Raya took a deep breath, inhaling the fragrant incense drifting through the temple of Atia. The spicy scent always evoked pleasant memories of days gone by and brought her peace. Today, the temple overflowed with flowers, plants, and herbs, offerings from Atia’s loyal followers. The gifts were more numerous than usual, as the people of Adonea sought to revive their precious Lake Cerulean, and made very generous offerings to their deities. Raya approached the front of the temple, and standing at the ornately decorated altar, she first bowed, then, shoving another arrangement off to the side, she placed her bouquet of brightly colored sunflowers in a prominent spot. She raised her arms to the sky and began to chant the familiar litany.

“Goddess Atia, protect me and keep me from harm. Guide me on my journey, and show me the true path. Keep me safe and guard me from evil.” On and on she went, chanting the words she had recited for decades, when suddenly she stopped, looked around to make sure she was alone, lowered her arms, leaned in close to the altar, and spoke in a quiet voice.

“Okay, Atia, I’m going to need a little extra help on this one. I know I haven’t been your most devout follower over the years, but I’ve tried very hard lately to pay you proper tribute. I’ve given up one of my favorite pleasures and taken a vow of celibacy as an offering to you. That’s been very difficult for me, you know.” And it had been. Fairies were sensual creatures, and Raya was especially fond of sex. She considered it a basic necessity of life, like food or water, so, as an offering to Atia, she had abstained from all sexual activity for two months, which had not been easy. Today, she decided, she had a right to ask for special assistance from the goddess of protection.

For just a moment, Raya’s thoughts drifted as she fondly recalled her last coupling with Harlow. The memory made Raya smile. Harlow was an enthusiastic lover, and the two had spent a long, enjoyable evening together, made particularly pleasurable by knowing the encounter would be her last for a while. Though many of Raya’s friends were disdainful about her dalliances with the dwarves, Raya enjoyed their company in bed and found their earthy and sometimes-coarse behavior appealing, in a down-to-earth way. They were vigorous, robust lovers, and most of them had hard, thick cocks, good for at least two rounds of energetic lovemaking. Raya’s hand wandered between her legs now, thinking of this, but as she realized what she was doing, she quickly snatched it away. The goddess Atia demanded self-discipline in her subjects; when one made a vow, one was expected to keep it.

“As you know, I’m off on a dangerous mission. I’m traveling far away to bring back a precious gem to save our beautiful lake, so please keep an especially watchful eye on me. I know you have great power, you love our planet, and you’ll protect me and bring me home safe. ”

With a final bow, Raya left the temple and headed back to her home to prepare for her upcoming journey.

“Get your ass off the couch, and come have a beer with us,” Claude urged Max. “You haven’t been out in ages. A new club just opened downtown, and I hear they have all kinds of drink specials for the ladies and a DJ who keeps the tunes going all night. You know what that means. Cold beer for us, cheap booze for the gals, and plenty of sweet, young things shakin’ it on the dance floor. It’s a winning combination!”

Max dropped his keys on the kitchen counter and shifted the phone to his other ear. “You know, fun as that sounds, Claude, I think I’d rather just stay home tonight and shove flaming toothpicks under my fingernails. Didn’t I tell you I’m not the least bit interested in women right now? I just got rid of the Spawn of Satan, and I have no desire to get involved in another relationship for a long time.”

“Who said anything about a relationship? I’m talking about hot, juicy sex, that’s all, something to take your mind off your troubles. Come on, Sarah is done and gone. The best way to forget about all that business with her is to keep busy, and what better way to stay busy than chasing a little tail? Whadda ya say? An hour or two, check out the place, take off if you don’t like the scene.”

“Gonna pass tonight, buddy. Anyway, I’ve got to head over to the Fenmore Museum to take a final look around,” Max said.

“You’ve checked the place over a dozen times. Nothing’s going to happen tomorrow. Mr. Hotshot’s going to walk in, eyeball the rock, and leave. Piece of cake.”

Though certain everything at the museum was safe and secure, and the event would more than likely transpire without a hitch, Max wanted to make sure this job went well. After the last fiasco, he couldn’t afford any mishaps. Ambrose Security had been generous giving him a second chance, and he wasn’t about to blow it. Everything had to be perfect, and if it meant making twenty trips to the museum, that’s what he’d do.

Mr. Yamamoto and his entourage were visiting their city just to view Starry Night, the sapphire on display at the Fenmore Museum. While the museum had their own security team, they’d decided to take extra precautions and let Ambrose assign a man to make sure all went well during the upcoming event. Mr. Yamamoto’s visit was highly publicized, and the museum didn’t want anything to go wrong. Max had spent hours studying the floor plans and the electronic security system, and he felt confident he’d be ready for anything at the slightest sign of trouble.

So maybe this late-night trip to the museum was unnecessary, but it sure beat going to a raucous club that was little more than a meat market. A roll in the hay might be fun for the night, but not worth the trouble the next day, or the next day, or the next, when the woman started to call and wanted to know when they could see each other again. After Sarah departed his life, Max swore a vow of celibacy for—for as long as he could hold out. So far, he’d been just fine cranking his own shaft. No involvements, no complications, no problems. He concentrated on work and school right now, letting Claude and his friends play with the club bimbos.

Starry Night was truly beautiful, and Max enjoyed the opportunity to view it privately whenever he had the chance, so he didn’t really mind this trip. When he arrived at the museum, everything was quiet. He swiped his pass card to get in the front door, disengaged the alarm system, and strolled through the front lobby. No problems there. He headed to the back gallery to give the precious gem one last check.

As he approached, Max heard an odd sound coming from the room. He picked up his pace, reached the entrance, and came to an abrupt halt. Hovering above the display case and holding Starry Night in her hand was a woman. With wings. Max stared, not believing what he saw. He almost rushed in and grabbed the intruder, but as he took a step toward her, he stopped himself just in time, backed up, and quickly punched the alarm code into the keypad, never taking his eyes off the astonishing apparition in front of him.

The woman held the sapphire in one hand, and with the other gently lowered the domed, glass lid of the display case onto its base. She seemed so intent on her task, she didn’t notice Max until he was almost upon her. Uttering a brief cry as he grabbed her ankle, she jerked away. Max hung on tight and attempted to drag her down, but instead, he found himself airborne, grasping her ankle with both hands. They hovered in the air for a brief moment, then, with a mighty whoosh, the museum vanished. Max saw an expanse of gray as he felt himself pulled away.