Rise of the Blood

I let my eyes adjust to the darkness of the room. Nothing seemed changed. No grim reaper stood over me, slashing down with the bladed weapon of doom as had happened once before. I still had nightmares about that.

Slowly, quietly, I got up, leaving Nick sleeping as I canvassed the room. It didn’t take me long to see what was out of place—a piece of paper slipped under the door.

That’s weird, I thought. There shouldn’t be a bill. My understanding was that Uncle Hector was taking care of all this. I could always straighten it out with the front desk in the morning. But when I picked it up, I saw it wasn’t a bill at all. It was a warning.

You’re next.

I unlatched the safety bar on our door, turned the lock and eased the door open to check the hallway, even knowing the messenger would be long gone. As expected, the hallway was deserted. Quiet. Dark but for some low night-lighting recessed along the ceiling.

But there was enough illumination to spot a door opening halfway down the hall and Jesus emerging— wearing the clothes he’d had on earlier, minus the tie that dangled from his hand rather than his neck. His shirt collar was open two whole buttons and there was only one conclusion. I ducked back into the room before he could see me see him do the walk of shame. I could guess whose room he’d been coming from; I knew for a fact it wasn’t his. I also knew I didn’t want to know even this much. I wanted mental floss for the sudden vision I had of Spiro and Jesus together. A new manifestation of my psychic abilities? I sure hoped not. On second thought, mental floss was too mild. I was thinking maybe frontal lobotomy. Sadly, I lacked the proper tools.

I crumpled the warning note in my hand and curled back up to Nick, wishing for a big old goblet of oblivion from the River Lethe, the river of forgetfulness. Unfortunately, Hades had a monopoly on that, and he wasn’t exactly my biggest fan. At least he was no longer trying to kill or control me.

Unless he was behind the threat. Somehow I doubted it though. It was more his style to maim first, gloat later. Which meant I was back to my original enemies: Zeus and Poseidon. If they (or an agent for them, since I hadn’t yet been struck by lightning or another freak storm) were behind the note, what was the purpose? To keep us unsettled until they could deliver their coup de grace? Was their agent behind Apollo’s petrification as well?

I laid there wide-eyed for most of the night, pondering this and other mysteries of the universe. Not so easy with Nick beside me, snoring like he’d swallowed an active buzzsaw.

I’d been sure I wouldn’t sleep at all, so I was doubly surprised the next morning when Nick woke me getting out of bed. He disappeared into the bathroom without so much as looking my way.

A wake-up call came five seconds later, while I was still debating what to do about Nick and about to settle on the cheap ploy of getting naked and striking a provocative pose to ensnare him when he emerged from the bathroom.

A woman’s voice told me in unaccented English that Uncle Hector had arranged for a complimentary breakfast buffet to run from nine until eleven, after which our transportation would be leaving for Delphi. A quick glance at the clock showed that it was eight thirty. Plenty of time to eat and get ready.

In the bathroom, I heard the shower start up and gave up on the idea of a provocative pose. I hesitated to sneak up on Nick in the shower after what Serena had walked in on with Apollo, but I figured no guts, no glory. So I dropped my tank and sweats into a heap on the bed and headed naked for the bathroom, only to find the door locked.

I steamed.

What if I’d desperately needed the facilities? Not that we were yet at that point in our relationship where I’d do anything with him in the same room, even behind a curtain with water running to drown out the noise. Still, I liked to have my options open.

I studied the closed door. It was meant for privacy, not security. I could jimmy it with a credit card. But should I?

Yeah, as if self control was really an option.

I got my wallet, grabbed a credit card to some store I’d shopped in maybe once or twice and went at it.

The door popped open quicker than it took me to lick my lips, and I dropped the card on the counter, took a step toward the shower and flicked aside the curtain.

Nick whirled like I’d goosed him. His eyes went wide, and there was a razor in his hand, held like a weapon, which would have been a lot more effective if it hadn’t been the plastic traveling kind.

“Tori, you scared the hell out of me!” he said, not happily.

I ignored his tone. “You have room in there for me?”

“The door was locked,” he pointed out.

“So it was.”

And that was when he realized I was naked. I could see it when the cranky started to ebb from his face and something else took its place. He looked over as much of me as the curtain didn’t conceal and suddenly there was more of him to lather.

“Well, I suppose it would be nice to have someone to wash my back,” he said. The blue of his eyes deepened and he stepped back to make room for me.

“Just your back?” I asked, raking my gaze over him. Nick was unbelievably gorgeous at the best of times—thick dark hair falling over his brow, amazing jawline, broad shoulders, narrow waist, washboard abs—the stuff of romance covers. But wet and naked, his hair slicked back so that I could really see those expressive blue eyes…

“We can start there and see where it takes us,” he answered.

I didn’t ask if that meant I was forgiven for fear he’d say “no”. I stepped into the water and just went with the flow, so to speak.

We made it down to breakfast with twenty minutes to spare before the end. The fresh fruit plate had been picked nearly clean but for a few grapes, but there was still coffee and croissants, and I was all for carb-loading after that shower. Honestly, I was shaky, and I didn’t think it was for lack of food or caffeine withdrawal. I was going to have to find a source for ambrosia, stat. I probably should have asked Apollo about it last night, but, well, seeing him au naturel like that played havoc with my mind.

The terrace restaurant was deserted when we arrived, except for Hermes and Christie, who still lingered over coffee. She’d gotten hers iced and was drinking through a straw, her trick, I knew, to avoid staining her teeth.

She jumped up when she saw me and gave me a huge hug. “I was just waiting to say good-bye,” she said in a rush. “I’ve got to get to my shoot, but if there are no delays, I’ll be back for the wedding. Hermes invited me to be his guest…if that’s okay with you.”

“Of course!” I said, putting mock enthusiasm into my voice, not because I didn’t want her there, but because I’d rather have her safely away. I didn’t want her becoming collateral damage if…when…Zeus and Poseidon came at me again, which made me wonder whether I should be here at all, drawing potential fire down on my friends and family.

“Good, I’ll see you in two days then,” Christie said, oblivious to my turmoil. She was happier than I’d seen her in a good, long time. Since Jack(ass) had broken her heart. “Tell Apollo I hope he feels better.”

“What did you hear?” I asked, maybe a little too sharply.

Enough so that Christie picked up on it instantly. “Why, what do you know?”

“Nothing,” I lied.

“Uh huh. You will tell me. But later. We have to get going.”

She kissed me on both cheeks to say good-bye. Hermes rose from their table and did the same, saying into my ear as he hit my second cheek, “You are okay? You look a trifle…piqued.”

“I’m fine, which is more than I can say for you if you pull one wrong move with my friend, capisce?” I was about to say you break her, you bought her, but that might just give him ideas.

“Of course, agape. She is safe as houses.”

Yeah, I knew what Vesuvius had done to them and Hermes was just as much a