Chapter 21
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
THANATOS
I’d waited for Anastasia all night and into the early morning hours.
As a god, I had to only think of her and I was with her in an instant.
Is that how humans do it? They just worry for their loved ones constantly?
Seemed like a form of daily torture that no one should have to endure.
What if something happened to her? What if she left me and did not come back? I would never know.
I cherished the vibrancy of a human life, but this worry was unsettling.
The deep aching in my chest did not cease.
I could hardly sleep or eat. Even now I found myself wondering the streets of Greece in search of anything that would distract me from this twisting in my chest. I walked through a small street market where the local fishermen displayed their catches.
There were fruit stands and even a stand with nicknacks.
Yet I couldn’t find enjoyment the way I had at the farmers’ market with Anastasia before.
The human experience was so very intense.
Even now the people around me went about their lives oblivious to the plights of others.
They laughed, smiled, chatted, and bought their goods.
I was surrounded by their simple joy, yet I felt nothing but misery with these very new intense feelings.
A man bumped into me and stumbled back. I reached out to catch him and he froze midfall with his hands thrown up in the air and his basket flying off to the side.
I spun in a circle, looking at everyone else, and they too were frozen.
“Hypnos.” I groaned.
My brother stood before me dressed in a white three-piece suit and black dress shoes.
The button at his throat was wide open and his tie hung loose around his neck, both of which were unusual for him.
His hair was as white as mine. He normally kept it neatly cut, but today it was longer and messy around his face.
He pressed his lips into a tight line and nodded in greeting. “Brother.”
There was a blur of power next to him, and a moment later Hades appeared by his side. My eyebrows shot up at the sight of him. It was rare for him to leave the Underworld. “Hades.”
“Thanatos.” He narrowed his violet eyes at me, then glanced around the frozen market.
“I am surprised to see you here.” I tried to make my voice sound light. But I was shocked to see them both. I thought when the fates turned me human, this part of my existence was over.
Hades wrinkled his nose. “Yes, well, there are so many living things up here. It is . . . uncomfortable. I prefer them when they enter my realm.”
“It takes getting used to.”
We stood in awkward silence. I shifted from one foot to the other. Hades rolled his eyes. “For pity’s sake, how long are you going to keep up this falsehood?”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me.” Hades motioned to the frozen people around us. “How long are you going to keep playing . . . human?”
My brow furrowed. “I am human now. The fates have made it so.”
Hypnos threw his hands up. “They are powerful, but do you believe they are that powerful?”
“Yes. I’ve never felt so . . . powerless in all my existence.” I shrugged. “It’s just as well.”
“Just as well?” Hypnos snapped. “How could it be just as well? Humans are so fragile. Do you wish to be fragile?”
“No.” I shook my head. “But this life is so vibrant. I have felt things that I never have before. It is . . . enjoyable.”
“The Underworld is in disarray, and I can bear it no longer.” Hades growled. “You must return and do your duty.”
“Do my duty? That is all I have ever done.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “My duty.”
“You have kept Anastasia for yourself, thinking me ignorant of it,” Hades hissed. “I let you have her, but this is going too far.”
He spoke of Anastasia as if she were some kind of pet and not the love of my existence. “I don’t believe I had a choice in what’s happened to me. And you’ve no room to talk about transgressions.”
“Watch your tone.” Hades gritted his teeth.
“You stole another god and held her prisoner until she loved you.” My own temper was rising to meet his.
“Brother, come now.” Hypnos spoke to me in that hypnotic, comforting tone. “You’ve had your fun. But you must see reason.”
“Don’t talk to me like I’m one of your humans you can just hypnotize and get them to do what you want.”
His eyes softened. “That’s right, Thanatos. You aren’t human.”
I groaned and ran my hand over my hair. “Well, there’s nothing I can do about it now.”
“I say again, do you honestly believe that?” Hades shook his head. “You are the God of Death.”
“I have what I want.” This life had its ups and downs, but I wasn’t about to give it up.
