Chapter Two

Set wanted to strangle Apollo. It wasn't a new feeling, but so far, he'd managed to resist. He felt that should earn him a statue at the very least, but he didn't think Ra would agree with him.

Apollo had been living in Set's suite in the palace for several days. Set had thought he'd be able to avoid the Greek god and ignore him when they were both at home, but he'd been wrong.

So fucking wrong.

Apollo was everywhere. Set had hoped he'd stick to his room and would only leave it when they had meetings with the others, but of course, that wasn't how Apollo did things. Apollo's presence was obvious in every room except for Set's bedroom, and Set suspected that Apollo was planning to change that as soon as he could.

He looked around his living room. The loud music made the floor vibrate under his feet. He gritted his teeth. He'd known Apollo was the god of music, but he hadn't expected him to listen to it twenty-four-seven.

He also hadn't expected Apollo to be a slob.

Set eyed his coffee table. It was made of glass, but the only segments he could see of its surface were dirty. The rest of the table was covered in stuff that didn't belong to Set, including two dirty plates, a mug that might have once contained coffee, several books, a couple of phone chargers, and a bunch of other objects that Set wanted to blast with his power. He wondered what Apollo would do if he did that. Would he go running to Ra? Set wouldn't be surprised, and since he didn't want that kind of trouble, he decided he needed to be the first to talk to his grandfather.

Luckily, Apollo was nowhere to be seen, even though the music was playing. Set could have looked for him, but for what purpose? He'd already asked Apollo not to do any of this, but either Apollo hadn't heard him, or he'd decided that what he said didn't matter. It was tempting to kick him out, and Set almost had several times, but he reminded himself once again that Ra needed all the help he could get. Apollo was the god of the sun in his pantheon, just like Ra was the god of the sun in his. Their powers were similar enough that Apollo could help in a way no one else could.

Which was the only reason Set hadn't strangled him yet.

He turned around and left the room as quickly as he'd walked in. He felt better once the door to his suite was closed behind him, but he was still angry. He didn't like living at the palace, but Ra had asked that all the gods move back, and Set had agreed. With so much happening in the human realm, it made sense that all the gods needed to be together and ready to act when they had to.

But that meant that Set didn't have any place to run to when he needed peace. With Apollo having moved into his suite, Set was never alone. Even at night, he could hear Apollo moving through the apartment, playing music and making noise. Set was going to go nuts if he didn't do something.

The best thing would be to talk to Ra, which was what Set planned to do. Luckily, since Ra had ordered that most gods stay at the palace, he was there, too. Set was pretty sure he wished he could go back to the home he shared with Frey, but it would have to wait. In the meantime, the two of them were staying in Ra's suite, so that was where Set headed.

Ra opened the door almost as soon as Set knocked on it. He opened his mouth to speak, but Set pushed past him. Frey looked confused and sat up on the couch, but Set didn't give either of the gods time to ask what he was doing there.

He started pacing the length of the living room, ignoring the TV and the images flashing on the screen. "You need to find Apollo somewhere else to stay. I thought we could share living spaces, but it's impossible. He's a slob and noisy, and he's not scared of me. No matter how many times I threaten him, he just smiles and nods and goes back to doing whatever he was doing before. I'm going to strangle him eventually, and we'll be in trouble with the Greek pantheon. I don't think either of you want that to happen, do you?"

Ra arched a brow. "I thought you said you were fine with him staying with you."

Set glared. "I was until I realized the kind of person he is. He leaves dirty plates on every surface of the suite. He doesn't even have to eat, since he's a god! I'm pretty sure he's doing it on purpose to push me into a reaction, but I'm not giving in. I want him out, and I want you to tell him."

"I suspect it would be best if you told him," Ra pointed out. "It's your place, after all, and you agreed to let him stay."

Set threw his hands in the air. "I already talked to him. I told him to stop being so dirty and to lower the volume of his music, but he won't listen. He even sings, for fuck's sake."

