Page 12 of Waiting For Psamathe

Chapter 6

ZALE

I leaned against the bar, surveying the room and seeing if I could work out which god was which just from the way they were appearing in front of me. It was harder said than done, especially when I had no idea who was in attendance or even which pantheons were represented.

Without meaning to, my gaze slipped back to Sama and the woman she was talking to. They seemed alike, not just in appearance, but in mannerisms as well, making me think that it was one of her sisters, though which one was going to remain a mystery unless she thought to introduce us.

"You could just go talk to her, you know."

I turned at the sound of a woman's voice to find Aphrodite taking a seat beside me.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I murmured, taking a sip from my drink and trying not to be intimidated by her. If I kept telling myself she was a normal woman and not the formidable goddess of legend, then I could just have a conversation.

She signalled to the bartender to bring her a drink. "You know, Sama said much the same thing," she mused. "I don't know what it is that makes people think they can lie to a love goddess, but they always do."

"I'm not lying."

She raised an eyebrow. "So if I told you that there's an eligible sea god here tonight who I want to introduce to Sama because they'd be the perfect match, you wouldn't feel jealous at all?"

Something churned within me in response to her words. "No."

"There you go again. There really is no use in lying, I've spent years dealing with people in love, I know how to spot it." She slid a glass over to me. "Sama's drink is empty, why don't you take this to her."

I eyed it warily.

Aphrodite chuckled. "It's just a drink. I can't magically make people fall in love. Or you can leave it there and I'll go find that sea god."

The words spurred me on and I reached out to take the glass.

"Thought as much." She turned to the bartender to get herself another drink, leaving me to either choose to listen to her advice, or to ignore it.

I supposed there was no real harm in taking the drink over, even if it was just so that Sama had one.

She turned just as I approached and a smile spread over her face, making her seem even more beautiful than usual.

"I brought you a drink," I said, feeling as if I'd lost all ability to talk to her properly.

"Thank you." She reached out to take it, her fingers brushing against mine as she did and leaving fire in the wake of her touch.

I met her gaze, the air feeling heavier between us. It was as if the rest of the world no longer existed, and the only thing I could possibly focus on was Sama.

The woman next to us cleared her throat. "Are you going to introduce me?"

Sama blinked a few times, clearly taken aback by the interruption. "Sorry," she mumbled. "This is Zale, he works for the seal sanctuary across the cove. And this is my sister, Thetis."

"Nice to meet you," I said, holding out my hand.

Thetis shook it while studying me intently. "The seal sanctuary?"

I nodded. "Everyone's very excited about Sama choosing us as her charity for tonight."

"It's a very deserving charity," Sama said, looking down and studying her drink.

"She does have a soft spot for seals," Thetis said, eyeing her sister with interest.

"And the seals have one for her, they're always happy to see her when she comes to the sanctuary," I said.

"Mmhmm." Thetis looked between us, an intrigued expression on her face. "You know, I think I see Eury waving at me. I'll be back." She didn't linger any longer, leaving me alone with Sama.

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