I study the image of her. She’s got long dark hair and pouty full lips that she never seems to wear bright color on. There’s a reason that she’s become something of a trend setter in Olympus. She’s never overt about it, but one week she’ll be wearing high-waisted pants and a flouncy crop top and within two weeks, I’m seeing the look everywhere. The fact that she’s plus-sized only makes people watch her more closely. She seems comfortable in her body, and that kind of thing is sexy as hell.
Or it would be if I was interested in someone like Psyche Dimitriou.
I curse and close the window. It doesn’t matter if she’s hot as hell, or that I respect the way she’s so effectively dodged the power games since her family arrived on the scene. My mother has a task, and I know the consequences of failing.
Exile.
I might not love Olympus most days, but it’s my home. Normally the threat of exile would be bullshit—it’s not easy to leave this city, and that’s for people who actually want to get out—but when your mother is one of the Thirteen, anything is possible.
Best not to think about that too closely. I’ll take care of the task and then I’ll find a few partners and lose myself in a week of fucking and drinking and anything it takes to numb me out completely. Just like I always have.
I already know how to lure Psyche in. She might not play the power games, but she’s got a weak spot a mile wide. With another curse, I pick up my phone.
A chirpy female voice answers. “Eros, my favorite little sex god. It’s my lucky day.”
“Hermes.”
She gives a sigh. “So it’s business, then?”
“If it was personal, you’d be breaking into my house and eating my food. But I suppose you’re too busy doing that to Hades’s house these days.” She and I have hooked up a few times over the years, but ultimately settled into something resembling friendship. I don’t necessarily trust her—her title is practically spymaster, after all—but I like her.
“Don’t be mad just because Hades banned you from his sex dungeon. You would have done the same thing in his position.”
She’s right, but that doesn’t mean I’m about to admit it. When Hades cut me off, he cut off my main outlet to blow off steam. “I have a message I’d like you to deliver, but it’s delicate in nature.”
A pause. “Okay, you have my attention. Stop toying with my emotions and tell me what you’re up to.”
I allow myself a grin as I sketch out what I need from her. Hermes’s role in the Thirteen is a little bit messenger, a little bit spy, a little bit agent of chaos for her own amusement. Her only real allegiance is to Dionysus and even then, I’m not sure that friendship would hold if things got really intense. He’s not my aim, so I have no doubt she’ll do exactly as I request.
When I finish, she gives a merry laugh. “Eros, you sly rake, you. I’ll have the message delivered by morning.” She hangs up before I can respond.
I sit back with a sigh and rub my chest. No matter my personal thoughts on this, things are in motion.
Psyche Dimitriou will be dead before the end of the week.
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Acknowledgments
Huge thanks to all my readers for loving Hades enough that you’re willing to read two different versions of him. Will there be more? Only time will tell! I appreciate you more than words can say. I hope you enjoyed this story!
Big thanks to my editor, Mary Altman, for hearing me ramble about my idea for a supersexy Hades and Persephone retelling and immediately demanding I send you a proposal. I am so, so happy that Neon Gods found its home with you and Sourcebooks. This book is approximately a thousand times better than it was when we started because of your input.
Thank you to my agent, Laura Bradford, for working with me on this book. Yet another weird little story that’s found a home because of you and your belief in me and the stories I tell. Thank you!
Writing a book is a solo endeavor, but I wouldn’t have pulled it off without the support of my amazing friends. Big thanks to Jenny Nordbak for chatting mythology with me, brainstorming different pairings, and being in total agreement about the various fuckboys of Greek myths. All my love and appreciation to Piper J. Drake and Asa Maria Bradley for always being ready to knock me out of a tailspin or help me navigate a tricky plot point.
All my love and gratitude to my family. This book was written during 2020 and, suffice it to say, it’s been a particularly hellish year for everyone. Thank you to my children for rolling with the punches and adapting to this new version of life while we balance online school and my working with no office door and all the new challenges that arise. Thank you to Tim for never once doubting that I can accomplish my lofty goals, for always being willing to jump in when I need something, and for loving me even when I’m being kind of an asshole. Love you!
About the Author
Katee Robert is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance and romantic suspense. Entertainment Weekly calls her writing “unspeakably hot.” Her books have sold over a million copies. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, children, a cat who thinks he’s a dog, and two Great Danes who think they’re lap dogs. You can visit her at kateerobert.com or
