Total pages in book: 218
Estimated words: 209489 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1047(@200wpm)___ 838(@250wpm)___ 698(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 209489 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1047(@200wpm)___ 838(@250wpm)___ 698(@300wpm)
I peeked at him. He raised an eyebrow, not looking surprised even a tiny bit.
“She said she met him in Costa Rica.”
“She lived in a lot of places before coming here seventy years ago.”
“I wanted to talk to her more about it, but you know, she’s kind of scary. I wonder if she was friends with my great-grandmother.”
He turned to me slowly, measuring his words, thinking a thousand words a minute from the look in his eye.
I got this feeling again, just a tickle in my stomach. “Just out of curiosity, how powerful is she? Like really?” I asked.
“She’s the reason why the Trinity was formed, Gracie,” he answered. “We think she might have had a vision of what would happen if some of us didn’t come out in the open, and that’s why she pushed it.”
Oh boy.
“I only know a fraction of what she’s capable of. My mother told us to never ask for more information unless she offered it first. There’s a reason she picks and chooses who she meets.”
I squinted at him. “You’re scaring me.”
He tilted his head to the side, something about him suddenly feeling heavy and extra thoughtful. “I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
Yeah, that drop of sweat went straight down my spine. “I haven’t done anything to anyone. I don’t want to die,” I whispered.
That got me an instant eye roll. “Why would my grandmother want to kill you? She’s why we met. I told you that.”
“You literally just said you’d protect me….”
“I was trying to make you feel better,” he said in exasperation. “Anyway, I don’t think the three of us could stop her if we tried, but I still wouldn’t let anyone hurt you.” He picked up my hand and put it back on the crease of his elbow. “I promised.”
I was going to shit myself.
The Trinity wouldn’t be enough to stop her?
At the same time, I thought that was nearly the neatest, most amazing thing I’d ever heard. What was she capable of? How refined was her gift of knowing the future? Why didn’t Alex have it? Hadn’t my own supposed great-grandmother been able to do the same?
“She’s interested in you but not in a way you need to worry.”
Yeah, that wasn’t helping. I squeezed his inner arm. “I kind of want to ask her what else she knows about my family.”
“You want to talk to her more?”
“Yeah, unless you think she might be able to suck my soul out.”
His tiny smile got under my skin, especially when he was in that freaking tuxedo. It was too much, like looking at an eclipse. My retinas might burn off if I focused too long.
Fortunately, the waiter I’d been eyeing earlier happened to walk by right then, and I got his attention, snagging what looked like two crackers with stuff on them off the serving tray in his hand. “Thank you,” I told him before turning toward Alex. “What is this?”
He took one. “Caviar.”
I made a face and handed the other to him.
He took it and ate that one too. “I doubt anyone is passing around Cheetos tonight,” he said once he’d swallowed.
“You say that like you wouldn’t eat them if they had them,” I muttered. “I saw you had that microwave macaroni and cheese in your pantry, Chef Boyardee.”
That top lip disappeared into his mouth, but I saw the corners move.
“I’m still not sure I can trust your smiles, but I like your smirks,” I told him honestly.
His speed at scowling had to break some kind of record.
I laughed. “So who is Asami’s dad?”
“Achilles.”
I screwed up my face. She was so… sweet and cute, and he reminded me of sourdough bread.
The way he snickered told me he wasn’t surprised I couldn’t see it. Maybe she took after her mom.
“Did your parents like Greek legends?” I asked him.
He huffed. “I’m surprised it took you so long to figure it out. They named us all after legends and people they admired.”
“Are you Greek on your dad’s side, by any chance?” I dropped my voice. “Is he normal? I mean human.”
“No, he’s Japanese; his line is one of the stronger ones, so he’s more Atraxian than human.” He rolled his eyes. “They met in Greece. That was where our line settled when they arrived here.” Those medium-blue eyes moved toward me. “You’ll meet my dad soon. His sister had a stroke a few days ago, otherwise he would be here.”
I nodded, trying to picture how attractive he had to be.
“Twenty minutes and then we can leave.”
“Wink at me when you want me to faint,” I whispered, following after him as we moved through the loose crowd of people. There was no way all of them knew what they were. His mom had been wearing contacts. Were they just hiding in plain sight? I wondered.
There was a quartet playing in a corner, but no one was dancing. They were all just standing around, talking. I met a few people’s gazes, but mostly everyone stared at Alex from a distance.