Eris (The Lost Goddesses #4)

Chapter 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

E nzo woke, disorientated and in an unfamiliar bed. Someone had closed the bedroom curtains, and it took him a few moments to remember where he was. Ostia. Rom's apartment. Journey to Troy. Eris .

And just where was his goddess of chaos? Enzo stretched his hand out and found nothing but cool sheets. He was disappointingly alone.

His back cracked as he sat up. He thought he would have slept worse after such a long, weird night, but it was the best sleep he'd had in months.

Enzo got to his feet, and after locating his bag beside the bed, he grabbed his toiletries and had a shower in the ensuite. His phone told him it was almost noon. Eris hadn't woken him, but she couldn't leave him behind. He tiptoed out into the main living area.

Eris had pulled the curtains closed there, too, and was asleep on the couch. She was tall and positioned at an awkward angle. Enzo didn't know why she hadn't just shoved him to one side and shared the bed with him. Stubborn woman.

He gently picked her up, making sure his hands didn't touch anywhere they shouldn't, and carried her into the bedroom.

Eris's perfume was a delicious midnight scent of jasmine and cloves. Enzo fought the urge to bury his nose into her gorgeous black hair and breathe it in. Eris didn't stir once as he tucked her in bed and took his gear out of the room.

Now that he wouldn't disturb her, Enzo made coffee and went outside on the balcony. It was a gorgeous day, and the ocean was a brilliant blue. Down below was a promenade and small docks leading out into the water. They were all gated with warning signs. One of the boats had to belong to Rom and would take them on their journey to Turkey.

There were worse ways he could be spending his time, and with his grandmother and the bar being taken care of, Enzo allowed himself a moment to relax.

Of course, that was when a knock on the door jolted him out of his skin. He didn't want whoever it was to wake up Eris, so he put down his coffee and hurried to answer the door.

A giant of a man with long black hair braided back from his face stood on the other side. He had a slightly feral air about him that made Enzo cautious.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

"I'm Sidonius. Rom sent me with supplies, and I need a hand to unload. Is the princess asleep?" he asked.

"If you mean Eris, then yes. I can help. I'm Enzo," he said and stuck out his hand."You must be one of his wolves."

"And you are Rom's great-great-grand-something. Call me Sid, new cousin. We are family now," Sidonius replied and gestured at him. "Come on, I'll show you the boat while Eris sleeps. I don't know about you, but she is the last person I want to see in a rage."

Enzo had seen her beautiful face change into something dark and primal the night before. It was as if a terrifying creature lived inside of her, and for some reason, seeing his scars had set her off. It had been scary, but he also knew she wouldn't hurt him. His heart still felt warm every time he thought of the vow she had made to protect him.

Enzo followed Sidonius to a black van that was full of food and other supplies they would need for their trip. They would be stopping frequently, but it seemed like his new family of gods did nothing by halves.

"So Rom says you're a shrink?" Sidonius asked, hefting a large box in his arms.

"I'm retired. Why?"

"He says I need to find one, and I thought you might be able to recommend someone." Sidonius unlocked one of the gates that led down a narrow pier. Enzo grabbed another armful of bags and followed him.

He couldn't help but ask, "What kind of psychologist are you after?"

"Someone who can deal with PTSD. I was kidnapped and tortured by witches not long ago, and Rom wants to make sure I don't go crazy." Sidonius looked over one of his large shoulders. "Well, crazier . It's a shame you aren't practicing. Us immortals could do with a shrink to help out and that could handle our special kind of crazy."

Enzo could only imagine what kind of issues immortals would need to work through. "I can recommend a few colleagues that deal with soldiers especially that could help with PTSD. I might not be officially practicing, but if you ever need to talk to someone, I'm here."

Sidonius's smile widened. "Thanks. You're going to be a good addition to the family."

"You all seem to take the family thing seriously straight away. You don't even know me. I could be a total asshole whom you don't want in the family," Enzo replied, suddenly overwhelmed by it all.

"You think this family doesn't already have assholes? That's hilarious. It doesn't matter if you are. You're Rom's blood, and you can't wriggle out of it."

Sidonious balanced the box he was holding onto one shoulder and navigated the gangplank to the boat. Enzo followed, eager to look around at his new home for the next fortnight at the very least. He didn't know what time frame Eris was working towards, but he would make sure they were prepared for anything. Enzo went below deck and let out a low whistle.

"Pays to be the king," he murmured, making Sidonius laugh. The boat was 45 feet long, with a kitchen, bathroom, and two small cabins with beds.

"Think you can handle it on your own?" Sidonius asked, unloading the food and stacking the kitchen.

"Easily. I paid my way through university by working on private vessels during breaks. This is top-of-the-line with all the fancy equipment. I can probably set it to sail itself."

"It's got an excellent autopilot. The boys and I took it out and got drunk as fuck. It made sure we got home in one piece," Sidonius said with a deep laugh. "Don't tell Rom, or he'll bust a gasket."

"This is going to be easier than I thought," Enzo said.

"Your biggest challenge is going to be whatever Eris attracts. She's a chaos goddess, after all, and shit is never normal when you have a deity about. Trust me on that," Sidonius replied.

Enzo quickly unloaded his bags and choked on his laughter when he found a one-liter pump bottle of lube with a red bow and a note tied to it saying,

'Wishing you a wet voyage,

Love, Laverna.'

"You guys really thought of everything," he chuckled.

"Laverna is hoping you two hit it off. Our Eris has been alone for a long time. Be patient. She's not as grumpy as she seems, just cautious," Sidonius said and went to get more supplies.

Enzo finished unloading and when he got back up on deck, Eris was standing on the narrow dock holding bags. She was in a black sundress, and the miles of bare skin made Enzo's mouth water.

"Here, let me help you with those," he said, rushing to take her bags.

Eris handed them over without a fuss and accepted his hand to help her onboard. "I didn't mean to sleep so late."

"It's okay. Sidonius only arrived a little while ago with food and equipment," Enzo said as she stepped on deck. "Laverna has some interesting ideas on what constitutes as 'supplies.'"

Eris rolled her eyes. "Fates, what did she do?" She went below deck and must have found the lube because she squawked angrily.

Enzo roared with laughter and called down, "Don't worry, sweetheart, if I do my job right, we won't need to use it at all."

Eris stuck her head out. "You're insufferable," she retorted, but her eyes were smiling as she said it.

"It's going to be a long trip," Enzo replied, crouching down on deck so they were at face level. "I'm sure I'll grow on you."

The sun caught Eris's eyes, turning their darkness to an imperial purple. "Just focus on sailing the ship and not flirting with me, mortal."

Enzo grinned and gently bopped her on the nose. "I'll do both." She snapped her teeth at him playfully, and it only made him grin wider. This was going to be fun.