Return of the Titans

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Even though Tobias said that the hotel was a front, I still expected something hotel-ish.

That is until we stepped inside.

When we walked through the front doors, I was immediately sucker punched by the scent of cleaning supplies. Ammonia made my eyes water and a cloud of aerosol numbed my nose completely. I pressed my thumb against my forehead to ease my sinuses, but it did nothing for the rapid sniffles. My head began to pound again and I nearly stumbled back outside.

"Th-This is too much," I gasped and coughed into my arm. "Did somebody dive bomb this place with Clorox?"

"That would be the godly essence," Tobias said. "It surrounds this land, shrouding it from mortal eyes."

"It smells like lemon wipes," I choked.

"Here." From his belt, Tobias unclipped his portable UC Berkley travel mug. He handed it out to me and I heard something swish around inside of it. "Nectar," he said, "ripe and easy for drinking."

I took it, but only because I remembered Doc saying that it was clean. I've watched enough America's Most Wanted to know not to drink random liquids from strangers, but technically Tobias wasn't a stranger. He worked for the king, which meant that he was good people by default. If he wanted to kill me, he had plenty of times to do it.

The nectar tasted just like it did before, except a little buttery. It was sweet, but not so where it made my stomach turn on its side. I felt it slide down like I had just drunk a cup of oil, and settled in my guts like I very well did drink some. Nevertheless, I felt immediately better, like I had just injected myself with a godly EpiPen.

Now that my head was clear, I looked around, and all I could say was, "So, this is a temple."

The foyer was immense and it was entirely coated in gold. From the polished floor emblazoned with winding mosaic tiles, to the roof that seemed never-ending. Glittering crystal chandeliers swayed from the rafters, where from their candelabras were fat candles that dripped sizzling hot wax. It was so bright that there was not just one source flooding the wide room with a rich amber glow. Everything gave off an aura of class that made it look like it deserved to be on MTV.

It was also busy. A swarm of people flooded the foyer, walking briskly about, unaware of their unique selves. We passed by a herd of satyrs toting leather satchels over their shoulders. They stuffed papers and addressed envelopes inside of their bags, and they tipped their horns in Tobias's direction when we passed.

I spotted a dryad in a mossy suit cross the floor to lay down in a patch of green, the only indoor garden that I've ever seen. Across the room, red-headed naiad sprang up from the wide fountain that occupied the middle of the foyer. She swatted away a satyr for tossing a coin into her precious watering hole.

Tobias's arm brushed my own as he bent down toward me. "Exciting, isn't it?"

I was breathless, my eyes aching as they widened to their fullest extent, but I was able to nod in response.

"Come," he said and waved a hand as he walked forward. "Let me give you a tour."

I followed close behind him as he strode into the throng of people. I tried my best to hide the awe that transfixed me, but it wasn't easy. It was as if I had stepped into an entirely different world. And unlike my first day at Prison Grove, nobody was throwing heavy (and possibly dangerous) objects at each other's heads.

I heard a screech from behind me, and turned around, only to gasp. A tawny barn owl was perched on the antlers of an older centaur, who strode around the place passing out coupons to anyone in attendance. His withers matched his dark skin, which made him the only person in here that wasn't colored fair by the lighting. The difference about him was that his flank was more slender and athletic, rather than robust and brawny.