Page 112 of The Gods Forbid

Persy

“It’s not right!” I heard Penn yell from outside the studio. “Something isn’t right!”

“I understand what you’re feeling,” Sebastian said calmly, the low rumble of his voice sending shivers down my spine, even through a wooden door. “But I’m having a hard time understanding what you mean. Can you try to explain it to me?”

A heavy weight fell on my chest. Not in dread, no, but something else. Sebastian could have easily dismissed Penn’s energy as high-strung or confusing, but he simply allowed him to process what he was feeling at his own pace, seeking to understand him.

After a moment, I heard Penn’s voice again, considerably lower in volume. “It doesn’t feel right. It’s like what’s in my head doesn’t match what’s on the canvas.”

Sebastian’s answering hum shot right through me. “I understand. Is it the way the colors meld or is it the form? Like the person’s features don’t reflect what you want them to?”

“The last one,” Penn responded. “That’s what’s wrong. Maybe the nose and chin?”

I pressed closer to the door, like my body couldn’t do anything but draw as close to Sebastian as possible. “Start smaller with the shading,” Sebastian said. “If you go too high contrast too soon it will look wrong.”

My hand was on the door knob and pushing through before my mind realized what was happening. Sebastian and Penn turned towards me. Penn’s expression lit up, which warmed my heart considerably, while Sebastian’s lips quirked in a grin. “Persephone,” he greeted, his voice rumbling over my skin.

He hadn’t called me that in a long time. I shouldn’t have missed it, but I did. “How is everything?” I asked, stepping fully into the studio I’d set up years ago, pleased that it looked well-used and full of works in progress.

Sebastian turned to Penn, letting him answer. Penn looked at the painting he was working on, which to me, looked like an amazing rendition of an older woman. His mother, if I remembered correctly. Penn opened his mouth, like he was jumping into a string of critiques, but then took a breath and restarted. “It’s going well. I’m learning.”

I smiled despite myself. Penn was giving himself some much needed grace. I turned to Sebastian, remembering why I’d come. He’d filled me in on the Council meeting, though I wasn’t going to tell him that my brother had sent me a debrief of his own.

My brother’s note had seemed fairly pleased with how the meeting went. An appropriate amount of teasing regarding Sebastian’s sins, he’d said. It wasn’t my place to intrude, but part of me wished I’d been there to see it.

Regardless, I’d been given another task. Well, Sebastian had, but I assumed I should be tagging along since I was still technically required to be monitoring any attempts to restart his plan against Adrian. We needed to go out in public more, hoping to draw out any more of Sebastian’s family members that still clung to their hopes of fame and power if Sebastian took my brother’s role as king of the gods.

Sebastian told me he had a place in mind, but hadn’t shared any more details. “Sebastian,” I greeted in return. “Penn,” I added with a smile. “I hope I’m not interrupting.”

Penn shook his head, though he fiddled a bit with the paintbrush in his hand. “No. I should probably stop for the day before I start hyper-analyzing this, anyway.”

“Need something, love?” Sebastian had taken to calling me that in front of other people. Nikolas, Kostas, and Penn, at least. I probably should correct him, but I still hadn’t. It was selfish of me to hang on to little pieces of him like that, but if that was all I could take from him…

“I was wondering if you had a free afternoon. To…” I trailed off, not quite sure how much Sebastian wanted to talk about this in front of Penn.

Sebastian nodded, catching onto my meaning. Though he looked pensive, like he was considering another option. After a moment, he turned to Penn. “Fancy a field trip? If it’s alright with Persy, of course.”

Penn’s face lit up so brightly, I’d be cruel to deny him. Still, I asked Sebastian, “Where to?”

“The Olympian,” Sebastian said, and my breath caught in my throat. The Olympian was by far the most important museum in the entire Mediterranean. It cared for and housed some of the gods most precious artifacts, and the human pieces that were honored there were among the most lauded in our history.

It also happened to house some of Sebastian’s most famous paintings. Including—

“PLEASE TAKE ME WITH YOU!” Penn shouted, jumping up and down excitedly. After a second, he blinked, realizing that he’d spoken rather loudly and settled down a bit. I was planning on letting him be as excited as he wanted, but it was a testament to his growth that he did that himself. He turned to Sebastian, a pleading look in his eyes. “Sunlight Incarnate is there right?”

Sebastian’s eyes slid to me for a quick beat, holding some foreign expression in them. “It is. Among others.”

“I know, but that one is…” Penn let his hands finish his sentences, widening them as far as his body would let him. Equally to communicate how large the piece was and how famous. “Is it true it took you over a year to finish?”

Sebastian’s grin quirked, as if the memory was fond. “It did. I kept tweaking it, but I’m happy with the final product.” This time, he turned fully to me, giving me the full, heady weight of his attention. “Up to you, love. Can Penn join?”

Who was I to deny either of them? Not when Penn’s eyes were rounded like a puppy’s and Sebastian’s bright eyes were burning into my skin. “Of course.”

Penn’s shriek covered up the sound of Sebastian’s laugh. Not enough to stop a considerable shiver shooting down my spine, though. My power swelled in response, electricity flickering like a light bulb on the last legs of life. Seemingly without my control, a portal cracked open behind me.

“Well, this is as good a time as any,” Sebastian said, a laugh in his voice. I let him think I was just eager to go, rather than my power flaring slightly out of control. That was always an issue my brother had, not me.

Penn’s eyes went wide when he realized what was happening. It was rare humans ever used portals, and he was about to join a very, very small group of lucky individuals, which I suspected only really included my sister-in-law.