The Love Game (Gods of the Universe: Book 1)

Fifteen

"She's done it!" Milo cries as he enters my room. "I can't believe she's actually done it!" He pokes his head back out my door and shouts downstairs. "Mr. and Mrs. Alcina! My sister's finally convinced Lana to wear something other than grey and black!"

I hear my mother and father cry out in happiness, and I flush. It's true, though; Carina convinced me that for this date, fanciness would be absolutely
R-E-Q-U-I-R-E-D. She pulled out some sort of red dress from nowhere and almost forced me into it. She did my hair and refused to take no for an answer when she wanted to do my makeup.

Now, two hours later, I was dressed and ready to go. The dress is smooth scarlet silk that flows out at my hips due to mountains of petticoats, and sleeves are, well... not there. There are roses made of black silk strategically placed all around to "create a feminine air" about me, as Carina puts it. She pulled my hair up into a tight bun and stuck a red jeweled rose right in the center, so it looks like I have a flower growing out of my head. As for my makeup, Carina wouldn't let me say no, but I did tell her to restrain herself, especially when she pulled out a round, spiky black brush she claimed was for my eyelashes. She rubbed some sort of gold powder on my eyelids after drawing on the edges with a black pencil, but the real horror came when she pulled out the lipstick. She rubbed the dark red stuff all over my lips until she was satisfied, then told me to rub them together.

Milo and Carina both insisted I look amazing, but I think I just... look fancier than usual.

"One last thing," Milo decides, and Carina nods. She reaches into the bag she brought and pulls out a round spray bottle full of purpleish liquid.

"This is perfume," Carina explains. "It will make you smell nicer than you do now."

I glare at her. "What's wrong with the way I smell now?" I ask indignantly.

"Nothing," Carina says slowly. "This will make you smell better."

"That's okay," I say. Carina shoots Milo a look before tossing him the bottle. "I think I'll-"

Carina interrupts me by shoving me from behind, right into the cloud of perfume Milo just sprayed in the air. I shriek as Milo catches me, then takes hold of my hand. He sprays the perfume on my wrist, then my other, before pulling me closer to spray behind my ears, under my jaw, and all over my neck. Milo finally releases me, grinning, and I stumble back. "What is wrong with you?" I yell, but I'm more confused than horrified.

"We just thought that Horus deserves a fair chance," Milo says innocently.

I gape at her. "What?"

"Well, things are obviously more in Anubis' favor, since you like him and he likes you," Carina explains, and she's back to her old stoic self. "But you like Horus, too. So we thought we'd give him a little hint, try to move things along." At this, she smiles a little.

"Just smell it, Lana," Milo pleads. "It's honey and flowers. Gods love those smells. He won't be able to resist you."

I raise my eyebrows. "I'm trying to marry someone, not seduce him!" I say. But I am curious about what the perfume smells like. Also, how does Milo, of all people, know what scents gods like? I wonder as I raise my wrist to my nose. "Hmm," I mutter. "Not bad." Milo said it smells like honey and flowers, but it also smells like apples and something else I can't quite place.

Carina hands me a thin black sweater. "It's a cardigan," she tells me.

"This won't keep me warm, will it?" I ask suspiciously, but I already know the answer. Carina shakes her head, and I groan. "What's it for, then?" I demand.