Chapter Thirty-Two

I wasn't going to tell Lucifer about the deal with Zeus.

It wasn't to protect him or protect Zeus, or any of the other Hollywood bullshit they made up on the fly to explain why they wanted to create conflict for the show. The reason I didn't tell Lucifer was because I didn't want to deal with his bullshit. I didn't have time to explain to Lucifer that I wasn't driven by subjective feelings such as himself. I didn't have time to explain to him how I could see Zeus through untinted lenses.

And I certainly didn't have time to hear him whine about it.

As much as I loved Lucifer, I wasn't going to start a battle between us that could very well end our friendship. Even though Lucifer liked to constantly remind me that his love for me was as equal as his for Hades, I didn't believe a word of it. If it came down to it, Lucifer would choose Hades and his safety over my own. And I understood completely. Love, especially love like Lucifer's, could make one's vision become tunneled, a pinpoint focused on one sole thing.

And in Lucifer's case, it was Hades's protection.

So in order to avoid a falling out, a battle that was unnecessary right now of all times, I would keep the deal to myself.

Making excuses to go see Zeus would be easy. I was now fully involved in the war, no longer dormant and no longer quiet. The Source had called to me the night of the Atlantean return and it was time for me to play my hand. I had plenty of excuses to go to Olympus to discuss battle strategies and whatnot with the gods there, and it had also become the unofficial headquarters of the war planning anyway.

I'd settled to meet Zeus on Olympus the next day at his temple.

For the time being, however, I was trapped in the palace in Hell. I'd slept on the canopy of Lucifer's bed, finding it a safe place considering the two lovers appeared to be at odds, and were not planning any love making. Instead, I had fallen asleep watching Lucifer go into a fitful sleep and Hades staring up at the canopy, as if he sensed me there, but felt no need to point it out.

I woke up early the next morning, before either of them, transporting myself to my quarters that was two stories above this room. My room was a combination of new and old, with Tiffany lamps and Victorian furniture, a large flat screen television and stereo system collecting dust, a black four poster bed with a cushioned headboard, a Chinese styled armoire, and paintings from Japan's early era. I went to the modern metal dresser, pulling out a pair of workout leggings and a tank top with a matching teal running jacket.

The weather was still frigid outside, snow blanketing the land as we pulled into yet another year. Still, it wasn't cold enough to disrupt my routine as I walked through the palace, taking my time to leave as I admired the handiwork of the construction workers who had to, yet again, rebuild the palace after being blown to pieces during the last Titan war.

While it still maintained an old English feel to it, the interior was entirely modern with sleek marble flooring and white wall paneling to match a gilded ceiling that stretched high, high overhead. Expensive French sconces lined the walls, making everything glitter and glow. Million cred drapery hung from the walls and paintings that ranged from old style Renaissance to postmodernism to something that looked like a toddler had gotten a hold of it and splattered it with paint-- Oh wait, that was one of Alaric's finger paintings from when he was a child.

I paused to stare at the particular fingerpainting, remembering the event quite well. Alaric had, indeed, been a toddler, tiny and cute just like his siblings, but with a hyperactivity that drove Lucifer up the walls. We'd had at least three nannies quit before Raven decided to stay home due to a war injury. He'd stuck around and showed Alaric how to stop painting on the walls, but on canvas instead.

The finger painting was a sloppy, yet endearing image of Alaric and Raven. Lucifer had fallen in love with it instantly, had it framed professionally and hung on the wall. Therefore, Alaric could still paint on the walls, he just had to make sure it was on canvas first.

Shaking my head in amusement at the memory, I continued down the hallways, climbing down the narrow back staircases to avoid running into any unscrupulous characters, such characters going by the name Hades.

I didn't hate Hades so much as... Okay, it was a lie. I truly did loathe the creature. It was more than that sarcastic ire, that pessimistic view of the world, his constant need to push everyone away while simultaneously begging for them to come back. It was even more than just the fact that he refused to acknowledge his emotions as real and okay.

It was all the little things that piggybacked those problems.

The way he left his coffee mug on the table without using a coaster, leaving a circular white stain on the six thousand dollar mahogany. The way he walked around Lucifer's room naked as if the place was already his, when he had his own damn palace to strut about in the nude. The way he left his massive boots laying everywhere, boots that weighed almost ten pounds on their own.

