I shook my head. “No, I . . . I can’t.”
Remo sighed and walked to the driver’s side, his footsteps fading. “I’ll take you home. This will come back to haunt you, Alena. I know. I had my chance to deal with Santos, and I didn’t.”
I bit my lower lip, a warring mixture of anger and hurt flowing through me at his chastisement. “I have things I need to do. Without you.”
His eyes met mine across the space between us, concern thick like molasses in them. “At least keep Dahlia close. Will you do that much?”
I glared at him, and the snake that seemed to live inside of me let out a low hiss. “None of you think I can take care of myself.”
Dahlia snorted. “You’re getting there, but you aren’t there yet, my friend.”
“Yaya, I’m taking the Granada.” I strode away from Remo’s car and headed straight toward the baby-blue clunker Yaya so dearly loved.
“Only if I get to come with you,” she chirped. “Not like I’m going back in there”—she jerked a thumb toward the house—“before they get that place cleaned up. Gods, what a mess!”
Ernie floated up in the backseat of Remo’s truck, a yawn stretching his face as he rolled the window down. “What did I miss? Anything?”
“Grab the cupcakes, Ernie.” I amended, “Please.” He disappeared for a split second, then was through the window with my package of wicked cupcakes. One for Merlin, and one for Zeus.
“Got it.”
Yaya threw me the keys, and I caught them in midair as a thought rolled through me. Obviously the venom was strong enough to cause issues, but would it be enough to totally incapacitate Merlin? I had no idea how long the puke session was going to last in my parents’ house, and I didn’t really want to stick around to watch.
Remo and Dahlia pulled away in his car, and for just a split second I wished he’d stayed. That whole wanting him to want to stay, even though I’d told him to leave.
No, that was the old me. The one who wanted a man to help her feel like she was fulfilled. “Yaya, start it up. I left something inside.”
I sprinted toward the house, took a deep breath at the door, and plunged back in. The stomach rolling smell of regurgitated food tickled at me even though I held my breath. I grabbed the container with the last few cupcakes and then backed away to the door. Aunt Janice glared at me from the floor where she lay. “Horrid beast,” she whispered.
“Coming from a goblin, I’ll take it as a compliment,” I said, then gagged and backed away. Honey puffs, the smell was beyond atrocious.
Her eyes popped wide and her mouth opened as a slew of pale-green chunk-filled liquid flowed out.
I looked over to where Theseus and Beth had sat. Their places were empty and the back door was open. I put the cupcakes down and scooped up a knife from the table. Just a steak knife, nothing special. But if Theseus was down with the pukes, then it would do the job, and my mom wouldn’t see. He’d barely been able to hold his sword up.
I made myself walk to the sliding glass door and out into the backyard. The part of me that was Drakaina approved; Remo was right. Take your enemies out while they were down to minimize casualties.
Out into the backyard I went, steak knife held tight in one hand. My ears strained, listening for the staccato beat that was Beth’s heart. The shrieking cry of a bird shattered the night, and I jumped.
A metallic feather buried itself into the ground at my feet where I’d stood only a split second before. I backed up, staring into the sky. A whoosh of wings, another cry, and then the sound of her heart faded. And with her went my chance to end Theseus.
I’d blown it. I bent and scooped up the metallic feather. Gold and silver, it glittered even in the dim light. “You’re an idiot.” I wasn’t 100 percent sure if I was talking to Beth or myself.
Probably both.
Nothing to do now but move on and hope I could get some answers out of Zeus.
CHAPTER 16
Yaya drove us in the direction of Zeus’s place. Olympic Drive in the Highlands . . . if Smithy was being straight with us. “Are you sure this is where Zeus lives?” she asked.
I clutched at the container of vomit-inducing cupcakes. “It’s where Hephaestus, I mean, Smithy, said he was.”
“And he was helping you, why again?” There was a sly tone to her voice that I waved at with one hand, like batting away steam from a pot.
“Yaya, don’t go there. The last thing I need is some ex–Greek god deciding to take an interest in me. I mean, look at where that’s getting me with Hera. Look at where it got you when you messed around with Zeus. A curse, of all things! I have enough issues as it is.”
“You mean like pissing off the rival vampire gang?” Ernie asked.
“That.” I nodded.
“And not killing Theseus when you had the chance,” Yaya pointed out.
I closed my eyes. “That.”
“Ooh, and somehow getting on Aphrodite’s bad side? Though that probably ties to Hephaestus, to be fair,” Ernie added.
I groaned. “That.”
“Anything else you want to tell me about?” Yaya glanced sideways at me, her puffy white hair barely peeking above the steering wheel.
“Keep your eyes on the road,” I said. “You make me nervous as it is without looking away.”
She snorted and waved a hand at me in a mocking imitation. “I’ve been driving longer than you’ve been alive.”
“That doesn’t exactly comfort me,” I grumbled as I leaned back in my seat, the light-blue pleather creaking under me. Ernie shook his head.
“How does one little monster get into so much trouble?”
“Lucky, I guess. And I’m hardly little. Have you seen the size of my snake?” I mumbled.
They burst out laughing, and I shook my head as heat rushed through my face. “You know that’s not what I meant.”
“Still funny.” Ernie chuckled. “Peeeenis humor always is.”
“Ernie!” I burst out laughing, giggling uncontrollably.
Yaya reached over and tapped a hand on my leg. “Pay attention. Trouble, our family bloodlines are nothing but trouble. Started long before you, Lena Bean, so don’t feel bad. If it weren’t drawn to you, it would be drawn to Tad. Not that he seems to be staying out of trouble either. Does he really think things will end well dating a vampire?”
I crumpled in my seat thinking of Remo. Not that we were dating, not at all. But still, she had a point.
“You don’t think Dahlia is nice?”
“Not that,” Yaya said. “But they aren’t known for being monogamous. It’s not in their nature any more than being able to stand in the sun is. They are geared to flit between partners in order to satisfy their hunger.”
The thought of Remo drinking from different women every night made every part of my body tense. No, it was not my place to judge him. I closed my eyes, but all I could see was Remo with someone who resembled Barbie. As if she would be solely responsible for taking all the men from my life.
“Yaya, what if I can’t get this divorce?” I asked softly.