The twins looked at each other. Clearly having a silent argument that lasted a few seconds. Finally they seemed to come to an agreement. Turning once more to look at Gigi.
“No problem. We’d just assumed this was about Copper, I mean the Goddess K’in. But I see Elijah is glued to her side.”
“Who’s after tall dark and broody?”
“If there’s something I need to know…?” The twins gifted her with their guileless innocent look, which only alarmed Gigi more. “Come on, spill.”
“It’s nothing.” Brynn spoke up.
“Not nothing.” Chase contradicted. “But not something you need to be concerned with. We’re just kind of breaking the girl-code rules here.”
“But sisters trump ho’s.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Come on. I have three minutes to fill you in on everything before I need to get the frozen treats displayed and circulated.”
***
Okay, even Nico had to admit the quartet of ukulele players just worked, given the setting. Something about palm trees, ocean breezes and the twanging just gelled. In fact, everything was going really well with this meet and greet beach party Apep had organised for primarily the water-centric deities. Nico still buzzing from the fact that Poseidon,the Poseidon, had scarfed down several of his churrasco skewers marinated in a mojito dressing, and raved about them. Poseidon.
Call him pessimistic, but Nico couldn’t help but think things were going too well. He kept waiting for the ground to split apart. Or a barrage of lightning strikes to obliterate the atoll.
And trying to split his focus in so many bloody directions was beginning to give him a headache. Hovering near the thatchedstructure where the food had been set up gave him a good vantage point. But trying to be on the lookout for danger, plus keep a protective eye on so many potential moving targets was proving a challenge.
There was Copper, who was a bright beacon with her red hair hanging loose down around her shoulders, circulating, looking awesome and powerful in a bright orange sarong styled dress that he knew for sure Riya had designed. And the delectable Gigi, who was wearing a short dark purple dress that kept flapping in the breeze. Revealing distracting glimpses of leg, cleavage and a surprisingly tantalising bare back, thanks to those thin straps and a dipping neckline.
Now added to his plate were the DeWitt twins, who kind of reminded him of the fembots from Austin Powers, only with violet eyes. They looked like decorations, not bodyguards, and Nico had from the moment he’d been introduced added them to his list of people to watch over at this blasted event.
Not that they seemed to require much help. They loitered off to his right. Five feet away. Looking casual, but not bored. Their gazes, like his, constantly flickering over the crowd. And anyone who tried to approach them to initiate conversation was treated with dual remote superior glares, that automatically had the approachee slinking away. Hah, these girls could outstare Gods and Goddesses, perhaps they didn’t need Nico’s protection after all.
His gaze clashing momentarily with Elijah’s over the heads of the crowd. The two of them exchanging a brief nod of acknowledgement. Yeah, he probably didn’t need to keep making Copper a priority either, she had Elijah, and the ever hovering Apep at her elbow, performing introductions like a benevolent Uncle.
Which just left earthquakes, lightning strikes, and Gigi.
The hardest thing about trying to determine who the bad guys were was complicated by the sheer number of glittering gold beings present. He hadn’t noticed so much at Mount Olympus, given all the blindingly bright marble and disturbing endless sky overhead, but damn, a lot of deity lines had the tendency to gleam, glitter, and just be downright golden.
Making it hard to determine whether they were a threat sent by Qetesh, or just some river Goddess who was sidling on up to Gigi wanting to know if any of the sweet treats contained dairy.
Certainly the party was a success. Apep beaming. Everyone had been polite to Copper. Lots of cocktails and mocktails had been served. And even a few of the deities had hit the sandy makeshift dancefloor and grooved along to the ukulele quartet’s version of an Elvis hit.
Though calling it dancing was kind of going too far. Standing there posing, moving a limb occasionally, their heads swivelling constantly, trying to gauge if everyone was watching them. They weren’t. Everyone too busy caught up in their own self-importance.
Deity parties, Nico had quickly discovered, were like getting the world’s most popular influencers together in one room and then only providing one soft filtered spotlight.
Absently Nico glanced back to check on the food. The party was beginning to wind down so there was very little left. That didn’t stop some massive seven-foot dude with hardened green grey skin, that kind of reminded Nico of a crab, from grazing, picking over the remains. Hah, perhaps the guy was the God of the Crabs. Thank Saint Medard, all the seafood dishes were long gone.
He should probably start thinking about cleaning up, but crabbie was doing a pretty good job of it on his lonesome. Shoving whatever was left into his mouth, chewing away voraciously. Uncaring that he was chomping on bones, or evenwooden skewers. Yeah, probably a good idea just to leave him to it.
Apep had scooped Copper and Elijah up about twenty minutes ago, making their exit with a showy flash of gold lightning. Since then a steady stream had been leaving. Either by diving off the atoll or just disappearing into the ether. Even the ukelele quartet had called it a day. Which just left a few stragglers over by the bar.
Still, Nico’s instincts clamoured. Danger. Danger. Checking the skies, nothing. The ocean, nope, flat and idyllic. The twins must have sensed it too, suddenly they were flanking him, but their attention was on the ground. Earthquake? Sinkhole?
Thirty-foot sand monster appearing out of nowhere. And we have a winner.
This dude was seriously late to the party, Copper was long gone, yet it didn’t seem to care as it opened its sandy mouth and let out a gargling rough roar that sent birdlife into the air. Whilst any remaining partygoers quickly chose that moment to make a swift and speedy exit.
Instinctively Nico’s arms went up, intending to push Chase and Brynn behind him. Except they were pushing his arms down and running towards the scary assed massive sand monster.
“We’ve got this.” Brynn promised.
