《Prince of Shadows》 Chapter 1 -POV Zane Chapter 2 - POV Thea Zane Prologue Zane stood in the imposing shadows of the commanding throne, the air heavy with the echoes of restless souls. Hades, adorned in the darkness befitting his dominion, regarded his son stoically. ¡°Father,¡± Zane began, his voice carrying the weariness of a thousand judgments. ¡°I won¡¯t do this anymore. I won¡¯t manipulate souls for you.¡± Hades'' gaze remained unyielding. ¡°You dare defy me, Zane?¡± If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°I¡¯ve spent centuries punishing souls, pushing them to their limits; it¡¯s become more than I can bear, Father,¡± Zane declared with a firmness that echoed through the cavernous halls. Hades considered his son¡¯s words. A rare moment of silence stretched between them before Hades spoke again. ¡°Very well,¡± Hades spoke, his voice resonating like distant echoes. ¡°If you tire of your duties, perhaps a change of scenery is in order.¡± Zane¡¯s curiosity flickered as his father announced his punishment. ¡°A house with other demigods,¡± Hades declared. A house with others like yourself that need to learn how the divine order in our world works. Tasks will be assigned to you, and when I see a change, and you understand and do not question my authority, you will be released.¡± Zane''s eyes narrowed, sensing the weight of this punishment. ¡°What kind of tasks?¡± ¡°Tasks of my choosing.¡± Hades'' eyes flashed at his son. He snapped his fingers before Zane could question him further. Chapter 3 - Zane POV Chapter 3 - Zane When I got the message that another demigod would join us, Thea was not what I expected. She walked in, and I could tell she was apprehensive. I was breathless. She was tiny with long dark black hair, beautiful olive skin that enhanced her emerald-green eyes, skin-tight faded jeans, and brown boots. Her white shirt left little to the imagination when she removed her jacket. She was hot. Gods. She also smelled amazing. The scent of lavender and linen filled my nose while I was helping her with her door. ¡°Wow!¡± Ryder commented when I went into the kitchen. ¡°Whoa, reign it in Casanova,¡± I raised a brow. ¡°We have to find out more about her. The last thing we need is to piss off her mother.¡± ¡°Fuck ''em,¡± Ryder said. ¡°You want to start a war?¡± ¡°It would get us out of this house at least,¡± he snickered. Nico came into the kitchen. ¡°You two are already talking about fucking her, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°No,¡± Ryder said. ¡°Bullshit.¡± Nico rebuffed. ¡°She¡¯s the daughter of Athena.¡± ¡°Yea, we know,¡± Ryder said. ¡°We don¡¯t need another war.¡± ¡°That was over two thousand years ago, long before you were born.¡± ¡°She was a demigod, just like us. Same rules apply.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just mad ''cause it was your sister.¡± ¡°Fuck off.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even like her, asshole.¡± Ryder quipped. ¡°Don¡¯t let your cock start another war,¡± Nico growled close to Ryder¡¯s face, then walked away. ¡°He can be such a bastard.¡± ¡°You need to stop goading him.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the fun in that?¡± A smile curled his lip. ¡°You¡¯re just as much of an asshole.¡± Ryder just beamed and poured us both tea. ¡°He¡¯s right, though, even though I don¡¯t want to admit it.¡± ¡°Shh! He¡¯ll hear you! We¡¯ll never hear the end of it,¡± Ryder smirked and raised a brow. ¡°Athena isn¡¯t someone we want to be messing with.¡± ¡°She¡¯s nothing like the others who¡¯ve been through here.¡± ¡°You can get plenty of girls without..¡± He raised a brow, ¡°All kidding aside. There¡¯s something about her; I know you can sense it, too,¡± Ryder said. He wasn¡¯t spewing his usual bullshit. ¡°I mean, I guess,¡± I pondered. ¡°But that still doesn¡¯t mean we should mess with Athena¡¯s daughter. It could get awkward really fast. ¡°There¡¯s a reason she was sent here,¡± Ryder said. ¡°That¡¯s the way of the gods. You know that better than anyone. Thea¡¯s probably being tested. Gods know no one will ever tell us what their real motives are. Hell, it¡¯s probably for their amusement. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time, and certainly not the last.¡± ¡°Thea¡¯s an adult. I say we see where this goes,¡± He smiled devilishly again. He was right; even though her mother is the goddess Athena, gods and goddesses have been testing their children for as long as time; maybe this is a test, not just for Thea. I was downstairs when I heard giggling in the hall upstairs. Nico had brought another girl home and teleported upstairs so we wouldn¡¯t lay into him. He¡¯s the oldest, so he thinks he¡¯s in charge. Add the fact that he¡¯s the son of Zeus; he can be a nightmare to live with. He¡¯s got the overconfidence of his father and the sex drive, too. He¡¯s always bringing girls home. Not that Ryder and I hadn¡¯t brought some girls every so often, but for Nico, it¡¯s almost habitual. Thea came downstairs after she heard Nico entertaining. She sat at the table, asked for a bowl and spoon, and poured herself some cereal. Thea¡¯s down to earth and doesn¡¯t seem too high maintenance. She didn¡¯t blush when I told her that Nico likes to fuck, so she¡¯s not a prude. The last demigoddess here was a daughter of Hestia, goddess of home, hearth, and domesticity. She was more than a prude; she blushed any time I¡¯d say, gods dammit. She wasn¡¯t here long, thankfully. But that was also thirty years ago. When Willow stormed through past the kitchen, she gave Thea a once over, the bitch. She¡¯s not supposed to be near Nico, yet he can¡¯t resist her. Her mother, Demeter, forbade her a long time ago. Zeus sided with Demeter, and Willow didn¡¯t take it too well. She¡¯s not happy when he sleeps with other women or is around other women. Nico was in a mood and left the living room when we started watching our movie. Ryder popped down on the other side of Thea. I noticed he had his hand on her knee. She didn¡¯t say anything. He¡¯s impossible sometimes. I mean, she¡¯s extremely hot. However, that thought stuck in my mind that she was somehow different. I was probably just being dumb; maybe I did want to permit myself to initiate things. The movie ended, and it was getting dark. ¡°Fuck!¡± ¡°What?¡± Thea jumped, startled by my outburst. ¡°Sorry, I have to go. I¡¯m going to be late!¡± ¡°He¡¯s got to get to work,¡± I heard Ryder say as I dashed upstairs. I threw on the polo shirt, the logo of my father¡¯s company on the pocket, a glaring reminder of the shit I¡¯ve had to do for him. I quickly looked in the mirror, brushed my fingers through my hair, and teleported to the Under Realm. I had another long night ahead of me. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. I popped up next to the docks at the mouth of the River Styx¡ªthe northernmost point of Hades Realm. I passed Charon, who looked beat, not that he usually looked chipper. He took his job extremely seriously. ¡°Hey,¡± I said. ¡°Hey, Zane.¡± Of all my father¡¯s friends, Charon was one who always treated me with respect. ¡°How¡¯s tonight gone?¡± ¡°Two more in the river. These mortals don¡¯t want to believe what they call ¡®myths¡¯ nowadays. Two obols are still needed to pass safely through,¡± he sighed. Charon hated losing anyone to the river. He felt responsible even though my father could change that rule whenever he liked. My father refused, even though we¡¯re living in modern times. He says it''s so people take death seriously and don¡¯t forget who¡¯s in charge. ¡°Hope the rest of your night goes better,¡± I said, waving and heading to the little office booth on the other side of the dock. In the Under Realm, the souls travel down the river and are judged. Once it¡¯s determined how good a person they were before they died, they get assigned a job and a place to live, no matter what they did in life. There are a lot of former people in business who are working for their retired employees for the rest of eternity. It¡¯s one thing I agree with my father on. Those who were criminals, child abusers, men who abused women, and anyone who committed murder ended up in Tartarus, where they spent their eternity being tortured. It¡¯s where my father likes to go when he needs a release. He tortures souls, then goes and finds a nymph to fuck. He¡¯s a sick bastard. My father¡¯s newest money scheme was transporting the living to visit their departed relatives. The tours are every month. He¡¯s charging an enormous sum to allow people to travel to the Under Realm and spend a few hours with one of their relatives'' souls. They each get a mirror and look into it to determine their true intentions; then, it will show them where their loved one is. After five hours, they get picked back up. The son of Thanatos, Orion, is in charge of the tours, and the son of Hermes, Max, is in charge of booking the tours and handling the mirrors. My aunt, Hecate does the bookkeeping and is teaching me the ropes. She¡¯s a formidable goddess, even though she¡¯s tiny in stature. She has unruly, curly blond hair that she keeps tied up with a bandana-type scarf, and she loves bright colors, which is why our polo shirts are bright purple. My father hates it, but he figures it¡¯s not worth the fight. She hates working for my father, and she hopes to be rid of the job soon. Officially, I¡¯m the one who makes sure everyone gets on the ferry and then, especially, back off. Max and I have had to track someone down a few times. They don¡¯t exactly blend in, so they aren¡¯t hard to find. Those who are souls are a muted version of themselves and transparent. I came to a commotion when I arrived. Orion had some guy in a headlock and was yelling at him. ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are!