Aphrodite (4 page)

Adonis clenched his fists. “You’re callous, and selfish, and—”

Okay, enough. Calming ocean crap could only drown out so many insults. “You do realize you’re not speaking to a collective here, right? Just me.”

“What, like you’re any different?” Adonis shook his head in disgust. “You’ve known for over a
year
Zeus wasn’t the one causing demigods to go missing. Why didn’t you warn me?”

“They aren’t dead.” Hades would have seen them in the Underworld.

“So what?” Adonis crossed his arms, then dropped them as if he’d realized he’d mirrored my pose. “You guys assumed ‘not dead’ equaled fine?”

“Zeus said he didn’t touch the demigods, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t behind them going missing. And the disappearances seemed to stop when he died. If I’d known you were still in danger, Adonis, I would have warned you.”

“You would?”

“Of course.” I’d throw myself into the hottest pits of Tartarus before I let Adonis get hurt. He’d trusted me. Even knowing Zeus could have made me kill him with a word, he’d put his faith in me. That meant more to me than he’d ever know. I grabbed his hands. “I’m warning you
now,
aren’t I? You’re my friend. You’re not expen—”

“We are not friends,” Adonis exploded.

My breath caught. Adonis’s faith in me had kept me going through one of the
worst
moments of my life. Adonis’s strength held me together when giving in felt like the only option. He hadn’t just stopped me from doing something I’d spend the rest of my life regretting, he saved my life. I wouldn’t still
exist
if it wasn’t for him. But now, he was looking at me as if he’d rather I didn’t.

“You really don’t get it, do you?” His golden eyes raked over my face, full of anger and disgust. “What is it you’re expecting here, Aphrodite? Gratitude? You think you can just tell me my entire
species
is being rounded up, never to be heard from again, and expect me to leave? To fall over my feet, grateful you deigned to warn me? Hell, no. I’m not going anywhere.” He snatched his bag and headed toward the stairs. “If anyone should leave, it should be you. I can’t be charmed into forgetting anything. Do your god thing and put a trace on me. Assuming ‘not dead’ doesn’t equal catatonic, I’ll fill you in on all the details when you find me.”

Still stunned, I shook my head. “I’m not using you as bait.”

“I’m a hell of a lot more motivated to get to the bottom of this than you,” he argued. “Go do whatever it is that you do. I’ll make sure my people stay safe.”

“I can’t track you.” There were gods that could trace power signatures from across the globe, but I wasn’t one of them. “But if you insist on staying . . .”

“I do.”

“Then I guess I’ll be needing a new room.” I turned to go get my bags, unwilling to let him see how much his words had hurt.

“There are no other rooms.” Adonis sounded tired. “They offered me this upgrade because mine was double-booked. Then they tried to kick me off the boat entirely because of you.”

What, was he expecting an apology? I forced a smile to my face. “Somehow, I don’t think I’ll have trouble finding a place to sleep.”

“Because you’re going to charm someone out of their suite? No.”

I raised my eyebrows at that. “And who exactly is going to stop me?”

Adonis looked like he wanted to protest, but then his shoulders slumped. “You know what?” He grabbed his bag and headed toward the stairs. “I don’t care what you do. I’ve got to get ready for orientation. You can get your stuff out of here when I leave.”

Awkward silence filled the room as Adonis lugged his suitcase upstairs. I kept my gaze fastened on the white carpet, feeling ashamed, defensive, and stunned all at once. Maybe I
should
have worried more about the other demigods. But it wasn’t as if I
wanted
any harm to come to them. I wasn’t a monster. Just not all that compassionate.

Persephone would care.

Yeah, well, Persephone was perfect and she had the power to do something about the missing demigods. I’d had my own stuff to deal with since Zeus died. So what if I’d assumed gods more capable than me were investigating the disappearances. I wasn’t wrong. As soon as something popped up that I could help with, I’d jumped in, hadn’t I? So why did I feel like that wasn’t enough, all of a sudden?

What do I care what some half-breed thinks of me?
I tossed my hair, trying to collect myself. To ignore how hurt he’d made me feel. Whatever. He’d made my job easier. Now all I needed to do was watch him, see what happened, then report to Poseidon.

