Aphrodite

  The server took my plate of stuffed mushrooms away and put a new plate with a grilled lobster tail and mashed potatoes in front of me.

  “Thank you,” I murmured, when Adonis nudged me. I returned my gaze to the table full of laughter below.

  “So we’re in agreement?” Narcissus set his fork down on his empty plate.

  Adonis glanced at me.

  “I have some questions. Not about the contract, but about all this.” I raised my arms, indicating the cruise ship. “Do you mind if I take up a bit more of your time?”

  When Narcissus hesitated, I applied a light touch of charm, too small to stand out above the demigod’s power signatures, but expertly applied. A wave of pain accompanied the power. That was new. Proximity? I resisted the urge to look around for Poseidon. Even if he was in this room, proximity would only matter if I was using the charm against—

  I met Narcissus’s eyes. “Tell me you’re a demigod.”

  His brow furrowed in confusion. “I’m a demigod. I rather thought that was obvious.”

  Not Poseidon in a glamour then, because the sea god couldn’t lie. Realm sickness, then? Was that a thing? The knowledge clicked into place in my mind, confirming that it was indeed a thing. Mild discomfort could be expected during prolonged visits to other realms. I ignored Adonis’s quizzical look, pushed past the pain, and pasted a smile on my face. “Model Madness.” Drawing a notebook from my bag and a pen, I forced myself to focus. “How did you come up with that?”

  Narcissus laughed and relaxed into his seat like staying was his idea. “It is clever, isn’t it? I’d love to take credit, but this is an annual event. We’re in our twelfth year. Excuse me.” He flagged down a waiter. “Could I see the dessert menu after all?”

  “Certainly, sir.”

  I tapped my foot impatiently while we went around the table ordering desserts and coffees. When the waiter wandered off, I asked, “Is Model Madness always on a cruise ship?”

  He nodded. “Always. It’s been a huge success.”

  “Do you always choose this cruise line?” My pen hovered over the paper, ready.

  He shook his head. “Which line we go with depends on who offers the best rates. This year, the best price happened to be Fantasy Cruises. It’s almost always Fantasy or Fascination.”

  That . . . wasn’t as promising as I’d hoped. What did you expect? Some super obvious, malicious motive? Well maybe not obvious, but a hint of a direction to look in would have been nice.

  I spent the next half hour questioning Narcissus between bites of cheesecake. My notebook filled with the names of every single person he’d interacted with while booking the cruise. I’d have to look up the past promotions for Fascination Cruise Lines and make certain Fantasy had actually offered Narcissus the best rate. All the same, prices wouldn’t be difficult to manipulate with enough charm. While someone on this list might be behind the missing demigods, I’d be hard-pressed to find out for sure unless they were on the boat, too.

  “That was . . . fun?” Adonis’s voice sounded droll as we exited the dining room after Adonis finished signing the contract. People gathered in clumps around the elevators, their conversations ebbing and flowing with the chimes of opening doors.

  I laughed. “That was tedious and boring as hell. Where are we headed next?”

  Adonis shrugged. “The room.” I must have looked disappointed, because he added, “Elise and Tantalus said something earlier about heading to one of the clubs after dinner, but I don’t know if—”

  “Perfect.” I beamed. “You go with them, and I’ll hang back and keep an eye on you. I think I’ve been too close to you. Maybe if someone has the opportunity to approach you . . .”

  He grimaced. “So I get to be bait. Fun.”

  “Adonis.” On impulse, I grabbed his arm. He turned, subtly shifting us out of the flow of traffic. “Look, I know you don’t think that highly of me—”

  The demigod rolled his eyes. “It’s not—”

  I cut off his false platitudes. “And I know we disagree on”—I paused as a group of teenagers walked by, close enough for one of them to brush against my arm on their way to the staircase—“pretty much everything. But big picture? That stuff doesn’t matter enough to me to just stand idly by while you get hurt. I know you don’t think of us as friends, but that doesn’t mean I won’t do everything I can to keep you safe.”

