Dionysus (Hades Series #1.5)

Chapter Twenty-Four - Kenzie

Chapter Twenty-Four

"Told you we'd find her." Persephone says with a smug little grin.

Stunned speechless by surprise, I push my dripping hair out of my face and stare at our new surroundings. We're no longer stuck in a dingy little rowboat in the middle of nowhere, arguing about who gets to row the damn oars (an argument I totally would have won). Instead, we're standing in the entrance of a huge manor, with towering white marble columns framing the edges of the room and an excessively elaborate glass chandelier glittering above our heads.

I squirm slightly, feeling as out-of-place as a big fat cockroach, standing here unwanted and dripping seawater all over the pristine cream shag carpets.

"Was that Circe?" Evie spins around slowly, her expression as awed as I know mine is. "Because I gotta say, I'm almost impressed."

"Almost impressed?" I ask.

"What can I say?" She shrugs. "My standards have been raised exceedingly high since living with gods."

"Your standards have always been exceedingly high Evie." Spencer snickers, stealing a surreptitious glance in my direction. Immediately I lower my gaze back down to the ground, trying to ignore the way my heart cracks and tightens painfully inside my chest all over again. You'd think that ignoring him would be less painful than talking to him and pretending that everything is okay. But apparently I was mistaken. Ignoring Spencer and the ever-present guilt in his eyes is the hardest thing I've ever had do.

Because I think a part of me has already forgiven him. And that part doesn't understand why I'm still giving him the silent treatment.

When I glance back up Spencer's jaw has tightened, and he pushes open the front doors without a word. Evie tries to smile reassuringly at me as we hurry after him, but I can see her heart isn't in it. She's in Spencer's corner no matter what.

He would win custody of her in the divorce, after all.

"Circe!" Spencer strides through the doors with a smirk plastered on his face. "My favorite witch!"

Circe tears her attention away from the man in front of her, annoyance wrinkling up her exquisite features. The man stares at us wide-eyed, looking back at Circe with panic clear on his face.

"I uh..." He fumbles for words for a few seconds before high-tailing it towards the doors. Before he can even take five steps away, however, Circe lazily flicks a finger and he shrinks into a blue-eyed pig in a puff of green smoke.

"Dionysus." She drawls, eying Spencer with distaste. "Look what you've done darling; where will I get my entertainment now? I was looking so very much looking forward to teasing the poor doll before I added him to my menagerie."

"How are you not sick of that trick yet, you melodramatic poof? It's so two thousand years ago." He rolls his eyes, and she smirks at him. I shudder. She reminds me of a snake sizing up her dinner. "Not like your usual lot, is he?"

She clicks her tongue in displeasure. "Yes, well after Odysseus I rather lost my taste for bearded men. And brunettes. They left a rather bitter aftertaste in my mouth. Something that you would know if you decided to grace me with your arrogant presence once in awhile, darling."

He shrugs nonchalantly. "You know me; I like to cause trouble, and it rather irks me when others upstage me; most importantly, witches."

"Watch your tongue darling, you might make me regret rescuing you." Circe drapes herself over her chair. Her green eyes flicker between the four of us, lighting up when she sees Persephone. "Persephone darling! How are you? I haven't seen you since you were dragged down to that awful hellhole. Tell me again, how did you get out of that little debacle? Hades did seem ridiculously obsessed with you, you poor dear."