Screw Adonis.

Chapter IV

WHEN ADONIS LEFT for orientation, I followed. So maybe I couldn’t charm him into leaving, and I lacked the physical strength to drag him off the boat. That didn’t mean I couldn’t charm a few passengers into helping me out. I’d get a certain satisfaction in watching him be dragged off the ship.

Right up until I had to report to Persephone and Poseidon that I’d made a scene using charm.

Shoulders slumping, I realized that there was nothing I could do to remove Adonis without putting my mission in jeopardy. So I might as well use him. Chances were good that the other demigod models would be at this orientation as well. I needed to get a look at the potential targets.

I caught up to Adonis on the staircase. He tensed, but he didn’t slow down or acknowledge my presence. By the time we reached the promenade deck, I had a pretty good idea where we were headed. When Adonis made a beeline for the main auditorium, I slowed.

“You know, if I had a gorgeous goddess following me, I’d slow down.” An unfamiliar demigod stood beside the silver set of double doors. He looked taller than Adonis, but way more muscular.

“Tantalus.” The muscular demigod offered me his hand, then shifted, grabbing me before I walked into the “Private Function” sign mounted on a gold pole. “Watch out.”

Letting out an embarrassed laugh, I stumbled into Tantalus. I shouldn’t be so hard on myself; I’ve only been walking for three years. It takes practice. “Thanks.”

“Here for the convention?” Tantalus kept his hands on my shoulders and didn’t move away from me or out of the way of the door.

“Um . . . actually . . .” I trailed off, stepping away from him and through the double doors into the darkened auditorium. I could charm him into not telling anyone about my investigation. I could even charm him into reporting to me if he saw anything suspicious. But in a room like this, there was no telling how far even a whisper could carry, not to mention who or what else would see the power signature from my charm. I searched for another reason for being here, but drew a blank. “I wanted to go on a cruise?”

I scoped out the rest of the room, taking a moment to get my bearings. Booths dotted the room, arranged in semicircles so everyone seated could see the stage, but no one sat. Sitting would indicate a time commitment no one seemed to want to give.

Stopping at the edge of the auditorium, I leaned against the back wall, soundproofing fuzzies tickling my bare arms. Deep in the crowd, Adonis stood out like a golden beacon, somehow managing to almost glow despite the dim lighting. He was engaged in an animated discussion with a woman who looked far too plain to belong to a modeling convention.

Tantalus followed me with a smirk and leaned against the wall beside me, hand planted right next to my head. “I’d buy that, if I ran into you on deck.”

I smiled, looking him over. “Maybe I’m just enjoying the view.”

Tantalus stepped in front of me, holding out his hands as if he were the gods’ gift to man. Which, technically speaking. . . . “Well, look no further, sweetheart.”

A violent shudder wrenched through me at the term of endearment. I wrapped my arms around myself as if I’d shivered.

“Cold?” His eyes roamed over me. “If you want, we can ditch this and go someplace warmer.” The leer in his voice left little doubt that he meant his bed.

I considered his proposition. Well, not
that
angle of his proposition. I preferred men who worshipped me, not themselves. But Tantalus wouldn’t question me following him around. He’d actually welcome the attention. And I wouldn’t be heartbroken if something happened to him. That made him good bait. “What room are you staying in?”

He rattled off the room number. “It’s one of the nicest on the ship. I could show you.”

Adonis touched my arm, and I started in surprise. I hadn’t noticed him coming this way at all.

“Can I have a word?” Adonis’s question may have been directed at me, but his gaze never left Tantalus.

Tantalus shrugged, moving back almost enough for me to avoid brushing against him as I edged away from the wall. “She’s all yours.” His tone made the unspoken words “for now” as loud as if he’d shouted them.

I let Adonis escort me farther into the auditorium, but turned and waved a few fingers at Tantalus as we walked away.

“Stop that.” Adonis whirled on me, gold eyes flashing.

“Why?” I tilted my head, and a lock of red hair fell over my shoulder. “Worried the evil goddess is going to hurt your friend? Oh wow, he’s still looking at us.” I waved, flashing Tantalus a flirtatious smile. “Don’t worry, I don’t think he’ll mind my company.”

