My mouth went dry and my blood started to boil. “I’ve already accepted Hermes’ invitation,” I told him.
“Oh, he doesn’t mind” Nix boomed and several of his brothers snickered along with him. “We used to share everything.”
“That was a millennia ago, brother,” Hermes countered. “We haven’t shared anything significant since you murdered my wife.” Tension spiked in the atmosphere until Hermes ended with, “Or one of them at least.”
The room erupted with laughter. Hermes smiled too, but his shoulders never relaxed and his fists stayed clenched at his sides.
“Sit, Messenger,” Ares shouted. “You’re keeping us from our food!”
“And our drink!” someone else finished.
Hermes lead the way, finding tables at the other end near Hera and, unfortunately, near Nix. I wondered if he had sat by Hera on purpose. I felt his presence slither over my skin.
I waited for him to jump up and start strangling me, but he didn’t bother to leave his place. I still couldn’t shake my nerves with him this close, so I picked at the food and tried to ignore him.
Ryder did the same thing. Even if Nix hadn’t been here, I would have found it hard to eat while everyone stared at me and judged each of my insignificant movements.
I felt like they were waiting for something to happen or waiting on me to cut off Nix’s head.
After a while of awkward silence, Nix slid forward on his couch and dropped his feet to the ground. They clattered loudly on the polished floor. His hands slid over his knees with purpose until his elbows rested on his thighs and he met me at eye level. “I would have brought you here,” he told me diplomatically. “You didn’t need to hitch a ride on our magic carpet.” When I didn’t respond, he explained, “We call him that because he’s a doormat. It’s an inside joke that you might not understand.”
“You were going to bring me here?” I met Nix’s black gaze and dared him to be truthful.
“I was,” he smiled patiently at me.
“I’m sure you would have treated me with this amount of respect,” I gestured to Hermes. “I’m sure you would have let me know I was free to come and go as I pleased.”
Nix’s jaw ticked with irritation. “Is that what he’s told you? That you’refree?” The word came out of his mouth like a curse. He hated that word as much as I loved it. His voice was taunting when he said, “Try to leave now, then. If Hermes has promised you freedom, feel free to use it. Go back home to where you’re more… comfortable.”
I shook my head. “So you can chase me?” I ignored the pit in my stomach that warned Hermes was as bad as Nix. Had I walked straight into captivity? Same story, different day.
“Yes,” Nix growled, excitement danced in his eyes. “That’s my favorite part.”
“Enough, Sea Creature,” Aether called from down the line. “Or I shall be forced to keep the peace.” Gods and goddesses groaned all around me, clearly annoyed with his idea ofpeace keeping.
“When will you banish him, Sister?” Athena groaned. “Your consort is a terrible bore.”
“With my husband gone, I do not have the patience for all of your incessant bickering. You will listen to him until Zeus returns, otherwise you will drive me insane and I shall banish you all from my mountain.” Hera’s eyes flashed with lightning and I could tell that her patience was growing thin again.
More grumbling rippled down the line of immortals and Hera sat back with a pleased smile on her face. Order officially restored.
As much as I wanted to chain Nix to the bottom of the ocean, I had to get answers about my mother. I looked up at him from under my thick, overly done eyelashes and asked, “Is it true that you gave my mother to the Fates.”
A slow smile spread across his perfect face. “It’s true,” he answered. “Although, they got the better of the deal between us. I paid them to watch over you. A lot of good that did me.”
“So why not kill them for betraying you?” I felt myself slide forward too, anxious for his answers.
I didn’t expect him to answer, but not ten seconds passed before he said, “Because they would kill me first. I’m smart, not suicidal.”
I nodded. That was definitely true about him.
“It’s good that you’re here, Ivy. I thought you might flee back to that island of yours.” Nix’s lingering gaze touched every inch of exposed skin on my body. I felt the food I’d picked at churn in my stomach.
“You knew where I was?”
“There are places on this planet where not even the god of the sea can go,” Hera explained snidely. “Not for lack of trying, of course.”
Nix leaned back, a small smile playing on his lips. “Not even you would go to that island, Sister.”
