All Hallows' Satyr (The Cursed Satyroi Book 5)

by Rebekah Lewis

  He let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding in. Honestly, he didn't think Melancton would divulge anything to him. That he did meant he must be testing his dependability. Maybe even wanted to count Adonis as an ally. "I want to help."

  Silence on the other end. And then, "Pan will be here in the morning."

  That wasn't news he wanted to hear, but it was something he could deal with later. "But he's not here today, and I am. I need some panpipes to disguise myself. If the cops are looking for someone with horns…"

  Melancton exhaled heavily as though battling with a difficult decision. "We have extra panpipes. Go to The Aegean Inn and ring the bell exactly three times. I will inform the women of your arrival."

  A wave of embarrassment washed over him. "I have one problem."

  Hesitation met this statement. Melancton had never been much of a conversationalist.

  "I have a nymph with me, Hermes isn't responding to me, and Pan's curse is activated. If she leaves my proximity, I am bordering on losing control."

  Melancton cursed under his breath. "Why aren't you taking the pills?"

  What was he talking about? He held the phone away from his ear and looked at it before returning it. "What pills?"

  "The pills Nestor made after studying how Bremusa and Vander's bodies react to each other that reduce the effectiveness of the curse. They prevent the madness."

  His annoyance grew with each passing second. "I still don't have a clue what you are talking about." And who the hell was Bremusa?

  "Hermes didn't bring any to you?"

  Was he for real? "I haven't heard from Hermes in weeks."

  After another long pause, Melancton said, "Go to the inn immediately. Take your nymph. Daphne will provide you with panpipes and some of the pills." He hung up before awaiting a response.

  Adonis stared at the wall in front of him, slack jawed. Finally, he put his phone in his pocket and immediately punched a hole through the drywall. "Those motherfuckers!" He punched it again. And again. Then he kicked it.

  "Adonis! Stop." Soft hands on his arm stalled his movements, and he looked down at Sage. "What happened?"

  Hurt replaced his anger, and he had to control his emotions. He knew they didn't like him. Never had. But this was a whole new level. "It would seem the Arcadians have developed a pill to control the lust that comes with being a satyr," he said through clenched teeth. "And none of them thought to tell me about it."

  Not even his brother, his twin. Ariston had broken his curse, so he wouldn't need any special pills. Adonis' shame sank in. Maybe he didn't merit relief from this curse. Maybe he had deserved to never be able to free himself from it and to be left in this abandoned house to rot alone.

  "A pill that…" Sage shook her head. "I don't understand. What does that even mean?"

  "It means that once we arrive at The Aegean Inn, you're free to go. It won't matter that you cancel out the curse for me. They had a way to prevent me from going mad with lust all along and never bothered to extend that courtesy to me."

  The weight of despair nearly overwhelmed him. It was for the best, really. He couldn't break his curse, couldn't have Sage, and she couldn't save him.

  Nobody could.

  9

  Sage gripped the steering wheel tightly and stared straight ahead. She'd never been emotional, but Adonis' words continued to make her feel like a waste of space around him. Was he so eager to get rid of her? Not like she hadn't been considering leaving before, or had tried, but still. It felt crappy being kept around not for her, but because she could combat his curse. And it felt worse to be tossed aside the moment she wasn't needed.

  She couldn't come to terms with what happened with Calix. At the same time, the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. He hadn't seemed to notice her that fateful day they'd had sex, and then she approached him. He'd been surprised to see her yet instantly interested. They flirted a bit and then sneaked away to the bathrooms. Even though the place wasn't great, he'd been absolutely amazing. And that, other than a few facts about him working at the inn she and Adonis were now headed to, was all she remembered.

  How could she ever apologize to him? Of course, that meant she would need to see him again to do so. Would she see him this very day? Anxiety gripped her, and she rarely suffered from the ailment. Beside her, Adonis didn't say a word. Anger radiated from him. It bothered her that, despite her own upset, she still wanted to comfort him. Stupid empathy. Feelings were the worst.

  As she drove around one of the city squares, Adonis lowered his seat back and glanced over at her. "Horns," he explained.

