Chapter Twenty-Seven

I really hoped Elias's meeting with Theo and Adonis went better than Kali's with her parents.

I paused in the middle of eating to peer over my spoon at where Kali was helping Elias pick out something to wear from what Wren had brought in for him. He couldn't just wear a tracksuit the whole time, so we figured a little sprucing up would be nice.

Of course, I was banished from helping and forced to sit and watch while choking down something to eat. I wasn't really interested in eating the food Wren got me, but he wasn't going to leave me alone until I ate something, so whenever he glanced over to check on me, I put the spoon of food in my mouth. He'd get a suspicious look, probably wondering if my spoon was empty, but when I pulled it away and a drop of soup fell in the bowl, he seemed satisfied.

I tried not to laugh as I looked down at the food for a moment.

It was weird having someone constantly taking care of me again. I was used to doing things on my own after Milo. The idea of someone being around me all the time, tending to me, made me anxious because it had always reminded me of Milo.

It was different now and I wasn't sure how to feel about it.

"Wow, there's so many different colors," Elias said as he looked at the shirts laid out on the bed, "What am I supposed to wear?" Kali smiled.

"Whatever you want, Elias."

"But I don't know what that is."

"That's okay," Wren said, then reached over to pick up a couple of tops, handing them to Elias, "Try a couple things on and see which ones you like best. If you like them both, you are more than welcome to keep them." Elias's eyes got wide.

"Really? Like, forever?" He asked. Wren smiled.

"Of course, they're gifts. I want you to have some good things to start out and I'm sure you do too," he answered. Elias blushed, looking at Kali, who smiled at him encouragingly.

"Thank you," Elias said softly before going to the bathroom to change. Wren watched him go, amused.

"It's hard to believe he's, what, seventeen?" He asked, turning to Kali, who nodded.

"He's a little... stunted. He didn't receive a proper education or anything, so," she paused, looking at the floor for a moment, then shook her head as if to dispel any worries she had before she gave Wren a more confident nod, "But he's a quick learner. He'll be fine once he gets the hang of things. He's already better at bathing."

"Ugh," I muttered, remembering Elias's first bath, which he refused to take properly because he was afraid of drowning or choking on the water. I didn't want to ask where he got that idea from, so Kali had to fill the bath and let him sit in it for a while so he didn't come up with weird ideas of being forcefully drowned in the tub.

"That's sad," Wren murmured, making Kali glance at him, "I just can't wrap my head around people like that. People who just hurt others in the dumbest, meanest ways. I mean, how could you traumatize someone so badly they don't want to get clean?"

"I don't want to think about it," Kali replied, earning an understanding nod from Wren, "I'm just so relieved to see him talking to another person, and not hiding under the bed or something."

"I think Theo is going to be very good for him," Wren said and when Kali gave him a curious stare, he smiled, "Theo is a god of children and protection. He had several orphanages in Styx for a while there, but because they were so successful, there's fewer now. More children are being protected in their homes than they used to and child abuse is considered a capital offense there. Punishable by death."

"That's extreme," Kali said. Wren frowned.

"Not here, it's not. Theo grew up with someone who was very harmful to him. It's not really my story to tell, but just know that he knows first hand what it's like when children are hurt. He won't stand for it being done to others," he added. Kali considered that as she sat on the bed beside him. He gave her a reassuring smile, then paused once more to glance over at me and I stuck the spoon in my mouth.

He raised an eyebrow.

"Are you even eating that, or are you just pretending to?" He asked.

I smiled sheepishly and Kali sighed.

"He used to do this all the time to Milo," she told Wren, who scoffed, "You gotta watch him, otherwise, he'll go days without eating."

"I've never seen an artificial avoid eating."

"It's part of how we were raised," Kali admitted with a shrug as I stirred around my soup with a shrug, "Our diets were, as you can imagine, not healthy. Milo was constantly reminding Jasper to eat, and would even make food just to guilt him into eating." I laughed a little at that reminder, which was funny because once upon a time, I would've ignored her comment and gotten depressed about the reminder of Milo and funny memories.

But I looked at Wren, and the comment was just genuinely amusing now.