"He's a bad singer?" Frey asked.

Set grumbled. "He's not. He's the god of music and poetry, and his voice is quite nice. He's just annoying. He's a guest in my suite. Shouldn't he do what I say? Shouldn't he at least try not to make a mess?"

Set hadn't been paying attention to the TV, but as he turned, he couldn't help but notice the images on the screen. He stopped pacing and focused on that, frowning when he realized what was happening. "He burned the entire country to the ground?"

Ra's expression turned serious. "He did. They refused to make him their only god, and this was his revenge."

Set swallowed. Everyone knew Apophis was cruel. He wanted power and wouldn't stop for anything to get it. Things had been bad last time, but this felt worse.

"We need to act as soon as possible," he murmured.

Ra nodded. "We do need to hurry."

"What's the plan, then? We've been having a bunch of meetings, but so far, we still don't know where to start."

Ra and Frey looked at each other. Frey rose from the couch and moved to be close to Ra, who wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

Set looked away. He could have all the lovers he wanted, and he did. He'd never found the kind of connection Ra had with Frey, though, not even with his wife. He barely even remembered he was married most days, and he was pretty sure he wouldn't recognize Nephthys if he saw her. They might be married, but they hadn't spent any time together for the past several thousand years. Divorce didn't exist between gods, but it didn't mean they put any value in their marriages.

But Ra put value in the relationship he had with Frey. It was obvious to anyone who saw them together, and while Set might have scoffed at the sight of Ra in love, part of him wondered if he could ever have that.

Set was the god of storms, disorders, violence, and a bunch of other things most people disliked. He was nothing like his grandfather. He was chaos and much closer to Apophis than he was to Ra. Who would want to be with him, especially with what Apophis was doing?

"We need to separate Apophis from his allies," Frey said. "That means finding the spy and taking care of them and of Maahes. Once we do that, Apophis will be weaker. He won't have as much support, and hopefully, that will mean we can defeat him."

That was the right approach. If they wanted to have a chance to defeat Apophis, they needed to get him as weak as they could. That meant taking away every god who supported him.

Thankfully, there weren't many. That might change in the future if they didn't act, but Set hoped they'd manage to get rid of Apophis before some of the minor gods decided to take a chance and ally with him.

No one had ever said gods were smart, and most of the gods in the Egyptian pantheon weren't. They went with the power, and at the moment, Apophis was the power. If they didn't stop him, he'd be even more powerful than Ra, and they'd lose any chance they might have to defeat him.

None of them could allow that to happen. The world wouldn't survive if Apophis became stronger and gained more allies.

It was time to act. Maybe Set could take his frustration out on Apophis and his allies rather than on Apollo, although he suspected he'd always be tempted to strangle the Greek god. He had a way to get under Set's skin that no one else had.

Set didn't plan to examine the reason behind that anytime soon.

* * * *

Apollo burst into the living room wearing the smallest pair of shorts he owned—and nothing else. He was already smiling at the thought of Set seeing him like this, and he had an answer ready for whatever Set was about to say.

But the living room was empty. Set was nowhere to be seen, and Apollo frowned, wondering where he'd gone. Why hadn't he warned Apollo that he was leaving the suite? Where had he gone?

Apollo pouted. He'd been planning to seduce Set, but it wasn't going great, and he didn't understand why. Usually, people fell over themselves to end up in Apollo's bed, but not Set. Apollo wasn't used to having to work for it, and while he didn't mind, it would be easier if he knew what to do.

He sighed and turned off the music. Since Apollo didn't know how long it would take Set to return, he didn't want to stay in the living room and wait. Besides, he'd wanted to explore the palace since he'd arrived and now felt like the perfect moment to do so. He was sure that if he asked Set to go with him, Set would tell him to fuck off. Apollo might as well not ask him and see what happened when he returned.