“Over a human?” He said the word human as if Anastasia were nothing more than the muck under his shoe.
Anger rose in my chest and I fought the urge to strike him—another urge I’d never had before. I curled my hands into fists at my side. “If I took that tone over Persephone, how would you feel?”
Hades’ eyes glowed and he took a step closer. “She is a god.”
“I don’t care.”
Hypnos stepped between us and placed his hands on our chest, forcing us to step away. He gave us both a lazy smile. “Hey, love is love is love. I met this guy last week and he was ama—”
“No one cares about your flings,” Hades cut him off. “When you get a real boyfriend, then we’ll have dinner. Until then, can we focus?”
Hypnos raised his eyebrows at him. “Double date in the Underworld? That’ll go over great.”
Hades threw his hands up. “I thought you two were my friends. My only friends. You are abandoning me.” He jabbed his finger in my direction, then turned to my brother. “And you I can’t even deal with.”
“Even if I could turn back into a god, why would I want to?” This was the first time I could openly live with Anastasia. I enjoyed our walks, the adventures to the markets, even the tedium of traveling here and staying in hotels.
Hades’ eyes snapped up to meet mine. “You don’t mean that.”
“For the first time I can build a life with her. However short it might be. I want a home, maybe children someday.” When the words left my mouth, I suddenly realized how true they were. We could live on the Greek seaside, raising children here . . . together.
“Do you hear yourself?” Hades caught my eye. “The fates did this to you to punish you. Your sudden reward isn’t a happily ever after.”
A chill went down my spine. “You’re right. It might be out of reach, but I will take what time I have with her, and I will cherish every moment of it.”
“You are a god. Your power is your own,” Hades hissed. “You must claim it.”
“Why? So you don’t have more on your plate?” I snapped. “I am no one’s errand boy. I am here with Anastasia, and I am staying here until this body turns cold in a grave!”
Hypnos drew back as if I’d slapped him. “You would leave me so easily, Brother?”
“I don’t want to leave anyone, but I refuse to live without her any longer.” I slashed my hands through the air.
Hades pushed Hypnos to the side and moved closer to me.
“You will have her for now. But do not forget that when her life ends, I will be escorting her soul into the Underworld. You’d better pray that she’s done enough to earn her way into Elysium, or this human life of yours will be the last time you see her. ”
I sucked in a sharp breath.
Hades gave me a dark smirk. “So, enjoy it while you can. Perhaps she can rack up some good deeds before she goes. You know, as the God of death you used to know when that would happen. You could prepare yourself for her death. But now you never know where or when it might strike.”
The blood ran cold in my body. Hypnos pulled Hades back from my face. “We did not come here to make threats.”
He shoved Hades back, then turned to face me. “This human life is temporary, Brother. You must face that.”
“You don’t know that.” Until this moment, I hadn’t realized how much I wanted this existence to be permanent. I was enjoying it, but now I craved it . . . craved her.
“The fates do not wield the power to make you mortal. They can simply teach you a lesson, as the fates do.” Hypnos shook his head. “Do not get attached to this life, Brother. It is fleeting.”
Before I could respond, they were gone, and the man I’d bumped into flew back into a small stand, knocking more fish to the ground. The people around me all stopped to stare. “I’m so sorry!”
Everyone leapt into action. They scrambled to pick up the fish and help the poor man up.
Once things seemed settled, I hurried back to the hotel.
Dread hung in the pit of my stomach as their words echoed through my mind.
I didn’t want this to end, but everything came to an end eventually.
I was death. I knew that well enough. I began to pace back and forth, waiting for some word from Anastasia.
My hands shook and a sheen of sweat gathered over my skin.
My stomach twisted into knots and all I could think was what if she died and I had no idea.
I was about to head out to look for her when the hotel room door flew and Anastasia staggered in. She was covered in filth, her hair was a mess, and her breaths heaved. She dropped to her hands and knees. I hurried to her side, dropping down beside her. “What happened to you?”
When she looked up at me, her face fell and her eyes looked hollow. “I think . . . I think I’m in trouble.”