Page 58 of Queen of Tempests and Sin

‘Uh-oh,’ Sephy muttered. ‘She’s in for an ass-kicking.’

‘Huh?’

I squished my brows together as a strict voice shouted, ‘Don’t break my ladders!’

Guinn squeaked and almost lost her balance, and that’s when we saw him. Guinn scrambled down the ladder, skipping the final rungs and landing with a solid thud.

A creature—half-goat, half-man—stood before us, barely four feet tall. His lower half was coated in thick black fur, complete with backward-bending legs, cloven hooves, and a twitching tail. The fur climbed to his waist, where it gave way to a lean, human torso dusted with soft, downy hair. Small, pointed horns peeked through his dark curls, and his impish grin pulled my attention like a magnet.

‘You’re a satyr?’ Guinn asked, eyes wide.

‘No shit, Captain Obvious,’ he quipped, one eyebrow arched. I let the snark roll off me, too mesmerized by the strange creature to take offense.

‘Simmy, don’t be an asshole,’ Sephy said as she hugged the Satyr. ‘Let me introduce you to Cordie and Guinn.’

* * *

After spending a few hours in the library by myself while I waited for Guinn, Theseus came to collect her. Fiddling with the cuffs of his jacket, his glasses slipping down the bridge of his nose, he was geeky-attractive and seemed shy and sweet; the type who’d drop random myth trivia, then blush if you actually noticed. His dark hair flopped into his eyes as he gave me a crooked grin, boyish and oddly endearing. He wasn’t built like the other demigods, broad-shouldered and larger-than-life, but he had that lean, wiry look, all sharp edges and restless energy.

He promised to take Guinn to McDonald’s for supper and bring her back later, after they’d visited Zeus’s Azure Vault. I raised an eyebrow at her giddy reaction to fast food, and that’s when fifty-year-old Guinn showed up again—inhabiting her teenage body with the gravitas of a seasoned professor.

‘When we crave junk food,’ she began, ‘our brains release anticipatory dopamine. At the same time, the stomach produces ghrelin, also known as the hunger hormone, which drives us to seek calorie-dense options. Once we satisfy the craving, dopamine is rereleased, reinforcing the behaviour.’

Theseus looked at her like she’d just won the Nobel Prize. The two of them—the handsome geeky young demigod with a face fit for TV, and my little sister, a science nerd in a teenager’s body—bonded like siblings at a comic con. I couldn’t help smirking at their banter.

‘Theseus,’ Guinn said, tapping her upper lip like she was about to deliver a TED Talk. ‘Did you know that French fries trigger the brain’s reward system in the same way as addictive drugs?’

He raised a brow. ‘You’re saying McDonald’s is basically my dealer?’

‘Exactly. And you’re hopelessly hooked,’ she teased, elbowing him lightly as they walked towards the door.

‘These are the facts I need in my life,’ he replied solemnly, placing a hand on his chest. ‘You, Guinn, are a national treasure.’

‘And don’t you forget it, Mister,’ she responded, giving him a mock-pitying look. Theseus looked at her like he’d just found his new favourite sidekick.

‘Don’t bring her back too late. Oh, and one more thing...’ I flashed Theseus a sugary-sweet smile and patted the knife at my hip. ‘Keep it in your pants, Mr Handsome, or I’ll personally make sure your future bedroom adventures are nothing but fond memories.’

Theseus went scarlet as he shoved his glasses higher, which only made Guinn grin wider.

‘Theseus,’ Guinn said, tugging his sleeve, ‘please ignore her. She’s legally obligated to threaten every guy who breathes in my direction.’

‘Actually, ‘I said brightly, ‘I’m just really good at it.’

Theseus gave a short mock-formal bow. ‘Noted. Your sister’s safety is my top priority. Right after not dying.’

Threatening demigods was quickly becoming my favourite pastime—and I was getting very good at it.

I spent the rest of an indulgent afternoon swotting up on the gods, waxing, painting my nails, and chilling, before I sank into the tub with a glass of wine, letting the warmth soothe my muscles. I finished drying off and moisturised my whole body.

I paused in front of the mirror as I caught sight of the faint puncture marks on my upper thigh, so close to my pussy. The bruising was gone, but the weird imprint was still visible, small and oddly possessive. I frowned, trailing a fingertip over it. My brain instantly flashed back to Persephone’s offhand question—Has Poseidon shown you his fangs yet?—and my irritation spiked. He’d bitten me after… I squashed the memory of his mouth devouring me.

‘Oh, that arrogant, egotistical, overgrown sea bastard…’ I muttered under my breath. First, he wrings two orgasms out of me like he owns the rights to my body, and after he’s leaving marks like I’m some prize catch in his net?

A curl of unease twisted in my gut, unwelcome and stubborn, because under the annoyance… was a pulse of something else. Something dangerously close to curiosity.

I shook it off. He could keep his fangs—and his ridiculous claim that I belonged to him.

I turned away and pulled on some sheer lace black underwear—everything in the walk-in wardrobe was high-end designer, effortlessly elegant, and I wasn’t about to complain.