He went back to his bedroom to change. He wasn't sure what people would think of him if they saw him like this, but since he didn't want to be kicked out, he put on a shirt and exchanged his shorts for a pair of jeans. The Egyptian gods seemed a bit stuffy, so Apollo wouldn't be surprised if they decided he was underdressed because he had on a t-shirt, but he wasn't about to put on the white gown he saw many of the gods wear. It wasn't his style.

Set hadn't returned by the time Apollo was ready, so Apollo left the suite. He had no idea where he was going, but hopefully he'd find something to distract him. He'd come here to help the Egyptian gods, but so far, there had been nothing for him to do, and he never did well when he was bored.

He turned a corner and almost slammed into someone. The only reason he didn't was that he threw his hands forward and grabbed the person's arms, but the person squeaked and quickly stepped back. Apollo looked down at the goddess, trying to place her. He knew the most important gods and goddesses in the Egyptian pantheon, but he didn't recognize this one.

He bowed lightly. "I'm sorry about that. My name is Apollo." He needed to introduce himself to the people who didn't know who he was before they decided he was an intruder.

The goddess raised her chin. "I know who you are."

Apollo grinned. "Most people do." The goddess blinked, looking like she didn't know what to say. That was how people usually felt when they spoke to Apollo, so he wasn't offended. "I didn't catch your name."

The goddess hesitated, and for a moment, Apollo didn't think she would tell him who she was. He didn't think it made a difference. He'd probably never talk to her again, but if he was going to stick around, he wanted to know the people around him.

She nodded stiffly. "Tefnut."

Apollo vaguely remembered the name, but he couldn't place it. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"May I ask what you're doing?"

Apollo waved. "Exploring. Set's quite boring."

She blinked. "He is?"

"He left me all alone, and I don't know where he is. I promise I won't enter anyone's private space. I just don't want to be stuck in Set's suite forever."

"I understand. I thought you were here to help us against Apophis, though."

"I am, but right now, there's nothing for me to do."

She continued to stare, and Apollo wondered what she was thinking. There was still time for her to start screaming that there was an intruder.

"I was surprised to find out that Ra trusts gods from another pantheon," Tefnut said.

"I'm not sure why you were. From what I know, Loki has been spending most of his time here for a while."

"He's been around for a long time, but you haven't. You've only appeared recently, and people wonder why. What help can you be in our fight against Apophis? What are you planning to do?"

Apollo had enough of this interrogation. He didn't want to be rude, but he had plans to explore the palace, and this conversation wasn't part of those plans. He bowed lightly and stepped away from Tefnut. "I just want to help. So far, I don't know how I'll do it, but I'm sure Ra will find something I can do. Have a good day."

Since she didn't move to leave, Apollo did. He turned and quickly went down the hallway, then turned a corner. He had no idea where he was going, but he knew better than to open doors, so he stuck to the hallways.

Eventually, he found a garden. He could hear people talking, so he stepped out, already smiling.

As a god, Apollo had seen beautiful things over the thousands of years he'd lived, but the garden was incredible. There were plants everywhere, along with fountains, and in several nooks and crannies, statues of the gods. Apollo could see benches and a few tables, which was where he found the people talking.

His smile widened. He could tell these two weren't gods, but he'd seen them at the meeting. From what he remembered, they were dating two of the gods, and he was curious.

He'd dated humans, but never dead humans.

He flopped onto the bench next to one of the men, who arched a brow at him. Apollo just beamed, knowing that his smile always went a long way to making people comfortable around him.

The man rolled his eyes. "Sure. Why don't you sit down?"

Apollo bounced a bit. "Thank you. What were the two of you talking about?"

The man on the other side of the bench offered Apollo his hand. "I don't know if we've ever been formally introduced, but I don't think so. I'm Lance, and this is Barnaby."

Apollo had never understood the need for humans to shake hands, but he knew about the tradition, so he did it. Thankfully, Lance's hand wasn't sweaty or anything like that. Maybe it was because he was dead. "I'm Apollo."

