26. Tempi

CHAPTER 26

TEMPI

T here's a golden statue standing beside Midas. There's a golden stature beside him that used to be a man . I don't know how to process that fact. I also don't know how to process the fact that Midas is the source of this miraculous feat. I should have realized. There are stories at home, of course, but I'm not very familiar with Midas' particular legend. I guess the term "Midas touch" has a deeper meaning now.

The moment the tension bursts inside the tavern, men leap forward from every direction, most of them with a weapon of some kind drawn. Swords, knives, what looks like a bat, they all swing them toward Midas. I suddenly have a firsthand account of what makes Midas dangerous. Now I understand why he's a god of Under.

No one is paying attention to me as Midas swirls around the room. He doesn't draw a weapon or do anything of that sort. He only holds his hand at the ready. As the men rush him, he lifts it and taps each aggressor with the barest of fingers. I watch as one, two, three of them turn to gold before they start treating him as the danger he is. I watch with abject horror as the tavern becomes decorated with statue after statue, all golden, all worth more than any gold Puss might have gotten off of Midas.

As if the thought reminds me, I search through the chaos for Puss only to find him in the corner, standing on a table. He's watching carefully, his eyes flickering around the room, but he doesn't look worried. Instead, he holds his mug of milk and sips it as he watches. When our eyes meet, he lifts the mug up in salute with a grin.

"What the fuck?" I growl, glaring at him.

As if speaking reminds the men around us that I exist, one of them decides I'm the safer option to focus on. I may not have a golden touch, but I'm not helpless. I grew up in New York, after all. I've fought off creepy men far too often to let some fairytale man do me harm.

"Argh!" he yells at me, his eyes wide with adrenaline.

He grabs me by my arms, and I kick at him. My kick is a little less effective because I'm not wearing my boots, but I know just where to kick. I snap his knee backward and he goes down with a howl. For good measure, I wallop him in the balls, too, so he'll stay down for a good while.

Midas dances around the room in front of me, spinning, like this is a fucking choreographed dance. I've never seen someone move so gracefully. While the room is filled with the sounds of screams and battle cries, Midas doesn't make a sound. He just moves. It's really fucking beautiful and for some reason, that pisses me off. He's murdering people left and right—people trying to kill us, but still— and I'm thinking about how pretty he is. Dios mío , I've lost my mind. Clearly.

"Midas, we need to get out of here!" I shout to him.

His eyes meet mine briefly before he's distracted again by a man rushing him. Midas flicks him in the nose, and he begins to turn golden. Another, he trips as he runs to him and then kneels and touches his back before the man can scramble back to his feet. I've never seen someone move so fluidly. If he were wearing a dress, I swear he'd look like a ballerina.

"Grab the woman!" Puss orders from his corner.

I whirl and glare at him. "I never liked cats," I snarl at him.

He grins in answer. "No hard feelings, Tempi. It's just business."

Someone grabs me and I donkey kick backward, hitting them right in the balls. I may not have a magic hand or a sword, but a swift kick in the balls stops all men. Simple creatures, they are.

Midas backs toward me. How are there still so many men despite the dozen golden statues littering the room, getting in the way. I try to move closer to Midas and trip over an outstretched golden finger. It snaps off and I wince. I hope the statues can't still feel pain.

Oh my god. Are they still aware?

"Get behind me," Midas growls as he sweeps in front of me. Together, we start to back up against the wall. "Don't let me touch you without a glove on."

I keep a fair amount of distance between me and his hand. I definitely don't want anything to do with it, especially since I don't know how sensitive the power is. I mean, if he touches something that then touches me, will I turn to gold, or does it have to be flesh on flesh? I have so many questions. How does one even get the powers of a golden touch?

"Enough!" Puss calls and the men stop attacking. They form a ring around us, blocking up in. We can't run, but they're not closing in either because of Midas' power. "This is growing tiresome."

"What are you complaining of?" Midas asks, tilting his head. "You have all the gold you could want right here." He gestures to the statues around the room.

The corner of Puss' lips twitch. "Yes, well, now I'm down half my crew."

"We must all make sacrifices," Midas replies mockingly.

Puss pulls an old-style gun from his hip and points it at us. "I could use more of that golden touch, Your Majesty."

"I'm not a party trick," Midas growls.

Puss laughs. "On the contrary, that's exactly what you're going to be. You see, here in the Deep Seas, there isn't much but water and scoundrels. When our dear Tempi left me here, I had to learn fast. And I learned gold gets you anything you want. With you as my prisoner, I'll have an unlimited supply of gold."

Midas snorts. "You sure you want me on your ship, kitty cat? Gold sinks fast."

"Good point," Puss muses. "Perhaps, I just need the right encouragement." The gun rolls over to me. "You make me gold, and I don't shoot Tempi."

"You're putting a lot of faith into two strangers who can't stand each other," I growl at Puss. "He couldn't care less if you shoot me."

Midas tenses and Puss looks from me back to him. "I think, yet again, Tempi, you are as wrong as you've ever been."

I frown and glance at Midas. "What?"

"I thought you and Tempest were friends?" Midas asks, refusing to look at me.

Puss shrugs. "Cats don't really make friends. Too troublesome." His eyes dance over to me. "I do like you, Tempest. In another lifetime, we might have been true friends, but in this world, there is only me and obstacles standing in my way." He pulls the hammer back on the gun. "Make your decision, Your Majesty."

Midas steps in front of me. "Stop."

Puss grins. "Yes?"

"I'll do?—"

Midas is cut off by the whooshing sound we've both come to know. It starts small at first and then grows.

A grin tugs at my lips. "Sorry, Puss," I say. "This time, I mean to leave you here."

Puss hisses and leaps forward, but before he makes it even halfway across the room, Midas and I are ripped backward through the magic portal, and we leave the Deep Seas behind.