Chapter Seven

It had been years since I'd been to Hermes's territory, but from what I could recall, it hadn't changed much. At least not on first inspection. He, like Pan and a few other Greek gods, didn't live on Olympus but on a private island in the waters around Olympus. Most of the island was enclosed by a massive iron wall with a single gate. We traced outside of that wall, into a building that looked like the entrance to a subway station, and stepped out into a little parking lot before the gate where several cars were parked. With the size of our group, we had to take two of them. I went in the lead vehicle with Pan, Odin, and Re.

Pan started the car, drove up to the gate, and pressed a button on the console. “This is Pan. I have them. Let us in.”

The gates slid open without a sound, and we drove into a modern city of glass and steel skyscrapers that I had once dubbed Hermopolis. The last time I'd been there, I'd been anxious and angry, searching for my abducted daughter. I thought Hermes had taken her. I was wrong. Hermes had a child taken from him once too, and once you know that pain, it's nearly impossible to inflict it upon another. Because of that shared trauma, he had helped me look for Lesya. And because of that kindness, I had come to help him.

I remember those who have done me a good turn. Especially if it involves my children.

Pan drove down paved city streets that would have been right at home in any metropolitan city on Earth. Well, maybe in Europe because this city was spotless. Even the roads. It also appeared to be wired for electricity. I mention this because most god territories have light sources that you can't see. It's simply bright or dark, depending on the will of the territory's god. I preferred lamps to god light. I like to see where my light is coming from. It makes things feel more normal while a general illumination makes me feel as if I were in an alien world. Which I kinda was, but I didn't want to feel that way.

Anyway, back to Hermopolis. I liked that Hermes had opted for the same human style that I had. Granted, I was more of a country girl, but it was the human part that I responded well to. There were streetlamps lining the asphalt roads and at night, there would be lights seen in the buildings. We continued past many buildings on the way to the fortress in the center of the city. Yet another iron wall guarded it, but it opened as soon as we approached.

The fortress was more of a compound of buildings. The only one I had been in was the Art déco skyscraper styled after the Daily Star from the Superman comics. That building housed the Hermes Herald. But it wasn't where Pan took us. He parked before a mansion that stood to the left of the Herald—a structure more wood than steel.

“We've gone from Superman to Batman,” I said.

“What do you mean?” Pan asked me.

“Oh, the buildings.” I waved from the sprawling English manor before us, complete with gardens that doubtless continued behind it, to the towering Art déco skyscraper off to the right. “That's straight out of Superman and this is so Bruce Wayne.”

Pan blinked. Stared at his father's house. Cleared his throat. “Actually, I seem to remember him mentioning Wayne Manor when he redesigned this place in the nineties.”

I snorted. “I'm not surprised. Hermes likes superheroes, huh?”

“Yeah. He has a huge collection of comics.” Pan sighed and got out of the car, muttering, “But Batman has lost his suit.”

I got out of the car. “Is that the best comparison? Wouldn't it be more like he's lost his butler? The butler did everything for him. What was that guy's name?”

“Pennyworth!” Viper said as he came over to us with the others.

“Yeah, him.” I pointed at Viper.

“But all of his power came from his suit,” Pan argued as we headed for the front door of Wayne Manor.

I mean Hermes Manor. No, that sounds stupid. Hermanor? No, even worse. Messenger God Manor. There. I like that one.

The door opened before we reached it and an Angel appeared. Leave it to Hermes to have a winged butler. A woman, no less. And she was gorgeous, with long blonde hair, porcelain skin, and bright blue eyes. So very feminine that even the jeans and T-shirt she wore couldn't detract from her delicate looks.

Then she scowled at Pan and ruined it. “It's about time.”

“I've barely been gone ten minutes,” Pan huffed.

“Well, the rest of your friends are getting on my nerves.” She stood back so we could enter. “Hey,” she said to me. “I'm Angelia. Thanks for coming.”

“Sure,” I said. Then I processed her name. “Angelia? You're the one who got taken when you were a child.”

“So they tell me,” she said and shrugged. “I don't remember it. And I don't let it define me. Especially since I'm not a well-known goddess. My biggest claim to fame is my name.”

“Why is that?” Viper asked .

“Angelia,” Re said slowly.

“Yeah, it's pretty. So?”

Angelia chuckled. “Yup. That's about right. Even that isn't well known.”

“She is the original Angel ,” I said to Viper as I waved at Angelia's wings. “It's where the word comes from.”

“Ah!” Viper declared. “Every word has a Greek origin,” he said in a bad Greek accent. “Give me a word and I tell you what Greek word it is from.”

I snorted at his poor quoting of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.” Still, he tried, and I loved a movie reference. “Well done, babe.”

“Thanks!”

“Why do you encourage him?” Re drawled.

“I don't know if that's true,” Azrael said.

