Chapter 1

The phone rang,and given I had caller ID, I answered, "What do you want, French fry? Shouldn't you be banging your new husband right about now?"

Frieda, my sister—who hated the nickname French fry—had chosen to take up residence in Britain, of all places, putting her about six hours ahead.

"One, we make love. Two, it's only nine o'clock. And three, you might want to stay inside today."

I glanced out the window to see sunny skies. "It's a gorgeous day, and Jinx needs a walk." Jinx being the love of my life, a temperamental Pomeranian who only loved me—which I was totally fine with.

"If you leave, you are going to become embroiled in something life-altering," my sister warned.

"Really?" Well, that might be a nice change. Ever since I'd returned from my trip abroad, I'd been bored. More so than usual. What was the point of having inherited all kinds of magic only to have nowhere to use it?

"I see danger ahead for you," Frieda added.

"Sweet."

"You sound just like Enyo when I try to caution her about her choices," Frieda complained.

My sister could see the future and often used it to nag us. You'd think after almost four decades of knowing each other, she'd have learned we didn't like the easiest road. I wanted a challenge, whether it be in business or pleasure.

"Excuse me for craving some action."

"That action might get you killed," she grumbled.

"Now you're talking. Is this the kind of danger I can blast to bits?" I'd been practicing my aim, seeing as how I'd recently had reason to invoke combat magic. I dared anyone to tell me it wasn't awesome that I could shoot lightning from my fingertips.

"I swear, I don't know why I bother." Frieda sighed.

"Admit it, you called because you miss me."

"Miss what? You bullying me to leave the apartment? Mocking my clothes? Telling me a dozen times a day to get laid?"

"You whine, and yet look at you now. Living in a different country, getting railed on a daily basis. The only thing you still need to work on is your wardrobe." How I had a sister who thought it was okay to match flowered leggings with a striped shirt was beyond me.

"I see you're going to be contrary, so I'm going to hang up now, but with just one more caution for you to ignore. Keep in mind that evil sorceresses who try to rule the world often end up dead."

"Do you think I could be evil?" I asked, perusing myself in the mirror by my main door. I wore a cute jogging outfit—not that I jogged—in a light pink with "Juicy" spelled out in glittery letters across my butt.

"Aren't you already?" was her sour reply.

My lips curved. "No, but I could be."

"I don't know why I bother. Bye. Oh, and say hi for me."

Before I could ask "Say hi to who?" she'd severed the connection, but I didn't mind. According to her, today was about to get interesting.

"Jinx!" I called my dog, who, of course, didn't deign to reply. She really hated it when I treated her like a dog. Apparently, she thought herself above not only her own kind but humans too.

I found her in my bedroom, lying atop my pillow, shedding hair on it. Every night I changed the casing for it lest I choke on a strand. It had happened before, usually at three a.m.

My dog didn't look at me, the human who dared interrupt her nap.

I crooned, "Does baby want to go for a walk?"

Boing.My dog sprang to her feet, her poufy body hiding her short legs. Her tail wagged frantically as she smiled. Yes, smiled. Jinx did love her walks.

"Let's put a harness dress on. What do you think, polka dots or flowers today?" I had several drawers in the front hall dedicated to outfits for my dog, from adorable frothy dresses to a rubber-ducky-covered raincoat with matching booties. Jinx eschewed my suggestion of a very bright red halter dress with matching leash and chose instead a pink vest studded with rhinestones. Despite the sun, the fall weather had arrived with a sharp wind, so I wore a warm sherpa coat and ankle-high black boots. Like I said, I don't jog.

We exited the apartment building to bright sunshine, my sudden squint making me wish I'd brought my sunglasses. I breathed in the fresh air of the outdoors, marred by the distinctive reek of cigar smoke. Rare nowadays, given most people had moved to vaping.

A glance showed a figure in a pea coat over slacks, with neatly coiffed hair and a freshly shaven jaw. The gentleman cut a rather elegant figure, though, and had to be new to the neighborhood since we'd never met. Yes, I was nosy enough to want to know who lived on my block. Annoying people were subtly encouraged to move, like that shrill priss who used to live across the street and thought she could lecture me on the joys of veganism. She crossed a line when she started in on my beloved Jinx, claiming some bullshit about pet ownership was akin to slavery and should be abolished. She even dared to unclip the leash and tell my dog to run free.

At the time, a less-than-impressed Jinx glanced at me, and I'd shrugged and said, "Your choice, baby." Baby chose to chase the annoying twat before returning to me with a smirk. Slave my ass. If anyone held the upper hand in our relationship, it was my dog.

Given that neighbor didn't learn her lesson and kept haranguing, a few minor spells led to her breaking her lease early. I wondered if it was the roaches or the food constantly rotting in her fridge that led to her snapping.

