From Darkness (Hearts & Arrows Book 3)(80)

“Okay,” she answered as she unwound herself. She stretched up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek before turning and running out of the room, calling “Bye!” over her shoulder.

He watched her go until she was out of sight. And when he picked up his soldering iron again and got back to work, he smiled at his hands until his cheeks ached.



Dita stepped into the elevator again with Bisoux at her heel, toying with her bracelet, relieved that Heff was on the other end of it. Two little clicks, and he would find her. And if he was there, she would be safe.

Safe.

It was a word she barely knew the meaning of anymore.

Armed with that and legitimate sleep, she felt like she could move mountains.

Ares was no match for her. She wouldn’t have to hide or worry or be afraid.

She was free.

When the elevator doors opened into the underworld, her dog ran out, and she followed him, calling Perry’s name.

“Hey,” Perry answered from her living room.

Dita did the Dougie into the room. “I slept, I slept, uh-huh, I slept.” She clapped and got low.

Perry laughed and hopped up. “That’s amazing!”

They danced around, giggling, until they couldn’t breathe and fell down on the couch.

“How?” Perry asked.

“Heff made me a magical, glittery, mystical machine of epic brilliance to help me sleep, and it worked. And now I am back. I’m back!”

“This is the best news.”

“Yes!” Dita threw her fist in the air from where she lay slumped into the couch. “I just woke up.”

“Oh gods,” Perry said with big eyes. “You missed this morning.”

Dita hadn’t even thought about the competition. “Shit.” She looked in on Jon and Josie as they drove through Pennsylvania, and her mouth hung open. She couldn’t comprehend what she was seeing. “What the fuck? Oh my…what? How did they…”

“Your plan played out. Jimmy Li called Jon this morning with all of Rhodes’s info.”

“I fucking did it,” she breathed.

Perry nodded with delight. “You fucking did it. I’m glad Heff waited until after you set Jimmy up yesterday with the guy who had gotten Rhodes his papers. You could have cocked that whole thing up.”

“Please. I wouldn’t have passed out until I had my plans in place.”

“Right, like you wouldn’t have slept through all the things that happened this morning.”

“Why didn’t you wake me, ass?” Dita tossed a throw pillow at her.

“I thought you were watching.” Perry threw her hands up, laughing.

“Tell me what happened.”

“Well,” Perry said as she re-situated herself, “Li called Jon with the info on Rhodes. And then Josie had a breakdown when she realized she was at a dead end and called Jon, but he was already on his way over.”

“Yesssssss,” she hissed.

“Yeah, but then, when they went to Jon’s apartment, Tori was there.”

Dita’s chin dropped. “How did that go?”

“Surprisingly not bad. I mean, as good as it could go. Josie had an epiphany about Jon and the baby and everything. Oh, Tori wasn’t supposed to be there. Artemis intercepted and gave Tori an allergy attack to send her home. I think that’s everything.”

“Ha! I love a good backfire.”

They glanced in on Jon as he laughed at something Josie had said.

“I hope Artemis feels like an idiot. This is so freaking perfect. They’re going to be alone in a car for days, staying in hotels. Together.”

“It’s your chance. What are you going to do now?”

“I don’t know. I feel like I’ve been living in a vacuum for a week.” She let out a breath. “Perry, I can’t tell you how much better I feel. It’s like I was buried alive.”

“Well, what do you want to do first?”

“Man, I don’t even know.”

“Well, I was about to go see Daphne. Wanna come with?”

Dita clapped her hands, which was totally ridiculous and she didn’t even care. “Yes!”

“Okay, let me go say bye to Hades,” Perry said as she peeled herself off the couch before heading to his office off the living room.

“Aw, you guys are so cute.”

“Yeah, King and Queen of the Dead. Adorable.” Perry rolled her eyes as she pushed open the massive, carved mahogany doors and disappeared inside for a moment.

Dita hummed, smiling as she watched the fire from the couch, feeling silly and light and amazing, and when Perry appeared again, Dita stood, and they made their way to Apollo’s apartment.

They found Apollo and Daphne lying on the floor, playing backgammon. The sunshine poured in through his wall of windows, and Central Park stretched off into the distance.

Daphne smiled as she stood to embrace Dita. Daphne’s curly red hair smelled like sunshine and wild basil.

“Aphrodite, how are you feeling? You look like you might have finally gotten some rest.”

“I did, thanks to Heff. I’ve missed you.” Dita held her at arm’s length to look her over. “You look amazing. This dress.”

Daphne looked down at her loose white slip dress, lined with lace chevron stripes along the bottom third. “Thank you. I’m learning,” she answered with a smile.