HERMES

THE COURT OF THE UNDERWORLD

ALESSA THORN

Copyright © 2020 by Alessa Thorn

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Editing by F. Sutton

Cover by Fiona Jayde Media

CONTENTS

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Epilogue

About the Author

THANATOS

1

2

3

PROLOGUE

Sing, O' Muse, of the seasons of the world and how all that was lost was found again.

Sing, of how gods and mythical creatures once roamed the lands of Greece, and of how Man became powerful, and the gods were forced into hiding.

Sing, of when Greece's economy collapsed, and the land was on fire with the turmoil man's governance had wrought.

Sing, of how the gods returned to build a new world from the ashes.

Sing, O' Muse, of the new city of Styx, and the monsters that govern its underworld.

Sing to me a new song, of a Healer and a Mad Man…

1

It had been a long night in the Emergency Room. The hospital at Lethe was already full, and Selene had been run off her feet triaging patients, stitching up head wounds after an epic brawl at the nearby pub, and dealing with the ever-constant flow of food poisoning, fevers, and imaginary illnesses.

Selene changed out of her scrubs into some street clothes, pulled out her ponytail, and slipped on her favorite silver bangle. Her neck and shoulders ached as she slung on her satchel and headed for the exit. She was going to have a long bath with lavender when she got home if it was the last thing she did. Selene opened the staff entrance door and found a handsome, tattooed man and a sleek black car.

Selene let out a tired sigh. "Shit."

"Sorry, doll, but we need you," said Charon, opening the passenger door for her.

"Bullet wounds or mad gods?" she asked, collapsing on the comfortable leather seat. Charon had a fresh soy latte waiting for her, and she took a grateful sip.

"Mad gods," Charon replied as he turned the car on.

"I already told Hades that physically there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with Hermes. He needs a proper psychiatrist, not an ER nurse," argued Selene, knowing that it was hopeless. Charon didn't have a say in the matter.

"You barely spent ten minutes with Hermes last time. Hades trusts you like he's not going to trust anyone else," the titan said.

"That's flattering and all, but within that ten minutes with Hermes, I realized I wasn't qualified to help him." And because he scares the shit out of me, she didn't add. She wasn't going to admit to the ferryman of the Underworld that she was afraid of anything.

"Hermes talked to you. Quietly. Coherently. That's more than he's done with anyone else. I've known him for a very long time, and he doesn't recognize me most days."

"I thought he was an Olympian, what was he doing hanging out in the Underworld?" asked Selene.

"Hermes is -was- a psychopomp. He used to guide souls to their Afterlife. Some, not all. Also, he used to hang out with us because the Olympians all sucked. He was the smartest of all those bastards, and to see him like this breaks my fucking heart. I'm sorry that we keep interrupting your life, but I want my friend back too badly," explained Charon. He smiled his most charming smile at her. "Besides, he's been asking for you."

"You were friends, and he struggles to remember you but knows me? That doesn't make sense, I only met him once," said Selene.

"Selene, love, I've always told you how unforgettable you are, and now we have proof."

"Shut up," she said and laughed. The triplets could always make her laugh, even after an eighteen-hour shift.

Charon tapped his tattooed fingers against the steering wheel. "He's refused to eat for two days, and Hades is getting worried. If you can convince Hermes to do that, at least, we'd all be grateful."

They turned off to Hades's estate, and Selene had to admit, the forest that Persephone had made was eerie and beautiful in the early dawn light. She thought Hades would get rid of it, but he adored Persephone too much to do it.

Like Asterion and Medusa, seeing Hades with besotted love in his eyes made Selene disturbed and jealous in equal measure. She didn't have a love life; in fact, if it wasn't for her shitty ex-boyfriend, she would've never been involved with the Court of Styx. Mixed blessings, to say the least.

Selene liked the Court, which made it hard for her to constantly be digging bullets out of them and stitching them back together. It had been too much of a regular occurrence in the last few months for her to happy about.

Thanatos was waiting for them and opened Selene's door with a courteous, small bow. "Good morning, Selene, I do apologize for inconveniencing you this morning."

"That's okay, Thanatos, I know it's not your fault," she said. "Where's the boss?"

"In the lounge, go on through, he's waiting for you," Thanatos replied.

Hades looked irritated and then relieved when he saw her. "Ah, Selene, thank you for coming."

"It's not like you gave me a choice."

"I could apologize, but it would be insincere. You know, if you came and worked for me full time like I've requested, you wouldn't have to be pulled away like this," said Hades calmly.

"We've talked about this before, and my answer is still no. There are not enough nurses to go around as it is," she replied stubbornly. "Charon says Hermes isn't eating."

"Not eating and generally being difficult. The only time he calms down is when he asks why you haven't been back, so I've had little choice but to call you in."

"Can't you just threaten him into eating?" Selene asked, only half-joking.

Hades smiled his famous cold bastard smile. "I've been tempted to, but Hermes has been forced to do too much against his will since being captured by Pandora. I don't want to put him through that again."

Selene ran a tired hand over her face. "Okay fine, but if you're cooking breakfast, you better make enough for two because I'm famished."

"Thank you, Selene," Hades said, and pointed towards the small elevator. "Go ahead, I'll put something together and get it brought down."

Selene hesitated. "Am I safe with him?"

"Hermes is many things, but he's not unnecessarily violent. You've managed to get his attention, and he never breaks things that he finds interesting," said Hades.

"That was a lot of words when a simple 'I don't know' would've sufficed," she grumbled, making him smile. She stepped into the elevator anyway. She had dealt with plenty of drunk and high patients to be able to take care of herself, but none of those had been gods. The doors opened to the underground apartment, previously a group of jail cells, and the first thing she noticed was someone had moved all the furniture around.

"I told you I'm not hun…” Hermes started to complain from a couch when he saw her. "Cold nurse. I didn't expect you."

"Good morning, Hermes, would you mind if I sat down? I've had a really long night," said Selene, trying to keep her voice steady. Hermes nodded; his hawk eyes as intense as she remembered them. They reminded her a little of Asterion's, a sure sign that Zeus's bloodline was strong, but Hermes's eyes were more gold and unnerving. Selene took off her bag and sat down in an armchair. How was she expected to help him?

"How have you been feeling?" she asked, settling for politeness.

Hermes collapsed back on the couch. "Bored."

Selene looked at the stacks of books around the room. "You've read all of these already?"

"Yes."

"You should've said something to Hades, he could get you more if you wanted them."

"Why are you tired?" Hermes asked.

"I'm a nurse, I work in a hospital. I was going home, and Hades invited me over for breakfast," she replied.

Hermes's expression darkened. "Carrot."

"Pardon me?" asked Selene.

"You are a carrot. Hades thinks I'm a donkey, so he's offering you up as a carrot to get me to behave before he decides on the stick. I know a carrot when I see one," Hermes snarled.

"You want me to leave? Fine with me," Selene said and got up. She wasn't going to hang around. She wanted to go home and go to bed. She reached the elevator door when Hermes suddenly appeared in front of her, blocking the button.

"I didn't say that," he said, folding his arms over his bare chest. "Don't be a cold carrot as well as a cold nurse. Stay."

"Why? You don't need me. You're not hurt," asked Selene, too tired to remain polite.

"I am hurt!" Hermes declared, taking her hand and putting it on his head. "Here. Here. Can't you feel it?" His skin was feverishly hot under her palm, golden eyes wild. Selene softened like she always did in the face of suffering.

"I can feel it," she said gently.

"Stay. Be a carrot, so I behave." Hermes lifted her hand off his head and pulled her slowly back to her chair. "I like talking to you."

"Why?" she asked, sitting down again.

"Because when you look at me, your eyes don't expect to see someone else. They all do, and then they are disappointed because I'm not him," Hermes said, pulling at a button on one of the couch cushions. "Not anymore."

"You might not remember, but they are your friends, Hermes. They want to help you," Selene replied. The button came off the couch, and Hermes twirled it between his fingers as he studied her. Then he flicked the button at the other side of the room and took a piece of his long hair and started plaiting it.

"I like how you say my name. You make it sound so...permanent and disapproving," he said.

"I don't disapprove of it."

"There is definite disapproval when you say it," Hermes argued. Selene was saved by the elevator opening and Thanatos appearing carrying a tray.

"I told you I wasn't hungry, titan," growled Hermes.

"They heard you, Hermes. This is for me. It's dawn, and I'm starving," Selene said, and Thanatos set the tray down on the small table beside her.

"There you are, Selene. Once again, I'm sorry for pulling you out here so early in the morning," he said.

"Thank you, Thanatos, this looks perfect," replied Selene with a smile. "Are you going to join us?"

"I'm afraid other duties call. Perhaps next time, Selene," said Thanatos before disappearing. Selene turned to her tray and found Hermes glaring at her, eyes narrowed.

"Oh, Hades made me omelets. He must be in a good mood, he usually only makes them for Persephone," she said, ignoring him and picking up her plate and a fork.

"Why do you smile at Thanatos?" asked Hermes.

"Because I like Thanatos, especially when he brings me so much breakfast. I don't know if I'm going to be able to eat it all, but I'm going to give it my best shot," she said, munching a mouthful of toast.

"Do you not smile at me because you don't like me?" Hermes demanded, watching her mouth too intently as she ate.

"I don't know you like I know him," Selene replied with a small shrug, focusing on her plate.

"You are getting to know me right now. You should smile for me too," argued Hermes.

"You can't make someone smile for you because you want it," said Selene.

"Yes, I can," Hermes said, voice dropping maliciously.

"Not me," replied Selene. She wasn't intimidated by Hades. She sure as hell wasn't going to let Hermes get under her skin. "How about instead of threatening me, you help me eat this fruit salad, and I'll think about smiling."

Hermes snatched up the other fork and took the bowl of fruit. "Clever carrot," he grumbled. He studied a piece of orange skeptically before putting it in his mouth and chewing.

"So why don't you like eating?" Selene asked.

"Food makes me foggy, and the bad dreams come."

Selene swallowed hard. "Hades told me that Pandora was drugging your food. I can see why that would make you not like eating," she said. "You don't ever have to worry about that happening again, Hermes, but it's okay if it takes a little while to get used to it again."

"Maybe you're right, carrot," sighed Hermes as he ate a strawberry. His expression brightened. "I liked that one."

"Strawberries are my favorite, so don't eat them all," Selene said. Hermes frowned but then skewered another piece and begrudgingly offered it to her. Selene bit it off his fork with a wide smile. "Thanks."

"Knew I'd get that smile eventually," he said triumphantly. "I told you I could."

"Well, Charon did warn me you were clever," Selene replied.

"I used to be, not anymore."

"Hades will find a way to fix what was done to you. You should talk to him about it, so he can figure out a way," she said.

Hermes toyed with a grape. "Don't remember."

"You remembered me after we only met once. That's got to be a sign that you're getting a little bit better. It might come back," she said, trying to reassure him.

"You're different. When you are close, things seem...clearer," admitted Hermes. "Words come easier. Thoughts dance less. That's why Hades turned you into a carrot." Selene didn't know how to answer that, so they ate in silence, Hermes taking half of her omelet when she offered it. She yawned, her body clock protesting despite Charon's latte.

"You should go to sleep, carrot," Hermes said. "I release you from carrot duties."

"Thanks, Hermes. You should try to sleep too," Selene replied, picking up the tray of dishes.

"Can't. Nightmares," he said.

"Maybe I can figure out something that could help you calm down enough to sleep, and Hades could give it to you," she replied.

"You calm me down. You should stay here and sleep with me. That way, we will both sleep," Hermes suggested with an unexpectedly playful grin.

"Nice try, but I'm not sleeping you," said Selene.

"You need to learn how to be a better carrot, Selene," he replied as he walked her to the elevator. "You should come again so I can show you."

"I'll think about it if you talk to Hades about how you are feeling," Selene said as she stepped inside the elevator. "See? I'm not such a stupid carrot, after all."

"Cold, cold, Lady Moon," he replied, and the doors closed on Hermes’s hunting hawk eyes and too sharp smile.

Upstairs, Persephone was awake and pouring biscuits into Cerberus's bowl. She gave Selene a megawatt smile. "Selene! I didn't know you were here."

"I was summoned to have breakfast with Hermes," she said, placing the tray next to the sink.

"And you actually got him to eat?"

"Yes, not much but a bit," Selene said.

"Thank you. I've been getting worried about him. He won't come out of the basement either, no matter how much I try to cajole him," Persephone replied, a frown appearing.

"Who knows how long Pandora held him in that cave? It might take him a while to feel comfortable enough to risk outside open spaces," Selene replied.

"He behaved himself, I trust?" said Hades, appearing out of nowhere.

"Hermes was tired but fine otherwise. Give him more books, Hades, he's bored. He's nervous about eating because the drugs he was given made him foggier than usual. He likes strawberries, so bribe him with those," Selene replied. Hades was giving her a stern look. "What?"

"You got more out of him in half an hour than I have in the past week," he grumbled.

"Glad I could help. I'd like to go home to bed now."

"Hermes likes you. This is good, seeing how it’s now officially your new job to help restore him to his right mind," said Hades decisively.

"I already have a full-time job! I don't have time," Selene argued.

"Quit. This is important, Selene. Hermes could know where Pandora is hiding, and we need that information to stop her. He's also my nephew and I want him back. If this is about money, I'll double what they are paying you."

"It's not about the money," Selene said and rubbed at her eyes. She was too tired to spar with Hades.

"Then I don't understand what the problem is."

"Hades, my love, maybe let Selene have a rest before you start trying to negotiate with her," Persephone said, putting an arm around him. "You think about what you want in exchange for helping us, Selene, and next time we see you, we'll talk about it."

"Thank you, Persephone," said Selene, and headed for the door. "Give him more books, Hades. I also said I'd visit again, but only if he talks to you first. Be patient, and he might just open up."

"Thank you, Selene, I'll be in touch. You know I don’t like it when people say no to me," Hades replied.

Of course, you will be, you're not going to stop until you get what you want. Selene knew better than to argue.

Charon pulled the car around as soon as she stepped outside the front door. It wasn't until they were almost back in Lethe, that Selene realized her silver bangle was missing.

2

Hermes's world was a broken montage of screaming, light, and blood. He could hear Zeus shouting at him, see the rage in his eyes when Hermes had disagreed with him. Then there was the cave. For so long, he didn't know when time started or finished, or when the sun rose or fell. He forgot time, the ocean and music, and everything he used to love until his whole world was the worktable in front of him.

You are my inventor now. You don't need to remember anything else, Pandora's honey voice dripped soothing poison in his ear.

Hermes woke with a start, the couch damp with his sweat, and his heart pounding in his ears.

"Hades's house. Hades's house," he repeated to himself. He wasn't in the cave anymore.

Hermes got off the couch and noticed the silver bangle on the rug. He'd been playing with it before he'd fallen asleep, contemplating the woman it belonged to. He picked it up and held it tight as he walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower.

Some things came easier after his imprisonment. Hermes couldn't fall asleep in a bed, and wearing a shirt irritated him after so long, but he loved being clean. He sat on the floor of the shower, lost in the sight of the water on the silver bangle.

"Lady Moon," Hermes murmured and lifted the silver to touch it to his forehead. When she had her hand on his head, he'd felt something...open. It was a split second, but then it was gone again. Then she was gone, and he didn't like it though he didn't know why he didn't.

"Fuck, focus already," he hissed. He was thinking clearer without the drugs, but there were too many parts, like a house with all the important doors locked so he could only run up and down in a single hallway. But he had felt something open, just for a second, and that second had been long enough for the memory of Zeus to slip through.

Talk to Hades, a voice said.

"Okay, Lady Moon, I will," he answered it and turned off the shower. Selene was a key of some sort. Hades would know what kind of key she was.

Hermes pulled on a pair of clean pajama pants just as Hades appeared with a bottle of something amber and a wooden case.

"Good, you're awake," Hades said and sat down at the table.

"Lady Moon said I needed to talk to you, or she won't come back and visit," Hermes replied, sitting down opposite him. "What's in the case?"

"I need a half-decent chess opponent, and even in your current state, I know you will present more of a challenge than the triplets," Hades said. He opened the case and started setting up the carved wooden pieces.

"The queen doesn't want to play with you?" asked Hermes. He knew that he knew her name, but it was slippery and just out of reach.

"I tried to play Persephone only once, and she cheated using her feminine wiles to distract me, so I've refused to play with her again," Hades replied.

"More like she beat you, and now you won't play with her again," said Hermes with a grin. Hades scowled but didn't refute it as he poured a glass of the amber liquid.

"Do you want some?" he offered, and after a moment's hesitation, Hermes nodded. "It's strong, you might not like it." He pushed the half-filled glass towards Hermes before conjuring another one and filling it for himself. Hermes sniffed it, had a mouthful, and smiled.

"I remember liking this," he said.

"Good, hopefully, your memory will come back in time," Hades replied, setting up the white chess pieces on Hermes's side of the board.

"Selene is a key, but I don't know what kind of key. We need to find out, Hades," Hermes said.

"What do you mean she's a key?" asked Hades, his dark brows going together.

"Keys and locks and rooms and hallways." Hermes tried to articulate, hands moving in frustration before Hades stopped him.

"Have a breath and a drink, and then try again, Hermes. We've got all the time in the world."

Hermes rubbed his face, took a drink, and put the silver bangle on the table. It reminded him of Selene and the water hitting it in the shower, and the thought came back. He tapped his forehead. "Broken. Like a house with locked doors, and I'm trapped in a hallway. Selene touched," he said, holding the bracelet to his forehead. "And a room unlocked."

Hades drained his glass and refilled it. "I know she has healing abilities, but I've never pressed to find out what she can do with them."

"Selene makes things...clearer," Hermes said, drinking again, "and she smells nice."

"I'll take your word for it. The room she opened; do you remember what was inside of it?" Hades moved one of his pieces, and even though Hermes didn't understand the impulse, he moved one of his own.

"Zeus," Hermes said after a while. "Zeus was in the room. He was...angry. I think he wanted something or wanted me to do something. I said no. He got even angrier, and then it all...shattered."

"Fuck," sighed Hades. "He must've done this to you. I've met another one of his children recently, and Zeus did the same thing to his mother. Broke her brain for the fun of it."

"Another child of Zeus? Does he know? Hades, you must hide him. Don't let Zeus find him," Hermes asked, rocking back and forward in his chair.

"Hermes, it's okay. Zeus won't ever find Perseus or you. I killed him," Hades replied softly. Hermes stopped rocking.

"You finally did it."

"I did. That's how I'm not bound to the Underworld anymore. You didn't think it was strange that I am living among the humans now?" asked Hades.

Hermes smiled big and wide. "Ohhhh, I didn't think about it, uncle. Zeus is dead."

"He is."

"You've made me very happy. Don't let me forget this," Hermes begged.

"I won't. I still like to remind myself every day, I can remind you too," replied Hades. "Now, my next question, what happened to your staff?"

"What staff?" asked Hermes, taking one of Hades's pieces.

"Your fucking staff. You used to use it to open the doorways to the Underworld, amongst other things. Had two snakes on it in gold?" Hades pressed, but Hermes shook his head uncertainly.

"I don't remember," he said, gnawing on his bottom lip. "Selene is a key. Maybe it's in a room that's locked."

"It's another thing to add to my list of worries. If your staff is in the hands of a human, who knows what they will do. Pandora had Gaia's knife, so maybe she has your staff too," Hades replied and then looked down at the board. "You sneaky bastard, you've checkmated me."

"What's a checkmate?" Hermes asked, and Hades let out a frustrated laugh.

"Even mad, you are the smartest person in the room, and I hate that," he said. He was smiling, so Hermes figured he wasn't angry.

"We have been talking a while," he said, turning the glass. "Does that mean I will see Lady Moon soon?"

"You will see her as soon as she stops being stubborn and agrees to come to work for me full time. You like her, don't you?" asked Hades.

"Yes, I don't make her sad, though I think sometimes I make her annoyed, and then she gets a frown. I did make her smile, so maybe I also don't annoy her too much. She makes things...less broken," Hermes struggled to explain. "Everything is noise and shouting and heat, but when she's close, it's cool and quiet. I think that's why I remember her."

"Don't worry, Hermes, she will return. I've known Selene for a few years now, and no matter how much she tries to resist it, she can't handle not being able to help," Hades said, leaning back in his chair with a confident smile. "All we are going to have to do is wait for her to talk herself into it, and for her own sense of morality to bring her back."

3

Selene woke the following evening as the sun was slowly going down. She mixed leaves and brewed tea before going out into her small garden. Night work always made her disorientated, and dealing with a mad god straight after a shift had made the surreal feeling even worse.

Hermes. He made her feel off-balance, and she couldn't deny that, if he wasn't crippled by madness, he'd be an absolute force of nature. Even with a shattered mind, his energy got up in her space, and she didn't like it one bit.

Selene watered her herbs and succulents as she sipped her tea. She wondered if she should email one of the psychiatrists at the hospital, or if she should put together a list of mental health nurses that she could give to Hades as suitable alternatives than herself.

Are you afraid? Hermes's voice echoed through her head with sharp clarity. He'd asked her that when they had first met, and even though she would never admit it aloud, Selene was afraid of him. She was afraid she'd never be able to help him, that her inexperience would make him worse, and that she'd get attached to him because no matter how many red flags went up, she cared about the broken creatures. She had always been unable to walk away from those that needed her help, even her shitty ex-boyfriend. They had been broken up for years. She had worked off her debt to Hades, and yet she still went when Hades called because she knew that the Court trusted her, and they needed help.

Now, Hermes needed her. In her mind's eye, she could see his twitching hands pulling buttons off the couch, and randomly plaiting pieces of his hair because they couldn't stop moving. Books wouldn't be enough to keep him amused for long.

Selene pulled out her laptop and started researching post-traumatic stress and subsequent memory loss and repression. Three hours later, she came back to reality with notes scrawled over a pad, her half-drunk tea cold beside her.

You aren't actually considering doing this, are you? She was tired of working crazy shifts and dealing with arrogant doctors. Her boss was an asshole and she would be able to get a normal sleep pattern again, which would be amazing. Selene was never motivated by money; she would've chosen a different profession if she was. What did she want, and could Hades give it to her?

Outside, the moon had risen, and Selene went to stare up at the night sky and breathe. Should I do this? she asked it. Selene didn't expect the stars to give her an answer, but she already knew the answer, so they gave her comfort instead. Selene pulled her phone from her pocket and found Hades's number. Get someone to pick me up tomorrow at 11 am, she wrote, hesitated a long moment, and pressed send.

SELENE WAS LOCKING her front door when Thanatos arrived the next day. She had already gone out and stocked up on a few things that morning, and he took her bags from her.

"Let me carry those," he said, ever the gentleman. "What is all of this?"

"Ideas mostly."

"You're going to help Hermes after all," Thanatos replied with a small smile.

"I'm going to try to help him, but there are going to be caveats that Hades will have to agree to first," she said and got into the silver sedan.

"I'm sure he'll love that. For what it's worth, I know you'll do everything you can to help Hermes. He told Hades last night that being around you calms his mind and helps him think clearer. That is a gift, Selene."

"Hermes actually talked to him? That's a good sign."

Thanatos laughed. "It is. Although I'm sure, he only did it because you threatened not to visit until he did."

Selene flushed. "I didn't threaten him! It was only a suggestion. Hades is his uncle, so it's better that they talk because he might be able to figure out what happened to Hermes."

"Zeus happened," Thanatos said his tone darkening.

"So, it's a curse?" Selene couldn't believe the words came out of her mouth, but working for the Court for the past two years had shown her magic could be just as damaging as a loaded gun.

"It is. We need to figure out a way to break it, and if you can keep him calm and focused as much as possible, I'm sure we will find a way. Hermes might have the answer trapped inside of him for all we know. He is beyond brilliant; if anyone could break a curse on himself, it's Hermes," said Thanatos.

When they arrived at the villa, Selene went straight through to the office to where Hades was busy on a call. He waved her to sit while he wrapped it up.

"Well, back already. This is a surprise," Hades said, not looking surprised in the least. "Have you decided to come work with us full time?"

"I have. Though you might not like what I'm asking for," Selene replied and sat up a little straighter.

"Name it, Selene, don't be nervous about it."

"I want you to fund another ten nursing jobs in the Lethe Hospital. You know throwing money at me won't work, but they need more staff, Hades, and desperately. I can't in good conscious leave such an understaffed job knowing that it will be made even worse in my absence."

"Done. I'll get my people to organize it," he said with a wave of his hand. "Why do you look so surprised? I told you I wanted you full time."

"I still don't think I'm qualified to help Hermes in the way he needs, but I'll try," Selene replied. "I can't guarantee anything."

"You might not be a mental health nurse, but you have helped Hermes already. He said when you touched him yesterday, he got one of his memories back. You did that just by being around him. I can't promise it will be easy, but I can promise you will be safe," said Hades sincerely.

"I don't know how my touching him helped, but I'm not going to spend my time doing it on the off chance that it happens again," replied Selene, her neck going uncomfortably hot.

"I'd never ask you to, and you can ignore Hermes if he suggests it. He's with a psychologist now, shall we see how it's going?" Hades asked, getting up.

"I should've asked for more nursing positions," she said as they got into the elevator.

"Yes, but it's too late now. I got off far more cheaply than I thought," Hades replied. "Thank you, Selene, I'm really glad that I didn’t have to force you into this out of necessity."

"Don't thank me until I've helped him," she murmured.

Hermes was sitting at the table opposite a man with glasses. He looked miserable until he glanced up and saw Selene. His expression went from confusion to happiness, to mischievous in a split second as he stood up.

"How is it going, doctor?" Hades asked the psychologist.

"Nowhere, he won't talk to me," he said and looked at Selene. "Who are you?"

"This is Hermes's new friend, Selene," Hades said. "Let's have a break and give them a minute to say hello."

The psychologist closed his notebook and got up. "Might as well, I'm getting nowhere."

Selene put her bags on a chair and tried not to show how nervous she was under Hermes's intense golden gaze. He stepped closer, and she was reminded just how tall and intimidating he could be.

"Cold nurse, I knew you couldn't stay away," he said with a triumphant smile.

"Why don't you want to talk to that guy?" she asked.

"Because he's boring and asks ridiculous questions," Hermes said. "What's in the bags?"

"I bought you a present, but you have to promise not to stab me with any of them if I give them to you."

Hermes's face turned serious. "I'd never hurt you, Lady Moon."

"Okay, then I suppose you can have them," she said and passed him an art book and sets of pencils. "I thought this might help you a little with the boredom. Maybe drawing the things you remember might be easier than talking about them."

Hermes smelled the blank pages of the book. "Words are tricky. They don't go in the right places that I want them." He grabbed her unexpectedly, pulling her into a tight hug. Selene froze in surprise at being pressed up against the bare skin of his chest, his heart hammering by her ear.

"Thank you, Lady Moon," he said.

"You're welcome, Hermes," she replied, patting his back awkwardly. "Thanatos said you've been talking to Hades?"

Hermes let her go and tipped out his pencils all over the table. "We played chess. He didn't like it because I won. I told him about Zeus, and he said he killed Zeus, and that made me happy."

"I can see why it would. Hades is very smart, so I’m sure he's going to help undo what Zeus did," Selene said, sitting down opposite him.

Hermes started to sketch in quick lines. "He'll try. Uncle has always been incredibly determined when he sets his mind to something, but I think you're wrong. He won't figure it out, you will."

"Me? What do I know about curses?" asked Selene.

Hermes lifted a shoulder in a half-hearted shrug. "Doesn't matter. You're a key."

"What does that mean, Hermes?" An uneasy feeling was settling under her ribs as he talked. Maybe this was a bad idea.

"I meant what I said. You're a key. More specifically, you are my key," Hermes said, without looking up from his drawing. It looked like a hallway in a house. "You are going to be my nurse all the time now?"

"Yes, I'm going to keep an eye on you until you are better," Selene replied.

"What if I'm never better? What if the doors remained closed, and I never find out what memories are behind them?"

"Do you really believe that? You said yourself that you are a god of thieves, yes?"

Hermes nodded. "I am. I remembered that much."

"Thieves are meant to be good at getting into places they are not meant to be. If you think your memories are behind doors, then why don't you pick their locks?" she asked.

Hermes's pencil snapped, and he stared at her with his hawk gaze. "What are you, Selene?"

"Here to help?" she suggested her heartbeat in her throat.

"That's not all you are. You have locked up parts too, cold nurse," he said, head dropping to one side as he looked her over. "I'll pick the locks on my doors until they open, oh yes, and then I'll be coming after yours."

Selene wet her lips nervously. "You stay away from my locked doors and focus on your own," she said, far more steadily than what she felt. She retreated to her bags and a safe distance from him. "You should talk to that doctor when he comes back." She wanted the conversation off her and back on safe ground.

"I'll consider it, but only if you stay," Hermes replied, going back to his drawing.

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere," Selene assured him. She dug into her bags and pulled out her sewing. She had been busy at the hospital lately and had no time to finish her most recent creation. Least you are going to have plenty of time for hobbies now.

"What are you making?" asked Hermes.

"A blanket for a friend," Selene replied. "I don't sit still very well and I get bored easily, like you."

"Are you going to make me a blanket? I'm your friend."

My very strange friend who just told me they are going to unlock all my secret doors. "All depends on whether or not you are going to eat regularly from now on."

Hermes selected another pencil, turned the page of his book, and started something new. "Are you back to being a carrot already, Lady Moon?"

"Is it working?"

"You can't trick a trickster, my dear," he said, his voice changing and going smooth.

"It was worth a try, I suppose," Selene said with a grin and pulled another square of fabric from her bag.

"How about you stop trying to trick me, and I'll start eating?" asked Hermes.

"It's a deal," she replied. Hermes was beside her in an instant, holding out his long golden hand.

"Shake on it," he insisted.

Selene put her hand in his, letting his fingers wrap around it. "Deal."

Hermes smiled his mischievous smile, lifted her hand, and kissed her knuckles. "We have a bargain, Lady Selene." He held her hand for a fraction longer before releasing her and going back to his table, leaving Selene looking at her hand and feeling more out of her depth than ever.

4

Hermes's hands had finally stopped being angry at him. He had something to do with them, and so he was feeling calmer than he had since being dragged from his cave.

The pages in his sketchbook were already filling up. Selene had seen his problem when he hadn't had any idea how to articulate it. His hands weren't happy unless they were creating something. It was easier to draw the way he saw things in his mind rather than force them into words. This frustrated him because he knew that he was once good with words and could spin them into beautiful shapes.

He had drawn all day, memories floating to the surface, and Hermes hurrying to catch them, to pin them to the paper so they couldn't run away on him again. Looking back on the drawings made it easier to hold them in his head without it hurting.

"My clever key," Hermes whispered as he sketched Selene's face, the memory of the smile he got out her was so vibrant in a sea of grey confusion. He drew her holding a crescent moon, stars in her dark hair, and a glittering necklace of keys around her slender throat. Hermes liked her throat. It was pale and soft looking with a small mole behind her ear that he had a strange urge to touch.

He'd never had such urges the whole time he had been dragged around by Pandora. She was beautiful like a poisonous spider was, something that Hermes could look at but never, ever wanted to touch.

Hermes had a feeling that Pandora had tried to get him to touch her in the early days. She hadn't like it when he had refused, and he'd been put into a small room for a very long time, and then the drugged food had started. Hermes looked down to where he'd begun to draw the only view out of that small room; bars on the window, lots of rocks and scrubby plants and a blue ocean.

The drawing unsettled him, so Hermes turned back to the page with Selene on it and started to draw a marble temple around her. Drawing her somehow made her presence close again, and he calmed once more. He didn't know how to tell her how relieved he was when she had arrived that day. It was as if the world was suddenly burning in color, and he felt like a god again, not a broken creature hiding underground. He didn't want to be underground, but everything outside still felt too big, too loud.

"Am I interrupting?" Hades asked, jolting Hermes out of his daze. His uncle was staring at him, and he wasn't alone. A tall man with dark hair and strong god magic was beside him, a careful smile on his strangely familiar, scarred face.

"Hermes, this is Perseus," Hades introduced.

"Zeus's blood?" Hermes guessed. The face in front of him was familiar because it had the same cheekbones and jawline Hermes had.

"Apparently. It's nice to meet you, Hermes," said Perseus and held out his hand. Hermes put down his pencils and shook it, feeling the spark of power in him.

"What does your power do?" Hermes asked curiously.

Perseus's strange pale eyes widened. "You can feel it?"

"Yes. It's like…" Hermes gestured with his hands. "Fireball? No, sun. Like the sun. Is it burning?"

"Not yet, thankfully."

"Perseus likes painting and drawing," said Hades, looking at his sketch pad.

"Did Zeus hurt your head too?" asked Hermes.

"Not me, my mother. She was very brilliant, like you, and Zeus took it away," Perseus explained as he sat down. "I like to draw and paint because it makes the noise in my head not as loud."

"Me too. I'm glad Zeus is dead, so he can't hurt you too," said Hermes.

"I never met him, but I would've tried to kill him for what he did to my mother."

Hermes gave him a knowing smile. "Zeus never had a child that didn't want to kill him at least once. I always thought Athena would get him, but the prize goes to you, dear uncle."

"One of the best days of my existence," Hades said.

"What does your sun do, new brother?" Hermes asked.

"I'm not sure yet. I used it once, and it healed someone I cared about a lot. I haven't touched it since then, I don't know how," admitted Perseus.

"Selene gave me an idea about picking locks because I'm a thief, and my memories are hidden behind doors. Maybe your power is the same. Are you any good at thieving?" asked Hermes. Hades laughed as Perseus rubbed at his neck bashfully.

"Perseus is shy, but until recently, he was known as the best thief in Greece," Hades said, and Hermes liked his new brother even more.

"Tell me the last thing you stole," demanded Hermes.

"Medusa's heart," Perseus said, and Hermes laughed loudly.

