I snorted a laugh. “Hey, Hades. What's up? Or what's down?”
“Salina? What are you doing here?”
“So, uh, funny story—I'm a goddess.” I did jazz hands at him. “Surprise!”
Hades scowled at me. Then at Apollo. “Itwasyou. You were backing Silas. Why? What the fuck reason do you have to mess with my boys?”
Apollo lifted his chin. He'd been seen by Hades himself. There was no running now and no denying the obvious.
“That's a longer story,” I said. “Lots of twists. Here's the gist—I did something terrible to my brother, and he cursed me. Then I wound up with his son.” I waved a hand at Ace. “That's Silas, by the way.”
“You what?” Hades swung his gaze back at me.
“I didn't know who he was, okay?” I rolled my eyes. “Anyway, Helios here murdered me to stop me from committing incest and all, but Ace walked in just after the act and found his father holding my dead body. In a panic, Helios blamed my murder on you. That's why Ace has been chasing your hounds. For revenge. And to save me. He's been trying to protect me from you, not knowing that all this time, it's been his dear ol' dad who's been murdering me.”
“Apollo has been murdering you? As in multiple times?” Hades blinked slowly, and then shouted, “What the fuck is going on here?!”
“What's going on is extreme sibling rivalry that got taken too far.” I shrugged. “And I accept that I'm partially responsible. I deserved what I got.”
“What?” Helios whispered.
“I meant what I said, Brother. I'm so sorry for what I did. I understand now. I didn't know what love was before. I had never felt it. Now, I have. I know how wondrous it is, andI deeply regret taking it from you. Please, forgive me.” I held a hand to my heart and bowed.
“Fuck.” Hades looked back and forth between us as I straightened.
Bruno yipped. Ace groaned.
“Son?” Apollo rushed over to him.
“Get the fuck away from me!” Ace shoved him back. “You son of a bitch!”
“I'm sorry. I had to make sure you didn't . . .” Apollo shook his head. “Damn me. I did to you what she did to me. I'm so sorry, Asclepius.”
“What the fuck is happening?!” Hades shouted, his voice shaking the palace.
Bruno whimpered.
“It's all right, Bruno.” Ace picked up the puppy and stroked him as he stood up to face his father. “I never want to see you again.”
“Son, please!”
“You murdered the woman I loved!”
“She's your aunt!”
“You should have told me! Not murder her and leave me in the dark, you asshole! Who does that?”
I grimaced and nodded. The kid had a point. Damn it, why couldn't I stop calling him a kid? Maybe because it helped to put some distance between us. Eew. I had sex with my nephew.Sure, I was in a body that wasn't related to him, but it still felt gross.
Also, I was a goddess! Yeah, baby!
A goddess without magic, but it was still awesome.
“Selene,” Hades whispered as he looked at me. “The Moon Goddess. Thelostgoddess.”
“The lost goddess?” I asked.
“Yes. You disappeared centuries ago.” Hades transferred his stare to Apollo. “Now we know why.”
