My Ex From Hell (The Blooming Goddess Trilogy, #1)

You can lead a nymph to water but you cannot make her think (Part 4)

Well, if Theo could joke, maybe the situation wasn't totally bleak.

The creek began to shimmer. Instinctively, I took a step back, placing Theo square between me and the water. A form rose gracefully from the surface.

Nysa was everything one might expect of a nymph. Slender, with waist length auburn ringlets and large blue eyes, her skin was creamy white. Basically, she was gorgeous.

Unfair! I punched Theo who turned confused eyes my way. "Next time," I hissed "prepare me so I can dress appropriately." I'd never been a girl to care about keeping up with the Jones', but sheesh! Sweats versus the dazzlingness of a nymph was a little too unbalanced, even for me. All I needed to complete the moment was Kai showing up.

I tensed, unsure of how to greet such a spectacular creature and thinking of possible formal salutations. Then she opened her mouth.

"Ahhhhhh" she squealed. "Oh my goddess, I can't even believe it's you!" She bopped out of the river—clad only in some strategically placed seaweed—and rushed me like a twelve-year-old girl reunited with her BFF at summer camp.

She jumped up and down as she clenched me in a hug. Squashed, I looked past her to Theo, who was lamely attempting to keep his composure.

"Like, I can't even believe you're here? When I heard from Prometheus, I was all 'no way.' But he was like 'way.' And he's such a serious ninny that I totally knew he wasn't lying."

That description of Theo so failed to resonate with me that I made a mental note to learn whatever I could about Prometheus. Turning human must have entailed a massive personality switch.

Nysa hadn't stopped talking this entire time. "... She was being such a Medusa head about letting me come. We both knew it was about that seriously cute shepherd liking me and not her. So. Not. My. Fault." She tossed her hair. "I can't help being beautiful." Nysa screeched again. "I love your new size. You used to be so tall, but now ..." She pranced around me in a gleeful jig. "We're the same height. It's like we're sisters!" She poked my padded (99% clothing, 1% chocolate) belly. "'Cept I'm the skinny one!"

Nysa threaded her arm through mine and waited. I had no idea what for. "Uh, yeah."

Apparently that was enough because she jumped up and down. "Whaddya wanna do first?"

"Get the box?"

She stopped jumping and turned a very displeased frown on me. I rushed on. "Please. We're under a kind of tight timeline."

The creek water bubbled. I glanced at it nervously. "And there are a few people who need to be saved."

Steam rose off the water. Nysa glowered at me with full-on hatred. "You haven't seen me in sixteen years and all you can say is you want the box?"

I had the strongest sense that should I say the wrong thing, she might cause my blood to bubble. Time to switch gears. I tossed my hair in my best Bethany imitation and fake laughed. "Just to get the stupid thing out of the way, silly. Theo—Prometheus is so uptight about it. Mr. Stick-up-his-butt."

Theo glared at me, but it was the least he deserved. It was also the right thing to say because Nysa brightened and slapped her forehead. "You. Are. So. Right." She retrieve a small black plastic cube from the creek and tossed it to Theo. It didn't look big enough to hold a finger, much less an entire head. "Scram, boy. This is girlfriend only time."

"Wouldn't dream of impinging," he said, a big smile on his face.

The look I fired back at him promised tortures galore. He was going to leave me with this mentally unstable, dangerous child? I sighed. Fine. I'd give Nysa half an hour and then beg off.

"What now?" I asked brightly.

"Kyrillos." She giggled. "Spill."

I thought it was going to be a very long half hour.

I was so wrong. It was a very long six hours. She made me tell her every detail of my life, then regaled me with her share of sixteen years worth of gossip involving total strangers. Supposedly, I'd known them at some point and should have had a shred of interest. It made reality television seem deep. I couldn't believe I'd cared about it all, at any point.

Somewhere during my third seaweed wrap at the makeshift spa Nysa had set up creekside, as she prattled on about the ongoing saga between Aphrodite and her latest boy toy, I zoned out.

I was exhausted, hungry, numb, and suffering from a blinding migraine. If I didn't get away from Nysa and her mindless chattering soon, I was going to turn my powers on myself, end my suffering, and let the human race fend for itself.

I rose and shook off the seaweed. "This has been so super swell but I have to get ready for class." Nysa stared at me like I was an idiot.

"But, like, you're a goddess."

"In human form."

"No probs. I'll come with." Her eyes shone with fervent eagerness. Yeah. That would be great. She could swan into Hope Park mostly naked and I'd pass her off as my cousin. I'm sure no one would mind.

"Are there a lot of cuties?"

That finished it for me. There was already a dragon loose at Hope Park. No nympho nymphs needed. We were full up.

"Nysa." It was my most placating tone.

The creek began to boil again.