Antigoddess

“What’re you going to do with that?”

“I’m going to slice you open. Bleed you out onto the cement. That ought to slow you down for awhile.”

Hermes’ mouth opened and closed. “I can see that nothing I say is going to matter. Whoever you are, you’re not the brother I hoped for. No ally. Nothing but a traitor.” He looked at Aidan with disgust. “And from the look of it, you’re not even dying.”

Light flashed on the glass in Aidan’s hand. “Maybe I am. Come closer and find out.”

Hermes glanced toward the door and Cassandra nodded slightly.

Go. Get out of here before you ruin everything.

He smiled. “Uh-uh. It’s been a few thousand years, but if I remember correctly, I’m no match for you on my own.” He looked at the sharp glass. “If I come any closer, most of my spleen is going to end up skewered on the end of that bottle. I can almost feel it already, sliding into my guts. No thank you.” He looked at Cassandra. “Sorry, sweetheart. You’re sort of a pretty girl, very nice I’m sure. You’ll forgive me for this later.”

Hermes pulled a wine bottle from the wall and threw it at her head. Cassandra screamed, but Aidan jumped in front of her and caught it. It gave Hermes just enough time to rush past them and leap over the railing onto the stairs.

“Big sister’s on her way,” he said. “I’m going to love watching you explain this to her.”

Aidan growled and leapt for him. The tip of the broken bottle sliced through the back of Hermes’ shirt and into the skin but went no farther. He was out of the cellar and fleeing before Aidan even regained his balance.

Aidan ran up the stairs and out into the party.

“Aidan!” Cassandra shouted. She vaulted up the stairs and caught him at the open front door, staring into the night. “Don’t!”

He looked at her frightened face and dropped the bloody shard of bottle, then pulled her close.

“Are you all right? Did he hurt you?”

“No.” She shook her head, and he felt her arms and down her back. “But he was one of them, wasn’t he? One of you. Where is he?”

“The fast-footed prick is probably a half mile away by now.”

She glanced over his shoulder. Andie and Henry had heard her yell; they were coming through the crowd, their faces concerned.

“I have to go after him,” he said.

“No.”

“I’m stronger than he is. I promise.”

“What about your sister? The big one he talked about.”

“I’m stronger than her too.”

She narrowed her eyes.

“Come on. It might not be a lie. She’s dying, after all.” He kissed her quickly and ran out the door, black cape flying ridiculously behind him.

“Hey.” Sam poked his head out beside her. “What’s up? Where’s he going to so fast?”

“Family emergency,” said Cassandra, and walked down the front steps with Andie and Henry not far behind.

* * *

Andie snored. It was loud on a regular night, worse after having her lungs shoved into a corset for three hours. She slept in Cassandra’s bed while Cassandra lay on the floor in a sleeping bag, watching the pale light from the bulb over the driveway basketball court float up through her window. The dull thud of a rubber ball hitting pavement assured her that Henry couldn’t sleep either. She stared at the glowing red numbers of her alarm clock. They hadn’t advanced much since the last time she’d looked. Aidan hadn’t called, but she thought he was okay. She hoped he was. No certainty of his death had leaked into the dark space between her ears, anyway.

Cassandra sat up and threw the covers back, then grabbed her bathrobe and went downstairs to join Henry by the basketball hoop.

“Can I play?” Cassandra asked, closing the front door softly.

“Sure.” He tossed her the ball and she almost dropped it.

Basketball wasn’t their game. They were both surprisingly bad at it. But chasing down missed shots seemed like just the thing to tire them out and hopefully drive them to sleep. Cassandra made it all the way to S in a game of HORSE before either one of them brought it up.

“I still don’t think he is what he says he is.” Henry took a shot and made it off the rim. “I mean, I know he jumped out that window, and he’s definitely strong. Superhuman, even. But a god? Come on.”

“You didn’t see them tonight,” said Cassandra. “You didn’t see the way Hermes moved. Or hear the things they said.”