Blood Prince

“What are you—”

“You shot at me!”

“I didn’t know it was y—”

“Oh my gods, I’ve missed you.”

Lilah lowered her bow, letting it fade into the ether as we rushed to each other. I gave my sister a Shildreth-sized hug. Tears stung my eyes. I hadn’t realized just how much I missed all my sisters, especially Lilah.

Apollo strode in behind Lilah and watched us, openly admiring the view of the warriors’ embrace. “Now this is more like it.”

He was the perfect male of legend—tall, built, blond, and utterly full of himself in every way possible. I ignored his lusty overture.

Lilah pulled away, her blue-gray eyes troubled. “Surely you didn’t take Liatra?”

“No, no. It was Desmerada.”

Lilah glanced around. “Where is that harpy? I’m going to punch her in the tit for cheating me out of my Wife of Bath money.”

Before Lilah entered Apollo’s service, she’d written a scathing tell-all on the vampire queen, at the queen’s behest, of course. But Desmerada cut Lilah out of her share of the profits. Seemed it was still a sore spot.

“My city is bursting with gold,” Apollo said. “You can have as much as you want, whenever you want. Why do you want hers?” His eyes twinkled, as if he knew exactly how this conversation was going to go. He enjoyed goading Lilah almost as much as I did.

“Because it’s mine, that’s why,” she said.

Lilah turned back to me, her black hair whipping out in a streak as her ire rose even further. “Where have you been? We’ve been searching all over earth for you, and I find you here? We’ve been worried sick! Between you and Iphi—gods!”

“It’s a long, long, long story. Wait, what’s the deal with Iphi?”

“We don’t really know. She sent a message via fairy saying she was on some sort of vacation, being treated like a princess somewhere. You know how she is. She just, you know, does stuff without thinking. She seems fine, though, if the Cheetos smudges on the letter are any indication. So we’re letting her have her fun before hunting her down.”

“Hasn’t Artemis been looking for her?” I couldn’t imagine the goddess would let one of her best warriors travel too far afield.

Apollo laughed. “She’s still nursing a broken heart over your shared lover boy. But I think she’s more mad that he didn’t punch her v-card than anything else.”

My eyebrows hit my hairline. “Wait, what? Paris never—I mean, they never…sealed the deal?”

Apollo chucked me under the chin. “Artemis talked a big game, but when it came down to it, my sis still couldn’t give it up. Her prudery knows no bounds. Oh, the shame of having such a sister.” He put the back of his wrist to his forehead, as if ready to faint.

I’d assumed the entire time that Paris had dallied with Artemis—and I mean dallied. But he hadn’t. It was surprising what a relief that knowledge gave me.

Lilah elbowed Apollo out of the way and gave me a stern look. “Now it’s your turn. Spill.”

They all sat, even Apollo, as I recounted my harrowing tale of the past week. Liatra nodded along, as if this was an old song she knew by heart.

By the end, Lilah’s chin was set in anger, and she was ready to march on Decanum that very instant and take Menelaus’s head.

Liatra smiled and took my hands. “That was an excellent story, I must say. But there were quite a few parts missing.”

Huh? I went back over the events and could only think of a few things, mainly the canoodling with Paris, I’d left out. My color rose. Surely Liatra didn’t want an accounting of those moments? Here, in front of Apollo and Lilah?

Liatra smiled at me. “No, not that. I mean your past as Helen of Troy. You still don’t remember it. But I can give you back the memories Artemis took.”

My head spun as I considered Liatra’s offer. To be given the memories that flitted at the edges of my mind? The ones of Paris and me? Gods, I wanted to know. But with the good would come the bad. From what Paris had told me, I’d spent years with Menelaus before I ran away with Paris. Could I bear to regain those memories too? I could only guess at the terrors that resided in those recollections. The thought sent a chill through me.

Lilah wrapped an arm around me. “It’s up to you, but those sound like some awesome memories. Crazy war adventures in ancient Greece? Sign me up.”

I didn’t want to seem weak, but I couldn’t help voicing my fear. This was Lilah, after all, the one with whom I’d always shared my secrets. “The memories of Menelaus, though.”

“You can handle it. We can handle it together.” Lilah’s arm gripped me tighter. Her voice was cold iron. “Besides, I have no doubt that you will deal with that son of a bitch with or without the rest of your memories.”