¡± He spat. ¡°If your dearly departed wife took her own life, you may not go to see her! You were aware of the rules before you signed the contract. Did you think that your witch''s potion would fool the King of the dead!¡± My aunt winced when he used the word witch. She was the goddess of magic but also associated with witchcraft. Part of her other job was ensuring that anyone claiming to be a witch was genuinely who they said they were and stopping those who would do harm. ¡°Who did you get the potion from?¡± My aunt asked, holding the guy by the chin. ¡°I, I don¡¯t remember.¡± The guy squeaked. ¡°For the love of Zeus, don¡¯t lie to me, mortal!¡± She had Orion let him out of the headlock. ¡°I said I don¡¯t remember!¡± The man sneered at my aunt. My aunt then placed her hand on the man¡¯s head; he stood as still as a statue and didn¡¯t blink. After a minute, she took her hand off his head, and he returned to normal. ¡°Excuse me, I have to turn someone into a cat.¡± She said, pursing her lips. ¡°You know who it is already?¡± Max had a surprised look on his face. I have no idea why he looked so surprised; my aunt was the one who got secrets out of most of history''s evildoers. ¡°Yes, of course, she does,¡± I said. ¡°A little know-it-all named Simone. Zane, you can cover for me tonight.¡± Max went to argue, but one look from Hecate and he thought better of it. ¡°Yes, aunt,¡± I beamed. I love throwing small victories in Max¡¯s face. He¡¯s got this job because his father Hermes, who guides souls to the river, is my father¡¯s closest ally. My aunt smiled and teleported. The door to the office squeaked on its hinges, and I sat at the little desk with all of my aunt¡¯s papers. She was meticulous at her job, insisted on keeping everything on paper, and told me that computers were the mortal way. It¡¯s annoying as all the hell. If I ever am allowed to take over, I¡¯m switching to computers, no question. I checked everyone in. ¡°What is that man¡¯s name?¡± I asked Orion as he stepped into the office. The man was outside on a chair near the side of the building, waiting to be collected and taken back to his home. ¡°Stevenson,¡± Orion said. Orion was about my age in demigod years and was about a head taller than me. He was rail thin and had buzzed black hair and black eyes. He had a very ¡®don¡¯t mess around¡¯ look to him. None of the passengers usually made trouble. Mr. Stevenson didn¡¯t get the memo. Thanatos guides those who take their own lives to drink from the Lethe River and forget who they were when they were among the living. They live peacefully in one of the valleys in the Under Realm. My father doesn¡¯t punish those who have taken their own lives. They are lost, suffering people whose lives were tormented in one way or another and deserve to be free to live a quiet afterlife. My father can be an asshole, but he does have his redeeming qualities. ¡°Stevenson,¡± I repeated and found his name on the list. I went into my aunt¡¯s large file drawer, took out his folder, and stuck a red tab on the corner, ensuring he couldn¡¯t book another tour. I closed the drawer, and Max entered the office with a black cardboard box. ¡°New shipment of mirrors from Aeacus,¡± he said, putting the box under the table near the window. Aeacus is one of the judges of the newly deceased. ¡°Those don¡¯t look like the normal shipment,¡± Orion noted. ¡°I don¡¯t know, man, this is what was dropped off. I¡¯m not going to ask Aeacus why the mirrors look different. She looks at me weird whenever she talks to me.¡± ¡°She must know you¡¯re hiding something,¡± I teased, and a curl escaped my lips. Orion snickered. ¡°Shut up, man,¡± Max bellowed. ¡°Are all the other passengers ready?¡± Orion asked. ¡°Yep, ready to go. Max picked up the last of the previous shipment and followed Orion out the door. The boat took off, giving me time to review some papers my aunt had left. My father was implementing new things regarding the tours he offered, adding some unique experiences for the afterlife tours. New Opportunities for Our Guests. We will now offer our guests the opportunity to experience some of the wonders the afterlife offers. During the afterlife tour, guests will now experience the lovely landscapes and tours of the Under Realm''s finest neighborhoods. (Zane) ¡°Fuck!¡± I stopped reading after I saw my name. I love being told that I¡¯ll be getting more responsibilities on my own. I¡¯m sure my aunt intended to tell me, but she wasn¡¯t expecting to leave tonight. The next line read: Special exclusive opportunities for our platinum club guests. We are building luxurious condominiums in the next year, and our guests will be able to not only tour these exclusive communities but put their name on a waitlist for an extra fee; of course, the cost will not be refunded to the family if the newly departed is judged not worthy. The majority of those who can afford these tours are not the best people. My father knows many will be put into jobs below their station after being judged. This is his way to get more money from them, giving them false hope. Even before they step foot on the ferry with Charon, my father is screwing with their lives. He doesn¡¯t believe in redemption. The river is forked, with the left side for the souls being transported and the right side for tours. The river is long and winding, which gives the souls time to accept that they are no longer living. An enormous glowing Cypress tree separates the river''s two forks¡ªa constant, blinding reminder of my father¡¯s magic. ¡°Zane,¡± Thanatos called. ¡°In here,¡± I called back. Thanatos looked nothing like his son. He was tall like Orion but had wavy brown hair that touched his shoulders and a very friendly face and demeanor to match. ¡°Hey, Zane, I need a favor.¡± ¡°Sure, what¡¯s up?¡± ¡°I need you to go and bring the sisters their dinner. I have another three tortured souls to meet, and Charon is on his way down the river. ¡°Sorry to ask. Just leave the food outside the door and knock three times. Make sure to clear your mind before you approach.¡± He looked at me like he was sorry he had to ask me. He was another of my father¡¯s associates who always cared about my well-being. He had kind of a sad look on his face. A shiver went up my spine. I closed my eyes and said, ¡°Sure.¡± I was off to see the Fates. Chapter 4- Theas POV Chapter 4 - Thea Ryder and I were alone after Zane left. The TV was on, and Sterling Blackwood¡¯s face was big as life. Ryder hit the remote, ¡°Gods, he¡¯s fucking annoying; everywhere I turn, tv, social media, billboards, there he is.¡± ¡°He loves showing just how much money he has to throw around,¡± I said. ¡°He has over one million followers and hasn¡¯t even officially launched. Asshole even named it after his daughter. Black Narcissus.¡± ¡°Such a tool,¡± Ryder chuckled. Ryder explained some of what Zane had to do for his father over the years. ¡°Zane has done all sorts of things for a long time. He¡¯s not as bad as my father or Zeus, but he still has a chip on his shoulder.¡± ¡°My mother wants me to work for her security company, so she had me go to that awful college. I was supposed to go for more than the normal four years, fast track to a master''s degree.¡± ¡°Supposed to?¡± ¡°Oh, sorry, I was kicked out of school; I broke into the dean¡¯s office and stole the answers to the finals.¡± ¡°Quite the risk taker,¡± Ryder winked. ¡°Yeah, my mother wasn¡¯t too happy.¡± ¡°Oh, yes, to learn responsibility from those older than you,¡± He chuckled. ¡°Something like that,¡± I smiled. I noticed that Ryder had a coral pendant around his neck. ¡°This is beautiful. May I see it?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± he leaned in closer to me. The scent of the sea and spice filled my nose. ¡°It¡¯s from my father. He created it right after I was born. Before he learned that my mother wasn¡¯t a goddess, she was a witch who cast a spell over him.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know witches could put spells on the gods.¡± ¡°He claims Hecate helped her, so he¡¯s not her biggest fan. I believe her more than my father. She¡¯s a delightful goddess. Treats all of us like we¡¯re all her nephews.¡± ¡°Hecate is related to Zane, yes?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s hard to keep track sometimes.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you worry, love. It¡¯s confusing for me, and I¡¯ve been around a lot longer,¡± he smiled. ¡°It¡¯s not easy being thrown into this,¡± I said. The realization of my situation was beginning to take hold. ¡°My mother didn¡¯t give me a choice. I know I¡¯m not the only one with a mother like that; your fathers sound much worse.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all perspective,¡± He gave me a little smile. ¡°Just because our fathers are assholes who have been using us our entire lives doesn¡¯t mean that your experiences weren¡¯t hard for you,¡± he said, gently putting his hand on my knee. ¡°Thanks, " I smiled and leaned back on the couch. ¡°Sure, I rebelled, but I never thought she¡¯d send me here. Not that this is a bad place,¡± I said quickly, realizing what I had just said. Ryder gave me one of his killer smiles, leaned closer, and said, ¡°It¡¯s alright, love; we don¡¯t like it much either.¡± My shoulders fell, and Ryder leaned closer to me. My head was nearly on his shoulder. He wasn¡¯t being a weirdo or anything; His actions felt genuine. I had a feeling about him for some reason. That I could trust him was a little weird, seeing we had only met less than ten hours ago. He put his arm around me, and I scooched closer and closed my eyes. The next thing I knew, it was morning. I was under a blanket on the couch. I sat up and stretched, rubbed my eyes, and smelled bacon. Zane was sitting at the table with a large mug of coffee. ¡°Morning, love,¡± Ryder said, a smile curling his lip. ¡°Grab a plate, breakfast is ready.