"Wait, really? You're in love with a gorgon? Hades! You didn't tell me we had a gorgon," he said excitedly.

"There are a few you haven't met, but I thought I'd break you in slowly and see how you went. You have the most in common with Perseus, so I thought to try him first," Hades replied. Then he left Hermes alone with Perseus as they talked about art and safe cracking, and hidden power and potential, mothers and monsters. "I'd love to have you come to my studio when you are feeling better, Hermes," said Perseus.

"Can Selene come? I feel like I'd be less overwhelmed if she were there," Hermes replied.

"Sure thing. I like Selene too. She has a great aura."

"She has a great everything," argued Hermes, and Perseus gave him a sly smile.

"I've heard that about her too. I hope she can help you quickly, and you get your mind back the way my mother never did," said Perseus.

"When I do, if you need help getting to your magic, I'll help you. I used to be good at figuring out…potential? Yes, potential. Your sun is potential. It can be whatever you shape it to be," Hermes replied.

"I'd like that a lot. Just as long as we do it somewhere where no one can get hurt," said Perseus. He might look like Zeus, but he is much kinder, Hermes decided. Zeus would've destroyed him. Which made him happy all over again that his father was dead.

After Perseus left, Hermes decided that maybe having siblings might just be enjoyable for once.

HERMES FELT the moment that Selene stepped into the villa the following morning; her presence moving like silver light in his mind.

That's new, Hermes thought, momentarily forgetting what he was doing. He was still holding a barber around the throat, pinned to a wall when she came out of the elevator, and yelped in alarm. Oh, that's what I was doing.

"Hermes! Put him down!" she said, closing in on him.

"He's trying to put a blade to my throat, so I had to stop him," Hermes replied, distracted by the way she had braided her hair and pinned it up that day. Her hand came over his tense forearm.

"He was just trying to cut your hair, please put him down," Selene said, the touch and her voice pulling all the hostility out of him. He let the barber go. The stocky man scrambled backward, muttering curses as he retreated to the elevator. Selene picked up a pair of discarded hair cutting scissors and a small pair of clippers.

"Was that really necessary? He was only trying to help you, Hermes," she said. There was a small line between her eyes. You've pissed her off already.

"I don't like people I don't know having sharp objects near me," he tried explaining. "I've had too many people try to kill me."

"What about me? You trust me, don't you?" Selene asked. "I can cut your hair and clip your beard for you. You know I'm not going to hurt you, Hermes."

Hermes hesitated. "You won't make it too short?"

"No, I'll cut it to your shoulders. That way, it's still long enough for you to plait when you're thinking."

"I don't know if I like that you are so observant. I don't know if I want my beard cut either," Hermes said stubbornly.

"I won't shave it, just clip it. You know, the women in the Court have a bet going about who of Zeus's boys are the most handsome: Perseus, Asterion, or you. How are we going to judge if we can't see your face? Erebus keeps telling me you were the most handsome in all of Olympus, I think he's a bit in love with you still," Selene said, a teasing tone creeping into her words that Hermes liked.

"He can't help himself, and I can see what you're doing trying to play to my ego, Selene. It won't work because I already know that I'd win such a competition."

Selene's curved lips twitched. She had some type of a gloss on them that Hermes couldn't stop looking at. He wondered what it tasted like.

"You have an ego? Never would've guessed. If it makes you feel better, my money is on Asterion. I know you haven't met him yet, but he is something else in the big and handsome department," Selene replied deviously. She pulled out a chair and looked at him expectantly. "Come on, don't you trust me?"

"How about I let you cut my hair, and you tell me how you got entangled with Hades," Hermes said. He knew how all the others fit; even the gorgon was a monster and Hades always had a soft spot for those, but a kind human nurse? That didn't make sense. Selene's teasing expression slipped, and he got a quick glance of a tired hurt in her eyes.

"Fine, but you need to sit still. It's been a while since I cut anyone's hair other than my own," she replied. She retrieved a comb from one of her bags and picked up the scissors again. "I'm not terrible at it, so you don't need to look so nervous."

Hermes's curiosity outweighed his hesitation, just like it always did. He sat. Selene stepped behind him and ran the comb slowly through his hair.

Hermes was glad that he'd washed his hair that morning because he discovered that someone combing his hair felt incredible. It had been a long time since he willingly let anyone touch him so intimately, but he sat still and did his best not to make happy sounds at the back of his throat.

"Tell me your story, Selene," Hermes said, closing his eyes as her fingers ran over his scalp.

"My story is one of those that you hear and think, 'fuck me, she really should've known better’, " Selene said as she began to cut. "It was a bit over two years ago. I was working in my first real job as a nurse, and I met a surgeon called Ezra, who was very handsome and charming. I was young and flattered, and we started dating. He seemed too good to be true, and he was. I didn't know he loved betting on fights and had gotten involved with the pit fighting at the Labyrinth. All of Greece's criminals love to solve their problems in that place, so Ezra got noticed by people you should never get noticed by."

Selene sounded upset, but Hermes didn't want to open his eyes and interrupt her. He didn't want to see the hair that he could feel falling to the floor either, so he remained still and quiet no matter how much he hated it.

"To make a long story short, Ezra bet on the wrong guy from the wrong gang. The boss of that gang was going to break his hands if he didn't pay. Ezra called me for money, and I got dragged to the Labyrinth. Hades would settle disputes if he was there and was in the mood. He turned up when I was trying to negotiate to save Ezra's hands. I offered my services as a nurse to the gang, who believe me are rough enough to need a nurse full time. Hades…I'll never forget the way he looked at me that night. It was like he was staring deep inside of me and weighing my value as a human as well as a nurse."

"That sounds like him," Hermes said softly.

"Well, whatever he saw must've been good, because he bought out Ezra's debt on the spot. Ezra tried to tell Hades what a shit hot surgeon he was, that he'd be able to help him more than a simple nurse, but Hades had cleared the debt because he wanted me to work for him only.”

“Whatever he saw must have convinced him that I would follow through no matter what. Hades had seen in Ezra all the things I had to learn the hard way. That Ezra's word wasn't worth shit. He was so grateful that I had stepped in and saved his ass, right up to the point that I started having the triplets pick me up at all hours. I was allowed behind doors and was privy to secrets that would always be denied to him, and he hated that. He started screwing around on me and got violent when I confronted him about it. Thanatos was going to intervene one night when things were…were bad. He didn't end up having to. Ezra was gone by the time I returned the next day. Last I heard he was in Athens working for some fancy private practice. I still owed Hades, and I liked the Court, so I've staying working for him."

By the time she was done with her story, Hermes's hands were shaking with anger. "You should've let Thanatos deal with him," he said, trying to keep his voice from rising. The thought of any man hurting Selene made him want to do terrible and violent things.

"Ezra left, Hermes. I had nothing to worry about anymore. Well, except for having to dig bullets out of Asterion and other such dramas the Court likes to get involved in," Selene replied as her hand brushed the stray hair off his shoulders. "I'm going to use the clippers on your beard now. Is it okay if I touch your face?"

Hermes kept his eyes shut, but nodded slowly. "I trust you, Lady Moon." Her cool, soft fingers slowly positioned his head, and he was once again overwhelmed at the intimacy of it. He also had a strong suspicion that the deep and lost Hermes was probably laughing his ass off at how awkward he was because of a woman touching him. Shut up, you bastard. Don't mock me if you can't be bothered to come back and save me from this madness.

Hermes was too aware of everything: Selene's hands, the scent of her perfume as she leaned over him, that she was standing between his knees so she could get close to him. Her hand went to the back of his neck, so he tilted his head, his pulse jumping to his throat as she moved the clippers carefully under his jawline. He opened his eyes as she finished, so he could see her close just once. He didn't expect her to drop the clippers in surprise. He caught them automatically, not taking his eyes off her.

"What do you think, Selene? Am I back to being presentable?" he asked softly, face close to hers as he held the clippers between them.

"Definitely an improvement. I'm hungry, are you hungry? Are you eating yet?" Selene replied, taking the clippers and stepping quickly away from him.

"Is Hades cooking for you again?" he asked, pretending he didn't enjoy seeing that he had flustered her. Good, that makes two of us.

"No, there's no one in the villa at the moment. I'm sure that barber left as quickly as his car could drive him," Selene replied, backing up. "I'll go find something and…and be back."

"I want to come," said Hermes, as he stood up to follow her.

"Upstairs? I didn't think you went up there. It's okay if you want to stay here." Selene pressed the button to the elevator quickly.

"I don't usually, but I feel good today. I want to come with you," said Hermes. They got into the elevator, and Hermes stood behind her.

"Okay, let's give it a go, and if you feel uncomfortable, we can go back down."

Hermes leaned down a little and whispered in her ear, "I don't think I'm the one that's uncomfortable right now, Selene."

"I'm surprised that you're coming upstairs, that's all," she said stubbornly.

"You said the villa is empty. Which means it's quiet for once. It's a good time to try. We are near the ocean, aren't we?"

"Yes, Hades has an outdoor deck that goes out into the water."

"I'd like to see the ocean." Hermes didn't know where the new bravery was coming from, something to do with Selene being close, maybe, but he did want to see the water again.

Hermes tried not to let his panic overwhelm him as he followed Selene through the empty villa, his eyes darting left and right in case it wasn't as empty as she thought it was. Then they emerged into a kitchen and eating area with glass doors around them. Hermes halted. Everywhere was the ocean.

He hurried out onto the dark wooden deck to get a better look. He was struck by the beauty of it, the blue of the waves, the sun turning the edges of the waves golden. He sank slowly to his knees, the warmth of the sunlight on his back and the smell of salt spray in the air.

Deep in his mind, another door unlocked.

5

Selene put together a platter of hummus and olives and fruit, hoping that Hermes would be more interested in eating if he had lots of different options. She stole a glance at Hermes to make sure he was still okay and was momentarily struck dumb at the sight of him. He was sitting on the deck and was glowing golden in the sunlight.

Selene had known on a subconscious level that underneath the wild man look would be a god, and brother to Asterion and Perseus to boot, but she hadn't been fully prepared to face the reality. Hermes had opened his golden eyes and her heart had stopped. She was used to being around the beautiful people of the Court, and she wasn't the type to lose her head over a pretty face.

Hermes was something else entirely. There was nothing pretty or soft about him. He was angles, savage lines, and dangerous predator eyes, and for a moment, Selene could see that fierce intelligence that would've been overwhelming if he wasn’t mad. For that brief flash, he was the god that you did not ever fuck with. Now he was staring at the ocean with the fascination and delighted innocence of a child. Selene carried the platter outside, careful not to startle him.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, putting the food down beside him before sitting down on the deck.

"Much better. I can't remember when I felt the sun or saw the ocean. It's been…a long time," he said and noticing the platter, he took all the strawberries.

"It is a great spot Hades has here. If you start to feel overwhelmed, we can go back downstairs. You don't need to stay up here on my account," Selene replied. Hermes smiled sideways at her.

"Thank you, Selene, but your concern is unnecessary," he said, sounding like the calm and confident Hermes there were only ever flashes of. "No, I don't think I'll be returning to the earth any time soon."

"That's a big change of attitude to have in such a short time outside," she said skeptically.

Hermes lay back on the warm wood with a contented sigh. "I had another door open just now."

"What was on the other side of it?" Selene asked, doing her best to keep her eyes on his face and not all the golden muscle that was presenting itself to her.

"A part of myself," he said, turning towards her and propping his head up with one hand. "And Selene, dear, I fucking hate being locked up."

"This is really good news. Hades has a large guest wing on the west side of the villa that would give you plenty of privacy if you want to move into it," she replied, trying to ignore the slow, sly way he said her name.

"I feel like a puzzle piece has been put in the correct spot even though there's a lot of blank spaces left to go," Hermes said softly.

"That's a good step in the right direction," Selene replied.

"Selene? Thank you." Something in Hermes's tone made her look back at him.

"I didn't do anything."

"Yes, you did. You do. Don't deny it, it's me that it's happening to so I would know. Also, I don't know how long I'll remain this clear, so let me thank you while I can," Hermes said, the sincerest she had ever seen him. Something flared hot in her chest as she smiled at him.

"In that case, you're welcome, Hermes. I don't know what I did, but it's my job to help you, so I will in any way I can."

"I'm your job? What happened to being friends?" he asked, dark brows drawing together.

"We can be both. I wouldn't have made a blanket for a job, would I?" she said, hating that a slip of the tongue had killed his mood.

"You made me a blanket?"

"I did. I finished it last night. I was going to give it to you after your hair cut, but then we got distracted," said Selene. You mean you got distracted by his hot intensity. She cringed. Did she actually just think that about…what was he? A patient? A project? He wasn't a favor because she was getting paid. Paid to hang out, be his friend and keep him talking so that Hades could get Pandora's secrets out of him.

Hermes's smile was strangely knowing as if he could read everything in her mind. Could he read minds? God, please no. Selene would have to ask Hades.

"I'm going to get some juice. Do you want anything?" she said and got to her feet. He lay back on the boards again, hair tousled around him like a curling, dark brown halo.

"Oh, I definitely want things, Lady Moon," he said.

"To drink," she clarified and then got flustered because she felt like she had to. What is wrong with you today? she complained as she went back to the kitchen. Her phone buzzed on the counter with a message from Hades.

Are you okay there by yourself? Selene took a photo of Hermes outside and messaged it back to him. She grabbed a small bottle of juice from the fridge, turned around, and Hermes was…missing.

"What the…?" Selene hurried outside. "Hermes?" There was a splash beneath her, and she went to the railing as his head surfaced. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like?" he said.

Selene opened the small gate in the railing that led to a ladder. "You scared me. You were just gone."

"I'm sorry…the water looked good," he replied.

"It's fine, really."

Hermes looked ridiculously happy, and if she hadn't been so distracted by his smile, she would've heard Cerberus barreling towards her. She turned as he let out a happy woof and crashed straight into her legs. With a startled yelp, she toppled forward awkwardly and into the water. There was a cold tangled moment under the waves when strong hands grabbed her and lifted her up.

"Fucking dog!" Selene shouted as she surfaced, pushing her bangs from her eyes. Hermes was supporting her and laughing his ass off. "Shut up, it's not funny!"

"It's definitely funny," Hermes replied. "Are you okay?"

"No," she said as she splashed him and started laughing. Cerberus was wagging his tail happily above them. Hermes gave him a long look, and then a wide smile broke over his face.

"Oh, Cerberus! I remember you. Why do you only have one head?" He made a flicking gesture, and Selene's ears popped. Light shimmered around Cerberus, and he shook his two other heads free of their glamour.

"How did you do that?" Selene asked, paddling water trying to keep her head above the waves.

Hermes looked down at his hand. "I…don't know." Three different woofs sounded above them before Cerberus dropped a tennis ball into the ocean, and after a few seconds of watching it, the huge dog came in after them.

Selene and Hermes were throwing the ball between them and making Cerberus swim back and forth when Thanatos appeared on the deck with Hades.

"Where was my invitation to this party?" Thanatos asked, leaning casually on the railing.

"You're both welcome to take your clothes off and join us," said Selene as she surrendered the ball to Cerberus.

"No, thank you, Selene. I'm glad to see you in such good spirits, Hermes," Hades replied, "and that you finally succumbed to letting someone cut your hair."

"Selene bribed me," Hermes replied.

"I did not! That's not how it went down at all."

"There was definitely bribery involved. She's very sneaky under her sweet nurse act," Hermes said, taking her hand under the water to help hold her up.

"It's not an act. I happen to be very sweet, right, Thanatos?" she argued.

"I've seen it, but it's buried rather deep," he said, making Hermes laugh.

"Hey, you're meant to be on my side," Selene complained.

"Always, darling Selene. I'm also honest to a fault," Thanatos said.

"That's it, I'm getting out if you guys are going to pick on me." Hermes held onto her, drawing her closer.

"Come now, I wouldn't like you if you were too sweet. I like your mean streak," he said.

"You are going to get well acquainted with it if you don't let me go," Selene replied tartly, and humor danced in his eyes before he released her.

"Allow me," Thanatos said, reaching down to help her up the ladder. Selene grabbed his hand, and he lifted her as if she were as light as a child.

"Thank you," she said before turning to Hades. "I don't suppose I could borrow a towel?"

He gave one of his pleased smiles. "Of course, Selene, let me get it for you." He disappeared, and Thanatos sniggered.

"He doesn't want you dripping on his floor," he said.

Selene stepped back as Hermes pulled himself easily out of the ocean and up the ladder before running his hands through his hair in a casually sexy gesture. Selene looked away quickly, and Thanatos's smile widened. Oh fuck, he totally just caught you checking Hermes out.

"It's nice to see you looking like your old self, Hermes," he said, and she tried not to cringe.

"Selene told me there's a bet going on about which one of Zeus's sons is the best looking. I had a point to prove," Hermes said, resting his hands on his hips, and then he had the nerve to smirk at her.

"I still think it's Asterion," she replied and turned away from them to accept the towel from Hades.

"Liar," Hermes whispered behind her, and Selene carefully pretended not to hear him.

HERMES DECIDED that he didn't like watching Selene leave with Charon every day. She had been soaked and had left early, turning down Hermes's offer to wear his clothes. It wasn't like he could handle wearing a t-shirt all the time anyway, so he had plenty of spare clothes to share, but she had refused.

Selene had left a bag on the couch downstairs, and in it he found a small patchwork blanket in blue and green, the backing an incredibly soft fabric he couldn't identify.

"I'm glad you're getting out of here," said Thanatos as he helped Hermes pack up his clothes and his art books.

"Me too, now that I realize how much I hate being trapped," Hermes replied, wrapping the blanket around his shoulders like a short cloak, and grabbing the stash of small objects he'd pilfered over the last few days: Selene's bangle, one of the pins from her hair, Hades's cufflinks, Charon's tie pin. He had meant to give it all back but then had forgotten about it. He tucked them in his pocket before Thanatos could see them.

"You are improving more and more now that Selene is helping. It's good for her too. I haven't ever seen her laugh like she was doing in the water today," said Thanatos.

"Why not?" asked Hermes as they stepped into the elevator.

"Selene has been treated poorly by people in the past, so she doesn't allow herself to relax very often. She gets along with all of us, but she hasn't ever socialized with us. When we see her, it's because we need her, and she's protective of her heart," Thanatos explained.

"Good. I know about her old boyfriend. I wish you had hurt him, Thanatos," said Hermes.

"You and me both," Thanatos muttered. "She wouldn't have it."

"I'm her friend, so I won't let anyone hurt her like that ever again." Hermes gripped the blanket around his shoulders a little tighter. He wasn't as clear in his mind as he was when Selene was there, but thankfully, he could still form coherent sentences. Maybe he really was improving.

Thanatos led him through the villa to the large guest wing where Hades's men sometimes stayed if they needed to. It was like a separate, small house attached by paths to the main villa. Inside had its own kitchen and bathroom, and best of all, a deck looking out over the small beach.

"Finally decided to join the living again, did you?" Charon said as he came in a short time later. He flopped down on the couch. "How's your memory going, champ?"

"It's adjusting," Hermes replied and offered him back his tie pin. "You're still too slow, ferryman."

"And you are still a sneaky son of a bitch," Charon said, snatching it back.

"I can't help it. It's just my nature. At least with half my memory gone, we are operating at the same speed."

"Would you listen to this cocky piece of shit, brother? A few days with Selene and he's back to thinking he's the top dog again," Charon laughed. "Mind you, I'd be feeling pretty good about myself too, if I got to spend my days lying about with the lovely Selene. Maybe I should suggest to Hades we take it in turns."

"But I'm actually mad, and you are just mad that I still have a better game than you," Hermes said as he sat down. "Selene is my nurse, so you can fuck off and find your own."

"Your nurse now, is it? I believe you will find Selene would object to such territorial nonsense," Thanatos replied. "Besides, she's not exactly acting like a nurse, just keeping your crazy ass company because we are too busy."

"She might not be acting like a nurse, but I need her. I'm better when she's around and not because she's beautiful," Hermes said quickly.

"Oh, you think she's beautiful now, do you?" Thanatos teased.

Hermes huffed out a breath. "Don't be an idiot. Of course, she's beautiful. You have to have felt that there's something different about her."

"Are you talking about magic?" asked Thanatos.

"Yes? Maybe? She is a healer, not just a nurse. If I wasn't so fucking broken, I'd be able to feel it out properly," Hermes said, running a frustrated hand over his face.

"It's definitely possible. You are the god of magic, so you were always more sensitive to those abilities in humans than others. Get your mind right first, then approach it with her if you need to. I wouldn't want you to complicate her life before you can be sure," Thanatos replied.

"Listen to my brother, and not just because he's particularly protective of Selene. Magic isn't as common in the humans as it used to be, and the possibility of it may upset her," Charon added. "Also, if you hurt her in any way with your trickster bullshit, Erebus, Thanatos, and I will throw you in one of the cells in Tartarus and leave you with only Zeus's head for company."

"I'd never hurt Selene, she's my key and my friend," said Hermes, fingers playing with the corner of the blanket around his shoulders.

"Just don't you forget it," Charon replied. "It is good to have you back. I thought one of the Olympians might have gotten you."

Hermes laughed. "I'm sure they tried their best, but they were always slower than even you, ferryman."

6

It had been a bad morning. To Selene, it felt like a double gut punch because the day before had been so good. She had gotten more than one breakthrough with Hermes and an unexpected swim that made her laugh harder than she had in a long time. She realized she liked Hermes's strange but easy company and getting up at regular hours. She had woken that morning looking forward to the day and had received not one, but two missed calls from Leo, the Chief of Medicine at the Lethe Hospital. When she had called him back, she regretted it almost instantly.

"What the fuck is this letter on my desk from Acheron Legal saying they are trading your services for ten nursing positions?" he asked.

"I thought you would be happy to have the funding, not pissed off about it," Selene said exasperatedly.

"I am, don't get me wrong. I just didn't know you ran in such circles. If I had known you had such influence with Hades Acheron, I would've promoted you and gotten you to lean on him for funding earlier," Leo replied.

"Good to know working hard for you for five years meant shit, Leo. You better let the other nurses know that the only way they will advance is by their social circles."

"Now, now that's not what I meant, Selene. This whole situation has left us a bit bewildered. What kind of work do you even do for Hades?"

"None of your business, Leo. It's confidential and I signed an agreement," Selene replied stubbornly, still too pissed off to want to answer any of his questions. She sure as hell wasn't about to give up the appearance of another god to the likes of Leo. The thought of the media scum swarming Hermes made a fierce protectiveness rise in her.

"Okay, fair enough. It's personal, I get that. You've really moved up in the world since Ezra dumped you. He's going to be kicking himself that he let you go when he hears about this," chuckled Leo, and Selene's stomach turned to acid.

"For your information, I was the one that dumped Ezra, and he left for Athens to sulk. Acheron Legal will be in touch with the payment details. Goodbye, Leo, don't call me again," Selene said, hanging up the phone before she started screaming obscenities. She knew Leo and Ezra had been close, but she didn't think he'd have the nerve to bring him up. What a fucking asshole. It was just another reason that leaving was a good decision. When Erebus arrived thirty minutes later, he looked as pissed off as she did.

"What's happened?" they both asked at once.

"You first," said Selene, not wanting to talk about the phone call just yet.

"Hermes won't get out of the bathtub, and he won't tell any of us what's upset him. My money is on a not so great memory," Erebus replied as they drove to the villa. "You?"

"Shitty conversation with my ex-boss. Hermes in the bath is more important," said Selene.

Thanatos and Charon were sitting outside the guest house where they had moved Hermes. Both looked relieved when she stepped out of the car.

"Has he said anything?" she asked.

"Not a peep, just staring off into space," said Charon, flicking one of his coins over his fingers. Selene had an idea. There was only one cure for a bad day.

"I need you to find a shirt, maybe one of Hades's, something soft or silk so it won't irritate Hermes too much," she said.

"What are you thinking?" asked Erebus.

"I'm going to take Hermes to see my guilty pleasure," she said, and all three of them smiled. "I didn't mean that guilty pleasure you perves. The one based outside of Lethe."

"Ohhh," they all said in sync.

"I'll go and talk to him. Find me that shirt," she said, shaking her head at them.

Selene walked through the small house, noting the chaos of drawings already scattered around the kitchen table. She would have to get the triplets to get him more art supplies if he kept it up. She tapped softly on the bathroom door.

"Hermes? Are you in here?" she asked.

"Lady Moon," he said, voice filled with relief.

"Can I come in?" And then as an afterthought, she added, "Are you decent?"

"Yes."

Selene opened the door slowly and saw that he was lying in the empty bathtub, hanging onto the blanket she had made him. He was facing away from her, so she sat on the tiled edge of the tub.

"Looks like you are having a morning as good as mine," she said, and she laid a hand on his head, brushing his dark brown curls from his face. You are too familiar with him already, a voice warned her, but she drowned it out. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Do you want to talk about your bad morning?" Hermes replied but seemed to relax under the touch.

"No," she admitted.

"I don't either."

"I want to take you somewhere instead. You'll have to wear a shirt, but I guarantee it will be worth it," Selene said.

Hermes rolled over and looked up at her. "Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise. The best bit is that neither of us needs to talk," Selene said and held out a hand to him. "Are you coming?"

Hermes looked at her hand a few seconds before taking it and sitting up. "I'm sorry your day has been bad too."

"It happens. Come on, let's get out of here,'' Selene said. Hermes held onto her hand as he stepped out of the tub and allowed her to lead him out of the bathroom.

Erebus held out a t-shirt to her. "Will this do?"

It was a very soft, dark blue cotton shirt. "Perfect, thanks, Erebus. We are going out, Charon, can you drive us?"

"Sure thing, doll," he said. They all didn't comment on Hermes, and how strange it was that he was willing to go with them without argument. Selene got in the back seat of the car, and after another long moment of hesitation, Hermes joined her.

"I won't make you put this on until we arrive, okay?" she said, placing the shirt in the middle of the seat between them. Hermes nodded. His eyes were looking at everything around them, soaking in the forest and the city once they reached it. When it became too much, he closed his eyes, but didn't ask for them to stop or go back.

"We'll be about an hour, Charon," Selene said when they pulled up at a building made of concrete block.

"I'll be close if you need me," he replied.

"What is this place?" Hermes asked, brows furrowing.

Selene tossed the shirt to him. "Put that on and come find out." She got out of the car and was taking off her shoes inside the front door when Hermes appeared beside her. It was strange to see him in a shirt, but the blue made his eyes glow even brighter.

"Hey, Selene! It's been a while," a woman appeared in scrubs. She looked Hermes all the way up and down. "Though your absence makes sense."

"Jules, this is my friend Hermes."

"Her good friend," Hermes said, with a dazzling smile. Oh, God, just what I need; Hermes in flirt mode.

Jules flushed and let out a chuckle. "I bet you are," she said.

"Is it okay if we are here for playtime?" Selene interrupted before Hermes could give Jules any more wrong impressions.

"Sure thing, we need more volunteers. We have twelve newbies for you to meet, and it's almost time for food, so they will be rowdy," Jules said and waved them through a set of double doors. "Get into position and I'll free the beasts."

They were in a large room littered with toys. Selene lay on the ground and gestured at Hermes. "You need to lie down with me." Hermes's smile was back, the one Selene was starting to recognize as pure, flirtatious trouble. "Trust me, Hermes, this is going to be good for both of us."

Hermes lay down beside her. "You are probably the only person I trust right now, Selene."

Selene didn't have a chance to respond as doors opened and excited yips filled the room. Within seconds, puppies were climbing all over them, biting their hands with their tiny teeth. Hermes let out a delighted laugh as he picked up a particularly chubby mongrel and stopped it from biting at his face.

"What is this place?" Hermes asked.

"It's a dog shelter. I try to get here once a week to play with the puppies and socialize the other dogs. They are underfunded, so I will sometimes bend the rules and help where I can, stitching up hurt dogs and assisting the vets, or cleaning out cages. Most of the time, I come here for stress relief and because I can't have a dog of my own," Selene explained. When she risked a glance at Hermes, he was covered with puppies and was stroking their soft bodies.

"I had a dream that I created…bad things. For Pandora. There was an old man in it too who I didn't recognize," Hermes said. Selene didn't know if Hades had told him about the cage that they had tried to lock Asterion in or the eye mask Acrisius Argos had forced onto Medusa. She wasn't about to bring them up and upset him more.

"I had my old boss ring me and say a lot of things that upset me," Selene said, exchanging one bad morning for another. His hand found hers, so she entwined their fingers, and let the puppies do their work.

After Jules had come in with bowls of food for the always hungry pups, Selene took Hermes to see the other dogs.

"They all have blankets like mine," said Hermes, pausing to pat an elderly Labrador. "These are your friends."

"Good spot. Most of these dogs come from bad situations and deserve their own blankie. I'm pretty bad at sewing, even though I enjoy it, and dogs aren't fussy," Selene replied. She stopped in front of a pen with a dog sitting in the far corner. It was an indeterminate mix of mastiff and some other breed and was black and grey. It had a few still healing scars and was missing half of one ear. "This poor boy was rescued from a dogfighting ring. I sit with him, but so far, he hasn't warmed up to me. I can't say that I blame him after the way humans mistreated him. Jules is hoping to re-socialize him so he can be adopted, but I think it's going to take time."

"Can I sit with him for a little while?" Hermes asked.

"Sure, I’ll go and see if Jules needs help cleaning up," said Selene. She drew the bolt of the pen and let him in. "I'll be back soon."

"Okay," Hermes said, sitting down and leaning his back against the wall. Selene left him to it, trusting he'd find her if he had enough.

"Who is that gorgeous man, and where have you been hiding him? Please tell me in your bed," Jules demanded as Selene joined her in the puppy room.

"Hermes is a friend, and I haven't been hiding him anywhere," Selene clarified, and seeing Jules's disbelieving look, she said, "He has PTSD. I thought the dogs would help."

"Hot ones are always gay or crazy," sighed Jules. "Where did you leave him?"

"With my favorite boy. They both need company," said Selene. She helped pick up the bowls and the clean out the puppy pens, before feeding the older dogs. By the time she reached where she'd left Hermes, she heard him whispering. Selene tiptoed and caught him talking with the black dog, who was sitting next to him. Well. What do you know? Selene smiled at them, two broken creatures that finally found company where they felt like they belonged.

"Selene is here now and is going to give you some food. She doesn't like it if you don't eat, trust me," Hermes said, looking up with a smile.

"I didn't want to interrupt. I haven't seen him this close to anyone." Selene opened the pen and placed the bowl of food down in front of the black dog.

"I told him what humans did to me, and then we decided that it was okay to be friends. Also, he's coming home with me," Hermes said, getting to his feet.

"Really? Are you sure Hades wouldn't mind?" asked Selene.

Hermes gave her a stern look. "I don't care what Hades thinks. I gave him my word."

"Okay, well, I think it's time Cerberus had a friend. What do you want to call him?"

"Nothing. He'll give me his name when he wants to," Hermes said matter-of-factly. "Right now, we've just agreed that he'll come with us without a fuss."

Charon eyed the big black dog that stood between Selene and Hermes. It didn't have a lead or a collar, and Hermes had objected to them being put on, saying that it wasn't necessary.

"You've adopted a baby together already? That's adorable. If it defecates on my seats, you'll be cleaning it up, Hermes," said Charon.

"He would never do such a thing, ferryman, don't insult him," Hermes replied. The black dog sat between them on the ride home, even suffering Selene to pat his back leg. The dog was calmer than she had ever seen it, and she had to accept that maybe Hermes really could talk to animals. Honestly, nothing would surprise me.

After they pulled up, Cerberus let out a loud woof of warning when he spotted the black dog.

"Be nice, Cerberus, this is my friend, and if you are a jerk, I'll get Selene to neuter you," Hermes told the three-headed dog. Cerberus gave Hermes a look that was all attitude before sniffing the black dog curiously. Tails wagged nervously, and then both of them exploded into a run.

"They will be fine," said Hermes.

"We've collected another stray I see," Hades called from his side of the villa. "It better be house trained." Hermes shrugged, but Hades only smiled at Selene and went back inside.

7

His hands were warm against her cold skin. He traced slow, languorous circles over her arms, her stomach, and her thighs. His lips joined his fingers, trailing hot lines down her chest. She cried out as he took one nipple in his mouth and sucked it hard.

It had been a long time since she let a man touch her, but she wanted him. Her whole body was on fire, yearning for him, wanting his delicious weight on top of her, skin to skin. His mouth found hers, tongue stroking against tongue, stubble against her lips and chin.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered in his husky voice. "I want to devour you whole." Lips moved from hers, going down the center of her chest, the curve of her stomach. A thrill of anticipation and nervous fear ran through her as his lips roamed further down, teeth nipping against her hip. Warm breath moved along her skin, and then his mouth settled between her thighs, tongue, and lips and stubble flooding her with pleasure.

"Fuck, Hermes," Selene cried out, and she woke up with a jolt. She was sweating, her hand down her panties, and before she could fully wake, she was coming hard. She whimpered against her damp pillow as the orgasm rocked her. Then she realized what she was doing and she yanked her hand out.

"What the hell?!" Selene exclaimed. The sun was coming through her window. She sat up, breathing heavily, as she blindly reached for the glass of water on her bedside table. Horror and embarrassment coursed over her. Did she just have a sex dream about... Selene downed the water. Her pajamas were scattered around her bed, where she had stripped them off in her sleep, her blanket tangled around her feet.

"Oh, my god," she muttered and dragged herself out of bed.

Having sex dreams about your patient, real classy, Selene. She climbed into the shower and turned on the water. Her body was still thrumming from the orgasm. She hadn't had a sex dream in years and never about someone she knew. She groaned and rested her forehead against the glass. How was she going to face him and not die of embarrassment?