  Adonis sucked in a surprised breath. “Aphrodite . . .” Something akin to regret flashed in his eyes. “You don’t owe me anything.” He slid his hand through his hair, glancing around the lobby, then lowered his voice. “We should—”

  “Adonis!” Elise spotted us as she emerged from the dining room, her face brightening. “You coming tonight?” She hesitated when her eyes landed on me, hurt flashing across her features for an instant before she buried it. “Bring your friend?” The unspoken “if you must,” couldn’t have been easy for her to leave off.

  “We’ll be right there,” Adonis called.

  After we dropped my bag off in the room, I followed the golden-haired demi-deities to the club. Music, dancing, men. Just the distraction I needed. The clubs on the ship were small enough to keep an eye on Adonis and the other demigods without too much effort, and I’d have to have fun to blend in. It would be obvious I was watching the demigods, otherwise.

  Loud, pulsing music pounded through me as we walked through the door. Strobe lights flickered in the ceiling from faux diamonds the size of my fist. Adonis and Elise wandered off in one direction, and I let the crowd pull me in the other. I moved to the music, letting the pulse of the beat distract me, but not so much that I lost track of Adonis. He looked like a ray of light piercing through the crowd. Normal light. Not the pink, green, and blue spotlights sweeping the floor between diamond flickers. He found Tantalus, and the two struck up a conversation with one of Jane’s friends.

  Elise shoved Tantalus away from her with a friendly smile. Adonis moved his hands as he talked, and I felt a pang in my chest when I realized how relaxed he looked talking to them. His entire demeanor seemed so different from when he talked to me. Well, except for last night, when he’d gotten drunk.

  A smile played on my lips and I tossed my hair over my shoulder. Sitting around and feeling sorry for myself was not my M.O. I just had, like, realm sickness, or something. But enough was enough. Time to stop moping and enjoy myself.

  Elise glanced over at me, and her lips tightened in a thin line. When she broke away from the other demigods and headed my way, I ordered a Kiss on the Lips and wished for ambrosia.

  “Can I sit here?” When I nodded, Elise flashed me a cautious grin and sat on a stool, motioning for the bartender. “How was your shoot?”

  “Brutal.”

  She laughed. “Sorry, I couldn’t believe Narcissus threw you into a gig like that. Everyone felt really bad after your freak-out.”

  My freak-out? Wow.

  “I don’t think any of them realized that when Narcissus had said he’d discovered a fabulous new face, that he meant new-new, you know, not just new to this con. Anyway, some of the other girls and I wanted to invite you to breakfast tomorrow, before we dock, to kind of give you a crash course. Are you interested?”

  “Uh, sure.” I blinked at her in confusion. “Why are you being so nice?”

  “I was rude yesterday.” She ducked her head, toying with a napkin. “My issues with Adonis are with Adonis. You don’t have anything to do with them, so there’s no reason I should take them out on you. I’m sorry.”

  I took a sip of my drink, which tasted delicious, by the way. Who knew adding peach schnapps and grenadine to pureed mango would pack such a flavorful punch? I put my glass down and looked at Elise. “I figured the attitude had more to do with what I am rather than who I’m with.”

  “Oh, that was a factor.” She flashed me a sid
eways grin. “But hating someone outright because of what they are is a slippery slope, don’t you think? If I’m going to hate you, it’ll be after you’ve earned it.”

  I returned her smile. “I can respect that.”

  She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “There are . . . questions I have to ask you.” Her flush deepened. “I have to. I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t.”

  I sighed, twisting the stem of my glass back and forth between my fingers. “I’m not charming Adonis.”

  “Oh, I know. We’re both immune to charm.”

  I’d suspected as much, but it was still surprising to have it confirmed. “So what’s your question?”

  She took a deep breath. “Are you blackmailing him? Holding his family hostage, coercing him in any way, forcing—”

  “I wouldn’t do that.” I drained my drink, resisting the urge to roll my eyes.

