by Mila Young
A while ago, I thought my ability to come back to life was a bonus. I’d been damn flippant about it, especially when I’d killed myself so quickly to escape X. I’d done it to survive, for more power, and I’d gotten it. But I regretted killing myself now, wasting a life when I could have waited for the gods to come and help me.
But it was too late for hindsight. And what was it they said about spilled milk? Better to look forward and to focus on what came next.
To that end, I kept my eyes peeled for X in case he appeared. Usually, where there was darkness, he followed. And Hades was often not far behind. The whole idea tore me apart because the feelings growing inside me for Hades were the opposite of the hatred I held for X. That bastard had shown me a vision where he killed my father, and I trembled at the memory. Bile hit the back of my throat. Fuck, I knew it hadn’t been real, but the ass had played with my mind, and I wanted to drive my sword deep into his black heart.
So, was Hades the one who’d set X free? And if he had, what were his reasons? Or had X somehow escaped from Hades and all this chaos was out of Hades’s control?
I wanted to believe the latter. But that would mean I trusted Hades. And despite being attracted to him, I wasn’t sure I could fully trust him. I didn’t want to see him as a villain, but everyone else seemed to. And he did have that devil-may-care attitude, even when it came to the deaths of the humans X killed before their time came.
If Hades wasn’t behind this, why didn’t he try to stop X?
My breaths caught in my chest, and I exhaled slowly, needing to release the growing anxiety. Along with the fear I’d discover Hades was the bad guy after all and I’d let myself fall for him.
I wanted to believe he was a hero like the rest of us, but I was too scared he’d prove me wrong again. He was already volatile, and I never knew what to expect from him. I couldn’t discount that he could be the one behind the darkness that brewed in the heart of Chicago.
Because with Hades, it was impossible to know how quickly the weather would change.
Chapter 2
Elyse
After a couple of hours of photography, I finished and headed home. Yet my mind remained on Hades and on X, even when taking photos and trying to find the right shots for my clients. I stepped out of the alleyway just as movement caught my attention in my peripheral vision. I turned to find a dead pigeon on its back, near a dumpster. I glanced up and studied the busy sidewalk, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Poor bird. It must have been its time. Unlike the people X had taken before their deaths.
The earlier unease lingered, while a coldness swirled around my legs, yet the wind remained distant. My mind replayed a short loop of him jumping me not long ago when I hadn’t expected him. The gods came to my rescue, but it was a reminder to always remain vigilant.
Where are you, X? I swallowed hard, hating this cat-and-mouse game. What the fuck was he waiting for? My stomach heaved, and each step I took through the crowds felt like a move toward my own grave. Everything in my mind tumbled around X.
My phone buzzed, and I flinched. Fuck, the asshole had me high-strung. I collected the phone from my pocket and answered it.
“What are you doing?” Catina asked.
I exhaled and let my muscles untangle. Hearing from my simple, straightforward human friend was a welcome break from everything. It was a rarity in my life these days; plus, she offered me the distraction I needed from my hectic otherworldly business.
Recently, though, Catina and I hadn’t been as close as we used to be. Even when I saw her at Foundation, the magazine that had me on retainer for some fashion but mostly city life photos, it just wasn’t the same.
Every time I learned more about my role as a godly fighter, the more I felt like Catina and I were drawing away from each other. Plus, she didn’t see eye to eye with me on my choice of lovers…more specifically, with how many I had.
But I missed my friend—it was an ache that came and went, sitting in my gut like a slow-burning fire, always returning in quiet moments. I missed how around her, everything felt easy and there wasn’t anything to worry about other than looking good on our nights out and whether some guy was a good kisser or not. God, those days seemed a lifetime away. I wanted to hear her gossip about work, to laugh at funny things she did, and to enjoy her company… But if I let myself dwell on what was slipping away, I’d crumble.
“I’m working,” I said. “Got some amazing photos of the city.”
“That’s new,” she replied with a smile in her voice, and I breathed easy.
I’d been uncertain how things would play out between us after our last argument. Especially since Catina wouldn’t let go of her viewpoint, so we agreed not to talk about her disapproval over my love life and try to make our friendship work. To somehow return to where we used to be.
I laughed because she was right, I didn’t often work. Not as frequently as I trained. Or fought.
“Why?” I asked, slightly hesitant. “What’s up?”
“I got off work early today. Do you want to meet up?”
Was she wanting another serious conversation over how many men I dated? Or was I overreacting?
Yet, she carried a cheery tone behind her words. This was what I missed, my friend laughing and catching up, so I agreed. I longed to see her, rekindle our friendship, and spend time with her doing the little things that didn’t matter but made me feel so good. I needed to know we were both moving forward and attempting to make our relationship work.
We met at the Metric Coffee Co., as usual. It was her favorite place. Even though I didn’t love coffee that much, the artisan shop had become the place I associated with Catina and a good time.
When I hugged her hello. Her hair hung longer than usual—she always looked stunning, no matter how long she wore her blonde hair. But it was a testament to how little time we spent together.
