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Aziel walked into the kitchen, clattering pans as he turned. I swore his muscles had muscles. “Hello.” He looked me down and peered around me. “I am here to see Raiden.”
He must have been out hunting Freya, who, as goddess of the hunt, was good at evading it. “He’s coming down now.”
“Good.”
Naomi walked in behind us. “Az.” She smiled widely. At least her bad mood seemed mostly over. “You’re back.”
“Yes.”
If stoic were a person, it would be him. Naomi looked at him, then gestured in my direction with wide eyes.
He scratched the back of his neck, clearing his throat. “Right. Uh, Elle, I apologize for blaming you for Thalia.”
Naomi gave him a look.
He continued. “I was hurt, and it wasn’t fair. It wasn’t all your fault.”
She clicked her tongue. “It wasn’t her fault at all.”
He exhaled slowly. “This has always been Freya, and a little Raiden.”
I shook my head. “Well, he’s suffering enough, so…”
“I know.” His forehead wrinkled, eyes glossing slightly. “He’s always been a romantic. It was expected.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Raiden? A romantic?”
He shrugged. “He’s always fought with his heart and made mistakes because of it too. Freya, on the other hand, is unforgivable. I will make her pay.”
“Raiden will make her pay,” I said to correct him. “Because he’s the one who’s going to take your father’s place.”
“If he can kill him there.” The muscle in Aziel’s jaw ticked. “The underworld is Lucius’s domain. It will be difficult, and that is why I will be going with him.”
“What?” Naomi’s voice lowered.
“I must,” he said.
My heart raced. “Then we can go too. I mean, to help.”
He shook his head, flicking his ponytail as he did. “Mortals cannot enter the underworld. Your immortal souls will separate from your mortal bodies, and you will not be able to return to them.”
My heart sank. “So Raiden won’t be able to return either.”
“Perhaps occasionally,” he explained. “It’s not easy to get from the underworld to the mortal realm, and if he takes Lucius’s place, he will need to rule it.”
“Like a king?”
I heard footsteps approach, then Raiden’s voice. “I’ve never imagined myself in a crown, but I think I could pull it off.” He grinned as he stepped beside me, lightly touching the side of my waist. He looked at Aziel. “Brother, we will leave in the morning. You know the plan.”
“Yes.”
I arched an eyebrow as I looked up at him. “You’re not leaving now?”
He shook his head. “The underworld can wait one more night.”
Naomi nudged me, smirking. “Yes, perhaps you should say your good-byes.”
I turned back. Raiden’s gaze burned into mine. “That’s why I’m not leaving now.”
