Jack cut Kai an inscrutable glance.
Silly me. “I’ve got to stop taking anything gods say at face value,” I muttered.
Jack flipped the dogs and shrugged with absolutely zero remorse.
“Gods and goddesses do like their games,” Festos said, laying his cane across his lap.
Theo shifted to look at him. “Yeah? What’s yours?”
Festos threw him a impish grin. “I play no games. I’m an innocent spectator.”
Theo snorted. They shared a look.
Hannah nudged my leg. “Catch me up to date on that.”
“Theo and Festos made out,” I said, excited to share my superior gossip.
Hannah squealed.
“Brilliant,” Theo said, leaning across Hannah and Festos to convey maximum displeasure my way.
I batted my eyelashes at him. “I think so.”
Hannah took Festos’ hand. “Tell me everything.”
“Who’s the best friend here?” Theo asked.
“Who’s the gossip who’ll spill all kinds of important info?” she countered.
Festos raised a hand. “That would be me.”
Theo batted Festos’ hand back down. “You are not using us as data.”
Festos lit up at the use of the word “us.”
“Already have.” Hannah cheekily blew him a kiss and Theo sat back, defeated.
Jack put the onions and a toasted bun on a plate and added a perfectly grilled hot dog. He held the plate out to me, considering, then took it back and added a big squirt of Ketchup before once again presenting it to me.
I ignored him.
“Just eat already,” Hannah said. “You know you want to.”
“Maybe it’s poisoned.” I didn’t really think so, but I didn’t want to cave and fall on the food like an animal.
“I play fair,” Jack replied as he handed it over. “You won. You’re all safe now.”
Festos and Theo refused his offer.
I turned to Jack. “Campaign.” I ripped into the dog. Even if they were lips and assholes, I didn’t care. These puppies were delish. “Kill it.”
“Kai?” Jack asked, pointing to another dog.
Kai shook his head, watching the trickster with a wary expression.
Jack watched me eat in horrified fascination. “I’m starting a new reality show. Essentially a global eating contest. I think you’d make a great contestant.”
I finished off the dog. “I’ve had enough of your games for a lifetime. Campaign?”
Jack nodded. “Consider it killed. Swear on the Styx.”
What a massive relief. I felt like I was in the home stretch.
I poured two glasses of water with mint from a pitcher on the coffee table to get rid of my hot dog breath and handed one to Hannah.
She accepted the glass, then snatched the crown off my head and popped it on her own. “Can’t wait to hear how that whole get-up came about,” she said, motioning to my dress, which was still in pretty good condition, all things considered. “Not to mention the party favor here.” She adjusted the crown.
“I’ll have you know I won it. Winter Formal Queen.”
Hannah let out a surprised laugh. “I’d forgotten about that.”
I motioned for it back. “Give.”
“Nah. You’re more a silver kind of girl.” She patted the top of the crown. “I’m keeping it.”
There was a fanfare of celestial trumpets.
Four bronzed men in skimpy bronze shorts carrying a hot pink upholstered litter with silvery curtains appeared on the far end of the deck.
Kai rolled his eyes.
A set of stairs unfurled themselves from the bed of the litter to the ground, the curtains flew aside, and Aphrodite stepped out, decked in a filmy, flowing pink dress, tiny pink roses threaded into her tresses.
Talk about pulling focus.
She made a dismissive motion at her man-slaves. They disappeared with the litter as Aphrodite clicked her way over to me on her towering heels. “Took youse long enough.”
While her attitude was unsurprising, a little public appreciation for our actions would have been nice.
Jack didn’t react to her appearance. Just watched her with a steady gaze.
Aphrodite turned to her ex. “No more a this nonsense, Jackie?”
“Bethany’s campaign is dead,” he assured her.
With Aphrodite’s back to me, I noticed how her dress plunged to her waist in the back. Even her spine was beautiful. I could have done without the realization that she sported a pink thong. I shuddered.
“Her love thong,” Festos piped up helpfully, following my gaze.
“Covers her love thang,” Theo added.
