The Power
Page 85
Rich people took security seriously.
Seth and I ended up in a guest bedroom that looked to have been decorated by a professional designer. It was a tranquil mix of pale blue and white. Reminded me of the photos in Good Housekeeping. Granny was a huge fan of that magazine.
Everyone was either in their rooms, dumping their stuff, or downstairs, where Gable was putting the pizzas in the oven. Solos was sticking close to him.
I watched Seth place our bags on a pale blue bench in front of the queen bed. “You don’t really trust Gable, do you?”
“It isn’t anything personal.” He walked over to a matching dresser, dropping his stolen sunglasses on the top. “We don’t know him. Anything about him. And he’s handling things pretty damn well.”
“Too well?”
He raised a shoulder. “He’s downstairs making pizza for us. A bunch of strangers who just told him that we’re descendants of Greek gods.”
I dropped down on the edge of the bed and sank into its softness. “Good point, but after I got my initial freak-out over and done with, I went along with you.”
He walked over, stopping in front of me. “You also got to sleep off a lot of the shock.”
“And I used you as my Pillow Pet—”
“And drooled on me.”?
I rolled my eyes. “I did not drool on you, but the point is, that yes, this is a lot to swallow, but it’s not impossible to process and deal with.”
“Hmm . . .” He knelt in front of me, wrapping his hands around my calves.
Cocking my head to the side, I smiled slightly. “What are you up to?”
“Nothing.” He kissed my right knee and then my left. “Okay. I’m up to something. Thinking about breaking this bed in.”
“Oh my gosh,” I laughed, slipping my fingers through his hair. “You have a one-track mind.”
“At least it’s on a fun track, right?”
“Yeah.” I slid my fingers out of his hair, down his cheek. Tipping his chin up, I studied his face. He was strikingly beautiful, unreal in a way, but there were so many layers to him. So much more than a sculpted face and body.
He turned his head, kissing my palm. “You doing okay?”
I thought of the nightmare from last night. “Yes. Of course.”
Those startling eyes met mine. “You’ve been rubbing at your brow and temple a lot. What’s up with that?”
Damn. He was observant. “Just have a minor headache. Not a big deal. I think it’s just lack of consistent sleep.”
“Then maybe you should rest,” he offered, kissing my palm again. “I can grab some slices and bring them up to you.” He started to rise.
I stopped him. “I’m not sleepy. I swear I’m fine.”
He appeared to consider that. “What were you thinking about earlier?”
“When?”
“At the motel. You were completely in a different world,” he explained.
Bending forward, I kissed his forehead. “I started to think about something really random.”
“You? Thinking something random?” He laughed when I leaned back and smacked his arm. “Never would’ve guessed that.”
“Ha. Ha.”
“So what were you thinking about?”
“About the fact that I’m immortal and you’re not,” I explained, grinning when his brows inched up. “But I’m going to fix that.”
His mouth moved wordlessly for a moment. “How . . . how are you going to fix that?”
I grinned at him. “I know Apollo can do that—make you immortal. He made Alex and Aiden immortal, so it’s totally possible.”
“Yeah,” he said slowly. “It’s possible, but that was different for them. Apollo isn’t going to make me immortal.”
Undaunted, I continued. “Oh, he will. And he’ll also make sure that deal you made with Hades is null and void if he wants me to help take down the Titans.”
Shock splashed across Seth’s face. “What?”
“I’ve been thinking about it for a while. They want me to help them. They need me, actually.” Feeling pretty smug, I moved to kiss him again, but Seth pulled back. He rose. I frowned. “What?”
He stared down at me like I’d sprouted a boob out of the middle of my forehead. “You’re going to try to negotiate with the gods?”
“Well, with my father—”
“Who is a god, Josie. You cannot negotiate with them, not even Apollo. They will turn every deal and flip it back on you,” he said. “I’ve seen them do it, and your father is no different.”
That wasn’t exactly what I wanted to hear, but I wasn’t surprised. “If they want me to stop the Titans, they will do this for me.”
“You’re insane,” he whispered, backing up.
“Geez. You’re welcome.” I pushed a loose strand of my hair back. “Look, I’m going to do something. There is no way I’m going to allow them to continue using you and then take over your afterlife. Nope. Not going to happen. So just accept it and move on, because I’m hungry.”
Seth gaped at me. “I am not worth that kind of risk, Josie.”
Anger flashed through me. “Would you please stop saying that? I hate it when you say that.”
“Why?” Frustration filled the air. “Because it’s true. Is that why?”
