Chapter 50
Chapter fifty
HERMES
Hermes sat in silence, watching the infuriating, delectable woman walk away from him.
Iliana had told him no.
His frown deepened. It wasn’t an outright rejection—but it was still a refusal. She wouldn’t choose or narrow down her world to him. It shouldn’t bother him. He’d never asked anyone to choose before, or wanted to be chosen.
Choice meant commitment, commitment meant staying, and staying meant watching her die. He’d be the one left behind.
He cut off the thought.
His pride stung. How was he, one of the twelve gods of Olympus, not enough for a single mortal woman? She should’ve begged him to stay, to touch her. Instead, she turned away, her back straight as she returned to the others, refusing to decide at all.
He leaned back, his arms crossed, irritation simmering under his skin.
Humans taking multiple lovers wasn’t a new concept for him. He’d done the same many times. But this was different. Sharing wasn’t the problem. It was the idea that she might never be his alone. Would she always look elsewhere?
And would he?
Why did the idea of her not choosing him feel like such a loss? Perhaps it was because he saw a bit of himself in Iliana; the same need for knowledge and adventure. She had balked at being pinned down, just as he’d avoided the same for most of his long existence.
It didn’t make sense. He should’ve been relieved, but he wasn’t. She hadn’t put limitations on what they could have. He had. He’d asked her to choose—to make it just the two of them.
What in Tartarus was wrong with him?
He thought about the curse, about Hypnos calling him to test a theory. When he touched Iliana’s ankle, he instantly saw the relief sweep over Hypnos.
Your touch helped, Hypnos had admitted reluctantly.
Now that he knew his touch helped, maybe she didn’t need Hypnos or the others. But what if it got worse? She’d still need Sleep’s help. It was too risky. Hypnos was currently the best option to keep it at bay. Still, the curse wasn’t the only thing that tied her to them.
He looked at the bedroom door. Behind it, she lay between Thanatos and Anubis. Warm and protected, but not by him.
Could he ever be content watching from the outside?
The question unsettled him because the real question hidden within was worse. Did he even want to be on the inside? Did he want to stay with them and find out?
He’d spent his life running from exactly this kind of entanglement, and here he was, upset that a mortal woman wouldn’t tie herself to him. It was absurd. Hypocritical and completely unlike him.
Hermes couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt this kind of self-doubt. He’d always been loyal in his own way. Though the gods rarely returned the favor; they were always suspicious, always doubting. He was a trickster, a liar, a thief. The Messenger. Never a man to be trusted.
But Iliana hadn’t asked him to remain at her side, hadn’t begged. She’d simply told him the truth. She wouldn’t choose.
Movement stirred him from his thoughts. He had maybe ten seconds before—
He smoothed his features and relaxed his body, the picture of indifference. He knew who was coming. The other gods had heard everything and were coming to issue their warnings.
Thanatos appeared first, his usual unreadable stare darkened with irritation.
Hermes arched a brow. “Leaving her bed so soon?”
Death didn’t rise to the bait. He pointed to the door and vanished.
Anubis chose to appear outside near Thanatos instead of walking out of the bedroom.
Hermes let the two of them wait.
When Hermes finally appeared, he perched on a rock as if it were a throne. He eyed the other gods, expecting to see them angry. It wouldn’t be the first time his inquisitive nature had landed him in a fight, but they didn’t seem like they were preparing to attack.
They looked like they wanted to…talk.
Anubis spoke first. “You have feelings for her.”
Hermes gave him a careless shrug, offering nothing. What did the god expect? For him to pour out his feelings as if he were in a therapy session?
Thanatos rubbed his temple, as if Hermes had given him a headache. “We know your touch eased the curse. You are connected to her, too.”
Still, Hermes said nothing.
“Talk to him,” Thanatos grumbled to Anubis before stepping back.
He didn’t waste time. “You are making her believe what she wants is wrong.”
Hermes tensed, a subtle reaction likely unnoticed by her lovers, but he cursed the reaction anyway.
“She has been dragged into our world,” Anubis continued, “and you, the god who understands freedom better than anyone, are trying to take hers away.”
He recognized the irony. For centuries, he’d avoided being controlled, whether by Olympian laws, other gods, or lovers.
Yet here he was, attempting to control Iliana.
He valued freedom, but he was trying to take it away from her.
Asking her to choose was asking her to give up her other choices.
All so he could feel…what? Special? Chosen?
Gaia, he was an idiot.
He masked his reaction with a simple grin. “Look, I know the two of you think you can keep her safe, but that doesn’t change the fact that I want her, and that she desires me as well.”
“The more you try to make her choose, the more you will push her away,” Thanatos said through gritted teeth.
Why weren’t they warning him away from her?
He saw their frustration and maybe even anger, but they weren’t threatening him. They were trying to make him see reason. Did they want him to join her harem? The idea was almost absurd enough to make him laugh.
Anubis crossed his arms and gave him a hard look. “By the way, your intel was bad.”
“Excuse me?” Hermes asked, the change in topic throwing him.
Thanatos’ lips pursed. “There was no attack.”
“I saw a Kabeiroi at the safe house,” Anubis explained. “It did not run or hide. It watched.”
For the first time, Hermes’ relaxed posture faltered, his shoulders and spine growing tense. “One of the Kabeiroi? You’re certain?”
“As certain as I can be without asking it directly,” Anubis said, annoyance in his tone. “The energy they emitted and their behavior matched. Observant, non-threatening.”
“They often watch for epic changes in the world.” Hermes looked toward the yurt. “If they’re watching her, it’s not because of the curse. It’s because of what she’s going to do, or what will be done to her.”
Memories of the continuous sensation of being watched as he led Iliana through busy streets rushed to the front of his mind. “That’s what I felt in Paris.”
Both gods looked at him, anger narrowing their eyes as they remembered Hermes taking her from under their noses. He hurried on.
“When I took her to see the city, I felt watched. It was different from the usual spies the gods sent. More patient. I thought it was surveillance from whoever wanted her dead. But it was them. The Kabeiroi. They’ve watched her since before the Fates gave her the prophecy.”
“Which means,” Thanatos said slowly, “the curse placed on her family long ago was only the beginning of whatever is coming.”
“And the Kabeiroi are waiting to see how everything plays out,” Anubis finished, crossing his arms across his chest.
“What prophecy did the Fates give her?” Hermes demanded. “What did she tell you?”
They looked at each other, expressions grim.
“She has not told us,” Thanatos explained. “We promised to give her time.”
Hermes stood up. “The Kabeiroi don’t show up for small things. If they’re here for her, the prophecy isn’t just about her curse. It’s about all of us. We need her to tell us what she knows.”
“No,” Anubis said firmly. “I gave her my word.”
Damn their rigid honor. Would she tell him? Hermes doubted it. Whatever the prophecy contained, it had shaken her. She was too honest to hide it without a reason.
“Let’s just hope she comes to her senses and shares it in time,” Hermes said quietly. “Because whatever’s coming won’t wait for her to be ready.”