Chapter 20
Chapter twenty
ILIANA
Hermes’ words hurt more than she expected. The sting caught her off guard—his tilted head, his dismissive smirk—reminders of how little she mattered.
She’d been a curiosity before. She shouldn’t care what the gods thought—especially Hermes. But the vulnerability wouldn’t let go.
Anubis was protective. Thanatos was understanding. Even Hypnos seemed to care, though he resented it.
She fought the urge to demand to go home. She wanted to return to her apartment, where everything made sense.
Frigid wind slapped her face as she pushed outside, sharp enough to steal her breath. Goosebumps rose along her arms, and numbness crept into her feet almost immediately.
She jogged down the steps, stopping a few feet away from the porch to stare into the black tree line and darkness beyond. Night had settled in, and she shivered, considering returning inside. Her stubbornness rooted her in place. She needed a moment to think.
Looking up, she exhaled as she stared at the night sky.
Am I doing the right thing?
She didn’t know if her parents could hear, but she spoke to them anyway. “Should I trust them?”
No one answered.
She could imagine what they’d say—her father’s steady pragmatism; her mother’s teasing warmth. Trust your instincts. Stop worrying. So—which one’s your favorite?
Iliana laughed, grateful for the memory, even as tears swam in her eyes. Then, a hand landed on her shoulder.
She shrieked, spinning around with her arms up to defend herself, only to find Thanatos.
He held up his hands in surrender. “Are you okay? I did not mean to scare you.”
She exhaled shakily. “I was lost in my thoughts.”
Thanatos studied her face, then flicked his gaze to her bare arms, exposed to the chill, and down to her uncovered feet, numb against the packed earth. “You need a coat and boots.”
Before she could protest, a warm jacket materialized in his hands. Iliana stared at it. “What…?” She shook her head.
Magic. It should’ve shocked her more, but it was starting to feel routine. She took the coat and slipped it on, sighing in relief.
When Thanatos handed her socks and boots, she asked, “How did you know my size?”
Instead of answering, he took her hand and led her back to the porch steps. “Sit and put them on. Then we can go for a walk. Or a flight.”
“Flying?”
Thanatos rested against the railing, watching her. “If that is what you want,” he offered. “You missed the first one, so I thought you might like another chance.”
A flush warmed her face while she tied the boots. She remembered that flight. The sensation of air rushing over her skin. The way the wind had whipped through Thanatos’ hair….
She shook the image away, torn between attraction and the need for composure.
Focus, damn it.
The curse left her helpless. If these gods were all that stood between her and dying, she needed to work with them.
“All right. How do we do this?”
He walked over and looked down at her. His golden hair fell to his shoulders, and the moonlight softened his angular features. His scent—sweet and earthy—calmed her racing heart.
“There are a couple of ways,” he said evenly, but there was a light teasing in his tone. “I can carry you like I did that night. Or you can wrap your legs around my waist.”
She shivered as her brain supplied an image she didn’t need—his hands at her waist, her legs locked around him.
Nope, nope, nope.
“If you’re okay with it, I’d rather you just carry me.”
Thanatos smiled, just a tiny curve of his lips. “As you wish.” Then, he effortlessly scooped her into his arms.
She knew he wouldn’t drop her; knew he was strong enough. Still, she wrapped her arms around his neck and unintentionally brought their faces closer.
“This’ll work,” she mumbled, mostly to herself.
He nodded before massive white wings burst from his back, spanning wider than she’d imagined. She gasped, barely resisting the urge to touch the soft feathers.
“Hold tight,” he said before the ground fell away.
Her stomach flipped. She shrieked, burying her face against his neck as wind rushed around them. Panic spiked—pure, instinctive.
Don’t fight.
She forced her hands to unclench, her breathing to slow. He tightened his grip in wordless reassurance, and slowly the terror morphed into wonder—into the first tentative thread of trust.
Thanatos’ chest shook with a laugh, and her eyes popped open, half-glaring, half-curious despite herself. “Not funny. You’re used to being this high, flying like a bird.”
“Do you want to go back down?”
She moved her eyes away from his challenging expression. What she saw left her speechless.
Above them, stars shone brilliantly. Moonlight drenched the scene before her in silver. Below, the snow glinted like crushed glass in the trees’ shadows. At this altitude, the crisp, impossibly clean air rejuvenated her.
She gave Thanatos a challenging smile. “What are you waiting for? Show me what it’s like to have wings.”
His answering smile was soft and knowing.
Then they moved. He twisted and glided in smooth arcs, dipping and turning as wind whistled past them. He soared high before plunging low enough for her almost to brush the treetops.
Iliana laughed, exhilaration rushing through her.
She felt alive.
Up here, it seemed like the curse couldn’t touch her, and her pain couldn’t weigh her down. For these precious moments, she was free.
After a while, he descended in controlled, circling sweeps. The ground rose to meet them, and their feet crunched in the snow. His wings folded behind him before disappearing as though they’d never been there.
She was trembling now, but not because of fear. The cold had seeped into her bones, and she couldn’t feel her face. Still, she wouldn’t regret the single most exhilarating experience of her life.
“That was incredible,” she said through chattering teeth.
With a wave of Thanatos’ hand, a wooden bench appeared a few feet away. A stone fire pit appeared in front of it, flames already dancing inside.
She sat on the bench, stretching her hands to the fire and wincing at the tingling pain. Thanatos joined her, pulling her close. She sighed, his body heat soaking into her as she burrowed closer.
“I did not think about the cold,” he admitted, rubbing her back. “You should have said something.”
“I’m okay.”
Thanatos grabbed her hands, frowning at their iciness. He draped a warm blanket over her and another on her lap.
A moment later, the wind dropped away. She saw Thanatos had made a shelter appear, trapping the fire’s warmth and blocking the wind.
Iliana grinned. “Okay, I’m frozen. But that was the best thing that’s happened to me in…ever. No regrets, Birdman.”
His lips twitched. “Thanatos,” he corrected. “Or Than.”
She hummed, nestling closer to him. “No, I think I’ll call you Birdman from now on.”