She laughed a bit nervously. “Then let’s keep that version of you locked away for now. I’ve had enough frightening things happen to me lately.”
Warmth returned to Anubis’ gaze as he chuckled. “Fair enough.”
She exhaled, releasing some of the tension she’d been carrying since waking up in Hypnos’ home.“Any ideas on where we start?” she asked. “How do I get rid of this curse?”
His smile faded, expression growing serious. She tensed. The comfortable atmosphere evaporated. Every nerve in her body went on high alert.
She was about to ask what was wrong when a voice came from behind her. Smooth. Entirely too relaxed. “Hope I’m not interrupting anything important.”
A startled cry escaped her as she whirled around, losing her balance. Strong hands caught her before she could fall, Anubis pressing her against his side. His solid warmth and scent—spice and incense—surrounded her.
Before she managed to process the intrusion, two more figures appeared in the center of the living room. She barely had time to stifle another scream. Thanatos and Hypnos stood there, swords at the ready. The steel gleamed in the light—then vanished as if the weapons had never been there.
Iliana stared. They’d just appeared from thin air. The same way Thanatos had in the kitchen. Her hands balled into fists, her nails cutting into her skin.
This was actually happening. All of it.They weren’t crazy. They were gods. And she was sitting here in the literal Underworld.
The realization came with unexpected resolve. Deciding then and there, Iliana set her shoulders and unclenched her hands. She would face this new world not as a captive, but as an adventurer. She would learn everything she could.
Thanatos spoke to the intruder before she could lose it completely. “Hermes,” he greeted.
She looked at the newcomer. Hermes.TheHermes? She took him in, searching for any resemblance to the statues she’d seen in books.
The depictions hadn’t done him justice.
He was beautiful. Like all of them, but different. He had light blond hair, stylishly tousled, and a bright glint in his sharp blue eyes. He wore dark jeans, an orange T-shirt, and a navy jacket. The casual attire only made him more unnervingly attractive.
Hermes practically wore a warning sign, and Iliana had a talent for ignoring those.
“I have a message from Athena,” Hermes declared.
Adrenaline ran through her as the other gods tensed.
Thanatos’ shoulders slumped. “Go on, Hermes. We are waiting.”
Hermes’ lips curled. “If this lovely lady weren’t in danger, I’d be tempted to keep it to myself.”
The compliment hardly registered beneath the sudden wash of dread. In danger?
“Please,” she said, hating how unsteady she sounded. “What’s the message?”
Hermes winked at her, then turned to the others. “Athena warns that danger is coming for the girl. She is not safe in the Underworld. She’s being tracked. Also, others in our pantheon know she’s here, and some might get…nosy.”
Iliana’s mind reeled. The reality that she was in the land of the dead hit her all at once, sending shock and fear through her.
Through panicked thoughts, she heard Hypnos ask. “So that’s it? No explanation?”
“Glad to see your time alone has improved your mood,” Hermes quipped.
She barely noticed the bickering. She was still stuck on the idea that she was in danger from something other than herself.
Where the hell could she go if the Underworld wasn’t safe?
Hermes strolled towards her, crouching in front of her as his bright blue eyes focused on her.
“Eyes bright enough to wound even me. The summer shines from strands of hair so soft, and if I could touch the locks, would they burn me? Or would the fire consume—”
“Hermes.” Anubis’ voice was flat. “We do not have time for your poetry.”
