Page 13 of Eris

"Of course. His parents thought I was crazy too, but I knew where we came from and where we were going to go back to. The goddess, our grandmother, talks to all of us if we bother to listen."

Eris sipped her brandy. "She also seems to help enchant your beauty lotions to keep you looking so young."

"A woman does what she can. I would still be working in the bar if Enzo let me. I'm glad you have come. The boy could use a bit of chaos to shake him out of his stupor," Bianca commented. She reached into the pocket of her gown and pulled out a gold and mother-of-pearl cigarette case. She offered a pink cigarette to Eris, who took one. She liked Bianca more and more by the second.

"Mio Dio! Now you are smoking?" Enzo scolded when he came back from the kitchen. He set down a plate of sandwiches in front of Bianca and, surprisingly, one in front of Eris.

"Will you relax? One cigarette is not going to kill us," Bianca chided.

The vein at Enzo's temple throbbed, and Eris took pity on him. She offered him the keys to her car. "Why don't you go and get the palladium and bring it up? I think Bianca should see it. Just don't touch the bare wood again."

"It is here? Why didn't you say?" Bianca demanded, sitting up.

"I'll go get it, but only if you eat those sandwiches," Enzo said, taking the keys.

Bianca put her cigarette back in its case and picked up one of the small panini squares. "Look! I'm eating! Go and get it."

Enzo gave Eris a look that clearly said,See what I have to put up with?Before he headed back out.

"I love that boy with all my heart, but talk aboutfuss. No wonder he's getting gray hair," Bianca said and lit her cigarette before offering the golden lighter to Eris.

"He seems to have a good heart," Eris replied tactfully.

Bianca hummed. "About his heart. If you break it, I will make the Fates' curse on you seem like a walk in the park."

"Trust me, I don't intend on any harm coming to Enzo or crossing one of Aphrodite's bloodline," Eris replied. Of all the Olympians, Eris knew that Aphrodite was the one to be afraid of the most.

Bianca nodded and blew out a stream of smoke. "Good. I have seen this journey in his future for a long time. I prepared him the best I could and made sure he learned useful things like how to sail and how to fight. I just wish he wasn't such a worry wart and would have fun occasionally."

"He said he felt like he was cursed. Is there anything I should know about?" Eris asked and ate her panini. It was good and complimented the brandy. Dinner had been hours ago.

"He loved the wrong person that is all. The people in our family have an abundance of love," Bianca said, and her wicked smile was back. "I had two nice husbands but unfortunately outlived both. Now, I'm happy being single. Enzo worries about me being alone, but I really am fine."

"All the same, Romulus has organized someone to stay in Enzo's apartment next door to ensure you are looked after while we are away. We will also have someone to manage the bar. Everything will be kept running as normal in Enzo's absence," Eris assured her.

"I don't need a babysitter," Bianca replied primly.

"It's not for you. It's to make Enzo and Romulus feel better about leaving you alone. If you think Enzo makes a fuss, you wait until you meet Rom," Eris said. Somehow, she knew that Bianca was going to be delighted by both Rom and Laverna.

Bianca inspected her perfect manicure. "It's about time he came to visit his family."

Eris was saved from having to reply to that by Enzo's return. Bianca was up on her heeled feet in seconds. "Don't put it in here! We must put her in the altar room."

"Altar room?" Eris asked.

"As you wish, nonna." Enzo looked pained, and Eris followed him through the lush apartment, smiling from ear to ear.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Enzo didn't know if Eris and his grandmother getting along boded well or not. Bianca hadn't gotten along with any of the other women he had ever brought home. The goddess didn't seem bothered by the fact that Bianca was a self-proclaimed priestess of Aphrodite and La Madonna either. In fact, she didn't act like it was strange in the slightest.

Maybe you are the one who should have believed her all along, an uncomfortable thought prodded him.

Bianca led the way through the apartment and opened a door to her altar room. It was completely devoted to Aphrodite, adorned with statues, candles, seashells, flowers, perfumes, and small tokens and offerings. Statues of La Madonna also made an appearance, and somehow, everything felt aesthetically beautiful and heavy with feminine power at the same time, much like Bianca herself. She made space on a small lace-covered table that she used to lay out cards and throw her collection of sea glass, shells, and pearls to read futures.

"Oh my," was Eris's surprised reaction to the room. She studied both Bianca and Enzo, her head tilting as if she were seeing something that they couldn't. "Your connection to Aphrodite is very strong. I wasn't sure if she was still livingbecause she hadn't appeared to Hades or any of the others since they came out to the world. But I can sense her presence here."

Enzo could feel his grandmother's smug happiness because of her compliment. She looked like a well-fed cat.

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