Gilded Ruins by Chantal Gadoury
Series: Blinding Night #2
Publication date: May 12th, 2020
Publisher: Parliament House
Synopsis (according to Goodreads):
The Story Continues...
Summer and Darce are summoned by the order of Zeus himself to travel to the home of the Gods: Mount Olympus, where they're to face even more ancient Gods and Goddesses.
Summer braces to confront her mother again, illuminating secrets about the truth of her tragic pasts, while also persuading Zeus to allow her to stay with the God of the Underworld, her true love--Darce.
Aboard Poseidon's luxury yacht, Summer meets her mythological family, while also uncovering what exactly happened to her past lives--and the true roles her mother and Darce played.
When Darce and Summer suddenly find themselves separated, Summer must find her inner power and unite them together, before her mortal time runs out.
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Trailer
Excerpt
"So you're the human in love with Hades. Summer was it?" a voice said, startling me from behind. I turned sharply, finding myself staring into another set of almond-shaped eyes. The man was lean, but broad shouldered. His eyes were dark, his brows thick, and his lips were full; nearly a perfect shade of soft pink. A distinct crease could be seen on his lower lip, like a dimple. He was different from the others, dressing most similarly to Darce--a dark blue suit, a softer blue shirt, and a patterned tie with dress pants.
He flashed me a white-toothed grin as he came to stand closer next to me. I leaned back against the cold, metal railing. He was uncomfortably close to invading my personal space."
"And you are?" I asked, raising a curious brow.
"Eros," he said with a broader grin. "I'm sure you've heard of me."
"Oh," I replied with a nod. "Right, you're Cupid..."
"Yes, Cupid to some. Eros by most." He chuckled, sliding his hands into his pants pocket slowly, lazily, just like Darce. Eros crossed to the other side of the railing, and I inched away a fraction. I didn't like how he snuck up on me.
"Nice to meet you." It sounded more like a question, but I also wasn't trying to force myself to be as nice as I had before. Besides, he had completely caught me off guard and I didn't think he had exactly earned my forced courteousness.
"I've met plenty of human girls just like you," he said gently. "But I never would have guessed you to be the reincarnation of Persephone. There's nothing... unique about you."
"Aren't you supposed to be smooth and romantic?" I wrinkled my nose, feeling slightly wounded by his insult--intentional or not. "Is that what you say to all the women you meet?" He laughed as his chees turned a shade of pink. "Fair enough, though I'm not here to seduce you. It wasn't my best line, I'll admit that. I hope you know I didn't mean anything by it. More simply that... I thought you'd look more... ethereal."
"I hope you don't help people with compliments like that," I retorted, doing my best to stifle my own smile. He seemed suddenly uneasy, sliding another hand nervously through his hair.
"I suppose it would be best if I just stop talking," Eros said. "This never happens."
"Why do I doubt that?" I crossed my arms against my chest. "There are plenty of people who have the worst pick-up lines, and it seems you must have been the one who invented them all." He lifted a finger, as if pondering before shaking his head.
"Not all."
I turned, drawing my gaze back to the ocean. I wanted to roll my eyes, but it felt strange, suddenly, to roll my eyes at the God of Love. I hadn't taken the time to consider what he might have looked like, other than a winged, cherubic baby with strappy sandals--but that was the Hallmark version of Cupid. This guy? He was woefully underwhelming which was ironic for someone who played the dealer in the game of love.
Irony at its best.
After a moment, I saw him extend his hand out to me from the corner of my eye.
"Let me begin again," he said coolly, "I'm Eros. To some, I'm known as Cupid. I'm the God of Love, and a far cry, it seems from being the master of pick-up lines."
There was humor in his voice, and it made me smile. I looked at his hand and hesitated for a moment, before slipping mine into his.
"Summer Mavros," I began. "Human, as everyone so graciously points out."
He tilted his chin; I could feel his dark gaze sweeping the length of me and lingering on my eyes before nodding. It seemed like he was sizing me up.