"You are ridiculous. It's because you've been spending so much time with him," Selene said aloud, and then her treacherous mind went back to the glowing golden eyes between her legs. You're in so much shit.

By the time Selene got out, she was feeling more or less awake and back to her usual self. She laughed at the absurdity of the dream and dressed in a pair of jeans and a loose singlet. She was calmly drinking her morning tea in her garden when her phone vibrated with an unknown number. She opened the message and froze.

Hey, I know it's been a while, but I'm going to be in Styx for a few days for a conference. Would love if we could have dinner tonight and clear the air? I miss our friendship...E.

Selene took a deep breath and closed the message. Only Ezra would sign off a message with an initial.

"God, why me?" she asked the plants. She jumped as her phone buzzed again. It was Charon's morning ETA. Selene finished her tea and toast, brushed her teeth, and grabbed her bag. Her face looked more flushed than usual in the mirror. She took a deep breath and smoothed her bangs unnecessarily before hurrying down the three flights of stairs.

Charon was leaning against his favorite black Porsche, and there was a small group of women in her building's foyer staring at him. Not that Selene could blame them, it was rare to see someone that looked like him and a car that expensive on her side of Lethe.

"I'm starting to think Hades should let me use one of his fleet cars, so you don't have to go out of your way every day," she said as he opened the door for her.

"And make you feel like you're not special? Not likely, doll," replied Charon as he got into the driver's seat. "Besides, we have some errands to run before heading back to the villa."

"Like what?" asked Selene. Charon pulled a list out of his breast pocket and passed it to her.

"You were the one that let Hermes bring a new dog home. A dog that he's actually calling Dog by the way. It needs things, and so does Hermes. I figure if it looks like you brought him clothes, he might actually wear them and stop using that blanket as a cape,” he said. Selene laughed a little awkwardly, and Charon gave her a strange look. "You okay? You look a little shiny today."

"Shiny? What does that mean?"

"Glowing? I dunno. If I knew you had a guy, I'd suspect you'd been laid," Charon replied.

"Nope. No guy, no lay. Might be that I'm finally getting to see some sunlight," Selene said. Charon didn't look convinced.

They walked through the overpriced stores in the Diogenes, Selene picking more men's clothes of the softest fabrics she could find, Charon giving men's fashion advice as they went. Selene ignored the strange look the salespeople were giving her singlet and jeans ensemble, but they were polite enough as soon as they saw Charon was with her. They picked up a dog bowl, bed, and toys for the new addition to the family.

"How was Hermes this morning? No more nightmares?" Selene asked, internally cringing at her own dreams.

"When I looked in on him, he was asleep on the lounge room floor with the dog," Charon replied. "Are you worried about him?"

"No, I just wanted to know what I'm walking into, that's all. Hermes was upset yesterday because he knows that he designed things for Pandora. Maybe Hades should tell him what they found in ARGOS," said Selene.

"I don't think that will make him feel any better. Maybe when he's more back to normal, and when he can process it properly. I know Hermes. He was made to do some fucked up shit for Zeus more than once, and it haunted him even when he was sane. Pandora took advantage of his messed-up state and exploited him. Who knows what she made him do or make? If we tell him now, he'll be confused and angry, and he will have nowhere for that anger to go," argued Charon.

"Okay, but I don't know if hiding it from him will help either. I hope you guys find Pandora soon. I wouldn't mind throttling her myself," she said with a touch of venom.

"Selene, love, I think that's the most violent thing I've ever heard you say," Charon laughed.

"Well, I like Hermes, and it isn't cool what she's done to him."

Charon lowered his Ray-Bans. "That sneaky fucker. He's got to you already."

"What? Don't be ridiculous," Selene said. "Watch the road."

Charon shook his head. "Women have always loved that sly prick. Being mad hasn't changed that by the looks of things."

"We are friends, Charon. I have a duty of care for goodness sake," Selene said.

Charon just clicked his tongue. "Whatever you say, Lady Moon. I know you aren't friends with men often. I don't think you've had a date in years."

"I was asked out for dinner tonight actually," she said, and then hated herself for bringing it up.

"Oh, really? And what did you say?"

"Nothing yet. I'm making up mind whether or not to respond."

"You'll have to tell me how it went tomorrow when I pick you up," Charon said.

"I will," Selene snapped and ignored his smile. Stupid nosey titan.

8

Hermes sat outside his small house with one hand on Dog's head. He had woken up that morning with power vibrating under his skin. He didn't know what it did, but it was making him feel fuller and more complete. He was getting better. He had another two doors open in his mind, and he was feeling steady.

Words were beginning to flow in perfectly coherent lines in his mind again. Most importantly, they were taking hold like seeds on earth. He remembered how much he liked words and talking and writing. Zeus took away my expression. That fucking bastard. He wished he could remember why his father had done it to him.

Charon's black car appeared, coming down the driveway towards them. A strange feeling moved through him as Selene stepped out of the car and smiled shyly at him. He got to his feet and hurried to help her with her bags.

"What is all of this? I feel like every day you arrive with more and more things," Hermes said.

"These are all for you and your new dog," she replied. Her voice sounded a bit breathy and strange. She didn't look upset or angry, so he didn't know what the matter was.

"We can't have you wandering about half-dressed and frightening Selene's sensibilities," Charon said, walking past them with his arms laden with bags and a blue dog bed.

"My bare chest doesn't frighten you, does it, Selene?" Hermes asked.

"No, but you really should get used to wearing clothes again," she replied without looking at him, her voice going weird again.

"Are you okay? Did you sleep all right?" Hermes asked.

"I slept perfectly fine. I'm fine. Everything is fine," Selene said and followed Charon into the house.

"Everything is not fine," Hermes commentated to Dog. He found Charon putting food into the small fridge in the kitchen. There were boxes of new kitchen utensils, cutlery, plates, and saucepans stacked on the benches. "Have you upset, Selene?"

"Not me, champ. She's been peaky all morning. I think it's got to do with being asked out on a date tonight," Charon replied.

"I don't like the sound of that," said Hermes, taking an apple from one of the bags.

"I'm sure you don't, but it doesn't concern you, trickster." Hermes didn't like Charon's tone, so he stole his wallet from his back pocket as he left the kitchen.

Selene was on the deck, setting up metal dog food bowls and taking tags off toys.

"How are you this morning?" she asked before he could say anything.

"Better than you by the looks of things. I woke up, and I could feel my magic for the first time," Hermes said. "And I remembered my staff."

"Your staff?" Selene asked, her ears going red.

"An actual staff, I'm not trying to be lewd," Hermes clarified but was delighted that her mind went there.

"Like a wizard's staff?"

"Don't insult me. I am the god of magic, Selene. All wizard archetypes stem from the stories of me and not the other way around," he said, power flaring under his skin.

Selene jumped backward in fright. "Your eyes just changed, what did you do?"

"Nothing," he said, rubbing at them. "It's my magic. I didn't scare you, did I?"

"Maybe a little bit, but only because I didn't expect it. They flashed with gold light for a second, that's all. It didn't hurt you?" she asked, her hand coming to his forearm. It hadn't hurt, but Hermes liked it when she touched him, so he kept rubbing at his eyes.

"A little? Maybe you should check them?" he said pathetically. Selene moved to pull his hands away.

"Okay, bend down and give me a look," she replied, going into nurse mode. Hermes obliged her, and she turned his head with her delicate fingers so she could study his eyes.

"How do they look?" he asked softly.

"They don't look red or anything. Maybe it's a god thing you should ask Hades about," she said, hands on his cheeks. Hermes was looking at her lovely shaped lips when Charon cleared his throat behind them.

"There's nothing wrong with his eyes, Selene. It's when his magic flares and it doesn't hurt him. He's full of shit," Charon said, and Selene let Hermes's face go. Hermes was going to kill that titan.

"You might know that, but he doesn't," she said, coming to his defense. Hermes smiled smugly at Charon behind her back.

"I didn't remember," Hermes said innocently.

"I think you remember a lot more than you let on, trickster. You better watch out for his games as he gets better, Selene," replied Charon.

"Hermes was telling me about a staff, do you know what he's talking about?" asked Selene.

"Oh, yes. Big, gold, gaudy thing that it was."

"Do you know what it did?"

"He used it for channeling his magic and it could open the doors to the Underworld," said Charon.

"What do you mean doors?" asked Hermes. Why did it always come back to doors?

"It's how you used to get around so quickly. It's like you could open a door in reality, step through it and land somewhere else, a bit like Hades can. You used to need your staff to open the paths of the dead, though."

"So, the winged sandals were just a story?" asked Selene.

"It was humans trying to explain what they saw and couldn't understand," said Hermes, the memory creeping back to him as Charon talked.

"It's a shame really, I think you'd look cute with spangly winged shoes to match your big gold stick," teased Charon.

"Fuck off, ferryman," said Hermes.

Charon looked at his watch. "It is indeed time for me to get out of here. I have things to do for Hades, but text me the time you want to be picked up. I want to give you plenty of time to get ready for your date, Selene. I know it's been a while."

"I agree with Hermes, you can fuck off now," said Selene, eyes narrowed at Charon. He only laughed and gave them a little wave goodbye. "I should go and finish unpacking."

Hermes followed her back inside the kitchen. "What's this about a date?"

"It's nothing," said Selene, putting food into the kitchen cupboards.

"Doesn't seem like nothing, you've been jittery all morning."

"I'm not jittery," she replied. "And if you must know, Ezra is back in Styx and wants to see me. It's not a date, it's a discussion."

Hermes went cold. "Ezra. The horrible piece of shit boyfriend. You are actually going to see him?"

"I don't know. I'm thinking about it. Some things need to be said. It might be good closure."

Hermes couldn't believe what he was hearing. "He doesn't deserve closure, Selene, he deserves a bullet. He's only going to try to use you."

"You don't know that. I'll admit that he was pretty shitty in the end, but we had good times too. He might not deserve the closure, but I do."

"Are you still in love with him?" Hermes asked, closing in on her. Selene halted, holding a bag between them.

"That's none of your business."

"From what you told me, there isn't much to still be in love with. He sounds like he had as much personality as that box of plates over there," Hermes said and lowered his voice. "He probably didn't even kiss you with tongue."

"How he kissed me is also none of your business, Hermes," Selene replied steadily, her hands grabbing the bag like a shield.

"You don't have to answer me; I can see the truth. Something tells me he's not the man you dream about at night," he said. Selene's eyes flashed with anger.

"You know what? I think I will text Ezra back and see if he has time for a drink," she said, shoving the bag into his arms and pulling out her phone.

"Don't do it, Selene, it's a mistake."

"Maybe, but it's mine to make and not yours," she said as her fingers typed. "You know, I was on the fence whether or not to see him, but this conversation has convinced me it might be a good idea."

"If you are doing this to prove a point to me, don't, Selene. He's going to hurt you," Hermes replied, hating himself for pushing her.

"He's hurt me before, so I don't have anything to be afraid of, do I?" she said, and her phone buzzed in her hand. "Oh, look at that, drinks at 7pm at the Lethe Loft."

"Why are you acting this way?" asked Hermes.

"Why are you? It's none-"

"Of my business, yes, you said that, but you're wrong, it is my business. You're my friend, Selene. Friends don't let other friends date boring plate men who don't know how to pleasure a woman and who have treated them like shit. You're not shit. You deserve to be kissed by a man who actually knows what he's doing," Hermes argued.

"It's not a date," Selene repeated softly.

"He is going to think that it is, and you've just run to him like he knew you would," Hermes replied, getting in her face. They stared at each other for a long moment, and he thought about kissing her angry lips. "Have it your way, but don't say I didn't warn you. I'm going to go play with Dog."

"Fine. I'm going to catch up to Charon and go home," Selene said, pushing past him. She grabbed her bag off the table and walked out the door, leaving him more frustrated than ever.

HOURS LATER, Hermes was drinking with Hades down at the villa. Selene hadn't come back, and he'd been angry at himself for the whole day.

"You have to stop her, Hades. You know that guy is trash," Hermes argued, pacing up and down the lounge room. "At least send one of the titans to keep an eye on her to make sure Ezra doesn't try anything."

"Stop worrying about Selene. She is a grown woman and can handle the likes of Ezra. Charon said you remembered your staff and can feel your magic. That's more important right now. Can you see the doorways yet?" Hades asked.

Hermes raked a hand through his hair. "I don't know what I'm looking for. I can feel the power there, though. We need to find my staff. I need to use it to beat the shit out of this Ezra and get him out of Selene's life once and for all."

"And we are back at Selene again," sighed Hades.

"Of course, we are! It's because she's the reason I can think clearly again. She has magic. Her presence reacts to whatever Zeus did to me, and now my nurse is going to get trampled on by a piece of shit man. How can you be so nonchalant about the whole thing? You know what he did to her," ranted Hermes.

"For the god of boundaries, you really need to learn to have some," said Hades. "I know Selene. She's not going to be fooled by Ezra again. She has a reason to see him."

"Yeah, to piss me off."

"Not everything in Selene's life is about you, Hermes."

"Well, maybe it should be."

Hades groaned. "Can you even hear yourself? You're acting like a petulant child. She's not your property, Hermes."

"I am the god of magic and all of its domains! She has magic, so she is mine to protect," Hermes hissed, power racing like hot lightning through him.

"Well, there he is at last." Hades put his drink down and got up. He was taller than Hermes, but not by a lot, and yet, there was something in his silver eyes that made Hermes step back. "If you are so worried about Selene, go and do something about it. Find the doors and find her if you must, but don't whine to me about it when you are the one with the power at your fingertips." And just like that, Hermes could see the magic in his mind's eye, see the golden seams of light around him just waiting for him to tear open.

Hermes pushed his beer into Hades's hand. "Here, hold my drink." And he let his magic go, stepped sideways, and was suddenly standing back in his house. Dog barked at his unexpected appearance.

"I'm fine, don't worry," he told him and patted his head. "I've got a date to crash."

9

Selene's stomach hit her shoes the moment she walked into the Lethe Loft. She had been fueled by anger the whole afternoon, and now when she needed it, it was gone.

The anger had forced Selene to take extra care with her appearance that evening, leaving her heavy curls out and put makeup on for the first time in months. She didn't want to face Ezra looking like the crushed flower he had left behind. Who did Hermes think he was telling her off like that? She had ranted as she dressed in black high waisted tailored trousers that flattered her curvy hips and a silk top the same pale blue as her eyes. Selene had been fired up and feeling ready to butt heads with any man who thought it was okay to tell her what to do.

Then she saw Ezra sitting at a booth, and a sickening jolt knocked the wind out of her. He still looked like the perfect poster boy doctor, blond hair carefully groomed, an easy, charming smile and in a suit that screamed wealth.

Get out of here, a voice warned her, but Ezra looked up and saw her. Just pretend he's Hermes, and you'll have no problems yelling at him. Selene straightened her shoulders and made her way to his table.

"Selene, I almost didn't recognize you. You look amazing," Ezra said, standing up so he could kiss her cheek. He was still wearing the same aftershave, and Selene was reminded of scrubbing her apartment and burning a month's worth of sage to get that smell out.

"Thanks, I think," Selene replied and sat down at the booth.

"Would you like a drink?"

"Sure thing, that's why we are here, isn't?" she said.

Ezra smiled and gestured the waiter over. "Can I grab another gin and tonic, and one for the lady?"

"I'll have a beer, thank you," she interrupted calmly. "I haven't drunk gin and tonics in a long time."

"I stand corrected," said Ezra.

"So, what brings you back to Styx?"

"Speaking at a conference. You know how these things are. You make one new advancement in medicine, and you have to talk about it for the next three years," Ezra said with a dramatic roll of his eyes. Selene knew that was bullshit. He loved to talk to crowds and have all his peers look at him with equal parts jealousy and admiration. "What about you? Still working for Leo?"

"I quit a few days ago," Selene replied, as the waiter came back with her beer. She quickly drank two large mouthfuls, hoping that the alcohol would calm her down.

"Wow, really? I never saw that coming. You seemed so comfortable there. What are you doing now?" he asked.

"Working full time for Hades," Selene replied and took a small amount of pleasure in seeing the surprise in his eyes.

"I thought that business would've been dealt with," he said with a careful smile.

"I like working for Hades. He made me a good offer, so I walked."

"Really? What kind of offer? You're a nurse, it's not like he's running hospitals," Ezra pressed.

"Sorry, non-disclosure agreement, so I can't talk about it. I can say it is better pay, better hours," Selene replied.

"I'm surprised but happy for you. Hades Acheron is a hard man to impress. I hoped your…dealings with him would be over by now."

"Why? So you can stop feeling guilty about me being the one to shoulder your debt?" Selene asked and finished her beer while he shifted uncomfortably.

"I have said sorry about that. You know I didn't want it to go down that way. I'm not that person anymore. I got help and made amends," Ezra replied.

"Really? I haven't received my apology yet, or did you miss that step?" she asked. She waved at the waitress for another round of drinks.

"I had to work my way up to you," he said softly, leaning forward to rest his hand on top of hers. "I am sorry, Selene. I would like us to be friends again, maybe more, but I wouldn't push for that."

"Why? It wasn't like our relationship was any good by the time you left, and you know it. Besides, you live in Athens now."

"It's another reason I wanted to see you. I want to start a private practice here is Styx, back to my roots. I'm going to need good people to help me."

Selene moved her hand out from under his and took her fresh beer from the waitress. "I don't think that's a good idea. I'm contracted to help Hades anyway."

"I understand, and it might actually work out in our favor that you're positioned where you are," Ezra said.

Our favor? Selene tried not to choke on her beer. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Well, no one opens a business in Styx without Hades's blessing, especially in the Diogenes where I'm looking at real estate. I could use your help making this move go more smoothly for me in that area, if you know what I mean," he replied and gave her his most charming smile. She used to fall for it every time. Now the urgency to catch up suddenly made sense.

"This was what you wanted all along. This isn't about making amends for how you treated me," said Selene.

"That's not true. It's both! You know you weren't a picnic to live with either, Selene. Our relationship didn't break just because of me," Ezra argued, his smooth tone slipping.

"It broke because you fucking hit me," Selene hissed, trying to keep her voice down.

"I told you I didn't mean it."

"It still happened! Now you come back and only want to talk to me because I know Hades," she said. Hermes was right, this was a stupid mistake.

"What is it between you? Are you sleeping together? Why is he keeping around a nurse? I don't get it," Ezra asked, and downed his gin and tonic.

"You know what? I'm just going to go," Selene said, but as she made to get up, he grabbed her by the forearm and held her in place. His grip wasn't tight, but she froze, fear turning her cold all over as she stared at his perfectly manicured hands gripping her.

"Please don't go. You're still angry, I get that, but please just hear me out okay? If you don't want to be friends again that's fine, just help me out with this one thing for old times’ sake-"

"Selene! There you are. I'm so sorry I'm late, I couldn't get away," a warm, husky voice said. She looked up, and through a thin film of tears, she saw Hermes walking towards their table. He was dressed in dark jeans and one of the white button-up silk shirts Charon had bought him, sleeves pushed up his golden-brown forearms. Eyes followed him through the bar, the waitress staring dumbly as he breezed past her. Ezra's hand let Selene go in surprise as Hermes slid into the booth beside her.

Before Selene could react or stop him, Hermes brushed a stray curl away from her face before bringing her close and kissing her. His lips were scorching hot as he expertly coaxed her mouth open and touched his tongue against hers. Something pulsed in her chest in response to him, her entire body breaking out in goose bumps. Selene's hand came up to rest on his hard stomach, heat radiating from under the silk as she kissed him back.

Kissed with tongue. God, he was right about that too. Ezra had never kissed her like this, in a way that made her feel the sensation all the way to her toes.

"I've wanted to do that all day," Hermes said against her lips when they broke apart. He turned his head as if he just noticed they had company. "I'm sorry. You must be Selene's old friend." Ezra's face had gone as cold as Selene's had gone hot.

"Ah, yes, this is Ezra," she quickly introduced.

"Doctor Ezra Adamos," Ezra said in a tone that was all superiority.

"Hermes," he replied, placing an arm around Selene's shoulders.

"Like the god?" Ezra asked with an amused snort. "Your parents must have really hated you."

"Exactly like the god," Hermes replied. "And my parents definitely hated me. Sorry about crashing in on your drinks, but I couldn't wait another minute to see my girl." Hermes kissed her temple affectionately, and Selene reached for her beer. This can't be happening. She drained her drink, so she didn't have to say anything.

"Your girl? Are you seriously out on a date with me when you're seeing someone?" Ezra looked at Selene incredulously.

"This wasn't a date, Ezra, it was drinks like I said in my message," she replied quickly. "I think we should go."

"No, it's fine. I'm just surprised that you're dating, that's all. Tell me, what do you do, Hermes?" asked Ezra, his 'doctor' tone back to set Selene's teeth on edge.

"I'm a magician," said Hermes.

Ezra laughed. "Seriously? Did you guys meet at the children's ward or something?"

"Oh, I'm not that kind of magician," Hermes replied.

"Then what kind are you? Is it even a profession?"

"Ezra! Seriously?" Selene hissed.

Hermes's smile was now a threat that Ezra was too dumb to recognize. Hermes held out his hand and made a small intricate gesture.

"Was that meant to be a trick?" Ezra mocked.

"It was a trick. You just weren't quick enough to see it," Hermes replied smugly. "Come on, Selene, we've got a dinner to get to." Hermes stood up and made room for her to get out of the booth.

"Selene, don't go, we haven't finished our conversation," said Ezra as she moved. He went to grab her arm again, but Hermes was quicker, catching him by the wrist.

"Don't you fucking touch her," Hermes growled.

"Hermes –" Selene whispered as the air around him charged.

"Oh, I've already touched her, don't you worry about that," Ezra replied, his tone turning nasty. "I'm sure I'll be touching her again as soon as she grows out of her kiddie clown phase."

"Let me show you a trick you might be slow enough to appreciate," Hermes said, and made a small snatching gesture. Ezra went to mock him, but no sound came out of his throat. He looked at Hermes, face pale as he tried wrenching his hand out of his grip.

"Now for my next trick, I'm going to break your finger without touching you, and you won't be able to do a thing about it," Hermes said, and Ezra's index finger snapped audibly. Ezra mouthed a soundless scream, tears running down his face.

"Hermes, that's enough," Selene said, wrapping her arms around him. "Please, let's just go."

"You are lucky that she has such a soft heart, and I’m trying to be a better male,” Hermes told Ezra and clicked his fingers. Ezra's index finger snapped back into place. "If you ever bother her again, I'll find you Ezra Adamos, and I'll break every bone in your fucking worthless body. Nod if you understand." Ezra nodded, his face red with anger and pain. "Good. I'll give you your voice back now, but do try to be more civil using that tongue, or I'll take it too," Hermes said and let Ezra go. Ezra breathed in a deep breath and clutched his hand to his chest.

"H-Hermes," he gasped, eyes wide in recognition.

"Yes, like the actual god, you piece of shit mortal," Hermes hissed, and his eyes flashed golden. "Let's go, Selene, I'm pretty sure he just pissed himself." He took her hand, and they walked out together, everyone in the bar carefully looking the other way. When they were outside, Selene quickly let go of Hermes and took a shaky breath.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded, rounding on him.

"I wanted to keep an eye on you, make sure that fucker didn't try anything. I wasn't going to interfere, but then he fucking grabbed you," Hermes said, his eyes flashing with anger and magic under the streetlights.

"He didn't hurt me. Oh, god, I just…I just panicked," Selene said, pressing a shaking hand to her chest. Tears of shock began falling before she could swallow them down. "I'm sorry, I don't know why I'm crying. It's so stupid." The anger melted from Hermes's face, and he pulled her into a hug.

"It's okay. You don't ever have to worry about him ever again, hear me?" he said, running his hand over her back.

"I suppose you should say I told you so. Go ahead, I deserve it," Selene sniffed, wiping the tears off her cheeks.

"No, you don't. You wanted your closure. I hope that it's now closed, because I swear, I'm ready to go back and-" Selene put her fingers over his mouth.

"Stop. Don't say it. Let's just go and get something to eat, okay? I don't want to talk about him ever again," she said.

"Okay," Hermes replied and held out a hand. She took it and hung onto it tightly. "Lead the way, Lady Moon."

"I need some carbs in a bad way after this shit. My favorite burger place is this way," she said. She didn't know how to tell him how grateful she was for him at that moment. She needed to eat and sober up so she could think clearly.

They walked past a silver Audi, and Selene recognized Ezra's personalized plates 'Dr Ez' that she'd bought him when they were dating. Then she noticed that his tires had been slashed, and it was covered in dints.

"Look, there was my other magic trick," said Hermes happily.

Selene burst out laughing. "Oh, my god, Hermes, he's going to be so angry."

"Good, serves him right for being such an asshole," he said, and as they walked past the wrecked car, another shot of magic sizzled out of him, and all its windows cracked. Selene laughed harder, her stress and anger melting away.

10

Hermes knew that Selene was upset and a little tipsy, but it didn't stop him from enjoying the way she hung onto his hand as they walked through the alleys and back streets of Lethe. Selene stopped at a burger shop that was only a window in a wall, with a few packed tables on the sidewalk.

"What do you want to eat?" Selene asked, bouncing a little on the balls of her feet. Hermes had never seen someone so excited about burgers before.

"I don't care, order for me," he said and passed her a handful of notes from Charon's wallet.

"Woah, way too much," Selene replied, giving most of it back to him. "I'm going to have to teach you about modern currency."

"I'll learn anything you feel like teaching me," Hermes said, loving the way it made Selene bite the side of her lip to keep from smiling. Does she have any idea how adorable she is? She didn't if her taste in men was anything to go by.

Hermes had been determined to watch over her and not interrupt her night, but as soon as Ezra had grabbed her and he had seen the fear on her face, Hermes couldn't sit by and do nothing. He had planned to interrupt them; he hadn't planned on kissing her. He saw the surprise and relief on her face, and he couldn't help himself. He had to kiss her, and now he couldn't stop thinking about the feel and taste of her.

Selene was coming back towards him with a broad smile, her arms full of brown paper bags. Hermes vowed then and there that he would say anything to keep that smile on her face and keep her from thinking about the asshole in the bar.

"All the tables are taken, but we might find one at the park around the corner," she said as she joined him.

"I have the perfect place in mind," Hermes replied.

"Really? Where?" Hermes led her to the end of the alley, where there were no pedestrians or watching eyes.

"Down here behind the bins? Gross, Hermes," Selene said, wrinkling her nose.

"Not here. Just try not to scream," Hermes replied and wrapped his arms around her.

"What-" Selene began, but he had already opened a doorway, and they were suddenly standing on the small beach on Hades's property.

"What the fuck, Hermes! How did you do that?" she asked, and her eyes went wider. "The wings of Hermes."

"Yeah, I figured out how to do it this afternoon. I could see the doors again. Okay, wait one second," he said, before stepping through another door and returning thirty seconds later with a blanket from the couch and two beers.

"That is amazing," Selene whispered.

"It's really not as hard as it looks," said Hermes, and he spread out the blanket over the sand. Selene kicked off her heels and sat down.

"You know what? I'm going to eat this burger and then ask you a hundred questions," she said.

Hermes sat down beside her and tried not to touch her dark curls. "I admire your wishful thinking that I'm going to be able to provide you with a hundred answers."

"Give yourself some credit. You're getting better every day, Hermes. I can't believe you turned up tonight," she said and handed him his burger, "but thank you. No one has ever done anything like that for me before."

"What? Kissed you properly?" Hermes asked. "Or break a disrespectful ass's finger?"

Selene tucked her hair behind her ear and didn't look up from her burger. "Both, as it turns out. You might regret that kiss after you watch me eat this."

"I highly doubt it," Hermes said honestly. "If anything, I'm going to be impressed, because that burger is the size of your head."

"I know! Isn't it great?" Selene laughed. After one or two bites, he tried not to watch her because the sexy little groans of happiness she was making at the back of her throat combined with her lips wrapping around things made his thoughts turn filthy. Yes, she definitely has no idea how adorable she is.

Unfortunately for Hermes, Selene didn't stop being adorable after she finished eating. He wanted the memory back of how to be charming and not awkward in front of the girl he liked.

"I honestly can't remember the last time I had a picnic," Selene said, lying back on the blanket and looking up at the stars.

"Neither can I, but really that's not saying much," Hermes replied, stretching out beside her.

"You are doing incredibly well. I'm starting to think I shouldn't have been so quick to quit my job."

"I still need you. I mean, you're a good nurse, and I'm not as recovered as you think." Hermes looked across at her. "I got my words back, but my mind is a jumbled mess. I have magic with only vague feelings on how to control it. I have nightmares, and I don't know if they are memories or just dreams. I'm confused about everything all the time."

"You didn't seem confused at all tonight when you showed up uninvited," Selene said.

"Oh, no, you've sobered up enough to lecture me," Hermes complained. "I'll go and get you another beer."

Selene laughed softly. "Not necessary, there will be no lecture. As I said before, I'm relieved that you were there tonight. I just don't know why you did it."

Hermes wanted to give her the same line he gave Hades; that he was the god of magic and that she belonged to him. He thought better of it.

"I don't know much right now, Selene, but I do know you're too special to be treated like you're not." Her eyes turned silver with tears, but she didn't let them fall.

"Would it be inappropriate if I hugged you right now?" she asked. "Because I really need a hug."

"You should know I don't understand the meaning of the word inappropriate," Hermes replied, trying to make her laugh. Selene didn't laugh. She moved to rest her head on his shoulder and put an arm over his chest. He recovered quickly from his surprise and put his arms around her. Her hair smelled of roses and citrus and something very female, and if he shut his eyes, he could feel the magic swirling deep inside her core.

"Can I ask you something really crazy?" she said.

"You are forgetting who you are talking to again," Hermes replied, and she laughed against him.

"Sorry, let me rephrase. I need to ask you something, and it's going to make me sound as crazy as you, and I don't want to make it weird."

"Ask away, Lady Moon."

"When you kissed me tonight, did you feel something…strange?"

"Define strange." Hermes had felt a lot of things when he kissed her. Mostly that he wanted to kiss her more, a lot more, and everywhere. She is talking about the magic and not your dick going hard, his newly rediscovered consciousness said.

"Strange, like a pulse? I don't know how else to describe it."

"I felt it, but I don't think you'll believe me if I tell you what it was," said Hermes.

"I saw you steal someone's voice tonight. I'm redefining what I can believe right now," Selene replied, her fingers twisting in the fabric of his shirt. It was distracting and delightful at the same time.

"I'm a god of magic, Selene, what you felt when we kissed was my magic…recognizing yours," Hermes said.

Selene lifted her head up. "But I don't have magic."

"God of magic here, I'm the expert. If you don't trust my word on it, ask Hades. He has felt it too. I'm sure if I didn't have this damn curse on me, I'd be able to tell you what it's for. My guess, though, is that it's to do with healing." A small, uncertain line appeared between her brows, and he wanted to kiss it away.

"Healing magic? How can you be so sure? I've always liked helping people who are suffering, it's why I chose nursing, but I would have noticed if I were using magic."

Hermes tangled his fingers in the ends of her soft curls. "Don't you think it's strange that out of all the powerful beings around me, that it's only in your presence that I can think clearly. That you were a key to unlocking my doors? All I've done is spend time around you for a week, and I can now form full sentences." Selene lay back down, and his heart did an unusual thump that he hoped she didn't hear.

"Until I see something magical, I'm going to maintain that it's being around people you know, and not being drugged by Pandora," she said. Selene hadn't rejected the possibility outright or sounded angry, so Hermes counted it as a win.

They watched the stars in silence until Hermes realized Selene had fallen asleep. Very carefully, he lifted her up, and using her presence as a guide, he stepped through a doorway and into her apartment.

"Sweet dreams, Lady Moon," he whispered as he placed her on her bed and kissed her cheek. He was about to step through another doorway when a light flickered in the corner of his eye. He turned back around, and Selene, the woman who thought she had no magic, was gleaming like starlight. Hermes watched dumbfounded as silvery grey light pulsed from her skin. A memory hit him in the face like a slap, and he took an involuntary step backward. He had only ever seen magic like that once before.

"Just what I need," he muttered before opening a doorway and disappearing through the shadows.

HERMES DIDN'T GO to bed that night. He drew and drew and drew until he fell asleep with his head on the table. He was wakened by Erebus charging into the room the next morning.

"Someone had an attack on inspiration last night," the titan said, looking at the haphazard piles of sketches. "What happened?"

Hermes rubbed at his face. "I saved Selene from a bad date and then couldn't sleep because my head decided to explode."

"Wait, you went out? Like outside, out?" Erebus asked. "Does Hades know?"

"He was the one that told me to go."

"Charon said Selene had a date and that you were jealous." Erebus went to the kitchen and turned on the hot water jug.

"It wasn't like that!" Hermes protested.

"The hell it wasn't. We all know you are crushing on her. I didn't think you were crazy enough to go after her on a date though. How did she take it? I hope she kicked you right in the nuts for being so clingy."

"You are ridiculous, that's not what happened at all," argued Hermes and told Erebus about his night, minus the kiss because the titan would've never shut up about it. Erebus made coffee and sat down at the table opposite him.

"I can't believe you had a beach picnic and didn't invite me," he complained. "It's rather adorable, even though I hate that she likes you instead of me."

"I don't know if she likes me in the way that you are implying," Hermes said uncertainly.

"If she didn't maim you for crashing her date and then taking her for another one, then it's safe to assume that yes, she does. She likes the Court, and she hasn't hung out with any of us like that. So maybe she likes you that wee bit more than what you think," said Erebus with a grin. "Also, Thanatos and Charon said Selene checks you out when she thinks no one is looking. Cheeky hussy."

"I think I've figured out where she gets her magic from," Hermes replied, wanting to change the subject before it made him feel hopeful and flustered and even more ridiculous.

"Hold that thought, trickster. Hades will want to hear about this because it's been bugging him for years," said Erebus.