"He made a birthday cake one year," I said and Kali laughed out loud at the memory now, covering her face as Wren listened with a smile, "I say one year, because it did not go well."

"Oh my god, his face was covered in flour," Kali laughed, "He made a total mess of that kitchen. I'm pretty sure he had to replace the stove after that."

"The sad part was not being able to eat the cake," I grinned, "It was so burnt and the frosting was chunky, yet somehow melting all over the place."

"But at least he tried," Kali reminded with a chuckle, "Maybe only once, but I think once was enough to show him he wasn't a good baker."

"Absolutely not," I agreed with a nod, pausing to look down when I realized I'd finished my food in the process of reminiscing. I scowled, looking up to see Kali laughing with Wren.

"Did you guys distract me on purpose?" I asked.

"It worked, didn't it?" Wren asked me as he came over to clear my tray. I scoffed, moving to take the tray from him and he raised an eyebrow at that.

"My arm is gone, not my legs," I assured him and he just rolled his eyes as he followed me to the cart by the door. I heard the bathroom door open as we came back around the corner to see Elias coming out in a whole new outfit.

I smiled, because he looked awkward, like he wasn't sure if he was wearing it right, but he certainly was. A loose fitting t-shirt with colorful splashes across the front and back and a pair of dark joggers, but his feet were bare and he was holding the balled up socks in his hands as he glared at us.

"I am not wearing these," he said immediately, making Wren sigh and Kali cover her face as I grinned at him, "They feel gross! Why is it so hot and sweaty?"

"Elias, you've worn socks before," Kali pointed out. Elias scowled.

"These are too thick."

"Because it's getting cold outside," Wren pointed out, which made Elias scowl in confusion, "Cold weather will hurt your feet, even worse if your feet get wet, so you have to wear them this time of year." Elias frowned at that, looking down at his feet, then looking over at me.

"Cold weather?" He asked.

"It gets cold in some places," I replied, making his eyes widen, "Very cold. The compound was always a steady twenty-something Celsius. Winter time in Hades gets much colder than that, especially Styx. It'll probably snow soon." Elias stared.

"Snow?" He asked. Wren smiled and went over to show him pictures of snow on his phone and Elias's eyes widened as he stared at the images.

"That's so pretty," he gasped, then looked up at Kali and I, "I never thought white could look so pretty! I want to see snow! Will the trees outside look like that? All colorful and snowy?"

"The colors come from the lights people put on them," Wren explained and Elias was just having his mind blown left and right as he gazed at Wren in awe, "People decorate trees for the holidays that come around this time of year. Of course, it's a bit early to be decorating trees, but Theo always has a big ol' Christmas tree set up in the middle of Styx for people to decorate. I bet he'll be excited to help you put an ornament on it this year."

"I can decorate trees too?" Elias gasped.

"You can decorate trees, your room, your clothes, whatever you want, Elias."

"Wait, my room?"

"You'll have your own room to decorate however you want with whatever colors you want. And I'm sure Theo will be happy to help you fill your closet with lots of cool clothes."

"Oh my gosh," Elias sat down slowly on the bed, staring straight ahead like he was trying to absorb everything and Wren smiled at that, "There's just so much."

"Don't let it overwhelm you," I said, coming over to sit beside him and he looked up at me nervously, "You have more than enough time to learn everything, so take your time, Elias. If you don't know what something is or don't understand something, you have to speak up and tell someone. Tell me or Kali, Wren, or Theo and Adonis. We all want to teach you and show you how the real world works. We're here to support you." Elias smiled a little, like he was warming up to the idea of that being real. I smiled back at him.

"Looks like Theo and Adonis are here," Wren said, looking down at a text on his phone and I nodded. Elias stiffened beside me on the bed and immediately scooted closer to me, looking at me nervously. I gave him a reassuring smile and took his hand to give him a squeeze.

"Hey, you're gonna be okay. We're going to be there with you," I assured. Elias just nodded, but he was still extra nervous. I could tell when he didn't let go of my hand and actually started to squeeze it nervously. I didn't mind.

