Chapter 6
The aroma of coffee woke her. More, eggs were cooking and bread was toasting. She tossed her long, cotton, summer dress over her head, yanked it in place, and headed to the kitchen.
Dante was slicing a grapefruit when he looked up at her. “Hungry?”
Her stomach growled.
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
He poured her a cup of coffee and placed it on the table. Plates and forks were already in place. “Jason didn’t last too long after you went to bed. The stress is wearing him out.”
Ally glanced at the body lumps under the throw blanket on the sofa. “I feel sorry for him. He’s had it rough.”
“So have you.” Dante slid an omelette on her plate. He followed it with two slices of sour dough toast. Then he plated up for himself.
Ally rubbed sleep from her eyes, took a sip of her coffee. “His brother’s a demi-god. He could be relaxing in some version of heaven, enjoying himself. Why chase Jason around the world to steal his birthright?”
“Different things make different people happy. Theo’s a spoiled tyrant who thinks he should get whatever he wants. He’s pitiful really.”
“Sick and warped, if you ask me.” Ally glanced at the popped-out glass over her kitchen sink. Clay pots burst with herbs on each shelf. Dante had filled the omelettes with shredded cheese, diced tomatoes, and slivers of fresh basil. Delicious. She nodded to her plate. “This is good.”
“I’d serve you breakfast in bed if you invited me over for sleepovers.” He smirked at the surprise on her face, then returned to business. “Theo’s paid two sets of mercenaries and lost all of them. I’m guessing the next time, he’ll come for Jason and you himself.”
“Are you sure? Maybe he’s the type who never hits the front line. He’ll make plans from the safety of a bunker somewhere.”
“I used your computer, did some research. His father was Ziu, the German god of war, all about honor. He wouldn’t be proud of Theo, probably washed his hands of him a long time ago.”
That’s what her parents had done with her. Gods obviously didn’t like to be embarrassed. Ally finished her toast. “So, I’m guessing Theo’s father won’t want revenge if someone offs his little boy.”
“He’ll probably rejoice.”
“It sounds as though Ziu would respect the man Jason’s become.”
“Maybe that’s why Jason’s wraith has kept him alive this long.”
Ally blinked. “I didn’t think of that. Maybe Ziu is helping Jason as much as he can.”
“I don’t know any other wraith that’s bonded with a man’s flesh. It makes him almost a demi-god, like his brother.”
Ally carried her plate to the sink to rinse it. “Makes me admire this Ziu.” She bent to put it in the dishwasher and caught Dante ogling her ass. “Is there any way for us to track Theo? For us to take the offensive?”
“None that I can think of. But he has a temper. We might be able to goad him to come to us.”
Ally shook her head. “He’s a soldier, a warrior. He knows strategy. He’s not stupid.”
“Then we prepare as much as possible. And Jason doesn’t leave this apartment unless one of us is with him.”
Ally nodded. It was a plan. Not much of one, but it was the best they could do.
Later that afternoon, she took Jason’s car to drive to the grocery store. She lived alone. She bought supplies for one person. And she only bought enough for one or two days ahead. Soon the cupboards would be empty.
She walked up and down the aisles, unused to shopping for three. Would Dante and Jason want eggs every morning? She didn’t eat that much meat, but men were supposed to, weren’t they? Should she buy bacon or sausages?
She was reaching for milk, when a woman bumped her with her shopping cart. Ally raised an eyebrow at her, irritated.
The graceful, young woman gave an eerie smile. She seemed to shimmer in and out of focus, until a translucent entity separated from her and floated toward Ally. A sylph. Soulless. A spirit of the air. Capable of slipping inside Ally’s body and fighting her for control of it.
Ally reached for the chain that circled her neck. She was never without it. The sylph hit an invisible barrier and tried to wriggle through it. Ally whispered a chant, and the barrier sparked with power. The sylph quickly jerked away from it. She returned to the young woman, standing slumped and disoriented, and slid inside her flesh once more. She frowned at Ally, then turned to hurry away.