"Okay, then you can go and wake him up while I have a shower. I'll meet you down there," Hermes suggested.

"Sure, make me responsible for waking the beast," Erebus muttered in his mug.

"I'll tell Hades you said that."

Hermes showered quickly, thinking over the previous night and what Erebus had said. Erebus was always the flirtiest of the titans, so he knew better than to take anything he said too seriously. Selene had been emotional the night before and needed comfort, and that was all that there was to it.

You are half a god right now, focus on getting the other half back and not on crushing on pretty nurses. Once he was back together, then he would pursue it if he thought he had half a chance.

Down in the main villa, Hades was awake and making more coffee. Erebus was chatting to Thanatos, and Hermes felt a strange sensation move through him. They really were like a family, an easiness between them that was never on Olympus. It had always been so petty and competitive, at least the parts he remembered, and Hades actually wanted to protect those under his care.

"Hermes, there you are. Dressed and all, I think I need to give Selene a raise," said Hades and offered him more coffee. "How was your date?"

"It wasn't a date," Hermes replied, shooting Erebus a pissed off glare.

"What? I never said a thing."

"I felt the moment you left the villa's boundaries and figured you had finally worked out the doors," Hades explained. "You were highly motivated."

"And it was a good thing I was. That guy was as bad news as I said he was," Hermes said, and because he knew Erebus would embellish the story, he quickly recapped for Hades and Thanatos the night with Selene.

"I was taking her back to her apartment, and she was glowing in her sleep," Hermes said, and looked at Thanatos, "It was almost starlight, and it looked exactly like…"

"Hecate," Thanatos interrupted. "Shit."

"My thoughts exactly."

"Selene has magic, but it looks like she's not one of yours, after all, Hermes," said Hades.

"Like fuck, she's not," Hermes snapped before cursing himself as Hades laughed. "I can't think straight, but I know it's been a long time since anyone has seen Hecate. She could be dead for all we know, and Selene being a part of Hecate's chosen doesn't mean the goddess is going to claim her any time soon. She needs guidance and protection now."

"I would know if Hecate was dead," said Thanatos, dark eyes troubled.

"And if she's been marked by Hecate's power, it certainly explains why you've always been so protective when it comes to Selene," Erebus added, looking at his brother and trying to hide his concern. Thanatos didn't argue with him. Hermes knew that Thanatos had once been friends with the Goddess of the Crossroads, but that was all he could remember.

"Did you tell Selene about this?" asked Hades.

"I told her that I can feel magic in her and left it at that. She was upset last night, I didn't want to make it worse," said Hermes.

"Good, we will need to tread carefully with this. It's a stressful enough time with looking for Pandora. I don't want Pithos targeting Selene because they find out she's got power," Hades replied.

"I got more memories of my time with Pandora and of some people she worked with." Hermes passed him a sketch of two men, one older with mean eyes, the other younger and ambitious. "These two used to come to meet with Pandora too."

"We don't have to worry about this one," said Hades, pointing to the old man. "This is Acrisius Argos, and he's dead. They found his body in a wooden box in the Athens Port."

"That would've been Pandora's doing. She was getting angry with him in the few weeks before you came with Persephone," Hermes replied.

"I don't recognize this other man, but I'll send it to Medusa and see what she and Lola can find," said Hades.

"Of the two, he always seemed the coldest. The one to look out for." Hermes hugged himself, remembering the man's hungry eyes on him. "He can't ever find out about Selene."

"No one will ever touch Selene. That I can promise you," said Thanatos, the titan of death moving close to the surface of his human form.

"We all need to get together and talk about all of this, Selene included," Hades said looking at Erebus. "Organize a meeting. Hermes, write down anything you remember about this man and anything else about Pandora's associates or your time with them."

"I'll try, Hades, but I don't know if it will work," Hermes said honestly. It wasn't like he could force the memories to come back, and when they did come, they weren't always relevant.

"The sooner we find them, the safer Selene will be," Hades replied. Hermes narrowed his eyes at the deliberate provocation.

"You're still a bastard," he said.

Hades lifted his coffee and saluted him. "Takes one to know one, Poikilomêtês."

11

Selene woke the following morning, tucked in her own bed, and wearing the previous night's clothes. She stretched out her hand on the space beside her, searching for…Hermes. Selene went from a doze to fully alert in half a second as she sat bolt upright. The last thing she remembered was looking at the stars and using Hermes as a pillow.

How did I get home? Selene pushed the wild hair from her face. On her bedside table was a small pile of shells and her missing silver bangle. Hermes must've used his magic and put you to bed. She would have woken up if one of the triplets had driven her. The thought of Hermes carrying her made her hot all over, so she climbed out of bed.

Selene fumbled for her phone and found it still in her pocket. She had six messages, and two missed phone calls from Ezra.

"Boring plate man indeed," she muttered. Then she deleted them all without reading them. There was a message from Erebus that was a confusing series of smiley faces and eggplant emojis, and another from Ariadne asking what time she was coming tonight.

Coming where? Selene would sometimes work the fight pits if there were going to be weapons matches on, but usually, Asterion gave her plenty of notice.

Selene stumbled to the bathroom and took off her crumpled sandy clothes that somehow smelled more like Hermes than her. She climbed under the hot water and thought about the night before.

Hermes kissed you, with lots of tongue which you've never liked, and now suddenly can't stop thinking about it. Then you cried on him and fell asleep. Also, you kissed him back. You can't even blame alcohol because you barely had a beer buzz. Oh, my god, Hermes kissed you, and you liked it.

Hermes had kissed her first so she couldn't really be blamed for it, could she? Selene could still feel the sensation of his lips on hers, stubble and soft heat… she shook herself. Hades was going to kill her. She was supposed to be helping Hermes not kissing him. Hermes might not even remember doing it. The thought should've comforted her and instead made her feel a little sick. The only way she would find out would be to go and see for herself.

In the mirror, her eyes were looking unusually bright, and despite the awkwardness in her stomach, she couldn't help but smile.

"What's the matter with you? You've only known the guy a week, and he's a freaking god. You must be crazier than he is," she complained to her reflection. Her phone buzzed on her bathroom counter with another waiting message from Charon.

Hey, sleeping beauty, are you awake yet? God of Non-Stop Chatting is asking for you.

I'm awake. Is he okay?

He won't be if he doesn't shut up soon. P.S. Why haven't you ever had a beach picnic with me?

"Just what I need," Selene groaned before she text him back. Because you've never saved me from a bad date. Come and get me when you have time.

Selene tossed her phone on her bed, and then went to get dressed. Knowing how Charon drove, he would be outside her door in record time. She left her wet hair out to dry and swiped on some lip gloss. Selene was determined to treat it like any other day, and completely forget the strange sensation that had pulsed in her chest and other parts of her the night before. Stop thinking about it.

Outside, Charon's red Ferrari was a bright spot on a rainy day. He waited for her with an umbrella, a knowing smile on his face.

"Morning, doll, how was the date?" he asked as he walked her out to the car.

"Horrendous."

"Really? I can't wait to tell Hermes that," Charon said and shut the door behind her.

"Hermes saved me from it, so he knows," Selene replied when he got into the driver's seat.

"I was talking about your date with him. Two dates on the same night, you minx. I'm so proud of you."

"Hermes and I weren't on a date."

"A picnic on the beach is a date, doll." Charon shot her a sideways grin. "Did he kiss you good night?"

"No," Selene said, keeping her eyes fixed on the road.

"He didn't? Damn, he must've lost his seducing skills as well as his mind," said Charon, clicking his tongue.

"I wouldn't say that," Selene replied. "He can be very sweet when he wants to be."

"Hermes has been accused of a lot of things over the years, but sweet isn't one of them."

Selene fiddled with her phone. "He is to me."

"It's because he's a besotted idiot. Really, Hades should have known better than to throw someone as beautiful as you in Hermes path and not expected the old trickster to have a crack," Charon replied.

"He was in the cave a long time. I'm the only girl he's seen in ages. He'll be fine when he gets out and about again," she said, trying to feel as dismissive as she sounded.

Charon hummed and changed gears. "Yeah, that's not really how gods like to operate. At least not the ones that weren't crazy rapists like Zeus. You've woken something in Hermes, and he's fascinated by you, and you are just going to have to figure out how to deal with that."

Selene played with the ends of her hair. "Any tips?"

"Ha! No, love and obsession ain't exactly my forte."

"I still think you are reading too much into it, Charon. He'll get better, and he certainly won't need the likes of me anymore," she replied.

"You are really fucking cute when you are lying to yourself, Selene. No one is going to think less of you if you end up liking him back. I mean, Erebus will cry because he's been trying to get in your pants for years, but no one else will care," Charon said. "I like that you smile when you're around Hermes."

"He's a crazy, funny guy. That's why," Selene replied dismissively. A scorching hot, crazy, funny guy. Oh, fuck, stop it, or you're going to make yourself nervous.

When they pulled in at the villa, Erebus was loitering against the front door and trying to keep out of the rain.

"Morning, Selene, how was your romp on the beach?" he asked when she joined him under the awning.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she replied. "Where's Hermes hiding?"

Erebus pointed at the forest. "It started raining, and he lost his shit and took off down the path."

"You let him go on his own?" she demanded.

"If he was in a clear enough mind to talk in full sentences and go after you in the city last night, he can handle a walk in the woods," replied Erebus.

"He might be able to express himself properly now, but he admitted he's nowhere near thinking clearly," Selene said and snatched Charon's umbrella out of his hands.

"You're overreacting, Selene, he's fine," Erebus groaned.

"I am not overreacting! He could get lost or confused or hurt. I'm going after him. If I'm not back in an hour, ping the GPS on my phone," Selene snapped. "Don't even think of trying to deny that you track it. I know you do."

Selene had almost reached the tree line when Erebus called, "Watch out for the big, bad wolf!"

"Up yours!" she shouted back when she saw them both laughing at her. She wanted to be able to be as chill and blasé about Hermes's safety. Still, she wouldn't relax without making sure he was okay. That he was a god with magic pouring out of him didn't matter.

Selene hadn't ever explored the forest Persephone had created. She knew what the property had looked like before, so she figured it would help her be able to find her way back. There was a path, so she followed it, hoping Hermes might have done the same. She had wandered for about twenty minutes and was starting to worry when she spotted Hermes sitting on the wet leaf litter and staring at a Cyprus pine. He was soaked, his white t-shirt sticking to him in ways that made Selene have more inappropriate thoughts that she didn't need.

"Hermes?" she said softly, not wanting to startle him. He didn't move, so she knelt down in front of him, holding the umbrella over his head. "Hey, Hermes, are you okay?" He looked catatonic. She reached out and rested a hand on his cheek. "Are you in there?" she whispered.

"Boo!" Hermes said, and she squealed in surprise, dropping the umbrella and slipping backward onto her butt. "Oh, shit, I didn't mean to scare you that badly!"

"Ah, you asshole!" she complained, pain shooting up her back. Hermes's concerned face hovered over her.

"Can you move? Oh no, I hurt my nurse."

Selene gripped a handful of the wet leaf litter and mud and then wiped it down his shirt. "Now, I feel better. If I'm going to be wet and dirty, you are too."

Hermes stared at his soiled shirt with a devilish smile. "I don't like white anyway. Would you like a hand up or do you want to dirty me some more?" he asked, golden eyes shining and tone full of innuendo. Selene took the edge of his shirt and used it to wipe the mud off her palms.

"It's the least you could do. And to think I came in here because I was worried about you," Selene said, and he helped her to her feet. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"Enjoying the rain," Hermes replied, taking her hand and stopping her from reaching for the broken umbrella. "Wait, stand here with me. You're already wet, so it won't matter."

"Okay," she said, humoring him.

"Now, close your eyes and tilt your head back," he instructed. Selene did as he asked.

"What now?" she whispered.

"Shhh, just listen."

Selene focused on her breath, the feeling of the rain falling in cold drops on her hot skin, the smell of Cyprus pine, soil and leaf litter in the air. There was a bird that she didn't know the name of calling through the trees, the branches making a soft susurration of sound as they blew in the gentle wind. The whole world seemed to expand and contract around her.

How long had it been since she actually stood still and appreciated something? She had always been so busy, rushing to and from jobs and responsibilities, collapsing at night to start it all again the next day. The only peace she found were brief stolen moments in her little garden or surrounded by shelter dogs. Why did she feel like she had to ration that time? For some reason, the thoughts made her feel impossibly sad. After Ezra, she had shut herself down, locking herself away to protect her mauled heart. She thought it was only just people, but it had been everything.

No one that she knew had tried to save her from it, no one had even noticed. But Hermes had within a week of knowing her. I'll pick the locks on my doors until they open, oh yes, and then I'll be coming after yours. His words came back to her, and she fought to keep her eyes shut. She could sense him behind her, like a big shadow of wound up energy stalking her in small circles. You found the big, bad wolf, after all.

"The rain caught in your hair looks like stars," Hermes whispered. "It makes me want to draw them."

Selene didn't open her eyes, wondering what he would do if she stood there long enough. Long, warm fingers traced through the water droplets on her bare arm, over the strap of her singlet and shoulder. Selene's breath staggered; the small touch magnified in her hyper-aware state. She knew that her singlet was soaked, and there was no way she could hide her hard nipples that had nothing to do with the cold. You should stop this before it escalates further. Selene swallowed nervously as his fingers moved to her throat, following the line of her fluttering pulse.

"Is it okay that I am touching you?" Hermes asked, voice low and husky.

"Y-yes," she stammered.

"Your heart's racing, are you afraid of me?"

"No," she replied as her mind screamed, Yes. He was barely touching her, and nowhere that was sexual, but it was the sexiest damn thing she had felt in her life.

Oh, fuck Selene, of all the guys in Greece, why this one? This mad, impossible one that is absolutely off-limits. Selene knew precisely why; because he wanted to unlock all her doors so he could see her.

"Are you letting me touch you because Hades is paying you to tolerate it?" Hermes asked, a thread of uncertainty in his tone.

"No," she said calmly even though she was fighting not to open her eyes.

"Is it because you like me touching you?"

"Yes," she replied without hesitation.

Hermes was behind her again, his tall body pressing up against hers as his hand moved to wrap around her throat, the other circling around her waist. He wasn't choking her, but Selene felt pinned, locked tightly to him. Instead of feeling afraid or trapped, she found herself leaning back into his warmth, head tilting to one side. Lips pressed on the skin behind her ear. A tremble that she couldn't hide rocked her, making goose bumps rise on her skin. Hermes kissed her again, her heartbeat racing under the palm of his hand.

"Oh, the things I could unlock in you. I'd let all of that fire out, and you wouldn't be a cold nurse anymore," Hermes whispered, his stubble hot against the curve of her ear. Selene was shaking, his hands holding her up as she all but melted into him. He tilted her head back and ran his tongue very lightly over her top lip. Selene opened her mouth to kiss him when a sharp whistle pierced the air.

"Hey, you two! Are you still in here?" Charon called through the trees, followed by a loud bark. Selene's eyes snapped open and she stepped away from Hermes on shaky legs. A huge black dog charged through the undergrowth followed by a heavily tattooed titan.

"There you are! I thought I was going to have to put together a search party, but you found him after all, Selene," said Charon. His sharp eyes took in their wet and muddy state and the broken umbrella. "Are you guys fighting?"

"What? No! I'm really uncoordinated and slipped ass up. Sorry, I owe you an umbrella," Selene replied, picking up the bent and broken remains of the last one.

"That's okay. What about you, Hermes? Had enough of the rain and woods for one day? Your dog was getting worried," said Charon. The big black dog sat down next to Hermes's feet.

"I'm fine. Let's go back," Hermes replied, his voice strained as he started walking.

"What did I just interrupt?" whispered Charon to Selene. She watched Hermes in the distance, his hand resting on the dog's back.

"Nothing. We are fine. He was a bit overwhelmed by nature, that's all," Selene replied, the lie sounding lame even to her.

Charon's black eyes softened. "Okay, let's get you out of the rain and find you some dry clothes."

12

In a sea of uncertainty, Hermes knew two absolutes; he would probably never be the god he used to be, and he wanted to kiss Selene again so severely his body ached. The first he could live with, the second was becoming unbearable.

"I hope you don't mind, but I stole a towel," Selene said, emerging from the bathroom in one of his clean t-shirts and pajama pants. "I might start bringing a spare change of clothes with me, since I seem to be more accident-prone than usual." She was pressing the water from her hair, and he couldn't look away from her. She had chosen to stay and use some of his clothes to spare Charon another trip into the city, and Hermes had been smug about it until that moment. She looked even more adorable than usual in his oversized clothes. A heavy paw came down on his leg.

"Cut it out, I'll tell her," Hermes told the black dog at his side.

"Tell me what?" Selene said with one of her small smiles.

That I want to lay you down on the couch and kiss you until you pass out. Hermes quickly looked away from her and cleared his throat. "He wants to be called Jackal."

"Jackal? What a tough, strong name for a tough, strong boy," Selene said and held out her towel. "You want to get dry too, Jackal?" The dog's whole body moved when he wagged his tail and hurried towards her. "Just don't tell Hades I used his fancy towels on you, okay?" she said to the dog. Jackal gave Hermes a smug dog look from the circle of her arms as she rubbed him down.

Great, now I have three titans, an ex-boyfriend and my own damn dog as competition.

"I knew a god who was a jackal. I met him really late one night on the street in Egypt," Hermes said.

"A real god like you and Hades?"

"Well, he told me he was one. He looked like a jackal. Come to think of it, maybe it was just a random dog. Egypt had excellent beer," replied Hermes. He sorted through the random drawings on his table and gave her the ones of Egypt. "Last night, I remembered a city that I'm sure is Hermopolis."

"Wow, these are amazing," said Selene, flicking through the sketches. "What were you doing in Egypt?"

"Wandering about and trying to get away from the Olympian's tedious games against each other. The Egyptians used to call me Hermes Trismegistus, the Thrice Great. I'd visit every couple of centuries, and every time I would turn up, they would think I was the reincarnated version of my previous self. I didn't have the heart to correct them because they used to throw the best parties, and I liked having somewhere comfortable to stay," Hermes replied.

Selene laughed. "Sounds like fun. I've always wanted to go to Egypt."

" If you like, I'll take you when I get my staff back. I might even try to track down Anubis and see if he is still running about as a jackal. Gods can get weird in their old age."

Selene hid a smile. "You don't say. I would definitely like to go to Egypt," she said, looking back at the sketches. "You'll be better by then and I'll be out of a job, so I'll have time off. Did you really draw all of these last night after you took me home?"

"Yes, I couldn't sleep. My head kind of exploded, and I was worried if I went to sleep that I would wake up and would've forgotten everything," Hermes replied.

"Does that happen often still? You forget things that have happened?" Selene's ears were going a little pink, but Hermes couldn't figure out why.

"Not anymore, but I wanted to be sure. I remembered some of Pandora's friends, and I gave the sketches to Hades to try to find out who they are."

"That's great! The sooner we find Pandora, the better. I don't think Hades or anyone else in the Court is going to relax until Pithos is stopped. I'm sure it will help you sleep better at night," said Selene.

"I've slept a lot better since meeting you," Hermes admitted.

"Not last night by the looks of all of these." Selene bit the edge of her lip nervously. "By the way, thank you for… you know. I know I said it last night, but I wanted to make sure I said it today when I was stone-cold sober, so you know I mean it."

"You don't have to thank me for kissing you properly, Selene," Hermes said with a smile.

"I didn't mean that…I was talking about saving me from hitting my stupid ex. You didn't need to kiss me, but it did make the whole thing a lot more believable. I don't think I've ever seen Ezra so shocked," she replied with an awkward laugh.

Hermes frowned. "You think I kissed you only to upset him?"

"I thought it was a part of your act."

"Did it feel like I was acting?" said Hermes, moving towards her.

"Um, no, but you could just be really good at acting," Selene replied, backing up until she bumped into the wall.

Good, now she can't run anywhere. Hermes placed his hands on either side of her, caging her in.

"Do you think I was acting in the forest just now?" he asked, hating the way she wouldn't look up at him. "You think it's just mad old Hermes being fascinated by the only girl around him?"

"I wouldn't judge you if it were. You were in that cave a long time," Selene said, her voice tripping.

"There were plenty of girls in that place, Selene, not to mention Pandora whose beauty was crafted by Aphrodite herself. It's not like she didn't try to force herself on me. If it were just about needing a woman, I'd go and find one," Hermes growled, trying to contain his frustration. "Trust me, it would be better if it were just that. You're one of Hecate's chosen, for fuck sake, and that is the worst kind of trouble for me."

"I don't know what that means. I do know I work for Hades, and I have a duty of care, so whatever your motivations for kissing me are doesn't matter. I should have better boundaries because I am meant to be the responsible one," said Selene, straightening her shoulders.

"Boundaries, is it? Just you try." Hermes stroked the line of her jaw with an index finger. "I'm the god of boundaries, so all of those are mine too. Every single one belongs to me, even the ones you think you should create."

"Did you ever stop to think that they should be there to protect me from you?" Selene said, finally looking up at him. "Did you ever wonder that you could be attracted to me because I help you feel more like yourself? That I'm your key? Whatever you think you are feeling could be completely null and void as soon as you get all your memories back. And where is that going to leave me if I get any more attached to you? God, this is ridiculous, I barely know you."

"That's not how attraction works. I won't forget everything I've been through. I'll just know what happened in my past," said Hermes.

Selene put her hands on his chest and pushed him back slowly. Hermes didn't want to scare her, so he relented and stepped back. "It doesn't matter. I work for Hades. I'm here to help you, not make out with you because you make me feel…the way you do."

Hermes felt like he was losing his mind all over again, and then Hades himself appeared in the doorway. "Interesting fashion choice, Selene," he said, looking her over.

"I fell while looking for Hermes and needed something dry to wear," she replied, her cold nurse face coming up instantly. "Can I help you with something, boss?"

"Yes, I need you to cancel any plans and work tonight," Hades said.

Selene folded her arms. "Why? You never said this would involve night work." Hermes didn't like her business-like tone one bit. She's back to talking about you like a job.

"I want Hermes to meet Asterion and the others tonight. Medusa wants to talk to him about Acrisius Argos. It's important, Selene."

"He was well enough to be out in the city last night, so Hermes will be fine."

"Stop talking about me like I'm not here," Hermes complained, and Hades gave him a quizzical look.

"He was with you last night. We've already established that Hermes is calmer in your presence, and I need you to be there," Hades said. He looked between them. "What's the matter with you two? Are you fighting? Hermes, what did you do?"

"Nothing yet," he said, hating that Selene wouldn't look at him.

"Well, whatever it is, get over it. Selene, tonight at the Labyrinth, someone will meet you at the door," Hades replied.

"I don't have anything to wear," Selene said stubbornly, and even pissed off Hermes loved that she had the spine to stand up to Hades.

"Medusa will have something. I'll have her call you. Take the afternoon and go shopping, I don't fucking care, just be there," Hades said irritably and offered her his hand. "Come, I'll take you home and save you some time."

"I really have no say in this at all, do I?" she groaned.

"None whatsoever," said Hades. He took her hand, and they were gone before Hermes could get a word in. Jackal pushed his head at his hand.

"I know, I fucked up, don't rub it in," Hermes muttered. He only had a few minutes to sulk before Hades appeared again.

"What did you do to upset, Selene?" he demanded.

"Nothing. You're the one upsetting her with your stupid rules," Hermes snapped.

Hades frowned. "What rules?"

"She said I can't kiss her because she's working for you. It's a stupid rule, Hades, she should be able to kiss whoever she wants," Hermes said. He rubbed at his face, trying to focus his words that was always so much harder when he was upset.

"I never said she couldn't kiss you. I would question her sanity in wanting to, but I've never forbidden it. Why is this even coming up?"

"I kissed her last night, and now she's worried about what you will think," said Hermes, collapsing on the couch and putting a cushion over his head.

"Did you even consider that perhaps she doesn't want you kissing her, and she's using me as an excuse to be polite?" asked Hades.

"You're not helping."

"Who said I was going to? If you and Selene want to fool around, that's on you two, but don't try to make out like it's my fault. I like her, I value her, so if you want her just for a screw, find someone else, Hermes. I don't have the time for your drama."

"Fuck, why does everyone think I want her only for a screw?" Hermes demanded, moving the pillow from his face.

Hades crossed his arms. "Don't you?"

"No! I'm not saying I don't want to screw her. I mean you've seen her, how can I not? But that's not all I want her for. She's-"

"Shut up! Save it and tell her," Hades said, holding up his hand. "I barely tolerate my own emotions, let alone want to hear about yours. I won't stop you two from having a relationship if it's what you want. You've both been dancing around each other since you met, and I know you're both different when you are together. Selene has magic, so it might be a good thing to have her close when it starts to manifest, because you know that it's only a matter of time before it does."

Hades dodged the cushion Hermes threw at him and straightened his sleeves. "And for fuck's sake, stop pouting. Charon will be up in an hour to make sure you've dressed appropriately."

13

Going out and talking to strangers was the last thing Hermes wanted to do, but he needed to make things right with Selene, because knowing that she was pissed at him was the worst feeling in the world. Even if he couldn't fix it and he embarrassed himself, at least he would be near a bar and could drink himself into oblivion. He was showered and calm again by the time Charon arrived with a black garment bag.

"Is this necessary? I can dress myself, you know," Hermes said.

"Yes, but I want to make sure you look perfect, because you only get to make a first impression once," replied Charon.

"How did you get like this, ferryman? It's disturbing," Hermes asked, taking the pair of black, pressed trousers that Charon offered him.

"I finally got to live amongst the humans, and found things that I really like about it, such as fast cars, books and as many clothes as I want," he replied. "I know that Medusa will be forcing many beautiful dresses at Selene right at this moment, and I won't have you looking sloppy."

"I don't know what that has to do with anything," Hermes grumbled.

"Hades told me what happened. Not that he had to, you both were acting so strangely this morning I knew something must have sparked it," Charon said, helping him button up his shirt. He offered Hermes a belt after he finished tucking the tails of his shirt in, and then straightened it.

"Selene is very special," said Hermes, twisting his sleeves so Charon could put his black cufflinks on.

"She is."

"I'm worried I'm going to hurt her, Charon." As much Hermes hated the thought, it was still there. He was a god, and pure bastard did flow in his veins.

"You won't hurt her," said Charon.

"What makes you so sure?"

Charon took a jacket from the bag and smoothed out the sleeves. "Hermes, out of all the Olympians, you were the cleverest, so don't you think that if you are healed enough to worry about hurting someone else, you're going to be rational enough not to do it?"

"But, I am crazy, Charon."

"You and everyone else." The titan straightened Hermes's collar. "Anyway, if you do hurt Selene by being careless with her heart, my brothers and I really will lock you up in the Underworld where no one will ever find you."

Charon took out a tie, but Hermes stepped back to stop him.

"Not in this millennia, titan," he said and put on the jacket. "I won't have a tiny noose around my neck by choice."

"Fine, at least let me fix your buttons up," Charon complained, and undid the first three and arranged Hermes's collar. He took a step back and looked him over.

"Happy?" Hermes asked.

Charon pulled a critical face. "I mean, I wouldn't fuck you, but I'm picky."

"Like I'd have you, ferryman. What now?" Hermes said.

"Now you go get your ass in the car before we are late," Charon replied.

The sun was setting as they drove into the city, Hermes taking the time to look about.

"Do you ever miss the Underworld?" he asked as buildings flashed by.

"I miss the stories the dead used to tell, even though their regrets all used to be variants of the same thing," Charon said as they pulled into an underground car park.

"And what was the thing?"

"Not doing something they should have, like tell someone how they felt about them."

Hermes grinned. "You always were a romantic."

"Get the fuck out of my car," Charon said, "and don't rub up against it and get dirt on your suit."

Hermes followed him through the concrete cave to an elevator. Now that he was there, he was suddenly nervous and pushed a hand through his hair. Charon tsked irritably and rearranged Hermes's hair against his shoulders.

"If you don't stop fussing, I am going to pull all of this off and run through the club naked," Hermes threatened.

"Do it, trickster, and then Selene will definitely come home with me," Charon replied and stepped out of the elevator. They were in a set of private rooms, the thrum of the club beating beneath them. Hermes walked to a glass door and looked down at the people dancing, drinking, and kissing.

"Dionysius would've loved this," Hermes said to Charon.

"He's the last person we need coming back," Charon groaned. "Humans are bad enough without his encouragement."

"Saints! There's no doubt you're a son of Zeus," a tall woman said as she walked toward them. She had smooth black hair and a glint of trouble in her grey eyes.

"Hermes, this is Ariadne," Charon introduced.

"The assassin," Hermes remembered, and she laughed.

"Not anymore, I'm retired…well, kind of. Let's get you a drink before Asterion turns up," Ariadne said and took his arm. "You don't seem half as crazy as I was led to believe."

"I'm behaving. Charon gave me a lecture about first impressions," Hermes replied.

"And you listened to him? Bless. Everyone knows that crazies make the most interesting company. If any of the Court claim they are sane, then they are lying." Ariadne went behind the bar and started mixing drinks. "Besides, crazy people are the best in bed." Hermes laughed loudly, the tension in him easing a little.

"I see you're taking no time in flirting with another of my brothers," said a low voice.

"Oh, honey, like I can help myself when you keep finding more of them. I do have a type," Ariadne replied with a bright smile.

"Hot, violent, crazy?" guessed Charon.

"Bingo," she replied with a wink.

Hermes turned around and got his first look at his newest brother. Asterion was tall and built big. Hermes tilted his head to one side, studying him. "Wow, a Minotaur. There really wasn't anything Zeus wouldn't fuck, was there?"

"You can see the bull?" asked Asterion curiously.

"Only if I concentrate. You are the one that Selene says is going to win the bet on who is the best looking out of Zeus's sons," Hermes replied, sizing him up.

"What bet? It doesn't matter. The woman is only human, and you boys are, well…you. I think my temperature is going to hit fever point once Perseus gets here," Ariadne interrupted, passing Hermes a glass of something violently red.

"What is this?"

"It's better not to ask, trust me," said Asterion, accepting his own cup and giving Ariadne a doting smile. It was the smile that made Hermes's hackles lower. Asterion was obviously and unashamedly in love with the woman beside him. Good. It meant he had one less person he had to compete with for Selene's attention.

"Speak of the thief and he shall appear," said Ariadne and went to kiss Perseus as he came up the stairs. One look at the red-haired woman with him, and Hermes knew she was Hades's gorgon. She was stunningly beautiful, and he could sense the danger radiating off her.

"Daughter of Phorkys, it is an honor," Hermes said with a polite bow. "I am glad to see that the rumor of your death was a rumor only."

"Thank you, Hermes," Medusa replied, her red lips smiling the longer she looked at him. "It's nice to see Selene wasn't exaggerating."

"What about?" Hermes asked.

"Nothing, just girl talk," Medusa said and looked about. "Speaking of Selene, she should be here by now, and Hades for that matter."

"Maybe he's still arguing with her about coming out," Charon replied. Hermes shut them out and focused on the silvery light that was Selene in his mind. His magic was humming under his skin and coming up blank.

"Woah, Hermes's aura just lit up like a Christmas tree," Perseus said, and Hermes opened his eyes. "What did you do?"

"Nothing, looking for Selene," Hermes replied and drank the cocktail. He coughed. "Oh fuck, that is terrible. Like liquid sugar."

"I'll get you some scotch instead, seeing how you're not adventurous. Come on," Ariadne said, taking the cocktail from his hand and draining it as they went back to the bar. "So, what are you arguing with Selene about?"

"Nothing," Hermes said, sitting down on one of the bar stools. "There's absolutely no argument and nothing at all going on."

"Bull shit. You just went all weird as soon as we started talking about her." Ariadne took out a fresh glass and filled it with something amber.

"I like her company," Hermes replied carefully.

Ariadne placed the drink on the bar in front of him. "That's good, because she just walked in with Erebus."

Hermes took one look over his shoulder at Selene and blood rushed to his head. She was in a low-cut dress of elegant black velvet and had a silver crescent moon hanging between her breasts. He tore his eyes away quickly, picked up the glass of scotch, and drained it. "I'm going to need more of that, assassin."

"I can see that," she chuckled as she poured him another. "I thought you said nothing was going on."

Hermes summoned his old, charming smile and lifted his glass. "Nothing yet, anyway."

"That's the spirit," Ariadne said, tapping her glass against his.

"Hey, Ariadne, do you have a decent beer back there?" Selene asked as she came to stand beside Hermes.

"You know, we got in this lovely craft beer. Let me go ring the bar downstairs to bring you up some," said Ariadne with a smile. "You two wait here, I'll be right back." Hermes didn't fail to notice the cunning gleam in the assassin's eyes as she walked past.

"I am sorry that I upset you today," Hermes said, looking sideways at Selene and then focusing back on his drink.

"We both have tempers, Hermes, don't worry about it," Selene replied. "You are looking handsome tonight."

"More handsome than Asterion?" Hermes couldn't resist asking.

"I don't know, you won't turn around and look at me," Selene said.

Hermes twisted slowly around on the barstool and looked into her lovely kohl-rimmed eyes. "Charon tried to make me wear a tie." Hermes tried not to fidget as she looked him over.

"I'm glad you didn't," she said, staring at the space showing the curve of his collarbone. "I'm starting to think I put my money on the wrong son of Zeus."

"Is that so?" Hermes looked at the silver and diamond crescent hanging on her chest. "Very fitting, Lady Moon."

"I saw it and couldn't walk past it. It reminded me of this mad god I know who doesn't like boundaries," Selene said, and Hermes smiled.

"Boundaries are for boring people. Besides, how can you blame me when you wear a dress like that?" Hermes slid off the barstool and into her space. She held her ground, not giving him an inch even as he bent to whisper in her ear. "Also, I talked to Hades, so I know for a fact he hasn't imposed any rules on you. We have his blessing to do whatever we like. As if I even needed it. So, whatever happens next is entirely your move, Selene. If you want me, come get me."

