“What? Who’s Xena?” Thanatos asked.
Hypnos tried to hide his grin as he answered. “A Warrior Princess.”
Thanatos shook his head and asked, “When do you wish to begin?” His gaze was soft as he looked at her with fondness and understanding.
Iliana felt the tenderness in his voice settle over her. Standing, she placed her napkin on the table. “Now’s as good a time as any.”
Chapter thirty
THANATOS
Thanatos led Iliana into the sunroom, where the morning sun flooded the space with amber light. A white sofa faced the windowed wall, and a modern fireplace sat off to the side.
However, it wasn’t the view or the fireplace that drew Iliana in. It was the wall of books. She gasped and moved to the shelf, trailing fingers over leather-bound spines and crisp paperbacks. She looked over the titles ranging from mystery novels to poetry, from historical texts to ancient scrolls.
Thanatos suppressed a smile at her obvious affection for books.
When she was about to remove a thick tome on world mythologies, he cleared his throat, nodding in the direction of the sofa.
“Later,” he said, amusement filling him as she reluctantly stepped away from the shelves. Thanatos started a fire in the fireplace. He turned to find her sitting on the sofa, her legs tucked under her. She stared at the sunrise, wearing a small, wistful smile.
He sat down, unable to look away from her, wanting to kiss her again. He took a moment to enjoy her peaceful presence before starting their lesson. Every second near her was proof of how deeply he desired this connection.
How had he never noticed his loneliness before?
He’d spent centuries walking among the dying, guiding them to their final rest. Gods and mortals either feared him or ignored him entirely. For ages, he’d existed like the wind, felt but unseen. Always there but never noticed.
Looking back, he could count only a few deep, meaningful relationships and wasn’t sure he was ready to form another; not after Eleni, his friend from so long ago. But now, there was Iliana. A mortal who looked at him without fear but with interest. With…trust.
He didn’t know if he wanted it to stop.
Iliana finally turned to face him, smiling sadly. “Where do we begin?”
“As long as we cover the Fates at some point, you can ask me anything.”
She laughed, leaning forward. “What exactly are your powers?”
He blinked, thrown off by her question. He’d assumed her anxiety would lead to a question about the Fates and the approaching meeting, and he grew self-conscious, unsure how much he should share.
“I know you’re a death god, but what kind?” She sounded genuinely curious, not scared.
He relaxed and leaned back against the cushions. “I lead souls to the Underworld, offering them a peaceful passage into death.”
She frowned. “Does it hurt them?”
Thanatos recognized that her question wasn’t about him but her parents. “No,” he promised. “My powers cancalm those who are about to pass. I try to give them peace.”
Iliana swallowed, her eyes full of tears. “That’s incredibly kind.”
“It is not kindness. It is just who I am.”
“Well, I’m going to call it kindness, Birdman,” she said.
He chuckled, surprised by the way she coaxed out a laugh despite her pain. Her humor eased the tension, but it was short-lived.
She wiped away a tear. “Can they hear me if I talk to them?”
“It depends,” he admitted. “But most souls, if they choose to remember their past lives, can still sense the thoughts and emotions of their loved ones.”