“Source of her power,” Festos joked.
“My eyes are bleeding,” I replied.
“Yeah,” she said, with a toss of her platinum hair. “I’m that good.”
Jack shook his head and sauntered inside.
“And now my brain is bleeding.” I buried my head in my hands for illustrative purposes. No way did I want to know about the underthings of goddesses and the gods who coveted them.
I glanced at Kai, who watched me with a speculative look. All right, him I’d show and tell with.
All kidding aside, I was thrilled. We’d done it. Stopped Bethany. Now all I had to do was talk to Pierce and endure the “fourteen” level of pain before my meeting. I could do this.
Well, there was one other thing. I stood up to face Aphrodite. “Undo the love arrows.”
She frowned. “Gimme one good reason.”
Because I want whatever Kai feels for me to exist without magic. “Because we can’t defeat Hades and Zeus if we keep getting stuck to each other every time one of us is upset or in danger. We need every advantage we can possibly have when we face them. The arrows are just hampering things.”
Hannah gave me a thumbs up.
Kai glanced at me, his expression totally unreadable. He nodded his agreement. “Sophie’s right. Undo it.”
Aphrodite looked surprised. “But youse two were gettin’ along so nice.”
Was she watching us? Eww! Yet another reason to have it undone. “Now, please.”
She took my hand, none too gently, dragged me over to Kai, and took his hand as well. A quick squeeze and, “Done.”
I glanced at Kai. I still liked him, but I didn’t feel an itchy compulsion to jump him or touch him or anything. Just a normal massive crush.
What a relief.
Sorta.
Kai met my eyes. “Guess I don’t always get what I want,” he said quietly, with a rueful smile.
“I thought you didn’t want to be shot,” I said.
He shook his head sadly, like I was missing the point.
“Now pony up Pierce,” said Theo, since Aphrodite had been so obliging.
Jack returned holding a drink. Everyone else was busy talking, so I’m pretty sure I was the only one to catch his wistful look at Aphrodite.
I knew I shouldn’t feel bad for Jack—ever—but I kinda did. He was obviously hurt that Aphrodite was mad at him. Even if he had brought it on himself.
I rolled my eyes, not wanting to show any compassion. After all, this guy had put me through absolute misery.
But still. I walked over to him. “You did the right thing.”
He gazed at me in surprise, which quickly turned to haughtiness. “You’re pitying me? You? Who do you think you are to tell me what the right thing is?”
Now I was mad. “I’m someone who actually does the right thing, you egotistical asshat!”
Jack laughed. “How naive.” He tossed back half his drink. “No matter. We’ll have plenty of time to knock that out of you.”
“No thanks. Not planning to spend any more time with you,” I said.
Jack studied me a moment, then shrugged. “Probably doesn’t matter. I have enough footage.”
“What is youse talkin’ about?” Aphrodite whipped around to Jack.
“Good question,
” Festos said, sounding highly suspicious.
Jack smiled broadly. “Footage of Sophie. For the campaign.”
Aphrodite looked thunderous. “What campaign?” she screeched.
I pingponged my head back and forth between them, happy to let Aphrodite keep asking the questions.
“Well, I no longer have Bethany. But I do have Sophie. She’s every bit as interesting and beautiful as Bethany.”
“Glad someone noticed,” I muttered.
Kai shot me a look.
“I’m just saying.”
“Fishing,” Kai chided.
“Actually,” Jack amended, “she’s better. A teen girl with goddess powers.” He toasted me with his glass. “So, I’ve decided to create a media campaign around you.”
Everyone broke out arguing at once. Except for Aphrodite, who just screamed.
I had to yell to make myself heard. “Hey!” A couple more tries and they finally shut up. I turned to Jack. “I don’t want a campaign. I have real problems to deal with. Not to mention, you can’t make me famous for being a teen goddess. No one would believe it.”
Jack grinned. “That’s the beauty of it. They don’t have to. Just because they think it’s fake doesn’t mean it’s not fun. I have plenty of great Endgame footage to choose from. We can CG whatever else we need.” He rubbed his hands together, excited by the possibilities.