Barnaby snorted. "We're aware. I'm surprised Set allowed you out of his sight."

"He wasn't in the suite when I left."

"He's going to freak out when he goes back and doesn't find you."

"Probably. If you hear yelling, it'll be him."

Barnaby chuckled. "I understand why he doesn't like you, but it's the same reason I like you. I wasn't sure what to think of you initially, but I think you'll be good for Set. He's way too serious for his own good."

That pleased Apollo. "Unfortunately, I haven't made any progress yet, but I'm sure I will eventually. He's tough."

"From what I saw, he's used to keeping people at arm's length," Lance offered. "It probably has to do with the kind of god he is. It's not easy to be the god of violence."

Apollo wouldn't know, since he was the god of the sun and a lot of good things, but he suspected Lance was right. "Maybe I need to do something to impress him." It might not be easy to be the god of violence, but Set wasn't the kind of person who thought there was anything wrong with that. He wasn't ashamed of who he was. "I just need him to see me as more than a useless god."

"How do you plan to do that?"

Apollo got to his feet. Barnaby and Lance looked alarmed, which was pretty normal when it came to Apollo's ideas. People usually told him he was crazy, but he didn't think he was. "I'm going to defeat Apophis."

"What do you mean?" Barnaby asked.

"Exactly what I said. I'll defeat Apophis, and Set will see that I'm worthy of him."

"Maybe you could just talk to him," Lance offered.

But Apollo had made his decision. If he wanted Set to notice him, he needed to do something big, and what better than to defeat the god everyone was worried about?

He grinned at Barnaby and Lance. "Thank you so very much for giving me this idea. Soon Apophis will only be a memory, and Set will be mine." Apollo needed to go back to his room. He had a few people to contact, and he needed to find Apophis.

It felt good to have a plan. Apollo couldn't wait to see Set's face when he told him Apophis was gone.

* * * *

A knock on the door made Set scowl. He and Ra were busy talking about Apophis, and they didn't need to be interrupted. He didn't expect Frey and Ra to ignore the knock, though, so he wasn't surprised when Frey got up and went to open.

Barnaby and Lance barged in. Set dismissed them, turning back to Ra, but he couldn't ignore what they were saying.

"We think Apollo has gone to defeat Apophis on his own."

Set snapped his mouth shut. That couldn't be right. Even Apollo couldn't be that stupid, could he?

Set groaned. Of course Apollo could be that stupid. He was an idiot.

"What happened?" he asked as he got to his feet.

Lance shook his head. "I'm honestly not sure. The three of us were talking in the garden, and he said he wanted to impress you. I don't know why he decided that the best way to do that was to defeat Apophis on his own, but that's what he said he'd do before rushing away."

Set frowned. "Why would he want to impress me?"

"You can't tell me you haven't noticed he wants in your pants," Barnaby said.

Set smoothed down his suit jacket. "Why would he have to defeat Apophis to do that?"

"You tell me."

Set glared at the human. "This is ridiculous. Apollo has to know no one can defeat Apophis by themselves, not even a sun god. Ra wasn't able to do so." He moved toward the door. "I have to go after him. He's going to get himself killed."

Ra put a hand on Set's arm. "I think that going after him would be the worst thing to do."

"What are you talking about? You can't want Apollo to get hurt because he's an idiot."

"I don't believe he's an idiot. I doubt he can defeat Apophis, but he's a powerful god. Apophis won't expect him, and he's never fought him. He's never fought anyone from another pantheon, and while I don't expect Apollo to defeat him, this could still be to our advantage."

Lance cleared his throat. "Apophis has fought Apollo. Remember that press conference?"

Set did remember the press conference, just like he remembered it hadn't gone well. "You can't expect me to stay back while he gets himself into trouble."

"We don't know what's going to happen. Besides, how can either of you find Apophis? No one knows where he is."

