Page 85 of Hades

I crossed my arms over my chest and asked, “What vote?”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Apollo

“What did you say?”

Hades’ voice was calm. Too calm. The kind of calm that came right before someone’s skull met pavement. He didn’t ask because he hadn’t heard me. He asked because he couldn’t comprehend what I’d just said. Because the words I’d spoken made no fucking sense in the world he’d built for himself. The world where Lettie was his and his only.

If I were being honest, I didn’t understand them myself. Had no reason to believe Lettie was my sister, Colette. No scientific reason, anyway. No DNA test. No birth certificate. No proof beyond the gnawing certainty that had been eating me alive since the moment I saw her.

But there were clues. The color of her eyes—my mother’s eyes. The way she walked. The sound of her voice. When she reached over and touched my hand last night, something inside me broke. Shattered into pieces so small I’d never put them back together.

It was her.

I knew it was her.

“I think Lettie is my sister, Colette.”

That was a lie. I didn’t think it; I knew it. Felt it in my bones. In the hollow space where my sister used to be. In the part of me that had been searching for years and finally, finally, recognized what it had been looking for.

I just couldn’t prove it.

Zeus eyed me from his place in the president’s chair. His gaze flicked to my father, who stood behind me, leaning against the wall. Silent. Waiting. We rarely called church with every member present. Mostly it was for times like this. When someone wanted to take on an old lady, it required a unanimous vote.

“Explain,” Zeus ordered, his gaze returning to me when my father remained quiet.

This was my show. He’d back me up, but he hadn’t met Lettie. Hadn’t heard her speak. Hadn’t seen her face. Hadn’t felt the punch to the gut when she smiled and it was Mom’s smile looking back at him.

“It started the day we came back from Nebraska,” I said, closing my eyes and seeing her standing on the porch, watching me.

Our eyes locked. Something I couldn’t explain pulled at me. Dragged me under like a riptide. She wasn’t the first woman I’d met who looked like my mother. Fuck, I’d been looking into the faces of every blonde woman I’d encountered for over two decades. Searching. Always searching. I knew how old my sister would be. Knew what she might look like. Knew I was probably chasing ghosts.

But Lettie fit.

My eyes opened. I looked at Hades. “I was sitting in the van waiting to be carried inside like a fucking child.”

The anger bled through. Couldn’t stop it. Failed to keep it out of my voice. Losing the use of my legs from the attack in Nebraska was something I hadn’t made peace with. It was something that burned in my gut every time someone had to lift me. Carry me. Help me like I was goddamn helpless.

I didn’t think I would ever make peace with it.

“I looked around the yard expecting to see everyone gawking at me. The cripple who couldn’t walk.”

“Lo,” Ares whispered.

I shook my head. I didn’t want his pity. Didn’t want anyone’s fucking pity.

“She stood next to Aspen, staring at me. But she looked at me with curiosity, not pity.”

“Nobody fucking pities you, Lo,” Zeus said angrily as he leaned forward.

I knew he was telling the truth. My brothers were sympathetic, but they didn’t pity me. It didn’t stop me from feeling it, though. Didn’t stop the rage that coiled in my chest every time I had to ask for help. Every time I couldn’t do something as simple as walk across a fucking room.

“My point is, when Kraken lifted me out of the seat, she never looked away. She wasn’t embarrassed by watching me.”

“What the fuck, Lo?!” Hades’ chair scraped back, loud and violent as Zeus’ hand shot out. He gripped Hades’ forearm before he could stand.

“Sit the fuck down.”