"Do you know what I love about you, Gypsy girl?"
My breath caught in my throat, but I made my voice light and teasing. "Hmm. That's a tough one. My daring fashion sense? My sparkling personality? My witty one-liners?"
"No," he said, staring into my eyes. "The way you can always make me laugh, no matter how bad things get."
Before I could respond, the Spartan's arms tightened around me, and he lowered his lips to mine.
For a moment, I was lost-completely, utterly lost. The feel of Logan's lips on mine, the strong circle of his arms around me, the way he smelled, his long, lean body pressing against my own, the warmth of his feelings for me streaming into my own body. Everything about the Spartan overloaded my senses, forming a soft, dizzying rush that made me feel like I could float away, like I could soar through the air, like I could do absolutely anything, even touch the stars-
The sharp, deliberate scuffle of shoes on the floor made me realize that we had an audience.
"Logan!" I hissed, pulling back. "Alexei is staring at us!"
The Spartan glanced over his shoulder at the other warrior, who was pretending he hadn't just seen the two of us totally make out. Logan grinned.
"Let him look," he whispered and kissed me again.
Chapter 11
Logan and I spent a few very enjoyable minutes in the stacks before Alexei started clearing his throat. The Spartan pulled back and dropped his arms from around my waist, although his blue eyes flashed with laughter.
"I think Alexei's getting impatient," Logan said. "That, or he's just jealous that he's not back here with someone."
I thought of how Alexei had looked at Oliver in the gym this morning. "Maybe. Either way, I have to get back to work, remember?"
"Did anyone ever tell you that playing hooky is more fun than working?"
This time, I laughed. "Never. But that's what I have you for, Spartan. To tell me these things."
I stood on my tiptoes, leaned forward, and kissed Logan on the nose. He let out a playful growl, but I slipped away before he could wrap his arms around me again.
By this point, it was after eight, and most of the kids had left the library. I guess since I hadn't been at the checkout counter for them to glare at, they'd decided to go back to their dorms for the night. Well, that was one small favor, although I knew things would be just as bad tomorrow. Maybe even worse, as more and more kids found the courage to mess with me, with Helena Paxton no doubt leading the charge. But there was nothing I could do about any of that tonight, so I tried to put it out of my mind.
I'd thought Logan would leave as well, but the Spartan wandered out of the stacks and planted himself on a stool behind the checkout counter. I gave him a questioning look.
"I'm staying here, and I'm walking you back to your dorm tonight." His face darkened. "Just in case some more jerks decide they want to take matters into their own hands where you're concerned. I called in reinforcements too. They should be here any minute."
"Reinforcements?" I asked. "What reinforcements-"
The sound of shoes smacking against the marble floor caught my attention. A second later, Daphne strode into the library, followed by Oliver. Daphne marched down the center aisle, her enormous Dooney & Bourke purse in one hand and her cell phone held up to her ear. Both the purse and the phone were pink and matched the rest of her clothes. The Valkyrie was the only person I knew who could wear one color from head to toe and totally pull it off. I would have looked like a wad of cotton candy if I'd tried to wear so much pink at once.
"Yeah . . . yeah . . . uh-huh. Glad you're having a good practice. Okay, we're at the library now, so I have to go. Talk to you later. Bye, babe." Daphne hung up and slid her phone into her purse. "Sorry about that. Carson's stuck at band practice and can't make it."
"You and Oliver are Logan's reinforcements? You guys came all the way over here just to walk me back to my dorm?" I asked. "You didn't have to do that."
Daphne gave me a sharp look. "Are you kidding? After the way Helena and her flunkies surrounded you in the dining hall this morning? One of us is going to be with you everywhere you go from now on, Gwen. I only wish I'd been there this morning to bitch-slap Helena back down to size."
I hadn't mentioned the incident at breakfast to Daphne, not wanting her to worry, but Logan must have told her, along with the rest of our friends.
"You don't have to do that," I protested, not wanting to drag her and everyone else into the middle of my problems with the other kids. "Besides, isn't that what Alexei is for? Guard duty?"
The Valkyrie crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Alexei, who was standing behind me in his usual position once more. "Apparently, he's not up to the job, since he almost let you get lynched this morning. No offense, Bogatyr."
"None taken," Alexei replied in a mild voice.
"Anyway," Daphne said. "We've all agreed, so there's no point in arguing with us, Gwen. No point at all."
The Valkryie sat down at the study table closest to the checkout counter. Pink sparks of magic hissed and cracked in the air around her, telling me just how riled up she was on my behalf. I glanced at Logan and Oliver, who had the same sort of determined looks on their faces, and I could tell that nothing I could say was going to change their minds. I loved them for their concern, but it made me feel guilty that they even had to defend me in the first place. Being my friend shouldn't be so hard-or dangerous.
"Thank you, guys," I said, blinking back tears yet again. "I appreciate your standing by me. I know that being my friend isn't always easy. Especially not right now."
Oliver shrugged. "We wouldn't really be friends if we bailed at the first sign of trouble, now, would we?"
I smiled at him and then busied myself lining up the carts behind the checkout counter so he and the others wouldn't notice me wiping the tears out of the corners of my eyes.
Logan moved over to talk to Daphne about the band concert. Carson wasn't the only one involved in the event. The Spartan, along with Oliver and Kenzie, was in an honor guard that had been assigned to watch over the band members, since the concert was taking place at the Aoide Auditorium and not here on campus. Apparently, staging the concert at the auditorium was an annual Mythos tradition, one that the Powers That Were were determined to uphold, despite the fact that Loki was free. I guess they and the Protectorate wanted to send a message to everyone-students and Reapers alike-that the Pantheon wasn't afraid and that they weren't going to hunker down and hide from the war that was coming.