But I stayed put, allowing her to tilt my head from one side to the other as she examined me. She was entrancing. No surprise that she’d managed to rope three boys into doing her bidding. And not everything was what it seemed. Maybe there was something special about her. Maybe she was one of Zeus’s many bastards. The possibilities were endless, and as I stared at her, I gave her a grin. Whatever it was I was looking for could wait a little while longer.
“You really aren’t hurt at all,” she said, stunned, and she stood abruptly, exchanging looks with the three boys. I expected amusement or curiosity, but all I saw was fear. “All right, so—you can go, then,”
I stood, brushing off my tunic. “Finally decided I don’t have anything worth stealing, did you?”
“Just go,” she said, paling as she took a step away from me. “Before I change my mind.”
That was a new one. Usually mortals didn’t try to push me away. Even when I didn’t admit who I was, there was a natural connection between gods and mortals. Sort of like the food chain. We’re dependent on them, they’re dependent on us—
So why were we dying off when they were still here?
As the girl started down the trail, flanked by her three henchmen, my stomach grew hollow. I’d known her for all of two minutes, and seeing her walk away made me ache. So maybe my powers weren’t completely out of whack. Maybe she did know something.
“Wait,” I called, trotting toward them. “Could I join you?”
“No,” she said flatly without turning around. “We have trouble finding enough food for all of us as it is.”
“I can get my own,” I said. “Hell, I can get yours, too.”
Her steps grew uneven, as if something was holding her back. “I don’t believe you.”
“Then let me prove it.” I nodded to the trail. “Meet me back here in ten minutes.”
“You can get enough food to feed all five of us in ten minutes?” She turned to face me, smirking now, though there was still a hint of fear in her eyes. “All right, we’ll wait. And if you don’t show up with enough to feed us, then we’re leaving, and you’re on your own. And we take whatever food you do bring.”
“Deal.” I gave her a slight bow. “Don’t move.”
“Wasn’t planning on it.”
She sounded confident enough, but one wrong move, and I knew she’d be gone. So I walked into the woods with as much purpose as I could muster. If robbery was a matter of survival for them, then no wonder they were practically drooling at the thought of a full meal. From the looks of the youngest kid, they’d probably been hungry for most of their lives.
Once I was completely out of sight and earshot, I created five dead rabbits and three quail, along with a pouch full of berries. She already knew something wasn’t right about me, so no harm in exacerbating it. With luck she’d be willing to excuse it if it meant her belly was full.
“Dinner,” I called as I stepped back onto the trail. “Couldn’t find any greens, but I figured you’ve all had enough of…”
I trailed off. The path was empty. Was this the right spot? Of course it was. I never got lost. Where the hell were they?
I sighed. I could take off. Figure out another way to find this solution. The universe had a sense of humor sometimes, sure, but that didn’t mean I had to put up with it. There had to be a better way.
As soon as I closed my eyes, however, a bolt of lightning lit up the sky, followed by the dangerous clash of thunder. Perfect. If Zeus knew I was here, it’d only be a matter of time before he found me. He didn’t have my abilities, but he was Zeus.
I took off as fast as I could without dropping the game. No idea where I was going—I just ran. The deeper into the woods I was, the less chance Zeus would have of spotting me, and right now I really did not want to go back to Olympus.
I stumbled across their camp without realizing that’s where I’d been heading the whole time. The four of them sat around a pitiful fire, and though they’d been talking in low voices before, the moment I appeared, they all fell silent. The little kid—the one who’d stopped me on the trail—fell off his stump.
“Devil be gone!” he cried, while the girl stood abruptly.
“What are you doing here? How did you find us? And what—” Her eyes narrowed. “What is all that?”
“This?” I held up the game. “Your dinner. Or it would’ve been if you hadn’t ditched me.”
Her eyes went huge, and she moved toward me, holding out her hand. I stepped back.
“Nope,” I said. “Not until you let me join you.”
“We’re full up, sorry,” she said, making another grab for the food, but I shifted away from her.
“Then it looks like I’m going to be gorging on rabbit and quail tonight.”
“C’mon, Tuck,” said the boy. “Just for tonight. I’m really hungry.”
“Please, Tuck,” said Sprout, whose hands were wrapped in cloth. Apparently someone had been injured in our little fight, after all. “We’re starving.”
The girl—Tuck, I assumed—scowled. “Fine. One night.”
The two boys erupted in cheers, while Mac grinned on the other side of the fire. I offered her the string of rabbits, and she snatched it from me. “Thank you,” I said.
“Don’t thank me. You’re gone by morning.”