I sighed deeply. “Honestly, I can't find fault with you wanting to protect the Earth. But I can't condone you hurting humans just to get your point across.”
“I didn't mean to hurt them,” she said softly. “I caved in the mines, and some were too slow to escape. I am sorry for that.”
“Please be more careful with your power in the future,” I said.
She blinked in surprise. “All right, I will. Thank you for listening and understanding.”
“I'm only the tracker,” I said softly. “I'll have to report to Athena that you were behind the attacks, but I will also tell her all that you've said to me and try to convince her to close the mines.”
Orco Mamman smiled brightly at me and came forward to envelop me in a hug. “Thank you again, Vervain. I am glad to have met you and your friend, Torrent.”
“You're welcome,” I said. “I'm glad to meet you too, but I have to tell you that I can't guarantee that Athena will listen to me.”
“It's enough that you try,” she said. “I can only hold you accountable for your own actions, and I find those to be honorable.”
“I wish you the best with the defense of your land,” I said in farewell.
“And I wish you the best with that obstinate goddess,” she said with a smirk. “Safe travels, Godhunter.”
It wasn't until we'd rejoined the others that I realized what she'd called me, and what it could mean.
Chapter Fifteen
“Orco Mamman did all that? I didn't think she had the power—or the balls,” Athena growled. “Thank you, Vervain; I'll handle her.”
“She's just doing what her magic compels her to, Athena,” I said gently. “She said she spoke to you about it.”
“We are not animals; controlled by our base instincts,” Athena huffed. “We control our magic, not the other way around. If this woman can't, then she shouldn't be a goddess.”
“Oh, damn!” Artemis hooted.
“All right; you do what you feel you have to, but I'm staying out of this one. Don't ask me to help you hurt her,” I said.
“You sympathize with her,” Athena said it like an accusation.
I just held up my hands and shook my head.
“I'm not closing a bunch of billion dollar mines because some forgotten goddess is offended by them,” Athena declared. “No one knows the name Orco Mamman anymore, and I can make sure it stays that way.”
“Athena, it's only money,” I said in surprise. “You must have more than enough by now. You live in the God Realm; how much could you possibly need?”
“That's not the point,” Athena huffed. “She's challenged me by damaging something precious, and now I must retaliate.”
“Her magic compelled her to act,” I said. “Can't you let it go and be the bigger goddess?”
Athena lifted her chin and frowned.
“This is all she has while you rule Olympus,” I tried again. “Have some compassion.”
Athena sighed deeply. “Perhaps you're right, Vervain. I will close the mines for now, and give this more thought.”
“I think that's kind and generous of you,” I said with a smile.
“I don't wish to be like my father,” Athena said softly. “But sometimes it feels as if I'm fated to.”
“You're not,” I said firmly. “In the entire time I've known you, you've behaved honorably and with cool reason.”
“Thank you, Vervain,” she said sincerely. “And thank you for helping me with this.”
“You're welcome,” I said. “Did you happen to discover anything that might help our problem?”
“Well, in the Greek Pantheon, there was Thanatos, but—as you well know—he's deceased,” Athena said.
“I completely forgot about him,” Trevor said and then his eyes narrowed. “You don't think this could be someone who was close to Thanatos, trying to avenge him, do you?”
“Who?” Athena asked. “Dionysus is watching over Pasithea, Phobetor is too stupid to come up with such a complex scheme, and both Hypnos and Phantasus are also dead.”
“No one else would avenge them?” Azrael asked. “This could be about more than Thanatos; maybe it's about his family.”
“I can't think of anyone who'd avenge them,” Athena said. “But there is the Keres, who might be inclined to avenge Nyx.”
“The Keres?” I asked. “That sounds familiar.”
“They're daughters of Nyx and Erebus,” Athena said. “Vicious things; they feast on the dying before they take the souls to Hades.”
“To Hades himself?” I asked. “Not to Charon?”
“To Hades the place,” she corrected. “All souls must pay the Ferryman. Which leads me to my next tidbit; any Greek who managed to harvest a soul would be compelled by the magic of our pantheon to take it to Charon, and you said that you believe the demon souls were destroyed.”
“I said that I believe they were cut off from their magic. Namely; Luke,” I corrected. “That would lead to the destruction of their souls.”
“Or their souls could have been destroyed, which would result in their bodies wasting away as if they were cut off from their magic,” Athena added.
“Yes,” I agreed. “I suppose the order does make a difference.”
“I don't think any Greek god would have a reason to take Luke's demons to Hades,” Athena pointed out. “Nor do I think that would cut the cord between them.”
“So, you think we can safely rule out the Keres?” Odin asked.
“I do,” she said. “But keep them in mind, all the same. Magic has a way of shifting if the will of its user is powerful enough. You never know; maybe one of them found a way to consume souls and not just dying flesh.”
I blinked at that; magic's ability to transform itself was a fact I hadn't considered. It also made things much more difficult.
“There are a few others who I found, but again, you've killed them already, Godhunter,” Athena went on.
“Who?” I asked.
