The Power
Page 19
“It is imperative that we find the remaining demigods before the Titans do, but until recently, it would have been like looking for a long-haired cat in a room full of Himalayan cats.”
Like looking for what in what?
Josie’s brow wrinkled as her mouth opened, and then she snapped it shut. She gave a little shake of her head.
He continued on. “Since most of my brethren had not kept . . . tabs on their offspring, it could take us years to locate them. We do not have the luxury.”
“I’m guessing you’ve discovered another way to locate them?”
His eyes narrowed. “Don’t steal my thunder, Seth.”
I rolled my eyes. “By all means, please continue then.”
“Thank you for your permission,” he countered drolly. “I’ve discovered that there is something that can sense out a demigod, even if their abilities are locked and hidden away.”
“Really?” Josie sat on the arm of the chair next to the coffee table. “Please tell me it’s not something I need that librarian for, because I’m pretty sure she’s, like, left the country or something.”
His lips tipped up on the corners. “She is still around, but she is . . . how do I put this? Shy? Keep looking for her. You will find her.” He tilted his head to the side. “But no, you do not need her for this. What we need is another demigod.”
My brows inched up. “Wait. That isn’t particularly helpful. We don’t have another demigod other than Josie. Unless she can sense them out.”
“She can’t sense them out,” he replied.
“I couldn’t even sense you when you showed up,” she said, shoulders slumping. “Why don’t I get some kind of cool internal warning system?”
“You do.” Apollo turned the icy-blue stare on me. “But you’re new at this and I’m going to hazard a guess here and say you were too distracted to recognize what you were feeling.”
I smiled at him, the kind of smile I knew he hated.
“Oh,” Josie murmured from where she was perched. “That’s kind of awkward.”
“Anyway.” Impatience colored his tone, and of course, it was directed at me. Whatever. “An original demigod can sense other ones. They actually have some kind of internal homing signal. Has to do with the amount of aether and recognizing the similarity.”
“Huh.” Josie glanced over at me, her eyes widening as our gazes locked, and I did everything to hide my smile.
“Once we get a demigod down here, in this realm, it will take no time for the other demigods to be located,” Apollo explained. “The only hold-up is getting one of them here.”
“Of course,” I murmured.
He shot me a wry look. “It’s going to take some finagling. With the exception of our most recent offspring, demigods have been forbidden to enter the mortal realm for thousands of years. Their presence could have . . . consequences.”
“Of course.” It was Josie who murmured that this time.
“I do not like how similar you two are becoming,” Apollo stated.
Josie flushed. “What kind of consequences?”
“Thank you for asking,” he returned, and I started wondering how much longer this conversation was going to take. “As you know, all lesser beings tied to Olympus are no longer allowed in the mortal realm.”
“Except for pures, halfs, and Apollyons.” I paused. “And the occasional nymph and demigod.”
“Exactly.” The intensity of his blue eyes heightened. “If we allow one of them to come through, there’s a chance that other . . . things will too.”
“Like what?” Josie asked.
“You know, the occasional Pegasus or Hydra. Maybe even a Minotaur. Ultimately nothing to be too concerned with.”
“Hydra?” she squeaked. “Nothing to be too concerned with. Okay.”
Apollo smiled as he nodded. “I should have the release of the demigod shortly. Still waiting on Hera to sign off on it, but she’s currently pissed at Zeus, and that’s slowing everything down.”
I decided not to comment on that. “Okay. So what demigod are we talking about here?”
His smile turned creepy, like hide-your-kids-level creepy. “You’ll see.” A shimmery blue light appeared over him. “Now I have to—”
“Wait just a second. Please?” Josie rose. “How is Erin?”
The shimmer around Apollo faded. “She is doing very well. I have a feeling you will be seeing her soon.”
“What—”
The blue shimmer increased around Apollo and within a heartbeat, he was gone.
“—about my mother?” Josie finished, throwing up her arms as she twisted toward me. “Why does he always do that?”
“I think it makes him feel cool or something.”
“Well, it is kind of cool. I mean, he can pop in and out of, like, anywhere, but I really wish he had better timing.”
I snorted. “You and me both. He’s the king of bad timing.”
Josie smiled a little as she sat back down on the arm of the chair. “I wish he actually hung around so that I could ask him about Erin and my mom.” She paused, and her shoulders slumped. “Or, you know, spend time with me.”
Watching her, I tried to think of something . . . supportive to say, but what could you say in a situation like this? Her father was a dick and he was on the absentee list. It was obvious to anyone with a functioning brain that it bothered Josie. The fact that he didn’t actively try to fix that somehow confirmed the first fact.