¡± He heaped three large pancakes and two pieces of bacon on my plate. I smothered them in butter and syrup and dug in. I was famished. Zane was super quiet. ¡°Did you sleep well?¡± I asked Zane. He didn¡¯t respond. He just looked forward. I put my hand on his, ¡°Are you alright?¡± I asked gently. ¡°Huh, what? Oh, sorry, yes. Just a long night,¡± he gave me a little smile. ¡°Pancakes?¡± Ryder asked. ¡°Sure, but only one, I¡¯m not that hungry.¡± ¡°Sure thing,¡± Ryder answered. Zane was still quiet as he ate his breakfast. I was getting worried; like with Ryder, I felt a strange connection to Zane. I can¡¯t explain it. ¡°Did something happen last night?¡± Ryder asked. ¡°We had a guy try and sneak through for the departed loved ones'' tour.¡± Zane explained what happened, the altercation, and the reasoning behind it. He also mentioned that his father wants him to oversee some of the company''s new tours. ¡°It¡¯s another money scheme, and he¡¯s again using me for his own purposes. He isn¡¯t even pretending to dangle my freedom from this place anymore. He didn¡¯t even bother to tell me himself; he put it in a fucking memo.¡± ¡°Asshole,¡± Ryder said. ¡°He is an asshole,¡± I agreed. A smile passed Zane¡¯s lips like he didn¡¯t expect me to rag on his father like that. He stood up, took my hand, had me get up from the table, and hugged me. I noted that he wrapped both arms entirely around my waist and slightly brushed against my ass. I got a chill up my spine. He ended the hug and went back to his coffee and pancake. My cheeks felt hot. Hells. I¡¯m going to shower. Does anyone need the bathroom?¡± ¡°Nope. All good here, love,¡± Ryder came to the table with his plate stacked high with six pancakes. I raised my brow, and a smile curled his lip, and he got a twinkle in his eye. I smiled back and started up the stairs. ¡°Thea, you have a message,¡± Nico called up the stairs. ¡°Cool, thanks! Could you just put it on the table?¡± I called down. ¡°No, you have a message; you need to come down here.¡± He said with annoyance in his voice. You finally say more than one word to me, and you have to be an ass, ok. ¡°Ok, you don¡¯t have to get salty; I¡¯ll come down. Geez!¡± Nico was standing in the hall with the other guys and Hermes himself. Fuck. I¡¯d never met him but had heard stories. He looked about twenty years older than me and was tall with short golden curls that framed his chiseled face. He was all in white and wearing gold sneakers with wings on them. I think they were just for show and not functional, but who knows? ¡°So sorry,¡± I said, putting my head down. ¡°No need for formalities, Thea.¡± Hermes smiled. ¡°We¡¯ve met before; you were tiny, though.¡± ¡°Ok,¡± I said. ¡°You have a message for me?¡± ¡°Ah, yes,¡± he said, and a blue envelope appeared in his hand. Hells. Blue is the color my mother uses for all her business correspondence. I took the letter from him apprehensively and opened it. Thea dear, I hope you are well. I have gotten you a volunteer position at the Tranquility Gardens Healing Center. Apollo will be expecting you on Monday morning, Eight AM sharp. This will be a good fit for you. I know you will learn much from working with those interacting with the gods daily; you will quickly understand our role in this world. The responsibility will be beneficial. Love, Mom. I handed the note to Zane. He and Ryder read it, then Nico. ¡°Where is this healing center?¡± I asked. All three guys looked at each other; another silent game of not it. Hermes looked annoyed with them and said, ¡°It¡¯s about seven miles from here, as the rooster flies.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s seven miles away, how am I going to be..¡± Hells! Zane broke the silence, ¡°It will only hurt for a minute, Thea.¡± He tried to give me a reassuring look. ¡°I see you¡¯ve never had a Celestial Circlet,¡± Hermes said. ¡°Being a fledgling, I suppose you wouldn¡¯t. Zane speaks the truth. It will only hurt for a minute, not even that long for most.¡± He smiled reassuringly. ¡°I need you to hold out your wrist, please.¡± I did as he asked; Ryder took my other hand, ¡°Look at me, and focus on my eyes.¡± A smile curled his lip. Look into your eyes, gladly. While I was nearly drowning in Ryder''s iridescent blue eyes, I felt a burning sensation and turned to look at what Hermes was doing. Ryder touched my chin and turned my face back to him. A few seconds later, Hermes said, ¡°All done.¡± He put his hand on Zane¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Zane can explain how it works; I must be off; more messages to deliver.¡± Poof. He was gone. I rubbed my wrist; it stung a little. I had blue ink circled my wrist, like a tattoo, with Greek lettering, like Zane¡¯s, but my symbols looked different. Zane tried to hide his surprise, but I noticed anyway. ¡°What does it say?¡± He knew I noticed him. ¡°Let¡¯s sit in the living room.¡± He took my hand and guided me to the couch. Ryder and Nico followed. Zane and Ryder on either side and Nico in the leather chair across from us. ¡°What does it say, Zane? You¡¯re killing me.¡± Zane sighed, ¡°It works like mine, and if you try and go past the boundaries, you¡¯ll lose your abilities for a time.¡± He put his hand on my knee. ¡°Sorry, love, your mother is the one who sets the terms.¡± ¡°All the hells! She doesn¡¯t even have the decency to tell me that; it¡¯s bad enough that she sent me a message and didn¡¯t tell me to my face, but to leave that part out is such an asshole move. Grr!¡± I growled and scooched back onto the couch, leaning on the cushion. ¡°She infuriates me! The gods and their little games and tests are pissing me off.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t blame you there, love,¡± Ryder squeezed my hand. ¡°She thinks I¡¯m a flight risk, which is so stupid. I never did anything like that in my life. Gods!¡± I scrubbed my face with my hand. ¡°You know what I think?¡± Ryder asked. ¡°Nothing good,¡± Nico said. Was that a little smile? Ryder pointed to Nico, ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking you.¡± I smiled. ¡°We need a night out.¡± A devilish smile formed on his lips. ¡°Do you think that¡¯s such a good idea?¡± Zane asked. ¡°Our girl here needs a night out! What do you say, love?¡± I nodded. Ryder grabbed my hand, pulled me toward him, and spun me around. ¡°Wonderful!¡± He sang. I got a tingle through my body when he pressed me close. ¡°I have some calls to make!¡± He spun me around so hard that I landed in Zane¡¯s lap. It took us both by surprise. I waited to see what he would do. It felt completely natural, which was freaking me out, if I¡¯ll be honest. I had even more tingles flowing through my body now. ¡°Wait! I don¡¯t have anything to wear to go out!¡± Ryder winked at me, snapped his fingers, and said, ¡°Now you do.¡± ¡°Show off,¡± Nico rolled his eyes in a sort of playful way as he followed Ryder out of the room. Zane and I sat there. Would it be more awkward if I got up or stayed put? Zane leaned back on the couch and pulled me closer to him. I drew in a breath. ¡°The clubs here aren¡¯t the best, and some demigods won¡¯t take no for an answer, especially from a fledgling. I want you to stick close and let us know if anyone bothers you, alright?¡± ¡°I can take care of myself, but I appreciate the sentiment.¡± I smiled. He wrapped his arm around my waist, my breasts pressing into his chest, and kissed me deeply, and I leaned into the kiss. Gods. He put his hand on my thigh and the other on my back, under my shirt. I could feel the heat going to my core, and I felt him getting hard. I kissed him again. Ryder walked in at that exact moment. ¡°Hey, I¡¯ve got some of. Hey! Starting the party without me is not cool!¡± ¡°We¡¯re not having a party, asshat.¡± I hopped off Zane¡¯s lap, ¡°I should probably get ready. What time are we leaving?¡± Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°Couple hours, love,¡± Ryder answered. I nodded and headed up the stairs. I closed my door, leaned against it, and flopped onto my bed. Gods. I could still feel tingling in my core. I was attracted to all of them; if this was a test, I was failing. Somehow, I knew this would happen, not just because they were all immensely hot. Ryder seemed very okay with sharing, which excited me even more. I had never thought I¡¯d be into anything like that. I went to the closet, and there was a gentle knock on my door. ¡°Thea,¡± Zane said quietly. Shit. Is he going to tell me he regrets what just happened? ¡°It¡¯s open,¡± I said quietly. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Hey.¡± Please don¡¯t say you¡¯re sorry. He sat on the bed, ¡°about what happened downstairs, I..¡± I put my finger on his lips. ¡°You don¡¯t have to say anything. We¡¯re both adults, and things happen. I¡¯m not sorry they did,¡± I smiled softly. His shoulders relaxed a little, and I sat back on his lap. He was immediately hard, and I was still tingling in my core. I kissed him, and he pulled me beside him on the bed. Our legs and arms were in a tangle; he brushed his lips along my ear, then my neck. I had a shiver of excitement go through me. We kissed and explored each other with our hands. I ran my hands down his arms, tracing some of his tattoos. I pulled off my shirt, and he pulled off his. He started kissing the top of my breasts, and I was running my hands on his muscular, tanned chest. He unhooked my bra, and it fell gently between us; I tossed it over my head, and he took my nipple into his mouth, bringing it to a hard peak. I moaned and arched my back. I reached for the button on his pants and released his cock from its prison. A growl came from the back of his throat as I ran my hand up and down his length. He unbuttoned my jeans and cupped my ass with his hands, pulling me closer to him. I wiggled out of my jeans, and he started to kiss my stomach, then my thighs. He took his hand and spread my legs apart, kissing my inner thigh. I was on fire. ¡°Fucking perfection,¡± he whispered. ¡°Zane,¡± I moaned as he ran his finger around my clit. I tried to pull him closer, but he moved my hands away. ¡°Patience, love,¡± he gave me a devilish smile and went back to my pussy. He began circling with his tongue, teasing my clit as he did. Then he thrust his tongue inside me and started fucking me with his tongue; I arched and scooted myself closer to get more of him into me. He kept at it, thrusting inside of me over and over. I was on the cusp, and I grabbed the sheets around me, ¡°Oh, my god''s Zane, I¡¯m going to come.