"Pleasure to meet you, Summer."
As he relaxed against the railing, I noticed a pair of white feathered wings began to unfurl from his back. They reminded me of Morpheus' wings, though, his were much larger. How had I not seen them until now?
"Do you hide your wings?" I asked with wide eyes. Eros shrugged. "From time to time. I find them to be somewhat of a nuisance out and about. Though it hurts my back to have them tucked in all the time."
"Why aren't you hiding them now then?"
"Aren't I in the company of family now? If we can't be ourselves in front of our own family, who else can we trust?"
I resisted the urge to respond, "you're preaching to the wrong girl," but instead, bit my tongue. I didn't know his relationship to my mother or Darce yet, and both Morpheus and Darce had warned me to be careful.
"How do you get wings?" I asked instead. "I know not all of you have them."
"A few of us do, yes,"
Eros said with a nod. "I suppose they come with our jobs. Hermes delivers messages. I deliver love, and Morpheus delivers dreams."
"Well, they're beautiful." Maybe not as lovely as Morpheus's wings, but... beautiful all the same.
As I turned my gaze back out toward the sea, the small port we had launched from was completely gone now. No foreseeable land for miles.
I wished I had my phone then. I really wanted to take a photo of the water--the way it sparkled in the sunlight. It reminded me of photographs I had seen in a gallery at college. A classmate had gone to the shore and captured close-up shots of crabs and shells; the sun nestling against the gentle current of the sea, children eating cotton candy with their fingers on the pier, and a woman sorting through a pile of shells on the beach. It wasn't my own memory, but I could imagine it just as if it were. This quiet place would have been a wonderful hideaway to sneak off to and paint all the things that began to filter through my mind. Perhaps someday I could persuade Darce to escape back to the sea with me; just him and I.
"If we had a someday.
"You really don't remember me, do you?" Eros asked, breaking the tense silence between us.
"Remember?" I looked at him, feeling a little lost. Was I supposed to remember him?
"Persephone and I had been close friends once. Before she had gone away to the Underworld, she used to tease me that my arrows hadn't struck her on purpose. She claimed I had a lousy aim." He snorted. A small smile grew on his lips, and I almost wished I could see what he was remembering.
"But when she returned, she had a glow of love around her. A glow I had never quite seen before. It became clear to me as Persephone spoke of Hades, it was a sort of love beyond what I was capable of sharing.
"I'm sorry to say, I only remember some things," I admitted. "And they only appear in broken images. Like a poorly directed indie movie."
Eros nodded again, as if he were taking my words into special consideration. "I suppose this could be an opportunity for us to begin anew."
Tucking a stray hair behind my ear, I smiled--almost feeling slightly childish.
"You want to be my friend?"
"Is that so unbelievable?"
"Coming from the God of Love? Yes!" I laughed. "I've never had any luck with love."
"I'm a horrible shot," he replied with a wink. "Ares never hesitates to point it out, but just between the two of us... I could never pry him away from Aphrodite, even with my strongest arrow."
Ares was the only one I hadn't met yet, but somehow I believed Eros. "Have you ever accidentally shot someone with one of your love arrows?"
"More than once," Eros admitted, wrinkling his nose. "I can't say it's a pretty sight either."
I pressed my hand to my mouth, giggling softly.
"Who?"
"Oh, I've made a few celebrities fall in love at first sight. Some have stayed together, tended to the jewel of love." He pressed a hand to his heart for effect. "And some have allowed it to fade away. It's happened over the span of several centuries. Kings. Princes. Milkmaids. Servants. Warriors. Baristas..."
"Baristas? That seems a little random," I said with a laugh.
"I do enjoy myself a coffee or two from time to time. Spreading love should always begin with a cup of something as delightful as coffee. And I might have tipped the barista with an arrow of love. Which resulted in a first date, an engagement ring and a lifetime of happiness.
