Page 46 of For the Gods' Sake

I nodded at Rose at the end of the table, silently asking her to cover the Underworld. She caught the nod, straightening in her chair and saying, “Borders are clean. Purgatory is doing just fine.”

“Tarturus is secure,” Dominic finished, his hand clearly on his wife’s leg under the table. “We had a cross over from Prometheus,” he said, referencing the prison Persy had taken over.

While it was now mainly a rehabilitation center, a small sector was reserved for the worst of the worst. Including someone who had recently died. “But nothing to report there. The bastard is suffering away.”

“What’s the punishment?” Julian Mars asked, the violent note to his power breaking out.

“He had a rather disturbing appetite for human flesh,” Dominic explained smoothly, even though the image his words evoked was bone-chilling. “So some demons are spending their time snacking on his human flesh.”

Rose quirked a small grin, like they’d sat together and come up with the plan.

After a snort from Julian and a few short laughs, I thanked them with a nod and moved past it quickly, not wanting to dwell on the evidence of cruelty in the world.

The rest of the updates went by without a hitch, except for a minor blip from Gus Mercury, who looked like he was about to crawl out of his skin, trying to run through his updates without mentioning the article.

I’d asked him not to, hoping to not bring attention to it. If anything, if someone was particularly interested or brought it up themselves, that would be a reminder to check in on them.

Claudia kept her update short, if not curt, her lips pursed and her back steel as she spoke. My instincts were telling me that there was a different, even more innocent explanation behind her resentment, but I couldn’t trust my gut with this much at stake.

Emre and I agreed that we’d put a few spies on her. An invasion of privacy—but a necessary one.

The meeting passed with surprising ease, the wineJason conjured adding a smooth, easy layer to the conversation. Seeing no reason to drag it out, I wrapped the meeting up shortly and dismissed everyone. Lukas and Dominic led Daphne and Rose out through the side door, likely to linger and steal my food or liquor.

Most other gods snapped back to their respective palaces and temples through portals, while I stayed standing at the head of the table waiting for everyone to leave.

Still looking down at the files in my hand, I said, “You can approach me. Unless I’m truly that terrifying,” when I felt Mia and Jason lingering behind.

“Sorry,” Mia rushed out, walking up to me with Jason on her heels.

I set the files down and adjusted my cuff links. “What is it?”

Mia and Jason shared a loaded look, like they were trying to get the other to speak first. Jason lost whatever internal battle waged between them. “We didn’t want to say this in front of everyone, but our patrons have been…” he trailed off.

“Scared out of their wits,” Mia concluded. She tucked a stray brown curl behind her ear, self-consciousness clear in the action. There was a pinch in my abdomen at seeing the normally confident and bright goddess of the harvest unsure of herself.

“Nervous for the winter?” I asked carefully, keeping my words crisp and clear.

Mia nodded quickly. “Yes. This summer was a lot. The sea supports so much of the economy and it seemed like there was no solution for so many weeks…people are scared it’s going to happen to the crops.”

She didn’t have to explain what that meant. Cropswere the basis for every ounce of agriculture, from vegetables to sustaining farm animals. And only the Fates knew what would happen if grapes started to wither and the entire Mediterranean was starved for wine.

“What are they saying?” I asked. Not that I couldn’t guess, especially if it had anything to do with the article this morning.

“It’s not been bad for me,” Jason hedged. He was a steady force, confident in his easy-going humor and ability to command crowds with his boisterous voice. But now he was running a strong, dark brown hand over his close-cropped hair.

“But people in my industry talk. They all know each other. When one cellar freaks, they all do.”

“Have you noticed any changes in supply?” I focused on details. Facts and logic. Things I couldfix. “In your power?”

Jason shook his head resolutely. “Nothing. Everything is growing and tasting as it should.”

“Mia?”

The Roman goddess of the harvest, who’d taken on both sides of the power after the Demeter line chose to end, shook her head in a matching move. “Everything is fine.Goodeven.”

Her hand moved quickly as she spoke, matching the rapid pace of her words. “But telling peopletrust meis asking for a great deal of blind faith.”

I ran my hand over my jaw to hide a wince. That was the tricky thing with faith. It was so easy to hold onto the doubt, especially if it was tangible, rather than continue to trust something you couldn’t see or feel.

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