¡± I breathed, and he pulled up and kissed me. I let out a little whimper. ¡°That wasn¡¯t nice, " I teased and cupped his ass with my hands. He took my nipple into his mouth as I reached for his length. He moved my hands away. ¡°Patience, I want to make you squirm,¡± He whispered. ¡°Mission accomplished,¡± I whispered. He began fucking me with his finger, and I matched his rhythm with my hips, trying to take more of him in me. ¡°Zane, please, I need you to fuck me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be right back, love,¡± He kissed me. He returned with a condom in his hand. He opened the wrapper and rolled it up his length. A smile curled his lips, and he teased my entrance with his rock-hard cock. I writhed around, trying to get him into me, and he continued to tease. hen, he thrust his entire length into me. He kissed me as I moaned louder, and he began to thrust into me; I moved my hips over and over. ¡°I want you to ride my cock with that wet, tight pussy of yours,¡± he whispered in my ear, then he slowly rolled me on top of him. I took his entire length; it felt so good that I couldn¡¯t get enough of him. I began to move up slowly, waited a second, then slowly moved down his length. I continued to tease him. ¡°Now, who¡¯s not being nice,¡± he growled. I gave him a devilish smile and began to move faster; he matched my rhythm, grabbing my ass and thrusting his hips farther and farther into me. Each thrust bringing me closer to release. ¡°Oh, my gods, Zane, I¡¯m coming. Don¡¯t stop, please!¡± He began to thrust harder until we both released at the same time. I lay on his slick chest, and he wrapped his arms around me and kissed me on top of the head. ¡°Is it weird that it feels like we¡¯ve known each other for more than twenty-four hours?¡± The moment the words hit my lips, I regretted it. ¡°No, not at all, love,¡± He kissed me. I snuggled closer, ¡°good,¡± I said, letting out a small sigh of relief. We lay in my bed for a while, talking about everything. The sun was getting lower, and the clock on the wall told me we had been there too long. ¡°If we don¡¯t get ready soon, Ryder¡¯s going to be at my door,¡± I chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re probably right,¡± he smiled, got up, leaned over me, and kissed me, then closed the door behind him. I screamed into my pillow like a silly teenager. Gods. I sat for a minute, then went to the closet and pulled the cord so the light would turn on. I found about ten dresses that left very little to the imagination. A smile curled my lip. I pulled out a little black sequined number and black stilettos to match. I took a quick shower and left my hair down. The dress fit me perfectly. I found a super luxurious black faux fur coat that reached my ankles. Then I noticed a jewelry box on my dresser. Inside was a set of black beaded jewelry, a choker, earrings, and a bracelet that conveniently hid my new wrist accessory: Ryder, that sweet, sweet man. I slung my coat over my arm and opened my door to Ryder, who was about to knock. ¡°Wow,¡± he said breathlessly. A smile curled my lip. ¡°Thanks,¡± I said. He walked behind me on the stairs and made it clear he was watching my ass and hips the entire way down. ¡°You¡¯re a vision, love,¡± Zane took my hand and kissed the back of it. I gave him a seductive kiss on the lips. I wasn¡¯t going to pretend nothing happened. I heard a rumble come from Nico, letting us know of his displeasure as if we didn¡¯t know already. ¡°There you go again, starting the party without me,¡± Ryder said, raising a brow. He dipped me and kissed me just as seductively. I had to catch my breath. He was beaming. Zane laughed and interlaced my hand with his. ¡°Who¡¯s driving?¡± I asked as Zane helped me with my coat. ¡°Why would we drive love when we can just teleport?¡± Ryder asked. ¡°Um, ''cause I can¡¯t teleport.¡± ¡°Maybe not on your own,¡± Ryder smiled and grabbed me tight around the waist. ¡°Hold on, love.¡± I felt like I was being pulled backward from my belly button, and we were suddenly on the street in front of a club with a big blue neon sign flashing Club Vino. ¡°Dionysus?¡± I asked loudly; music was blasting out the front door. ¡°His sons, Alexios and Petros, twins,¡± Ryder answered as we walked past the long line of people waiting to get in. We passed the main door and went a bit to where there was another concrete walkway, and a blue door appeared. Zane took me around the waist and guided me in. ¡°That other side is for mortals,¡± he said, raising a brow and giving me a delicious smile. A colossal guy was guarding the door; he looked like a mix of an ogre and an orc. He was doing his job well; his sheer size was the only tool he needed. The music was a little more subdued but still loud, and the dance floor was full of people dancing under blue lights flashing to the beat of the music. The DJ put his hand in the air, greeting Ryder, who went to talk with him. Zane directed me to a booth that could fit about twenty people, and a scantily clothed, pink-haired nymph immediately came over to take our drink orders. ¡°I¡¯ll have a lager, " Zane said. ¡°Love?¡± ¡°Red wine, please.¡± ¡°Whisky, neat.¡± Nico said. ¡°Right away,¡± she flitted off to the bar. Ryder rejoined us, holding a bottle of beer in his hand. ¡°Alexios is going to join us in a few minutes. Unfortunately, Petros is on the mortal side tonight. He¡¯s the wild one,¡± Ryder whispered, leaning over, and touching my thigh. The waitress brought our drinks, and I took a sip. It was sweeter than I expected but rolled smoothly down my throat. Alexios strolled over a few minutes later; he had his arms around two nymphs with his hands firmly clutched to their ass cheeks. ¡°Zane, Nico, so glad Ryder dragged you out tonight. And who is this vision?¡± He slipped into the booth and leaned across Ryder, taking my hand, and kissing the top of it. His eyes widened. The nymphs didn¡¯t seem to care. Ryder broke his grip, ¡°This is Thea.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, Thea,¡± he smiled wildly, drinking me all in. Zane and Ryder gave Alexios a touch-her-and-die look that made me swell up inside. Even Nico was giving him the side eye. ¡°Hopefully, these boys won¡¯t keep you all to themselves and will bring you back in a few weeks; Sterling Blackwood has chosen us for one of his epic parties,¡± Alexios said. ¡°Sterling Blackwood,¡± My lips scoured. ¡°He¡¯s such a pompous ass.¡± ¡°Publicity, doll,¡± Alexios said, smiling and winking at me. He put his arms on top of the booth, and both nymphs began to unbutton and unzip his pants and took turns going down on him. He acted as if it was a regular occurrence. It probably was. He continued to talk to us as if they weren¡¯t even there. I caught myself looking, and I parted my lips. Ryder whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t start drooling, love,¡± smiling wickedly. I smiled and felt my cheeks get warm. A little later, Willow flittered into the club. She was wearing a purple glitter spandex tube dress and black stilettos. She had purple flowers in her hair. Kneeling on the bench, ass in the air, leaned over and kissed Nico, putting her hands between his legs. I don¡¯t want to admit I was jealous. Something inside me wanted to pull her off of him by the hair. He had no interest in me; hells, he¡¯s barely said ten words to me. But I felt as drawn to him as the other two. Ryder and Zane''s friends popped in and out of the booth throughout the night. ¡°Please excuse me,¡± I said, standing up and sliding over Ryder¡¯s lap to use the ladies'' room. He gently kissed my neck, sending goosebumps over my entire body. ¡°Let me walk you there,¡± Zane started to stand up. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Zane, darling, " Willow said. ¡°I also have to powder my nose; I¡¯d be happy to show Thea where the little girl''s room is.¡± She was sticky and sweet, and it made me want to gag. Zane looked at me, and I mouthed, ¡°I¡¯ll be okay.¡± Willow led me to the ladies¡¯ room. After we both used the facilities, she got this evil look in her eyes. ¡°Everyone out!¡± she ordered, her demeanor completely changed and the girls scattered. ¡°Who do you think you are?¡± She seethed. She was nearly nose-to-nose with me. ¡°What in all the hell are you talking about?¡± ¡°Keep your hands off my Nico!¡± There was rage in her eyes. ¡°I see the way you look at him!¡± She put her finger on my shoulder. ¡°I think he¡¯s old enough to decide who he fucks.¡± That got her even more mad. ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be staying away from him anyway?¡± She took in a breath and flinched. She wasn¡¯t expecting that. Ha ha bitch. ¡°You don¡¯t know anything! It would be best to watch yourself, fledgling.¡± she spat. ¡°I¡¯m the daughter of Demeter. You don¡¯t want to mess with me. Keep your hands off my man!