“Here you go. Just the way you like it.”
Esme stumbled back, right into Alex’s arms. She didn’t jerk away. “How did you do that?”
“I told you, we’re gods and you’re a goddess. Our Aphrodite.”
“Our?”
“Ours,” Luke confirmed. “When I said I didn’t mind sharing, I was speaking for these guys too.”
Beau stepped forward, morphing his clothes into armor. It ended the moment of peace and sent Esme into a full panic, a fighting, spitting, and clawing kind of panic instead of the petrified silence and terror they were accustomed to with normal humans. That was more like the Aphrodite they knew. She may have lacked the skill and the knowledge of how to fight, but she still had her fire and spirit.
“Stay back!” Her knee struck Beau in the groin. She started past him for the door, but Luke caught her in his arms. In the split second between her darting away and him moving to intercept her, he’d donned his divine raiment in all its white and gold glory, down to the winged helmet on his head and sandals on his feet.
“Hey, we’re not going to hurt you.”
“Let me go! You’re crazy, all of you! I’m not some fucking goddess, so you can stop with this sick, perverted trick and leave me the hell alone!” She threw a punch, busting Luke in his perfect nose, and darted past. The door slammed shut behind her.
None of them followed.
Beau groaned from the floor, still cupping his balls until Alex helped him up. “Fuck, that hurt.”
“Yeah. That seems to be the new trick in her repertoire.” It would have amused him if he hadn’t been on the receiving end only minutes ago in the alley.
“Should we—”
Alex shook his head. “No, let her cool off some. If we push her too hard, she’ll shut us out forever.”
Beau shot him a dirty look. “She did that once before, and it ended with her saying she never wanted to see any of us again. Because of you. Because you had to humiliate her for loving me.”
Alex crossed his arms over his brawny chest. “Don’t you blame this on me. Who killed Adonis? Was it me? No. You ruined that.”
The moment Beau stepped into Alex’s face, Luke slid between them. “Stop it. We were all dickheads to her,” he said, nose honking until he pinched the bridge of it and squeezed. The injury began to heal at once, but he still had blood all down the front of his tunic. “And we agreed if we could get her to come back, there’d be no more fighting. Fighting is what drove her away.”
“Fine,” Beau grumbled.
Alex sighed. “You’ll have better luck than me. She fears me, and why shouldn’t she when I have a face no amount of magic can repair.”
Luke shot him a glance and raised both brows. “Nah. If you ask me, you have the better chance of getting her to come around. Besides, you were her husband. I’ll put money on it that when she’s ready to come around, you’re the one she seeks first.”
Alex snorted and glanced away. “She hated me. Hated me from the beginning.”
Beau shook his head. “No, twinkle-toes is right. She calmed down some when you touched her. I… she also didn’t hate you as much as she let on, man.”
“Perhaps. I suppose we have no choice but to wait and see.” And they would wait. Because if they could wait centuries to see her again, what harm was there in sitting by a few more days.
But first, one of them had to shadow her home, because they had come too far to let anything hurt her now.
9
Whenever humans talked about the afterlife, they seemed to have the same two places in mind—cloud filled heaven and fiery hell. Luke always found that amusing, because nothing could be duller than the Underworld.
Luke skipped the scenic route into the Underworld intended for mortals on quests. As the messenger of the gods and the guide of the dead, it was as easy as dragging Beau across the thin boundary and into the heart of Persephone’s realm.
“Damn. Last time I came down here, I wandered lost for days,” Beau murmured. They were already at the gates.
“Yeah, well, your uncle is serious about his privacy. He’s probably going to lose his shit over me bringing you along, but Persephone owes you one.”
“Heh. It seemed like a good idea at the time. I should have told her to kiss my ass.”
They walked past the Fields of Asphodel, which looked more or less like an average suburban neighborhood filled with identical houses in recent years. Plain. Dull. Repetitious. A Homeowner Association Board’s wet dream. Mediocre people who weren’t worthy of a heroic afterlife or endless torture went there.