Hermes left her standing at the bar and walked back towards Asterion and Medusa, needing to put space between him and Selene before he lost control altogether.

"Hades gave me the sketch you did of Acrisius and the mystery man. Hopefully, it won't take us too long to track him down," said Medusa.

"Sorry, I can't help with a name yet. It's good that Acrisius is dead," replied Hermes. He had always been a scheming rat of a man.

"We have all of his inventions in Medusa's basement. When you are feeling up to it, we are hoping that you might be able to figure out how some of them work," said Asterion.

"Of course. With Selene's help, I'm feeling better every day. I'll help you both, and I'm going to need something to do while we wait to find Pandora." Hermes saw Persephone arrive with Hades and move to kiss Selene on the cheek. What were they talking about? Persephone saw him watching and gave him a small wave.

"You'd better go and say hello to the queen," said Asterion with a smile. "We can catch up later, Hermes."

"I'd like that. I'm a bit...overwhelmed right now, but I like the idea of having some siblings I don't hate," Hermes replied.

"It's early days yet, and Asterion can be very annoying," Medusa said, leaning her head against the Minotaur's shoulder affectionately.

"Don't act like you don't love me, gorgon," Asterion replied.

Hermes left them arguing and went to pay his respects to Persephone. He could remember her clearly now, the new voice in the darkness of his cave, assuring him that she would get him out. And she had. Now that he had his magic back, Hermes could feel the vibrant pulse of her own power, so much like Hades's and yet entirely her own. It was so strong it was almost elemental. She definitely was a queen, whether she wore a crown or not.

"Lady Persephone," he said, taking her hand and kissing it.

"I'm sorry, Hermes, but I'm a hugger, not a hand kisser," Persephone replied and wrapped her arms around him. "I'm so happy to see you out."

Hermes looked at Hades for permission, and after a nod, Hermes put his arms around Persephone, returning her hug. "Thank you for not leaving me behind, my queen."

"Oh, saints above, don't you start with that 'my queen' business as well," she complained, standing on tiptoes and kissing his cheek loudly. "I'll let it slide, but only because you are so cute. Selene was telling me we have a new dog at home. I swear I go to Athens for a few days, and the whole world changes."

"A clear indication of why you shouldn't leave Styx," Hades said, looking pissed off and terribly in love at the same time. Persephone leaned against Hermes's chest and smiled. This goddess is about to get me murdered.

"Keep up the attitude, and next time, I'll stay for longer," she said.

"Now I know why you've been so grumpy, Hades," Hermes added because his self-preservation and his need for mischief didn't always go hand in hand.

"This from the god who sulked all afternoon because Selene left early," said Hades. "Have you at least talked to Medusa about the mystery Pithos man?"

"I have, uncle. I have even agreed to go into Medusa's basement tomorrow and look at all of Acrisius's gadgets," Hermes replied. Whatever Hades said next, Hermes didn't catch. The club beneath them had gone silent, and an eerie voice was rising up in place of the thrumming base. Hermes let Persephone go and moved toward the windows. There was a band now set up on a stage, a woman singing an intro in Ancient Greek, the audience dead quiet.

"Hermes? Are you okay?" asked Asterion. "Oh, that's the new band, they mix old music to new sounds. Do you like it?"

"I need to go down there," Hermes said and hurried towards the doors.

"Hermes! We haven't-" Hades started.

"I don't remember anything more! Medusa, I'll visit you tomorrow," Hermes shouted and hurried down the stairs.

The club wasn't full to capacity yet, so Hermes had no trouble threading his way through the crowd. The band was starting to play, blending their instruments in with the singer. Hermes stood in the sea of sound and let himself drown.

14

Selene watched as a strange daze settled on Hermes, and he walked away from her and Persephone.

"Is he okay?" she asked Selene.

"I don't know. He gets this way sometimes when something grabs his interest," Selene said. Then Hermes was shouting and disappeared through the doors.

"What happened? What did you do to him?" she demanded, closing in on Asterion.

"Me? Nothing! I swear it, Selene. He was fixated on the band and then lost it," said Asterion.

"I need to find him," she said. Hades intercepted her before she hit the doors.

"Please message me and let me know you are both all right," he said.

"I will. If it's too much, I'll make sure he gets home okay."

"Be careful with him. He's more fragile than he appears," Hades said, and she knew he was talking about more than Hermes's sudden strange behavior.

“I will, Hades, I promise," she said. Selene made her way out in the club, searching for him in the crowd. Hermes was tall, but it didn't help her much in the dim, red light. People were starting to dance as the music picked up around them. Selene's attention caught on the one person not moving and made her way to him. Hermes was staring at the singer, eyes out of focus, and completely lost in his own head.

"Hermes?" Selene said, taking his hand. He didn't move. Selene placed a hand on his chest to make sure he was still breathing, her irrational panic easing when she felt his heartbeat under her palm.

"Hermes? Can you hear me?" Selene shouted over the noise. She took his face in her hands and not knowing what else to do, she rose on tiptoes and pressed her lips against his. Hermes shuddered, and then his arms came around her, tugging her close against him. Wherever he touched burned through her, the nervous energy that had been between them finally having an outlet.

"Selene," Hermes said desperately, breaking off the kiss. "Selene, he took the music. He took it away from me."

"Who did?"

"Zeus. Zeus fucking stole it," Hermes replied. The music finished, changing back to club beats, and Hermes covered his ears.

"Let's go, okay?" Selene said, and not knowing if he heard her, she grabbed him around the waist and pulled him carefully through the crowd. The bouncers recognized her and let her take Hermes out the back doors and into the cold streets. Hermes uncovered his head and took her hand, hanging onto it like a lifeline.

"Do you want to get out of here?" she asked.

"Yes. It's… I need to breathe and walk."

"Okay, let's do it." Selene took her phone out and text Hades, letting him know she was taking Hermes.

"You don't mind? They wanted to see you and-"

Selene wrapped his arm around hers. "They will get over it. I was there to see you anyway."

Hermes went from stressed out to smug in seconds. "Really?"

"Yes, stop looking at me like that," Selene said as they headed down the footpaths of the Diogenes. She didn't know how long she would last in her high heels, but she'd suffer a few blisters to keep Hermes calm. She had left him poorly earlier that day and had spent the rest of the afternoon regretting the argument, for not being able to be honest with him, for pushing him away, for being too much of a chicken shit to just kiss him and get it out of her system.

Selene had expected to go the Labyrinth to make Hades happy, have a few drinks, and go home. That had changed as soon as Selene had seen Hermes sitting at the bar. She was overwhelmed by a kind of desperate want that she wasn't familiar with. You are so gone on him; it doesn't matter if it's the craziest thing you've ever done. Hermes in a suit made her want to risk all the crazy that would come with it.

"Do you want to tell me what happened back there?" Selene asked.

"The woman, the singing. Fuck, she was singing Homeric Hymns in Ancient Greek, and I had a big door blow open. Behind it was music. A great, pounding, swell of sound, and then I could feel the shape of Zeus's curse come up and slam it shut again. That hasn't happened before. It's like he took all the things I loved the most just to fucking spite me." Hermes stopped and took her by the shoulders. "Selene, I'm the god of memory, poetry, language, writing, music, and he fucking stole it all. Why? Why would he do such a thing to me?"

"I don't know, but he's dead, Hermes. No one will be able to take anything from you ever again. I won't let them," Selene said, trying to keep her voice as reassuring as possible. "The rest of the Court will help protect you too for as long as you need it. I know this might seem scary, but you aren't alone."

Hermes touched her cheek with shaking fingers. "I'm not scared, Selene. I'm so angry I can hardly breathe."

"Hermes, take me home and we can talk about it there. The street isn't the place to discuss curses made by dead gods," Selene said, conscious of their raised voices. He nodded, checked the streets, and then pulled her through a doorway and into the living room of her apartment. "Thank you. These shoes were killing me."

"That's a shame, they look amazing," Hermes said, doing his head tilt as she bent to free her feet from the peep-toes.

"They look amazing, but they don't feel amazing if you are trying to keep stride with the god of long legs," she said as she straightened. She tried not to freak out as Hermes took off his jacket and started looking at everything in her apartment with his sharp eyes.

There was art on the dark purple walls, mostly pieces she had bought from local artists or picked up at op-shops and markets. She had a collection of colored tins on the bookshelf filled with various lip balms, burn salves, and soaps that she had made for friends or to give to people in her building that she knew would appreciate them. There was a patchwork blanket on her couch, one of the first she'd made, and a collection of jars of loose tea leaves on her kitchen counter.

"Do you want a beer?" Selene asked, needing to do something other than stare at him in her space.

"Yes," he said, staring at a picture of a ceramic sculpture of a woman, where the artist had filled the cracks with silver. "I like this."

"Beautiful isn't it? It's a Japanese art called Kintsugi, where they fix broken ceramics with adhesives of silver and gold instead of throwing it out. I like the metaphor of fixing your broken pieces with something beautiful," Selene explained, pulling beers from the fridge and passing him one. She opened the door to her garden and turned on the soft solar-powered lanterns to light up the space. She sat down on the white, wicker two-seater couch and sighed.

"This was a much better idea than the club," she said as Hermes studied her herbs, flower boxes, and succulents.

"If I didn't know better, I'd think you're a witch, Selene. This is a witch's garden if I ever saw one," he commented as he picked off a leaf of her overgrown mint plant and chewed on it.

"As if I have enough time to be a witch. I might have to live in a city but having this helps keeps me sane. I like to make and grow things, so I started with cooking herbs, and then it got completely out of control. Are you feeling any calmer or still angry?"

Hermes sat down beside her. "I'm not angry, but I don't know if calm is what I'm feeling. Until the last few days, your presence did level me out, and now it's doing the opposite but in a different way."

"Hades will be pissed when I tell him," Selene said, shifting slightly and having another sip of beer before putting it down on a small table. She wished she wasn't so nervous about being alone with him.

"You don't really care what Hades thinks. Otherwise, you wouldn't have kissed me at the club." Hermes's slow, flirty smile was back. "You kissed me; I suppose that makes us even now."

"I had to do something to get your attention, didn't I? I was afraid you were going catatonic," Selene replied.

"I was lost in the halls of my own mind, trying to find the door with the music again." Hermes leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. "I couldn't get to it. My music is gone and now I know what I'm missing."

"It will return, Hermes. You got your words back, and your ability to hold new memories, it's just another thing to work towards," Selene said and placed a hand on his back. "Just make sure if you go into your head, you come home again."

Hermes's smile had returned as he angled towards her. "If I do get lost for a while, at least you know the best way to bring me back."

"I'm not going to kiss you every time you space out, Hermes, I'd be kissing you all day," Selene complained. It's dark, don't worry, he won't see how red your face is right now.

"Exactly. You aren't giving me much incentive to stay present, are you?" he replied. Selene quickly looked away and tried to get the conversation back on track.

"I'll help you get your music back, Hermes, so don’t worry."

"If you do, I'll write an epic ballad of Selene, Mistress of the Moon and Disapproving Glances," teased Hermes.

"Sounds like it would be pretty boring. I don't think I'm interesting enough to have a ballad," Selene replied.

"Then I'll fill it with violence and sex. I'll have a starring role," said Hermes, and she laughed loudly.

"Lots of creative license then," she replied.

"I wouldn't say that," Hermes said and kissed her before she had time to react. It was soft and quick, and when he pulled back, his golden eyes were glowing. "Selene, something just happened."

"Yes, you kissed me-" she tried to say before he was kissing her again, harder and deeper, his hand moving to rest on her neck.

"I saw something when I kissed you, a flash of something. Something important," Hermes said as they parted, his expression thoughtful. Selene put a hand up over his lips to stop him from doing it again.

"Don't. Don't kiss me if it's only to try to unlock your memories," she said, proud that she could keep her voice steady. Hermes gently moved her hand away.

"I didn't know that was going to happen when I kissed you. I kissed you because I think about kissing you more than anything else. I might have gotten a flash of memory then, but it isn't my memories I'm thinking about, it's yours," said Hermes, his eyes heating to a glow once more. "I want to kiss you to take every memory of bad kissing away from you. I want to make so many good kissing memories that all the other bad ones won't matter anymore, and you'll forget boring plate men that didn't deserve you, and that were too weak to give you the kisses and the pleasure you deserved."

Selene's heartbeat was in her throat and she was hot all over, the pulse of strange magic and desire burning brightly in her core. "Is that so? And you are so confident of your abilities to do all of that? Because every man has this kind of confidence," she said, trying to make a joke and failing when Hermes took it as a challenge. His smile was sharp, full of promises, and an intensity that thrilled and terrified her.

"Don't you know who I am, Selene of the Night? I'm a trickster, the master of riddles, and the greatest thief that ever was. What is your pleasure but another riddle for me to solve and lock for me to pick in order to get the treasure inside?" he said.

Selene pulled him to her, kissing him before she could second guess herself. Hermes's strong hands dragged her onto his lap, so she was straddling him, the skirt of her dress bunched up her thighs.

"I don't know why your crazy talk of riddles and locks is doing it for me, but it is," she managed to say between kisses, her hands in his hair.

"Don't you get it? You are my silver, Selene, the precious thing that binds all my broken bits together," he whispered, brushing his lips against her throat. "And I'm going to be the thief that unlocks every hidden part of you because I want it all, and I don't want you to be ashamed of any of it, even the dark and dirty parts. Come to think of it, I want those bits most of all." Selene laughed softly as she wrapped her arms around him, buried her face against his neck.

"You are going to ruin me if you keep saying things like that, Hermes," she said.

"Ruination in the best possible way is definitely what I have in mind," he replied, standing up and carrying her through the apartment to her bedroom, kissing her all the way. Selene didn't have time to be nervous as he set her down on her feet and unzipped the back of her dress.

"What's this? A tattoo?" he asked, fingers circling her lower back.

"A birthmark," Selene said, her skin breaking out in goose bumps.

"It looks like the phases of the moon." Hermes knelt to study it. "I'm right, it's a crescent facing left, a full moon in the middle and a crescent facing right. You really are Lady Moon." He kissed it, and her knees nearly gave way. His hands went to her hips to steady her as he stood, lips dragging up her spine.

Selene reached behind her for his belt buckle, but he caught her hands.

"Stop," he said.

Selene froze. "I'm sorry I thought-"

"Oh, keep thinking those thoughts, because we will definitely get there, but tonight is about you, not about me," Hermes said, kissing her shoulder as he slid the straps of her dress down, letting it drop. Selene couldn't see his face, but she heard the sound he made in the back of his throat before his hands traced down her bare skin. "Fuck, you are so beautiful, Selene. This is going to be harder than I thought."

"Isn't that the point?"

"Not tonight."

"Why not?"

Hermes's hand came around to stroke her ribs and stomach. "Memory making."

"Really? Here I thought you were saying that to make me beg," she said, gasping as his hand moved to cup her. Oh, God, she was definitely going to beg.

"Only if you are into it," he replied, "but something tells me that begging isn't your style." Heat poured through her satin panties and she bit back a groan. He slipped one finger under the side and stroked her, making a growl in the back of his throat when he found her wet. He moved his finger up to loop around the side of the panties and slid them down her thighs.

Hermes maneuvered her so she lay back on the bed. His golden eyes fixed on her bare breasts and he swore again. Selene had no one ever swear at the sight of her breasts before, and a smile tugged at her lips.

"Are you sure this is only going to be about me tonight?" she asked, stretching an arm up above her head. Hermes's hand came down on it as he leaned over her.

"Wicked woman, stop teasing me. My self-control when it comes to you is bad enough," he said. Selene's smart-ass reply turned into a gasp as his hand moved up between her breasts and over her necklace. His mouth traced over her collarbone and shoulder. He was stroking her everywhere except where she wanted him, and it was driving her insane.

"Touch yourself," he said against her.

"W-what?" Selene stammered.

"No one knows what a woman likes better than that woman herself. Go ahead, Selene. Teach me," Hermes said, teeth against her earlobe.

Selene tried helplessly to steady her breath and ignore her nerves as she closed her eyes and slid her hand between her thighs. She had taught herself how to get off after too many disappointing sexual encounters, sometimes doing it as soon as her boyfriend had gone to sleep after sex just to relieve her own frustration. Not one of them had ever asked her to do it in front of them, though.

Hermes’s clever fingers found one breast, his mouth finding the other, and Selene bit down a gasp. She opened her eyes, and the sight of him watching her hand between her legs with his intense concentration nearly made her come. She was trembling, but she didn't stop as Hermes's hands and lips kept up their slow exploration, his eyes taking in every reaction of her body. He took a nipple in his mouth and sucked it hard, and she came with a surprised gasp and full body spasm.

"I can't believe I just did that in front of you," Selene said. Hermes rested his hand over hers and carefully moved it away from between her thighs, before lifting her fingers to his mouth. Fucking hell, you are so not ready for this.

"My turn with a few interesting improvements," Hermes said, sliding down the bed and moving between her legs. Selene couldn't stop the shake up her leg as he kissed the skin of her inner thigh. "Relax, Selene, I am a very good student." She almost laughed, but the sight of his golden eyes between her thighs made her dream come rushing back. She didn't have time to contemplate it as he stroked her wetness with his long fingers. Selene gripped the sheets, as his other hand came to her stomach to pin her down.

"Fuck, I could watch you like this forever, writhing on your sheets because I'm between your thighs," Hermes said, his voice distant behind the roaring in her head. His tongue found her clit, moving it with a slow, measured pressure that made sounds come out of her throat that she didn't even know were possible.

His other hand moved from her stomach to grasp one of her breasts and squeezed it hard enough for her to groan and drag her nails down his forearm. Hermes's tongue pushed inside of her, and Selene's fingers tangled in his hair, thighs tightening around him as her body locked up.

"Breathe, Selene," he said, sliding his fingers in to replace his tongue. He pressed something inside of her, and she cried out as her burning core exploded, and she came again, hard enough to drive the breath out of her body again.

"Holy shit," she gasped, draping one exhausted arm over her eyes. "What did you just do to me?"

Hermes carefully loosened her thighs grip on him, dropping a kiss on the curve of her hip. "I really can't take all the credit, but you should probably know that you are glowing."

"So I should be-"

"No, my dear, you are actually glowing," Hermes said, settling on the bed beside her.

"What?" Selene looked up. Her skin was radiating with a sheen of sweat and silvery light. "What did you do?"

"Don't look at me, this is all you, Lady Moon," he replied, brushing her damp bangs from her face. "That is your magic making itself known. As if you weren't beautiful enough already."

Selene held her hand up and studied the glow before looking at the god beside her. "Is it something I should worry about? I mean, can it hurt you if I touch you?"

"No, it's neutral unless you want it to hurt me," Hermes said, stroking her arm. "See?"

"Good," Selene replied and rolled onto him, leaning down to kiss him, her hand going to the buttons of his shirt. He laughed softly, catching her hands.

"This your night, remember?"

"And I'm not arguing, but if you think I'm going to let you keep this shirt on a second longer, you have another think coming, Hermes," Selene replied, and before he could stop her, she took the ends and ripped it apart, the buttons giving way.

"Okay, have it your way. Nothing below the waist." Hermes pulled his shirt off and put his hands behind his head, his biceps flexing in a way that made her heart rate go up again.

"I think you want me to beg after all."

"Me? Never!" he said, moving a hand to cup one of her heavy breasts. "How are those new memories coming?"

Selene's smile was a bright and beautiful thing as she ran a glowing hand down his golden muscled chest.

"I'm ready to make more."

15

Using a pen on the back of a shopping receipt, Hermes sketched a picture of Selene as she slept. She was still gloriously naked, and Hermes congratulated himself on his self-control not to pounce on her again and make her groan his name in ecstasy. He didn't want her to think that he had run off before the dawn, but as he had dozed in her arms, he had dreamed. He needed to draw out the horrible things in his head and talk to Hades. He hoped they were only nightmares and not memories. He doubted it.

Need to see Hades and Medusa, sleep sound, sweet Silver, he wrote on the bottom the sketch and placed it on his empty pillow. Hermes leaned down and kissed her bottom lip gently enough not to wake her, but enough to make sure she woke up with the taste of him. Get out before she wakes up, and you don't leave at all. Hermes had one last look before ripping open a doorway and stepping back into his own bedroom.

Jackal was asleep on his bed, his heavy tail thumping in greeting. Hermes gave him a pat and the dog sniffed him.

"I didn't fuck it up this time," Hermes told him happily. They went to the kitchen, and he tipped some food into Jackal's bowl as he fought the uneasy feeling settling in his bones. He sat down at the table and began to draw the horrors out of his head, the memory of Pandora whispering in his ear. She would always begin with a question.

If you had to cage a monster, how would you do it, my inventor? And then in his broken and drug-addled state, he would fixate on whatever riddle she posed and would only be calm again once he had solved it. For a minute, he was back in the cave, the damp air smelling of earth and metal and blood. He stopped drawing and shook out his hands.

"Hades and Persephone got you out," he reminded himself. "Selene won't be safe until you stop Pandora. Think, Hermes! Where would the witch hide if not in her cave?"

After Hermes had a small pile of drawings, he went to his bathroom and took a long shower, thinking about Selene to make himself feel better. Fantasizing about her brilliant smile and luscious body led his mind back to her strange birthmark.

"Hecate's blood. Why did it have to be Hecate!" he groaned. Selene's magic had made him think that she had an affinity that marked her as one of Hecate's chosen, but the triple moon on her back proved that she had the goddess's own blood flowing in her veins.

Hermes couldn't recall every animosity he had with Hecate or just how much the goddess hated him. He did know they had enough shared godly ground to make them irritate the shit out of each other. Hermes and Hecate were deities of magic, boundaries, thresholds, and crossroads. She had power over shades and Hermes was their guide. They both spent time down in the Underworld. They stepped on each other's toes on more than one occasion, and if it wasn't for Thanatos, they probably would have killed each other over one slight or another.

One thing that Hermes had always admired about Hecate was that Zeus was terrified of her enough that he had spared the titaness from a jail cell in Tartaros after the war. He also had never dared try to seduce her or piss her off. Despite that, Zeus had a special fascination with her. Hecate's presence had never had that effect on Hermes, but Selene did. She possessed that same indefinable quality that made Hermes want to give her anything she wanted in the hope she would want him.

You know better than to fall in love, stupid boy, Zeus's voice boomed in his head, and Hermes flinched.

"Go away, Father, you're not welcome here," muttered Hermes. Gods were notorious for falling quickly and completely in love with humans, and Hermes knew he wasn't impervious to this strange affliction.

It's too early, you will freak Selene out so calm down, focus on being useful.

HERMES FOUND Hades in his home office, drinking coffee and muttering obscenities at a computer screen.

"What can I do for you, Hermes?" he asked, not looking up.

"No Persephone this morning?" Hermes said as he started going through the objects on Hades's desk, pocketing a fancy pen he liked the look of.

Hades looked up with a smug smile. "She's sleeping off the sex coma I put her in. You didn't come home last night. Is Selene in the same state or did you mess it up?"

"I like to think she's satisfied for the time being," Hermes replied. "My night with Selene isn't why I'm here." He handed Hades his drawings.

"What are these?" Hades asked, taking them.

"I think I made these for Pandora. I can't be sure but-"

Hades put the drawings down. "We need to go to Serpentine and see Medusa now."

"I thought you are working," said Hermes as Hades got up.

"Not anymore. This is more important." Hades placed a hand on Hermes's shoulder, and suddenly, they were standing at what looked like a laboratory. Hades took out his phone. "Susa? We are in the basement. Can you come down?"

People in white coats gave them quizzical looks or made themselves scarce. Hermes walked slowly through the cavernous space. Half of it was filled with wooden shipping crates in a range of sizes. The rest of the space was stations of computers, and lab benches cover in equipment and lights.

"It's quite the mess, isn’t it?" said Medusa as she joined them. "If I had had gotten a bit more notice, I would've made sure that they at least attempted to clean things up."

"Sorry, Medusa, I had dreams last night," Hermes said with an apologetic smile. He was staring at a half helmet on one of the benches. His head started to pound when he recognized the 3D version of one of his drawings. Whatever Medusa and Hades were saying was drowned out as Hermes moved to where a large cage was constructed. He placed a hand on the bars and flinched, releasing it instantly.

They are here. She made them all. Every riddle she put to me to solve. They were to kill and entrap the Court. Hermes was going to be sick.

"Hey, are you okay?" asked Medusa.

"No."

"You recognize them, don't you?" guessed Hades.

"Yes, they are all mine," Hermes replied. He could hope that Pandora never made the rest of them. Hades and Medusa shared a loaded and worried look.

"What does that mean, Hermes?" she asked. Hermes wasn't listening, his vision was tunneling and he swayed.

"No, no, no," he muttered, his eyes burning and his mind breaking. "She can't see them. Silver can't know, she'll hate me if she sees what I've done." Everything was too big, too bright, and too loud. Hermes climbed into one of the large freight containers, brought his knees to his chest, hands clamping over his head as the world and its horrors rushed over him.

SELENE WOKE to an empty bed and satiated body. "Hermes?" she called sleepily. She didn't know what time it was, and for once, she didn't care. She rolled over and spotted the sketch of her. She picked it up and read the note, a big goofy smile spreading across her face.

"So that did happen," she said with a soft laugh. Her whole body felt lazy and happy as she tied on a kimono and made tea.

You feel this good, and you didn't even have sex. Just imagine... Her smile widened further because she could imagine, and that was enough to make every part of her tingle.

Figuring that someone would call if she were needed, Selene took a shower and had a lazy morning. She couldn't stop thinking about Hermes's reaction to the loss of his music and was determined to make up for the lack. She dug out her iPod and began filling it with songs. She started with her favorite classical and movie scores and slowly moved through all the genres. She was humming along to a jazz standard when Hades appeared, making her spill her tea in fright.

"Good, you are awake and dressed," he said instead of hello.

"What are you doing here? What's wrong?" Selene asked. She didn't like the frown he was giving her. "Look, if this is about Hermes and me last night…"

"Let me stop you right there. I don't care or want to know what you and Hermes get up to. I'm here because I took him to Serpentine to look at what we recovered from ARGOS Industries, and he's lost it," explained Hades.

"Oh no, he realized what he made," Selene said and put her tea down. "I wondered when that was going to happen."

"He's taken it badly, and I need you to talk to him because he's not listening to Medusa or me," Hades replied. Selene was already grabbing her bag and stuffed her feet into her boots. In a snap decision, she grabbed the iPod and headphones.

"I'm ready. Take me to him before this gets worse."

"Thank you, Selene. I've never once regretted indebting you to me," Hades said, the closest to a compliment he'd ever given her.

"Me neither, boss," Selene replied and took his hand.

The floor had been cleared and Medusa was sitting at a workstation, idly filing her nails.

"Any change?" asked Hades.

"Not a peep," Medusa said and smiled at Selene. "You're up. He's in there."

Selene dropped her bag and climbed inside the wooden shipping crate where Hermes had curled himself up with his back to them. Selene sat down, placed her legs slowly on either side of him, and hugged him to her. He shook and then relaxed into her.

"Selene," he murmured, "you shouldn't be here."

"Yes, I should," she replied, resting her cheek on his back. "It's not your fault, Hermes."

"I designed them all! These things that could hurt the Court and Hades. They are going to hate me for it. I didn't know what they would be used for, I swear I didn't."

"They know that, Hermes. No one is blaming you, and they certainly don't hate you," Selene said. She took her iPod out of her pocket. "Here, this will help." She stroked his hair away and put the headphones in his ears. She wasn't sure where to start, so she chose a soothing piece of classical music. He stiffened as the music started and then melted back into her, resting his head on her shoulder.

"Oh, Silver, I like this," he said, holding her hands over his chest. She pressed a kiss to his temple.

"Silver, is it? What happened to Lady Moon?"

"I learned that you are no lady," he said, yelping when she poked him in the ribs.

"Are you the god of no manners as well?" she asked.

"You might not be a lady, but you are definitely my Silver," Hermes said, turning his head so he could kiss her softly.

"Do you want to get out this crate?" Selene asked. Hermes tensed again, and she held him a little tighter. "Or not. We can stay here until you're ready." Selene took one of the earbuds back and changed songs. "Here, I filled it with music for you. I thought it might help motivate some of your musical memories." She passed him the iPod and showed him how to scroll through it.

"This is kind of you. You treat me better than I deserve, Selene," he said, hanging onto it tightly.

"I'll be the judge of that. You seem to be forgetting that you're the victim and that it doesn't matter if Pandora made all your inventions. The Court has managed to escape them every time. They are safe, Hermes, and now all these things are in their hands. They can't hurt anyone anymore."

Selene stroked his head and he made a happy growl in the back of his throat. She decided that there were definitely worse places she could be in that moment than having her arms full of beautiful, crazy god. After a few songs, Hermes shifted, so his back was against the wood, and he could face her properly.

"I'm scared, Selene. There are pieces missing, but I can't remember where Pandora is hiding them. I was taken to another place before the caves. I remember the cell she had me in. She must have found me after Zeus cursed me and I couldn't fight back." Hermes pulled on the ends of his hair, and Selene carefully untangled his fingers and held his hand.

"Hades is going to find her, don't worry. She can't hide forever, she's too arrogant. She will slip up and the Court will have her," Selene tried to reassure him. "We can't stop her from here." Hermes traced the lines of her palm thoughtfully.

"What if I never get better, Selene? What if I'm always like this, one good day and then I lose it? That's so unfair to you," he said, and Selene's stomach jolted nervously.

"What are you saying?" she asked, already dreading the answer.

"Maybe I shouldn't have kissed you. I thought I was getting better, but what if I'm not? You don't need someone that's going to burden you with this bullshit," Hermes said.

"No."

"What?"

Selene took her hand from his. "I said no, Hermes. You don't get to decide what I need or feel just because you are having a bad day. It's not just about you. I knew who I was kissing, and it wasn't because I thought you were getting better, whatever that even means. So no, you don't get to push me away when I've only just let you in."

"Selene, I'm trying to give you an out in all this," Hermes said in exasperation.

"And I'm telling you, I don't fucking want one!" she snapped. His eyes glowed gold, and inside of her, the core of magic pulsed in response. They stared at each other for a tense, heated second before he was reaching for her, and Selene was kissing him roughly. His hands slid up the back of her shirt and she wrapped her legs around him. She wanted to be touching him everywhere, needed the feel of his skin in order to know everything was all right. She moved her hips slowly, groaning when she felt him hard against her. She wanted to return every favor that he had done to her the previous night. She wanted to touch him the way he had touched her, to have her name on his lips, and… Someone cleared their throat and Selene jumped, banging her head on the roof of the crate. She turned to see Thanatos's grinning face.

"Sorry to interrupt. I was going to see if everything was okay, but by the looks of things, everything is back to normal?" he asked.

"Yes, Hermes is about to take us home," said Selene, her voice shaky.

"Is he?" Hermes asked, and then seeing Selene's face, he added, "He is." They detangled and climbed out.

"Medusa and Hades went back to work. They would like you to go through your sketches for any other hints of where Pandora or the mystery man may be," said Thanatos. "Anything that looks like the beach you drew, for example. Perseus wants to give everything to the Graeae sisters, dubious but effective contacts of his, and see what they can uncover."

"I'll help get them together," said Selene.

"I can't promise any of it will be useful," added Hermes.

"It will be fine." Selene took his hand. "Let's go home."

16

Hermes sat in a bath and did his best not to start counting the bubbles obsessively. He and Selene had returned to the villa, and she went into full nurse mode, prescribing a bubble bath with lavender oil to help him feel better. She found a speaker down at the main house and hooked up the iPod to play him music. Having her care for him made him have all sorts of confusingly tender thoughts and feelings towards her. His Silver, who had gotten so fierce when he tried to let her go. As if he could.

Hermes might be having a bad day, but he knew she was the one thing that he would never sacrifice or give up. He smiled at his reflection in the water. She wouldn't allow it anyway. Hermes was lucid enough to know he was already in love with her. Destroy Pandora and Pithos, get the girl, live happily ever after. That was the plan, and the gods help whoever tried to get in his way. The lavender, hot water, and soft classical music began to do its work on him, and Hermes leaned back and closed his eyes.

THE WIND in Crete blew up dust and rock on the foothills of Mount Ida. Hermes knew from the urgency of Zeus's message and the chosen location, meant that his father was struggling with his own immortality. Unlike Hermes, who had adapted to the new reality of no longer being worshipped, it still grated on Zeus that Olympus and his petty pantheon were dead, mad, or scattered to the wind.

Hermes removed his staff from its glamored position on his back and went to find his father.

Zeus sat on a rock near a narrow track, waiting patiently for him. He seemed to have embraced the corporate suit look. Considering the last time Hermes saw him, Zeus had been dressed as a beggar, Hermes assumed that there was a woman around that he was attempting to court.

"Sky Father," Hermes said politely in greeting. He didn't bow. He hadn't for centuries, and Zeus's eye still twitched at the slight, but didn't mention it. Hermes hated that he had his father's jawline and cheekbones. It didn't bother him until he was forced to see Zeus, and then he would spend weeks afterward wanting to punch every mirror he caught his reflection in. Hermes was already regretting coming to this meeting, he knew better.

"Hermes, you need a haircut," Zeus said finally.

"You summon me to criticize my fashion choices? You must be bored," replied Hermes, twisting his staff lazily. Zeus's keen eyes followed the movement.

"No, I need a favor."

"If memory serves, you haven't repaid me for the last favor I did for you." Zeus wanting a favor was never, ever, a good sign. There wasn't much that Zeus couldn't get on his own, which meant it was going to be personal or a particular brand of fucked up that Zeus never wanted to be blamed for.

