Page 187 of A Touch of Chaos

“I always have found a way to deal with my pain,” he said. “After the Titanomachy, I was isolated, and now I am numb. I coped with the first by being cruel, and now I drink. So what does it mean if I don’t?”

She held his gaze and pressed her hand to his heart. “Do you feel numb now?”

“No,” he said. “Not with you so near.”

She curled her fingers into his shirt, her breath dancing over his lips.

“Then maybe you have already found another vice.”

Hades manifested in the shadows of Nevernight withPersephone, Ilias, and Hermes. He had no intention of announcing himself yet, curious to hear what would be said in his absence—likely something far more useful than what would be said if his presence was known.

He looked down at Persephone and pressed a finger to his lips before turning his attention to the members of Iniquity. Two sat at the bar, hunched over their drinks—an older man named Ptolemeos and a younger one named Jorn. A woman had made herself comfortable behind the bar. Her name was Stella. Three others sat nearby on a couch—Madelia Rella, Leonidas Nasso, and Damianos Vitalis.

“They say we’ve been completely cut off from the rest of the world. There aren’t even ports or ships to get us out,” Ptolemeos was saying.

“You expect us to believe you have no way off this island, Ptolemeos?” Damianos asked.

“I didn’t say that, but it will cost more,” he said.

Persephone stiffened beside Hades. He squeezed her hand, hoping it communicated what he wished—reassurance that he would not let that happen.

“The tunnels are flooded. The danger is higher.”

Something heavy settled in Hades’s stomach at that news. He had not considered that the tunnels would be flooded. Dionysus had measures in place for events like this. Had something gone wrong, and if so, where were he and the maenads?

“You intend to charge families to escape this fuckery?” Madelia Rella asked, her disdain evident.

“Commerce doesn’t stop in war, Madelia. You know that best. Have these demigods not visited your establishments?”

Her mouth tightened. “If I could prevent it, I would.They hurt my girls. When I banned them, they burned down one of my brothels.”

Hades wondered when that had happened. Perhaps when he was in the labyrinth.

“They are certainly powerful,” said Jorn. “Did you see Theseus with the lightning bolt and Zeus just hanging in the sky?” He paused to shake his head. “Are we foolish not to kneel to them?”

“That depends on whose wrath you wish to incur,” said Madelia. “As for me, I’d rather have a pleasant afterlife.”

“How do we know the Underworld hasn’t been conquered too?”

A stark silence followed the question. Hades could feel Persephone rage beside him. Hermes too fisted his hands. Hades stuck out his arm to keep the god from revealing them. As much as he found disfavor with what was being discussed, he was also not surprised. And he wanted to know who was on his side.

Finally, Madelia spoke. “That is ridiculous.”

“I appreciate the vote of confidence, Madelia,” Hades said as he stepped out of the shadow, his gaze sweeping the room. “Since most of you have made it clear that you have no allegiance beyond what serves you, I shall give you a few seconds to choose the side you will take moving forward.”

There was a pause, and then Ptolemeos straightened. “And what are the consequences for not choosing you?”

“There are none,” Hades said. “Save what will befall you if your choice is wrong.”

The old man scowled. “It is just like a god to speak in riddles.”

Hades’s mouth quirked. “Think of it as roulette, Ptolemeos. Are you willing to make the bet?”

“Not when I am staring death in the face,” said the man.

“A wise choice,” said Hades. “As you are all aware, Theseus, with the aid of his father, has taken over New Athens. It is true that he is responsible for the deaths of several gods. The only reason Zeus is still alive is because Theseus hopes to use him as a pawn to gain the favor of our father, Cronos. I do not know his plans beyond that, save that he has some delusional hope that he can rule the entirety of New Greece as its sole god, a feat he cannot accomplish while I still live.”

Though New Athens was now under Poseidon’s control because the landmass was so small, all that managed to do was prevent other gods from teleporting about the city. Hades, however, also had power over land, no matter its size.

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