Like looking for what in what?
Josie’s brow wrinkled as her mouth opened, and then she snapped it shut. She gave a little shake of her head.
He continued on. “Since most of my brethren had not kept . . . tabs on their offspring, it could take us years to locate them. We do not have the luxury.”
“I’m guessing you’ve discovered another way to locate them?”
His eyes narrowed. “Don’t steal my thunder, Seth.”
I rolled my eyes. “By all means, please continue then.”
“Thank you for your permission,” he countered drolly. “I’ve discovered that there is something that can sense out a demigod, even if their abilities are locked and hidden away.”
“Really?” Josie sat on the arm of the chair next to the coffee table. “Please tell me it’s not something I need that librarian for, because I’m pretty sure she’s, like, left the country or something.”
His lips tipped up on the corners. “She is still around, but she is . . . how do I put this? Shy? Keep looking for her. You will find her.” He tilted his head to the side. “But no, you do not need her for this. What we need is another demigod.”
My brows inched up. “Wait. That isn’t particularly helpful. We don’t have another demigod other than Josie. Unless she can sense them out.”
“She can’t sense them out,” he replied.
“I couldn’t even sense you when you showed up,” she said, shoulders slumping. “Why don’t I get some kind of cool internal warning system?”
“You do.” Apollo turned the icy-blue stare on me. “But you’re new at this and I’m going to hazard a guess here and say you were too distracted to recognize what you were feeling.”
I smiled at him, the kind of smile I knew he hated.
“Oh,” Josie murmured from where she was perched. “That’s kind of awkward.”
“Anyway.” Impatience colored his tone, and of course, it was directed at me. Whatever. “An original demigod can sense other ones. They actually have some kind of internal homing signal. Has to do with the amount of aether and recognizing the similarity.”
“Huh.” Josie glanced over at me, her eyes widening as our gazes locked, and I did everything to hide my smile.
“Once we get a demigod down here, in this realm, it will take no time for the other demigods to be located,” Apollo explained. “The only hold-up is getting one of them here.”
“Of course,” I murmured.
He shot me a wry look. “It’s going to take some finagling. With the exception of our most recent offspring, demigods have been forbidden to enter the mortal realm for thousands of years. Their presence could have . . . consequences.”
“Of course.” It was Josie who murmured that this time.
“I do not like how similar you two are becoming,” Apollo stated.
Josie flushed. “What kind of consequences?”
“Thank you for asking,” he returned, and I started wondering how much longer this conversation was going to take. “As you know, all lesser beings tied to Olympus are no longer allowed in the mortal realm.”
“Except for pures, halfs, and Apollyons.” I paused. “And the occasional nymph and demigod.”
“Exactly.” The intensity of his blue eyes heightened. “If we allow one of them to come through, there’s a chance that other . . . things will too.”
“Like what?” Josie asked.
“You know, the occasional Pegasus or Hydra. Maybe even a Minotaur. Ultimately nothing to be too concerned with.”
“Hydra?” she squeaked. “Nothing to be too concerned with. Okay.”
Apollo smiled as he nodded. “I should have the release of the demigod shortly. Still waiting on Hera to sign off on it, but she’s currently pissed at Zeus, and that’s slowing everything down.”
I decided not to comment on that. “Okay. So what demigod are we talking about here?”
His smile turned creepy, like hide-your-kids-level creepy. “You’ll see.” A shimmery blue light appeared over him. “Now I have to—”
“Wait just a second. Please?” Josie rose. “How is Erin?”
The shimmer around Apollo faded. “She is doing very well. I have a feeling you will be seeing her soon.”
“What—”
The blue shimmer increased around Apollo and within a heartbeat, he was gone.
“—about my mother?” Josie finished, throwing up her arms as she twisted toward me. “Why does he always do that?”
“I think it makes him feel cool or something.”
“Well, it is kind of cool. I mean, he can pop in and out of, like, anywhere, but I really wish he had better timing.”
I snorted. “You and me both. He’s the king of bad timing.”
Josie smiled a little as she sat back down on the arm of the chair. “I wish he actually hung around so that I could ask him about Erin and my mom.” She paused, and her shoulders slumped. “Or, you know, spend time with me.”
Watching her, I tried to think of something . . . supportive to say, but what could you say in a situation like this? Her father was a dick and he was on the absentee list. It was obvious to anyone with a functioning brain that it bothered Josie. The fact that he didn’t actively try to fix that somehow confirmed the first fact.
