Page 44 of You Can't Fight Lightning
I wondered how badly she’d come after me if I singed off one side of his hair.
“My point is, I have some information that might make your life easier.”
“And you are willing to share this information with me for the small price of?” I let my question hang in the air. We both knew there was a price. I could understand it.
I just didn’t like it.
And normally, I didn’t have to put up with things I didn’t like. But times were different now. In this case, more’s the pity. I eyed the right side of Hypnos’ head. I could manage to singe his hair with a teensy bolt without hitting his ear or his wing if he held still. Nyx might not notice right away. If Hypnos didn’t go and see her for oh, say a month.
“Oh, call it a… favor.” Hypnos twirled a key chain on his finger.
This guy was a walking cliché.
“Because you didn’t need to let go of something like a lifetime of hate just to help one mortal sleep. You caught me on a good day.” He twirled his keys a few more times.
“Forgive me if I don’t exactly trust you.”
“Totally understandable, but this is sincere. I helped her to sleep, and you were right. She’s having a lot of challenges with it. I gave her a week of good sleep, in case you were wondering. Speaking of wondering…”
“Get on with it.”
“Do you want to know what’s in her nightmares?”
Oh for the sake of all the hells. Every level, with all the tortures to be found there. Did I want to know? Of course I wanted to know. Normally, I wouldn’t even hesitate. Roxy was different from anyone I’d been involved with in the past. But was it too much? Would it be crossing a line?
Just how desperate was I?
Didn’t I have confidence in myself, as a man, a mere man, to win the affections of this woman? Was I really considering gathering information to use? How would I use this?
The fact that I didn’t have the answers to these questions bothered me.
The fact that I was asking myself these questions bothered me even more.
“You know you want to.” Hypnos spread his arms wide. “And I’m offering it to you free of charge, no strings, nothing, nada.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m not a complete shit. And I dare you to say no to Hera.” He stared hard at me. “As I recall, you struggled with it too, and you were married to her. Are married to her. Are split from her. Whatever.” His arms swung wide again. “Do you want to know what I know or not?”
“Fine.”
He leaned back in the chair. “The reason you’re having problems getting her to make any kind of moves, commitment, dinner plans or even a call back is because she’s lost a lot.”
“Most morals have.”
“Maybe.” He made a face that stated clearly he didn’t agree. “But this mortal has lost a great deal. She’s loved before, and both of them died.”
“What?” My immortal family couldn’t die, but I’d lost my half-human children. It had been painful—was painful still.
Hypnos nodded. “Your human thinks she’s cursed. Actually, that sheisa curse. Nothing like taking all the bad stuff onto yourself. It’s a very human trait. Now you and I know better. You have to be kind of big deal to get cursed. But since she loved both of these humans, and they died within a short time of meeting her—”
“How short a time?” I cut into his speech making. For the god of sleep, Hypnos had a hard time being quiet.
“Within a couple of years. A fair piece in human time, but not long for us.” He shrugged. “Nevertheless, it’s given her what the kids call ‘a complex.’” He made air quotes as he spoke the last two words.
“What do you mean?”
“Her idea of a curse is that she is the curse. Didn’t you hear me before? As in, you date her, and you die.” He grinned, tossing his keyring in the air.