We filed out of the room and headed downstairs where Theo and Adonis were probably waiting with Hades. I was still kind of pissed Hades went and took the initiative on introducing Elias to them now of all times, when he clearly wasn't that prepared, but at the same time, I knew it would have to happen sooner or later.

I was still extremely anxious about Polly, about Blaine and Cerberus finding out she was dying. I wondered how Holly and Keros could keep it from them, but Wren said Blaine had already lost a child in the past, so they were familiar with that trauma. My heart broke for Blaine, and it would break further when he realized he was about to lose another.

Not wanting to think about that now while Elias was meeting his own parents, I shook my head to dispel the worries and just gave Elias's hand another reassuring squeeze as we headed down the hallway. I could tell we were slowing down. Elias was starting to walk slower and I could feel his panic rising as he trembled, his hand squeezing mine so hard, I was worried he'd take my other hand.

I didn't know what else to say to let him know it would be okay. Kali and Wren were busy talking in front of us and didn't seem to notice we were falling behind slowly.

Of course, it didn't matter how slow we moved, we eventually reached the downstairs public lounge where Theo and Adonis were waiting. We didn't walk in right away and I could hear the conversation going on inside as we approached.

"There has to be a mistake," Adonis was saying, sounding tense, "I'm sterile. I made sure of that."

"Artificials aren't made with just semen and eggs," Hades's voice deadpanned, "I can use any genetic component to make an artificial. Blood, semen, hair."

"It just doesn't make sense," Adonis reiterated, "Why would she want to make a child with my genetics? At the end of the day, I'm just a human."

"Yes, but Theo has the component to create a Beast. Tenjin probably used your DNA in hopes of making him immortal like you, but it didn't pan out."

"Are you positive he's both of ours," Adonis asked, "Not just Theo's?"

"You need a second set of DNA to create a proper artificial," Hades sighed, "I don't see what the issue is. He's just a kid. He doesn't know anything about the world right now, so he needs help—"

"There is a reason I sterilized myself," Adonis snapped and there was a long pause, "I never wanted children. Ever." There was a long awkward silence as we stopped just outside the doors.

I immediately looked at Elias, who was now practically glued to my side, his arms around mine, as he stared at the floor, trembling. I gritted my teeth, looking at Wren, who frowned. Kali immediately turned to Elias, getting in front of him.

"Hey, don't be scared, Elias, they're not going to hurt you. They just need to know who you are first. If you don't like them afterwards, you don't have to go with them," Kali said softly. Elias's eyes were already welling up with tears.

"But if they don't want me, where am I supposed to go," he whispered, then looked up at me, "Why do people keep sending me away? What's wrong with me?" I wanted to scream. I knew Adonis hadn't said it to hurt Elias specifically, they probably had no idea we were there, but it didn't change the fact that Elias was stung by the comment.

"It's not you," I told him quickly, giving his hand a squeeze, "Adonis is scared, Elias. Just like you. And when people get scared, they can be kind of mean." Elias was quiet for a moment, looking down at the floor as he clung to my arm. He blinked, then looked up at me.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you before," he whispered and I frowned, confused why he was bringing that up until I realized he was responding to my comment about being scared. He meant the reason he had yelled at me before was because he was scared. I already knew that, but his apology had my heart swelling.

Apologies came from a place of accountability, Milo always said.

"I'm not mad about that," I told him, making him sniffle a little, "I could never be mad at you, Elias." He sniffled some more, but his tears weren't falling. He was just trying to muster up the courage to go inside now. I looked at Wren, who seemed wary now. Kali also didn't look excited to go in.

"Are you guys going to stand out there and talk shit, or get in here?" Hades's voice called. I tensed, wishing I could pick up the nearest lamp and chuck it at his head, but that wasn't a good scene for Elias. I withheld my commentary and let Wren and Kali lead us into the lounge.

Theo was standing at one of the windows that looked out over the back garden in all its green glory. His thick red hair was haphazard, like the wind had gotten a hold of it and he never bothered to smooth it back down. His sharp red eyes locked on us with the intensity of a sniper before darting to where Adonis was standing near the fireplace with Hades.

Adonis immediately looked up and the blood drained from his face when he saw us.

