My Date From Hell (The Blooming Goddess Trilogy, #2)

Theo's Giant Surprise (Part 3)

He was in so much pain that anything I said would be meaningless words. Knowing Theo wasn't the biggest fan of hugs, I didn't want to add to his stress, so I just held his hands in mine.

I felt myself gently tugged away from Theo. It was Festos. The only person I would have allowed to replace me.

Festos slid into the seat next to Theo, and tilted Theo's chin up with a finger to look at him.

Theo's expression was bleak. "I screwed that up. Again."

Festos didn't say a word. Just pulled Theo to his feet and enveloped him in a hug, cane in hand.

Theo stiffened.

"Stop," Festos murmured, running a hand over his back.

Theo relaxed and rested his head on Festos' shoulder.

It was the sweetest picture imaginable.

Except after a minute, Theo shifted, his natural hug antipathy kicking in.

Something had shifted between them and I wanted it preserved. Which is why I obnoxiously shoved in between them and said, "One body space, boys."

Better I break it than Theo.

"Thanks," Theo said to Festos.

Festos batted his eyes, coyly. "It was nothing."

"I wouldn't call it nothing," Theo said, looking at Festos with a wicked gleam.

"Okay, that was both incredibly sexy and unbelievably disturbing," I said. "Our little boy is a man."

Festos swooned. "A man who gives looks like that."

"Back to the plan," Kai began.

I cut him off. "Look. Not only do I still have to complete the final challenge from a trickster god to get a dingbat goddess off my case, I have to do it in a tiny window before having to defend myself from stalking you off school property and begging not to be expelled. Not to mention everything else on my plate."

"Stalking?" Kai asked.

"Bethany lies," Theo said.

Kai nodded. "Ah."

"So," I continued, "if I want to enjoy two cute boys falling in love, then we will all be supportive of the fact that I am finding the bright side and looking upon it. Got it?"

Kai just grinned. "You're very cute."

I narrowed my eyes. "We talked about this. I'm not cute. I'm deadly."

"And cute." He waved at Theo and Festos. "Stare away. I'll wait."

Theo frowned. "Now I feel like a zoo animal."

"Here," Festos said, "watch this." He grabbed Theo and planted a hard, hot smooch on him. When it was done, Theo stepped back, a little dazed. "You good to go?" Festos asked me.

"Oh yeah," I said, fanning myself.

"Life, so much saner before you came back," Kai said.

The back door swung open. The crazy chessboard had replaced Deuk's backyard.

My Theo and Festos happiness dissolved at the thought of Jack and what was going to potentially happen to Hannah. I felt awful for having stopped worrying about her for even a second.

Theo stepped through with a low, "Me first."

Again, we were much, much higher up. The foyer looked tiny from here. Jack awaited us under an archway.

Without breaking stride, Theo stalked up to Jack and decked him in the jaw. Hard.

Jack staggered backwards and glared at Theo. "I did warn you," He rubbed his jaw. "Greek. Gift. Sacrifice. Facing Deukalion was all those things."

"Pretty tenuous hold on your self-righteousness, Jack," I shot back. "Next challenge."

Jack wasn't done yet. He ignored me, speaking to Theo directly. "Sadly, you chose to throw the fight instead of battling properly. That will cost you."

The door at the top somehow rushed down toward us again to reveal Hannah, still bound and terrified.

I gasped as the gold blade swung toward her neck, stopping just short of it. Hannah gave a muffled scream. The door once more rushed away. We heard it shut with an ominous thud.

My vines came out before I could stop them.

The cold expression on Jack's face gave me pause. "You sure you want to do that?"

I wanted to obliterate him. But he held Hannah, and if I failed ... I recalled my light.

"Smart girl."

The expressions on Theo's, Festos' and Kai's faces showed they felt the same as me. Had Jack not so obviously held Hannah's life in the balance right now, I knew all three of them would have taken him on. They were furious.

"One more strike ..." Jack said back in game show host mode, as if the tension of a second ago hadn't happened. "And one final challenge. Queening."

It was a pretty telling indication of how mad Festos was that he didn't "insert joke here." Even Jack looked a bit surprised.

"That means what?" I felt impatient to get this whole thing over with so I could tackle the rest of my ginormous to-do list.

I was out of time and patience for gods and their devious games.

"The promotion of a pawn to a queen," Jack replied.

It was my turn. But I wouldn't give Jack the satisfaction of seeing even a flicker of unease on my face.

"Nothing?" Jack shrugged. "Ah well. Have fun. And no taking the easy way out." Once more, he disappeared.

This time, we'd barely taken four steps before a door opened and we were sucked through.

No problem. We had this.

I should have remembered that Jack was the God of Tricksters. And what he had up his sleeve this time was masterful.

We were back in the foyer of Hope Park.

Back on the familiar scuffed red and white tiles, with the noticeboard that no one ever bothered to read.

Bethany greeted us, in a short, slinky gold dress, with hair and makeup that looked like a team of experts had worked on it for hours. Which, knowing Jack, they may have. All the better to pimp her out for Kai. Pinned to her bodice was a small, black crystal broach in the shape of a crown.

"Welcome, bitches," she said. "You're going down."

She put her fingers in her mouth and gave a loud whistle.

Students began to trickle in. Oddly, they were also dressed up in satins, flouncy dresses, and suits, if not totally glammed-out like Bethany.

Wait. Why was Theo—now cleaned up—also in a suit? As were Kai and Festos. Was this another illusion? Because I still wore my stupid tunic.

I'd had so many head trips that I was losing my ability to make the return trip to reality.