Page 27 of Eris

Eris nodded. "I do. I might not have ever been in love, but I've seen love bring gods to their knees. Love is so powerful because it's the only thing any of us really wants. That kind of power is what makes Aphrodite truly terrifying."

Enzo nodded and drank the rest of his beer. "You really have never been in love? Not once?" he eventually asked.

"Not yet." Eris shifted in her chair, uncomfortable with where the conversation was leading. She toyed with a piece of tomato with her fork so she wouldn't have to look at him. "Not the way Laverna and Rom are. Or any of the other gods and their consorts I know, for that matter."

Enzo's voice softened. "Why?"

"Because of what I am." Eris didn't want to have to explain it to him. She was emotionally raw from the day as it was. "So, Tunisia tomorrow?"

"Hopefully, with good winds, we will reach it by the afternoon," Enzo said, picking up on her cue. He had plenty of hurt feelings in his own eyes that she knew he wasn't eager to talk about either.

They watched the sun go down in silence before Eris gathered up their bowls and empty bottles. She wanted to take Enzo downstairs to find out where the night would take them, but whatever question Enzo saw in her face made him suddenly look hesitant.

"Get some sleep," he said gruffly, breaking the tense moment and kissing her forehead.

Eris swallowed back her disappointment. "You too, if you can."

She hurried back downstairs to hide her burning face. Maybe their kiss had only been the adrenaline of the fight with the naiads, but now he thought better of it.

Eris had also just told him how dangerous it was for mortals to get involved with the gods. She dumped the dishes into the sink and went to curl up in her cabin.

Congratulations, you've just put him off. But wasn't that what she always did? She was, after all, the Unloved One for a reason.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

The following day, the winds were strong, and Enzo was busy keeping the ship on course to Tunisia. He wanted to ask Eris if she was performing some divine intervention to get the wind on their side, but she had closed up tight again.

Enzo knew he should have kissed her properly the night before. He had stopped himself because, despite the desire that was burning inside of him, he still hadn't been entirely honest with her. She had been so open about herself, about how hard it had been with her curse. She had shown him the monster that lived under her skin. He hadn't shown her his.

Enzo had always tried to live his life as honorably as he could, and he wanted to tell Eris all the dark and dirty shit that lived inside of him. She deserved that before anything went further between them.

The truth was, he was afraid she would look at him differently. She seemed reluctant to get involved with immortals and mortals even less.

Despite her warnings about mortals getting involved with the gods, he didn't want to blow the one chance he could have with her. So he said nothing and tried to figure out a good way to tell her about his messy past.

They arrived at the Punic Port of Carthage at three in the afternoon when the sun was beating down with a relentless heat.

Enzo knew that money opened doors and smoothed travel, but whatever Rom had organized had ensured his boat had a dock available at every harbor. When he and Laverna said, "I have people to take care of it," Enzo hadn't imagined that included countries outside of Italy. The customs officers waiting for them on a rickety dock barely looked at their boat or their passports.

"Don't look so surprised. Once Rom decided you are family, it came with the family benefits of his anal attention to detail and love of organization," Eris said, adjusting her large black hat.

"It's just strange not having to be the responsible one for once, that's all," Enzo replied, pulling on the backpack containing the palladium. "Where to first?"

"Going to the archaeological site worked at Cuma. There isn't a palace left, but there are ruins of a citadel," Eris suggested, and they walked to the road. "But first, I'm calling a cab because I'm already sweating."

"Good idea," Enzo said. They waited in the shade of a tree, and Enzo stole covert glances in Eris's direction.

"What, Enzo? You are starting to make me nervous," she said.

So maybe he wasn't being so covert after all.

"I just can't get over how quickly you healed. You don't have a mark on you," he replied.

Eris folded her arms. "I tried to tell you I was fine."

"You don't get it," he said, his mind already full of images of blood and screaming.

"And I never will unless you explain it to me," Eris insisted.

---