No, specifically when he saw Elias, who stopped walking the moment he met his eyes. Elias was trembling like a leaf and squeezing my hand hard, clearly fucking terrified to be in there with them. Plus, Adonis's reaction wasn't exactly pure parental joy. It looked like someone had killed his cat in front of him.

I started to introduce ourselves, only to stop when I felt something warm and wet against the back of my leg. I scowled, turning to see that Elias had pissed himself. I was so caught off guard I didn't know what to do, but stare. Elias hiccupped and choked on a sob almost immediately and that managed to snap me out of my surprise.

"Shit—"

"More like piss—"

"Hades, shut up," everyone said in unison, including Theo and Adonis. Hades just held his hands up as Elias broke into a round of sobs, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment as he looked down at the floor. He didn't let go of me as he cried and I turned to block his view of everyone else.

"Hey, hey, Elias—" I didn't really know what to say, because he was just sobbing uncontrollably now. It was a combination of embarrassment and fear. I felt cruel just standing with him in front of people, unable to say anything, or do anything. He was inconsolable and I felt trapped, helplessly watching him cry his eyes out.

"I-I— s-sorry, p-please don't kill me— s-sorry, I'm sorry—" That was all I managed to get out of his sobbing. I glanced at Adonis, who just stood there stiffly, staring in shock.

Theo frowned, glancing at Adonis for a moment, before turning back to Elias. He came forward with slow careful movements, keeping his hands out in front of himself like he wanted Elias to see he meant no harm. I started to move out of the way so Theo could talk to him, but Elias grabbed onto my shirt to keep me from leaving him. He just hid his face against my shirt and I put my arm around him to reassure him.

Theo didn't say anything as he approached us. He looked down at Elias, who was just hiding his face desperately, fisting his hands in my shirt. Theo's expression was... sad. I didn't want to risk jumping into anymore minds around here for fear of a painful backlash, so I couldn't tell exactly what he was thinking, but his expression said that this situation was breaking his heart.

He lifted his hand and snapped his fingers, which made both Elias and I jump. Elias slowed his sobbing in confusion to look down and see that Theo had used magic to clean him up. He looked up at Theo through teary eyes, a drop of snot coming out of his nose.

Theo gave him a little smile, conjuring a kleenex and handing it to Elias, who looked at me nervously. I gave him a nod and he took the kleenex to hold to his nose.

"Well, that was a fun introduction," he told Elias, who blinked in surprise and confusion, "Let's try again. It's nice to meet you, Elias. My name is Theo." Elias stared up at him and I took the kleenex from his hand so he could step away from me to face Theo a little more appropriately.

"I-I'm s-sorry, I—"

"Don't apologize for being scared," Theo said softly, "Sometimes it's the only thing that keeps us alive." Elias sniffled a little, but didn't cry. He glanced over where Adonis was just staring from by the fireplace. He was clearly having trouble absorbing the situation. It was strange, because what I'd seen of Adonis wasn't what I was expecting at that moment. He seemed to usually be the more calm rational one in his relationship with Theo, but clearly the situation changed that.

He looked almost as terrified as Elias felt.

"That's Adonis," Theo said and Adonis tensed, looking at him, clearly alarmed by the introduction, but Theo just gave him a smirk, then looked back at Elias, "He's my husband. He's kind of a scaredy cat too, so don't worry. I know how to handle scaredy cats."

"Him? Scared?" Elias asked, eyeing Adonis warily. Adonis glared at Theo now, his arms folded over his chest.

"Oh yeah," Theo said before Adonis could say anything, "He's real scared of change, so when things get different, he gets nervous, but things change all the time. He'll get used to it." The look on Adonis's face said otherwise, and that worried me. I wanted them both to love and care for Elias. While Theo seemed on board with Elias, I wasn't so sure about Adonis and that made me nervous about leaving Elias alone with them.

"I'm scared of change too," Elias said suddenly, making Adonis look at him as Elias stared back, "I used to live all alone in a white room until Jasper got me. That was kind of scary, but I had to go with him so things could change. It was really scary. I've met a lot of scary people..." His voice trailed and I didn't have to be a mind reader to know he was thinking of April, of the guardians, of Hera. My heart clenched at that.

