Page 9 of Dark Gods
When I opened the door, he was waiting on the other side looking even more chipper than he had this morning. Guess the first day of class hadn't worn him down the way it did me.
"Hey," he said, walking into the room once I stepped aside to let him in. "How'd it go?"
"Well, my first-period professor called me out on getting busted for selling drugs last semester and my fiancé acts like I don't exist… but I've got a nice window seat in Runebinding, so all in all, I'd call it a wash," I said, flopping back down on my bed as he rummaged through my closet.
"I'm sorry, rewind. You got busted for sellingwhatnow?"
"Panaceas," I sighed. "It's not as exciting as it sounds. I just whip up magic treats for bored godlings on the Upper East Side."
"I don't know, that sounds pretty damn exciting," he mused. "Gossip GirlmeetsAmerican Gods. I'm jealous of your life."
"Myoldlife," I reminded him, flicking off a bit of lint on my skirt. "My new life is boring as shit."
He gave me a sympathetic look. "Trust me, when it comes to this place, boring is as good as it gets. But what were you saying about Hades hating you?"
"We have first period together and if looks could kill, the one he gave me would've been a minor flesh wound."
He winced. "Yikes."
"So comforting, Dionysus."
"I'm sorry, I'm not good at boy trouble. Can't even get into any of my own," he said with a wistful sigh.
"Well, that's about to change, for both of us," I announced. He was giving me a confused look, so I clarified, "I've been dreading coming here for the better part of a decade, thinking I was going to have Hades breathing down my neck, but he obviously doesn't give a shit, so why should I?"
Dionysus watched me warily. "That's a dangerous line of thinking, Kory. Just because Hades can do whatever he wants here doesn't mean you'll get away with it. If you haven't noticed, there's kind of a double standard when it comes to the Triad."
"I've noticed. But I'm the queen of subtlety.”
He raised an eyebrow. "Is that how you got busted for your little Panacea operation? Subtlety?"
I flipped him off half-heartedly and he laughed. "I'm just saying, there's no reason we can't have a bit of fun and I've already spotted like twenty bangable dudes the first day here. I'm sure at least a few of them are capable of discretion."
"You'd be surprised," he said flatly.
"Come on, isn't thereanyonewho's caught your interest?"
He hesitated, and there was something in the way he looked away that gave rise to the inquisitor within me. "There was… someone, but it doesn't matter," he said quickly. "Romance means entanglement, and this place is already one giant spider's web. You don't want to get caught up, trust me on that."
"What are you so afraid of?" I asked.
"Three things, and your fiance is one of them," he answered without missing a beat. He pulled a dress out of my closet, a sleek silver number that covered just enough to be fit for a cocktail party rather than the club. "And if you really want to punish him for snubbing you, I can think of worse ways than showing up in this."
I smirked. "You know, Dionysus, I like the way you think."
4
Iheaded over to the ballroom with Dionysus once he'd changed into a clean white suit that made him look like the dashing young god he was, along with a silk pink necktie that complemented his golden locks and baby blues. We parted ways, lest anyone get the idea that little old me was anything less than a virginal nymph just waiting for Hades to whisk her away to the Underworld.
The ballroom was covered in crystal lights, some hanging down from the ceiling like a cave. There was a harpist across the room, and every time she strummed her magnificent instrument, the strings would glimmer with a different color of the rainbow. Fountains decorated every corner as young deities mingled with the esteemed faculty members who looked even stiffer than they did in the classroom, if possible.
All but the Antiquities Prof, whose gown was even more low cut than mine. She was standing by a chocolate fountain, sipping champagne and laughing so loudly the people around her seemed mortified.
I knew I liked her.
It was a surprisingly lively gathering, all things considered. Nothing like the raves I attended with Jazzy and Baylor back home, but I hadn't expected to find any hint of that life within the hallowed walls of the ancient academy.
As I wandered over to the refreshment table, I began to calculate the odds that I'd get away with sneaking a glass of bubbly or two. While I was still doing the math, I felt someone lingering behind me and turned to find myself face-to-face withthehottest damn guy I'd ever seen.