“I feel like we hardly talk anymore,” Catina said after we’d ordered our coffee and sat down at one of the tables.
“I’ve been so busy.” I fidgeted with my fingernails.
Catina nodded but didn’t answer me. I half-expected her to ask what I was so busy with, to mention the men in my life. I didn’t want to keep lying to her, but there was a very blurry line between the truth of what I was doing and insanity.
It’d been a while since Catina and I spent time together without fighting. The past couple of months had been weird for me. I developed feelings for at least three different men, and I still had to smooth things out with the one guy, Poseidon, whom Catina thought was solid.
Then there was Oliver, my neighbor. To be fair, he was a great guy. And he’d make some ordinary girl extremely happy. But it just wouldn’t work for me. Oliver had a crush on me for a long time, and we’d gotten as far as organizing a date before I stood him up. But we’d mostly eased over that awkward situation.
I hated that I hurt him in the process, but it was better this way because he and I could never work out. And I had enough men in my life.
“So, how’s your love life?” Catina asked.
I glanced at her warily. And there it was, the question. We’d gotten stuck on the men in my life. She didn’t agree with my polyamorous life, which was what this was becoming.
“It’s fine.” I shrugged.
“You’re still with…what was his name? Al?”
“Yeah.”
“And Phil?” The bridge of her nose creased slightly, as if she struggled to say the name and admit I was with more than one guy. But when she smiled, her brow smoothed over.
God, those names. I cringed that I’d given the God of the Seas and the God of Music and Light silly names like “Al” and “Phil,” but what was I supposed to do? Tell Catina their real names? She’d ask a dozen questions, and I hated that I’d already lied to her.
“Yeah.” I glanced at my friend, waiting for her reaction. Judgment, a fight—this was what had happened before.
She looked at me, and for a moment, it could have g
one either way. But then she nodded and took a sip of her coffee.
“And how is that going?” she asked without a hint of criticism. No raised brow or glare.
When I didn’t respond, she continued, “Hey, I know we fought last time we spoke, but I want to be friends and I’m sorry, your love life is none of my business. I worry about you. You’re my best friend, and I guess dating multiple guys took me by surprise.”
The tension building around us died down as if the atmosphere was holding its breath, then it finally let it out again.
“It’s going okay. I mean, they’re both great.” I smiled at her, still a little unsure how she was going to respond.
And Catina seemed just as careful and standoffish. We were both testing the waters. But I made a decision after our last argument that I wasn’t going to hide who I was anymore, no matter what. And apparently, she’d accepted whatever it was going on with me. Plus, I appreciated her apology to clear the air.
What a friend, and I meant whole-heartedly.
“Are those the only two you’re interested in?” she asked, taking a sip of her coffee.
I wasn’t sure if she was being sarcastic. But when I studied her, her face was open, her expression curious. She really wanted to know. I had my guard up, expecting her to attack, and it felt amazing when she didn’t.
Even if the boys we were talking about were gods. And there was more than one love in my life.
“It’s complicated.” I turned my coffee cup around and around on the table, feeling a little silly to tell her about Hades and the new addition of Ares on my radar.
“Why?” she asked, her eyes focused on me, as she gave her full attention.
I shrugged. “I’m not sure if this one guy…Harry…is an ass or not. I mean, I can’t stay away from him. But he might not be a very good guy.”
“Does he treat you badly?” Her voice deepened, taking on a serious tone.
God, if I thought back to the sex we’d had, then no, he didn’t treat me badly at all. But the rest of it? X and how Hades was with me sometimes when he was in a bad mood?
“He’s just hard to figure out,” I said, unsure how to explain when I didn’t fully comprehend him myself. Hades tore me in opposite directions as my brain and body had entirely different ideas about him.
She looked down at the table, tracing a scratch with her fingernails. “Can I ask you something?” she queried hesitantly.
“Sure.” I grew wary of her questions, but I wasn’t going to push this away. She was trying, so it would only be fair if I tried, too.
“Are these guys all okay with each other? I mean, you have more than one, but do they know? You’re not going to get into some kind of trouble?”
I smiled at her and reached over, to pat her hand. “They know about each other. I’m not hiding them from one another.”
“And they’re fine with it?” One of her brows arched as she studied me.
I shrugged again. “They haven’t told me otherwise.” Poseidon and Hades weren’t on the best footing, but history explained that perfectly. It had nothing to do with dating me. And the others? Apollo and Poseidon were totally cool with each other.
And even though I liked Ares, he wasn’t exactly part of the group when it came down to anything, never mind whatever was going on between us.
If I had to be honest, I hadn’t even thought about what they’d think of each other, and how they’d all feel about having to share me. I supposed it showed exactly how accepting everyone was because there hadn’t been a single fight over me, as far as I knew.
Who could have thought men would be this reasonable? Then again, they were all gods. The normal rules didn’t apply to them. Or to me, for that matter. Something that took some getting used to.