"But I also met lots of nice people," Elias added, making Theo smile slowly now, "I got to meet Jasper and Kali and... and Polly. I got to meet Wren too. Change can be really scary, but it can also be really cool too." He looked back at Adonis, who frowned.

"I'm... really scared," he managed at last and I could see Adonis's eyes changing right then and there, and see an almost liquid film over those blue eyes, "The world is really scary and really big. I don't know what's out there. I don't know what's in here. I just... don't want to be alone anymore. It's less scary with other people." Theo smiled at that.

"That's why Adonis and I stick together," he said, making Elias smile faintly, "Everyone's gotta have someone to help them get through life. I like having my husband with me and it'd be really cool to have you join us too." Elias sniffled a little, glancing at me and I just smiled reassuringly. He looked over where Adonis was still standing stiffly, clearly sorting through his own issues as he watched.

"I don't," Elias paused to look at Adonis again, "I... I don't want to make anyone mad."

"Adonis doesn't get mad," Theo said, this time making Adonis bark a laugh so suddenly that it actually made Elias jump in surprise, "See? He just laughs."

"I'm laughing cuz you're an idiot," Adonis said, making Elias's eyes widen until Theo laughed back at him.

"He can be cute sometimes too," Theo said, making Elias raise an eyebrow and Adonis made a noise of disagreement, "Especially when he naps on the couch with Dagger. She likes to knead his titties. I mean, I do too, but in a different way." Adonis's cheeks flushed and he turned to stare at Theo, like he could not believe he just said that in front of their child.

Theo just grinned and Elias looked at him, confused.

"What's titties?" he asked.

"He's still learning things," I blurted to keep Theo from answering that and the red-headed demon actually gave me a cheeky grin, like I amused him, "He was never allowed into the educational program back at the compound. He was used for experiments, so he can't read or write or work with technology. But he is a quick learner."

"Let's not have the first thing we teach him be the definition of titties," Adonis deadpanned, making Theo grin at him.

"Why not? Everyone should know what boobies are."

"What are boobies?" Elias asked with a scowl. I was a little surprised he didn't hear about that with Kali and April, but when I looked at Kali, she was just covering her face with her hands, the tips of her ears red. I smirked, turning back to where Theo was grinning at Elias.

"Don't worry, kid, I'm excited to show you shit, so don't stress about learning everything all at once. It's more fun to take your time and figure things out," he said, making Elias nod in understanding.

"I told you not to worry," Wren said, giving me an elbow in the ribs. I grimaced, glancing at where Theo was inviting Elias to sit next to him on the sofa. Adonis still kept a good distance, but was watching intently. Hades seemed amused by the exchange and was making some kind of notations on his tablet.

"I guess," I mumbled, still wary about Adonis, but he didn't seem angry anymore. He just seemed... nervous. I relaxed at that, because if he was nervous, that meant he was afraid of fucking up with Elias and that alone was reassuring. Plus, I had a feeling Theo was going to be a good go-between for them until they got more comfortable with each other.

I looked back at where Hades was doing something on his tablet. He frowned for a moment, then glanced up to meet my eyes.

Can we talk? I projected. Hades narrowed his eyes a little. He didn't look keen on talking, but he did nod slowly.

"Gonna run some tests," he said as an excuse and left the room before anyone could comment. I looked at Wren, who was already arching a brow at me.

"Go ahead, I'll stay here with Elias," he said. I nodded gratefully and quit the room to follow Hades out of the lounge. He didn't just step outside for privacy. The guy was walking down the hallway and I had to hurry to keep up with him for a second. I frowned as we walked in silence, not entirely sure where we were heading until we were walking into an office room upstairs.

It took me a moment to realize it was Hades's office.

I mean, it made sense. There were all kinds of old books and scrolls stuffed into the bookshelves. Ancient artifacts neatly closed up in glass boxes with pretty lights. A sleek black desk with a double monitor set up and a massive window behind it all that looked out over the gardens below.

Neither of us spoke right away.

I went to the window first as Hades collected his things to put them away.