Adonis gave me a flat look. “Are you serious?”

I kept my smile pleasant. “As a heart attack.” Which, all things considered, wasn’t terribly serious to gods, but I liked the phrase. “I can get all the information I need watching him, without the annoying attitude.”

Adonis opened his mouth to protest, but I held up a hand to cut him off. “I’m not going to chase after you, Adonis. Not in your wildest dreams. And if you’re expecting me to apologize or beg for your understanding, you are sadly misinformed. Because of our history, I told you why I was here and offered to get you somewhere safe. But that was just a courtesy.”

Adonis snorted. “A courtesy?”

“You aren’t entitled to a rescue mission just by virtue of being a demigod,” I reminded him. “People go missing all the time without divine intervention. When’s the last time you personally made any effort to find out why?”

He clenched his jaw, but didn’t reply.

“I have no plans to hurt your friend,” I assured him. “Or take advantage of him, or whatever it is you think we ‘monsters’ do, but—”

“It’s not him I’m worried about.”

And what did he mean by that? The crowded room burst into applause before I could respond.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” called out yet another demigod who’d waltzed out on to the stage. “Welcome to Model Madness.”

“Three or four demigods across the entire convention?” I challenged, while the demigod launched into a speech. Something about work, fun, and charity. I couldn’t decide if he wanted to sell me something or get me
really
pumped up about being here.

Adonis shrugged. “Counting them. Tantalus works for another agency. Narcissus,” he motioned to the demigod on stage, “runs my agency and the convention. And I already told you about Elise backing out at the last minute.” He shrugged again. “There could be more I don’t know about, but I doubt it. We’re kind of a community.”

Yeah, I’d already learned that much from Persephone’s head priest, Orpheus. The demigods of today were so lucky. Back when Olympus stood, they didn’t have Internet access to track one another down and form support groups.

“Adonis!” A tall, leggy, demigoddess broke free from the crowd and flung herself into his arms.

Adonis embraced her, but the movement seemed more out of reflex than affection. “Elise? I thought you got a deal with—”

“I changed my mind.” She met Adonis’s eyes with a look that made me think she was talking about something more than a career choice.

“That’s . . . great?” Adonis’s smile looked hesitant.

Elise gave Adonis a quizzical look, then started in surprise when she noticed me. “You’re a—”

“Hi.” I held out a hand. “I’m—”

“You know what? I don’t want to know.” She turned her attention back to Adonis, dismissing me as though I was beneath her notice.

My mouth hung open. Had that just happened? I was a
goddess
. I didn’t get dismissed. I dismissed people. Gritting my teeth, I focused my attention on the stage as the crowd erupted into another round of applause. I could have spat something witty and snarky right back at her, but arguments with mortals were beneath me. She wasn’t worth my time.

You keep telling yourself that, Aphrodite. Delusions are fun.
If only insulting other people was as easy as insulting myself. Scowling, I studied the demigoddess out of the corner of my eye. Female demigods were rare. Divine genetics triggered the “Y” chromosome more often than not. Good thing, given how much stronger demigoddesses were.

Hercules got all his press for killing monsters in what looked like clever ways. But in reality, his charm drove those creatures to their death. They knew he wanted them dead, so they complied. People remembered the monsters. They forgot that his charm also drove his wife to kill her children and herself. In the end, he got so out of control that Zeus had activated the ichor in Hercules’s blood to transform the hero into a god.

But compared to Helen of Troy, Hercules was small potatoes. Hercules’s charm killed a few monsters; Helen’s destroyed an entire civilization. I needed to learn this girl’s lineage. She might not have any powers at all, but if she did, they’d be exponentially stronger than a male demigod’s of the same bloodline.

Narcissus’s golden eyes landed on me and widened. As soon as he wrapped up his speech, he hopped down from the stage, making a beeline for our weird trio.

“Please be with my agency,” Narcissus begged when he arrived. “To stand out in
this
crowd is an accomplishment.”

Adonis and Elise gave Narcissus a flat look.