“I’m sort of starting to see why you’re not interested in Oliver.” Her words lulled me out of my thoughts, but her comment came out of the blue. The poor guy found me when I’d killed myself to avoid X. Heracles took care of him, scrubbed his memories or something. And we were friends again, although our friendship was a little weird now. It was as if he still knew something was up but couldn’t remember.
Not consciously.
I hadn’t talked to him in a few weeks. Even though he lived next door and we often passed each other coming or going.
“He’s a great guy,” I said. “He’s just not the guy for me.”
Catina nodded and stared into the distance momentarily as if caught in her own fantasy. “I think whoever he dates, he’ll treat like a queen. She’d have no questions about his intentions toward her.”
I nodded. She was right, it would be way simpler to be with Oliver. But I couldn’t be with him when there was so much in my life I couldn’t talk to him about. And I couldn’t fall in love with a man when I wasn’t drawn to him. I’d never been attracted to Oliver, not even in the normal sense of the word.
And definitely not in the way I was pulled to the gods. There was something about them, about their magic, that drew me. Maybe the answer lay in the power within me that responded to theirs. Or maybe I hadn’t ever been like the rest of the human girls. Because the blood that pumped through my veins was infused with godlike power—the small blessing Zeus had bestowed on the Lowe bloodline.
“Why are you so serious about Oliver?” I asked.
When I’d allowed Oliver to take me on a date, Heracles had come to get me to fight X, and I’d ditched Oliver to save the world. What a bitch I was.
“He’s a nice guy, Elyse,” she replied. “Just saying.”
I straightened my posture, not loving her pushiness. “Then why don’t you date him?”
It came out a little snappy, and she lowered her gaze, subdued. Normally, she’d have fought back. She really was trying.
“Maybe I will,” she murmured so softly I barely heard her. But I was pretty sure she’d said the words. “Would that be okay with you?”
“Yes, of course. You have my blessing.” I’d never heard her speak of Oliver in any way that indicated she might have been interested in him. Or had I missed the clues, too preoccupied with my own world?
She glanced up at me, and I couldn’t tell what she was thinking. Was she being sarcastic or honest? But her cheeks glowed.
“I have to get going,” she said, glancing at the clock on the wall. “Will I see you in the office anytime soon?”
“Yeah, I think Tina wants me in again soon. I’ll look you up.”
Catina nodded and started telling me about a project she was working on. The conversation had returned to girly and uncomplicated. I grinned and nodded and let her guide the conversation wherever she was comfortable.
It was the least I could do, though I kept wondering about her and Oliver. Had I missed something all this time and she’d had a thing for him? Why wouldn’t she tell me before? Or was she testing the waters before she made a move on him? They had my blessing if that was the case.
When it was time to go, Catina hugged me, holding me longer than usual, as if she’d wanted more time together as well.
“Thanks for this,” she said with a kindness in her smile, a gentleness because she was the kind of person who lived how she believed people should. With her heart on her sleeve. “I needed our catch up.”
I nodded. “Always. I’ll see you soon.” To those around us, we probably seemed like two close friends, chatting about casual things, but we both knew why there was a strain in our relationship.
She walked away first, and I watched her climb into her car before I strolled over to mine. Regular coffee time with her was a must. I’d come to the conclusion that my life would always be hectic and chaotic, so I’d make time to mend the rifts.
The conversation had been a little tense, but not because of a pending fight. Rather, it was because, in some ways, we were strangers. So much had happened lately, and we needed to find our place together again.
But in other ways, Catina was still my best friend from school, the only one willing to be my friend and pull
me into her circle. And I loved her dearly for always being by my side as I’d grown up.
I was relieved our friendship hadn’t dissolved. We’d do what we’d always done; focus on the little things, because she was the only one who allowed me to feel normal. She meant so much more to me than she’d ever understand.
The branches of the oak tree I’d parked near stopped swaying and fell to a deadly silence. Coldness lingered around me. The smell of the city in the air shifted from the aroma of car pollution, brewed coffee, and the fresh smell of cut grass to something else. An electric scent. It tingled over my arms, lifting the hairs. The world around me fell quiet, no cars driving past, the people at the café seemed too quiet, and the sky was clear with the exception of a plane flying overhead. Everything seemed normal, but it didn’t feel right. The earlier darkness surged through me, burrowing in my chest.
My pulse raced, and I scanned the location. There was no sign of X, and like the alleyway, that heaviness in the air returned, pressing against me. I climbed into my car and drove away, checking my mirrors, unable to shake off that sensation of being watched.
Chapter 3
Ares
I arrived at the training center on Tuesday in my workout clothes—sweats and a T-shirt that I’d get to throw off once I started practicing. I shoved on the wraparound sunglasses I’d bought at a store for a ridiculous amount of money because they made me look good.
And I liked them. I enjoyed being the badass, the cool guy, the man all the girls stared at when they strolled past me. If I really intended to, I could get so much ass down here.
But there was only one ass that held my interest and she flooded my thoughts.
Saying it that way made me sound like a dick. The truth was, Elyse was more than just a piece of ass. Although that body of hers was a fucking orgasm waiting to happen. But she was someone who cared about others and who’d stick it out when shit got tough.