  Probably wise not to show them off if the police were looking for others like him. "I thought you said there was a way to use glamour to hide them." There was still so much she needed to learn. And though the prospect of learning excited her, she'd rather do it without so many distracting feelings.

  "I said if we had the means. I currently do not, and that is one of the reasons we're going to The Aegean Inn." He considered a moment then added, "And even then, I could only use it during daylight hours thanks to Apollo."

  "Is there any god you haven't pissed off?"

  The look he gave her could burn through mountains, but he didn't respond.

  Brushing it off, she turned on her blinker and stopped at an intersection. A Halloween display in a store window made her smile. Jack-o-lanterns and a big werewolf howling at a moon with a witch flying over it. "We're almost there."

  He shrugged as she made her turn. "I've never been in the building, so I wouldn't know."

  The bitterness in his tone hardened something inside her. He might have made mistakes, but if the curse did what he said, didn't it make him a greater risk to not help him? They should want him to have the pills or whatever it was he didn't know about.

  Parking near the inn wasn't an option with no empty spaces, so Sage managed to parallel park a street over. "We're gonna have to walk a bit." It was late afternoon but not too crowded in the area they had to cut through.

  With a sigh, Adonis righted his seat back and exited the car. "Let's get this over with, I guess."

  Did he want to be rid of her so badly? Whatever she did, she wouldn't show him how that upset her. At least, she'd try not to show him. Emotions tended to run wild at the worst possible moments.

  They traveled quietly down the sidewalk, turning onto the street that housed The Aegean Inn. Sage had never been inside of it, but she had always thought about staying the night there. It was supposedly haunted by a demon…with horns. With a snort, the truth of that mystery became apparent.

  "What's funny?" Adonis asked?

  She pointed up at the white wooden building with blue shutters and door. The third floor had a balcony that offered shelter over the front step. Like many of the buildings in the historical district, the front door was on the second floor. Bars on the downstairs windows prevented easy break-ins. "The local ghost stories about this place making sense."

  "Ah." He came to a stop and gestured for her to go up the stairs ahead of him to the door. When Adonis joined her, he rang the doorbell three times while staring down at one of many hay barrels stacked about the front porch with pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns on top of them, lit up with flameless tea lights. Orange string lights wrapped through the displays, giving the porch an eerie glow.

  Curtains swayed at the closest window without revealing the person behind them. "We're not open," a woman said, caution evident in her tone.

  "It's Adonis. Melancton told me to—"

  He didn't finish his statement before the door was unlocked and flung open. A gorgeous woman with long dark hair flowing over her shoulders gawked at him. "It is you. I thought he made that up."

  Adonis snorted. "Melancton?"

  The woman giggled and waved them in. She wore a soft lilac dress that stopped above her knees and a pair of silver flats. Her hair cascaded over her shoulders, falling nearly to her waist. Something about her seemed almost familiar even though Sage had ne
ver met her before to her recollection. "He does have a sense of humor. Most people don't ever get to see it though."

  "I'll take your word on that." Adonis waited for Sage to go ahead of him. She stepped inside and looked around at the many shades of blue, white and gold. The rooms themselves must have been even more beautiful if the décor in the lobby had anything to say for itself. The only hints of fall decorations added were gold and white ceramic pumpkins and garlands of fall leaves around the front desk.

  Another brunette entered the lobby dressed in jeans and a red sweater; this one had been crying. Her eyes were red and puffy, and she sniffled. "Daphne, who—?" She looked from Sage to Adonis, and her eyes widened. "Wow, you do look just like Ariston."

  Adonis' jaw tensed. "Well, we are twins."

  Sage scowled at him. He hadn't mentioned a twin brother. Another reason to remember she was not welcome in this paranormal world even though she clearly was a part of it. "There's no need to be rude about it." She stepped forward and offered the girl her hand. "Sorry about him. I'm Sage." Out of the corner of her eye, he stared at her, mouth agape. She ignored him.

