AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She closed the door and headed into the bathroom.
Her blood. They needed her blood. Zeus needed her blood. For what? Intel was the key to survival. If Daire knew her blood was needed for some ritual or whatever, he’d have told her… wouldn’t he?
A question mark hung over Styx. It didn’t feel like he was deliberately withholding, but he was Olympus trained. Should she tell him about the blood? It was a hearty slice of intel. Valuable intel. Living blood. What did that even mean? At least it confirmed no one intended to kill her. Not until after whatever the blood thing was about.
If knowing they needed her blood gave her power, she’d give Styx power by telling him too. So many secrets. Some she kept by deliberate choice; others made good sense. She had until tomorrow to figure out what to tell her ally.
A knock on the outer closet door came just as she turned the shower on. Uh… that wasn’t a good sign. She hurried through to see who was there.
Zeus. No apology, no hesitation.
“This is my bedroom,” she said. “My private space.”
“It is,” he said. “But I didn’t think you’d hear me at the door.”
And how did he know she was in the bathroom? That wasn’t the first time he’d hinted at knowing more than she was comfortable with.
Without flinching, she asked, “What do you want?”
Starting a fight in her bedroom, with Byron and Balfour gone, wouldn’t be wise. Not that she’d expect them to defend her. Still, if Zeus wanted to change the nature of their association against her will, he could trap her in a room that locked in a matter of seconds.
“Since it’s just us, I thought I would take you out for dinner. Will an hour be long enough for you to get ready?”
“Out for dinner,” she said, suspicious. “Like a date?”
He laughed. “As much as I would enjoy telling your father that we were romantically involved, I think it would be best to keep things between us professional.”
Between her and him or between him and Harry? It didn’t really matter. He’d twisted her words to make it seem like she’d requested more of their relationship.
“I don’t mind eating in,” she said. “I’m used to it.”
“Then we’ll eat in the private dining room or on the balcony, which would you prefer?”
Either way sounded too romantic. Pancakes by candlelight in the Beast came to mind. That was the only place she wanted to think about romance and the only man she’d consider it with.
“Out then,” she said, despite discounting the idea a moment ago. “I haven’t seen enough of London nightlife.”
“Good,” he said. “Perhaps we can go to your matinee together as well… and some evening shows too. I didn’t know you enjoyed the theater.”
“Not something I got much of a chance to try at home,” she said, still uncertain of the man.
His being relaxed and at ease didn’t make her less suspicious.
“Then this is your chance,” he said. “I’ll see what we can put together.” Without asking, he picked up her hand to kiss her knuckles. “I look forward to this opportunity. We’ll get to know each other better… personally. I’ll come back in an hour.”
Leaving her in the closet, more than a little confused, he went out of her bedroom and closed the door. He’d said they should keep things professional, then that they’d get to know each other personally.
Why couldn’t she have slipped into Byron or Hugo’s luggage? Damn, she envied them… and their distance from Zeus.
Being his sole form of entertainment wasn’t a role she wanted. If they were going to eat alone and socialize, she didn’t want him getting ideas or to like him either. Intel was her mission. Listening could lead to learning; eavesdropping on Byron had worked out.
Daire didn’t slip up with intelligence, so it was a good bet that Zeus wouldn’t either. Still, anything she could remember might help later, even if it didn’t seem relevant. Her Heart might recognize something as useful even if she didn’t. She’d hoover up the information and then pray that Daire would be able to piece it together.
TWENTY-THREE
“YOU WENT ON A DATE,” Styx sang in her ear as she walked past him into his hotel room the following day.
It wasn’t the same hotel room he’d stayed in that first time. By her assessment, he moved every three or four days. It was sort of amazing that he managed to make a mess of the place before he’d even been there twenty-four hours.