Hades’s palace remained unchanged since his last visit. The structure, carved from marble and gemstones, never failed to impress and awe. The pale golden stone gleamed amidst the subterranean darkness.
Luke led the way up the winding path through Persephone’s garden, where pomegranate trees grew in abundance. They reached the enormous front door only to find it open and the lady of the realm herself waiting for them.
“Persephone, you’re looking lovely as ever,” Luke began. “Right, Ares? Isn’t she pretty?”
“Well, that was record breaking. I’ve never seen you start a visit off with kissing my ass.”
Beau snickered. “Hello, Persephone.”
“What can I do for the two of you? It’s not every day I see you playing nice with one another.”
“Can we come inside?” Luke asked.
The goddess pursed her lips. “I suppose.” She gestured for them to follow her and led them into a small sitting parlor lit by the warmth of a golden hearth. A skeletal servant appeared with a tray bearing a tea service for three.
“Um, no thanks,” Luke said. He made it a rule to never consume anything she or Hades served.
Beau shook his head too.
Persephone sulked and waved the skeleton away. “As lovely as it is to have visitors, I sense this isn’t a social gathering.”
“We want to know if you’re behind the two attacks on Aphrodite.”
Persephone blinked at them. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, don’t play coy,” Luke said. “One of your hellhounds attacked her in the mortal realm, Seph. Come on. If you did it, you did it, be an adult and at least admit it. I thought we were friends.”
“We are friends. I’m not going to confess to something if I didn’t do it. I didn’t even realize Aphrodite was alive again. Look, unlike the three of you obsessed psychos, I don’t keep tabs on her soul or where it goes. She comes here, she passes onto the tapestry of life again, and she’s born into another world. Do I look like I have time to torment her?”
“Well, I thought—”
Persephone interrupted Beau. “You thought wrong. Your former lover hasn’t been a blip on my radar since you killed Adonis. When she left her divine life, she did me a favor. I’ve had him all to myself.”
“And maybe you don’t want to share if she returns,” Luke said. “Look, we didn’t come down here to accuse you of trying to kill her, but two creatures of this realm have tried, and nothing leaves without your say so.”
“I haven’t taken anything to the mortal realm or allowed anything to escape. It’s winter. I can’t leave, and if you don’t believe me, you can take it up with Hades.”
Luke sighed. “No, that won’t be necessary. I’m sorry, sweetheart, really. It just looked really damning from our point of view, okay? Hellhound in the mortal plane causing trouble? Creatures from the Stygian Marsh stalking her?”
Persephone’s lips pressed together. “I’m not angry. Just hurt that you think so poorly of me. For the love of Olympus, I’m not Hera. I don’t have to go around orchestrating the deaths of people who piss me off, and I certainly don’t murder them in cold blood while hiding in the guise of other creatures.”
“No, you just turn them into plant life,” Beau growled. “Isn’t that what you did to the river nymph who flirted with Hades?”
When she stiffened, Luke groaned into his h
and. “Guys, please.”
“You can both see yourselves out of the palace.”
Luke jumped out of his seat and followed her to the door. “Seph, come on.”
“You’ve come into my home and insulted me. I’d like you to leave, and I won’t ask nicely again.”
He could wring Beau’s neck. Luke drew in a deep breath and forced a smile while racking his brain. “My apologies. Really. We’ll go, but do you think you could at least help us figure out who snuck a hellhound out? I mean, it’s gonna look pretty bad for you when the big man finds out.”
Persephone arched one perfect brow. “It wouldn’t. Many of the other gods have received hellhounds from us over the years, and Father knows how selective I am about my babies and where they go. But fine. Try Hekate. She’s good at this divining thing, maybe she can find some answers for you. If I hear anything, I’ll pass it along, but… what happened to the hellhound?”
Luke sighed. “We killed it. The damned thing was rabid. Like, it tried to take a piece out of me. I’ve been petting your beasties for centuries. Why would one try to attack me?”
