“I mean, this situation isn’t normal. Obviously you know I didn’t randomly come up with this info,” I said. “Jerry, come on. Food’s getting cold.”

“Come on, Jerry,” Thane said in mock annoyance.

“Yeah, Jerry, come on,” Donovan said.

“That’s going to get annoying,” Daisy grumbled.

“Hopefully the giant will give them a thump,” Mordecai said.

“Yeah. I’d like to see that,” she replied.

Kieran turned in his seat so he could see the giant. “When we are together, we share a meal together. Please, join us.”

Jerry nodded stiffly. He probably felt uncomfortable being around all these people in an enclosed space, after having a mountain to himself for so long. But he did as Kieran asked, choosing a seat between two vacant chairs, still a little removed from the group.

“Let us take a moment and give thanks that we are all safe and together,” Kieran said, “and ask that the next leg of our journey, whatever it may be, does not lead us into harm’s way.”

Shivers ran across my skin and I knocked on wood.

9

Alexis

Halfway through the meal, I paused in buttering my toast.

“Someone is walking toward the front door,” I said, feeling the soul come nearer. It burned a strange sort of…neutral. That was the only way I could describe it. Not a bright, glowing orb, like those seated at the table around me, but not a dull, listless, or bland sort of soul, either, which usually denoted questionable morals. This one just kinda…was. I’d never encountered that before.

The person in question stopped at the front door. I waited for the doorbell. Everyone at the table watched me, clearly expecting more info.

“Seems like they’re just waiting there,” I said. I told them what I’d gleaned about the soul.

“They are just standing in one place?” Kieran asked, rising.

“Yes.”

He nodded and headed for the door. “Our visitor is fluent enough in your magic to expect they won’t go unnoticed. They are either testing us to see if we’re paying attention, or seeking acknowledgement for knowing they don’t need to ring the bell.”

“Valens did train you well,” Jerry murmured.

“That’s nothing,” Bria said as Red stood. “Wait until he tries a little. It’ll blow your mind.”

“Doubtful,” Jerry replied, standing as well.

“Bet you a hundred bucks, and where are you going?” Bria asked.

“I’ve finally chosen to leave the mountain. It would be too much to ask that this is a coincidence.”

Bria laughed and forked some eggs. “You might’ve been the most exciting thing on that mountain, giant, but you are not the most exciting thing in this room. That title goes to Alexis.”

“If only it were a title worth having,” I said, slinking out of my chair and following Kieran toward the front door. He didn’t actually need backup, but solidarity looked good. If the visitor knew I could sense souls, they probably also knew about my other abilities.

Kieran pulled open the door to reveal a striking beauty with large onyx eyes, silky black hair, and plump red lips. Her thin, muscular body sported sleek curves and an ample bust, her figure displayed to perfection in leather pants and a tight, ribbed bustier. A knife hilt peeked up from between her breasts, a gun holster hugged her right thigh, and I got the impression there were at least seven other deadly things hidden from view. She had the easy confidence of someone who knew they were lethal.

The woman spared me a glance, her face devoid of emotion or even interest. She looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t place her.

“Amber,” Kieran said, his tone completely flat, not giving anything away, but surprise and wariness swirled through our various links. He clearly knew her, and he was not pleased to see her. The name tugged on a memory, but before I could latch on to it, it was gone.

“Demigod Kieran, long time,” she said in a sultry voice. She was, quite possibly, the sexiest scary woman I’d ever seen.

“Not long enough,” he said.

“I wondered if I might have a word.” It was not a question—it was a statement of what would come next.

Kieran paused for a moment, his wariness eating through our links, before stepping back and angling to the side, silently admitting her entrance. He led her to the sitting room, which doubled as a game room for vacationers, with a pool table, poker table, and a collection of couches and chairs.

Amber chose a chair in the corner farthest away from all exits. I had a feeling that meant something. Kieran sat on the loveseat opposite her and crossed his ankle over his knee. His guys and Red filed in, spreading out around the room, and Bria, Jerry, and the kids hovered with me near the door, watching. If Amber had wanted privacy, she didn’t show it.

No one spoke, the air ripe with hostility and unsaid words.

“They’re waiting for you to sit with them,” Bria whispered to me.

“Me?” I frowned at her before seeing Kieran’s subtle nod. “Oh.”

What did I have to do with this? Even so, I joined him on the loveseat, hoping it would help get the show on the road.

“Amber was in my father’s Elite,” Kieran told me. The Elite was what Valens called his inner circle, those who were good enough to warrant the blood oath. Now I remembered where I’d seen her—battling against us on that beach in San Francisco. “She was in charge of his intel gathering. She was the one who first brought his attention to you and Bria. And she battled against us on the beach when I challenged my father.”

She inclined her head, clearly not feeling the need to defend herself.

“Why are you here?” he asked her.

“I’ve kept an eye on you. I wanted to see if your defeat of your father was luck, or something more.”

“You should’ve known better. You helped design some of my training, after all.”

Her lips pulled up at the corners just a bit. “You are a young playboy suddenly in charge of a large, prosperous territory. Training means nothing without the maturity to use it. Looks like all you needed was the love of a good woman.” Her sensuous gaze flicked to me, and despite myself, my face heated. “I’ve had countless offers of employment after Valens’s passing, as I’m sure you can guess. One of my would-be employers attempted to kidnap me after I turned down his offer. Demigod Aaron is starting to get desperate, it seems. He’s like a child throwing a tantrum. He’s too used to getting what he wants—or maybe he just hasn’t wanted anything this badly for a long time. His obsession with your pretty little Soul Stealer is eating away at him. He clearly thought I could help him with that.” She paused, and I knew that in itself was a comment of some sort. “You know my qualifications, do you not?” she finally asked Kieran.

“One of the top three best spies in the world. Excellent at espionage and absolutely deadly. You could get placement with any Demigod in the world, or so my father always claimed. You were his pride and joy.”

“I was a prized employee that he treated very well. I was not seduced or beaten. I was listened to, paid handsomely, and given every convenience. In return, I did my best work for him.”