Ally watched the girl’s retreating back. She’d won this battle, but Theo would know she had magic now. She sighed and went back to her shopping, probably bought more than she needed, and drove home.
Dante was at the bottom of the steps to help her carry the groceries inside. As they put them away, she told him about the sylph.
Dante rubbed his chin, upset. “Theo’s not the belligerent, throw-punches guy I was hoping he’d be. He has more of his father’s genes than I expected. Theo might not have honor, but he’s shrewd. He’ll try to outsmart us before he tries to stomp us out of existence.”
Ally shook her head. “I haven’t seen a sylph since I lived in Europe.”
“Theo’s from German blood—ancient origins. Who knows what he’s allies with? But I’ve never seen a sylph. I wouldn’t have known what the girl was.”
“And here I thought you knew everything.” She was beginning to worry he was omniscient. “Could she have entered you, taken your free will from you?”
“Pretty hard to do when I have stone lungs.”
She poked his chest. Hard, but not marble. All muscle. “You feel real.”
“I am real. But I was chiseled from marble. The city gave me life, so I’m flesh and stone, not flesh and bone.”
She wasn’t quite sure how that worked, but decided not to think about it. Funny, how alike they were. She was flesh, but turned people to stone. Ironic.
Dante had other concerns. “Can the sylph come here, to find Jason and enter him?”
“No enemy can pass my perimeter. My magic charms are too strong.”
“You have charms, all right.” Dante smiled. “You’re quite the woman, do you know that? A two-for-one. A gorgon and a witch.”
“You make it sound so romantic.”
He laughed. “To me, it’s a real turn-on. I’ve never met anyone like you.”
“I’m the last gorgon standing, if that’s what you mean.”
“And a true marvel.” He bent so quickly, he kissed her before she knew what was coming. “I figure I’m living on borrowed time. When we finish with Theo, you might toss me out. I’d better make my moves while I can.”
She ran her tongue over her lips. “Mmmm.” He might be made of stone, but his kiss was soft and warm. He tasted as good as he smelled.
His grin widened, showing a deep dimple. Damn. The man just got better and better.
A ruckus outside distracted them. A man stood on the sidewalk in front of her building, shaking his fist at them. “Open the door down here and let me in.”
Ally looked at his eyes. They sparkled. The sylph was inside him. From the looks of him, he had a few drinks in there too.
Ally opened her window and called down. “I don’t know you. You have the wrong person. Go away.” She knew it wouldn’t change his mind, but it would convince the cop, who was stepping out of his squad car across the street, that the man was a nuisance.
As she’d hoped, the cop started toward him. Someone steady and strong. The sylph slid from her swaying host to a better one. The cop shivered as she melted into his flesh. Ally went to her closet and took a chain, one of many, off a hook. Then she returned to the window. “Hey! Here. Thanks for helping me!” She tossed the cop her present, and he automatically caught it. The minute the metal hit his hand, the sylph shot out of him. The cop shook himself, stared at the chain, and slid it over his neck.
The sylph returned to the swaying drunk.
The cop got a firm grip on the man’s elbow, and said, “Come on, buddy. Let’s get you inside before you fall and hurt yourself.”
Dante turned a surprised look on Ally. “You keep magic necklaces in your closet?”
She pulled her own necklace from under her shirt. “After I met my first sylph, the idea of having someone or something take control of me, scared the crap out of me. I magicked dozens of these. I take them everywhere I go.”
He squashed her in a hug. “We can make Jason wear one. We’ve been getting by on dumb luck, but things are coming together.”
She handed Dante a chain. “Just in case.”
“Will it break if I shift?”
“Mine never has. It’s charmed.”
Ally glanced out the window and watched the sylph slide from the drunk to a man, entering the city/county building, with a briefcase. He paused, looked confused, then turned toward the underground parking lot. Soon, he’d be driving her to meet Theo. When he came back to himself, he’d scratch his head, wondering where he was and how he got there.
Ally closed her window and sagged onto the loveseat across from Jason. When he blinked awake, she handed him a necklace. “Wear this, and never take it off.”
He didn’t even question her. He slid it on.