It was a lot of things.

A lot of things Lucifer could easily ignore because he was head over heels in love with the gigantic monstrosity. Boots covering the floor with blood or mud? Who cares? Oh, he ruined the mahogany? It's no problem; we'll replace it. I don't mind if he's naked. You shouldn't be in here anyway. It's not your room.

Okay, the last one was logical and I understood that, but it didn't change the fact that it pissed me off, nor did it change the hundreds of other little things the bastard did to irritate me. And even worse, the Sasquatch impersonator had also become friends with my brother.

I paused to wipe a hand down my face.

Oh no. Not gonna get into that particular nightmare again. No, thanks. Seeing Xiphrus's face after all these years had awoken some particularly prickly parts of me that I did not want to face just yet. I was too busy with the war, Zeus, and now juggling the relationship between Lucifer and Hades. I didn't have time to stop and think about all the logical and emotional garbage that came with Xiphrus's return.

I conjured my mobile device, a small electronic that was flat and wide with a screen that flashed on to reveal a background photo of floral tree. I sought the playlist I'd saved and tucked the thing into my jacket pocket, plugging the small black earbuds into my ears before I took off out the front entrance of the palace and jogged down the steps.

At the front gates, the guards there waved good morning and I nodded to them before continuing down the street. The air outside was icy cold, a burn on my cheeks and nose and ears. It was so cold, you could smell it. Along with it, the scent of smoke from the city, fumes from cigarettes, fireplaces working overtime, and factories working to push out products in a world that had become extremely materialistic.

The smell of the Black Sea nearby also reached my nostrils, and I turned my head to look out over the black massive puddle that separated this realm from the next. The sea was frozen only on the edges while the inner still rippled with waves and absolutely no life at all. For the sea was merely a bottomless black pit.

And for a moment, I found myself remembering the day I'd found Lucifer on the very rocks upon which the palace was built. I remembered pushing him over, studying those wounds, picking him up and taking him to the village that had once been called Village 666 and was now named Portius, a bustling military base town just outside this city, the main capital of the realm, where Lucifer and most of his family were living.

I entered the city, nodding or waving briefly to other joggers out in the early hour. Some walked or jogged with their dogs, others as couples, some single business men or women trying to get in an hour workout before the working day began at eight sharp. Shops began to open up as I ran by, the sound of the protective cages rattling as they lifted, joining the sound of my sneakers beating the wet pavement, the slush sputtering out from beneath me. The sound of the fountain on Mercury Avenue spilled and whispered as I ran by, the sound of dishes being washed and kitchens being started up wafted through windows.

I went through the central park, passing an elderly fellow with his cat in a knitted sweater that read Meowy Christmas on it, despite the passing of the holiday. I neared a curved road off the main road, where parents were already walking their children to school, and I slowed as I spotted a familiar head of black curls jumping up and down on the sidewalk.

A smile touched my lips and I reached up, taking the earbuds from my ears as I approached the couple walking with the precious jumping child.

Amenti had noticed me first. She was a small child with a head of beautiful black curls, and eyes the color of emeralds gleaming in the morning sun, her cherub features lit with excitement and cheeks flushed from the cold. She wore a padded purple coat with a pair of pink corduroys and pink sneakers, matching her gloves and earmuffs.

"Jo! Jo!" She shouted, almost dropping her backpack to the wet sidewalk to come at me. I caught her before she could slip on the wet sidewalk, hoisting her up in my arms and balancing her on my hip with ease. She wrapped her arms around me and giggled.

I looked up as her parents, Arikos and Menoetius, came toward us. Arikos had been the one to catch Amenti's glittery pink backpack. He was bundled up in a padded black jacket, a military barracks sweatshirt, and a knitted sweater beneath all of that, plus the snow pants and boots. An attire that told me Arikos wasn't a huge fan of the cold weather right now, despite previously having gone on rants about loathing the heat of Atlantis.

He wasn't easily pleased.

On the other hand, Menoetius was dressed modestly in a sweatshirt and jeans, a loose scarf hanging around his neck. But I wasn't surprised. Menoetius wasn't much of a complainer, and he actually enjoyed the cold quite a bit.

