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.”
