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Dr. Alexander remembered her gave her a bit
    of an unfounded thrill. "Good, 'cause I'm in a bit
    of a pickle with something."
    "And that would be?" Even over the phone she
    could hear the reservation in his tone.
    Xypher snatched the phone from her hand and
    started speaking to Julian in a language she
    couldn't even begin to identify. That being said,
    the smooth, lyrical quality of it was incredibly
    sexy. It was the kind of tone that could make a
    woman hot even if he were ordering pizza. And she
    hated the fact it was affecting her.
    Good-looking or not, he was a jerk and the last
    thing any woman needed to do was feed his massive,
    pushy ego.
    After a few minutes, he held the phone out to
    her. "He's going to give you directions to his
    house."
    "Thanks," she said dryly. She took the phone
    from him. "Dr. Alexander?"
    "Call me Julian."
    She listened as he told her how to find his
    house. Luckily, it wasn't too far away.
    It didn't take long to find the little bungalow
    off St. Charles. Simone had barely parked the car
    41
    before Xypher flashed them to the porch. "You
    know, that's really obtrusive and disorienting."
    "I really don't care." He knocked on the door.
    Simone shook her head as Jesse joined her.
    Jesse looked about as pleased as she did.
    Julian opened the door with a less-thanwelcoming
    look. It never failed to shock her
    exactly how good-looking this man was. And she
    wasn't the only one to think so. His classes were
    always filled to the brim by female students who
    wanted nothing more than to stare at him. The fact
    he was one of the leading experts in the world
    about ancient civilizations was just a bonus.
    The good doctor narrowed his eyes on Xypher as
    if he couldn't believe what he saw. "You have
    emotions."
    Xypher curled his lip. "Not really. I only have
    one. Rage. Unless you count an insatiable need for
    vengeance. Then it's two."
    Julian's scowl deepened. "How can you—"
    "Look," Xypher snapped. "I don't have time for
    this. Get the bracelet off so that I can do what I
    have to do."
    "He's extremely single-minded," Simone
    explained.
    "Yeah, it shows." Julian stepped back. "Come in
    and let me see it."
    Xypher literally shoved his arm in Julian's
    face. The man was truly obnoxious. "There."
    "I suspect he might have been raised by apes,"
    Simone said to Julian.
    Julian gave a low laugh before he took Xypher's
    forearm and examined the bracelet while he stood
    in the doorway. "This isn't Greek."
    Xypher scoffed. "Of course it is. I know the
    work of Hephaestus."
    "So do I and this isn't it." Julian bent
    Xypher's arm so that he could see the lock. "I'm
    42
    taking a shot in the dark here, but I think this
    is Atlantean in origin."
    Xypher still looked less than convinced. "Are
    you sure?"
    Julian nodded grimly. "Hephaestus is my stepfather.
    I have trinkets from him all over my house
    . . . and experience with other items of his.
    Including handcuffs. The lock on this is
    definitely something else."
    Simone wanted to groan in frustration. If
    Julian couldn't help them, who could? "Do you know
    what it does?"
    "Not really, but if you can come in and get out
    of view of my neighbors, I can ask."
    Xypher's eyes darkened dangerously.
    "Don't even try," Julian said. "I've faced down
    a lot worse than a pissed-off Skotos."
    Xypher gave him a menacing stare. "You have to
    sleep sometime."
    "So do you."
    Simone let out a sound of disgust. "Down, boys,
    down. Please, I just want to be free before I get
    testosterone poisoning."
    Without another word, Julian led them into his
    house, toward the living room. Simone smiled at
    the sight of toys scattered about on the floor of
    the otherwise immaculately kept home. There were
    also pictures on the mantel of Julian with a darkhaired
    woman and kids—two boys and two girls. They
    appeared to be extremely happy.
    "I didn't know you had children," she said,
    warmed by the sight.
    He smiled proudly. "They're at a friend's house
    with their mom. I was trying to