"Morning," Arikos greeted cheerfully, pausing for his teeth to chatter before he raised an eyebrow at me, "How can you possibly want to run around in this weather? It's gotta be below freezing. Aren't you cold-blooded? Don't you need warm temps?" I snorted at that assumption.

"A snake is just one of my forms. Besides, I don't miss morning runs for anything." Anymore, I thought. I'd skipped morning runs for centuries, unsure of what sort of memories it would bring back to go back to the daily habit. However, I had started up again when the Source had called me to arms and I decided it was time to stop being eye candy and start getting back into shape, and it had definitely been a good call. I'd actually had to use my fists in a fight during the Titan war.

"How are you doing?" I asked, turning to Menoetius, who blinked and seemed to be snapped out of a trance. He looked exhausted, definitely stressed, and why wouldn't he be? He'd gone through... fuck, saying so much seemed like an understatement. Suffice it to say, the Fates had given him the short straw and shoved it so far up his ass, he was still choking on the pieces.

And finding out that he was the key the Source's prophecy spoke of was only worse.

The Key-- Or rather Keys were the weapons given to the opposing sides in this war between Atlan and Hannibal, the true and rightful heir of the Atlantean throne. Supposedly Menoetius was the key that would help Atlan in this war, and Arikos the key to help Hannibal. A series of unfortunate events unfolded to unveil that Menoetius would much rather help Hannibal than Atlan. It had thrown off the balance once more, and the universe was sitting on a precarious tilt now, but the Source had not protested the choice.

If anything, it had rejoiced in Menoetius's decision to help Hannibal.

Unfortunately, Menoetius's powers as the Key were unlocked now and frequently the Source would visit him and give him dreams. The most recent had caused him to speed off to Olympus to inform everyone that, in the dream, the war had been lost and the universe had ended. Of course, that was his interpretation, but despite the assurance, Menoetius still seemed off kilter.

"He's tired," Arikos answered when Menoetius didn't, "He's been having a lot of nightmares. But we're managing." I frowned, glancing at Menoetius, who just stared down at the ground now. Amenti made a noise of distress and waved her arms out at him, getting his attention. He offered her a smile and I handed her over to him. Menoetius took her and held her tight, pressing his cheek against hers, as if trying to find strength in her tiny body.

And she knew he needed him. So she hugged him as tight as she could manage.

"Are they nightmares or is it the Source?" I asked. Menoetius glanced at me briefly, then shut his eyes.

"Just nightmares," he answered monotonously. I nodded in understanding. So it wasn't the Source contacting him anymore. It was a result of centuries of trauma. Thankfully, he no longer had to endure such things on his own. Arikos and Amenti were there for him.

"I should let you take her to school," I said after a moment, "I'll see you at the next meeting." Arikos nodded.

"Two days, right?"

"Two days. Olympus."

"Goodie," Arikos said with enough sarcasm to drown a whole city. I smirked, then gave him a nod. Amenti gave me a wave goodbye and Menoetius just inclined his head before I plugged my earbuds back in and continued my sprint past the small nursery school and onto the main road that would take me into Portius.

My runs generally took me all the way around Hell and into Portius, then back again.

And they were more than just runs. I found myself, out of habit really, checking in on Lucifer's children, at least, the ones still remaining in the area.

Bali and Wednesday were assigned to Gehenna, the area of Hell reserved for damned souls, souls beyond redemption, or at least, by the standards of the gods and or rulers of realms. Bali and Wednesday had been assigned due to their ability to make good judgement calls, as well as knowing exactly how to get into someone's head. It had taken only seconds for them to convince Lucifer it was the job for them, and before Lucifer really realized what he'd agreed to, they were already packed and on their way. Not to mention, they were adults by that time. Lucifer couldn't control their actions.

Though, it had turned out to be a good call considering how phenomenal they were at their jobs.

Dania was also frequently in and out of the realm. Her list of misadventures took her all over the universe, from realm to realm, now dragging along behind her, her husband, Alexis, and her friends, Coyote and Loki. Together, the team raided tombs, stole back precious items, fought bands of pirates, and the likes. All of which made Dania's eyes twinkle, and Lucifer shudder in his sleep at night.

