Chapter 17
Chapter seventeen
HYPNOS
Once Anubis whisked Iliana away, Thanatos faced Hermes. “Thank you for the warning. Can I ask you to listen for other news about Iliana?”
The messenger god smirked. “I was planning to, but thank you for asking so politely.” His sharp eyes moved to the spot where the human had been. “Iliana, huh?”
Thanatos stiffened. Hermes had seduced countless women throughout history. Was Iliana his next target?
“Yes, that is the human’s name,” Hypnos answered.
Hermes winked and disappeared.
His brother let out a growl of frustration. “I had hoped to keep her here until we learned more about the curse.”
Hypnos had to agree. As much as he didn’t want to, he was worried about the human and the attention she was drawing. Not just to herself, but also to his brother.
“Should we stay here and see who, or what, shows up?”
Thanatos shook his head. “No. If they know she’s on the move, we should be at her side.” He paused. “Will you come with me? You were quiet earlier, so I was not sure if you had changed your mind about protecting her.”
Hypnos rubbed his temple. Staying behind would be easier, but his brother needed him. A gnawing sensation twisted his gut—one he refused to name but couldn’t ignore.
“I’ll go,” he said at last. When Thanatos’ lips twitched into a small, relieved smile, Hypnos held up a hand. “But only to figure out the curse. Then I’m coming home. For good.”
Thanatos crossed his arms. “You assume you will be allowed to walk away.”
Hypnos narrowed his eyes. “I said I’d help find the curse, but I never agreed to babysit her indefinitely. Who knows how long she’ll need protection? I don’t see how I’ll be of much use for that.”
His brother’s voice turned dark. “You should know something before you make that promise to yourself.”
“What?” He didn’t want the answer—but he needed it.
“Athena has information about you putting Zeus to sleep.”
Hypnos went still. “That’s how she got you to agree to protect the girl? She’s threatening to tell him?”
Thanatos nodded grimly. “And if Zeus finds out I knew and did not tell him, I’ll lose more than my autonomy. So will you.”
Hypnos didn’t have to ask what Thanatos meant.
Zeus was not a forgiving god. If the king of Olympus learned the truth, Hypnos’ punishment would be legendary.
Would he hang from the heavens like Prometheus, chains carving into his flesh?
Roll a boulder for eternity like Sisyphus?
Or worse—Tantalus’ curse. So close to sustenance, yet forever denied.
How would he survive without sleep?
“Fine,” he bit out. “I’ll help protect the girl.”
It felt like surrender, but he had no choice. Thanatos had looked out for him, covering for him when he screwed up or disappeared. His brother had never asked for anything in return.
“If Athena is using this against us, it means that the stakes are bigger than we realized. Give me a moment, and I’ll follow,” Hypnos said.
Thanatos nodded. “Understood. I’ll meet you there.”
After his brother vanished, Hypnos stood there alone, trying to steal a few minutes of peace before he had to go.
The quiet should’ve been comforting, but he only felt anxious.
He scowled before growling softly and transporting himself to Thanatos’ home in Switzerland; a remote, secure location they’d agreed upon in silent communication.
The living room was warm and comfortable, with a large fireplace and a wall of built-in bookshelves, but it wasn’t his. His couch, his silence, his peace—gone. His shoulders slumped.
“Hypnos.”
He froze. That voice. “Pasithea?”
“I have been trying to reach you. Are you home? I think we should talk.”
He gritted his teeth. “What do you want?”
“To talk. To see you.” She sounded hurt. Vulnerable. The way she used to when she wanted something. “I know I hurt you. I know I made mistakes, but—”
“Mistakes?” He almost laughed. Why the hell was she contacting him now? She’d had centuries to make things right.
“Please, allow me to explain.” Her sweet voice was so familiar, the mental nudge something he’d ached for. “I have changed. I have had centuries to think about what I lost; what we lost.”
Despite everything, part of him wanted to listen. She sounded genuine. Maybe—
Iliana’s laughter drifted from the other room, penetrating his thoughts. The unexpected sound reminded him of the defiance and liveliness of their interactions. It affected him more than he wanted to admit. His body reacted before he could stop it, heat flashing through him.
