“Why not?” I wished I had paid more attention to my Greek mythology.

Zeus rubbed a hand over his chin. “Simple. I’m the one who bound him to the underworld.”

Hermes nodded. “And if the rumors are true, Hera has promised him the one thing he craves.”

Zeus’s blue eyes were as serious as I’d ever seen them.

“Let me guess,” I said. “She’s offered him freedom?”

Zeus nodded and pointed a finger at me. “Bingo.”

CHAPTER 11

“Do you think you could put some clothes on? I’m getting a crick in my neck staring at the ceiling,” I said. Zeus strolled by me, and I stepped back. “Seriously? I thought you didn’t like the cold.”

He shook his head. “I don’t.”

“Then why do you always run north when things get ugly?” I bent and grabbed a pair of pants from the floor and flung them at Zeus. He caught them in midair, then slowly put them on. I wasn’t sure if he was being reluctant or still trying to put on a show. The last hop he took to get his butt into them made me think it was more the latter. Typical Zeus.

The wink over his shoulder sealed it. “I run north because, while I don’t like the cold, it’s an incentive to stay inside and out of view. Of course, I didn’t think I’d have to worry about Hermes invoking his messenger license to bring me a visitor.”

Hermes flew backward, and I immediately put myself between them. “I forced his hand, Zeus.”

He gave me a dismissive wave. “I’ll deal with him later, seeing as technically he didn’t break any rules. Right now, we need to get you to the underworld.”

“What?” I squawked. “I don’t know anything about the underworld. Or Hades. I can’t go.” Wait . . . my mom was there. And Orpheus had said that if I took a flower, maybe I could get her back. I looked around the room. No flowers here. No, Orpheus was mad, out of his mind. My yaya had to have been wrong; there was no way to bring my mom back. I knew it in my heart that there was no changing what had happened.

That kind of magic didn’t exist.

“I didn’t ask you if you wanted to go; I said you’re going. If you are on my side, you will do as I say. I will run this show, not you,” Zeus drawled as he tugged a white button-down shirt over his head.

“You could have unbuttoned that,” I pointed out.

“I’m lazy,” he said.

I burst out laughing, unable to keep it in. “Well, that’s the first honest thing I’ve heard come out of your mouth.” He glared at me, but I didn’t stop smiling. “I’m not going to the underworld. Hercules and the Hydra are the ones I’m dealing with. You deal with your brother. We need to split our forces carefully.”

“Shrew,” he grunted.

“Show-off,” I bit back.

He glanced at Hermes. “Take her back to Seattle. I’ll go chat with Hades and see what I can do. Then I will meet with those who support me at the Blue Box.”

Hermes zipped to my side, and I lifted a hand and gripped his foot. There was no time for any other words, as we were off and flying through the air. The time passed quickly, and it wasn’t long before we were back in Seattle, touching down at house number thirteen.

“Hermes, I need to find everyone and bring them up to speed . . .”

“They are all here. You might think you live in that big house on the other side of the Wall, but your signature is here. This is where your people are waiting for you,” he said.

I let go of his foot, expecting him to zip off, but he didn’t leave. “You sticking around, then?”

“Looks like a big fight is coming, Drakaina . . . and . . . you’re right. I need to choose a side too.” His lips twisted up. “I’m with you. Not Hera. Not Zeus. I’m with you.”

My lips trembled, and I held a hand up to him. “Thank you.” He took my fingers, turned my hand over, and kissed the back of it, and then he gave me a shy smile. “Don’t tell anyone. I can be your spy.”

I smiled back and nodded. “Just be careful. I don’t want you to get hurt on my behalf.”

He shot ahead of me, but something held me back from going in. At the door I stood. There were several heartbeats I recognized, and I could smell cinnamon and honey, even through the door. Which meant Remo was there along with Tad, Yaya, Sandy, and Ernie.

I looked down the street toward Merlin’s house. There were cars parked all over the road and his lawn, even right up to his door. Now that was weird. I jogged down the steps of number thirteen and hurried to Merlin’s. Surely he wasn’t having a party when there was so much going on . . . then again, it was Merlin we were talking about.

As I got closer, people started getting out of the cars, lurching toward me like B-movie zombies. A woman with dusky skin and huge brown eyes approached me. She wore a hat, but even with it I could see that her hair was falling out.

“Are you Merlin? No . . . you’re the girl from the TV!” She grabbed me, her hands strong despite the obvious fragility of her body. I put my hands over hers, not afraid so much as upset.

“You have the Aegrus virus, don’t you?” I asked.

She sobbed, and I caught her against my body. I knew what it was to be denied the simplest of human touch when that was all you wanted.

Around me, people circled, all of them in various stages of the virus. I realized then that I could smell it hovering around me, like a burnt caramel, sickly sweet, death curling its grasp tight around them. “Merlin isn’t here?”