The garden outside was beautiful, and not what I expected from Hades for some reason. It wasn't lush with colorful flowers, but there was just so much green, so much dark foliage from the plants that were clearly well-cared for. I noticed a pomegranate tree towards the middle of the garden, its fruit coming in nice and ripe, weighing down its branches.

"Were we gonna talk or did you just want to spend time with me? Because I'm busy," Hades added. I rolled my eyes before turning to face him where he was sitting in his chair, not looking particularly interested in conversation. It didn't make sense that he led me to his office with no intention to talk.

Or maybe he just wanted to listen.

Except now that I finally had Hades alone, my mind was drawing a blank.

I wasn't sure what to say to him, what I wanted to say to him. A part of me wanted this to go as well as my conversation with Yiuwa, but I doubted that. Rowan himself was still avoiding me like the plague and Hades also didn't seem excited to seek me out for anything that wasn't medical related.

Maybe that's where I could start...

"Do Blaine and Cerberus know about Polly yet?" I asked. Hades frowned, leaning back in his chair.

"There's nothing for them to know right now," he answered, making me scowl at him, "I have no information to give them that will help the situation. If I said something now, Blaine would be devastated." I glanced at him, because last I checked, those two didn't get along well. Wren said they were working on it, whatever that meant.

"From what I hear, you're not Blaine's biggest fan," I said. Hades scoffed.

"Nobody, but Cerberus is his fan," he replied, then looked away to click around on some program on his monitor, "Listen, if you're going to lecture me about keeping secrets, I don't want to hear it, especially from someone who can't answer a straight question." I couldn't help laughing at that.

"I'm sorry, are you scolding me for being evasive, when you and Rowan practically invented it?" I asked. Hades's eyebrow twitched. He did not like the comparison to Rowan. He did not like Rowan, and that much was pretty clear, from what I'd seen and heard, especially around Ryk. Ryk's mind had been an open book revealing the constant clashing and fighting between Rowan and Hades.

Or maybe it was just Hades attacking the shit out of Rowan, because from everything I'd seen, Rowan hadn't retaliated even once. Hades snubbed him, chastised him, scolded him, and treated him like he was just an incompetent child.

Rowan felt that to the core of his soul.

He didn't feel like a father to any of his children.

He didn't feel like Yiuwa's true love.

He felt like a walking failure and it seemed like Hades was always happy to remind him of that.

"I only answer what needs to be answered," Hades said swiftly, making me roll my eyes, "Rowan likes to play games."

"Weird, he looks super depressed for someone who likes to play games with people."

"If you're here to guilt me into a relationship with Rowan, I'm going to stop you right there," Hades said dryly, turning to face me in his seat and somehow, he looked so fucking cocky sitting there with one leg folded over the other, his hands on the arms of his chair, "I'm over nine thousand years old. I've learned a thing or two over the years about parents and the one thing I am confident in is not needing them, because I never had them to begin with."

"I'm sure your sons felt the same way growing up," I deadpanned. Hades's eyes darkened. I had hit a nerve and that somehow felt refreshing. I was finally able to ruffle Hades's feathers.

"Funny," I said, glancing out the window as I folded my arms over my chest and leaned back on the sill, "Your sons forgave you for all the bullshit you put them through, whether you did it on purpose or not. They welcome you to their homes with open arms, they place their babies' lives in your hands. They come to you for help and they come to you when you need them. It sounds like you guys are living pretty fine after moving past all that."

"There is nothing to move past with Rowan," Hades snapped, and I smirked, pleased that he was getting impatient with the conversation, "It's also none of your business. If anyone should be getting over it, it should be you, shouldn't it? Sounds like he was eager to make friends with you until you attacked him." I frowned, lowering my arms.

"I didn't attack him. He was probably gonna run back and tell you I was leaving the palace, that's all it was."

"And why didn't you want anyone to know you were leaving the palace?" Hades asked. I stared at him.

"Because I work better on my own."

"How's that working for you, righty?"

"Fine, Mr. I Don't Believe in Therapy," I deadpanned. Hades glared and I glared back at him. We were silent for a moment. He even turned back to his computer and fiddled with a few things as I went back to staring out the window. I paused when I realized that Theo, Adonis, Kali, Wren, and Elias were all outside in the garden now.