¡± ¡°Is that supposed to scare me?¡± I chuckled; her eyes were squinting now. ¡°I¡¯m the daughter of Athena, bitch, and I¡¯ll fuck anyone I like.¡± I lifted her finger off my shoulder like she had the plague. Her eyes got wide. I¡¯d never used my mother¡¯s name like that before; it had some punch I hate to admit. She changed strategies. ¡°You¡¯re just the latest in a long line of Zane and Ryder''s conquests,¡± she laughed. ¡°They¡¯ll tire of you, just like all the others.¡± She got closer to me, ¡°And let me tell you, there have been a lot.¡± ¡°How do you know I¡¯m not using them?¡± I smiled devilishly and walked out of the bathroom. When I came out, Nico and Zane stood outside the ladies'' room. They both looked nervous. ¡°Everything ok, love?¡± Zane asked, taking my hand in his. ¡°Perfect,¡± I smiled deviously. Zane let out a big laugh, and Nico had a slight curl on his lips. ¡°That¡¯s my girl,¡± he said, hand around my waist, guiding me to the dance floor. I turned to see Willow nearly biting Nico¡¯s head off. ¡°It takes a lot to make Willow pissed off, " Zane said, slipping his hand around my waist and leading me as we danced. ¡°What did you say to her?¡± ¡°I simply told her who I was and that I can fuck whoever I please.¡± He nibbled my ear, ¡°You certainly can love.¡± He pressed closer, his leg and hard cock pressed against my knee as he kissed my neck and twirled me on the dance floor. Ryder approached us, and Zane led me into Ryder¡¯s arms while he took his hands around my waist from behind. We danced as one unit, Ryder kissing me and Zane kissing the back of my neck. I felt as if we were the only ones on the dance floor. Both men pressed themselves into me. I started to feel a tingle in my core. I felt euphoric. Maybe it was the wine, or perhaps it was something else, but I felt amazing. We danced for a bit, then went back to the booth. Nico and Willow were gone; it was just Ryder, Zane, and I. I was between the two of them; Zane put his hand behind my head and pulled me toward him, kissing me deeply. Ryder did the same, practically tearing me from Zane and pulling me into his lap. I straddled him, and he kissed my neck and between my breasts. ¡°I knew this dress was a good choice, " he growled in my ear. I laughed and kissed him as Zane kissed the back of my neck. Someone walked up to the booth; I didn¡¯t notice. Ryder¡¯s hand was up the front of my dress, and I was grinding hungrily on his lap. ¡±No panties, naughty little goddess,¡± he pinched my ass. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here,¡± he whispered. Zane kissed my neck,¡± I¡¯ll join you shortly.¡± I kissed him, and Ryder whispered, ¡°Hold on, love,¡± I wrapped my arms around his neck and was pulled by my middle, and we landed on the couch in the living room. Ryder nibbled on my ear. I was so hot already, my core was on fire. ¡°You are so beautiful,¡± he whispered. I helped him take off his shirt. He laid me on the couch and started to take off my shoes, one at a time, kissing me down my entire leg until he got to my inner thigh. Then he took off my other shoe and did the same thing. He opened my legs apart and, using his finger, played with my clit. I writhed with pleasure. ¡°Ryder,¡± I moaned as he continued to circle my clit. I put my hands in his hair and pulled his head closer to me. ¡°Soon, my little sex-starved goddess,¡± he teased. He was moving up, kissing my stomach. He pulled my dress down and kissed between my breasts, then taking a nipple into his mouth. He was kneeling next to me. I tried to reach for his pants, but he stopped me. ¡°All in good time, my little goddess.¡± He whispered. Suddenly, Zane was on the couch near my head, pressing his lips onto my neck. ¡°Zane already got to fuck you once today; he has to wait his turn,¡± Ryder growled low in his throat. ¡°He has to watch me as I fuck you.¡± I looked up at Zane and reached for him, taking his mouth on mine. He kissed my neck and then my breasts. ¡°Do you think you can handle both of us, love?¡± ¡°Yes, gods, yes.¡± I moaned as Ryder stuck his finger into my pussy and started to tease my clit again. Then he put two fingers into me and began to fuck me with his fingers as Zane watched, eyes wanton but also enjoying watching me get fucked by Ryder. Ryder brought me to the brink; I grabbed Zane¡¯s leg and arched my back, hips matching Ryder¡¯s rhythm. ¡°Not yet, my love;¡± Zane held my hands above my head. Ryder took off his pants and laid on top of me, kissing my breasts and teasing my entrance with his hard length, grabbed a condom out of his pocket, rolled it up his hard length., ¡°I want you to come on my cock like you did Zane earlier,¡± Ryder whispered in my ear. ¡°Yes,¡± I moaned. I tried to break free of Zane¡¯s hold on my hands, but he gently kissed me. Ryder thrust his length into me, ¡°Ryder.¡± ¡°Look at me, love,¡± Zane said. ¡°I want to watch you get fucked; I want to watch the wildness in your eyes.¡± I looked at Zane as Ryder began to thrust into me harder and harder, deeper, and deeper. Zane let my hands go, and I spread my legs wider, Ryder fucking me and Zane teasing my clit. I was breathless and on the verge of coming. I grabbed Ryder tighter and pulled him closer; I needed him, just like Zane earlier. ¡°Ryder, please make me come, fuck me harder, please,¡± I moaned. Ryder thrust harder and deeper, and I shuddered at my release, Ryder soon after. Ryder kissed me; my eyes were closed when I felt Zane¡¯s hard cock at my entrance. He thrust himself in me. ¡°Watching you get fucked has made me so hard, love. I¡¯m going to fuck you until you beg me to make you come.¡± ¡°Zane, yes, fuck me, please.¡± I groaned. Zane growled deep in his throat as he thrust into me. Ryder was near my head, got on his knees, put his hands on either side of my head, kissed me deeply and kissed my neck, and then began to suck my breasts, making my nipples hard. He played with my clit, and sucked my breasts at the same time. I was shaking with so many different stimuli, ¡°Yes, Zane, harder; I need you to fuck me harder, please.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s enough begging, do you Ryder?¡± ¡°No, I think you need to keep fucking her tight, wet pussy,¡± Ryder growled, flicking my clit with his finger. ¡°Oh, gods!¡± I screamed as the sensation rushed through me. ¡°Please, Zane, Please make me come! Fuck me harder!¡± Zane started thrusting harder as Ryder kept massaging my clit. ¡°Oh, gods! Please, Zane, I can¡¯t stand it! I need you to fuck me harder, I¡¯m coming! Oh gods!¡± Zane thrust harder and faster; I matched his rhythm as he came, too. Zane laid down on my chest, and Ryder laid his head on my shoulder. ¡°Our sex-starved little goddess,¡± Ryder teased. ¡°I¡¯d never fucked a demigod before, let alone two at the same time.¡± ¡°You know what this means, Zane?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Now she¡¯ll want to be fucked all the time,¡¯ he smiled deviously. ¡°I¡¯m alright with that.¡± Zane smiled, tracing his finger around my belly button. We lay there entwined in one another for a while, Zane on my stomach and Ryder¡¯s head on my shoulder. ¡°I want to let you two know I can be very territorial,¡± I joked. ¡°I¡¯ll be really unhappy if I find either of you fucking anyone else,¡± I giggled a little. ¡°Goddess, you have nothing to worry about,¡± Zane growled. ¡°Why would you think, after what just happened, we¡¯d ever want to fuck anyone else?¡± Ryder kissed my forehead. ¡°Willow,¡± I said. ¡°Bitch,¡± Ryder spat. ¡°What did she tell you?¡± ¡°That you two would tire of me like all the others.¡± ¡°Love, there hasn¡¯t been anyone else for a long time,¡± Zane traced his finger around my nipple. ¡°Willow''s a troublemaker. She¡¯s fucked half the demigods in New Greece.¡± ¡°She seems to think she owns Nico,¡± I said. ¡°Nico can fuck anyone he wants. She knows that. She gets territorial; he needs to stop being around her.¡± Ryder said. ¡°That¡¯s what I told her in the bathroom,¡± a smile curled my lip. ¡°Our little goddess here told Willow off,¡± Zane smiled. ¡°That¡¯s my girl,¡± Ryder said. ¡°She tried to scare me and tell me she¡¯s the daughter of Demeter. I asked her if that was supposed to scare me. I told her I can fuck whoever I please.¡± ¡°Gods, I wish I could have seen her face when you told her, love!¡± Ryder let out a chuckle. ¡°When Zane brought me to the dance floor, she looked like she was ripping Nico a new one.¡± ¡°He made his bed; he can deal with the consequences,¡± Ryder said. I got up; both guys groaned as I moved. ¡°Stay here with us, love.¡± Ryder coaxed. ¡°I need a shower and food,¡± I said. Sauntering out of the living room. I heard the guys get off the couch after me. Chapter 5 Chapter 5 - Zane Both Ryder and I followed Thea into the bathroom. The shower barely fits one person, let alone three, but we managed; I wasn¡¯t going to pass up shower sex. We lay entangled in Thea¡¯s bed; she was asleep on Ryder¡¯s chest, her legs draped over mine, when we heard a thud in the hallway. ¡°Nico,¡± I whispered to Ryder. ¡°Fuck.¡± The door opened, and Nico looked like he was going to kill us all. I carefully moved Thea¡¯s legs, and Ryder laid her down gently, covering her. I motioned for Nico to shut his mouth, or he¡¯d wake Thea. She didn¡¯t need to hear what was coming next, so we went downstairs into the kitchen. ¡°It was bad enough when it was just Zane, but you fucked her too, Ryder!¡± ¡°Why are you jealous?¡± ¡°Fuck you!¡± Nico spat. ¡°Thanks, but I¡¯ve already been fucked today,¡± Ryder chuckled. Nico got in Ryder¡¯s face, ¡°You two can¡¯t keep it in your pants, you¡¯ve fucked us all!¡± ¡°Nico,¡± I said as calmly as possible, ¡°I need you to sit down.