Page 57 of Seph

“I don’t understand what the fuss is about her. Oh sure, she’s uncommonly beautiful, witty, and charming, but she’s... she’s a little peculiar, too. After Hades dragged her off to the Underworld, she actually settled in there with him! Seemed eager to get back down to that gloomy hellhole.” Hera tapped her temple. “She’s a little nuts. I think they call it Stockholm Syndrome now.”

“I think maybe there’s a lot you don’t know about her husband. For one thing, he’s a damn sight more faithful than yours,” Simeon growled.

Emily forced him back into his seat. “Great. Do you want to compare the threats of all the gods before we’re done with this mission, Mr. About-To-Be-Thrown-Into-Tartarus? Isn’t one enough?” she hissed.

Hera frowned. “I don’t know what it is with him. Honestly. I’m the Goddess of Marriage. I know every trick in the book. I can keep a man ‘interested’ for years. Even an immortal! But then there’s Zeus. He gets a girl on his mind, and he gets obsessed. He won’t let go. It’s more about his ego than anything. He always gets the girl—even if he has to trick them, like Danae. Or force them, like Europa and Leda.”

“Yeah. I’ve known that type. They charm on the surface. Twisted and sick underneath.” Simeon’s smile was bitter.“Sometimes it’s the lover—sometimes it’s a father. In Zeus’ case, seems like it could be a bit of both. Don’t know when to let go...and they like to make it so they never do. Years later, even the brightest, most beautiful girls are still on the hook.” Hera and Emily both winced. “Not your fault,” Simeon muttered.

“Still painfully accurate,” Emily slumped in her seat.

“Oh, you, too, sweetie?” Hera sat on the edge of the desk and studied Emily, her chin on her chest. “Your ex?”

“Daddy issues,” Emily sighed. That summed it up without the horrific layers of mental, emotional, and physical torment her father had heaped upon her.

“Don’t get me started on that! My fatherateme.”

Emily blinked. “Pardon?”

“You heard. Ate all of us—except Mother tricked him and managed to save Zeus. Zeus saved me. Killed our dad and freed us all from his stomach. When Zeus told me I would be his bride, I was flattered, but also, what else could I do? He’d saved my life. It wasn’t like I had any experience with dating, either.” Hera sank back in her chair and pulled a silver flask from her desk drawer.

“Oh, God. I mean... Wow.”And I thinkmyfamily has issues.

“Well, at least you weren’t married to him. You can move on. The vampire is much better. I can tell good husband material when I see it, believe me. Now.” Hera clapped her hands briskly. “Hadn’t you better run along, demon? It’s bad luck to see the bride in her gown, and you two already have an uphill battle, don’t you?”

It was Emily’s turn to be pushed back into a seat. “I’m not here for a wedding gown, Hera. We were talking about Zeus and his um—dating habits.”

“Oh. Right.” Hera slid gracefully from her desk and peeped out of the sheer drapes, her back to her guests. “Well, I haven’thad any mortals on my radar for a long time. Whoever he’s lusting after must be an immortal.”

“Right. Like Persephone?” Simeon insisted patiently, teeth pressed together.

Hera turned back to them, her head cocked and her eyebrows drawn together. “Who?”

Chapter Seventeen

“That woman is not right in the head.”

“Well, she’s a goddess, and she’s bloody ancient.”

“Good point. It was nice of her to give me a coupon.” Emily tucked the stiff white and gold card into her painfully empty wallet. “We need to get dinner.”

“Easy thing for a vampire to do in New York.”

“Simeon!”

“There’s a butcher every other block... well, in some spots. And the posher places don’t ask questions. Want room service, Huntress? Wining and dining?”

Emily hesitated. “Well... we need a private place to talk and figure out our next move. Yeah. Sure. What’s a couple hundred bucks to the guy with the literal gold card?”

Simeon chuckled. “I’ll tell Hades that one. He’ll like that.”

“He’s not bad. And Milly’s not bad. Ugh, except I hate them! They know this isn’t your fault, so how can they punish you?” Emily squeezed into the silvery Mustang and flopped back in its deep leather seat.

Simeon was silent as he put the key in the ignition. Then, in a voice that seemed tired and old, words dragged out. “He was desperate. He made a bad deal when he was desperate, and some contracts can’t be broken. Ritz or Waldorf-Astoria?”

“Ritz.” Emily studied the man beside her, watching his features working, his eyes scanning the busy streets in front of them. She wondered what bad deals he’d made. Becoming avampire? He loved that. He’d said so. Loved being powerful, a bully of bullies, or as he’d come to view himself, a larger than life (or death) avenger of the innocent.What a twisted mess.

Perfect for me, because I’m just as messy and twisted, only no one else knows it.

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