"Look, son, it's a small thing I ask for. I want to borrow the Caduceus for a single night," said Zeus with an easy smile. Hermes's hand tightened on his staff. What could Zeus possibly want it for? If it had been anyone else, if Zeus hadn't called him son and used that shit-eating smile, Hermes might have fallen for it.

"No, it's mine, and you hardly need it. You have more power than what it can wield," said Hermes, straightening his shoulders. "What is this really about? Try the truth and I might reconsider." Zeus's smile changed, losing its polish until it settled somewhere closer to threatening.

"It's for a deal. If I present your staff to the object of my affection, I can fuck her," admitted Zeus.

"That's a very specific request. I wonder why your beloved would want my staff instead of yours?" said Hermes. "Who is the unfortunate lady in question?"

"Pandora," answered Zeus and Hermes bent over laughing.

"You want to stick your dick into a trap of your own creation, even though you know it's a trap? Has life become so unbearable to you?"

Zeus flushed with anger. "She's not like that anymore! None of us are what we used to be. It's nice to be in the company of someone who remembers the old days."

"Really, if she's changed so much, what does she want my staff for, or have you not stopped to question her motivations?" asked Hermes. Pandora was designed by the gods to be the perfect honey pot, and his father had fallen for her wiles for the chance to get some ass. No wonder he's no longer worshipped.

"I'm not an idiot, Hermes. I would never let her keep the staff permanently. I only need to show it to her, and then after I've fucked her for a day and a night, I'll return it to you."

"Father, I know you're lonely and you miss the old days, but fucking Pandora won't bring them back. Even if she holds the staff for a minute, who is to know what kind of havoc she will create," said Hermes, as gently as he could.

"I'm strong enough to counteract any harm she could cause. Be reasonable, Hermes. It's only a stick," said Zeus.

"Will you fucking be reasonable? I'll not hand over my most treasured possession so that you can go get your dick wet!" Hermes hissed. "Tell Pandora to ask for something else. I've heard enough of this ridiculous nonsense." Hermes turned and tore open a door. A bolt of raw power hit him in the back, sending him sprawling across the ground.

"You always have to do things the hard way," Zeus said as Hermes struggled to breathe. The King of the Gods bent down and picked up Hermes's staff from the ground beside him.

"This really is a marvelous creation. I'm sorry, Hermes, but I won't have you disrupt my plans because you don't like to share." Zeus's voice was fading as Hermes's vision went black around the edges. The curse was streaking through him like poison, and without his staff, he couldn't counteract it. Fucking bastard.

Zeus's face hovered over him, a satisfied smile on his face.

"You always thought you were so clever. Now you are going to know what it's like to be nothing and no one. Perhaps when I come to change you back, you will have learned to have more respect for your king. If not, then you would have a better chance of convincing the moon to fall in love with you than you'll have getting me to restore you," Zeus said and laughed. "Sleep well, son."

"F-fuck you," Hermes spat as the curse reached his head, and he knew nothing more.

HERMES WOKE IN THE BATHTUB, arms and legs thrashing in the lukewarm water. His panic subsided when he realized where he was.

"Fuck," he groaned as he brought his knees up to his chest and took deep breaths. "Zeus is dead, Zeus is dead." Hermes steadied his breathing and concentrated, reaching deep inside for his power. It took a few minutes, and then he felt the sticky black claws of Zeus's curse. It was receded in parts and still thick in others. He didn't need more proof that what he had dreamed was a repressed memory. Zeus had cursed him over a fuck. He knew he shouldn't be surprised, but a part of him had hoped that he had done something to deserve his punishment. No, it was only Zeus being a fucking asshole as usual. Despite Zeus never returning to undo the curse, it had begun to lift anyway.

You would have a better chance of convincing the moon to fall in love with you, Zeus had said. Had he unknowingly created a loophole in his own curse? Maybe the magic didn't differentiate between the actual moon and… “Selene, my Lady Moon, who shines with the light of the stars and is the blood of the Triple Moon Goddess," Hermes said aloud. He started to laugh at the sticky hands of the Fates and stopped suddenly as he realized the full implications. If his theory was correct, then his curse was weakening because he had convinced Selene to fall in love with him. If he told her, would she think he was only pursuing her because he wanted his curse lifted?

Hermes got of the bath and dried himself off. He needed to find her and talk to her, and to focus on not kissing her outright because she was his key after all. Hermes wrapped a towel around his waist and opened the door just as Selene was raising a hand to knock.

"Oh god!" she started in surprise.

"Yes, I am," Hermes replied.

"I was coming to check on how you were-" She didn't get to finish her sentence as he pressed her up against the wall and locked his mouth on hers. Her soft lips opened for him, and he deepened the kiss, slipping his tongue into her mouth to move with hers. Selene pulled him close, one leg going up and around him so he could press his hips up against her. He moaned, torn between wanting her and wanting to pick the perfect moment to make love to her. My perfect Lady Moon, full of fire and passion and kindness. Inside of him, Hermes sensed the darkness of the curse recede further.

"If you keep kissing me like this, Selene, I'm going to lose this towel, and then you'll really be in trouble," Hermes said, moving his mouth along her jaw. "My self-control is only so good."

"Is that so? I was going to say if you keep kissing me, I'm going to take that towel and do bad things to you," Selene replied, a gleam in her eye. She kissed him in the center of his chest and dropped her leg. "Unfortunately for you, Hades is waiting for me to take him down the drawings. Get dressed and meet me down at the house."

"Here I was thinking I'd stopped you from being a cold nurse," Hermes said, wanting to know in detail what bad things she was considering.

Selene gave his ass a pinch on her way past. "Then you really are delusional."

17

While Hermes had been in the bath, Selene had taken the time to carefully sort through the dozens of drawings he had scattered about. There was one of her standing in a marble temple that made her heart skip a beat. It was one of the first ones he had drawn, and it made parts of her melt, knowing that he had been thinking of her as much as she had of him.

Selene's lips were still tingling from Hermes's kiss as she picked up the sketches and headed down to Hades's office. She had planned on waiting for Hermes, but after that kiss, she needed to put some distance between them before she followed him into his bedroom and had her way with him.

"It has to be a god thing," she mumbled under her breath. Selene had never been with someone where she had felt almost addicted to them. She had never been a wide-eyed, obsessed girl with Ezra, even with his 'hottie doctor status' in the hospital. Hermes conjured a completely different level of feeling in her. She wanted to be touching him if they were in the same room, and she thought about kissing him more than what she would consider healthy.

As Selene entered the back door, she spotted Persephone in the kitchen, making coffee and raiding Hades's pantry.

"Must be sugar in here somewhere," Persephone complained.

"Cookies are kept on the next shelf up. Hades hides them behind the cereal, so Thanatos and Erebus don't eat them all," said Selene.

"My hero!" Persephone pulled the jar out and put it on the bench in front of Selene. "You want? Hades likes to hide how good he is at baking. Really it makes me sick that he's good at so much."

"I'm starting to think it's a god thing," replied Selene, selecting a cookie covered in chocolate.

"Oh, I recognize that smile. Did you find out what Hermes was really good at last night?" asked Persephone, dunking her cookie into her coffee.

"Perhaps," said Selene, trying to keep a straight face. Persephone was so ridiculously friendly, and Selene always seemed to give in to her good-natured pressure.

"It's good to know he didn't forget everything," said Persephone with a filthy laugh. "I do wish you were a details girl. Come on, I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours."

Selene pulled a face. "Sorry, but I don't want to know a damn thing about Hades's sexual proclivities."

"If you did, we'd be here all day." Persephone waggled her eyebrows, making Selene cough on cookie crumbs.

"What are you two giggling about in here?" Hades demanded as he came into the kitchen.

"None of your business," said Persephone sweetly.

Hades's silver eyes narrowed. "Now, I have to know."

"She was trying to get out of me whether or not I've had sex with Hermes," said Selene.

Hades shared a smile with Persephone and reached in the jar for a cookie. "Well, have you?"

"You two are as bad as each other! Here, have your pictures." Selene passed him the pile of drawings.

"Definitely a no then," said Hades to Persephone. "Maybe you should take him on a date. Something tells me that after today, he's going to need an outing to pull him out of his funk."

"I'm hoping the music I gave him is going to help him. That's what set him off last night. He remembered Zeus taking his music away from him. I don't condone violence, but I'm really glad he's dead, Hades," Selene replied.

"Zeus always hated if anyone was better than him at something. He knew how important Hermes's music was to him, so it doesn't surprise me that the malicious bastard stole it from him." Hades took another cookie. "You know, I have a box at the opera house if you would like to take him tomorrow night. They are opening Don Giovanni."

"I'd love that! I've always wanted to go to the opera," Selene said excitedly. "Oh, no, I'm going to have to find a dress."

"Medusa will be able to send something over to you. Gods know, she's got enough dresses in her penthouse. The woman is a hoarder, I swear," Persephone replied.

"I might wait and see if Hermes is feeling up to it. He seemed a lot better when he got out of the bath just now."

"Help towel him down, did you?" asked Persephone, hopefully. "I mean, I wouldn't blame you if you did." A growl emanated from Hades's throat and Persephone's smile widened.

"Stop your weird jealous foreplay before it gets out of hand," begged Selene.

"She can't help it. Pissing me off is her second favorite pastime," grumbled Hades. Persephone leaned her head against his shoulder.

"But you're the sucker that still loves me," she said.

"Only because I thoroughly enjoy your first favorite past time," he replied, making sexy eyes at her.

"Gross," Selene laughed.

Hermes arrived in time to save Selene from any more embarrassing questions or the pair's flirting. He was barefoot and dressed in jeans and a black t-shirt, but there was something about the ensemble and the way his hawk eyes lingered on her that made Selene struggle to look at him. It's official. He wants me to beg him to take me on this kitchen bench, Hades and Persephone be damned.

"You're looking better, Hermes. Do you want to help me make sense of some of these drawings of yours?" asked Hades.

"The ones I can. I need to tell you something else, too," he said as they walked to Hades's office. "When I was in the bath, I had a vision of the day Zeus cursed me." Hermes took his drawings from Hades and started laying them out on the carpet. Selene sat on one of the sofa chairs, her heart clenching as Hermes told them how Zeus had summoned and then cursed him.

"Pandora must have stabbed Zeus that night and found you wandering about the mountainside," said Hades thoughtfully. Selene knew that Hades had been released from the Underworld as soon as he had cut off Zeus's head, finishing what Pandora had started.

"That means Pandora has had you for over twenty fucking years," Selene said, her hands clenching into fists. "She has been tormenting you all this time." Silvery light began to radiate from her body as hot rage surged through her.

Persephone let out a low whistle of appreciation. "Wow, look at that glow."

"Incredible. Hecate must have had daughters after all," said Hades. "Explains why she's so good with dogs too."

"We'll worry about that later, Hades," whispered Persephone.

Hermes rested his warm palm on Selene's cheek. "I'm safe from Pandora now, Selene, that's what matters. Let the magic go," he said tenderly.

"I am going to kick Pandora's ass," Selene swore.

"Hermes, what have you done to Selene to make her so violent all of a sudden?" asked Hades with a small smile.

He made me fall in love with him. Selene glowed even brighter at the realization.

"Don't worry, Selene, there's going to be a conga line of people to kick Pandora when we find her," assured Persephone.

Hermes hadn't taken his eyes from Selene. "Let the magic go, Silver, you don't need it here," he repeated, and Selene's rage and the glow faded.

"I'm going to kiss you so hard for that reaction later," Hermes whispered with a sly wink.

"I should think so. I don't glow for just anyone," she replied flippantly even though a part of her tried not to freak out.

Hermes finished laying out the pictures and tried to find the memories relating to each one.

"Do you think Pandora has your staff?" asked Persephone.

"I assume so. She wasn't going to fuck Zeus without it, and nothing would've stopped her taking it once she had stabbed the stupid bastard," said Hermes, moving the picture in his hand around. "I remember a big building, lots of concrete. We had to get on a boat to go there, so maybe it's on one of the islands. I know that's still unhelpful, but I can't pinpoint anything more specific. There were lots of people there like in the caves. I don't suppose you left anyone to interrogate?"

Hades leaned back in his chair. "The triplets talked to a few, but they were all too low level to have any good information."

"What if Pandora is hiding out with the mystery man you drew with Acrisius Argos. If we find him, we could find her," suggested Selene.

"I'll message Perseus and see what he's managed to sweet talk out of the Graeae sisters," said Persephone, pulling out her phone. "It might be worth you going with him to see them, Hermes. Rumor has it they have a weakness for handsome men."

HERMES ENDED up taking Persephone's advice and going to see Perseus. There was something about the Graeae sisters that was bothering him since Thanatos had mentioned the name that morning. It was niggling like him a sore tooth, and the more he searched for a connection to the name, the more frustrated he became. He knew he wasn't going to get much sleep that night after the horror of the warehouse and the nightmare memory in the bathtub, so he might as well try to get to know his latest brother. Selene had given him a long hug and a gentle kiss when he'd taken her home.

"You know where to find me if you need me, Hermes," she said, and he had almost stayed with her. Hermes knew that she had her own busy thoughts about her hidden magic and the chaos of dealing with a mad god. She deserved a night off after bringing him back from the brink of madness yet again that day. You know you don't deserve her, and one day she'll know it too, Zeus whispered in his mind.

Maybe you're right, but I'm going to enjoy it for as long as it lasts, Hermes snapped back, and finally, the ghost of his father left him.

Perseus tended to work late at his studio when Medusa was busy filming or had meetings. He was alone and busy working on a painting when Hermes tore open a door and stepped into his warehouse.

"Persephone warned me you might turn up. I thought you would, you know, use the front door," Perseus joked as he turned his music down.

"Not my style," Hermes said, his eyes taking in the paintings on the walls, half-finished sketches, and pots and tubes of paint. "I like your work. It makes me feel...things. I can't describe it."

"I'll take that as a compliment. There are few benefits to having acid thrown in your face, but it has helped me see the world differently, and that's reflected in my art. Well, hopefully, it is," Perseus said. He looked at Hermes, and his smile changed. "Do you want to paint? Medusa said you had a rough one today." Hermes knew he probably should say no, but it was a lie. He did want to paint.

"I'd like that, but only if it doesn't disturb you," replied Hermes, his hands already itching to touch the brushes.

"Not at all. I don't mind the company, and there's plenty of space and easels around. I started a kids' class a few times a week for all the ratbags in the neighborhood, so I have lots of spare gear." Perseus helped set Hermes up at the other end of the bench, complete with paint and a fresh canvas.

"It's nice of you to teach children. I would never have the patience," said Hermes.

"I don't really teach them, just give them a place to hang out that's not the street or whatever messed up home life they have. I know what it's like to grow up on the streets, and I would've loved a place where I could come and feel safe. I'd rather have them addicted to art than drugs," replied Perseus.

Hermes studied Perseus, so much like Zeus, and yet the complete opposite in his personality. It made Hermes wonder what he would've become if he had never been found. You still have time to become something else.

Hermes put paint to canvas, keeping up an easy conversation with his newest brother. He told him about Zeus and the hopeless feeling inside of him that he would never get his memory back or be able to find Pandora. Perseus was suspiciously easy to talk to, and like Selene, his company was comfortable because he hadn't known Hermes before the curse.

Despite worrying about his past, his staff and Pandora, Hermes ended up painting Selene in black, white, and grey. She held her hands above her head, cupping the full moon, her neck draped in necklaces of glittering stars and keys.

"Have you heard from your friends about who our mystery man could be?" asked Hermes.

"The Graeaes? Not yet. They will be awake if you want to go and talk to them and put your mind at ease. I can't guarantee that they will have any information for you," said Perseus.

"I feel like I have to. I don't know why. It's going to bug me until I do." Hermes washed out his brushes and tried to search his broken memories of the sisters and found nothing. Yet, the impulse was insistent.

"Okay, let me lock up. I should warn you though, the sisters are charming but can be handsy," Perseus said, laughing.

They took a cab out to the other side of Styx to a quiet neighborhood lit with streetlamps. Hermes had deja vu hit him when they walked up to the door of a pretty house. Perseus knocked, and a woman's face appeared through a crack in the door. Her eyes went wide behind her glasses and flung the door open.

"Hermes! Where the fuck have you been?" she demanded.

"You know him, Enyo?" asked Perseus.

"God of tricks has done a disappearing act on us for the last twenty years," snapped Enyo.

"I don't…know you?" said Hermes, his mind racing, trying to recognize her face.

"How dare you! Perseus, hit him for me," Enyo demanded.

"Easy now. Hermes has been cursed," said Perseus.

Enyo's pissed off expression became even angrier. "We told you not to answer Zeus's summons! We tried to warn you-"

"Sister! Stop hollering and let them in. Can't you see Hermes is in distress?" Pem said, moving her sister out of the way and waving them inside. "Come in, dear magician, you look like you've been to Tartarus and back."

"I'm so confused," whispered Hermes to Perseus. His brother only shrugged and followed them.

Another sister was in the kitchen, pouring out glasses of wine. She took one look at Hermes and grinned.

"About time you came back for your stuff," she said.

"Don't waste your time, Deino, the god of stupid plans here has been cursed," said Enyo.

"Oh, dear, better have some of this," Deino tutted and passed Hermes a glass of wine. "Go on, this is an old vintage. You'll like it."

"Thank you," Hermes replied and sipped. It was a nice wine and he said as much.

"Well, you stole it for us, and you were never one to take a bad drop," said Pem.

"Ladies, would you mind telling us how you know Hermes?" asked Perseus. The three women studied Perseus and then Hermes.

"Oh, goddess, we are so blind-" said Deino.

"They can't be-" muttered Enyo.

"But they are handsome enough to be-" added Pem.

"Brothers? Yes, we are," answered Hermes.

"Zeus is the worst," said Enyo. "I should've known Perseus was far too charming."

"Thanks, love," Perseus replied. "You can stop dodging my question now." The three sisters looked at each, exchanging a silent conversation of eyebrow raises, grimaces, and nods.

"We've known Hermes since the old, old days," said Pem tactfully.

"So, you are oracles! I knew it!" exclaimed Perseus.

"Calm down, young one. Yes, we've been oracles, and now we are just us," said Deino, looking Hermes over. "Hermes has stayed in contact through the centuries, and twenty years ago, he came to visit. He said that Zeus was summoning him for the first time in decades, and he was worried about it."

"You should've ignored him like we told you to, but no. Your damn curiosity couldn't help itself. You were all worked up about war rumors and you wanted to go and see if Zeus was involved," added Enyo.

Hermes chewed on a lip and tried to find something, anything that would spark what he was thinking the last time he saw the sisters.

"You said he left his stuff here? Can we see it?" asked Perseus.

"Let me go find his bag. I know I put it somewhere," replied Pem and headed for the basement stairs.

"I thought it was you that killed Zeus, but you died in the effort," Deino said softly.

Hermes shook his head. "Not me, Hades got him. Zeus cursed me and took my fucking staff."

"Bad to worse!" said Enyo.

"Gets even worse than that." Perseus told them about Pithos and Pandora, while Hermes fought with his anxiety of not having a clue who the sisters were.

"Oh, Perseus love, the trouble you have found yourself in," Deino said with a sad sigh. "We've been looking into your Pithos since they threatened Dany. Not much on them, except they like to buy lots of property around Greece through multiple shell companies." She went into her office and reappeared with a folder of clippings. "This is what we found on the man in the drawing." Hermes opened the folder and looked at the newspaper pictures of the smiling man in black and white. He passed a few over to Perseus.

"Darius Drakos? That has to a fake name," said Perseus.

"Sadly not. The Drakos family are big money out of Cyprus. His name isn't the strange part, it's the fact that Darius Drakos has been dead for the past ten years," said Deino.

"That's impossible," said Hermes. "I saw him and Acrisius Argos not long before Hades found me."

Deino shrugged. "He's got a legit death certificate in there. Died by misadventure on a sailboat. Both the boat and he went into a storm and never came out again."

"He faked his own death. I wonder why?" said Perseus.

"It's easier to live as a ghost," replied Hermes. Pem came back into the room with a big black duffel bag and dumped it on the floor beside him.

"There you go, Hermes, I knew I had it somewhere," she said cheerily.

Without hesitation, Hermes knelt on the floor and opened the bag. Inside were thick leather-bound notebooks held together with string, clothes, three guns, passports, money, and a sword wrapped in leather.

"Where did I get a kopis from?" he said, studying the blade.

"Sparta, I imagine. You can remember what type of sword it is but not where you got it? Your curse is ridiculous," criticized Enyo.

"Tell me about it. If it wasn't for Selene, I would still be hiding in Hades's basement," said Hermes as he wrapped the sword up and put it away again. It made his hands itch, and he didn't want to be around anyone when he found out why.

"Selene? You mean Hades's nurse?" asked Pem.

"The really pretty nurse," said Deino suspiciously. "How is she tangled up in this?"

Hermes smiled self-consciously. "I'm in love with her."

All three of the sisters groaned dramatically. "Of course, you bloody are. I suppose we shouldn't be surprised that even with half a brain, you still have time to chase tail," complained Enyo.

"Ladies, it's been a revelation, but I have a past to find and people to kill," Hermes said as he got to his feet and picked up his bag. "Once I break this curse, I'm sure I'll be back to apologize for forgetting you."

"You had better. We'll keep digging on our dead Darius," replied Deino. "Try not to get Perseus killed with your bullshit. I like him more than you."

Hermes laughed and took Perseus by the arm and summoned his magic. "I'm not promising that," he said before pulling them through a door and leaving the three sisters cursing him.

18

Hermes spent the following day going through his bag and the overstuffed journals. He planned on going for a mystery date with Selene that night, so they decided to spend the day on their own. Hermes wanted to be alone when he went through his old possessions in case there were nasty surprises that he didn't want Selene or anyone else to see. Jackal slept on the lounge room floor beside him, a silent comfort as he went through the journals page by page. Some sections were written in code that a part of him must have understood, but the curse wouldn't allow him to have the knowledge. Even without the sections deciphered, Hermes pieced together that he had been hunting something when Zeus had summoned him.

There were notes on different artifacts, of mysterious healings in towns, and strange, violent deaths in others. He had been wandering country to country, searching for old treasures and mysterious figures. There were sketches of a bookstore in Cairo, a temple in Turkey, a photo of a sealed tomb entrance.

Had he been trying to find others like him? Gods and monsters, magicians, and outcasts, they spilled out through the pages. The last few entries were written in a hurried hand that he thought he was being watched. Maybe Pandora and her Pithos were already hunting you as they hunted the others?

Hermes flipped through the back of the journal and a photo fell out. It was a hurried shot, the edges blurred, but the man was unmistakably Darius Drakos. Was he a god or a supernatural being that Hermes had forgotten about? Hermes found the last thing he had written, the ink smeared.

Zeus has summoned me. Maybe he too, has felt the war brewing and is willing to stop fighting everyone and worry about his own for once. If he's not concerned about the threat, I'll find other allies to stop them.

"What war, Jackal? What is this all about?" Hermes said, putting the journal down. He picked up the Spartan sword, untied the bindings around the hilt, and with considerable dread, wrapped his fingers around it. The world tilted and swayed as the memory rushed over him.

THERE WAS A MANSION OF MARBLE, and Hermes walked silently through the doorway, right under the guard's noses. He was the god of thieves and magic, and he'd been drawn to the pulse of power coming from the island and the mansion. Music was playing outside in the gardens, with people lingering in doorways wearing Greek tragedy masks and drinking cocktails.

The owner of the house would've been incredibly wealthy but was of the rare breed that actually had a decent taste in art. Hermes ignored the beautiful paintings, throwing a glamor up so the people at the strange party wouldn't notice the uninvited guest.

"Do you think this group is actually serious? That monsters and gods are still roaming the earth under our noses. It seems implausible to me. Otherwise, we would know by now. They would be running the whole show," a blond man said, one of the few that wasn't wearing a mask.

"Lander dear, you are thinking about what you would do if you had that kind of power. The gods and supernatural beings wouldn't want to advertise who they are. They would want to creep about and corrupt wherever they went. Mankind stopped believing in them because they were redundant, even if half the stories of their magic are true. Maybe this Pithos will be able to harness the unnatural abilities of those freaks for good. Can you imagine what medical advances we could make if we had one to experiment on? What abilities we could harvest from them and enhance others with? Fascinating," replied a woman with a cold laugh. Invisible to their eyes, Hermes leaned over and dribbled spit into her martini and kept on walking. What the fuck is this place? Once he had gotten his hands on what he'd come for, he would have to check them out further.

A magical pulse came from beneath him, so he went to the kitchen and found the entrance to the wine cellar. He dodged a waiter dressed in a white coat and followed him down among the racks of wine. Set into the brick wall was a door made of iron. After making sure the waiter was gone, Hermes placed his palm over the lock and let his golden magic seep into it, filling the shape and forming a key. Then he twisted his palm and the key unlocked the door. He expected a treasure hoard. Instead, there was a single Spartan sword displayed on a plinth of stone.

"All of this fuss for little old you," Hermes said. He picked it up and let the aura of old age and magic tell him the history of the sword. It wasn't just any blade. It had belonged to Leonidas, the king of Sparta himself. "No wonder you pulse with power. So many Persians fed your steel and legend, and fame has made you into an object of power, bright one."

"I thought I sensed a stranger in my midst," a strong male voice said behind him. Hermes turned as a human man lifted his mask, revealing a handsome smiling face. "I do believe that sword belongs to me."

Hermes twisted it casually in his hand. "Not anymore. Those Spartans sure knew how to craft a blade, didn't they? I suppose this is your party of power-hungry, entitled assholes?"

"It is, though I like to call them associates," the man said, giving him a small bow. "Darius Drakos at your service. I can't say I've had the pleasure of meeting you, and I'd definitely remember a face like yours. At least let me know the name of the man that I'll be killing." He was pointing a gun at him and Hermes laughed loudly.

"I'm no fucking man. That little pea shooter won't do you any good, I'm afraid. Don't worry, the story of how Hermes the God of Thieves and Dreams stole from you will make an excellent anecdote at your next cocktail party," Hermes said, disappearing as the gun fired.

HERMES DROPPED the hilt of the sword with a gasp. He quickly wrapped it up again and shoved it back into the bag. He went into the bathroom and splashed his face with cold water as he fought a battle of wills to keep hold of the memory. The effort made him shake, but he managed to control it. He needed Selene; her warm mouth and easy company would steady him. She would know what to say to calm the fear in him.

"Hermes? Are you in here?" Thanatos called. Hermes wiped his face dry and hurried to stop the titan from moving his papers around.

"Don't touch anything," Hermes said as Thanatos knelt to look at the broken journals.

"I wasn't going to, don't worry. Have you found anything interesting?" he asked.

"Does the sword of Leonidas count?" Hermes asked, and Thanatos laughed. "I'm not joking. It's in that bag. I don't want to touch it again." Thanatos opened the bag and pulled the sword out.

"What the hell were you up to, Hermes?" he asked, studying the blade.

"I have no idea. I know I stole that from Darius Drakos during a Pithos party, and that I was worried about a war." Hermes tugged on the ends of his hair before he forced himself to stop it and started packing it all up again. "Everything is still in broken chunks. Maybe if Selene were here, I could think more clearly, find how the pieces fit together."

"Speaking of Selene, I bought you a suit for tonight. I thought time might have gotten away from you, so I came to remind you that you have an hour before you meet her," Thanatos said, pointing to the garment bag. "Get ready and I'll take you into the city. I'm not going to have you being late and stressing her out."

HERMES NERVOUSLY EYED the crowd of people standing outside a theatre. Thanatos drove down an alley beside the building where a man was waiting beside a door.

"Selene knew the crowd would make you nervous, so Hades arranged a VIP back entrance for you," said Thanatos.

"What is this place? Where is Selene?" asked Hermes.

"You are going to have to go inside to find out. Selene is already waiting for you." Thanatos turned in his seat. "Hermes? Be careful with her heart. She is Hecate's blood and my friend, so I will defend her even against you."

"You don't have to warn me, Thanatos. I might be cursed, but I'm still determined to take care of her heart as well as the rest of her."

"I hope so with a new war brewing. Now go and have a good night. I trust you will make your own way home."

Hermes got out of the car and the man obediently opened the back door for him. "Straight up, sir. Your lady is already there," he said. Hermes beamed. My lady indeed.

Hermes hurried up a set of stairs and into a curved hall lined with gilt-framed mirrors and thick red velvet carpeting. He did a double-take when he saw Selene, his breath catching in his throat. She wore a dress of shimmering silver that gleamed in the light. Her dark curls were pinned up to show off her long neck, and she was giving him a smile that he wanted to keep forever.

"I was wondering when you were going to turn up," she said, quite unaware of the affect she was having on him. Hermes bowed low and kissed her hand.

"Lady Selene," he greeted, still struggling to think of something to say.

"You like the dress, don't you? I can tell because you're staring," Selene said and moved to press her red lips to his.

"As much as I like it, I'm still going to rip it off you later," he promised.

"Then, my evil plan is working. Come on or we'll be late." Selene took his hand and opened a nearby door to reveal a private box with a long velvet chaise lounge instead of chairs. They had a perfect view of the lit stage beneath them.

"This is Hades's box, so we won't be bothered," Selene said, shutting the door.

"What are we watching?" Hermes asked, knowing it didn't matter because he would be staring at her all night anyway.

"I thought this might help with your music memories," she said as they sat down. Hermes didn't get a chance to reply as the lights went out, and the orchestra appeared in the space before the stage. His grip on her hand tightened as the overture swelled loudly, echoing and magnifying around them. Hermes was drowning again, dragged down by the power of the music.

"Selene, what is this?" he asked, struggling not to cry.

"This is Mozart's Don Giovanni," she replied, resting her hand on his heart. "Breathe, Hermes. Let it drag you away if you need it to but keep breathing."

Hermes put his arm around her, needing to feel her with him. Then he adjusted to the overwhelming sensation of it all and let the music take him, leading him down the hallways of his mind to the sealed doors.

After struggling against them for a while, Hermes went back to the present, determined to enjoy the music, and singing. Selene was watching the stage, eyes shining with awe. She really was painfully beautiful, and somehow, he managed to win her when he was at his worst. Hermes couldn't stand it any longer. He leaned over and kissed the soft, warm space where her shoulder met her neck. Her eyes fluttered and she tilted her head over a little more, offering it to him like she always did. Hermes pressed another kiss and another, working his way up to her ear.

"I don't know what's ruining me more, the music or you," he whispered. Selene lifted her mouth towards his.

"Don't make me beg tonight," she said. Hermes kissed her slow and deep, the hand on his thigh sliding up further. He ran his fingers down her collarbone and over the soft curve of her breast. Selene bit down on his lip, and her hand brushed against his dick, already hard from the combination of music and stunning woman. Hermes groaned as her mouth moved from his and kissed his neck, her hand continuing to massage him.

"Stop me if it becomes too much," she said, her breath hot on his ear.

"I can never have too much of your hands and lips on me," Hermes replied with a soft laugh. "I have lots of plans for both."

"Me too," Selene said as she undid the zipper on his trousers.

Hermes lifted an eyebrow but didn't stop her. "Aren't you full of surprises? Here I thought you were a sweet and innocent nurse."

"It can hardly be the first time you've been wrong," Selene said, making him laugh, and then before he could suspect her, she went down on him. Hermes gripped the back of the chair so hard, he felt the polished wood crumble under his fingers.

"Sweet fucking Fates," he groaned, as all his senses went into overload with the music vibrating through him and Selene's warm wet mouth sucking his dick. His heart was pounding so hard, his breath turned ragged. He wanted to be inside her when he came, and he couldn't do it in the middle of a theatre.

"Wait, too much," he gasped, taking her by the shoulders with shaking hands.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Oh, fuck, nothing, I just…we need to get out of here, but I want the music and…"

"It's okay. I downloaded the album onto my phone in case you enjoyed it," she said.

"Good, the music can come. I can't do what I want to you here." Hermes got up on unsteady legs, pulled her close, and tore open a doorway, landing them in his lounge room.

"That is still going to amaze me every time you do it," Selene said breathlessly. She pressed something on her phone and the music came through the speakers. "There we go. Better?"

"Not quite," Hermes said, before grabbing the front of her beautiful silver dress and tearing it in half, sending silver sequins all over the carpet as the pieces fell off her. He stared at her in black lingerie and high heels. "Now, I'm better." Selene dropped the small clutch she was holding and collided with him, pulling off his clothes until he was as naked as she was.

Selene kissed him hard, her body pressed against his. "Fuck, you really are perfect everywhere," she murmured, touching his muscles and the scars on his back.

Hermes dragged her to the carpet, her shoes and lingerie being ripped off on the way down.

"You have all the control, Selene. Tell me what you want," Hermes whispered between urgent kisses.

"I want to fuck you senseless," she said, biting his neck. "I want every part of you, and then I want it all over again."

At her words, Hermes's dick went even harder. "Then do it, Selene. Do whatever you want," he groaned.

Selene surprised him for a second time that night by rolling him on his back, her mouth nipping and kissing him down his chest before mounting him backward. Hermes ran a hand down her pale back, his hands gripping her hips as he watched her slowly lower herself down onto his dick. She was so tight, hot, and wet that Hermes thought he was going to explode. Selene gasped as she fit him deep inside of her. She didn't move, her hand reaching back to grip his side and steady herself. Hermes smoothed his hands down the curves of her perfect ass, swearing softly as she moved her hips. His grip tightened on her ass, moving with the maddening rhythm she was setting, pulling her down harder every time she rocked back.

"God, Hermes," Selene said. Hermes sat up so he could reach her breasts, teasing and massaging. He licked the sweat off the side of her neck, and she trembled.

“Come for me, Selene. Don't ever hold back on my account. I plan on fucking you until you tell me to stop," Hermes promised her, pulling her tight against his chest, his hand curling against her throat. Like the day in the forest, her heart rate picked up as he pinned her, and she groaned. He slipped his hand between her legs, gently touching her slick clit as she rode him. Her thighs squeezed together tightly as she cried out.

