They were all staring at her. Three sets of eyes that saw far too much.
This was all her fault. The thought burrowed into her skull and took root. Two gods were fighting over her. About her.
She turned and walked away. She refused to look back at the mess she’d caused, the rift she’d somehow created between two friends who’d known each other for centuries. Each step down the hallway felt as though she were walking through concrete.
She’d kissed them. Wanted them. And now they were fighting. She needed some time to herself so she could think, without them watching her every reaction.
The moment she shut the door behind her, she sensed it. A presence.
She wasn’t alone.
More adrenaline dumped into her system, and she spun around. Hermes was sitting on her bed, looking entirely too comfortable. Her heart lurched. She clutched the door frame when her legs threatened to buckle.
“How long have you been here?” The words came out sharper than she’d intended.
“Long enough to hear the shouting. To know dinner is going to be incredibly awkward.” Hermes tilted his head as he looked at her. “What would you say to dinner somewhere else? It looks like your meal here may have been ruined.”
Iliana’s racing pulse slowed as she regarded him. Something about the way his grin didn’t brighten his face made her falter. He’d heard the fight. Of course he had. The gods probably heard everything in this house.
Instead of looking concerned or even curious, he looked almost resigned. As if divine drama were routine.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, though she suspected she already knew the answer. He was giving her a chance to escape from the mess she’d made.
He rolled his eyes dramatically and flopped back against the pillows. “I was going to join you all for dinner. Then I heard the commotion and thought, ‘You know what this situation needs? Me.’”
She snorted before she could stop herself. “You heard the fight and decided to swoop in to play knight in shining armor?”
“Swooping implies effort.” His grin was pure rogue, but those piercing eyes were serious. “I simply recognized that you might want some distance. Friends fight. They’ll work it out.”
“They were fighting about me.” The words came out bitter. Shame flared inside her.
Hermes shook his head, gentleness softening his blue eyes. “They were fighting over their own issues,” he said with a flippant wave of his hand. “You were just the catalyst. Now, about that dinner.”
He sounded the same as the past few times she’d been in his presence: carefree even when discussing a serious topic. But when she looked closer, she couldn’t pretend she hadn’t seen his hope that she’d join him.
Dinner sounded good. Her stomach growled in agreement. But could she trust Hermes?
Her hesitation must’ve been apparent because he propped himself up on one elbow, studying her thoughtfully, without his usual amusement. “I’m on your side, you know.”
Iliana wasn’t sure why his words affected her, but they did. He’d done nothing to hurt her. That morning’s conversation had only confirmed what her gut feelings already told her.
“Okay,” she said at last.
Hermes grinned. “Excellent choice.”
He stood from the bed and prowled toward her. Her heart started racing. She knew she needed to set boundaries, especially since she feared he could persuade her into doing just about anything.
“Before we go anywhere,” Iliana said, stepping out of his reach, “I want to set some ground rules.”
He arched an eyebrow at her. “Rules? For a dinner date?”
“For whatever this actually is.” She gave him a pointed look, ignoring the flutter in her belly. “First, I want to know why you’re really taking me.”
His amiable smile wobbled. “I told you. Dinner.”
“And?” She crossed her arms, planning to wait him out even if her stomach growled noisily at the thought of food. “You don’t strike me as doing anything without a reason. And since you’re a god and could easily make dinner appear here, why do you want to take me away?”
As Hermes studied her, she caught the flash of respect. “You’re getting good at reading gods.”
