Bad Blood: Latter-Day Olympians Read Online Free PDF Page B

that, why’s an actor getting into the talent biz?” I asked, suddenly uncomfortable with the intimacy.  
    His eyes flashed, lighting an answering flash fire that could be either fear or excitement. “Don’t be coy, Ms. Karacis. Ask the question that’s really on your mind.”
    Whatever powers Apollo possessed, he certainly wasn’t a mind reader if he thought I could narrow it down to just one question.
    But in the end, maybe I could—if I could figure out a way to phrase it without sounding stupid.
    “Are you—I was wondering about the origin of your name.”
    Apollo’s, I don’t know, aura dimmed further and it was as though a cloud had passed before the sun.
    “Oh no, it is your limb. I will not test it for you. It will save time if you simply accept, and I do not like to dance around when we can get straight to… business .”
    His eyes had a lock on mine, denying me the comfort of looking away.
    “Fine. So you’re a god,” I said, going him one better and making it a statement. “Why acting then? Why lower yourself to reading someone else’s lines? And why leave at the top of your game to manage other talent?”
    He offered a feral smile. “Better. Yes, I am that Apollo or Hobal or Shamash or any number of gods in any number of cultures. Names do not have the power they’re believed to possess. What you call someone is less important than the fact that you call him at all. As to how far we have fallen—that story, my fair lady, can fill volumes. Suffice it to say, as we turned from men to fight amongst ourselves, so they turned from us. Now, we must sing for our supper.”
    “But—”
    He held up a hand to stop me. “By the time we realized that the tithes had dried to a trickle and the cupboards were bare, we were too late—other gods had taken root and we discovered, to our shame, that our powers had waned along with our worship. We had not the power to oust the usurpers. Ancient history.”
    My mind was reeling, a million thoughts vied for attention, chief among them that Yiayia would give her right arm to be in my place, meet the Apollo, ask and receive answers.
    “I tell you this,” he continued, “only to let you know what you’re up against. We may no longer rule the earth, but we are far from powerless. This case will be dangerous, even for you.”
    Even for me —what was that supposed to mean?
    “Why leave acting? I’d think the idolatry would be just like old times.”
    He answered with a wry grin. “I can only pass off my failure to age for so long. Sooner or later, I will have to start taking on,” his lips curled, “ paternal roles. I had thought that perhaps it was time for a sideline.”
    “You mean, besides the whole psychic gig?”
    “Like I said, business is down.”
    “Okay, so you’ve done the prognostication thing and the acting, that still leaves a lot of time unaccounted for since your heyday. What’ve you and the others been doing all this time?” Yiayia might know, but she’d throttle me if she ever found out I’d had the chance to ask and didn’t.
    But Apollo was already shaking his head. “Need-to-know basis,” he said, “and you don’t—”
    “Need to know. I’ve got it. Fine, enough about you. Let’s talk about me—what do you mean dangerous to investigate even for me ?”
    He stared and I wondered if I’d finally managed to set him aback. “Don’t you know?”
    I stared back. “Let’s say I’m in denial. Buy me a clue?”
    He raked me up and down. “You’ve got to be kidding me. You’re practically glowing with it.”
    “With what?” I asked, frustrated.
    “Power.”
    I snorted. “Whatever. Okay, so let me get something straight—you’ve got this problem having to reinvent yourself because you don’t age. Meanwhile, Circe’s got to pull a Lady Bathory and practically bleed peasants to achieve the same result?”
    His eyes widened. “I wondered about that. She’s what? Second generation, I think, one of Helios’ brats.