don’t sleep with Cronus, he’s a giant douchebag.” He held up two hands in a defensive gesture. “Her words.”
My eyes widened. “So … Selene is my actual mother? My biological mother?” My eyes were burning, and I couldn’t say anything more over the lump in my throat.
Hyperion nodded. “Yes. In a manner of speaking. I’ll explain more later.”
#Cryptic #OkayIllPlayThisGame
“How does she know about Cronus?” I segued into something he’d hopefully answer, now that I’d gotten my emotions under control. “Is she watching me?”
I swallowed hard, totally freaked out that my dead god mom was watching me fantasize about Cronus.
Hyperion chuckled. “No, but Thanatos has told the entire underworld that you two are an item.”
Cronus growled, “Great. Let’s go.”
Somehow I wasn’t upset by that. In fact, I was sending Thanatos a gift when I got a chance. I wondered who delivered to the underworld.
“I’m ready,” I said, just as an explosion rang out along the side of the cave, shaking us almost off our feet. It was followed by another and another.
“They’ve found us again,” Cronus rumbled, before he snatched up my hand. “Follow me.” That was clearly meant for Hound and Hyperion, because I was taken along by his energy, and when we landed in that decaying fucking forest again, I tripped and would have fallen if Cronus hadn’t kept me upright.
“Thank you,” I murmured, lifting my head to see him. I blinked at how pallid he was, face almost gray. “Are you feeling okay?”
He nodded, lips thinning as his expression turned fierce. “I’m fine. Just took a lot of energy to fight against Zeus and resurrect—”
“Me,” Hyperion said, bursting into existence, Hound right beside him. “I’m heavier than I look.”
I took in his heavily-muscled, six-and-a-half feet worth of god. “You look like you weigh a ton,” I said with a snort.
He leaned in closer and whispered. “I do.”
Jesus. This was about as far from how I expected my grandfather would be.
“Can you focus and be serious for a fucking second,” Cronus snapped, standing straight despite his clear exhaustion. “We have one shot right now to save Rhea and trap Sickness away, but we have to work together.”
He strode off, walking like someone very pissed off, and with a shrug I followed. Mostly because I didn’t have a choice. For better or for worse, Cronus and I were tied together, bonded, and unlike marriage, there was no divorce allowed.
He soon disappeared into the dense trees, our bond pulling me after him along the path. “Always was a moody bastard,” Hyperion said, close behind me.
That might be true. Okay, it was definitely true, but he had good reason to be. “He’s got a lot on his mind. And unlike the rest of you enjoying the underworld and all of its orgy pleasures, Cronus was locked in a fucking prison for a thousand years. Wouldn’t you be a little pissed?”
I hadn’t truly stopped to think how lonely that existence would have been. The endless years. No one but Hound and the few whispers he heard from his prison. My heart ached then, and I acknowledged that the few times he’d joked with me and laughed, used sarcasm like an expert … that was a big deal. I hadn’t seen him really do that with anyone else, and…
I was an idiot.
My feet flew across the ground and I left Hyperion behind, bursting into the small clearing where Rhea lay, Panacea and Cronus at her side. I shook my head at the fact that we’d been at least twenty feet apart then. Our bond was growing thinner, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about that.
Cronus’ head jerked up as I sprinted toward him, his eyes sliding across me and then over my head as he searched for the danger. He was already moving when I threw myself into his arms.
“What?” he demanded. “What happened, Maisey?”
Tucking my head in against his chest, I just shook my head. “Sorry,” I murmured. “Nothing happened, I just … thank you ... for everything. I realize now how hard it must have been to just integrate into this life right after being locked away for so long.”
His body stilled under me, but his arms tightened as he held me close, both of us just breathing in the other.
“Excuse me,” Rhea snapped from the ground, not sounding at all like she was ill. “Can you two screw on your own time. Right now I need Sickness locked away so I don’t fucking implode.”
Cronus lowered me to the ground, and