THE SOUND of footsteps jarred Juno out of the darkness of her memories. With her mind refocused, she realized she was back within the castle in Sicily. She gazed around, confused and tried to spot the source of the interruption. Amid the gloomy shadows of the tower door stood Apollo. Juno hid the confusion and annoyance on her face.
Juno needed to fix her mess before she could walk over to Apollo,. Moments prior, she used the scrying bowl to review images of her past. Now, she acted to hide any evidence. Although her memories were not confidential in any way, she did not want him to see some of her most painful recollections. She pulled a pinch of sand from her pouch and sprinkled it over the magical bowl. With a wave of her hand, she whispered, “Finite.” The replay of her past disappeared from the surface of the water.
With her most seductive face, Juno slinked toward Apollo, sexier than the best of sirens. “What brings you here, my darling? Weren’t you preparing the archers?” Juno circled his figure and leaned in to run her teeth down the edge of his ear. Biting lightly, she pulled away.
It did not matter how much time he and Juno spent together. Her scent still affected him in an intoxicating way. A hint of jasmine washed over his senses; he struggled to keep his face from responding to her physicality. Juno was more than a woman to him. She was a temptation and the physical embodiment of sensuality. He may be repulsed by her actions, but he could not control himself when he was around her body. Apollo tried to act nonchalant as he steadied his voice,. “There’s no point in helping the archers. They are positioned on the wrong side of the castle. Invaders will be able to surmount the wall with little effort while the boiling tar is placed above a wall that is too high for it to ever be needed.”
Juno smiled. A few hours earlier, she was thinking the same thought. Perhaps Apollo was smarter than he appeared. “I agree. What brings you to my lonely tower, my sweet?” She smiled. Even in the darkness, Juno saw Apollo watching her figure with hunger in his eyes. With slow deliberate strides, she allowed her hips to sway hypnotically. In one fluid motion, she sat down upon the settee. In a nonchalant manner, she shifted her skirt from her legs so Apollo could see the full length of her calves and thighs.
Apollo skulked toward her, feeling like the entire world stopped revolving around the poles. In its place, the new pole shifted to this very room. Nothing changed or moved in the tower while life revolved at its own pace in the world outside. In his chest, his heart beat ever faster as he cursed his lack of control. Before him sat the last woman he wanted to be with, but the only person he was physically mated to. He wondered absentmindedly what Juno did before he arrived. He opened his mouth to ask, but forgot his question as he caught her scent again. He gazed down her full body. “I… wanted to see you again,” he said.
Those words gave Juno much pleasure. “Well, here I am.” She leaned back along the couch and ran her fingers down the side of her neck. At the center of her bosom, she pulled on two strings that held her peasant blouse together. Her outer garment fell open to reveal a dark purple camisole that attempted to hide her nipples beneath them.
Unable to resist any longer, Apollo spread his legs across her body and pinned her to the settee. Without waiting to ask, he ripped her shirt into two pieces with one hand. Her camisole still hid her breasts from his view. Apollo glanced up at Juno as he reached for the straps of the camisole. He pushed the straps down her shoulders and allowed her breasts to break free from the constraints of clothing.
Apollo glanced up at her face and caught a fleeting glance that unnerved him. Unguarded for a brief second in time, her glance appeared almost loving or caring. Before the exact nature of her expression registered itself in his mind, Juno smiled and the moment evaporated. While ignoring this thought for the moment, Apollo lowered his head to her breast and began to lick her nipples. Her round, firm breasts were malleable beneath his giant hands. Ravenous and unsatisfied, Apollo knew he needed her. He also knew he would never stop needing her like this. Each curve of her body tempted him into a never-ending game of seduction.
Beneath his fondling, Juno moaned. Distracted by her memories, she did not realize how much she needed him until this moment. Her legs spread, she forced him between her thighs. With her skirt pulled up, he caught sight of the gentle slope of her thighs and the soft mound between that welcomed him. He could no longer hold back. His head tingled with anticipation as it delved into her wetness. A low guttural moan escaped from within as he thrust his entire shaft into her.
Juno arched her back as she received the satisfaction she needed. Slight whimpers of desire rose from her lips as she urged him on. Her legs wrapped tightly around his form, she pushed her hips against his. The rocking and insatiable desire that emanated from her body only turned Apollo on more. He needed this. If this moment lasted forever, it would be his version of heaven. He thrust into her body deeper; she moaned and dug her nails deeply into his back. The sudden pain served as a catalyst for him and brought him closer to orgasm. Beneath his body, Juno’s body started to clench as orgasm approached. With their urges taking over, the couple came as one in a fit of ecstasy. In her mind, Juno floated away from the memories, the doubts and the stresses of the day. The only thing that existed was the body of Apollo and the sensation of him inside of her.
Juno moved Apollo’s body off hers as the bright, vivid sensation of orgasm waned from her mind, . His spent figure draped like a Greek god across the settee. Juno stepped away to admire Apollo’s form. Long, lean muscles stretched taut across his chest and arms. His golden hair was tousled from their recent exertion and his weary eyes followed Juno. The daily preparations for the daemon war took their toll on him. Juno smiled at him. In the last few months, she grew close to Apollo. Without realizing it, she even started developing feelings for him. She tried to hide it, but her emotions remained. With a sigh, Juno turned away. For sirens, having feelings was never a good idea. Without thinking about it, she rubbed the tip of her nipple as she stood above him. Only her skirt remained on. Her shirt was ruined, but it did not bother her. She would take Apollo’s button-up shirt later.
Juno looked back at Apollo. He would be asleep in a few moments, but she did not feel like waiting. She slid her fingers over his eyelids and muttered a quiet incantation. In seconds, Apollo fell asleep.
Juno wandered over to the scrying basin again and waved her hand across the surface of the water. In moments, the memories of her past appeared.
***
Her mother, Circe, sat in front of Juno. The cold anger in her eyes remained barely hidden as she demanded the name of her lover. Young Juno winced. She may be naive, but she never doubted her mother’s ability to kill. Death would be the least terrible thing a full-fledged siren could do to Supay. Juno tried to think about what to do as her mother coolly asked for the man’s name again.