“If it’s designed to kill you, then why are we doing it? Surely a favor from Thanatos can’t be worth risking our lives?” I’d caught up to him now and he looked down at me, all covered in rainwater, his thick, gorgeous hair splayed out wildly.
“A favor from the god of death is worth almost anything.” He paused. “And I want to see if I can break all of Zeus’s pussy-ass booby traps.”
I snorted, “You totally just said pussy-ass. You got that from me.” A thousands-year-old god trapped in a twenty-five year-old body and he was saying pussy-ass. It was comical.
His hand came out then and splayed on my belly, stopping me mid-step. “Shhh.”
I went silent, listening … to nothing.
“I don’t hear anything.” My heart hammered in my chest.
He shrugged. “Best to stay quiet for the rest of the hike, just in case.”
Fucker.
With a frown, I followed my beast into a volcano.
We entered some kind of cave opening and Cronus stood before a seemingly plain muddy, earthen wall. He just stared at it, like it might come alive.
“Regalti,” he whispered.
Was that Italian?
Nothing happened.
“Unimos.”
“Khula.”
He went on like this for what seemed like forever. I think I actually napped for a little bit. That hike had worn me out. Being carried was exhausting.
“Are you sure this is the entrance? Can’t you just … smash it open?” I asked finally. I was going to need a snack soon.
He spun around and pinned me with a glare. “This entrance was designed to kill me. For the past ten minutes I’ve been holding up a protective shield should anything fly out and impale us. I can’t simplysmashthe opening.”
I held up my hands in defense. “Okay, okay. Maybe try blood. That worked for me.” I winked.
And a shitload of liquor. Not everyone gets attached to a god for their twenty-first birthday, but I was special like that. Something dawned in his eyes and he reached out lightning-quick and snatched my palm into his.
“Yes. You’re a demi-god. Selene’s lineage runs through your veins. Zeus would have made it so his minions could get in and help him store the items.”
Huh? I was really going to have to get around to googling Selene later.
“First of all, I am not a Zeus minion. Secondly, you’re not suggesting that I bleed on this door, right?” I tried to yank my hand back, but he held it.
“Come on, human. A tiny drop of blood ... just to see what it does?” He gave me a look then, a look that smoldered, a look that said he knew just how attractive he was and the effect it had on me.
Fuck that. I wasn’t going to fall prey to his pretty eyes and pouty lips.
I yanked my hand from his and crossed my arms.
“No.”
“I’ll carry you down the mountain when we are done. Otherwise you are walking.”
My eyes widened as he went for the kill. That bastard knew me too well already.
“Fine! One drop and I want some damn food soon.” Might as well throw lunch into the deal.