That much was true, and it helped Set feel better, but he couldn't help but think that Apollo would find a way. He always seemed to, even when he shouldn't.

Set didn't want Apollo to die. He shouldn't care about him, because he was annoying and didn't matter, but Set didn't want a war to start with the Greek pantheon.

Or at least, that was the excuse he told himself.

"He's probably going to walk around the palace for a bit and maybe go to the human realm, but I doubt he can find Apophis," Frey said. "He'll stay out of your way for a while, though. Isn't that what you wanted?"

Set nodded stiffly and sat back down. It was what he wanted. He wanted Apollo to stay away from him, and it looked like, for now, that was what he'd get. He should be happy about it. Apollo was annoying, a slob, and never shut up. He always had a lot of questions about things Set would never tell anyone, let alone him, and he didn't seem to care when he didn't get answers. Set could have a little peace while Apollo attempted to find Apophis.

Why did that not make Set happier? Why was he worried about Apollo?

Ra wasn't wrong. Apollo might be an idiot, but he was a powerful god in his pantheon, and he was the god of the sun. In his own way, he was the balance for Apophis, just like Ra. They might not belong to the same pantheon, but pantheons mirrored each other. That was why both Apollo and Ra were the gods of the sun.

Apollo would be all right. He always was.

But for some reason, Set didn't quite believe it.

* * * *

Hermes eyed the house he and Apollo were standing in front of. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"I don't see why it shouldn't be. I'm the sun god, and he's the god of darkness and chaos. I should be able to defeat him."

"It's that should that bothers me. If even his own pantheon isn't able to defeat him, what makes you think you will?"

Hermes wasn't wrong, and Apollo was a little worried. He made sure not to let Hermes notice, though. He didn't want anyone to think he wasn't convinced of what he was doing. "Maybe I don't have to defeat him right away. I could ask him why he's doing what he's doing."

Hermes snorted. "I'm sure that'll go down well. Why do you think he's doing all of this? Because he's an asshole."

Hermes was probably right. Apophis did look and sound like an asshole, and Apollo doubted he'd listen to him. If it was as easy as asking him to please stop throwing a hissy fit, someone would have already done it.

Apollo hadn't known where to find Apophis, but Hermes always seemed to know everything, and as the herald of the gods and protector of travelers, Apollo had been sure he'd be able to tell him where Apophis was.

He'd been right. Hermes hadn't been happy about it, but he'd shown Apollo where Apophis lived.

Apollo wasn't surprised to see it was in a garish mansion. He was surprised to find Apophis in the United States, but he doubted Apophis would stay there for long. With his power and everything he was doing, he could have whatever house he wanted in whatever country he desired. This was probably just a pitstop for him.

Apollo cracked his knuckles. "Wish me luck."

"I hope you won't regret this," Hermes said instead.

Apollo hoped the same. He'd made a lot of stupid decisions in his life, and this felt like it might be one of those. He was here now, though, so he might as well get it over with. Hopefully, he'd have something to show Set by the time this was over.

And hopefully, that something wouldn't be his blood and entrails.

Since he wasn't sure where to start, he strode straight to the front door and knocked. He had to wait for what felt like forever before someone opened, and when they did, he understood why it had taken them so long.

The human looked terrified. She stared at Apollo with wide eyes and cowered as if she expected him to hurt her.

Apollo didn't have to ask to know that she didn't like her new boss. He beamed. "Is Apophis in?"

"Yes," the woman said in a whisper.

Apollo gently pushed past her. "Good. I'll find him myself."

Apollo had no intention of exploring the entire house because it was massive, so he just yelled, "Apophis!"

He then stood in the foyer, waiting for the monster to arrive. The woman squeaked and scurried away. The entrance looked a bit like Zeus's palace on Mount Olympus. Whoever had built this house seemed to have used the earth's entire supply of marble. Between that and the gold accents, the entrance was cold. There was no furniture, just doors that opened into the rest of the house and a massive staircase that led upstairs. There wasn't even a carpet.