I froze, watching Elias look around in awe. He was in absolute wonder and ran from plant to plant, stroking the leaves and stems, running over the grassy places with his bare feet. Theo wasn't standing back and watching, but right at Elias's side, handing him cool rocks to look at and encouraging him to touch everything in the garden.

I felt the backs of my eyes burn.

I had never seen Elias look so amazed and so excited. He was actually smiling now, running to Theo whenever he found a cool rock himself and Theo never once scolded him or brushed him off, but only opened his hands to help Elias collect rocks for fun.

Nearby, Adonis was watching with the others. He was cocking his head, frowning as he watched Theo interact with Elias, like he wasn't sure what he was watching.

"Adonis didn't grow up with parents either," Hades muttered and I blinked, glancing at him as he stared at his computer, "He grew up enslaved. He has no idea how parenting works, how being a kid works. He's going to be learning himself... He won't hurt Elias, though." I frowned.

"How nice of you to make me feel better about it," I said. Hades tensed in his seat.

"Gods, your responses remind me of Lucy's," he said, then paused to change his voice into a very not-Lucifer sounding tone, "See, you're nice after all. Fuck off." I snorted at that, turning back to watch Elias and Theo frolicking in the garden.

"You know, being emotionally constipated isn't a good look and it certainly doesn't feel good," I said, making him scoff, "Not for you and not for the people around you, like your family." Hades didn't say anything to that. I didn't care. I was enjoying watching Elias. I had never seen him smile so much, and to think he'd been so scared to begin with he'd actually peed himself.

I really hoped Theo could help him adjust. Elias needed someone who was kind, patient, and understanding. He was a teenager, but with the mind of a child. The stunt in his education, in his knowledge as a whole, worried me because what if someone else out there tried to hurt him?

"Theo would kill them," Hades said and I sighed in irritation, pinching the bridge of my nose, "Hey, even with the practice I have, I still can't help hearing your thoughts. They're loud."

"Niko said the same thing," I muttered and Hades made a noise of supreme annoyance, but when I turned to look at him, he had this little smile on his face.

This guy adored Niko and it was so strange because most people I encountered didn't like Niko. He was abrasive, inappropriate, had no idea what a filter was, and such a loud mouth that he couldn't keep any of those thoughts in his head quiet either.

Yet here Hades was, totally pretending he wasn't smiling like an idiot when he took a peek at his phone, like he was waiting to get a text from Niko himself.

"You know," I said dryly, "You asked me not to get into your head, yet you have no problem diving into other people's heads."

"Because I need to know what I'm dealing with at all times," Hades deadpanned as he went back to clicking around on his computer, "I can't trust people to tell the truth."

"Why do you need to know everything about everyone all the time?" I asked, turning to him. Hades blinked, then cut me an annoyed glare.

"I'm a god and a king. Or did you think the crown was for looks?"

"Well, yeah, but also, so what? Being a god or a king or whatever doesn't make you special," I said, making Hades frown, "At the end of the day, you're just like everyone else. Our species, our differences, make us unique, sure, but it doesn't make you better or worse than anyone else. It's the choices you make with your abilities that define that. You say you don't trust anyone else, but I don't think that's it." Hades turned to face me fully now, frowning deeply.

"I don't think you trust yourself," I said, "Even with all the information you have, you still don't trust yourself. And I think that lack of trust is part of why you're afraid to go gunning after Hera full throttle like everyone else. You don't trust yourself to be able to follow through, and you don't trust yourself to actually make her stop." Hades glared at me.

"We're done talking," he stated. I inclined my head.

"That's fine. I just wanted to get a feel for who I'm dealing with, and who I'm allying myself with," I said, making him eye me suspiciously as I made my way to the door, pausing to glance at him, "Sounds like I'm just dealing with another typical god who thinks he can do everything by himself, but don't worry. I'll be around to help when shit goes sideways."

"In fact," I said, heading out the door, "I have a feeling I'm going to be around for a while either way. Let's get along in the future, big bro."