Page 53 of Cheater Slicks

“Frankie,” Kierce warned me, his voice low.

“Is this a love thing? The famed rose-colored glasses in action? You have no idea who he is or what he’s done. You think he’s pretty or sexy or needs saving. You’re clueless. Ababy. Just because you got shiny new powers doesn’t make you a god and doesn’t give you a voice among us. It just makes you one more half human in a world populated with them.”

“And you’re one more asshole in a world populated by them. What’s your point?”

“You need to learn to accept your losses and move on. Otherwise, eternity is going to be one hell of a bad surprise. You can’t get so fixated on the small things. Think big picture.”

“My brother and my mentor aren’t small things. They’reeverything.”

“That kind of passion stirs the blood, Bijou.”

Chills skittered down my spine in a prickling wave.

No, no, no.

I didnothave time for this.

Bracing myself, I expected Ankou to have taken on a new avatar since I last saw him. But when I turned, he wore Armie’s face. And it hurt to see a friend standing there who never existed.

His grin also made my knuckles itch to sink them into his face for every wrong he had dealt my sister.

“Did you miss me?” Ankou blew me a kiss. “I’m good as new, thanks for asking.”

“You’re living dangerously.” I drummed up some bravado. “Kierce tells me you’re not welcome in this city. Something about pissing off Bacchus. Killing one of his lovers. Any of that ring a bell?”

“Kierce isn’t wrong.” Gaze cutting left to right, he rolled out his shoulders. “But I go where I’m sent.”

Too bad I didn’t know how to summon Bacchus.

Forget the gold Bacchus was offering as a reward, I would have turned Ankou in for a speck of pollen.

“Get lost, filth.” Dis Pater curled his lip at him, reminding me how low his opinion was of Ankou. “I’m in the middle of something.”

“Um, no.” He kept closing the gap between us. “You look ready to smite Frankie, and my master is too invested in her to let your temper tantrum ruin all our hard work.” He winked at me. “You have no idea how good it is to see you again in the flesh. Dreams are nice and all, but they can’t compare to reality.”

Smothering my fear before it could gasp for breath, I smiled back. “Do you want me to kill you again?”

“See? That’s progress. It tells me you missed me. At least a little bit.”

“How do you figure?”

“You could have just killed me without asking. Rude but effective.”

The god drama ran down the clock until all hope of saving Vi tonight vanished along with her. Without Kierce, I had no hope of freeing her, but it stung to have an opportunity wasted because Dis Pater had chosen that exact moment—when we were right on the cusp—to meddle.

Antagonistic as their relationship was, Ankou’s appearance must have been such a boon for Dis Pater. Yet another distraction for him to throw in front of me like a roadblock. Another way for him to screw me. Or screwwithme. The timing made me consider if they had planned it, but the animosity between Kierce and Ankou was real, an extension of their gods’ tumultuous relationship.

Which left me with having damn bad luck.

“Happy?” I shoved Ankou back a step. “Your interference could cost people their lives. People I love. People who don’t deserve to be swept up in this divine bullshit.”

“I could help,” he offered silkily. “I’m not beholden to?—”

His taunt choked off as Kierce gripped his throat in a brutal hold that made Ankou wheeze.

“You’re feeling very choke-y tonight.” I slanted Kierce a grin. “I don’t hate it.”

His lips twitched, but he didn’t look at me. He kept his eyes on the immediate threat. Well, the threat he could engage without divine punishment. Though it did beg the question if Dis Pater wanted to hurt me, why hadn’t he snatched Kierce away like a shiny toy I was no longer allowed to play with?

---