Penelope’s gaze heated and went from his eyes to his lips, making his heart race. “There are strategies you could use to make me see your point of view.”
“I would never resort to such dirty tactics.” Alexis raised a hand to his heart in mock offense.
“What a pity.”
Penelope squealed as he grabbed her and dragged her onto his lap. He buried his hands in her thick, loose hair and kissed the soft skin of her neck. He could still smell Atlantis on her, the magic of Poseidon buzzing and making her skin glow. It was something he would have to investigate…but not now.
“If you are feeling neglected, Doctor Bryne, you only need to say so.”
She wrapped her legs around his waist. “That’s all it would take?” She stroked her fingers along his jawline. Before her lips could reach him, a throat cleared in the doorway.
“I’m going to kill her,” Alexis whispered.
“I do hate to interrupt all the ‘research’ that’s going on in here,” said Aelia, sauntering in.
Penelope narrowed her eyes. “Then why are you?”
“I thought you wanted to know where Constantine was?” Aelia brandished a scrap of paper at them as she sat down on the chaise lounge. “I found the address you wanted. I knew I had it somewhere.”
“Let me guess. Badija?” Alexis said.
“If you already knew, what did you need me for?” Aelia huffed. She looked at the scattered letters around them. “Are they from Constantine? Where did you get them all?”
“He sent them to me. Some came from Badija. You only confirmed it.”
“Fine. Can you two…detangle? I can’t talk to you when you’re all over each other like a bunch of horny teenagers. Really, Defender, you’re old enough to have some self-control.”
Penelope lifted a finger—just a minute—then kissed Alexis so thoroughly that he forgot Aelia was even there.
“Now I will detangle.” Penelope released him and slid from his lap, leaving him slightly dazed.
“I should have brought some money to throw at you,” Aelia complained, though she grinned at Alexis when Penelope wasn’t watching. In that moment, he knew precisely why Nereus had created such a heavily warded sanctuary.
“Penelope, there’s something different about you.” Aelia tilted her head. All the teasing was gone from her voice. Her violet eyes rested on the cuff and tattoo on her wrist. “What in Poseidon’s name is going on?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Penelope said, though she looked quite like a rabbit cornered by a wolf.
Aelia stood and made for the door. “Family meeting. Now.”
IN THE upstairs library, coffee in hand, Penelope explained what had happened in Nereus’s apartments.
“If I had even an inkling that your presence there would cause such a mess, I never would have suggested it,” Lyca said, looking troubled.
“It needed to happen. I have to say, Penelope, your energy is like a supernova right now.” Phaidros looked her over in a way that made Alexis want to step between them.
“Can you see what Poseidon did?” Penelope shifted the shining cuff on her wrist to reveal the mark. “Why is it always tattoos with you magicians?”
“It’s a physical sign of lasting, powerful magic. You act like you haven’t seen Alexis naked.”
Penelope ignored him. “Okay, so it’s some powerful magic. What does it do?”
“Let me have a look. May I touch you?” Phaidros asked. “It will help me get a better read on whatever Poseidon’s done.”
Penelope held out her hand to him, and Phaidros’s golden fingers traced the symbol. Alexis’s hands were clutched into fists, and when he realized this, he quickly released them. He couldn’t blame his reaction on the high tide; his frustration was a product of watching another magician mess with Penelope’s magic. Seeing her pushed and prodded—her destiny trifled with—was fraying his nerves.
Phaidros shut his eyes. “It’s definitely protection, almost like a shield covering you. It will help you deflect malicious magic, but I don’t know if it would be wise to test that theory. Whatever it is, it has integrated with your other power.”
“What about my third eye?” Penelope tapped between her brows.
“He supercharged it. I think he planted some magic in it. It’s hard to explain.” Phaidros opened his eyes and stepped back from her. “I’ve honestly never seen anything like it.”
“What will it do?”
“Make the obscure a lot clearer? Make magic use easier? I’m not sure.”