He watched me as he flexed his wings out and took a step away from the rail. I rolled my eyes. He had an ego on him--that was for sure.
"Are you for real?" I asked with a laugh.
He flashed me a sincere smile. "As real as they come."
Another tacky one-liner. He didn't seem to miss a beat.
He flashed me a white-toothed grin as he came to stand closer next to me. I leaned back against the cold, metal railing. He was uncomfortably close to invading my personal space."
"And you are?" I asked, raising a curious brow.
"Eros," he said with a broader grin. "I'm sure you've heard of me."
"Oh," I replied with a nod. "Right, you're Cupid..."
"Yes, Cupid to some. Eros by most." He chuckled, sliding his hands into his pants pocket slowly, lazily, just like Darce. Eros crossed to the other side of the railing, and I inched away a fraction. I didn't like how he snuck up on me.
"Nice to meet you." It sounded more like a question, but I also wasn't trying to force myself to be as nice as I had before. Besides, he had completely caught me off guard and I didn't think he had exactly earned my forced courteousness.
"I've met plenty of human girls just like you," he said gently. "But I never would have guessed you to be the reincarnation of Persephone. There's nothing... unique about you."
"Aren't you supposed to be smooth and romantic?" I wrinkled my nose, feeling slightly wounded by his insult--intentional or not. "Is that what you say to all the women you meet?" He laughed as his chees turned a shade of pink. "Fair enough, though I'm not here to seduce you. It wasn't my best line, I'll admit that. I hope you know I didn't mean anything by it. More simply that... I thought you'd look more... ethereal."
"I hope you don't help people with compliments like that," I retorted, doing my best to stifle my own smile. He seemed suddenly uneasy, sliding another hand nervously through his hair.
"I suppose it would be best if I just stop talking," Eros said. "This never happens."
"Why do I doubt that?" I crossed my arms against my chest. "There are plenty of people who have the worst pick-up lines, and it seems you must have been the one who invented them all." He lifted a finger, as if pondering before shaking his head.
"Not all."
I turned, drawing my gaze back to the ocean. I wanted to roll my eyes, but it felt strange, suddenly, to roll my eyes at the God of Love. I hadn't taken the time to consider what he might have looked like, other than a winged, cherubic baby with strappy sandals--but that was the Hallmark version of Cupid. This guy? He was woefully underwhelming which was ironic for someone who played the dealer in the game of love.
Irony at its best.
After a moment, I saw him extend his hand out to me from the corner of my eye.
"Let me begin again," he said coolly, "I'm Eros. To some, I'm known as Cupid. I'm the God of Love, and a far cry, it seems from being the master of pick-up lines."
There was humor in his voice, and it made me smile. I looked at his hand and hesitated for a moment, before slipping mine into his.
"Summer Mavros," I began. "Human, as everyone so graciously points out."
He tilted his chin; I could feel his dark gaze sweeping the length of me and lingering on my eyes before nodding. It seemed like he was sizing me up.
"Pleasure to meet you, Summer."
As he relaxed against the railing, I noticed a pair of white feathered wings began to unfurl from his back. They reminded me of Morpheus' wings, though, his were much larger. How had I not seen them until now?
"Do you hide your wings?" I asked with wide eyes. Eros shrugged. "From time to time. I find them to be somewhat of a nuisance out and about. Though it hurts my back to have them tucked in all the time."
"Why aren't you hiding them now then?"
"Aren't I in the company of family now? If we can't be ourselves in front of our own family, who else can we trust?"
I resisted the urge to respond, "you're preaching to the wrong girl," but instead, bit my tongue. I didn't know his relationship to my mother or Darce yet, and both Morpheus and Darce had warned me to be careful.
"How do you get wings?" I asked instead. "I know not all of you have them."
"A few of us do, yes,"
Eros said with a nod. "I suppose they come with our jobs. Hermes delivers messages. I deliver love, and Morpheus delivers dreams."
