Soul Kissed by Courtney Cole

broad chest as he moved. He was Apollo’s son through and through. 
    He smiled and I felt warmed from head to toe.  “I promise I’ll behave,” he said solemnly.  I paused a scant second longer before I folded into his arms, leaning my forehead against the warm skin of his chest.
    He smelled like heaven and his warmth enveloped me like a blanket.  I sighed contentedly. 
    “Okay.  Now relax,” he instructed me again.  “Nothing will disturb you.  I promise you that.”
    He sounded so sure of himself, so brave.  He had absolutely no idea of what kind of monsters actually existed out in the world.  His mortal mind had never seen true evil.  But I had.  And I knew that in his current, untrained state, Brennan was no match for any of it.  But regardless, I did feel comforted and safe in his strong arms.  I would worry about training him tomorrow.  Tonight, I would let him hold me. 
    My eyelids closed and I felt his lips softly graze my temple. 
    “Sleep well,” he said gently.  I snuggled closer to him, absorbing his radiant warmth.  Picturing my mother in my mind, I ran her through my consciousness on a loop.  Before I knew it, I was drifting off and I found myself standing in a cold, hazy place. 
    I looked around in confusion. 
    This wasn’t my mother’s dream.  It looked like eternal stark winter here.  White fog swirled in cold funnels, while gray sky closed in all around me.  Dead, blackened trees dotted the horizon and the wind howled.  I shivered, rubbing my arms to warm them. My body heat was being sucked out more and more by the second.
    This had to be the Wastelands.  I’d heard of it before.  It was a place that existed between reality and the subconscious.  The Fates, the three sisters who used to control destiny, had used this place as a punishment for those who dared go against them.  The Fates took their emotions and their souls…and left them here. 
    I looked around at the vast expanse surrounding me.  That didn’t explain why I was here now.  The Fates had been imprisoned in the Underworld. They couldn’t do a thing to anyone.
    As I pondered it, I couldn’t help but notice the horrifyingly sad atmosphere.  Every moment that I was here, I felt more and more forlorn and sad.  It was quickly becoming overwhelming.  I closed my eyes, anxious to leave.  If a person spent much time here, they would rapidly grow suicidal.
    “Wait,” a deep voice said. “Don’t leave yet.”
    My eyes flew open to find a man standing in front of me, almost consumed by the swirling fog. His long black robes seemed to swirl with the mist, all the way down to his bare toes.  His head was shaved and inky black Egyptian script was tattooed on his hands.  His eyes were onyx black and glittered as he stared at me.  It was impossible to guess his age.  But if I had to hazard one, I would say he was ancient.
    “Yes?” I answered, as bravely as I could.  I forced my feet to remain still and not step away.
    “I was sent here by your mother,” the man said.  “I brought you to this neutral place because it is safer.”
    “My mother?” I asked.  “Where is she?”
    He ignored my question.  “Hecate knows that you seek her,” he said quietly, his voice hoarse with years and wisdom.  “It is not safe for you to find her just now.  You must stay away.”
    My eyes narrowed on their own accord.  “How do I know that you aren’t lying? Perhaps you have done something with her yourself.”
    The man threw his head back and laughed, a creepy, unsettling sound, and in that instant, I realized that I knew him.
    “I’ve seen you before,” I whispered.  “Somewhere.  But I cannot remember where. Do I know you?”
    He shook his head.  “No, you don’t.   But I know you.”
    As he moved, I caught a whiff of his scent and recognition dawned on me.  “You were with Harmonia in the Underworld,” I said cautiously.  “Your name is Ahmose, correct?”
    He nodded.  “Yes, that