“Freaking magic!” Penelope threw her hands in the air. “Can’t anything be precise for once?”
Aelia and Zo laughed.
“Get used to letting go of that control of yours, bella. Magic likes to play by its own rules, and thank the gods for that,” said Zo. “Otherwise, we would’ve all been bored out of our brains for the last ten thousand years.”
Marco shrugged. “I don’t see why you’re so worried, Penelope. Strange things happen to you all the time. If it’s going to help you, it’s a blessing.”
“What if I can’t control it?”
“Poseidon wouldn’t have given power to you if that was going to happen. You don’t give a baby a handgun to play with. If he’s meant to be one of the greatest magicians that ever lived, he’s smarter than you’re giving him credit for.”
Alexis had to hand it to the inspector—he was pragmatic enough to get through to Penelope when they couldn’t. They had all been around magic far too long to be able to give her satisfactory answers or assurances.
Penelope nodded, her eyes growing resolute as she took this on board like she did with everything else. Alexis had always been surprised how quickly she accepted things. He hoped Marco was right, because at this point, he was unsure how he was going to help Penelope with her magic or how it would manifest.
Aelia sighed. “The Defender is looking like a terrified mother bird, so let’s talk about something we can control.”
“We might have found Constantine.” Alexis forced his expression into blank neutrality.
“Where?”
“Badija.”
“Ah, the monastery, of course.” Zo nodded.
“If you all knew about his fondness for it, why didn’t any of you bloody say something?” Penelope snapped.
“Because they are worried Alexis might kill him,” said Galenos from behind his computer screen.
“I have no intention of killing Constantine.” Alexis folded his arms. Did they think he was that unstable?
“You wouldn’t do it on purpose,” Zo said. “But you might do it if Constantine flirts with Penelope, and you know that he will.”
“You’re all ridiculous. Alexis wouldn’t hurt anyone for that.” She took a breath. “Look, Constantine has the information we need. We’re going. I would prefer if we worked as a team, which means no hiding things for personal reasons. Stopping Thevetat needs to be more important than all of your bullsh—” The glass beside her shattered, spraying water across the coffee table.
They all stared at the dripping mess for a silent ten seconds.
“Did she do that?” Marco finally asked.
Alexis moved behind Penelope and placed his hands on her shaking shoulders. “It’s okay, cara.”
“I’m sorry, Penelope. I should’ve thought of Badija earlier,” Zo said.
Phaidros crouched down to pick up the pieces of glass. “I’ll come to Badija as backup for you and Alexis in case your power advances.” He gave Alexis a knowing look. If Penelope’s magic was unstable, Phaidros could knock her out before she could hurt herself or anyone else.
Aelia got to her feet. “If you’re going, I’m going. If Constantine is in a mood, he’s more likely to talk to me than Alexis. I promise to find out what he knows, Penelope.”
“I need to go home and see Isabella. I’ll be back tomorrow with my bags for the Bahamas,” said Marco. He bent down and kissed Penelope’s cheeks goodbye, but she was still staring
transfixed at the spilled water.
When they were finally alone, Alexis crouched down beside her. “Talk to me.”
“I’m scared,” she whispered.
“There’s nothing to be scared of. We have all gone through what you’re experiencing. You are very unique, because your magic was gifted by others, but it’s still about learning discipline and control.”
“I can’t go about smashing things every time I’m pissed off.”
“None of us care what you smash. You are more important. And you have the right to be frustrated and pissed off with all of us. You are so…direct. It’s because you’re young. We’re old, cranky bastards that have issues trusting each other half the time.”
“You all have to get over it. If we don’t stop Thevetat, I’m never going to get closure for what Abaddon did to Tim and Nereus.” Angry tears filled Penelope’s eyes. The grief she’d been so carefully hiding was open and raw for once, and Alexis drew her close.
“Patience, beloved. I know you’re frustrated. We will get them, but we need to be smart about it. One step at a time. We’ll go and see Constantine tomorrow, if you like.”
