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Erin drew her hand up to slap him again, and he caught it, this time licking his blood from her skin, inflaming her.
He barked out a laugh. “You’re even powerful enough to damage a god, if only in minute amounts.”
Before her eyes, the scratch on his cheek healed, the blood disappearing as if she’d never touched him. His self-satisfied grin only inflamed her temper further. He released her hand, and she resumed her pacing.
“I had a life. I had a job. Now what am I?” Erin growled, seething in his intensity. “I will not be your chattel to be ordered about. I will not be some plaything, some toy, for you to use for whatever purposes you have until you break me.”
Dionysos rumbled in laughter. “How could you be? You are infused with the essence of a god. Me.”
“I will not bow to you. I will never yield, not to you nor any man.”
Dionysos brushed his hand across the proud line of her jaw and ran his fingers down her strong shoulder, his attention rapt. When he pulled away, Erin momentarily quieted.
“Peace, Erin. I do not seek your servitude. The world has been too long without my presence. Without my sway. Fear and greed rule the masses, and the joys of healthy pleasure are lost on their souls. My gift to them is you. My Maenad. The first I have fashioned in centuries.”
“Maenad?” Erin tasted the word on her lips. “That sounds like something I heard in a fairy tale once.”
The look in Dionysos’ eyes became dangerous. “The Maenads are my immortal vanguard, fueled by wine and madness. They are warriors, destroyers, bacchants, and revelers. They preceded me and announced my arrival. None dared stand against them, at least not for long. They razed cities when defied and tore apart the corpses of their enemies with their bare hands. When welcomed, they threw galas for weeks that earned the renown of bards.”
Erin struggled to digest his intensity. “Wait, I’m immortal?”
A corner of his lip curled upwards. “Well, I never liked the term immortal, much, but it has a certain ring to it, yes? Think of it more as being very resilient and difficult to kill.”
Erin’s heart skipped a beat. Maybe two. “You’re truly not going to order me about?”
Dionysos scowled. “Do not offend me. You contain a spark of my godhood. You shall naturally be drawn along the path you must tread.”
Erin fisted her palms, aware of the newfound strength coursing through her veins. Through the soles of her feet, she felt the pulse of the Earth in simpatico with her own heartbeat. She breathed deeply, taking in the resinous smells of the flagpole pines surrounding them.
“You’re saying I can do whatever I want?” Erin asked, an incredulous lilt to her voice. The possibility of not being under the thumb of someone like Maria or Charlie sunk in.
“I’m counting on you to do exactly that.”
Somehow, this discussion with her newfound benefactor had centered her. Erin did not know what to do next, but sensed a realm of possibilities before her.
“Well then. It turns out I require financial backing,” Erin asked.
From over his shoulder, Dionysos unslung a heavy satchel and held it out to her. Erin took it without hesitation.
“Everything you need is in there. New ID, loaded coffers, the works. But one warning, my dear. I can’t safeguard your journey against all pitfalls.”
“I don’t know, I have the backing of a god. I’m exceedingly hard to kill, and I have endless money. What’s the catch?” Erin asked.
“Have you forgotten I have brothers and sisters who vie for supplicants? Seek the other god-touched. Demand your rightful due. But be warned: you will encounter resistance.”
Erin shrugged. “Oh, I haven’t forgotten that.”
Dionysos moved in close, his look conspiratorial. “And what are you planning with your newfound liberties?”
“You’ll see soon enough. But with this opportunity, I can create something new. Something free.” Erin’s brow raised, a slight smirk curling her lips. “For everyone.”
CHAPTER22
ERIN
Erin sashayed up to the front door of Porter’s, a purse full of money, high black heels, and a slip of a black dress that fit her athletic frame like a glove. She felt ready to take on the world. Or Denver, to start with.
After her conversation in the hills with Dionysos, Erin had stopped back by her meager apartment to wash up and change before going out. She’d hidden the satchel Dionysos had given her in her closet wall. Considering how much had happened today, she should have been exhausted, but her energy levels were through the roof.