He’d been filming us? Creepy, much?
Aphrodite whirled on me. “Youse can forgit any access to Pierce!” Her face got blotchy and contorted.
I hurried over to her. “What? No! We had a deal! I got him to kill the campaign.” We were practically nose-to-nose.
“Sos youse could get your own.” She looked like she might strike me.
I jumped behind a chair, putting some space between us. I was tired and full up on my bruising quota for the day. “Not. My. Idea.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Don’t matter. Jackie wants you.”
“How marvelous,” Jack murmured. “You’re jealous.”
She flung her shoulders back, making all her soft parts jiggle. “Ridiculous,” she scoffed.
He sidled up to Aphrodite and slid his arm around her waist.
She fluttered her lashes as she leaned into him. “Maybe I do miss youse a bit.”
Spare me the dysfunction. “Great. Kiss and make up. Where’s Pierce?”
Aphrodite giggled, now in Jack’s arms.
Jack waved his hand at the rest of us. “Out.”
And in a blink, we were banished, no closer to finding Pierce or retrieving Persephone’s memories then when this all started.
I’d have been totally discouraged and depressed except I had one final, faint hope.
Time to pimp out my best friend.
Twenty
Luckily, Jack had sent us to Festos’ place and not to the moon or an underground submarine. The familiar surroundings and security made it easier for me to guilt trip my best friend. We needed to find Pierce and have Hannah declare her love to convince him to defy Aphrodite.
“How I feel about Pierce is irrelevant,” Hannah protested. She sat on the rug, her arms wrapped around her knees. “I have no idea how to contact him.” She turned to the guys. “Don’t any of you know where he lives?” We had taken up residence in Festos’ lounge.
“Aphrodite banished him,” Theo said. “He could be anywhere.”
“She’ll simmer down,” Festos assured me from his spot beside Theo on the loveseat, “especially if Jack isn’t running a stupid Sophie campaign.”
“Of course he’s not,” I said, mostly certain. “I’m sure that was just to annoy her.”
Kai perched on the back of the sofa. I leaned against his legs as he absently played with my hair. Just because I no longer felt compelled to touch him, didn’t mean I didn’t still enjoy it. Obviously, he felt the same.
Theo glanced at his watch. “Just under an hour. We may need to get you back to the meeting, give Aphrodite time to cool off, and approach her again in the morning.”
I shook my head, incredibly frustrated. “Every second that I don’t have Persephone’s memories, that I don’t know the ritual location? It’s time that Zeus and Hades have to discover it for themselves and destroy it.” I looked at Hannah. “You have to go all damsel in distress.”
Her patent disbelief was highly entertaining. “What?”
“Scream. Call for Pierce as if your very life depended on it. Which, it kinda does.”
Hannah crossed her arms. “That’s one of the stupidest ideas I’ve ever heard.”
“Kai,” I turned to him. “Do you or do you not know when I’m in trouble?”
He nodded. “If I’m not unconscious? Yeah. I get this feeling.”
Hannah huffed in dismissal. “That’s because you two are bound together. Prophecy, the kiss, whatever.”
“A curse,” Theo added with a bright smile.
Festos shook his head. “Not an ounce of romance.”
Kai smirked at Theo. “That’s a major burn if Festos is admitting Sophie and I are romantic. Being as jealous of me as he is.”
“Or he just doesn’t like you,” Theo said. “I don’t.”
“That’s ‘cause you’re a pissy baby.”
I doubted Theo and Kai were ever going to truly get along. I’d have to settle for “tolerate each other for my sake.” I flung my arms out between them to push them back to their corners. “Fee.”
He shot me a suspicious glance.
“You took up residence in Seattle knowing it was just close enough to where Theo was.”
Festos scowled and laid his cane across his lap. “I keep telling you. I like Seattle.”
Sure. “I bet you’ve known where Theo is this whole time. And I wouldn’t be surprised if you kept tabs on him. Fess up.”