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to sit down,¡± he was breathing hard. ¡°Nico, this is important,¡± Ryder said. Nico begrudgingly sat; his nails were digging into his fists. ¡°Before I left work last night, Thanatos asked me for a favor. He asked me to bring the sisters dinner.¡± Ryder and I shuddered; even Nico couldn¡¯t hide his shudder when I said their names. The sisters, as we call them, are the Fates. They decide the length of all mortals'' lives. They live in a little house in a small, forested area in the Under Realm. If you met them on the street, you¡¯d assume they were just three little old ladies who liked to knit. That¡¯s just glamor. I¡¯ve luckily never had to see them in their proper form, but from the stories I¡¯ve heard, even Hades himself is terrified of them in their true form, so it has to be horrific. Lachesis measures the thread, Clotho knits a web of the thread, and Atropos cuts the thread. You don¡¯t want to mess with the fates. I replayed the interaction for Ryder and Nico. I teleported near their front door and heard them call, ¡°Enter, son of Hades.¡± A chill went up my spine. I was only supposed to knock three times and leave the food basket. I apprehensively opened the door. ¡°Welcome, son of Hades,¡± Clotho whispered eerily. ¡°Hello,¡± I swallowed hard. ¡°He seems to fear us, sisters, " Atropos cackled. ¡°Do not fear us, son of Hades," Lachesis said. ¡°we have a prophecy for you,¡± Fuck! ¡°Language! Son of Hades!¡± Atropos hissed. ¡°Deepest apologies,¡± I bowed. Clotho stood up, putting her knitting down. She raised her hands in the air, and her eyes began to flutter. Her voice echoed as she spoke. ¡°In the gathering dusk, shadows entwine, Four souls converge, and destinies align. Bound, they stand for a storm unwinds. Betrayal brews, lost souls shall reap. Shadows cloak the ocean¡¯s embrace, and a tempest brews. As fields wilt ''neath unseen woes, the roots of prosperity wither, heralding an economic tempest untold." Her eyes stopped fluttering, and she returned to her knitting. ¡°What does it mean?¡± ¡°That is not ours to answer; the answers lie within you,¡± Atropos said. ¡°Only you and the ones with whom you are entwined will face this storm,¡± Clotho said. ¡°For if you seek help from another, the storm will consume you,¡± Lachesis warned. After that, they stopped speaking, and I left the cabin and returned home. I repeated the prophecy to Nico, and he just sat, not saying a word. ¡°It¡¯s fucked up,¡± Ryder said. ¡°I told Zane that this morning.¡± ¡°What does this have to do with Thea?¡± Nico grumbled. ¡°Dude, four souls converge,¡± Ryder said. ¡°This changes nothing! She¡¯s still the daughter of a mighty goddess. And you two fucked her daughter.¡± ¡°Nico, you¡¯re not seeing the whole picture; something is coming,¡± I said. ¡°What¡¯s coming? Those three are..¡± Nico stopped himself and thought better of accusing the sisters. ¡°Every prophecy they¡¯ve given comes to pass, you know that.¡± ¡°She¡¯s a fledgling.¡± He bellowed. ¡°She put Willow in her place,¡± Ryder snickered. ¡°Yeah, well,¡± His lip curled ever so slightly. ¡°Willow is insignificant compared to everything she¡¯ll have to learn.¡± Thea was standing in the hall, wearing my blue shirt, which reached the top of her knees. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Sorry, love,¡± Ryder said, inviting her to sit on his lap. I didn¡¯t know who would break the silence first. ¡°Would you three please stop playing your silent game of not it and tell me?¡± I told her what happened with the sisters and the prophecy. She was twisting my shirt around her finger; damn, she was beautiful. These few days with her have been a whirlwind. I felt drawn to her; something was different, even Ryder noticed. I¡¯m sure Nico does, too; he just won¡¯t admit it. What we¡¯ll face, gods only know. ¡°I¡¯ve learned over my lifetime that you can¡¯t prepare for anything like this. People have gone crazy analyzing, preparing, and worrying about prophecies since the beginning of time. It¡¯s best to let things happen naturally. The worst thing you can do is try to underestimate the Fates, but the waiting can be maddening.¡± ¡°So what do we do?¡± Thea asked. ¡°Not much we can do except wait,¡± Nico said gruffly. ¡°We just have to sit and wait for whatever this is to happen?¡± I nodded, ¡°Many people have tried to figure out prophecies to no avail. You don¡¯t mess with the Fates. It¡¯s more than frustrating; I get it. But that¡¯s one thing we¡¯ve learned to accept.¡± ¡°Well, maybe you all are willing to wait this out; I¡¯m not,¡± she said very passionately; I could see the determination in her eyes. Ryder took her into his arms and brought her close. ¡°It¡¯s wonderful you want to figure this out, love, but you can¡¯t let it consume you,¡± he kissed her on the cheek. The clock struck three, ¡°You should try and get some sleep; we¡¯ll keep it down, I promise,¡± I smiled. Thea looked at me. ¡°We¡¯ll be there soon,¡± I said, touching her cheek. She gave both Ryder and me a quick kiss and then left. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I still think you should sever this quickly; it¡¯s not good.¡± ¡°You feel it too; you can¡¯t hide it from us,¡± I told Nico. ¡°Don¡¯t think I haven¡¯t noticed how you look at her. You can fool her, maybe, but not us; we know you too well,¡± I raised a brow. ¡°It doesn¡¯t change anything. Prophecy or not, do you think Athena won¡¯t raise all hell when she finds out?¡± ¡°Athena sent Thea here,¡± Ryder said. ¡°Why did she send her daughter here of all places?¡± ¡°She was testing her and us, and you both failed in less than thirty-six hours!¡± Nico spat. ¡°What if she sent her here on purpose?¡± I asked. ¡°Why would she do that?¡± Nico asked. ¡°Why do the gods do anything they do?¡± I asked. ¡°For their own gains, for their own amusement. You know that better than anyone. What¡¯s the real problem with you and Willow being together?¡± Nico knitted his brows, fist clenching on the table. He was super sensitive about the entire thing, but he stayed quiet. ¡°Absolutely no reason, except for Zeus and Demeter flaunting their power and wanting your obedience.¡± He stayed silent. ¡°You haven¡¯t obeyed them either, not that you should,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m not condoning your relationship, I can¡¯t stand the bitch, but there¡¯s no reason why you can¡¯t do what you want with your life. Why should any of them tell us what we can do? What¡¯s the point? We¡¯re stuck in this house and have been stuck together in some form or another for centuries. Each time we get summoned to them, they promise us that whatever they want will get us out of here. How well has that worked out for us so far?¡± ¡°They keep dangling our freedom just to snatch it away,¡± Ryder said. ¡°Hades is adding to my responsibilities, didn¡¯t even tell me to my face. They¡¯re not even pretending anymore,¡± I said. ¡°Even though we can¡¯t prepare for whatever is coming, we need to see what she is capable of. We don¡¯t need her putting us or herself in danger because she¡¯s inexperienced,¡± Nico said. ¡°Finally!¡± Ryder chucked. Nico knitted his brows, ¡°Don¡¯t get too far ahead of yourself.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s time for bed,¡± Ryder smiled deviously. ¡°Don¡¯t wake her,¡± I raised a brow. ¡°What do you take me for?¡± Ryder said, pretending to be offended. ¡°You know very well what you are,¡± I chuckled. We quietly opened Thea¡¯s door; she was awake in the bed, waiting for us. ¡°I can¡¯t sleep,¡± she said. Ryder and I lay on either side of her; Ryder grabbed her waist and pulled her close to him. She softly touched my cheek as I brushed her hair out of her face. ¡°It will be alright, love.¡± She let out a small sigh and reached for my hand. She closed her eyes and was asleep in minutes. I looked at Ryder, he gave me a big smile, and we drifted off. The following day was Sunday, so Thea would have to go to the Healing Center the next morning. ¡°I¡¯ll get you there, love,¡± I said as she poured her cereal. ¡°Thanks,¡± she said. I can¡¯t wait until I can teleport on my own.¡± ¡°What are your abilities, exactly?¡± Nico asked. She was mid mouthful of cereal; she put up her finger. ¡°Ciphers, code cracking, puzzles, riddles..¡± ¡°Breaking and entering,¡± Ryder chuckled. ¡°Yes, breaking and entering,¡± a smile curled her lip. Nico raised a brow; I could see he was impressed. That¡¯s no easy task. ¡°You¡¯re the daughter of Athena, so once you ascend, you may get new powers, we all did,¡± Nico told her. ¡°My birthday is never going to get here,¡± she huffed. ¡°It will be here before you know it,¡± Ryder touched her nose. ¡°Do you even remember your life before you ascended?¡± She raised a brow, and a devious smile curled her lip, goading Ryder. He stood up and picked her up by her waist; she screeched, not expecting it. He flipped her over his shoulder and tossed her on the couch, kneeling by her feet, hands on both sides of her. ¡°Are you implying I¡¯m old, little goddess?¡± he smiled. She tried to stifle a laugh, shook her head yes, and burst out laughing. He kissed her deeply, then flipped on his side, caging her in his arms. I sat by them on the couch. Nico joined us, sitting on the chair across from us. ¡°I think we need to teach her some self-defense,¡± Nico said, looking at Ryder and me. ¡°Um, I¡¯m right here,¡± she raised a hand. ¡°And, I¡¯m the daughter of Athena; don¡¯t you think she would have taught me self-defense?¡± ¡°Ok,¡± Nico said, ¡°let''s see what you got, little one.¡± He stood up, and Ryder held on to her. ¡°I don¡¯t think this is a good idea, love,¡± Ryder said. ¡°I got this,¡± she smiled, and he begrudgingly let her go. ¡°Don¡¯t be too tough on her,¡± Ryder looked at Nico. ¡°If she gets attacked by someone who wants to hurt her, they¡¯re not going to go easy on her.