“You will,” she said. “Including going to Aeaea.”
“Please!” Hermes’s plea echoed, even after he vanished, sent away with the snap of Hades’s fingers.
Everyone looked at the God of the Dead.
“What?” he asked, defensive. “There are only eight hours until nightfall. He had better get to digging.”
There was a beat of silence and then Athena spoke. “So we will instruct the mortals on how to ward their homes, but how will we handle the Kallikantzaroi?”
There was silence as everyone considered options. At length, Aphrodite spoke.
“Do they not like to count?” she asked.
“They try, poor dears,” said Hecate. “But they cannot make it past two. Sometimes they get stuck until daylight, which would benefit us, but sometimes they get bored and abandon the task.”
She frowned, pursing her lips.
“If we can find a way to lure them, I can build a trap,” Hephaestus suggested.
“If the Kallikantzaroi hate light,” said Aphrodite, looking up at her husband. He stared back, adoringly. “Perhaps we should keep a few streets in the dark so that we might drive them into your trap.”
“What do they eat?” Ajax signed.
“Insects, frogs, worms,” said Hecate. “Though, they do have quite the sweet tooth.”
“So we leave a trail of sweets,” said Aphrodite, looking at Hades. “Doesn’t Persephone love to bake?”
“She does,” he replied. “But she is also heavily pregnant.”
“You know she wants to stay busy,” said Hecate.
“And we can help,” Aphrodite offered, gesturing the gathered gods. “Right, Ares?”
The God of War’s brows rose. “Me?”
Dionysus wasn’t sure if his surprise came from the idea of baking, or that Aphrodite had specifically called on him. They’d once been best friends, but his lust for battle had driven them apart during the Olympian War.
“Yes,” she said. “We will all need to contribute.”
Ares’s mouth flattened and after a moment, he nodded once.
“I have one net,” Hephaestus said. “It will not catch as many Kallikantzaroi as we need, but it would be a fine test, and we will know what we should modify for the larger trap.”
“It’s settled then,” said Hades, though he didn’t sound very relieved. “We have a plan.”
They spent the next few minutes dividing up responsibility—Poseidon and Ares would gather the shoes, Athena and Hestia would gather the garlic and holly, and Artemis would gather anything with holes to count while Aphrodite and Persephone baked, and Ajax and Niko would pass out flyers that listed items that would provide the best defense against the Kallikantzaroi. They also decided where their test trap would go, and Hephaestus left to set it up.
Soon, the gods vanished and only Hades, Hecate, and Dionysus were left.
“What can I do?” Dionysus asked, rising to his feet.
“What you are already doing,” said Hecate. “The Kallikantzaroi hate carolers.”
Chapter 5
Hades
An hour after the Olympian Council had adjourned, Hades stood at the base of Mount Olympus in front of a crowd of reporters. He had yet to speak a single word and was already annoyed by the incessant click of camera shutters. Each wave made the blood pound harder in his head. Soon it would settle behind his eyes and then he would rage.
