Godtown

Chapter Forty-One

She didn't say anything in the car ride back to Olympus Towers, which was arguably the longest fifteen minutes of my entire godhood. Hilda remained as still as a statute, her long blonde hair falling over her face like a hood as she stared out the window silently.

Some gods listen to radios in their cars, allowing them to hear other gods sing to them amid the airwaves. It's a taste I had yet to acquire. I found the contraption less intrusive than the damned telephone in my room, but I have a high standard for music. It's hard to top Orpheus, for one thing.

I pulled up to OlympusTowers, put the car into park, and prepared to exit the vehicle. Hilda didn't move, which was consistent if not unnerving. As still as she was, I was almost worried we had passed Medusa at the last stop-light. Hilda didn't stir at all. But she didn't seem ferocious. When she finally did move, she tossed the hair out of her eyes. It was still a move I recognized.

Fear.

"Hilda," I said. "We're here."

Hilda nodded. She opened the car door and exited the vehicle with the clack of leather boots above seeds of gravel. She looked up at the sprawling Olympus towers. I could hear her swallowing. She turned back to me.

I understood the source of her agitation. This whole time, she was preparing herself for combat. For her, this was enemy territory.

"You'll be safe," I said. "I'm an Olympian. I'm supposed to have a fling once or twice with a week, turn into a bull or swan or something. Make some more hero babies . . . that sort of thing."

I swung my hand around her waist. "Just act natural."

Hilda put her arm around me. I felt the warmth of her touch. Then I felt the icy breath of cold steel. She had her knife against my thigh. "Move your hands one inch lower and you'll be lucky if you still have half an inch in between your legs."

"I said natural," I sighed, trying not to pay any mind to the knife threatening to castrate me. "Not terrifying."

"This is my natural," Hilda said with a smile that did little to reassure me.

With that, the lovely couple entered the double doors of OlympusTowers. I had timed it just right. The lobby was almost empty. I could feel Hilda relax in my arms. She loosened from my grip, still on her guard but not as fearful as she had been. Charon was working at the front desk. He looked at Hilda. He looked at me. He looked at Hilda.

"What the hell, man?" Charon said. "You mope about Persephone forever and then you bring this trash in here?"

"Trash." Hilda said. It was not a question. I think it was more of a declaration of war. I snatched her hand before she could go for her knife.

"Look, lady, I'm sure you're worth every favor and are very good at what you do but . . . " Charon stopped in mid-sentence. Even though I had my hand on Hilda's dagger, she was very capable of starring daggers with her sea-blue eyes.

"I am very good at what I do," Hilda growled defiantly.

"Charon," I said. "Lunch break. Now."

"We had this conversation," Charon said indignantly. "You're not the boss of me!"

"Lunch. Break," I repeated with additional emphasis. "Now."

Charon looked at me for a second. He blinked. "On second thought, you know what? I'm hungry. We will continue this conversation at a later time."