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be an ass,¡± I said. A smile curled on Nico¡¯s lip. Thea stood confident. Even though she said she could handle it, Nico has been known to go too far, so hopefully, he doesn¡¯t with her. Nico reached for her wrist, and Thea pulled back. Ducking under his other arm as he swept it near her. Taking his hand and grabbing over her, trying to get at her neck so he was behind her. He touched her neck, and she spun around to face him. He swept under her legs, and she jumped over him; she tucked and rolled across the floor. He got behind her and grabbed around her front with his arm. She took her elbow and hit him in the chest so hard I could see it knocked the wind out of him for a second. He released her, and she swung her leg around and got him in the knee. Both Ryder and I were watching intently; Nico winced in pain; grabbing his knee, she got in front of him and pinned his arm behind him. He grabbed her with his other arm and stood up; he was behind her again; he lifted her by the waist, and she spun herself around somehow and wrapped her legs around his neck. She crawled around him and wrapped her arms around his neck from the back, legs around his chest. He lost his footing and started to move backward, trying to get Thea off of him; he hit the wall, ¡°Ack!¡± Thea winced, breathing heavily, sitting against the wall. Nico was rubbing his neck. ¡°I¡¯m impressed, little one,¡± Nico said. ¡°You lasted longer than I anticipated.¡± He held out his hand to help her up. Thea stood and turned quickly, getting Nico¡¯s arm over her shoulder, and tossed him to the ground like a rag doll. Ryder and I stifled a laugh. Nico was on the floor; Thea stood over him and then sat straddling his chest. ¡°Never take your opponent for granted; they might surprise you, and never assume a fight is over until your opponent is dead,¡± she said with a devious smile. She kissed him deeply on the lips. I could tell that surprised him, too. He started to lift his arms, like he was going to hold on to her, but changed his mind. She broke the kiss and got up, sitting back on the couch. ¡°Another one of my abilities is kicking ass. I¡¯ve been taking self-defense and karate classes since I was nine. Sorry, did I forget to mention that?¡± She fluttered her eyes at Nico¡ªlittle minx. Nico rolled over, a slight curl on his lips, ¡°Well played, little one.¡± It wasn¡¯t all settled between them, but I counted this morning as a step in the right direction. We made a lazy day of it, trying to keep Thea¡¯s mind off of tomorrow. I could tell she was anxious; she always twisted her shirt when she was anxious. We watched movies, and she requested junk food for lunch, though Nico insisted we have a real meal for dinner. Somehow, I managed not to drag Thea into the shower, which was good because I got an unexpected visitor. I turned off the water to have my aunt holding my towel in the bathroom; I grabbed it quickly. ¡°You know I hate when you pop in like this!¡± I snipped, wrapping the towel around me. She smiled but ignored my words. ¡°I hear you had to bring the sisters their dinner the other night,¡± she raised a brow. ¡°And something about a prophecy?¡± ¡°I hate when you do that, too; you know that, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Perks of delivering the sisters their meals. I hear things,¡± a smile curled her lips. She followed me into my bedroom, ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡°Could you at least let me get some pants on, please?¡± She smiled and stood there. ¡°You can at least pretend you care about how I¡¯m feeling at this moment, can¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Alright, fine, you have two minutes,¡± she left the room. I grabbed the first pair of pants within reach and opened the door. ¡°This place needs a woman¡¯s touch; it screams frat boy bachelor.¡± I knitted my brow. ¡°Take that up with the triad running our city,¡± I gritted my teeth. ¡°Maybe this new responsibility Hades gives you will do the trick.¡± I raised a brow, ¡°Sure. You keep thinking that. Oh, and thanks for telling me, by the way; nothing like reading it in a memo, Aunt.¡± ¡°Sorry about that,¡± she shrunk her shoulders. ¡°It wasn¡¯t intentional; I had to turn a little witch into a cat.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t throw her into the alley this time?¡± I chuckled. ¡°No, she wouldn¡¯t talk, so she¡¯s sitting in a crate in my apartment,¡± she chuckled. ¡°You enjoy that way too much for it to be considered normal.¡± ¡°Nice try,¡± she raised a brow. ¡°What did the sisters say, Zane?¡± I let out a sigh and repeated what the sisters told me. ¡°Four souls converge?¡± She questioned. ¡°Thea,¡± I said, hunching my shoulders. She sat on the chair at my desk, ¡°Athena¡¯s Theodosia?¡± I nodded. She picked up a pencil and started twirling it in her hand. ¡°Something¡¯s coming, and it involves Thea somehow. I¡¯m trying to do what you told me all those years ago and not think about it, let things happen naturally, but she¡¯s..¡± My aunt sat next to me. ¡°She¡¯s young. True, but don¡¯t underestimate her. Sometimes, it¡¯s better to have someone on your side whose mind hasn¡¯t been manipulated for centuries. They aren¡¯t as cynical, and they¡¯re more aware.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not worried about her not being able to take care of herself; she handed Nico¡¯s ass to him and threw him around like a rag doll,¡± I chuckled. My aunt snickered, ¡°She¡¯s the daughter of Athena; he should have known better than to underestimate her. It¡¯s his own fault. It¡¯s good; it¡¯ll keep him humble; we need more of that around here. So if it¡¯s not her safety, what is it?¡± ¡°I felt something when she came here. Ryder felt it, too, and I know Nico as well; he won¡¯t say it out loud yet. It¡¯s only been a few days, but our feelings are stronger like we¡¯ve known each other our entire lives. She¡¯s not been around as long as we have, so it doesn¡¯t make sense, but I don¡¯t want to stop being near her. Neither of us do.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s that strong, and she¡¯s fledgling, that tells you something. The sisters don¡¯t put out prophecies for no reason. Why now? Who knows? The sisters probably don¡¯t even know the answer to that. We can¡¯t spend our lives questioning the reason behind everything. Something is coming, and the sisters seem to think it¡¯s something you and the others can handle. I¡¯ll do what I can to help when whatever it is starts, but you know I can¡¯t meddle too much. It¡¯s not allowed.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know.¡± ¡°I know you¡¯ll do your best to protect everyone like you always do, but you have to trust in them as well.¡± ¡°What about Thea¡¯s mother? She¡¯s going to flip her lid. When she finds out we..-¡± ¡°Athena won¡¯t mess with the sisters. Plus, didn¡¯t she send Thea here?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°She was playing at something, too. You don¡¯t send your fledgling daughter into a house with three demigods and expect nothing to happen, don¡¯t worry about her. See you in a couple of weeks, nephew.¡± Chapter 6 - Theas POV Chapter 6 Today was my first day at the Healing Center. I was super apprehensive. Pulling on some dressier pants and blue button-up blouse, and some loafers that I swear weren¡¯t there yesterday, I checked myself in the mirror. The guys insisted I eat breakfast; Ryder made French toast, eggs, and bacon. I barely touched my plate. Zane teleported us to the end of a block across town. Snow piled up on the sides of the street, traffic was busy, and the roads were filled with people on their way to work. Zane interlaced his hand with mine as we walked to the healing center. ¡°It will be okay, love,¡± he said reassuringly, kissing the back of my hand. ¡°Asclepius is a nice guy and son of Apollo. He cares about people. His voice is so calming, it can put you to sleep,¡± a smile curled his lips. The healing center was a huge white marble building with massive white columns and a life-size golden statue of Apollo in a golden chariot holding a Lyre. I raised a brow. ¡°Apollo is also a nice guy but extremely vain,¡± Zane chuckled. The center was very welcoming yet intimidating at the same time. We walked past a row of small evergreen trees, and white wrought-iron benches peppered the lawn on each side. We approached the entrance and saw employees sitting with patients, walking with them, and teaching tai chi. All the employees were in white and had an ethereal glow. Zane walked me to the entrance, took my chin in his hand, and kissed me. ¡°You got this, love,¡± he whispered. ¡°I¡¯ll meet you right back here this afternoon.¡± I nodded, ¡°Thank you.¡± and he disappeared. I swallowed hard and opened the giant glass door. The foyer was enormous, with a monumental gold fountain of dolphins frolicking in the water. The front desk was a massive slab of white marble with flecks of gold, and the woman behind the desk was on the phone. She was tall and slender, with long blond hair pinned into an immaculate bun and in all white. I walked up to her, and she smiled, put her finger up, and continued to talk. ¡°I¡¯m confirming your appointment, Mr. Stevenson, tomorrow at 3 PM for your full body massage,¡± she said. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct, we have you all set with Theseus, yes, great. See you then,¡± she hung up the phone. Giving me a huge smile, ¡°You must be Theodosia!¡± She said excitedly. ¡°Thea,¡± I smiled. ¡°Thea, it¡¯s so nice to meet you! I¡¯m Cora, and I run the front desk. You¡¯ll be working back here with me to start, but let me show you around first.