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KLEOS

As our guide had indicated, the club was close to the tram stop. It was easy to find—an enormous edifice, almost the size of Lucian's manor, but glass, modern, and covered in ivy. It was absolutely the opposite of what I would have visualized if someone had asked me to describe a club owned by the god of the wild. From the outside.

Inside, I stepped into what looked, and felt like a tropical jungle. Millions of plants, of every shape, forms and colors—things I'd never seen, and I doubt existed anywhere but here, like palm trees with blue leaves, willows flowering with roses. The only source of light were illuminated trees just like the one in Lucian'sgarden, glowing faintly blue.

I understood the glass, then. This was agreenhouse.

There were hundreds, if not thousands of people before us, but as the space in front of us was large enough to comfortably house half of the vale—easily five times the size of the Hall of Truce's ballroom—there was plenty of room.

The music playing seemed to come from underneath my feet. I looked down, trying to find the source.

"Welcome toThe Wild Horn,"the man at the entrance drawled, sounding either very relaxed, or high as a kite.

Both, I decided.

Conventionally attractive, albeit a little thin, the man with dark hair, hooded green eyes, and a lazy smile wore a blue Hawaiian shirt and beach shorts, never mind the fact that it was the first of November.

Come to think of it, it was warm in here. So much so I needed to remove my coat and my shawl. I bit my lip nervously, suddenly unsure. I'd only accepted wearing Silver's little black dress because I figured I'd keep the shawl on.

"Come in, come in, friends. You can leave your things with me. If you know what you'd like to drink or eat, let me know and I'll ensure our nymphs find you."

"Nymphs?" I echoed, blinking.

That was when I noticed the horns. How had I not noticed them? The man had curling ram horns on the sides of his face.

No. Surely, it couldn't really be…

"You're Pan," Silver guessed.

Green eyes flashed to gold, and back to their moss hue in a second. "I wouldn't toss names as casually as breadcrumbs, pretty one. You might get more than what you bargain if you call upon the wild."

Yep. We needed to move.

"But you are, aren't you? You feel like spring and smell like a forest."

I needed to drag Silver out of there before she got herself turned into a pinecone.

But the strange man only smiled. "You have keen eyes, a discerning nose, and a taste for things you shouldn't have. A dangerous combination for one such as you. Dangerous indeed. You'll want my signature cocktail: Satyr's Tears. And you." When the gold analyzed me, it felt like I was completely naked. "Oh, yes. A taste for pretty trinkets and cats. Dangerous, too. Mead, I say."

He snapped his fingers, and there were two drinks in his hand—one, served in a horn, the other, a solid gold mug. "Coats, please."

I was no fool. I gave him my coat, and took my horn with no question, dragging Silver along before she could demand to know, well, anything.

Until now, I wasn’t afraid at the thought of asking for help at Delphi. Hell, I didn't even know if it would lead to anything. But this man wasn't a bogus seer. He was made of flesh and bones and maybe even blood— butichorwas more likely. And he knew far too much.

"We could have asked him if he knew about the lust spell," Silver protested, looking back. "Or even your curse. He might?—"

"Drive us mad. Make it so we forever wander the wilderness, lost. He might have cursed us withpanic.For the sake of everything unholy, be careful with him," I begged.

He wasterrifying.

I shivered as Pan looked over his shoulder and winked. He'd heard every word, hadn't he?Fuck. We shouldn't be here.

As we walked, I kept lowering the hem of the black dress I'd borrowed from my best friend. On her, it would reach the middle of her thighs, but it was tiny on me.

"You're sure it's not too short?" I said nervously.