Page 73 of Sinful Crimes for the Artistically Inclined
“Has she got your blood, too?”
“What? No! Well, not that I know of.”
“Not that you know of?” Joe shouted. “Percy, do you understand how bad this could be?”
“How bad?” Althea asked, looking exactly like someone who had thought their ordeal was close to the end, only to discover that perhaps it was not.
Joe caught the panic in her eyes and attempted to control himself. “I don’t know how bad. Percy, why did she have the sheath?”
“I didn’t know she even knew what it was until today.”
“And you don’t think it’s suspicious how hard she pushed you to go to her room?”
“Well,” Percy chuckled with a bashful smile, “not really.”
Joe was apparently unable to control himself. “She tried to buy you!”
“I know, but be reasonable?—”
“She tried to buy you?” repeated Althea. “Like… Like how she trafficked me?”
“Um, not quite.” How to explain the untoward incident without sordid detail? “I don’t think I’m… sacrifice material.”
“What?” Althea cried. “And I am?”
“I don’t know,” said Percy. “Maybe you are?”
“Maybe!” she shouted.
“I don’t know who makes a good sacrifice!” Percy shouted back, feeling attacked on all sides suddenly. “I’ve only done it once or tw?—”
“Percy!” Joe yelled.
“Joking.” Percy grinned at Althea in the rearview mirror. “Obviously I’ve never sacrifi?—”
“Percy…” Joe took a deep breath, massaging his temples, his mind reeling. “Percy, I think she wants you for something.”
He scoffed again. “I think we both know what she wants me for…”
“What?” asked Althea, still perfectly perplexed.
“Not just that,” Joe sighed out. “Just that doesn’t make sense.”
“It makes perfect sense!” Percy protested.
“Percy, does she know about the spear?”
“Of course not. How could she know?”
“Did you tell her?”
“Of course not!” Then a pregnant silence. “I don’t think so.” Then some more silence, then a sulky, “It’s not like I go around bragging that I own the Spear of Destiny.”
“You told me the first day we met!” Joe shouted.
“I thought you were pretty!” Percy shouted back.
“Why?” Joe yelled, throwing his arms up into nowhere. “Why did I have to fall in love with the insane person?”
