“They're not really my brothers.” Rune paused as the waiter brought us another tiny plate. He nodded at the guy after the morsel was explained, then stabbed it with his fork. As the waiter withdrew, Run happily ate his bite.
My plate lasted four bites. I was still chewing when Rune finished what he'd begun to say.
“We're as close as brothers. Even closer thanks to the Cerberus magic. And I guess since Hades made our bodies at the same time, as a team, our blood is probably similar. I mean, our DNA. If someone did one of those tests on us, we might indeed appear to be brothers. But we weren't born to the same parents.”
“Just the same father.”
“Huh.” He snorted. “I've always thought of him as the creator of my body and the god I'm bound to. Never as my father. But he did add his blood to our bodies when he made them. That kinda makes him our father. Shit. Maybe we are brothers. I don't know. It feels odd to think of them like that. We're a team. Brothers in arms, not . . .”
“Blood?” I smirked.
Rune snorted.
“Do you look alike?”
“A bit.” Rune nodded. “Same coloring. Similar features. As I said, we were made together.”
“I believe that makes you brothers, Rune.”
“Fine. Whatever.”
“Why does that upset you?”
“It doesn't, it's just . . .” He shook his head and looked away.
“Come on. Tell me your dark secrets. I promise not to share them with theonegod I know.”
Rune chuckled. “First, tell me what you've got going on with Hermes.”
“We weren't supposed to talk about him.”
“You brought him up. Plus, I'm liking you more and more. I don't want to do that if I've got serious competition.”
“You can't handle competition?”
“Not if there's no chance of me winning.”
I sighed. “Well, at least I can be honest with you about him. I don't know how many relationships I've ended because Hermes came around and . . .”
“And what? What does he demand from you for immortality?”
I smirked. “At this point, it's similar to your situation. It's become a type of service.” Then I grimaced. “Damn, that makes me sound like a whore.”
“So, you're still intimate with him?”
“Yes, though it's a little more than that,” I said without hesitation. If this was going to be a relationship and not just a one-time thing, Rune needed to know what he was getting into. And just as I'd said, I was glad to be able to tell him. “Hermes comes around every few months or so whenever he misses me, and we spend a few days together. Sometimes longer. He was just here a month ago, so he shouldn't be back for a while.”
“Do you enjoy his visits?”
“Interesting question,” I murmured. “I suppose I do. I may not love Hermes anymore, but I do like him. The sex is consensual.”
“All right, let me ask you this; would you end things with him for the right guy?”
I bit my bottom lip. Here was the one problem in my life. I was stuck in a limbo with a god I wasn't technically with so I couldn't technically part from. Could I end what did have? No. Hermes didn't hold my heart, but he did hold my loyalty.
“It's complicated,” I said. “I told you this was my life to do with as I please, but that's not entirely accurate. I can do as I please for the most part. I can live how I wish and take whomever I want as my lover.”
“But?”
