My Life From Hell (The Blooming Goddess #3)

Out Of The Frying Pan, Into The Fire (Part 1)

Prometheus had the same height as many of the other gods, so about fifteen feet, with his familiar shock of spiky hair. His face was, well, it was like my Theo really was the teen version of this very hot male. His features were more ruggedly masculine.

And—my, my—Festos had been right. Prometheus wore eye-liner. No glasses, just these big, dark eyes ringed with black. Also, he had a six-pack so crazily well-defined that all I could think of, even in the presence of Kai, the love of my life, was that I wanted to drag him off and lick them.

Holy crap did I need to restore Theo's powers if it got him his proper body back. I'd be made a saint for that good deed alone.

"Staring at the wrong guy aren't you, Springtime?"

I didn't bother hiding my irritation as I turned to face Oizys. "Really got that ninja stealth walk going for you, huh?"

She looked amused, but there was an element of ... what? It was a gleam that I could only interpret as a challenge. Was she waiting to see how I would respond to her initial question?

I was going to protest. Say I'd been looking at Kai, only had eyes for him, but screw it. "It's enough to make me wish I'd been born male."

Oizys pushed her glasses up her nose and looked like she was about to speak, when—

"Yo! Zys! Scared you can't keep up with me?" Prometheus yelled out in a teasing voice.

"Any time, any place, Rock Boy," she called.

Rock Boy? Had Theo picked his last name partially in memory of Oizys? Had I been calling him something that was a constant reminder of the friend he'd been unable to see for all these years?

My entire reality was shifting. I had one foot on shaky ground and the other in quicksand. Any more upheaval and I'd be lost.

Prometheus made a taunting "bring it" gesture with his hands as he jogged backward. Then he smiled at her with this look of incredible love and affection. I waited for that smile to include me.

But it didn't. It transformed at the sight of me, to a polite nod, for a casual acquaintance.

My face fell. That nod was a blow to my soul. Four days from now, I was never going to see Theo again. The time we had left should have been about stockpiling as many memories as possible. Instead, it was about polite indifference.

I realized that Oizys was still watching me. Suspiciously now. She probably thought I was secretly in love with Prometheus. I took a shaky breath. "Better get back to your game."

I turned toward Kai, gave a little wave to catch his attention, and kept my eyes on him until I sensed Oizys leave.

Kai looked concerned when he saw me. Probably wondering why I'd bolted off so suddenly before.

I nodded back at him, smiling to let him know I was fine.

He brightened and blew me a kiss.

I blew one back, but my heart wasn't in it. A best friend who didn't recognize me, and a boyfriend who treated me like I was breakable, rather than the flirty, funny, infuriating Kai who turned my crank.

It was a very long game.

I passed the time seated on the edge of the field, making appropriate cheering noises while my mind churned over ways to make Kai and Theo remember me. More than once, I caught my fingers viciously ripping grass stalks from the ground.

I sifted through Persephone's memories. But it wasn't as if I could sit here and recite every single thing she had ever known or experienced. And there was nothing useful in what I could remember right now.

I watched Kai and Prometheus tussle, both fighting for control of the ball. Kai managed to get it with a fake out, but Prometheus stayed hot on his heels as Kai wove deftly around players and launched the ball into the net.

Cheers and whoops abounded.

I figured Kai would turn to me after that, but he was gazing off to the far end of the field, his poker face on. I followed his line of sight and saw Hades watching with disdain. A couple of nymphs clung to him. He said something that made them titter with laughter before walking off.

Kai went completely still for a split second. Then, with an easy grin to a teammate, he jogged off.

I doubt anyone else noticed his flash of pain.

Hades was an asshat.

I ached for Kai. I wanted to call him over all sweaty, so that I could fling my arms around him and kiss him and take away his hurt with some snarky comment about his dad. Yeah, and bug him when he got all smug about his prowess. Except Persephone would never do that.

That just made me feel bad for her. As far as I could tell, she basically acted as precious as everyone expected her to. But given how she'd snapped in the end, that goddess was carrying around a lot of suppressed anger and resentment. She was the original Goddess of Spring with an edge.

A title I wasn't sure I wanted anymore.