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She laughed. “Whenever he can pry himself off his wife, and whenever his daughter pries herself off her mates. Did you know she has at least three, possibly four?”

She gave me a pointed look, but I had no idea why.

“I didn’t realize Persephone was so...recently taken with her husband,” I grumbled back. Persephone’s fear and rumored distaste for her powerful husband wasn’t exactly a secret.

“Love springs eternal!” she trilled happily. “Oh, stop glowering at me!”

I wasn’t glowering and rearranged my face into something that was hopefully more neutral.

She sipped on tea, as if the world wasn’t potentially falling around her. And maybe it wasn’t. I wasn’t a god or goddess, after all.

“It would be nice for Wrath to show his face,” she finally said.

Whatever I was expecting to come out of her mouth, it wasn’t that. Fresh pain stabbed in my gut, an open wound that still bled whenever it was poked.

Diana’s clear, sea-green eyes met mine, giving me a goddess’s full attention.

“Gluttony, Wrath’s death wasn’t your fault. Clio being a conniving cunt wasn’t your fault. Many don’t blame her for moving onto Apollo. Quite a catch.”

My hands shook as I balled them into fists. I didn’t want to hear this. Not now.

Stuff it down. Stuff it down.

“I’m a fucking goddess, Gluttony,” Diana said mournfully. “You don’t need to impress me. No impressionable little sins here.”

I blinked and she was suddenly in front of me, kneeling. Her hands lightly rested on my thighs. “It’s ok, Gluttony.”

Fuck her.

I couldn’t hold it in anymore. The pressure of always holding it together for my brothers, the trauma of my past...holding it all in for so long wasn’t healthy. But what choice did I have?

“Wouldn’t it be nice to see a fucking flower without having a meltdown?” she asked.

Fucking goddesses!

It was like a damn bursting.

The shaking exploded from my hands to my arms, chest, and legs.

I wouldn’t cry.

Iwouldn’tcry.

An odd gasping sound escaped my throat, not unlike that of a wounded animal. Diana pressed herself against me, and it was tempting to just let it all go and sob, sob, sob...

“There now. It’s alright,” she cooed against, her voice sweet.

Too sweet.

Disgustingly, sugary sweet.

My paranoia kicked into overtime.

She’s avoiding the question. Don’t let her manipulate you.

Diana was a good person as far as goddesses went. She cared about humans, anyway. That alone was atypical for a god or goddess.

I pulled away sharply, forcing myself under control.