¡± Cora came out from behind the desk and guided me through the other side of the foyer. Doors lined each side of a very long hallway, and each door had frosted glass and gold lettering. ¡°It¡¯s pretty self-explanatory; we have many rooms here to utilize. The rooms set aside for the divine are on the right side of the hallway here. And on the left, for our mortal guests.¡± ¡°We have the meditation room,¡± she opened the door and let me peek around the corner. The dimly lit room was full of a lavender scent that filled my nose. Three people were inside, all hovering, legs crossed above the floor. The sound of dripping water surrounded the room. She closed the door quietly. ¡°This next room is our consultation room. Our healers meet with our guests and work through whatever might be ailing them, mentally or physically, and then a healing program is put into place with the very best care.¡± ¡°To answer your question, we do not charge our mortal guests for our programs; living in the world of the divine is difficult for many, and our divine membership fees offset the costs,¡± she smiled. I blinked a couple of times. ¡°I¡¯m a telepath, Thea,¡± she beamed, patted me on the shoulder, and we continued. The next room was the healing room. Cora opened the door and peeked into the room. There were a few guests, and each of them had a healer with them. One of the guests radiated a green glow when the healer touched their hand. ¡°It¡¯s one of our healing methods; this room focuses on healing injuries, illnesses, and divine ailments. On the other side, our healers use a mortal healing method with just a touch of the divine,¡± she winked. There were so many rooms; we passed an art therapy room, an herbal garden, a library, and a gymnasium. The last room we passed was the room of divine waters. ¡°The room of divine waters is only for our divine guests, with several exceptions, which remain confidential,¡± she smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s go up front, and I can show you where you¡¯ll be working.¡± The front desk area was immaculate. Cora put me near two telephones. One was blue, and one was white. ¡°The blue phone is for when you confirm appointments for our mortal guests; the white phone is for the divine. There are also two lists, one blue and one white. There is a script here for anything that may arise. You¡¯ll be here three days a week, and next week, once you learn the ropes up here, I¡¯ll have you start assisting in the art therapy room,¡± she smiled. I liked that idea. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°The restroom is the third door on your left,¡± she smiled and returned to her seat. Well, that¡¯s going to get annoying quickly. I thought, hoping Cora couldn¡¯t read my mind from down the hall. I pushed open the restroom door; the entire room was white marble. There was a small fountain in the corner, this place and fountains; I¡¯m going to have to go to the bathroom every five minutes with all the trickling water sounds. I finished using the facilities, washed my hands, returned to my station, and began making calls. A man was being walked out of the center. He was trying to get out of the grip of the two healers. I snuck around the other side of the front desk to my station. ¡°Mr. Monroe, I am so very sorry about your ailment, but we cannot intervene in the affairs of the divine.¡± A man was standing by Cora in front of the desk. He was tall and very well dressed with sandy blond hair, with a hint of gray in his hair and neatly trimmed beard. He looked familiar; then I remembered the statue. He looked exactly like his father. Asclepius. ¡°You have to help me! Please!¡± The man pleaded. He hiccupped after every word he uttered. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry, but those are the rules. Sneaking in here with glamour is not allowed either, sir.¡± ¡°Please, hiccup, I¡¯m hiccup desperate!¡± hiccup. ¡°Athos and Porthos will show you out.¡± Asclepius turned to where I was sitting. ¡°Theodosia, so nice to meet you. I¡¯m Asclepius.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you. You can call me Thea,¡± I smiled. ¡°I¡¯m so very sorry you had to see that. That is not typically what happens here. Usually, all our guests are much easier to handle. When the divine afflicts a mortal, there is a reason: we are not allowed to interfere. No matter how much we¡¯d like to help them.¡± ¡°That seems unfair,¡± I said. ¡°Yes, I can see how someone as young as you would see it that way, Thea, but there have been too many conflicts between mortals and the divine; we don¡¯t want to start a war.¡± ¡°Maybe some of the divine need to be brought down a peg or two!¡± I was getting mad, but I closed my mouth because I didn¡¯t want to cause issues during my first hour there. Asclepius laughed deeply, ¡°I like you, Thea; we need more people willing to speak their minds in this world.¡± Cora even chuckled a bit. ¡°Are you settling in alright?¡± a small smile curled his lip. ¡°I just got here less than an hour ago. Cora took me on a tour of the place. It¡¯s beautiful, and I hope to help however I can,¡± I said. ¡°Wonderful. Tomorrow, Cora can show you the rest of our healing center. There¡¯s more? Of course, there¡¯s more, dummy. ¡°Our building is pretty big, and don¡¯t call yourself a dummy,¡± he gave me a small smile. I could feel my cheeks get hot. ¡°So you¡¯re a telepath like¡±..- ¡°My mother here,¡± his eyes smiled, ¡°yes,¡± ¡°Lovely,¡± I said. Asclepius laughed hardily. ¡°See you soon, Thea,¡± he left with a smile. Cora approached me, holding a candy wrapped in blue cellophane, ¡°Now that you¡¯ve met Asclepius, I can give you this.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m good, thanks,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s called Icinial root candy. We use it to block your thoughts from others. Asclepius always wants to meet the new employees as a test to see that you¡¯ll be a good fit. Now that he¡¯s done that, please take one each time you come into the center. We have some guests that have done some things that aren¡¯t very nice to people¡¯s minds. The candies ensure they cannot read or influence you,¡± she smiled. I took the candy, ¡°Thanks,¡± I said, opening the wrapper and popping it into my mouth. I made about a hundred calls in my first three hours; Cora was very impressed and insisted I take a longer lunch break. The cafeteria looked average, but all the food was from divine recipes. The chef looked just like Willow! Hells! I got my food and quickly went to a table across the cafeteria with a beautiful view of some fantastic gardens. It was full of colored roses, greenery, and, of course, a fountain. I was too busy enjoying my food; it was so good. Then I realized the woman who looked like Willow was standing by my table. ¡°You¡¯re Thea, right?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I said, trying not to sound apprehensive. May I sit?¡± She asked. She sounded like her sister, too. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°I heard you would be working here. My sister told me about you.¡± I didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Thank you,¡± a smile curled her lips. ¡°Everyone¡¯s afraid of that little bitch, and I¡¯m glad someone stood up to her for once!¡± My shoulders dropped. That¡¯s not at all what I was expecting. ¡°She¡¯s a bit intense,¡± I smiled. ¡°That¡¯s an understatement. Willow is the baby, so my mother coddled her and gave her anything she wanted. She¡¯s a spoiled brat who does whatever she wants. I¡¯m so tired of it. I wish I were there to see it,¡± she smiled. ¡°You¡¯re not the first one to tell me that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Iris, by the way; I¡¯m the assistant chef here. ¡°The food is amazing!¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Iris said. ¡°Willow isn¡¯t supposed to be around Nico; my mother doesn¡¯t care enough to keep her away. She didn¡¯t see any reason they couldn¡¯t be together; she just agreed with Zeus to keep the peace.¡± ¡°Does Nico know that?¡± My eyes were big; she was spilling the tea so quickly. ¡°Yes. He does it to piss off Zeus,¡± a small smile curled her lips. I chuckled, ¡°Yes, he seems good at pissing people off.¡± ¡°Well, I should get back,¡± Iris said. ¡°If you need anything, let me know. And if you run into my sister again, I want details!¡± She snickered. I made many more phone calls during the second half of the day; and got lost in my work. I felt like I could make a difference here. I didn¡¯t expect to feel this way about it. I also would not admit that to my mother. ¡°Thea, I think a gentleman is waiting for you,¡± she smiled. Zane was in the foyer with a bunch of pink roses, my favorite. My heart melted. He is amazing. I never thought I¡¯d feel like this about anyone, let alone another demigod- well, two demigods. Nico was a holdout, but with the pull, I had to these beautiful men and vice versa, it was only a matter of time. I ran up to Zane, and he spun me around and kissed me. ¡°How was your first day, my little goddess?¡± He flashed that killer smile, and I melted again. ¡°Night, Cora,¡± I waved. She waved back. ¡°It was very nice,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m glad, my little goddess. It was too quiet at the house today. Ryder¡¯s been watching the clock all day and dramatically sighing because you aren¡¯t home yet. Nico was pissed off about it after the first hour, so he sent Ryder out on some errands,¡± Zane chuckled. I laughed, ¡°These roses are amazing; they¡¯re my favorite, that was so sweet of you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only your first day once,¡± he said, bending down to kiss me again. We got past the courtyard, and he grabbed me around the waist, ¡°Hold on, love.¡±