Page 43 of The Demigod

“Who are you talking to, then?” I asked.

“Zeus,” Nox said, making both of our gazes slide to her.

“Very good,” he said, nodding. “If you could put in a word with your mother to get him off my ass, you are invited to all my parties.”

“I, um, I don’t know, you know, my mother.”

“Pity. Word is Zeus actually listens to her. Imagine that, the one beautiful woman you can’t fuck,” he raged at the ceiling.

Lightning crashed around the house.

“Nice try,” he called.

“Arick, the fuck is going on?”

“The… gods,” he said, waving a hand out.

“They’re trying to kill you?”

“They’re trying to capture me,” Arick corrected. “They’ve always enjoyed their playthings.”

“You must be very powerful,” Nox said, watching Arick in an almost clinical way. “For Zeus to expel so much energy to taunt you.”

“Well, one must account for their egos,” Arick said with a shrug. “They do hate to lose.”

“He is powerful,” I told Nox. “Word is, the most powerful warlock around.”

“But magic has its price,” Arick said, watching Nox a bit too intensely. “Something it seems you’ve learned. Please, rest,” he said, waving toward the den. “We could use to catch up.”

She’d napped the whole ride, but she looked longingly at the den.

“Go ahead,” I encouraged.

Nox didn’t even hesitate. She moved onto the floor of beds, pulled the blankets over her, and closed her eyes.

She missed it, but as her eyes slid closed, Arick’s finger waved in the air, and then she was out cold.

“What’d you do to her?”

“Let her rest more deeply,” Arick said. “She’s going to collapse if she doesn’t get enough rest.”

“Do you know how to fix… whatever is wrong with her?”

“Is that why you’ve come to see me?” he asked, walking out of the kitchen and into his living room, finding the liquor, and pouring two glasses.

“No, but now that I’m here, I’m curious if you have answers.”

“I know about magic in general, but not how it applies to immortals,” he admitted, throwing back his whole glass, then pouring another. “Why are you here then?”

“Nox’s siblings.”

Arick’s green eyes flicked to my torn, bloody clothing.

“They’re delightful, I’ve heard.”

“Yeah, real pleasant company. Nox came across them torturing and killing humans. And she concluded that they weren’t being kept… in balance.”

“In balance, how?”

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