  "London," the woman replied and shook Sage's hand quickly. She looked between the two of them as the woman named Daphne came forward to shake her hand as well. "Are you two…dating?"

  She glanced back at Adonis, who appeared stymied by the three of them. London's question finally sank through to his comprehension as he vehemently shook his head and snapped, "No."

  Sage glowered and he had the good grace to look abashed. She'd had enough of his bad attitude. "We met yesterday. Though, now that he has you all, I can go home."

  The other women exchanged a glance, and then Daphne leaned in closer to her. "You're a nymph."

  "Yes." What else could she say? "You can tell that by looking at me?"

  Daphne shook her head. "Not by sight. Not…exactly. You're a wood nymph as I am. Your magic calls to mine. Kinship." She lightly squeezed Sage's shoulder and the familiarity she'd felt when entering the inn and seeing her the first time made more sense. "Think of me as your extended family." Then she turned her gaze back to Adonis. "Such fortunate timing to have found yourself a satyr."

  The brief happiness at knowing another person with abilities like hers faded as Adonis made a noise that sounded half like a growl and half a groan. "Can we talk about this later? I want to help find Jacen."

  At this, London broke down into tears and sat in one of the chairs by the window. "I agree with Daphne. It is lucky that you found each other now. Pan was trying to find out if he could, make me…a nymph. So Jacen could be human again."

  Sage sat next to her and patted her hand. It was a much-needed reminder that other people had real problems other than being attracted to a person who didn't want anything to do with them.

  Adonis, oblivious as usual, bit out, "Jacen's still being immortal is probably saving his life at the moment. Regardless, we'll get him back."

  London nodded. "Yes, but that doesn't mean they can't kill him if they wanted. Melancton said Theron wants Calix. But, once he figures out Calix isn't here and we don't know where he is, what will he do to Jacen? What reason does he have to keep him alive?"

  So…immortal didn't necessarily mean unkillable. Good to know. Also good to know? She wouldn't have to look Calix in the eyes tonight and explain what she did to him. She had time to sort that out, assuming she ever saw him again. The way things were going—she might not be around them all much longer.

  A commotion at the door behind the front desk had everyone turning toward it. A tall man with long black hair barged through. The front of his light blue shirt was streaked with blood. London cried out and stood. "Is he…?" She paled, obviously too afraid of the answer to ask the question.

  "Alive," the man said with a slight nod. "Injured. He is in his bedroom."

  "Are you hurt?" Daphne asked, crossing the room to pat down his torso where the blood soaked his clothing.

  Melancton's lips twitched but his face remained otherwise expressionless. "I am fine, my love. Theron left him for me to find."

  London ran past him and through the door. Once she was out of sight, the man's eerie lavender eyes flicked in the direction of Adonis. But he didn't look at Sage even once.

  "Melancton," Adonis said. The tension between the two was light, but tension all the same. There was a history there. A distrust. Adonis, however, didn't seem intent on rehashing their past and got straight to the point. "When you say he was left for you to find, what does that mean?"

  "Jacen was lucid enough to talk when I carried him to his room. Theron instructed him to tell us, 'It is too late. It is already done.'"

  "What's done?" Sage asked, curiosity overtaking her need to observe silently. Melancton's head whipped back into her direction, and he blinked as though he hadn't known she was standing there. He took a step forward, pushing Daphne behind him. "Whoa." She raised her hands in a hopefully peaceful gesture. He looked ready to attack.

  Daphne gripped Melancton's shoulder as Adonis moved between her and the other man, which was more confusing than noble. He sent mixed signals better than anyone she'd ever known.

  "This is Sage. She's the nymph Adonis brought with him, remember?" At Daphne's reminder, the rigidness fell away from Melancton. To Sage, she added, "It's part of the curse. You didn't make yourself known to him before you spoke. Because he's a satyr, he couldn't see you until then."

  "I forgot about that already." She peeked at Adonis who hadn't eased in the slightest. "This is all so new."

