Jacen turned to Melancton, who nodded once but offered no comment. "I forgot about that."
Adonis shrugged. "Happens."
More awkward silence played out, and then Jacen said, "Thanks for coming to help find me yesterday. I know we never got along…"
"And my brother and Pan forbade you from reaching out to me though I was in the area." He'd expected nothing different, to be honest. It sucked, but he had betrayed Ariston badly.
Jacen looked away. Melancton sighed. "They were angry."
"I don't blame them for it. I was an asshole and I let an asshole control me. I'll never be able to erase my past. But I want to move forward. I want to control my own life and make better choices. If Ariston doesn't want to talk to me, I respect that. And Pan—"
"What about me?" A sharp tone accompanied the words.
Adonis whipped his head toward the doorway. Pan crossed his arms over a white cable knit sweater as he waited for an answer. The god didn't look remotely pleased to see him if his glaring green eyes that flashed red for a few seconds were any indication.
"Fucked me over, that's what." He turned to the other two, needing to get out of there. "I'm going to check on Sage." Not waiting for a response, he shoved out into the hall past the god, barely avoiding body-checking him with his shoulder on the way. His breathing increased with each step, and he thought he was going to hyperventilate if he didn't get out of Pan's presence. The guy had already screwed up his chances of being human again; the last thing he needed right now was to be tossed out on his ass, with Hermes out of commission and unable to help this time. He refused to be humiliated by the Arcadians in front of Sage.
No one was in the staff room when he got up there, and at first it concerned him, but then once he realized his curse wasn't making him a lust-crazed idiot, he calmed. The other women must be with Sage somewhere else in the building. Adonis hadn't wasted any of the pills he'd been given yet because, as long as he stayed around Sage, he didn't need them—and he worried once Ariston found out he was there, which was imminent now, he would be tossed out and not given any refills. Hell, none of them had even thought to give him any in the first place!
Jackasses.
Adonis picked up the television remote control and sat down in one of the armchairs. It was actually quite comfortable, and somehow that annoyed him even further considering the place he'd been holed up for months now. He clicked on the TV and the local news came on with a bright red banner reading, Breaking News.
"Officials are urging anyone who visited the Hidden Bar on River Street last night to go to the ER immediately," the pretty blonde news anchor said, expression grim. "And if you know anyone who did, check on them and urge them to seek medical attention if they haven't already."
What the hell happened? Then, text at the bottom shot across the screen: Multiple Patrons Poisoned at Local Bar. The anchor continued to report on how several people who visited the bar were found dead in the early morning hours. An investigation was underway on if any of the beverages had been tampered with.
"Guys!" he called out, rising to his hooved feet. He hadn't attempted to use the panpipes yet, too embarrassed to admit he didn't know how to play them. He'd have to figure it out soon though. Pan and Melancton came in and stared at him, Pan with speculation and Melancton with an unreadable expression. "I think I figured out what Theron did yesterday." He pointed to the screen. "People who visited a bar are being found dead this morning after drinking one brand of beer that was on tap."
Melancton bit back a curse. "He has used the false ambrosia."
Pan stared at the TV screen then back to Adonis. "Pray all it did to them was kill them."
"That's about the worst to happen to a person," Adonis said, uneasy about the way the god had said that. "…Isn't it?"
"No," Pan confirmed with a worried tone. "No, it is not."
13
Chrys paced in his holding cell, which was a hole in the ground with a door made of sticks that were tied down and guarded by two vrykolakas. He'd told the queen he'd come peacefully, that he wouldn't try to escape, yet here he was…a prisoner. Which was absolutely ridiculous. He'd come all the way to Brazil to seek proof of the dragon's existence so he could figure out how to get rid of it, as well as offer aid to—or request aid from—the vrykolakas. If Queen Myrine and her vrykolakas believed it existed, then it must.
But they had also taken his panpipes and phone before shoving him in this hole. So Chrys couldn't even call Pan and update him on what was happening—not that he had a signal anyway. He was completely out of touch with Bach Industries too, and he would need to check in with someone before he was considered missing. How would it look to disappear a week into being the new CEO? Who would get tapped in his place if they determined he wasn't returning?
Even worse, he hoped Theron wasn't terrorizing Jacen and Melancton while awaiting Calix's return to Savannah. There was no telling what that asshat was up to, but whatever it