Absolutely not.
He shook his head. “I’ve got to go.”
“Hypnos, wait—”
He cut the connection and headed toward the kitchen. Right now, he needed something else to focus on besides his ex-wife.
When he entered, Iliana was bent over and peering into the freezer. She muttered to herself about the foreign labels while his brother and Anubis watched her with amused expressions, clearly entertained by her commentary.
Hypnos cleared his throat, causing both gods to look over their shoulders at him. They grinned, unapologetic, and he rolled his eyes before turning back to her.
Iliana straightened, holding a frozen meal. “I know this is lasagna, but how am I supposed to read the instructions?” She squinted. “It looks like Spanish, but not quite. Italian?”
Hypnos glanced at the label. “Yes, that’s Italian.”
She startled when she finally noticed him. Her posture tensed. After a moment, she offered a timid smile. “Thank you.” Turning to Thanatos, she asked, “Are we in Italy? No, wait. There were labels in German and English, too…”
Thanatos nodded and gave her a small smile.
“Switzerland?”
“Switzerland,” Thanatos confirmed.
Iliana’s jaw dropped. “Really? So, that teleportation thingy you did earlier; can you go anywhere in the world?”
Hypnos barely stopped himself from groaning. Thingy? He suppressed the urge to correct her terminology.
Anubis chuckled. “Yes.” He looked at the box in her hands. “Is that what you want for dinner?”
She glanced down at the frozen meal as if she’d forgotten she was holding it, then blushed. Again. “Um, sure.” She turned to the oven and fiddled with the dials, flipping the box over and attempting to read the instructions.
Hypnos walked over and held out his hand. “I’ll do it.”
Her grip tightened before she handed it over. Icy fingers skimmed his, sending an unwelcome spark up his arm. “Thank you.”
He nodded, turning to preheat the oven.
Behind him, Iliana took a seat at the counter. “So, is there someone we can talk to about the curse?”
“Circe might know something,” Thanatos said.
Hypnos snorted. “If you want to get hexed for fun, sure.”
“Your optimism remains as inspiring as always,” his brother replied. “I think Hecate would be a safer bet. The problem is getting her to help. We might need Hermes to contact her.”
Hypnos frowned. “Or we could ask Morpheus to see if any of the Arae might be useful.”
Thanatos’ voice darkened. “Too risky.”
Hypnos grunted. The daemones of curses tended to be obsessed with those that caused their own deaths, not in helping the cursed. He didn’t want to involve his son either. If he called one, he’d have to call all three.
“I would like Hypnos to check on you since the curse only triggers when you sleep,” Thanatos said to Iliana.
“Oh.” That single syllable contained worry and hesitation.
Hypnos turned, catching the way she fidgeted with her hands. His voice was calm, but guilt churned in his stomach as he said, “Relax, little human. I won’t use my powers on you unless you ask.”
Thanatos chose his next words carefully. “Trust takes time. We have some, but not much.”
Hypnos turned back to the oven, scowling, wanting the entire ordeal to be over.
Anubis’ voice pulled him from his thoughts. “What is it?”
In a hesitant voice, Iliana asked, “Can gods speak to the dead outside their pantheon?”
Silence was the only response. Hypnos leaned on the cabinets, arms crossed, waiting to see where she was going with this. Would she back off or push to know more? He watched her carefully. He was still trying to decide if she was na?ve—or clever enough to fool them.
Thanatos cleared his throat and shook his head. “No. We guide the dead. We do not summon them. Such attempts can come at a grave cost, and the natural order must be maintained.”
Iliana’s eyes narrowed, but Hypnos could see the cogs working in her brain. “So, you couldn’t call out any spirit and talk with them, like a medium?”
There was pain lacing her words, even with the hope still lingering in her question.
Anubis’ hand twitched on the countertop, his body moving closer to her, as if he wanted to comfort Iliana. “We cannot. It would disrupt the natural order of life and death. The spirits need to remain where they rest.”
“Oh, okay.” Iliana’s face fell.
She wasn’t asking about just any dead. She wanted her parents.