Page 75 of Lost

Aphrodite knew better. She’d witnessed what Neferet had done to them. Nyx had sent her that vision. And that was one vision Aphrodite had shared withno one.

“Would you like more champagne?”

Aphrodite automatically held her glass out for the refill. Then she looked at the stinky kid sitting beside her. She was surprised to realize that he was obviously Native American. She hadn’t noticed that before. And if he changed his crappy, ill-fitting clothes and took care of some personal grooming—like, he really needed a haircut… and a destinking—he might even be cute. Real cute. She hadn’t noticed that before, either. Well, in all fairness, once she’d smelled him, she hadn’t really looked at him.

But he hadn’t smelled when he’d talked to her in the garden that night.

“How old are you?” she asked him.

He looked surprised at the question. “Sixteen.”

“Isn’t that young to be a lieutenant?”

He nodded. “Yeah. I’m the youngest lieutenant in the army.”

“When did you Change?” she asked.

“Almost a year ago.” He paused, and then added, “When did you Change?”

“When I was older than sixteen,” she said. Aphrodite wanted to ask him why he hadn’t smelled like death the night before, but no way was she going to let Dickless and Bow Boy hear that. No way did she want them anymore up in her business than they already were. “You’re a child. No wonder you haven’t had champagne.” She turned her head dismissively to stare out the window and wish she were anywhere else.

* * *

Other Kevin

The conversation stalled after Aphrodite called him a child. She didn’t look at him. She didn’t talk to him. She did, of course, hold out her glass from time to time for a champagne refill.

Man, she drinks champagne fast!

All Kevin could do was to sit and watch with growing dread as the Hummer ate up the miles and they got closer and closer to what most likely would be a terrible tragedy.

What if that bird didn’t get to Dragon?

No, he wouldn’t let himself think about that. All he could do was what he was doing. He sent the information. He was with the soldiers because maybe there could be something he could do in the middle of battle to help people get away from the Red Army. At this point Kevin didn’t give a damn whether he was discovered or not. He wasn’t going to stand by and watch innocents being slaughtered by monsters.

“Here, open another one.”

Aphrodite shoved a new bottle of champagne at him. He hadn’t even noticed she’d drained the other one. As he coaxed the cork out of it, he threw glances at Aphrodite. She looked bad.

Well, that wasn’t entirely true. She was beautiful. That hadn’t changed. But she was so damn thin and pale! Dark circles were showing through whatever she’d tried to cover them with, and when she wasn’t gulping champagne, her mouth was set in a hard line.

“How far are we from Lone Star Road?” Aphrodite asked as he filled her glass again.

Stark pointed to the light about a block in front of them. “We turn there, on Hickory. Then in about a mile and a half we’ll take a right onto Lone Star. That’s when I need you awake and aware.” Stark looked over his shoulder at her and frowned. “So, lighten up on that champagne.”

“Oh, relax, Grandpa. I’m a vampyre, remember? I can’t get wasted. I can’t even get very high. Well, unless I mix a bunch of Xanax with this booze—which reminds me.” She reached into the giant bag that sat on the seat between them, pulled out a little pill bottle, and shook out a few tiny oval pills, which she washed down with a big swig of champagne. “And, I’m a professional at this.”

“You’d better be. Neferet is counting on it,” Stark said.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’ll recognize the damn field. Worry about your zombie army—not me.”

Stark turned back around and rubbed his forehead.

Kevin kept staring at Aphrodite until she met his eyes. Then, in a voice low enough that it wouldn’t carry to the front seat, he said, “You know how bad this is going to get. I don’t blame you for drinking and taking those.” He pointed a finger at the pill bottle that was sticking out of the top of her purse.

She looked like she was going to make another snarky comment, but then her face changed. Her shoulders slumped, and she nodded sadly, whispering, “It’s going to be worse than bad.”

“I won’t let you get hurt,” he said softly.