"I recognize you."

Apollo turned toward the stairs. Apophis was descending, and he was a contrast to the house. The house was all gold and white marble, but Apophis was dark. He wore a dark suit, and his black hair was tied back away from his face. His eyes were entirely black, which was slightly unsettling. He looked a bit like Set, but there was no warmth in his gaze or any of his movements.

"I'm Apollo, from the Greek pantheon," Apollo explained.

"Why are you here?"

"Well, I wanted to ask why you're doing all of this. To me, it doesn't make sense. It's great to have power and all of that, but if you kill half of your followers, it feels a little useless. Humans are more useful than you'd think, and I really believe you should give them a chance instead of killing them."

"You're here to ask me to stop killing humans?"

"I think it would be the best way to do this. If you don't stop, I'll have to fight you."

Apophis arched a brow. "Will you? Well, I have no intention of stopping. In fact, I won't stop until the entire human realm is mine and all the gods have been eliminated." He cocked his head. "Starting with you."

He was fast, but Apollo had expected an attack. When Apophis rushed toward him, Apollo threw a hand in front of himself. His sword appeared, its light blinding. Apollo was used to it, so he had no problem seeing through the light, but Apophis had to close his eyes.

That didn't stop him. Apollo brandished his sword just as Apophis crashed against him. Apollo had no idea where Apophis had gotten the two long knives he was fighting with, but he didn't think it mattered.

What did matter was that Apophis seemed intent on killing Apollo with them.

Apophis pushed away, and Apollo twirled. He raised his sword again, the clash of steel against steel loud in the otherwise empty room. He put a little more power into his sword and slashed at Apophis, but the god of chaos danced out of the way.

Apollo suspected he'd miscalculated. He'd thought he could get rid of Apophis on his own, but from the way Apophis countered his attacks, he was starting to doubt that. Their previous fight had been short, and he'd had help then. He didn't this time.

He might be in trouble.

But he wouldn't allow Apophis to see he was worried. He pushed forward, intent on using his sword against the other god. Even if he could only wound him, he'd be happy.

Apophis feigned right, then tried to attack on the left, but Apollo anticipated him. He managed to slide his sword against Apophis's arm, ripping his black suit. He didn't have time to see if Apophis was bleeding, but he felt smug at the thought that he'd hurt the god.

He heard the sound of someone behind him just in time to twist his upper body. It was the only thing that saved him because the knife had been aimed at his heart. The man who wielded it didn't hesitate even one second, and the knife sank into Apollo's shoulder.

He hissed with pain and raised his sword, pushing the new god away.

Apollo had no doubt this was a god and that he was Apophis's ally. He knew Apophis had at least one of them, probably more. "I didn't expect you to need help," Apollo taunted. His shoulder hurt, but he'd rather die than show it.

Apophis's eyes narrowed. "I don't need help to defeat you."

"Really? Because to me, it looks like you do. He didn't even attack me from the front. He thought he'd stab me in the back and kill me before I could see him. He's a coward, and I wonder if you are, too."

Apophis screeched and rushed forward with both of his knives aimed at Apollo's heart.

Apollo had had enough of being a pincushion, though, and he quickly teleported away.

He landed in the middle of Set's living room. "That could have gone better," he murmured as he made his sword vanish and turned his attention to his shoulder.

"What the fuck were you thinking?" Set bellowed as he rushed closer.

Apollo blinked. "What happened?"

Set glared. "What happened? Shouldn't I be the one asking you that since you have a knife sticking out of your shoulder?"

"It's nothing. Apophis's guard dog scratched me."

Set sucked in a breath. "We're going to have a long conversation about this kind of behavior, but I'll take care of your wound first."

Apollo could have healed himself in seconds, but Set was offering to do it for him, and he wanted that. Maybe if he played his cards right, his little trip to the human realm would get him what he wanted.

Set's attention.