"Don't let me go. I don't think I can hold myself up," she said breathlessly.

Hermes kissed her damp cheek. "Never fear, sweet Silver, I have no intention of letting you go anywhere just yet."

19

Selene felt like she couldn't get enough air in her body to counteract everything she was feeling. Hermes tilted her head so he could kiss her roughly.

"You are incredibly beautiful, sweating and panting on top of me. I thought the dress was great, but this is definitely my favorite look on you," he said, making her laugh breathlessly. "And I'm only getting started." Selene didn't know how much she could take of his feeling. She had never been a prude in the bedroom, but Hermes could probably convince her to do anything if he kept making her orgasm that hard. She wasn't shy with him either and loved that he thought about her pleasure before his own.

Hermes kept hold of her as he moved, her forearms bracing on the couch cushions as he bent her over it. His knees knocked hers out wider so he could settle between them, her ass up so he could reach her. Selene gasped as he moved in and out of her slow and deep, the change of position hitting new parts of her. His fingers moved down the crack of her ass to where they were joined and back up again in light strokes, making her cry out into the pillow. She tried to push back faster against him, but he stopped her.

"Easy, I'll get you there, trust me. Let me take my time with you," he said, nipping at her shoulder.

Selene reached behind her, grabbing onto his thigh, pulling him up against her with each slow, deep thrust. His body was strong and heavy over her, pinning her, overwhelming her with heat and pleasure that radiated from her core. She didn't know if it was magic or love or getting fucked by someone who knew how, and it didn't matter. She let instinct and sensation take over, let him do whatever he wanted to her until she was crying from the intensity of the orgasm that demolished her. Hermes swore behind her as he came deep inside of her.

"I feel like that was overdue, but so worth it," he groaned as they both lay panting on the carpet.

"Tell me about it. I've been trying not to climb on top of you for the past three days," she replied as she picked a few stray sequins off his chest before collapsing against him. Her skin was glowing again as Hermes pulled her closer and kissed her forehead. She knew they would have to get up eventually, but she was too exhausted and happy to move, her body heavy and soft. Her eyes fluttered closed as she listened to his strong heartbeat.

"I'm so in love with you," she murmured.

"I love you too, my Silver," he whispered. She barely registered his breath catch, and a tremble run through him before she slipped into sleep.

SELENE WOKE THE NEXT MORNING, not on the lounge room floor but tucked up in Hermes's bed, a cup of tea steaming beside her. She took one of his shirts from the wardrobe, slipping it over her head and brushing off the random sequins still stuck to her skin. Medusa is never going to let you borrow one of her dresses again. Selene used some mouthwash in the bathroom and tried but failed to detangle her wild curls. She smiled at her reflection when she remembered that Hermes had said that he loved her. It was a relief to know it wasn't only her that had been feeling so intensely even before the mind-blowing sex.

Giving up on her bed hair, Selene sipped her tea and went in search of her mad god. Hermes was sitting on the deck outside, his hand patting Jackal as he stared at the ocean.

"Hey, did you sleep at all?" Selene said, leaning down to kiss the top of his head.

"Like the dead. I haven't been awake for long," he replied as she sat down beside him. "I woke up and I could hear music, and now when I concentrate, I can sense my staff."

"Hermes, that's great news," Selene said, wrapping her arm around his waist. "Why do you look so upset?"

"I know I can track the staff now, and we can stop Pandora and Pithos hunting us. I need to go and get it, and it's going to be dangerous. The problem is that I don't want you to come and see that side of all of us, or to be caught in any crossfire, but I'm also worried that if you're not with me, I won't be able to sense the staff either," he explained, golden eyes full of torment.

"Hermes, I know you are a god and that all of the Court is strong and vicious in ways I can't imagine. I'm not like that, but I'm not about to let you go and face your torturers alone. That's not what people who love each other do," Selene replied, tightening her grip on him.

"So, you do really love me? It wasn't just because of an orgasm high?" he asked, a small grin appearing at the corner of his mouth.

"No, I loved you before the high. That's why I'm not going to let you go after your staff without me," Selene said, kissing his shoulder.

"You love me how I am now. What if when I get my staff, and it heals me and turns me back to how I was before, and you don't care for him? I remember enough to know I didn't always do things I was proud of."

"Then take this curse as a motivation to do better. I can't judge what you did or what you were made to do, so you shouldn't either. Get your staff and your memories, then we can go from there," said Selene, reaching up to touch his cheek. "It would take a lot for me to stop loving you, Hermes."

Hermes kissed her softly. "Okay, Silver, let's go get my staff and end this."

EVERY TIME SELENE said that she loved him, it was like a small bomb went off in Hermes's head. The previous night, she had fallen asleep as memory and music and magic raced hot through him. Then he heard his staff calling out to him like a siren's song. It wanted him to find it, wanted to be returned to his hands alone.

Memories of the cell that looked over the beach came back to him. It was on an island near Crete, one that was hidden by the magic that Pandora swore she hated. She had taken him and the staff there, keeping Hermes locked up in the same facility that it was, just in case the staff's power only worked within proximity to Hermes. When she realized it didn't, he had been shipped back to the mainland so that there would be no way for him to get his hands on it. Hermes remembered Darius Drakos arriving in a storm and kissing Pandora in welcome and the uncomfortable way he had looked at Hermes.

"I can't believe you got this troublemaker at last. I don't suppose he had my sword on him?" Darius had asked from the other side of Hermes's bars.

"No, I found him wandering about the mountain where I stabbed Zeus. He must've done this to him to get the staff," said Pandora, looping her arm around Darius's. "Don't worry, I'll make Hermes useful. He's not going to be causing any of us problems ever again."

How very wrong you are, Pandora. Hermes dug into his notebooks, searching for a map that he had seen the previous day. Hermes had known something was off about Darius and the people at his house that night and he had been hunting for evidence of them. He had traveled to try to find the lost ones to warn them that stylized monster hunters were loose in the world once more.

"Hermes?" Charon opened the front door letting in Jackal and Cerberus and knocking him out of his memories.

"In here. Don't step on anything," Hermes said, still searching.

"Selene text me to let you know she's ready for you to go and get her. Really, you need your own phone if you are going to have a girlfriend," replied Charon.

"Is everyone else down at the villa yet? I only want to have to go through all this once. Ah-ha! There you are!" Hermes pulled the map out. It was of Crete, lines, and Xs where he had been searching for Pithos's headquarters. He hadn't known it was an island.

"We are just waiting on Asterion and Ariadne to arrive, but they won't be far away. Can you really hear your staff?" asked Charon.

"Yes, and we are going to get it, and I'll be whole once more," said Hermes.

"It's probably for the best, but I have enjoyed parts of the crazy Hermes." Charon rested his hands on his hips. "All it took was one decent shag and voila!"

"Shut up, it was more than one," Hermes said with a smile, and gathered up his papers. "I'm not cured yet."

"You don't want to have another tumble with the lovely Selene just to make sure?"

Hermes laughed. "Oh, I would, but we don't have enough time. After Pandora is dead or locked up somewhere, then I intend to devote adequate time to making Selene scream."

"She'll probably be screaming at you in annoyance when she learns that you are even more of a smug dick know it all when you have a brain that works," said Charon.

"I love you too, titan. Take this stuff down to the villa. I'll get Selene and meet you there," Hermes replied, handing everything over.

Selene was putting things into a backpack when Hermes opened a door into her apartment. "Just give me one second," she said without turning around.

"How did you know I was here?" asked Hermes.

"The air change, buzzed, I can't explain it."

"You sensed the magic."

"Maybe, but we’ll worry about it later," Selene replied, ever pragmatic. She zipped up the pack and slung it over her shoulder. "Okay, I'm ready."

"What is in there?"

"I'm not going into a fight without medical supplies," she said. Hermes's smile widened. "What?"

He kissed her, full of love and worry. "I love that you thought of it even though the Court is probably going to kill everyone."

"Maybe a handsome trickster god can figure out a way of maybe not killing everyone?" she asked.

"I'll do my best for you, beloved. I can't speak for everyone else, though. Pandora has hurt all of them, and her men are fanatics of the worst sort," Hermes replied. It was another reason why he didn't want her to go with them. How could he convince her to stay behind?

"Whatever went through your head just now, the answer is no," said Selene stubbornly. She gripped his hand tightly. "Let's go."

"I had to fall in love with a bossy one," he sighed and pulled her through a door and back to the villa. Ariadne and Asterion were getting out of a beautiful black car, both of them kitted out in gear. Ariadne had blades strapped to her everywhere, her hair pulled back in a braid, and wearing her switchblade smile.

"Hey, you two! Ready to go kill some assholes?" she said in greeting.

"Selene's been trying to convince me of a non-violent approach," Hermes replied.

Ariadne reached over and tapped Selene on the nose. "Boop. You're adorable, nursey, that's why we love you. Hope you've been practicing those punches I showed you just in case." Selene battered her hand away, laughing at her as they went inside. Hermes shook his head at the thought of an assassin and a nurse being friends with each other.

"Were you serious just now, because I don't see this ending up anyway but bloody," said Asterion.

"I'm hoping that if we show up in force and take down Pandora, all her men will shit themselves and surrender," said Hermes.

"You are going to need more than hope. Some of those assholes tortured Ariadne for days, so I can't deny her the revenge she needs for that."

Hermes ran a hand over his face. "I know. I will think of something. Selene isn't naive enough to think that no one is going to die, but she is right in a way. We need to be better than Zeus. If he were in our shoes and had discovered a group like Pithos, he would have slaughtered them all so completely and horrifically that it would be a cautionary tale for a millennium. We are both better than that, Asterion. I need to be more than him."

"For her. I get it," Asterion said, patting him on the shoulder. "So, save who you can and let the others die. If nothing else, the ones we let live will be able to warn anyone else who thinks that it's okay to hunt down those who are different."

"I know, but I don't want to be the monster they think we are," Hermes replied.

"I'll try to rein Ariadne in, but if it's self-defense, I won't stop her. Don't look so worried, Hermes, this is going to be fun," said Asterion with a smile.

Inside, Hades's lounge room was packed with the Court chatting and drinking. Hades watched over them, a small amused smile on his face and his arm around Persephone. Hermes wasn't even going to try to convince his uncle not to decimate Pandora's island.

"Okay, big brother, what is this about?" asked Perseus, where he sat with Medusa.

"A stolen sword and an island that can't be found," answered Hermes and laid out his plans.

20

The next day, the Court traveled to Crete. Hades and Hermes decided the best way to approach Pandora was without magic that she could detect and with the cover of night. Selene had known about their confrontations with Pithos. She had stitched them up enough times to know that they were violent, but as she sat quietly and listened to battle plans for the past day, she had a whole new understanding of the people she called her friends.

For the most part, Hermes was calm, but as soon as they landed on Crete, he had taken her hand and hung onto it. They were waiting on a boat to take them from Lentas, and to an island only Hermes could sense.

"Maybe we should have stayed in bed," Selene whispered to him, only half-joking.

"Don't worry, Selene, once I get my staff back, I intend not to leave my bed for a week." Hermes's smile was full of flirtatious trouble.

"Is that so? Am I invited?"

"You'll have to fight Jackal for that side of the bed, but sure, you can come if you still want to," he said, a small note of unease creeping in.

"Unless you turn into a total dick between then and now, I'm pretty certain I'll want to," Selene replied.

"Then it looks like you're sleeping alone, Hermes," said Erebus behind them.

"Jealousy is a curse, titan," Hermes retorted.

"Still more interesting than yours."

With perfect timing, a boat arrived at the docks as the sun disappeared under the waves. Charon was behind the wheel and was the only one that looked relaxed.

"All right, doll?" he asked, as Selene put her bag down.

"Nervous, but okay, how about you?"

"Right as rain. Looking forward to seeing what Pandora has been hatching on her secret hideout. Don't worry too much. We are all going to protect you," Charon promised. He drove them out of the harbor and gestured at Hermes. "Come on, trickster, this is your shit show. Tell me where to go."

Hermes joined Charon at the front of the boat and closed his eyes. The air charged around him and Selene stepped back from him, her skin shivering with static. Hermes held out a hand to the darkness and pointed. "That way, ferryman. The staff's power is covering the island like a cloak."

"Let's hope we don't crash straight into it," said Charon.

"If Darius could find it in a sailboat and not crash, then I'm sure you'll manage," Hermes replied. His hand found Selene's again in the dim light. She couldn't imagine what he must be feeling as he headed back to a place that had caused him so much torment.

"When it starts, stay behind me, Silver," he said, tucking a curl from her cheek. "Promise me."

"I promise, Hermes," Selene replied, leaning into him, the contact taking some of the tension from his face. "Don't get yourself shot and we'll be good."

"I'd heal, you wouldn't. Don't ask me not to get in the way to protect you, because I won't agree to it. Anyone that lifts a weapon to you will die," Hermes said, his voice going cold. Selene couldn't answer that, a part of her still scared of him, and yet so in love with him that it hurt. She hated the idea of people getting injured, but it was one argument she would never be able to win against him.

"I love you," Selene replied when their staring competition became too much for her. Hermes was about to reply, when his head snapped to the front of the boat. The air was charged again, the core of power thrumming inside of Selene as the boat drove through a wall of magic.

"That's…that's your staff?" Perseus asked, joining them at the front of the boat.

"You can feel it too?" Selene asked, and he nodded.

"It's like ants under my skin."

"We are almost there," Hermes called to the others. The darkness in front of them shimmered, and lights appeared in the distance, a fortress of concrete and steel rising from the ocean.

Asterion let out a low whistle. "Fuck, would you look at that."

"I'm going to tear it apart brick by brick," said Persephone, her eyes turning black.

"Save some for the others this time, and don't burn yourself out," cautioned Hades beside her.

Black shadows were encircling Persephone. "Don't tell me what to do."

"Don't make me take you back to Styx," Hades replied, and Persephone kissed him.

"Stop fighting, you two! There will be plenty for all of us," hissed Medusa, removing her glasses and pulling down her goggles.

"Hades! I could do with some cover," called Charon and pointed to a patrol boat. Shadows exploded over them, shielding the sound and sight of the boat. The patrol went past them, the men on board not sparing them a glance.

"That's incredible," whispered Selene.

"That's nothing. You wait until I get my staff back and then you will know what incredible is," Hermes said with a cocky grin.

Charon guided the boat into a small bay and threw down an anchor. "Okay, Hades, take us across." They all linked hands and magic poured out the God of the Underworld. Selene gasped as the power reached her and then they were all standing on the beach.

"Good luck, everyone. You know what to do from here," said Hades.

"Cause as much glorious chaos as possible," laughed Ariadne, pulling out her knives.

"Just watch where you throw those things," warned Medusa.

Ariadne rolled her eyes at Selene. "I nicked her once during practice and she's never dropped it."

"Be careful, the both of you," Selene said. Ariadne's smile widened and she saluted her with her knife.

They disappeared in the night, leaving Hermes, Selene, and Thanatos alone on the beach. The titan refused to leave Selene on her own, and she made a mental note to ask what the hell happened between him and Hecate to make him so protective of her.

"Are you ready for this, Hermes?" asked Thanatos.

"As I'll ever be. At this time of night, most of the men will be at the mess hall, which will leave our path free," said Hermes. They headed up the beach and up to the tall metal gates to the compound. A siren was sounding in the distance. That will be Ariadne and Persephone.

"There's our way in. Are you ready?" asked Hermes, pointing at the gate.

"We aren't going to sneak in?" Selene thought they would at least try to avoid getting shot.

"No, love, we are going right through the front door, because I intend to make the most dramatic entrance as possible," Hermes replied. His eyes were glowing with gold light and his smile was manic.

Thanatos sighed deeply, his scythes appearing in his hands. "I know that look. Stay by me, Selene."

Hermes laughed, kissed Selene, and then clapped his hands twice. The gates exploded in a rain of metal and wood, and the three of them walked right in.

HERMES WAS THRUMMING with more magic than he had felt in years. The Caduceus knew he was there, its power leading them through the fortress. He barely registered the men scurrying about, some screaming in terror about a Minotaur. He knew that Thanatos would protect Selene from anyone getting too close, but they were yet to have anyone raise weapons at them. His shock troops were certainly scaring the enemy in more ways than one. Hermes opened another door and there was a group of four men, all with guns pointed at him.

"Hello there, I was wondering if you could give me directions to my staff?" Hermes asked politely.

"Surrender now and we won't fill your bitch with bullets," a man said behind his balaclava. Hermes raised a hand to make their heads explode and then stopped.

"You're lucky that she told me not to kill anyone tonight. Listen puppets, we aren't here for you, so put your guns down and I'll let you go free."

"You just said you won't kill us, so why would we?"

Hermes gave Selene a pained glance over her shoulder, but she shook her head. "Fuck. Fine. You know what puppets do best? They dance," Hermes said, snapping his fingers. The men's guns fell to the floor as their limbs forced them into a rhythm.

"W-what did you do to us?" one of the soldiers demanded as he ground up against one of his horrified companions.

"Saved your useless lives. Go on, fuck off and pass it on," said Hermes, and they partnered up and waltzed away through the corridors.

"That wasn't so terrible, was it?" Selene asked with a wide smile.

"Wasn't nearly as satisfying," complained Hermes as he walked into another corridor. The fortress was a warren and every damn space was the same. Hermes growled in frustration and then stopped.

"What's wrong?" asked Thanatos.

"Nothing, I'm going to clear a path," said Hermes. Thanatos moved Selene back behind him as Hermes raised his hand. He closed his eyes for a split second, centered himself on the pulse of his staff, and blew a kiss of power in its direction. Concrete bricks and metal framing split open in the wall beside him.

"This way," he said, voice thick with magic. Hermes walked casually through the new path, ignoring the gunfire and screams in the corridors on either side of him. He spotted men frozen in stone and others torn in half. "Don't look, Selene," he said firmly, and she gripped the back of his shirt.

"Lead me," she replied and shut her eyes.

The holes in the walls ended and they stepped into a wide circular space with metal sides all around them. Slots in the metal opened and gun barrels poked through them.

"Come on, Pandora! Let's talk like big kids. This is getting tedious," Hermes called, his voice echoing around them. A panel in the wall slid back and Pandora walked through it, his beloved staff in her horrible hands. The staff was as tall as she was, two golden snakes wrapped around the dark wood meeting at the top in the center of a pair of open wings.

"Hermes, I wondered when you were going to come back to me," Pandora said, the purr in her voice making him flinch. That fucking voice would haunt his nightmares. Selene stepped beside him and took his hand, hiding the tremor in it before Pandora could see it.

"I thought she would be prettier," said Selene, knowing exactly where to prod Pandora's ego. Fates save me, I love this woman.

"Who is this? Another woman already? You really can't keep it in your pants longer than five minutes," Pandora said.

"I kept it in for the twenty years I was stuck with you, didn't I? That staff belongs to me, so hand it over before the Court decides to decimate this place and everyone in it,” Hermes said, forcing his voice steady.

"Zeus, King of the Gods, gave it to me, and you should know that a gift given by a god is yours forever," Pandora replied.

"You really don't care about anyone but yourself, do you? These poor bastards are following you and you wouldn't care if we killed them all right now." Hermes looked at the guns still pointed at them. "You guys really need better role models."

Pandora laughed charmingly. "They don't follow me. They follow the cause to clean up the world from the likes of you. If Hades and his monsters had stayed in the shadows where he belongs, the humans might not have felt threatened enough to want to arm themselves against your kind. We might have a bagged a few for scientific advancements to help mankind, but it escalated when Hades and his freaks refused to return to the Underworld."

"You speak like you are one of them! You are more like the horrible monsters you are so keen to destroy than you are human," Hermes argued. He just needed to get close enough to get one hand on that staff.

"I am not like you. I am the first woman. I am more human than all of them put together," said Pandora.

"How very wrong you are, Pandora. There was nothing ever human about you. You think you are some kind of noble protector, and yet you aren't interested in helping any of them in this building."

"You think this is all of us? We are but a cell. There are so many more-"

"Like Darius Drakos? Oh, yeah, I remember him well. Don't you worry, I'll be finding him next," Hermes promised.

"He always warned me not to get too comfortable with you. That no matter how loyally you performed, you were still not to be trusted, my inventor," Pandora said. Hermes froze at the title, the memories of a hundred nights of torment flooding back to him.

"Don't you fucking call him that," hissed Selene. She had a fiercely protective glare in her eyes that Hermes had never seen before. She had never reminded him so much of Hecate.

Pandora's lip curled in a sneer. "Who are you, girl?"

Selene let go of Hermes's hand and stepped forward. "I dare you to drop that staff and find out."

"Hmm, I think not," said Pandora and lowered the staff, sending a bolt of power at Selene. The blast of magic knocked Hermes and Thanatos backward as it hit Selene squarely in the chest. Hermes watched in shock as the magic bounced off her and back to Pandora, sending her flying across the other side of the room. Hecate's got a protection on her bloodline after all, Hermes thought in a daze.

Selene was glowing with silver light as she walked towards where Pandora lay bleeding. Hermes struggled to get up and couldn't look away as Selene bent down and picked up his staff. She walked calmly toward him with her eyes pale with silver light.

"I believe this is yours, my love," said Selene and offered it to him.

"Thank you, Selene," Hermes replied, but didn't take it.

"It's okay, Hermes, you aren't alone," she whispered.

"Whatever happens, know that I love you."

Selene smiled. "I know."

Hermes took a deep breath, wrapped his hand around the Caduceus and the world burst in golden light.

THANATOS'S strong arms wrapped around Selene and dragged her to the ground, shielding her body as Hermes exploded with magic.

"Stay down until it's over," Thanatos warned. Through a gap under his arm, Selene stared wide-eyed as Hermes rose in the air and the golden magic around him sucked back inside of him.

"Oh, fuck, we missed the whole show," complained Erebus as he stepped through the hole in the wall, followed by the rest of the Court. Hermes looked towards Thanatos and Selene on the ground.

"Unhand my woman, titan," he commanded in a god voice that almost made Selene pee herself. Thanatos wisely got off her and helped her stand up.

"Look at him, back to being his flying sexy Tinkerbell self," said Charon gleefully as he came and stood beside Selene. "I definitely think we need to get him some winged booties just for the hell of it."

"Come down, Hermes, and let's finish this," Hades commanded. A tremble ran through Hermes and his eyes returned to normal as he drifted back down to the ground. Erebus and Thanatos had already lifted Pandora up, one hanging onto each arm.

"You think you've won, but I tell you and all your freaks, this is only just beginning!" spat Pandora viciously. "Go ahead and kill me!"

"And make you a martyr? Not likely, Pandora," said Hades. He shared a look with Hermes. "Asterion, make sure everyone gets out of the building before we return."

"Where are you-" Selene started as Hermes tapped his staff to the ground once, and then he was gone, Hades, Thanatos, Erebus, and Pandora with them.

"Oh, shit, she's going to regret pissing them off so much," said Charon.

"Where did they go?" asked Perseus.

"Probably best not to ask," answered Medusa, taking his hand.

"Come on, we don't know how long they are going to be," Asterion interrupted, his voice frighteningly deep in his bull-headed form. In a strange daze, Selene followed them out through the wreckage of the building.

"What happened here?" Ariadne asked, bending down and picking up a machine gun. It wobbled strangely in her hand and she burst out laughing. "They are all rubber. How the fuck did this happen?"

"Hermes. He promised Selene he wouldn't let anyone shoot her," said Charon, sharing a smile with her.

"That's certainly one way to take care of it," laughed Medusa.

"You wait to see the ones dancing," Selene replied. They made it out of the compound's gates before they spotted a group of about thirty soldiers on the road ahead of them, grooving together in a silent rave.

"I wonder how long it's going to last?" asked Ariadne, stroking the hilt of one of the knives in her belt. Selene put a hand over her bloody one.

"Don't even think about it, assassin," she said.

"Aw, come on, you're no fun at all."

They climbed up a small, rocky hill that overlooked the smoking compound beneath them. Charon sat down on a large rock and started doing coin tricks.

"Now what do we do?" asked Selene, sitting down beside him.

"Now, we wait for them to return."

DEEP in the darkest pits of Tartarus, Hermes and Hades watched as Erebus and Thanatos dragged a screaming Pandora into a cell of black stone.

"Maybe we should just kill her and be done with it," said Hades.

"I might consider it…eventually. For now, I want her to know how it feels to be locked up in her own personal hell," Hermes replied. He remembered not only who he was, but every single damn day he had been held by the woman in the cell.

"You don't have to do this, Hermes! We can make a deal. I know so many things," Pandora said desperately, straining against her shackles. She turned to Thanatos. "I know where Hecate is. I could tell you. That woman you protected is of Hecate's bloodline. I could feel her power in the protection around her. I can give you the information you need to reunite them."

"We don't need your help, Pandora. The Goddess of the Crossroads will find us if we don't find her first," said Hermes. "If not, we know where you'll be to interrogate you."

"I-I can give you Darius! You have no idea the power he has. He won't stop with me taken out of the way," said Pandora.

"He can come for us and we will defeat him the same way we defeated you," Hades replied calmly.

"You can't just leave me here!" shrieked Pandora. Erebus, more shadows than man, leaned close to the bars.

"Don't worry, I have one last gift for the Many Gifted one," he hissed and placed Zeus's head outside of the cell to stare at her with lifeless eyes. Hermes and Hades smiled as Pandora screamed and screamed.

SELENE WAS DOZING against Charon's shoulder when the air charged, and Hermes was suddenly crouched down in front of her. He rested his hands on her knees, his eyes scanning her all over.

"My love, are you hurt at all?" he asked.

"I'm okay, Hermes. Are you?" she said, taking his face in her hands, looking for changes. He still looked like her mad god, with his hawk eyes and quick smile, but there was something about him that was sharper and even more alert. It was as if he had suddenly come into focus.

"I am back to being me and I still love you. I'm still also a little mad, but I'm sure that's completely normal too," Hermes admitted, his smile growing wider.

"Good, because I don't think I'd like it if you became too normal," Selene replied and kissed him. It was the briefest of brushes, but magic sizzled through the connection, and she began to glow again. "What now?"

"Now, I do something that I've been dying to do all night," Hermes said and laughed when he saw her expression. "I meant destroying the compound, not what you're thinking about, Silver."

"I'm only human," she laughed as he helped her up.

"That's debatable. You should be dead after the blow of magic you took," Hermes replied, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Worry about Selene's protections from Hecate tomorrow. I want to go home," Erebus complained.

As the sun rose, Hermes pointed his staff at the compound and turned it to dust. It happened in less than a minute, and Selene had never seen anything so terrifying in all her life.

"Are you going to vaporize the dancing soldiers on the beach too, because they aren't coming home with me," Ariadne asked with a yawn.

"I'd be happy to turn them all into garden ornaments for you," said Medusa. Hermes gave Selene a hopeful expression.

"Don't even think about it," she said, and Hermes groaned.

"Fine, let's give them a healthy dose of amnesia and get out of here," he said. One by one, the soldiers stopped their dancing, collapsing onto the sand unconscious.

"Happy?" asked Hermes.

Selene rose on tiptoes and kissed his cheek. "Yes. Now, I'm ready to go home."

21

Selene spent the next two days curled up in bed with Hermes talking and making plans in between intense bouts of lovemaking. He was still waking up from nightmares, but at least now he knew what was memory and what was his own fear. She had helped save him from his curse, but he saved her in so many ways too. They had both healed old wounds and could finally move on. Hermes was still mad and wonderful, and Selene loved him all the more for it.

"I suppose I should look at finding another nursing job now that you are back to your old self again," said Selene, as she sat looking out over the ocean. Hermes placed a fresh beer beside her.

"You are going to be too busy to go back to nursing, Selene," he said, sitting down beside her.

"Doing what? I can't spend all my time in bed with you, no matter how tempting it is."

"I know. I'm talking about your magic and figuring out how it works. Some magic of Hecate's protected you in Crete, and as much as I am loathe to admit it, I can't teach you," he replied.

"I don't understand. You are the god of magic, so how can you not be able to teach me about it?"

"Hecate's magic, and those of her bloodline, answer to her. The magic is completely different, and the women of her line are frightening and formidable," said Hermes.

"But I'm not," Selene replied, shaking her head. "I glow a bit, but I'm just a human."

"I wasn't talking about you, Silver, though I have no doubt that you will be once you're trained. I'm talking about sorceresses like Circe and Medea. They had a power that even I, god of magic, could never understand. Pandora shouted about knowing that Hecate's still walking the earth." Hermes took a notebook from his pocket and flipped it open to a drawing of the ruins of a temple.

"Where is that?" Selene asked, taking the drawing. There was something about it that looked so familiar, like something she had once seen in a dream.

"Lagina. It used to have the largest cult openly dedicated to Hecate. That's the remains of her temple in modern-day Turkey. I traveled there, but I couldn't find any trace of her," Hermes explained.

"And what do we do if we find her? It's not like she didn't know she had some family left alive. Maybe she's never sought me out for a reason, Hermes," said Selene, handing his journal back.

"I knew Hecate for a long time, and there was nothing she was more protective of than her sorceresses and bloodline. Something is keeping her from you, and you are going to need her now that your magic has awakened." Hermes pulled a face. "You should also know that Hecate and I fought a lot, so don't expect her to be happy about her descendent shacking up with me."

"Oh, no, am I dating an inappropriate boy? The shame," teased Selene. Hermes pulled her laughing onto his lap and kissed her, and didn't stop until she was glowing like a star.

"What now?" Selene asked, tangling her fingers in his dark hair.

"Now, I need to show you how inappropriate I can be."

"I was hoping you were going to say that. Don't forget you promised to write a ballad for me about all my adventures."

Hermes, the god of tricksters and thieves, gave her his most savage smile that was still somehow full of love and magic. "Something tells me, this adventure is only just beginning."

EPILOGUE

Thousands of miles away, a pulse of magic rose from the ocean and traveled through the trees and rock and earth. It had journeyed from Crete, searching and seeking, drawn back to its goddess.

It crept through the mortar in between charmed stone bricks and settled on top of the figure of a woman, locked in an eternal slumber. The magic covered her, eating away at the curse until it made a small crack in it and slipped between her lips. It shot through her immortal body and coaxed golden ichor to begin to flow and her ancient, angry heart to beat.

Then after more than twenty years, the goddess breathed in.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I believe that all monsters and villains deserve their happy endings. I prefer my clothes black, eyeliner winged, and books full of hot romance. I think heroes are boring, so my first series 'The Court of the Underworld' centers around dark gods, monsters and villains from my favorite Greek Myths.

Come say hi to me on Instagram, or keep track of all of the Court gossip by subscribing to my blog newsletter at:

https://alessathornauthor.com/alessa-news/

Thank you for reading HERMES, if you loved it please consider leaving me a short review on Amazon as it helps other readers find my books.

Keep reading for a sneak peak of THANATOS …Coming soon in 2020!

THANATOS

1

Before Thanatos was bound to a physical body, he never used to dream. Now, as he woke sweating and shaking in the dead of night, he wondered if he would ever stop.

For a moment, he didn’t know where he was, the dream still holding on, dragging him back to the dark forest in the Underworld.

Moonlight was streaking through his window, turning his world black and white. He pushed his damp silver hair from his face. It had been burned in their fight on Pandora’s island, and Charon had insisted he cut off his ruined shoulder-length style into something more presentable. Unable to tie it back, he now always felt like it was in his face.

Muttering curses, Thanatos sat up and tried to steady his breathing. Breath. This form told him he needed it, even though he didn’t. Get up, get outside.

Thanatos climbed out of bed and walked to the glass doors. They led outside of his apartment and into the dark rooftop garden.

Acheron Tower had the best views in Styx, and the glittering lights of the city beneath him calmed his raging mind. It was so loud, so alive. He walked under the cypress trees, touching their bark gently, marveling like he always did that such a wonder could be growing so far from the earth.

The dream came back to him, and his hand tightened on the bark. Thanatos had been standing under a grove of cypress trees in the Underworld, and glowing softly with white moonlight had been a woman. No, not a woman. A titaness.

Her black hair fell to her waist in a loose braid, her dark violet eyes full of power and secrets. Her mouth had opened in a silent scream, her hands reaching for him, a plead on her soundless lips, Find me, Thanatos. Find me.

Thanatos rubbed at the hollow pain in his chest, the tattoos of the curse that had once bound him to the Underworld streaking black symbols of power over his pale brown skin.

“It means nothing, it’s only because you’ve been spending too much time around Selene,” he whispered to himself. His eyes tilted towards the moon above him, and he frowned. I don’t need your judgment, either.

It wasn’t as though he hadn’t tried to find Hecate before. When he had been freed from Zeus’s bindings and had taken a physical form, he had looked for signs of her. There had been none, and he had fallen in with the others to build Styx, establish Hades’s kingdom, and a world of relative security for all of them.

Now he was wondering if he had given up the search too quickly. Hecate wasn’t in the Underworld either, he would have sensed it if she were.

“Just give me a sign of where to look,” he whispered to the night.

Inside the apartment, his phone message tone chimed. Thanatos cast a suspicious glare at the moon and then hurried to answer it. A message was flashing from ‘Thieving Prick,’ and Thanatos sighed and opened it.

Are you naked? We need to talk, and I don’t want to see your junk.

Thanatos messaged Hermes back; I’m awake and presentable so you won’t feel insecure. The air filled with static, making Thanatos’s skin prickle with the oncoming magic, and suddenly Hermes stepped out of the night sky and into his garden.

There were times when Thanatos missed the crazy, simple version of Hermes. The god was crackling with magic since he had regained his memories and his staff, and was back to full speed that was always four times faster than everyone else. When Hermes was worked up about something, just being around him made Thanatos’s headache. One look at Hermes’s disheveled hair and burning eyes told Thanatos he’d have a migraine within the hour if he wasn’t careful.