  She took a moment to process that, propping her elbows on the bar and stirring her hot pink drink with one of those itty-bitty, useless, red straws. “So you’re not threatening him, his family, or anyone he cares about?”

  “No.”

  “Say the words,” she insisted. When I did, she frowned. “Then what the hell is going on?” Her voice rose in frustration and she took a breath, as though forcing herself to calm down. “I’m sorry,” she said after a moment, raking her gold hair back with well-manicured nails. “I just—Why are you here? And why are you here with him?”

  “Maybe I just wanted to go on a cruise,” I suggested, flagging down the bartender when he turned our way. His gaze flicked over me, then he raised an expectant brow. “Yeah, I’ll have what she’s having,” I told him.

  “On the house,” he said, delivering the drink a moment later. He managed to tear his eyes off me long enough to notice another patron, and moved regretfully away.

  I waited until I was sure he was out of hearing range before turning back to Elise. “We’re not all monsters, you know.”

  “I do know that, actually, but he doesn’t.” Multicolored lights glittered in her eyes, making her look close to tears. “He hates gods. He left me because he didn’t want anything to do with the divine game board, didn’t want to be some god’s pawn. And now I’m supposed to believe he’s forgotten all of that and gotten cozy with one of the players?”

  “It’s not your—”

  “Before you write me off,” she interjected, locking her gaze to mine, “before you try any of that condescending, divine doublespeak, I want you to consider something.” She waited until she had my full attention before continuing. “You are sharing a room with my ex. You wander around the ship joined at the hip. I see the way you watch him, hear the way your voice dips when you say his name. I liked him.” Pain flashed in her eyes. “Do you think it’s easy for me to ask you anything? Do you think I would bother if I wasn’t terrified?”

  She had a point. “No.”

  “Then, please, don’t hedge.” She broke off when the bartender passed by and waited a beat before continuing. “You’re not with him.” She eyed me for a moment, and I realized she wanted me to confirm that.

  “Not like that.”

  Elise let out a relieved breath, her eyes trained on the crowd. “Then why are you on the ship at all? Is something dangerous going on, because when your kind get involved, people die.”

  I hesitated, not sure what to share. But just then, Tantalus headed to our section of the bar, sparing me from making a decision.

  “Well if it isn’t the two most beautiful women in the room.” Tantalus plopped down on the barstool next to Elise. “And me, right between you.” He flashed us a grin. “A guy could get ideas.”

  “Ugh, you’re incorrigible.” Elise rolled her eyes in disgust and slid off the stool.

  “Ah, well.” Tantalus propped his elbows behind him on the bar. “That one,” he pointed at me, “owes me a drink anyway, right, sweetheart?”

  I had questions for Tantalus as well, so I pasted a smile on my face. “I suppose it’s the least I could do after your help last night.” I patted the seat beside me.

  “Yeah, good luck with that.” Elise moved back. “I’ll catch up with you tomorrow.” She met my eyes. “I’ll give you some tips. Introduce you around. I’m sure Adonis did his best, but men miss stuff. They don’t always tell you everything you need to know.”

  The question in her voice sounded subtle, but I read her worry, loud and clear. She knew something was going on and didn’t trust Adonis to tell her. “You’re absolutely right. Can’t wait to chat again.”

  She swallowed hard, face paling. But she forced a smile on her face, flipped her hair, and with a wave, turned to forge her way through the crowd. I had a feeling Adonis would have some explaining to do when she caught up with him.

  My eyes flicked over to Tantalus before I turned to the bartender. “Two shots of whatever’s in those blinky glasses over there.” I motioned down the bar where a set of shot glasses flashed in time to the strobe lights.

  “You got it.”

  I downed the drink then grabbed Tantalus’s hand. “Dance with me?”

  “Hell, yeah.” Tantalus put his empty glass down and pulled me to him.

  Mid-dance, I heard that oh-so-grating throat-clearing behind me. Oh, crap.

  “Can I cut in?” Poseidon asked in a dry voice. He, for once, wore a shirt. Though the garish Hawaiian print kind of made me wish he hadn’t bothered.

