Page 14 of Hades

“I’ve got this, Pers. Go grab some coffee or something.”

Perseus nodded, and I slapped him on the back as he walked out the door, closing it behind him to give us privacy.

“Where the fuck is Zeus?”

“Texas,” I said with a heavy sigh.

“Fuck!” Apollo slammed his hand on the bed and winced. He grabbed the blanket and swept it off his legs. I crossed my arms over my chest, leaning back against the wall, and waited.

“Why the fuck won’t my legs move?”

“You were shot in the back, Lo,” I said quietly, waiting for his mind to catch up.

Apollo swallowed and closed his eyes. His chest rose and fell with each heavy breath as he processed what I’d said.

“Is it permanent?”

“We don’t know. It’ll take a few weeks for the swelling to go down. Until then, they can’t make an assessment unless you start moving on your own.”

“If I can’t walk, I can’t ride,” he said, his voice a harsh whisper. “If I can’t ride...” His words trailed off as he looked out the window, unwilling to voice his greatest fear.

“Men still ride even when they can’t walk, brother.”

“I can’t⁠—”

“Bullshit!” I cut him off before he even got started. I’d known Apollo for a long time; I knew exactly where his mind went. “You’re the fucking chaplain. You don’t need to go on runs.”

“I need to pull my weight.”

“Brother, you keep us all sane and keep us from eating a fucking bullet. You pull your weight just fine, legs or no fucking legs.”

He closed his eyes and rested his head against the pillow. “I need to talk to Zeus. About Kronos.” His voice was somber, pained.

“We know.” I stepped closer to the bed and dropped into the chair Perseus had been sitting in when I walked in. “We know about Indie.”

“She had a good reason, Hades. I don’t know what it was, but I know that girl. She wouldn’t have done it if she didn’t have to.”

“Lo, I need to tell you some shit, and I need you to keep it together.”

“If Zeus hurt that girl, I’ll fucking kill him myself.”

“He didn’t hurt her. He wanted to. Even lunged for her when he found out.” I looked up at Apollo and smirked. “King fucking shot him in the shoulder.”

“Good. Fucker probably deserved it.” Apollo pinched the bridge of his nose. “What the fuck, Hades? Why’d she do it?”

I took a deep breath and told Apollo everything we knew about Kronos and his life before he started the Gods of Mayhem. Explained the name Nemesis and what he’d done. Even told him about Rhea and the way he’d used her to secure the treaty.

“Bullshit. I dug into him, Hades. I dug into all of them.”

“Morpheus has a computer guy. One of the best.”

“Nano is twenty-six fucking years old. He didn’t wipe that shit. The kid’s only been in the Brotherhood for what, a decade at most? No, someone else did that. Kronos would’ve had to have someone do it before that kid was even born.”

“Asclepius knew the truth.” Apollo’s eyes locked onto mine, hard and blazing with anger. “Not the shit about the Trick Pony or what he did to Indie. But he knew Kronos was in the Brotherhood. Knew he was lying to Rhea all these years.”

“She’ll never forgive him. Either of them. Does she know?”

“She knows he’s gone. King brought the women back a few days ago, and she went home with Zeus. Diana and Irene went with them.”