in mortal form to visit Jen in her bedroom that night, the first thing he said was, “I can’t stay long.”
    Enough already. She was tired of never spending real time with him.
    “What? Why not?” Jen asked.
    “I’ve been covering for Than, and now I have to return to my own duties,” he explained. “But I wanted to drop by in between to snatch a kiss from you in person. They taste so much better this way.”
    He leaned over where she lay and touched his mouth to hers.
    She had to admit the kiss was exquisite. A soft, involuntary moan escaped her throat.
    He squeezed her shoulders and looked at her longingly. “You make me so happy,” he said.
    She felt the same way but didn’t say it. Even though they rarely met outside of her dreams, every minute with him was worth the long wait.
    He kissed her again. His flesh against her flesh was warm, and his breath smelled like musk. She pushed her fingers through his hair and held onto him. Maybe he could be the one to help her get over her issues. As he leaned closer and allowed the weight of his upper body to lie against her, she heard him groan. Her grip moved from his hair to his shoulders. He felt so good. She could barely breathe, but she didn’t care.
    “I have to go,” he said, though he remained on top of her.
    She was partly relieved, though she wanted him to stay. She said