  Tantalus rolled his eyes and looked over as if he was about to make some sort of sarcastic comment, then blanched when he saw Poseidon. “You’re a—”

  The sea god narrowed his eyes and the waves within them churned with a frightening intensity. “Get lost, demigod.”

  Tantalus took off.

  “Shall we?” Poseidon held out his hand.

  Chapter XIII

  I SCOWLED AT Poseidon, allowing my irritation to overpower my fear. If I let myself think about being cornered by him on the balcony last night, I would lose it. “I’m sensing a pattern here. It’s kind of pathetic.”

  “You wish.” He pulled me close, passing me through the shield surrounding him. “I’m here for a status update. You can resume”—he snorted—“whatever that was when I leave.”

  I pushed away from him. “That was dancing.”

  “Dancing?” Poseidon laughed, the sickening sweet scent of ambrosia bathing my face. “No, that was sex with clothes on.”

  “Did you not know that’s an option?” I teased, pulling away from him. “I guess now I know why seeing you fully dressed is so rare.”

  “Why mess with perfection?” The pulsing lights dimmed within our shield to a soft, flickering glow. I could still see the rest of the club, but my view looked filtered, as if I was peering through a frosted window. Even the music faded to a softer volume. Despite myself, I felt impressed. Shields usually functioned as an all-or-nothing deal. Tempering the effectiveness of a shield, such as blocking only some sight, some sound, and so on, took a level of control that took centuries to master.

  “To see how far it can fall, apparently.” I wrinkled my nose and plucked at the sleeve of his shirt, eying the retina-burning, orange Hawaiian print with distaste. “They have stores aboard this ship, you know. I’m sure we could find you something a little less . . .” I couldn’t even find an adjective bad enough to describe his current wardrobe. “Tragic.”

  “And I’m supposed to trust your judgment?” He smirked. “You really have a thing for demigods, huh?” Poseidon pulled me back to him, moving against me in rhythm to the music. “I thought you agreed to look into this to help protect us, not feed your half-breed fetish.”

  I wrinkled my nose. “If I give you a status update, will you leave?”

  “Maybe.” He summoned a glass of ambrosia. “Want one?”

  I stared at him in
disbelief. Last night, I’d been too shaken to think about the cost of summoning something from nothing. He’d just thrown away all my hard work, tiptoeing around, using only a light level of charm, trying to avoid notice. If anything, Poseidon was making me look stronger than I was, since he stayed hidden behind a shield the whole time he was on board.

  “No, thank you.” With effort, I kept my anger out of my voice. I didn’t want to set him off again. Instead, I tried to ignore the way he pressed against me, and filled him in on what I’d learned last night, about the timetable and the ship’s coordinates when the demigods would most likely go missing. “The next time the demigods will definitely all be together is for a modeling shoot on the cruise line’s private island tomorrow morning. I’ve got the room numbers and schedules you asked for. I left them upstairs, along with my notes, on the table on the balcony.”

  Poseidon nodded. “I got them. I went by your suite first. You weren’t around, so I tracked your glamour. It wasn’t easy, given how little power you’re using to . . . what? Change the color of your dress?”

  “Wrinkles. My clothes didn’t do well in the suitcase. I’m trying to avoid much notice.”

  Poseidon’s lingering once-over seemed to indicate I was doing a poor job. “I’m surprised you’re not using something a bit more extensive. Going unnoticed is easier when you’re not so noticeable.”

  “Says the guy who just appeared in the center of a crowded room.” Ocean-eyes and all. “I can’t hide that I’m a god from anything that can read power signatures, but I don’t have to confirm that I’m strong enough to bother with.”

  “I doubt whatever is behind this is on board yet. I haven’t sensed a single signature that didn’t belong to you or a demigod.” Poseidon’s breath in my ear gave me goose bumps. “Given any thought to my offer?”

  “Yeah.” I fought back a wave of nausea. “I’m not interested.”

  He blinked, startled. “You’d throw your demigod away?”