  "My apologies, Sage. You startled me." Melancton raised an eyebrow as he glanced at Adonis, and then turned back to her. "We do not yet know what Theron has done, but should in a matter of time. Possibly mere hours." After a slight hesitation, he added. "It is not safe for you two to leave here until we determine and can assess the threat. Sage, though the Boeotians cannot see you, we must show extreme caution until they make their purpose known. You are welcome to any of the rooms."

  "Um…" Sage shifted from one foot to another, feeling very awkward. She wasn't comfortable encroaching on their time more than necessary when Adonis had made it clear he didn't want her around. "Separate rooms would be nice." Both of his eyebrows raised as Adonis' lips formed a straight line. Why was he mad when he didn't want her? "This one—" She jerked a thumb at Adonis. "Wanted some magic pill thingies, and I was supposed to go home. Since I am not really part of the group, no need making me bunk with him. I'll do my own housekeeping if it is any trouble to spare a second room until the threat is dealt with or whatever. I have always wanted to stay here."

  Daphne and Melancton stared at her, then each other. "Uh," she said and waved a hand toward the front desk. "That's not a problem. Come with me and I'll get you situated into a room so Adonis and Melancton can talk about what happened with Jacen." After slipping behind the desk, Daphne opened a cabinet containing keys. She grabbed one and then cocked her head to the side. "What was that about?" she whispered.

  Sage didn't answer until the men disappeared behind the same door London had earlier. Then she turned her gaze back to Daphne's face, which had filled with concern. She sighed. "Long story short, he doesn't want me around because his curse prevents him from having sex with a nymph or something, and then he wouldn't let me leave because my being around him meant he didn't suffer from lust. Like at all. Especially not for me. But then he found out there was a magic pill thing so he couldn't wait to be rid of me once he got his hands on those."

  Okay, that had come out as way more of a rant than she would have liked. Yikes.

  Daphne's mouth opened and then shut again. "Ah. That's what Pan's curse did to him." She cringed. "That's really…unfortunate."

  Understatement.

  "Worst part is," Sage said bitterly, "I can't tell if I am more upset about his mixed signals or because I didn't get laid. And when I think about that, I feel terrible."

  Daphne's expression softened and she smiled. "You're newly into your powers. Your sex hor
mones are going to be a bit irrational about being ignored, so don't think there's something wrong with you for feeling upset about that. As for Adonis…" She looked back toward the door the men had disappeared through. "He wasn't quite emotionally mature when he became a satyr, and Dionysus cultivated that in him. Recently he broke free of the influence and has been trying to redeem himself, to prove he's changed."

  "And his curse. Is it even fair to hang around him if I can't break it?"

  Daphne leaned in and asked, "Do you want to break his curse?"

  Sage shrugged. "I sought out a one-night stand, so why not?"

  "And, does it have to be Adonis? If you can't help him, you can have your pick of satyrs. Many of them are eager to lose their curse as well."

  Her libido kicked into overdrive at the thought, yet…her heart hurt to think about it. Something had drawn her to Adonis, and only he would do. Too bad he didn't want her. "I don't know if I even want to."

  Daphne smiled and gestured toward the staircase. "Sometimes you find a person you're meant for, and you just know. It's rarely easy to settle into a relationship though." Before Sage could interrupt, she waved a hand toward the stairs. "I'll show you up to your room. Hopefully we know what Theron is up to by morning and it's safe to come and go, or go home if that's really what you want to do."

  She glanced back at Sage, who could only shrug. "I'm not going to stay where I'm not wanted." She'd already tried that, and it led to nowhere.

  "Adonis will come around. I'm sure of it." Daphne's words were hopeful, but her tone implied she didn't fully believe it.

  "Care to explain what all of that pertained to?" Melancton asked as he led Adonis into his impeccably tidy bedroom. The bed was made up, without a wrinkle on the comforter or pillowcases. Not a single object appeared out of place.

  Even though he tried to keep his mind on the present, the sting of Sage's words still penetrated deep. No matter what he did, he screwed it up. Sending her home tomorrow would be the best thing for her. He'd tried to be noble, damn it, even if his keeping her at his side had been selfish. That didn't mean he wanted to talk about it to Melancton of all people. "If I have a choice, then no."