Then there was Thorn, who ruled Purgatory. For centuries, he'd only had the company of his shapeshifting servant, Remi. However, in recent years, Thorn had fallen in love with Hades's son, Ambrosius. The two had gotten into quite the Romeo and Juliet situation, but thankfully it hadn't ended so tragically... for the two of them anyway. Long story short, things had been sorted out and now they ruled Purgatory together, judging souls on their final resting place or whether they even belonged in purgatory in the first place.

And for the longest time, Akin had also not been in Hell. Not since Lillian had left with him all those years ago. Much to our relief, however, Akin had eventually returned, and he wasn't alone... He'd found the Savior and brought him with.

The first time I'd seen the Savior in the palace of Hell, I'd felt a chill course up my spine, because there was a huge difference between dreams and visions as opposed to the real thing up close.

Hannibal was massive. He towered well over myself. And like my visions, his skin was marred with thousands of scars and brands. Even his face had been viciously slashed open, a scar running vertically through his left eye, dipping down toward his mouth. He watched the room with centuries of battle honed paranoia. Despite having found Akin, Hannibal was still fractured. He didn't know a thing about his destiny, didn't know about his mother, about his real purpose in this world.

So I had avoided him. The Source didn't need to tell me to. I just knew. I couldn't approach Hannibal until the time was right, and while he'd seen plenty of me, he didn't know exactly who I was, or what role I would play in his destiny. It would remain that way, until the Source told me it was safe to approach him.

And honestly, I still wasn't sure how that meeting was going to go.

The one with Akin had gone surprisingly well. He'd embraced me immediately, but then, I had been in my snake form at the time. When he realized I was more than his father's pet, he'd quickly warmed up to me.

But Hannibal had become hardened over time. He would probably find a way to lay blame on me, like he had with his mother, and while he may have forgiven his mother, I wasn't so sure he could forgive me for playing a part in all of this.

Sighing, I went by the barracks to confirm Raven was at the facility, at the same time finding out Hannibal was also within as well as Alaric. Jaques was not present, but I had felt his presence earlier in the palace, meaning he was in the administrative wing, perhaps discussing security measures with the team there.

I took my time traveling around Portius, passing the main physical entrance to the realm, which happened to be a simple dirt path through the mountains and was heavily guarded by a twenty-four security team of sixty-six soldiers, a caged hydra, and enough electricity in the gate to kill even me.

I swung back around to the palace, gliding up the stairs to the main entrance and entering the lobby just in time to see Hades walk in. Instantly the tension in the air was thick. Hades narrowed his eyes at me, folding his arms over his chest, and those goddamn massive boots of his only made him seem even taller, so I was forced to look up at him. He dressed like a cheap discount Goth poster child with black jeans and a t-shirt with Japanese writing scribbled across the front and a blooming lotus.

"Hades." I said his name to be polite, even though it galled me to do so.

And unfortunately, Hades and polite could not be matched in the same sentence.

"You run around in the snow? How did you not bust your nose open on the sidewalk?" He asked dryly. As if that was what he was really thinking. A quick check on his mental state, and I confirmed two things; one, he was still worried about Zeus. And two, he was wondering if I was spying on him last night.

"I wasn't spying on you last night," I answered instead, watching Hades tense in irritation at having his mind read, "I was sleeping... and making sure Lucifer was safe. I'm hardly interested in trash like you." Hades gave me a droll stare.

"Then why do you spy on me during other times of the day? I wouldn't be surprised if you watched me take a shit this morning, Jo," he said. I tensed in equal aggravation. I wasn't entirely a fan of the nickname, but only very close and very special people used it. Amongst whom was not fucking Hades.

And the bastard knew it.

"This happens to be my home as well as Lucifer's," I said dryly, "I can be wherever I wish to be, and if you don't enjoy it, go back to your own hellhole." Hades twitched.

"I might just do that. Asshole." He vanished on the spot. I watched him go, rolling my eyes. Knowing him, he was going to take his anger with me out on Lucifer, who didn't really deserve it, but... Well, Lucifer should've known what he was getting into inviting him here knowing I wasn't his biggest fan. Unless you count the fanclub of Hades Haters.