Frowning, she gestured for them to follow her. They traveled outside of the palace to the kennel hugging the exterior, a building devoted to Persephone’s hellhound breeding program. The moment she passed through the gate, two calf-sized pups scrambled over and danced around her legs.
“Hello, sweetlings,” she crooned to the drooling monsters. She crouched and let them lick her face. “Agape! Xenos!” Two more bounded to meet her. “Xale! Philos!” A third dashed over to join its littermates. “Philos!” she called again.
Luke and Beau exchanged glances.
“We are missing one. A pup.”
“The one we killed had been beaten badly. There were whip marks all over it, like it had been driven mad by pain.”
When Persephone straightened, tears glittered in the corners of her eyes. She blinked a few times. “One of my pups was beaten?”
Beau nodded. “I’m sorry, sis. I know I was an ass, and I know how you feel about your pets, but someone mauled it and set it on our woman. We had to put it down.”
Her features darkened, lips pressed into a terse line. “Whoever is responsible will pay dearly. You go see Hekate if you like. I’ll question everyone who has access to the hounds and let you know what I find.”
“Thanks, Persephone, that’s all we ask,” Beau said, seeming to find his tact again. “If there’s anything we can do to help, don’t be afraid to reach out and let us know.”
Beau didn’t expect to find Hekate entertaining his sister in the fragment of the underworld realm dedicated to her control. The goddess of magic and witchcraft kept a humble home that reminded him of a Lord of the Rings hobbit hole built into the dark earth. A campfire burned out front, crackling blue and purple flames, where both women sat on a thick carpet of grass while sipping wine out of enormous jugs and nibbling treats from a meat and cheese plate.
“Good evening, ladies,” Luke said as they approached.
“Told you,” Hekate said. “Pay up.”
Eris groaned and passed her several golden drachmas. “You have an unfair advantage.”
Both men exchanged glances, and Beau cleared his throat. “Betting on us? Really?”
“When we saw you come down, we decided on a little wager to see if you’d make your way over here,” Eris explained, grinning. “You know, since you two have a history. I didn’t think he’d have the guts to come over, but looks like I was wrong. Playing the role of the wingman tonight, Ares?”
Luke shuffled his feet and glanced aside, avoiding eye contact with Hekate. “It’s not that kind of visit.”
Too bad Luke had left his longtime lover and set his sights on Aphrodite instead, further complicating an already challenging relationship. The goddess of magic wasn’t a bad looking woman, but Beau had to wonder sometimes what happened to split them up.
“Good to see you up to your old tricks, Eris.”
“Long time no see, brother.”
Beau snorted. “You visited me almost two weeks ago.”
“Then you ditched me for the princess. When are you coming back to help me out? It’s no fun in Afghanistan without you stirring up trouble.”
“You’re doing a badass job on your own. You don’t need me there.”
She frowned. “I can’t believe you aren’t bored with that snowy little town yet.”
“Between the snakes and the hounds, it’s been rather exciting, actually. Look, I’m sorry for burning off on you, okay? You picked a shitty time to visit, sis. Come back whenever you want, and we can bat around a harpy together if more return.”
A big grin spread over her face. “I’m kind of seeing someone now too, but maybe I will come and liven up the place a bit.”
“Enough you two,” Hekate said. “Hermes, Ares, please join us.”
“Thanks,” Luke mumbled. He took a seat across from his ex-lover and folded his hands in his lap. Beau dropped down beside him.
“Wine?” Hekate offered.
“Thanks, but no, we only have a few questions if you don’t mind,” Beau said.
“You want to know if I can help you with your Aphrodite problem.”
Eris perked up. “What problem?”
“Someone stole one of Persephone’s hounds and sent it after her,” Luke said.
His sister leaned forward and studied them over the fire, blue eyes twinkling with interest. “That’s a serious accusation. Tell me more.”
Beau rolled his eyes. “We’re not here for your amusement.”
“Yeah, we were hoping you could help, Hekate,” Luke said. “Please.”
