It felt invasive. Like reading someone’s diary without permission. Except the diary was their soul, and I couldn’tnotread it. The older I got, the stronger that power had become.
At least here, I could mute it. Most of the time. Sometimes the whispers were so strong that they broke through.
And if I left, who would protect the mortals from themselves?
“What are you thinking, Demi?” Hestia asked delicately.
I was thinking I couldn’t leave. How could I face the mortal world again? People would ask too many questions about where I’d been. People would also wonder why I hadn’t suffered permanent injuries.
“Well, there is a cute Roman demigod who works on the third floor as Daedalus’s apprentice. Maybe we could havesomething,” I said nervously, not even knowing what I was saying. Because I wasn’t even sure it was possible for me to fall in love. My father was right; I’d done something to my heart. Something not even I could undo. There was only one person who could, and I didn’t know who that was. Or if he even existed.
But I was desperate not to reenter the mortal world. So desperate I was rambling and willing to consider dating someone I’d never even talked to. But Daedalus’s apprentice was the only Roman I could think of in the building. I always thought it was weird when Greeks married Greeks. Sure, there was a separation of bloodlines, but we were all related, even if just distantly. Uh, hello? The Titans were all siblings.
“He is not the person for you,” Father stated before a look passed between him and Hestia. Another one of those wreck-my-world looks.
I dug my fingers into the happy chair, and it giggled again. This time I did not echo the sentiment. This was no laughing matter.
“What is that look you keep giving each other? Just tell me.” My mouth was so dry I could barely speak.
A cup of tea zoomed my way. It smelled like a blend of Hestia’sNothing Good Comes Easyflavor. That was one of her favorite sayings.
My coaches used to say that, and I believed them. But thingshadcome easily to me. Too easily.
I swatted away the cup of tea like I would an annoying fly, but it was persistent and kept flitting in front of me until I grabbed it. A generous amount sloshed onto my muumuu. The fabric was so dark and layered, I barely felt the warmth of the liquid onmy skin.
“Your great-grandfather is sending you on a quest,” Father said.
“What kind of quest?” I vaguely remembered that Zeus had passed a law restricting quests. At least when it came to slaying people and animals. That gave me a little comfort. Very little.
“A quest to find love, of course. To unlock your heart,” he said with meaning. Too much meaning.
Crap. He really did know what I had done. Apparently Zeus did too. That seemed like an invasion of privacy. A girl should be able to lock her heart if she wanted to.
I opened my mouth to speak, but Father wasn’t done. He seemed determined to get it out in one breath.
“You must find love by the time the August full moon rises.”
“What? It’s almost June. I can’t just fall in love with someone that fast. It goes against my guidebook and better judgment. And . . . well . . . you know.”
He gave me a knowing look but didn’t address the whole heart-locking thing and how this complicated things. “I think that is his point and mine. Love is not about rules and guides.”
“You’re in on this quest thing?” I sneered.
“Yes, I am. And since we realize it is a short timeline, we have chosen where your quest begins.”
My hands were shaking so badly that the cup of tea I was holding looked like a turbulent ocean. “Where?” I loathed asking. But I knew there were consequences for saying no to a god. And not just any god—my great-grandfather, Zeus. I’d like to think he wouldn’t turn me into a plant or a swan or even serve up some poetic justice like gods loved to do, but I was putting nothing past him.
Father took the tea from me, and it vanished instantly. Then he reached for my hands, but I refused to give them to him. Instead, I clasped them together, trying to keep the contents of my stomach down.
“Demi,” he whispered. “Please don’t pull away from me. This is not a punishment. It is important that you understand mortals need the hope of love, even when it seems impossible. Love defies rules. That is the beauty of it. Deep down, I think you know that.”
I curled into myself, feeling exactly as if I were being punished and stripped of all my armor.
“This quest, if you complete it, will bring you the happiness you seek,” Father promised.
I looked up, hollow, wondering if it wouldn’t be so bad to be a swan. “How do you know what I seek?” I’d buried myself so long ago, I wasn’t even sure what I wanted or who I was.
Father reached out and swiped the pad of his thumb across my cheek. A gesture so gentle, I almost lost it. “I hear whispers and hearts too. Sometimes it’s your mother’s voice.”
