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“Ma’am, if I’m trespassing in your territory,” he told her, “I apologize. I can go back where I came from.”

She ran her delicate hands over his wide, muscular chest. “Someone as beautiful as you,” she said, “belongs by my side and in my bed.”

Before Fyr could figure out how to extricate himself from a being who felt extraordinarily powerful, a thick, hairy arm shot between them, grabbing the goddess and pulling her away from Fyr.

The man—god—was even taller and broader than Fyr. Where Fyr was light, the god was dark: hair black, eyes dark brown, skin a deep, weathered tan. His face, though, marked the most startling difference. Where Fyr was the epitome of masculine beauty, this god would never be described as beautiful. He had a sharp, hawkish nose; narrow, beady eyes; and a bushy beard that appeared to be overtaking his face.

“You will not,” the god said to her, “ruin this for him. It’s been going on too long. It’s cruel.”

She flipped her glistening hair over her shoulder. “I don’t see why I should care about either one of them.” She ran a finger down Fyr’s chest again. “Besides, he’s so pretty.”

The god placed a hand on her shoulder, glanced at Fyr, and said, “The boy’s heart is taken.” Then the two of them disappeared.

It took Fyr a few minutes for his pounding heart to slow. Those were gods. That was a goddess trying to seduce him and a god stopping her.

Fyr started back the way he’d come but kept looking over his shoulder, making sure they hadn’t reappeared, that he wasn’t being followed. When he saw The Ferryman’s Rest in the distance, the tension in his body finally relaxed.

Chapter 15

JUDGMENT

“Do you think the Artemis cake has replenished yet?” I was exhausted and hungry. We’d been walking through the endless tunnel for hours.

“Let’s sit and check,” Coco replied. “I’m beat.”

“Hallelujah,” I muttered, dropping where I was and leaning my back against the earthen wall.

The other three collapsed nearby, groaning with their own pains. I went into my pack and found the grapes leaves folded over something, not loose and empty. I held it up triumphantly. Coco grinned, diving for hers.

“I don’t understand how something so small can be filling,” she said, “but these things really are.” She took a small bite, drawing out the meal. “We’d have been so screwed without the canteens and these cakes.”

Bracken nodded, his eyes closed. “I’ve read a million myths over the years, ones from all over the world, and one thing they have in common is that the journey is never short nor easy. Somehow, though, I was hoping this one would be both.”

Stheno took a swig of water from her canteen. “So, who’s Ben?” she asked Bracken.

His eyes snapped opened, a wariness in his expression. “Pardon?”

“Ben,” she repeated. “The judges told you to visit Ben. Is that a boyfriend or something?”

Bracken retreated into himself. He was every bit as tall and broad as he’d been a moment ago, but it was as though his soul had retreated, leaving a shell in its place. He shook his head. “No.” After a lengthy pause, he added, “Ben is my son.” He got to his feet and said, “Please excuse me a moment,” before walking back down the dark tunnel, leaving his lights with us.

Coco glared across the tunnel at Stheno. “What the hell is your problem?” she hissed. “He’s an incredibly kind man who has been nothing but helpful and you just had to poke at him. I get that you’re going through something right now, but that’s no excuse to lash out at others.”

Stheno held up a hand, which turned into a middle finger. “Normally, I’d agree with you, but how was I supposed to know that was a dangerous question?”

Coco shook her head. “Don’t even. We all saw how his face went white when the judge said that to him. You knew it was a sensitive topic, so you waited until we were all ready to drop from exhaustion to hit him with it.” She looked down the tunnel. “He saved your life. He was killing himself to get far enough into the Chimera’s chamber to help, and he did. He threw up walls that kept you both from being burned alive and you decided to prod an open wound with a stick. You’re a real asshole. You know that?”

Stheno leaned forward. “I could turn you to stone where you sit.”

Coco scoffed. “I could close my eyes. Problem solved. How are you going to avoid a fireball to the head?”

Bracken walked back to the group. “Please don’t argue. Not on my behalf.” He patted Coco’s shoulder and then sat, more removed than his original spot. “I feel like I need to explain some things.”

“You don’t have to share anything you don’t want to,” I told him.

He rubbed his chest. “You and your cousin are a gift.” He patted his pockets, as though looking for something. “I haven’t seen my son since he was a baby. I was a dismal failure as a husband and father and they rightfully left.” He nodded slowly, as though agreeing with himself.

I stood, stepping between Stheno and Coco, and plopped down next to him, leaning my shoulder against his.