Chapter 1

PSAMATHE

The early morning sun shone off the crystal blue surface of the sea, and the sound of waves whispering across the sand was music to my ears. There was something so peaceful about this time of day on the beach. The tourists were yet to arrive and it was impossible to tell what century it was.

At moments like this, the world felt truly timeless.

I leaned my forearms against the railing of the terrace of The Phoke . A light breeze ruffled through my hair, bringing with it the salty scent of the sea.

Many of the other gods preferred city life, but that wasn't for me. The beach was where I belonged, the perfect combination of the land and sea.

Without meaning to, my gaze slipped to the other side of the cove where the first checks of the day were happening at the seal sanctuary. A figure emerged from one of the huts, and even from this distance, I could see that it was Zale going about his rounds, checking on the various seals under his care. I shouldn't be able to tell who he was from this distance, but over the years, I'd come to know the various workers at the sanctuary.

He turned in my direction and raised a hand in greeting.

I waved back, just like I did every time we were out here at the same time in the morning. Neither of us said anything about it, but it was also something we always did, and it always brightened my day, even if there was no real reason for that.

Footsteps against the wooden boards drew my attention, taking me somewhat by surprise. Only a few members of staff were around right now, and they were all inside setting up the resort for the morning rush.

"Hello, Psamathe, I was told I'd find you out here."

"Aphrodite," I said without turning around. "I didn't see your name in our booking system." Which raised a lot of questions about what she was doing here.

"I came via the god realm," she responded. "Though the views are beautiful, perhaps I should book a suite."

"I'm sure all of our rooms would be booked the day after with people trying to catch your attention." It wouldn't be the worst thing.

"Then I'd have to disappoint them, I have a boyfriend."

I finally looked at the beautiful blonde goddess, somewhat surprised. As far as I knew, it had been years since she'd seriously dated anyone. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to ask for a favour," she said, coming to stand beside me and flipping her perfectly curled blonde hair over her shoulder. Even on the beach in the early morning, every inch of her was perfect. And infuriating as a result.

"I wasn't aware I owed you one."

"You don't," she responded. "But I'm hoping the offer is enticing enough as it is."

I had to admit to being intrigued. The only thing she could possibly want from me was the resort, and I supposed it really wouldn't be that bad to have her name on a testimonial. "All right, what's the favour?"

"We'd like to hold a Jinx Dating Agency event at your resort."

I raised an eyebrow. "A Jinx event?"

"Yes, it's the dating agency set up by Aine, she's a Celtic love goddess."

"I know who she is, and what Jinx is." I lived in a Greek beach resort, not under a rock. I knew all about the dating agency set up by love gods from around the world. "Why here?"

"Because it's a beautiful venue," Aphrodite said. "And La Sirene could easily make a stop here."

"The cruise ship?"

She nodded. "It would only be for one night. And we'll pay handsomely. You can vet the guest list if you want to. We wouldn't let anyone through the door that you don't want to be in your hotel."

"Hmm." I looked out across the cove and considered the benefits. I knew there were a lot of advantages to saying yes to her. The resort was doing fine, but it could always do better, and having several major gods come for an event would appeal to the clientele I wanted.

On the other hand, it was Aphrodite, she wasn't exactly known for her generosity.

"If I say yes, half of the ticket price has to be donated to charity," I said.

"All right," Aphrodite responded.

I did a double-take. "You're not going to argue with me on that one?"

"Of course not. For one, I don't actually work for Jinx, I'm an independent contractor. And one of the stipulations I have is that I only organise events that also raise money for charity. If you have one in mind, then that makes my job easier."

"Oh." I looked over to where the seals were lounging in the early morning sun. Zale was no longer anywhere to be seen, but that was to be expected with how much I knew they needed to do with their day. "I'm sure I can think of something."

She nodded. "That would be great. If it's something that benefits the island, that's even better."

"When did you have in mind for the event?"

"Next Tuesday."

I took a deep breath. "That's not giving me much time to prepare."

"You don't have to," Aphrodite assured me. "Put me in contact with someone at the charity you want, and I'll do the rest. We can bring outside caterers in if we need to."

"That shouldn't be necessary, I have enough staff to handle it." I'd need to green-light some extra shifts, but that wouldn't be a problem.

"Then it sounds like we're in agreement." She held out her hand for me to shake.

Tentatively, I reached out and took it.

"I look forward to working with you, Psamathe."

"Most people call me Sama these days."

"Sama it is," she responded, dropping my hand and looking out over the sea. "It's very romantic here."

"Presumably why you want to have a dating event at my hotel," I said.

"One of the reasons. We want events all around the world so everyone gets a chance at love."

I raised an eyebrow. "And a Greek island is your next destination?"

"Greece has brought many people love."

I snorted. "Of course it has." I wasn't sure stories of love featuring the goddess beside me counted as tales of romance.

"You could use it as a chance to find someone yourself," Aphrodite suggested, not seeming to share my disbelief.

I rolled my eyes. "Is that all you love goddesses can think about?"

"You can't say anything, you're a beach goddess who runs a resort," she responded, waving her hand towards the pristine beach in front of us.

"Mmm."

"But you could. There'll be plenty of people coming, it's a good chance to see if you hit it off with someone."

"What's the point when I already met the love of my life?" I asked.

"Proteus? That was thousands of years ago, Sama."

I shrugged and looked out to the sea.

"Why didn't you make him immortal if you didn't want to lose him?"

"I wasn't a goddess yet," I responded, looking out at the sea and remembering the man from Egypt I'd loved with all my heart. It might have been thousands of years, but I wasn't sure how I could possibly replace him. Even at the suggestion of a love goddess.

"But you are now. I'm sure he wouldn't want you to be alone."

"I'm not alone." One of the seals slipped off a rock and disappeared into the sea, oblivious to my watching.

"If you insist." Something in her tone said she didn't believe me, but I knew there was no arguing with her. Aphrodite's stubborn streak was almost as strong as her jealous one. "Well, I should get started on the plans. If you wouldn't mind getting me the contact details for the charity, I'd appreciate it. And if it's for animals, I might even be able to get Horus to leave his sanctuary in order to come, I heard he has a new girlfriend who might like a romantic getaway."

"That would be something." I didn't know the Egyptian god very well, but that was mostly because he kept to himself.

"I'll see you soon, Sama." She waved and headed back into the hotel, presumably so she could make her way over to the god realm portal on the other side of the island.

I sighed and looked out at the calming waves of the ocean. I hoped I wasn't about to regret agreeing to her proposition.