Theo stared at Festos, dumbfounded. “Is this true?”
“Whatever.” Festos waved him off.
“No.” Theo leaned forward toward him. “Have you been keeping tabs on me?”
Festos shot me a glare of death. Then he turned to Theo with a stubborn chin tilt. “Yes. Going to get a restraining order now? Tell me I’m a stalker?”
He sounded so defensive. Looked so vulnerable. I felt a tiny pang of guilt at exposing Festos. But we had to find Pierce, and Hannah had to get with the program.
Festos was so stiff, he looked like he might snap waiting for Theo’s answer.
But Theo did the last thing I ever expected. He leaned back and shrugged. “I knew where you were, too.”
There was a collective gasp from Festos, Hannah, and me.
“Didn’t see that coming,” Kai muttered.
“Enough proof for you?” I asked Hannah. “No doubt, Pierce is very aware of you. And if he senses you’re in trouble, he’ll come running.” I put my hands together in a begging motion. “Please. The worst that happens is you humiliate yourself. And god knows that would be a pleasant change between us.”
“Fine,” Hannah muttered. “I’ll fake distress.” She took a deep breath and straightened up. “Help,” she mewled.
“I’ve had paper cuts eliciting more emotion,” Festos said. “Again.”
She glared at all of us and then let out a blood curdling scream that made us all jump.
Instantly, Pierce appeared. He lunged for Theo.
“No!” Hannah screeched.
Pierce grinned, his hand around Theo’s neck. “No?”
“Very funny,” I said.
Pierced laughed and dropped his hand. “It was, rather. Good scream.” He moved to Hannah like a moth to a flame and sprawled on the ground beside her. “How about this? I’ll give you my number, email, whatever for next time. Much easier on the vocal cords.”
She narrowed her eyes at him and crossed her arms. With a bonus kick to my leg.
“Thank you for defying Aphrodite,” I told Pierce.
“Haven’t decided if I am.” He cocked his head at Hannah. “Am I?”
Hannah hesitated.
; “What’s wrong, love? Not enough data collected yet?”
“You knew about that?” She blushed furiously and landed another kick.
“Ow!” I rubbed my shin. “I didn’t tell him.”
Pierce smiled serenely. “I’m just a keen observer of human nature. And yours was of particular interest to me.”
Hannah blushed harder.
“Is everyone else loving this as much as I am?” Festos asked.
I shot my hand up and waved it around. “Over here.”
Kai and Theo looked amused.
Pierce focused on Hannah. “Well? Am I about to mutiny?”
Hannah mumbled something.
Pierce cupped his hand to his ear. “A little louder, love. My powers don’t include super sonic hearing.”
I knew this was going to be so hard for Hannah. And so important. Because as much as she cared about Theo and me, she’d never let a straight guy get close to her before. Nevermind a god.
Flustered, she raised her eyes to meet his. “Yes. I would like that very much.”
Pierce’s smile was such pure love that even the hardened cynics among us—i.e. Kai and Theo—kind of melted in its wake. “Right then, let’s do this.”
I screwed my eyes shut, mindful of the “fourteen” level pain he’d promised me. “Be gentle.”
“What’s with the screwy face?” Pierce asked.
I cracked one eye open. “It’s my pain management. You know, for the fourteen.”
Pierce laughed. “It’s not going to hurt now.”
“Why not?”
“When we first discussed doing this, you and Kyrillos weren’t in love. There was still all this pain and baggage. Now we’re good.”
“Good how?” I asked, completely mystified.
“What exactly is Sophie supposed to do?” Theo asked.
“She and Kai have to kiss now that they’re in love. I won’t have to override her objections. The ‘fourteen’ part.”
I felt Kai tense.
“Are you freaking kidding me?” I couldn’t believe it.
“No,” Pierce said, sounding surprised at my outburst.
It was bad enough the stupid ritual hinged on Kai and I being in love. But this too?
I couldn’t help myself. My light vines flew out toward Pierce.
My Date From Hell (The Blooming Goddess Trilogy Book Two) Page 26