Page 12 of A Subtle Scar
I said, “You have something to say to me afteryouscared off the humanIwanted?”
“What’re you two logheads going on about?” Hades asked as he poured for Ronny. “Wait. You two are chasing Chandler? Nelly’s Chandler?”
“Oh? He’s friends with the Devil’s boyfriend?” Ronny asked. “Of course. That makes sense. With both of them being human, or mostly human.”
I snorted. “He is fully human.”
Ronny gave me side-eye, something he did with as much commitment as the damn eye roll. “You never even asked him his name, did you?”
“His name is Chandler,” I said but looked away. Damn Ronny and his tight pants. I needed to look away from those too.
“Mate, I just said that,” Hades drawled, the ass. He was pouring things into his shaker and preparing to do alchemy in there.
“Exactly,” Ronny said. “What, did you just walk up to him and ask him to blow you?”
I lifted my head and stared Ronny down. “Well, we are at an orgy, aren’t we? And also, I am a delight to blow.” I tapped my finger on the bar. “But for the record, I did no such thing. I made love to him with my eyes.” If I had to lie to keep Ronny from getting the satisfaction of being right, so be it.
Hades broke out laughing. “You! A delight to blow!” the death god boomed.
“Philistine,” I mumbled.
Ronny, as expected, said nothing.
Hades was still laughing to himself when he poured my cocktail into a fresh glass and put it down in front of me.
“Are you giving up on the human?” Ronny asked once Hades had walked off to pour Loki another. I wasn’t sure who had invited the damn Midgard Mare to the party, but when it came to drinking, Loki was simply a bottomless hole. We could only hope he wouldn’t end up chased by another stallion and pregnant again because these things always were so awkward.
I huffed and took a sip of my drink. “Why would I give up on him? Did you see his mouth? It’s a beautiful mouth, and those eyes! So very blue. He’s just a human, and like all humans, he will cave to divine seduction in the end.”
Ronny gave me one of his dark-eyed looks, the one that felt like the silent judgment of your personal tailor after a particularly long winter with lots and lots of snacks. “And you said I was out of touch.”
“Because you are, Ronny. Again,” I pointed to his shoeless, silk-clad feet. “Heels.” I pointed some more. “Your pants are too tight, and that blouse—”
“Shirt, and it’s stylish.”
“—that silly blouse is just too much. The earrings!”
Ronny smoothed his long hair back behind one ear, and the skull hanging there winked when he flushed it with some magic. “Hermes, we are celebrating the Equinox and the demigod’s birthday, and I dressed for the occasion. You just came here to get your dick wet and your nipples admired.”
“Asshole,” I said. “And it is a nice dick. What more could anyone want at an orgy than a very nice dick and matching set of nipples?”
“You idgit,” Hades called over. “This is a birthday party with orgy subtext, at best. Reminds me. Sephy? Sephy! Where’s the lad? We haven’t sung him a birthday song yet, have we?”
“Now, that’s new,” Ronny mumbled next to me and slid off the barstool.
I stayed. Because my singing was just as fine as my dick was, and anyone would be lucky to hear it.
The party was growing increasingly more fun, but I failed to find the pleasure I craved, the pleasure of a warm human mouth and heavy-lidded blue eyes, looking up as I spent myself down the human’s welcoming throat.
Lucy paraded his lover around several times only to then vanish with him for an hour or so. The lover—the prettiest, golden-eyed demigod I had ever laid eyes on—looked increasingly drunk on pleasure as the night progressed.
I passed the two of them in the room with the indoor Jacuzzi. Lucifer sat in a chair, his necromancer straddling him in a way that made me jealous.
I approached, though I made sure Lucy saw me first. Sneaking up on him seemed unwise. “I have yet to introduce myself and wish your lover the happiest of birthdays,” I said to the demigod.
“Ah, Hermes,” Lucy said. “Babe, say hi to Hermes.”
“Hi to Hermes. You look taller than I thought,” the demigod said. Lionel. I knew Lucy would mind if I didn’t address Lionel properly.
