Read Online The Nymph's Curse: The Collection by Danica Winters - Free Book Online Page A

something
great
by now?”
    Ariadne gritted her teeth.
She has no idea what I’m capable of, one of these days she’ll be shocked … but then again, I’ve been saying that for so long.
She sighed.
Nothing’s ever going to change.
    Tammy glared at Kat. “It’s a cruel joke that the gods made you such a power-hungry harlot and her such a meek soul. But the gods always have a way of making things right.”
    “Ariadne already wasted her chance at becoming great when she ostracized herself from the god Dionysus. He pitied her and offered her his hand, but she couldn’t handle his infidelities — I think she couldn’t please him.” Kat smirked. “Hadn’t you heard about her fall from grace?”
    Ariadne’s cheeks flushed, and a thin veil of sweat covered her forehead. “Stop it.”
    “What did you say?” Kat snarled. “Don’t think that because you finally have someone who feels sorry for you, that you can stand up to me. That’s a battle you will lose … Or are you trying to hide the truth of your past from your little ally?”
    A squeal of a microphone came from the tent. “Ladies and gentlemen, we would like to present to you our beloved, honorable Governor Kakos!” A round of applause followed.
    “Let’s go,” Kat ordered. Standing up, she sauntered off ahead of them.
    “I’m sorry,” Tammy said. “Ya need to find your tongue and use it to lash that woman down.”
    “Katarina saved our most sacred relic from being destroyed. She holds a high esteem within our sisterhood. If I go against her, it would be like going against everything we hold sacred. I would be going against all my sisters.”
    “She ain’t without flaw.” Tammy smirked. “And just because she did one great thing, doesn’t mean that ya don’t get to stand up for yourself or what ya believe in.”
    While Ariadne had been talking, someone had rolled up the sides of the tent, allowing the ocean breeze to clear the scents of the mass of people. Beau’s equipment had been removed and in its place were white folding chairs and a water cooler for the reporters who filled the seats. Kat led the way into the tent and forced her way into the farthest corner from Stavros, who stood behind the makeshift podium at the front of the tent.
    Bunny sat in a seat in the back, far removed from the man who Ariadne had seen standing between the woman’s thighs. Stavros tilted his head in greeting, but she pretended to ignore the gesture and instead took a seat next to a handsome young reporter, right behind Kat.
    “Thank you all for coming,” Stavros started. “As you all know, Crete is the greatest place on earth. We are blessed with agricultural richness, bountiful marine life, and the most beautiful women.” The crowd laughed.
    His charm was magnetic and his charisma undeniable. Watching him in action as he worked the crowd reminded her why she had dated the man for so many years. He had many public qualities that made him a fine catch, but she could never forgive him for all the wrongs he had inflicted. He was no different from any of the men of her past.
    A warm hand touched her shoulder and she jerked.
    “Is he always like this when he speaks?” Beau whispered into her ear.
    She smiled when she looked up and saw her rescuer. “Yes. He’s a politician.”
    “Well, he’s good.” Beau growled. “Did he tell you what he’s planning?”
    Her guilt gnawed at her when she looked at Beau’s handsome face. He didn’t deserve what they were doing to him … no, what
she
was doing to him. If only he’d chosen a different location … she would not have been forced to stop him.
    “I’m so sorry — ”
    “It sounds like he wants to bring in tourists who will pay to take part in the dig,” he interrupted. “He’s gonna try to get a bunch of slobbering yuppies to shovel in my site.”
    “What?” Ariadne whispered, her gaze flashed toward the blabbering politician.
    “I was afraid they’d shut down the site for repatriation and