“Free Zeus,” Ares urged. “You have to anyway, as per our arrangement. Best you utilize his power now. He’s certainly many steps above all of us. He can be an asset.”
Cronus stared him down like he was a maggot. “Many steps above all of us?”
Ares shifted his stance. “I meant … us, the gods.” He lowered his head.
#LearnSomeDamnRespectBoi
Cronus took a deep breath. “Zeus doesn’t want to stop the sins. He wants to release their power into the world because he thinks he’s strong enough to control them. I’m not sure his sort of help is actually going to do anything but damn us further.”
Ares shrugged. “I’m sure you can figure out a way to ensure his cooperation. You’re going to need him.”
Rhea sighed. “Let me talk to him. I’m his mother … surely I can convince him that this is the best for everyone, including the Greek pantheon.”
“No. We don’t need him,” Cronus decided.
Hyperion approached Cronus, lowering his voice. “Zeus has the adoration of millions. They have entire university classes dedicated to his study.”
Cronus looked like he was thinking of punching his closest friend. They definitely had some unfinished business between them. Tensions were high. “So?” he said dismissively.
Hyperion sighed. “So this makes him powerful. A power we will likely need to keep the world from ending. If the world ends, he cannot be adored. Let Rhea get Zeus on board.”
#YouTellHimBabyDaddy
Cronus looked torn, but eventually nodded. “Fine. Rhea will talk to him, but do not release him without my say-so. I want to hear his promise, forged in power, before I release that lock on the prison.”
Rhea curled her lip at her ex-husband, but she still nodded her agreement before she disappeared.
“Is there no one else?” I asked, because Zeus was a loose cannon and even with this promise I wouldn’t trust him. “And what are we going to do about the container to keep the sins once you have them all?”
We’d been down this path. No box was strong enough to hold them.
It needed to happen though. That way I could have my Titan back at full strength.
Cronus rubbed a hand across his face, and then, like he couldn’t help himself, reached out and wrapped his hands around me, hauling me into his body. A deep breath left him. “I fucking needed that,” he murmured against my skin. He was pouring off heat, and his energy felt … different than usual. Like it was heavier or something.
Whatever was happening with the sins, he was definitely on the edge of losing control. For a brief moment I wondered what that might look like.
#ShouldIPushALittleHarder
“The world chaos is calming down,” Hyperion said out of nowhere. Cronus and I pulled apart enough to see him. He was looking down at a smartphone.
#WhenDidHeGetThat #AndIsHeFollowingMe
“The news is reporting an easing in the death and destruction…” He trailed off, blinking rapidly in confusion.
Cronus on the other hand, didn’t look confused at all when I turned back to him. He looked pale.
“It’s the calm before the storm,” he said shortly. “They’re together now and they’re going to form one nearly unstoppable entity.”
“Faminefrostfiredeath,” I said in one breath. “Gonna need a nickname for it.”
My attempt to lighten the mood didn’t really work, and no one came up with any suggestion, so I decided to work on it more later.
#MaybeTheDeathSquad #IronicallyAccurate
“I might be able to get Hephaestus to help us,” Apollo said out of nowhere. “Your woman was asking about the container. He’s the only one that has a shot. You should have pushed for this earlier.”
Athena agreed. “You know he had a hand in forging the first box that held the sins. Maybe … he can make something even stronger this time. A cage that will never break.”
Cronus’ chest rumbled as he growled. “Hephaestus told me last week, in no uncertain terms, that he would die and kill the entire world before he helped me again. Hence the reason I have not bothered to ask again. He’s also not one we can force the hand of. His fortress is impenetrable, even for me.”
“Do you have an in with Aphrodite?” Apollo asked. “Maybe she can help sway him.”
Cronus paused. “No, I don’t. But … Selene did. Maybe she would see her daughter.”
Everyone looked at me.
“I’m willing to try,” I said immediately, wanting him to consider this idea further. If I was useful, he wouldn’t try and hide me away from danger again. “Why is it good to see Aphrodite first though?”
“They’re married,” Hyperion told me. “And if there is one soft spot that Hephaestus has, it’s the goddess of love.”
“And what exactly does Hepatitis do?” I queried while Cronus tried to hide his smirk.
“Hep-haes-tus,” he said slowly, “is the best blacksmith this world has. He alone can possibly build a container for the sins after I’ve captured them.”
Relief poured through me. Was there actually a scenario where he didn’t die? Why the hell hadn’t we talked about this before? He’d just kept saying no box he’d tried had worked, when all along there had been this infectious disease of a god sitting out there, blacksmithing shit and having the ability to build a container.
What if Cronus could quickly get the sins into his necklace, and then into the box … maybe Death wouldn’t take him.
I clapped my hands together, straightening. “Let’s do it, then. If this is the calm before the storm, that means there is a fucking storm coming. I for one wouldn’t mind some shelter…”
A Greek god created shelter in the form of a Sin cage.
“Hephaestus hates me,” Cronus said hesitantly. “I’m almost certain this is a waste of our time. I already asked him to make a box for you and he flat out told me to fuck off.”
Obviously there was a story there. Bad history between them. But now was not the time for old grudges. Now was the time to put that shit aside and fight for the world.
They
