Sun God Seeks…Surrogate? (Accidentally Yours #3)(57)
Author: Mimi Jean Pamfiloff

“Penelope,” Kinich warned, “tell whichever of my brothers is turning on the charm to can it. You are taken.”

Taken? I am? My heart did a victory lap. He was jealous…Oh yeah!

“Really now? That’s not what you said last night,” I mumbled quietly into my hand.

“I said nothing last night,” he growled.

“Exactly.”

Again, he growled. “We will discuss this later, woman.”

“Maybe. Maybe not.” Okay. I was being a little petty. But dammit. He so deserved it.

“Yes, we will. Because my brothers are off-limits.”

“Eternity is a long time to spend alone, Minotaur. So why don’t you make up your mind.”

“Uh-hum.” Someone cleared their throat.

I looked up and found the other gods glaring. Except for Zac. He was still smiling.

“Sorry.” I rose from the seat as Kinich had instructed. “I call this Summit of the House of the Gods to order on this day of…”

Gabrán quickly chimed in. “December twenty-first.”

Why did I know that date?

My mother’s birthday?

No.

Jess’s or Anne’s? No. Their b-days were in the summer.

BOGO day at Macy’s shoe department?

Nope.

“It is the day of the Mayan apo…blah blah blah,” Kinich’s voice faded to nothing.

“Sorry? But did you say apocalypse?”

“Yes. The Maya prophesied that the end of the world would start today.”

Holy shit! “Apocalypse! Today? Well, hell. You could’ve told me, Kinich!”

I felt a firm grasp on my hand. “It is nothing to worry about, Penelope. They were a superstitious people.” Zac’s smoldering, hypnotic gaze was relentless.

“Sorry, but,” I asked, “what are you the god of? Can’t recall.”

He smiled brightly. “When I figure that out, you’ll be the first to know.” He lifted my hand and planted a lingering kiss.

“Fucking saints! Off. Limits. Penelope,” Kinich barked.

My entire body tensed up. “What? I didn’t do anything.”

“I feel every goddamned sensation in your body. And right now you’re reacting to something.”

Hmmm. Was I? Okay, maybe a little. But Zac was hot. Who couldn’t help but be a teensy bit flattered? In any case, it was an innocent appreciation of an astoundingly handsome male, but it didn’t run within a spit’s distance of what I felt for Kinich.

Regardless…

“Afraid of a little competition?” I prodded.

“Grrrr,” was all I heard in response.

A satisfied grin swept across my face.

“Alrighty. I hereby call to order the Summit of the Gods. Who among you wishes to nominate a topic for the agenda?”

Instantly, four hands shot into the air.

“Kinich? I can’t remember. Do I go counterclockwise or clockwise?” I whispered.

“Clockwise. The gods are seated around the table according to their rank and power. Except for the Bacabs, who sit in accordance with North, South, East, and West.”

“What’s a Bacab?” I whispered.

“They are the eldest four and therefore slightly more powerful than the rest—except for those of us whose gifts are based physical powers.”

I made a mental note to forget that bit of foolishness as soon as possible.

The first topic, as expected, was nominated by Guy and received unanimous consent to be added to the agenda. Suicide lady asked to discuss a rotation of powers. Apparently she nominated this topic every summit, but everyone voted her down because nobody wanted to risk inheriting her position.

Poor, poor lady.

Next came the topic of what to do about Kinich’s and my predicament. Also unanimous. Finally, the Mistress of Bees, who wore a bright yellow, formfitting satin jumpsuit and very large beehive on her head, nominated to address the recent surge in pirated e-books, but no one seemed to know what an e-reader was, so they declined.

“Okay, then.” I clapped my hands together. “I hereby close the nominations for—”

“I have a topic, Penelope,” Kinich chimed in. “Two, actually.”

“Oh, sorry. Didn’t see your hand.” I looked around the table. “Kinich has two topics,” I informed everyone since they couldn’t hear him.

“I request that the House of the Gods discuss and call to a vote the banning of deity procreation.”

I gulped. “You mean…”

“Yes, the banning of the making of Payals.”

He wanted to make me—well, more of me—illegal?

“Penelope, humans and gods were not meant to bear children. It goes against the natural order of the universe and there are consequences when we take such action.”

Kinich sighed. Obviously, he could sense my shock and despair. Even my hair follicles were sad.

“Penelope, you must understand. It is my duty to protect humanity. I cannot look the other way simply because I have feelings for you.”

Did he truly believe my life was a mistake? An abomination that would destroy mankind? Me? I couldn’t even cook, so attributing the destruction of civilization to me was a pretty far stretch.

And I couldn’t help where I came from or who my ancestors were any more than I could help that I had a deity stuck inside my body.

Well…well…fine! He’d made his feelings known. What could I do aside from pretend he hadn’t mortally wounded me?

I squared my shoulders and looked up, realizing that the entire room waited with baited breath. “Um…he wants to put the banning of making more Payals to a vote.”

There was a communal nod, but no reactions. Seemed everyone had been expecting this.

I counted the raised hands around the table. There were five: Belch, She-Ra, Suicide, Bees, and Eclipses.

Bees gave me a sympathetic glance while waving her hand in front of her face to see through the swarm of bees circling her head. “I’m sorry, Penelope, but I think we should, at least, hear what Kinich has to say.”

Guy suddenly stood up and pounded his hands on the table, “You are all fools! Fools! And I’m warning you now, if you side with Kinich, I will not obey.”

Bees’ tiny yellow subjects began circling faster. “Then you will be banished permanently.”

Zac chimed in. “We have not agreed to discuss the matter. There must be a majority vote. Only five hands have been raised.”

All heads turned toward me.

“How do you vote, Kinich?” Zac asked.