Trapped

thing will make him come running back. «
    » What’s that? «
    » We take away his sex toys. «

Chapter 19
    Literally and figuratively, the goat-footed god has always been a horny lad. The ancient Greeks provided him with plenty of nymphs and dryads to play with in the forest so he wouldn’t be tempted to wander into the cities and fuck around. Fucking around was all well and good to the Greeks, of course, but, you know: » Moderation in all things. « The Greeks were trying to lay the foundations for Western civilization as well as one another, so Pan and his worshippers were required to do their unchained frolicking in the woods.
    Pan liked a good chase most days. It replaced foreplay. Nymphs were great for providing a chase. But sometimes he felt a bit lazy, so he hunted up dryads on those days, because dryads couldn’t run very far from their trees. Dryads who spent more than a couple of days separated from their trees tended to wither and die—and the same was true for the trees. The connection between them was not only symbiotic, it was vital.
    I fully planned to take advantage of that to buy Granuaile and me the time we needed. What was true for Pan was also true for his Roman clone, Faunus.
    » You know what’s cool about a dryad’s tree? « I said. We had paid off the limo driver to the south of Olympus and walked into the foothills with nothing but a couple bottles of water and our weapons. I was shirtless because I couldn’t stand the feel of fabric on my crispy skin.
    » Well, it’s an oak tree with an immortal nymph attached. That’s pretty cool. «
    » Agreed. But what’s also cool is that a dryad’s tree is exactly the same on three planes. It’s not only here, but it’s on the Roman and Greek planes too, every branch and leaf. «
    » Each tree is a trinity, then. I dig it. « Granuaile was nodding and smiling, but this faded as a question occurred to her. » There aren’t three different dryads, are there? «
    » No, just one. Pan and Faunus share them, and Artemis and Diana also divide their attentions between them. «
    » Oh! Right. Dryads are kind of special to the huntresses. Um. « Her eyebrows drew together and she frowned, clearly disturbed.
    » Yes? «
    » Are you sure you want to mess with the dryads? «
    » Are you sure you want to be a Druid? «
    » Well, of course I am, but isn’t there any other way? «
    » Sure. We could seek out the Olympians and ask them nicely to stop. But direct confrontation with true immortals will probably not work out in our favor. «
    » I concur, sensei, which is why I’m questioning the wisdom of pursuing this. «
    » Would you rather we continue as we have been, knowing that the Bacchants will track us down and interrupt the binding who knows how many more times? There are only so many places around Olympus where we can perform the ritual. No, it’s time to act boldly. Better to ask forgiveness than permission and to answer their shenanigans with even better shenanigans. We won’t hurt them. «
    » The Olympians are not renowned for their forgiveness, « Granuaile pointed out.
    » Well, I’m tired of playing defense. We’ve been lucky so far in that we’ve been able to move faster than them, but strategically we’ve been playing not to lose, if you see what I mean. And the two of us— «
    › Hey! Three! Hounds count! ‹
    » —Sorry. The three of us against the world’s vampires, the Fae, and the Svartálfar in a confined area are awfully long odds. «
    » Exactly. So why risk antagonizing more Olympians? «
    » It’s not about antagonizing anyone; it’s about giving us options and restoring our mobility. And shenanigans. But I’m willing to entertain alternatives. Do you have any? «
    Granuaile sighed. » No. «
    › I have an alternative. How about a hundred pounds of quality from Jody Maroni’s Sausage Kingdom? A variety pack with the Tequila Chicken, the Toulouse Garlic, and the succulent Polish sausage? I’d forgive anything for a gift like that. ‹
    Not everyone can be bribed with meat, Oberon .
    › They can’t? Oh! You mean they’re vegetarian. ‹
    No, they eat meat. It simply doesn’t sway their decision-making process .
    › Well, that … that’s just wrong, Atticus! Are they monsters? It’s like they have no moral center! ‹
    » All right. So we need to look for oak trees that are bound to dryads. It’s easy. The heart of the tree will be white. «
    » So it’s okay to use magic now? «
    » Well, it’s