White marble floors span the length of the three-story building. Endless rows of books surround the perimeter of each floor. The center is a wide-open space with a large glass dome ceiling that pours sunlight down onto a gold statue of the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in my life. Her hair is long and flowing. Her eyes catch the light so that they appear to glow, and her nude form reveals gracious curves. Her expression is one of someone putting up a great fight. The arm she extends is flexed, showcasing her strength, and she’s holding something. It takes me a second to figure out what’s in her hand, and when I do, I gasp.
A black snake with gold scales is wrapped around her fist. It looks to be hissing at her, with its mouth open wide and its reach only inches from her face. I nearly believe she’s in some kind of danger. But then I realize it’s the serpent that is helpless within her grip. Curious, I get closer to the statue to see if there’s any information written about her. But after circling the figure a few times, looking for a plaque or anything to clue me in as to who she is, I come up empty.
“Can I help you with something, miss?”
I look at the man who just approached. “Actually, yes. Who is she? I can’t find any information about her.”
The man cranes his neck to look up at the statue, and by the blush that creeps onto his cheeks, it’s clear I’m not the only one who finds the woman stunning. “I believe she’s an ancient Greek goddess.”
I frown. “Right, but do you know her name?”
He looks back at me, seeming completely thrown by my question. “No. No one knows who she is.” He perks up. “But if it’s Greek mythology you’re interested in, I can point you in the right direction.”
My curiosity fades into intrigue when I realize I can probably find the woman with a little research. “That would be great. Thank you.”
The man smiles and leads me to the top floor then to a section in the back corner named Mythologies. He leaves me, and I immediately begin scouring the shelves. One of the first books I come across is about the summer solstice. I slip it out from the stacks, remembering how interested Charlotte seemed to be in the occasion. I can brush up on my knowledge at least.
The next book I find is all about gods and goddesses from ancient Greece. I pull it down, sit on the floor, and begin to thumb through it, determined to find out who the statue in the library depicts. I flip through every single page, skimming the words and focusing on the images. Disappointment fills me when I get to the end, no closer to figuring out who the mystery woman is. How strange. Sighing, I pick myself off the floor, squeeze the book back into the stacks, and continue perusing.
I’ve just pulled out two more books that might help feed my curiosity when I look up at the large wall clock and gasp. Shoot. My time is up. I take off down the aisle and round the corner, plowing headfirst into a moving target.
I stumble back. “I'm so sorry.”
“Don’t be. I wasn’t looking.”
I’m so flustered that I don’t realize I’ve bumped into Alec until I hear his deep, familiar voice. I look up at him, causing a stampede of horses to start galloping in my chest. Even in the darkness last night, I knew he was gorgeous, but today is a different story. With the sun at his back, his green eyes practically sparkling with his smile, and his clean-cut good looks, I know I’m in trouble. “It’s you.”
My entire body heats so fast, I have no chance of hiding my deep humiliation. I can’t believe I just said that. After the way we met last night, and now this, he must think I’m a total weirdo.
“Are we going to meet like this every time?” he jokes.
I cringe then let out an awkward laugh. “I really hope not. I am sorry, though. I was rushing to be somewhere, and I wasn’t paying attention.”
The corner of his mouth tips up playfully. “It’s okay if you’re doing these things on purpose just to talk to me.” His eyes glimmer. “I don’t mind.”
I bite down on my smile and roll my eyes. “You’re onto me.” Another thought crosses my mind. “Except I’ve been up here for some time, while it looks like you just got here. So, maybe it’s you who is trying to run into me.”
This time, it’s Alec’s face that flushes with color. “Okay, so I might have seen you from downstairs and come up to say hello. I didn’t know you were going to throw yourself at me.”
I laugh while my eyes catch on something he’s holding. My books somehow found their way into his hands when we bumped into each other. “Oh, I’ll take those.” I reach for them, but Alec pulls them out of reach from me and glances at the one facing him.
“The summer solstice, huh? I guess you are your grandmother’s daughter.”
For a second, I wonder if he’s trying to offend me, but that doesn’t seem like something he would do. Still, his comment rubs me the wrong way. “What do you mean?”
His eyes widen like he realizes how he might have come across. “Just that your grandmother is into all that stuff. It makes sense that you would be too.” When I give him a strange look, he shakes his head. “It’s not weird or anything. It seems half the town is into this stuff. You would think we lived on an ancient Greek burial ground or something.”
I smile and slip my books from his hands, knowing exactly what he means. “Moving here made me curious, I guess.”
He pushes his hands into his pockets and rocks forward like he’s nervous. As he does, a strand of curly hair falls in front of his eyes. Besides being ridiculously cute, he’s also sweet and friendly, and for some reason, he came up here to talk to me. Warmth spreads in my chest.
“Curious about the solstice or Greek mythology in general?”
“Both.” I shrug. “My birthday falls on the summer solstice this year, and Rose wants to have this big celebration. I don’t really understand what the fascination is, but I want to try.”
He gives me a smile that melts me down to my toes. “Well, it’s totally cool if you’re into it all. Some people around here don’t get it, but I think it’s cool how history and mythology blend together. My parents are fascinated with all that stuff too.”
“They are?”
Alec nods. “Oh, yeah. They’re herbalists, so they’re all big into sacred healing rituals and holistic healing and all of that. My mom owns an herbal shop on the island, and my dad teaches ancestral herbalism at the private college. I don’t know if they’re quite as intense about it as Rose, but it all stems from the same beliefs, I think.”
I nod, sensing he has something more to say. But judging by the bend of his brows, he’s figuring out how to word it.
After too much time passes, unease shakes through me, and I give a shaky laugh. “Is there something you want to ask me?”
His eyelids spread wide, and his mouth opens. “Um, no.” He shakes his head. “It’s not important.”
I push my lips to the side and frown. “Just ask. Is it about my grandmother? Or me?”
Alec shuffles his feet. “Now that you’re putting me on the spot, I wish I never even thought about it. I don’t want to offend you.”
I straighten my shoulders and look him dead in the eyes. “You don’t even know me. There’s no possible way you can offend me.”