My Life From Hell (The Blooming Goddess #3)

Presents For Pretty Girls (Part 4)

Festos' expression softened. "She's in love."

I simultaneously smiled, shrugged, and nodded. She was. That was good. What was I supposed to say?

Festos watched me, but he didn't push it. He limped over to Theo and placed his hand on his boyfriend's shoulder. "Can I keep Sophie tonight?" he asked. "I need to run some tests and figure out how to sustain her power. Can she go see Demeter tomorrow?"

Theo thought it over, then nodded his agreement. Guess I wasn't getting a say in this.

I was about to head into my bedroom and strip off my superpower T-shirt and Kai's jeans in exchange for something loose and stretchy, when Kai stopped me.

"Admit it," he said to Festos, gesturing at my T-shirt. "You covet. And hate the fact that I'm so cool and clever."

Festos gave a dismissive shrug, but he did glance longingly at the shirt.

Kai smirked and motioned for me to go. "That's all."

"I admitted nothing," Fee retorted.

"You want a made up superpower name?" Theo asked Festos.

"Have you not met him?" asked Kai.

I stuffed my hands in the pockets of Kai's jeans and looked between them. Kai was right. Of course Festos wanted a shirt like mine. But why would Kai, his kinda-enemy, know that?

"Go." Festos ordered me out, pointing toward my room.

I went. But it didn't stop my curiosity. I absolutely did not understand Kai and Fee.

* * *

"Ready," I said as I re-entered the living room, a few minutes later, in exercise clothes.

"Follow me," Festos said, standing by the door. He exited the apartment and I scrambled after him with Kai in my wake.

Festos took us down to the second floor. It was an open, unfinished space, like all the floors except the top one. In one corner, Festos had set up his work space, consisting of a large stainless steel table flanked by heavy, metal floor-to-ceiling cabinets.

A bank of large light therapy boxes dominated the middle of the room. They were stacked three high and fifteen wide, their white light angled slightly downward.

"Detonate," Festos instructed me.

I looked between him and Kai, anxious.

Kai smiled. "I'm harder to destroy than that."

"More's the pity," Festos said.

"Brace yourselves." I sent out a full body shockwave, feeling my usual utter exhaustion at the end. On the upside, a quick glance showed that I hadn't destroyed my friends, which boded well for the big day. Yay!

"Again," Festos said.

I shot out a puny vine of light that fluttered and disappeared.

Festos nodded and motioned for me to go stand in front of the wall of light boxes. After much trial and error, we discovered that I required ten minutes of light box rays to recharge enough for another full body shockwave.

This was great to know, but I had no clue how Festos would translate that knowledge and the light energy into something I could use. Kai and I would have every last minion attacking us from the second we showed up to perform the ritual, until Festos finished cleansing the location.

Not to mention, that they weren't going to stop trying to kill us and stand there respectfully while we chanted. We'd have to hold them off then as well.