The gentleman standing at the bottom of my stoop smiled in my direction and my tummy fluttered. What a handsome specimen. He had a matching sexy, deep voice too. "Lovely afternoon, isn't it?"

The weather. The inane conversation starter used by people around the world. "We don't have many left before winter."

"Indeed, we don't, Ms. Grae."

I stiffened. "Excuse me? How do you know my name? Who are you?" My suspicious side immediately wanted to know because this was obviously no chance encounter.

"Not going to guess?"

"I don't play games."

"No, you're usually very direct. A commendable trait."

"You speak as if you know me."

"Because I do. You and I are closely linked."

At that claim, I snorted. "What kind of lame line is that? I don't know you."

"True, and yet that doesn't negate the fact you and I are bound. As are your sisters."

The mention of my siblings had me narrowing my gaze. "Is this your way of saying you're my daddy?" I eyed him up and down. "Damn, you must have been a toddler when you impregnated Mom."

His brows rose. "I am not your father."

"Is what Luke wishes Vader had said," I mumbled.

"What? Who is this Luke?"

The way he spoke niggled at me. Like, who didn't know the infamous Luke and that line from the movie? Somebody who'd not been exposed to any kind of media. Which was impossible if you lived anywhere on Earth these days, unless… "Are you going to keep playing word games, or are you going to tell me who you are?"

"Can't you guess?"

I crossed my arms.

"I'm the god of monsters, but you may call me Typhon, seeing how you are going to help me retrieve my magic."

I blinked at him then took my time sizing him up. Tall, well over six feet I realized. I stood on the stoop and still wasn't eye-to-eye with him. Broad of shoulder, clean-shaven, impeccably dressed. Had to admit, he cleaned up nice. The last time I'd seen Typhon we were in Ariadne's throne room, and he wore a billowing cloak that covered him head to toe, concealing his face.

"You don't look like the god of monsters. Aren't you supposed to have several heads?"

"I can take a monstrous shape if needed, but given humans are easily frightened, this form tends to cause fewer problems."

I cocked my head. "How do I know you are who you say you are?"

He arched a brow. "Do you often have men introducing themselves as gods?"

"Yes," I pertly replied. Then I added, "Usually, they're claiming to be a god in the bedroom."

"In my day, people didn't pretend lest a true god smite them," he grumbled.

"Welcome to the modern age."

I went to step past him, and he growled. "Where are you going?"

"To walk my dog." A dog who'd not barked at him, as she normally did with strangers. On the contrary, Jinx acted like a little lady, standing by my side, looking aloof and adorable.

"I'm not done speaking with you."

"Then make an appointment. I'm busy."

"I'd hardly call walking a mongrel busy."

"Excuse me, I'll have you know Jinx is a pure-bred Pomeranian. Her parents were show dogs. She's got an impeccable pedigree."

His lip curled. "She's barely snack sized."

"Talk about eating my dog one more time and I won't be responsible for what happens," I snapped. I didn't tolerate insults about me or my sweet dog.

"Exactly what do you think you can do? I'm a god."

"Former god. Given you haven't regained the power Ariadne stole from you, you're barely a step above human."

That brought a mighty glower to his handsome face. "You are trying my patience."

"And you're wasting my time," was my sassy reply. I wiggled my fingers, meaning to teach him a lesson, but rather than giving him a super wedgie, I found my thong riding up my ass crack. Ouch.

My lips parted. "What just happened?"

He smirked. "Have you already forgotten whose blessing you carry?"

My lips pinched, mostly because I didn't want to admit it had slipped my mind that, technically, my magic came from him. It could be confusing, seeing how my mother filched my and my sisters' power from Ariadne, who, in turn, had stolen her magic from the monster god.

What I'd not known until now was my magic couldn't be used against him. "Is this your way of saying you're immune to me?"

"Is that a problem?" he asked in that deep voice of his.

I wanted to say yes, but in actuality, this was kind of interesting. A man I couldn't punish or magic into obeying. But the fact he could fuck with my powers did leave me with an interesting question. "If I can't use your own blessing against you, then does that mean Ariadne can't either?" Ariadne being the twatwaffle I'd recently gone up against with my sisters. She'd escaped into some portal to another world rather than give back what she stole.

"Correct. So long as I'm stuck with this"—he pulled loose his tie and undid the top button of his shirt to show me a metal collar around his neck—"she has access to my powers, but can't use my magic against me."

The ugly thing gave me a chill. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to be cut off from my source of power. To have someone siphon it from me, making me weak.

"Well, at least you don't have to worry about her anymore. She's gone."

"For now. She will return to finish what she began, unless we find her first." His ominous prediction was a reminder that Ariadne planned to kill the monster god and permanently take his power.

"Sounds like a you problem."

"Don't be so sure of that. We are bound, you and I."

I laughed. "No, we're not. And I can prove it." With my chin lifted, I walked away, because if there was one thing self-important people hated, it was being ignored.