“We were in the process of sitting down to dinner when Lux sensed you coming. As long as the other members of the council aren’t with you, we can afford to stay the night like we’d planned.”
I glanced toward the dusky purple sky. “How far are we from Athens?”
“Half a day’s walk,” said Casey, and I groaned.
“James. You promised we weren’t far.”
“He knew we were here,” muttered Lux. “That’s why he dragged you out this far. To check on us.”
I rounded on James. “You dragged me out into the middle of nowhere to check on two people who clearly want nothing to do with you? And who have no problem punching your lights out?”
James shrugged sheepishly. “It’s been a while. I wanted to see how they were.”
A wolf howled in the distance, and all four of us turned in the same direction at once. It would’ve been funny had Lux and Casey not looked so terrified.
“You can either come with us or piss off. Doesn’t matter to me,” said Lux, tugging his brother in the opposite direction. This time Casey didn’t struggle.
They hurried off, and James started to follow, but I held him back. “We’re seriously going to have a sleepover with someone who just tried to grind your bones into dust?”
He shrugged. “They’re my brothers.”
“No, we’re not,” called Lux. “Casey’s my brother. You’re an unfortunate relation I try to forget exists.”
James grinned. “Can’t take it personally. They say that about the whole family. Come on, I haven’t caught up witidtaught uh them in ages—just one night.”
He gave me a pleading look that should’ve been illegal, and I groaned. “You’re an ass. There better be indoor plumbing.”
“There isn’t.”
I elbowed him. Hard.
“Coming or not?” called Lux, far enough away now that his voice was distant. I gave James one more good glare, and together we raced through the underbrush to catch up with the twins.
After half a mile of trudging through the forest, we came to an abandoned cottage hidden by deep thickets and tangles of vines. If Lux and Casey hadn’t led us to the front door, I would’ve missed it entirely. “It looks like it belongs in a fairy tale,” I said.
“Don’t get too attached.” Lux undid an old wooden latch and pushed open the door. The inside was dark, but he waved his hand, and a fire roared to life underneath a stone mantel. Everything inside looked straight out of a historical movie set—handcrafted furniture, not crude but certainly not made by machines. No sink or refrigerator, just a simple wooden table with two place settings. And a single bed that couldn’t possibly hold more than two people.
“It’s nice,” I said warily. “Cozy.”
Lux let out a bark of laughter. “It’s cramped and probably older than we are.”
“We use it on occasion,” said Casey, who was busying himself at the table. “Haven’t been back in a while though. Is anyone hungry? We managed to score some game on our way here.”
“Game?” I said.
“Yeah, rabbits.” Casey held up a platter full of sliced meat, and my stomach churned. “It’s not perfect, but it’s good enough.”
I shook my head. “We ate back at the hotel. Thanks though.”
“Who’s this we you speak of?” said James. “I’m starving.”
Casey smirked. It was easy to tell them apart when they were talking, but that look on his face reminded me entirely too much of his brother. He fixed two plates, heaping each with what had to be an entire rabbit. “Help yourself. Lux, eat.”
While James attacked his food, Lux grunted and sat down heavily at the table, digging in with his bare hands. I glanced at James, searching his face for some explanation as to why these two were living in the fifth century, but he was too busy chewing to notice.
“I’m sorry, we didn’t have the chance to introduce ourselves properly back in the forest.” Casey stepped toward me, a warm smile on his face as he offered me his hand. “I’m Casey, and this is my brother, Lux.”
“I gathered.” I smiled back and shook his hand. “I’m Kate Winters. I’m Henry’s new wife.”
“Henry?” said Casey. Behind him, James began to cough.
“Henry—Hades?” I said. “I’m Persephone’s replacement.”
Everyone stov hEveryonpped moving, as if someone had hit the pause button. James sat frozen, his eyes wide. Across from him, Lux stopped mid-chew. All three of them stared at me.
The fire crackled, and my face grew warm. It was the first time I’d called myself Henry’s wife out loud, and it was hard enough to say without this kind of reaction.
“Persephone’s gone?” said Casey after an unbearably long silence. I nodded.
“Sort of a long story, but she decided to give up her immortality. Henry was going to fade if he didn’t find someone new, so…” I shrugged. “The council tested me, and I’m his wife now.”
“And Queen of the Underworld?” he said slowly, as if he were trying to wrap his head around it.
James cleared his throat nervously. “She isn’t queen yet. They only just married a few days ago, and she’s on her six month sabbatical—”
Crash.
The sound of pottery shattering cut him off, and Lux pulled his fist from his broken plate. Bits of rabbit meat had splattered across the cottage, a large chunk landing in James’s hair, but neither twin said a word about it.
“Let me get this straight.” Lux rose, his muscles rippling underneath his flawless skin. “Not only did you hunt us down, something you’d promised you’d never do, but you brought Hades’s wife with you as well?”
While his eyes were focused on me, his head was tilted toward James, who looked ready to fly through the roof if that was what it took to get away from Lux. “I swear to you, she has no idea,” said James. “She was born mortal, and she has nothing to do—”
“That’s not the point. You think Hades isn’t watching every move she makes? You think they don’t know we’re here by now?”
“Lux.” Casey’s quiet voice cut through the air. “Shut up. Kate, you won’t tell anyone you saw us, right?”
I blinked. “I—of course not. What the hell’s going on?”