Free Desperate Housewives of Olympus by Saranna DeWylde Page B

considered for a moment. “Maybe something else.”
    “That girl is a virgin, Thanatos.” Yes, he was her son and she loved him dearly, but he was one-hundred percent male—thinking with his parts. She had to struggle not to sigh.
    “She’s probably got a family of bats living in there after all this time. Don’t you think it would be okay if she—,”
    “You know, we so don’t need to have this conversation.” She threw her hands up in defeat. Nyx loved that her boys talked to her, confided in her, but there were some things a mother just didn’t need to know.
    “Why not? Not getting any?”
    “What did I say about being a dick? You’ll keep a civil tongue in your head if you want fig cakes.”
    “Sorry,” he apologized immediately. “It’s just I heard from a friend Apollo was checking you out when you left Jean Pierre’s.”
    “And he wanted you to ask me if I was, and I quote, getting any?”
    “No.” He hung his head. “Yeah.”
    Nyx took a deep breath and rolled her eyes skyward. “That friend wouldn’t happen to be Apollo, would it?”
    “No, it was Artemis.”
    “Does everyone know my business?” Nyx complained as she dropped the batter for the cakes in the pan.
    “You know how it is on the Lane.”
    “Is that why you never come see me anymore?” She couldn’t resist one little jab.
    “Don’t start. You know I’ve got work. If you want me to let you make those fig cakes, you’ll knock it off.”
    The kid had a point. She was more than happy to cook for him and he knew even with his smart mouth he still had her wrapped around his little finger.
    “Fine, you win.”
    “You should really go see what Apollo is up to.”
    “I know exactly what he’s up to. 6’4 and it’s no surprise they stack bullshit that high.”
    “Harsh, Ma. Totally harsh.” He shook his head at the indignity.
    “When you say ‘totally’ like that, you sound like some kind of sick hybrid of goth surfer.”
    “Cool.”
    “Not so much. Blows your cred.”
    “My cred can take it.” He sat down at the table to wait for his fig cakes. “Are you really not interested in the sun god, or is it because you think he’s too young for you?”
    “He’s one of your friends, Thanatos. That would be weird.” She putzed around the kitchen with a few more busy-work chores. Something to keep her hands busy.
    “If it doesn’t bother me, why should it bother you? You were old when the Dead Sea was sick.” He snickered.
    “One more age joke, just one more,” she warned.
    “And you’ll what? Get younger?” Thanatos didn’t simply laugh this time, he cackled like an over-caffeinated hyena.
    Nyx threw a pan at him and he easily dodged it.
    “You’re off your game. You could practice by throwing them at Hypnos.”
    “He doesn’t come over unless he and Hermes are fighting. You know Hermes travels so much and he likes to take Hypnos with him and I understand. Although my aim suffers.” She gave a long suffering sigh as if she bore the travails of the world on her shoulders. “They’ve promised to come for Brumalia.”
    “Ma, keep up. It’s Christmas now.”
    “I didn’t like that Saturnalia fad.”
    “Again, Ma, when the Dead Sea was sick…”
    “Christmas. Fine. Whatever. Call it whatever you want, all I care about is my boy coming to visit. You’re coming too, aren’t you?” Ha! She’d snuck in the invite while he was there in front of her. Thanatos had no problem telling her no on the phone, but in person? She owned his ass.
    “Ma, you know Christmas is always busy for me. I have to work. So many unhappy mortals.”
    “You’re upper management. The peons work the holidays. That’s how it’s supposed to work.”
    “They have families too.”
    “Just for a bit of ambrosia wine and a few canapés? Really, when was the last time you saw your brother?”
    “Uh,”
    “See? It would make me very happy, Thanatos. And I promise, no nagging if you have to leave.”
    “Okay, but only if