Free Aphrodite's Secret by Julie Kenner

boy screamed, clutching Mordi’s waist as if his little life depended on it.
    “Don’t drop me!” he wailed.
    Mordi sighed and righted them in the air. “Even if I dropped you, I’d catch you. Okay? It’ll be fine. Now, can we just have a little peace and quiet?”
    The boy twisted, looking at him with terrified but determined eyes. “You’re not my daddy. You’re a stupid-head.”
    Mordi sighed. “Sometimes I think you’re right, kid.”
    “Stupid-head, stupid-head, stupid stupid stupid-head.” The boy’s singsong insults surrounded them.
    Static blasted in Mordi’s ear. “Would you shut that child up?” Hieronymous asked. “He’s giving me a headache.”
    “
You’re
getting a headache?” Mordi snapped. “How in Hades do you think I feel?” Okay, so maybe snapping at his father wasn’t the most brilliant move, but Mordi was at the end of his rope. He was supposed to be the good guy—the
good
guy—but was he getting a pat on the head? A “Thanks, kid, we appreciate the sacrifices you’re making for the cause”? Nope. Heck, he hadn’t even gotten a gift certificate to a nice restaurant. Instead, he was getting yelled at by his father and kicked in the gut by a small child.
    He needed a vacation. Hell, he needed
two
vacations.
    The kid in his arms squirmed some more, pushing Mordi off course. Mordi counted to ten and then glanced down at Davy, hoping he looked stern and paternal and not just frazzled. “Calm down, would you? We’re almost there.”
    Davy’s eyes narrowed. “Where?”
    Mordi pointed toward the yacht anchored in the marina just south of La Jolla. “There. That looks fun, right? Lots of boats. Kids love boats. So just be quiet and be still, okay? We’re almost there.”
    “My
real
daddy’s an astronaut,” Davy said.
    Mordi squinted at the line of boats, trying to remember at which slip Hieronymous had said the yacht would be docked. “That’s nice.”
    “He’s on a mission, but he got stuck on a space station. That’s why he’s been gone for so long. But I know how to get him back. I’m going to talk to the people at NASA, and then my daddy will come home.”
    Mordi stared at the kid. “And you know this how?”
    “My mommy says so. I heard her talking to Aunt Zoë, and she said she needed to find a guy who wouldn’t disappear into the heavens like my daddy did.”
    “Oh.” Mordi frowned feeling sorry for the boy. “What if he’s
not
an astronaut?”
    Davy shook his head. “He is. And it’s the trajectory.” He tripped over the word but kept right on going. “I know all about the atmosphere and reentry, and they’ve got to fix his ship so he can get back. And when he does,” Davy added, “he’ll come straight to me and we’ll go buy a puppy.”
    Mordi sighed. “Sometimes daddies disappoint us, kid.” He found the right yacht and started to descend. “There isn’t a darn thing we can do about it.” He gave Davy a squeeze, then just as quickly pushed the boy away. “Remember that, okay? It’ll save you a lot of heartache in the future.”
    But Davy wasn’t paying attention. Instead, he was staring down at the deck of the boat. Hieronymous appeared, his black cloak whipping behind him in the brisk ocean breeze.
    Davy turned to look at Mordi, his eyes huge. “Is
that
where we’re going?” he asked, his voice little more than a whisper.
    “ ‘Fraid so, kid.”
    “Uh-oh,” the boy said. Mordi silently seconded the sentiment.

    There was no point in giving chase—of that, Jason was sure. By the time he got his Propulsion Cloak, the shifter would be long gone; and without any idea of his destination, Jason could only fly around in circles. Of course, that was a moot point since he still needed a few minutes to gather his strength to transform. He circled the pool slowly, considering where Hieronymous would take Davy. He was certain of only one thing: Hieronymous wouldn’t have the boy brought to his residence in Manhattan. No, Hieronymous