Page 64 of Whiskey, Thieves, and Bastards
“Athena sees them for what they are, but she keeps it close to her chest just in case she needs to use them for anything. She’s a strategist. Athena is never going to let anyone know what she thinks of them unless she’s one hundred percent sure she can burn that bridge.
“I know you’re mad at her and you have every right to be, but she pulled me aside after we toured the village to tell me something. Hera isn’t thinking about Zeus’s offspring that are still alive anymore. She’s not plotting against us. Athena said she had this epiphany a while ago.
“We’re all creations of people’s beliefs, but we’re still sentient beings and we can choose how we want to live that. Hera finally realized she’s also the god of women and childbirth and not justa god of marriage. She also realized the women she was going after instead of protecting weren’t the problem—her husband was.
“It finally hit her lizard brain that she was attacking the wrong person to protect the sanctity of marriage. But she knew when she brought it up with Zeus, he got violent with her. Hera left him. I didn’t think she ever would, but even she admitted he was hurting women.
“Athena said she did a complete one eighty, and she’s currently living here running a nonprofit that helps women get out of dangerous situations and has a free health clinic that has gynecologists and mental health professionals. I could say something really nasty about that because of how she cursed me but honestly, good for her.”
Maybe I could forgive Athena a little. Dionysus needed that. We all did if we wanted to settle here.
“Do you forgive her?”
“Well, she hasn’t asked me, but I don’t want to talk about my stepmother right now. I have you to myself right now.”
“What did you do while you had Benji and Cas to yourself?”
Because I wanted all the details. The three of them were stunning together.
“Nothing near as kinky as what you got up to with Pax and then again with Cas and Benji. We mostly talked about you and everyone’s trauma. Cas wasn’t taken by the Coalition and he didn’t have to deal with Zeus or Hera, but his dad was pretty awful.
“His mom and her friends ran him off before Cas was old enough to remember him, but it was a different time. Cas had a lot of pressure to be the man of the house when he was just a kid. Listen, he looks like a big strapping lad, but he’s a hot mess inside if he thinks his people aren’t being cared for. He just hides it. He’d never tell that to younowbecause you just got out ofthe Coalition, but I told him you’re the same and he knew I was going to tell you. We’re all fucked. Cas is the least fucked of us and he’s fucked sometimes, too.”
I wriggled closer and booped his nose with my finger.
“We’re together now. You don’t have to worry about Hera and Athena finally decided to tell me the truth. The furies arewaybetter sisters than my birth sister was and Jezebel and I bonded in the basement. We’ve got this whole family here. We could finallystarta family now that we aren’t worried about Hera, Athena, or my glasses slipping and turning our kids to stone. We just have to stop the Coalition and probably some angels.”
“You’d look beautiful with a little demigod, green-witch hybrid in your belly.”
“I’m pretty sure youallwant to knock me up.”
“Let’s pretend I’m trying to knock you up right now. It feels like forever since I’ve been inside you. I’d never even press this if I thought you weren’t ready, but you’ve been like, super horny since you got around all this greenery. You’re worse than a succubus at a rugby game.”
“Are you making fun of Jezebel because of her thing with the Portuguese rugby team?”
“Nah, I worry about anyone who doesn’t want to get thrown around by an entire rugby team.”
“Are youcomplainingthat I’ve been a little randy around all these gardens?”
“No. In fact, the green witches have a plant shop next to the restaurant run by the Diwata. I’m going to buy all their plants and put them all over the house so you stay naked.”
“Did you know they have a system here if you want to fuck in a public park?”
Dionysus groaned.
“We’re doing that later. It was a dark time when they started arresting people for fornicating in public.”
“Stop talking and kiss me.”
“I thought you were never going to ask.”
Dionysus pounced and captured my mouth with his. Dionysus was a little like Benji in that he liked to take his time.
“Never get kidnapped again,” he murmured. “I nearly lost my shit and destroyed the world. Hades had to threaten to put me in time out and Persephone said she would kick my ass. Hephaestus said he would build a cage that would hold me. Are you real? Are you really here?”
I rolled him over and pinned him on his back. Dionysus got like this sometimes. He usually needed a pep talk. I ground myself against his cock and he let out a soft moan.
“Hey, I’m here. You got me out. We’re going to beat the Coalition and any angels that come for us. Then, we’re going to get our happily ever after in this beautiful village.”