“This has been the most exhausting day,” she said against his shoulder.
“Then let me take care of you.” With that, Alexis scooped her up into his arms, took her back to the tower, and put her in his bed, where he stroked her hair as she drifted off.
She was almost asleep when she whispered, “Alexis, I can feel the sea.”
PENELOPE DREAMED THAT she was part of the ocean, floating gently in the gray-blue lagoon, the water alive with energy and magic around her. Then the waves clutched her and pulled her down and down until she woke gasping for air, her fear of drowning shoving her back into consciousness.
Breathe, you’re okay. Penelope dragged her palms over her sweaty face and cringed when she realized she was in her musty clothes from the day before. They smelled very faintly of something floral, but with a tart edge like citrus. Alexis had said she smelled like a flower from Atlantis. Overwhelmed by the thought, she hurried downstairs to her bathroom. Standing under the soothing fall of hot water, she thought back on her dream and the ocean that seemed to want to speak with her.
Too much magic for you, Penelope.
The tattoo on her wrist wasn’t as easy to dismiss as a dream. It was going to be a constant reminder that she had somehow met Poseidon, however briefly or strangely. The faint buzzing under her skin and pressure in her head from the day before seemed to be gone. She felt remarkably normal.
Remember to focus on the things you currently have control of, she told herself. The letter from Nereus had said the astrolabe held the answers to all of her questions, so what had she missed? She thought all it did was keep track of the magicians and the flux of the tide. What answers could an astrolabe give her on how to deal with emperor saints, hunting for lost relics, and a demon determined to make itself a permanent body?
That didn’t even include the new magic settling in her bones. Despite Phaidros’s assurances, it felt as if her body no longer belonged entirely to her. Alexis wouldn’t let her hurt herself, let alone anyone else, so she had nothing to gain by worrying more than usual. She wished again that she could call Carolyn for the calming advice she used to offer when Penelope was overthinking or stressing about a project. Carolyn was dealing with her own grief. Whatever magic Alexis had done to her memories, Penelope didn’t want to risk tampering with them for her own selfish reasons.
Pulling herself together, Penelope dressed and went to see what miracles and drama—as she rarely got one without the other—the day would bring. What she found was Marco coming in out of the early Venetian sun, a small suitcase in his hand. It was one of the few times Penelope had seen him out of a suit. Dressed in dark jeans and a gray V-neck shirt, he looked positively casual.
“You’re looking better this morning after yesterday’s misadventures. How do you feel?” he asked.
“I’ll live. A trip to speak with a dead king is all in a day’s duties as an Archivist, didn’t you know?”
“It’s good practice for when you have to meet sixteen hundred-year-old emperors, I suppose.” Marco gave her a teasing grin, and she laughed, the anxiety of the dream easing away.
“What have we gotten ourselves into with these magicians, Marco?”
“Something terrifying and wonderful,” he replied without hesitation. Unlike Carolyn, Marco had embraced his new reality without fear or judgment.
“Terrifying and wonderful is the perfect way to put it.” Penelope looped her arm around his as they headed for the kitchen. “How is Isabella?”
“Good. She’s trying not to show how happy she is that I’m finally going on a holiday.”
“And Guilia?”
“Fussing over Isabella every moment. The usual.”
Penelope nodded. She had known people trying to get pregnant through IVF, and the emotional burden on a couple could be trying. She was glad they were in good spirits. “And you? Are you ready to commit some international corporate sabotage?”
Marco flinched. “It makes me sound like a criminal.”
“Well, what would you call it?”
“Vigilantism,” said Zo as he came into the kitchen.
“That sounds even worse.” Marco grimaced.
“You can call it whatever you like; it will still equate to the same thing. You’re a brave man, going on a mission with Lyca. You better leave your squeamishness here in Venice.”
Zo pulled out some mugs and started the coffee while Penelope went through the fruit bowl, looking for the last of the apricots. Living in the palazzo had taught her many things that were missing from her childhood, including that the kitchen was certainly the heart of the home. It was where the magicians seemed to gravitate at all hours of the day and night.
