Sin & Surrender (Demigod of San Francisco #6)(83)

The voice came from everywhere and nowhere at once.

“Ah, fuck,” Hades said, and leaned back again, put out.

A bright light blinded me for a moment, and electricity made my hair stand on end. When the haze cleared, a man stood before me in a crisp red velvet robe with a golden belt and a golden wreath around his large shoulders. His incredibly handsome face was all planes and angles, like it had been chiseled from stone. His power trumped Hades, a touch more robust, just like the man.

One name flashed through my mind: Zeus.

“I’m dreaming,” I said softly, not able to stand or bow or do any of the things I should’ve done given freaking Zeus had touched down before me. “I must be dreaming. This isn’t real.”

“What are you doing here, Zeus?” Hades asked. “Can’t you see I’m busy?”

“The question is, what are you doing here?” Zeus replied, and Hades snapped another seat into existence, which Zeus didn’t take. “You’ve been leaving the underworld often of late. Is this why? Have you been dabbling with the humans?”

“Brother, really, what are you wearing? A velvet robe? Hello, glory days.” To Zeus’s prolonged stare, Hades pushed out of his chair. “I’m just making sure the best kind of magic isn’t sullied by humans. What’s it to you?”

Thankfully, Zeus ignored the dig about the “best” kind of magic. I didn’t want to be dragged into a family matter between ethereal beings.

“We agreed to leave the humans to their own affairs for a while and see what happened,” Zeus said.

“Yeah, we did, except Poseidon went and turned someone into a Demigod. I’m just taking my turn, that’s all. Fair is fair, isn’t that what you preach?”

Hades snapped his fingers and Kieran shuddered, animated again. He bowed his head in reverence, emotions rolling through him so fast I couldn’t catch them all. The theme I caught just fine, though—heart-stopping shock and joy.

Hades pointed at him, and Kieran’s eyes widened.

“His mom gave birth to a healthy baby boy, level-five magic. I looked it up,” Hades said. “Does that feel like level-five magic to you?”

“Poseidon,” Zeus called, and his voice was like thunder, rolling through the room, rattling my bones.

The air chilled just a little. The scent of salt water drifted in, and a man followed in its wake, stalking through the doors, his long, wet hair draped over his muscular shoulders. Water dripped down his perfectly cut chest and onto the wide golden belt around his waist. A sort of skirt flowed around his legs, green and blue, almost like seaweed turned into fabric. His built thighs peeked out of it when he walked, and a rush of heat ran through me. Apparently I had a type, and that type was of the sea.

“What in Hades’s flamethrower are you wearing?” Hades asked, his handsome face contorting into mocking disbelief.

“Using your own name in vain?” Poseidon asked in a deep voice. “How simple of you.”

“Says the guy who couldn’t be bothered to buy a whole dress and instead chose half a skirt to save a few bucks.” Hades huffed out a laugh. “That’s probably not even real gold on your belt.”

“What do you want?” Poseidon asked Zeus, sparing a glance for Kieran as he walked by. He did a double take, and guilt and then indignation crossed his face. He’d done something naughty, that was clear.

“Well?” Zeus asked, gesturing at Kieran. “Did you do that?”

Poseidon’s shoulders sagged just a little. “I couldn’t ignore the situation. His mother was a great favorite among my people. Everyone lamented her ill treatment. Given your…rules, I was forbidden to interfere. What was I supposed to do? There was unrest. It had to be resolved. I merely gave a gift to her son, like a birthday present.”

“It was our mutual agreement, and you don’t think giving her son the gift of Demigod magic was interfering?” Zeus boomed.

Poseidon straightened, his expression hard. “It calmed my waters, and no, it was not interfering. I did not alter his mother’s future—she had made certain choices, and I left her to her path. The child’s future was yet undecided. I gave a kid a present, that’s all.”

My heart beat faster. My gaze settled on Kieran. I wouldn’t have agreed to see him again had he not given a present to my sick child. A blanket. Maybe Poseidon had done something greater than padding Kieran’s power—maybe he’d turned him off the path Valens had set for him.

If I hadn’t already been shell-shocked into paralysis, I would’ve fainted from the sheer enormity of all this.

“It’s not like he can say boo,” Hades said, hooking a thumb at Zeus. “He freed one of his favorites. That was definitely interfering. My people were all set to welcome the guy in, teach him how good sex could actually be, and lo and behold, he was ripped away by the god of thunder himself. Imagine…” Hades tsked. “Guess how many times he’s been laid since? Guess. Zero, that’s how many. I don’t think you did the guy a favor.”

Dylan unfroze, and his eyes widened immediately. He braced both hands on the floor and bent over them, his forehead nearly meeting the hard wood. “Your Almighty. I am humbled and honored to be in your presence. Please accept my gratitude.”

Zeus nodded at him before turning back to his brothers. “See how he greets me? Proper respect. You should do something about your line.” He nodded at me.