Which was actually a fucking thing, if you could believe it. Unfortunately, it was made up of crazy bigoted extremists centralized in Styx shortly after the last Titan war.

Sighing, I proceeded to my quarters upstairs. I showered off and dressed in a loose white top with a grey cardigan and faded jeans. I tied my hair back in a loose low hanging bun before I scribbled a note for Lucifer not to wait up for me as I was off to discuss battle preparations with Athena and Ares, which wasn't entirely a lie... It was just, they were more of a pitstop than Zeus was.

I left the note on the bed and teleported from my quarters in Hell to Zeus's temple on Olympus.

Olympus was warm year round. Snow was very much unwanted, so the temperature was always perfect-- not too hot, not too cold. The breeze was just right. The sunlight wasn't scalding, but a gentle warmth upon one's face. The air smelled of flowers, sunshine, and delicious food from the market place nearby. The trees were fluffy and green with leaves or needles, flowers fully bloomed and waving in the breeze like colorful ribbons.

And Zeus's temple stood like a foreboding shadow in the middle of it all.

The pinnacle of Greek architecture complete with Doric columns and pointed roof. Of course, this one was more exaggerated considering it was both Zeus's place of business and his home. The front part of the grand temple was reserved solely for business with a large meeting room for pantheon reunions, a bar area with a small galley kitchen, an indoor heated pool complete with diving board and two types of water slides. There were also more private studies along the way and several suites reserved for guests.

The second floor, which began in the back of the building, was home to Zeus's private quarters, plus his private entertainment centers and probably suites reserved for his harems, and now one was empty as Hera had left.

It was quite a lovely piece of architecture, but the aura the temple gave off was at odds with the artwork. Instead, it was deadly and beautiful at once, much like the creature that dwelled within.

I pinpointed Zeus's location quickly, flashing to it and finding Zeus lounging on the balcony on the back of the house that overlooked the uninhabited side of the mountain. All wildlife and raw forest, trees reaching high into the sky, brushing the clouds, reaching for the sun.

Reclining on a white patio barcalounger, Zeus was simply sunbathing without a care in the world. A pair of black Ray Bans sunglasses hiding those blue eyes, and what was probably a headache from more drinking, judging from the mojito that sat on the glass table beside him. He wore only a pair of loose white beach shorts and no top, revealing a hard muscled chest that sparked heat in my groin. I took only a second to admire those muscles, clean and bare of hair, glistening with oil, rolling tight six pack that bulged with power. His bare legs were just as powerful, long and corded with muscle, dark from the sun and one slid up almost teasingly.

"I thought you'd forgotten about me," Zeus commented without looking up. I raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, you? Never," I answered. Zeus rolled his eyes, and the only reason I know this was the low growl in his throat. He reached up, pushing his sunglasses up on top of his head, turning in the lounge chair with the intent to insult me, but he went still as he stared at me. He sucked in a sharp breath between his teeth, giving me a very hot, very slow once over. And he popped a boner right on the money.

"Hot damn, you make casual look absolutely magnificent. I don't think I've ever been turned on by cotton before," he mused. I gave him a flat stare.

"You've been turned on by animals before," I reminded him. His eyes snapped to me.

"Shut up," he commanded, rising to his feet and I just smiled, watching him get up and approach me like he was the head honcho of a business corporation and I was his mouthy secretary, "You're the one who made this deal in the first place, but I want to lay down a few ground rules."

Surprise, surprise.

"First of all," he said, ticking the numbers off on his fingers as he spoke, "I don't need your lip, alright? I have enough to deal with having a hundred children, most of them eternally trapped in puberty, and a brother who literally sounds just like you." Didn't that just make me feel fine and dandy? Annoyed at the comparison, I folded my arms over my chest, but said nothing as Zeus continued.

"Second, I don't need you pointing bullshit I've done in the past."

"That's not how this works."

"At least for right now," Zeus added dryly, "I can handle it any other day but today. And probably tomorrow. And the fucking day after that. You get my drift. Third of all, you said you're going to observe me for a week. What if I were to find a whore?" I arched a brow at that.

