This was most definitely a god.
“Et puis merde alors!”François cried over the stunned silence.“Il a tout cassé!”
I knew just enough French to make sense of it: shit, he broke everything!
That wasn’t quite fair. Apollo was the one who destroyed most of the glass-domed roof in his effort to fly me away from Zeus.
I shook my head, still stunned that this was my reality. Gods attacking me and falling from the sky.
The man wore loose dark pants and a thin belt under a cloak that would have won an award for accuracy at a ren faire. Short, pinned at the shoulder, falling in folds to the side.
A chlamys, my mind supplied. How I knew that, I decided not to question, taking it in stride although I was fairly certain I’d never heard or read the word before.
Several people backed away as they whispered. Being me, I stepped forward. So did Lucian, all while keeping Kleos behind him, protecting her with his arm.
Glancing her way, I couldn’t help notice the gods behind her remained at the aisle, close together, talking in hushed voices.
They seemed worried, so I bent my mind to listen as best I could. To my surprise, I managed.
“What is he doing here?”
Even though I was focusing on them, I shouldn’t have been able to hear them over the various voices in the hall, and the distance. I shouldn’t have been able to understand them, given the fact that they spoke in ancient Greek. But if I got stumped by everything I shouldn’t be able to do, I’d constantly be very confused and weary.
The goddess narrowed her eyes.“This shouldn’t have been possible. Something in changing.”
As I watched them, I remembered that Hera and Poseidon were siblings—actual siblings who didn’t boink—though there were no similarities between them, their auras, not even the shape of their brow, nose, and eyes. If Hera made me think of the beautiful women of the sunny shores of the Mediterranean, Poseidon was a Viking—harsh, cold, and pale.
The sea god nodded.“We need to go. Our brother is known to take advantage of our absences.”
Before I could say a thing to warn Kleos that her guests were about to leave, to beg them to wait a moment and explain what was going, who this stranger could be, they both shimmered into nothingness.
Looking around, I noticed that the muses were also gone.
Brace yourself, Apollo had said. Which meant that this man was an enemy.
I turned on my heels. Damn him. My divine brother had disappeared like all the other gods in attendance, leaving absolutely no one who could give us an explanation for the unexpected arrival.
Without warning, rain poured into the destroyed dome, drenching us all in the deluge as thunder struck overhead.
Double fuck. Zeus wassofucking petty.
“All right, stay calm, everyone.” Lucian’s commanding voice filled the hall, exuding confidence. “If you’d start evacuating theHall—quietly, no need to run. Our shields are still in place. There will be one hell of a potluck in The Royal Manor.”
Regardless of his direction, people scampered rather fast, and who could blame them after yesterday? We were just attacked by bloody Zeus.
“What about him?” I asked, tilting my chin towards the immobile man still on the ground.
We formed a circle around him, the newlyweds, their families and I, joined by Guard superiors and even a few daring city officials, but I was addressing the Regises.
They were the highest authorities in the room—in most room in Highvale.
“Can you wake him up?” Lucian asked his brother.
The elder Regis shook his head.
The matriarch turned to her husband, who shook his head. “I’m not sure we should move him. I mean, if you find a buried bomb, you mark the spot and stay away.”
“So, what, we condemn the Hall of Truce?” the elder son asked, snorting as if the very idea was preposterous.