“Have you seen Alexis this morning?” she asked.
“He was arguing with Phaidros about the quickest way to get to Badija about an hour ago. It looks like you will be meeting Constantine sooner rather than later.”
“How are you going to handle being the only one here for once?”
“Very well. I’m going to be naked from the moment you leave.”
“Just be careful when you decide to cook,” advised Marco, which led to much jeering in Italian that Penelope couldn’t follow. If she had to guess, she’d say it included a certain amount of male humor and profanity they didn’t want to expose her to.
“Keep your dick in your trousers until I leave, okay?” She took the cup of coffee Zo offered her.
Phaidros strode into the kitchen. “You aren’t missing much.”
Zo huffed. “Like you would know.”
“Is there more coffee?”
“Not for assholes. What’s made you so grumpy?”
Phaidros shifted Zo out of the way to get to the French press. “The Defender has been trying to talk Aelia and me out of going to Badija, and I’m done arguing with him about it.”
“Perhaps it would be better if you stayed. You never did get along with Constantine.”
“Alexis needs the backup.”
Zo and Penelope shared a knowing look. Alexis was the last person who needed backup. Phaidros was going because he didn’t like being separated from Aelia.
Thankfully, the conversation was saved by the arrival of Alexis. He had a severe look in his eyes until they rested on Penelope and relaxed.
“I’m glad to see you up, cara.” He took Penelope’s hand and kissed it. “I’ve booked us a charter flight to Split that will be leaving in three hours. How are you feeling?”
“Good. Fine. I was exhausted last night, but it turns out I only needed a good sleep. Why are we going to Split?”
“To pick up a boat to drive to Badija. In typical Constantine fashion, he has chosen the most inconvenient location to live.”
Penelope stood on tiptoes and kissed Alexis’s irritated expression. “Are you going to be this agitated the entire time? Because I’m more than hap
py to go by myself.”
“Nice try, Archivist, but until the priests of Thevetat are dealt with for good, you aren’t going anywhere without me.” He hooked his fingers around the belt loops of her jeans and tugged her closer.
“I’m going to go and pack and will meet you both at the front door.” Phaidros hurried out of the kitchen before Alexis could argue.
“Maybe you should leave him in Croatia,” offered Marco.
Zo laughed. “He’ll probably suggest the same thing to Lyca about you.”
“Are you sure you’re going to be okay here by yourself?” Penelope asked Zo. She didn’t like the idea of any of them being alone since the attack on the palazzo.
“Are you worried about me, bella?”
“I’m worried about my books. I’ve only just managed to convince the Archives to stop moving all my things about.”
Zo gasped in mock horror and looked to Alexis. “Are you going to stand there and let her wound me in such a manner?”
Alexis rubbed her shoulders. “Zo is one of the best warriors I’ve ever trained with, Penelope. The Archives will be perfectly safe in his care.”
When Lyca and Galenos appeared, Lyca eyed Marco. “By all the noise you’re making, I assume that means you are ready to go.”
“Whenever you are, maestro.”
Penelope gathered him in a hug. “Give them hell…but safely.”
“I’ll be fine, amica. Lyca will have my back.” He released her with a smile.
Penelope hugged Galenos too but hesitated when she got to Lyca.
“I’ll watch over him, Archivist,” the warrior said with a pat on Penelope’s shoulder. Then Alexis and Lyca clasped each other’s forearms.
“Happy hunting,” he said.
Lyca’s eyes filled with gleeful malice. “And you, Defender.”
Ten minutes later, Penelope asked, “They’re going to be fine, right?” She stood on the terrace overlooking the Grand Canal, watching as Marco helped Galenos load their luggage into a boat.
“Lyca wouldn’t be taking Marco with them if she didn’t think he was ready for it.” Despite Alexis’s reassurances, Penelope’s chest tightened with worry as the three of them drove away.
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