The aroma of coffee woke her. More, eggs were cooking and bread was toasting. She tossed her long, cotton, summer dress over her head, yanked it in place, and headed to the kitchen.
Dante was slicing a grapefruit when he looked up at her. “Hungry?”
Her stomach growled.
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
He poured her a cup of coffee and placed it on the table. Plates and forks were already in place. “Jason didn’t last too long after you went to bed. The stress is wearing him out.”
Ally glanced at the body lumps under the throw blanket on the sofa. “I feel sorry for him. He’s had it rough.”
“So have you.” Dante slid an omelette on her plate. He followed it with two slices of sour dough toast. Then he plated up for himself.
Ally rubbed sleep from her eyes, took a sip of her coffee. “His brother’s a demi-god. He could be relaxing in some version of heaven, enjoying himself. Why chase Jason around the world to steal his birthright?”
“Different things make different people happy. Theo’s a spoiled tyrant who thinks he should get whatever he wants. He’s pitiful really.”
“Sick and warped, if you ask me.” Ally glanced at the popped-out glass over her kitchen sink. Clay pots burst with herbs on each shelf. Dante had filled the omelettes with shredded cheese, diced tomatoes, and slivers of fresh basil. Delicious. She nodded to her plate. “This is good.”
“I’d serve you breakfast in bed if you invited me over for sleepovers.” He smirked at the surprise on her face, then returned to business. “Theo’s paid two sets of mercenaries and lost all of them. I’m guessing the next time, he’ll come for Jason and you himself.”
“Are you sure? Maybe he’s the type who never hits the front line. He’ll make plans from the safety of a bunker somewhere.”
“I used your computer, did some research. His father was Ziu, the German god of war, all about honor. He wouldn’t be proud of Theo, probably washed his hands of him a long time ago.”
That’s what her parents had done with her. Gods obviously didn’t like to be embarrassed. Ally finished her toast. “So, I’m guessing Theo’s father won’t want revenge if someone offs his little boy.”
“He’ll probably rejoice.”
“It sounds as though Ziu would respect the man Jason’s become.”
“Maybe that’s why Jason’s wraith has kept him alive this long.”
Ally blinked. “I didn’t think of that. Maybe Ziu is helping Jason as much as he can.”
“I don’t know any other wraith that’s bonded with a man’s flesh. It makes him almost a demi-god, like his brother.”
Ally carried her plate to the sink to rinse it. “Makes me admire this Ziu.” She bent to put it in the dishwasher and caught Dante ogling her ass. “Is there any way for us to track Theo? For us to take the offensive?”
“None that I can think of. But he has a temper. We might be able to goad him to come to us.”
Ally shook her head. “He’s a soldier, a warrior. He knows strategy. He’s not stupid.”
“Then we prepare as much as possible. And Jason doesn’t leave this apartment unless one of us is with him.”
Ally nodded. It was a plan. Not much of one, but it was the best they could do.
Later that afternoon, she took Jason’s car to drive to the grocery store. She lived alone. She bought supplies for one person. And she only bought enough for one or two days ahead. Soon the cupboards would be empty.
She walked up and down the aisles, unused to shopping for three. Would Dante and Jason want eggs every morning? She didn’t eat that much meat, but men were supposed to, weren’t they? Should she buy bacon or sausages?
She was reaching for milk, when a woman bumped her with her shopping cart. Ally raised an eyebrow at her, irritated.
The graceful, young woman gave an eerie smile. She seemed to shimmer in and out of focus, until a translucent entity separated from her and floated toward Ally. A sylph. Soulless. A spirit of the air. Capable of slipping inside Ally’s body and fighting her for control of it.
Ally reached for the chain that circled her neck. She was never without it. The sylph hit an invisible barrier and tried to wriggle through it. Ally whispered a chant, and the barrier sparked with power. The sylph quickly jerked away from it. She returned to the young woman, standing slumped and disoriented, and slid inside her flesh once more. She frowned at Ally, then turned to hurry away.