"What? You want me to watch that too?" I asked. Zeus didn't answer, at least, not right away. He gave his boner time not to spill into his shorts, clearing his throat and looking away.

"I'd rather you not."

"Wow, and here I thought the great and powerful Zeus couldn't get embarrassed. Clearly my sources were incorrect," I mused. Zeus glared at me and I held my hands up in surrender. He sighed, reaching up to brush his hair back out of his face.

"Anyway, I have a meeting to get to. I'm going to shower. Feel free to look around and do whatever it is you therapist demons do," he said, then walked past me into the room, "Therapist demons. And here I thought I'd seen everything." I smirked at that, turning around to follow him into the room, pausing to admire the suite itself.

The exterior of the house may have been designed to be traditional, and old-fashioned, but the interior was an entirely different story. Zeus's bedroom was a utopia for modern design. The far wall was made of black metal paneling, and against it was a dais upon which sat Zeus's bed with a black padded headboard, silk sheets that gleamed in the overhead lights that were simply squares of white light built into the ceiling. The left side of the room in the corner near the floor to ceiling windows that looked into the balcony was a sitting area with high back armchairs, overstuffed leather, and a mahogany table between them with a cube style floor lamp that came up to about my chest.

On the left wall, a large pair of doors opened into a closet that looked more like a whole new bedroom itself with rows upon rows of suits that ran at least twelve feet into the air. And another door in the closet appeared to open up into another smaller room full of shoes, another room for accessories, such as watches and sunglasses. And several glass cases in the far room of the closet revealed stylized crowns for public occasions.

To the right, a door led to a massive bathroom, yet another room half the size of the suite we were in. The bathroom had a large jacuzzi tub big enough to fit a family of twelve, and a standing shower area with rainfall shower heads, plus heated benches and detachable sprayers. A vanity set made for two people, but only used by one, with enough counter space for a food pantry, but bare as could be. There was even a door to a steam room in there.

And back to the bedroom, an area for television with a large flat screen on a white gold pedestal and sharply designed arm chairs and a love seat. Expensive rugs that appeared to be brand spanking new, but handmade.

The scheme of it all was blacks, blues, greys, and whites. Maybe a touch of cream here and there.

Otherwise, there was nothing very bright and cheery about the place. It was very cold, very sterile, and everything appeared to be in order.

Intrigued, I walked around the room, admiring the various pieces of furniture, concluding that everything in here put together was worth well over a trillion creds. He could easily buy an entire realm out with this much. And wandering around further, I noticed that he didn't even use most of the stuff. The television was covered with a layer of dust, the sitting area also dusty and the leather didn't even have a single crease from use.

The only place in the room that appeared to be well used was the bed, and even then, it was difficult to tell given how well it was made. However, a whiff of the sheets told me Zeus had used it last night, along with six bottles of more Jack, that I found hidden beneath the bed itself.

Fantastic, I thought turning around to examine the room as a whole.

An alcoholic. My favorite kind of client.

Ugh, I really do have shit in common with that low life piece of... I took a deep breath, waving my hands out in front of me to calm myself. Nope. Was not gonna wander into that territory right now. I could rant and rave about Hades all I wanted at home. This time, right here and right now, was about Zeus. And while the two were connected, I was here to help Zeus.

Because at least Zeus wants fucking help.

Exactly. Zeus needed my help and he is willing to open himself up to it. Even though in his puny mind, he somehow thinks I'm going to fail and he'll be able to keep me in a little box on his shelf over there by his sixteen thousand cred loafers. Yes.

It's fucking toxic, this shit. I really need to invest in a Hades Be Gone spray.

"You're welcome to join me if you wish," Zeus called from the bathroom, in which I could hear the shower water turn on with a tshhh. I resisted the urge to take him up on that offer, if for nothing more than to admire what the rest of that Greek god body had to offer. Or even better... that jacuzzi tub. I'd always wanted to try one of those. Especially one as big as Zeus's.

His jacuzzi.

Right.

"I'm good, thanks!" I called back to him, unamused with his attempt to woo me. No, more like his attempts to get laid. Zeus wasn't a romantic. And he certainly wasn't all about those relationship, considering he trashed each and every one he even remotely looked to start.