“It could be any number of gods. Aphrodite has certainly made enough enemies over the years. But I wouldn’t give anyone but Athena or Artemis enough credit to have the wit to sneak into the Underworld and make off with one of Persephone’s prize pups.”
Eris cackled and clapped her hands. “I’d put my money on Artemis. She’s never forgiven Aphrodite for casting that love spell on Hephaestus to punish him for getting you kicked out of Olympus, brother.” She lowered her voice and leaned closer. “I heard he pulled it out after dinner and humped her thigh like a little poodle. Can you believe it? What kind of man does that?”
“Yeah, what kind of man does that?” Beau asked.
Luke flushed. “Anyway. Do you think you could use your magic to help us track the assassin?”
Hekate tossed something into the fire. The flames roared upward and deepened into an indigo hue. Beau waited, unable to see anything in the flames, but Hekate’s mismatched eyes reflected the firelight and he knew enough not to interrupt her when she was focused. Eventually the goddess blinked and shook her head.
“Something shrouds the person you seek. I cannot see them.”
“Well, fuck,” Beau muttered. “Then, can you at least tell us if she can regain her immortality?”
“She could if there wasn’t a shortage of Ambrosia in Olympus—in all of the worlds for that matter.” Hekate gazed into the distance and pursed her lips. “The doves are all gone. One hasn’t flown to deliver any Ambrosia in a while. It’s driven up the price.”
“Damn. Do you have any?”
“None I’m willing to part with, even for you boys.”
“What about you, Eris?” Luke asked.
“I don’t keep that stuff on hand. Too busy.”
“Well, damn.” They were back to square one with nothing much to show for their efforts, and Beau hated the time wasted. Time he should have been using to check on Esme.
10
Esme huddled on the couch beneath a blanket and watched another Hallmark Christmas movie. In the days since the attack in the alley, her mind had tried everything to discredit Luke, Alex, and Beau’s claims. Nothing made sense, and none of the three contacted her. A sort of silence fell over the trio until Saturday afternoon when Luke sent her a single text.
Just checking in. Don’t gotta talk to me, just let me know you’r
e okay.
She glanced at the message, then tossed the phone back onto the empty cushion beside her. A few moments passed before she plucked it up again and returned his message with a curt, I’m okay.
What if they were right? What if she was a former divine creature trapped in a fragile human body? Not any goddess, but the goddess of love who never kept her legs shut. Every story she’d ever read about the mythological Aphrodite described an adulterous jerk who picked on mortals and started wars.
That wasn’t her. That kind of person wasn’t anyone she could ever be.
“Hey, Esme?” Marie asked gently from the doorway. “What happened on your date with Beau? You’ve been… really different.”
“Hmm?”
“Are you all right? Did he like…?” Her friend took in a deep breath then joined her on the sofa. “Did he do something to you? Do you need someone to talk to?”
“What? No! It wasn’t—he didn’t do anything to me.”
Marie practically melted against the couch. “Oh, thank fuck. Watching you around here, after how you came back, I just thought… I was so scared and ready to ask if I needed to whoop ass or call the cops.”
“I never got to even go on our date. Something happened and… I don’t want to talk about it, really, but I swear, he didn’t touch me.”
“Okay. Well, if a time comes when you do want to talk about it, I’m here for you, okay? Jordan is on his way to Las Verdes, and I’m going with him. Wanna tag along?”
“Nah. I’ll just… actually, can you both drop me off somewhere?”
“Sure. Where you going?”
“To see Alex.”
Marie’s brows disappeared beneath her bangs. “Really now. I wondered if you were still going to catch up with Mr. Moneybags.”
“I did make plans with him to meet last night for a viewing in his personal residence.”
“But that was before whatever happened with Beau on Monday night.”
Esme twirled a lock of hair around her finger and gazed at the television screen. The flick had reached its predictable conclusion, a happily ever after around the Christmas tree with carols and eggnog. How much could she share with Marie? In all their years of friendship, she’d never held anything back from her. “I found out Beau is Alex’s older brother.”
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