Page 13 of Taming Winter

The soldier leveled Dany, then me and Wolfe, with an unimpressed scowl that made my blood boil. As though this mere fucking human held the power to tell me what to do. I could torch him and his comrades if I wanted to, yet I choked down the urge. He analyzed the letter with an intensity that told me this was the most interesting thing to happen in his day, unaware of my desire to barbecue him.

"You have to get permission to leave?" Wolfe murmured from my side.

I shot him a venomous glare. "Yeah, thanks to you."

He scowled at that but made the intelligent decision to not respond.

The soldier stood straight and turned to the remaining infantry standing like a sea of blue along the length of the Underbridge. "Let them through!"

They parted, lining up between the spires and the Cerberus statues. The car lurched and plugged along past row upon row of stone-faced soldiers, their eyes tracking our movement with stoic silence. Flames flickered over my fists, though I snuffed them when the seat leather warped.

Zone 1 had changed drastically in the fifty years since my last visit, and yet somehow felt the same. The entire city was an ode to Zeus’s power. The road was trimmed with towering white marble skyscrapers trimmed with gold and blue opal. Telephone poles and electric light posts stretched between them like spiderwebs cutting up the periwinkle sky. Display windows boasted the newest televisions and phones, all plastered with The Tattle's newest headline. Residents walked in zombified states with their eyes glued to their devices, frequently running into each other. They said my citizens were wraiths, but compared to those that lived in Zeus’s domain, I wasn't so sure.

I rolled my shoulders and glanced at Wolfe, who sat in the seat opposite of me. His gaze was locked on our surroundings, the rotating glow of his eye sockets reflecting off the window. I cleared my throat, my fingers fiddling with the seam of my gown. "Have you been to the capitol before?"

"Yes, I have," he said in a flat tone. "And I hate it just as much now."

I couldn't help but agree with the sentiment.

His opinions shouldn’t matter to me. I shouldn't want his loyalty or anything but his compliance, but I had come to terms with the fact that wasn't the case. A broken part of me was desperate for his approval, like a starved cretin clamoring for scraps.

Seeing my brother again had to be the source of my insecurity. Zeus always fucked with my psyche. At one time, I had trusted him with every fiber of my being—loved him, for what it was worth. I wasn’t sure how I had been so foolish and naïve. He didn’t care about anyone but himself, and in my naivety, I had given him everything to carry out his plans for power. Thinking about him and my past mistakes put me on edge.

Dany pulled to a stop, and I grimaced at the view. We had pulled underneath a porte cochère, and a valet was opening my door without regard for the fact that I didn't want to get out. My heart skipped, and I tossed a glare to Wolfe. "Remember our deal. Be a good boy today."

His cheeks flushed pink, and the frost coating the car seat spread at my statement. This newfound kink of his was fascinating. Somehow, the asshole that had tried to kill me all those years ago liked my power over him as much as I loved showing it. Another development I didn't have time to consider.

Wolfe surprised me by getting out first and extending a hand to me, which I took as I stepped out of the car. He smirked at my raised eyebrow. "I can be a gentleman when properly incentivized."

"I'll keep that in mind," I retorted. My attention went to my driver, who was stepping out of the limousine to allow the valet into the front seat. "You are free to socialize but stay close. We will be out shortly."

Dany gave me a conspiratorial smile, her eye sockets scrunching with the movement. "See you soon, ma'am."

Wolfe put out his arm, which I took. Though it was all a façade for his own interests, I found myself pleasantly surprised by his manners. At least I could pretend that he actually had my back. Perhaps that was all it would take to endure this meeting with my brother. It was unlikely, but I clung to the hope.

Zeus’s tastes had always been ostentatious. The blend of gold and opal coating every surface of his interior was nearly blinding. Ornamental furniture stuffed the room, carved with my brother’s likeness and his supposed accomplishments. There was a solid gold desk along the far wall, its front surface engraved with a mural of Zeus giving electricity to the people of Olympiara. Hera was stationed at the gaudy piece of furniture, her beautiful spun-gold hair pinned to her head. Wolfe's attention quickly found her, the unfinished pearl in a room of gold, and he paused for a moment. She gaped at him, and I growled under my breath. The last thing I needed was Wolfe ogling other goddesses, especially those as pathetic as my brother's wife.

"Move your gaze before you piss me off," I snarled.

Wolfe balked, blinking at me as though he had just remembered I existed. "But… I know her."

CHAPTER 14

WOLFE

"That's Zeus’s wife, Hera. You've probably seen her on television," Hades muttered under her breath.

A scowl tugged at my lips. I had seen her once. Not over a television—Zeus kept his alluring wife tucked away from the screens. No, I had met her before.

I tugged my arm from Hades so I could approach the desk. Hera’s gaze darted around the room, desperation sloughing from her frantic movements. Though she tried to maintain a calm, polite smile, there was tension in her shoulders and jerkiness in her movements.

The world slowed to a sluggish crawl. A ragged gasp ripped from my chest, and in an instant, I was racing toward the front desk. "I remember you!" I shouted.

Her eyes bulged from her head, mortification warping her dainty features. She lunged from behind the desk and sprinted toward the elevators. I raised my hand and shot a spike of ice at her, but she narrowly dodged the attack by ducking. She turned to us as the elevator opened. Her brown eyes were the size of saucers, and her lips were parted in terror. She jutted her hand outward and spread her fingers. Just as the gilded elevator doors started to close between us, a torrent of flames erupted from her palm.

Shit. I forgot Hera was the goddess of the hearth as well. I dropped to my knees, terror clutching at my throat. The heat radiating from her fire embraced me in its damning talons, and my mind returned to the familiar scent of burning hair and agony blossoming across my flesh. I choked back the scream that threatened to escape. The inferno kept me frozen in place until the elevator doors dinged shut, protecting her from my retaliation. I flopped onto my hands and knees, doing my best not to throw up.

"What the hell, Wolfe?" Hades barked, her tone somewhere between shock and irritation.