Seth and I ended up in a guest bedroom that looked to have been decorated by a professional designer. It was a tranquil mix of pale blue and white. Reminded me of the photos in Good Housekeeping. Granny was a huge fan of that magazine.
Everyone was either in their rooms, dumping their stuff, or downstairs, where Gable was putting the pizzas in the oven. Solos was sticking close to him.
I watched Seth place our bags on a pale blue bench in front of the queen bed. “You don’t really trust Gable, do you?”
“It isn’t anything personal.” He walked over to a matching dresser, dropping his stolen sunglasses on the top. “We don’t know him. Anything about him. And he’s handling things pretty damn well.”
“Too well?”
He raised a shoulder. “He’s downstairs making pizza for us. A bunch of strangers who just told him that we’re descendants of Greek gods.”
I dropped down on the edge of the bed and sank into its softness. “Good point, but after I got my initial freak-out over and done with, I went along with you.”
He walked over, stopping in front of me. “You also got to sleep off a lot of the shock.”
“And I used you as my Pillow Pet—”
“And drooled on me.”?
I rolled my eyes. “I did not drool on you, but the point is, that yes, this is a lot to swallow, but it’s not impossible to process and deal with.”
“Hmm . . .” He knelt in front of me, wrapping his hands around my calves.
Cocking my head to the side, I smiled slightly. “What are you up to?”
“Nothing.” He kissed my right knee and then my left. “Okay. I’m up to something. Thinking about breaking this bed in.”
“Oh my gosh,” I laughed, slipping my fingers through his hair. “You have a one-track mind.”
“At least it’s on a fun track, right?”
“Yeah.” I slid my fingers out of his hair, down his cheek. Tipping his chin up, I studied his face. He was strikingly beautiful, unreal in a way, but there were so many layers to him. So much more than a sculpted face and body.
He turned his head, kissing my palm. “You doing okay?”
I thought of the nightmare from last night. “Yes. Of course.”
Those startling eyes met mine. “You’ve been rubbing at your brow and temple a lot. What’s up with that?”
Damn. He was observant. “Just have a minor headache. Not a big deal. I think it’s just lack of consistent sleep.”
“Then maybe you should rest,” he offered, kissing my palm again. “I can grab some slices and bring them up to you.” He started to rise.
I stopped him. “I’m not sleepy. I swear I’m fine.”
He appeared to consider that. “What were you thinking about earlier?”
“When?”
“At the motel. You were completely in a different world,” he explained.
Bending forward, I kissed his forehead. “I started to think about something really random.”
“You? Thinking something random?” He laughed when I leaned back and smacked his arm. “Never would’ve guessed that.”
“Ha. Ha.”
“So what were you thinking about?”
“About the fact that I’m immortal and you’re not,” I explained, grinning when his brows inched up. “But I’m going to fix that.”
His mouth moved wordlessly for a moment. “How . . . how are you going to fix that?”
I grinned at him. “I know Apollo can do that—make you immortal. He made Alex and Aiden immortal, so it’s totally possible.”
“Yeah,” he said slowly. “It’s possible, but that was different for them. Apollo isn’t going to make me immortal.”
Undaunted, I continued. “Oh, he will. And he’ll also make sure that deal you made with Hades is null and void if he wants me to help take down the Titans.”
Shock splashed across Seth’s face. “What?”
“I’ve been thinking about it for a while. They want me to help them. They need me, actually.” Feeling pretty smug, I moved to kiss him again, but Seth pulled back. He rose. I frowned. “What?”
He stared down at me like I’d sprouted a boob out of the middle of my forehead. “You’re going to try to negotiate with the gods?”
“Well, with my father—”
“Who is a god, Josie. You cannot negotiate with them, not even Apollo. They will turn every deal and flip it back on you,” he said. “I’ve seen them do it, and your father is no different.”
That wasn’t exactly what I wanted to hear, but I wasn’t surprised. “If they want me to stop the Titans, they will do this for me.”
“You’re insane,” he whispered, backing up.
“Geez. You’re welcome.” I pushed a loose strand of my hair back. “Look, I’m going to do something. There is no way I’m going to allow them to continue using you and then take over your afterlife. Nope. Not going to happen. So just accept it and move on, because I’m hungry.”
Seth gaped at me. “I am not worth that kind of risk, Josie.”
Anger flashed through me. “Would you please stop saying that? I hate it when you say that.”
“Why?” Frustration filled the air. “Because it’s true. Is that why?”
