I shrugged. “It seems important.”
Smithy sighed. “Probably not. He might not even realize he’s supernatural. The bloodlines can be thin and still affect the children. That’s the way it goes.”
“Right.” I sighed. “And Theseus? Ernie said he worked with you for a time.”
He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Yeah, he did. It was a favor to one of his fathers, Poseidon.”
I blinked several times, not sure I’d heard right. “One of his fathers?”
“Yeah, the other he’s not so proud of. The tales make it sound like Aegeus was this great king, but he was really something of a tool. A goat man who was horny as hell but couldn’t get it up. He needed an heir, at least in his mind, and convinced Poseidon to help him.”
I tipped my drink and gulped back a mouthful. The image of a goat man, like Damara’s two boyfriends, not being able to get it up was amusing. I giggled and then slapped a hand over my mouth. “What kind of juice again?”
Smithy arched an eyebrow. “Nectar of the gods.”
“That doesn’t tell me much, smarty-pants,” I slurred out. Slurred. Oh, that was not going to be good. But why, again? I tipped the cup back and emptied it. “That’s gooooood.”
Smithy rolled his eyes. “Cheap drunk, eh? Listen to me. Theseus is not going to be easy to kill. He doesn’t have an obvious weakness like Achilles. He’s all about control, about learning his prey and then going after it, in this case you, with a sudden thrust that comes from a direction you won’t expect.”
“Thrust.” I giggled again, and Smithy leaned forward and grabbed my arms.
“Pay attention, I won’t say this again. He wasn’t killed by a monster, he just faded away from mankind, and that was how he was ‘killed.’ He faded like so many of the minor gods. He needs people to believe in him, to support him to keep him powerful.”
“So.” I pursed my lips and leaned toward him so we were close enough to kiss. Not that I wanted to, but by the way his gaze dipped, he was thinking about it. “There is nothing you can tell me that will actually help, then?”
“He’s stealing your friends,” he murmured, “and he will make you fight them first. Make you kill them to protect yourself, and then he will take you out. He knows your weakness, Alena. He knows you care too much. You aren’t like the other monsters. You aren’t selfish like them.”
I wobbled in my seat, and he helped steady me. I rolled my head forward until it rested on his shoulder. “I think I’m going to be sick.”
A screech from behind us snapped along my spine, shooting me upright, even while I swayed and the world wobbled. I twisted my head around. At the far side of the pool, a woman wearing a bright-white strappy bikini that looked a lot like the one I’d tried on stared at us. A part of my brain screamed that I was in trouble. Like serious trouble, because I recognized her. Or the Drakaina in me did anyway. The long, curling strawberry-blond hair, the pristine blue-green eyes, the perfect body, high cheekbones, lush lips, great big boobies that defied gravity, all could belong to only one woman.
Aphrodite.
“I can see why you married her,” I stage-whispered. I mean, I was trying to whisper, but it was really loud. “I mean, she is super-duper hot.”
“Shit,” Smithy grunted, letting go of me as if I’d flashed my fangs at him.
I wobbled and fell to the ground of the hut, giggling.
I lay there and stared up at the ceiling of the hut. “I think she’s mad at you, Smithy.”
Those blue-green eyes were suddenly looking down at me. “I’m going to kill you, Drakaina.”
“Ohh, wait. That’s what Achilles said. You should ask him how that worked out. I think he’s here somewhere. You’ve got great boobs, by the way. From here, it’s a good look on you.” I laughed up at her, unable to stop the bubbling mirth. I’d never been drunk before, was this really how it happened? I felt great. As if I were on top of the world, when I should have been freaking out.
Smithy’s hands were on his wife, and they were arguing as he tried to push her away from me. “She’s one of the inmates I have to deal with.”
“Looked like far more than that to me. She was holding on to you!” she screamed, and I cringed.
“Too loud!” I grumbled, rolling to my feet. “And I was just bringing dessert.” The thought of Aphrodite in her perfect body eating one of my cupcakes made me giggle again. “You should eat several, you could stand to gain a few pounds, you’re too skinny.”
She gasped, Smithy groaned, and I crawled out of the hut. The water looked so lovely I didn’t even think about it, I just slid over the edge of the pool as the sounds of screaming and yelling continued on the surface side of the water, now muffled.
Someone tugged on my hand, and I opened my eyes. The mermaid smiled at me, row upon row of sharklike teeth flashing at me. I wasn’t afraid, though. I just smiled back, my fangs dropping down. Bubbles rolled up out of her mouth, and I knew she was laughing. I clasped her hand with my own, and she swam with me across the length of the pool.
With a shove, she heaved me out of the water and onto the deck at my yaya’s feet.
“Time to go, Alena. I think you’ve done enough here today.”
“Enjoy the cupcakes!” I yelled over my shoulder. The crowd gave a tiny cheer, and Achilles waved and blew me a kiss. I waved back and even blew him a kiss back like we were grand friends. Like he hadn’t tried to kill Tad and I hadn’t cut his legs.
With Ernie on one side of me and Yaya on the other, I wobbled out through the house, dripping water and giggling. Narcissus met us at the door. “I hope you enjoyed your visit.”
“Oh, totally! Oh my God, you are so hot.” I slapped his ass the way Yaya had, and he yelped, his eyes bugging wide.
I fell into the car—it wasn’t like there was a door to open anymore anyway—and strapped myself in.
Ernie and Yaya were talking, their voices flowing over me in a smooth dialogue that sounded like Chinese to me.
“Merlin’s house. I want to give him a cupcake!” I yelled at the top of my lungs.
“Holy shit, she’s drunk as a skunk,” Ernie said. “Yes. We’re going there right now.”
“Good.” I flopped my head back and closed my eyes. I must have slept, because what felt like seconds later we were stopping again.
“Here we are,” Yaya said. “Alena. Are you feeling better?”
I swallowed once and ran my tongue around the inside of my mouth. “Feels like I’ve got cotton candy stuck to the inside of my mouth.”
“Yes, but how is your thinking? Are you going to break into giggles when someone says ‘penis’?” she asked.
I stared at her, shocked. “Why would Merlin say ‘penis’ exactly?”
She rolled her eyes. “Look, I wanted to see how drunk you were. The nectar is working out of your system, so go ahead. Take him his cupcake.”