“If we rejected it, care to tell me who decided to move forward?” Hera asks Athena, a cutting edge to her voice.
“Stalemate,” Athena answers calmly with a lift of her shoulder. “Six for. Six against. Rules state we can proceed.” Her tone isn’t smug, but there’s a hint of satisfaction in her voice.
Hera lifts her chin as she contemplates the goddess in front of her. “Very well, but the fact remains she stole the panel from me. There is a price to pay.”
“She is on the path we set for her. I ask leniency from you.”
Hera rolls her eyes, then dips her chin. “Very well.” Her gaze drops to me, and her lips curve in a smile that frankly scares the crap out of me. “It feels good to be seen again. Worshipped by a true believer.”
How could I not believe? I’ve seen their terrifying wrath up close.
With a flick of her wrist, the panel disappears. “Five temples. Five gifts. Five prayers. The panel will be awarded to you when you have completed the task.” She gives a sly wink. “Make sure you express your gratitude for my leniency.”
There’s a warning in her voice that makes me swallow hard.
With those final words, she strides over to Athena and slips her arm through hers. “I haven’t been so entertained in centuries. Let’s find a comfortable place to watch.”
Not once does Athena look my way as the two disappear.
3
PHAEDRA
My blood is boiling the next day when I arrive back at the farmhouse. Why does it feel like I take one step forward and fifty back? I was this close to having this panel and moving on to the next one.Damn it.Now, I’m dancing to a god’s whims. Story of my life.
It could have been worse.
It’s one thing to see Apollo in passing on the island, but quite another to have the queen of the Olympian gods staring down at you. It’s a miracle she didn’t smite me the minute she found me. Probably would have if Athena hadn’t shown up. With a heavy sigh of resignation, I get out of the car and grab my gear.
As I walk toward the farmhouse, I stare down at my dirty boots, contemplating the price I have to pay. Five items, five temples, five prayers. I sigh. Thankfully, Hera has a lot of temples, so it should be easy to compile a list.
Head pounding, I climb the steps, enter the farmhouse, and drop my bag in the hall, then freeze. Why does it smell likecookies in here? Automatically reaching for my gun, I silently curse when I realize I left it in the car.Damn, I’ve gotten lax in my old age.
As I contemplate whether to get my gun or not, Gatlin strides out of the kitchen, moving gracefully towards me. Shocked, I stare at him, drinking in every inch of his big body. In worn blue jeans and a navy henley with his white-blond hair tied back from his face, he looks furious…and tired. Small lines bracket his mouth and eyes.
“Where the hell have you been? I’ve been looking everywhere for you. For three weeks, I’ve flown from one place to another, hoping to find you,” he snarls in his deep voice. Arms crossed; his intense gold eyes sweep over me from head to toe. “You know the enemy is after you. Why the hell would you go off on your own?”
He’s here. In my home. Worried…about me. A myriad of emotions batter the paper-thin walls around my heart, shredding them to pieces. I don’t care if he’s pissed. He came for me. Searched for me. The tears I’ve been holding back for days clog my throat. Swallowing hard, I do everything I can to stop them from flowing. But damn, it’s so good to see him.
“You left. All of you. What was I supposed to do? Stay in Italy for the rest of my life?”
He flashes me an incredulous look. “I told you I’d be right back.”
That night has played and replayed in my mind a thousand times. I would remember if they had left me with an inkling of hope. “No, you didn’t.”
A look of confusion crosses his face. “I didn’t?” When I shake my head, he runs a hand down his face. “You know I don’t like it when we all split up. Once I knew what the plan was, I returned for you. The least you could have done was waited a day or two.”
He makes it sound like I went off on my own for the fun of it. “Did everyone return, or just you?”
For a long minute, he says nothing, then he answers. and my heart sinks. “Mathias decided to infiltrate the vampires. He knows if we can get more information on who’s in charge, it will help us determine our strategy.”
Our last battle with the vampires runs through my mind, but it’s the image of them carrying Mathias out of the woods that makes me feel like I’m going to throw up.
“Is this because of me?”
“A lot of vampires have joined this rebellion, more than we realized, and we need intel. Mathias is widely respected, and our best bet,” he replies gruffly, clearly not answering my question.
I sigh. I’m not going to get more from Gatlin, but I know I’m the reason. All I see when I close my eyes are Mathias’ dark eyes full of shock and betrayal. If I want a chance at his forgiveness, I need to find the panels and, hopefully, end this war before it begins. And…offer him a way home. My heart protests, but I shove those feelings down deep. He needs his daughter.
