Page 11 of Eris

"Is she always like that?"

Laverna's expression softened. "Wouldn't you be if you had been under a curse for thousands of years? Maybe think about what this means to her before you judge her for acting unreasonable toward you. You are her key to everything."

Suitably scolded, Enzo got to his feet and followed Eris. He couldn't imagine what she had been through. Some days, he thought he was cursed too, but there was a difference between thinking it and knowing it for sure.

By the time Enzo found Eris again, she was removing something wrapped in purple material from the car.

"Can I help?" he asked, stepping forward.

"Just get out of the way," Eris replied, moving around him and setting the object on a work counter in the garage.

Enzo stared at the array of beautiful cars, but his attention snapped back to the goddess as she began to unwrap the purple cloth. It looked like an old piece of wood, vaguely in the shape of a woman.

Enzo's breath caught, and his hands tingled. In a daze, he reached out and touched it. Images flashed in his mind like memories—a family laughing, the smell of blood and smoke, temples burning, people screaming, an impossibly beautiful woman giving him instructions, the gleam of sunlight on the sea…

Strong hands grabbed Enzo by the shoulders and pulled him back. He tumbled to the concrete floor, and his mind returned to the garage once more.

"Enzo! Are you okay?" Eris asked, hovering above him. She placed her cool hands on his burning forehead and cheek. "Talk to me."

"I think I saw some of Aeneas's memories," he said. He dared to place a hand over hers. He didn't know what perfume she used, but it was as dark and lovely as she was.

Eris stroked his hair. "You'll be okay. I've covered her up again. I never would have shown you if I had known you would have that reaction."

"No, it's a good thing," he said, even if his head was now pounding. "Eris, I'll come with you. She wants to go home, and you both need to be free again."

Eris's whole face transformed into a smile so bright that Enzo wondered if he was dreaming. No one had ever smiled at him like that. "Thank you, Enzo. I promise to take good care of you. You'll be back in Rome in no time."

Enzo nodded and winced at his headache. "Now comes the hard part."

"And what's that?" Eris said, helping him sit up.

"Telling my nonna."

CHAPTER SEVEN

Rom and Laverna were already organizing one of Rom's sailboats for them to use. It was docked at Ostia, and they would grab what they needed from Enzo's apartment before heading to it. Eris had her usual bag of gear in the car as well as the palladium in the back seat. She was used to moving around quickly, and she wanted to leave Rome as soon as they could be ready to sail.

"You really didn't have to come with me. I could have met you in Ostia," Enzo said for the third time since they had left Rom's place.

Eris drove them back through the city and towards Prati.

"You think I'm going to give you the chance to try and run away on me? I'm not that stupid," Eris replied. "Besides, I want to meet your nonna."

"You say that now, but you should prepare yourself," Enzo said, shifting his weight in the passenger seat.

"You think an old human woman can intimidate me? It would take a lot more than that."

Enzo snorted but didn't argue with her. "I wouldn't have tried to run away on you. I said I would help, and I will. I'm a man of my word."

"I don't know you well enough to believe that." Eris's hands gripped the steering wheel tighter. "Look, I know I sound like a bitch right now, but this is an opportunity I can't afford to fuck up. The Fates can be fickle. They might decide to change their mind, and I can't keep doing this…" She broke off, afraid she had said too much. She really didn't know him enough to trust him or tell him her secret fears. It was a vulnerability she didn't like to feel.

Enzo's hand moved to rest on top of hers, and her grip on the wheel unclenched a little. "I understand, Eris. I want to help you. Believe it or not, I know a little of what it's like to feel cursed. It might be good for both of us to get out of Rome for a while," he said, slowly removing his hand.

Eris wanted to ask exactly what he meant by that when he pointed to an apartment building. It was old and gorgeous, like many of the buildings in such a central neighborhood.

"Nice place," she said, staring up at it.

"Like the bar, it's been in the family for a really, really long time. We can't let the real estate go at this point, and my nonna won't leave Prati unless it's in a casket," Enzo replied. Eris followed him through a well-lit marble foyer to a set of golden elevators. Enzo ran his hands through his curls.

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