itty-bitty cup, it’s powerful, isn’t it?”
No one said a word. So much for sharing. Considering her reputation was on the line, she settled back in her seat and asked, “Why do you want it anyway? Ares has plenty of other relics at his disposal, why is this one so important?”
No one said a word. Aeros watched her with a calculating look. His dark eyes captured hers, the depth of something—sadness or regret—catching her off guard. He blinked and the sensation dissipated.
“This is the most important of all relics. If in the wrong hands? This could destroy the world.”
Overdramatic didn’t even begin to describe that remark. She was pretty proud when she resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “Really? End-of-the-world type thing, huh? That’s neat, don’t you think?”
Aeros looked so highly offended she almost giggled.
“Neat?” His frown really did odd things to her. Like very odd. Weird. Like an urge to make him frown even harder so she could crawl on his lap and see what he’d do if she tickled the sides of his face weird.
Her cellphone blared the Black Eyed Peas singing ‘Don’t Phunk with My Heart’, the ring tone reserved for her best bud, Silver, saving her from suffocation owing to holding in laughter.
“Yeah, gotta get this one. I’ll be right back.”
Aeros looked alarmed. “Tabithia—”
She grinned and cast the spell to obscure her location and voice. Aeros clenched his hands on the arms of his chair, nearly breaking them, but didn’t jump like Narc. The redheaded womaniser stood so quickly he knocked his knee on the table and cussed like a sailor.
She ignored him and flipped her phone open. “Oi! Dudette. What is up? Where have you been?”
Silver, Silver Moon really, who liked to be called Sammie—at least by her—laughed through the phone line. “Tabbie-cat, what exactly are you up to? I heard some rumours you would not believe.”
Oh, she’d believe them all right. Still, some things were better left unsaid. She and Sammie were best buddies, but only to a certain degree. Tab fiddled with her phone and considered spilling the beans. Would Sammie understand? An image of her friend’s sharp, blue eyes and black hair tied back, her beautiful face set in hard lines as they fought off ghouls, came to mind and Tabithia tossed the idea of a girl-to-girl pow-wow out of the window. Sammie was a lot of things—strong, powerful, determined—but a friend Tab could go to for man advice? Not a chance. As far as Tabithia knew, Sammie had never even scratched that itch. Not even alone.
Nervous energy had her chancing a glance at Aeros, remembering how she’d pleasured herself to images of him possessing her. His face was set in a stern, unhappy glower as he responded to something one of the men had said. He glanced at her seat, and his dark eyes narrowed. Her stomach did a nosedive.
“Tab?”
Uh, yeah. Talking. She was supposed to be talking, not daydreaming about Aeros.
“Not much, just another money-making venture. You? Find anything?” Sammie was all set to leave on another mission to find her missing sister, something Tabithia usually never missed. This time, Sammie was playing solo.
“Nah, I haven’t left yet. Bethany and I had to take care of some things first. Star’s coming over soon, but you know, I heard you were mixing it up with some god? Ares, or some other Greek idol. Tell me it’s so not true.”
Tabithia grinned Some other Greek idol was right. If Ares was anything like Aeros, the god had to be stacked.
“Naw, you know me, I never hit the trouble switch. I leave that up to my aunt.” They both shared a laugh at her aunt’s nickname. Turning serious, she said, “I’m on a little side venture. Sure you don’t want some backup on yours?”
Across from her, Aeros snapped something at Galen that she couldn’t hear through the spell she’d cast. The other man shook his head and got up, heading carefully to the back of the jet. Aeros was not pleased