"Adonis will come around. I'm sure of it." Daphne's words were hopeful, but her tone implied she didn't fully believe it.
"Care to explain what all of that pertained to?" Melancton asked as he led Adonis into his impeccably tidy bedroom. The bed was made up, without a wrinkle on the comforter or pillowcases. Not a single object appeared out of place.
Even though he tried to keep his mind on the present, the sting of Sage's words still penetrated deep. No matter what he did, he screwed it up. Sending her home tomorrow would be the best thing for her. He'd tried to be noble, damn it, even if his keeping her at his side had been selfish. That didn't mean he wanted to talk about it to Melancton of all people. "If I have a choice, then no."
The other satyr let out an uncharacteristic sigh of impatience. "Take a seat."
Oh, gods. Adonis hoped he wasn't about to get lectured. He complied and sat on the corner of the bed. The soft mattress and plush blue comforter only reminded him of how horrible his current lodgings had been. How the others had been lavished in comfort while he'd been shoved in a derelict old house with a leaky roof.
That isn't Melancton's fault. Can't resent him for it.
"Where did you find a nymph?" Melancton asked as he opened his closet and stepped inside. Adonis leaned to the left to try to see what he was doing. A soft metallic slide and click hinted at a safe being opened. He sat back straight and waited as Melancton retrieved whatever he needed.
"She sort of showed up in the woods by the place I'm staying."
When he stepped out, he held a set of panpipes and a little orange pill bottle without a label. "She is a wood nymph then? That is good. Daphne could use more nymphs in the area. So few are left or have come into their powers to know what they are."
"London said Pan's going to make her a nymph for Jacen?" Might as well make small talk and attempt to keep the subject off him.
"Pan wishes to attempt it." He did turn Syrinx from human to nymph, but who is to say that wasn't on the cusp of happening already. "And should he fail…well, we will pursue ways of making London immortal."
From the grim expression crossing Melancton's face, Adonis didn't even need to state the obvious. Yet he did. "That's dangerous."
"Yes." He handed the panpipes and pills to Adonis. "These are Calix's. Use them until we can provide you with your own." More like until Calix came home, but Adonis would appreciate them for the time he had them.
Guilt pierced through Adonis' gut at he stared at the items in his hands. What would the Arcadian say when he found out that not only had Adonis been using his things, but had news that would shatter his every hope of breaking his curse. While thoughts of Calix and Sage together made him far more jealous than he had any right to be, Calix's only chance of being human again was lost in that one tryst, and he'd had no idea. It was a fear all of them shared, but as of yet, none of them had suffered.
"Are you sure this is okay? I know I'm not exactly wanted around here…"
Melancton sat beside him and clasped his hands in his lap. Battle scars from the days of fighting for ancient Greece still showed on his tanned arms. Adonis had no such scars. Working on a farm in the countryside, all his worst scrapes and cuts had healed with ease. His skin remained as unmarred as a newborn babe. It was easy to see why Daphne was so drawn to a warrior like Melancton. What did Adonis have to offer, really, aside from a handsome face and a body that was frozen in its prime?
"Hermes vouches for you, and I trust his judgment. I owe him more than I can ever repay."
That made for one of them at least. He doubted the other satyrs would be as trusting of him just because Hermes said to. "Ariston won't like it. Calix probably won't either."
"Let us take it one day at a time. Until Theron is dealt with, stay here. Evander is still away with Bremusa, and until Calix returns, we need the manpower to protect the women. This protection extends to your nymph should things work out."
Adonis turned away. He didn't know how to respond because part of him wanted to lash out at what felt like charity, and the other wanted to shout in gratitude about finally being included. Being thought of as an asset and not a nuisance. The only time Dionysus had made him feel needed was when he'd sent him to destroy his brother's happiness, and that had landed Adonis into a second curse.
"What's Dionysus up to these days?" He still didn't know who Bremusa was, but if Evander was dating her, he'd hear more about her and probably meet her soon.
Melancton went rigid, which didn't seem possible for someone who was usually stock-still. "No one told you?"
Annoyance set back in. "Shocking, but no. I'm running blind here."
"Dionysus is dead. Betrayed by his own cohorts in a coup to free the Titans and take over Olympus."
The words didn't quite register at first. Awkwardly, Adonis laughed. It wasn't funny. He hated Dionysus, always had, but knowing for a fact he was dead…it was hard to believe. "Wow." Then his brain started to work into overdrive. "Did that happen around the time the sun disappeared?"
Melancton nodded. "I forgot that Hermes left around the same time."
He clenched his fists. "Do you know where he went?"
"I do not. All I know is what Pan said. Allegedly Hermes is on a task for Zeus that will take several months."
Right. He was probably in Tartarus again for being an insufferable pain in the ass. Adonis closed his eyes and berated himself.