But goddamn he was playing me hard. And he didn't even really need to try. After all, how could he know about the dry spell I've had since I left Set's chambers all those years ago? Set had been the last god who had ever made my heart sing and my body scream. Thereafter, no matter who I took to my bed, females, males, gentle, rough, sweet, hardcore, I could not find release and I could not find the same licking fire inside me. It was frustrating, and left me crankier than usual, or so Lucifer liked to describe me since my return from Duat that first time.

The second time I'd seen Set had been during the last Titan war, in which I had to beg him to let Lucifer's family, and Hades's, hide from the Titans that had infiltrated hell like a bunch of cockroaches in a kitchen from Kitchen Nightmares. Unfortunately, things had taken a turn for the worse when Hades had stupidly confronted Set and seduced him in the hallway of Set's palace.

Confused and hurting, Set had run to find me. I hadn't understood his hysteria until he'd had to lay it out honestly for me; Set was currently in a very committed relationship with someone (aside from his wife) and he felt horrible for what he'd allowed himself to melt into.

And yet another tally for why I loathed Hades.

My soft spot for Set made it impossible for me to look at the situation with a full objective viewpoint.

It had taken hours to convince Set not to panic, and sadly the situation worsened when Nyx had arrived and openly mocked Set about her trickery all those years ago. I loved Nyx dearly, but she put the C in fucking cunt. Set had truly been crushed after the entire visit, but a recent conversation with him had assured me that he'd recovered well thanks to this special someone he refused to name. All he would tell me was that all was well, he'd recovered fine thanks to his children, his wife, and his lover. A lover that apparently even Nephthys approved of.

Strange. Hopefully Set would find me trustworthy enough to tell me soon who this special person in his life was. I was intrigued to know who had wiggled their way past Set's rock hard defenses.

Meanwhile, I hadn't found a single decent lay in over a hundred fucking years.

Arousal was no problem. All I had to do was look at someone the right way and I was palming myself for hours that night. The release just never came. No matter who I slept with or what strange sex act we performed to move things along. I'd even allowed Akin to give me the address to a special club that was well known for its BDSM affiliation. And still nothing came of it.

Was I simply out of juice?

Literally?

Annoyed to high heaven now, I pinched the bridge of my nose, turning around to pace about the room in hopes of switching my brain pattern.

Not the time to think about my own sex life. Especially not around Zeus. The god was pretty much fueled by his libido and his power hungry sexscapades. If he even caught a whiff of arousal on my part, he would do anything he could to feed on it until he had me right where he wanted me. And unfortunately for him, I wasn't here to please his cock and walk away and call him fixed.

Zeus didn't need his ego fed. He needed it smacked on the wrist and sent to the corner.

And I was happy to do that.

And why did that turn me on?

"Christ, I need to have someone fucking fix the water pressure in the shower," Zeus's voice said from the bathroom, "I fucking tried it yesterday and it just got worse. What is the use of magic if it doesn't get the job done for you?" I turned around, which was a huge mistake. My eyes drank in the sight of Zeus standing there in nothing more than a fluffy white towel, dripping wet from the shower.

"Just because you know magic doesn't mean you know everything," I said without pulling my eyes away from this particular droplet that was carving a path down between those padded pecs. It was a race to the finish line as the water went down, down, dribbling over a bulging abdomen, and licking around the rim of his belly button, sailing down, down...

Scooore!

The droplet fell beneath the towel line.

"Like what you see?" Zeus asked drolly and my eyes shot back up to his face, narrowing slightly.

"You're ruining your sixty eight thousand cred rug, so no. I don't." Zeus cursed, moving away from the rug and casting it a sour glare as if the rug was to blame for his blatant stupidity. He moved past me, thoroughly irritated now. He made his way into his massive closet, and I watched him hit a button that caused the racks inside to begin rolling, disappearing into walls, new suits reappearing.

And here I thought, how tragic a life to live with only twelve hundred suits.

And now there are twelve hundred more. Fabulous.

"There's nothing to wear in here," Zeus dropped the little remote on the floor in frustration, "I'll have to push my meeting back. We're going shopping."

Of fucking course we are.

This was going to be a much longer process than I initially anticipated.