“I mean,” he said, backtracking. “Oh come on, look at her. You’re all stars, anybody can see that, but you have to admit, she burns a bit brighter. E—” He snapped his fingers. “Get over here.”

For a second, I thought he meant Elise. Then a beautiful woman with wide, intelligent eyes hurried across the auditorium after Narcissus, dodging tables and lingering models with a nymph-like grace. “E” whipped out a tablet and held a pen at the ready.

Narcissus looked me over. “Is she with you, Donnie?”

Was I? I raised an eyebrow and looked to Adonis.

He glanced between me and Elise, then let out a long-suffering sigh. “Yeah,” he decided. “She’s with me.”

“With you?” Elise sputtered. “What do you mean
with
you?”

“Can we talk about this later?” Adonis asked in an undertone.

“Um. No.” Elise’s gold eyes flared and she drew her hands to her hips. “Narcissus, I apologize for being so unprofessional, but we were actually talking when you—”

“It’s fine.” Narcissus said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “You two can go.”

“Adonis?” Elise tilted her head.

Adonis gritted his teeth, looking between Elise and me. “This isn’t what it looks like, and I’d love to explain. Later maybe. But right now—”

“You ever consider a career in modeling?” Narcissus asked me, oblivious to the drama playing out between the two models. “Your kind needs all the exposure you can get, right?”

“Um . . .” My kind, huh? Modeling wasn’t an uncommon cover career for a god struggling to find worship. We needed the worship, and we couldn’t lie, which made pursuing acting or most other careers that threw you into the limelight difficult. But I had charm. I could get all the worship I needed simply walking through a crowded room.

“Aw, come on. A pretty girl like you?” Narcissus raised his eyebrows at me. “Sure you have. E, draw up the paperwork.”

“Draw up the paperwork?” E had, at least, noticed I hadn’t agreed.

“She’s not here for—” Adonis protested, but Narcissus cut him off.

“Don’t want me eating up all your girlfriend’s time?” Narcissus ignored Elise’s offended squeak at the word girlfriend. “I get ya. I wouldn’t want to let her leave my sight either if I were you. I can work her into your shoots, if you want. I mean, geeze, look at you two.” His golden eyes darted between us. “Step out of your heels, darlin’.”

“What?” I gave Adonis a confused look, but even he looked taken aback at Narcissus’s request.

Adonis shrugged, so I obliged. There weren’t many models left in the room, but the few who remained did a double take when they saw me step out of my shoes.

“Stand closer.”

Adonis and I moved until we were standing side by side. Beneath my feet, the carpet felt compressed and moist. Like the thin fabric was sweating.

“Perfect, E, look. They fit together like a fuckin’ puzzle.”

“They fit together.” Her eyes darted up from her tablet every so often, as if she was trying not to look occupied by something on her screen. Was she playing a game? Why bother hiding it from her boss? Throughout this entire conversation, Narcissus hadn’t so much as looked at her.

Narcissus studied us for a moment, his fingers hooked on the belt loops of his khakis. “I’d buy whatever you two were selling. Hell, yeah.”

“Are you kidding me?” Elise stared at Narcissus as if he’d gone mad.

Okay, enough. I stepped back into my shoes and moved away from Adonis. “I’d only be in Adonis’s shoots?” That would give me better access than I could hope to achieve without using charm.

“Of course.”

“I’m willing to consider that.”

“E, send her the paperwork. Adonis’s suite, I presume.”

Adonis opened his mouth, then closed his lips in a tight line, nodding.

“She’s
staying
in your room?” Elise demanded.

“Elise . . .“

“Forget it.” Elise shook her head and walked off.

Adonis watched her go, equal parts relief and regret evident in his expression.

I cleared my throat, drawing Narcissus’s attention back to me. “I’m not signing anything.” Gods can’t lie, and who knew what this guy would try to work into his contract.

“ ’Course not.” He winked at me. “And even if you did, I somehow doubt you have a proper paper trail. But while your word alone is good enough for me, we shoot advertisements and no company is going to pay for photos without a written release. If I can’t sell you, there’s no reason to take your picture. How about I sign the paperwork for you later, and work out all those pesky details?”