Ally watched the girl’s retreating back. She’d won this battle, but Theo would know she had magic now. She sighed and went back to her shopping, probably bought more than she needed, and drove home.
Dante was at the bottom of the steps to help her carry the groceries inside. As they put them away, she told him about the sylph.
Dante rubbed his chin, upset. “Theo’s not the belligerent, throw-punches guy I was hoping he’d be. He has more of his father’s genes than I expected. Theo might not have honor, but he’s shrewd. He’ll try to outsmart us before he tries to stomp us out of existence.”
Ally shook her head. “I haven’t seen a sylph since I lived in Europe.”
“Theo’s from German blood—ancient origins. Who knows what he’s allies with? But I’ve never seen a sylph. I wouldn’t have known what the girl was.”
“And here I thought you knew everything.” She was beginning to worry he was omniscient. “Could she have entered you, taken your free will from you?”
“Pretty hard to do when I have stone lungs.”
She poked his chest. Hard, but not marble. All muscle. “You feel real.”
“I am real. But I was chiseled from marble. The city gave me life, so I’m flesh and stone, not flesh and bone.”
She wasn’t quite sure how that worked, but decided not to think about it. Funny, how alike they were. She was flesh, but turned people to stone. Ironic.
Dante had other concerns. “Can the sylph come here, to find Jason and enter him?”
“No enemy can pass my perimeter. My magic charms are too strong.”
“You have charms, all right.” Dante smiled. “You’re quite the woman, do you know that? A two-for-one. A gorgon and a witch.”
“You make it sound so romantic.”
He laughed. “To me, it’s a real turn-on. I’ve never met anyone like you.”
“I’m the last gorgon standing, if that’s what you mean.”
“And a true marvel.” He bent so quickly, he kissed her before she knew what was coming. “I figure I’m living on borrowed time. When we finish with Theo, you might toss me out. I’d better make my moves while I can.”
She ran her tongue over her lips. “Mmmm.” He might be made of stone, but his kiss was soft and warm. He tasted as good as he smelled.
His grin widened, showing a deep dimple. Damn. The man just got better and better.
A ruckus outside distracted them. A man stood on the sidewalk in front of her building, shaking his fist at them. “Open the door down here and let me in.”
Ally looked at his eyes. They sparkled. The sylph was inside him. From the looks of him, he had a few drinks in there too.
Ally opened her window and called down. “I don’t know you. You have the wrong person. Go away.” She knew it wouldn’t change his mind, but it would convince the cop, who was stepping out of his squad car across the street, that the man was a nuisance.
As she’d hoped, the cop started toward him. Someone steady and strong. The sylph slid from her swaying host to a better one. The cop shivered as she melted into his flesh. Ally went to her closet and took a chain, one of many, off a hook. Then she returned to the window. “Hey! Here. Thanks for helping me!” She tossed the cop her present, and he automatically caught it. The minute the metal hit his hand, the sylph shot out of him. The cop shook himself, stared at the chain, and slid it over his neck.
The sylph returned to the swaying drunk.
The cop got a firm grip on the man’s elbow, and said, “Come on, buddy. Let’s get you inside before you fall and hurt yourself.”
Dante turned a surprised look on Ally. “You keep magic necklaces in your closet?”
She pulled her own necklace from under her shirt. “After I met my first sylph, the idea of having someone or something take control of me, scared the crap out of me. I magicked dozens of these. I take them everywhere I go.”
He squashed her in a hug. “We can make Jason wear one. We’ve been getting by on dumb luck, but things are coming together.”
She handed Dante a chain. “Just in case.”
“Will it break if I shift?”
“Mine never has. It’s charmed.”
Ally glanced out the window and watched the sylph slide from the drunk to a man, entering the city/county building, with a briefcase. He paused, looked confused, then turned toward the underground parking lot. Soon, he’d be driving her to meet Theo. When he came back to himself, he’d scratch his head, wondering where he was and how he got there.
Ally closed her window and sagged onto the loveseat across from Jason. When he blinked awake, she handed him a necklace. “Wear this, and never take it off.”
He didn’t even question her. He slid it on.
