“If you agree to this, to fight with me…” Zeus sucked in a deep breath as if the next part pained him. “I’ll see to it that all of Nyx’s temples are restored. I will personally oversee it myself. Every human man shall know that no offering goes to me that is not doubled to the primordial herself.”
The silence was deafening.
Erebus waited.
His heart felt like it was going to beat right out of his chest.
The shadows threatened to spill out from him, begging to be released as they pushed against his veins.
This, this… this is what I could give to her. This is what I could bring to Nyx, to my beloved, to see her once more at her glory, to give her all that she deserves.
Erebus’s thoughts homed in on this as a solution to his problem. He was a man, after all, and when presented with a course of tangible action that he thought could help his beloved, he would take it. He would fight Kronos if it meant fighting his truest enemy—the space between him and Nyx. Hecate’s warnings and Nyx’s wishes were drowned out by the idea.
“How do I know that you mean this?” Erebus fought to keep his voice steady, but the brothers knew that they had struck a nerve. Zeus nodded, tugging a ring off his finger, and tossing it to Erebus, who caught it in one smooth motion.
“The gods gave me that ring to solidify my position once this mess with Kronos is over. It holds some of the power of each of us, including myself. You can hold on to it until the battle is over and my word has been fulfilled.”
Erebus was studying the ring, assessing its power, and did not see the panic in Poseidon and Hades’s eyes. They turned to one another behind Zeus’s back, their emotions betraying thatsomethingwas not going to plan. Neither Zeus nor Erebus saw it, blinded by their ambitions and personal objectives now at stake with the war at hand.
The skies darkened suddenly, and everything went quiet. All the god’s attention was on Erebus as he looked up from the ring.
“You have a deal, God of lightning.”
15
Another loud crash in the courtyard didn’t break Hecate’s concentration. She was sitting at her kitchen table, her gaze lost in the hearth as the flames danced in front of her eyes. She knew all about the meeting between the brothers and Erebus; there were very few things that Hades could do that could avoid her foresight. The primordials were another story, but she knew enough to be concerned. Hecate only turned towards the door when her dogs started barking, a mop of curly-blonde hair peeking through the doorway.
“Hermes,” Hecate deadpanned with a roll of her eyes, keeping the grin off her face. “Do you always have to renovate my lawn when you show up?” Hermes’s laugh was infectious as he stepped entirely into the kitchen, sidestepping around the dogs with his hands raised.
“Hecate, O terrifying one, you do get more ravishing every time I see you.” The trickster had a smirk on his face a mile wide as he leaned down to kiss her cheek. Hecate didn’t respond, but she also didn’t move, allowing him to embrace her.
“If you are going to flatter me, Hermes, please use lines that you don’t use on other goddesses.”
He chuckled and sat down at the table across from Hecate, sliding onto the bench.
“You wound me!” Hermes made a show of clutching animatedly at his chest. “Who else do you think I would callterrifying?”
“Hera.” Hecate answered quickly, raising an eyebrow. “For very different reasons, I would imagine.”
“Verydifferent.” Hermes’s good mood seemed to vanish as he rolled his eyes at the mention of her.
“What can I do for you?”
“You cut right to the quick!” The grin was back, and Hermes leaned forward across the table, capturing Hecate’s hands in one of his own. “But if that’s an open offer…”
It was Hecate’s turn to laugh as she pulled her hand back. “It wasn’t.”
“Oh, you are coming for me today, aren’t you?” Hermes shook his head in mock disappointment. “What’s a god to do with you? What would your acolytes say?”
“They pray to me to deal with men like you.” Hecate pointed at Hermes. “Especiallymen who can’t forget one of Dionysus’s parties a hundred years ago.”
“You’ve kept me going ever since then, you witch.” Hermes winked at her devilishly and sobered up quickly. He didn’t respect many of the gods, but he respected Hecate, and he knew when her tolerance for banter was up. “Alas, as much as I’d love to reminiscence inpainstakingdetail, there are things unseen… so here I am.” Hermes leaned back, crossing one ankle over his knee, and gesturing around the kitchen.
“God of the unseen, yes,” Hecate fought the urge to roll her eyes, “Everyone seems to be using this shift in the regime as quite the power grab.”
“Things unseen, messages, tricks…” Hermes shrugged, “You can’t say that they aren’t all very fitting.”
“Mm.” Hecate’s voice was noncommittal as she returned her gaze to the flames while she continued to speak to Hermes. “Do you want to elaborate? It is the Underworld, after all. ‘Things unseen’ is hardly distinctive.”