"Well, they're beautiful." Maybe not as lovely as Morpheus's wings, but... beautiful all the same.
As I turned my gaze back out toward the sea, the small port we had launched from was completely gone now. No foreseeable land for miles.
I wished I had my phone then. I really wanted to take a photo of the water--the way it sparkled in the sunlight. It reminded me of photographs I had seen in a gallery at college. A classmate had gone to the shore and captured close-up shots of crabs and shells; the sun nestling against the gentle current of the sea, children eating cotton candy with their fingers on the pier, and a woman sorting through a pile of shells on the beach. It wasn't my own memory, but I could imagine it just as if it were. This quiet place would have been a wonderful hideaway to sneak off to and paint all the things that began to filter through my mind. Perhaps someday I could persuade Darce to escape back to the sea with me; just him and I.
"If we had a someday.
"You really don't remember me, do you?" Eros asked, breaking the tense silence between us.
"Remember?" I looked at him, feeling a little lost. Was I supposed to remember him?
"Persephone and I had been close friends once. Before she had gone away to the Underworld, she used to tease me that my arrows hadn't struck her on purpose. She claimed I had a lousy aim." He snorted. A small smile grew on his lips, and I almost wished I could see what he was remembering.
"But when she returned, she had a glow of love around her. A glow I had never quite seen before. It became clear to me as Persephone spoke of Hades, it was a sort of love beyond what I was capable of sharing.
"I'm sorry to say, I only remember some things," I admitted. "And they only appear in broken images. Like a poorly directed indie movie."
Eros nodded again, as if he were taking my words into special consideration. "I suppose this could be an opportunity for us to begin anew."
Tucking a stray hair behind my ear, I smiled--almost feeling slightly childish.
"You want to be my friend?"
"Is that so unbelievable?"
"Coming from the God of Love? Yes!" I laughed. "I've never had any luck with love."
"I'm a horrible shot," he replied with a wink. "Ares never hesitates to point it out, but just between the two of us... I could never pry him away from Aphrodite, even with my strongest arrow."
Ares was the only one I hadn't met yet, but somehow I believed Eros. "Have you ever accidentally shot someone with one of your love arrows?"
"More than once," Eros admitted, wrinkling his nose. "I can't say it's a pretty sight either."
I pressed my hand to my mouth, giggling softly.
"Who?"
"Oh, I've made a few celebrities fall in love at first sight. Some have stayed together, tended to the jewel of love." He pressed a hand to his heart for effect. "And some have allowed it to fade away. It's happened over the span of several centuries. Kings. Princes. Milkmaids. Servants. Warriors. Baristas..."
"Baristas? That seems a little random," I said with a laugh.
"I do enjoy myself a coffee or two from time to time. Spreading love should always begin with a cup of something as delightful as coffee. And I might have tipped the barista with an arrow of love. Which resulted in a first date, an engagement ring and a lifetime of happiness.
He watched me as he flexed his wings out and took a step away from the rail. I rolled my eyes. He had an ego on him--that was for sure.
"Are you for real?" I asked with a laugh.
He flashed me a sincere smile. "As real as they come."
Another tacky one-liner. He didn't seem to miss a beat.
About the Author:
Amazon Best Selling Author, Chantal Gadoury, is a 2011 graduate from Sasquehanna University with a Bachelor's Degree in Creative Writing. Since graduation, she has published several titles, including "The Songs in Our Hearts" with 48Fourteen Publishing, and "Between the Sea and Stars," "WinterDream," and "Blinding Night" with Parliament House Press. Chantal first started writing stories at the age of seven and continues to love writing today. Chantal is also the Co-Founder and Senior Editor of the Parliament House Press. Writing and sharing books with the world has become a dream come true! When she's not working, she enjoys painting, drinking lots of DD Iced Coffee, and watching Disney classics. Chantal lives in Muncy, Pennsyvania with her family.
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