“What wrong?” he asked as Hermes came inside.

“Nothing yet. Why are you awake?” he said.

“I had a nightmare.”

Hermes swore and sat down on the couch, propping his bare feet up on the coffee table.

“Are the nightmares about Hecate?” he asked.

Thanatos hid his surprise; Hermes was the god of dreams after all. “Yes. Why?”

“So, it’s happening to you too. Double fuck,” Hermes replied and ran a hand over his face. “Selene is awake every night with them. She asked me to come and check on you because, apparently, you are in them.”

“What else happens?” asked Thanatos. Maybe Hecate is sending signs after all.

“Selene said that Hecate is crying out for help. At first, she didn’t know who the woman was, so I drew her a picture and confirmed it.” Hermes tugged at the ends of his hair, a habit he still hadn’t kicked despite being restored to his right mind. “Do you think Hecate really is in trouble? I mean, she was a total badass and viciously powerful. I didn’t think any was being capable of taking her down. I know that’s why Zeus was always careful not to piss her off.”

“Up until recently, I wouldn’t have thought anyone capable of taking you on either, but Pandora and Pithos proved us wrong. What if they got to Hecate before you?” Thanatos said. He had been worrying about it since Crete, even with Pandora locked up in Tartarus. There were still too many loose ends where Pithos was concerned.

“What if these dreams are because Selene used her magic, and because it comes from Hecate, it has awoken memories in her blood?” asked Hermes.

“That wouldn’t explain why I’m having the dreams too,” answered Thanatos, folding his arms.

Hermes’s golden eyes softened a little. “Maybe the feel of Hecate’s magic brought up old memories for you. I know you, and her were close. Well, as close as you could be without a physical body.”

“We were friends,” Thanatos said carefully.

“Friendly enough to always take her side when we argued,” Hermes replied.

“That’s because most of the time, you were acting like an obnoxious asshole. Someone had to step in before you both started another war between Olympians and Titans,” said Thanatos.

“You’re right, maybe we should let Hecate sort herself out.” Thanatos stared hard at him until Hermes groaned dramatically. “Okay, okay. We’ll find her. You know I’d do it just so Selene could get a decent night’s sleep,” he said.

“And because Hecate is one of ours and needs our help too, yes?” replied Thanatos.

“Of course,” Hermes said, without an ounce of sincerity. “Let’s hope time has made her less argumentative.”

Thanatos raised a silver brow. “Did it make you less of an asshole?”

Hermes laughed. “Maybe a more tired one. Selene needs Hecate, and I need Selene, which means I’m willing to put up with the Goddess of the Crossroad’s worst moods if it makes Selene happy and safe.”

“Maybe love will turn you decent yet, trickster,” said Thanatos.

“And love may destroy you if you aren’t careful.”

“I don’t understand what you mean by that.”

Hermes's smile widened further. “You will. Now, go and get dressed so I can take you to Selene. We need to compare notes on these dreams and try and find out where the old witch is hiding – ow! What was that for?” Hermes yelped when Thanatos hit him in the back of the head.

“Be respectful. I’m going to get dressed, try not to steal or break anything.”

“You better hurry up then. I don’t want to keep Selene waiting,” Hermes replied, his infuriating smile firmly back in place.

Selene was pouring fresh coffee when Thanatos and Hermes appeared in the lounge room. Her eyes had dark smudges under them, and she was paler than usual. No wonder Hermes is worried. Hermes had always been the hardest of the Olympians to read, but when it came to Selene, his feelings were an open book. He loved her, and when he was around her, Hermes just about radiated.

“Good morning, Selene,” Thanatos greeted politely as she passed him a steaming cup.

“Thanks for coming. I hope Hermes wasn’t too bossy,” she said.

“I was the epitome of courtesy and grace, I swear it,” assured Hermes, leaning down to press a kiss on the top of her head.

“I doubt that,” Selene said, but was smiling fondly at him regardless.

Thanatos sat on one of the bar stools and sipped his coffee. “Tell me about your nightmares, Selene.”

“Better yet, I can show you,” Selene replied and took him to the spare bedroom.

The last time Thanatos had it seen it, there had been a bed and desk in it, now the room had been gutted of furniture, and there were books, journals and art supplies stacked in piles, the walls covered notes and drawings.

“What happened here?”

“Hermes happened,” Selene replied.

“Most of this is the research that I left with the Graeae sisters and a bit more that I’ve been gathering. I’ve been trying to figure out my trains of thought before Zeus cursed me,” explained Hermes. He searched through a group of sketches and handed them to Thanatos. “These are all the sketches I’ve done of the dreams.”

“They always end the same way,” said Selene softly. “Hecate asking me to save her. No matter how powerful everyone keeps telling me she is, I’m starting to think she’s really in trouble.” Hermes moved to put his arm around her, and Thanatos focussed on the sketches. The first few were a grove of cypress trees, some old ruins...and then there she was. Rendered in vibrant color, from her violet eyes to her golden brown feet. Hecate, the goddess of night, in all of her perfection.

“Easy, titan, if you stare any harder at that picture, you are going to set it on fire,” said Hermes, before whispering to Selene. “He always used to look like that around the real thing too.”

“Shut up. I’m thinking,” snapped Thanatos. He went through all the drawings, comparing them to the dreams he had been having. One picture, in particular, made him pause. It was the floor of a ruined temple, a plain row of bricks set in a square. It looked like it may have once had a mosaic set into it, and now only the border remained. “Where is this?” he asked.

“Not too sure. There are ruins like this all over Greece, Italy, and Turkey,” said Hermes vaguely.

“Why? Is it important?” asked Selene, taking the drawing from him. “I’ve seen these ruins many times in my dreams. Sometimes it’s a completed temple, surrounded by trees. Other times it’s burning. No matter what state it’s in, it always comes back to this piece of flooring.”

“If by some bizarre coincidence Hecate is responsible for the dreams, why does she not say what she means? Why show you the floor? It doesn’t make any sense. If she’s strong enough to send out a dream, she should be strong enough to pick up a damn phone,” said Hermes irritably.

“We don’t know if she is strong enough. What if she is trapped somewhere?” argued Selene. “I get this…this feeling…in the dream. It’s like I have no air. I can taste the dust. I’m trapped in darkness.” She looked up at Thanatos, eyes haunted. “Do you get that?”

“No, but then, I’m not one of her bloodlines. Your dreams are so much more vivid, there are details here that I’ve only seen shadows of. One thing I know is that we need to find her,” said Thanatos decisively. “I can’t let this go now that I know I’m not the only one having the nightmares.”

“That’s what I’ve been saying all along! We wouldn’t both be having them if she were okay. We don’t know how far Pithos spread, or for how long they were hunting people. What if Pandora got to her first somehow?” replied Selene, turning to Hermes. “Please. Thanatos is right. We can’t sit back and do nothing.” Hermes seemed to physically struggle with the request. Selene didn’t know how much the two irritated each other, but Thanatos did. Hermes wouldn’t want Hecate laying claim to Selene either, which she most definitely would do.

“What are you holding back, Hermes?” asked Thanatos, knowing there was a good dose of guilt mixed in with the concern.

“The ruins. They are similar to ones I saw in Turkey one time,” he admitted.

“What? When were you going to tell me that?” demanded Selene, stepping away from Hermes.

“Probably never so you wouldn’t want to do something like go after Hecate,” said Thanatos.

“Go on, titan, make her angrier why don’t you,” Hermes snapped at him before turning back to Selene. “I showed you the drawing of the ruins weeks ago, don’t you remember? I didn’t know if the dreams were the result of your magic waking up or from me telling you about Hecate’s temple that used to be there. As you said, we don’t know who else is out there hunting us, and I don’t know if splitting us up to go and look for a ghost is worth risking your life if they decide to attack again.”

“Don’t try and pull the ‘protecting me’ card, Hermes! You said yourself that before Zeus cursed you, you were trying to find other gods and supernatural beings because you thought that a war was coming. Hecate is powerful. She can help us find the likes of Darius Drakos and stop them,” argued Selene.

“She could also tell us to fuck off for bothering her!” Hermes replied. “You don’t know her, Selene. She wasn’t one to get involved unless she had to-”

“True,” interrupted Thanatos. “But she did love the women of her bloodline and did her best to teach them when their power rose. She will be able to protect Selene bet-”

“Don’t you dare say better than me or I’ll smite that physical body so hard that Hades will have to build you another one,” threatened Hermes.

“Enough! No more arguing,” said Selene stepping between them. She took a deep breath and placed her hands on Hermes’s chest. “I know you don’t like her, but I’ll go and find her with or without you.”

Hermes’s eyes narrowed.“You wouldn’t know where to look.”

“You just told me these ruins are in Turkey,” she said with a small smile. “You really should learn how to keep your mouth shut.”

“Damn it,” muttered Hermes and then pulled her into a hug and kissed her hard. “Okay, we’ll go. Even though if we find her, you might live to regret it.”

“You’re just worried that she’ll convince me that you are a terrible choice of lover for me,” Selene teased, hugging him tighter.

“Oh, she will definitely try and do that,” said Thanatos with a laugh.

“You see? Another good reason to stay here in Styx and keep you all to myself. It’s a much better plan, Silver,” Hermes replied, the uneasiness back in his voice.

Selene stood up on tiptoes, so they were almost eye level. “Hermes, my love, we are going. No arguments. Do this for me because I helped you when you needed it. Now I need your help in return.”

Hermes twisted his fingers into her dark curls. “Okay, but Thanatos is coming. Hecate hates me and doesn’t know you. She won’t attack us if he is with us.”

Thanatos smiled. “You hope she won’t.”

“I know she won’t because she always liked you the best. You always could calm her down.” Hermes pressed a kiss to Selene’s forehead. “Hades should be awake by now, I’ll go and convince him to let Thanatos come with us.” And with that, he split a door in reality open and disappeared.

Selene turned and smiled at Thanatos. “Well, that was easy.”

“I’ve never seen Hermes give in like that. He loves you, Selene. Remember that this will be hard for him in ways you won’t understand for a while,” said Thanatos.

Selene’s smile fell. “They really hated each other that much?”

“Hate is a strong word,” Thanatos said before adding. “Hecate has always been complicated.”

“Will you tell me about her?” asked Selene.

Thanatos looked at his empty cup so she wouldn’t see his hesitation. “I’m going to need more coffee.”

2

Thanatos and Selene sat on the comfortable chairs on the deck, watching the sunrise. Thanatos didn’t want to talk about Hecate, but he knew that Selene wouldn’t stop asking questions until he did. Thanatos certainly didn’t trust anything that Hermes would tell her. The problem was he struggled to know where to start.

“Do you know how Erebus can make wolves out of darkness?” he began slowly. Selene nodded. “Well, once all three of us were like that permanently. In the Underworld, we were more like shades than humans. Charon was the most physical of the three of us, I suppose that’s why he adapted better than Erebus and I when we were finally released. Once the curse was broken, Hades helped us fashion physical bodies of flesh more like the Olympians, so that we could go about on the Earth and experience it fully. When I knew Hecate, I was still a powerful shade. I could look like I do now, but material things could pass through me.” Thanatos pushed his silver hair back from his face. “I don’t know if I’m explaining this right.”

“You’re doing fine. I had wondered what Hermes said about Hades’s building you a body before. There’s so much about you all that I don’t know,” Selene replied, cradling her warm cup closer.

“We are so very old. Don’t expect to know everything in a hurry,” said Thanatos. “Going back before the curse, the Titans and the Olympians had a great war, called the Titanomachy. Zeus wanted to overthrow his oaf of a father, and even those that wanted to remain neutral, like Hecate, were eventually forced to pick a side. Titan turned against titan. Hecate and my brothers eventually allied ourselves with the Olympians, mostly because we liked Hades, and he convinced us. Then after we had won, Zeus turned on all of us. He was paranoid that he would be overthrown as his father was, and he was always afraid of Hades’s strength. He will never admit it now, but in those days, Hades still loved his brother, so it hurt him most of all when Zeus betrayed him and bound us all to the Underworld.”

“But not Hecate,” said Selene.

“No. She was a force to be reckoned with. Zeus was too afraid of her to push her into Tartarus. He waited until she was far from Olympus before he cursed the rest of us, scared that she would have intervened. By the time she learned what happened, it was already too late,” continued Thanatos.

“She is a goddess of the in-between places and crossroads, of the night and shades and magic, she could walk the paths of the Underworld. She never forgot us, like all of the others did. She would come and tell us of all she had seen, how the earth was changing. She always came, no matter what.”

“Why does she hate Hermes so much?” asked Selene.

“She hated Zeus more than Hermes. When Hermes was born, he won Zeus over quickly, and so Zeus wanted to bestow duties on him. Zeus didn’t like that he could never find a way to openly challenge Hecate, so he did the next best thing and try to annoy her as much as possible. He gave Hermes purview over things that always belonged to her; boundaries, magic, and the guiding of souls being the main ones. They would argue over what belonged to whom and were constantly stepping on each other’s toes even when they didn’t mean to. It was Zeus’s way of keeping them angry at each other instead of turning their minds and power to being angry at him,” said Thanatos.

“Was Zeus ever not a bastard? Seriously, the more I know, the more I hate,” muttered Selene.

“Perhaps you can see why Hermes is reluctant to find Hecate. He doesn’t want you to become something else they fight over.”

“That’s ridiculous. I won’t let them fight over me,” Selene said stubbornly. “I belong to no one but myself.”

“They are old gods, they won’t care for your modern sensibilities. You have her blood, he has your heart. Be cautious that you don’t become a battlefield.”

“I won’t let it get to that. So, Hecate was your friend. The way Hermes makes it sound, I thought you two were lovers,” said Selene, mentally sideswiping him.

“No. It was never...we couldn’t...I was a powerful shade but not physical, Selene, it was never an option,” he hurried to explain.

“But you are now,” Selene said with a small smile.

Thanatos got up. “Yes, I am now.”

“Do you think she ever felt the same way?” asked Selene before he reached the door. Thanatos’s hand stilled on the handle.

“If she did, it was never spoken about,” he said, before hurrying inside and away from questions he didn’t like to speculate over.

Hecate had always been his friend, and he had looked forward to her visits to the Underworld, where they would spend time talking together. She was never afraid of what he was, Death Itself, and he was never intimidated by what she was, the most powerful goddess in the world that made mortal and immortal tremble with fear and longing. Perhaps that’s why they had been friends more than anything else.

“You tried to find her when you were set free, didn’t you?” Selene asked, following him inside.

“Yes, but there was no trace of her.”

“Did you try summoning her with magic?”

Thanatos stopped washing up his cup and turned to look at her.

“No. Why? Have you?” he asked. He wasn’t human, he wouldn’t know where to start to try and wield their magic.

“No, but I have been doing some digging,” Selene replied and pulled a notebook out of the handbag hanging off one of the dining room table chairs. “This is the information I found about Hecate.”

“If you had all of that, why ask me about her?”

“Because most of what people know about the gods is total rubbish. I’ve gathered notes so I can separate fact from fiction, and also I thought something might spark for me,” Selene explained. She found what she was looking for and held it out to him. “I found these summoning spells. I think most of them are bullshit, and I refuse to sacrifice any puppies-”

“Hecate would hate that anyway. She loves dogs and used to curse mortals who used to sacrifice them in her name. I know you’re eager to find her, but going to crossroads to summon her won’t work if she’s trapped somewhere,” said Thanatos.

“Also, because fucking around with blood spells is dangerous and stupid,” growled Hermes. He was standing on the other side of the room and pissed off. Selene took her notebook quickly from Thanatos.

“It was only an idea,” she said.

“Why are you keeping secret notebooks on Hecate?” Hermes asked.

“Maybe because you won’t talk about her, and I know you don’t like her! I want to have some kind of an unbiased picture of her, and what kind of magic is in me,” replied Selene.

“I’m just…I’m going to go,” said Thanatos, heading back towards the door.

“Good idea. Selene and I have to have a discussion about her hiding things from me,” said Hermes, his frown deepening.

“Is that so? Come at me, god of bullshit. You’re the one that’s been hiding things like knowing where the ruins are! I have been dreaming about for over a month, and you said nothing,” Selene retorted, hands on hips.

Thanatos quickly shut the door on them and hurried to find his brothers.

Thanatos followed the paved path from Hermes’s house, passed the main villa to the garage where Hades kept his favorite cars. Music was blaring, and Charon’s legs were hanging out from underneath a black vintage Jaguar. Erebus was lying in the sun on a bed he had dragged over from the deck and was smoking a joint, his shadows shivering around him in time to the music.

“I thought I’d find you two here,” Thanatos said, turning the music down.

“Hey, what gives?” Charon asked, rolling out from underneath the Jag on his car creeper, grease smeared against his tattooed chest.

Thanatos had told Selene that Charon had adapted the easiest to having a physical body, but it wasn’t entirely true. Thanatos knew that every time Charon was struggling, he would get another tattoo to make it feel like he owned the body he was in. And Charon had a lot of tattoos.

“What’s wrong?” asked Erebus, shadows sucking back into himself as he sat up.

“I’m going to look for Hecate,” said Thanatos, as he leaned against the workbench covered in tools.

“Shit.” Charon sat up and rested his arms on his knees. “Do you know where to look?”

“Selene and I have been having the same dreams. Hermes has an idea of where to start looking. I don’t know how long we will be gone, hopefully only a day or so,” Thanatos explained.

“It’s probably a good idea to find her,” said Erebus, and the two brothers looked at him in surprise. “What? It is. We still don’t know where Darius Drakos is, and Hecate was cool. I’d rather her come and be safe in Styx then be vulnerable to whatever the fuck Pithos is cooking. Just because Pandora’s base is gone doesn’t mean they all are.”

“What having you been smoking to be this reasonable?” asked Charon. Erebus flipped him off.

“You might not be worried about it, but I fucking am. Hermes has plenty of information on Darius’s collectors. Fuck me, could you imagine how much damage a stupid human could do with the right relic?” Erebus said irritably.

“I can, and I am worried about it. You weren’t the one they spiked to a car bonnet—a car I really liked. I might add,” Charon replied and turned his attention back to Thanatos. “How do you feel about it? You’ve tried to find her before with no luck.”

“I have to know Hecate is okay. If she is, I’ll tell her about Pithos and Darius and let her make up her own mind if she wants to come to Styx and help us. If she is not okay, I’ll save her and annihilate whoever dared to lay a finger on her,” Thanatos said, voice dropping to a soft growl.

“That’s if Hecate doesn’t get to them first.” Hades appeared beside the Jag, dressed casually for the weekend. Weekends were now a thing he took since Persephone had come into their lives. Thanatos still wasn’t used to seeing Hades in a t-shirt and jeans, even if they were still always black. “Hermes told me what you are planning.”

“I won’t be gone for long, Master, I promise,” Thanatos said, but Hades made a dismissive gesture at him.

“I didn’t release you from the Underworld to stay a slave to me. You are all welcome to come and go as you please. Besides, Selene needs training, and I wouldn’t mind having Hecate to help Persephone as well.”

“Not to mention Hecate is a superpower unto herself, and it’s better to have her on our side,” Erebus added with a grin.

“Also true,” Hades replied. “You should have told me about the nightmares, Thanatos.”

“I didn’t think they were important, just my own anxiety,” Thanatos answered with a small shrug. “I’m not going to bother people with every dream I have.”

“Especially if they are about Hecate because they would probably involve lots of kissing and longing sighs,” teased Erebus and made smooching sounds at him.

“Shut up, Erebus,” said Charon and Thanatos at the same time.

“Oh come on, we are all thinking about it. Hecate is going to lose her shit when she sees Thanatos like this! He’s the only one of us that’s ever managed to make her smile,” Erebus replied.

Thanatos rolled his eyes at him. “Maybe if you weren’t so annoying, she would smile at you too.”

“Go and get her and we’ll find out bro,” Erebus said, with a sly grin. “I bet she still looks banging. If you are too chicken to have a run at her, I will.”

Hades took a subtle step between them. “Don’t let him provoke you. He’s full of shit as always. If Hermes’s is right and we are going to have a problem with Darius Drakos and his associates in the future, I’d rather have Hecate’s location known. If she doesn’t want to come to Styx, we can’t force her, but she might agree to check-in if nothing else. She was one of us once, and I wouldn’t want her to come to harm because she thinks humans aren’t a threat.”

“Tell her to come for a visit, at least. I bet she has some great new stories, I miss those,” said Charon, before lying down and sliding back under the car.

“Now all you have to do is make sure Hermes doesn’t provoke her too much,” Hades added, giving Thanatos an encouraging pat on the back for luck. He was going to need it.

3

The next morning, Hermes and Selene arrived at Thanatos’s apartment, each with a bag of gear and a smile on their face.

“Sort out your argument the fun way, did you?” Thanatos asked Hermes, and the god gave him a sly wink.

“The best way is to avoid them altogether. Are you ready for this?” Hermes asked him. Thanatos looked over at Selene.

“Is she? If we find Hecate, her life is going to change.”

“So is everyones. I don’t know why you look so worried, old friend,” said Hermes.

“I’m not worried,” Thanatos lied. He hadn’t slept all night, his stomach full of nervous butterflies on what he would say to her. Hey, seemed insufficient. Don’t kill Hermes, was probably what he would have to start with. “Are you sure you have enough power to open the doors all the way to Lagina?”

“That’s what I said, we could’ve gotten Charon to fly us,” said Selene. “I don’t want you burning out after twenty years of not having access to your magic.”

“Still, the nurse.” Hermes pulled his staff from the leather holster on his back and reached out to take Selene’s hand. “Lagina is called Turget now, and I won’t burn myself out getting there. Honestly, you two, you have to live a little.”

“Just don’t drop us in the ocean halfway because you’re too cocky for your own good,” said Thanatos, taking Selene’s other hand. It was warm and trembling slightly from excitement. Thanatos’s butterflies suddenly came rushing back. It was ridiculous, they knew to expect ruins and nothing else, but there was something about the intensity of their dreams that made him hopeful.

Hermes’s magic roared through him, his golden eyes flashing with light. Selene made a small sound of awe as the staff in Hermes’s hand glowed with power, and then they were stepping through nothing and landing almost imperceptibly onto dry grass.

“That was…amazing,” Selene said breathlessly. She was staring at Hermes wide-eyed. He grinned at her, and then they were kissing. Thanatos looked away with a snort of disgust.

“Focus, please,” he said, and when they didn’t listen, he started walking. Through the scattering of trees, he spotted white columns sticking out of the green grass like broken bones. There was a large sign, written for tourists, explaining that the temple was an ancient spiritual center, with Hecate the goddess worshiped there. Thanatos walked amongst the ruined foundations and placed his hand on one of the columns.

Are you here? Thanatos shut his eyes, recalling Hecate’s smile, her magic that was so potent that even in his incorporeal form, he could feel it.

“Thanatos, can you sense anything?” Hermes called out.

“Nothing yet,” he replied.

“Will you guys help me look for the flooring I keep dreaming about?” Selene asked, holding out the sketch.

“Maybe you could feel Hecates’s magic out,” Thanatos suggested. “You have the same power in your veins, no matter how diluted you think it is.”

“I don’t know how,” Selene said, uncertainly. “It came out when we were on Crete because Pandora attacked me, and it was a protective instinct. I’m not signing up for another blast from Hermes’s staff.”

While Hermes sniggered, Thanatos had an idea. He started walking towards Selene, speaking in the tongues of the dead. Hermes stopped laughing and shouted something, but Thanatos ignored him.

Selene took a step backward as Thanatos closed in on her, grey shadows seeping out of him. Her eyes went wide in fear, and Hermes tackled him to the grass as Selene exploded with silver light.

“What the fuck do you think you are doing?” shouted Hermes, shaking him in rage.

“I didn’t hurt her, Hermes, back off,” Thanatos said, shoving him away.

“Stop fighting,” Selene interrupted, her voice strangely calm and far away. Her blue eyes had clouded over. “This way. I…I sense something.”

Hermes got up, glaring at Thanatos as they followed Selene. It was as if she was sleepwalking, her feet steady as she stepped around the fallen masonry. “I can hear music, smell…burning incense and flowers. Dogs are barking.” Selene climbed over broken blocks and down onto a sunken floor. She lowered to her knees.

“What is it, Selene?” Hermes asked softly, careful not to touch her. She clawed at the layer of dirt and grass before lying down and pressing her ear to the ground.

“Here. I feel her. I feel me. The seals, holding it in with power,” Selene whispered, and then sat up quickly. She put her hands together and slammed her fists onto the ground. The earth shifted beneath Thanatos’s feet, a tremor rolling through them like ripples on a pond.

“Hermes -” he whispered.

“I know, I feel it too.” Hermes didn’t stop Selene as she brought her fists down again, and then on the third time, the earth split underneath them. They fell through the floor and onto a set of stairs beneath them, dirt and stone scattering everywhere. Selene was unharmed, cradled in Hermes's arms, his body sprawled on the steps.

“Are you okay, Hermes?” Thanatos asked. Hermes groaned and nodded. Selene still lost in her daze, got up, and placed her hands on the bricked-in doorway.

“She’s in here,” Selene said, fingers tracing the bricks, pausing where the mortar was crumbling. “Here. This is where it got in.”

“What got in, Silver?” asked Hermes.

“Me,” Selene replied, before stroking between the bricks once and then flicking it. As soon as her fingertip hit the stone, they caved inward with a wall of invisible force. Selene shuddered all over as she gasped in a breath, her eyes clearing as Hermes's hands went out to steady her.

“W-what happened?” she asked.

“It’s okay, I’m here, I have you,” he whispered.

“You connected to your power, and it led us here,” Thanatos explained. The three of them looked at the dark doorway. Thanatos’s scythes appeared in his hands, their bone handles warm. “Let me go first.”

“No arguments here,” said Hermes, gripping his staff tightly in one hand and Selene in the other.

Thanatos stepped over the rubble and into a hallway of stone. The air was cold and dry and tasted of bone dust.

She’s not dead, you would know it. The thought didn’t comfort him. A light came on behind him, and Selene shone the torch down on the ground.

“Look out for traps,” Hermes whispered unhelpfully, and Selene elbowed him. “What? He’s fucking Death, I’m not. He’ll survive anything.”

Thanatos’s heart was pounding in his chest, the sensation still new enough to alarm him.

The hallway opened out to a cavern, and lying on the slab was a woman. The scythes in his hands disappeared as Selene shone the light over the woman’s body. She was dressed in a black dress, her dark hair fanned out around her, a layer of dust covering her. Thanatos’s hand hovered over her shoulder, afraid to touch her.

“Let me look at her,” Selene said, instantly getting her nurse tone. She passed Thanatos the torch and gently pushed the hair away from Hecate’s face. Everything stilled inside of him as Selene bent closer to her.

“She’s still breathing, that’s a good sign,” she whispered, checking Hecate’s pulse at her wrist. “Heart’s beating strong.”

“Hurray,” Hermes replied dryly. “We need to get her out of here in case the spell keeping her down is in this cavern.”

“Good idea,” Selene said before turning to Thanatos. “Will you help me carry her?”

Hermes grabbed the torch from Thanatos’s hand. “He can handle her on his own.” Thanatos hesitated. He had thought about touching Hecate for as long as he knew her. To actually reach out and do it in this body...

“Don’t be a chicken,” Hermes goaded, knowing full well what the moment meant. “Fine, out of the way, I’ll do it.” Hermes reached out, and Thanatos knocked his hand away.

“Don’t you dare. She wouldn’t want you touching her,” he said protectively.

“Well, hurry up already, this place is creeping me out,” Hermes snapped.

Thanatos moved around them and to Hecate’s side. “Forgive me, goddess, I don’t have a choice,” he whispered, sliding his hand under Hecate’s knees and lifting her up. She was warm and real in his arms. Forget who you are carrying, just get her somewhere safe.

Thanatos carried her carefully through the stone hall, up the stairs, and into the afternoon light. He stared down at her familiar face and waited for her to stir.

“Nothing is happening,” he said, trying not to panic.

“Then it wasn’t the crypt keeping her in the coma. One less variable,” said Hermes. He looked around at the ruins and took Selene’s hand. “Let’s get her back to Styx. Someone must know she’s locked in here, and I wouldn’t put it past Pandora to have some kind of surveillance on the place.”

Thanatos held tightly to Hecate as Hermes opened a doorway and led them through to his house in Styx.

Thanatos lay Hecate down gently on one of the reclining sunbeds and brushed her loose black hair from her face.

“I’m going to get my nursing bag and do some checks on her. If it was anyone else, I would take blood and check for poison,” said Selene.

“No blood,” Thanatos replied protectively. “Not. Ever.”

“I wasn’t going to do it. I know how paranoid you all are about getting any tests done. I hope if they have given her drugs of some kind, they wear off like Hermes’s did. I doubt it though, that crypt looked like it hadn’t been disturbed in years.” Selene headed inside, leaving Hermes and Thanatos staring thoughtfully at the goddess.

“Will you let me check her with the Caduceus?” asked Hermes.

“She wouldn’t like your magic near her,” Thanatos said hesitantly.

“Maybe not, but I won’t tell her if you don’t. It will be the quickest way to tell if its magic holding her in this state.” Hermes put a comforting hand on her shoulder. “I promise I’ll be respectful.”

“You had better be because she will know and last you to Tartarus,” warned Thanatos. He stepped back as Hermes held out his staff and waved it slowly above Hecate’s body. Hermes closed his eyes, his magic pulsing between them and the staff and back again.

“Weird,” murmured Hermes.

“What is?” asked Thanatos.

“It’s definitely magic that’s holding her in this state, but from what I can determine, it’s her magic.”

“Are you saying she did this to herself?” asked Selene as she dropped her medical bag next to Hecate’s chair.

“I’m only saying what I can detect on her.”

Thanatos shook his head. “There’s no way Hecate would do a spell to hold herself in an endless slumber. It doesn’t make sense.”

“Why does it need to? You weren’t around to watch the Olympians all lose their minds one by one. I was. Maybe Hecate was tired of the grind of eternal life,” argued Hermes.”You have only been topside for what? Twenty years? Hecate’s been on this earth since the time before the Olympian gods. She could have wanted to skip through time. It would have its benefits because when you would wake after a hundred years or so, the whole world would be different and new again.”

“I’m telling you, she wouldn’t have done this to herself. She loved humans, loved nature, and this world no matter how old she became,” said Thanatos stubbornly.

“Also, you both seem to be forgetting the dreams,” Selene interrupted. “She wanted us to find her. My magic that I released on Crete found her and somehow woke her, at least partially. I could feel it on the bricks of her tomb. She’s trapped in there, I can feel it now.”

“Oh, wow! You found her already,” Erebus exclaimed loudly, making them all jump. “What’s wrong with her? Wake up, Hecate!”

“Will you shut up? Can’t you see she’s under a spell?” Thanatos hissed.

“A sleeping spell-like Sleeping Beauty? Have you tried kissing her?” asked Erebus. Everyone looked at Thanatos, who scowled back at them.

“No.”

“Then move over, I’ll do it.” Erebus managed to move one step toward Hecate before Thanatos’s scythe was under his chin.

“Don’t even think about it.”

Erebus groaned. “Why not? It could be the answer, and you’re never going to have a chance when she’s awake, so you might as well take the opportunity now.”

“Back off, idiot, before he takes your head off,” Charon said, coming up behind Erebus and pulling him out of the way of Thanatos’s blades.

“If you boys are quite finished, I believe the answer is right in front of us,” said Hermes, pointing at Selene.

“What? Why me? I don’t know anything about magic,” she said.

“Maybe not, but you have Hecate’s power. This spell has somehow been done with her magic too. Perhaps you can undo it by virtue of being one of her bloodlines?”

“Hermes, I don’t if I could-” Selene started, but he pulled her close.

“Listen to me. God of magic, remember? I know you can do this,” he said, with a convincing smile.

“Shockingly, his plan actually makes sense for once,” said Thanatos, disappearing his scythes once more.

“You say that so condescendingly. Most of my plans turn out fine,” Hermes argued before turning back to Selene. “Give it a try for me? It would make the triplets ecstatic if you proved me wrong.”

“Smug prick has a point there, doll,” said Charon.

“Zap her!” Erebus encouraged with an evil laugh.

“Thanatos?” Selene looked up at him for approval.

She’s her blood, Hecate doesn’t need protecting from Selene. “Try it and see. We need her to wake up,” he said finally and moved out of the way.

“What now?” asked Selene.

“Place one hand on her forehead, the other over her heart,” Hermes suggested, his voice dropping to a soothing cadence as Selene did as he instructed. “Now, close your eyes and focus on that core of power inside of you like we have been practicing. You accessed it instinctively at Lagina, and this is no different. Hecate led you to her, your magic wants to touch hers.” Hermes knelt down opposite to Selene, Hecate’s body between them, and placed his hands over Selene’s. “Feel it out, Silver. Listen for its call.”

Erebus whistled softly. “Girl is about to light up!”

Thanatos stiffened as the air charged around them, feeling Selene’s magic building before it manifested in silvery starlight.

“That’s it. Now, focus your mind in transferring that power over to Hecate,” Hermes said, moving his hands away.

“It doesn’t want to go,” Selene said, frowning but keeping her eyes closed.

“You know how a defibrillator works, don’t you?” Thanatos asked, searching for a concept she would understand.

“Yes, I know how to use a defib,” said Selene, nodding.

“Same principle. You are going to jump-start Hecate with your magic,” Thanatos replied softly. “Get ready. It’s going to work in three, two -”

“One,” whispered Selene, and the light glowing on her skin raced through her hands and into Hecate. Thanatos stepped forward as Hecate’s dark, violet eyes opened…then she took one look at Hermes leaning over her and exploded.

***

THANATOS is coming soon, so subscribe to my website to find out the Court Gossip first: https://alessathornauthor.com/alessa-news/

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Epilogue

About the Author

THANATOS

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