And then one night she’d seen Thanatos’ pale face across the room. She’d invited him over for a drink, even though he made her skin shrink two sizes. They talked, and laughed, and she’d teased him a little, called him the “Goodnight Prince.” Seductive Death, always trying to make what he was seem beautiful instead of necessary. Before they said goodbye, she’d squeezed his hand.
The next morning, without word or notice, she abandoned her beloved dusty apartment. What became of Steve Hunger Road Show she never knew. Probably nothing. Or maybe Thanatos had been there for them, and the bar had burned down that night with them inside it. It didn’t matter. Where Thanatos was, she had no desire to be.
And now he’s here in my living room. Drinking my brother’s wine.
She didn’t even know Hermes had wine. He certainly never offered anyone else any. But it was the obvious choice. Even in rolled-sleeve plaid, Thanatos looked like a vampire god. She kept a close eye on his glass of wine as he sipped, curious to see if he could stick a finger in it and turn it into blood.
“Thanatos,” she said. “What are you doing here?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Ares interjected. “He’s here for us. Death come to claim the dying gods.”
“Shut up, Ares.” Not that it would have surprised her. Thanatos’ eyes flickered over every inch of them as he sat, reclined comfortably in a chair. He lingered on Hermes’ gaunt face, on Ares’ seeping, mangled hand, on the dark circle of blood staining the side of her shirt.
“Did Hades send you?” she asked.
“I haven’t seen Hades. I came with Cassandra. She’s at her house now.”
“Cassandra?” A quick look passed between Athena, Hermes, and Odysseus.
“She found me in California,” Thanatos explained. “I’ve been trying to help her. And I’ve been failing.” The story slipped out of his mouth in low tones: Cassandra’s intention to rid the world of gods, Megaera’s end in the basement, and the Fury attack on the road. “And then we went to Athens. After Hades.”
Athens. Athena’s city. Hades was living in her city. Athena chewed her cheek until she drew blood; it tasted musty, like the inside of a birdcage.
So what? Athens isn’t mine to protect anymore. I couldn’t protect it, anymore.
“And then?” Hermes pressed.
“And then Alecto told Cassandra that Athena had taken in Ares and Aphrodite.”
Panic whined loudly from behind Ares’ knees. If Cassandra was home, she’d know Ares was there soon enough. The last time Athena got between them it had cost her a shoulder’s worth of feathers. This time would be much worse.
“She won’t come for you,” Thanatos said.
“The hell she won’t,” Ares spat.
“Wait.” Odysseus pressed closer. “Where’s Calypso? Did she stay with Cassandra?”
Thanatos set his wine down on the coffee table. His long fingers rubbed against the legs of his jeans.
“Calypso is dead. Alecto killed her.”
The room went still. Athena reached for Odysseus and found air. He was gone before anyone had time to think of something to say.
Calypso. Dead.
She didn’t have any right to feel so bad about it. But she did anyway.
“Is Cassandra all right?” she asked.
“No.” Thanatos hung his head. “But at least she’s almost done.”
*
Cassandra ate as much pizza as she was able. It was funny how comforting her parents found watching her eat a decent meal. It had been too long since they’d been able to feed her, or tell her things, or make sure she was safe. They intended to make up for it in spades, and she would let them, for as long as she could.
But who knew how long that would be? Seeing the confused relief in their eyes was terrible. Knowing she would do it to them again was worse. It hadn’t been her idea to come home. After she’d murdered Calypso with her bare hands, Thanatos had scooped her up and made the plans without discussion. They hadn’t even taken Calypso’s body. It was probably still lying in Hades’ house, among the other dead things.
Unless Alecto had returned to take it to her sisters, to defile it somewhere, tearing it apart and cackling in a ruthless, satisfied circle.
Cassandra closed her eyes. Whatever the Furies did to the corpse was irrelevant.