“What?” I looked at him. “Me encouraging Viper? I totally do.”

“No, the Angel thing.” He grimaced at Angelia. “Sorry, but I've always heard the source of our name comes from the Greek word 'angelos.'”

“Yes, which means messenger ,” Angelia said in a duh tone. “Where do you think that comes from?” She lifted her brows at him.

“Oh,” Az said. “Well, then, it's an honor to meet you, name-source-of-my-race.” He shook her hand.

She snorted. “Yeah, whatever. It's this way.”

As Angelia led us through the wood-paneled corridors, I slid up beside her. “So, you don't remember any part of your abduction?”

“No, and I don't want to.” Angelia slid a look my way. “You worried about your daughter remembering that shit?”

“A bit. She wasn't mistreated, but she was away from us for a while.”

“I doubt she'll remember anything. Maybe a few random images. If you don't talk to her about it, she'll think it was a dream. I recommend that. I prefer not remembering. I wish I hadn't been told about it at all.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. But I did all right even knowing. It didn't hurt or hinder my growth as a person. I've got me a place on Olympus now. I'm even dating someone. I'm happy. Normal. I'm sure your daughter will be fine too.”

“Good. And thank you for the advice. I'll take it.”

She grinned. “My pleasure, Godhunter. I know my dad isn't all that fond of you, but I admire what you've done. Well, most of it. That shit in the Middle East was whack. But I heard you were possessed or something.”

“Sort of, yes.”

“Then I won't hold you accountable for it.” She smacked my shoulder with a wing. “I like a woman with balls.”

“Are you talking about Hermaphroditus?” Pan teased.

“Oh, shut up,” Angelia slung over her shoulder. “That would be gross; they're my sibling.”

“They?” I looked back at Pan.

“Just as Angelia's name is the origin of the word 'angel,' Hermaphroditus's name is the origin of the word 'hermaphrodite.' Their pronouns are they/them. They have a woman's body with a cock and balls. Very impressive ones, I might add.”

“Gross!” Angelia growled. “Don't talk about our sibling's sex parts.”

“Why not? They don't care. They whip it out if you ask them to.”

“They,” I whispered again. “The whole they/them thing was here first?”

“Of course,” Pan said. “The Greeks start everything.”

Odin cleared his throat. “Not everything, Pan. May I remind you that the days of the week are in honor of Norse Gods?”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Pan said. “But we got everything else.”

“No fighting!” Kirill said. “Ve are here.”

Sure enough, the doorway ahead of us framed Thor, who was seated at a table—the end, as he preferred. He was speaking to someone, waving his hand about as he did, and then he glanced our way.

Thor's expression went relieved. “They're here.”

We entered the room to find the God Squad, Hermes, his girlfriend Panacea, and several other people I didn't know.

“You told me you'd be here in the morning, Godhunter,” Hermes said. “It's nearly afternoon! And don't tell me there's a time difference. I happen to know that the Greek Territory has the exact same time as yours.”

“Dad, I keep telling you that they're parents,” Pan said. “They had to take care of their children before coming.”

“We all needed time to sleep, awake, eat, and dress,” Thor added. “It has only now been an appropriate amount of time for that. Which is why the rest of us have only just arrived as well. And it is only 10:30, Hermes. That is morning.”

“I know that,” Hermes said in a confused tone. “I think I know that. Damn it all!”

“It's all right, Dad,” Pan said. “V is gonna take a look around. If anyone can find the thief, it's her.”

“With Torrent's help,” I said and winked at Torr. “If there is a trail, Torrent can take me through the Aether to follow it.”

“Impossible,” one of the strangers said.

“No, I've seen him do it,” Pan said.

The man scowled at Pan.

“These are my siblings,” Pan said to me. “Should I make introductions?”

I was about to give in, despite the fact that there had to be nearly twenty of them, but Hermes saved me with rudeness.

“There's no time for that!” Hermes declared. “Godhunter and family, this is my family. Now, come with me, Vervain. I'll show you where I kept the snakes.”

“Caduceus, Dad,” all of his children said at once.

“I know!” Hermes roared.

“All right, that's enough,” Panacea said as she took Hermes's hand. “It's his staff. He can call it whatever he wants. Stop correcting him. He's your father. You will show him respect!”

“Thank you, sweetheart,” Hermes said.

Panacea's name was the origin of a word too. Actually, I'm not sure if you call it an origin if it's the same word, just not a name. A panacea is a remedy for all diseases and so she was a goddess of healing. I had gone to her and her sisters, including the Goddess Hygeia, during my pregnancy with Lesya. They saved Lesya's life by putting her in a magical incubator when I was injured in a war—Ragnarok, no less. Or the start of it. I think we technically stopped it before it finished.

Anyway, it looked as if Panacea was good at helping all ages of people, not just pregnant women and babies. She calmed Hermes enough that he was able to focus and lead us out of the room.